34th IGC Proceedings

34th International Geological Congress (IGC): AUSTRALIA 2012

Unearthing Our Past And Future – Resourcing Tomorrow

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC)Queensland, Australia5 - 10 August, 2012 www.34igc.org

The 34th IGC is supported by the member societies of the Australian Geoscience Council

PROC

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2 34th IGC AUSTRALIA 2012 | PROCEEDINGS REPORT

PrefaceThe International Geological Congress (IGC) is the main scientific forum of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

The 34th session of the International Geological Congress, which was held in Brisbane, from 5-10 August, 2012, was the second to be hosted in Australia – the 25th was held in Sydney in August 1976.

The 34th IGC was a partnership between Australia and New Zealand, on behalf of the Oceania region. It represented the end point of some 9 years of planning, organisation and management. Many individuals and organisations made very substantial contributions to the project and the successful end product is due to their combined efforts.

This Proceedings report is designed both as a comprehensive record of all aspects of the 34th IGC and as a reference volume for organisers of future IGCs. It begins with a succinct summary of key statistics and novel aspects of the congress. More detailed information is provided in the following five main sections:

1. Background Information, which covers the history of the IGC and the relationship between the IGC and the IUGS.

2. Organisation, which summarises the bid process and the main activities and issues in organising.

3. Committee Reports, which presents the reports of the local Organising Committee and the various Sub-committees under it.

4. Ceremonies and Social Events, which covers the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Awards, the Accompanying Member and Social programs.

5. Business meetings, which lists all of the business meetings held and provides Minutes and commentary on the Council, IUGS Executive Committee and International Geological Congress Committee (IGCC) meetings.


ContentsPREFACE ........................................................................................................................................... 2

CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................... 3

34th IGC SUMMARY: .............................................................................................................................. 6

1.BACKGROUND INFORMATION ......................................................................................................... 7

1.1 History of IGC ......................................................................................................................... 7

1.2 The IGC and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) ....................................... 7

1.2.1 IUGS’ Roles and Goals ............................................................................................... 7

1.2.2 IUGS’ Membership .................................................................................................... 7

1.2.3 IUGS Structure ........................................................................................................... 8

1.2.4 Council Arrangements ................................................................................................ 8

1.2.5 Agreement between IUGS and IGC Legal Entity ......................................................... 8

1.3 IGC Committee ....................................................................................................................... 8

1.4 IGC Statutes ............................................................................................................................ 8

2. 34th IGC ORGANISATION ................................................................................................................. 9

2.1 Oceania’s bid for the 34th IGC ................................................................................................ 9

2.1.1 Host city .................................................................................................................... 9

2.1.2 Venue ....................................................................................................................... 10

2.1.3 Dates ....................................................................................................................... 10

2.1.4 Costs ........................................................................................................................ 11

2.1.5 Bid presentation ....................................................................................................... 11

2.2 Organising Committees ......................................................................................................... 12

2.2.1 Preparatory Committee ............................................................................................ 12

2.2.2 Organising Committee ............................................................................................. 12

2.3 Shortening the Congress ........................................................................................................ 13

2.4 English language ................................................................................................................... 13

2.5 Registration fees and refund policy ........................................................................................ 14

2.5.1 Registration Fees ...................................................................................................... 14

2.5.2 Registration terms ..................................................................................................... 15

2.5.3 Cancellation Policy .................................................................................................. 16

2.5.4 Registration fee payments ......................................................................................... 16

2.5.5 Credit Card issues .................................................................................................... 17

2.5.6 Invitations to participate ........................................................................................... 17

2.6 Registration ........................................................................................................................... 17

2.7 Logistics ................................................................................................................................ 18

2.7.1 Venue ....................................................................................................................... 18

2.7.2 Ancilliary venues and facilities ................................................................................. 19

2.7.3 Accommodation ...................................................................................................... 19

2.8 Host City Involvement ........................................................................................................... 20

2.8.1 City Government ...................................................................................................... 20

2.8.2 Security .................................................................................................................... 20

3. COMMITTEE REPORTS ..................................................................................................................... 21

3.1 Organising Committee Report ............................................................................................... 21

3.2 Scientific Program Sub-Committee Report ............................................................................. 22


3.2.1 Overview ................................................................................................................. 22

3.2.2 Plenary Program ....................................................................................................... 22

3.2.3 Scientific Themes and Symposia ............................................................................... 24

3.2.4 Other Major Forums ................................................................................................. 25

3.2.5 Professional Development Workshops Report .......................................................... 26

3.3 Field Trips report .................................................................................................................... 27

3.4 GeoHost Support Program Report ......................................................................................... 27

3.4.1 Programs within GeoHost scheme ........................................................................... 28

3.4.2 Critical dates ............................................................................................................ 28

3.4.3 Application procedure ............................................................................................. 28

3.4.4 Funding GeoHost ..................................................................................................... 28

3.5 Finance Report ...................................................................................................................... 29

3.5.1 Pre-Congress funding ............................................................................................... 29

3.5.2 Congress budget ....................................................................................................... 30

3.5.3 Financial management ............................................................................................. 30

3.5.4 Tax reporting ............................................................................................................ 30

3.5.5 Financial outcome ................................................................................................... 30

3.5.6 Insurance, risk and liabilities .................................................................................... 31

3.5.7 Observations ............................................................................................................ 31

3.6 Sponsorship and Exhibition Report ........................................................................................ 32

3.6.1 Overview ................................................................................................................. 32

3.6.2 GeoExpo .................................................................................................................. 33

3.7 Congress Marketing Report .................................................................................................... 33

3.7.1 Overall Strategy ....................................................................................................... 33

3.7.2 Realignment of Marketing after Global Financial Crisis ............................................ 33

3.8 Media and Communications Report ...................................................................................... 34

3.8.1 Overview ................................................................................................................. 34

3.8.2 Mainstream media ................................................................................................... 35

3.8.3 Industry media ......................................................................................................... 35

3.8.4 Social media ............................................................................................................ 35

3.9 Congress Volunteers Report ................................................................................................... 35

3.10 Report of the legal entity responsible for the 34th IGC: the Australian Geoscience Council . 36

3.11 YES Congress 2012 Report ................................................................................................... 38

4. CEREMONIES AND SOCIAL EVENTS................................................................................................ 39

4.1 Opening Ceremony ............................................................................................................... 39

4.2 Closing ceremony ................................................................................................................. 40

4.3 Awards .................................................................................................................................. 41

4.4 Social events ......................................................................................................................... 42

4.4.1 Welcome Cocktail Reception ................................................................................... 42

4.4.2 Congress Dinner ...................................................................................................... 42

4.5 Accompanying Members program ......................................................................................... 42

5. BUSINESS MEETINGS ....................................................................................................................... 43

5.1 IUGS and IGCC meetings ...................................................................................................... 43

Incoming IGCC 11 August 2012 ....................................................................................... 43

5.2 Other business meetings ........................................................................................................ 43


ATTACHMENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 44

Attachment 1: Summary of IGC sessions and participation .................................................................... 44

Attachment 2: Statutes and Bylaws of the IUGS ..................................................................................... 46

Attachment 3: Memorandum of Understanding between IUGS and AGC for 34th IGC .......................... 57

Attachment 4: Statutes of the IGC in force for 34th IGC ......................................................................... 62

Attachment 5: Statutes of the IGC approved at the 34th IGC .................................................................. 66

Attachment 6: 34th IGC Committees ..................................................................................................... 71

IGC Organising Committee ......................................................................................................... 71

Scientific Program Sub-Committee .............................................................................................. 72

IGC Finance Sub-Committee ....................................................................................................... 72

IGC Field trip Sub-committee ...................................................................................................... 72

IGC GeoHost Sub-committee ...................................................................................................... 73

IGC Sponsorship and GeoExpo Sub-Committee .......................................................................... 73

IGC Promotion, Media and Outreach Sub-committee ................................................................. 73

IGC Events Sub-committee .......................................................................................................... 74

Volunteers Sub-committee ........................................................................................................... 74

Website Sub-committee .............................................................................................................. 74

Attachment 7: Registration fees .............................................................................................................. 75

Attachment 8: Registrations by country .................................................................................................. 77

Attachment 9: Accommodation offered by 34th IGC ............................................................................. 80

Attachment 10: List of Scientific Themes and Symposia (Sub-Themes) ................................................... 81

Attachment 11: Summary of Professional Development Workshops Delivered .................................... 105

Attachment 12: Field trips ................................................................................................................... 111

Pre- and post-congress tours ...................................................................................................... 112

Cancelled pre-and post- congress extended tours ...................................................................... 113

Day Trips ................................................................................................................................... 114

Cancelled day trips .................................................................................................................... 114

Attachment 13: 34th IGC financial summary ....................................................................................... 115

Attachment 14: Sponsors ..................................................................................................................... 117

Attachment 15: Exhibitors .................................................................................................................... 118

Attachment 16: Exhibition floor-plan ................................................................................................... 120

Attachment 17: Media effectiveness report by Rowland ....................................................................... 121

Attachment 18: Report of Council Meeting .......................................................................................... 124

Attachment 19: Minutes of 64th IUGS Executive Committee meeting .................................................. 165

Attachment 20: Minutes of the 65th IUGS Executive Meeting .............................................................. 169

Attachment 21: Meeting Notes: IGCC Meeting at 34th IGC ................................................................. 173

Attachment 22: List of business meetings at 34th IGC ......................................................................... 178

Copyright © Australian Geoscience CouncilBrisbane, Australia, June 2013

All Rights Reserved

Produced by Carillon Conference Management Pty Limited

Brisbane, Australiawww.ccm.com.au

[email protected]

Principal Authors/Editors:Dr Ian Lambert, Secretary-General, IUGS

Mr Ashley C. Gordon, Director Carillon Conference Management Pty Limited


34th IGC Summary:• Attracted 6012 delegates from 123 countries, with the largest contingent (2249) from Australia,

followed by China (978);

• 3712 oral presentations, requiring up to 35 concurrent sessions on each of the 5 days of the scientific program. In addition, 13 Plenary presentations;

• 1469 poster presentations, with the posters changed each of the first four evenings;

• 332 delegates participated in 22 pre- and post-Congress field trips, and 247 delegates participated in 8 single day trips;

• Approximately A$1.7 Million was spent on the GeoHost support program, which provided:

o Full support for 150 delegates;

o Partial support (mostly free registration plus A$1500) for another 150 delegates;

o IUGS Executive members were given free registrations, welcoming reception and dinner tickets, and accommodation for 3 nights;

o Approximately 200 other delegates given free or reduced registration in return for services rendered or because they were non-working retirees;

• 75 business meetings;

• Cash sponsorship exceeded A$ 1 Million;

• The GeoExpo attracted some 140 exhibitors occupying 291 booths and 15,500 square metres;

• Over $750,000 in total was spent on congress promotion;

• The first IGC to:

o be held over a shortened duration of 5 days;

o have all Circulars published exclusively in electronic form;

o host a Young Earth Scientists (YES) international conference within the IGC program;

o formally take into account the fact that Ramadan fell during the congress dates and to make appropriate arrangements for Muslim delegates;

o have a majority representation from new-world countries;

o have a major focus on the private sector – this resulted in the largest number of Australian geoscientists ever at a scientific meeting;

o attract the strong interest of global politicians and leaders in the work of geologists, which was demonstrated by the first ever IGC International Resource Ministers Forum and the number of international Ministers and Ambassadors that attended the congress.


1.Background Information1.1 History of IGCThe International Geological Congress (IGC), originally the International Congress of Geologists, was founded on August 25, 1876, at the 25th meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Buffalo, New York, immediately after the 1876 Centennial Exhibition of Philadelphia. The Founding Committee was composed of participants from the USA and Canada, with the addition of three geologists from Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK.

The Founding Committee asked the Geological Society of France whether it would be possible to organise an international geological convention to be held on the occasion of the Paris Exposition in 1878 as the first IGC. The French Geological Society accepted the request and hosted the First International Geological Congress. Since then, a total of 34 IGCs have been held in 24 different countries on all continents at a 3 to 5 year intervals. France, USA, Russia and the Nordic countries have hosted the Congress three times, and Italy, UK, Mexico, Canada and Australia twice.

A list of all IGCs held to date is provided as Attachment 1 to this document.

1.2 The IGC and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)The IGC is the pre-eminent global geoscience congress – it provides a forum for presenting scientific results across the whole spectrum of the geosciences, facilitates the holding of business meetings, encourages international networking and provides the opportunity to study geological features of interest through field trips.

The IUGS (www.iugs.org) has a shorter history, having been established in 1961 to address global geological issues during the period between the IGCs. The IUGS promotes and encourages the study of geological problems, especially those of world-wide significance, and supports and facilitates international and interdisciplinary cooperation in the earth sciences. It is a legal entity, with elected office bearers, formally recognised Adhering Organisations which pay annual dues, Affiliated Organisations, a Secretariat, Commissions, Task Groups, Initiatives, and Joint Programs. The IGC is the major scientific forum of the IUGS and the IGC-IUGS interaction has been positive for the geosciences internationally.

1.2.1 IUGS’ Roles and Goals

These are described in the Statutes and Bylaws of the IUGS, which are provided as Attachment 2 to this document.

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU; http://www.icsu.org) represents all geological scientists at the highest international level. Both fundamental research and applied aspects of the Earth sciences of an international and interdisciplinary nature are supported by the Union, through a number of Commissions, Task Groups and Initiatives. IUGS collaborates with UNESCO (http://www.unesco.org) in supporting the International Geosciences Programme (IGCP), and other initiatives, and also works with its Affiliated Organizations and with ICSU on topics of mutual interest. IUGS maintains a non-political, and thus a non-governmental position and remains a not-for-profit Organization.

1.2.2 IUGS’ Membership

The IUGS has Adhering Organisations representing each member country or region. These cover the majority of geoscientists of the world. Affiliated Organizations (primarily international professional scientific societies) provide a valuable link to a even wider wide cross-section of the world’s Earth science community. These Adhering Organizations range in size from less than 100 to more than 250,000 members.

Adhering Organisations can take out membership of IUGS at any of eight levelslowest, and Level 8 the highest, annual subscription. In August 2012, there were a total of 121 Adhering Organizations: 86 active (8 pending), 35 inactive.


1.2.3 IUGS Structure

The Council, which is the highest body of IUGS, meets every four years at the International Geological Congress. It comprises representatives appointed by the Adhering Organizations of the active IUGS member countries/regions, with the number of representatives reflecting the financial category of membership. The delegates sit for the duration of the Congress. Council votes to elect a new Executive Committee and decide the direction the Union shall take in the subsequent four years. Countries which are not paid up representatives of IUGS may send an observer (without voting rights) to Council meetings.

The Executive Committee comprises the ten elected Executive Officers of IUGS: (President, Secretary-General and Treasurer, the Past-President, two Vice-Presidents and four Councillors). The officers play an active role in running the Union, developing new science programmes, representing the best interests of the Union at congresses and elsewhere, preparing the electronic bulletin and acting on both standing and ad-hoc committees.

The day-to-day work is carried out by the Bureau, comprising the President, Secretary General and Treasurer; these officers meet as required throughout the year to address the progress of the various matters of concern and interest to the Union.

1.2.4 Council Arrangements

Until 2004, the IUGS reported to its Council comprising nominated representatives from all of the nations that adhere to the Union. The IGC, in turn reported to its own Council, which was slightly wider in scope because it included representatives of all countries attending an IGC. This situation was rationalised at the Florence IGC where the two Councils were officially merged. The meeting at the 34th IGC was the third of the merged Council.

1.2.5 Agreement between IUGS and IGC Legal Entity

Each IGC has had its own flavour and features, reflecting the circumstances in the host region and what it sees as important for such a large and prestigious event. The host bears the financial cost, assumes the responsibility to organise all the human resources and facilities, and pays a negotiated capitation fee to the IUGS. A legal entity is appointed to accept responsibility for the Congress.

For the first time in the history of the IGC, a Memorandum of Understanding was completed between the legal entity hosting the 34th IGC and the IUGS. This agreement, which was signed by the Australian Geoscience Council and the IUGS in March 2007, sets out the general responsibilities of the host organization, the IUGS and the IGCC, including the capitation fee to be paid by the Congress to the IUGS. A copy is provided as Attachment 3.

1.3 IGC CommitteeThe International Geological Congress Committee (IGCC) of the IUGS looks after the ongoing interests of the IGC. It comprises the IUGS Bureau members, the Presidents and Secretary Generals of the last and pending IGCs and the President or Secretary General of the last but one IGC. The IGCC receives and considers bids for future IGCs, up to 8 years in advance. It ensures that these meet the requirements for hosting a large international meeting and participates in the Council discussion and vote on the next host region. The IGCC maintains an appropriate level of communication with the Local Organising Committee for each IGC, through:

• provision of advice whenever it is sought;

• at least one face-to-face meeting between IGCs.

In considering bids, attention is paid to the venue (capacity, number of meeting rooms and facilities), accommodation (number of suitable beds convenient to the venue), transport (local airport, ease of access to the venue), the scientific program and geological features covered by field trips, regional collaboration, cost structure and the arrangements proposed for the organisation of the event.

Since 2004, countries wishing to host an IGC have been able to submit bids to the IGCC eight years in advance. The 35th IGC is to be held in Cape Town in 2016 and the 36th IGC will be held in New Delhi in 2020.

1.4 IGC StatutesThe 34th IGC was held under the Statutes that were in force for the 32nd IGC, held in Florence in August 2004, and the 33rd IGC held in Oslo in August 2008 (Attachment 4).

At the 34th IGC, Council approved revised IGC Statutes (Attachment 5)


2. 34th IGC Organisation2.1 Oceania’s bid for the 34th IGCThe 25th IGC in Sydney in 1976 had a major positive impact on the psyche of the Australian geoscience community. Some 27 years later, the Australian Academy of Science’s National Committee for Earth Sciences (NCES) began developing a National Strategy for the Geosciences. A number of submissions received called for Australia to enhance its international profile by hosting another global geoscience event. It was agreed that a bid should be made for the 34th IGC and that a senior executive with Geoscience Australia, Dr Ian Lambert, should have overall responsibility for developing the bid.

A rather informal and small bid committee was assembled, which consulted with many prominent geoscientists from the region. Neil Williams, then CEO of Geoscience Australia, undertook to present the bid and serve as President of the 34th IGC. The Australian Geoscience Council (AGC), the peak body for the professional and learned societies, agreed to be the entity responsible for the legal and financial aspects of the 34th IGC. Furthermore, strong New Zealand support was offered through Dr Alex Malahoff, Chief Executive of GNS Science.

2.1.1 Host city

Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland, was chosen as the host city for several important reasons, including:

- The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC – see below under Venue), which offered the physical resources needed to stage a large scale international congress;

- Financial support for promotion of the 34th IGC from the state’s official events attraction agency;

- Queensland offers an immense array of sites of geological and tourism interest to international visitors;

- Brisbane is well serviced by international air carriers and has convenient connections to all cities and regional centres in Australia;

- A large geological community, including government, corporate and education sectors, facilitated the recruitment of committee members, volunteers and other stakeholders who would be able to contribute to the event.

- At the time of the bid, Brisbane offered attractively priced accommodation and services (see 2.1.4).

- The City of Brisbane offered existing infrastructure, resources and general facilities that made it very capable of accommodating all 34th IGC requirements.

- Brisbane is a safe, attractive and very accommodating city for events of this size. A conference of the scale of the 34th IGC is a major event in the city and is thus very well supported by city authorities, media and the general populace.


2.1.2 Venue

The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) was chosen as the venue, after consideration of the Queensland proposal against others from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

At the time of bid preparation, BCEC was the largest convention and exhibition centre in Australia and plans had just been announced to expand BCEC by 40% (in terms of meeting space). This made BCEC a compelling proposition as it would, with the expansion completed, be able to accommodate up to 40 concurrent sessions. Furthermore, BCEC had an impressive track record of success in hosting major international conferences. BCEC management offered attractive incentives to be chosen as the venue for the IGC.

The proposed expansion of BCEC, though delayed by several months due to flooding in Brisbane in 2011, was completed and tested in time to be used for the 34th IGC, which was the first conference ever to occupy all meeting rooms and spaces at the newly expanded centre.

BCEC’s location is impressive and made in the preeminent choice for the 34th IGC:

- It is located within a short and easy walk of the centre of Brisbane’s CBD, in the Southbank precinct which offers abundant leisure, parkland and visitor facilities.

- Brisbane’s cultural precinct, comprising two major galleries, one of the nation’s foremost museums, a multi-venue performing arts centre, music conservatorium and creative market area literally surrounds BCEC, providing a vast range of down time options for delegates and their accompanying persons.

- Some 4350 hotel rooms are within comfortable walking distance.

BCEC itself offered distinct advantages to the 34th IGC:

- The centre has its own audio-visual equipment and operators with many presentation resources built-in to the centre. This presented organisational and cost advantages. For 34th IGC, the organisers engaged an AV production manager to implement the very complex presentation requirements of a program that included over 3500 Powerpoint presentations. The AV manager worked with the PCO and BCEC in a coordinating role.

- BCEC has its own multi award winning catering operation, which is exceptionally skilled at providing high quality catering to large numbers of delegates in short break periods. Their skills in this area were demonstrated repeatedly during the 34th IGC and feed-back from delegates about catering was overwhelmingly positive. The complexities of catering for an IGC should not be underestimated. At the 34th IGC, over 1200 individual requests for special dietary arrangements were received and all were catered to by BCEC.

- The BCEC has a large Great Hall which can be divided into two, three or four rooms, thus providng considerable flexibility for Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Plenaries and public presentations, without ruling out its use for sessions in the general program.

- A large exhibition, the GeoExpo, had always been planned to be held in conjunction with the congress. BCEC has four exhibition halls totaling 20,000 square metres of air-conditioned, pillarless space, each with individual loading docks accessible by drive-in semi-trailers. Each hall includes a hospitality suite, organisers’ office and café/kiosk facilities. The 34th IGC exhibition occupied two of these halls. The 10,000 square metres of GeoExpo space included a large open area for dining and networking which was located in the centre of the exhibition area. Unlike many convention centres, the exhibition halls at BCEC are an integral part of the venue and readily accessed from the meeting rooms.

2.1.3 Dates

Originally 34th IGC was planned to be a 10 day event, to be held from 2 to 12 August 2012. IGCs are commonly held in August to facilitate participation by northern hemisphere delegates in their holiday season. Fortunately, Brisbane is characterised by particularly pleasant weather in August, affording excellent opportunities for delegates to enjoy the outside lifestyle for which the region is particularly noted. As discussed in 2.3 below, the 34th IGC was subsequently shortened and held from 5 to 10 August, 2012. The large number of registrations and good support from the private sector vindicated the decision to shorten the event.


2.1.4 Costs

One of the points made in Oceania’s bid was the relatively low costs of Brisbane. This was true at the time the bid was presented however the value of the Australian Dollar climbed significantly from 2004 to 2008. The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 saw the value of the US dollar and Euro in particular sharply decline against the Australian dollar, a fete shared by many currencies. Below is a comparison of exchange rates when the Australian bid for the 34th IGC was presented in 2004 against the prevailing rates during the 33rd IGC in Oslo and the 34th IGC in 2012 in Brisbane:

Year Australian Dollar US Dollar Euro UK Pound

2004 (August) $ 1.00 $ 0.69 € 0.57 £ 0.38

2008 (August) $ 1.00 $ 0.88 € 0.60 £ 0.48

2012 (August) $ 1.00 $ 1.04 € 0.84 £ 0.66

These substantial currency shifts greatly increased attendance costs for delegates from the traditional IGC markets, being representatives of governments and academic institutions in Europe and the USA. In order to achieve high attendance levels it was decided to actively market the 34th IGC to commercial sector delegates, particularly those in resource-based economies and countries and that had not suffered significant currency devaluation against the Australian dollar. This led to a sharp increase in marketing from 2009 to potential delegates in Latin America, Asia, China and Russia.

2.1.5 Bid presentation

The bid was duly prepared and submitted to the IGCC in April 2004, with letters of support from the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers. A grant was won from the Australian Government to fund the exhibition and bid in Florence, in August 2004. BCEC sent a senior representative, Melissa MacCort, the Australasian Instiute for Mining and Metallurgy facilitated the exhibition and bid through its CEO, Don Larkin, and Meetings Manager, Miriam Way. The bid was outlined at the IGC Committee meeting by Secretary General, Ian Lambert, and presented to Council by Neil Williams as President-elect of the 34th IGC, and was successful against bids from Morocco and India.


2.2 Organising Committees

2.2.1 Preparatory Committee

Under the IGC Statutes, when a bid is won eight years in advance, the initial organisational activities leading up to the intervening IGC are conducted by the Preparatory Committee. These activities are limited, but crucial in ensuring the key elements of the congress are firmed up.

The 34th IGC the Preparatory Committee comprised Neil Williams (President), Ian Lambert (Secretary General, Trevor Powell and Mike Smith representing the AGC, David Mason looking after Field Trips, Paulo Vasconcelos as Deputy Secretary General (International) and Desmond Darby representing New Zealand.

In 2008, Paul Kay (Geoscience Australia) was appointed as Deputy Secretary General. Soon after, the professional conference organiser (PCO) was appointed – Carillon Conference Management (CCM) was chosen from a strong field of applicants. CCM proved very easy to deal with and very canny in many ways that minimised our costs and streamlined our processes – these are vital attributes.

Key activities for the Preparatory Committee included:

• Negotiating with the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) to secure the whole of the venue for the proposed dates of the 34th IGC, with various discounts applied;

• Securing an income stream:

o An agreement was reached whereby the eight member societies of the AGC would provide seed funding annually on the basis that the AGC and societies would share any surplus from the event;

o Geoscience Australia, the State and Northern Territory geological surveys and GNS Science also agreed to provide seed funds annually in the lead up to the event;

o An agreement was signed for the Queensland government funding for international promotion of the event;

• Approaching key people about their participation in the Organising Committee and the main Sub-committees under it;

• Refining ideas for the scientific program and field trips;

• Observing meetings of the IUGS Executive Committee and the IGCC;

• Initial promotion of the 34th IGC nationally and internationally.

2.2.2 Organising Committee

After the 33rd IGC in Oslo, the Preparatory Committee was enlarged to become the more formal local Organising Committee (OC) for the 34th IGC, and organisational activities increased progressively. A range of Sub-committees were also formed to handle the various elements of the Congress. The members of the OC and various Sub-Committees are listed as Attachment 6.

Initially the OC met quarterly. Meetings were held in the BCEC, where a Boardroom was provided free of charge; OC members had the option of attending in person or via tele-link. In the last year, the meeting frequency was two-monthly.

An Executive Group comprising Ashley Gordon (CCM), Neil Williams (President), Ian Lambert (Secretary General), Paul Kay (Deputy Secretary General) and Miriam Way (Treasurer) was responsible for day-to-day implementation of the directions agreed by the OC. The Executive held regular weekly tele-link meetings through 2012.

Early tasks for the OC included developing the Congress website (www.34igc.org) .and arranging promotional items (particularly silk ties and scarves, koalas, post cards, flyers) – the ties and scarves were colourful geological maps of south east Queensland, which became collectors’ items.

Early estimates of income and costs were made, which turned out to be of limited use in the final analysis.

The OC report is presented in 3.1 of this document.


2.3 Shortening the CongressAs planning progressed, the IGC Secretary-General, who was regularly travelling internationally to attend meetings and promote the 34th IGC, was receiving a many worrying comments concerning the cost of attending the 34th IGC and how organisations were likely not to attend at all or significantly reduce numbers of delegates if they did. Against the backdrop of the Global Financial Crisis (the effects of which were minimal in Australia but very significant internationally), these comments caused great concern for the 34th IGC OC. It was agreed that attendance costs for delegates had to be minimized. By halving the number of congress days the accommodation costs for delegates would be halved, catering and venue rental costs at BCEC could also be almost halved. It was also thought that a shorter congress would appeal more to the commercial sector, the importance of which to the congress was growing given the dire budgets of academic and government geological agencies.

Subsequently, the International Geological Congress Committee (IGCC), which oversees IGCs on behalf of the IUGS, took these considerations into account and agreed at its meeting in Brisbane in June 2010 that the duration of the scientific program of the 34th IGC be reduced to 5 days – several days shorter than most previous IGCs. The large number of rooms available for concurrent sessions in the extended Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre made this possible.

The OC amended the congress dates to 5 to 10 August, 2012.

While there was criticism of the shortened 5 day duration from some quarters, the outcome of the congress, including impressive delegate numbers and excellent feed-back from delegates, provide evidence that shortening the dates was the right decision.

2.4 English languageThe official language of the IGC is English and this had several ramifications:

1. All conference publications (with the exceptions of postcards distributed in-market at selected international events), notably all Circulars and the 34th IGC website, would be only be produced and distributed in English.

2. All submissions for oral and poster papers, themes and meetings would only be received in English and all presenters and meeting hosts would have to agree to present their papers and conduct their meetings in English exclusively.

3. No translation facilities or services would be provided in sessions, however it was planned to have conference staff who could speak a variety of languages to assist with administrative matters.

Notices to the effect that the congress would be conducted solely in English were included from the very first circular and regularly repeated.

The indicative cost for translation of oral presentations (into 4 languages simultaneously) was in excess of $1 Million (AUD). Perhaps more importantly, it would not be possible to cover all languages spoken by delegates attending the IGC in any case and any attempt to offer interpretation is very likely doomed to disappoint many. There was no resistance to the English only policy, despite the diversity of mother languages spoken by IGC delegates.


2.5 Registration fees and refund policy

2.5.1 Registration Fees

Many factors were considered in determining fees to be paid by delegates to register for the 34th IGC. There were opposing views on fees within the OC on the fee structure. Upon first examination, creating a sustainable financial model for an IGC is an almost impossible task, such is the extent of competing demands and interests.

Many are those who will express outrage that fees are too high no matter how low they are – indeed it is impossible to hold a conference at fees as low as some demand. That said it must be recognised that the traditional markets for IGC’s, being academic and government sectors, do face shrinking budgets – a problem that a conference cannot solve. Further, there is an insatiable demand by delegates from developing nations not only for low fees or even free registrations, but also for free registration and extensive financial support and payment to attend. Further, sponsorship from commercial sources presented problems, as the IGC has historically had limited commercial appeal for the private sector, being regarded as “too academic”.

In determining registration fees, the OC considered the following key points:

1. Registration fees paid by delegates would almost certainly be the largest income generator for the 34th IGC, therefore fees had to be financially sustainable. This meant that the budget had to demonstrate that the congress could be financed on registration receipts and known (already received) sponsorship only.

2. The traditional markets were under financial stress and, together with the fee structure for the previous IGC and the increase in the value of the Australian dollar, led to the decision that the standard Early Bird registration fee had to be less than $1000 (AUD). This presented the OC with an extremely significant budget challenge, as in Australia the cost to run an international standard conference is held to be $305 per person per day (2012 cost), meaning a fee of not less than $1525 for a five day event.

3. The price structures for BCEC (indeed for all convention centres in Australia) mean that it is necessary to provide morning and afternoon refreshment breaks and lunch for all delegates and these costs had to be included in the registration fees. It was also acknowledged that these catering arrangements had to be of sufficient quality to avoid complaints.

The Finance Sub-committee (FINCOM) deliberated and reviewed several versions of the budget provided by the PCO. In the end it was agreed that a sub-$1000 Early Bird fee could be offered, provided that availability dates were strictly adhered to and that fees would increase after the close date.

Further, in an effort to provide the most economical registration fee possible to the mainly European and North American delegates (government and academic) that had expressed concerns at high fees, it was decided to offer a special initial “Super Early Bird” fee that allowed organisations to take block registrations at a significantly lower advance purchase price (A$850 per head) and then advise names later. Interestingly, this offer proved more popular with Australian organisations and the private sector and very few European and/or USA based organisations took advantage of it.

A regime of registration fees, increasing in cost as the event drew closer, was offered and availability and cut off dates were enforced in most cases; exceptions were made for some delegates from Canada and India who stated they could not comply with Early Bird dates because of their budgetary cycle, so a compromise was reached whereby they agreed in writing by the close date the individuals who would be paying registrations within a month.

A table of published 34th IGC registration fees is provided as Attachment 7. A total of 67 categories of registration had to be set up in the system to cater for a range of particular circumstances – from retirees who justified discounts to free registrations for supported delegates.

Considerable care had to be taken when determining cut-off dates. For example, the closing date for Early Bird registration fees had to post-date advice from the Scientific Program Committee as to the success and status (oral or poster) of submitted abstracts, so that authors could register at the Early Bird rate. The date final date for Early Bird registration also had to coincide with the registration deadline date for presenters (the date at which authors would be deleted from the program if they had not paid their registration fee). In the end, the Early Bird registration closure had to be extended several weeks,.closing midnight, 10 May 2012 (EST) because of some lays in reviewing abstracts and to accommodate a significant number of people who communicated that they were definitely attending but needed more time to pay.


2.5.2 Registration terms

CCM (the PCO) recommended to the OC that all delegates be required to agree to set of standard registration terms, which included a range of limitations, waivers and cancellation terms (see cancellation terms below), at the time they registered. These are necessary to protect the interests of the congress and the organising body. The OC agreed and the following registration terms were included in all registration material. The registration process (on-line and paper forms) ensured that delegates agreed to the terms as part of registering. On the on-line system it was not possible to register without accepting the terms. Any manual forms that were not signed (the signature demonstrated acceptance of the terms) were not processed and returned. This processing policy gave the OC comfort in the knowledge that all delegates had accepted these terms. Of particular importance is the need to secure congress revenue by placing significant limitations on the availability of refunds.

1. Insurance: Registration fees do not include personal, travel or medical insurance of any kind. Delegates are advised to make their own insurance arrangements to cover risks including (but not limited to) loss, cancellation, medical costs and injury. No responsibility will be accepted by the Congress, the host organisation and/or the Congress manager for any delegate failing to insure and/or any injury or loss.

2. Currency and tax: All fees and costs are quoted and are payable in Australian Dollars (AUD) and include Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 10%.

3. Registered delegates: Each person attending the Congress must complete a registration form in their name and officially register as a delegate. Registrations may not be shared with any other person.

4. Cancellation policy: Cancellation of registration must be notified in writing. Cancellations received up to and including 90 (ninety) days prior to commencement of the Congress will be refunded less an administration fee of $195. No refund of registration fees will be possible for cancellations notified less than 90 (ninety) days in advance of the Congress. Failure to obtain a visa is not grounds for a refund of registration fees.

5. Substitutions: In the event the registered delegate cannot attend, a substitute delegate may be nominated up to 14 (fourteen) days prior to commencement of the Congress at no additional charge. Thereafter substitutions are subject to availability and an additional processing fee of $75 per substitution shall apply.

6. Social events: Tickets to all social events are non-refundable and have no cash value. Minimum numbers may be required in order for some social events to proceed and may be cancelled by the Congress managers if these numbers are not achieved. A refund will be provided to the value of the ticket price paid should an event be cancelled by the Congress managers.

7. Accommodation and cancellation of accommodation reservations: The Congress and Congress managers make no warranties as to the accommodation providers described in Congress promotional material. It is your responsibility to review the accommodation provider/s and to ensure that any accommodation you select is appropriate for your needs. All accommodation reservation requests are subject to group booking conditions, including penalties for cancellations and non-arrival. These penalties differ at the various hotels but typically cancellations received less than 30 (thirty) days in advance of arrival will incur a fee of one night’s room rate. Cancellations received less than 7 (seven) days prior to arrival are likely to be charged a penalty equal to the full value of the original reservation. Similar penalties apply in the event of no show/fail to arrive. For further information on accommodation cancellation information please contact [email protected] .

8. Communication: All communication regarding the Congress will be directed only to the person or persons named on the delegate registration form. All written communication (such as but not limited to confirmation letter and tax invoice) will be sent by email, in accordance with our sustainability policy. Copies of confirmations, tax invoice and other Congress related communication cannot be sent to any other person.

9. Requests for special needs: Please indicate on your registration form if you have any particular special needs, such as access or dietary requirements. We will then ask the venues to make the necessary arrangements. In some cases, for example a very specific dietary requirement, a surcharge may apply.

10. Privacy: Your privacy is important to us. Your personal information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy. In addition to the statements in our privacy policy, personal information collected from the Congress delegates may be shared with the Congress sponsors - so that they may contact you directly. If you do not wish to receive such information please indicate this on your registration form.


11. Payment: Full payment of registration fees and other costs must accompany your registration. Your registration will not be processed or acknowledged until full payment is received. After payment has been received and cleared, a tax invoice will be sent by email to the delegate named on the delegate registration form. Any credit card charges made by the Congress will appear on your statement as ‘Carillon Conference Management”. Any credit card dispute that requires resolution will result in the registration fee being reversed. If the dispute is found to be a legitimate charge, the registration will be reinstated, however a reapplication fee of $55 will apply.

12. Visa: you will need to obtain a visa to enter Australia prior to your departure. Only Australian and New Zealand citizens travelling on Australian or New Zealand passports are exempt - all other persons must obtain a visa. For information on how to apply for a visa in your country, please refer to http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/visa-options.htm. You should apply for a visa not less than 6 (six) weeks prior to your intended travel date.

Disclaimer: It is your responsibility to review the accommodation provider, the facilities and the conditions in which the booking is offered. The Congress does not accept any liability for any loss or damage that you might suffer due to unsatisfactory accommodation arrangements made by you. Please take care when assessing and booking accommodation arrangements.

2.5.3 Cancellation Policy

It is necessary to minimise the grounds under which refunds can be demanded. The policy needs to recognise the cost of receiving and processing a registration and then processing the refund (if indeed it is warranted) or, preferably, permitting the transfer of the registration fee payment to a replacement delegate.

The 34th IGC strictly abided by the cancellation policy and it is estimated that this protected not less than $250,000 in registration fee revenue. In the vast majority of cases a replacement delegate could be found, thus preserving value for the organisation/individual that made the registration fee payment.

Like all advance purchases, such as discounted airfares and hotel rooms, terms and conditions apply and the grounds for refunds and changes are limited. If these limitations are not applied, the initial cost has to be higher to permit the changes to be made. The 34th IGC’s enforcement of the cancellation policy was not well received by everyone, however the policy was fairly administered and all delegates had agreed to the policy when they registered as part of the registration terms:

Cancellation policy: Cancellation of registration must be notified in writing. Cancellations received up to and including 90 (ninety) days prior to commencement of the Congress will be refunded less an administration fee of $195. No refund of registration fees will be possible for cancellations notified less than 90 (ninety) days in advance of the Congress. Failure to obtain a visa is not grounds for a refund of registration fees.

2.5.4 Registration fee payments

The 34th IGC published a policy that registrations could only be processed when accompanied by full payment. This policy was strictly enforced and this practice is urged for all future IGCs. The experience of some 27 years of the PCO (CCM) is that if registrations are received without payment, the vast majority of the delegates who did not pay with their registration either fail to arrive and/or never pay the fee. There is no justification for processing a registration without payment unless the delegate involved is being granted free registration.

Online registration was designed so that the system would not allow the registration to be finalised without immediate payment by credit card (which was then transacted in real time and the registration deleted if credit card payment was declined). A small proportion of manual forms were processed as required, but only with valid payment.


2.5.5 Credit Card issues

Receiving online payment of registration fees amounts to transacting millions of dollars through credit card facilities and there are costs involved for which provisions were made in the budget.

Unfortunately online conference registration websites attract the interest of persons and organisations with fraudulent intent, most of which are located in Eastern Europe, Africa and some in Asia (Romania, Bulgaria, Nigeria and Malaysia are notable in this regard). For the 34th IGC, hundreds of attempts at fraudulent registrations were made to the extent that the bank handling the transactions actually lodged complaint on several occasions with the PCO. The typical approach was to register a fake delegate online, use stolen credit card details of another person to pay the fees, then demand a cash refund direct deposited to an international bank account. In the case of the 34th IGC, the PCO’s system has inbuilt features which prevent many of these attempts but good security systems and manual vigilance were necessary to protect the income from fraud.

2.5.6 Invitations to participate

Invitations sent to the IUGS Executive included an offer of 10 free registrations and 3 nights free accommodation.

All IUGS’ Task Groups, Commissions, Initiatives, Adhering and Affiliated Organizations were formally invited to participate in the 34th IGC, through communications from the IGC and IUGS Secretary-Generals, and 34th IGC Circulars. Further, invitations were emailed to all national geosurvey organisations for which reliable contact information was available. Geoscientists more broadly were invited to attend through (i) the 34th IGC Circulars which were circulated to some 20,000 email addresses (from IUGS and 33rg IGC lists, and people who registered interest in 34th IGC), (ii) the website (www.34igc.org) and (iii) the IUGS E-Bulletin and journal, EPISODES. In all cases, the request was made to pass on the invitation.

These invitations included requests for ideas for topics for the Scientific Program and for expressions of interest in participating in organization of the IGC.

The Scientific Program Committee selected the Coordinators of the 37 Themes of the Scientific Program and the Plenary Speakers. The Chair, Dr Lynton Jaques, sent formal invitations to all.

The Theme coordinators were responsible for inviting Convenors for Symposia and Keynote Speakers for their Theme.

The Field Trips Committee selected potential trip leaders and the Chair, David Mason, sent formal invitations to each.

Many resource companies were invited to participate, present and sponsor. UNESCO accepted our invitation to be a formal supporter of the 34th IGC.

Expressions of interest in attending were received on behalf of several international resource Ministers. In responding to these, letters signed by President Neil Williams, were sent to the interested parties inviting them to participate in a Ministerial Forum: Resourcing Tomorrow.

2.6 Registration Registrations began coming in on the day of the announcement of the Super Early bird offer and continued for the following 13 months. Large numbers of registrations were clustered around the cut-off dates for the various fee levels. The largest such cluster was the Early Bird cut-off date, which was also the author registration deadline date.

Registration reports are provided in the following attachments.

Attachment 8: Registrations by country chart and Registrations by totals chart

Forecasting likely attendance numbers was exceedingly difficult and it was only three months prior to the congress that the break-even number for the basic Congress - 3500 paying delegates - was achieved. Subsequently, the OC approved additional expenditure aimed at providing a more enjoyable, value-for-registration experience.


2.7 Logistics

2.7.1 Venue

The 34th IGC’s relationship with the BCEC was established by the Secretary-General during the bid phase and then essentially taken over by CCM (the PCO) after they were appointed in 2008.

.1 Bidding phase

BCEC was a partner in the congress bid and provided extensive support to it, notably with the engagement of local government. Brisbane is somewhat different from many cities in that bids for major conferences are conducted by the convention centre (BCEC), not the local government convention marketing authority (Brisbane Marketing – BM). BCEC assisted in the preparation of the bid documentation and presentation in Florence in 2004. BCEC’s international bidding manager was present in Florence to assist with bid presentation and lobbying.

The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was also involved in the preparation of our booth and otherwise facilitating the bid process.

BCEC offered financial incentives including a whole of centre rental discount, a special room hire discount, provision of some free services and meeting support.

.2 Post bid win

With the success of the bid, BCEC reserved appropriate space (the entire centre in this case, including the then-unbuilt extension) and provided support to the Secretary-General, mainly by providing meeting facilities.

BCEC provided a boardroom free of charge for all OC meetings.

.3 Contract phase

Some 14 months in advance of the event the “preliminary final” room specifications were determined, BCEC then prepared a contract which was duly signed and at this time the first deposit was paid to BCEC – the then continued quarterly until 2 months prior to the conference by which time the full anticipated room hire cost had been progressively paid in deposits as is standard practice at Australian convention centres. During this period, all BCEC matters were handled by CCM, in consultation with the Secretary-General.

.4 Implementation phase

In the two months immediately prior to the congress, planning and the making of arrangements intensified and this was managed entirely by CCM. Room schedules, audio visual arrangements, catering selections and numbers, room set requirements, meeting and workshop requirements, exhibition detail and all general matters are specified, costed and assigned during this period, a process conducted entirely between CCM and BCEC.

During the event dates CCM and BCEC management worked together constantly to ensure delivery of all arrangements.


2.7.2 Ancilliary venues and facilities

Wherever possible, 34th IGC events were contained within BCEC and used BCEC or associated resources. This was a deliberate measure to ensure that the 34th IGC occupied as limited a footprint as possible so as to enable the best possible ease of amenity to delegates and exhibitors. However, some offsite venues were required:

- Some GeoHost and Professional Development Workshops were held at offsite venues, either because sponsored venues were involved or because the workshops were scheduled to be held before the official venue rental contract period at BCEC or during the “build” and set up phase at BCEC.

- The YES Congress first day activities were held off site, at Customs House, as the event could not be accommodated that day at BCEC and further their sponsor (BHP Billiton) provided funding to secure the offsite venue.

- Some social events organised independently of the congress – for example by those bidding for the 36th IGC, some sponsors and special interest groups, were held at specialty venues throughout the Brisbane CBD and Southbank areas.

2.7.3 Accommodation

CCM was responsible for all accommodation arrangements.

.1 Booking phase

As soon as CCM was appointed (immediately prior to the Oslo congress in 2008), the task of assembling accommodation inventory was commenced.

CCM negotiated room blocks with a large number of Brisbane hotel and accommodation properties, with an emphasis on building a stock of accommodation that would suit the varied and different needs of delegates, from budget offerings to high quality hotel rooms.

The accommodation offered by the 34th IGC is shown as Attachment 9.

.2 Contract phase

From 2 years in advance, CCM commenced contracting room blocks and securing fixed rates for delegates. CCM negotiated discounted accommodation rates at all properties. Note that it was CCM that entered into all hotel contracts meaning that it was the PCO, not the 34th IGC, that carried the risk of holding the accommodation inventory. In the case of the 34th IGC, this involved CCM holding a total inventory of 15,000 room nights (3000 rooms for 5 nights each) at an average rate of $200, making the total risk carried by CCM approximately $3 Million (Australian Dollars).

.3 Reservation phase

Accommodation options were described in congress registration material and delegates could book accommodation via CCM’s registration system. All accommodation reservations, deposits and guarantees were processed by CCM as were the (many) requests for changes and amendments.

.4 Confirmation phase

One month prior to the congress, CCM (the PCO) sent second and third confirmations of accommodation reservation details to all delegates who had made bookings and other emails to those who had not booked any accommodation, warning them of high prices that would apply for late reservations and accommodation requests.

.5 Arrival phase

In the two weeks immediately preceding the congress, CCM produced final rooming lists for every property and transferred deposits and guarantees for every room reserved. From this time onwards, delegates were required to advise any changes, cancelations and or amendments to their hotel directly.

PCO staff then fielded the (many) calls from hotels as delegates commenced checking into the properties.

.6 Departure phase

As delegates departed, CCM fielded enquiries (many) from hotels concerning departures of delegates and reconciliation matters.


.7 Late reservation prices

Delegates were repeatedly warned in Circulars and in direct emails from CCM to book accommodation early through the congress registration process and to avoid booking late. Those that did not heed these warnings paid a significant price, given the peak demand for accommodation caused by the 34th IGC.

For example, delegates could book at a major international hotel through CCM’s registration system for a rate of $325. This rate was available up until 14 days in advance of the event. After this time reservations had to be made direct with the hotel or via 3rd party internet sites at higher rates, peaking at $1250 for the same standard of room that had been available through CCM for $325. This hotel was by no means acting alone and similar rate fluctuations were noted city-wide.

2.8 Host City Involvement

2.8.1 City Government

The local government of the City of Brisbane, the Brisbane City Council, is represented in conference matters by its business attraction and economic development agency, Brisbane Marketing (BM). BM had a keen interest in 34th IGC and provided considerable support, including:

- Bid phase support to BCEC (financial and in-kind);

- An awareness campaign to Brisbane businesses about the IGC, including identification of opportunities for local business, briefing of taxi operators and so forth;

- Financial assistance with international promotion, by way of support of freight costs and provision of promotional material (famous Koalas!) at either subsidised cost or free;

- Provision of a city wide branding campaign which saw IGC branded banners and posters placed in important gathering points in the city area (notably King George Square and the Queen Street Mall);

- Production of the congress opening feature video.

2.8.2 Security

As a major international event, the 34th IGC required a security assessment and profile for law enforcement agencies. In Australia, local government has no involvement in policing or law enforcement (other than city regulations) as these are responsibilities of the State Governments and State Police services. A comprehensive security review was conducted by CCM and reviewed by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) who made an assessment determination and then assigned appropriate resources.

Brisbane is a secure destination and enjoys a relatively low crime rate. Street crime against visitors is particularly low.

In the case of the IGC, the QPS determined that there were no known threats to the event and the IGC’s security position amounted to a watching brief. Note that the Queensland Police Service has a permanent station located within BCEC. 3. Committee Reports


3. Committee Reports3.1 Organising Committee ReportThe IGC is a large and exceptionally complex event. In terms of size it falls in the top 2% of all regularly held conferences in the world. The resources required to plan and implement the event – from financial and human to physical and destinational – are considerable. As a result of considerable effort put into the program and international promotion, the 34th IGC succeeded in all important measures: attendance, country and sector representation, trade and industry engagement and financial outcome. There were 6012 delegates from 123 countries. Australia provided the largest contingent, 2249 delegates and China provide nearly a thousand. Well over a thousand delegates were from industry

The success of the event is all the more remarkable when it is remembered that during the organisational period following the Oslo IGC of 2008, the 34th IGC was facing the combined threats of the Global Financial Crisis, a sharp increase in the value of the Australian dollar against all major international currencies, global tightening of academic and research funding and, in the final stages of the planning period, financial contraction in the global resources industry.

The 34th IGC differed considerably from those that preceded it. It was modified in many significant ways to better fit the evolving needs of its changing market. The major differences were summarised by the 34th IGC President, Dr Neil Williams, in his post-congress letter to delegates:

The 34th IGC in Brisbane was the first IGC to:

- to be held over a shortened duration of 5 days;

- distribute all Circulars exclusively in electronic form; ;

- host a Young Earth Scientists (YES) international conference within the IGC program;

- formally take into account the fact that Ramadan fell during the congress dates and to make appropriate arrangements for Muslim delegates;

- have a majority representation from new-world countries;

- have a major focus on the private sector – this resulted the largest number of Australian geoscientists ever at a scientific meeting;

- attract the strong interest of global politicians and leaders in the work of geologists, which was demonstrated by the first ever IGC International Resource Ministers Forum and the number of international Ministers and Ambassadors that attended the congress.

These firsts were implemented to ensure that the congress appealed to the needs of as many delegate sources and geological stakeholders as possible, thereby enhancing delegate numbers and congress revenue as well as the overall delegate experience.

The experiences of the 34th IGC organisers indicate that:

- It is necessary to remain flexible for the duration of the marketing and organisational period so as to address changes in economic and political factors.

- The scientific program must reflect topics of interest to industry if delegates and sponsorship funds are to be expected from sources other than government and academia. In these pragmatic times companies will only sponsor conferences in which they see commercial and educational opportunities for themselves.

- Marketing needs to be global, start early and not end until the day the event commences.

- Traditional sources of delegates are under challenge as academic and government budgets tighten globally. It is increasingly necessary to engage with the commercial and industry sectors to obtain delegates and funding.

- Business meetings of the IUGS and associated groups are important in achieving high delegate numbers. However, it is essential that all persons attending these meetings register as congress delegates and pay full registration fees. This must be made very clear from the beginning to the hosts of these meetings. At the 34th IGC, many meeting organisers sought (and applied considerable pressure for) registration fee exemptions for their attendees. None were successful.


3.2 Scientific Program Sub-Committee Report

3.2.1 Overview

The Scientific Program of the 34th International Geological Congress embraced the Congress theme of “Unearthing our Past and Future – Resourcing Tomorrow”, reflecting the crucial roles the geosciences play in meeting the needs of societies while sustaining the Earth.

The Scientific Program Sub-committee, chaired by Lynton Jaques, comprised 14 scientists representing various scientific societies in Australia, university and industry scientists and members of the OC . It provided oversight and guidance in developing the overall scientific program, selection of the topics and speakers for the Plenary Program, reviewing of abstracts, the timetable for the scientific program including scheduling and sequencing of the symposia, and finalisation of the program.

