INTER-ASSOCIATION SYMPOSIA [ IASPEI, IACS, IAG, IAVCEI ]
The first association in the parenthesis is leading the joint symposium

JS01 - Cryoseismology (IASPEI, IACS, IAG)

 

Convener: Masaki Kanao (Japan, IASPEI)

Co-Conveners: Douglas Wiens (USA, IASPEI), Timothy C. Bartholomaus (USA, IACS), Mirko Scheinert (Germany, IAG)

 

Description

In high latitude and elevation regions, the Earth’s glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, permafrost, and snowpacks are undergoing rapid change. However, our understanding of the processes governing these changes are hindered by a lack of observations with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution, in these generally remote landscapes.  Fortunately, many of the cryospheric processes of interest produce ground vibrations.  Analysis of these seismic signals can yield insight into the relationship between environmental forcings and the response of ocean - cryosphere - solid earth systems.  The properties of these systems, such as mantle rheology or till thickness, can also be inferred from both passive and active studies. Impulsive events with small magnitudes (icequakes) and M = 5 teleseismically detected glacial earthquakes can be generated by calving or basal slip.  Continuous study of their time and space variability informs our understanding of climate change. In this joint symposium between IASPEI and IACS on "Cryoseismology," we invite submissions which cover the full gamut of seismology on and regarding the frozen earth. We encourage contributions treating the observation and modeling of seismic signals involving dynamics of ice sheets, sea ice, icebergs and glaciers, as well as changes to the thermal and physical structure of permafrost and snow.

 

JS02 - Early Warning Systems for Geohazards (IASPEI, IAG, IAGA)

 

Convener: Massimiliano Pittore (Germany, IASPEI)

Co-Conveners: Aldo Zollo (Italy, IASPEI), David McCormack (Canada, IASPEI), John LaBrecque (USA, IAG), Alan Thomson (UK, IAGA)

 

Description

Damaging phenomena related to a variety of geo-hazards constantly threaten people, the built environment and its vulnerable infrastructure on a global scale. These phenomena depend on the type of underlying geologic process and may unfold across different spatial and temporal scales. The increasing urbanization and subsequent socio-economic development continuously raise the bar for the Civil Protection authorities and decision makers striving to control and reduce the associated risk. The development of Early Warning systems has been often proposed as a technological solution for mitigating the impact of geo-hazards. The development and implementation of such systems depends on understanding, modelling and monitoring the underlying natural processes.

The Symposium aims at bringing together scholars and practitioners with mutual interest in modelling, computational and experimental methods and technological advances from the design to the practical implementation of early warning systems for a broad range of geo-hazards. The symposium encourages original research, benchmark studies and practical examples with particular emphasis on open questions, unsolved issues and societal impact. The overall goal is to foster a holistic, multi-disciplinary discussion addressing the key challenges for the design and development of next generation early warning systems in the context of the 2015-2030 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to: Multi-source real-time data collection, sensors fusion; dynamic, evolutionary process modelling; decision-making strategies; rapid response and performance-driven approaches; from forecasting to nowcasting to early warning; industrial and mission-critical applications; (Near) real-time risk mitigation; Cost-benefit analysis and socio-economic impact; practical case studies.

 

> U02

 

JS03 - Subduction Zone Deformation and Structure (IASPEI, IAG, IAVCEI)

 

Convener: Yajing Liu (Canada, IASPEI)

Co-Conveners: Michael Bostock (Canada, IASPEI), Kelin Wang (Canada, IASPEI), Lucinda Leonard (Canada, IAG), Simon Peacock (Canada, IAVCEI)

 

Description

Subduction zones encompass a range of significant processes contributing to the long-term evolution of the Earth. Megathrust earthquakes along subduction margins define a major geohazard capable of catastrophic damages, as evidenced by the 2011 Japan and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquakes, that are stark reminders of what is likely in store for Cascadia. However, our understanding of subduction zone processes and ultimately characterization of geohazards is hampered by a lack of observations, in particular offshore. For Cascadia, this data gap lies directly above the seismogenic zone and its downdip transition to slow earthquake phenomena, where material properties evolve due to hydro-mechanical variations and metamorphic reactions. In recent years, improvements to permanent monitoring networks and dense temporary deployments have focused on a 4D characterization of stress, strength and fluid pressure evolution in subduction zones. In this session we invite contributions from a broad range of disciplines that address first-order questions about how megathrusts work, based on onshore/offshore surveys and integration of observation and modeling approaches for global subduction zones.

