(February) 1999
GEOMORPHORUM is issued twice a year by the Geomorphology Specialty Group (GSG) of the Association of American Geographers. The purpose of this newsletter is to exchange ideas and news about geomorphology, and to foster improved communication within our community of scholars and professionals.
GEOMORPHORUM is archived at http://www.cla.sc.edu/geog/gsgdocs [you should be here if you're reading this]
GEOMORPHORUM is distributed electronically over Geomorphlist (currently moderated by William Locke), but we will provide paper copies to specialty group members who do not subscribe to Geomorphlist upon request.
The GSG Elected Officers are:
Jeff Lee, Chair
Joann Mossa, Secretary-TreasurerThe GSG Advisory Board members are:
Allan James, senior representative
Bruce Rhoads
Carol HardenThe GSG Awards Committee members are:
Anne Chin, Chair
Bill Renwick
Mike O'Neill
NOTES FROM THE CHAIR: IRREDUNDANT REPETITION
Here is where I, as chair of the Geomorphology Specialty Group, am supposed to make some insightful and pithy remarks about our discipline. Well, forget that. Let me use this space to promote a half-baked idea that I'm not sure even I believe in. But, hey, I'm chair of this group and this isn't a peer reviewed publication, so I'll say what I damn well please. I am asking you to consider the possibility that geomorphologists are studying too many things. We are a small scientific discipline and there is little if anything in geomorphology that we understand particularly well. Too often, we rely on one study to inform us about a geomorphological process or historical sequence, even though our work is inherently unreliable. Not that we are to blame for this - it's a fundamental part of all science that cutting edge research is wrong most of the time. Only after a problem has been studied many times and in a variety of ways, all with relatively consistent results, should we have confidence in our conclusions. Perhaps we should spend a bit more effort working on some core problems and after we get those figured out, we can expand to other topics.
One way of gaining this confidence in our knowledge of geomorphology is to repeat studies. If a potentially important piece of work is done, it should be done a few more times. And similar studies should be done. You may remember the controversy over "Cold Fusion" about a decade ago. The prospect of essentially free energy got hundreds of physicist and chemists to repeat the original experiment and within about six months almost everyone was convinced that cold fusion had not been achieved. Nothing in geomorphology is going to get that kind of attention, of course. But wouldn't it be nice if a geomorphology paper was published with exciting results and within a decade or so, ten or twenty studies had been done on that topic and we could say with some authority that those results are pretty good or pretty unreliable?
Let's keep in mind that much can be learned when the same problem is studied but different results are obtained. We either find out that the problem is more complicated than originally thought or one of the studies was flawed in some way. Figuring out the discrepancy will teach us about geomorphology and about the effectiveness of our research methods. And, so, our knowledge increases.
We tend not to duplicate other's work because we want to be original and doing what someone else has already done is not very novel. Originality is of fundamental importance to research, of course, but science doesn't advance only by individuals doing independent work. We need to remind ourselves occasionally that what truly counts is what all of us, as a community, have contributed to our understanding of landforms. And that requires a lot of overlap and repetition.
How can we promote the repetition of studies? I'm not sure, but here are some ideas: Master's Theses might be less daunting if there was another study to use as a guide, so repeating a study already done could help. Graduate seminars could be a group effort at repeating an important piece of work. Even undergraduates could repeat studies as a senior thesis. These could be valuable both pedagogically and as a contribution to the discipline. And as professionals, we could commit ourselves to repeating someone else's study every now and then. (And no, I have never repeated a study.) Of course I'm not suggesting that any old study be repeated, just those with the most promising results.
Not only do geomorphologists need to appreciate the value of repeating other's work, but journal editors, peer reviewers and the folks at funding agencies need to see the value of such research. Perhaps there could be a section in one or more geomorphology journals devoted to short reports on repeated studies. And maybe funding agencies could acknowledge the value of duplicating research and consider proposals for such work. (Maybe they already do, I don't know.)
OK, I've rambled on enough. Think about what I've said here, if you are so inclined. Does it make sense? Let me know your thoughts on the matter.