A broad scientific program based on 37 Themes was developed by the Scientific Program Committee and the Scientific Theme Coordinators. They drew on the programs of previous IGCs and inputs from IUGS’ programs and affiliated organisations, IGCP projects, the OC decision to have a focus on resources, and suggestions made by individual scientists. The various themes and scientific symposia recognised the increasing need for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to addressing contemporary issues in the geosciences. For this reason, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary topics rather than traditional discipline-based themes were adopted in the main. This approach was embraced by the scientific community with few exceptions.

In summary:

- 5571 Abstracts were submitted

- 3712 Oral presentations accepted

- 1469 Poster presentations accepted

- 3144 Registered authors.

Individuals were permitted to deliver only one oral presentation in the Symposia program, but they could co-author multiple oral presentations and give multiple poster presentations. Invited plenary, keynote and specialist session presenters could deliver a second oral paper in the Symposia program.

3.2.2 Plenary Program

The general scientific Program was complemented by a strong Plenary Program of 13 distinguished invited speakers who gave presentations on major contemporary themes in the geosciences each day (Monday to Friday) from 11.00am to 12.00 noon in the Great Halls 1 & 2 at the convention centre. A decision was made early in the development of the scientific program that the Plenary Sessions would be a feature of the 34th IGC addressing major contemporary issues, and that no other events would be run concurrently.

The Plenary Sessions were also broadcast live into Great Halls 3 and 4 to enable all Congress attendees to attend. The 5 plenary topics were:

Plenary Session 1: Resourcing Tomorrow: Meeting the needs of a growing population

This plenary reviewed the future demand and availability of groundwater and mineral resources. By 2050 the world’s population will exceed 9 billion with well over half living in urban areas. This will require more natural resources, especially minerals and energy than used in the past, and present challenges for the discovery of resources and new extraction technologies. Population growth is likely to lead to a shortage of water in many parts of the world: water security is already shaping up as a major challenge for many countries as a consequence of climate change and a decline in groundwater resources though over use. This has profound implications for human health, global food security, and the environment.

Mr XU Shaoshi (China) - Minister of Land and Resources, People’s Republic of China

Marcio Luis Silva GODOY (Brazil) - Head of Global Exploration and Mineral Project Development, Vale.

Steve GORELICK (USA) - Cyrus F. Tolman Professor in the Department of Environmental Earth System Science, Stanford University, and Head of Global Freshwater Initiative.


Plenary Session 2: Energy in a carbon-constrained world

The plenary reviewed the drivers for change to low-carbon energy future and examine the range of energy sources potentially available but with particular focus on the geo-sources of energy (fossil fuels, geothermal, nuclear, hydro). The plenary will consider the resource base, accessibility, extraction and use, technological and other limitations, and the environmental impacts of use of the various energy sources available now and in the medium term.

Lord Ron OXBURGH (UK) - House of Lords UK Parliament and former chairman of The Shell Transport and Trading Company.

Scott TINKER (USA) - Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, the State Geologist of Texas, and Director of the Advanced Energy Consortium.

Sally BENSON (USA) - Director of the Global Climate and Energy Project in the Department of Energy Resources Engineering at Stanford University.

Plenary Session 3: The Earth and Man: Living with a restless Earth

An increasing proportion of the world’s population, especially in developing countries, are potentially at risk from natural hazards. This plenary examined how man’s interaction with the Earth’s natural processes has shaped human society and how man has adapted to living in close proximity to natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunami and floods. The speakers also reviewed the impact of past major geological disasters on human society and progress in assessing and mitigating the risk of geological hazards, especially in relation to major cities. The plenary also considered man’s impact on the geosphere, biosphere and the landscape, and our potential role in increasing society’s vulnerability to natural hazards.

Iain STEWART (UK) - Professor of Geoscience Communication at Plymouth University and presenter of several major BBC television series about the planet.

Renato SOLIDUM Jr (Philippines) - Director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

Plenary Session 4: What does the geological record tell us about the Earth’s past climates in relation to projected climate change?

This plenary overviewed the current data and projections relating to global climate change and examine the evidence from the geological record of past climate change. It considered rates of climate change, sea levels, CO2 levels and temperatures, geosphere-biosphere feedbacks and climate sensitivities, and explored what this might mean for the Earth’s climate in the future.

Tim NAISH (New Zealand) - Director of the Antarctic Research Centre at Victoria University of Wellington and Principal Scientist at the New Zealand Crown Research Institute, GNS Science.

Will STEFFEN (Australia) - Executive Director of the Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University.

Plenary Session 5: Digital Earth - The information explosion

This plenary overviewed the digital revolution and explosion of information shaping the future direction and application of the earth sciences. Rapid advances in real time monitoring and measurement, web technologies and in data transfer are making geological and geospatial data increasingly global, accessible and instantaneous, and therefore useful for purposes beyond which they were originally collected. This expanded information base, coupled with increased understanding of global geological processes, is becoming increasingly vital to governments and the global community at large. Topics included remote sensing; 4-D geology, with GPS networks contributing to the fourth dimension; geohazards and environmental monitoring; regional and global scale geophysical datasets; and 3-D geological mapping.

Thomas CUDAHY (Australia) - Director of the Western Australian Centre of Excellence for 3D Mineral Mapping.

Kristine ASCH (Germany) - Head Geological Information Systems and Maps unit at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR, Germany.

Ken GLEDHILL (New Zealand) - GeoNet Project Director at GNS Science, New Zealand.

The Plenary Presentations proved very successful and were well received. They are available on the Congress website.


Two of the plenary speakers also gave public evening lectures as an extension of their plenary presentations. Prof. Steve Gorelick addressed the issue of the sustainability of global water resources and Prof. Iain Stewart spoke on communicating science to the public. A third, Prof Scott Tinker, also introduced the public screening of his movie, ‘Switch’, on the future of energy, which also was screened on several other occasions during the Congress. This was the first time ‘Switch’ had been screened outside the USA and the film was well attended and received.

3.2.3 Scientific Themes and Symposia

The general scientific program included 3712 oral presentations and 1469 poster presentations in 218 Symposia over the course of the 5 days. The Symposia were grouped under 37 major Themes, each of which was coordinated by at least one leading scientist in that field. Most Themes comprised an Australian or New Zealand-based coordinator to simplify communication (in the same time zone) supported by at least one leading international scientist. This required up to 35 concurrent Symposia each day of the Congress.

The Theme Coordinators, generally in consultation with the Chair of Scientific Program Committee, were responsible for the development of symposia under each theme and for the selection of Symposium Convenors. Again most, but not all, Symposia had leading Australian or New Zealand scientists as corresponding convenors to simplify communication supported by leading international scientists. The Symposium Convenors, in consultation with the Theme Coordinators, also selected the Keynote and Invited Speakers for each Symposium, reviewed the abstracts offered to the symposium, selected the papers for oral presentation, or poster presentations, and arranged the sequence of papers. Some Symposia included workshops or discussion periods which were judged to have been successful in stimulating discussion, especially of current issues within that field.

Keynote speakers were typically allocated 30 minutes (25 minutes plus 5 minutes questions). All other presentations (other than Plenary presentations) were allocated 15 minutes including introduction and questions. Session chairs were appointed by Symposium Convenors and/or Theme Coordinators.

Sessions commenced at 0830 hours and ended at 1730 hours (except for Opening and Closing Ceremonies) allowing a maximum of the equivalent of twenty four 15 minute speaking slots per day excluding lunch, morning and afternoon tea, and Plenary Presentations. As far as possible, Symposia were scheduled to run on consecutive days but adjustments were made to a number of Symposia to avoid clashes with overlapping topics and as imposed by room scheduling limitations.

Poster presentations were accorded the same status as oral presentations. Posters were changed daily (except Thursday evening) and dedicated poster sessions were held at the end of each day from 1730-1830. Poster papers were scheduled for presentation on the same days(s) as the oral papers to promote the integration with the symposium. The poster papers were of a high standard and attracted considerable interest.

The Themes and Symposia are listed in Attachment 10:

The Themes which attracted the most paper submissions, and ran for the entire 5 days of the Congress, were:

• 9. Mineral Deposits and Ore Forming Processes,

• 5. Geoscience Information; and

• 15. A Dynamic Earth.

The other resources Themes also attracted large numbers of abstracts and individual Symposia were very well attended, with strong representation from industry as well as from academia and government agencies. Roughly 40 per cent of the scientific Symposia were focussed on or directly relevant to the minerals and energy sectors, reflecting the importance of the resources industries in Australia. Abstracts for all papers oral and poster have been published and are available on the Congress publications CD.

Other features of the program were the public exposure and interpretations of new geoscientific datasets from central and eastern Asia, and the world’s first continental-scale mineral maps generated from ASTER satellite data.

Overall, the scientific symposia were generally well attended, some exceptionally so. Highlights of many symposia were the keynote papers given by invited leading geoscientists.


3.2.4 Other Major Forums

Another component of the scientific program was sessions termed Other Major Forums, which were organised by the external groups and mainly comprised invited presentations. These were

F1. Young Earth Scientists (YES) Congress. Convenors Joanne VENUS (UK), Gabriella PERLINGEIRO (Australia) and Michelle COOPER (Australia)

The YES Network convened five roundtable sessions during the week aimed specifically at promoting discussion and developing projects for the YES Network to work on:

Roundtable 1: How can Geoscientists Best Engage with the Public and High School Pupils

Roundtable 2: Engaging with Policy Makers: A YES Legacy

Roundtable 3: Education and Outreach in Polar Science

Roundtable 4: Emerging Geoscience Themes and the Role of the YES Network

Roundtable 5: Women in Geosciences.

F2. International GeoSurveys’ Forum: Applying geoscience to address the world’s major challenges. Convenors Chris PIGRAM (Geoscience Australia) and Alex MALAHOFF (GNS Science, New Zealand)

This forum focussed on how the geological surveys are responding to the major challenges currently facing them and their countries/regions. This forum will provide a good basis for genuine sharing of experience, recognising that individual geological surveys have differing mandates, functions and responsibilities, but all are increasingly required to address a growing range of issues of concern.

F3. Global Geoscience Initiative. Convenors IUGS and ICSU, per Edmund NICKLESS (UK), Jack HESS (UK), Pat LEAHY (USA), John LUDDEN (UK)

This was a Town Hall style forum on developing solid-earth geosciences initiatives as part of the Belmont forum, which brings many of the major funders of environmental and related sciences behind an International initiative centred on the integration of global observation, state of art measurement and modelling of the Earth system, creation of interoperable databases and their translation to government and other public bodies. The objective of this GGI forum, which follows others held at large geoscience meetings in the USA and Europe, was to link different national efforts in solid earth sciences planning and infrastructure development to provide joint initiatives on a global scale. To this end it had a series of short presentations from key funders of earth sciences and discussed how best to create momentum. The YES Network provided discussants.

F4. Earth Science Matters - bringing knowledge of the Earth to everyone. Convenors Ed de Mulder and Wolfgang Eder

The forum discussed the significance of the Earth Science Matters Foundation, which represents the legacy of the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), and its priority activities. As reflected in its subtitle: bringing knowledge of the Earth to everyone, the Earth Science Matters Foundation spreads knowledge of the Earth beyond the professional Earth scientific communities to a wider audience, including politicians, decision-makers, funding organisations, students and to the public at large. That will be realised through publications, events, projects, the media and a variety of other communication tools. The Forum explored and reviewed potential for concerted actions with respect to geoscience outreach activities in various fields and regions. Forum presentations and discussions provided input and direction for the longer term strategies of the Earth Science Matters Foundation to inform the public about the crucial but generally unrecognized role Earth scientists play for society at large in relation to sustainable development and management.


3.2.5 Professional Development Workshops Report

The 34th IGC Circulars included an invitation to organisations and companies wishing to offer professional development workshops during the IGC. Interested parties advised CCM (the PCO) and a program of these workshops was organized by Rob Murdoch. Most workshops held before the congress were held at off-site venues; those held during the IGC were held at BCEC and those after the congress were held off-site.

The IGC offered to provide venues to these workshops provided they were scheduled at a time when rooms booked for the IGC were free. Standard audio visual equipment (public address system and data projection) was also provided. Further, the IGC promoted the workshops in circulars and on the website and received and processed workshop registrations and processed payments (where applicable). The only charge to workshop organisers was a fee of $40 per delegate and this only applied to workshops that were charging fees to participants.

It should be noted that several workshop organisers, including several that charged high fees to participants, expected and requested that the IGC should provide (in additional to all of the foregoing) costly extras such as specialized audio visual equipment, off-site venue expenses and in some cases presenters fees. Caution is advised to future IGC’s in this regard. In the case of the 34th IGC, none of these additional items were provided by the congress, though the IGC did carry some of the risk and in future it is recommended that the congress should not carry any risk on behalf of these workshops.

Workshops that did not receive sufficient registrations in advance of the congress to be viable were cancelled. Free/nil cost workshops attracted high numbers of registrations, and also suffered high non-attendance rates (up to 60%). Non-attendance rates at workshops that charged fees were insignificant.

Some workshop organisers wanted to allow participants who were not registered IGC delegates. However the original agreement with all workshop organisers was that only registered IGC delegates could register for workshops through the 34th IGC system and this arrangement prevailed.

Information on the Professional Development Workshops delivered is listed in Attachment 11, where the numbers of participants shown for each workshop are the number who registered for each, not the number who actually attended.


3.3 Field Trips reportThirty seven extended field trips, covering all states of Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and several Asia-Pacific destinations, were researched, scheduled, costed and offered to delegates in the circulars and on the congress website. Of these 22 attracted sufficient numbers to be viable or close to viable and these excursions proceeded.

A total of 332 delegates participated in these excursions.

15 extended field trips did not attract sufficient interest and these were cancelled .

A further 10 single-day trips were researched, scheduled, costed and offered to delegates. Of these, 8 proceeded and 2 were cancelled.

A total of 247 delegates participated in single-day trips.

A lot of good feedback was received from both trip leaders and participants. There was a good representation of trips covering a broad spectrum of significant geological features of Australia, New Zealand, PNG, New Caledonia and Malaysia.

The efforts of the Field Trips leaders are gratefully acknowledged. In addition to leading the trips, they also produced the Field Guides, and in many cases wrote a paper for the special 34th IGC issue of EPISODES (March 2012), which was eagerly sought after at the 34th IGC. Other special thanks go to Quadrant for their organisation and planning, to the Field Trip Organising Committee, to Carillon Conference Management and to Ian Lambert and Ashley Gordon for strong support. The engine room where a lot of the work was done includes: Yasmin Makridakis of the Geological Survey of Queensland, Kate Vella from Carillon, and Mechelle Toth who carried out the printing of the cover pages of the field guides and many of the actual guides.

Because the IGC was planning a large number of tours with a turnover of many hundreds of thousands dollars, it was subject to legislation that meant that it had to use a commercial tour company - Quadrant Australia was chosen. In a small number of cases, the trip organisers signed statements that they wished to organise the trips themselves and would take full responsibility for all legal and financial issues.

The outsourcing of most trips naturally increased the costs. This was an issue of concern for a number of tour leaders used to organising trips as cheaply as possible, and a factor in a number of trips not proceeding. But it meant that the Congress was protected from any litigation and was spared considerable administrative work.

The special issue of EPISODES included articles on the geological features of most regions of Australia and New Zealand that were visited by field trips. Details of all the field trips are available in the Fourth Circular of the 34th IGC, which can be downloaded at www.34igc.org or www.iugs.org.

A summary of the field trips, both held and cancelled, is provided as Attachment 12, along with a map showing trip locations.

3.4 GeoHost Support Program ReportThe GeoHost assistance program was developed largely by Deputy Secretary General, Paul Kay, and Secretary General, Ian Lambert, to support the attendance of young and financially disadvantaged geoscientists at the 2012 Brisbane Congress. The 34th IGC GeoHost program follows the principles originally outlined by the Organising Committee of the 28th IGC by giving priority to young geoscientists with formal academic qualifications relating to geosciences, environmental management and extractives sectors. The 2008 Global Financial Crisis and subsequent international economic issues directly impacted upon the efforts of the 34th IGC Organising Committee in seeking funding of GeoHost, with many of the organisations that traditionally provided funding declining to support the 34th IGC GeoHost program.

The GeoHost program was announced in the Second Circular on 25 May 2011 and applications could be lodged immediately from that date.

A total of A$1.7 Million was expended on the GeoHost program at the 34th IGC. This is the largest amount of financial support ever provided by an IGC to delegates from developing Nations, young (under 35) and other deserving Geoscientists.

Two programs were available to applicants under the GeoHost scheme:


3.4.1 Programs within GeoHost scheme

Training Workshop Program (TWP)

This provided successful applicants with full funding of air travel, accommodation, travel insurance, living expenses, meals, attendance at a pre-congress workshop and registration for the 34th IGC.

Funded Delegate Program (FDP)

Two levels of FDP funding were available:

FDP 1: A travel grant of $1500 plus full 34th IGC registration

FDP 2: Full 34th IGC registration

3.4.2 Critical dates

Critical dates for both programs were advised in the second circular as follows:

25 May 2011 Applications open

1 November 2011 Applications close

March 2012 Successful applicants notified

3.4.3 Application procedure

Delegates seeking GeoHost support were required to formally apply via an on-line process. Only applications received this way were considered and any applicants making direct approaches and/or pleadings to the CCM (the PCO) or committee members were directed to this process. Approximately a thousand applications were received for GeoHost and all complete and correct applications were considered by a GeoHost Appraisal Committee. The names and contact details of the members of this committee were deliberately withheld from publication. The applications were considered using a merit based procedure which was deliberately designed to be free of influence or favor.

All applications were graded in a sequential order so that if a successful applicant could not subsequently accept, the next candidate would be notified of acceptance.

As can be expected with such a system, issues arose and challenges were presented once notices had been sent to successful and unsuccessful applicants, including:

- Some applicants who were unsuccessful were very forceful in their demands to be re-considered. Responding to their repeated communications was time consuming and in some cases very challenging for CCM staff and some OC members;

- Other unsuccessful applicants complained that they had received GeoHost funding for several IGC’s in the past and did not accept that they would not be funded under the 34th IGC GeoHost program, which placed a degree of emphasis on youth. These persons conveyed – often very forcefully – an expectation of ongoing entitlement. Their view seemed to be that they should not even have to apply for funding. Again sustained correspondence from these delegates over many months was time consuming;

- Some unsuccessful applicants demanded to be provided with contact details of members of the selection committee. These details were never provided.

3.4.4 Funding GeoHost

Representations were made to the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) - the Australian Government agency responsible for managing Australia’s overseas aid program. The representations were based on the opportunities that the IGC offered to address some of the Austraralian Government’s foreign policy objectives. AusAID agreed to fund some training workshops, enabling the 34th IGC to provide full assistance for 140 delegates from developing countries to travel to Australia and attend the training workshops prior to the IGC and then attend the 34th IGC itself. The AusAID funded training workshops cover the following topics:

TW1. Sustainable Mining in Africa for 79 delegates from countries throughout Africa, delivered by the International Mining for Development Centre and covering the principles of geosciences and sustainable mining and their application in Africa.


TW3. Capacity Building in Risk Modelling for Natural Hazards in the Asia-Pacific region, for 40 delegates from ASEAN and Pacific, being delivered by Geoscience Australia.

Using a similar workshop and full IGC scheme, funding was provided by the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (GCCSI) to support 20 delegates to attend workshop TW2 Geological Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide. Geoscience Australia kindly provided much of the scientific and logistical support for the GeoHost workshops, in addition to tertiary institutions contracted to provide aspects of the workshops.

AusAID also provided full support for a further 11 delegates from developing countries under the International Seminar Support Scheme (ISSS), to participate in the sessions on geoscience benefitting low income countries.

So, overall 150 delegates were provided with full support. This represented a point of difference from previous IGCs, which sought to partially fund the greatest number of applications from the greatest number of countries. However, fully supported delegates were only part of the GeoHost effort at the 34th IGC. The 34th IGC also funded a further 150 delegates through the Funded Delegate Program (FDP), which was directed at young earth scientists and geoscientists living and working in low income countries. FDP was partially financed from within the 34th IGC, with the number of hosted and partially hosted delegates being ultimately being determined by the number of full fee paying delegates. Support for young geoscientists to attend the 34th IGC GeoHost program also came from:

• the commercial sector with Vale, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto providing funding specifically targeted at young geoscientists;

• six IUGS’ Hutchison Awards.

In addition the AGC funded day registration for 15 school teachers to attend geo-education sessions.

Support to attend the 34th IGC was also provided through external sources and delivered independently of the 34th IGC budget:

• IUGS support for attendance by representatives of its Task Groups and Commissions;

• the Geological Society of America, the American Geological Institute supported young US-based geoscientists;

• Australian and New Zealand geo-societies and universities.

3.5 Finance ReportIt was understood from the beginning that sound financial management practices would be key to the success of the 34th IGC. The legal entity responsible for the congress, the Australian Geoscience Council (AGC), required that the congress meet all of its commitments from its own revenues and further, that the congress repaid the seed funding provided to it by the AGC and its member societies (AusIMM; GSA; AIG; PESA; ASEG; IAH; AAG; AQUA; AGIA).

To this end a Finance Committee (FINCOM) was one of the first sub-committees to be established. FINCOM was created as a key committee, headed by the Congress Treasurer, who reported directly to the Organising Committee (OC). The Treasurer was a member of the Executive Committee (EXCOM), which facilitated quick responses when urgent financial decisions and actions were required.

3.5.1 Pre-Congress funding

Financial transactions for the IGC started several years before actual congress transactions commenced. For this reason, a special account was created and administered under a Pre-Congress budget. This account was used to receive financial contributions from Geoscience Australia; the Australian State and Northern Territory geological surveys; GNS Science New Zealand; the hosting societies; the seed promotional funding provided by the Queensland State Government’s event attraction agency Events Queensland (since re-named Tourism and Events Queensland); and other pre-event contributors.

The management of this account and the pre-congress budget were handled directly by the AusIMM, through the Congress Treasurer, Miriam Way.


3.5.2 Congress budget

The first congress budget was drafted by the PCO and reviewed by FINCOM soon after the launch of the congress at the 33rd IGC in Oslo. The budget was the subject of constant development and review for the entire duration of the congress organisational period. A strict reporting process was adopted showing actuals and forecasts against the budget. All amendments were explained to and approved by FINCOM at each meeting.

The macro-assumptions under which the budget was constructed and developed were:

- the congress would be attended by 3500 fee-paying delegates and would be required to at least meet all of its commitments at that number;

- the main revenue source would be registration fees paid by delegates. Using data from previous IGC’s, estimates were calculated as to the percentages of delegates that paid full, partial and discounted registration fees and this data was used in determining likely registration fee revenues;

- until confirmed otherwise, low estimates of revenue from sponsorship and exhibition sales would be prudent. Later versions of the budget only carried confirmed (at the time each budget versions was prepared) sponsorship revenue assumptions;

- access to complimentary and supported registrations would have to be controlled and kept strictly within budgeted levels.

Each version of the budget was prepared by the PCO after discussion with FINCOM. It was then reviewed by FINCOM again prior to presentation to the OC.

3.5.3 Financial management

The congress trading account was managed by the PCO. All congress revenues and payments were transacted through this account, with the exception of the initial funding and early promotional expenses which were transacted through the pre-congress budget account.

Payments were presented to the Treasurer for approval and then paid by the PCO. Budget allowances were made for all costs and each time a payment was made the budget value was checked and, if necessary, adjusted. This process ensured that budget cost values were constantly reviewed and modified as necessary for the duration of the project.

Revenue was processed using the PCO’s conference management system and this system produced a variety of registration, statistical and revenue reports. The PCO provided members of EXCOM with access to the PCO’s secure server, allowing EXCOM members to access registration and revenue information at any time. Payments and chart of accounts were entered into specialised accounting software (MYOB) by the PCO and this system generated the necessary expenditure reports and current accounts.

3.5.4 Tax reporting

Australia has a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 10%. Under this system, 10% of all revenue received must be paid to the Commonwealth of Australia’s Tax Office after deduction of the GST component paid on all expenses over the same period. Business Activity Statements (BAS) must be filed with the tax office at the end of each financial quarter and payment of the net GST must accompany the statement. In practice the payment equals 10% of all revenue received less the 10% paid on supply invoices, payable at the end of each quarter.

The PCO’s registration system calculated the GST payable each quarter and the GST rebate (being the GST paid on expenses) was calculated by the PCO’s MYOB accounting software. The BAS returns were submitted each quarter by the PCO.

The congress is not required to submit an income tax return, as all surplus revenue has been distributed to hosting organisations and any income tax liability flows to the recipients of the funds. As most are not-for-profit institutions, no income tax will be payable.

3.5.5 Financial outcome

The congress was a resounding success and made a substantial operating surplus which was distributed to the hosting organisations. Attachment 13 presents a summary of revenues, costs and the surplus achieved.


3.5.6 Insurance, risk and liabilities

As a term of reserving the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre as the congress venue, it was necessary to have a “Public and products liability” insurance policy in place to the value of $20 Million. This was arranged with ION insurance.

To contain and minimise potential liabilities to the congress, several measures were undertaken:

- all suppliers were required to carry their own appropriate insurance policies and make warranty as to the currency of these policies;

- when registering to attend the congress, delegates had to accept registration terms, which limited the liability of the congress in respect of personal damages, injury and other potential claims;

- where possible, whole sections of risk were transferred to suppliers so that the congress itself did not have to bear the responsibility. For example, the PCO entered into group booking contracts for delegate accommodation – this alone represented the transference of a potential $4 Million risk. Similarly, the contract with the tour operator of the field trips transferred all personal and property risks to that operator;

- sponsors and exhibitors were required to sign confirmation forms which specified a range of terms to which they had to agree. In the case of exhibitors, this established that the exhibitors were responsible for damages and other risks.

3.5.7 Observations

That the congress achieved a healthy outcome is due to many factors, including but not limited to accurate budgeting and the application of sound financial management principles. From the outset the congress finances were managed as if the event was a business and this approach contributed substantially to the end result.

Some observations for the organisers of future IGC’s:

1. Income protection is a major challenge that requires sustained effort. The financial outcome of the 34th IGC would have been very different if all of the requests (in some cases demands) for waived or heavily discounted fees had been granted. In Australia the practice is that a waived registration fees need to be 5% of total or less if the event is to be financially sustainable.

2. The IGC had a policy of not accepting registrations unless they were accompanied by full payment. This policy was enforced for the duration of the event. The result of this was that the congress never had an outstanding registration fees liability at any time.

3. Sponsors and exhibitors were required to remit 50% of the full value of their commitment at the time agreement was reached with the balance payable 60 days prior to the event.

4. The congress had a clearly expressed cancellation and refund policy which was also enforced. This restricted refunds but allowed substitutions. This practice is distinctly recommended for future IGC’s.

5. It is very important to have the Theme Coordinators, Symposium Convenors and regional geoscientists generally actively promote IGC wherever they go, at whatever conferences they attend. Promotional slides, posters and postcrds should be made available for this.

6. Supporting organisations that carry the risks and the returns from the event must be represented on the Finance Committee. It is essential to have personnel on such a Committee that have had experience in managing events and can work closely with the PCO in ensuring the aims and objectives of the congress are met. A successful financial outcome is essential in securing long-term benefits and continuing professional development for the regional geoscience community.


3.6 Sponsorship and Exhibition Report

3.6.1 Overview

Early support, including support by the Federal Government for presentation of the bid governments was successfully negotiated by the Secretary-General, Ian Lambert. A grant for promotion of the event was offered from Queensland Events, tied to the selection of Brisbane as the venue for the 34th IGC.

The initial formal Sponsorship Sub-committee was formed in 2009; however after 12 months of inactivity the Chairperson resigned and to that time no additional sponsorship funds had been raised. This partly reflected the difficulty of attracting commercial sponsors more than 2 financial years ahead of an event, made even more difficult by the Global Financial Crisis, but there was also an element of concern that IGC efforts to attract sponsorship at that stage would cut across the sponsorship opportunities that individual AGC geosocieties needed to get for their own meetings in the lead up to 2012.

A Director of the PCO company became Chair of the renewed Sponsorship Sub-committee and sponsorship proposals were revised and redistributed. Active promotion of sponsorship opportunities commenced about 3 years out. However sales of exhibition space (with the exception of space included as part of sponsorship packages) was deliberately delayed for a further year to give preference to sponsors. Promotion of sponsorship opportunities and negotiations with potential sponsors was a collaborative effort between the PCO, members of the Sponsorship Sub Committee and OC members, and it continued right up until the congress commenced. Several considerable sponsorship arrangements were negotiated in the weeks immediately prior to the event itself – by which time it was known that the IGC was going to be attended by at least 5000 delegates and companies that had been approached much earlier all of a sudden renewed their interest on the basis of the size of the event and because they were made aware that their competitors were supporters.

The sponsorship experience of 34th IGC was can be summarised as followed:

1. Several companies thought likely to be major contributors for the most part were not and made much more modest commitments than initially expected;

2. Most companies had to be approached many times – again and again and through different contacts – before a commitment was eventually extracted;

3. The best results were achieved at a point two years in advance and again in the last 12 months;

4. Many corporations would not consider sponsorship until a detailed program draft was available for their review – content relevance is clearly important;

5. Unique packages were negotiated with every sponsor. Though the packages detailed in proposals were used as the basis for all negotiations, in every case sponsors had specific ideas and requirements that had to be accommodated;

6. All commercial sector sponsors look for a direct commercial benefit and opportunity for some form of gain must be demonstrated to secure them;

7. Recruitment was a major focus for all sponsors and exhibitors.


A total of almost A$1.1 Million was raised in cash sponsorship. A further factor was the importance of budget replacement sponsorship, being cases where the sponsor provides part or all of their contribution not in cash, but by contributing services or products. A careful approach was taken with these arrangements and only services and products that were actually needed by the congress (and for which allowances already existed in the budget) were accepted. A very successful example of this was the media and public relations sponsorship arrangement with Rowland, which is detailed further elsewhere in this report.

A list of sponsors is appended as Attachment 14.

3.6.2 GeoExpo

Sales of exhibition space and management of the GeoExpo was the responsibility of the PCO. From the beginning active steps were taken to maximise the yield from the exhibition, which was done by creating zones and selling space at premium, intermediate and standard rates and positioning the space accordingly.

The design of the exhibition included one main and two smaller internal courtyards in which dining furniture was placed together with food and beverage service points. All meals and refreshments were served in these areas, ensuring a strong number of delegates continually in the exhibition area. Power points were provided at the tables to allow delegates to use PC’s and devices and/or charge them.

The GeoExpo was very successful – it had to be redesigned three times to provide for excess demand and indeed all exhibition space was effectively completely sold out several months ahead of the event. GeoExpo occupied a total of 12,500 square metres of space (10,000 square metres in two exhibition halls which were combined to form one area and a further 2050 square metres in foyer areas).

Further, all meal and coffee breaks were served exclusively in the GeoExpo area – this and the exhibitions excellent location in relation to meeting spaces and the high quality displays erected by exhibitors – made the GeoExpo a highlight of the IGC. The atmosphere of the GeoExpo and amenities provided within it made a substantial contribution to the overall positive delegate experience.

A list of exhibitors is provided as Attachment 15.

A GeoExpo floorplan is provided as Attachment 16.

3.7 Congress Marketing Report

3.7.1 Overall Strategy

It was generally agreed that the standard promotional activities, being regular circulars and attendance at key international events by a congress representative, would combine with the attractiveness of, and interest in, the host region to secure good delegate numbers. At the same time, caution was expressed as to the number of delegates that should be assumed, given the venues distance from traditional markets. The fact that a previous IGC had been held in Sydney in the 1970’s and that it had been attended by good numbers for the times was a comfort.

Funding had been secured as part of the bid commitment to ensure that travel to key meetings by the Secretary General could be undertaken.

3.7.2 Realignment of Marketing after Global Financial Crisis

The occurrence of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and its effects on government and university budgets in the traditional IGC markets of Europe and North America created an urgent need to significantly amend the marketing strategy.

Creating a marketing campaign that would best serve the needs of the 34th IGC – namely to attract at least 3500 (hopefully any more) delegates was the subject of much discussion and not a little stress amongst OC and executive members. This pressure increased every time the Secretary-General returned from overseas with ever-escalating reports of budget pressures on organisations that had hitherto provided major numbers of delegates to preceding IGC’s.


It was decided that a comprehensive solution was required:

1. Congress costs had to be trimmed to keep registration fees as low as possible.

2. Special discounted fees had to be released earlier than originally envisaged to communicate that the costs would not be as high as some may have been suspecting - this became the super early bird special offer.

3. It was clear that Europe and North America would not provide the number of delegates that had attended previous IGC’s due to lack of funds and the fact that all of their currencies were falling heavily against the Australian dollar. It was decided to continue to promote to these nations, but that they would not be the main focus of marketing effort. Marketing funds would be prioritised to new markets.

4. The “new markets” were selected on the basis that they were not suffering from the effects of the GFC, that their currencies were not devalued against the Australian dollar and that they had significant resource industries. These were identified as China, Russia, Latin America and some countries within Asia. Key events in these markets were identified and promotions arranged at these events.

5. It was agreed that another new market was the Australian domestic commercial market. To be attractive to this market, topics of commercial interest had to be identified and promoted. This was achieved by publication of special material emphasising topics of interest to this sector which were extensively distributed though professional societies dealing with members in the commercial sector.

6. Additional funds were required to promote to the newly identified international markets and CCM (the PCO) sought and obtained additional promotional funding from the Queensland government events agency.

a. Promotion involved, in particular, President Neil Williams, Secretary-General Ian Lambert, Deputy Secretary General Paul Kay and CCM Directors.

b. All members of the Organising Committee, and a number of others in the Australasian geoscience community, also took every opportunity to promote the 34th IGC through inserting promotional slides into presentations and giving 34th IGC material to potential participants.

7. Further, the 34th IGC’s media and communications company, Rowland, marketedthe event to its industry clients.

The total cost of promotion of the 34th IGC exceeded A$0.75 Million, including some contributions outside the Congress budget. This was more than recouped by the consequential boost to delegate numbers – possibly as many as two thousand more than expected from a bare bones marketing program.

3.8 Media and Communications ReportThe OC was determined from the beginning to use the IGC to raise the public awareness of the Geosciences within Australia and beyond, an objective that can only be achieved with the cooperation of the general media. This required the engagement of media specialists to manage a profile for the congress and then push it into mainstream media publications. Further specialised articles would also be required for industry media and different materials again for social media.

The PCO approached an associate who is the principal of Queensland’s leading media and public relations firm, Rowland, to provide comprehensive media services in return for acknowledgement as a major congress sponsor. Rowland agreed to provide in excess of $100,000 worth of services to 34th IGC, including their effective marketing of the Congress to their numerous clients in the resources sector.

Rowland’s detailed report on their highly effective IGC campaign is provided at Attachment 17, and a summary of the main points follows.

3.8.1 Overview

Rowland’s communication objectives were:

• To raise awareness of the 34th IGC in Australia to help drive delegate registrations

• To position the 34th IGC as the largest international gathering of commercial and government decision-makers in geology

• To highlight the role of geology in a range of societal issues and industries.


Rowland made a strong contribution to the congress and managed to get the event featured in mainstream media, nationally and internationally, before and during the event itself. Indeed media coverage was much greater than even optimistic forecasts, with the IGC featured in all major metro daily newspapers in Australia (in many on numerous occasions), on radio and television and extensively in international web news services.

3.8.2 Mainstream media

Contrary to common perception, scientific conferences in themselves are of little interest to mainstream media and an extensive amount of effort combined with good contacts are required to achieve significant coverage in mainstream media. Rowland handled all approaches and provision of content to mainstream media and they achieved excellent results.

The Congress President, Neil Williams, was made the official congress spokesperson and Neil fielded interviews and provided media comments through Rowland for the duration of the event, supported by Secretary General,l Ian Lambert, Deputy Secretary General, Paul Kay, and Scientific Sub-committee Chair, Lynton Jaques

3.8.3 Industry media

Extensive use was made of geoscience journal and media networks globally. Much of this work was handled by the Secretary-General, Ian Lambert, and Deputy Secretary General, Paul Kay Raw text would be provided to Rowland for the formation of stories and releases which were then distributed to contacts identified by the Secretary General and other stakeholders.

3.8.4 Social media

A facebook page was created 4 years prior to the congress but achieved little interest, no doubt because the event was well into the future and social media has a more immediate dynamic. Arrangements were then made for one of the University sponsors to provide social media services but this did not eventuate. Approximately 5 months prior to the congress, Rowland designed a social media strategy and held a workshop with new graduate recruits at Geoscience Australia, who were then charged with running the commentary and social media content, with Rowland’s assistance. This proved successful and there was plenty of interest and involvement in the social media channels from this point forward. It was observed however that while the social media generated interest and provided a forum for delegates – particularly younger ones – to network, the social media marketing initiatives did not generate any new registrations, exhibitors or sponsors for the event.

3.9 Congress Volunteers ReportThe volunteers made an exceptional contribution to the congress and many delegates remarked on the assistance they provided.

The total number of volunteer program was formally structured and based on the understanding that one hour’s free congress attendance would be provided for every hour worked as a volunteer. This ensured the attraction of volunteers with an interest in – and importantly some knowledge of – the geosciences. Most of the volunteers were students from the various Earth Science faculties in Brisbane and elsewhere, though retired geoscientists also played important roles also.

A call for expressions of interest in volunteering was made some 5 months ahead of the conference and those who expressed interest were invited to register as volunteer delegates one month prior to the congress. Part of the registration process identified the days and hours they would work and the days of the program they wished to attend and schedules were drawn up accordingly.


Specific jobs were assigned to volunteers as were exact locations, schedules and duties. The entire volunteer process was highly organised and the Volunteer committee Chair spent the entire congress dates on site at BCEC at a dedicated Volunteer desk. Volunteers were issued with congress handbooks, a high visibility vest and key volunteers were also issued with mobile phones for their duty periods, thus ensuring communications. The main tasks assigned to volunteers were:

1. Poster assistance

2. Special language assistance (language skills were recorded during the registration process and flag badges denoting languages spoken were issued to and worn by volunteers)

3. Directional assistance – a very valuable service in a venue as large as BCEC

4. Audio visual support, particularly taking presenting authors to speaker preparation facilities

5. Registration desk support, mainly in replenishing supplies of satchels and handbooks to registration desk staff located at 24 registration desk service positions (essentially one for each letter of the alphabet).

Three briefing sessions were held for the volunteers, conducted at BCEC by the Chair of the Volunteer Sub-committee, Mark Berry, and the PCO. Two of these sessions were held in the week preceding the congress and the final one on the day before the start of the IGC. A volunteer handbook was provided at these briefings.

Volunteers were provided with morning and afternoon refreshments and lunch during their duty shifts and when they were attending the congress. Allowances were made in the congress budget for the costs of registering volunteers and their catering.

3.10 Report of the legal entity responsible for the 34th IGC: the Australian Geoscience CouncilThe Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) is the Peak Council of geoscientists in Australia. It represents eight major Australian geoscientific societies comprising industry, government and academic professionals in the fields of geology, geophysics, geochemistry, mineral and petroleum exploration, mining, environmental geoscience, engineering, hydrogeology and geological hazards.

The AGC member societies are:

• The Association of Applied Geochemists (AAG)

• The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM)

• he Australian Geoscience Information Association (AGIA)

• The Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG)

• The Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG

• The Geological Society of Australia (GSA)

• International Association of Hydrogeologists - Australian Chapter (IAH)

• The Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA)

Each society is represented on the Council by the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Member Society, who may delegate his/her role to another senior executive of the Member Society as proxy for the President or Chief Executive Officer. The management of the Council is vested in the Executive Committee, consisting of a President, a Past-President, a President-Elect, a Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer, (each of whom is elected by the Representatives), and any other officers that Council may, from time to time, designate.

Article 2 of the AGC Constitution states the purpose of the Council is to:

1. Foster close relations between geoscience learned societies and professional associations in Australia and

2. Take concerted action for promoting the sciences related to the earth and the use thereof, in the best interests of both the constituent organisations and the Australian nation as a whole.

In compliance with these objectives, the AGC undertook the legal and financial responsibility for the organisation and implementation of the 34th International Geological Convention. The AGC prepared for this task by means of the following steps:


• In August 2005, the AGC executed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Academy of Science (AAS), which is the national Adhering Organisation of the IUGS, under whose auspices the IGCs are run. This MOU formally authorised the AGC to be the organising body of the 34th IGC. In summary, the AAS effectively licensed the full conduct of the Event to the AGC, with responsibility for all planning, financial and organisational issues associated with the Congress, including any contractual arrangements required for the implementation of the Congress. The AAS would not participate in any arrangements for the Congress, however it would use its good offices to facilitate the organisation of the event, given any formal request from the AGC. The arrangement with the AAS also included a provision to establish a trust fund to assist worthy younger Australian geoscientists to travel to international geoscience conferences to be jointly administered by the AGC and the AAS.

• In November 2005, the AGC executed an agreement with Queensland Events Corporation for the State Government of Queensland to provide financial support for the 34th IGC.

• In late 2006, a contractual agreement was established between the AGC and all of its member societies to participate financially and scientifically in the 34th IGC in August 2012. Each year from 2006 to 2010, the societies contributed seed funding to the IGC as agreed under the MOU. Funding was provided in proportion to society memberships in 2006.

• In March 2007, the AGC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IUGS which set out the terms under which the AGC undertook the management of the 34th IGC, including the establishment of a Local Organising Committee. The AGC and its member societies provided representatives on various working committees of the IGC Organising Committee and actively promoted attendance at the congress through articles and reports in the societies’ newsletters and meetings.

• In October 2008, the AGC executed a contract with Carillon Conference Management to provide comprehensive conference management services and advice for the 34th IGC.

• After an earlier exchange of letters of intent, the AGC signed an agreement with the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2011 for the provision of the venue and catering for the 34th IGC.

The coordination of the planning for the 34th IGC was facilitated by two key appointments to the Council. In 2005, Dr Ian Lambert, the Secretary General of the Organising Committee of the 34th IGC, was made a Councillor and he provided valuable progress reports to all meetings of the Council and received feedback from the society representatives. In 2010, Dr Neil Williams, the President of the Organising Committee of the 34th IGC, was elected President of the AGC, which ensured the closest possible alignment between the goals of the IGC Organising Committee and the AGC.

The outstanding success of the 34th IGC is a great relief to everyone involved in the planning and execution of the event. Given the positive financial outcome of the Congress:

• seed contributions (plus interest) were refunded to the member societies together with an allocation of individual shares of the profits in accordance with the formula prescribed under the agreement signed in 2006 with the AGC.

• the remainder was put into a trust fund to support international travel by deserving young Australian and New Zealand geoscientists.


3.11 YES Congress 2012 ReportThe first World YES Congress was held in, Beijing, China in 2009 and the YES Network was very excited to have the opportunity to hold the second World YES Congress in conjunction with the 34th IGC in Brisbane, Australia.

The YES Network is an international association of early-career geoscientists who are primarily under the age of 35 years and are from universities, geoscience organizations and companies from across the world. The Network aims to link early-career geoscientists through scientific research and interdisciplinary networking. am also took place

The YES Network convened five roundtable sessions during the week aimed specifically at promoting discussion and developing projects for the YES Network to work on:

Roundtable 1: How can Geoscientists Best Engage with the Public and High School Pupils

Roundtable 2: Engaging with Policy Makers: A YES Legacy

Roundtable 3: Education and Outreach in Polar Science

Roundtable 4: Emerging Geoscience Themes and the Role of the YES Network

Roundtable 5: Women in Geosciences

BHP Billiton is thanked for hosting networking drinks prior to roundtable sessions.

Full roundtable summaries are available online on the YES Network website: http://www.networkyes.org/, along with suggested work plans.

These rountables supplemented the Symposium convened by YES:

36.4 Geoscience challenges in the 21st century: an early-career perspective [YES Network], convened by Joanne VENUS [email protected] (UK), Gabriela PERLINGEIRO (Australia) and Michelle COOPER (Australia)


4. Ceremonies and Social EventsThese were not finalised until a few months before the event.

4.1 Opening CeremonyThe opening ceremony was assigned to the Social Program and Protocol Sub Committee of which Congress President Neil Williams was Chair

It was agreed from the outset that the opening ceremony would:

1. Be non-political and not have any political speakers at all;

2. Feature Indigenous Australian culture;

3. Be significantly shorter and less formal than opening ceremonies at recent IGC’s;

4. Be scheduled immediately prior to the first refreshment break and as the very first event on the program.

The search for a prominent and capable opening speaker led to the Governor of the State of Queensland, Her Excellency Penelope Wensley. In Australia, the Queen is represented to every State Parliament by a Governor who is appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of that State Parliament. Ms Wensley was an excellent candidate as she is well known for the effort and consideration she puts into her speeches and her specific interest in conferences held in Queensland. Further, Congress President Neil Williams knew her from her previous role as an Australian Ambassador. Ms Wensley was keenly interested in the IGC and quickly agreed.

A well-known local Aboriginal traditional dance group was engaged to perform at the opening ceremony and they performed a welcome to country dance which was enthusiastically received by delegates.

Other speakers at the ceremony were selected as representatives of key stakeholder organisations, being:

• Congress President Neil Williams

• Australian Geoscience Council Chair Mike Smith

• Geoscience Australia Chief Executive Officer Chris Pigram

• GNS New Zealand Chief Executive Alex Malahoff

• IUGS President Alberto Riccardi

All speakers were briefed as to the time available to them and the order of proceedings.


A feature of the opening ceremony was the screening of a specially produced audio visual presentation, of 4 minutes duration. A provision of $25,000 had been made in the budget for production of this video, however subsequent negotiations with the Brisbane City Council concluded with them taking on responsibility for the production (with IGC approval) and meeting all production costs. The video, which was very well received by delegates, was intended as an introduction to Brisbane and an invitation to enjoy the many features of the city.

Several factors had to be considered when selecting the space for the opening ceremony. In particular the venue needed to:

- be within BCEC for reasons of economy and also as it was planned for delegates to adjourn immediately after the ceremony to the GeoExpo, therefore the ceremony needed to be near the GeoExpo venue;

- provide full production and audio visual facilities.

At BCEC the Great Hall can seat up to 4500 persons, however even if 6000 delegates were registered for the event, it was unlikely that 4500 would attend the ceremony based on attendance levels observed at previous IGSs. Further, the BCEC Great Hall can be divided into 4 separate halls and the IGC program required at least three of these be used for symposia immediately after the morning refreshments following the opening ceremony. Given that it takes 8 hours to convert the hall from a single space into the smaller spaces, using the entire hall was not an option.

It was decided to configure the hall as follows:

- halls 1 and 2 would be opened into one space and remain in that configuration for the duration of the congress. This would seat approx. 2600 persons;

- halls 3 and 4 would be set up as separate halls and remain so for the duration of the congress;

- at the opening ceremony and all congress plenary sessions, ushers (congress volunteers) would direct delegates at first into halls 1 and 2 and, if that filled, then direct them to hall 3 and then hall 4. The ceremony and plenary sessions would be broadcast live into halls 3 and 4. This configuration provided seating at the opening ceremony and all plenary sessions for up to 4500 persons.

An estimated four thousand persons attended the opening.

4.2 Closing ceremony The Closing Ceremony was also the responsibility of the Social Program and Protocol Sub Committee.

The objectives of the closing ceremony were to provide:

- on opportunity to reflect on the event and detail some of the highlights of the congress;

- organisers of the next IGC with a launch opportunity and commence promotion of their event;

- express thanks to the appropriate stakeholders.

The closing ceremony was chaired by Michelle Cooper, representing the YES Network. Short presentations were made by the President, Neil Williams and Deputy Secretary, General Paul Kay. The Secretary General, Ian Lambert, was unable to participate as he had to leave the Congress for personal reasons earlier the same day.

The Congress President Neil Williams suggested that a symbolic object should be handed to the organisers of the next congress. This idea developed into the President’s Cup which was inaugurated at the 34th IGC Closing ceremony, where it was handed over to the President of the 35th IGC, Richard Viljoen. It is hoped that the cup will become a perpetual feature of future IGCs - the design includes a plaque which provides sufficient space for at least a further 10 IGC’s to be inscribed.

The 35th IGC presentation included and address by the South African Minister for Mines, Hon. Susan Shabangu, and the President of the Congress Richard Viljoen.


4.3 AwardsThe IUGS traditionally presents its major awards at IGCs. The IUGS’ Awards Ceremony was held during the 34th IGC (Brisbane, Australia) on 6th August at 5:50-6:30 pm. At the Ceremony the following Awards were presented: the IUGS Science Excellence Awards, the 2011 Episodes Best Paper Award, the 2012 Hutchinson Fund Awards, the IUGS 50th Anniversary – Young Scientist Essay Contest Award, and the Harrison Award.

• 2012 IUGS SCIENCE EXCELLENCE AWARD ON STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY. Professor John G. RAMSAY.

• 2012 IUGS SCIENCE EXCELLENCE AWARD: DIGBY McLAREN STRATIGRAPHY AWARD. Professor Stig M. BERGSTRÖM of the Ohio State University, U.S.A.

• 2012 IUGS SCIENCE EXCELLENCE AWARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY. Professor Ibrahim KOMOO of the University of Malaysia.

• 2012 IUGS SCIENCE EXCELLENCE AWARD ON GEOLOGICAL EDUCATION. Professor Nir ORION of the Weizmann Institute of Science; Israel.

• 2012 IUGS SCIENCE EXCELLENCE AWARD ON GEOSCIENCE INFORMATION. Dr. John LAXTON of the British Geological Survey.

• 2012 IUGS SCIENCE EXCELLENCE AWARD: V.V. TIKHOMIROV HISTORY OF GEOLOGY AWARD. Professor Hugh TORRENS Emeritus Professor of History of Science and Technology at the University of Keele, in the United Kingdom.

• 2011 EPISODES BEST PAPER AWARD. The IUGS Episodes Best Paper Award for 2011 has been awarded to the four joint-authors; Wojciech CHELMICKI, of the Jagiellonian University, Pawel JOKIEL and Piotr MONIEWSKI, of the University of Lodz, and Zdzislaw MICHALCZYK of the Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Poland.

• 2012 HUTCHINSON FUND AWARDS. Recipients of the 2012 Hutchinson Fund Awards are: Tandis S. BIDGOLI (Arizona, U.S.A.), Shaena MONTANARI (American Museum of Natural History, New York, U.S.A.), Tiffany RIVERA (Idaho, U.S.A.), Danielle THOMSON (Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada), Shuhong WANG (South China Sea Institute of Oceanography, Guangzhou, China), and Sandow M. YIDANA (University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana).

Various groups associated with the IUGS, and the Geological Society of Australia, also presented their awards at the IGC. Several of these presentations were by recipients of major scientific awards including the George Matheron Lecture sponsored by the International Association of Mathematical Geosciences (IAMG), and the inaugural Ringwood Medal awarded by the Geological Society of Australia.


4.4 Social eventsIt was known that many of the groups attending the 34th IGC would make independent arrangements for social and business events on evenings during the congress and it was decided to limit congress events so as not to compete with these other interests. Social events were therefore limited to the Welcome Cocktail Reception and the Congress Dinner. Drinks were also provided in the poster area on one evening.

4.4.1 Welcome Cocktail Reception

It was decided to hold this event in the GeoExpo. All congress delegates were provided with a ticket to this reception at no additional cost, so a large venue was necessary and no additional venue was available. Further, holding the reception in the GeoExpo provided additional value to exhibitors and sponsors and they were instructed to have their displays ready in time for the reception.

Entertainment consisted of a light jazz group who performed on the central stage.

Later discussions with the congress major sponsor, Vale, resulted in them providing additional sponsorship for the Welcome Reception which was an opportune development for all parties.

The door count at the welcome reception was approximately 3750 persons.

4.4.2 Congress Dinner

To keep registration fee costs down it was decided to make the congress dinner and optional at extra cost event. This was well received by most delegates, as it meant that those not wishing to participate did not pay for it as part of the fee and those wishing to participate could purchase a ticket. The event was to have been held in two exhibition halls at BCEC however the substantial costs of configuring these halls to an appropriate setting for a dinner led to a change in venue to the BCEC Plaza Ballroom where such costs did not apply. This involved placing a limit of 1200 guests on the dinner as that is the capacity of the ballroom.

