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NEWSBREAKERSLower mantle percolation looks goodNew research into the formation of the Earth's iron-rich core has identified a transition in the behaviour of the dispersed iron-rich melt components of the lower mantle as the pressure rises. The initially isolated pockets of iron alloy form a network within the silicate matrix that could allow the alloy to percolate into and concentrate in the core. Earth Science Week!This year Earth Science Week aims to engage young people and others in learning how geoscientists, geographers, and other mapping professionals use maps to represent land formations, natural resource deposits, bodies of water, fault lines, volcanic activity, weather patterns, travel routes, parks, businesses, population distribution, our shared geologic heritage and more. Maps help show how the Earth systems, such as geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, interact. Earth Science Week is an international celebration initiated and hosted by the American Geosciences Institute, promoting the importance of the geosciences to the community. This years theme is Mapping our World, a concept nicely reflected in the Earth Science Week poster featured here. Geoscience Australia has again played host to Australia's Earth Science Week celebrations and has aligned its activities with the international theme as well as encouraging others around the nation to do the same. The winners of the Geoscience Australia's Top GeoShot photographic competition for 2013 will be announced at a special awards ceremony at Geoscience Australia in Canberra on Thursday 17 October. Over 350 outstanding entries were received for this year's competition, which nearly doubles the previous record of 191 entries received in 2012. The photographs were judged on their creativity and how well they fitted with the competition theme of Exposed to the Elements. Twelve finalists were selected including an Overall Winner and a Student Winner as well as a People's Choice winner nominated by the staff at Geoscience Australia. The winning entries will be available for viewing on Geoscience Australia's website following the awards ceremony, with all 350 Top GeoShot entries now on display in Geoscience Australia's foyer as part of Earth Science Week celebrations from 13-19 October 2013. Geoscience Australia Earth Science Week: http://bit.ly/NN3qPn FROM THE DIVISIONS
Divisional information is regularly updated at http://gsa.junctionworld.com/events/divisionmeetings.html Australian Capital TerritoryTuesday 15th October 2013 Sunday 20th October 2013 New South WalesTuesday 15th October 2013 Thursday 24th October 2014 SMEDG meeting Tuesday 26th November 2013 QueenslandNovember 2013 South AustraliaRegular meetings: Third Thursday of each month (except January) Thursday 17th October 2013 Sunday 20th October 2013 GeoNight at the Pub: First Thursday of each month but 7th November last for 2013 Thursday 21st November 2013 Thursday 28th November 2013 Tasmania2013 meeting dates to be advised VictoriaWednesday 23rd October 2013 Friday 25th & Saturday 26th October Thursday 28th November 2013 Western AustraliaWednesday 6th November 2013 GSA EVENTSSGTSG Thredbo Conference and post-conference field trip, February 2014.The biennial meeting of the Specialist Group in Tectonics and Structural Geology will be held 2-8 February 2014. The Australian Earth Sciences Convention 2014Check out the Australian Earth Sciences Convention 2014 web site at http://aesc2014.gsa.org.au/. The First Circular is available here. The convention themes are: Dedicated symposia include: Please distribute information about the AESC 2014 to your colleagues within the geoscience community. The organising committee looks forward to welcoming you in Newcastle and if you want any information about the AESC do not hesitate to contact the GSA office: info@gsa.org.au. and if you would like to receive notifications when registration or call for papers is open for the AESC, please click here. The National Rock Garden invites GSA members and friends to the inauguration of the Federation Rock DisplayAt 10.30 am on Sunday 20 October, 2013, the ACT Chief Minister will be the principal guest at the inauguration of the Federation Rock Display at the National Rock Garden off Lady Denman Drive at the western end of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra (Cnr of Barrenjoey and Lady Denman Drives). The inauguration will include the unveiling of the Federation Rocks from the eight States and Territories of the Commonwealth, some of them quite spectacular. Four of the rocks (New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria) have already arrived in Canberra. It is also expected that the proposed landscape design for the National Rock Garden will be made public.