JS04 - Seismo – Geodesy (IASPEI, IAG)

 

Convener: Takuya Nishimura (Japan, IASPEI), Yoshiyuki Tanaka (Japan, IAG)

 

Description

In the past two decades, space geodetic techniques such as GNSS and InSAR have provided a detailed image of lithospheric deformation caused by earthquakes. Accumulating geodetic data, including those associated with recent giant earthquakes in Sumatra, Chile and Japan, have manifested peculiar deformation patterns that occur at different stages in an earthquake cycle. Fine-scale deformations mapped by LiDAR and InSAR revealed complexity of surface deformation related to deep seismic sources. Recent advances of marine geodesy and improvements in the networks of borehole tilt/strainmeters and seismometers have enabled us to monitor faint, small-scale wide-frequency phenomena due to slow and fast earthquakes in a subduction zone. Studies based on such a wide variety of deformation data as well as terrestrial and satellite gravity data have dramatically improved insights on earthquake rupture process, seismicity modulated by small stress perturbations, rheology of lithosphere and asthenosphere and frictional property and fluid migration in a fault zone.

In this interdisciplinary symposium, we welcome presentations of new results on geodetic and seismological measurements and modeling related with fast and slow earthquakes, postseismic transients, interseismic elastic strain accumulation and permanent inelastic deformation.

 

JS05 - Probabilistic & Statistical Approaches in Geosciences (IASPEI, IAG, IAVCEI)

 

Convener: Kerry Gallagher (France, IASPEI)

Co-Conveners: Nico Sneeuw (Germany, IAG), Andrew Bell (UK, IAVCEI)

 

Description

Probabilistic and statistical approaches to modeling different types of Geoscience data have become more popular in the last 15--20 years, partly due to advances in methodological approaches and algorithms, and also due to increasing computing power. Different applications include analysis of large and/or complex data sets, inverse modeling, model choice, assessment of multiple forward modeling scenarios and forecasting, all potentially allowing for uncertainties in observations, model formulations and estimation of model parameters. In this symposium, we solicit submissions addressing new methods, comparisons of methods and application/ case studies of probabilistic/statistical techniques aimed at improving how we can identify and extract information from data and models in the general context of the Geosciences.

 

Papers from the session will be considered for publication in the journal of Mathematical Geosciences

 

> U03

 

JS06 - Old Data for New Knowledge: Preservation and Utilization of Historical Data in the Geosciences (IASPEI, IAG, IAHS, IAGA, IAMAS, IACS, IAPSO, IAVCEI)

 

Convener: Josep Batlló Ortiz (Spain, IASPEI)

Co-Conveners: Alberto Viglione (Austria, IAHS), József Ádám (Hungary, IAG), Edward Cliver (USA, IAGA), Kris Harper (USA, IAMAS), Bruce Raup (USA, IACS), Florence Fetterer (USA, IACS), E. Pattabhi Rama Rao (India, IAPSO), Roberto Carniel (Italy, IAVCEI)

 

Description

Studying a changing world needs long series of data. Moreover, reanalysis of old geophysical/geodetic data in the light of our present knowledge has become an important tool for understanding topics such as solar variability, climatic change, tectonics, earth rotation, and extreme natural events (e.g., magnetic storms, hurricanes, rainfall, floods, earthquakes etc.). Those old data are in analogue form and, many times, are contained in unique documents. Historical information may also be retrieved from documentary evidence such as narrative sources and legal-administrative institutional documentation (e.g. chronicles, newspapers, private and official protocols and correspondence, account books, etc.). Techniques and methodologies for preservation, dissemination, interpretation, homogenisation and use of such data, as well as for their present scientific use are important topics for advancing of our understanding of the changing Earth and of past extreme events. Different approaches have been devised to deal with different data and problems. Sharing the already large accumulated experience in the different fields covered by the IUGG shall contribute to improve our preservation and dissemination tools, our analysis methods and, ultimately, to further research results. This symposium welcomes contributions on:

(a) Locating, assessing, preserving, and disseminating historical data about sunspots, polar motion, time and temperature measurements, magnetograms, seismograms, eruptions, glacier extent, tide gauge records, aurorae, flood/drought events and many others and

(b) Methodologies and study cases using these historical data to advance our understanding of the Earth.