Cheers,
Jeff Lee
Dept. of Economics & Geography, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1014USA
phone: 1-806-742-2466 ext. 247, fax: 1-806-7421137, e-mail: j.lee@ttu.edu
NEWS FROM THE SECRETARY-TREASURER
PRELUDE: Residing in a state renown for real estate ventures (e.g. wetlands for sale at bargain prices) get-rich-quick scams, and money laundering, I have learned that Florida's banks have become understandably (some might say overly) suspicious regarding organizational accounts. In my quest to establish a GSG account in Florida, bank officers requested copies of our specialty group by-laws with related documentation regarding signatory and spending authority. Neither the AAG nor the past officers we contacted had any records of existing by-laws. Although some might question whether we should formalize our guidelines, the banking policies have some merit. For example, it might be difficult to recuperate GSG funds if the Treasurer had an unfortunate accident during his or her term (especially in cases where the account is in the name of the Treasurer and not the organization). So, these by-laws are proposed as a proactive measure to assist future treasurers, other officers, and our membership. These extract from written guidelines provided by Allan James (with contributions by others) and existing by-laws of specialty groups with overlapping interests. Thanks to Jeff Lee (in Texas, where the banks could care less), for graciously volunteering to manage our funds in the interim, and to Anne Chin for providing helpful comments.
Besides banking, there are other reasons for having by-laws. Written documentation provides clarity to new officers regarding responsibilities and duties. Past officers recognize how they play a role in the IAG with the GSA and how they can provide support and assistance to our group. Also, our membership is informed as to the varied types of awards and eligibility criteria. We will be discussing concerns of our members, possible revisions, and ultimately whether to adopt these by-laws at our annual business meeting in Honolulu, HI (Friday March 26, 6:45- 8:00 PM). Please e-mail your comments to me so that we can compile a list of items for discussion. Thanks and hope to see you there.
Joann Mossa
HYPERLINK mailto:mossa@geog.ufl.edu ; mossa@geog.ufl.edu ; P.O. Box 117315, Dept. of Geography; Univ. of Florida, 3141 Turlington Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611-7315, USA; Tel: 1-352-392-4652 Fax: 1-352-392-8855; Temporary Mailing Address (through 30 April 1999): Florida State University, London Study Centre; 103 Great Russell Street; London WC1B 3LA England; Tel: 44-171-813-3223; Fax: 44-171-813-3270
PROPOSED BY-LAWS AND GUIDELINES
Geomorphology Specialty Group, Aag - (to be discussed at the specialty group business meeting in Honolulu, HI).
Article 1. Name. The name of this organization is the Geomorphology Specialty Group (GSG) of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). The organization shall be referred to as the Geomorphology Specialty Group and it is understood that it is a component of the Association of American Geographers.
Article 2. Purpose. The purpose of the Geomorphology Specialty Group is to foster better communication among those working in the geomorphic sciences, especially in geography.
Article 3. Membership. Any member of the AAG can become a member of the Geomorphology Specialty Group upon selection of the specialty group interest box on the AAG annual dues form and payment of specialty group dues. There are two classes of membership, regular and student. Both classes of members can vote at the specialty group meeting. Dues (as of 1999) are $7 for regular members and $0 for students. Dues can be changed at the annual business meeting by a simple majority of the attendees, and changes should be duly recorded in the minutes.
Article 4. Elected Officers and Duties. Elected officers must be regular members of the Geomorphology Specialty Group. Their titles and duties are described as follows:
The Chair shall preside over the annual specialty group business meetings, shall communicate with the AAG central office regarding specialty group news (other than awards announcements and recipients), shall appoint a member for the Awards Committee, shall coordinate between other elected officers when appropriate, shall submit a column for Geomorphorum (the Geomorphology Specialty Group newsletter), and shall represent the specialty group at official functions. The Chair should also keep track of important issues affecting the membership and bring them up for discussion at the annual business meeting. If for some reason an important decision must be made before the annual business meeting, the Chair should consult with the other officers and the advisory board. The term of Chair is about one year, commencing and ending according to the timing of the AAG annual meetings (usually March-April), although the outgoing Chair continues to perform some post-meeting tasks including submission of a closing column for Geomorphorum and completion of tasks related to the annual meeting.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep minutes of the specialty group meetings, keep membership records, coordinate and distribute one or two issues of the Geomorphorum annually, send copies to the AAG central office and to the GSG webmaster (currently Allan James, Univ. of South Carolina, http://www.cla.sc.edu/geog/gsgdocs/home.html), keep financial records, and administer the specialty group's financial affairs. The term of Secretary-Ttreasurer is about one year, commencing and ending according to the timing of the AAG annual meetings (usually March-April), although the outgoing Secretary-Treasurer continues to perform some post-meeting tasks including submission of meeting minutes, compiling a post-meeting issue of Geomorphorum, and completion of other tasks related to the annual meeting.
