[Sasnet] "Catastrophe" session at next INQUA (fwd)

[Bonnie A B Blackwell]

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Bonnie A.B. Blackwell, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Williams College,
& Director, RFK Research Institute

MA lab: Dept. of Chemistry, Williams College,             voice: 1-413-597-3337
        Williamstown, MA, 01267                             fax: 1-413-597-4115

NY: Box 866, Glenwood Landing, NY, 11547            voice & fax: 1-516-759-6092
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:25:28 +0000
From: Suzanne Leroy <suzanne.leroy at BRUNEL.AC.UK>
To: QUATERNARY at CLIFFY.UCS.MUN.CA
Subject: "Catastrophe" session at next INQUA

We would like to draw your attention to the following session at the XVII
INQUA Congress (Cairns, Australia, 28 July - 3 August 2007):

High-resolution analysis of catastrophic environmental changes and human
response

Conveners: Suzanne Leroy (UK), John Clague (Canada), and Matt McGlone (New
Zealand)

Abstracts can now be submitted through the following link:
http://www.icms.com.au/inqua2007/abstract/

Deadline for submission is 31st January 2007.

Session Abstract

Rapid and catastrophic environmental changes have helped shape our
civilisation. We know that some ancient civilisations have collapsed under
their impact, and we wonder if our society is better prepared. In order to
improve our preparedness we need to understand what is the full potential of
natural hazards (earthquakes, droughts, volcanic eruptions, landslides,
hurricanes, meteorites) to wreak damage. Only the analysis of past archives
(such as sediment, historical documents, archaeological remains) can give
the total overview of the consequences, physical, biotic and social.

This session explores natural catastrophic impacts that affect people and
ecosystems. It is also deals with recovery, either to a new, more resilient
status or a return to the previous situation. A multidisciplinary approach
is encouraged with geologists and geographers working alongside historians,
archaeologists meteorologists and physicists in order to create more
comprehensive and better understood palaeo-reconstructions. The session will
also deal with high temporal resolution and robustly calibrated dating.
While high resolution will enable us to detect changes at a societal scale,
robust chronologies from different archives are essential to be able to
establish cause and effect.