 

> U04

 

> U07

 

JS07 - Integrated Geophysical Programs for Earth Systems Monitoring (IASPEI, IAG)

 

Convener: Thomas James (Canada, IAG)

Co-Conveners: David Eaton (Canada, IASPEI), Stéphane Rondenay (Norway, IASPEI), Jeff Freymueller (USA, IAG), Alison Kirkby (Australia, IAG), Tilo Schöne (Germany, IAG)

 

Description

Large-scale integrated geophysical programs that combine seismology, GNSS, InSAR and other methods are providing valuable new insights about Earth Systems processes through synoptic imaging and monitoring capabilities. Ongoing or recent programs including EarthScope, SINOPROBE, AlpArray and IPOC have made many significant contributions to Earth System monitoring, with applications ranging from tectonic processes, hazards, resources and global change. EarthScope’s USArray program, for example, has changed how the general public can envision earthquakes along with refining the capacity for tomographic imaging deep into the mantle, whereas Australian federal programs such as AusLAMP have provided critical pre-competitive framework for resources exploration. Various types of instrumentation have contributed to outcomes that were not foreseen at the outset; for example, GPS reflected rays are now being used for monitoring vegetation growth, soil moisture, snow and sea ice accumulation.  Canada’s LITHOPROBE program was among the first to integrate high-resolution geophysical methods with a variety of other approaches to address geoscientific problems at the plate scale. Canada is now working towards initiating the CCArray  and EON-ROSE programs, which will expand on the exceptional outcomes from the EarthScope program. This symposium welcomes submissions that focus on new scientific insights and serendipitous applications arising from integrated geophysical array programs.

 

 

JS08 - Climate Modeling, Climate Change and Subsurface Temperature Field  (IASPEI, IAHS, IAMAS)

 

Convener: Vladimir Cermak (Czech Republic, IASPEI), Makoto Taniguchi (Japan, IAHS)

 

Description

Subsurface temperature field reflects time changes in the ground surface conditions, produced by the changing climate in general. On the local scale other events may modify the downward propagation of this “climate” signal, such as e.g. long-term changes in the vegetation cover, land use, urbanization and other human activities. Borehole climatology developed in the past several decades contributed to the reconstructions of the climate of the past several millennia and proved to be a suitable research tool. We want to invite contributions discussing theoretical aspects of borehole temperature inversion methods as well as papers summarizing new practical inversion results obtained on local, regional and global scales. Welcomed are evidences of the repeated measurements of temperature-depth profiles as a useful direct tool to understand the ongoing global warming, various geothermal aspects of the changing climate (heat island effect) in large megapolis as well as urbanization and its global warming impacts.

JS10 - Physics and chemistry of earth materials with implications for earth structure and dynamics (IASPEI, IAVCEI)

 

Convener: Jiuhua Chen (USA, IASPEI/IAVCEI))

Co-Conveners: Tomo Katsura (Germany, IAVCEI), Sergio Speziale (Germany, IASPEI)

 

Description

Research progress in field-based observations, laboratory experiments, and theoretical modeling advance our understanding of the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s interior. This interdisciplinary symposium will bring together new results from seismological and electrical sounding directed towards elucidating the structure of the mantle and core (including discontinuities, anisotropy and attenuation), observations of the Earth's magnetic field and its relationship to planetary heat flow, relevant research on earth materials (including phase equilibria, element partitioning, deformation and the development of texture, the influence of volatiles on partial melting, seismic and electrical properties, and rheology), and numerical modeling of properties and processes on distance scales ranging from atomic to global, and on timescales ranging from accretion and core formation to the present.