The Secretary-Treasurer is authorized to spend GSG funds for standard expenses: awards, Luncheon tickets, newsletter costs, plaques for awards, and meeting registration for invited guests. In cases where consideration for atypical expenses may arise, such as sponsorship of special events (e.g., field trips) and travel assistance for students, award winners, and GSG officers, approval should be obtained from membership if possible, or from other GSG officers (Chair and Awards Committee Chair) if timing precludes discussion with membership. In all cases, GSG leadership shall act in a responsible manner that will protect GSG funds from being depleted.
The Secretary-Treasurer is elected by a simple majority of those present at Business Meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer becomes the Chair the following year, and the Chair then becomes a member of the Advisory Board.
Only the elected officers (Chair and Secretary-Treasurer) are responsible for signing paperwork to establish new bank accounts. The Chair will normally authorize signatory responsibilities to the Secretary-Treasurer.
The Chair and Secretary-Treasurer should communicate with one another regularly to ensure that the above-mentioned duties of the specialty group are performed. If one officer cannot perform their functions, the other officer should preside for them or seek assistance so that the specialty group functions and tasks continue.
Article 5. Duties of Past Officers and Appointed Officers. Past Officers and Appointed Officers must be regular members of the Geomorphology Specialty Group. Their titles and duties are as follows:
The Advisory Board consists of the three most recent past GSG Chairs, thus the outgoing Chair of the GSG serves an additional 3-year term on the Board. Among other duties, the Advisory Board functions as the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) panel. The senior member of the Board acts as the official GSG representative to the IAG. If the senior member cannot attend the international meeting, the next senior member will be designated. If none of the representatives can attend, the GSG Chair will appoint a representative who can. The U.S. vote in the IAG is shared with Geological Society of America, Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division (GSA-QG&G) on an alternating basis. Voting on important issues should involve consultations between representatives and between members of the entire Board when possible through advance notice of issues. Some other suggested activities of the Advisory Board include: (1) to develop, encourage, and promote GSG representation within the AAG organization through the identification of suitable candidates for elected offices and committees; (2) to organize or encourage others to organize special sessions; (3) to identify noted non-AAG scholars and promote their attendance at AAG meetings, through seeking AAG funds for this purpose; (4) to communicate with current GSA-QG&G division representatives regarding issues and concerns of the IAG and U.S. geomorphologists; and (5) to serve in an advisory capacity to the Chair on matters that may arise during the course of the year.
Awards Committee Members will rotate off the committee in a three-year cycle with the senior member acting as Awards Committee Chair. A new member, normally to serve three years, is selected by the GSG Chair and announced at the business meeting. The Awards Committee Chair solicits proposals, papers and nominations through announcements for competitions on Geomorphlist and the newsletters. He or she coordinates the evaluation among the three Awards Committee members, reports results to the GSG chair and to appropriate AAG central office staff (e.g. Executive Director or others in contact with him or her) prior to the Awards Luncheon, and sees that appropriate certificates, plaques, and checks are at the Annual AAG Awards Luncheon and the GSG business meeting. Furthermore, the Awards Committee Chair should confidentially inform winners well in advance of the meeting that they are to receive an award, that we will purchase Luncheon tickets for them, and encourage them to attend the Awards Luncheon. Informing candidates is necessary in order to ensure that they will be present and prepared to present an acceptance speech suitable for publication in our newsletter and Geomorphlist. Beyond informing the candidates, the GSG Chair, and the AAG central office staff, award winners' names should be kept confidential to maintain an element of surprise at the business meeting. The Awards Committee Chair should arrange to purchase Luncheon tickets for each awardee planning to attend the AAG Awards Luncheon. Winners are often not known until after the deadline for purchasing tickets, so it is not usually possible to know who will attend. The Awards Committee Chair should plan to attend the Awards Luncheon or make sure that a suitable representative of the GSG is present to deliver certificates and checks to the Executive Director and to see that awardees are recognized properly. Finally, the Awards Committee Chair should present awards at the GSG business meeting. If the awards have been given earlier at the Awards Luncheon, the Awards Chair should finesse them back from the candidates after the luncheon so they can be ceremoniously returned at the business meeting. If the Luncheon is after the business meeting, then vice versa.
