geoz 83 December 2013

NEWSBREAKERS

Comet of the century a fizzer

Comet ISON failed to live up to early expectations but the data collected during the comet's journey is being hailed as a bonanza for astronomers. As ISON, a pristine comet, came in from the very edge of the solar system hopes were high of a very visible event from Earth. Unfortunately its first swing around the sun was also its last with little more than a dissipating ball of icy rubble appearing from behind the sun.
News report: http://nbcnews.to/1fTwWUO
NASA's comet watcher blog: http://bit.ly/1c2FD8h

So cute!

A near complete skeleton of a baby dinosaur, Chasmosaurus belli, found in the 72 million year old Alberta badlands is so well preserved it almost looks alive. It is believed to be among the best preserved dinosaurs in the world and it is the first known baby fossil. It is thought to have been about 3 years old when it died.
http://ab.co/1gzRkaX

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

Tuesday 10th December 2013
Geo-Societies Christmas BBQ
The GSA-ACT Division annual Christmas party along with members of AusIMM and IAH
Geoscience Australia in Symonston, 5.00 pm
For catering purposes please RSVP by Friday 7th December to michelle.cooper@ga.gov.au.
Click here (http://gsa.junctionworld.com/divisions/act.html) for your invitation.

Regular meetings 2014: Third Tuesday of each month (Except January)
Jaeger Lecture Theatre, Jaeger Building (Building 61), Australian National University. 5.00pm for 5.30pm start.
For more information: emma.mathews@ga.gov.au

New South Wales

Friday 13th December 2013
SMEDG Christmas Cruise
The Dave Clappison Cruise
Sydney Harbour: http://bit.ly/1cbWQMB

2014 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: meetings@nsw.gsa.org.au

Queensland

2014 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

2014 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: taryn.noble@utas.edu.au

Victoria

2014 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: secretary@vic.gsa.org.au

Western Australia

2014 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: info@wa.gsa.org.au

GSA EVENTS

GSA membership

Members renewals have been mailed. If you haven't received yours please contact the office. Members can update their details or renew their membership online. Need help? Don't know your membership number, not sure if you have renewed? If in doubt, please contact the GSA office: info@gsa.org.au.

SGTSG Thredbo Conference and post-conference field trip, February 2014.

The deadline for abstract submissions passed on November 17. Abstracts received after this date may still be accepted but without any guarantee that this will secure an oral presentation (i.e. poster place only).

The biennial meeting of the Specialist Group in Tectonics and Structural Geology will be held 2-8 February 2014.
   • Welcome BBQ and cricket match: Sunday 2 February
   • Conference Dinner: Friday 7 February
      Medals and prizes will be awarded at the conference dinner.
   • Field trip: A 3-day post-conference field trip (Saturday, 8 February - Monday, 10 February)
      is planned along the NSW south coast between Merimbula and Batemans Bay,
      including spectacular crosscutting and magma mingling igneous relationships at
      Bingi-Bingi Point, before returning to Canberra.
      Led by Dr Chris Ferguson, University of Wollongong and Prof Steve Cox (ANU).

Abstract submissions: Please send expressions of interest to the science committee: marnie.forster@anu.edu.au, simon.mcclusky@anu.edu.au or geoff.fraser@ga.gov.au.

Click here for more information and registration details contact Gordon Lister gordon.lister@anu.edu.au.

The Australian Earth Sciences Convention 2014
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - REGISTRATION OPEN

We are open for Abstract submission. See: http://www.aesc2014.gsa.org.au/call-for-abstracts/

We welcome your participation at the AESC 2014.

Key dates:
Abstracts submission closes: 14 March 2014
Acceptance notification: end of May 2014

We are also open for registration. Registrations include options for members, one- and two-day registrations, bulk packages and tickets for the Public Forum.

Registration Fees:
(All prices are in Australian Dollars and inclusive of GST)

Full registration details are available online:
http://www.aesc2014.gsa.org.au/registration/

The convention themes are:
Energy
Resources
Environment
Infrastructure, Service and Community
Dynamic Planet
Living Planet.

