 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
geoz 43 March 2012
NEWSBREAKERS
Big NZ fossil penguin reconstructed
Reconstruction from fossil remains show the 25 million-year-old Kairuku penguin was the largest of the five species common to New Zealand during the Oligocene time period. Kairuku – the diver who returns with food.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17179607
NEWSBREAKERS
Super computer on its way
The new supercomputer installed at the University of Western Australia will assist with the processing of data for the world’s largest telescope and should strengthen the Australia/New Zealand bid for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). Competition with South Africa is close, but the central site in Western Australia provides better radio quiet and less population pressures than the South African site.
http://bit.ly/theconversation.edu.au/supercomputer-readies-scientists-for-worlds-most-powerful-telescope-5414
FROM THE DIVISIONS
Divisional information is regularly updated at http://gsa.junctionworld.com/events/divisionmeetings.html
Check this site for more recent information on the following events:
Australian Capital Territory
Regular meetings: Third Tuesday of each month (Except January)
Jaeger Lecture Theatre, Jaeger Building (Building 61), Australian National University
For more information: diane.jorgensen@ga.gov.au
New South Wales
2012 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: meetings@nsw.gsa.org.au
Queensland
2012 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: info@qld.gsa.org.au
South Australia
Regular meetings: Third Thursday of each month (except January)
The Mawson Theatre, Mawson Laboratories, Adelaide University, 5.15 pm for 6.15 pm
For more information: jim.jago@unisa.edu.au
Tasmania
2012 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: mduffett@mrt.tas.gov.au
Victoria
2012 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: secretary@vic.gsa.org.au
Western Australia
Regular meetings: First Wednesday of each month (except December and January)
Irish Club of WA, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco, 5.30pm
For more information: info@wa.gsa.org.au
Wednesday 7th March 2012
Katy Evans
The redox budget of subduction zones- and implications for the ore-deposit source zones
Irish Club of WA (Inc), 61 Townshend Rd, Subiaco, 5.30 pm for 6.00 pm
GSA EVENTS
GSA membership
Have you renewed for 2012? Membership started on the 1/1/12, make sure you do not miss any GSA news or issues of AJES by paying late. Pay your membership here using your member number and password (on your renewal notice). If in doubt, please contact the GSA office: info@gsa.org.au.
National Rock Garden newsletter now available
The National Rock Garden, launched at the 2010 Australian Earth Sciences Convention in Canberra, will have up to 100 large specimens of the country's most iconic rocks, each weighing approximately 10–15 tonnes. To find out how you can contribute follow
this link:
NationalRockGarden.pdf
Building stone – geology that we all often take for granted There would not be a town or city in Australia that does not use stone from around the country in its buildings and infrastructure. The National Rock Garden will include examples of building stones. Indigenous and later communities around Australia have all used locally available rock outcrops as shelters and quarried stone for building blocks, brick making, landscaping, concrete making, road making, sculptures and monuments
To download the latest National Rock Garden newsletter just click this link.
If you would like to join the Friends of the National Rock Garden and receive newsletters and information directly by email please send a request to rockgarden@gsa.org.au
Image courtesy of Doug Finlayson
ESWA – A Field Guide to Perth and Surrounds available now
Earth Science Western Australia – A Field Guide to Perth and Surrounds
Edited by John A Bunting
Available now from the GSA bookshophttp://gsa.junctionworld.com/publications/index.html
IN THE NEWS
Hot pink rock
A 12.76-carat pink diamond has been found at Rio Tinto's Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia's East Kimberly region. The diamond, now known as the Argyle Pink Jubilee, will be cut and polished and offered for sale during the company's annual Pink Diamonds tender.
http://bit.ly/wMitC6
Nomad planets move through space
Researchers at Stanford University suggest there may be more than 100,000 times more ‘nomad planets’ than stars in the Milky Way.
http://bit.ly/news.stanford.edu/news/2012/february/slac-nomad-planets-022312.html
ON THE WEB
Critical thinking competition for students
Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb will be judging a nation-wide critical thinking competition. Produce a 3-5 minute video arguing for one of the topics. There are 3 aged-based categories: 14-16, 17-19, and 20 up. Winners receive a 32G Wifi iPAD2!
Entries close May 1, 2012
http://technyou.edu.au/competitions/critical-thinking-competition/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSZ3BUru59A&feature=youtu.be
34th IGC news
4th Circular out now – get the latest news from the IGC.
Click here for a PDF with full details
IGC Field trip bookings close 31 March 2012
From the top of Queensland, inland, the coast, the reef, NSW, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory and Western Australia with a diversity of geology and local flavor. But wait there is more – New Zealand, Malaysia, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea too!
http://www.34igc.org/field-trips.php
IN THE MEDIA
Lunar grabens grab attention
New images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft have revealed geologic activity less than 50 million years old that has formed a number of graben, perhaps as a result of global contraction because of cooling of a still hot interior.
http://1.usa.gov/xHU6KF
Science Alert
Science Alert – the website that focuses on scientific research in Australia and New Zealand has over 1 million facebook fans, putting this page in the realm of super-users.