Article 6. Description of Awards. The Geomorphology Specialty Group has five awards: the Grove Karl Gilbert Award for Excellence in Geomorphic Research, the Melvin G. Marcus Distinguished Career Award, two Graduate Student Research Grants, and a Graduate Student Paper Competition. The awards are as follows:
The Grove Karl Gilbert Award for Excellence in Geomorphic Research: The Gilbert Award is presented to the author(s) of a significant contribution to the published research literature in geomorphology during the past three years. Only books, refereed journal articles, or monographs will be considered with an emphasis on refereed research articles. Nominations should include a copy of the relevant publication and a statement as to why the publication deserves the award. Supporting letters from other colleagues are also helpful.
The Melvin G. Marcus Distinguished Career Award: The Melvin G. Marcus Distinguished Career Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to geomorphology over his/her career. Nominations should include: 1) a description of the candidate's contribution to geomorphology, 2) a brief biographic sketch, 3) a selected bibliography, and 4) three letters of support from colleagues.
Nominations for both the Gilbert and Marcus Awards should be submitted to the Chair of the Awards Committee of the Geomorphology Specialty Group. The nominated work for the Gilbert award should have been written within the last 3 years at the time of nomination. Nominations for both the Gilbert and Marcus award remain active for 2 years. All materials, including supporting documentation, should be received by the 1st of February before the annual meeting.
Each year the Geomorphology Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers awards two Graduate Student Research Grants to help cover the costs of data acquisition, field work, and laboratory analysis required to complete thesis research. The awards are $200 to a Master's student and $400 to a Ph.D. student. Eligible students are members of the AAG and GSG. To be considered for the grants, students should submit three copies of the following materials to the Chair of the Awards Committee of the Geomorphology Specialty Group: 1) a research proposal approximately five pages in length; 2) two short letters of recommendation. The awards are presented at the Geomorphology Specialty Group Business Meeting as well as the AAG Awards Luncheon during the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. Announcements and deadlines appear on Geomorphlist.
The Geomorphology Specialty Group also has an annual Graduate Student Paper Competition for the best geomorphology graduate student paper presented at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. The award is $200. To be eligible for the award, graduate students must be members of the AAG and GSG. Applicants for the student paper competition are typically placed into special sessions organized for the competition, sponsored by the Geomorphology Specialty Group. Students participating in the paper competition must submit the following materials to the Chair of the GSG Awards Committee: 1) The program participation fee; 2)One copy of the standard AAG program participation form; 3) One copy of the standard abstract required by the AAG; 4) One disk containing the abstract required by the AAG; and, 5) Three copies of an extended abstract of the paper, consisting of 800-1000 words. The deadline for receipt of all materials for the competition is two weeks prior to the deadline of the AAG program participation (usually late August). Prizes are presented at the Geomorphology Specialty Group annual business meeting.
Article 7. Non-members. Non-members of the Association of American Geographers and the Geomorphology Specialty Group may attend and participate at the meetings, but only Geomorphology Specialty Group members can vote.
Article 8. Amendments. The By-Laws of the Geomorphology Specialty Group can be modified, supplemented, or rescinded by a majority of the voting membership at the annual Geomorphology Specialty Group business meeting.
NEWS FROM THE AWARDS COMMITTEE Anne
Chin (Chair), Bill Renwick, and Mike
O'Neill
Hawaii Student Travel Grant - The Geomorphology Specialty Group awarded seven $200 travel grants to assist students who are participating in the Annual Meetings of the Association of American Geographers in Honolulu, Hawaii. Awards were made first to individuals who applied directly to the GSG for travel assistance. The GSG was also able to give additional $200 grants to those who were unsuccessful with the general AAG travel grant lottery. In short, all students who are members of the GSG who applied to either the AAG or the GSG received at least $200 in travel assistance.