The dinner was designed as a relaxed, high quality dining event with the emphasis on networking, not formal presentations. Initially entertainment was limited to background music but close to the event the Treasurer suggested that funds were available for a feature performance and further that an operatic performance group known as the “Three Waiters” were available and would be appropriate.

The event was fully subscribed and during the congress delegates who wanted to purchase a ticket had to be declined.

The Three Waiters were an immense success providing a highlight of a very enjoyable evening.

4.5 Accompanying Members programA total of 324 accompanying members registered for the 34th IGC.

A dedicated registration desk was provided for accompanying persons in a room reserved for their use during the week. They were provided with an invitation to attend the Welcoming Reception and the Opening Ceremony, free coffee in an adjacent café, a guided walking tour of Brisbane’s Southbank cultural precinct, facilitated booking of tours and an IGC tie or scarf. They were able to purchase tickets to the congress dinner and to use the facilities of the BCEC, but not to attend scientific sessions. A steady flow of accompanying members visited the dedicated room on the first few days of the congress, to ask questions, seek assistance or use the internet.


5. Business Meetings5.1 IUGS and IGCC meetingsEach IGC has meetings of the IUGS-IGC Council, the IUGS Executive Committee and the International Geological Congress Committee. These were scheduled as follows:

Council meeting:

First session: Sunday, 5 August – all day meeting.

Second session: Thursday, 9 August – times to be advised.

IUGS Executive Committee and IGCC meetings:

IUGS Bureau Friday, 3 August (afternoon)

Outgoing IUGS Executive Committee

Outgoing IGCC

Incoming IGCC

Saturday, 4 August (morning)

4 August (afternoon).

11 August 2012

The Reports of the Council meeting, the two IUGS Executive meeting, and the IGCC meetings are included at Attachments 18-21.

5.2 Other business meetingsA list of all business meetings is at Attachment 22.

Organisers of other business meetings were instructed to book their meeting using the PCO’s on line meeting booking form. These were all published in the final Congress program provided organisers complied with booking and conformation deadlines.

Rooms were provided in theatre style seating format at no charge. It was advertised that any special room set up arrangements and/or audio visual and catering requirements will be at the cost of the meeting organisers and such arrangements will need to be made by meeting organisers directly with the convention centre.

Meeting organisers were advised that all persons attending their meetings had to be registered as fee-paying 34th IGC delegates. This arrangement – notified to all meeting organisers when they initially booked meeting rooms – required constant reinforcement.

With the exception of the Council meeting, business meetings were not held at the same time as the scientific program. Most were in the evenings.


AttachmentsAttachment 1: Summary of IGC sessions and participation

Session Year Country City PresidentSecretary General

Countries Delegates

1 1878 France Paris E. Hébert E. Jannettaz 22 410

2 1881 Italy Bologna G. Capellini T. Taramelli/ F. Giordano

22 421

3 1885 Germany Berlin E. Beyrich M. Hauchecorne

22 445

4 1888 U.K. London J. Prestwich J.W. Hulke/ W. Topley

25 830

5 1891 U.S.A. Washington J.S. Newberry H.S. Williams/ S.F. Emmons

26 546

6 1894 Switzerland Zurich E. Renevier H. Golliez 20 401

7 1897 Russia St.Petersburg A. Karpinsky T. Tschenyschev 27 1037

8 1900 France Paris A. Gaudry C. Barrois 30 1016

9 1903 Austria Vienna E. Tietze C. Diener 31 664

10 1906 Mexico Mexico City J.G. Aguilera M.E. Ordonez 34 707

11 1910 Sweden Stockholm G. De Geer J.G. Andersson 36 879

12 1913 Canada Toronto F.D. Adams R.W. Brock 49 981

13 1922 Belgium Brussels J. Lebacz A. Renier 38 518

14 1926 Spain Madrid C. RubioE. Dupuy de Lome

52 1123

15 1929Union of S.Africa

Pretoria A.W. Rogers A.L. Hall 50 575

16 1933 U.S.A Washington W. Lindgren W.C. Mendenhall

54 1182

17 1937 U.S.S.R. Moscow I.M. Goubkin A.E. Fersman 50 2362

18 1948 U.K. London H.H. Read A.J. Butler/ L. Hawkes

84 1778

19 1952 Algeria Algiers C. Jacob R. Laffite 82 2910

20 1956 Mexico Mexico City A.G. RojasE.J. Guzman/ J. Gonzalez Reyna

105 3696

21 1960

Denmark, Finland , Norway, Sweden

Copenhagen A.Noe-Nygaard

T. Sorgenfrei 101 3379

22 1964 India New Delhi D.N. Wadia B.C. Roy/ R.K. Sundaram

109 2479

23 1968 Czechoslovakia Prague J. Svoboda A. Dudek 103 3793

24 1972 Canada Montreal R.E. Folinsbee

J.E. Armstrong 110 4700

25 1976 Australia Sydney N.H. Fischer A. Renwick 85 3461

26 1980 France Paris J. Aubouin P. Sangnier 116 4883

27 1984 U.S.S.R. Moscow E.A. Kozlovsky

N.A. Bogdanov 107 5239


28 1989 U.S.A . Washington C.L. Drake B.B. Hanshaw 104 5786

29 1992 Japan Kyoto T. Sato S. Ishihara 93 4186

30 1996 China Beijing Song Ruixiang

Zhang Hongren 116 6147

31 2000 Brazil Rio de Janeiro U. Cordani C.O. Berbert 103 4536

32 2004 Italy Firenze A. Boriani E. Abbate 120 7331

33 2008

Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland

Oslo A. Bjørlykke A. Solheim 113 5916

34 2012Australia, New Zealand

Brisbane N. Williams I. B. Lambert 123 6012


Attachment 2: Statutes and Bylaws of the IUGS STATUTES AND BYLAWS OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Revised from the version ratified by IUGS Council at the 32nd IGC, August 20, 2004, by an IUGS-IGC Statutes and Bylaws Committee consisting of Patrick Leahy (Chair), Arne Bjørlykke (IGC), Jacques Charvet (IUGS), Ian Lambert (IGC) and Eldridge Moores (IUGS)

Ratified by Council at the 34th IGC, August 9, 2012

STATUTES

PREAMBLE

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) was founded in Paris 10 March 1961. It is a member of the International Council of Science (ICSU), having become affiliated with that organisation 28 September 1961, when the original IUGS statutes were ratified. The Union maintains cooperation with other scientific unions which are members of ICSU, other non-governmental organisations, and inter-governmental organisations, such as UNESCO.

IUGS´ statutes were first accepted by the Constitutive Assembly of IUGS 9 March 1961. They were amended by the Council during the 22nd International Geological Congress (IGC) in New Delhi 15 December 1964 and during many of the subsequent Congresses up to the 31st IGC in Rio de Janeiro 11 August 2000, when an IUGS Strategic Plan was approved by the Council.

During the 32nd IGC in Florence 20 August 2004, the merger of the Councils of the IGC and IUGS was approved. An ad hoc group was formed after the 32nd IGC to revise and streamline the statutes after the merger of the Councils. This group produced a merged version of the Statutes, which was considered by Council at the 33rd IGC in Oslo, but did not achieve the two-thirds majority required for acceptance. Council instructed that the IUGS Executive Committee and IGCC work on revising the two separate Statute and Bylaw documents and present these revisions to Council at the 34th IGC in Brisbane in 2012. These statutes and bylaws were to be crafted in an inter-related fashion so that the synergistic functioning and governance of IUGS and IGC is clearly stated and implemented effectively and efficiently. A joint IUGS-IGCC Statutes and Bylaws Committee, with an independent Chair, was formed to undertake this work, which involved eliminating duplications and restricting provisions for the IUGS in the IGC Statutes (and vice versa) to a necessary minimum and to provide all needed cross references to avoid possible misunderstandings. The revised IUGS Statutes ratified by Council at the 34th IGC in Brisbane on August 9, 2012 are consistent with but broader than the revised IGC Statutes, and include specific responsibilities of the IUGS relative to the IGC.

DEFINITIONS

The terms and organisations referred to in the statutes and bylaws are defined as follows:

(a) Geology is the study of the planet Earth, the materials of which it is made, the processes that act on these materials, the products formed, and the history of the planet and its life forms since its origin. The related term Earth science (also known as geoscience, the geosciences, the geological sciences, or the Earth sciences) is an all-embracing term for those sciences related to Earth and planetary systems and may include the study of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, oceans and biosphere, as well as the solid earth and planetary bodies.

(b) The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), hereinafter called the Union, is an international scientific, non-governmental, non-political, and non-profit-making organisation.

(c) The International Geological Congress (IGC) is the scientific forum of the IUGS and also serves as a scientific forum for other geoscience organisations as appropriate. The IGC has its own Statutes, which are compatible with the IUGS Statutes.

(d) International refers to organisations whose missions, organisation, membership, representation, recognition and/or activities encompass more than one nation.

(e) A merger is the legal union of two or more corporations into a single entity, typically assets and liabilities being assumed by the legally constituted entity.

(f) The IUGS-IGC Council (hereinafter the Council) is the governing body of the International Union of Geological Sciences and the International Geological Congress.

(g) The Executive Committee (EC) comprises the officers of the Union elected by the Council to carry out the administration of the Union from the close of an ordinary session until the close of the next, under the general direction of the Council.


(h) The Bureau comprises those officers (President, Secretary General, and Treasurer) of the Union responsible for its day-to-day operations.

(j) The Nominating Committee is the body elected by Council to recommend a slate of candidates for officers of the Union.

(k) The Finance Committee is a body appointed by the Executive Committee to prepare plans for the finances of the Union, evaluate proposals for independent auditing of the Union for Council, and advise the Executive Committee on the management of funds and ways of improving the funding of the Union.

(l) The Strategic Planning Committee, a body appointed by the Executive Committee, to propose vision, strategies, structure and mission within IUGS and external to IUGS relative to strategic opportunities. It also provides recommendations of new opportunities to the IUGS Executive Committee, for their consideration and implementation and evaluates progress in attaining these goals.

(m) The IGC Committee (IGCC) is a permanent IUGS-IGC joint committee of the IUGS dealing with IGC matters. The IGCC reports to the Council. Its composition and functions are stated in the IGC Statutes.

(n) The IGC Organizing Committee is the body appointed by the appropriate authority in the host country or group of countries for the forthcoming Session of the Congress. Its functions are stated in the IGC Statutes.

(o) The IGC Preparatory Committee is the body appointed by the appropriate authority in the host country or group of countries for the next but one Session of the Congress approved by Council. Its functions are stated in the IGC Statutes.

(p) IUGS Commissions and their Subcommissions are bodies of experts appointed to coordinate long-term international cooperative investigations to establish standards in appropriate fields, and to encourage international cooperation in the advancement of knowledge in various disciplines and problems in the geological sciences, and promote public awareness of the geosciences.

(q) IUGS Task Groups are short-term formal bodies that address project-oriented activities with a prescribed structure under the direction of the Executive Committee.

(r Initiatives are informal, project-oriented activities with no prescribed structure, managed by specific individuals as organized under the Executive Committee.

(s) An Adhering Organisation is a representative body, such as a national committee for geology, or a national academy of sciences, designated by the appropriate authority to represent the geological scientists of a country or of a geographically defined area in the Union.

(t) An Affiliated Organisation is an international, non-governmental, scientific, autonomous organisation that has obtained affiliation with the Union for the representation of scientific interests and, through the Union in the International Council for Science, for collaboration in arranging scientific meetings, and for planning and undertaking geoscience activities.

(u) The International Council for Science (ICSU) is an international, non-governmental, non-profit-making, scientific organisation. It is composed of autonomous international scientific unions representing various disciplines of the natural sciences as well as national scientific bodies (academies or other scientific organisations) and having as its purpose the development of international cooperation in scientific activities.

(v) UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is a specialised agency of the United Nations system whose main objective is to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication in order to further universal respect for justice and the rule of law and for human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion.

(w) The GeoUnions are an informal group or cluster comprising those Unions that are members of ICSU whose missions are focused on/or related to the geological sciences.


STATUTES

Aims

1. The aims of the Union are to unite the global geological community in (a) contributing to the development of the Earth and planetary sciences through the support of broad-based scientific studies relevant to the Earth and planetary systems including climate, geohazards, and earth resources, (b) applying the results of these studies to sustain Earth’s natural environment, to use all natural resources wisely, and to mitigate the impacts of geohazards for the benefit of society in the attainment of their economic, cultural and social goals, (c) strengthening public awareness of geology and promoting geological education in the widest sense, (d) facilitating interaction among geoscientists from all parts of the world, (e) promoting participation of geoscientists in international endeavours regardless of race, citizenship, language, political stance or gender, and (f) encouraging international cooperation in meeting the geoscientific needs of any country or region.

Relationship to Other Unions

2. The Union adheres to the International Council for Science (ICSU) and maintains close contacts with the GeoUnions and other scientific unions as well as with other non-governmental and inter-governmental scientific institutions, such as UNESCO, in order to participate in long-term scientific programmes and projects.

Domicile of the Union

3. The Council decides on the location of the legal domicile (location of registration) of the Union. The Executive Committee may provisionally change the legal domicile, for practical reasons, between Council sessions. Such a measure must be immediately reported to the Adhering Organisations and submitted for ratification by the Council at its next session.

Membership

4. Geological scientists from each country, or defined geographical areas within which they are largely supported from internal sources, may become members of the Union through an Adhering Organisation designated by the proper authority of representation, provided the organisation can be listed under a name that will avoid any misunderstanding about the territory represented. Adhering Organisations constitute the membership of IUGS.

5. The geological scientists of two or more countries or areas may adhere to the Union through a single organisation, if they so desire. No community of scientists may be represented in the Union by more than one Adhering Organisation.

6. Applications for membership in the Union shall be decided upon by the Council, on the advice of the Executive Committee. Applicant Adhering Organisations may be given provisional membership by the Executive Committee subject to ratification by the Council.

7. There shall be different financial categories of membership in the Union as codified in Article 11. Each Adhering Organisation shall pay annually a subscription according to its category of membership. The Organisation shall, in conjunction with its written application for membership in the Union, specify proposed category of adherence. The category may subsequently change upon written agreement between the Organisation and the Union, represented by the Executive Committee. The Adhering Organisation will pay annual subscriptions for the year it is granted provisional membership and thereafter.

8. Associate status, renewable each year, may be granted to individual persons or private or public institutions upon an uncommitted annual payment of a subscription not less than the fixed minimum. Associates are entitled to receive all Union activity information normally circulated to Adhering Organisations. Associates shall not have voting rights at Council meetings, but may participate in Union activities and meetings if invited.

Fiscal Policy

9. The fiscal year of the Union is the calendar year.

10. The business of the Union shall be carried on without the purposes of financial gain for any individuals or adhering organisations.

11. The Union shall acquire revenue through subscriptions from adhering organisations according to their financial category of membership as shown in the following table:


Category 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Unit of Contribution 1 2 4 7 12 20 35 70

The Council on 11 August, 2000, set the value of unit of contribution at US $ 420 in 2001 and US $ 440 in 2002. From 2003 onwards the unit of contribution follows the inflation rate based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI).

12. The Union shall derive an income from each IGC, based on an amount and/or percentage negotiated by each IGC Organizing Committee, the IGCC, and the IUGS President. The exact amount and/or percentage must be specified in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which shall be signed by the President and Secretary General of the IGC Organizing Committee in question (the legal entity of the IGC) and the President of IUGS on behalf of the Council.

13. The Union may also acquire revenue from grants, contracts, royalties, donations, investments, or recovery of costs for publications or meetings. The Union shall not assume debts exceeding the sum of its assets, promised grants or contributions, and expected membership subscriptions. Only the assets of the Union may be held liable for the Union’s fiscal obligations.

14. All income of the Union shall be deposited in accounts authorized by the Bureau and ratified by the Executive Committee. Only officers of the Union and other persons so authorized by the Executive Committee may be signatories to contracts and disbursements. All banking account and/or resolutions in the name of the Union shall be worded to ensure that in case of death of the authorized signatory the funds revert automatically to the Union and do not become part of the estate of said authorized signatory.

15. Adhering Organisations which have not paid their dues for more than two years will be placed on inactive status. While on inactive status adhering organisations will not have voting rights at Council meetings. Active status may be restored upon payment of dues for the two previous years.

Affiliated Organisations

16. Active international scientific organisations may apply for affiliated status, if they are willing to support the aims and objectives of the Union. Approval of an application by the Executive Committee is subject to ratification by the Council.

17. As appropriate, Affiliated Organisations shall be supported by the Union in matters of international and interdisciplinary cooperation. The Union may give, within the limits set by a fair distribution of its resources, financial support to the activities of Affiliated Organisations.

18. The Council, on recommendation of the Executive Committee, may dissolve the affiliation of an Organisation which has been inactive as an IUGS member.

Working structure of the Union

19. The Council controls all activities of the Union.

20. The Executive Committee carries out the administration of the Union, with the assistance of the Committees, under the general direction of the Council. The Bureau is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Union.

21. Commissions and their Subcommissions, Task Groups and Initiatives carry out the scientific activities of the Union through projects and/or meetings arranged if possible in collaboration with the Affiliated Organisations, the International Geological Congress, other non-governmental bodies, and inter-governmental bodies. Scientific tasks may also be entrusted to IUGS Committees.

22. All officers of the Union and its Commissions serve in an individual capacity.

23. The Adhering Organisations represent the community of geologists in their country or area. They shall be informed and consulted by the Executive Committee on matters of significance. They are encouraged to promote the Union’s aims and objectives, to facilitate the participation of geologists in international projects, and to inform the Executive Committee on their structure and activity.

The Council

24. The Council shall consist of

(a) One or more delegates nominated by each Adhering Organisation. The number of delegates is defined by the financial category of IUGS membership. Each Adhering Organisation identifies a head delegate, his/her deputy and other delegates as appropriate. Voting in the Council will be on the basis of one vote by the head delegate or his/her deputy per


Adhering Organisation. However, in the case of financial matters, and matters related to the IGC, all delegates (defined by the financial category of IUGS membership) will be permitted to vote. The use of proxy voting will be allowed in ordinary sessions of the Council according to the following procedures and limitations described in Bylaw 2.

(b) The Chair or designated representative of each of the Commissions, without voting rights unless representing simultaneously an Adhering Organisation.

(c) All members of the Executive Committee, without voting rights except in matters related to the IGC.

(d) Representatives of Affiliated Organisations, the IGC Organizing Committee, the IGC Preparatory Committee and other GeoUnions shall be invited to attend meetings as non-voting participants, unless representing simultaneously an Adhering Organisation.

(e) Observers from countries or regions which are not members of IUGS shall include one non-voting person per country or region as designated by the appropriate authority (recognized by the Executive Committee).

25. The Council is chaired by the President of the Union, or in case of his/her inability to govern; a Vice-President serves on a pro-temp basis with the approval of the Council. In the case of permanent incapacity, the Council elects the substitute Chair. Discussion of IGC-related agenda items will be chaired by the President of the IGC Organising Committee (as Co-Chair of the IGCC).

26. Decisions on all matters brought to a vote will be determined by a simple majority, except as provided in Articles 53, 54, and 55. In the event of an equal division of votes, the Chair shall cast the deciding vote.

27. Each Adhering Organisation that is an active member as defined in Article 15 has one vote, except as provided for in Article 24(a).

28. The Council meets in ordinary sessions normally held every four years during a Session of the International Geological Congress. The Council may also make decisions in extraordinary sessions or by postal or electronic communication on questions put forward by the Executive Committee or the IGCC through the IUGS Secretary General. Sessions of the Council shall be called by the President of the Union in consultation with the Executive Committee.

Powers and functions of the Council

29. The Council elects the officers of the Union, after considering the recommendations of the Nominating Committee.

30. The Council appoints the Nominating Committee and any other group it deems necessary to further its work.

31. The Council may accept affiliation of non-governmental international scientific organisations connected with the Earth sciences. It can also dissolve the affiliation of such an organisation to the Union.

32. The Council determines, on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the value of the unit of subscription referred to in Article 11. In voting on this recommendation and on any revision of this Article or of Article 11, the Council assigns to each Adhering Organisation a number of votes equal to its category of membership, which then are cast by its delegate(s).

33. The Council selects the venue of the next, and future, IGCs with due consideration of the IGCC recommendations and recognizing the continuing global character of the Congresses Ideally, the Council considers a global rotation of venues so that all regions have an opportunity to host an IGC. The decision may be taken as early as 8 years in advance of the IGC date.

34. The Council determines matters referred to it by the Executive Committee, the IGC Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Finance Committee, and other entities operating under its auspices.

35. The Council may delegate to the Executive Committee matters of policy or financial commitment that are too urgent to await a decision by the Council. Actions taken on behalf of the Council must be communicated to the Adhering Organisations and are subject to ratification by the Council.

36. The Council has the power to institute any Commission that it deems necessary for the scientific work of the Union and to dissolve any Commission that it has instituted.


The Executive Committee

37. The Executive Committee shall consist of: The President, two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary General, the immediate Past President, the Treasurer, and four Councillors. A representative of the Organizing Committee of the next Session of the IGC, and, if appropriate, a representative of the Preparatory Committee of the next but one IGC shall be invited to participate in meetings of the Executive Committee without vote.

Members of the Executive Committee may not concurrently hold office in the Commissions, or be representatives of Adhering Organisations.

38. The Bureau shall consist of the President, Secretary General, and Treasurer, and shall be responsible for day-to-day operations in accordance with these statutes and bylaws.

39. The President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer shall hold office from the end of the ordinary session of the Council, at which they were elected, to the end of the following ordinary session.

(A) The President is not eligible for re-election but shall serve for one term as Past President. The Secretary General and the Treasurer are eligible for re-election once only. The outgoing Secretary General shall remain an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee as Past Secretary General for a period of one year after the end of his/her term in office and may be invited to take part in further meetings of the Executive Committee on a consultative basis. The Vice-Presidents shall serve for a period of four years concurrent with the Bureau. They may, however, be nominated for one additional term only for the office of Secretary General, Treasurer, or President (which would include an additional term as Past President).

(B) Four Councillors shall be elected, each to serve for a period of four years, but staggered in order to provide continuity: two take office immediately following election at the Council Meeting, two take office two years after the Council Meeting. Councillors shall not be eligible for re-election, but they may however, be nominated for one additional term only, to the office of Secretary General, Treasurer, Vice-President or President (which would include an additional term as Past President).

(C) In the event of the death or resignation of an elected officer prior to the end of his/her term, the Executive Committee may: designate a deputy to act in his/her place until the completion of his/her term of office or, if more than one year remains of his/her term, arrange for his/her replacement according to the Nominating Committee procedures described in the bylaws.

(D) Officers should not serve on the Executive Committee in different capacities for more than 3 continuous terms.

40. The Executive Committee shall present a report on its activities, including a financial statement on the current situation and an outlook for the following years, at each session of the Council. Minutes of all Executive Committee meetings shall be posted on the IUGS website and shall be promptly circulated to members of Council.

41. The Executive Committee has the power to propose any Commission or Subcommission, or institute any Committee, Task Group, or Initiative that it deems necessary for the scientific, administrative and public awareness work of the Union, and to propose dissolution of any Commission or Subcommission or dissolve any Committee, Task Group or Initiative that it has instituted.

The Nominating Committee

42. The role of the Nominating Committee is to prepare lists of potential candidates to serve on the next Executive Committee. At each ordinary session, the Council appoints a Nominating Committee consisting of six members nominated by the previous Nominating committee, members of which are precluded from serving on the new Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee in sending forward a list of candidates for election identifies all nominations received, both eligible and ineligible and stating the grounds on which any nominations have been deemed ineligible.

43. In addition to the six members nominated by the previous Nominating Committee, the Past President of the Union will also serve on the Nominating Committee. The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Council. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a list of preferably 2 or more candidates for each office position on the Executive Committee. The office bearers for election will be selected and appointed at the succeeding ordinary session of the Council (in accordance with Bylaws 21, 22, and 23).


The International Geologic Congress Committee

44. The IGC Committee (IGCC) is the permanent committee in IUGS dealing with IGC matters. It is responsible to keep Executive Committee and IUGS entities informed relative to IGC developments. For its composition and functions refer to the IGC Statutes.

Other Committees

45. Each Committee, except the IGC Organizing Committee and the IGC Preparatory Committee, shall include from one to three members, of the Executive Committee and such other experts as the Executive Committee deems necessary for the work of the Committee. The term of office of the external experts shall not exceed that of the Executive Committee and the experts shall be eligible for re-appointment for one term only.

46. The Chair of a Committee shall be invited to attend the meetings of the Executive Committee when matters of importance to the Committee are to be discussed.

47. The Finance Committee reports to the Executive Committee. Its primary roles are to identify external financial opportunities for the IUGS and to propose to the Executive Committee ways to improve IUGS financial operations, including:

• the allocation of funds in relation to the strategic priorities and missions adopted by the Executive Committee; and

• overseeing the conduct of an independent external audit of IUGS finances.

The Finance Committee shall present a report including the results of an independent audit to the IUGS Council every four years before the election of a new Executive Committee.

48. The Publications Committee shall:

• review the publication policy of the Union and of its Commissions giving particular attention to the IUGS journal Episodes;

• examine all applications to the Executive Committee for funds involving publication; and

• advise on publication standards, methods and techniques in the presentation of geological results.

49. The Strategic Planning Committee reports to the Executive Committee on strategic issues for the IUGS. It analyses the vision, strategies, structure and mission of IUGS Commissions, Task Groups, Joint Programs, Initiatives and Affiliate Members. It is also advises on external organisations, programs and projects in fields related to those covered by IUGS for potential interaction. It ranks new internal and external opportunities for Executive Committee consideration and, as appropriate, implementation through IUGS Commissions, Task Groups, Initiatives, Affiliate Organisations or projects. It also evaluates progress in implementation and recommends any modification or adjustment of adopted strategies where needed.

Commissions of the Union

50. The Council shall institute such Commissions and Subcommissions as necessary to study any particular geological field, methodology, or problem.

51. The Executive Committee shall appoint a temporary Chair and Vice-Chair of each newly formed Commission or Subcommission and its initial members, until the Commission or Subcommission can elect its own officers and members. Officers of existing Commissions shall be elected by Commission members and their election approved by the Executive Committee and ratified by Council. They shall remain in office until the end of the following IGC Session and may be eligible for re-appointment once except if their initial appointment was made before the installation of a new Executive Committee. Vacancies among the Chairs shall be automatically filled by a Vice-Chair until a new Chair is elected.

52. Commissions shall submit to the Executive Committee annual written progress, financial, and administrative reports on their work, encompassing also the work of their Subcommission(s). They shall submit comprehensive reports, including a summary of scientific results, to the Council three months prior to each ordinary session of the Council.

Entry into force of, and amendments for statutes and bylaws

53. These statutes and bylaws and subsequent amendments of them shall come into force at the close of the session at which they received the approval of the Council by at least a two thirds vote at an ordinary session at which there is a quorum, as defined in the Bylaw 2. Article 11 shall be voted on separately, as provided in Article 32. The English text shall be considered authoritative in the interpretation of these statutes.


54. The Council may consider amendments to the statutes and bylaws and adopt changes by a two-thirds vote when a quorum is represented, provided that proposed amendments have been circulated to members of the Council at least three months in advance. Amendments affecting the IGC should follow the same regulations, but shall also consider the voting system for IGC matters (Article 24(a)).

Dissolution of the Union and future of the IGC

55. The Union may be dissolved at a session of the Council at which the representatives of at least one-half of its Adhering Organisations are present, with the approval of three-fourths of the members voting. On dissolution, the assets of the Union shall be transferred to the International Council for Science to finance work in disciplines related to the aims and objectives of the Union.

56. If the Council has approved the dissolution of the Union, IGCC (excluding the IUGS President, Secretary General and Treasurer) shall request Council to determine the future arrangements for the IGC.

BYLAWS

PREAMBLE

The first bylaws of the Union were accepted by the Council in Rome 14 October, 1963, and amended by the Council in Prague 20 August 1968, in Sydney 24 August 1976, in Kyoto 28 August 1992, in Beijing 9 August 1996, in Rio de Janeiro 11 August 2000, and in Florence, 20 August 2004. The present bylaws were ratified by Council at the 34th IGC in Brisbane on 9 August 2012.

The Council

1. At the written request of the Secretary General of the IUGS, each Adhering Organisation shall inform the Secretary General in writing of the names and addresses of its representative on the Council and his/her deputy, and also of any change in its representation. Concerning matters of the IGC, the appropriate organisation of a country or region not being a member of IUGS may nominate an observer.

2. Decisions of the Council shall be made only when the session constitutes a quorum consisting of a head delegate, or his/her deputy, of one third of its adhering organisations. In financial matters and those related to the IGC, all delegates (defined by IUGS membership category) will define the quorum and will be permitted to vote. The use of proxy voting will be allowed in ordinary sessions of the Council according to the following procedures and limitations. All Adhering Organisations who wish to assign their proxy to another Adhering Organisation must notify the Secretary General of the IUGS at least one week prior to the council session of their intention and identify the name of the Adhering Organisation who will execute their proxy. Under no circumstances shall a single Adhering Organisation execute the proxy responsibilities for more than 5 Adhering Organisations. Decisions shall be taken by a majority of those voting, except as provided in Articles 53, 54, and 55. In the event of an equal division of votes, the President shall cast the deciding vote.

3. Ordinary sessions of the Council are held during the IGC. Extraordinary sessions may be called on such other occasions as the President or Executive Committee deem appropriate. The Secretary General shall communicate the place and date of the Council session to the adhering organisations and the other members of the Council at least four months before the date of the meeting.

4. The President is obliged to summon a session of the Council at the written request of one fifth of the members of the Council eligible to vote.

5. Decisions can be made in extraordinary session by electronic ballot except on IGC and financial matters (see Article 24(a)) and on Articles 53, 54 and 55. Decisions by electronic ballot may be taken by the Council only after the opinions of the members have been solicited one month before the ballot is closed. A quorum in an electronic ballot shall constitute a response from one third of the Council members eligible to vote. If a quorum is not obtained on a given ballot, the Executive Committee may act upon the matter subject to subsequent ratification by the Council.

6. The proposed agenda of a session of the Council shall be communicated by the Secretary General to representatives of Adhering Organisations and representatives of Affiliated Organisations at least three months before the first day of the session. Any question not placed on the agenda at least one month before the meeting cannot be discussed unless a proposal to that effect is approved by at least two-thirds of those present and voting, provided that the session represents a quorum of the Union’s membership.


7. Additional resolutions from the Executive Committee, the IGCC, Adhering Organisations, Commissions, Initiatives, and Affiliated Organisations should reach the Secretary General at least two months before the session at which they are to be considered. After receipt, the Secretary General shall promptly distribute them to the members of the Council for their consideration and representatives of Affiliated Organisations for their information.

Powers and functions of the Council

8. At its sessions, the Council reviews and takes actions on the Executive Committee’s report on the administration of the Union for the period since the previous Council session.

9. At its sessions, the Council examines and takes actions on the Treasurer’s report and Finance Committee’s audit for the period since the previous Council session.

10. The Council may adopt, in the form of special documents, regulations and rules of procedure for its own administration, for the administration of the Executive Committee, for the IGC Committee, for the application for funds and their allocation, and for the affiliation of other international organisations. The Council may adopt instructions for the work and responsibilities of the officers of the Union. The Council may adopt regulations and instructions for any additional field of activity as it deems necessary.

The Executive Committee

11. The Executive Committee shall meet ideally in person, at least once a year with a minimum of three months’ notice. Five members shall constitute a quorum. Urgent business between the meetings shall be transacted by consultation among members.

12. The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint any temporary committee or group that it deems necessary to assist in carrying out its work.

13. At least once between ordinary sessions the Executive Committee shall meet with representatives of the Commissions of the Union to review their activities and receive their recommendations concerning changes that may be needed in their terms of reference or in the scientific directions being pursued by the Union.

14. The Executive Committee, subject to ratification by the Council, may make agreements with other non-governmental international organisations as well as with inter-governmental organisations regarding joint projects and programmes.

The Officers

15. The President is responsible for the implementation of the general policy of the Union, as established by the Council. The President represents the Union in its relations with other institutions and with the geological community. In particular, the President or his/her designee shall represent the Union and its affiliated organisations at meetings of ICSU. Prior to meetings with ICSU and other organisations, the representative of the Union at such meetings shall invite comments and suggestions from the Executive Committee and, if time permits, from the Council and the affiliated organisations on important issues. The President may delegate certain tasks to other members of the Executive Committee or may form Task Groups for these purposes.

16. The Secretary General shall: (a) serve as secretary of the Council, Executive Committee, and Bureau; arrange for meetings of these bodies; prepare and distribute promptly the agenda and the minutes of all their meetings; (b) attend to correspondence, and preserve the records; (c) circulate information related to the Union to Adhering Organisations; (d) prepare the reports on the Union’s activities, and in particular, at least three months before an ordinary session of the Council, forward to all Adhering Organisations a report on the administration of the Union since the previous ordinary session of the Council and present a summary of this to the Council; (e) write to Adhering Organisations to request written notification of the names and addresses of its representative on the Council and his/her deputy, and also of any change in its representation; (f) request in writing to the appropriate organisation of a country or region not being a member of IUGS, the names and addresses of an observer for the IGC, (g) perform such other duties as may be assigned to him/her by the Council, Executive Committee or Bureau.

17. The Treasurer shall manage the financial affairs of the Union and maintain an overview of all accounts, including those held by other officers, constituent bodies and projects. He/she shall: (a) receive and disburse funds, in accordance with budgets and procedures approved by the Executive Committee; (b) keep accounts for the handling of operational and reserve funds; (c) prepare an annual report and financial statement; (d) prepare and submit the fiscal documents as may be


required; (e) maintain contact with ICSU, UNESCO and other organisations concerning financial aspects of contracts; (f) advise the Executive Committee on financial implications of the Union activities; (g) serve as principal contact with representatives of external, independent auditing firms.

18. The Vice-Presidents shall be responsible for a particular activity of IUGS as decided by the President. It would be desirable that they attend, in addition to the Executive Committee meeting, at least one Bureau meeting each year.

19. The Councillors contribute as appropriate to the work of the Executive Committee. In addition, the President may entrust them with special tasks.

20. If a member of the Executive Committee is unable to attend meetings, or does not participate for two consecutive years, the Executive Committee with concurrence of Council and, by two thirds vote, may declare the position vacant and ask the Nominating Committee to nominate a person for the position to serve until the next regular Council meeting. The Executive Committee, by two thirds vote and subject to Council approval may remove a member of the Executive Committee for just cause or dereliction of duty.

The Nominating Committee

21. The Committee shall invite the Adhering Organisations, Commissions and affiliated organisations to submit proposals for candidates for each office within the Executive Committee during its next term. The Committee may also nominate candidates not proposed by these organisations.

22. The Committee shall use its best endeavours to check that all nominees for each office within the Executive Committee hold the academic and professional qualifications cited. The Committee shall seek to ensure that there are two or more candidates for each office, bearing in mind the number of nominations, geographical and disciplinary balance, personal proficiency in the geological sciences, and experience in the administration of scientific organisations. The Committee shall contact each candidate and ascertain their willingness to stand for election. The Committee shall then submit the list of all valid nominations to the President who shall forward it to the members of the Council three months before elections take place. Additional nominations for any office may be made to the President if supported in writing by five representatives to the Council and accompanied by curriculum vitae and assurance of the candidate’s willingness to stand for election, and if submitted at least one month in advance of the election. Such nominations shall be circulated immediately to the Council by the Secretary General. Nominations cannot be made from the floor.

23. In proposing candidates for the offices of President, Treasurer and, especially, Secretary General, the Nominating Committee shall also consider the possible infrastructural support, forthcoming from international or national sources.

Commissions of the Union

24. A Commission or a Subcommission is composed of an appropriate number of geographically representative members, kept to the minimum consistent with the tasks with which it is charged.

25. A Commission is subject to review every four years. In general the normal lifetime of a Commission shall be eight years, subject to renewal by the Council. Upon recommendation by the Executive Committee, the Council can terminate a Commission.

26. Commissions may adopt regulations of their own, subject to approval by the Executive Committee and consistent with IUGS Statutes and Bylaws.

27. Commissions and Subcommissions should organise meetings in their fields at Sessions of the International Geological Congress and other major international meetings.

28. A Commission or Subcommission should ensure the publications necessary for implementing its programmes and reporting on its results. Papers should be published in refereed journals, as appropriate. Publications of monographs, books and major reports should be undertaken in consultation with the Publications Committee.

Task Groups and Initiatives

29. A Task Group conducts formal, project oriented activities with a prescribed structure under the authority of the Executive Committee, pursuing limited objectives of shorter duration, typically are funded for no more than 4 years, and may in some cases be elevated to Commission status.


30. Initiatives conduct project-oriented activities organized under the authority of the Executive Committee with no prescribed structure, considerable freedom of operation, and no time limit on their duration.

The International Geological Congress

31. The International Geological Congress has its own Statutes, which are in full accordance with the Statutes and Bylaws of IUGS.

Affiliated Organisations

32. A representative appointed by each Affiliated Organisation and accredited by it to the Secretary General is entitled to take part in meetings of the Council, but without vote. The Executive Committee may invite representatives of the Affiliated Organisations to take part in other deliberations of mutual interest, and the Affiliated Organisations may take the initiative in proposing such deliberations.

33. Each Affiliated Organisation is expected to submit to the Executive Committee annual reports on its activities. The Secretary General may distribute such reports within the Union as appropriate and practical.

34. Affiliated Organisations are encouraged to organise meetings in their fields at Sessions of the International Geological Congress.

Adhering Organisations

35. If, at the end of any year, a member or provisional member Adhering Organisation has not paid its subscription, the Executive Committee has the right to cancel the membership of the Adhering Organisation on twelve months’ notice, or in the case of real financial difficulties, transfer it to inactive status (see Statutes, Article 15). Inactive status shall not last longer than two years. Active status is recovered by paying two outstanding annual subscription fees. An Adhering Organisation that loses or cancels its’ membership shall forfeit all rights that it may have had in the Union. Former Adhering Organisations must reapply as new members should they wish to rejoin the IUGS.

Operational Procedures

36. Commonly-used Parliamentary procedures will be used in the operation and conduct of the Council, all Committees, Subcommittees and Commissions of the IUGS. The Secretary General has the responsibility to distribute to all IUGS Committees, Subcommittees and Commissions, the parliamentary procedures approved by the Executive Committee and to ensure their proper use. The Executive Committee and the IGC Committee will not use proxy voting. Electronic voting by those not present will be permitted with the constraint that the electronic votes are sent to the Chairs of the appropriate committee within 12 hours of the notification of the vote by the Chair; otherwise the absent members of these committees forfeit their voting rights.

37. To the extent possible, technology will be used to conduct the business of the IUGS. This will include but not be limited to electronic meetings, and other means to reduce the inconvenience and expense of travel.

Entry into force of Bylaws

38. These bylaws shall come into effect as provided in Article 53 of the Statutes. They may be amended as provided in Article 54 of the Statutes.


Attachment 3: Memorandum of Understanding between IUGS and AGC for 34th IGC

Attachment 3 – MOU AGC and IUGS Page 1 17-Jun-13

34th International Geological Congress Proceedings Attachment 3 – MOU AGC and IUGS

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Attachment 4: Statutes of the IGC in force for 34th IGC Approved by the IGC Council and the IGC General Assembly of the 32nd IGC, Florence August 2004

Preamble

The International Geological Congress (IGC) has, since its beginnings, adhered to rules which were at first adapted from those developed by similar organizations, and later refined to meet its changing needs over the years. Permanent statutes and by-laws were first proposed in 1913 and, in 1922, Statutes which essentially ‘codified tradition’ were adopted. These, with minor modifications, remained in force until the formation of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in 1961 made a major modification necessary. A committee was appointed at the 22nd Session (1964) to make recommendations for amending the Statutes. The recommendations were adopted at the 23rd Session; but, not surprisingly in view of the major changes which had to be incorporated, when first implemented at the 24th Session they were found to contain anomalies and uncertainties to the extent that a Commission was appointed in Montreal to make recommendations for further revisions to the Statutes.

This Commission included officers of IUGS as well as those of several Sessions of the Congress. The recommended revision was widely promulgated before the 25th Session, and was there adopted and put into practice. More recently, in the light of perceived ambiguities, further minor modifications have been incorporated. These Statutes differ extensively in format from those they replace, but in content still serve to codify tradition and respond to perceived needs. They also more clearly define the relationship with IUGS, and are consistent with its Statutes agreed to by its Council in 1980.

The Strategic Plan of IUGS, approved during the 31st IGC in Rio de Janeiro in the year 2000, noted that IGC is the premier forum for presentation of results from IUGS programs and provides a vital venue for IUGS committees, commissions and programs.

In March 2002, following the recommendations of the IUGS Strategic Planning Committee, the IUGS Executive Committee approved a proposal for the merger of the IUGS and IGC.

One of the envisaged advantages should be a clear and simple representation of the geological world by a unified body. Another advantage will be a more effective management of both IUGS and IGC.

The matter was discussed by the IGC Steering Committee in Florence in October 2002. It was decided to ask immediately by mail the IGC member countries (national bodies that can be identified) about their feeling on the recommendations for the integration of IUGS and IGC.

These new Statutes take into account some of the IUGS proposals, the suggestions of the IGC Steering Committee and the responses received from the National Committees. The Statutes of the IGC entered into force immediately after adoption by the Council and the General Assembly of the IGC and the Council of IUGS 20 August 2004 in Florence, Italy. The Council and the General Assembly of the IGC ceased to exist after the close of the respective meetings of the Council and General Assembly of the IGC.

Definitions

Appropriate Authority (5.5.3) is, in countries represented in the Council of IUGS, the Adhering Organization of IUGS appointed by that country. In other countries it is the national (science) academy, the national Geological Society, or the Geological Survey, preferably if recognized by the International Council for Science (ICSU).

Organizing Committee is the body appointed by the appropriate Authority in the host country or group of countries for the forthcoming Session of the Congress. The term of office of an Organizing Committee shall be from the termination of the period of office of its predecessor until one year after the closure of the Session for which it was appointed.

Preparatory Committee is the body appointed by the appropriate Authority in the host country or group of countries for the next but one Session of the Congress, if decided by the Council eight years in advance of the Session.

It shall become the Organizing Committee after the termination of the period of office of the previous Organizing Committee.


ARTICLES

A Session of the Congress lasts from the beginning of the first excursion until the end of the last one. The IGC Committee fulfils the functions set out in many different parts of the Statutes. In addition, it may be called upon by the Organizing Committee for advice, or to resolve any problem which would normally be referred to the Council but whose resolution could not be deferred without risk to the well-being of the Congress.

1. Aims

1.1. The aims of the IGC are:

1.1.1. to contribute, in collaboration with and under sponsorship of the IUGS, to the advancement of fundamental and applied research in the geological sciences.

1.1.2. to provide a venue for geologists to exchange ideas and information.

1.1.3. to provide the opportunity, by way of geological excursions, to examine geological problems and features in the field.

2. Membership

2.1. There is no permanent membership of the IGC. Application for membership of a Session is made to the Secretary General of the Organizing Committee for that Session.

2.2. No professional title is required to support a request to register.

2.3. Classes of membership normally are Members, Accompanying Members and Student Members. Fees and privileges of the different classes of members and definition of Student Member are determined by the Organizing Committee of the Session.

3. Sessions

3.1. The Sessions of the Congress are normally called every fourth year and are open only to members of the Session.

3.2. The scientific program and business meetings of the Session normally last for 7 to 10 days, during which the Council shall meet.

3.3. The scientific program of the Session is preceded by the Opening Ceremony and followed by a Closing Ceremony, the first of which is opened by the President of the previous Session, or the President’s representative, who resigns the Chair and announces the appointment of the President of the current Session.

3.4. The affiliated bodies of the IUGS are invited, and other geological organizations may apply, to hold scientific and business meetings as part of the Session, provided that they accept the regulations of the Organizing Committee with regard to registration fees, schedules, publications, and costs.

3.5. Business meetings are arranged to avoid, so far as is possible, conflict in timing with scientific meetings.

4. Excursions

4.1. Each Session includes a number of geological field excursions that are an important feature of the Congress. They normally both precede and follow the scientific program and business meetings.

4.2. The excursions give members every possible facility to study geological features of the country or region in which the Session is being held. 4.3. Excursions are arranged with due regard to keeping costs to both the participants and host at a reasonable level. They are directed by competent leaders, and the geological features to be visited are described in guidebooks made available to participants.

5. Administration

5.1. The responsibility for administration of the Sessions of the Congress passes from one Organizing Committee to another. The Secretary General of the Session provides the Secretary General of the incoming Organizing Committee for the next Session with all pertinent information and documentation. The permanent interests of the Congress shall be looked after by the IGC Committee in close collaboration with the incoming Organizing Committee.


5.2. Any country or group of countries wishing to host a Session of the Congress informs the IGC Committee of its proposal. Invitations to hold the next Session are decided by the Council.

5.2.1. If a given invitation is considered adequate and desirable, Council may consider the possibility of deciding a venue as early as 8 years in advance of the Congress date.

5.2.2. A regional rotation system, with an agreed ordered sequence of continents, shall be implemented in order to ensure the global character of the Congress.

5.3. As soon as practicable after the termination of a Session, the Organizing Committee of the next Session shall make its address known to the geological community.

5.4. During the Session, the Organizing Committee refers to the Council through the IGC Committee, matters requiring discussion other than those directly concerned with the administration of the current Session.

5.5. The Organizing Committee is, in addition to the foregoing, responsible for:

5.5.1. preparing a program for the forthcoming Session of the Congress in collaboration with the IUGS and its affiliated organizations, and publishing and distributing it to members in advance of the scientific and business meetings.

5.5.2. organizing excursions as defined in Article 4.

5.5.3. inviting the appropriate authority in each country to nominate Delegates to the Council.

5.5.4. inviting Academies, Geological Surveys, International and National Geological Societies, Universities and other appropriate institutions to send representatives to the Session.

5.5.5. preparing and giving wide distribution to circulars concerning plans for the forthcoming Session and information for prospective members. 5.5.6. publishing, in advance of the Session, summaries of papers which have been accepted by the Organizing Committee.

5.5.7. promoting publication of presented contributions that are of appropriate scientific standard.

5.5.8. preparing and distributing to Members a volume of General Proceedings of the Session as soon as practicable after its conclusion.

5.5.9. providing meeting rooms and other facilities for the scientific and business meetings which it has accepted for inclusion in the program.

5.5.10. introducing its nominees for President and Secretary General for the Session for adoption by the Council.

5.5.11. negotiating with the IUGS the amount to be included in the registration fee as an income for the IUGS.

5.6. The IGC Committee consists of: (a) the President and the Secretary General of the ongoing Organizing Committee; (b) the President of the immediate past Session; (c) the President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer of IUGS; (d) the Secretaries General of the three immediate past Sessions. As observers may be invited the President and the Secretary General of the Preparatory Committee of an eventual next but one IGC and up to three congress organizing experts.

5.6.1. The IGC Committee is co-chaired by the President of IUGS and by the President of the immediate past Session or their representatives.

5.6.2. A quorum of the Committee shall consist of five members. Voting may be made in person, or in writing, including by fax or electronic mail. Decisions are made by simple majority of members having voted.

5.6.3. The IGC Committee draws up the agenda for the Council meetings regarding IGC matters.

5.6.4. The IGC Committee also determines any contentious matter which cannot be resolved by Council, and may appoint ad hoc committees for this purpose; it further determines any dispute concerning the interpretation of these Statutes.


5.7. The Council for matters regarding the IGC includes (a) all the members of the IGC Committee; (b) Delegates of all countries represented at the Session, the number of Delegates from each country corresponding to the category of its membership of IUGS, but countries which are not members of IUGS may accredit one Delegate; (c) other members of the Executive Committee of IUGS; (d) other members of the Session as Council decides to co- opt. For matters regarding the IGC the Council holds office for the duration of the Session.

5.7.1. All Members of the Council must be participants at the Session, and all Members of the Council may take part in discussions and vote, on matters regarding the IGC, at Council meetings. One delegate from a country may vote all votes allotted to that country, or the votes may be distributed among all delegates present from that country.

5.7.2. A quorum of the Council, for matters regarding the IGC, shall consist of fifty percent of the member countries which submit delegates to the Congress.

5.8. Congress policy is discussed by the IGC Committee and by the Council.

6. General Provisions

6.1. The Congress may award prizes for works of merit in the various fields of Geology.

6.2. Any proposals to modify the Statutes of the Congress must be submitted in writing to the IGC Committee at least 9 months before the beginning of the next Session.

6.2.1. Such proposals shall be transmitted by the Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the current Session to the IUGS adhering organizations and the National Contacts for the Congress.

6.2.2 After consolidation of the received amendments by the IGC Committee, the final proposal shall be submitted to Council, and to be approved must receive the votes of at least two thirds of the members of Council present and voting.

6.3 The English text of the Statutes shall be considered to be the authoritative text for their interpretation.


Attachment 5: Statutes of the IGC approved at the 34th IGCSTATUTES OF THE INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS

Prepared by an IUGS-IGC Statutes and Bylaws Committee consisting of P. Patrick Leahy (Chair), Arne Bjørlykke (IGC), Jacques Charvet (IUGS), Ian Lambert (IGC), and Eldridge Moores (IUGS)

(Based upon IGC Statutes prepared by A. Boriani, W. Janoschek, P. McArdle, T. Sato and adopted at the 32nd IGC held in Florence in 2004)

Adopted by Council at the IGC in Brisbane, August 9, 2012

PREAMBLE

The International Geological Congress (IGC) has, since its beginnings, adhered to rules which were at first adapted from those developed by similar organisations, and later refined to meet its changing needs over the years. Permanent statutes and by-laws were first proposed at the 12th IGC (1913, Toronto) and, at the 13th IGC (1922, Brussels) Statutes which essentially ‘codified tradition’ were adopted. These, with minor modifications, remained in force until the formation of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in 1961 made a major revision necessary. A Committee was appointed at the 22nd IGC (1964, New Delhi) to make recommendations for amending the Statutes. The recommendations were adopted at the 23rd IGC (1968, Prague); but, not surprisingly in view of the major changes which had to be incorporated, when first implemented at the 24th IGC (1972, Montreal), they were found to contain anomalies and uncertainties to the extent that a Commission was appointed to make recommendations for further revisions to the Statutes and its recommended revision was endorsed at the 25th IGC (1976, Sydney).

The IUGS Strategic Plan approved during the 31st IGC (2000, Rio de Janeiro), noted that IGC is the premier forum for presentation of results from IUGS programs and provides a vital venue for IUGS Committees, Commissions, and programs.

In March 2002, following the recommendations of the IUGS Strategic Planning Committee, the IUGS Executive Committee approved a proposal for the merger of the IUGS and IGC Councils. One of the advantages envisaged was a clear and simple representation of the geological world by a unified body. Another advantage was a more effective management of both IUGS and IGC.

During the 32nd IGC (2004, Florence) the merger of the IGC and IUGS Councils and the integration of the IGC and IUGS were approved. The Council and the General Assembly of the IGC ceased to exist after the close of the respective meetings of the Council and General Assembly of the IGC. An ad hoc group was formed after the 32nd IGC to revise and streamline the statutes after the merger of the Councils. This group produced a merged version of the Statutes, which was considered by Council at the 33rd IGC in Oslo, but did not achieve the two-thirds majority required for acceptance.

At the 33rd IGC, the Council instructed the President of IUGS to prepare statues for both IUGS and IGC, and bylaws for the IUGS. These harmonised statutes and bylaws were developed by an IUGS-IGC Statutes and Bylaws Committee and were ratified by Council at the 34th IGC in Brisbane on August 9, 2012. They were to be crafted in an inter-related fashion so that the synergistic functioning and governance of IGC and IUGS is clearly stated and implemented effectively and efficiently. To comply with this instruction it became necessary to eliminate duplications and to restrict provisions for the IGC in IUGS Statutes (and vice versa) to a necessary minimum. The IGC statutes focus on the conduct, governance and operation of the IGC. The IUGS has a strong role in IGC activities and its statutes and bylaws are broader but include specific responsibilities relative to the IGC. Cross references are provided to avoid possible misunderstandings.