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/ScienceAlert
What's in AJES
The Australian Journal of Earth Sciences online is available through the Taylor & Francis' website: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/taje20. It is very easy to navigate and use.
Volume 59 Issue No.2
Thematic issue: Planetary sciences
T. R. Ireland
Oxygen isotope tracing of the Solar System.
C O’Neill
Tectonothermal evolution of solid planets and moons.
R. Salmeron
The environment and physics of the early solar system.
F Jourdan
The 40Ar/39Ar dating technique applied to planetary sciences .
E. G. Jones & C. H. Lineweaver
Using the Phase Diagram of Liquid Water to Search For Life.
G. Caprarelli & B. Y. Wang
Wet Mars implications of revised scaling calculations for Evros Vallis.
D. Wacey
Earliest evidence for life on Earth – an Australian perspective.
A. P. Nutman, V. C. Bennett & C. R. L. Friend
Waves and weathering at 3.7 Ga: Geologic evidence for an equitable terrestrial climate under the faint early Sun.
P. A. Bland, P. Spurny, A. W. R. Bevan, K. T. Howard, M. C. Towner, G. K. Benedix, R. C. Greenwood, L. Shrbený, I. A. Franchi, G. Deacon, J. Borovi?ka, Z. Ceplecha, D. Vaughan & R. M. Hough
The Australian Desert Fireball Network: A new era for planetary science.
A. A. Nemchin, M. L. Grange, R. T. Pidgeon & C. Meyer
Lunar zirconology.
M. D. Norman, K. J. D. Adena & A. G. Christy
Provenance and Pb isotopic ages of volcanic and impact glasses from the Apollo 17 landing site on the Moon.
B. J. O’Brien
Apollo measurements of lunar dust amidst geology priorities .
Coming up in TAG
March TAG nearly in your letterbox
Issue #162, is at the mail-house and should be in your letterbox soon.
Deadline for June 2012 submissions: 30 April 2012
Follow the TAG link to submit material for 2012 editions or to find out more: http://gsa.junctionworld.com/publications/tag.html or email tag@gsa.org.au
WHAT'S ON
34th IGC Early-bird registration open
Early bird registration fees, together with accommodation options and social events, have now been released.
This offer enables delegates to register for the 34th IGC at a reduced rate.
http://bit.ly/mRHsZ0
Nominations deadline March 30 2012
The International Commission on Stratigraphy
seeking nominations for the Digby McLaren Medal and the ICS Medal
Awarded to outstanding geoscientists every four years during an International Geological Congress.
PDF for download
Call for Papers - Abstract deadline March 30 2012
6th Biennial Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe (SHRIMP) Workshop
Brisbane, 1–4 August 2012
First Circular now available for download
http://bit.ly/oQQP1P
Conservation Challenges, Solutions & Collaboration Opportunities in Uncontrolled Environments, Hobart, 9-11 March 2012
International Polar Heritage Committee
http://bit.ly/AhhbH0
Construction and Mining Expo, Perth, 15-17 March 2012
Environmental Geochemistry of Mine Site Pollution, Perth, 21-22 March 2012
An Introduction - Short Course
http://bit.ly/o9XAIF
AGES2012, Alice Springs, 26-28 March 2012
Northern Territory Survey Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar
http://bit.ly/AbTFUE
Deep Mining 2012, City, 28-30 March 2012
Sixth International Seminar on Deep and High Stress Mining
http://bit.ly/rxPVD9
Latest Research in Space Biology, Melbourne, 29 March 2011
Presented by Dr. Richard Wassersug
http://bit.ly/xRAdIy
Minerals Week 2012, Canberra, 29 May - 1 June 2012
Minerals Council of Australia
http://www.minerals.org.au/focus/mca_events
Petascale Computational Geoscience, Mandurah 13-16 May 2012
CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering
http://www.csiro.au/Portals/Events/Western-Australia/Petascale-Computational-Geoscience-Symposium.aspx
6th Biennial Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe (SHRIMP) Workshop, Brisbane, 1–4 August 2012
First Circular now available for download
http://bit.ly/oQQP1P
34th International Geological Congress, Brisbane, 5–10 August 2012
Unearthing our Past and Future
http://www.34igc.org/
Nominations deadline March 30 2012
The International Commission on Stratigraphy
seeking nominations for the Digby McLaren Medal and the ICS Medal
Awarded to outstanding geoscientists every four years during an International Geological Congress.
PDF for download
The Last Frontier — Capitalising on Mining, Exploration and Career Opportunities in the Northern Territory , Darwin, 11 – 13 September 2012
Minerals Council of Australia
Darwin Convention Centre
http://www.minerals.org.au/focus/mca_events
CONTACTS
Head Office
Suite 61, 104 Bathurst Street
Sydney NSW 2000
ph 02-9290 2194
fax 02-9290 2198
www.gsa.org.au
Executive
Divisions
Specialist
Groups
The Australian Journal of
Earth Sciences (AJES)
The Australian Geologist
(TAG)
Education and Outreach
Publicity
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