Graduate Student Paper Competition - The GSG Graduate Student Paper Competition this year features the following papers: 1) One-and-Two-Dimensional Modeling of Surface Runoff in a Desert Shrubland Ecosystem by David A. Howes and Athol D. Abrahams, University at Buffalo; 2) Integrating Geomorphology and Ecology to Support Naturalization of Human-Modified Streams in the Agricultural Midwest by Kelly Monahan and Bruce Rhoads, University of Illinois; 3) The Geomorphic Effects of Off-Road Traffic in an Arid Environment by Martin Roberge, Arizona State University. The paper session is scheduled for Thursday, March 25, 1999, 4:15-5:15 PM.
Upcoming Awards - The Awards Committee would like to thank the numerous individuals who submitted nominations and support letters for the Gilbert and Marcus Awards, as well as those who sent in materials for the student research proposals. The committee is busy reading through the documents at press time. Look for the recipients to be announced in Hawaii -- at the Business Meeting of the Geomorphology Specialty Group scheduled for Friday, March 26, 1999, 6:45-8:00pm.
From : Dr. Guilherme Lessa - Laboratório de Estudos Costeiros - CPGG - IGEO - UFBA; Campus Ondina, Salvador (BA) 40210-340 BRAZIL; Phone: +55 71 332 6760 Fax: +55 71 247 3004:
The Tidal Meeting, sponsored by the International Geographical Union's Comission on Coastal Systems, will held in the historic town of Porto Seguro, State of Bahia, Brazil, from October 3-9 1999. The Tidal Meeting (with English as the official language) with accept both paper and poster presentations, and will be followed by a field trip lasting 3-4 days.
Papers are invited on the geomorphological and sedimentological evolution of tidal coastal systems, modeling of these, examination of tidal processes and coastal changes employing techniques such as GIS and remote sensing, including innovative methods such as video-monitoring, management of tide-influenced coastal systems and analyses of tidal and sea-level data; those on other aspects of coastal systems will also be considered. More information on the Meeting is available at http://www.pppg.ufba.br/~glessa/tidal/, or by e-mailing to Gui Lessa (glessa@pppg.ufba.br) or Anne Hinton (a.hinton@geog.leeds.ac.uk).
From Jess Walker:
Notice about The International Symposium of Sedimentological & Dynamic Processes in Estuaries & on Coasts Estuaries and Coasts. Between November 10-15, 1999, the State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (SKLEC) in Shanghai, China will host "The International Symposium of Sedimentological & Dynamic Processes in Estuaries & on Coasts." The objective of the symposium is to bring scientists and engineers from universities, research institutions and industry together to exchange experiences and knowledge about the sedimentological and dynamic processes in estuaries and along coastlines.
Papers on sedimentological, hydrodynamic, biogeochemical, geomorphological, and anthropogenic processes are selected. There will be several field trips offered, including ones to the Yangtze Estuary, Hangzhou Bay, Qingdao, and Hainan Island. Deadlines include: One-page Abstract--31 March 1999; and Six-page manuscript--31 August 1999.
The conference secretary is Prof. Jianjian Lu, SKLEC, East China Normal University, No. 3663 R (N) Zhongshan, 200062, Shanghai, P.R. China. Tel 86-21-62546441, Fax 86-21-62546441, E-mail office@sklec.ecnu.edu.cn. Information can be had at the website: http://nt.sklec.ecnu.edu.cn. A brochure is available from H. J. Walker, Department of Geography, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803. E-mail hwalker@lsu.edu.
FIELD TRIP AND FIELD MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS
From Thomas R. Paradise, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Geography & Environmental Sciences; University of Hawai'i at Hilo; 200 West Kawili Street, Hilo, HI USA 96720-4091; fax: (808) 974-7737 ; phone: (808) 974-7460; paradise@hawaii.edu, trp@aloha.net
BIG ISLAND OF HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK FIELD TRIP
(before the AAG Conference), Tom Paradise, Organizer and Host. On Monday, March 22, 1999. It will be a full day trip arriving in Hilo at 9am to get up to the Park, spend a full day sight-seeing around the Park Craters, lunch at Volcano House on the Crater Rim, a small hike across the pahoehoe and a'a flows of Mauna Ulu (1970s) and then a return to the Hilo Airport about 7pm...Whew! Great for geomorphologists though we don't know if lava-viewing will be possible.