DEFINITIONS

The terms and organisations referred to in the statutes are defined in the IUGS Statutes or here as follows:

(a) The International Geological Congress (IGC) is the scientific forum of the IUGS and also serves as a scientific forum for other geoscience organisations as appropriate.

(b) A Session of the International Geological Congress (IGC) comprises all elements of a particular Congress, from the beginning of the first until the end of the last excursion.

(c) The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), hereinafter called the Union, is an international scientific, non-governmental, non-political, and non-profit-making organisation.


(d) The IUGS-IGC Council (hereinafter the Council) is the governing body of the International Union of Geological Sciences and the International Geological Congress.

(e) The IUGS Executive Committee (EC) comprises the officers of the Union elected by the Council to carry out the administration of the Union from the close of an ordinary Session until the close of the next, under the general direction of the Council.

(f) The IGC Committee (IGCC) is a permanent IUGS-IGC joint Committee of IUGS dealing with IGC matters. It fulfils the functions set out in the Statutes and may be called upon by the Organizing Committee for advice, or to resolve any problem which would normally be referred to the Council but whose resolution could not be deferred without risk to the well-being of the Congress. The IGC Committee reports to the Council.

(g) The IGC Organizing Committee is the body appointed by the appropriate authority in the host country or group of countries for the forthcoming Session of the Congress. It is the legally constituted entity that is incorporated under the jurisdiction of the lead country of the proposed IGC and that has assumed legal and financial responsibility for the forthcoming IGC through agreement with the relevant Adhering Organisation(s). The term of office of an IGC Organizing Committee shall be from the termination of the period of office of its predecessor until the closure of the Session for which it was appointed. The IGC Organizing Committee is defined by the number of the Congress concerned.

(h) The IGC Preparatory Committee is the body appointed by the appropriate authority in the host country or group of countries for the next but one Session of the Congress approved by Council. A Preparatory Committee (identified by the number of the next but one Congress) is replaced by an Organizing committee after completion of the period of office of the previous Organizing Committee.

(i) Appropriate Authority is, in countries or geographically defined areas represented in the Council of IUGS, the Adhering Organisation of IUGS appointed by that country or region. In other countries it is the national (science) academy or organisation, the national Geological Society, or the Geological Survey.

STATUTES

Aims of the IGC

1. The aims of the IGC are to:

• contribute, in collaboration with and under sponsorship of the IUGS, to the advancement of fundamental and applied research in the geological sciences,

• provide a venue for exchanging ideas and information and holding business meetings, and

• provide the opportunity, by way of geological excursions, to examine geological problems and features in the field.

Relationship of IGC to the IUGS

2. The International Geological Congress is the scientific forum of the Union.

3. The Council is the governing body of the International Geological Congress.

4. The IUGS has its own Statutes and Bylaws, which are in full accordance with the Statutes of the IGC.

5. The Union shall have an income from each IGC, based on an amount and/or percentage negotiated by each IGC Organizing Committee, the IGCC and the IUGS EC. The exact amount and/or percentage must be specified in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which shall be signed by the Legally Constituted Entity of the IGC in question and the President of IUGS on behalf of the Council. This Income, in part, is to be used to support the activities of the IGCC.

Membership in the IGC

6. There is no permanent membership of the IGC. Application for membership in a Session is made to the Secretary General of the IGC Organizing Committee for that Session.

7. No professional title is required to support a request to register.

8. Classes of membership normally are Members, Accompanying Members and Student Members. Fees and privileges of the different classes of members and definition of Student Member are determined by the Organizing Committee of the IGC Session.


Working structure of the IGC

9. The general working structure for an IGC is developed collaboratively by the IGC Organizing Committee, in close cooperation with the IGC Committee.

Powers and functions of the Council.

10. The Council as defined in IUGS Statutes, Article 24, meets and makes decisions relative to the IGC in ordinary sessions normally held every four years during a Session of the International Geological Congress (IGC). The President of the IGC Organising committee, as co-Chair of the IGCC, will chair the Council meeting for agenda items related to IGC.

11. The Council selects the venue of the next and, if it wishes, the next but one IGC with due consideration of the IGCC recommendations, recognizing the continuing global character of the Congresses and a desire for a tangible lasting legacy such as assistance in capacity building in the host country. Ideally, the Council considers a global rotation of venues so that all regions have an opportunity to host an IGC.

12. A quorum of the Council, for matters regarding the IGC, shall be defined on the basis of the number of delegates in attendance from Adhering Organisations. The quorum for matters of the IGC shall consist of fifty percent of the delegates submitted to the Congress.

13. The appropriate organisation of a country or region (recognised by the Executive Committee) not being a member of IUGS may nominate a non-voting observer.

14. In matters related to the IGC, all delegates (defined by IUGS membership category) will be permitted to vote. One delegate from an Adhering Organisation may vote all votes allotted to that Adhering Organisation, or the votes may be distributed among all delegates present from that Adhering Organisation. Decisions shall be taken by a majority of votes. In the event of an equal division of votes, the President of IUGS shall cast the deciding vote (See IUGS Statutes 24(a)).

The International Geologic Congress Committee

15. The IGC Committee is the permanent Committee in IUGS dealing with IGC matters. Members of the IGC Committee must be representatives of dues paying members of IUGS.

16. The IGC Committee consists of the President, the Secretary General, and the Treasurer of IUGS, and the President and the Secretary General of the ongoing IGC Organizing Committee; the President and Secretary General of the immediate past IGC Session; and the President or Secretary General of the last but one IGC Session.

17. The IGC Committee is co-chaired by the President of the IUGS and by the President of the immediate past Session of the Congress. Either Co-chair will serve as Chair in the event of absence of the other. Either Co-Chair working together, communicates and consults with Council on all matters related to the IGC. Both Co-Chairs are responsible for ensuring communication from Council to the IGC Committee. The President of the immediate past session of the IGC co-chairs the IGCC meetings until the end of the last IGCC meeting prior to the opening of the current IGC. At the end of that IGCC meeting, the President of the immediate past Session of the Congress hands over responsibility to the incoming President. The incoming President opens the IGC and assumes leadership responsibilities.

18. The Council has final approval authority relative to IGC matters.

19. The Co-Chairs of the IGC Committee determine any contentious matter which cannot be resolved by IGCC, and may appoint ad hoc Committees for this purpose. The Co-Chairs also determine a resolution for any dispute concerning the interpretation of these Statutes.

20. The Secretary General of the IGC Committee is the Secretary General of the ongoing IGC Organizing Committee.

21. The IGC Committee ensures that there is a legally constituted entity in the host country or countries for the next Congress. If decided by the IGC Committee and approved by the IUGS Council, an IGC Preparatory Committee for the next but one IGC may be formed as early as eight (8) years prior to the next but one Congress.

22. A quorum of the IGC Committee shall consist of four members. Voting may be made in person, or in writing, including by facsimile or electronic mail. Decisions are made by simple majority of members having voted. In the event of an equal division of votes, the President of the IUGS shall cast the deciding vote.


23. The Co-Chairs of the IGC Committee develop the IGC-related agenda for Council meetings. The Co-Chairs of the IGC Committee may invite the President and the Secretary General of the IGC Preparatory Committee of the next but one IGC to attend IGC Committee meetings as observers.

Congress Sessions

24. The Sessions of the Congress are normally called every fourth year and are open only to members of the Session.

25. The scientific program and business meetings of the Session normally last for 5 to 8 days, during which the Council shall meet.

26. The scientific program of the Session is preceded by the Opening Ceremony and followed by a Closing Ceremony.

27. The affiliated bodies of the IUGS are invited, and other geological organisations may apply, to hold scientific and business meetings as part of the Session, provided that they accept the regulations of the IGC Organizing Committee with regard to registration fees, schedules, publications, and costs.

28. Business meetings are arranged to avoid, so far as is possible, conflict in timing with scientific meetings.

Congress Excursions

29. Each Session includes a number of geological field excursions that are an important feature of the Congress. They normally both precede and follow the scientific program and business meetings.

30. The excursions give members every possible opportunity to study geological features of the country or region in which the Session is being held.

31. Excursions are arranged with due regard to keeping costs to both the participants and host at a reasonable level. They are directed by competent leaders, and the geological features to be visited are described in materials made available to participants. Participants must be registered for the IGC.

Congress Administration

32. The responsibility for administration of the Sessions of the Congress passes from one IGC Organizing Committee to another. The Secretary General of the Session provides the Secretary General of the incoming IGC Organizing Committee for the next Session with all pertinent information and documentation.

33. The permanent interests of the Congress shall be looked after by the IGC Committee in close collaboration with the IGC Organizing Committee.

34. Any country or group of countries wishing to host a Session of the Congress informs the IGC Committee of its proposal. Invitations to hold the next Session are decided by the Council.

35. As soon as practicable after the termination of a Session, the IGC Organizing Committee of the next Session shall make its address known to the geological community.

36. During the Session, the IGC Organizing Committee refers to the Council, through the IGC Committee, any matters requiring discussion other than those directly concerned with the administration of the current Session.

37. The IGC Organizing Committee is, in addition to the foregoing, responsible for:

(a) Preparing a program for the forthcoming Session of the Congress in collaboration with the IUGS and its affiliated organisations, and publishing and distributing it to members in advance of the scientific and business meetings;

(b) Organizing excursions;

(c) Inviting the appropriate authority in each country, through the Secretary General of the IUGS, to nominate Delegates to the Council for IGC matters;

(d) Inviting Academies, Geological Surveys, International and National Geological Societies, Universities and other appropriate institutions to send representatives to the Session;

(e) Encouraging participation and collaboration with various geoscience organisations such as the GeoUnions within ICSU;


(f) Preparing and giving wide distribution to circulars concerning plans for the forthcoming Session and information for prospective members;

(g) Publishing, in advance of the Session, summaries of papers which have been accepted by the IGC Organizing Committee;

(h) Promoting publication of presented contributions that are of appropriate scientific standard;

(i) Preparing and distributing to Members a volume of General Proceedings of the Session as soon as practicable after its conclusion;

(j) Providing meeting rooms and other facilities for the scientific and business meetings which it has accepted for inclusion in the program;

(k) Identifying individuals to serve as President and Secretary General for the Session for adoption by the Council; and

(l) Negotiating with the IUGS the amount to be included in the registration fee as an income for the IUGS.

General Provisions

38. The Congress may award prizes for works of merit in the various fields of Geology.

39. Any proposals to modify the Statutes of the Congress must be submitted in writing to the IGC Committee at least 3 months before the beginning of the next Session. After consolidation of the received amendments by the IGC Committee, the final proposal shall be submitted to Council, and to be approved must receive the votes of at least two thirds of the members of Council present and voting, there being a quorum. The English text of the Statutes shall be considered to be the authoritative text for their interpretation.

Entry into force of, and amendments for statutes

40. These statutes and subsequent amendments of them shall come into force at the close of the Session at which they received the approval of the Council.

41. The Council may consider amendments to the IGC statutes provided that proposed amendments have been circulated to members of the Council at least three months in advance.

Dissolution of the Union and future of the IGC

42. If the Council has approved the dissolution of the Union, the IGC Committee (excluding the IUGS President, IUGS Secretary General and IUGS Treasurer) shall request Council to determine the future arrangements for the IGC.


Attachment 6: 34th IGC Committees

IGC Organising Committee

Neil Williams President University of Wollongong

Ian Lambert Secretary General Geoscience Australia

Alex MalahoffPrincipal New Zealand representative

GNS Science (New Zealand)

Paul Kay Deputy Secretary General Geoscience Australia

Paulo Vasconcelos Deputy Secretary General University of Queensland

Miriam WayFinance Sub-committee Chair, Treasurer

AusIMM

Lynton JaquesScientific Program Sub-committee Chair

Geoscience Australia and Australian National University

David Mason Field Trips Sub-committee Chair Geological Survey of Queensland

Ashley Gordon Sponsorship Sub-committee ChairCarillon Conference Management Pty Limited

Mike Smith Legal entity Chair Australian Geoscience Council

Michael Leggo Legal entity Past President Australian Geoscience Council

Gabriela Perlingeiro YES Representative University of Queensland

Robert Murdoch Professional Workshops Chair Consultant

Colin Simpson Committee Member IUGS

David Denham Committee MemberAustralian Society of Exploration Geophysicists

Hamish Campbell Committee Member GNS Science, New Zealand

Desmond Darby Committee Member GNS Science, New Zealand

Geoff Dickie Committee Member Queensland Resources Council

Mark Berry Committee Member Australian Institute of Geoscientists

Maurie Drew Committee Member Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia

Jon Gordon Committee MemberCarillon Conference Management Pty Limited

Observers

Alex Seary Tourism and Events Queensland

Alf Simpson Pacific Islands advisor Consultant

Andrew Rozefelds Queensland Museum

George Gibson Geoscience Australia

Michelle Cooper YES Coordination Geoscience Australia

Robert Day Consultant

Sandra Passaro Queensland Events representative Tourism and Events Queensland

Vicki Pow Geoscience Australia

Yasmin Makridakis Geological Survey of Queensland


Scientific Program Sub-Committee

Lynton Jaques Sub-committee ChairGeoscience Australia and Australian National University



Mike Archer University of New South Wales

Mark Berry Australian Institute of Geoscientists

David Denham Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists

Andy Gleadow University of Melbourne

David Lumley The University of Western Australia

Alex Malahoff New Zealand representative GNS Science

Colin Simpson IUGS

Mike Smith AGC

Paulo Vasconcelos University of Queensland

Malcolm Walter University of New South Wales

Paul Kay Geoscience Australia

IGC Finance Sub-Committee

Miriam Way Sub-committee Chair, TreasurerThe Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Mark Berry AMC Consultants

Sue Fletcher Geological Society of Australia

Ashley Gordon DirectorCarillon Conference Management Pty Limited

Jon Gordon DirectorCarillon Conference Management Pty Limited



Mike Smith AGC

Brad ClementsThe Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

IGC Field trip Sub-committee

David Mason Sub-committee Chair Geological Survey of Queensland


Yasmin Makridakis Geological Survey of Queensland


Laurie Hutton Geological Survey of Queensland

Ben Cohen University of Queensand

Hamish Campbell GNS Science, New Zealand




IGC GeoHost Sub-committee

Paul Kay Ian Lambert

Joint Sub-committee Chairs Geoscience Australia

Michelle Cooper YES representative Geoscience Australia



Fabio Masotti Vale

Colin Simpson IUGS

IGC Sponsorship and GeoExpo Sub-Committee

Ashley Gordon Sub-committee Chair Carillon Conference Management

Jon Gordon Carillon Conference Management Pty Limited



Michael Leggo Australian Geoscience Council

Mike Smith Australian Geoscience Council


Miriam Way TreasurerThe Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Neil Williams PresidentGeoscience Australia/University of Wollongong

IGC Promotion, Media and Outreach Sub-committee

Ian Lambert Sub-committee Chair Geoscience Australia

Paul Kay Geoscience Australia

Ashley GordonCarillon Conference Management Pty Limited

Bruce Ruddy Rowland

Miriam Way TreasurerThe Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Neil Williams President Geoscience Australia


Vicki Pow Geoscience Australia

Alf Simpson Consultant

Advisors

Alex Cook Queensland Museum

David Denham ASEG

Jim Devine Queensland Resources Council

Karissa Douglass University of Queensland

Maurice Drew Consultant

Sue Fletcher Geological Society of Australia

David Hadley The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Ben Mitchell Minerals Council of Australia

Ashleigh Paroz University of Queensland


IGC Events Sub-committee

Neil Williams Sub-committee Chair Geoscience Australia



Hannah Hartig Events program (YES) University of Queensland

Sandra Passaro Queensland Events representative Queensland Events

Margaret Williams

Volunteers Sub-committee

Mark Berry Sub-committee Chair ACM Consultants

Ashley Gordon CCM


Website Sub-committee

Kate VellaCarillon Conference Management Pty Limited

Neil Williams PresidentGeoscience Australia/University of Wollongong



Lynton Jaques Technical Program Geoscience Australia and Australian National University




Attachment 7: Registration Fees

Delegate Registration

Group Registration – Super Early Bird $850

Delegate Registration - Super Early Bird $895

Full Registration Member – Early Bird $995

Full Registration Member – Standard $1150

Full Registration Member – Late $1450

Full Registration Member - Onsite $1800

Full Registration Non Member – Early Bird $1195

Full Registration Non Member – Standard $1350

Full Registration Non Member – Late $1750

Full Registration Non Member - Onsite $2000

Student Delegate – Early Bird $550

Student Delegate – Standard $550

Student Delegate – Late $625

Student Delegate – Onsite $775

Young Earth Scientist (YES) Delegate – Early Bird $795

Young Earth Scientist (YES) Delegate – Standard $795

Young Earth Scientist (YES) Delegate – Late $895

Day Registration Member - Monday $595

Day Registration Non Member –Monday $695

Day Registration Member – Tuesday $595

Day Registration Non Member – Tuesday $695

Day Registration Member – Wednesday $595

Day Registration Non Member – Wednesday $695

Day Registration Member – Thursday $595

Day Registration Non Member – Thursday $695

Day Registration Member – Friday $595

Day Registration Non Member – Friday $695

Specialist Invited Speaker - Monday $295

Specialist Invited Speaker – Tuesday $295

Specialist Invited Speaker – Wednesday $295

Specialist Invited Speaker – Thursday $295

Specialist Invited Speaker - Friday $295

Special Day Registration - Monday $295

Special Day Registration – Tuesday $295

Special Day Registration – Wednesday $295

Special Day Registration – Thursday $295

Special Day Registration – Friday $295


Sponsors and Exhibitors Registration

Complimentary Sponsor Registration $0

Exhibitor Registration - Complimentary $0

Exhibitor Registration - Purchase $545

Accompanying Persons

Accompanying Persons Registration 1 – Early Bird $155

Accompanying Persons Registration 1 – Standard $175

Accompanying Persons Registration 1 – Late $195







Complimentary Registrations

Complimentary Day Registration – Monday $0

Complimentary Day Registration – Tuesday $0

Complimentary Day Registration – Wednesday $0

Complimentary Day Registration – Thursday $0

Complimentary Day Registration – Friday $0

Competition Winner $0

FDP Candidate $0

FOC registration by order of committee $0

ISSS Registration $0

IUGS Registration $0

Plenary Speaker $0

Training Workshops Candidate $0

GeoHost Support Fund Registration $0

Volunteer $0


Attachment 8: Registration Statistics

Number of registrations (by Country)No Country Specified 6

Albania 3

Algeria 2

Argentina 11

Armenia 2

Australia 2249

No State Specified 23

ACT 240

NSW 317

NT 9

QLD 936

SA 126

TAS 52

VIC 173

WA 373

Austria 20

Azerbaijan 7

Bangladesh 3

Belgium 18

Bolivia 1

Botswana 6

Brazil 130

Cambodia 1

Cameroon 4

Canada 110

Chile 5

China 978

Colombia 7

Congo 1

Cook Islands 1

Costa Rica 3

Croatia 3

Czech Republic 25

Denmark 17

Egypt 3

Estonia 2

Ethiopia 4

Falkland Island 1

Fiji 6

Finland 38

France 81

Gabon 1

Germany 93

Ghana 9

Greece 4

Guinea Equatorial 1

Hong Kong, China 9

Hungary 6

India 101

Indonesia 24

Iran 36

Iraq 7

Ireland 2

Israel 4

Italy 66

Ivory Coast 4

Japan 198

Kazakhstan 54

Kenya 6

Kiribarti 1

Kosovo 2

Krosno 1

Kuwait 4

Kyrgyzstan 2

Laos 3

Liberia 1

Lithuania 4

Madagascar 1

Malawi 8

Malaysia 9

Mali 2

Mexico 13

Mongolia 17

Morocco 7

Mozambique 7

Myanmar 1

Namibia 8

Netherlands 14

New Caledonia 2

New Zealand 93

Nigeria 21

Niue 1

North Sudan 1

Norway 44

Oman 1

Pakistan 2

Papua New Guinea 24

Peru 2

Philippines 29


Poland 31

Portugal 8

Reunion 1

Romania 15

Russia 328

Rwanda 2

Saudi Arabia 12

Senegal 1

Serbia & Montenegro 2

Sierra Leone 1

Singapore 14

Slovak Republic 3

Slovenia 2

Solomon Islands 2

South Africa 57

South Korea 78

Spain 29

Sri Lanka 10

Sweden 29

Switzerland 22

Taiwan, China 23

Tajikistan 6

Tanzania 8

Thailand 11

The Gambia 1

Timor Leste 2

Togo 1

Tonga 1

Tunisia 1

Turkey 9

Uganda 6

Ukraine 24

United Arab Emirates 1

United Kingdom 100

US Virgin Islands 1

USA 343

Uzbekistan 9

Vanuatu 1

Venezuela 2

Vietnam 9

Western Samoa 1

Yugoslavia 1

Zambia 5

Zimbabwe 1

Special Registrations 100

Total Registrations 6012


0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

AustraliaNo State Specified

ACTNSWNT

QLDSATASVICWA

ChinaUSA

RussiaJapanBrazil

CanadaIndia

United KingdomSpecial Registrations

GermanyNew Zealand

FranceSouth Korea

ItalySouth AfricaKazakhstan

NorwayFinland

IranPoland

PhilippinesSpain

SwedenCzech Republic

IndonesiaPapua New Guinea

UkraineTaiwan, ChinaSwitzerland

NigeriaAustriaBelgiumDenmarkMongoliaRomania

NetherlandsSingapore

MexicoSaudi Arabia

ArgentinaThailandSri LankaGhana

Hong Kong, ChinaMalaysiaTurkey

UzbekistanVietnamMalawiNamibiaPortugalTanzania

AzerbaijanColombia

IraqMorocco

MozambiqueNo Country Specified

BotswanaFiji

HungaryKenya

TajikistanUganda

ChileZambia

CameroonEthiopiaGreeceIsrael

Ivory CoastKuwait

LithuaniaAlbania

BangladeshCosta Rica

CroatiaEgyptLaos

Slovak RepublicAlgeria

ArmeniaEstoniaIrelandKosovo

KyrgyzstanMali

New CaledoniaPakistan

PeruRwanda

Serbia & MontenegroSlovenia

Solomon IslandsTimor LesteVenezuela

BoliviaCambodia

CongoCook Islands

Falkland IslandGabon

Guinea EquatorialKiribartiKrosnoLiberia

MadagascarMyanmar

NiueNorth Sudan

OmanReunionSenegal

Sierra LeoneThe Gambia

TogoTongaTunisia

United Arab EmiratesUS Virgin Islands

VanuatuWestern Samoa

YugoslaviaZimbabwe

23240

3179

936126

52173

373

2249

978343

328198

1301101011001009393817866575444383631292929252424242322212018171715141413121111109999998888777776666666554444444333333322222222222222221111111111111111111111111111

Number of Registrations by Country ‐ Total 6012Number of Registrations (by totals) - Total 6012


Attachment 9: Accommodation offered by 34th IGC


Attachment 10: List of Scientific Themes and Symposia (Sub-Themes)

Theme 1. Geoscience for Society

Coordinator: Hamish CAMPBELL [email protected] (New Zealand)

This Theme encompasses the roles of the geosciences in decisions and approaches that are of wide public interest, including geological heritage and geotourism; geoscience underpinning conservation; geoscience education; communicating geoscience to the public; museum collections; forensic geoscience; and gemstones.

Symposia

1.1 Geoheritage, geoparks and geotourism

Bernie JOYCE [email protected] (Australia), José BRILHA (Portugal), Ian GRAHAM (New Zealand), Patrick MCKEEVER (Ireland), Nickolas ZOUROS (Greece), Changxing LONG (China), Ross DOWLING (Australia) and Angus M ROBINSON (Australia)

Keynote speakers: William WIMBLEDON (UK), Patrick MCKEEVER (Ireland), Nickolas ZOUROS (Greece) and Ross DOWLING (Australia)

1.2 Geoscience education

Jesus MARTINEZ-FRIAS [email protected] (Spain), Gary LEWIS (USA), Sarah GAINES (UNESCO),

Keynote speakers: Mary MARLINO (USA), Chris KING (UK) and Greg McNAMARA (Australia)

1.3 Geoscience outreach (public communication, museums and media)

Hamish CAMPBELL [email protected] (New Zealand)

Keynote speaker: Bob CARTER (Australia)

1.4 Forensic geoscience

Rob FITZPATRICK [email protected] (Australia), Laurance DONNELLY (UK) and Dallas MILDENHALL (New Zealand)

1.5 Gemstones

Lin SUTHERLAND [email protected] (Australia), Ian T GRAHAM (Australia), Khin ZAW (Australia) and Lee GROAT (Canada)

Keynote speaker: Lee GROAT (Canada)

1.6 Strengthening communication between fundamental and applied geosciences and between geoscientists and public [European Federation of Geologists]

Isabel FERNÁNDEZ FUENTES [email protected] and Ruth Allington


Theme 2. Geoscience Benefiting Low Income Countries: [Association of Geoscientists for International Development, AGID]

Coordinators: Mike KATZ [email protected] (Australia), Shrikant LIMAYE (India), Afia AKHTAR (Bangladesh) and Antony REEDMAN (UK)

This Theme recognised the importance of creating social awareness and capacity building in low income countries, in relation to groundwater management and rural health; geohazards; climate change; medical geology for human survival and welfare; geoplanning for urban development and infrastructure; role of geosciences in protecting ecosystems; geoethics; role of women geoscientists in resource development; construction and industrial minerals; production of mineral and energy resources.

Symposia

2.1 Improving rural health and mitigating rural poverty through sustainable ground water development

Shrikant LIMAYE [email protected] (India) and Afia AKHTAR (Bangladesh)

Keynote speaker: Shrikant LIMAYE (India)

2.2 Social awareness, geoplanning and and capacity-building for development and mitigation of geohazards

Afia AKHTAR [email protected] (Bangladesh), Shrikant LIMAYE (India), Sospeter MUHONGO (Tanzania) , Gbenga OKUNLOLA (Nigeria) and Antony REEDMAN (UK)

2.3 Developing geoscience education and awareness for the benefit of society

Nurul HASAN [email protected] (Bangladesh), Mike KATZ (Australia), Gbenga OKUNLOLA (Nigeria), Antony REEDMAN (UK) and Chris KING (UK)

Keynote speaker: Mike KATZ (Australia)

2.4 Geoethics

Vaclav NEMEC [email protected] (Czech Republic), Jesus MARTINEZ-FRIAS (Spain), Nataliya NIKITINA (Russia), Niichi NISHIWAKI (Japan) and Silvia PEPPOLONI (Italy)

Keynote speakers: Vaclav NEMEC (Czech Republic), Arundeep AHLUWALIA (India), Ochir GEREL (Mongolia), Jesus MARTINEZ-FRIAS (Spain), Lidmila NEMCOVA (Czech Republic), Nataliya NIKITINA (Russia), Niichi NISHIWAKI (Japan), Silvia PEPPOLONI (Italy) and Haiqiao TAN (P.R.China)

2.5 Mineral and energy resources, construction and industrial minerals and the role of women in resource development

Mike KATZ [email protected] (Australia), Afia AKHTAR (Bangladesh), Gbenga OKUNLOLA (Nigeria) and Nehal UDDIN (Bangladesh), Madhumita DAS (India), Ezzoura ERRAMI (Morocco), Sharon LOCKE (USA) and Antony REEDMAN (UK)

Keynote speakers: Nehal UDDIN (Bangladesh) and Afia AKHTAR (Bangladesh)

2.6 The role of Geological Surveys in the development and management of natural resources, groundwater and disaster risk reduction

Antony REEDMAN [email protected] (UK), Afia AKHTAR (Bangladesh), David DENHAM (Australia), Siyan MALOMOS (Nigeria) and Qincheng HE (Thailand)

Keynote speakers: Franca SCHWARZ (Germany), Afia AKHTAR (Bangladesh) and Qingcheng HE (Thailand)


Theme 3. Climate Change: Lessons from the Past; Implications for the Future

Coordinators: Michael BIRD [email protected] (Australia) and Giuseppe Cortese (New Zealand)

The geological record offers unique insights into understanding the multiple drivers and diverse consequences of climate change. Abrupt and rapid climatic changes in the past provide valuable analogues for future potential changes, and can be used to explore the veracity of climate models. Contributions addressed climate model-paleoclimate data comparisons, climate sensitivity, ocean acidification, carbon cycle dynamics, geosphere-biosphere feedbacks, climate variability in a warmer world, multi-proxy approaches to climate-temperature-hydrology reconstructions, and polar ice sheets and sea-level change.

Symposia

3.1 Climate variability in the Holocene

Gert J. DE LANGE [email protected] (Netherlands) and Francis JIMENEZ-ESPEJO (Spain)

Keynote speaker: Edouard BARD (France)

3.2 Geology and Archaeology: submerged landscapes of the continental shelf

Jan HARFF [email protected] (Germany), Geoff BAILEY (United Kingdom) and Friedrich LÜTH (Germany)

Keynote speakers: Nicholas FLEMMING (UK) and Jon ERLANDSON (USA)

3.3 Monsoons, droughts and extreme weather events: deciphering climate variability from the geological record

Jonathan NOTT [email protected] (Australia), James SHULMEISTER (Australia) and Mohammed Rafi G. SAYYED (India)

3.4 Climate in a warmer world: Late Quaternary evidence from land, sea and ice records

Lionel CARTER [email protected] (New Zealand), Giuseppe CORTESE (New Zealand), Rewi NEWNHAM (New Zealand) and Nancy BERTLER (New Zealand)

Keynote speakers: Marcus VANDERGOES (New Zealand) and Dorthe DAHL-JENSEN (Denmark)

3.5 The silent majority: Cenozoic (Paleocene-Pliocene) records of climatic warmth

David GREENWOOD [email protected] (Canada), Matthew HUBER (USA) and Patrick MOSS (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Gabriel BOWEN (USA), Scott HUCKNELL (Australia) and Matthew HUBER (USA)

3.6 Greenhouse world and rapid climate change during the Mesozoic [International Geoscience Program (IGCP) 555, IGCP 507 and International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) Songliao Project]

Chengshan WANG [email protected] (China), Michael WAGREICH (Austria) and Xiaoqiao WAN (China)

Keynote speakers: Chengshan WANG (China), Michael WAGREICH (Austria),Yong Il LEE (Korea) and Helmut WEISSERT (Switzerland)

3.7 Pre-Mesozoic climates and global change [IGCP 591]

Kathleen HISTON [email protected] (Italy), Vinod TEWARI (India) and Michael MELCHIN (Canada)

Keynote speakers: David HARPER (Denmark) Alain PREAT (Belgium) and David RAY (UK)

3.8. Climate change and biodiversity patterns in the Mid Paleozoic [IGCP 596, IGCP 580 and SDS]

Peter KÖNIGSHOF [email protected] (Germany) and Thomas SUTTNER (Austria)

Keynote speakers: Wolfgang KIESSLING (Germany), Anne-Christine da SILVA (Belgium) and Carlton BRETT (USA)


Theme 4. Environmental Geoscience

Coordinators: Colin SIMPSON [email protected] (Australia) and Michael LEGGO (Australia)

This Theme covered the interconnectedness of geology and related environmental effects and included the application of geoscientific methods in the measurement and mitigation of environmental issues. Indicative Symposia topics: indicators of environmental change; pollution and ground instability; medical geology (including dust and aerosols; gold and mercury); regional to global geochemical mapping; communicating environmental geoscience. Some other substantial areas of environmental geoscience were covered under other Themes, particularly global climate science, groundwater/hydrogeology, mining, landscape evolution, and geohazards.

Symposia

4.1 Environmental aspects of mining

Bernd LOTTERMOSER [email protected] (Australia) and Kirk NORDSTROM (USA)

Keynote speaker: Bernhard DOLD (Chile)

4.2 Global geochemical mapping: understanding chemical Earth (The 2nd Arthur Darnley Symposium)

David SMITH [email protected] (USA), Xueqiu WANG (China) and Patrice DE CARITAT (Australia)

Keynote Speakers: Christopher JOHNSON (UK) and Xueqiu WANG (China)

4.3 Advances in the evaluation and interpretation of geochemical data at the continental scale

Eric GRUNSKY [email protected] (Canada) and Patrice DE CARITAT (Australia)

4.4 Medical geology

Kimberly DOWLING [email protected] (Australia) and José CENTENO (USA)

4.5 Geopullution, dust, and man made strata [ includes IUGS Commission on Geoscience for Environmental Management (GEM) Working Group on Dust]

Brian MARKER (UK) [email protected], Jonas SATKUNAS (Lithuania) and Hisashi NIREI (Japan)


Theme 5. Geoscience Information

Coordinators: Bruce SIMONS [email protected] (Australia), Simon COX (Australia), Robert TOMAS (Europe), Richard HUGHES (UK), June HILL (Australia) and Lesley WYBORN (Australia)

This major Theme encompassed spatial data infrastructure and regional geoinformation initiatives; interoperability and standards; delivery, dissemination and exploitation of geoscience data and information; mathematical geology and geostatistics; model fusion, visualisation, exploration and 3D & 4-D modelling; tools – software, hardware, open source and super computers.

Symposia

5.1 Geoscience spatial data infrastructure

5.3 has been merged with 5.1

Bruce SIMONS [email protected] (Australia) and Robert TOMAS (Czech Republic)

5.2 Information management – interoperability and standards

Simon COX [email protected] (Australia) and John LAXTON (UK)

5.4 Tools – software, hardware, open source

Peter BAUMANN [email protected] (Germany)

5.5 Model fusion, visualisation, exploration and 3D & 4D modelling

Laurent AILLERES [email protected] (Australia) Holger KESSLER (UK) and Mark JESSELL (France)

5.6 Mathematical geosciences [International Association for Mathematical Geosciences (IAMG)]

June HILL [email protected] (Australia) and Ricardo OLEA (USA)

Keynote speakers: Margaretha SCOTT (Australia), Roussos DIMITRAKOPOULOS (Canada), Katsuaki KOIKE (Japan), Helmut SCHAEBEN (Germany), Juan José EGOZCUE (Spain), Michael GURNIS (USA), Christopher SCOTESE (USA), Donald SINGER (USA), Cedric GRIFFITHS (Australia) and Steve REDDY (Australia)

Theme 6. Energy in a Carbon Constrained World

Coordinators: Peter COOK [email protected] (Australia) and David LUMLEY (Australia)

Global demand for energy continues to grow strongly but at the same time pressure mounts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the impacts of rapid climate change. This Theme explored issues and options for future energy use including: the future of fossil fuels; carbon capture and storage; geothermal energy including exploration and resource characterisation: renewable energy resources; nuclear energy – including uranium and thorium resources and demand, and nuclear waste disposal.

Symposia

6.1 CO2 geosequestration

David LUMLEY [email protected] (Australia), Kevin DODDS (USA) and John KALDI (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Charles JENKINS (Australia), Don WHITE (Canada), Michael KUHN (Germany), Susan HOVORKA (USA) and Mark TRUPP (Australia)

6.2 Geothermal resources

Anthony BUDD [email protected] (Australia), T HARINARAYANA (India), Greg BIGNALL (New Zealand) and Klaus REGENAUER-LIEB (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Doone WYBORN (Australia), Greg BIGNALL (New Zealand) and Klaus REGENAUER-LIEB (Australia)

6.3 Nuclear energy and waste disposal

Charles MCCOMBIE [email protected] (Switzerland), Andrew ORRELL (USA), John WATERHOUSE (Australia), Tomas PACES (Czech Republic) and Peter WIKBERG (Sweden)

6.4 Clean energy: options and limitations

Peter COOK [email protected] (Australia), Sally BENSON (USA) and Mike SANDIFORD (Australia)


Theme 7. Mineral Resources and Mining

Coordinators: Graham CARR [email protected] (Australia) and Dale SIMS (Australia)

This Theme included a global perspective on mineral resources; leading edge technologies for increased automation and decreased wastes and mine site pollution; high technology commodities for the future; industrial minerals; advances in in-mine geophysics; resource definition, modelling, estimation and reporting; resource development techniques and issues over a range of commodity types; specialist sessions on industry issues and case studies for uranium, iron ore, diamonds, nickel, base metals, sampling and geometallurgy; future sources of industrial and construction materials.

Symposia

7.1 New age metals: the geology and genesis of ores required for a changing economy and a carbon constrained world [Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA)]

David HUSTON [email protected] (Australia) and Bernd LEHMAN (Germany)

Keynote speaker: Roderick EGGERT (USA)

7.2 Future sources of industrial minerals and construction materials

John SIEMON [email protected] (Australia), Björn SCHOUENBORG (Sweden) and Lola PEREIRA (Spain)

7.3 Resource and reserve reporting, international codes and the valuation of mineral assets

Peter STOKER [email protected] (Australia) and Charlotte GRIFFITHS (Switzerland)

Keynote speakers: Michael LYNCH-BELL (UK), Deborah McCOMBE(Canada), Harry PARKER (USA), Yuri PODTURKIN (Russia), and Jim ROSS (UK)

7.4 Resource modelling, estimation and visualisation for project and mine development

Scott DUNHAM [email protected] (Australia) and Rodrigo MELLO (Brazil)

7.5 Mining geology, technology, geophysics and geometallurgy

Dale SIMS [email protected] (Australia) and Simon DOMINY (UK)

7.6 The future mine and geoscience

Jock CUNNINGHAM [email protected] (Australia) and Alberto ELFES (USA)

7.7 Qualitative and quantitative methods of assessing undiscovered mineral resources

Subhash JAIRETH [email protected] (Australia), Mike CUNNINGHAM (Australia), Susan HALL (USA) and Stephen PETERS (USA)

Theme 8. Mineral Exploration Geoscience

Coordinators: Cam MCCUAIG [email protected] (Australia) and David GILES (Australia)

This Theme addressed the science of mineral exploration against the backdrop of increasing global demand for mineral resources. Symposia topics included: mineralising systems; the science of exploration targeting; exploration geophysics; advances in geochemical exploration; 3D geology and geophysics in targeting; deep exploration and discovery; quantifying and managing uncertainty and risk in exploration, and declining exploration success rates; major discovery case histories; exploration trends and emerging mineral districts.

Symposia

8.1 Footprints of mineralised systems: new concepts and data for exploration

Roger SKIRROW [email protected] (Australia), Richard TOSDAL (Canada) and Zengqian HOU (China)

Keynote speakers: David COOKE (Australia) and Rob HOUGH (Australia)

8.2 The science of exploration targeting

Cam MCCUAIG [email protected] (Australia), Graham BEGG (Australia) and Zengqian HOU (China)


8.3 Probing the Earth from near-surface to the mantle - techniques, modelling software and case histories to aid mineral exploration

Richard LANE [email protected] (Australia), Ken WITHERLY (USA), Bob MUSGRAVE (Australia), Asbjorn CHRISTENSEN (Australia), Hans-Juergen GOETZE (Germany) and Ned STOLZ (Australia)

8.4 Advances in geochemical exploration

David COHEN [email protected] (Australia), Ravi ANAND (Australia), Ryan NOBLE (Australia), David LAWIE (Australia), Graham CLOSS (USA), Andrew RATE (Australia) and Mark ARUNDALL (Australia)

8.5 Exploration and discovery: diagnosis and prognosis - are we in need of cure? [Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA)]

David HUSTON [email protected] (Australia) and Mike HULEATT (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Richard SCHODDE (Australia)

Theme 9. Mineral Deposits and Ore Forming Processes

Coordinators: Ross LARGE [email protected] (Australia) and Cornel DE RONDE (New Zealand)

Understanding the controls on the distribution and formation of ore deposits is critical to future discovery of new ore deposits. Symposia in this Theme covered: major mineral provinces of the world; mineral alteration halos; tectonics and ores in magmatic arcs; magmatic sulfides; basin-hosted ores; dating of ore deposits; geometallurgy; iron oxide copper gold ( IOCG) volcanic hosted metal sulphide (VHMS); sediment-hosted base metal and gold deposits; structure and gold; and submarine mineralisation.

Symposia

9.1 Orogen to district-scale structural and tectonic controls on porphyry and epithermal deposits

Dick GLEN [email protected] (Australia), David COOKE (Australia), Reimar SELTMANN (UK) and Eduardo CAMPOS (Chile)

Keynote speaker: Richard TOSDAL (Canada)

9.2 Volcanic and basin-hosted ores (Fe, Zn-Pb, Cu, U)

Bruce GEMMELL [email protected] (Australia), Cornel DE RONDE (New Zealand), Stuart BULL (Australia) and David LEACH (USA)

9.3 Dating of ore deposits

Anthony HARRIS [email protected] (Australia), Sebastien MEFFRE (Australia) and Alain CHEILLETZ (France)

9.4 Iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) deposits; the unhappy family

Gary DAVIDSON [email protected] (Australia), Roberto XAVIER (Brazil) and Murray HITZMAN (USA)


9.5 Sediment and/or greenstone-hosted gold [Society of Economic Geologists]

Ross LARGE [email protected] (Australia), Steve COX (Australia) and Richard GOLDFARB (USA)

9.6 Global sulfur cycle and impact on metallogenesis

Andy TOMKINS [email protected] (Australia), Iain PITCAIRN (Sweden) and Katy EVANS (Australia)

9.7 Mineral deposits: episodes, accumulation of metals and related geodynamic processes in China and adjacent regions [IAGOD / IGCP-592]

Jingwen MAO [email protected] (China), Franco PIRAJNO (Australia) and Reimar SELTMANN (UK)

Keynote speakers: Richard J. GOLDFARB (USA), Weidong SUN (China) and Reimar SELTMANN (UK)

9.8 Regional metallogeny, ore genesis and other mineral deposits

Ken McQueen (Australia) [email protected]

9.9 Giant and super giant orebodies [Society of Economic Geologists]

David COOKE [email protected] (Australia), PEI Rongfu (China) and Richard GOLDFARB (USA)

Keynote speakers: Ross LARGE (Australia) and Karen KELLEY (USA)

Theme 10. Coal - a Myriad of Resources

Coordinator: Joan ESTERLE [email protected] (Australia)

As well as continuing to play its essential role in global power production and steel making, new industries based on coal resources, such as coal seam gas, are emerging. This Theme covered coking and thermal coal; water issues in coal mining and coal seam gas production; advances in coal mining; coal quality issues; new and emerging coal technologies including underground coal gasification.

Symposia

10.1 Finding resources, making reserves

Joan ESTERLE [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Lawrie JORGENSEN (Australia), Cliff MALLETT (Australia) and Hua GUO (Australia)

10.2 Coal - a record of change

Robert LANGFORD [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Peter McCABE (Australia), Steve GREB (USA), Lopo VASCONCELOS (Mozambique) and Ian METCALFE (Australia)

Theme 11. Petroleum Systems and Exploration

Coordinators: Marita BRADSHAW [email protected] (Australia), Chris URUSKI (New Zealand) and Sylvia ANJOS (Brazil)

Global demand for petroleum continues to grow, driving the search for resources to new frontiers as well as the need to extract petroleum as efficiently as possible from existing basins. Topics covered include petroleum geoscience - advances in seismic applications, petroleum geochemistry, other geophysical techniques, and applications of palaeontology; frontier petroleum basins - extending exploration in time and drilling depths; southern hemisphere petroleum prospectivity; enhanced oil recovery - horizontal drilling, reservoir fracturing, chemical methods, water/CO2 injection and re-injection; petrophysics - pressure, permeability and rock property predictions; advances in petroleum exploration - new ideas on prospectivity, basin modelling, source rock models, reservoir modelling; putting the geo into geophysics – use of potential fields in interpreting economic basement, structure and reservoir presence/quality, seismic sequence analysis, facies mapping and depositional environments.

Symposia

11.1 Petroleum prospectivity of divergent and transform passive margin basins of North and South Atlantic, Arctic, India and Australasia

Marita BRADSHAW [email protected] (Australia) and Luciano MAGNAVITA (Brazil)


11.2 Pacific rim petroleum system architecture

Chris URUSKI [email protected] (New Zealand), Hermann LEBIT (USA), Bruce AINSWORTH (Australia), Lawrence MECKEL (Indonesia) and Ian BREWER (USA)

11.3 Petroleum system modelling; geochemistry, basins and source rock

Rob FUNNELL [email protected] (New Zealand)

11.4 Petroleum reservoir modelling, seals and enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

Carlos Henrique BRUHN [email protected] (Brazil) and Robert SEGGIE (Australia)

11.5 Petroleum exploration in frontier basins

Irina BORISSOVA [email protected] (Australia), Francois BACHE (New Zealand) and Sylvia ANJOS (Brazil)

Keynote speakers: Phil RICHARDS (UK) and Marina RABINEAU (France)

11.6 Putting the geo into geophysics - adding clout through better datasets and joint interpretation

Ron HACKNEY [email protected] (Australia), Jörg EBBING (Norway), Hans-Jürgen GÖTZE (Germany) and Bernd LAHMEYER (Norway)

Keynote speaker: Lucy MacGREGOR (UK)

Theme 12. Unconventional Hydrocarbons – Emerging Fuels

Coordinators: James UNDERSCHULTZ [email protected] (Australia) and Ingo PECHER (New Zealand)

Symposia

12.1 Coal seam gas

Mohinudeen FAIZ [email protected] (Australia) and Romeo FLORES (USA)

Keynote speaker: Rob WILLINK (Australia)

12.2 Shale and tight gas

Dan MOOS [email protected] (USA) and Scott TINKER (USA)

12.3 Gas hydrates

Reem FREIJ-AYOUB [email protected] (Australia) and Ingo PECHER (New Zealand)

12.4 Heavy oil and oil shale

Rick RICHARDSON [email protected] (New Zealand) and Darrell COTTERILL (Canada)

Theme 13. Sedimentation and Sedimentary Processes

Coordinators: Chris FIELDING [email protected] (USA) and Peter MCCABE (Australia)

Sedimentary basins host the world’s hydrocarbon resources and substantial mineral resources. Topcs covered in this Theme included geological basin evolution; sequence stratigraphy; clastic sedimentation; modern sedimentary processes; sedimentation in foreland, forearc, rift and strike-slip basins; sequence stratigraphy; large scale stratigraphic correlations; biostratigraphy; stratigraphic databases; diagenesis; evaporites; isotope and chemo-stratigraphy; sedimentary organic matter in modern and ancient systems.

Symposia

13.1 Continental depositional systems

Peter MCCABE [email protected] (Australia) and Colin NORTH [email protected] (UK)

Keynote speakers: Kathryn AMOS (Australia), Chris FIELDING (USA) and Colin NORTH (UK)


13.2 Deposits of coastal and shallow marine systems

Bruce AINSWORTH [email protected] (Australia), Julien BOURGET (Australia) and Rachel NANSON (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Ron Steel (Austin) and Craig SLOSS (Australia)

13.3 Deepwater sedimentation

Peter KING [email protected] (New Zealand) and Greg BROWNE (New Zealand)

Keynote speaker: Bret DIXON (USA)

13.4 Depositional controls on reservoirs

Simon LANG [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Shaun SADDLER (Australia)

13.5 Applied ichnology

Kerrie BANN [email protected] (Canada) and James MACEACHERN (Canada)

Keynote speakers: Murray GINGRAS (Canada) and Charles E. SAVRDA (USA)

13.6 Sedimentation in icehouse versus greenhouse epochs

Chris FIELDING [email protected] (USA)

Keynote speakers: Martin KENNEDY (Australia), Daniel LeHERON (UK) and Isabel MONTANEZ (USA)

13.7 Modelling sedimentary systems

Cedric GRIFFITHS [email protected] (Australia), Jan Harff (Poland) and Daniel Tetzlaff (USA)

Keynote speaker: Tristan SALLES-TAING (Australia)

13.8 Global controls on sediment accumulation

Chris FIELDING [email protected] (USA) and Jan HARFF [email protected] (Germany)

Keynote speaker: Mary KRAUS (USA)

13.9 River-dominated shelf sediments in Asian seas

Peter CLIFT [email protected] (UK), Jan HARFF (Germany) and Qiu YAN (China)

Keynote speakers: Chuck NITTROUER (USA), Till HANEBRUTH (Germany) and Shu GAO (China)

Theme 14. Basin Formation and Continental Margin Processes

Coordinators: George GIBSON [email protected] (Australia) and Francois ROURE (France) [International Lithosphere Program Task Force on sedimentary basins]

Basin formation is integral to the processes that operate at passive and active continental margins, including transform (sheared) continental margins. Topics included basin formation at passive and active continental margins; transform (sheared) continental margins; basement control and structural inheritance; seismic and geophysical imaging of margins; role of magmatism, detachment structures and mantle involvement; preservation of continental margin structures during subsequent orogenesis; and geological basin evolution.

Symposia

14.1 Linking multiple scales of deformation for basin modelling

Christian HEINE [email protected] (Australia), Peter JAPSEN (Denmark) and Simon WILLIAMS (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Olivier LACOMBE (France), Malcolm ROSS (USA), Marta PEREZ-GUSSINYE (UK), Cinthia LABAILS (Norway), Patrick UNTERNEHR (France) and Mark B. ALLEN (UK)


14.2 Convergent margin sedimentary basins

Francois ROURE [email protected] (France) and Kevin HILL (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Jean-Paul CALLOT (France), Ken McCLAY (UK-Chile), Alison ORD (Australia) and Jean-Claude RINGENBACH (France)

14.3 Divergent and transform passive margins: observations, imaging and case studies

Magdalena SCHECK-WENDEROTH [email protected] (Germany), Jennie TOTTERDELL (Australia), Christophe BASILE (France) and Jean MASCLE (France)

Keynote speakers: Gianreto MANATSCHAL (France) and Ritske HUISMANS (Norway)

14.4 Passive to hyper-extended continental rift margins in the geological record: their recognition, diagnostic elements and comparison with present-day analogues

George GIBSON [email protected] (Australia) and Gianreto MANATSCHAL (France)

Keynote speakers: Geoffroy MOHN (France) and Gwenn PERON-PINVIDIC (Norway)

Theme 15. A Dynamic Earth

Coordinators: Dietmar MÜLLER [email protected] (Australia)

This Theme addressed the processes and driving mechanisms that have shaped the distribution of the continents and the formation of ocean basins, island arcs and microcontinents through geological time. Presentations encompassed global geodynamics; evolution of the plates and plate tectonic history; exploration geodynamics; the accretion and break-up of super-continents; subduction processes and mechanisms, linking deep earth and surface processes; understanding deep earth structure and rheology; and major impact events and their significance.

Symposia

15.1 Plate tectonics, plate-mantle coupling and associated deformation

Maria SETON [email protected] (Australia) and Giampiero IAFFALDANO (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Douwe van HINSBERGEN (Norway), Jean-Pierre BURG (Germany), Franco PIRAJNO (Australia), Tim STERN (New Zealand), Mike SANDIFORD (Australia), Olivia LACOMBE (FRANCE) and Ray RUSSO (USA)

15.2 Large asteroid impacts and crustal evolution

Andrew GLIKSON [email protected] (Australia), Don LOWE (USA), Vic GOSTIN (Australia) and Peter HAINES (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Don LOWE (USA), John SPRAY (Canada), Jay MELOSH (USA), Kathleen GREY (Australia), Adam GARDE (Denmark) and Jan SMIT (Netherlands)


15.3 Evolution and dynamics of the Indo-Australian Plate

Myra KEEP [email protected] (Australia) and Wouter SCHELLART (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Manuel PUBELLIER (France) and Mark CLOOS (USA)

15.4 Linking deep earth to plate tectonic and surface processes

Dietmar MÜLLER [email protected] (Australia), Mike GURNIS (USA) and ZHAO Yue (China)

Keynote speakers: Alessandro FORTE (Canada), Mike GURNIS (USA), Huw DAVIES (UK), Trond TORSVIK (Norway), Paul WESSEL (USA), Hans-Peter BUNGE (Germany), Wim SPAKMAN (Netherlands), Claudio FACCENNA (Italy), Clint CONRAD (USA), John TARDUNO (USA), Jean BRAUN (France), Steve GRAND (USA), Gabi LASKE (USA), Shanan PETERS (USA) and Kenni PETERSEN (Denmark)

15.5 Orogens and orogenesis: accretionary, cordilleran and collisional processes, products

Patrice REY [email protected] (Australia), Richard GLEN (Australia), Christian TEYSSIER (USA) and Zengqian HOU (China)

Keynote speakers: Taras GERYA (Switzerland), Louis MORESI (Australia), David STEGMAN (USA), Laurent HUSSON (France), Fabio CAPITANIO (Australia), Brad HACKER (USA), Aral OKAY (Turkey), Olivier VANDERHAEGHE (France), Roberto WEINBERG (Australia), Ian METCALFE (Australia), Nick MORTIMER (New Zealand), Graciano YUMUL (Philippines), Ron HARRIS (USA), Richard GLEN (Australia) and Ian WITHNALL (Australia)

Theme 16. The Deep Earth

Coordinators: Sue O’REILLY [email protected] (Australia) and Bill GRIFFIN (Australia)

Presentations covered the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary including its physical and geochemical nature, formation and evolution: fluids in the lithospheric mantle including their composition, distribution and significance; the crust-mantle lithosphere system including their definition, formation, evolution and geodynamics; and deep earth circulation addressing the heterogeneity and flow patterns of the deeper mantle, its changes through time involving subduction recycling, lithosphere formation and preservation, and the importance of this circulation through Earth’s history; and advances in seismic imaging.

