Scientific Programme
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The scientific programme includes eight symposia covering a range of geoscience topics. Further symposia or sub-themes may be added depending on subjects covered in approved abstracts.
Oral presentation slots will be 15 minutes including questions. Plenary presentations will be 30 minutes. As at previous meetings, poster presentations will be given a high profile, with an afternoon session devoted entirely to posters, with refreshments available.
For further information on the scientific programme please contact the Chair of the Symposia Organising Committee (James White) or the convenors of the symposium of interest.
Symposia
1. Geological and geophysical signatures of earth deformation and fluid flow
Convenors - Virginia Toy [virginia.toy_at_otago.ac.nz], Ake Fagereng [ake_at_geology.co.nz], Julie Rowland [j.rowland_at_auckland.ac.nz]
This symposium honours the scientific contributions of Emeritus Professor Richard Sibson during his career at Imperial College - London, University of California - Santa Barbara, and most recently at the University of Otago (1990-2009). Rick Sibson is renowned for integrating structural geology, seismogenesis, and hydrothermal mineralisation. We invite presentations related to Rick Sibson's fields of research expertise - broadly structural geology, seismotectonics, metamorphism and fluid flow, but with a particular focus on fault-related mineralisation and coseismic fault processes.
2. Paleo-environments and basin evolution
Convenors - Gary Wilson [gary.wilson_at_otago.ac.nz], Miko Fohrmann [m.fohrmann_at_gns.cri.nz, John Lindqvist [jonlind_at_ihug.co.nz]
This symposium will provide a forum to highlight significant current progress and renewed activity in the interpretation of stratigraphic signatures in New Zealand's sedimentary basins. Such records have the potential to contribute significantly to understanding the environmental, sea-level, and climatic history of the greater New Zealand and SW Pacific region as well as assessment of environmental and tectonic controls on basin evolution and stratigraphic architecture. We encourage presentations of on-shore and off-shore studies including stratigraphic analysis of exposed sections, marine cores and seismic reflection data sets and studies which combine several of these elements. High-resolution studies as well as studies that employ non-traditional stratigraphic tools are also encouraged.
3. Magmatism and volcanic hazards
Convenors - James White [james.white_at_otago.ac.nz], Alan Cooper [alan.cooper_at_otago.ac.nz], Karoly Nemeth [k.nemeth_at_massey.ac.nz]
All contributions regarding generation, transport, storage and eruption of magmas are invited for this symposium, with those addressing South Island intraplate topics to be grouped and highlighted. An additional focus is volcanic hazard, including both eruptive and eruption-related processes.
4. Fiordland revealed
Convenors - Donna Eberhart-Phillips [eberhart_at_geology.ucdavis.edu], Mike Palin [michael.palin_at_otago.ac.nz], Mo Turnbull [i.turnbull_at_gns.cri.nz]
Fiordland has a rich geological history ranging from an early Paleozoic continental margin to a modern active plate boundary; it has granites and graptolites, dormant volcanoes, eclogites, and glaciers; and until recently large parts of it were unexplored. Over the last decade, Fiordland has been the subject of numerous marine and land-based geologic investigations by New Zealand and overseas researchers. Offshore work has focussed on the Alpine Fault and related tectonics and sedimentation; onshore, magma genesis and transport in the deep crust, high pressure metamorphism, deep and shallow tectonics, and Cenozoic sediment provenance have been investigated. The QMAP Fiordland 1:250 000 geological map has also been completed, allowing these studies to be seen in a modern regional context. This symposium hopes to attract contributions and presentations from those who have been working in and around Fiordland; and to give the wider geological community some glimpses of the fascinating and diverse geology to be found in this challenging region.
5. Seismotectonics of Southern New Zealand: from the Alpine Fault to the Otago Shelf
Convenors - Phaedra Upton [p.upton_at_gns.cri.nz], Richard Norris [richard.norris_at_otago.ac.nz], Paul Denys [pdenys_at_surveying.otago.ac.nz]
We welcome geophysical or geological presentations on tectonics and lithospheric structure with a particular focus on Southern New Zealand. This symposium will include, but is not limited to, topics relating to the Alpine Fault - Deep Fault Drilling Project, deformation rates and processes based on geodetic, seismic or geologic data, active faulting, paleoseismology, and modelling. Studies that integrate geophysical and geological data sets to resolve a tectonic process, or that illustrate a tectonic change in space and time are particularly encouraged.
6. New frontiers and general earth science
Convenor - Nick Mortimer [n.mortimer_at_gns.cri.nz]
Involved in research that doesn't fit into any other symposia? Perhaps you are doing something new or multi-disciplinary? Don't be put off. There's room for a lot more interesting geology & geophysics at Geosciences '09 that isn't covered in the specialist sessions. Come and cross-fertilise the audience and tell them something outside their comfort zone. Because of the wide ranging content, speakers are asked to emphasise the "why" of their work as much as the "what".
7. Applied Geoscience
Convenors - Dave Craw [dave.craw_at_otago.ac.nz], Candace Martin [candace.martin_at_otago.ac.nz], Phil Glassey [p.glassey_at_gns.cri.nz]
The Applied Geoscience session will showcase applications of geology to engineering, resource and environmental issues. It will include specific hazard assessment applications, engineering geology related to infrastructure, including mine design, and unique applications, which resolved or highlighted environmental problems through advanced geological science such as geotechnics, geochemistry or geophysics.
8. Origin of the New Zealand Biota
Convenors - Ewan Fordyce [ewan.fordyce_at_otago.ac.nz], Daphne Lee [daphne.lee_at_otago.ac.nz]
This theme mixes paleontology and evolution to mark the 200th Anniversary (24 November 2009) of the birth of Charles Darwin, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "The Origin of Species." The theme will consider any contribution that deals with origins and evolution of NZ biota. It will include 2 days (Thursday, Friday) of sessions on "New Zealand Vegetation History - from the Late Cretaceous to Holocene." The theme will have a foundation in paleontology (marine or nonmarine animals, plants, microbiota), but we will welcome other approaches that bear on origins and evolution if there is some link with deep time: for example, fossil-calibrated molecular studies, or phylogenies of extant New Zealand groups that can be explained by the events of deep time, such as climatic or tectonic change.