From Ben Marsh:
1999 NORTHEAST FRIENDS OF THE PLEISTOCENE TRIP
The 1999 Northeastern Friends of the Pleistocene trip will focus on the paleo-periglacial features and landscapes near the glacial margin in the Ridge and Valley, in central Pennsylvania. It is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 22 & 23, with introductory activities at Bucknell University on the evening of May 21. We will:
-- visit good examples of standard periglacial features - sorted patterned ground, boulder fields, debris fans and ancient fan fragments, dunes, loess, and shale chip colluvium;
-- examine some periglacial features not previously seen on a FOP trip - ground ice scars, wind-transverse nivation welts, and related thermokarst? features; and
-- review the relative positions of Pre-Wisconsin till bodies, outwash surfaces, stream derangements, and terraces. These features have been mapped carefully enough that assertions can made about their temporal and spatial relationships; that is we can tentatively reconstruct large units of landscape back to late Wisconsin times;
-- understand the local circumstances - soil, drainage, slope, aspect - under which many different periglacial features developed, failed to develop, or were destroyed during deicing; and
-- establish many pieces of relative chronology - showing which events must have preceded which other ones.
For registration materials (to be sent in the Spring) or for more information contact:
Ben Marsh, Department of Geography; Bucknell University; Lewisburg, PA 17837; 570-577-1381; marsh@bucknell.edu
From Steven Kite:
The Southeastern Friends of the Pleistocene (SEFOP) will hold its 1999 annual field trip on October 8-10, 1999 at Carter Caves State Park near Grayson, Kentucky. The trip will focus on Quaternary Geology and Soils of the Big Sandy Valley in West Virginia and Kentucky, and will follow US Highway 52 on the West Virginia side. The pre-Quaternary Big Sandy was a meandering tributary of the Teays River. The abandoned meanders are upland basins containing underfit streams, several terraces and a variety of Quaternary sediments. We will view sediments ranging from pre-Quaternary channel deposits of the Teays-age Big Sandy to middle Pleistocene (?) lacustrine deposits to Holocene alluvium, along with locations characterized by up to 5 terraces and other geologic wonders.
For information contact: David L. Cremeens, GAI Consultants, Inc., 570 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA 15146; (412) 856-6400 ext. 3234; FAX (412)856-4970; e-mail dlcremeens@aol.com.
OTHER ANNOUCEMENTS AND REQUESTS
From Damian Lawler:
I've recently taken over as 'physical/environmental' Book Review Editor of the RGS/IBG journals 'Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers', and 'Area'. I'm looking for people to write short reviews of new and exciting volumes in all aspects of physical geography, especially including Geomorphology, We can't offer a fee, I'm afraid, but you can keep the book! Please send me an email if you're interested, with full snail-mail address and special interests. Thanks.
We're trying hard to maintain a 'physical' presence within these two journals, and this is one small way to help (cf. the interesting debates in the USA last autumn/fall re physical contributions to AAAG and Professional Geographer). These are fully international journals, so I want to 'internationalise' the Review Section too - hence my call here!
Dr. Damian Lawler; Senior Lecturer; School of Geography and Environmental Sciences; The University of Birmingham; Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; Tel: +44-121-414-5532/6925 UK Tel: 0121-414-5532/6925; Fax: +44-121-414-5528 UK Fax: 0121-414-5528 ; Email: D.M.Lawler@bham.ac.uk ;
From Karl Lillquist:
Geography of the West Field Camp: Exploring the Margins of the Columbia River Plain; 21 June-25 July 1999, Central Washington University. Setting: Lying in the lee of the Cascade Range, and underlain by Columbia River Basalts, the Columbia River Plain is a dynamic land of contrasts. Ridges and plateaus are cut by Pleistocene glacial and Missoula Flood valleys. Semi-arid shrub-steppe gives way to more humid forests on the margins. Sparsely populated expanses of private and public lands, much of which is managed for agriculture, timber, and mineral production, separate small population centers. The human fabric is a mix of Native and Anglo Americans, and recent influxes of Hispanics.