Symposia

16.1 The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary: nature, formation and evolution from Hadean to now

Craig O’NEILL [email protected] (Australia) and Manel FERNANDEZ (Spain)

Keynote speaker: David MAINPRICE (France)

16.2 Fluids in the lithospheric mantle

Alan JONES [email protected] (Ireland) and Anne POMMIER (USA)

Keynote speakers: Jörg HERMANN (Australia) and Stéphane RONDENAY (USA)

16.3 The crust-mantle lithosphere system

Bill GRIFFIN [email protected] (Australia), Ramon CARBONELL (Spain), Adrian LENARDIC (USA) and Norman PEARSON (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Mike BROWN (USA)

16.4 Deep earth circulation

Shijie ZHONG [email protected] (USA), Julian PEARCE (UK), Leonid DUBROVINSKY (Germany) and Jingsui YANG (China)

Keynote speakers: Michael GURNIS (USA) and Matthew G. JACKSON (USA)

16.5 Lithosphere structure from ambient noise and other seismology

Michael RITZWOLLER [email protected] (USA), Ling CHEN (China), Yingjie YANG (Australia) and Juan Carlos AFONSO (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Donald W. FORSYTH (USA) and Brian KENNETT (Australia)


Theme 17. The Early Earth: Hadean and Archean Development of a Habitable Planet

Coordinators: Vickie BENNETT [email protected] (Australia), Malcolm WALTER (Australia) and Martin VAN KRANENDONK (Australia)

Topics considered the earliest Earth, nature and rates of crustal evolution, earliest life, Archean mineral systems

Symposia

17.1 Building planet Earth – the first 500 million years

Vickie BENNETT [email protected] (Australia) and Tony KEMP (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Craig O’NEILL (Australia), Tsuyoshi IIZUKA (Tokyo), Oliver NEBEL (Australia) and Allen NUTMAN (Australia)

17.2 Rates and mechanisms of Archean crust formation – the relative contribution of plume versus plate tectonics

Patrice REY [email protected] (Australia), Kent CONDIE (USA) and Martin VAN KRANENDONK (Australia)

17.3 The habitats and paleobiology of early life on Earth, and the rise of oxygen

Malcolm WALTER [email protected] (Australia), Dave WACEY (Australia) and Ariel ANBAR (USA)

17.4 Early Earth geodynamics and evolution – uncovering links between changing early Earth and biological diversification

Martin Van KRANENDONK [email protected] (Australia), Ian CAMPBELL (Australia) and Craig O’NEILL (Australia)

17.5 The origin and settings of Archean mineral systems

Nicolas THÉBAUD [email protected] (Australia), Wolf MAIER (Finland) and Kevin CASSIDY (Australia)

Theme 18. The Proterozoic Earth

Coordinators: Peter BETTS [email protected] (Australia) and Martin HAND (Australia)

The Proterozoic eon is characterised by major and rapid continental growth and accretion, supercontinent cycles and extensive orogenic activity. Symposia covered all aspects of Proterozoic crustal evolution including magmatism, sedimentation and metamorphism; metallogeny; oxygenation of the Earth; and geodynamics and plate tectonic reconstructions.

Symposia

18.1 Building the Australian continent

Richard BLEWETT [email protected] (Australia) and Dorothy CLOSE (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Russell KORSCH (Australia) and David HUSTON (Australia)

18.2 The Neoproterozoic Earth

Martin KENNEDY [email protected] (Australia), Louis DERRY (USA) and Nicholas CHRISTIE-BLICK (USA)

Keynote speakers: Shuhai XIAO (USA) and Nick CHRISTIE-BLICK (USA)

18.3 Proterozoic supercontinents, processes, models, myths, and possibilities

Zheng-Xiang LI [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Shihong ZHANG (China), Richard ERNST (Canada) and Bruce EGLINGTON (Canada)

18.4 Proterozoic magmatism: implication for tectonic models

Kent CONDIE [email protected] (USA) and Justin PAYNE (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Wouter BLEEKER (Canada)


18.5 Metallogenic systems of the Proterozoic

Franco PIRAJNO [email protected] (Australia) and Tom BLENKINSOP (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Kurt KYSER (Canada), Simon JOHNSON (Australia) and Steffan HAGEMANN (Australia)

Theme 19. Geochronology and Isotope Geology

Coordinators: Paulo VASCONCELOS [email protected] (Australia), Donald DEPAOLO (USA) and Igor VILLA (Switzerland)

This Theme covered advances in isotope geochemistry and geochronology, and dating geologically young materials and processes.

Symposia

19.1 Advances in isotope geochemistry and geochronology

Sue GOLDING [email protected] (Australia), Yuri AMELIN [email protected] (Australia) and Igor VILLA [email protected] (Switzerland)

19.2 Dating our recent past - analytical methods in Quaternary geochronology and paleoclimatology

Jian-xin ZHAO [email protected] (Australia), Chuan-Chou (River) SHEN (Taiwan), and Gangjian WEI (China)

19.3 Dating landscape evolution - low-temperature thermochronology and cosmogenic nuclides

Paulo VASCONCELOS [email protected] (Australia), Ken FARLEY (USA), Paul BIERMAN (USA) and Andrew GLEADOW (Australia)

Theme 20. Planetary Sciences

Coordinators: Graziella CAPRARELLI [email protected] (Australia), Monica PONDRELLI (Italy), Charles LINEWEAVER (Australia), James HEAD (USA) and Phil NICHOLSON (USA)

This Theme addressed the processes and driving mechanisms that have led to the formation of planetary systems and their evolution, with particular emphasis on the formation of the solar system from the solar nebula, its physical and cosmochemical evolution, the formation and evolution of planets, the onset of life and its distribution in the solar system and in the universe. Topics included the composition of the solar nebula and its early dynamics; the formation of planets; the cosmochemistry of planetary bodies, small objects and meteorites; planetary interiors; modelling of geodynamical processes on terrestrial planets; tectonism, volcanism, meteoritic impact history and surface processes on terrestrial planets; planetary atmospheres; the exploration of the solar system and results from recent space missions to planets and satellites; early life and astrobiology; terrestrial analogues; geological mapping of terrestrial planets; planetary databases; exoplanets.

Symposia

20.1 Terrestrial Planets and Habitability

Graziella CAPRARELLI [email protected] (Australia), Jesus MARTINEZ-FRIAS (SPAIN), Angelo PIO ROSSI [email protected] (Germany) and Monica PONDRELLI (Italy)

20.2 Radar in planetary exploration

Roberto OROSEI [email protected] (Italy) and Jani RADEBAUGH (USA)

Keynote Speakers: Roberto OROSEI (Italy) and Ralph LORENZ (USA)

20.3 Lunar research and exploration in the 21st century

Robert PIDGEON [email protected] (Australia) and Jennifer HELDMANN (USA)

Keynote speakers: G. Jeffrey TAYLOR (USA) and David KRING (USA)


Theme 21. Magmatism – Settings, Compositions and Processes

Coordinators: Janet HERGT [email protected] (Australia) and Jon BLUNDY (UK)

This Theme covered field-based, geochemical, experimental and modelling studies of magmatism – both ancient and modern – arranged according to magmatic setting. It will include granite petrogenesis and metallogenesis; granites in space and time; subduction zone magmatism including a special session on magmatism in the SW Pacific; active volcanism; ocean ridge and all forms of intraplate magmatism (e.g., kimberlites) and large igneous provinces.

Symposia

21.1 Bruce Chappell Symposium. Felsic magmas: petrogenesis to metallogenesis

Phil BLEVIN [email protected] (Australia), Bruce CHAPPELL (Australia) and Shunso ISHIHARA (Japan)

Keynote speaker: Colleen BRYANT (Australia), David CHAMPION (Australia) and Phil BLEVIN (Australia)

21.2 Granite versus orogenic style

Bill COLLINS [email protected] (Australia) and Bernard BONIN (France)

21.3 Subduction zone magmatism including a special session on magmatism in the SW Pacific

Richard WYSOCZANSKI [email protected] (New Zealand), Monica HANDLER (New Zealand) and Colin WILSON (New Zealand)

Keynote speakers: Jon BLUNDY (UK) and Richard ARCULUS (Australia) - Special session of magmatism in the SW Pacific

21.4 Magmatism in extensional environments (continental rifts and MORB)

Trevor FALLOON [email protected] (Australia) and Yaoling NIU (UK)

Keynote speaker: Kenneth RUBIN (USA)

21.5 Intraplate magmatism, including ocean island basalts, continental basalt provinces, kimberlites and lamproites

Ben COHEN [email protected] (Australia), Ian MCDOUGALL (Australia) and Godfrey FITTON (UK)

Keynote speakers: Anthony KOPPERS (USA) and Paul WESSEL (USA)

21.6 Large Igneous Provinces and their impact on the lithosphere, atmosphere and biosphere

Scott BRYAN [email protected] (Australia), Steve SELF (UK) and Ingrid UKSTINS-PEATE (USA)

Keynote speakers: Sverre PLANKE (Norway) and Richard ERNST (Canada)

Theme 22. Metamorphic Rocks and Processes

Coordinators: Jörg HERMANN [email protected] (Australia), Geoffrey CLARKE (Australia) and Simon HARLEY (UK)

Metamorphic rocks provide insights into plate tectonic processes and fluid-rock interactions acting in the Earth’s crust. This Theme included how metamorphic reactions monitor changes in the physical and chemical properties of the crust; constraints on fluid compositions from near surface alteration, subduction zone and collisional metamorphism and geochemical constraints on timescales of metamorphic processes. geochronology, geochemistry, experimental and metamorphic petrology and structural geology.

Symposia

22.1 From ocean floor to subduction zone metamorphism

Katy EVANS [email protected] (Australia), Phillipe AGARD (France), Carl SPANDLER (Australia), Marco SCAMBELLURI (Italy) and Jörg HERMANN (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Brad HACKER (USA) and Stefano POLI (Italy)


22.2 Rates of metamorphic processes

Geoff FRASER [email protected] (Australia), Ethan BAXTER (USA) and Sue BALDWIN (USA)

Keynote speakers: Daniela RUBATTO (Australia) and Mark CADDICK (Switzerland)

22.3 Mechanisms of metamorphic reactions and fluid-rock interaction

Andrew PUTNIS [email protected] (Germany), Lukas BAUMGARTNER (Switzerland), Bill CARLSON (USA) and Jay AGUE (USA)

Keynote speakers: Håkon AUSTRHEIM (Norway) and David PATTISON (Canada)

22.4 Quantification of extreme metamorphism and implications for tectonics

Chris CLARKE [email protected] (Australia), Brad HACKER (USA), Yong Fei ZHENG (China) and Yasu OSANAI (Japan)

Keynote speakers: Tim LITTLE (New Zealand) and David KELSEY (Australia)

22.5 Anatexis

Geoffrey CLARKE [email protected] (Australia), Michael BROWN (USA), Bernardo CESARE (Italy) and Gary STEVENS (South Africa)

Keynote speakers: Edward SAWYER (Canada), Fawna KORHONEN (Australia), Gary STEVENS (South Africa) and Fernando BEA (Spain)

22.6 Accessory phases and trace elements in metamorphic processes

Daniela RUBATTO [email protected] (Australia), Nigel KELLY (USA), Ian BUICK (South Africa), Simon HARLEY (UK) and Thomas ZACK (Germany)

Keynote speakers: Emilie JANOTS (France) and Steve REDDY (Australia)

Theme 23. Evolution of the Biosphere

Coordinators: John LAURIE [email protected] (Australia) and Andrew Knoll (USA)

This theme explored the events, processes and drivers which have influenced the evolution of life and how life has influenced the evolution of the planet. Topics included the Ediacaran and the Cambrian explosion; Paleozoic biofacies, biogeography and bioevents; evolution of hominins; oxygen and evolution; Archean life; Gondwanan Mesozoic vertebrates; Mesozoic bioevents; origin and evolution of marsupials; early vertebrate evolution; Cenozoic marine environments; modern techniques in paleontology; and general paleontology.

Symposia

23.1 Martin Glaessner Symposium: The Ediacaran and the Cambrian Explosion

John LAURIE [email protected] (Australia), Glenn BROCK (Australia) and Guy NARBONNE (Canada)

23.2 General Palaeontology

Alex Cook [email protected] (Australia), Alexander NUTZEL (Germany), Ian PERCIVAL (Australia), Tony WRIGHT (Australia) and Guang SHI (Australia)

23.3 Evolution of hominins

Colin GROVES [email protected] (Australia), Chris STRINGER (Australia) and Darren CURNOE (Australia)

23.4 Proterozoic life

Kathleen GREY [email protected] (Australia) and Malgosia MOCZYDLOWSKA-VIDAL (Sweden)

Keynote speakers: Emmanuelle JAVAUX (Belgium) and Joe KIRSCHVINK (USA)

23.5 Mesozoic bioevents and Gondwanan Biotas

Benjamin KEAR [email protected] (SWEDEN), Thomas RICH (Australia), David HAIG [email protected] (Australia), Stephen MCLOUGHLIN (Sweden) and Mikael SIVERSSON (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Louis JACOBS (USA)


23.7 Origin and evolution of marsupials

Michael ARCHER [email protected] (Australia) and Suzanne HAND (Australia)

23.8 Cenozoic marine environments

Stephen Gallagher [email protected] (Australia) and Bridget WADE (UK)

Keynote speaker: Paul N PEARSON (UK)

Theme 24. Reefs and Carbonates

Coordinators: Gregory E WEBB [email protected] (Australia) and Noel P JAMES (Canada)

Carbonate rocks made by organisms, from reefs and microbialites to bioclastic grainstones and chalk, record ecological, environmental and biogeochemical information through time at daily to geological time scales. Corals and coral reefs in particular inform our understanding of Pleistocene/Holocene and, potentially, future climate change while ancient carbonate rocks allow the investigation of secular changes in eustasy, marine chemistry and biology that allow us to establish baseline behaviour for broader Earth system dynamics. This Theme attracted contributions on: modern reefs and climate change; fossil reefs; microbial carbonates, including stromatolites; and secular changes in carbonate sedimentology and geochemistry.

Symposia

24.1 Reefs and Carbonates – secular changes including climate

Gilbert CAMOIN [email protected] (France), Vinod TEWARI [email protected] (India), Annette GEORGE (Australia) and Bradley OPDYKE (Australia)

24.2 Ancient reefs

Jody WEBSTER [email protected] (Australia)

24.3 Understanding microbial carbonates

Gregory E WEBB [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Malcolm WALTER (Australia)

Theme 25. Marine Geoscience and Oceanography

Coordinators: Neville EXON (Australia) [email protected]

Marine geoscience, seabed mapping, oceanography and paleoceanography are closely interrelated themes, and are particularly important to Australia with its large marine jurisdiction. This Theme encompassed on the International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), with its many facets including deep biosphere below the ocean floor; the importance of geoscience in making offshore jurisdictional claims under the United Nations Convention Law of Sea; seabed mapping for living and non-living resource assessment and the development of marine protected areas; the marine geoscience aspects of the International Polar Year (IPY); deep biosphere below the ocean floor; coastal and offshore sedimentology; and physical oceanography.

Symposia

25.1 Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), the results of deep drilling in the oceans

Neville EXON [email protected] (Australia) and Mike MOTTL (USA)

Keynote speaker: Mike MOTTL (USA) and Neville EXON (Australia)

25.2 Palaeoceanography and sea-level records

Colin WOODROFFE [email protected] (Australia) and Leanne ARMAND (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Eelco J ROHLING (UK)

25.3 Physical processes of coastal and shelf sedimentation

Charitha PATTIARATCHI [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Michael COLLINS (UK)


25.4 Source to sink sediment pathways and the evolution of continental margins

Chuck NITTROUER [email protected] (USA) and Alan ORPIN (New Zealand)

Keynote speakers: John P WALSH (USA) and Peter D CLIFT (UK)

25.5 Geoscience applications for ocean management and also for supporting jurisdictional claims under the United Nations Law of the Sea

Andrew HEAP [email protected] (Australia), Brian TODD (Canada) and Mark Alcock (AUSTRALIA)

Keynote speakers: Gary GREENE (USA) and Phil SYMONDS (Australia)

25.6 Marine minerals in Oceania

David CRONAN [email protected] (UK), Cornel DE RONDE (New Zealand) and Neville EXON (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Cornel DE RONDE (New Zealand) and James HEIN (USA)

Theme 26. Antarctic and Arctic Geoscience

Coordinators: Phil O’BRIEN [email protected] (Australia) and Tim NAISH (New Zealand)

Geoscience research in the Polar Regions has received major boosts through initiatives such as the International Polar Year, data acquisition projects such as IODP and the ANDRILL program drilling, major airborne geophysical campaigns and application of a new generation of computer climate and ice sheet models. At the same time concerns have grown over the impacts of climate change and human influences on both regions. This Theme covered major developments in polar earth sciences and marked the centenary of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Douglas Mawson. Presentations covered marine biogeochemistry, geological processes and human impacts in polar regions; Rodinia to Gondwana: development of the Southern supercontinent; and polar climate archives integrated with numerical modelling and their global significance.

Symposia

26.1 The geology of Antarctic life: history and habitats

Phil O’BRIEN [email protected] (Australia) and Jeff STILWELL (Australia)

26.2 Polar climate archives and their global significance

Tim NAISH [email protected] (New Zealand) and Henk BRINKHUIS (The Netherlands)

26.3 Arctic tectonics

Loic LABROUSSE [email protected] (France) and Oleg PETROV (Russia)

26.4 Rodinia to Gondwana: evolution of the southern supercontinent

Chris CARSON [email protected] (Australia) and Mark FANNING (Australia)


Theme 27. Biogeoscience

Coordinators: Matthew STOTT [email protected] (New Zealand) and Jill BANFIELD (USA)

This Theme explored the interaction between geology, and biology, and how this interaction influences the environment. It will include sessions on the roles of organisms in geological formation, biological involvement in ore formation; mineral bioprocessing; the detection and analysis of microbes in soils, extremophilic microorganisms and their niches, and earth systems management.

Symposia

27.1 Biogeochemical cycling and Bioprocessing technologies

John MOREAU [email protected] (Australia), Racquel QUATRINI [email protected] (Chile) and Carol DAVIS-BELMAR (Chile)

Keynote Speakers: Richard BUSH (Australia), Paul NORRIS (UK) and David HOLMES (CHILE)

27.2 Microbes and extreme environments and the Deep Biosphere

Lesley WARREN [email protected] (Canada), Anna KAKSONEN (Australia) and Don COWAN (South Africa)

Keynote Speakers: Gordan SOUTHAM (USA), Ken TAKAI (JAPAN) and Jill MIKUCKI (USA)

Theme 28. Groundwater/Hydrogeology

Coordinators: Ken LAWRIE [email protected] (Australia) and Chris DAUGHNEY (New Zealand)

The past decade has seen an increased demand for hydrogeological predictions to sustain growth, promote wealth and protect landscape, infrastructure and biodiversity assets. Improved understanding of hydrogeological systems underpins the development of more effective groundwater models and management strategies and actions. Topics covered in this Theme included: climate change impacts on groundwater; surface-groundwater interaction; managed aquifer recharge; groundwater modelling and parameterisation; delineation and management of groundwater resources; aquifer and aquitard mapping and characterisation; recharge and discharge mapping; groundwater and mining; coastal groundwater; groundwater dependent ecosystems; risks to groundwater quality including salinity; hydrogeochemistry including water-rock interactions; and socio-economic, and legal aspects of groundwater management.

Symposia

28.1 Groundwater resources and sustainable management

Gil ZEMANSKY [email protected] (New Zealand) and Ross BRODIE (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Craig SIMMONS (Australia)

28.2 Groundwater processes: interactions, dynamics and response

Chris DAUGHNEY [email protected] (New Zealand), Uwe MORGENSTERN (New Zealand) and Bear MCPHAIL (Australia)

28.3 Geoscientific mapping, characterisation and conceptualisation of hydrogeological systems

Ken LAWRIE [email protected] (Australia), Jon CLARKE (Australia) and Malcolm COX (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Jared ABRAHAM (USA)

28.4 Groundwater for energy and mining

Ken LAWRIE [email protected] (Australia) and Steven LEWIS (Australia)

28.5 Hazards and risks to groundwater systems

Ken LAWRIE [email protected] (Australia), Baskaran SUNDERAM (Australia) and Chris DAUGHNEY (New Zealand)

28.6 Visualisation and modelling of groundwater systems

Malcolm COX [email protected] (Australia), Mauricio TAULIS (Australia) and Bruce GILL (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Clifford VOSS (USA)


Theme 29. Surficial Processes and Landscape Evolution

Coordinators: Allan CHIVAS [email protected] (Australia) and Brad PILLANS (Australia)

This Theme addressed the key processes that shape the landscape, the nature of landscape and its evolution. Presentations covered surficial process and rates of activity; regolith processes; landforms; pedogenic carbonates; laterites; soils; desertification.

Symposia

29.1 Landscape response to climate change: quantifying present and ancient rates of Earth-surface processes

Anthony DOSSETO [email protected] (Australia) and Arjun HEIMSATH (USA)

Keynote speaker: Paul BIERMAN (USA)

29.2 Karst: processes, environments and paleoenvironmental records

Jianhua CAO [email protected] (China) and Yaoru LU (China)

Keynote speaker: Zaihua LIU (China)

29.3 Regolith/landform evolution and clay minerals

Brad PILLANS [email protected] (Australia), Paul HESSE [email protected] (Australia), Matt TELFER (UK), Paul BISHOP (UK), Chun Hui (Clayton) ZHOU [email protected] and John Keeling (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Hervé THEVENIAUT (France)

29.4 Deep weathering through deep time: regolith processes and ore deposits

Ravi ANAND [email protected] (Australia) and Allan CHIVAS (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Bill VERBOOM (Australia)

Theme 30. Geohazards

Coordinators: Phil CUMMINS [email protected] (Australia), Terry WEBB (New Zealand) and Kelvin BERRYMAN (New Zealand)

Presentations addressed the wide range of geohazards that regularly impact on societies and economies, including research into geological and geophysical processes, geohazard mapping, impact and risk assessments, and the evaluation and testing of mitigation strategies. Indicative Symposia will cover: earthquake hazards; neotectonics; volcanic (ash) hazards; tsunami hazards and monitoring systems; severe storm hazards; riverine flooding hazards; landslide hazards; natural hazard risk assessment and modelling methods; monitoring, prediction, warning and mitigation for geohazards.

Symposia

30.1 Subaerial and submarine landslide hazards [IGCP585]

Jason CHAYTOR [email protected] (USA), Peter BOBROWSKY (Canada), Ashvin WICKRAMASOORIYA (Sri Lanka) and Diana ZAKHIDOVA (Romania)

Keynote speakers: Geoffroy LAMARCHE (New Zealand) and Phil FLENTJE (Australia)

30.2 Natural hazards and climate change

Bob CECHET [email protected] (Australia), Graeme SMART (New Zealand) and Martyn HAZELWOOD (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Andrew ASH (Ausltralia)

30.3 Improving the interaction between natural/physical and social sciences to increase the effectiveness of natural disaster risk reduction

Irina RAFLIANA [email protected] (Indonesia), Dale DOMINEY-HOWES (Australia) and Michelle DALY (New Zealand)


30.4 Geohazards in subduction zones

Laura WALLACE [email protected] (New Zealand), Phil CUMMINS (Australia) and Danny NATAWIDJAJA (Indonesia)

Keynote speakers: Yuki SAWAI (Japan) and Gill JOLLY (New Zealand)

30.5 Geohazard risk analysis: the state of the art

Jane SEXTON [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speaker: John SCHNEIDER (Australia)

30.6 Earth monitoring for improved forecasting of natural hazards

Phil CUMMINS [email protected] (Australia) and Ken GLEDHILL (New Zealand)

Keynote speakers: Ryota HINO (Japan), Ken GLEDHILL (New Zealand) and Andy STEVEN (Australia)

30.7 Advances in Earthquake and Tsunami Hazard Assessment

Phil CUMMINS [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Phil Playford (Australia)

Theme 31. Engineering Geology and Geomechanics

Coordinators: Mark EGGERS [email protected] (Australia) and Francisco DE JORGE (Brazil)

The interface between geology and engineering is critical to our rapidly expanding urban space and increasing demand for the Earth’s resources. Presentations covered geoengineering challenges for our ever-growing cities; geoscience inputs to major infrastructure developments, including underground construction and corridor studies; increasing use of engineering geology concepts in the optimisation of open pit and underground mine design; key roles of geoengineering in mitigating climate change; improving the development of geological models for engineering projects; and advances in geomechanics.

Symposia

31.1 Engineering geological challenges for our ever growing cities

Martin CULSHAW [email protected] (UK)

Keynote speaker: Simon PRICE (UK)

31.2 Engineering geology in major infrastructure developments

Francisco DE JORGE [email protected] (Brazil)

Keynote speaker: Simon LOEW (Switzerand)

31.3 Engineering geology in mining

Mark EGGERS [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Tim SULLIVAN (Australia)

31.4 Engineering geology in managing risk from geohazards and impacts of climate change

Anders SOLHEIM [email protected] (Norway)

Keynote speakers: Jordi COROMINAS (Spain), Raymond K.S. CHAN (Hong Kong)

31.5 Improving the development of geological models for engineering studies

Steve PARRY [email protected] (Hong Kong)

Keynote speaker: Jim GRIFFITH (UK)

31.6 Interaction of engineering geology and geomechanics

Phil PAIGE-GREEN [email protected] (South Africa)


Theme 32. Geoscience Information from Proximal and Remote Sensing Technologies

Coordinators: Tom CUDAHY [email protected] (Australia), Adam LEWIS (Australia), and Carlos DE SOUZA FILHO (Brazil) [UNESCO- IUGS Geological Applications of Remote Sensing (GARS) program]

Presentations in this theme will addressed how emerging “geoscience-tuned” sensed data from satellite, airborne, drill core, and other field sources can provide valuable information for the measurement, mapping and monitoring of geological processes. Other topics included: new “geoscience-tuned” sensing technologies; mineral, lithological and structural mapping; resource (minerals, hydrocarbon and geothermal) exploration; volcanic hazard assessment; mapping and monitoring of landforms, soils, biomass and water; natural disaster management; mine environmental baseline-inventories, monitoring and mine closure assessment; mapping planets/moons; methods for the measurement of (bio)physicochemistry; geoscience information product standards; seamless, integrated (with other geospatial data) 3D and 4D (temporal) mapping; and geoscience information delivery systems.

Symposia

32.1 Mineral exploration

Fred KRUSE [email protected] (USA)

Keynote speaker: Sandra PERRY (USA)

32.2 Energy and Resource Environment

Carlos DE SOUZA FILHO [email protected] (Brazil) and Cindy ONG (Australia)

Keynote speakers: Benoit RIVARD (Canada) and Eyal BEN-DOR (Israel)

32.3 Earth’s environment

Sabine CHABRILLAT [email protected] (Germany), Alvaro P. CRÓSTA (Brazil) and Mike ABRAMS [email protected] (USA)

Keynote speakers: Robert GREEN (USA), Stuart MARSH (UK & GARS) and Robert WRIGHT (USA)

32.4 National Virtual Core Library (NVCL)

Jon HUNTINGTON [email protected] (Australia) and David GREEN (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Jon Huntington (Australia)

Theme 33. History of the Geosciences

Coordinators: Barry COOPER [email protected] (Australia) and S F de M FIGUEIRÔA (Brazil) [37th Conference of the International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences - INHIGEO]

This Theme encompassed on history of geosciences; historical perspective on geologists; history of resource exploration and development; major geological achievements in 20th century; general contributions in the history of geology.

Symposia

33.1 Biographical studies of eminent geologists: a Symposium in honour of David Branagan

David OLDROYD [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Léo F LAPORTE (USA)

33.2 The early history of Continental Drift and associated subjects

Allan KRILL [email protected] (Norway) and Homer Le GRAND (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Allan KRILL (Norway)

33.3 Major achievements in 20th century geology

Carol BACON [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Ian McDOUGALL (Australia)


33.4 Geology in tropical regions

Bernie JOYCE [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote Speaker: Silvia FIGUEIRôA (Brazil)

33.5 Geologists, resource exploration and development: an historical perspective

Ken MCQUEEN [email protected] (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Tony HOPE (Australia)

Theme 34. Major Geoscience Initiatives, Geosurveys and Maps

Coordinators: Ian LAMBERT [email protected] (Australia) and Ian WITHNALL (Australia)

This Theme covered major geoscience initiatives, including those involving international Geosurveys and the Commission for the Geological Map of the World.

Symposia

34.1 Geological processes of the construction of Asia

Manuel PUBELLIER [email protected] (France), Jishun REN (China) and Xiaochi JIN (China)

34.2 Geological and metallogenic responses to deep processes in eastern Asia and continental margins

Shuwen DONG [email protected] (China) and Oleg PETROV (Russia)

Keynote speakers: Shuwen DONG (China), Oleg PETROV (Russia), Tomurtogoo. O (Mongolia) and Sung Won KIM (Republic of Korea)

34.3 SinoProbe—deep exploration in China

Dong SHUWEN [email protected] (China), Tingdong LI (China), Larry BROWN (USA) and Mian Liu (USA)

Theme 35. Geostandards

Coordinators: Colin SIMPSON [email protected] (Australia) and William CAVAZZA (Italy)

All Symposia were organised by the International Commission for Stratigraphy

Symposia

35.1 GSSPs (Global boundary-stratotype section and point) as global geostandards

Stan FINNEY [email protected] (USA), Marco BALINI (Italy) and Jim OGG (USA)

35.2 International Subcommission on Neoproterozoic stratigraphy: Neoproterozoic chronostratigraphy and the evolution and diversification of metazoa and evolution of the Earth system

James GEHLING [email protected] (Australia)

35.3 International Subcommission on Cambrian stratigraphy: Cambrian chronostratigraphy and evolution and diversification of early Cambrian life

Shanchi PENG [email protected] (China) and Loren BABCOCK (USA)

Keynote speakers: James B. JAGO (Australia), Michael STEINER (Germany), Xingliang ZHANG (China) and Maoyan ZHU (China)

35.4 International Subcommission on Ordovician stratigraphy: Ordovician intercontinental correlations: developing global and regional chronostratigraphy

David HARPER [email protected] (UK) and Ian PERCIVAL (Australia)

Keynote speaker: Thijs VANDENBROUCKE (France)

35.5 The Devonian-Carboniferous-Permian Correlation chart

Manfred MENNING [email protected] (Germany)

Keynote speakers: Manfred MENNING (Germany), Charles HENDERSON (Canada), Barry RICHARDS (UK) and Markus ARETZ (France)


35.6 International Subcommission on Quaternary stratigraphy: short-time divisions in the Quaternary; and onshore-offshore correlation during the Quaternary

Phil GIBBARD [email protected] (UK)

Theme 36. Regional, Thematic and Specialist Symposia

Several Symposia were organised by groups associated with the IUGS and other international and national associations, for which presentations were by invitation of the convenors. Other Symposia covered minerals and a range of research activities focussed on Asia.

Coordinator: Ian LAMBERT [email protected] (Australia)

Symposia

36.1 Environmental change and ancient societies [IGCP 567, INQUA 0501 and IGCP 521]

Patrick NUNN [email protected] (Australia), Bruce MCFADGEN (New Zealand), Iain STEWART (UK), Manuel SINTUBIN (Belgium) and Valentina YANKO-HOMBACH (Canada)

36.2 Environmental change and sustainability in karst systems: relations to climate change and anthropogenic activities (2011-2016) [IGCP/SIDA Project 598]

Cheng ZHANG [email protected] (China), Chris GROVES (USA) and Augusto AULER (Brazil)

36.3 Greater Altai – a unique rare-metal-gold-polymetallic province in Central Asia [National Committee of Kazakhstan Geologists]

Bulat UZHKENOV [email protected] (Kazakhstan), Alexey VARLAMOV (Russia) and Grigory ABRAMSON (Australia)

36.4 Geoscience challenges in the 21st century: an early-career perspective [YES Network]

Joanne VENUS [email protected] (UK), Gabriela PERLINGEIRO (Australia) and Michelle COOPER (Australia)

36.5 Inclusions in minerals [International Mineralogical Association Working Group on Inclusions in Minerals]

Pei NI [email protected] (China), Ronald BAKKER (Austria) and Fanus VILJOEN (South Africa)

Keynote speakers: Vadim KAMENETSKY (Australia) and Guoxiang CHI (Canada)

36.6 Minerals and related phases

Andrew CHRISTY [email protected] (Australia)

36.7 Geoscience research and concepts from Asia and environs

Ian LAMBERT [email protected] (Australia) and Paul KAY (Australia)

Theme 37. Alternative Concepts

Note – these Symposia will be arranged by the convenors listed and presentations may be by invitation.

Symposia

37.1 Expanding Earth (Sam Carey Memorial)

Giancarlo SCALERA [email protected] (Italy), James MAXLOW (Australia), Cliff OLLIER (Australia) and Stefan CWOJDZINSKI (Poland)

37.2 Pursuit of a new global geodynamic paradigm

Dong CHOI [email protected] (Australia), Ismail BHAT (India) and Karsten STORETVEDT (Norway)

Keynote speakers: Ismail BHAT (India), Karsten STORETVEDT (Norway), Dong R CHOI (Australia), Takao YANO (Japan), Boris I. VASILIEV (Russia) and Louis HISSINK (Australia)


Attachment 11: Summary of Professional Development Workshops Delivered

WORKSHOP 29 (107 participants)

DATE 31st July (Icebreaker), 1st – 4th August (Workshop)

TITLE 6th International SHRIMP Workshop

LOCATION O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, Lamington National Park, QLD

ORGANISERS Geoscience Australia Geochronology Laboratory

FEE Nil


DATE Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd August 2012

TITLE 3D GEOLOGICAL MODELLING AND INTERACTIVE TARGETING FOR MINERAL EXPLORATION

LOCATION MIRA GEOSCIENCE OFFICE TOOWONG BRISBANE

ORGANISERS MIRA GEOSCIENCE

PRESENTERS Glenn Pears, James Alderman, Tim Chalke and Peter Fullagar – Mira Geoscience

FEE $1144


DATE Saturday 4th August 2012

TITLE GEOCHEMISTRY IN MINERAL EXPLORATION

LOCATION HOTEL GEORGE WILLIAMS 325 George St Brisbane

ORGANISERS Members of Association of Applied Geochemists

PRESENTERS Association of Applied Geochemists, co-ordinated by David Cohen

FEE $286


DATE Sunday 5th August 2012

TITLE The International Geo Sample Number: Towards a Global Standard Method for Identifying, Locating & Citing Physical Samples

LOCATION CONGRESS VENUE

ORGANISERS Kerstin Lehnert & Lesley Wyborn

PRESENTERS Kerstin Lehnert & Lesley Wyborn

CONTACT Kerstin Lehnert [email protected]

FEE Nil




TITLE CONTOURITES and THEIR SIGNIFICANCE: OCEANOGRAPHIC PROCESSES and SEDIMENTARY PRODUCTS ASSOCIATED with DEEP - WATER CIRCULATION


ORGANISERS UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO SPAIN

PRESENTERS Professor Dorrik Stow (Scotland), Dr Javier Hernandez – (Spain) Professor Dr David Van Rooij (Belgium)

FEE IGSC Delegates $400; Student delegates $200 (no catering)

WORKSHOP 9 ( 14 participants)


TITLE THE PRACTICAL GEOLOGY OF THE SOLWARA 1 SEAFLOOR MASSIVE SULPHIDE DEPOSIT, PNG


ORGANISERS NAUTILUS MINERALS

PRESENTERS Dr Peter Crowhurst and others to be advised.

FEE $1650



TITLE TECHNIQUES AND APPLICATIONS OF PETROLEUM INCLUSION ANALYSIS

LOCATION SCHOOL of EARTH SCEINCES, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

ORGANISERS CSIRO

PRESENTERS Herbert Volk; Richard Kempton and Julien Bourdet (CSIRO)

CONTACT Richard Kempton

Email: [email protected]

$154 for IGC Delegates; Students free.



TITLE APPLICATION OF ASD and HYLOGGING SPECTRAL DATA to EXPLORATION and MINING: GETTING IT RIGHT and MAKING IT WORK FOR YOUR PROJECT AREA.


ORGANISERS AusSpec International

PRESENTERS Dr Sasha Pontual AusSpec International

CONTACT PAUL GAMSON

Email [email protected]

TOTAL FEE $850



DATE Sunday 5th August 2012, perhaps continuing Monday 6th August (evening)

TITLE IMPORTANCE OF GEOETHICS


ORGANISERS AGID

PRESENTERS Dr Vaclav Nemec (Czech Republic)’ Professor Ochir Gerel (Mongolia) Professor Jesus Martinez-Frias (Spain), Dr Satoshi Murao (Japan), Professor Lidmila Nemcova (Czech Republic ), Professor Niichi Nishiwaki (Japan), Professor Haiqiao Tan (PR of China).

CONTACT DR VACLAV NEMEC


FEE Nil



TITLE Instructional Approaches to Access, Accommodation, and Inclusion for Students with Disabilities in the Geosciences


ORGANISERS International Advisory for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD) and the IUGS Commission on Geoscience Education (COGE)

PRESENTERS Dr. Christopher Atchison, Brett Gilley, Gina Ceylan

CONTACT Dr Christopher Atchison [email protected]

TOTAL FEE Nil

During Congress


DATE Monday August 6th 2012

TITLE COMPILATION AND INTERPRETATION OF LARGE MAGNETIC ANOMALY DATA SETS


ORGANISERS Geological Survey of Finland

PRESENTERS Dr. Colin Reeves, Earthworks, The Netherlands Prof. Dhananjay Ravat, University of Kentucky, USA Dr. Peter Milligan, Geoscience Australia, Australia Mr. Juha Korhonen, GTK, Finland Dr Clive Foss, CSIRO Australia

CONTACT JUHA KORHONEN

Email: mailto:[email protected]@gtk.fi

FEE Nil



DATE Monday 6th & Tuesday 7th August 2012

TITLE FROM THE SOLAR PROTUBERANCE THAT CREATED THE EARTH TO THE VOLCANIC AND SEISMIC ACTIVITY OF OUR PLANET


ORGANISERS Pencho Binev – member of the Union of Chemists in Bulgaria

PRESENTERS Professor Emil Manev (University of Sofia, Bulgaria) Pencho Binev ( Union of Chemists in Bulgaria)

CONTACT EMIL MANEV


TOTAL FEE $247.50


DATE Monday 6th, Tuesday 7TH & Thursday 9th August 2012 (evening)

TITLE PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGICAL HETEROGENEITY WITH APPLICATIONS


ORGANISERS ARAMCO

PRESENTERS Dr JA Vargas – Guzman (Saudi Aramco)

CONTACT Dr J A VARGAS–GUZMAN


TOTAL FEE $429


DATE Tuesday 7th August 2012 (evening)

TITLE STANDARDS FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT IN THE GEOSCIENCES – GLOBAL ISSUES IN PROGRAM ACCEDIATION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE


ORGANISERS American Geological Institute & American Institute of Professional Geologists

PRESENTERS Wayne Pennington (Michigan Technological University) Christopher Keane ( American Geological Institute) William Siok (American Institute of Professional Geologists)

CONTACT CHRISTOPHER KEANE


TOTAL FEE Nil


Post-Congress



TITLE PRACTICAL STRATIGRAPHIC FORWARD MODELLING

LOCATION UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

ORGANISERS CSIRO

PRESENTERS Dr Cedric Griffiths; Dr Chris Dyt and Dr Tristan Salles

CONTACT CEDRIC GRIFFITHS


FEE Nil



TITLE 3D MINERAL MAPPING FROM DRILL CORE TO SPACE

LOCATION GEORGE WILLIAMS HOTEL 325 George St BRISBANE

ORGANISERS CSIRO

PRESENTERS Carsten Laukamp, Tom Cudahy and Maarten Haest (Centre of Excellence in 3D Mineral Mapping – CSIRO)

CONTACT DR CARSTEN LAUKAMP


TOTAL FEE $1000 Delegates; $105 Students (Includes Catering and GST)



DATE Friday evening 10th (icebreaker) Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th August 2012

TITLE ASIAN CURRENT RESEARCH ON FLUID INCLUSIONS IV (ACROFI)

LOCATION Friday 10th Aug: GEORGE WILLIAMS HOTEL 325 GEORGE ST BRISBANE Sat –Sun 11-12th Aug QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY – GARDENS

POINT CAMPUS

ORGANISERS GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIA

PRESENTERS Professor Bob Bodnar Virginia Tech USA

CONTACT TERRY MERNAGH


FEE $264 Delegates. $154 Students (Includes Catering and GST)


DATE Monday 13th August 2012

TITLE LESSONS LEARNT FROM AUDITING MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATES

LOCATION VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED

ORGANISERS AMC CONSULTANTS PTY LTD

PRESENTERS Peter Stoker and Mark Berry (AMC)

CONTACT MARK BERRY

FEE $1050 (Includes Catering and GST)


DATE Tuesday 14th August 2012

TITLE ASSESSMENT OF GEOLOGICAL UNCERTAINTY IN MINING AND MANAGEMENT OF RISK

LOCATION VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED

ORGANISERS AMC CONSULTANTS PTY LTD

PRESENTERS Mark Berry (AMC)

CONTACT MARK BERRY

FEE $1050 (Includes Catering & GST)


Attachment 12: Field trips

The references on the map above show locations of one of the primary points of interest for each field trip.


The map shows the locations of the field trips offered. Details of the field trips are available from the 34th IGC Fourth Circular which can be downloaded from www.34igc.org or www.iugs.org. The following summarises the trips that were conducted and others which had to be cancelled as they did not attract minimum numbers of participants.

Pre- and post-congress tours

Pre/Post Tour Ref Tour Name Numbers on tour

Pre Q-1A Geology of Heron Island: Southern Great Barrier Reef 22

Post Q-1B Geology of Heron Island: Southern Great Barrier Reef 21

Post Q-2 Mineralisation of the Mount Isa Region 16

Pre Q-3 Mount Isa Crustal Evolution 9

Post Q-4 The Queensland Energy Province - The Geology Behind Coal, Coalseam Gas, Oil, Traditional Gas, Groundwater and Carbon Geostorage Opportunities

10

Post Q-5 Cretaceous Volcanics and Tectonism of the Whitsunday Large Igneous Province

19

Post Q-8B Fraser Island - Natural and Geological Beauty on the World's Largest Sand Island

12

Post Q-11 North Queensland; 1700 million years of Earth History on the Proterozoic-Phanerozic Margin of Eastern Australia

11

Post NSW-2 Tectonics and mineralisation (including world class porphyries) in the Ordovician Macquarie Arc Lachlan Orogen, NSW

38

Post NSW-7 Oroclinal Bending in the Southern New England Orogen (Brisbane to Sydney)

21

Post T-2 Ore Deposits of Tasmania 19

Post S-4 Ediacaran and Cambrian of South Australia 14

Post NT-1 Geology of Uluru - Alice Springs Region, Ayers Rock Meteorite Crater

12

Post WA-1 Yilgarn Craton: Geological Setting of Gold and Nickel Deposits in the Eastern Goldfields

5

Pre WA-2 A Billion Years of Earth History: A geological Transect through the Pilbara Craton and Mount Bruce Supergroup

11

Post NZ-1 North Island: Active Volcanism, Neotectonics, Geothermal Activity

29

Pre NZ-2 North Island: Auckland Volcanic Field 6

Post NZ-3 Pliocene to Miocene Shelf to Basin Floor Sequences Wanganui and Taranaki Basins, New Zealand

7

Post NZ-4 South Island: Plate Boundary Structure, Alpine Fault, Glaciation

16

Post MY-1 Langkawi Geopark 4

Pre NCAL-1 New Caledonia Subduction/Obduction System, 15

Pre PNG-1 New Guinea Accretionary Prism, Subduction Complex and Ophiolites

15


Cancelled pre-and post- congress extended tours

Queensland

Q-1 A Geology of Heron Island, Southern Great Barrier Reef

Q-1 B Geology of Heron Island, Southern Great Barrier Reef

Q-2 Mineralisation of the Mount Isa Region

Q-3 Mount Isa Crustal Evolution

Q-4 The Queensland Energy Province - The Geology behind Coal, Coal-seam Gas, Oil, Traditional Gas, Groundwater, and Carbon Geostorage Opportunities

Q-5 Cretaceous Volcanics and Tectonism of the Whitsunday Large Igneous Province

Q-6 Cretaceous Faunas, Events and Geology of the Northern Great Artesian Basin

Q-7 Plio-Pleistocene Faunas and Chronology of Southeast and Central Queensland

Q-8A Fraser Island - Natural and Geological Beauty on the World’s Largest Sand Island

Q-8B Fraser Island - Natural and Geological Beauty on the World’s Largest Sand Island

Q-9A Granite Belt (including visits to Wineries)

Q-9B Granite Belt (including visits to Wineries)

Q-10 Cracow-Gympie Gold

Q-11 North Queensland: 1700 million years of Earth History on the Proterozoic-Phanerozoic Margin of Eastern Australia

New South Wales

NSW-1 Lake Mungo - Early Man, Regolith, Landform Evolution

NSW-5 Bega - Murrumbidgee Batholiths Pluton Construction Revealed: Looking Within and Below Batholiths

NSW-6 A Banquet of New South Wales Geology, Geohistory, Dead Fish and Great Wines!

Victoria

V-2 Central Victorian Historical Gold Mines and Recent Wines

V-3 Otway Basin Carbon Capture and Storage

Tasmania

T-1 North Coast Tectonic and Sedimentary Sequences

South Australia

S-1 Paleoproterozoic crustal reworking in the core of a transpressional orogen, southern Gawler Craton

S-2 Arkaroola - Flinders Ranges - Astrobiology and Planetary Geology

S-3 Uranium Geology of South Australia

Northern Territory

NT-2 Geology of Kakadu-Litchfield, Aboriginal Culture

Western Australia

WA-3 Geology of the Kimberley. Paleoproterozoic Tectonics and Mineralization, Neoproterozoic Glaciations, Devonian Barrier Reef

Papua New Guinea

PNG-1 Rabaul Caldera - Historical and Prehistorical Volcanism


Day Trips

QLD-D1 Geology of Brisbane – Walking Trip

QLD-D2 The Glasshouse Mountains: Geological Icons of Queensland -

QLD-D3 Stradbroke Island and Moreton Bay - Quaternary Sandcastles East of Brisbane

QLD-D4 The Tweed Shield: Australia’s Largest Cenozoic Volcano

QLD-D5 The Scenic Rim of Queensland: Volcanism, Xenoliths, Megacrysts, and Geomorphology of the Early Miocene Main Range Volcano

QLD-D6 Engineering Geology in Southeast Queensland

QLD-D9 CSIRO’s Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies - Research Overview

QLD-10 World’s only Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) and Gas to Liquids (GTL) Plant.

Cancelled day trips

QLD-D7A Toowoomba Industrial Minerals

QLD-D7B Toowoomba Industrial Minerals

QLD-D8A Sunshine Coast Construction Materials

QLD-D8B Sunshine Coast Construction Materials


Attachment 13: 34th IGC financial summary

INCOME

Abstract submission fees 181,189

Congress dinner tickets 125,796

Delegates registration 4,446,267

Exhibitions 799,044

Interest 79,854

Promotional funding – Events Queensland 310,000

Seed funding from Geosurveys 320,600

AGC and Societies funding 186,100

Sponsorships 1,093,098

Welcome reception 38,400

Workshops 69,823

Training workshop grants – Australian Government 1,250,196

GCCSI 100,000

Delegate support – Australian Government 45,356

Total Revenue 9,045,723


EXPENSES

Administration 48,150

Audio visual services 628,573

Audit fees 13,250

Bank fees 485

Communication 1,239

Delegate consumables 112,632

Event production 73,114

Event tours 23,568

Exhibition costs 264,652

GeoHost Program 1,664,271

(Funded delegate program – 314,075)

(Training workshops 1,2 & 3 – 1,350,196)

General proceedings reporting 60,000

Graphic design and production preparation 49,709

Management fees 720,402

Marketing and promotion 376,302

Organising committee expenses 73,536

Printing 187,241

Program 56,949

Credit card merchant/3rd party processing fees 210,511

Resources 53,372

Sponsorship costs 24,526

Venue catering 1,160,233

Venue expenses 541,867

Websites services 46,485

Workshops 53,926

IUGS Capitation Fee 150,000

Returns to stakeholders & young geoscientists travel fund 2,450,730

Total Expenses 9,045,723

Surplus 0


Attachment 14: Sponsors

Major Sponsors

Sponsors


Attachment 15: Exhibitors

EXHIBITOR SPACE

35th IGC Council for Geoscience BLOCK C

AAG, Association of Applied Geochemists

152

Acquire Technology Solutions BLOCK A

Activation Laboratories Ltd (Actlabs) 32

Aeromir INC 174, 175, 184, 185

AIG, Australian Institute of Geoscientists 212

ALS Coal 258

AMC Consultants Pty Ltd 13

American Geosciences Institute 29

ASEG, Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists

153

Asia Ocania Geosciences Society, AOGS 253

Atlas Geophysics 199

AusIMM 136

Australian Geoscience Council 159

AXT Samples and Analysis Pty Ltd BLOCK J

Azeva Group 205

BHP Billiton 99, 100, 101

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance Coal Cooperation Pty Ltd

98

BRGM 42 & 43

Bruker Biosciences Pty Ltd 182 & 183

Bureau Veritas Australia 164 & 165

Cambridge University Press 179

Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences/Tourism Vancouver

BLOCK L

Carpentaria Exploration Ltd 14

The Centre for Exploration Targeting 178

Centre for Petroleum Geoscience and CO2 Sequestration - School of Earth and Environment

181

CGMW, Commission for the Geological Map of the World

44 & 45

China University of Geosciences 03

China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

24 & 25

Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Sino Probe

BLOCK N2

CO2CRC 63

Coal Face Resources 169

Codes 196

Copernicus GmbH 172 & 173

Corescan Pty Ltd 166 & 167

CSA Global Pty Ltd 38 & 39

CSG - Centro Servizi Di Geoingergneria 270

CSIRO 141 & 141A

EXHIBITOR SPACE

Department of Immigration & Citizenship

197

Department of Industry and Investment NSW, Regional Structures and Services

BLOCK E

Department of Mines and Petroleum Western Australia

33 & 34

Department of Resources Energy and Tourism, RET

09

DMITRE, Dept of Manufacture, Innovation, Trade, Resources & Energy

BLOCK B

Earth Science Matters 249

EGRU, James Cook University 10

EuroGeoSurveys BLOCK O

F.W. Breithaupt & Sohn 176

Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources

BLOCK I

FEI Australia 156 & 157

FLSmidth 140 & 140A

Fugro Airborne Surveys 11

Gap Geophysics Australia Pty Ltd 203

Geobrugg Australia 207

Geological Society of Africa 143

Geological Society of America 31

Geological Society of Australia 137

Geological Society of China BLOCK N

Geological Survey of India BLOCK D

Geological Survey of Iran 248

Geological Survey of Japan, AIST 186 & 187

Geological Society of London 202

Geological Survey of Queensland BLOCK U

Geological Survey of Sweden BLOCK P

Geos Mining 255

Geoscience Australia BLOCK X

Global CCS Institute 35

Global Drilling Products 206

Gnomic Exploration Services 251

Gold & Minerals Gazette 201

Gold Fields Australasia 208

Golder Associates 254

GSA - Coal Geology Group 46

HyVista Corporation 198

IAH, International Association of Hydrogeologists

211

IHS Global Limited 27

IMC Mining Group 40 & 41

Infomine 250

Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences NZ (GNS)

BLOCK F


EXHIBITOR SPACE

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program 138 & 139

International Association of Sedimentologists

192

International Geothermal Data Federation & Integrated Earth Data Applicationsn

17

International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)

BLOCK W

Intertek Genalysis 15

Intrepid Geophysics 08

io Global 02

Kazakhstan Geological Society 62A & 65

Kinemetrics, Inc. 18

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources

BLOCK Z

Leica Microsystems Pty Ltd 63A & 64

Linc Energy 62

Lithoview 170 & 171

Metso Minerals (Australia) Limited 30

Micromine 190 & 191

Mineral Resource Authority 04

Mining Associates 16

Mira Geoscience 19

Mitchell Drilling Services 193

Moultrie Group BLOCK Y

National Rock Garden 142

Nautilus Minerals 177

Newcrest Mining Limited 36

OJSC Alrosa 272

Olympus Innov-x 48 & 49

Origin Energy 112 & 113

PESA, Petroluem Exploration Society Australia

209

Phoenix Geophysics Ltd. 256

Portable Analytical Solutions 195

EXHIBITOR SPACE

QGC 26

Qld Resources Council 78 & 79

Queensland University of Technology 114 & 115

Rio Tinto Exploration 110 & 111

The Rock Doctor 47

Rock People 200

Rowland 168

RSC Mining and Mineral Exploration 188 & 189

Russian Geological Research Institute (VSEGEI)

BLOCK M

Salva Resources 194

Sandvik 271

SGS Australia 158

Society of Economic Geologists 28

SOPAC 210

SPECIM, Spectral Imaging Ltd 204

Springer-Verlag GmbH 22 & 23

State Geological and Subsurface Survey of Ukraine

01

Stealth Recruitment 252

Surtron Technologies 37

Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland

273

Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co

12

Taylor and Francis 180

Terra Search Pty Ltd 05

Terrex Seismic 264 & 265

United States Geological Survey (USGS) BLOCK K

The University of Queensland 96 & 97

Vale Exploration Pty Ltd 102 - 109

Velseis Pty Ltd 06 & 07

Vertical Events 20 & 21

Wiley - Blackwell 154 & 155


Attachment 16: Exhibition floor-plan


Attachment 17: Media effectiveness report by Rowland

Media relations

Rowland developed an overarching communication plan, which outlined stakeholder groups and recommended communication activities to engage with each.