Dedicated symposia include:
  •  39th Symposium on the Advances in the Study of the Sydney Basin
  •  Comparisons & Contrasts in Circum-Pacific Orogens

Please distribute information about the AESC 2014 to your colleagues within the geoscience community.
Australian Earth Sciences Convention
AESC 2014: Sustainable Australia
7-10 July 2014
Newcastle NSW

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.

The National Rock Garden - Federation Rock Display open

The Federation Rocks are on display at the National Rock Garden on the western foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin. The display, at the entrance to the six-hectare site, consists of a set of large rocks selected for their significance to their home state or territory.
http://bit.ly/1eCQppi

Federation rocks.
Image courtesy of Brad Pillans.

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. 7, October 2013 is available now. Click here to download the pdf. Read all about the planning behind the design and how inauguration day unfolded.

IN THE NEWS

Europa a model planet

Jupiter's moon, Europa, has an icy surface that appears to have been cracked and crunched into chaotic patterns. New computer simulations show turbulent global ocean currents that could be moving Europa's internal heat to the surface would also generate the features seen on the icy surface.
News report: http://bit.ly/18waZZL
Research abstract: http://bit.ly/1jexRyR

Jade rabbit to explore the moon

China plans to land a rover on the Moon, having successfully launched the machine, dubbed the Jade Rabbit this week. The rover's full capabilities are not known but it is claimed it can climb inclines of up to 30 degrees and travel up to 200 metres per hour.
http://bbc.in/184wRuI

Meanwhile ...
the Indian Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, has left Earth orbit and should arrive at Mars September 24, 2014.
http://bbc.in/1byGmmN

ON THE WEB

Ancient air leaves us gasping

Carbon isotope ratios in Mesozoic amber have revealed that at times of elevated carbon dioxide levels the air contained only 10 to 15 per cent oxygen. This is much lower than previous estimates and raises new questions about the evolution of large bodied dinosaurs as well as climate dynamics.
News report: http://ab.co/1cM2mXO
Research abstract: http://bit.ly/1eNViw8

Dicynodont toilet habits revealed

Argentinian volcanic ash deposits 240 million years old have preserved underlying deposits of Dicynodont poo. The communal latrines were found in large patches with 94 poo per square metre! The fossil dung piles not only reveal the communal toilet habits of these creatures but the coprolites also contain fragments of extinct plants, fungi, and gut parasites, providing a window into the ancient ecosystem as well.
News report: http://bbc.in/17ZaOWe
Research abstract: http://bit.ly/1dDStjT

IN THE MEDIA

Big new dinosaur unearthed

Dinosaurs found in North America are often big. The latest, Siats meekerorum, a 98 million year old Carcharodontosaur unearthed in Utah is no exception. The fossil bones are from a juvenile over 10 metres in length! The apex predator group of the time palaeontologists think Carcharodontosaurs kept Tyrannosaurs in second spot for over 30 million years.
http://bit.ly/1ckbQcN

IGCP Australian participants eligible for conference attendance funding

Each year the Australian Committee of the International Geoscience Program of UNESCO receives funding to support conference attendance for Australian participants in IGCP projects. The grants range from $2000-$4000 and application is made by requesting an application form from the Chair of the Committee - Prof Patricia Vickers Rich. Successful applicants need to demonstrate that their attendance is directly linked to the aims of one or more currently active IGCP projects with which they are associated. The application process is not complex and turnaround time generally no more than one month.
Send applications to Pat Rich: pat.rich@monash.edu.

Mars: The field trip continued

Perspective view of Murray Ridge, a rim segment of the 22 kilometer wide Endeavour Crater. The view is shown with a three times vertical scale exaggeration. For the area shown on this view the ridge at its highest point rises approximately 20 meters relative to the plains to the west.

http://1.usa.gov/1cM5RO7

Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona.