Description: We will develop a holistic understanding of the physical, human, and resource geography of the margins of the Columbia River Plain via field explorations, discussions, readings, and presentations. We will ultimately focus on two drainages along the northwestern margins of the Columbia River Plain--the mountainous, subhumid to semi-arid Swauk Watershed, and the semi-arid Foster Creek Watershed. In these drainages, we will research: 1) watershed-scale geomorphology; 2) environmental and paleoenvironmental history; 3) slope forms and processes; 4) stream channel morphology; 5) late Pleistocene glaciation and flooding; and 6) soil erosion. Over the entire intensive course, participants will enhance interpersonal, critical thinking, airphoto and topographic map interpretation, observation, data collection, mapping, writing, and presentation skills.
Prerequisites: Junior, Senior, or Graduate standing and instructor's permission.
Course & Credits:Geog 479--Geography of the West (10 quarter credits).
Class Size:14 students maximum.
Logistics:Transportation will be provided from Ellensburg to field sites. We will camp at both developed and undeveloped sites. Cooking and clean-up duties will be shared. Students may stay in on-campus housing while in Ellensburg.
Cost:$1100 (est.) includes undergraduate tuition and transportation. Add $360 for CWU graduate credit. Plan on an additional ~$45/wk for food and camping/on-campus lodging fees.
Info/Application:Contact me via US mail, email, or see the departmental web page for more information. To apply, submit a: 1) letter of application explaining why you wish to participate; 2) copy of college transcripts; and 3) letter of recommendation. All should be received by 30 April 1999 but later applications will be considered on a space available basis. Selection will be complete by 15 May 1999.
Contact/Apply:Dr. Karl Lillquist; Geography and Land Studies Department--Central Washington University; Ellensburg, WA 98926 USA; (509) 963-1188--lillquis@cwu.edu--http://www.cwu.edu/~geograph/
From Don Friend:
ANNOUNCING THE FORMATION OF A MOUNTAIN GEOGRAPHY SPECIALTY GROUP
Mission Statement - The Mountain Geography Specialty Group serves to foster communication, promote basic and applied research, enhance education, and encourage service related to mountain peoples and mountain environments, and their interactions.
Context - Mountain peoples and mountain environments have long been of interest to geography and geographers. Indeed, mountain environments are most "sensitive" to natural or human-induced environmental change, a characteristic that calls for the attention of geographers uniquely trained in identifying linkages between earth systems and social science. As geography becomes increasingly technical and specialized, we believe the time is ripe to bring together all those who are interested in and who study mountain related issues. This specialty group brings physical and human geographers together, something we believe is 1) critical to the future of the AAG, 2) lacking in other specialty groups, and 3) necessary to effectively communicate the challenges facing mountainous places and peoples. Within our membership, we recognize and include academics as well as non-academics. Amongst geographers, we provide a forum for mutual support and for the exchange of ideas, experiences and information. This allows participants to explore mountain issues on all spatial scales, from local to global. And, we believe such professional interaction promotes policies and actions for responsible and sustainable use of mountain environments.
Logistics - The first general meeting of the Mountain Geography Specialty Group is scheduled at the upcoming AAG Annual Meeting in Honolulu, March 1999. Please consult the program for specifics. We will perform the usual founding functions such as adopting by-laws, electing officers, establishing dues and so forth. The founding committee will also present awards for lifetime achievement and recent contributions. Other issues already on the agenda: an endowed student research award and mountain curricula in geographic education.
To be recognized by the AAG a minimum of 50 participants who are AAG members are needed initially and for the first three years, after that, 100 members are required. If you reside outside of the USA or Canada, you do not have to be an AAG member to join the specialty group. If you are in this category, you will be asked to pay annual specialty group dues only; the amount is yet to be determined but is expected to be less than $10. Please show your support and join.
To Join the Mountain Specialty Group - Send a short note via post, fax or e-mail to Donald Friend that includes your postal, phone and e-mail contact information and you will be added to our electronic mailing list provided in partnership with the Mountain Forum (see below).
International Electronic Information Exchange Is Already In-Place! The Mountain Geography Specialty Group is working in partnership with the Mountain Forum to further quality information exchange and dialogue on mountain geography issues. The Mountain Forum is a electronic global network of individuals and organizations concerned with mountain cultures, environments, and sustainable development. This includes mountain communities, non-governmental organizations, scholars, researchers and research initiatives, individuals, specialty groups, private associations, and governments. The Mountain Forum originated following the 1992 Earth Summit, the network now has nearly 1000 members and member institutions worldwide.