With a broad list of stakeholders, mainstream and trade media were key channels to communicate with stakeholders in a cost-effective and credible way. The support of mainstream media was also important to demonstrate geology’s role in a range of societal issues and industries.

As mainstream media typically provide limited coverage of industry conference and often only when the event is in progress, Rowland overcame this challenge by developing a list of tailored media opportunities to pitch to media outlets. This helped to achieve consistent media coverage in the months leading up to the Congress. Rowland pitched more than 18 different story ideas to local, metropolitan, national and international media to achieve more than 100 stories.

Rowland leveraged high-profile personalities in the geoscience community including former Shell CEO Lord Ron Oxburgh and popular BBC presenter Professor Iain Stewart to act as spokespeople for the event and generate media interest.

Further human interest media angles were developed targeting business gossip columns around key IGC representatives, including 34th IGC President, Professor Neil Williams’ interest in bird-watching. These human interest angles became a way to introduce key IGC figures to the media and generate pre-Congress media coverage.

Following the announcement of the G20 summit in Brisbane in 2014, Rowland leveraged an opportunity to frame the 34th IGC as a ‘test run’ for the city. This angle achieved national media coverage in The Herald Sun, Ninemsn, Perth Now, The Courier Mail and The Daily Telegraph.

Rowland was persistent in its efforts to gain the support of local media outlets in the lead up to the IGC. Queensland state-wide newspaper, The Courier Mail, became a key supporter of the 34th IGC to the extent it ran the IGC logo within stories about the Congress. Stories in The Courier Mail were often syndicated across News Limited publications, generating further coverage in major newspapers across Australia.

Rowland’s pre-preparation also included the development of media releases and media alerts to be distributed during the IGC.

Throughout the IGC, media alerts were sent to local media outlets to highlight newsworthy speakers and activities each day to boost media attendance. Rowland distributed media releases about plenary sessions and key Congress activities to media representatives across the country.

During the Congress, a media centre was established with a dedicated workspace for journalists to interview plenary speakers, as well as file stories remotely. Journalists were required to register at the centre and receive a media pass each day. This allowed the media team to monitor journalists attending and provide them with necessary information. Prior to the Congress, all journalists were required to be accredited through the IGC website.

Professor Stewart’s plenary speech about society’s ‘fatal attraction’ to living in dangerous areas attracted significant media interest. Rowland leveraged this media opportunity, achieving national media coverage including arranging an interview for Professor Stewart on Channel Ten’s The Project.

Stakeholder communication

To introduce the 34th IGC to the Australian media and the Queensland business community, Rowland created the IGC Ambassador Program. The program was developed to build interest in the event and start conversations about the IGC to help drive delegate registrations.

Key political and business influencers in Brisbane received a letter from 34th IGC President Professor Neil Williams. This was accompanied by the official IGC tie or scarf.

This strategy proved to be very successful and among the Ambassadors was the Hon Andrew Cripps MP, Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines. He wore the official IGC tie in Queensland Parliament on several occasions and provided a ministerial statement to Parliament prior to the event.

Media columnists also wrote stories on the marketing approach referencing the IGC.


Congress focal point

The Rowland communication team helped develop the concept to have a sand sculpture as the centrepiece for the IGC. The concept was designed to provide a focal point for media interest and to start conversations among stakeholders.

The sand sculpture was built with 15 tonnes of sand in a 6 square metre pit in the centre of the GeoExpo and was changed daily. Three artists developed geoscience inspired sculptures each day. The changing sand sculpture was followed closely by IGC’s social media networks and provided opportunities for media photographs and comments each day.

International Resource Ministers Forum

Rowland was also instrumental in the development of the strategy to have a high profile personality to host the IGC’s first International Resources Ministers Forum. The event was hosted by Australian television presenter Ray Martin, which generated further media interest in the IGC.

The Minsters Forum offered a government perspective on the supply and demand of mineral and energy resources in the medium to long term.

Rowland organised media interviews with the Chinese Minister for Land and Resources after his plenary address which gave insight into China’s future resources demand. The Minister spoke with representatives of the major Australian daily newspapers.

Social media

Graduates from Geoscience Australia assisted in implementing Rowland’s social media strategy in the months leading up to the Congress, while Rowland provided strategic oversight.

Facebook and Twitter were used to build an online network of stakeholders relevant to the IGC. Rowland targeted online influencers and opinion leaders, as well as other stakeholders identified by their occupation or interest in geology.

Shareable and relevant content was distributed through Facebook and Twitter every day to generate interest among these stakeholders, start conversation, and encourage users to subscribe to the channels.

Two photo competitions were launched in the lead up to the IGC, including a weekly geoscience photo competition which called for submissions of unique and interesting geological features, attracting entries from around the world. There was also a competition for the most creative picture of a person wearing the IGC tie or scarf. One enterprising Facebook fan even got an IGC tattoo.

In the weeks before and during the IGC, online activity intensified and a Rowland was assigned full-time to monitor and manage the social media channels. Daily posts about top geological features of Australia were very popular. One post received 991 clicks, with 654 people choosing to share the photo with their network, ‘like’ it or comment on it.

Cross-promotion with other IGC communication tools helped to promote social media channels before the Congress, including website integration and an email to the distribution list. Within 24 hours of the email being sent, the number of people who had ‘liked’ the Facebook page increased from 85 to 321 and the number of followers on Twitter increased from 32 to 65.

Engagement with the social media channels peaked during the week of the IGC. Facebook and Twitter were used to share updates about Congress activities, highlight upcoming plenary sessions and public lectures, and share media coverage about the event.

The social media team “live tweeted” plenary sessions, which generated conversation around key outtakes and encouraged people to share their opinions on the plenary topic. This also generated media interest, with many target journalists actively using Twitter to source story ideas.


Outcomes

Delegate attendance

• More than six thousand delegates converged on the 34th IGC, a thousand above the “best case” target. This is particularly notable given the economic challenges experienced across the world. This attendance was marginally higher than for the 33rd IGC in Oslo, Norway, held in 2008, in more in a period of relative financial stability.

• The GeoExpo filled two of the BCEC’s exhibition halls with a total of 286 exhibition spaces. This is more than triple the number of exhibitors at the 33rd IGC.

Media coverage

• Received more than 100 stories in traditional media, including print, radio and television.

• Received print, online and radio coverage across more than 25 major mainstream media outlets.

Social media

• Facebook received 1,246 ‘likes’ giving the IGC network access to approximately 396,796 people.

• The Twitter channel had 213 followers on Twitter, and the hash tag #34igc was widely used, giving access to a broader network through re-tweets.

• A number of key geological and scientific organisations subscribed to the social media channels, proving the ability of social media to build strategic relationships.

• From 30 July to 5 August 2012, 1,921 unique users created a story about the IGC Facebook page by either sharing a story with their network, ‘liking’ a post or commenting, allowing the Facebook page to reach 49,499 people in the same time period.


Attachment 18: Report of Council MeetingTHIRD ORDINARY SESSION OF THE IUGS-IGC COUNCIL

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia

Day 1, 5 August 2012

Day 2, 9 August 2012

1. OPENING AND WELCOME (Opening remarks by Neil Williams and IUGS President: Alberto Riccardi)

Neil Williams, President of the 34th IGC, opened meeting with a welcoming statement at 09:20 a.m.

Alberto Riccardi, the President of the IUGS (2008-2012), extended a welcoming statement and noted that he is pleased to have the Adhering member representation in this meeting.

During this meeting there will be a review of the reports for the past four years. Members should make conclusions and note of what is expected for the future of the IUGS. Throughout the four years sometimes there is not much interaction however many attend this meeting allowing the best opportunity to see where we are and where we are going.

2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA (Chair: Alberto Riccardi)

No corrections or changes were suggested and the Agenda was approved as circulated.

An Administrative Notice was provided by the Secretary General, Peter Bobrowsky, for all delegates to review the contents of the envelopes that were distributed to the Head Delegates. Peter explained that another envelope will be distributed on Thursday with additional information including the voting ballots.

Motion to approve Agenda

Passed unanimously

3. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

a) Order of Business (A. Riccardi)

The President reviewed the order of business and explained that the IGC follows the Roberts Rules for Fair and Orderly Meetings & Conventions (RRO), a summary of which was provided to everyone in attendance.

Motion to approve Order of Business

Passed unanimously

b) Approval of Minutes (N. Williams)

i. 2nd Ordinary Session of IUGS-IGC Council—33rd Council, August 6 – 10, 2008, Lillestrom

Motion to approve Minutes

Approved as presented

4. PRESIDENT’S REPORT (A. Riccardi)

The main goal for President Riccardi during his four year tenure was for the Union to work towards greater efficiency and relevance of activities by reducing existing duplication of functions and efforts. One of his main concern was to improve interaction with IUGS Adhering and Affiliate members as well as with other bodies and organizations working inside and outside of the IUGS addressing activities as efficiently as possible all earth science issues of relevance to society, with special emphasis in standards, geoeducation, geoinformation and environmental management He worked to develop IUGS activities with limited funds and a fundamental goal was to promote national and international “grassroots” actions within the framework provided by the goals, strategies, and priorities shared by other international organizations, such as UNESCO and the International Council for Science (ICSU).


To effectively carry out the activities described the President relied on the support and collaboration of his EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EC). Thus, for the 2008-2012 term he worked with the following EC members: Past President Zhang Hongren (China), Vice Presidents Jacques Charvet (France) and Ochir Gerel (Mongolia), Secretary General Peter Bobrowsky (Canada), Treasurer William Cavazza (Italy), Councilors (2006 – 2010) Mikhail Fedonkin (Russia) and Marta Mantovani (Brazil), Councilors (2008 – 2012) Ezzoura Errami (Morocco) and Colin Simpson (Australia), and Councilors (2010 –2014) Sampat Tandon (India) and Wesley Hill (USA).

All decisions and actions within the EC were accomplished at annual meetings and by electronic media. Decision-making on all issues confronting the IUGS and its external partners was achieved by reaching a consensus after careful evaluation and consideration. Between August 2008, and August 2012, the Executive Committee held six meetings:

• 59th EC meeting (13 August 2008, Oslo, Norway),

• 60th EC meeting (11 – 15 January 2009, Sydney, Australia),

• 61st EC meeting (22 – 25 February 2010, Paris, France),

• 62nd EC meeting (22 - 25 February 2011, Paris, France),

• 63rd EC meeting (14 - 17 February 2012, San Sebastian, Spain),

• 64th EC meeting (4 August 2012, Brisbane, Australia).

Locations of the annual meetings were decided by the Executive Committee, and representatives of different bodies and organizations, i.e., IUGS Committees, Commissions, UNESCO, ICSU, and other groups, were invited to the meetings as observers.

During the 2008-2012 term, the Vice Presidents and Councilors were given specific guidelines for work in the following areas: interaction with Adhering Organizations (J. Charvet) and Affiliate Organizations (Ochir Gerel), C. Simpson was assigned to edit the IUGS Electronic Bulletin (E-Bulletin); E. Errami worked on International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE); M. Fedonkin on the International Geoscience Program (IGCP) activities; and M. Mantovani and S. Tandon worked on Inactive Members. Some EC members were also assigned to special tasks, i.e., Z. Hongren, J. Charvet, and C. Simpson, represented the IUGS in meetings of other organizations and W. Hill worked on special projects such as the IUGS video presented at various events such as the celebrations of the IUGS 50th and IGCP 40th Anniversaries; and other IUGS exhibitions.

It was President Riccardi’s belief that the EC should be an informed participant in all IUGS activities and decisions. The EC was able to achieve this within available resources by taking advantage of electronic communication facilities and reducing IUGS Bureau meetings to only those which were strictly necessary, one or two each year. This was achieved without any loss of efficiency and resulted in substantial savings for the Union and countries/organizations sponsoring the Bureau members. Thus, during the period the Bureau held six (6) meetings, i.e. 20 October 2008, (Maputo, Mozambique), 16 February 2009 (Paris, France), 21 November 2009 (Lisbon, Portugal), 23 June 2010 (Brisbane, Australia), 21-22 January 2011 (Bangalore, India), 25-26 September 2011 (Rome, Italy), usually in coincidence with some other IUGS/IGCC activity.

To improve the IUGS working structure, the President proposed the re-establishment/establishment of two COMMITTEES; a Finance Committee and a Strategic Planning Committee. The Finance Committee was re-established at the end of 2009, to improve IUGS financial operations, provide audit services on IUGS finances, and provide a report to the IUGS Council every four years before the election of a new EC. The Finance Committee began operations in 2010, and was staffed by former IUGS Treasurers; A. Brambati as Chair, Zdenek Johan, and Pat Leahy, an expert in the management of large geoscientific organizations. As a result of this committee’s work, a report on IUGS finances and an audit was submitted to the IUGS Council and distributed to participants at the 34th IGC. For the period 2008-2012, the careful and able management of IUGS finances by the Treasurer (W. Cavazza) resulted in positive balances and a significant surplus was added to the existing reserves.

In 2009, President Riccardi was actively involved in establishing and organizing the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC). The SPC is charged with making recommendations on the direction of IUGS over the next five years and the integration of its activities in such a way as to sustain current activities while expanding its role in the service of international geosciences. To attain a better interaction of the IUGS constituency the SPC was formed by the two Vice Presidents and the Chairs of the Commissions dealing with Stratigraphy (S. Finney), Geologic Information (K. Asch), Geological Education (G. Lewis), plus a Past


President (U. Cordani) and the Chair of the Committee responsible for the Strategic Plan approved in the year 2000 (P. Cook). The Committee was very ably chaired by A. Boriani. As a result a new Strategic Plan was prepared and submitted for approval of the IUGS Council at the 34th IGC.

The President considered it a priority to support the activities of the existing IUGS COMMISSIONS and TASK GROUPS, i.e., the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), Commission Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI), Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE), Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO), Commission on Environmental Management (GEM), Task Group on Isotope Geology and Geochemistry (TGIG), Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines (TGGGB).

In the case of COGE, President Riccardi interacted with COGE’s Chairs (G. Lewis, J. Martínez Frías) requesting that they examine their own interests and redefine the goals of the Commission, and develop an active participation in UNESCO’s Earth Science Education Initiative on Africa. With regard to GEM, he worked to involve its Chair in IUGS strategic planning. The President maintained a continuous and fruitful interaction with the ICS Chair (S. Finney) in connection with different proposals (e.g. new GSSPs) submitted to the EC for ratification. The President also dealt with the Task Group on Isotopic Geology on various proposals. Based on these activities, he published in Episodes (vol. 34, 4) one comment on procedural matters, and an editorial to clarify IUGS position in relation to geological standards and conventions. President Riccardi supported the upgrade of the Task Group on Tectonics and Structural Geology (TecTask) to the Commission in 2009, and the establishment of three new Task Groups: Global Geoscience Workforce (TGGGW) in 2009, GeoHeritage (TGG) in 2011, and Heritage Stone (HSTG) in 2012. A new Initiative on Forensic Geology was also established in 2011 on the basis of a working group of the Commission on the Environment (GEM).

Additionally, and as a part of a drive to improve efficiency in IUGS activities, several AD HOC REVIEW COMMITTEES (ARCs) reviewed the activities of most commissions and programs, i.e. CGI in 2009, GEM and the International Lithosphere Program (ILP) in 2010, COGE and INHIGEO in 2011, and the TGGGB in 2012. The results were published in various issues of Episodes and included recommendations to improve the activities of those groups.

The President also promoted multilateral cooperation between IUGS members and bodies, i.e., Adhering and Affiliate Members, Commissions and Task Groups and was able to increase productive communications and exchange of information. Their input was requested through several letters; through two editorials published in Episodes (vol. 32 No.3; vol. 33, No.3) and through information included in the IUGS E-Bulletin. Positive responses were received from a number of ADHERING MEMBERS and Affiliate Organizations, although the number of inactive countries remained at 21% - 29%. Eight other organizations increased their membership category and the number of submitted annual reports increased from 25% to almost 35%. A number of Adhering members did not show important changes, although Kosovo became a new member in 2009 and The Netherlands withdrew from the Union in 2010. Work on inactive countries by Councilor S. Tandon resulted in some becoming active again. President wrote letters to the Governments of Bulgaria and Greece supporting their geological organizations. A larger majority of the AFFILIATE MEMBERS were quite active, and six new organizations were accepted as new members: the European Geoparks Network (EGN) and the Italian Federation of Earth Scientists (FIST) in 2009, the European Federation of Geologists (EFG) in 2010, and The Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES), EuroGeoSurveys (EGS), and the Young Earth Scientists Network (YES) in 2011.

As soon as the new Executive Committee took office in 2008, it was confronted with two issues fundamental to the work and visibility of the IUGS: the Editorial Office of Episodes and the Secretariat. THE RELOCATION OF THE IUGS SECRETARIAT became necessary when the long-standing support to the Trondheim office was terminated at the close of 2009, by the Norwegian National Committee. The new President of the IUGS immediately became involved in finding a new host country for the IUGS Secretariat. After negotiating with several countries, the decision was to locate the IUGS Secretariat in the United States for the period 2009-2012, and in Beijing, China, for the period 2012-2020, thanks to the generous support of the U.S. National Committee (Chaired by T. Casadevall) and the China Academy of Geological Sciences.

During his four years as President of the IUGS, he was very fortunate to have the very able and kind help of Anne Linamaa-Dehls (Norway, 2008-2009) and Rich Calnan and Nancy Zeigler (U.S.A., 2010-2012). During 2010-2012, the Secretariat performed with great enthusiasm and efficiency in all types of activities, including preparation of the extensive minutes of the EC meetings and the IUGS Annual Reports for 2010 and 2011.


At the end of 2008, China’s editorial responsibility for the journal Episodes ended. A series of actions by the IUGS President during 2008 and 2009 enabled a smooth transition of EPISODES EDITORIAL OFFICE from China to India due to a new memorandum of understanding MOU between IUGS and the Geological Society of India. As a result, the Editorial Office relocated to Bangalore, India, for the period 2009-2012, thanks to the generous support of the Geological Society of India. During these years, Episodes continued its publications on a regular basis and maintained its high standards. This arrangement will continue under a second MOU for the next four years. During these four years the existing agreement with the Geological Society of London resulted in the addition of sixteen and two new titles to the series respectively of Special Publications and Memoirs that now have a total number of 29 IUGS contributions.

Between 2008 and 2012, information on IUGS and the geosciences was disseminated through an E-Bulletin and the IUGS website. The E-BULLETIN was published monthly thanks to the work of Councilor Colin Simpson. The number of E-Bulletins issued totaled 44, E-Bulletins No. 33 to 76.

To support the President’s initiative to have the IUGS WEBSITE become a meeting ground for all of IUGS, modifications were made in 2009. A content management system was added, and graphical improvements were made thanks to the input of the then Chair of the Publications Committee, G. Nowlan. Whenever possible the IUGS website was linked to those websites of National Committees (thanks to the input of Vice President Jacques Charvet) and Affiliated Organizations. The President’s initiative included having a host institution and a webmaster under a formal agreement, but a majority of the EC decided to continue with the current informal situation whereby the IUGS Secretary General maintains the website.

The IUGS President organized and co-chaired a meeting of the INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS COMMITTEE (IGCC) in Brisbane, Australia, from June 24-25, 2010. As a result of that meeting, the IUGS President invited IUGG to establish a working group to consider coordination of IGC and IUGG Congress and cooperation with Congress activities. The President also participated in the establishment of a new IUGS-IGCC task force to consider the current separate Statutes and Bylaws of the IGC and IUGS. He was also involved in coordinating the revision of the IGC and IUGS Statutes, in preparation for the 34th and 35th IGC, and in the organization of the bid process for the 36th IGC in 2020.

Following the 2008 IUGS Council instructions to the IUGS Executive Committee and IGC Committee, a joint IUGS-IGCC STATUTES AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE was formed. As a result of the work undertaken by the Statutes Committee, a new version of the IUGS Statutes was produced and submitted for ratification of the Council at the 34th IGC (Brisbane, August 2012). It is evident, however, that substantial changes are still needed to improve the working structure of our Union, opening the way, perhaps, for more participation of affiliated organizations and some type of permanent management structure.

During the last four years, President Riccardi made a concentrated effort to improve activities and relationships with ICSU, UNESCO, and other geoscientific organizations. IUGS participated actively in the 29th and 30th General Assemblies of ICSU (2008, 2011). On both occasions, meetings of geo-related organizations under ICSU’s umbrella were directed to coordinate geoscientific activities. Additionally, in these meetings and in many other contacts, specific overtures were made to maintain and reinforce IUGS participation in activities related to ICSUs established priorities on “Environment in Relation to Sustainable Development,” “Scientific data and information,” and “Capacity Building in Science,” focused in developing countries.

As specific actions directed to that end, three members of IUGS EC were designated to act as liaisons between IUGS and ICSU’s Regional Offices for Africa (E. Errami), Asia and the Pacific (Ochir G.), and Latin America and the Caribbean (M. Mantovani). Moreover there was an active participation in different matters proposed by ICSU, e.g. nominations to ICSU’s Committee on Scientific Planning and Review (CSPR), to “Steering Committee on Earth system research for sustainable development”, to “World Data System Scientific Committee”, and to ICSU’s Executive Board; call to IUGS Adhering and Affiliate members and other IUGS bodies for applications to ICSU’s annual Grants Programmes; foresight analysis on key drivers that may influence international science over the next 20 years; survey on activities and experiences in science education; reviews of ICSU’s Regional Offices for Asia and the Pacific and for Latin America and the Caribbean; report on Weighted Voting; consultation on Energy”; ICSU’s Principle of Universality. IUGS was also accepted as Associate Member of the ICSU World Data System (WDS).

IUGS interaction with other geo-related organizations, GeoUnions and ICSU’s grants system, resulted in several successful joint projects. In 2010, as a result of publicizing ICSU’s grants among IUGS constituency, IUGS led a project entitled “An international workshop to initiate the circumpolar


integration of permafrost microbiological studies” (MicroPerm), on behalf of the International Permafrost Association (IPA). IUGS also participated in a trans-disciplinary project on extreme natural hazards and societal implication together with three other scientific unions (IUGG, IGU, ISPRS) and an IUGS Affiliate Organization (American Geophysical Union).

In relation to ICSU’s GEOUNIONS and in addition to the meeting at ICSU’s General Assemblies in 2008 and 2011, the IUGS participated in two other meetings in Paris (2010) and Istanbul (2012), where the President was represented by Vice President, J. Charvet. IUGS also supported the International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) initiated by the International Geographical Union (IGU), and participated in two Council Meetings of the International Union of Geographical and Geophysics (IUGG) (2009, 2011) where the President was represented by Councilor, C. Simpson. IUGG was very receptive to promote joint activities, thanks to its very able officers (T. Beer, H. Gupta, and A. Ismail-Zadeh).

With regard to UNESCO, an excellent working relationship was maintained during 2008 - 2012 with officers of the Natural Sciences Sector (W. Erdelen, G. Kalonji, R. Missotten, M. Patzak, S. Gaines), as well as with UNESCOs General Director. IUGS actions mainly focused on reinforcing existing joint initiatives, such as the International Geosciences Program (IGCP), the Geological Applications of Remote Sensing (GARS), and the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE 2007-2009), but also in exploring new possibilities in relation to UNESCO’s Mid-Term Strategy (2008-2013) and on opening new avenues for collaboration on initiatives with a focus on geoeducation, environment and geological heritage, sustainable development, transference of knowledge, data management, and promotion of global standards. In this context the IUGS President proposed for the IGCP to study the implementation of a more accountable emphasis on capacity building and on transference of scientific knowledge from developed to developing countries, and that IUGS should become actively involved in promoting the Geoparks Initiative. Thus, IUGS became a member of the Bureau of the Global Geoparks Network, where it was very ably represented by Councilor Colin Simpson, who actively participated in all its activities. In this context the IUGS President attended the 3rd International Symposium on the Development within Geoparks: Geo-Heritage Protection and Cooperation (August 22-25, Tai’an City, Shandong Province China), where he delivered a speech in the opening session on IUGS and Geoparks. Moreover, a conference on “Geoparks: alternative for local development,” organized by the UNESCO Regional Office and the Municipality of Flores (Uruguay), on 13–15 November, 2011, in the city of Trinidad, Flores, Uruguay, was financially supported by IUGS. In connection with UNESCO’s Earth Sciences Education Initiative on Africa, IUGS participated actively through the IUGS Commission on Geological Education and some IUGS Affiliated Members, such as the Geological Society of Africa and the Commission for the Geological Map of the World, among others. As a contribution to this initiative, in 2011 IUGS sponsored and funded a Short Course on African Metallogeny in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, which was co-organized with some IUGS Affiliate Organizations, i.e., the Society of Geology Applied Mineral Deposits, the Society of Economic Geology, the Geological Society of Africa, and UNESCO. As done for ICSU, the three same members of the EC were designated to act a s liaison between IUGS and UNESCO’s Regional Science Offices for the Arab States, Africa (E. Errami), Asia and the Pacific (O. Gerel), and Latin America and the Caribbean (M. Mantovani).

Between 2008 and 2010, the IUGS President gave special attention to the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PLANET EARTH (IYPE) through a series of messages published in several IYPE books. He also participated in a National Event organized by the Argentinean IYPE National Committee (Buenos Aires, 8 October 2009) and in the IYPE Lisbon Event and IYPE Board meeting (Lisbon, 19-21 November 2009), where he delivered speeches at the opening ceremonies. The IUGS continued to support IYPE until its statutory date of termination at the end of 2010. Thereafter, the IUGS President was involved in different actions directed to compile complete information and legal advice to attain the legal termination of the IYPE, which was finally completed at the end of 2011.

The IUGS sought ways to capitalize on the IYPE successes and became a supporter of an INTERNATIONAL GEOSCIENCE INITIATIVE, sponsored by several Affiliated Organizations. The IUGS President was a guest speaker at a “Town Hall Meeting” (Iguacu, Brazil, 11th, August 2010) on an International Geoscience Initiative,” sponsored by the Geological Society of America, the American Geological Institute, the Geological Society of London and the British geological Survey. The speech delivered at that meeting was published in Episodes (vol. 33 No. 3).

As a result of an initiative of the IUGS President, IUGS became an ex-officio member of the ONE GEOLOGY STEERING GROUP. Accordingly, IUGS supported the interaction of One Geology with the IUGS Commission on the Management and Application of Geosciences Information, and maintained a close relationship with other IUGS bodies on geostandards. This initiative was also linked to a strong interest in IUGS interaction with geological surveys through organizations such as the EuroGeoSurveys


and the “Asociación de Servicios de Geología y Minería Iberoamericanos” (ASGMI). The IUGS President attended meetings organized by OneGeology and the IUGS Commission on the Management & Application of Geoscience Information (CGI) and was also involved in the activities of the OneGeology Steering Group

The IUGS President fully supported another important outcome of the IYPE, YOUNG EARTH SCIENTISTS (YES) initiative. This initiative is predicated on the understanding that young people of today’s world will be shaping the future of our society in the decades to come. The IUGS President was represented by Vice President, J. Charvet, at the first World Young-Earth-Scientists Congress (YES) held in October 2009. As a result of the Congress, a permanent world-wide network of young professionals, scientists and politicians, was created. Subsequently the IUGS President contacted YES executives with a proposal to formalize a relationship with their organization and, in 2011, YES became an IUGS Affiliate Organization.

Another initiative of the IUGS President was to be recognized as a participating organization in GEO (GROUP ON EARTH OBSERVATIONS). GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations that coordinate international efforts to build a Global Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Some of the priority areas of interest to Earth sciences include: natural and human-induced disasters; the environmental sources of health hazards; energy management; and, freshwater resources. In connection with this participation the IUGS President was involved in a number of GEO activities. The IUGS President was represented by the IUGS Past President, Zhang Hongren, in the Seventh Plenary session of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO-VII), and in the Ministerial Summit, which took place on 3-5 November 2010 at the China National Convention Centre (CNCC), Beijing, China, where a message was read at the closing session. In addition, the IUGS President was represented by Vice-President, Jacques Charvet, at the Eighth Plenary Session of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO-VIII) held in Istanbul on 16-17 November 2011.

The last two years the IUGS saw two important celebrations; the IUGS 50th and the IGCP 40th Anniversaries. For the IUGS 50TH ANNIVERSARY, the IUGS President developed the program and directed the organization of the event: a special video on the IUGS was produced for distribution; a celebration was held at UNESCO Headquarters building in Paris, France, featuring guest speakers and the presentation of medals to those who have shaped the IUGS; and, a global essay contest for early career geoscientists, under the age of 35 to express their views on the future of the geological sciences. The best four essays submitted to the contest were honored by publication in Episodes (vol. 34, No.2). Participation of Councilor, W. Hill was instrumental to the success of all these activities. An article in Episodes (vol. 34, 1) stressing the importance of the IUGS 50th Anniversary and the celebration event was published and a message was also published, by invitation of the Editor, in Geological Carpathica (vol. 62, 3).

To celebrate the 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE IUGS - UNESCO INTERNATIONAL GEOSCIENCE PROGRAMME (IGCP), a conference was held on 22 February 2012, at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris, France. In the organization of this event, IUGS was represented by Vice President, J. Charvet. This event brought together numerous experts from all over the world to take stock of the achievements and challenges of the International Program and map the road ahead. As part of the 40 year IGCP celebration of the 40 years, an anniversary book entitled “Tales Set in Stone, 40 Years of the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP)” was published. The book traces the main achievements of this program and its international scientific cooperation.

To improve IUGS recognition of outstanding professional geoscientists, several AWARDS were added to the existing James Harrison Outstanding Achievement Award, i.e., the IUGS Scientific Awards of Excellence, the Episodes Best Paper Award, and the Steno Award. Most of the new awards along with the Harrison Award will be presented in a special ceremony at the 34th IGC (Brisbane, August 2012).

In addition to the meetings mentioned above, the IUGS President also attended, or supported other international events in different continents and countries:

In June 2012, the IUGS President used the IUGS E-Bulletin and official Website, to release a position paper that was officially submitted to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) or, Earth Summit Rio+20. This paper outlined IUGS’s position on geoscientific research and knowledge needed for a safer, more equitable, cleaner, greener and more prosperous world by highlighting seven priority areas: jobs, energy, cities, food, water, oceans, and disasters.

Alberto Riccardi expressed that it had been a great honor and privilege to serve as President of the IUGS. The past four years were very exciting and full of positive activity for him. He was pleased with the progress that IUGS has made and he is hopeful that it sets a strong foundation for the next Executive Committee and for the future of IUGS.


He acknowledged with thanks, the help he received during his term as IUGS President, most of which are mentioned above. The accomplishments of this organization were not the work of any one person, but the many talented scientists and other individuals who were/are part of this team. Without them, he would not have been able to perform his duties as IUGS President. President Riccardi thanked the University of LaPlata and the Ministry of Science of Argentina for financial and logistical support. He did not have enough words to express the moral support, understanding and patience of his wife Marta throughout those complex years in which their lives were focused for the most part on IUGS activities.

Motion to accept the President’s Report

Accepted as presented

5. SECRETARY GENERAL’S REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNION (P. Bobrowsky)

REPORT OF THE IUGS SECRETARY GENERAL REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES FOR THE PERIOD 2008 (AUGUST) TO 2012 (AUGUST)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Peter opened by providing an executive summary of the International Union of Geological Sciences which is one of the largest scientific unions under the umbrella of the International Council for Science (ICSU). It currently supports 121 Adhering Organizations (89 of which are Active members) as well as 54 Affiliated Organizations. Two new Adhering Organizations and twelve Affiliated Organizations joined since the last Congress. The IUGS Executive Committee met once per year since the 33rd IGC in 2008 at the partial expense of the Union. Additionally, the Bureau met another 4 times during the past four years at minimal expense to the Union. Five types of official committees were active during the past term: Nominating Committee, Publications Committee, Finance Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and several Ad hoc Review Committees. Publications and other communication options increased markedly since 2008. Nine IUGS related new books (published by the Geological Society of London), 43 additional electronic E-Bulletins, four Annual Reports, four volumes of Episodes and new Union focused flyers/brochures were published. The SCI Impact factor for Episodes was relatively steady since the 33rd IGC. A new updated version of the website became operational. Five productive Commissions remain and one new Commission was added. Four Task Groups were active and remain operational and one new high profile Initiative was started. Participation within ICSU and relationship with that organization remained stable. The GeoUnion consortium still comprises 8 ICSU Unions and informal cooperation amongst the group members is on the increase. Three activities dominated a positive relationship with UNESCO: IGCP, GARS and IYPE. IUGS funding for IGCP increased to $70,000 USD per year. The International Year of Planet Earth originally conceived by IUGS closed in 2010 as an extremely successful endeavor with a good legacy for the geosciences.

Other joint initiatives included the ILP with IUGG, and the Task Group on Isotopes and Geochronology with IUPAC. The Union celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2011 with a commemorative event in Paris and the creation of a legacy video. IGCP is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012. The IUGS is the main scientific sponsor of the 34th International Geological Congress in Brisbane, Australia in 2012.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee meetings were generally “open” for observer participation by individuals in the earth sciences community. Representatives from various National Committees, local “host” government organizations, sister ‘GeoUnions’, IGC Committee members, UNESCO, and many others were invited to and were often present at these meetings. Decisions and discussions regarding budgets and other sensitive Union issues were held in-camera for elected EC members and representatives of the Permanent Secretariat only.

The Executive Committee of IUGS meets annually at the expense of the Union, except for the positions within the Bureau whose employer or sponsoring agency must cover all travel costs. Travel for the President of IUGS was paid for by the IUGS. This practice of selective financial aid has been financially advantageous to the Union since Bureau costs for travel are collectively quite high, but this new change adopted by Council has allowed less developed countries to nominate candidates for the position of President.

The response to the request from Council to improve access to Bureau positions for individuals from Less Developed Countries allowed for the nomination in 2008 of Alberto Riccardi from Argentina. As reported in the 2008 Annual Report from the Secretary General, following an exhaustive in-depth analysis of options by the former Treasurer, the Executive Committee in 2007 targeted $20,000 USD per


year from the annual budget to support Union administration related travel (i.e. only the Annual meeting and Bureau meetings) for the position of IUGS President (eligible candidates must come from a UN designated ‘Less Developed Country’ to use these allocated funds). In effect since 2008, this change in policy has allowed nominations from ‘Less Developed Countries’ to again be submitted for the position of IUGS President in time for elections at the 34th IGC in Brisbane.

For detailed information about the International Union of Geological Sciences including membership, science activities, administration and other topics please visit the website: www.iugs.org

BUREAU

The day-to-day management of the Union was handled by the IUGS Bureau (President, Treasurer and Secretary General) who are also part of the EC, as defined in the current Statutes and Bylaws. To this end, the members of the Bureau met occasionally outside of the Annual Meeting during their tenure to adjudicate over pressing matters. With the wide and common access to various forms of telecommunication now easily available and with the aim to be more fiscally responsible, the current Bureau minimized the number of extraordinary face to face meetings to four when compared to the previous 2004-2008 Bureau who met 20 additional times in four years. As per the Recommendations in the Strategic Plan and the existing Statutes and Byelaws, each Vice President was requested to participate, at the expense of IUGS, in one Bureau meeting per year. Participation in additional Bureau meetings by the Vice Presidents and others was at their own expense or their employer or sponsoring country, following the same principles that now apply to the Bureau members. Participation in the Bureau meetings was nonetheless open to all EC members and the Permanent Secretariat. Consequently, some of the Bureau meetings during the past four years have included additional EC members, other than the three Bureau members themselves. This additional involvement proved extremely beneficial and important to broaden perspectives and alleviate work loads associated with IUGS Administration.

PERMANENT (INTERIM) SECRETARIAT

After decades of service the IUGS Permanent Secretariat in Trondheim, Norway was transferred in early 2009 to Reston, Virginia, USA to be managed by Rich Calnan and Nancy Zeigler. This new office has been graciously supported financially by the USA Government through the US Geological Survey. This transfer was always recognized as an Interim Secretariat given the understanding that the USGS offer to host the Secretariat was temporary and is scheduled to terminate at the end of 2012. .

MEMBERSHIP

Membership within the Union is still represented by two categories: Adhering Bodies and Affiliated Organizations. The former group of members consists of National Bodies such as Geological Surveys, National Academies, Geological Societies and others within sovereign nations, whereas the latter consists of organizations that support broad geoscience objectives at global scales.

At the completion of the 33rd IGC in 2008 there were 119 Adhering Organizations recognized within the Union. The IUGS supports the largest number of member countries of all Unions currently within ICSU (indeed more member countries than ICSU itself). IUGS recognizes Active members as those Adhering Organizations whose dues are paid in full in contrast to Inactive members whose dues have been outstanding for three or more years. As of May 2012 there are 121 Adhering Organizations within the IUGS an increase of two new members since the last Congress. At the time of this report, the number of Active members was down slightly to 89 compared to 93 in 2008.

More importantly, the IUGS acknowledges and appreciates the following: Kosovo and Tajikistan who became new members since 2009. Several other member countries that recognized the importance of our Union and indicated their support by increasing their membership category are also acknowledged. We note the following changes:

• Croatia (from 1 to 2)

• Cyprus (from 1 to 2)

• Czech Republic (from 2 to 3)

• Denmark (from 3 to 4)

• Estonia (from 1 to 2)

• India (from 5 to 7)

• South Korea (from 2 to 3)

• United Kingdom (from 7 to 8)


Unfortunately two countries also withdrew from the Union: Bulgaria (2010) and The Netherlands (2011).

The IUGS is in the enviable position to be associated with a significant number of specialized organizations, societies and groups that serve a large number of earth scientists and/or focus on important niches and subjects within the discipline. Such organizations apply formally to the Union for official recognition as Affiliate Organizations. As with Adhering Organizations, membership within the Union for Affiliated Organizations requires the official ratification by the Council. The current Statutes and Byelaws allow for electronic Council ratification of various issues, hence, several membership ratifications were facilitated during the inter-congress period. As a consequence the total number of Affiliated Organizations now stands at 54 as compared to 42 in 2008; an impressive increase of 12 new bodies.

The Union welcomes the following new IUGS Affiliates since 2008:

• Association of African Women Geoscientists (AAWG)

• Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES)

• Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP)

• European Federation of Geologists (EFG)

• European Geoparks Network (EGN)

• EuroGeoSurveys (EGS)

• Geological Society of France (GSF)

• Geological Society of India (GSI)

• International Centre for Training and Exchanges in the Geosciences (CIFEG)

• Italian Federation of Earth Scientists (FIST)

• International Medical Geology Association (IMGA)

• Young Earth Scientists Network (YES)

COMMITTEES

The following official IUGS Committees were active in the past four years:

• Nominating Committee (NC)

• Strategic Planning Committee (SPC)

• Finances Committee (FC)

• Publications Committee (PC), and

• Ad hoc Review Committees (ARC)

The Nominating Committee (NC) reports directly to Council and not the Executive Committee. During this term, the Nominating Committee was Chaired by Zhang Hongren (China). Mid term Felix Toteu (Cameroon) resigned due to a conflict of interest following his appointment to UNESCO and he was replaced by Aberra Mogessie (Austria). The remaining members of the NC included Marita Bradshaw (Australia), Jonas Satkunas (Lithuania), Paedar Mcardle (Ireland), Elena Centeno-Garcia (Mexico), and Ryo Matsumoto (Japan). As mandated by the current Statutes and Byelaws, this committee requested nominations from all eligible bodies and organizations for the positions of IUGS EC members to be appointed in 2012. The Committee evaluated all nominations and tabled recommendations to the Council for their final decision. A copy of the full report from the Nominating Committee is available from the Secretariat.

The Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) was formed in 2009 in response to the recommendations of the last strategic plan. Chaired by Attilio Boriani (Italy), the remaining members consisted of Jacques Charvet (France), Peter Cook (Australia), Umberto Cordani (Brazil), Stan Finney (USA), Ochir Gerel (Mongolia) and Gary Lewis (USA). The aim of this committee was to examine how well the Union has addressed the recommendations of the current strategic plan and to develop a new strategic plan for the union for consideration and discussion by council on the occasion of the 34th IGC.

The Finances Committee (FC) was formed in early 2010 in response to directions from Council. Chaired by Antonio Brambati (Italy) with other members Zdenek Johan (France) and Pat Leahy (USA) this committee has been very active in examining the financial affairs and needs of the Union including making recommendations regarding new sources of income, managing existing funds more effectively and assessing the state of financial need into the future.


The Publications Committee (PC) changed leadership and membership during the course of this term of office. In early 2009 Godfrey Nowlan (Canada) stepped down as PC Chair. He was replaced by Fred Spilhaus (USA). The remaining committee members include: Susana Damborenea (Argentina), Zhenyu Yang (China), Michael Thomson (United Kingdom) and Mudlappa Jayananda (India). The committee did not meet during the past four years and managed to address issues [internal (Episodes) and external (through the Geological Society of London) publications] through email. (For details on the PC and related output see comments under Section on Publications/ Communications). The most important change related to the Publications Committee was the change in Editorship and publication management for Episodes which moved from Beijing, China (after many successful years of production) to Bangalore, India (under the auspices of the Geological Society of India). A new Editor in Chief was appointed (Mudlappa Jayananda from New Delhi).

Several Ad hoc Review Committees (ARCs) were appointed during the past four years to provide timely and critical evaluation of IUGS funded activities. Following the completion of a review, an evaluation report is completed by the Committee Chair, submitted to the IUGS EC for approval and is subsequently published in Episodes.

There were no active ARCs in 2008. In 2009, an Ad hoc review committee reviewed the Commission on Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI) and published its results in Episodes (Vol. 33, No. 4). In 2010 two ARC were completed: one on the International Lithosphere Programme (ILP), (actually reported: Episodes 35(2), 361-362) and another on the Commission on Geoscience for Environmental Management (GEM), also reported in Episodes (Vol. 34, No. 1). In 2011 there was two Ad Hoc Review Committees active. The first completed a review of the Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO) and the second on the Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE); both to be published in Episodes in 2012. In 2012 there were two ARC completed: the first on the Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines (TGGGB) and the second on the International

Geoscience Programme (IGCP) with reports to be submitted in time for the 34th IGC and likely to appear in Episodes in 2013. As a result of all of these reviews, the new IUGS EC will save costs since the next round of evaluations will not be required to begin until 2014.

PUBLICATIONS/COMMUNICATIONS

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) exists between the IUGS and the Geological Society of London (GSL) to publish geoscience books of mutual interest. All IUGS funded activities (including Commissions, IGCP Projects, etc.) are expected to consider the GSL for publication of their work. As of May 2012, 23 volumes were already published under the agreement through GSL with an additional few slated for release in 2012 and onwards. Several other volumes

were also targeted at various stages of progress. Contact is now being made with various IGC participants and expressions of interest are expected to be received for volumes resulting from the 34th IGC.

The journal Episodes was ably managed and published through India under the editorship of Mudlappa Jayananda and his team of associate editors. An MOU in place between IUGS and the Geological Society of India is in place and expires on the occasion of the 34th IGC. In 2008 volume 35 will be released. Noteworthy is the SCI Impact Factor for Episodes which was relatively stable during this period: 1.8 in 2008, 2.13 in 2009, and 2.04 in 2010.

The previous Publications Committee published a new brochure and flyer for the Union (both available for download from the IUGS website www.iugs.org) in 2009 before transition to a new slate of Publication Committee members.

Annual Reports for the IUGS for the past four years were compiled by David Huntley (Canada) and released by the EC following the tradition established at the 32nd IGC in Italy. All reports are available in digital format on the IUGS website. Following the example set by the previous EC for printing a hard copy Annual Report on the occasion of the IGC, the current executive for any given year releases a hard copy Annual Report for the preceding year on the occasion

of the pending IGC. Hard copies were released in 2004, 2008 and will again be distributed in 2012 at the 34th IGC.

In 2007 the Union website was reformatted and upgraded with new software and has been effectively managed for the past five years by IUGS Secretary General Peter Bobrowsky.

The concept of IUGS E-Bulletins launched in October 2001, an email based service providing relevant news information in a short format to the geoscience community was maintained and enhanced. Since the last Congress an additional 46 E-Bulletins of this popular effort will have been compiled (as of August 2012) by Councilor Colin Simpson.


COMMISSIONS, TASK GROUPS AND INITIATIVES

Activities and individuals represented by these bodies reflect the scientific arm of the Union. The aim of all such groups is to address key and relevant topics that have a global relevance for the earth sciences, deal with topics not presently addressed by other bodies, involve the expertise of leading scientists from around the world and do so in a timely manner. The IUGS very much appreciates the hard work, volunteer efforts, collaboration and accomplishments enjoyed by each program, their projects and the individuals contributing to the work on behalf

of the earth science community. Unequivocally, these bodies and their supporting officers and members are the “bell weather of success” for all geosciences. Since all of these activities are directly funded by IUGS, regular Ad hoc reviews are undertaken, the results of which determine whether support for the program should be continued.

During the past four years the following IUGS Commissions were recognized:

• Commission on Environmental Management (GEM)

• International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS)

• Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO)

• Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE)

• Commission Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI)

• Commission on Tectonics and Structural Geology (TECTASK)

All six Commissions remain active, each maintaining an informative communication strategy (e.g. website, publication, etc.), each of these Commissions is scheduled to elect new officers in Brisbane in 2012 and each group obtains varying levels of financial support directly from IUGS. All six Commissions have completed extraordinary accomplishments during the past term including participation with 100s of Commission members, contributing aggressively to the journal Episodes, contributing good science outputs, addressing key social issues, substantially raising the level of awareness amongst non-geosciences, improving the geoscience capabilities and capacity within ‘Less Developed Countries’ and much more. For specific details on each Commission, please visit the individual Commission websites:

• GEM (http://www.iugs-gem.org/)

• ICS (http://www.stratigraphy.org/)

• INHIGEO (http://www.imhigeo.org/)

• COGE (http://www.iugscoge.com/)

• CGI (http://www.cgi-iugs.org/)

• TECTASK (http://www.tectask.org/)

The Union also supported a number of formal Task Groups, several informal “task groups” and approved one new Initiative. The formal Task Groups represent activities that do not match “Commission” expectations, whereas the Commissions represent activities that have exceeded the capacity of Commissions and require focused attention on their own. Initiatives are viewed as medium term efforts that are in transition to independence such as a new society. During the past four year term the following formal Task Groups and Initiative were in effect:

• Task Group on Isotope Geology and Geochemistry (TGIG)

• Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines (TGGGB)

• Task Group on GeoHeritage (TGG)

• Task Group on Global Geoheritage Stone (HSTG)

• Task Group on Global Geoscience Workforce (TGGGW)

• Forensic Geology Initiative (FGI)

The Task Group on Isotope Geology and Geochemistry remains a small, active and relevant component of the Union. This joint venture with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry is co-funded by both Unions to address topics such as updating geochronological decay constants and standardizing the use of SI units, etc.


The Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines has been a long term contributor to basic geoscience data collection. This small group of participants maintain a global mandate. A new Ad hoc Review will be undertaken before the 34th IGC. otably the activities of this group have been embraced by UNESCO who launched a Tier 2 cooperative venture with China to establish an Institute of Geochemistry in Langfang.

A new Task Group on GeoHeritage was started and ratified by Council in 2011. This group aims to consolidate the many activities related to geological heritage including GeoParks, IUCN reviews, and others.

The Task Group on Global Geoscience Workforce was proposed in 2008 and ratified shortly thereafter. Under the leadership of the American Geosciences Institute this group addresses the importance of evaluating the access to trained professionals in all work force sectors.

The Task Group on Geoheritage Stone was proposed and approved in 2012 and represents a joint effort with the International Association of Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG); as a Commission within the latter organization.

One important informal “task group” was created to streamline the current statutes and bylaws of the Union and IGC. As instructed by Council during the 33rd IGC in Oslo, this task group completed its task in time to allow for discussion and resolution at the 34th IGC. There were two other important informal task groups: the first dealing with Affiliated Organizations and the other with Adhering Members. The latter provided a new standardized reporting template, populated the website with a section devoted to promoting individuals Adhering Bodies and

elaborated on an operational model for National Committees.

Lastly, the IUGS was privileged to support and benefit from the high profile work of the Commission on Environmental Management and its many activities. In particular on such working group on Forensic Geology was elevated to IUGS Initiative status in 2011. This new body expands the traditional purview of earth science relevance to society through its work with law enforcement around the world.

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE (ICSU)

The IUGS remains a paid member in good standing under the ICSU umbrella, with the EC responding when appropriate to calls for action issued by ICSU during the year. During the past four years, a number of significant issues and events have arisen that have changed how ICSU operates and interacts with its members. The management of ICSU has undergone tumultuous times since 2008 with the retirement of long term Executive Director Thomas Rosswall, the appointment of Deliang Chen (Sweden) in 2009 and his subsequent early resignation in 2011 followed by the appointment in 2012 of Steven Wilson (UK).