Some volunteers are required to prepare the site and help on the day. Those willing and able to assist on the 20th October (or beforehand) please send an email to: Doug Finlayson doug.finlayson@netspeed.com.au National Rock Garden Facebook is live. Stay up to date with the latest NRG news by liking the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Rock-Garden/509206615828657?ref=hl The National Rock Garden will have up to 100 large specimens of the country's most iconic rocks. Each specimen will weigh approximately 10-15 tonnes. To find out how you can contribute follow this link to the NRG web site: http://www.nationalrockgarden.org.au/ The National Rock Garden (NRG) qualifies for Deductible Gift Recipient status (DGR). In other words, donations to the NRG are tax deductible so now donating to the NRG can be a win-win! Bookmark this page: http://bit.ly/1gl0K8d 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 Newsletter No. 6, July 2013 is available now. Click here to download the pdf. Read about the planning that is behind the design and see if you can figure out what the 8 Federation Rocks will be! IN THE NEWSPleistocene Nullarbor no boreThe Thylacoleo Caves north west of Eucla in Western Australia have revealed a vast array of excellent marsupial fossils including the best examples of Thylacoleo carnifex yet found. New research on the avifauna from these caves has also revealed many types of ground dwelling birds, ducks, pigeons, birds of prey and a variety of species more likely to be at home in rainforest environments. Victorian Pleistocene also in the newsThe very well preserved and relatively complete fossilised skeleton of a diprotodontid has been found in Pleistocene sand dunes of the Mornington Peninsula National Park. Museum Victoria staff are excited about the find as may prove to be one of the best preserved examples of its kind ever found. ON THE WEBCritical commodities report updatedGeoscience Australia has released an updated version of their Critical commodities for a high-tech world: Australia's potential to supply global demand report. It identifies a suite of commodities critical to the modern era and Australia's current or potential ability to supply demand. Geoscience Australia also advise Australia's Mineral Resource Assessment 2013, their joint report with the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, will be available for free download in late October. Our very own lava lakeMODIS satellite hot spot data for Heard Island volcano, Australia's only active volcano, suggests a small lava lake has been forming in the summit crater. IN THE MEDIAArctic ocean ice sheet history revealedResearch on the Pleistocene sea floor of the Arlis Plateau, a seamount north east of the Russian coast, has discovered ice sheet groove marks that suggest that within the past 800,000 years ice sheets more than a kilometre thick formed in the Arctic Ocean. Oldest soils tell a new taleResearch on ancient South African soils suggests oxygen began appearing in the atmosphere 700 million years earlier than previously thought. This in turn raises questions about when life evolved and when photosynthesis first began. Mars: Curiosity is on hold due to the US government shutdownWhile Curiosity is in limbo the European Space Agency's 2018 ExoMars programme is well underway. It will deliver a European rover and a Russian surface platform via Proton launch rocket. The ExoMars rover will search for signs of life, drill for samples and analyse them with next-generation instruments.
More on the ExoMars Rover
More on the ExoMars instruments
More on the ExoMars drill
What's in AJESThe Australian Journal of Earth Sciences online is available through the Taylor & Francis website. It is very easy to navigate and use. AJES is available to financial members of the GSA. Don't miss the next issue because your membership has lapsed! Volume 60 Issue No.5: some already onlineK. Mills, P. Gell, P. Hesse, R. Jones, P. Kershaw, R. Drysdale and J. McDonald K. Mills, P. Gell, J. Gergis, P. Baker, M. Finlayson, P. l. Hesse, R. Jones, P. Kershaw, S. Pearson, P. Treble, C. Barr, M. Brookhouse, R. Drysdale, J. McDonald, S. Haberle, M. Reid, M. Thoms and J. Tibby C. S. Lower, J. H. Cann and D. Haynes D. Gregory, S. Meffre and R. Large R. J. Holm and S. W. Richards S. J. Craven, N. R. Daczko and J. A. Halpin D. W. Hamacher and C. O'Neill F. Sun, L. Tekoum, J. C. Doumnang, R. Tchameni and A. A. Ganwa Other papers published on-line recentlyFollow this link to see the most recent papers published on-line. B. J. Franklin, J. F. Young & R. Powell A. Saghafi Coming up in TAGTAG for December 2013Christmas is just around the corner and so is the December issue of TAG. If you have a contribution for the December issue, the deadline for general copy is 25 October. Content received after the 25 October will be held over till the March issue. Don't be disappointed, get your Letter to the Editor or a news item published in TAG by sending it to: tag@gsa.org.au. If you are submitting a Feature or Special Report please send your article by mid-October. Need information about word lengths and submitting? Contact: tag@gsa.org.au JOB VACANCIESAdvertising space now availableAdvertising positions are now available in Geoz. Be the first to advertise here. WHAT'S ON
Royal Society of Victoria Energy Future Public Forum, Melbourne, 23 October 2013 Royal Society of Victoria Energy Future Symposium Melbourne, 25 – 26 October 2013 Mining 2013, Brisbane, 23 – 25 October 2013 Sustainable Development 2013, Brisbane, 28 – 30 October 2013 ACG Blasting for Stable Slopes, Perth, 4 – 6 November 2013 Demonstration of GSWA online systems, Perth, 7 November 2013 NB: TENGRAPH online is not covered. 22nd Coastal Conference, Port Macquarie, 12 – 15 November 2013 Valuing our Coastal Zone, Planning our Future, What's the big picture? Demonstration of GSWA online systems, Kalgoorlie, 14 November 2013 NB: TENGRAPH online is not covered. Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference, Noosa, 18 – 20 November 2013 Geotourism Half Day Forum: Wednesday 20 November. 26th International Applied Geochemistry Symposium, Rotorua New Zealand, 18 – 21 November 2013 Incorporating the 35th New Zealand Geothermal Workshop. 10th SA Exploration and Mining Conference, Adelaide, 28 November 2013 Registrations for the SA Exploration and Mining Conference are now open. Mine Site Reconciliation 2013, Gold Coast, 4 – 6 December 2013 Contact http://bit.ly/19diVOE 3rd Tasmania Geoscience Forum, Cradle Mountain Tasmania, 5 – 6 December 2013 Contact Taryn.Noble@utas.edu.au for more details. Biennial meeting of the Specialist Group in Tectonics and Structural Geology, Thredbo NSW, 2 – 2 February 2014 Welcome BBQ and cricket match will be held on the Sunday 2 February. Australian Earth Sciences Convention - AESC 2014, Newcastle, NSW, 7 – 10 July 2014 1st Circular available NOW. CONTACTSHead Office
Suite 61, 104 Bathurst Street
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