IAG

International Association of Geomorphologists
Newsletter no. 14 (2/1997)

Fourth International Conference on Geomorphology

The 4th IAG International Conference will be held in Bologna, Italy, 28 August - 3 September 1997. There will be pre-conference meetings with field trips, and both pre- and post-conference excursions. Currently, the number of registered delegates is about 800 from 60 countries. About 700 abstracts have been accepted for presentation. On behalf of the IAG, the Conference Organising Committee has the pleasures of inviting you to participate in the scientific and social programmes of the conference.

Please send all correspondence to

IV International Conference on Geomorphology,
Planning Congressi s.r.l.,
Via dei Crociali 2,
I-40138 Bologna,
Italy
(Tel: 39-51-302980; Fax: 39-51-309477; e-mail: michele.galantino@planning.inet.it)

Scientific material for the conference, however, should be sent to

Paolo Forti,
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e Geologico-ambientali, Universite di Bologna
(Fax: 39-51-354522; e-mail: Forti@geomin.unibo.it)

Registration.

There are four categories of registration:

The last category only allows attendance of the selected meeting, not the main conference. Payment in Lit (Italian Lire) may be made by cheques or money orders payable to
IV INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSI s.r.l.,
Via dei Crociali 2,
I-40138 Bologna,
Italy
(Bank account n. 291, c/o Banca Popolare dell'Emilia e Romagna, Via Massarenti 228, Bologna, CAB 02598.1 ABI 05387.6)
or to
Post Account no. 26472407,
PLANNING CONGRESSI s.r.l.,
Via dei Crociali 2,
I-40138 Bologna,
Italy.

Payment may also be made by credit cards which must include a surcharge of 6%.

All cancellations must be in writing. A full refund less a cancellation fee of 100,000 Lit will be made to the participant if cancelled prior to 1 June 1997. No refund will be possible after this date.

Visa.

All persons coming to Italy as delegates to the Conference will be considered "visitors". They are required to provide proper identification (and visitor visa, if necessary), and outline their nature of visit to Italy at the Italian port of entry. Visitors should check with their local travel agent or the Italian Consulate or Embassy closest to them.

Insurance.

Participants from outside the European countries should note that visitors to Italy are not covered by the Italian government health and travel insurance. Visitors should make arrangements for their own insurance.

Conference.

The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the University "Aula Magna" of "St. Lucia" where simultaneous translations (Italian- French-English) will be provided. All scientific sessions will be at the Department of Physics Complex of the University of Bologna. Session and symposia will last half-a-day and run parallel. to each other.

Programme.

Please note that it will not be possible to attend any of the Conference events without an identification badge. Please visit the Secretariat immediately on arrival in Bologna.

28 Aug. - Opening of the desk office and registration of participants (08-1300; 15-1800; and 20-2200 hours)

29 Aug. - Registration of participants; opening ceremony; opening of exhibitions and commercial stands; glacial geomorphology; arid and subarid geomorphology; symposium on geomorphology and environmental impact assessment; 28th Binghamton Symposium (Changing the Face of the Earth - Engineering Geomorphology); welcome party

30 Aug. - Young geomorphologists' workshop; fluvial geomorphology; tectonic geomorphology; 28th Binghamton Symposium (contd.); symposium on landslides management; fluvial geomorphology; tectonic geomorphology

31 Aug. - local trips (optional)

1 Sept. - Symposium on methods and tools in geomorphology; symposium on geomorphology and global change; littoral and submarine geomorphology; tropical geomorphology; symposium on geomorphology and global change; volcanic geomorphology; karst , welcome by local authorities

2 Sept. - geomorphology and global tectonics; applied geomorphology; weathering and soils; applied geomorphology; theoretical geomorphology; periglacial geomorphology;

3 Sept. - symposium on cogeoenvironment; symposium on EC Dir XII; symposium on Antarctic geomorphology; symposium on magnitude and frequency in geomorphology; closing of exhibitions and commercial stands; farewell dinner

Delegates may present their papers and posters in English or French. Simultaneous translation services will not be available at the conference except for the general assemblies. Time for oral presentation will generally be 20 minutes. Poster presentations, however, is encouraged. The space available for each poster is 1.5 m (height) X 1.2 m (width).

Scientific field excursions. A number of excursions originally proposed have been cancelled. Details of the excursions and meetings with field trips were given in the previous newsletter: No. 14 (1/1997).