Out of safe mode [phew!]
http://1.usa.gov/185A1OW

In memory of Bruce Murray
http://1.usa.gov/185A8dj

Electrical issues
http://1.usa.gov/17x3df6

Voltage change analysed - all good
http://1.usa.gov/184RSjx

What's in AJES

The 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 No.6/7: Current issue

D. L. Anderson
The persistent mantle plume myth

A. D. Smith
Recycling of oceanic crust and the origin of intraplate volcanism

S. P. Johnson, A. M. Thorne, I. M. Tyler, R. J. Korsch, B. L.N. Kennett, H. N. Cutten, J. Goodwin, O. Blay, R. S. Blewett, A. Joly, M. C. Dentith, A. R. A. Aitken, J. Holzschuh, M. Salmon, A. Reading, G. Heinson, G. Boren, J. Ross, R. D. Costelloe & T. Fomin
Crustal architecture of the Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia and associated metallogeny

E. Saygin, H. McQueen, L. J. Hutton, B. L. N. Kennett & G. Lister
Structure of the Mt Isa region from seismic ambient noise tomography

D. Briguglio, J. Kowalczyk, J. D. Stilwell, M. Hall & A. Coffa
Detailed paleogeographic evolution of the Bass Basin: Late Cretaceous to present

C. Delle Piane, L. Esteban, N. E. Timms & S. Ramesh Israni
Physical properties of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks from the Perth Basin, Western Australia

Other papers published on-line recently

Follow this link to see the most recent papers published on-line.

L. J. Morrissey, M. Hand, B. P. Wade & M. Szpunar Early Mesoproterozoic metamorphism in the Barossa Complex, South Australia: links with the eastern margin of Proterozoic Australia

M. J. Cracknell, A. M. Reading & A. W. McNeill
Mapping geology and volcanic-hosted massive sulfide alteration in the Hellyer-Mt Charter region, Tasmania, using Random Forests^™ and Self-Organising Maps

L. Zhao, C. R. Ward, D. French & I. T. Graham
Mineralogy and major-element geochemistry of the lower Permian Greta Seam, Sydney Basin, Australia

G. H. McNally & D. F. Branagan
Geotechnical consequences of the Newcastle Coal Measures rocks

B. J. Franklin, J. F. Young & R. Powell
Testing of Sydney dimension sandstone for use in the conservation of heritage buildings.

A. Saghafi
Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from open-cut coal mining: application to the Sydney Basin.

Coming up in TAG

TAG for December 2013

Christmas is just around the corner and so is the December issue of TAG. If you sent in a contribution please note that content received after the 25 October has been held over till the March issue. Something to say in 2014? 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 in as soon as possible. Need information about word lengths and submitting? Contact: tag@gsa.org.au

JOB VACANCIES

Advertising space now available

Advertising positions are now available in Geoz. Be the first to advertise here.
Word length: 40-50 words (the shorter the more effective) plus link to a web site.
Text and a small logo linking to your online advert or business.
Logo a maximum of 180 pixels wide x 90 pixels high.
Adverts will run in Geoz for two issues.
Fee: $150.00
For more information: info@gsa.org.au

WHAT'S ON

DEADLINES:

Call for Papers - Abstract deadline December 6 2013

3rd Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network workshop:
Brisbane, 23 – 24 January 2014

http://bit.ly/19e0HHY

Call for Papers - Abstract deadline March 14 2014

The Australian Earth Science Convention:
Newcastle 7-10 July, 2014

Sustainable Australia
http://bit.ly/17ZRWUi

EVENTS:

SMEDG Christmas Cruise 2013, 13 December 2013

The Dave Clappison Cruise
http://bit.ly/1cbWQMB

3rd Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network workshop, Brisbane, 23 – 24 January 2014

Registration is free and includes the conference dinner on the Thursday evening
http://bit.ly/19e0HHY

Biennial meeting of the Specialist Group in Tectonics and Structural Geology, Thredbo NSW, 2 – 8 February 2014

Welcome BBQ and cricket match will be held on the Sunday 2 February.
For more information contact Gordon Lister gordon.lister@anu.edu.au.

An ACG Workshop hosted in conjunction with The AusIMM's 12th Underground Operators' Conference, Adelaide, 23 March 2014

Click here for more information.

Australian Earth Sciences Convention - AESC 2014, Newcastle, NSW, 7 – 10 July 2014

1st Circular available NOW.
http://bit.ly/17ZRWUi

CONTACTS

Head Office

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Sydney NSW 2000
ph 02-9290 2194
fax 02-9290 2198

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