In 2007, ICSU changed its official currency of operation from USD to EURO, a move that impacted most if not all Unions regarding their ability to pay annual dues. Also approved was an automatic increase of 5% per year for the dues categories to account for inflation. As noted in the last quadrennial report of IUGS, ICSU commissioned a study to evaluate membership categories and the outcome of their study indicates that IUGS is currently paying its dues at an appropriate level.

ICSU reinstated a limited Grants Programme in 2008. Applications for this funding may not come from individuals but rather must be submitted via a recognized Union within ICSU. Furthermore, all applications must be co-sponsored by other Unions. In this regard, IUGS has benefited a number of times during the past four years. In 2008 IUGS participated in an ISPRS led ICSU grant dealing with space based mapping and geosciences and health. IUGS was also a partner in an IUGG led 2009 ICSU project on Geohazards. Finally, IUGS was the lead applicant through its partner the International Permafrost Association for an ICSU grant related to permafrost monitoring.

All three Bureau members of the IUGS EC participated actively in the 29th General Assembly of ICSU held in Maputo, Mozambique in October 2008 and then again in the 30th General Assembly of ICSU held in Rome, Italy in September 2011.The next IUGS EC will represent the Union to in the 31st General Assembly scheduled for New Zealand in 2014.

ICSU organized an all-Union meeting in Paris, France (2010) to better focus on issues unique to Unions in contrast to member state issues. Two Executive Committee members participated in this event. The next all-Union ICSU meeting is scheduled for 2013.

Several members of the Executive Committee met with the ICSU President, Madame Catherine Brechignac (France) in Paris, in 2009 and 2010 to discuss issues of mutual interest as they pertain to policy and practice for ICSU-Union relations. These visits have strengthened the ties between IUGS and ICSU over the past years. They also met with President elect Gordon McBean (Canada) in Italy in 2011.


In 1980 ICSU established an IUGS-IUGG initiative entitled the International Lithosphere Programme (ILP/SCL). As noted previously ICSU divested its interests in the programme which is now solely under the umbrella of the two Unions: IUGS and IUGG. The current active Terms of Reference for ILP were approved on 18 October 2006. The following individuals represent IUGS in the ILP: Jacques Charvet (France), Y. Tatsumi (Japan) and A. Green (Switzerland); the latter a shared seat with IUGG. New members need to be identified to replace some of the current representatives. The ILP has become extremely successful in its activities and fund raising, and is therefore less dependent on the two Unions. For more details see: http://sclilp.gfz-potsdam.de/

GEOUNIONS

In early 2004, then IUGS President Ed de Mulder invited senior representatives of three other ICSU Unions (IUGG, IGU and IUSS) who shared certain earth science objectives to an informal meeting in Paris. Thus began the start of the informal “GeoUnions” consortium which now meets annually to review and discuss critical issues within ICSU, or dealing with globally relevant topics such as the International Year of Planet Earth. During the past few years the number of members within the informal GeoUnion consortium has grown to eight, now consisting of: IUGS, IUGG, IGU, INQUA, IAU, ISPRS, IUSS and URSI.

Collectively they represent a “cluster” as defined by ICSU and therefore nominate and elect a single representative to the ICSU Executive Board (which consists of four cluster representatives). The GeoUnions proposed two nominees for their cluster, and Past ISPRS President Orhan Altan (Turkey) was successfully elected for the 3 year position in October 2011.

During the past term one or more of the Executive Committee members met the GeoUnions in Maputo (October 2008), Paris (April 2010), Rome (October 2011) and Istanbul (April 2012).

When possible, executive members of the Unions try to participate in events organized by their fellow Unions. For instance, the following Unions were represented at the IUGS Annual Executive Meetings: in 2009 (IUGG), in 2010 (IAU, IUGG and URSI), and in 2011 (IUGG). Similarly, IUGS Executive Committee representatives actively participate in the Congress/General Assembly of sister unions (e.g. IUGS at IUGG annual meeting in 2011).

COOPERATION WITH UNESCO

The IUGS maintains a long history of positive and mutual cooperation with UNESCO. Previously this relationship was managed with the Earth Sciences Division of UNESCO but following the dissolution of that department the responsibility shifted to the newly amalgamated Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences. Cooperative activities with UNESCO during the past four years included:

• International Geoscience Programme (IGCP)

• Geological Applications of Remote Sensing (GARS)

• Global GeoParks Network (GGN)

• International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE)

Initiated jointly in 1972, the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) formerly called the International Geological Correlation Programme remains a primary focus of attention for both organizations as the key geoscientific activity for the global community. During the past four years much of the collaboration has been primarily through the SubDivision Chief Robert Missotten who recently retired from UNESCO in 2011. A replacement for his position has been pending at UNESCO given recent financial cutbacks imposed on the organization in the fall of 2011. UNESCO and IUGS successfully celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the IGCP in February of 2012 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France where a one day event commemorating four decades of geoscience research was shared by over 100 delegates.

Financial concerns continue to plague this important programme. The annual contribution of $85,000 USD from the USA to IGCP stopped when the country rejoined the UN. Furthermore, the internal contributions from UNESCO have undergone progressive reductions. In response to these negative events, the IUGS EC has more than tripled the annual contribution of support to IGCP from $20,000 in 2004 to $70,000 USD in 2012. Recognizing the importance of grass roots geoscience performed by the many scientists involved in IGCP, the EC stretched the capacity of the Union to ensure continued survival of the programme. Through the joint agreement between IUGS and UNESCO, continues to annually fund no more than about 30 active projects. For more details please refer to: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/earth-sciences/international-geoscience-programme/


The Geological Applications of Remote Sensing (GARS) programme is an integral part of the International Global Observing Strategy (IGOS), providing cooperation amongst some 40 institutes in 28 countries. Obviously focusing on the importance of linking geology to remote sensing, the group provides a link amongst diverse interests within the remote sensing community. GARS address hazards, groundwater and global environmental change. The group is still being chaired by Stuart Marsh (UK) since a replacement candidate was not identified after his 8 year term expired in 2011.

The Global GeoParks Network is a platform activity supported by UNESCO. Launched in 2004, there are now 77 National GeoParks in 25 Member States who are part of the network. The platform compliments the World Heritage list and the cooperation (formal MOU) that IUGS has with the IUCN, but centers entirely on geology and the creation of educational parks. The IUGS actively promotes geoheritage issues including the Global GeoParks Network, but it plays a minor role in the GGN itself. Efforts to become equal partners with UNESCO, modeled after IGCP have not worked, but as a consolation the Union has now been recognized as a member of the Board. Please refer to http://www.globalgeopark.org/english/

The International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) was first conceived by the IUGS and immediately thereafter was recognized as a collaborative initiative by both IUGS and UNESCO who joined the movement in 2002. The flagship event of the century for IUGS and the entire earth science community is unquestionably the inauguration and celebration of the International Year of Planet Earth. This triennium effort (2007-2009) centered on 2008 as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on December 22, 2005. The Year coincided well with delivery of the 33rd International Geological Congress. Championed almost single-handedly by IUGS Past President Ed de Mulder since the year 2000, when first proposed as a concept, IYPE has successfully evolved into a truly global affair. The International Year of Planet Earth officially terminated in 2010.

Finally the IUGS has been supportive of the new UNESCO Earth Sciences Education Initiative on Africa and hopes that this venture will successfully move forward.

OTHER

The IUGS applied for and became an official recognized as a Participating Organization of GEO (Group on Earth Observations) which is coordinating international efforts to build a Global Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The Union participated in the Ministerial meeting in Beijing (2010) and the GEO VIII Plenary in Istanbul (November 2011). The Union continued to actively promote and support OneGeology and its partners within the EuroGeoSurveys

and GGMW by participating in the business meeting of OneGeology (Japan 2012), annually attending the business meeting of EGS and the biennial meetings of CGMW.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is with considerable regret that I step down from the Union after serving 12 years on the IUGS Executive Committee. It has been my pleasure and honour to serve the earth science community first as Vice President for four years and then as Secretary General for an additional eight years. During my tenure I have worked closely with some three dozen other executive members and unfortunately due to space restrictions I am unable to list all of these individuals

nor detail their specific contributions. Nonetheless a few people do standout for their wisdom, innovation, support and openness. Ed de Mulder and Zhang Hongren enabled me to learn much regarding respectful debate and decision making for which I am grateful for their mentorship. Particular thanks and recognition goes to my colleagues and good friends Attilio Boriani, Antonio Brambati, Jean Paul Cadet, Jacques Charvet, Eldridge Moores and William Cavazza for their friendship, support and appreciation for extracurricular focus required during turbulent times. The commitment of most Executive Committee members to the Union is unquestionable and their continued devotion to geosciences has facilitated difficult but productive progress to be made during the past many years on behalf of all geologists. Many thanks to Margarete Patzak from UNESCO who made the annual IGCP meeting visits to Paris so exceptional. I am especially grateful to the Government of Canada as I would not have been able to perform my duties in IUGS without the moral, logistical and significant financial support of the Natural Resources Canada, (ESS, Geological Survey of Canada). For this I am most grateful. Extended appreciation to my family (Theresa, Michiko, Charbon and Toba) for their personal sacrifices and understanding during my extended periods of absence and neglect. Finally and most importantly, I acknowledge the scientific community within IUGS who deserve all the recognition and credit for helping define such an incredible Union.

Motion to accept the Secretary General’ Report



6. VICE PRESIDENT’S AND COUNCILORS REPORTS (J. Charvet & E. Errami)

VICE-PRESIDENTS’ REPORT 2008-2012 (Jacques Charvet)

At the Second Ordinary Session of the IUGS-IGC Council, in Lillestrøm (Norway), on August 10, 2008, the two following Vice-Presidents were elected for a term of 4 years (2008-2012):

• Gerel Ochir (Mongolia)

• Jacques Charvet (France)

After their appointment to the Executive Committee (EC) the IUGS Vice-Presidents took care of the usual affairs through the attendance to the annual EC meetings and several Bureau meetings, and by e-mail exchange. Only one of the 6 EC meetings was missed by Gerel Ochir for medical reasons. They attended five Bureau meetings, including the one in Lisbon, on November 2009, which was not linked to an EC meeting. Each year, they evaluated annual reports of IUGS Commissions, Task groups, Adhering Members and Affiliated Organizations.

They had both the opportunity of representing the IUGS President and speaking on behalf of IUGS at some international meetings: 117th Geological Society of Japan (GSJ) Annual Meeting, Toyama, 2010 (G.O.); IYPE Board meeting, London, 2009; IGMA 5000 workshop (International Geologic Map of Asia), Beijing, 2009; 1st YES (Young Earth Scientists) International Congress, Beijing, 2009; opening of the 38th session of the IGCP Scientific Board, 2010; ICSU meeting of Member Unions, Paris, 2010; 29th European Geoparks Conference, Lesvos, Greece, 2010; IGMA 5000 workshop (International Geologic Map of Asia), Beijing, 2011; 10th European Geoparks Conference, Langesund, Norway, 2011; GEO VIII Plenary meeting, Istanbul, 2011; ICSU GeoUnions meeting, Istanbul, 2012 (J.C.).

The Vice Presidents were specifically involved in some IUGS Commissions and Task Groups. Gerel Ochir acted as a member of the Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE); she was the chair person of the Task Group on Affiliated Organizations. Jacques Charvet was a member of the Task Group on Geoheritage, the Task Group on IUGS and IGC Statutes and Bylaws, the Strategic Planning Committee, and was the Chair of the Task Group on Adhering Members.

Besides the previous tasks, the Vice-Presidents were also involved in several actions linked to the promotion of Earth Sciences and IUGS activities and programs.

Gerel Ochir was: member of the IGCP Scientific Board, Earth Resources Group; Head of the IYPE Mongolian National Committee; leader of the IAGOD Mongolian National Group; convener of session at the 1st YES International Congress and involved in YES network activities; member of the AGID Geoethics Working Group at Pribram, Czech Republic, 2011; responsible for science, education and international relations in Mongolian Geological Society.

Jacques Charvet was: IUGS representative in Advisory and Coordination Committees of the European Geoparks Network, attending 6 meetings and 2 evaluation missions; IUGS representative in the Bureau of ILP; chairman of the Ad-hoc Review Committee on ILP (2011); attending the IGCP Board meetings (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) and Bureau meeting (2012); member of the IYPE French National Committee and leader of projects; Vice-President of the Scientific Committee of the 1st YES International Congress.

Both Gerel Ochir and Jacques Charvet found their term of Vice-President in the IUGS EC a very interesting experience. They extended thanks all of the affiliated and adhering organizations, IUGS Commissions and Task Groups, and all individuals and scientists with whom they collaborated during their term.

Motion to accept the Vice Presidents’ Report



COUNCILORS REPORT 2008-2012 (Ezzoura Errami)

Following the Article 36 of the IUGS Statues “Four Councilors shall be elected, each to serve for a period of four years, but staggered in order to provide continuity: two take office immediately following election by the Council Meeting, two take office two years after the Council Meeting,” the following IUGS Councilors were nominated and elected respectively for the period 2006/2010, 2008/2012 and 2010-2014:

• Councilor (August 2006 – August 2010) – Mikhail Fedonkin (Russia)

• Councilor (August 2006 – August 2010) – Marta Mantovani (Brazil)

• Councilor (August 2008 – August 2012) – Ezzoura Errami (Morocco)

• Councilor (August 2008 – August 2012) – Colin Simpson (Australia)

• Councilor (August 2010 – August 2014) – Sampat Tandon (India)

• Councilor (August 2010 – August 2014) – Wesley Hill (USA)

Since their appointment to the Executive Committee (EC), the IUGS Councilors participated in the IUGS day-to-day affairs via email and to all IUGS EC annual meetings and the IUGS-IGC Council meetings. Each year, they participated in the evaluation of the annual reports of IUGS Commissions, Task Groups, Adhering Members and Affiliate Organizations. During their respective terms, the IUGS Councilors participated actively in the promotion of IUGS and its projects and joint projects especially IYPE and IGCP.

Councilor Marta MANTOVANI acted as the contact between IUGS and the Regional Committee of ICSU-Latin America and Caribbean and represented IUGS in 1st ICSU Regional Consultation for Latin America and Caribbean held in 2009 in Mexico. Marta attempted to establish contacts with IUGS inactive members in South America, in order to get them back involved.

Councilor Colin SIMPSON assisted with the organization the 2009 Executive Committee Meeting in Sydney (Australia). Since his election, and as the Editor of the IUGS e-bulletin, Colin produced a total of 41 e-bulletins (e-Bulletins #34 to #75) which were distributed by the Secretariat by email to over 12,000 addresses worldwide. He represented IUGS in the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) Bureau meetings and associated conferences. In close collaboration with Vice President Jacques Charvet (the IUGS representative on the European Geoparks Network, EGN), he prepared the Terms of Reference for the IUGS collaboration with the GGN and EGN. Colin chaired the IUGS-Ad Hoc Review Committee (ARC) of the IUGS Commission on Geoscience for Environmental Management (IUGS-GEM). He participated as Secretary to the IUGS-ARC review of the IUGS Commission on Management and Application of Geoscience Information (IUGS-CGI) and to the IUGS-ARC review of the IUGS International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO). Colin represented IUGS at the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) Executive Committee Meetings in Melbourne in 2009, and 2011, at the OneGeology Steering Group Meeting, Tokyo, 2011 and at the Australian Earth Sciences Convention, Canberra, 2010. He is also involved in the Organizing Committee of the 34th International Geological Congress 2012 (Brisbane, Australia).

Councilor Ezzoura ERRAMI served as the liaison between IUGS and ICSU-ROA and between IUGS and UNESCO Nairobi, and the UNESCO Cairo offices and reported regularly to the IUGS Executive Committee about their activities related to Earth Sciences in Africa and in the Arab World. Ezzoura acted as Secretary of the ARC review of the Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE) and she nominated as the President African Association of Women in Geosciences (AAWG) two African women to be members of (COGE). She also organized during the First International Conference on African and Arabian Geoparks, held in 2011 in Morocco, a roundtable on Earth Sciences Education in Africa where COGE, UNESCO and the Earth Sciences Matters foundation were represented. Ezzoura evaluated the IYPE activities through their published works via internet. She examined also the methodologies used by various IYPE national committees and made a proposal on how these could be adapted to the IUGS National Committees in order to improve their communication with the IUGS Executive Committee.


Councilor Wesley HILL coordinated the IUGS-YES-IGC Early Career Earth Scientist Essay Contest in celebration of the IUGS 50th Anniversary 2011. Wesley designed the new IUGS display and exhibit materials for IUGS representation at global conferences. She also coordinated the IUGS 50th Anniversary Video project and production. She acted as IUGS liaison to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) concerning UNESCO World Heritage and as IUGS liaison to the Task Group on Geoheritage. Wesley chaired the IUGS ARC Review of the Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE). She also coordinated the IUGS booth for IGC Brisbane.

Councilor Sampat TANDON made an assessment of the status of inactive members and initiated action for establishing contacts with colleagues in different countries. He also interacted regularly during the year with the Editor of Episodes for ensuring its timely publication and to increase its circulation within India. On the 21st January 2011 he also participated in discussions with the IUGS Bureau on the various aspects of the publication of Episodes in the office of the Geological Society of India.

In closing the IUGS Councilors would like to thank all organizations partners, scientists, IUGS Commissions, and Task Groups, with whom they interacted during their respective terms.

Motion to accept the Councilor’s Report



7. TREASURER’S REPORT 2008-2012 (William Cavazza)

William Cavazza began by discussing the financial challenges that IUGS faced during the period from 2008 – 2012 which included the following:

• Global economic downturn

• IUGS 50th Anniversary

• IGCP 40th Anniversary

• Episodes relocation to (Geological Society of India)

• Secretariat relocation to (USGS)

William discussed the membership status for Adhering members.

Returns on Investments

$525,000 Investment into two guaranteed deposit accounts yielded a net of 4.69 percent during 2008 – 2012, which yielded a return of $98,569 (USD).

The IUGS EC favored investments on science and planned significant reduction in administrative expenses.

Despite the considerable expenses related to the IUGS 50th Anniversary in 2011 during the quadriennium 2008-2011 the overall IUGS financial situation has improved by 14.3 % (from $1,047,654 to $1,197,789 USD), consolidating the trend set during the previous quadriennium.

Membership

The global financial downturn has taken its toll as the total number of adhering active members has decreased from 94 in 2008 to 85 in 2011. This has been partially counteracted with a more aggressive membership campaign.

Bank and Financial Assets (as of 6/30/2012) $1,148,698.85

Bank and Investment Interests (as of 6/30/2012) $ 22,452.93

Bank Charges (as of 6/30/2012) (1,691.48)

Balance $ 20,756.57

Movements until June 30, 2012

Received $ 304,920.79

Paid $ (332,036.42)

Balance as of (June 30, 2012 $ -27,115.63

Budget and Realizations 2012 (until June 30, 2012

Budget Realization

Membership Fees $402,426.00 $256,661.28

IGCP Programme – UNESCO 2012 $73,000.00

UNESCO Balance for 2011 $21,455.00 $21,455.00

Miscellaneous Income - GSL – $ 4,351.58

Bank & Investment Interests – $22,452.93

Total Income $496,881.00 $304,930.79

Motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report



8. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

a) IUGS Finance Committee (FC) (A. Brambati, Chair), P. Leahy and Z. Johan (Members)

The committee was formed two years ago and the report is two-part consisting of Mandates of the FC and an audit. The report revealed that assets increased from 2008 to 2010 and decreased in 2011 due to the decrease in paying organizations.

Income from membership fees stood current and remained that way through 2012. The increased membership in 2010 and 2011 is the result of an aggressive strategy of the treasurer toward the inactive or active pending status of adhering members.

Roles and Aims

According to the Terms of References issued by the IUGS Executive Committee, the primary roles of the Finance Committee are:

1. To identify external financial opportunities for IUGS.

2. Propose to the EC ways to improve IUGS financial operations, including the allocation of funds in relation to the strategic priorities and missions adopted by EC.

3. To audit IUGS finances and present a report to the IUGS Council every four years before the election of a new EC.

An audit was performed for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 and conformed to the general principles accepted in Italy.

Conclusions: The expenses for administration decreased and funds were also invested fruitfully in low-risk accounts.

Motion to accept the Financial Committee Report


b) Ad Hoc Review Committees (S.K. Tandon)

Summary Report on the Ad hoc Review Committee (2009 – 2012)

As specified in the statutes and Byelaws of the Union, the IUGS EC is required to review the commissions and other bodies funded by the Union on an approximate 4-year cycle. These reports provide accountability for the expenditures incurred by the Union and an opportunity for the Union to directly interact with its constituents. During the period under review 2008-2012, the EC took decisions to review the following 6 commissions and bodies of the Union. These are 1) Commission for the Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI), 2) Commission on Geoscience for Environmental Management (GEM), 3) International Lithosphere Program (ILP), 4) International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO), 5) Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE), and 6) Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines (TGGGB). Summary accounts of the Ad-hoc Review Committees are given below:

1. ARC of the Commission for the Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI) (Commission Chair: Kristine Asch)

Date and Venue: 24th-25th September 2009 at the German Geological Survey (BGR) Building, Hannover, Germany.

ARC Committee Members:

• Peter Bobrowsky – IUGS Secretary General (Chair)

• Colin Simpson – IUGS Councilor (Secretary)

• Jones Satkunas – (Deputy Director, Lithuanian Geological Survey)

• Brian Marker – (Independent Consultant)

Main Recommendation: ARC recommended that the IUGS continue support of the CGI activities until 2012.


2. ARC of the IUGS Commission on Geoscience for Environmental Management (GEM) (Commission Chair: Kevin Telmer)

Date and Venue: 2nd October 2010, Namibian Geological Survey Building, Windhoek, Namibia)

ARC Members:

• Colin Simpson – IUGS Councilor (ARC Chair)

• Peter Bobrowsky – IUGS Secretary General (ARC Secretary)

• Gabi Schneider (Director, Namibian Geological Survey)

• Geoff Grantham (Geologist, South African Council for Geoscience)

The Commission helped launch a new activity on Forensic Geology.

Main Recommendation: Conditional extension of the Commission for one extraordinary additional term of 4 years in 2012 following resolution of issues related to vacancies of officers, corresponding membership recruitment, and commission communications.

3. IUGG-IUGS ARC of the International Lithosphere Program (ILP) (Chair: Sierd Cloetingh)

The review was made in three steps: a physical meeting between IUGS ARC members and the ILP representatives; a review by IUGG based on documents; a IUGS-IUGG synthesis via e-mails.

Date and Venue of the IUGS ARC: January 18, 2011 at UNESCO, Miollis Building, Paris

IUGS ARC Members:

• Jacques Charvet - IUGS Vice-President (ARC Chair)

• William Cavazza - IUGS Treasurer, IUGS Treasurer (ARC Secretary)

• Laurent Jolivet - Professor, University of Orleans, Orleans

• Jaume Verges - Researcher, CSIC, Barcelona

IUGG Members in charge of ILP review:

• Chen Yun-Tai, IUGG Bureau Member, 2007-2011

• Alik Ismail-Zadeh, IUGG Secretary General

• Kalachand Sain, IUGG liaison to ILP

The IUGG review was based on the ILP reports (2007-2010) submitted by ILP to IUGG.

Main Recommendations: 1) Improvement in the Annual Report is needed so that details on the quantitative evaluation of the scientific results of each Task Force are easily accessible, 2) Better integration to be established between the ILP programs and IGCP (particularly Deep Earth) and relevant scientific commissions (Geodesy, Seismology, Volcanology) of the IUGG.

4. Report on ARC on International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO) (President – Silvia Figueroa)

Date and Venue: 1st August 2011; Aichi University (Toyohashi Campus), Toyohashi, Japan.

ARC Members:

• Peter Bobrowsky – IUGS Secretary General (ARC Chair)

• Colin Simpson – IUGS Councilor (ARC Secretary)

• Niichi Nishiwaki – Faculty of Social Research, Nara University

• Hisashi Nirei – The Geo-Pollution Central Agency, Japan

Main Recommendations: Continue support to INHIGEO until next IGC in 2012, and conditional extension for one extraordinary additional term of 4 years until 2016 following resolution of issues related to updating Statutes and Bylaws for improved management, and the creation of effective strategies for both Commission’s Communications and Membership recruitment.


5. ARC on IUGS Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE) (Chair: Jesus Martinez-Frias)

Date and Venue: 29th September 2011, Centro de Astrobiologia, CSIC-INTA, Torregon de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.

ARC Members:

• Wesley Hill – IUGS Councilor (ARC Chair)

• Ezzoura Errami – IUGS Councilor (ARC Secretary)

• Amelia Calonge Garcia, Department of Geologia,University de Alcala de Henares

• Elizabeth Silva, Portuguese Commission for UNESCO

Main Recommendations: IUGS should continue to support COGE; and suggested 13 action items for COGE that include the nomination of a Vice-Chair, publication of activities/projects in Episodes, the addition of Commission members with expertise in training and technology transfer, and the provision of a new strategic plan for the next 5 years to the IUGS.

6. Report on ARC of the IUGS Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines (TGGGB)* (Co-Chairs Xuequi Wang and David Smith)

Date and Venue: 14th – 15th May, 2012, Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration Langfang, China)

ARC Members:

• Sampat Kumar Tandon – IUGS Councilor (ARC Chair)

• Peter Bobrowsky – IUGS Secretary General (ARC Secretary)

• Dong Shuwen – Vice-President (Chinese Academy of Geosciences)

• Xiangdong Li – Professor of Geochemistry (University of Hong Kong)

ARC noted the extraordinary success in their training programs for developing countries.

Main Recommendation: Should be fully supported for another term until the next IGC in 2016; should resolve issues regarding the dated website.

*TGGGB operates under the umbrella of the International Union of Geological Sciences and the International Association of Geochemistry.

Motion to accept the ARC Committee Report


c) Publications Committee - (Mudlappa Jayananda)

The IUGS Publications Committee is responsible for reviewing publications and following policy in regards to publication.

Main Activities:

• IUGS E-Bulletin – currently the E-Bulletin is compiled by Colin Simpson and distributed by the Secretariat to over 12,000 e-mail recipients.

• Geological Society of London book publications

• Episodes – this journal publication is distributed in 140 countries on various scientific issues. A special issue consisting of 250 pages on the natural resources of Australia and Oceania which is being distributed at the 34th IGC Congress.

d) Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) - (Attilio Boriani)

The last Strategic Plan was approved in 2000. The SPC took a new approach to strategic planning and most discussion was done via email communication and in one formal meeting of the group which was held in 2011. The complete SPC report was made available to Council delegates and is published on the IUGS website. Lio Boriani noted that he would summarize the range of broad priorities and suggestions in the report later in the agenda.

Motion to accept the Strategic Plan Committee Report



9. IUGS Secretariat Report (Rich Calnan)

Rich reported that the IUGS Secretariat is in the state of transition as the Secretariat duties will be turned over to Li Zhijian at the China Academy of Geological Sciences as of December 1, 2012. The IUGS owes a debt of gratitude to Arne Bjorlyke and Anne Dehls of the Geological Survey of Norway who hosted the IUGS Secretariat for over 17 years and coordinated the effort of transferring all records to the USGS in 2009. Special thanks are also extended to Tom Casadevall and Suzette Kimball of the USGS who agreed to temporarily host the IUGS Secretariat for the three-year period from December 2009 to December 2012.

During that three year period the IUGS Secretariat was responsible for planning, coordinating and participating in the following activities:

• The 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 64th and 65th EC Meetings.

• The 50th Anniversary Celebration of the IUGS.

• The 40th Anniversary Celebration of IGCP

• The 34th IGC Council and related Meetings

• Coordinated a 30 year collection of IUGS papers housed in Eggenburg, Austria.

• Played a key roll in producing an award winning video to mark the first 50 years of IUGS history and developed a new logo to be used for the 50th anniversary.

The above was all accomplished in addition to the normal activities of preparing and filing correspondence for the IUGS leadership, maintaining a very dynamic database of over 12,000 names, distributing and tallying ballots, E-Bulletins, and reports from various Committees, Commissions and Task Groups, and producing meeting documents, voluminous meeting minutes and contributing to annual reports.

In a 32 month period the above was a challenging list of tasks accomplished. Along the way great support was provided by some colleagues. The IUGS Secretariat worked in close collaboration with the IGCP Secretariat at UNESCO, and the support was most appreciated. The support of both the USNC and the US Geological Survey was also crucial. The IUGS President, Alberto Riccardi, was always available with sage advice and the IUGS Treasurer, William Cavazza, provided all of the necessary financial support.

Motion to accept the IUGS Secretariat Report


10. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONS, INITIATIVES, AND TASK GROUPS

- COMMISSIONS

a) Geoscience in Environmental Management (GEM) (Brian Marker)

The objective of the GEM is to encourage the integration of geosciences knowledge into policy and society while striving to build bridges both between the developed and developing worlds. Its main goals are:

1. T o encourage greater application of the geosciences in the sustainable use of land, minerals, energy and water resources which fits in with the IUGS polices;

2. To generate geosciences information for policy development and to communicate that information broadly;

3. To grow multidisciplinary initiatives to create new knowledge and tools to solve environmental problems;

4. To strengthen the interests of the geosciences community in environmental management and sustainable development;

5. To make the essential contributions of geosciences to environmental development and environmental management known to planners and decision-makers; and

6. To engage the key stakeholders involved in specific environmental management and sustainable development issues.


The structure and organization consists of seven Commission working groups. Those groups interact with international organizations and projects. The working groups work on two levels: a commission level and a working group level which involve a variety of environmentally related topics.

The IUGS support of $10K per year is crucial for the working group’s contributions to society.

Motion to accept the GEM Report


b) History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO) (Silvia Figueiroa)

The primary objective of this commission is to study the history of geological disciplines in an international context. The Terms of Reference (TOR) and By-Laws have been extensively revised by the INHIGEO Board and the IUGS EC.

Membership has increased over the years with 198 members in 2008 to 246 members in 2011 with representation from several countries. INHIGEO members have attended and participated in several conferences over the years such as the IGC. The Commission has produced a wide variety of publications and its members share wide and varied international interaction.

Motion to accept the INHIGEO Report


c) International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) (Stan Finney)

The International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) is the oldest and largest scientific body of the IUGS which began in 1972 and continued to the present time. Its objective is to establish global standards in stratigraphy and promote and coordinate long-term international cooperation.

The ICS provides a single set of standards on a global chronostratigraphic chart. Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSP’s) precisely define the chronostratigraphic units. The commission was able to move the boundary for stratigraphic approach to a global level.

The commission introduced and distributed the International Stratigraphic Chart to all registered participants at the 34th IGC. A new Subcommission on Ediacaran and Cryogenian was established to replace the Subcommision on Neoproterozoic Stratigraphy. ICS collaborates with national stratigraphic committees from Russia, Italy, France, Austria, United Kingdom, United States, China, Canada, and Spain. The ICS members collaborate and cooperate with INQUA, CCGM/CGMW, OneGeology, IUGS Commission on the Management and Application of Geologic Information (CGI), UNESCO (Geoparks Program) and ProGeo (Geosites and Geoparks initiatives).

Motion to accept the ICS Report


d) Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE) (J. Martinez-Frias)

The objectives of the Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer is to identify gaps in education, training and technology transfer both conceptually and geographically. The COGE members implement the objectives through partnership, networking, and capacity building using an interdisciplinary approach.

The commission has adopted the suggestions of the AR Committee and addressed almost every action item.

In the areas of Geoscience education and Geoethics COGE has worked closely with AGID on Geoethics where the IUGS logo is highlighted. The commission has formed a partnership with the International Advisory for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD).

COGE have been active in the 34th IGC Congress and maintain an active website.

Motion to accept the COGE Report



e) Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI) (Kristine Asch)

The main objective of the CGI is to enable the global exchange of knowledge of geosciences and information systems. The Commission assists in international dissemination of geoscience information and consists of 243 members representing 65 countries. The members collaborate through working groups which are sub-divided into Tasks tied to very strong regional groups and special interest groups. Collaborative cooperation is accomplished through websites, workshops, posters, publications,…etc. The group recently worked with an observer from the YES Group.

CGI’s achievements included the development of Geoscience ML and Earth Resources ML for global spatial data interoperability. Outreach efforts include the participation of Latin America and the Africa Network (GIRAF).

Motion to accept the CGI Report


f) Tectonics and Structural Geology (TecTask) (Herman Lebit)

The TecTask Commission provides a modern platform for communication and knowledge sharing. The Commission pursues the mission to stimulate the international professional community of Earth Scientists by exposing new technologies for knowledge sharing, launching initiatives relevant to our science and the public. Their intent is to reach the public through the following areas:

• GeoHeritage protection

• Outcropedia – database mechanism to download photos and other information

• Glacier Watch – provides access to the latest information

• Training and knowledge sharing

• Workshops and Conferences

• Innovation

Motion to approve the TecTask Report

Approved as presented

- INITIATIVES

a) Forensic Geology Initiative (FGI) – L. Donnelly

Forensic Geology which is also known as geoforensics and forensic geology, is the application of geology to criminal investigation. The GSL Forensic Geology Group was formed in 2006 and in 2012 became an Initiative within the IUGS. The group members work with law enforcement such as the police and the FBI on criminal issues.

The press and the media are particularly interested in forensic geology. FGI members work globally with other international organizations and they are currently working on a “Guide to Forensic Geology.”

The FGI will hold a Forensic Geology Program at the 34th IGC working in cooperation with the Australian Police.

The group depends on the monetary contribution from the IUGS.

The FGI is looking to expand and diversify moving forward. The group has initiated a number of publications and work on outreach and education issues. FGI has brought together a vast group of people from various areas worldwide. The Australian and New Zealand police forces use the expertise of a forensic geologist on their respective staffs. Expansion in terminology within the court system is essential moving forward in this growing field of expertise.

Motion to accept the Forensic Geology Initiative Report



- TASK GROUPS

a) Isotopes and Geochronology (TGIG) (Sampat K. Tandon)

This first-ever inter-union Task Group between the IUGS and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Task group on Isotopes n Geosciences (TGIG), was proposed to resolve the discrepancies between recommended values of radioactive half-lives or decay constraints that had been generated independently by the two independent unions.

Sampat reported on the following subject areas in detail:

• Work on decay constants

• TGIG Meetings

• Future Plans for the Task Group

Motion to accept the TGIG Report


b) Global Geochemical Baselines (TGGB) (David Smith)

The mission of the IUGS/IAGC Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines is to establish a global geochemical database, and its representation in map form to document the concentration and distribution of chemical elements and species in the Earth’s near-surface environment. The Task Group activities include:

• Developing partnerships with other countries conducting broad-scale geochemical mapping studies;

• Provide training through workshops and short courses

• Develop criteria for certification of those projects that are acceptable for inclusion in a global database;

• Serve as a repository for data collected

• Prepare complete metadata for various certified projects; and ultimately

• Prepare a global geochemical database and atlas.

David discussed a number of the four-year accomplishments to include soil sampling reviews, seminars, geochemical atlas approvals and an IUGS ARC Review of the TGGB which was held in Langfang, China in May of 2012.

Motion to accept the TGGB Report


c) GeoHeritage (GTG) (Wesley Hill for Patrick DeWever)

The GeoHeritageTask Group (GTG) works to facilitate the development of national and international awareness and understanding of the underlying concepts. The task group works to help understand and recognize the various types of geosites (education, recreation, protection…, etc.) around the world and to promote in developing countries the will to develop their own geoheritage.

The group promotes their work through discussions, meetings, tele-conferences and face-to-face meeting from time to time. GTG has developed a database for regulations on geoheritage protection laws.

GTG actively participates with other international groups and is actively involved with the ProGEO group on protection and sharing. GTG has just recently established a new website for the GTG.

Motion to accept the Task Group on GeoHeritage Report



d) Heritage Stone Task Group (HSTG) (Barry Cooper)

This group has been developing over the past four years and its main objective is to facilitate formal designation of natural stones that achieved widespread recognition in human culture.

HSTG’s first involvement in dimension stone was hard rock used for building. The group is seeking approval for the establishment HSTG as a joint IUGS/IAEG Task Group.

HSTG has developed a draft version of the Terms of Reference, four circulars, a website, network of correspondents of 129 geologists in 29 countries, and a paper that has been published in Episodes.

The work of this group complements the UNESCO World Heritage. HSTG members are looking to expand the current group of correspondents within the international, national, and regional arenas. The group will establish a regular series of meetings which will provide long-term benefits and increased awareness of natural stone.

The HTSG looks forward to IUGS Council endorsement of their report, TOR and Board of Management.

Motion to accept the HSTG Report


e) Task Group on Global Geoscience Workforce (TGGGW) (Christopher Keane)

The TGGGW enables the Union to take a leadership role in raising the quality of our understanding of the geosciences workforce on a global level. As demonstrated during related workshops at the 33rd IGC in Oslo, the issue of workforce is of universal concern however, the ability to address it is elusive for most nations.

The TGGGW is focused on three distinct issues:

1. Establish definitions of comparability of data and information regarding the jobs, education, fields, and international mobility of geoscientists.

2. Determine a global baseline knowledge of the quantity and diversity of the geoscience workforce.

3. Identify capacity-building strategies for a durable global competency in Earth sciences.

The AGI along with help from the YES Network developed a Directory of Geosciences Departments in the USA.

At the 34th IGC – Workshop 19 will explore the issue of external controls on geosciences education and employment – a vector for measuring demand.

Motion to accept the TGGW Report


11. STATUS OF IUGS MEMBERSHIP AND RATIFICATION OF NEW MEMBERS

a) Adhering Organizations (Jacques Charvet)

Of the 120 Adhering Organizations 84 are active members and 36 inactive members. The newest member is Kosovo (category 1 member). Unfortunately, The Netherlands membership was lost. Cameroon and Egypt (both category 1 members) were reinstated from Active-pending to Active and Ghana (category 1) was reinstated into Active Status.

A model of operating for National Committees was provided in the Adhering member packets at the start of the Council Meeting. Jacques pointed out that a national committee should consist of at least three people supporting geosciences in several areas.

Motion to accept the Adhering Organizations Report



b) Affiliated Organizations (Ochir Gerel)

Ochir Gerel reviewed the recommendations of the IUGS guidelines for the Affiliate members and discussed improving integration between the IUGS and Affiliate Organizations so that there is a better understanding of Affiliated Organizations and their activities. Ochir stressed that it is most important for Affiliate members to regularly interact with the IUGS. Several of the websites for Affiliate members were reviewed for content, regular updates, and whether or not the IUGS had been recognized either by the IUGS logo or by links from the affiliate organization to IUGS, as well as, links to the National Committees. Recommendations were provided to the IUGS at the annual IUGS EC Meetings.

Motion to accept the Adhering Organizations Report


12. INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE (ICSU) (David Black)

The main objective for ICSU is the strengthening of international science for the benefit of society. David presented a brief history of ICSU which was founded in 1931 and initially consisted of 41 National members and 8 International Union members. In 1963 ICSU gained the freedom to conduct science and its related activities anywhere in the world.

ICSU Mission

• Identify and address key issues for science & society

• Foster collaboration

• Promote participation of all scientists

Research Initiatives

• Future earth: research for global sustainability

• Urban Health and Wellbeing

• Disaster Risk

• Ecosystems and Society

• Sustainable Energy - regional activities

• Science for Policy

• Universality of Science

The strategic challenges – the main focus is sustainable development.

ICSU strives to build collaboration amongst the scientific unions – send suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected]

The website for ICSU: www.icsu.org

Motion to accept the ICSU Report


13. COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES

- UNESCO (Patrick McKeever)

Patrick McKeever handles Science Initiatives at UNESCO and serves as Chief of Earth Science at UNESCO. He is aware of longstanding relation between the IUGS and UNESCO.

The four topics that are the lynch pin for Earth Science at UNESCO are: IGCP, GARS, GGN, and Earth Science Education Initiative on Africa.

Alberto Riccardi thanked Robert Missotten, outgoing Chief of Earth Science at UNESCO and welcomed Patrick McKeever, the new Chief.


a) International Geosciences Programme (IGCP) – (Peter Bobrowsky)

Peter explained that the ICGP is an IUGS and UNESCO joint collaborative effort and the funding is co-shared. There are as many as 30 projects active at any one time. Organizations are provided basically seed funding to get going and then seek funding elsewhere.

In February of 2012, IGCP celebrated their 40th Anniversary.

Motion to accept the IGCP Report


b) Geological Application on Remote Sensing (GARS) – (Stuart Marsh)

Through the cooperative efforts of IUGS/UNESCO this program objective is to assess the value of earth observation and remote sensing. This is a small program that receives $5K to $10K from IUGS and is usually matched by UNESCO. The program brings together the ground-based geological community and the geological remote sensing applications.

The program’s Geohazards Theme Report is available online at www.geohazcop.org

Motion to accept the GARS Report


c) Global Geoparks Network (GGN) (Colin Simpson and Wesley Hill)

Colin reported on this exceptional group and stated that IUGS is a member of the GGN Bureau and a strong supporter of the Global Geoparks Network. The IUGS provides GGN with Geoscientists to support the Geopark Programs. The GGN works in close collaboration with UNESCO and the IUGS Executive Committee Members so that everyone is involved and aware of the latest information with this group. Although Colin will move on as a member of the EC Wesley Hill will continue on for the next two years in support of the GGN.

Motion to accept the GGN Report


d) Earth Science Education Initiative on Africa (ESAF) (Wesley Hill)

The Earth Science Education opportunities in Africa are great. Issues include the following areas:

• Climate change

• Natural Hazards, and

• Drinking water

Providers of training support in earth science education at primary and secondary schools are:

• Geological Society of Africa

• Geoscience of Africa in Egypt, and

• Geoscience in Mozambique.

The website for ESAF is now available and the online availability of earth science education departments has been submitted for approval.

Motion to accept the ESAF Report



- IUGG

a. International Lithosphere Programme (ILP) (Roland Oberhaensli)

The ILP has two mothers IUGS and IUGG. The main objectives of this program are the nature dynamics, origin, and evolution of the lithosphere. A task force was initiated and activated to look at geosciences in relation to global change to bridge the gap from mircro-seismicity to large earthquakes.

The unconventionals include: tight gas, shale gas, and coal bed methane all of which fall in the unconventional category.

Contemporary dynamics and deep processes include:

- Continental collisional orogeny from Atomic Scales to Mountain Building

- Deep into the Subduction Channel

- Continental Lithosphere – Circum Arctic Lithosphere Evolution

A Volcanic Task Force was established – Volcanoes and society: environment health and public outreach. A new Task Force on Geomechanical modeling of geodynamic processes in the lithosphere.

Coordinating Committees include: ICDP, TOPO-EUROPE, TOPO Central Asia, DynaClim, & MEDYNA .

The ILP receives annual contributions from IUGS, IUGG and several supporting countries.

Space monitoring groups include: CHAMP – GRACE and GOCE.

Motion to accept the ILP Report


14. IUGS AWARDS (Ezzoura Errami)

Since its creation in 1961, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) has been promoting and encouraging Earth Sciences while actively supporting and facilitating international and interdisciplinary research and cooperation. Taking into consideration these objectives, the IUGS EC proposed through time several awards to strengthen the promotion of Earth Sciences worldwide. The IUGS Awards Ceremony will be held at the 34th IGC in Brisbane on August 6, 2012. The recipients are as follows:

2012 Hutchison Fund Awards will be presented to:

• Tandis S Bidgoli, Arizona, USA,

• Shaena Montanari, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA

• Tiffany Rivera, Idaho, USA, Danielle Thomson, Carleton University, Ottawa

• Canada, Shuhong Wang, South Chia Sea Institute of Oceanography, Guangzhou, China

• Sandow M. Yidana, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana

James Harrison Outstanding Achievement Award

- Edward Derbyshire – Presented by Peter Bobrowsky

IUGS 50th Anniversary – Young Scientist Essay Contest Award

- Gemma Jeannette Venhuizen – Presented by Wesley Hill

IUGS 2011 Episodes Best Paper Award (first ever presented)

- Wojciech Chelmicki, Powel Jokiel, Zdzislaw Michalczyk, Z., and Piotr Moniewski – Presented by Mudlappa Jayananda


IUGS Science Excellence Award 2012 in Environmental Geology (first ever presented)

- Ibrahim bin Komoo - Presented by Brian Marker

IUGS Science Excellence Award 2012 in Geological Education (first ever presented)

- John L. Laxton – Presented by Kristine Asch

IUGS Science Excellence Awards 2012: Vladimir. V. Tikhomirov History of Geology Award (first ever presented)

- Hugh S. Torrens – Presented by Silvia Figueroa

IUGS Science Excellence Awards 2012: Digby Mclaren Stratigraphy Award

- Stig M Bergstrom – Presented by Stanley C. Finney

IUGS Science Excellence Award 2012 in Structural Geology (first ever presented)

- John G. Ramsay – Presented by Bruce Hobbs

Motion to accept the IUGS Awards Report


15. IUGS Strategic Plan – (Attilo Boriani)

A full version of the IUGS Strategic Plan – Science and Organizational Strategies for the IUGS – is available on the IUGS website and was provided to Council.

Lio Boriani presented a comparison of the Strategic Plan approved in 2000 with the new 2012 proposal. He noted that strategic planning is a process of defining strategies and directions as a basis for making decisions on allocating resources. The IUGS’ vision (geological sciences are appreciated for their contributions) and mission (IUGS is servicing the Earth Science community of the world) remain appropriate.

Given the time, it was decided to defer the discussion and vote to Thursday.

a.) Vision

The vision of IUGS is a world in which the geological science receives the right of appreciation for scientific work.

b.) Mission: IUGS is servicing the Earth Science community of the world.

A full version of the IUGS Strategic Plan is available on the IUGS website.

Lio Boriani presented a comparison of the Strategic Plan approved in 2000 to with the new 2012 proposal. It is proposed and unanimously decided to defer to Thursday for vote.

The Meeting adjourned at 05:37 p.m.

Day 2 – Thursday, 9 August 2012, 08:43 a.m.

Council Chairs: A. Riccardi (IUGS Items 15, 16, 19-21)

N. Williams (IGC Items 17-18, 22-23)

15. IUGS Strategic Plan (continuation)

The meeting opened with a comment from Arne Bjorlekke of Norway. Arne suggested approval of the profile of the Strategic Plan in principle and if a formal plan is desired he proposed to advise the new committee to have a new strategic plan developed. Ed Nickless – supported Arne’s comments.

President Riccardi noted that the new Plan as the one approved in 2000 is not a binding document but a plan that defines directions, includes recommendations, and does not deal with details of implementation. These should be addressed by the Executive Committee following the approval of the recommendations by Council. Therefore, he proposed that with no objections to the Strategic Plan the Council should vote to approve the plan at this time.

Motion to approve the Strategic Plan as circulated.

Ballot on Strategic Plan Vote to Accept

Total Votes: 34 Yes: 30 No: 3 Abstain: 1

Result: Strategic Plan approved as presented


16. REVISED IUGS STATUTES AND BYELAWS (Patrick Leahy)

Pat Leahy provided a short presentation to the Council. This is the 6th IGC he has attended. He attended his first in the USA and then Beijing and all Congresses forward and has seen the development of IGC and IUGS during that period. It is an honor to serve on this committee because it is an important issue. He thanked the EC for the opportunity to serve on a committee whose members he has an enormous respect.

The IUGS has both Statutes and Bye-Laws – Bye Laws are required for a Corporation and a legal entity. IGC has Statutes only and no Bye-Laws. Some of the issues that should be addressed:

• Proxy votes – not mentioned in the current Statutes and Byelaws. This is an important issue included in the new proposal.

• Article 24e – The Council could include non-voting Observers from countries or regions that are not members of the IUGS, one per country/region.

• Article 43 – It should be clarified that the Nominating Committee consists of six members in addition to the Past President as the 7th member.

• As proposed by the Italian Committee the Council is the IUGS-IGC Council, to convey the fact that the Council is one body.

• Members vote and not being a member of the Adhering Organization allows a delegate to vote only on IGC matters.

A proposal was set forth to vote first the approval (in principle) of the IUGS Statutes as presented by Patrick Leahy. If the Statutes are approved in principle a discussion and vote could follow on specific articles as raised. A specific article to be considered is 24(e) on non-voting observers. Some concern is also expressed with regard to article 47 on financial control and accountability, where the word “external” should be introduced in relation to audit. Concern with Byelaw 22 – merits to evaluate candidates for the Nominating Committee – resulted in a motion for the British Delegation to provide the wording on the article.

A motion was accepted nominating the scrutinees/vote counters as Robert Missotten (formerly from UNESCO), A. Gikot (Head of the Japanese Delegation), and H. Kivazalto (Head of the Russian Federation Delegation).

Following the casting of the votes, there was a break for the counting of the votes.

New IUGS Statutes and Bye-Laws

Total Votes: 31 Yes: 29 No: 1 Abstain: 0 Invalid: 1

According to the current Statutes and Bylaws the result is well above the 2/3 of the statutory quorum.

President Riccardi noted that in principle the Statutes have been approved and now Article 24e should be considered. As this is a decision related to IGC – the article could be discussed with the IGC Statues. A point of order was made to consider the article under the IUGS Statutes. Should be accepted by the IUGS and motion was made to defer the vote to later in the morning – approved to vote at a later time.

IUGS Statutes Article 23d (Old Statutes) or 24e (New Statutes)

23(d) Whenever a meeting of the Council during an IGC has IGC issues tabled on the Agenda, the appropriate authority in countries which are not members of the IUGS shall be invited to send one delegate per adhering organization. However, notwithstanding the voting arrangements agreed generally for participation of the Council, such delegations shall be entitled to vote on matters under the IGC on the agenda.

24(e) Observers from countries or regions which are not members of IUGS shall include one non-voting person per country as designated by the appropriate authority (recognized by the Executive Committee).

Total votes: 35 Article 23d (Old Statutes): 10 Article 24e (New Statutes): 24 Abstain: 0 Invalid: 1

Result: Article 24e (New Statutes) approved


17. REVISED IGC STATUTES (Patrick Leahy)

As was done for the IUGS Statutes it is proposed to approve in principle of the new IGC Statutes and to focus later on any concern on specific articles.

New IGC Statutes

Total votes: 54 Yes: 53 No: 0 Abstain: 0 Invalid: 1

The following concerns were exposed:

• Article 13 – needs to be changed in the IGC Statutes if 24e of the IUGS Statutes is changed as they are linked.

• Article 5 – current wording states that income from the Congress is for the IGCC, but it is supposed to go to IUGS scientific matters. There is a motion to indicate that this income ’in part’ is to go towards IGCC. Anyone opposed to using ‘in part’. Majority approved – go to vote along with other articles.

• Article 25 – the possibility that the Congress could last 6 to 10 days or 5 to 8 days.

• Article 16 – the Italian Delegation noted that it is proposed a new composition of the IGCC and that remains open the question who will decide – according to the article wording – who will represent the last but one IGC Session, i.e., the President or the Secretary General. – Finally, it is proposed a formal vote to decide to remove “or” and insert “and” or to leave the article as proposed.

IGC Statutes Article 25: “6 to 10 days” vs. “5 to 8 days”

Total votes: 134 “6 to 10 days”: 29 “5 to 8 days”: 100 Abstain: 5

Result: Article 25 (new Statutes) modified to “5 to 8 days”, i.e.,

“The scientific program and business meetings of the Session normally last for 5 to 8 days during which the Council shall meet.”

IGC Statutes Article 16 (new Statutes vs. Article 5.6 (old Statutes)

Article 16. The IGC Committee consists of the President, the Secretary General, and the Treasurer of the IUGS, and the President and the Secretary General of the ongoing IGC Organizing Committee ;the President and Secretary General of the immediate past IGC Session; and the President or Secretary General of the last but one IGC Session.

5.6. The IGC Committee consists of: (a) the President and the Secretary General of the onging Organizing Committee; (b) the President of the immediate past Session; (c) the President the Secretary General and the Treasurer of IUGS; and (d) the Secretaries General of the three immediate past Sessions. As observers may be invited the President and the Secretary General of the Preparatory Committee of an eventual next but one IGC may be invited along with up to three congress organizing experts.

Total votes: 144 Article 16 (new Statutes): 112 Article 5.6 (old Statutes): 20

Abstain: 8 Invalid: 4

Result: Articles 16 (new Statutes) approved.