IAG News

Task Forces and Working Groups

At Bologna, two initial Task Forces and Two Working Groups are coming to the end of their mandate. The Working Groups on Magnitude and Frequency in Geomorphology (chair: M. Crozier) and Geomorphology and Global Tectonics (M. Summerfield) have organised special sessions at Bologna, and will be making their contributions to the IAG with publications which will appear over the next year or two. The Task Force on Geomorphology in International Programmes (J. Thornes) was terminated as a result of the chair's serious illness. The Task Force on the Promotion of Geomorphology (O. Slaymaker) reported progress in the IAG Newsletter 12 (2/1995). Two new Working Groups have been organising themselves preparatory to formal initiation if approved by the general Assembly at Bologna. These proposed Working Groups are Geoarcheology (M. de Dapper) and Volcanic Hazards (J.J. Nossin). In addition, as reported in the last IAG Newsletter, a research project, designed by H. Kienholz, on the Documentation of Mountain Disasters has been funded by ICSU-SC/IDNDR. A workshop is being convened in late 1997, which could well lead to a new Working Group emerging at the next IAG Conference in 2001. A further tentative proposal has been received from D. Reed for a new Working Group on Geomorphology and Environmental Management. Expressions of interest should be sent to:
D. Reed,
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium,
8124 Highway 56,
Chauvin,
La 70344,
USA

Publication of papers presented at Bologna

H. Bremer and R.J. Allison will co-ordinate publications on behalf of the IAG Executive Committee. All congress attendees who wish to have their papers considered for publication are requested to bring three complete good quality copies of the paper to the Congress, following the guidelines of the Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.

Official publication outlets will include Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie supplementary volumes, Wiley books, and special editions and thematic issues of journals affiliated with the IAG (Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Geomorphology, Revue de Geomorphologie Dynamique, Transactions of the Japanese Geomorphological Union, Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie). Although no formal agreement has yet been reached with particular journals or publishers, many have indicated their keenness to publish appropriately refereed material from the Congress.

Authors are invited to enclose a note with the top copy of their paper indicating publication outlets in which they would not wish their material to appear. Every attempt will be made to match the requests made by the contributors with the available publication space, after the usual level of academically rigorous refereeing has been completed. For further information please e-mail R.J. Allison@durham.ac.uk

Geomorphological Conference, Taiwan, August 1996

An international symposium (the Japan-Sino Geomorphological Conference) was jointly organised by the Japanese Geomorphological Union and the Department of Geography, National Taiwan Normal University under the sponsorship of the International Association of Geomorphologists. The meeting was held 19-21 August 1996 at the National Taiwan Normal University, followed by a three-day field excursion to central and northern Taiwan.

The conference was attended by more than 130 delegates, and 53 papers and 10 posters were presented. The papers, which have been published simultaneously with the conference, include topics in fluvial geomorphology, landslides and mass wasting, tectonic geomorphology, hydrology, coastal geomorphology, glacial geomorphology, weathering and applied geomorphology, and regional geomorphology. The papers are in Chinese, English, or Japanese; and all carry a title and an abstract in English. The publication is available from either the Japanese Geomorphological Union or the Department of Geography, National Taiwan Normal University.

This information was received from Kenji Kashiwaya, Secretary-in-Chief, Japanese Geomorphological Union.

Future Conferences

Yellowknife, N.W.T., Canada, 23-27 June 1998, 7th International Conference on Permafrost. The first circular and call for papers for this conference is out and available from

J.A. Heginbottom, Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ont. K1A0E8, Canada (Fax: 1-613-992-2468; e-mail: permafrost.conference@gsc.emr.ca). The circular is also available at websites:
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/gsc/permaf_e.html (English)
http//www.nrcan.gc.ca/gsc/permaf_f.html (French)

An extensive technical programme is planned for the conference, along with pre- and post-conference field excursions, business meetings of the International Permafrost Association (IPA), and events open to the Yellowknife public. In addition to basic themes in permafrost science and engineering, special attention will be given to issues of global climate change, environmental protection in permafrost regions, construction techniques in permafrost, and mining in permafrost. Other sessions will facilitate international co-operation in permafrost studies and data exchanges. The IPA Council and Executive will each hold meetings in association with the conference.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 21-25 September 1998, 8th Congress of the International Association of Engineering Geology.

Theme: Engineering geology, a global view from the Pacific Rim.

Contact: Kim Meidal, Secretariat, 8th Congress IAEG, c/o BC Hydro, 6911 Southpoint Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V3N 4X8 (Tel: 1-604-528-2421; Fax: 1-604-528-2558; e-mail: kim.meidal@bchydro.bc.ca; website: http://www.bchydro.bc.ca/bchydro/IAEG/IAE98.html

Please send material for IAG Newsletter to Avijit Gupta, Publication Secretary, IAG, Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119260. Fax: 65-776-3638. e-mail: geoagup@nus.sg

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