IGC Statutes Article 16 – Change wording: “or” vs. “and”

Article 16. “…and the President or Secretary General of the last but one IGC Session” vs. “and the President and Secretary General of the last but one IGC Session.”

Total votes: 129 “or”: 67 “and”: 57 Abstain: 4 Invalid: 1

Result: Article 16 (new Statutes) remain as proposed in the new version of the Statutes, i.e. “ … and the President or Secretary General of the last but one IGC Session.”


18. INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS (IGC)

a. Report from the Chairman of 34th IGC Committee (N. Williams)

The current IGC Congress has 5922 delegates attending. At the time of the bid in Florence in 2004 – the Australian dollar was much weaker against the USD and subsequently the severe financial difficulties in many countries raised concerns that the level of attendance at the 34th IGC could be much lower than recent IGC’s. So we are very pleased with the attendance.

We are very fortunate to have such a great venue, with its location and convenience. The weather has been as good as what was expected.

We are very pleased to have been able to have raised support to bring so many delegates from Africa.

b. Report of the President of the 35th IGC (R. Viljoen)

The 35th IGC Session is to be held in Cape Town, South Africa. Congratulations were extended to Ian Lambert and Neil Williams for the marvelous Congress they planned.

The bid for the 35th IGC was made and accepted in 2008 as a Pan-African event. Cape Town is a tourist hub in the country.

The Congress will be held from August 27, to September 4, 2016. Richard Vilijoen is Chairman of the IGC and Danie Bernardo is the Secretary General. The tentative agenda has been set including field trips. The branding for the Conference is available as well as some brochures and a marketing campaign has begun. Any surplus funds and profits will be placed in a trust to be used by underprivileged participants attending future Congresses. The IGC Committee is cooperating with African Geological Survey and other scientific organizations. Great support has been provided from the Department of Mineral Resources of South Africa.

Currently the 35th IGC has several sponsorships and will continue to seek more. It has secured bridging finance, which is important for the period until sponsorship and other income increases.

Question raised by Alan Jones, Ireland – what facilities will be available for posters sessions? Will you have enough room and adequate time for display at the poster session? Answer: Yes, we have the facility and will take note of the format.


c. GeoHost (Ian Lambert)

The programme to support the attendance of young and financially disadvantaged geoscientists at the 34th IGC differed from previous IGC’s in that it offered full funding for about 160 people. A large proportion of the funds were provided through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), which sponsored training workshops on Sustainable Mining in Africa; and Capacity Building in Risk Modeling for Natural Hazards in the Asia-Pacific region. Also, the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute provided funds for a GeoHost training workshop on Geosequestration, AusAID also fully supported attendance by 13 key people involved with the 34th IGC Theme: Geoscience Benefitting Low Income Countries.

In addition, over 150 delegates were provided partial support to attend the 34th IGC. The total funding committed for GeoHost support was in excess of $1.5M, which we believe is the highest of any IGC to date.

d. Selection of Host for the 36th IGC

i. Strengths and weaknesses of each bid (N. Williams)

Neil Williams noted that IGCC assists countries to produce a good bid through specifying key criteria and offering general advice. Three initial bids were submitted and all had strengths and weaknesses. Feedback was provided and one country withdrew. The two for consideration are Canada and India. Each country has 20 minutes to present – the order is India and followed by Canada, and then questions. As both bids have been judged by the IGCC to meet the key criteria, IGCC does not make a recommendation.

He invited the Indian team to make their presentation and started the 20 minute clock.

ii. Presentation of Bids

India gave their bid presentation within the time allocated.

Canada gave their bid presentation within the 20 minutes allocated.

Comments /Questions: None were taken

iii. Vote

At this time the votes were submitted and these were scrutinized and counted by the same three people who had done this tack for the previous agenda item.

Selection of the 36th IGC

Total Votes 180 India 129 Canada 51

Result: India will host the 36th IGC.

19. ELECTION OF IUGS OFFICERS AND APPOINTMENTS

a. Nominating Committee Report (Zhang Hongren)

Zhang reported the following submissions for the Nominating Committee:

NAME COUNTRY NOMINATED BY

Prof. Dhiraj M. Banerjee India Krishan Lal, India National Science Academy

Prof. Jacques Charvet France Pierre Barbey, French National Committee

Mr. David Govoni Italy Meng Wang/Jo Venus, YES

Prof. Harsh Gupta India R.H. Sawkar, Geological Society of India

Dr. Edmund Nickless UK Alan Lord, Geological Society of London & SEPM

Dr. Ricardo Olea USA Vera Pawlowsky-Glahn, IAMG

Prof. Lopo Vasconcelos Mozambique Aberra Mogassie, GSAf

Dr. Peter Bobrowsky Canada IUGS Past Secretary General

Prof. Alberto Riccardi Argentina IUGS, Past Presdent


b. Alternative Proposals (for President, Vice President and Councilor)

Alberto Riccardi reviewed the candidates for officers:

• Presidential candidates: John Ludden and Roland Oberhaensli

• Vice Presidential candidates: Yildirim Dilek, Marko Komac, and Ashok Sahni

• Secretary General: Ian Lambert

• Treasurer: Dong Shuwen

c. Election of new Officers of the Executive Committee

• Election of President

o Candidates address the Council

John Ludden was the first to address the Council followed by Roland Oberhaensli

o Ballot for President

Proceed to submit the votes for the President, IUGS – 2012 -2016.

Total Votes: 52. John Ludden: 15 Roland Oberhaensli: 37

Result: New President of the IUGS is Roland Oberhaensli.

Roland addressed the group and thanked them. saying he was proud of their courage.

• Election of Vice President


There are three candidates and Yildirim Dilek presented to the Council first followed by Marko Komar, and Ashok Singhv.

o Ballot for Vice Presidents

A call for votes for two of the three candidates and ballot submissions were made.

Total Votes: 94 Yildirim Dilek : 32 Marko Komac: 41 Ashok Singhv : 20 Abstain: 1

Result: the new Vice Presidents for the IUGS are Yildirim Dilek and Marko Komac.

• Election of Secretary General and Treasurer

Ian Lambert presented to the Council as the only candidate for Secretary General.

Dong Shuwen presented to the Council the only candidate for Treasurer.

Result: Ian Lambert and Dong Shuwen were endorsed by acclamation to the positions of Secretary General and Treasurer, respectively.


• Election of Councillors


o 2012 – 2016

Hassina Mouri presented first followed by Victor Kurnosov, and Yujiro Ogawa

o 2014 – 2018

Jack Hess presented to the Council first followed by Amel Barich, and Stephen Johnston.

o Ballot for Councillors

o A call for ballots to be completed and submitted voting for two of the candidates on the ballot.

o 2012 - 2016

Total Vote: 89 Hassina Mouri: 35 V. Kurnosov: 18 Yuijiro Ogawa: 36

Result: Councillors Yurijiro and Hassina Mouri were elected for the term 2012-2016.

o 2014-2018

Total Vote: 91 Jack Hess: 26 Amel Barich: 37 Stephen Johnston: 28

Result: Councillors Amel Barich and Stephen Johnston were elected for the term 2014-2018

d. Appointment of New Nominating Committee

The votes for the Nominating Committee to select six of the seven candidates to the Nominating Committee were submitted at the same time as the Councillor’s vote.

Total Votes: 267 Charvet: 40 Govoni: 29 Gupta: 38 Nickless: 39 Olea: 43 Vasconcelos: 40 Bobrowsky: 38

Result: The new Nominating Committee – Ricardo Olea, Jacques Charvet, Lopo Vasconcelos, Edmund Nickless, Harsh Gupta, and Peter Bobrowsky, in addition to Alberto Riccardi as the Past President of IUGS.


e. Ratification of Officers of Commissions

The following were submitted for Ratification by Council as Officers of IUGS Commissions for 2012 – 2016

Commission on the Management & Application of Geoscience Information (CGI)

Position Current Proposed 2012-2016

Chair Kristine Asch (Germany) Francois Robida, BRGM, France

Secretary General Ian Jackson (UK) Kristine Asch (Germany)

Treasurer Francois Robida (France) Robert Tomas, EC (Czech Republic)

Officers:

Argentina Gabriel Asato Gabriel Asato

Australia Bruce Simons Oliver Raymond

Canada John Broome

China Wang Jun

Germany Peter Baumann Peter Baumann

Japan Koji Wakita Kazuhiro Miyazaki

Namibia Anna-Karren Nguno

United Kingdom Richard Hughes

United States Mike Frame

United States David Percy

Commission on Education, Training and Tech Transfer (COGE)


Chair Jesus Martinez-Frias (Spain) Jesus Martinez-Frias (Spain)

Vice Chair Chris King (UK) Chris King (UK)

Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer Nocerino (USA) Jennifer Nocerino (USA)

Former Chair Gary Lewis (GSA-USA) Gary Lewis (GSA-USA)

IUGS VP Ochir Gerel (Mongolia) Ochir Gerel (Mongolia)

Officers:

Argentina Adriana Niz Adriana Niz

Australia Greg McNamara Greg McNamara

Australia Ian Clarke Ian Clarke

Canada Alan Morgan Alan Morgan

India R. Shankar R. Shankar

Malawi Elyvin Nkhonjera Elyvin Nkhonjera

Morocco Yamina Bourgeoini Yamina Bourgeoini

Phillippines Miguel Cano Miguel Cano

South Korea Chan-Jong Kim Chan-Jong Kim

Sri Lanka Ashvin Wickramasooriya Asvin Wickramasooriya


Geoscience in Environmental Management (GEM)


Chair Kevin Telmer (Canada) Kevin Telmer (Canada)

Sec. General (Acting) Dr. Brian Marker (UK) Dr. Brian Marker (UK)

Vice Chair Dr. Qingcheng He (China) Dr Qingcheng He (China)

Treasurer Dr. Kaj Laz (Sweden) Dr. Kaj Laz (Sweden)

Officers:

Southern Africa Dr. Ben Mapani (Namibia) Dr. Ben Mapani (Namibia)

Western Africa Dr. Sulemana Al-Hassan (Ghana) Dr. Sulemana Al-Hassan (Ghana)

Southern Asia Professor Mihir Deb (India) Professor Mihir Deb (India)

North America Prof. Norm Cato (Canada) Dr. Jose Centeno (USA)

Southern Europe Prof. Eduardo da Silva (Portugal) Prof. Eduardo da Silva (Portugal)

Northern Europe Dr. Philipp Schmidt-Thome’ Dr. Philiipp Schmidt-Thome’

East Europe Eurasia Prof. Igor Zektser (Russia) Prof. Igor Zektser (Russia)

Eastern Asia Prof. Hisashi Nirei (Japan) Prof. Hisash Nirei (Japan)

Caribbean/South America Dr. Jose Centeno (USA) Dr. Adriana Niz (Argentina)

International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO)


President Dr. Silvia Figueiroa (Brazil) Prof. Kenneth Taylor (USA)

Secretary General Dr. Kennard Bork (USA) Dr. Barry Cooper (Australia)

Editor Prof. Wolfgang Mayer (Australia)

Past President Dr. Silvia Figueiroa (Brazil)

Officers:

Asia Prof. Jiuchen Zhang Prof. Jiuchen Zhang

Australiasia/Oceania Prof. David Oldroyd Dr. Michael Johnston

Europe Dr. Martina Kolbl-Ebert Dr. Martina Kolbi-Egbert

Latin America Mr. Gerardo Soto Prof. Luz Fernanda Azuela

North America Dr. Gregory Good Dr. Gregory Good


Commission on Tectonics and structural geology (TECTASK)


Chair Prof. Cees Passchier (Germany) New Officer

Vice Chair Dr. Mark Jessell (France) New Officer

Secretary General Dr. Herman Lebit (USA) Dr. Herman Lebit (USA)

Treasurer Dr. Elena Druguet (Spain) Dr. Elena Druguet (Spain)

Officers:

Australia Prof. Alison Ord Prof. Bruce Hobbs

Australia Prof. Ron Vernon

Belgium Prof. Manuel Sintubin

Burkina Faso Prof. Martin Lompo

Germany Prof. Paul Bons

India Prof. Manish Mamtani Prof. Sudipta Sengupta

Italy Prof. Giorgio Pennacchioni

Italy Prof. Rudolfo Carosi

Japan Prof. Toru Takeshita

Sweden Prof. Hemin Koyi

South Africa Prof. Kim Hein

Switzerland Prof. Neil Manktelow

USA/UK Prof. John Dewey

Junior Officers:

Canada Anna Chanou, U. of Western Ontario

Spain Dr. Miguel Gutierrez, U. of Santander

Finland Dr. Taija Torvela, U. of Helsinki

International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS)


Chairman Dr. Stanley Finney (USA) Dr. Stanley Finney (USA)

Vice Chair Dr. Shanchi Peng Dr. Shanchi Peng

Secretary Professor Paul R. Bown (UK) Professor Paul R. Brown (UK)

Officers:

Chair-Quaternary Dr. Philip Gibbard (UK) Prof. Martin Head (Canada)

Vice Chair Dr. Brian Pratt (Canada) Prof. Brad Pillans (Australia)

Secretary Prof. Jan Zalasiewicz (UK)

Chair-Neogene Prof. Frederik Hilgen (Neth) Prof. Isabella Raffi

Chair-Paleogene Dr. Eustoquio Molina (Spain) Prof. Simonetta Monechi (Italy)

Vice Chair Prof. Noel Vandenberghe (Belgium)

Secretary Prof. Laia Alegret (Spain)

Chair-Cretaceous Prof. Isabella Silva (Italy) Prof. Malcolm Hart (UK)

Vice Chair Prof. James Haggart (Canada)


Secretary Prof. Brian T. Huber (USA)

Chair-Jurassic Dr. Jose Palfy (Hungary) Prof. Stephen P Hesselbo (UK)

Vice Chair Prof. Jingeng Sha

Chair-Triassic Dr. Marco Balini (Italy) Dr. Marco Balini (Italy)

Vice Chair Prof. Mark Hounslow (UK)

Vice Chair Prof. Jinnan Tong (China)

Secretary Prof. Christopher A. McRoberts (USA)

Editor/Webmaster Prof. Wolfram M. Kuerschner (Norway)

Chair-Permian Dr. Charles Henderson (Canada) Prof. Shuzhong Shen (China)

Vice Chair Prof. Joerg W. Schneider(Germany)

Secretary Prof. Lucia Angiolini (Italy)

Chair-Carboniferous Dr. Barry C. Richards (Canada) Dr. Barry C. Richards (Canada)

Vice Chair Dr. Wang Xiangdong (China)

Secretary Prof. Markus Aretz (France)

Chair-Devonian Dr. Thomas Becker (Germany) Prof. John E. A. Marshall (UK)

Vice Chair Prof. Carlton E. Brett (USA)

Chair-Silurian Prof. Michael Melchin (Canada) Prof. Michael Melchin (Canada)

Vice Chair Prof. Peep Mannik (Estonia)

Secretary Prof. Zhan Renbin (China)

Chair-Ordivician Prof. David A.T. Harper (UK) Prof. David A. T. Harper (UK)

Vice Chair Prof. Andre Dronov (Russia)

Secretary Prof. Ian Percival (Australia)

Chair-Cambrian Dr. Shanchi Peng (China) Prof. Loren E. Babcock (USA)

Vice Chair Prof. Xingliang Zhang (China)

Secretary Prof. Per Ahlberg (Sweden)

Chair-Precambrian Dr. Martin Van Kranendonk Dr. Martin Van Kranendonk (Australia)

Vice Chair Dr. Wouter Bleeker (Canada)

Secretary Dr. Robert Rainbird (Canada)

Chair-Stratigraphic Dr. Brian Pratt (Canada) Dr. Brian Pratt (Canada)

Vice Chair Prof. Helmut Weissert (Switzerland)

Vice Chair Prof. Jan Zalasiewicz (UK)

Secretary Prof. Maria Rose Petrizzo (Italy)

Chair-Neoprotozoic Dr. James Gehling (Australia)

Chair-Cryogenian Prof. Graham Shields (UK)

Vice Chair Prof. Galen P. Halverson (Canada)

Secretary Prof. Susannah M. Porter (USA)

Chair- Ediacaran Prof. Shuhai Xiao (USA)

Vice Chair Prof. Dmitriy Grazhdankin (Russia)

The official Election of Officers was ratified as submitted.


20. PROGRAM PRIORITIES AND TENTATIVE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS FOR 2012 – 2016 – This duty will be handled by the new IUGS Executive Committee.

21. OTHER BUSINESS – Nothing discussed at this time.

22. PLACE, DATE OF NEXT ORDINARY SESSION OF COUNCIL

To be determined

23. CLOSING OF THE MEETING: The Head of the Italian Delegation, Atilio Boriani thanked the Australians for the outstanding Congress. He also thanked Alberto Riccardi for leading the Union in such a good way over the last four years. President Riccardi responded thanking Lio and stating “we did our best.”

Neil Williams officially closed the Session noting that it had been a long day and he thanked everyone for their dedication and participation. The 3rd Ordinary Session of the Joint Council of IGC and IUGS adjourned at 06:24 p.m.


Attachment 19: Minutes of 64th IUGS Executive Committee meetingBrisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia, Room A1

4 August, 2012

Meeting Participants

Executive Committee Members

Alberto Riccardi (IUGS President), Peter Bobrowsky (IUGS Secretary General), William

Cavazza (IUGS Treasurer), Ochir Gerel (IUGS Vice President), Jacques Charvet (IUGS Vice

President), Zhang Hongren (IUGS Past President), Colin Simpson (IUGS Councilor) Ezzoura Errami (IUGS Councilor), Wesley Hill (IUGS Councilor), and Sampat Kumar Tandon (IUGS Councilor)

Secretariat

Richard Calnan, (IUGS Secretariat, U.S. Geological Survey), Nancy Zeigler (Recording, U.S. Geological Survey)

Observers

Patrick Leahy, (AGI, IUGS FC), Antonio Brambatti and Johan Zdenek (IUGS FC), Attilio

Boriani (SPC), and Ian Lambert, GA, Secretary General, IGC.

1. WELCOMING ADDRESS

President Alberto Riccardi opened the meeting at 09:10 a.m. The meeting will focus on the

most important issues to be considered at the IUGS Council meeting on 5 and 9 August

2012.

2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

President Riccardi reviewed the proposed agenda and it was approved by the Executive

Committee.

3. MINUTES OF THE 63RD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING, 14-17 FEBRUARY 2012, SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN

3.a. Approval of the San Sebastian Minutes The 63rd Meeting Minutes were approved unanimously with no changes.

3.b. Actions arising from the Minutes

Peter Bobrowsky reviewed and reported on the 63rd EC Action Items. Out of 66 total Action items there are 10 that remain pending: #’s 3, 4, 5, 11, 16, 20, 39, 56, 63 and 64.


4. ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS

4.a. President’s Report

President Riccardi reported that since February he had worked on action items from the 63rd EC

Meeting, printing the Strategic Plan and the Book of Facts and the organization of the IUGS

presence at the 34th IGC (meetings of EC, Council, EC and affiliates, Awards Ceremony, and the IUGS booth). He has answered every message and letter received to the IUGS. He will present his full President’s Report at the IGC Council Meeting on Sunday August 5, 2012.

4.b. Past President’s Report

Zhang Hongren arrived late to the meeting and his full report will be presented at the IGC

Council Meeting.

4.c. Vice Presidents’ and Councillor’s Reports

Jacques Charvet and Ezzoura Errami have developed power point presentations for the

Council Meeting which will be presented by both.

4.d. Secretary General’s Report

Peter Bobrowsky will make a power point presentation and provide a full report at the Council Meeting.

4.e. Treasurer’s Report

William Cavazza will provide his formal report at the Council Meeting

4.f. Permanent Secretariat’s Report

Richard Calnan is prepared to provide a status report at the EC Council Meeting.

Alberto Riccardi reported that the signing of the MOU between the IUGS and the China

Ministry of Land and Resources pertaining to the IUGS Secretariat 2012 – 2020, will take

place on 6 August 2012.

5. IUGS COMMITTEES

All Committee Chairs will provide a status report at the IGC Council Meeting.

5.a. Finance Committee (FC) - (A. Brambatti)

5.b. Nominating Committee (NC) - (Zhang Hongren)

A discussion was held in how to address the Council. William Cavazza expressed concern

that the Nominating Committee did not fulfill the request of the Council and suggested the Committee was not compliant.

A motion was presented to better define the Nominating Committee Terms of Reference for the National Committee as guidance is needed on evaluations. This will be discussed at the Council meeting.

5.c. Publication Committee (PC) - (M. Jayananda)

Alberto Riccardi reported that, as decided by the EC, a new MOU on Episodes for 2012 -2016 was signed with the Geological Society of India. [IUGS 64th EC Meeting Official Minutes]

5.d. Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) - ( A. Boriani)

Pat Leahy asked if the Council would vote on the Strategic Plan. Alberto reported that the Council would be asked if a vote is necessary. Should the vote be necessary a copy of the Strategic Plan will be distributed after a positive vote has been taken.

5.e. Ad hoc Review Committee (ARCs) – (S.K. Tandon)

Jacques Charvet expressed concern with the process for nominations, to the Editorial Board of Episodes, he feels that the EC should allow any member of the EC to propose names for nomination. There was a question as to why one proposal was tied to the Chinese.


6. REPORT ON COMMISSIONS, INITIATIVES AND TASK GROUPS

All Chairs or representatives will report at the IGC Council Meeting.

7. REPORT ON STATUS OF IUGS MEMBERSHIP AND RATIFICATION OF NEW

MEMBERS AND RATIFICATION

7.a. Adhering Organizations – (Jacques Charvet)

There are currently 120 active memberships which have been ratified.

7.b. Affiliate Organizations – (Ochir Gerel)

Report will be presented at the Council Meeting.

8. INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS (IGC)

8.a. IUGS 35th MOU – Alberto Riccardi reported that it will be signed in the afternoon at the IGCC meeting.

8.b. 36th IGC in 2020, proposals (Canada, India) – (Alberto Riccardi)

Presentations will be given at the IGCC Meeting on August 4, and will be formally presented to the IGC Council on Thursday. William Cavazza commented that planning for the IGC eight years in advance is too long to be working in advance and it is bad for the workings of the IGCC.

8.c. International Geological Congress Committee (IGCC) meeting- (Alberto Riccardi)

The meeting will be held at 1:00 p.m. on August 4 and the IGC Statutes and the MOU for the 35th IGC will be some of the main topics.

8.d. IUGS participation at 34th IGC

8.d.1. IUGS Exhibition (W. Hill)

The IUGS Booth space is in Block W at the Convention Hall and logistics and booth coverage were discussed.

8.d.2. IUGS Reception – (R. Calnan)

The IUGS Reception will be held from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Old Governor’s House, which is conveniently located and an easy walk from the Convention Center, by taxi or by ferry via the City Cat.

8.d.3. Affiliate Members meeting - (Alberto Riccardi)

A total of 15 Affiliate Organizations responded to the meeting notice. Edmund Nickless of the GSL will provide a presentation on the Global Geoscience Initiative. Alberto Riccardi will report on courses held in Africa, organized and with participation of affiliated organization (SGA, SGE, GSAf and AAWG) which was partially paid by IUGS in cooperation with UNESCO. The key is promoting interaction between the IUGS and affiliate members.

The Strategic Planning Committee Chair, A. Boriani, will report on affiliation of the IUGS with Affiliate members. Pat Leahy commented that Affiliate Organizations become members because they want something from IUGS and the focus should be on the Affiliate members. Membership trends within the geological society that are successful require focus on communicating successfully to member affiliates as to what this forum can address.

8.d.4. Awards Ceremony – (E. Errami – Alberto Riccardi)

The Awards item will be split into two parts the first part will be informative and will be handled by Ezzoura Errami at the Council meeting on 5 August. The second part, the Ceremony itself on 6 August, will include the presentation of the James Harrison Award, Hutchison Fund Awards, 50th Paper Award, IUGS Awards of Excellence in Geological Education, Environmental Geology, Geoscience Information, Stratigraphy, History of Geology, and Structural Geology. There will be a printed Program for the Awards Ceremony with the citations presented to the recipients.

8.d.5. Scientific Sessions – (Colin Simpson)


9. IUGS-IGC COUNCIL MEETING

9.a. IUGS-Strategic Plan – (A. Boriani)

9.b. IGC-IUGS Statutes – (P. Leahy)

Twelve slides were prepared for the Council Meeting. The Statutes were circulated for comment by the Statutes Committee. Comments from Ed Nickless were submitted and those were incorporated. Some comments were received by the Chinese and there was confusion on the number of members on the Nominating Committee as to the six or seven members. There are six members on the committee and as the Past President the outgoing IUGS President automatically becomes a Nominating Committee member bringing the total of committee members to seven. The IUGS Council will vote first for the approval (in principle) of the new Statutes, and secondly will focus on any specific change proposed by the Council. Pat Leahy will highlight the major changes. To participate as a voting member of Council Adhering members must have an active status.

9.c. Election of Officers – (Alberto Riccardi)

Officer elections include the following officers for the term 2012 to 2016 leading up to the IGC 35th Congress in Cape Town, South Africa:

• IUGS President

• IUGS Vice Presidents (2)

• IUGS Secretary General

• IUGS Treasurer

• Councillors for the term 2012 to 2016 (2)

• Councillors for the term 2014 to 2018 (2)

The number of candidates per position are as follows: 2 for President, 3 for Vice President, 1 for Secretary General, 1 for Treasurer, 3 for Councilor 2012-2016, and 3 for Councilor 2014- 2018. Election will proceed sequentially, beginning with the election of the president and ending with the election of the Councillors.

Tellers should be proposed and presented to the Council.

9.d. Candidates for the Nominating Committee – (Zhang Hongren)

There may be questions on why some candidates were not considered. Zhang corrected the data and some were not happy with the decision. The need for new Terms of Reference for the Nominating Committee was suggested.

9.e. Selection of venues of the 36th IGC in 2020 ( Alberto Riccardi)

Alberto briefly described the process and mentioned that there are two proposals, Canada (Vancouver) and India (New Delhi) which will be voted by the IUGS Council on 9 August 2012.

The meeting adjourned at 12:20 p.m.


Attachment 20: Minutes of the 65th IUGS Executive MeetingBrisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland Australia, Room A1

9am -12pm, 11 August 2012

The meeting was opened by the newly elected President, Roland Oberhänsli at 08:37 a.m. Those in attendance were: Li Zhijian, Hassina Mouri, Peter Bobrowsky, Roland Oberhänsli, Dong Shuwen, Wesley Hill, Sampat K. Tandon, Richard Calnan and Nancy Zeigler. Roland Oberhänsli proceeded with a list of items to be covered in this initial meeting. An apology was received from Ian Lambert and it was noted that several new EC members had booked flights home on the day.

1. Introductions around the table:

Li Zhijian, newly appointed Secretariat from the China Ministry of Land and Resources. Hassina Mouri, newly elected Councilor for the term 2012 to 2016, Professor from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Roland Oberhänsli, newly elected President, Professor, expertise in hard rock geology William Cavazza, outgoing Treasurer from Italy Don Shuwen, newly elected Treasurer from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, a structural geologist who also hosted China activity for IGCP and ILP. Sampat K. Tandon, Councilor for the term 2010 to 2014, a sedimentologist and geomorphologist whose work involves earth surface processes. Sampat sees a great deal of inequity in the geosciences globally and suggests we work closely with the IUGS Commissions to reduce the inequities.

Wesley Hill, Councilor for the term 2010 to 2014, Geological Society of America. Peter Bobrowsky, former Secretary General from the Geological Survey of Canada Richard Calnan and Nancy Zeigler, USGS, former Secretariat to be formally turned over to Li Zhijian, China Ministry of Land and Resources as of December 1, 2012.

2. Email List, Mail Server, News Media and Newsletter

The draft email list and IUGS letterhead had already been circulated for changes by Rich Calnan. Roland Oberhänsli asked if IUGS was on You-Tube or Twitter. The IUGS 50th Anniversary video was displayed on You-Tube and Rich Calnan commented that there is an IUGS Wikipedia Page that needs updating. Roland Oberhänsli would like to bring IUGS up to speed to be available on You-Tube and Twitter with news media and to create a platform for the future. This does not have to happen immediately, however that is the direction IUGS should go moving forward.

3. IUGS Web-Page

Currently the web-page is maintained by the former Secretary General. Ultimately this should be managed by the new Secretariat, having one person assigned to management of the web- page on a daily basis. Management of the web -site is not a difficult task, however one that needs constant attention. This is a task which all EC members should make note of and alert the Web Master as to when changes are necessary.

[IUGS 65TH EC Meeting Official Minutes]

4. IUGS Image

The picture associated with the newly elected Council moving towards the 35th IGC Congress in South Africa needs to be changed. This photo can be very similar to the current photo and should be a ‘world class’ photo and one which all geologists can identify. It should not be Matterhorn as Roland was responsible for mapping it. It was suggested to use a photo from South Africa.


5. Location of the 65th EC Council Meeting of the IUGS

Roland mentioned an offer from the Geological Society of Africa to host the next EC meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His vision is to hold meetings in areas that are easily accessible with an airline hub and to keep the travel to the shortest route and most cost efficient for the group as a whole. He asked that the Executive Committee think about it and share their thoughts through email. Wesley Hill suggested either Switzerland or Paris for the 2013 meeting. Roland Oberhänsli will approach the newly elected Secretary General, Ian Lambert, to follow through on the venue at some point in September.

6. Updates

Peter Bobrowsky will provide the new Executive Committee with new business cards. He also will update the IUGS Web-Site with photos of the newly elected officers. Peter explained that the Web-Site is currently based in Canada and is maintained by a private company which has been pre-paid into the future. Roland Oberhänsli agreed to keep the web-site hosted in Canada as communication regarding the web-site can be done from anywhere in the world.

7. Treasurer

Need to make the transfer from William Cavazza to Dong Shuwen as soon as possible as William is currently not the Treasurer. This transition should be made within a month and the first step is for China to establish a U.S. dollar bank account. William Cavazza noted that four years ago the Treasurer’s responsibilities were transferred within a month. Until we make the transfer it is day-to-day that William will monitor the Treasurer’s position. Dong Shuwen will be responsible for the IUGS Budget next year and there are technical details. William will travel to Beijing to turn over the accounts to the Chinese.

Dong Shuwen also reported that the CAGS has established an office for Li Zhijian, and that Li will work with the former Secretariat to make the transition to China by December 1.

8. E-Bulletin

Colin Simpson is currently responsible for the E-Bulletin and he will edit the August 2012 edition. Colin Simpson has done an excellent job and has made timely submissions to get this publication out at the end of each month.This is an important issue which requires a lot of work and a new person should be assigned as soon as possible.

9. Episodes

A discussion followed on Episodes – it is a nice publication, however it is dated and should be distributed digitally. Roland Oberhänsli would like to come up with a new journal which is one- half science and one-half information at the industry level. We should think about moving to a wider distribution. People on the list for distribution are already involved with IUGS at some level. We need to reach more people out there who are interested in what we do and to provide information to a wider network. Roland Oberhänsli asked the group to get back to him with thoughts to be addressed at the next EC Meeting.

10. What is the Benefit of IUGS?

• Need to revisit and enlist youth.

• YES Committee has opportunity approaches in place with young scientists.

• IUGS needs to take advantage of YES’s approach and success and become more involved in the future.

• The USNC US NSF had submitted a list of questions on this issue to IUGS.

• A response has been drafted by Alberto Riccardi.

• An IUGS Blog had been created at one time but that did not work out.


Start with the EC and take time to address this issue:

• Look at the value

• Critical issue for the next few years

• EC knows about the IUGS and others need to understand the IUGS.

• Establish a booklet that is simple, politically correct, and describes the IUGS role.

Peter Bobrowsky suggested that the new IUGS EC set up a new short term temporary committee or task group to address this issue and provide recommendations to the EC.

11. Upcoming EC Meeting Topics

There is currently an IUGS surplus of funds and although a contingency fund is necessary the new EC should think about putting some of the surplus funds to use. Consider having an IUGS Annual or Regional Congress, Biennial Congress, or a Congress on a 4-years scale, offsetting the IGC schedule similar to the Olympics. Topic is open for discussion. Suggested outline:

• IUGS on a 4-year scale would have workshops, summer school sessions and offer training for small communities that would not be expensive while providing enormous outreach.

• Organize on a level of 500 attendees and invite lecturers.

• Secretary General would coordinate with colleagues, keeping in mind some may decline.

• Lectures could be published on the Web to benefit non-attendees.

• Get IUGS Commissions involved and provide funding, using IUGS avenues already in place.

• ICS is a good example with the International Chronostratigraphic Chart which is benefitting both students and industry.

• Consider having an “Industry Level” person on the EC in the future. Then industry would be more inclined to support the IGC Congress because it would profit industry.

It was noted that Jacques Charvet had made a recommendation to have a representative from academia, government, and industry on the EC.

12. IGC

• 34th IGC was a success however, there is room for improvement. The IGC Schedule Book was huge and cumbersome and there are digital alternatives such as downloading from Web or providing thumb drives and having screens and printers available at various areas at the Congress site. There were also some sessions that were over crowded as rooms were too small to accommodate whereas others were held in huge rooms with few in attendance. In addition, the poster session area was extremely tight. The AGU and GSA conferences do not seem to have the same difficulties with large conferences.

• Suggest that a professional Science Programming service be used to assist with planning the IGC in South Africa.

This topic is open for discussion.


13. Publications Committee Chair

Need to fill the position of Publications Committee Chair and a suggestion was made that Brian Marker, GEM, may be interested. This is an important and time-consuming position which is responsible for the following:

• Episodes

• Proof-reading all publications

• Developing new flyers

• Text on IUGS Posters

• Editing of Minutes

• Editing of Annual Reports

• Coordination with GSL

• Managing the website content

• E-Bulletin

• Provides the final approval on all IUGS publications

• Revisit whether IUGS should contract out for some of these duties.

14. Commissions and Task Groups Status

Should some Commissions and Task Groups be shut down? Yes and this process is based on recommendations from the Ad Hoc Committee reviews. For example, based on recommendations from the Ad Hoc Review GEM is closing down in 2016 and the TGGGB will transition to an Affiliate Organization in the next few years.

Question raised on how to establish a new Commission on Marine Geology? A proposal should be submitted to the IUGS. The first step is to send a letter of interest to the IUGS President. A Task Group can be approved by the EC, an Initiative is the most expensive and any new Commissions must be ratified by the Council. The process can be accomplished through email communication.

15.Transitions of Duties

Wesley Hill reported that for GEOPARKS she serves as a Global Representative. She would like to nominate Marko Komac as the European Geopark (EGN) Representative. Patrick McKeever of UNESCO highly recommends Marko as well. The meeting will be held in September in Portugal and Wesley can introduce him at that meeting. If he cannot attend, Wesley will represent EGN. Wesley will communicate through email to get this accomplished.

16. Streamline Agenda for EC Meetings

• IUGS Secretary General will put out a call for reports six months in advance of the EC Meeting.

• Annual reports should be circulated to the EC for comments.

• Final version should be submitted to the Secretary General well in advance for inclusion in the Meeting Document.

• Agenda will focus on IUGS Issues and setting priorities.

The official meeting of the 65TH EC Committee will be held in February at a site to be determined.

This EC Meeting ended at 11:08 a.m.


Attachment 21: Meeting Notes: IGCC Meeting at 34th IGC1 pm – 5.00 pm, 4 August 2012

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia, Room A1

(Last meeting of 2008-2012 IGCC)

Present

Members: Albert Riccardi (AR co-chair), Arne Bjorlykke (AB co-chair), Peter Bobrowsky (PB), Neil Williams (NW), William Cavazza (WC), Anders Solheim (AS), Ernesto Abbate (EA), Carlos Oití Berbert (COB), Ian Lambert (IL Secretary General).

Invited Observers: Paul Kay (PK, 34th IGC OC); Richard Viljoen and Danie Barnardo (RV and DB, respectively, both of 35th IGC Preparatory Committee); Pat Leahy (PL, Chair of Statutes Revision committee)

Proposed Agenda

1. Welcome and approval of the agenda (AR, 5 mins)

2. Minutes of last IGCC meeting and actions arising (attached, AB, 5 mins)

3. Communications (AB 5 mins).

Bids from Canada and India

Informal advice on potential interest in hosting for 37th IGC

4. Reports

Chairs of IGC Committee (AB, AR, total 10 mins)

President of 34th IGC (NW, 5 mins)

President of the 35th IGC (RV, 10 mins; note 35th IGC also discussed in 2nd IGCC meeting on 11 August)

IUGS-35th IGC MOU (AR, 10 mins)

5. IGCC approval of IGC Statutes as submitted to Council and implications of possible outcomes (PL, AR and AB, 30 mins)

6. (i) Presentations and discussions of bids for 36th IGC (alphabetical order).

[Each presentation to be 45 minutes maximum, including questions.

India not present during Canadian bid presentations, and vice versa]

Canada – (45 mins); India – (45 mins)

(ii) Agreement on strengths and weaknesses of each bid and discussion of selection process in Council meeting (AR, AB, NW, 30 mins)

7. Membership of incoming IGCC and next meeting (AR, 5 mins) Depends on Statutes decision: NW, new President IUGS, DB (Sec Gen), RV, IL, AB and/or AS.

8. Any other business (AR, 5 mins)

9. Handover; President of 33rd IGC (AB) to President of 34th IGC (NW) and statement by incoming co-chair (10 mins)

10. Next IGGC meeting (new committee)

Room A1, 2pm Saturday 11 August

11. Close


Items 1:

After brief welcoming remarks by AB and AR, the draft agenda was approved

Item 2:

The Minutes of the IGCC meeting held at Cape Town 7-8 November 2011 were accepted.

Item 3:

Communications in relation to the 36th IGC were outlined. Bid documents were presented by Canada and India, but a final bid document was not submitted by Spain, as it was officially in formed that they will not participate of the bid.

There has been informal and formal, respectively, communication that the Russian Federation and Spain are considering bids for the 37th IGC.

Agreed: The bids as submitted by Canada and India both appeared to be strong.

Item 4:

AB led discussion of funding of IGCC activities. It was suggested that this could be clarified in future MOUs. The MOU for the 35th IGC was signed at the IUGS’ EC meeting the morning of 4 August 2012.

Agreed: The IGCC has been working well. Cutting the length of the IGC was a good move. The next step was to “modernise” the IGC. A coordinated IUGS-IUGG Congress was not feasible in the foreseeable future.

Item 5:

There was a short discussion led by PL of the proposed IGC Statutes, the process involved and the issues faced. See summary at Annex 1.

Agreed:: The Statutes were accepted – 7 in favour and 2 against. The discussion in Council should begin with a presentation by PL. A motion would be put to approve in principle, with ensuing discussion and resolution of specific issues before a vote on final acceptance.

Item 6:

Presentations were given by the bidding countries for 36th IGC – Canada and India.

Canada presented first – basically a dry run for their presentation to Council on 9 August. This was comprehensive and did not engender any questions.

India gave a more discursive presentation, noting that they would cut this back for the Council meeting.


Item 7:

IGCC discussion on strengths and weaknesses of each bid was short because the presentations covered the selection criteria well.

Agreed: It was unanimously agreed that both presentations were strong and satisfied all the criteria; that the IGCC should not make a recommendation to Council; and that there should be an opportunity for brief questions and discussion before the Council vote.

Item 8:

It was noted that the composition of the new IGCC would depend on what happened in Council in relation to both ratification of the new Statutes and appointment of the new IUGS’ Executive.

Agreed: If new Statutes are accepted by Council – The new, smaller IGCC would comprise:

President of IUGS (co-Chair); Treasurer of IUGS (Dong Shuwen); Secretary General of IUGS (IL); NW (as President of the 34th IGC – co-Chair), DB (as Secretary General of 35th IGC will also be Secretary General of the IGCC), RV (as President of the 35th IGC); IL would serve in a second capacity – as Secretary General of both the 34th IGC; and AB or AS.

If the new Statutes not endorsed - both AB an AS would continue as would EA.

Item 9: There was no other business.

Item 10:

The President of 33rd IGC (AB) formally handed over to the President of 34th IGC (NW). NW accepted and noted that his duties would commence with the Council meeting and opening Ceremony, on 5 and 6 August, respectively.

Item 11:

It was noted that the next IGGC meeting (new committee) is scheduled for Saturday 11 August, also in Room A1, from 1pm.

It was foreshadowed that the next IGCC meeting following this is likely to be held in Cape Town, at a time yet to be decided.


Annex 1: Report of the Statutes and Bylaws Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences

May 30, 2012

At the 33rd International Geological Congress (IGC), the Council instructed the President of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) to prepare statues for both the IUGS and IGC, and bylaws for the IUGS. These harmonised statutes and bylaws were to be developed by an IUGS-IGC Statutes and Bylaws Committee for ratification by Council at the 34th IGC in Brisbane in 2012.They were to be crafted in an inter-related fashion so that the synergistic functioning and governance of IGC and IUGS is clearly stated and implemented effectively and efficiently. To comply with this instruction it became necessary to eliminate duplications and to restrict provisions for the IGC in IUGS Statutes (and vice versa) to a necessary minimum The IGC statutes focus on the conduct, governance and operation of the IGC. The IUGS has a strong role in IGC activities and its statutes and bylaws are broader but include specific responsibilities relative to the IGC. Cross references are provided to avoid possible misunderstanding.

During the summer of 2010, IUGS President commissioned the Statutes and Bylaws Committee consisting of Patrick Leahy (Chair), Arne Bjørlykke (IGC), Jacques Charvet (IUGS), Ian Lambert (IGC) and Eldridge Moores (IUGS). The committee met electronically in the fall of 2012 to discuss task and deliverables, compile existing statutes and bylaws for both IUGS and IGC. Some early efforts to modify the existing documents were made during the fall of 2010 and a meeting of the committee was planned for January of 2011 in Paris in conjunction with the IUGS Executive Committee meeting. President Riccardi attended the committee meeting and offered guidance and advice to the committee. He was not an official member of the committee but his insights were extremely valuable to the committee’s deliberations.

The committee meeting lasted for 2 days and resulted in two outcomes. The first being a series of long-term recommendations to the IUGS Executive Committee relative to fostering partnerships with other GeoUnions to explore opportunities for organizing an annual international congress with involvement of multiple Unions. The second outcome was a line-by-line editing of the statutes and bylaws for IUGS and the statutes for IGC.

During the spring and summer of 2011, the committee continued to modify both the IGC and IUGS documents. During the fall of 2011, the IGC documents were presented to the IGC Committee (IGCC) during their meeting in Capetown, South Africa. The IGC Statutes were approved in concept by the IGCC with the recognition that some additional editing would take place.

At the IUGS Executive Committee meeting in February in San Sebastian, Spain, Several Committee members were in attendance including Patrick Leahy, Arne Bjørlykke, Ian Lambert and Jacques Charvet. Leahy presented the revised IUGS Statutes and Bylaws to the Executive Committee and highlighted the modifications. The Executive Committee was asked to provide written comments.

Following revision of the IUGS Statutes and Bylaws and the IGC Statutes, the documents were forwarded to the IUGS Executive Secretariat in late April. The IUGS Executive Secretariat forwarded the following documents to Council Members on May 2, 2012:

(a) Current IUGS Statutes and Bylaws

(b) Proposed IUGS Statutes and Bylaws

(c) A comparison of the proposed and current IUGS Statutes and Bylaws

(d) Current IGC Statutes

(e) Proposed IGC Statutes

(f) A comparison of the proposed and current IGC Statutes

In the transmittal letter, Council members are requested to provide comments relative to the proposed IUGS Statutes and Bylaws and Proposed IGC Statutes by June 4, 2012.

In addition, the final version of long-term recommendations and an organizational diagram prepared by the Statutes and Bylaws Committee was sent to the Executive Secretariat for transmittal to the IUGS Executive Committee.

Following review by Council Members, the IUGS Statutes and Bylaws will be discussed first followed by the IGC Statutes at Council on August 9, 2012 at the IGC in Brisbane.


Following Council voting on the on the IUGS Statutes and Bylaws and the IGC Statutes, the work of the Statutes and Bylaws Committee will have been completed and the Committee will be dissolved.

Submitted by: P. Patrick Leahy, Chair, Statutes and Bylaws Committee

V. Proposed IGCC Meeting, 11 August

Scheduled for 2 pm Saturday 11 August 2012, Meeting Room A1 at BCEC.

Anticipated attendees

Neil Williams (co-Chair); Roland Oberhaensli (co- Chair); Danie Barnardo (Secretary General), Richard Viljoen, Dong Shuwen, Ian Lambert, Arne Bjorlykke or Anders Solheim

Proposed Agenda

1. Welcome and introductions (NW, 10 mins)

2. Approval of the agenda (NW 5 mins)

3. Statements by new co-chairs (15 mins total)

4. Consideration of implications of Statutes decision (co-chairs 20 mins)

5. Consideration of recommendations of Statutes working group (attached, 20 mins)

6. Issues arising from 35th IGC Organising Committee (RV, DB 20 mins)

7. Site inspection 36th IGC venue (NW, 15 mins)

8. Time, place and priorities for next IGCC meeting (NW, 15 mins)

9. Close

Unfortunately this meeting could not proceed because of lack of a quorum. It was announced ahead of the meeting that IL had to leave Brisbane for personal reasons and that IUGS President Roland Oberhaensli and others also had prior commitments.


Attachment 22: List of business meetings at 34th IGC

ORGANISATION MEETING NAMEMEETING

ROOMTIME

Friday 3 Aug

IUGS IUGS Bureau meetingArbour

Boardroom0900

Saturday 4 Aug

IUGS Extraordinary EC meeting for the outgoing IUGS EC A1 0900

IGCC Outgoing IGCC meeting A1 1300

OneGeology OneGeology Steering Group meeting P1 0930

Sunday 5 Aug

IUGS Meeting of IUGS-IGC Council P2 0900

CCGM - CGMW CGMW Bureau Meeting P5 1030

Geological Society Of Australia (GSA) GSA Council Meeting M1 1000

University Of Helsinki IGCP-SIDA 599 "The Changing Early Earth" Project Meeting P3 1030

OneGeology OneGeology Operational Management Group M2 1030

International Subcommission on Stratigraphic Classification (ISSC)

ISSC Business meeting: Towards an integrated stratigraphy P4 1030

Council For Geoscience Science Communicators Inaugural Meeting M9 1400

Institute Of Geology Chinese Academy Of Geological Sciences

Preparatory Meeting for the 2nd Workshop of IGCP/SIDA 600“Metallogenesis of Collisional Orogens in the East Tethyside Domain”

Merivales Boardroom 1 0900

Monday 6 Aug

Rio Tinto John McGagh, Head of Innovation – Rio Tinto Sky 1 1830

China Ministry of Land and Rescource(MLR) China Ministry of Land and Resources meeting A1 1400

IUGS Commission on Geo-science for Environmental Management

IUGS Commission on Geo-science for Environmental Management (GEM) meeting

Arbour Boardroom 1700

Geological Society Of Australia (GSA) GSA Annual General Meeting F1 1900

Geological Society Of Australia (GSA) Earth Science History Group M5 1900

Geological Society Of Australia (GSA) GSA Geoheritage Meeting P4 1900

International Association for Mathematical Geosciences (IAMG)

IAMG Council Meeting Merivales Boardroom 1 1900

South Australian Museum + ICS Neoproterozoic Subcommission-Cryogenian P7 1900

South Australian Museum + ICS Neoproterozoic Subcommission-Ediacaran P7 1945

OneGeology Directors’ OneGeology open meeting P5 1900

International Commission on Stratigraphy

International Commission on Stratigraphy - Open General meeting A2 1900

International Association for Genesis of Ore Deposits(IAGOD)

IAGOD Council Meeting A1 1900

IGCP IGCP Business Meeting M1 1900



ROOMTIME

Tuesday 7 Aug

Rio Tinto Rio Tinto Postgraduate Reception (Invitation only) M1 1830

Geological Society of London(GSL)

GSL Editors’ Reception (Invitation only) S1 Room 1830

Queensland Resources Council(QRC) and Brisbane Marketing

YES Network Industry Networking Evening Sky Room 1900

Geoscience Australia International GeoSurveys ForumBoulevard

Room1330

Geoscience Australia International GeoSurveys Forum receptionBoulevard

North Terrace1745

CCGM - CGMW CGMW General assemblyPlaza

Auditorium0830

CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Enginering

National ASTER Geoscience Map ReleasePlaza

Auditorium1830

International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO)

Meeting of International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO)

Boulevard Auditorium

1900

IUGS IUGS EC with Affiliated Organizations A1 1400

Geoscience Australia IGCP Project 559 - Business Meeting A2 1900

IUGS/IAGC IUGS/IAGC Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines A1 1900

Geological Society Of Australia (GSA)

GSA Aust. Sedimentologists M2 1900


AJES Editorial Meeting P4 1900


GSA Economic Geology Group P5 1900


GSA SGGMP B2 1900


GSA Planetary Geoscience B3 1900


GSA EEHSG P10 1900


GSA Tectonics & Structural M3 1900


LAVA P3 1900


Australian Stratigraphy Commission meetingMerivales

Boardroom 1 1900

International Association for Genesis of Ore Deposits(IAGOD)

IAGOD General Assembly P1 1900

International Association for Mathematical Geosciences(IAMG)

IAMG General Assembly P2 1900

International Association of Sedimentologists

International Association of Sedimentologists Business Meeting

P7 1900

Subcommissions on Permian Stratigraphy (SPS) and Carboniferous Stratigraphy (SCS)

Business meeting of SPS and SCS P9 1900

Association Of Geoscientists For International Development (AGID)

AGID Working Group for Geoethics F1 1900



ROOMTIME

International Subcommision on Devonian Stratigraphy (SDS):

Annual Business Meeting for International Subcommision on Devonian Stratigraphy (SDS) P8 1900

Geologian Tutkimuskeskus Business Meeting of the World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map B1 1900

Indian Geological Congress Meeting of Indian Geological Congress Concord Boardroom 1900

Subcommission on Ordovician Stratigraphy Subcommission business meeting Merivales

Boardroom 2 1900

University of Western Sydney Meeting of IMA-Commission on Gem Materials Arbour

Boardroom 1900

Wednesday 8 Aug

Earth Science Matters Foundation

Meeting of National Committees for the Earth Science Matters Foundation


IUGS COGE IUGS COGE meeting Merivales Boardroom 1 1830

Association of Applied Geochemists (AAG)

Association of Applied Geochemists (AAG) Annual General Meeting M6 1900

Subcommission on Triassic Stratigraphy

Business Meeting of the Subcommission on Triassic Stratigraphy M8 1900

IAEG Meeting of IAEG Commission 17 on Aggregates Arbour Boardroom 1530

Thursday 9 Aug

IUGS Meeting of IUGS-IGC Council Sky room 0900

IUGS-UNESCO Geological Applications of Remote Sensing Programme Arbour Boardroom

1830

GEO Geoscience Opportunities in GEO 1930

Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) AOGS Connects at IGC – All Are Welcome! P1 1830

Association of Australasian Palaeontologists (AAP)

Business Meeting for the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists (AAP) A1 1900


AGID Working Group for Geoethics (Invitation only)

F1

1900


General Assembly of the Association of Geoscientists for International Development 2000

IAEG C-10 / HSTG Joint Meeting of IAEG C-10 Building Stone and Ornamental Rocks / IUGS Heritage Stone Task Group M8 1900

International Geoscience Education Organisation

International Geoscience Education Organisation Council Meeting A2 1900

International Commission on Stratigraphy

International Commission on Stratigraphy - Subcommissions and Executive meeting

Merivales Boardroom 1 1900

IAEG Meeting of IAEG Comission 30 On Young Professionals Merivales Boardroom 2 1900

Friday 10 Aug

IUGS Meeting of IUGS-IGC Council (if required) Sky Room 0900

Saturday 11 Aug

IUGS - CGI IUGS Commission for Geoscience Information Council meeting


IUGS Meeting of new IUGS EC A1 0900

IGCC Meeting of new IGCC A1 1300

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34th IGC Proceedings

Documents

Transcript of 34th IGC Proceedings