To visit the Mountain Forum, go to: http://www.mtnforum.org. A special "mountain geography" e-mail list has been initiated in collaboration with the AAG Mountain Geography specialty group. This list, called <MF-Geography@mtnforum.org will provide a venue for information exchange and distribute the AAG Mountain Geography Specialty Group newsletter. The list will be facilitated jointly by volunteer AAG specialty group members and the Mountain Forum.
To join the Mountain Forum (free at present) without becoming a Mountain Geography Specialty Group member, visit HYPERLINK http://www.mtnforum.org/mtnforum/survey/survey.htm#top ; http://www.mtnforum.org/mtnforum/survey/survey.htm#top ; or send an e-mail message to : HYPERLINK "mailto:mfmod@mtnforum.org" ; mfmod@mtnforum.org ; saying "subscribe mf-geography" in the message text.
Contact: Dr. Donald A. Friend; Mountain Geography; Minnesota State University; Mankato, Minnesota; 56002-8400; USA; mailto:friend@mankato.msus.edu;http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/geog/ Friend.html; 507-389-2618 phone; 507-389-2980 fax
Founding Committee - Karl Birkeland, Montana State University ; Kevin S. Blake, University of Wyoming; Barbara Brower, Portland State University; Alton C. Byers, The Mountain Institute; Leland R. Dexter, Northern; Arizona University; Donald A. Friend, Minnesota State University; Katherine J. Hansen , Montana State University; Richard A. Marston, University of Wyoming
News Regarding Members and Departments From Dick Marston, EMAIL: marston@uwyo.edu
1. Richard Marston, University of Wyoming Professor of Geography, has been invited by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to serve on a peer view panel to examine geomorphological components of a recovery plan for the Colorado River cutthroat trout in the Colorado and Green rivers and their tributaries.
2. A Keith W. Muckleston Scholarship for Excellence in Water Resource Geography has been established in the Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University. Foundation. Dr. Richard Marston, Professor of Geography at the University of Wyoming established the scholarship, which will be renewed each year, to honor his former professor, Keith Muckleston, in recognition of the inspiration he provided to students through effective teaching and mentoring during his many years at OSU. Dr. Muckleston was especially adept at presenting concepts regarding management of water resources into the classroom, using examples from around the world, many of which were based on his first-hand observations. Students recognized Dr. Muckleston for the clarity of his lectures, fairness of exams, and enthusiasm he brought to his subject matter.
The Keith W. Muckleston Scholarship for Excellence in Water Resource Geography will provide one scholarship award to a geography student who is pursuing a masters or doctoral degree at Oregon State University, and who demonstrates academic excellence. Recipients will be selected by a Department of Geosciences Committee that includes geography professors whose principle interests lie in water resource geography plus a senior professor of geography.
3. A Rumsey Bissell Marston Scholarship to support field work in geomorphology and/or hydrology has been established at the University of Wyoming by Dr. Richard A. Marston who is a member of the UW faculty. The scholarship was established to honor the memory of his grandfather, a lifelong educator, and provides financial support, renewed each year, to meritorious geography students pursuing a graduate degree centered in geomorphology and/or hydrology that involves a significant component of fieldwork.
4. Richard Marston, University of Wyoming Professor of Geography, has been invited by the Association of Engineering Geologists and the American People Ambassador Program of People to People International to visit Greece and Italy in October. The primary objective of the delegation is to compare the effects of human activities during the historic time frame for the Mediterranean region (2000 years) to that in America (<500 years). The engineering geomorphology experience and practices will be compared between the two regions.
5. Douglas J. Norsby, from Miles City, Montana, is the inaugural recipient of the Rumsey Bissell Marston Scholarship at the University of Wyoming. This scholarship was established by Dr. Richard A. Marston, UW Professor of Geography, to honor the memory of his grandfather, who was a lifelong educator. The scholarship supports meritorious geography students pursuing a graduate degree centered in geomorphology and/or hydrology that involves a significant component of field work. In addition to receiving a framed certificate, Doug receives a check for $500.00. Also, his name will be engraved on a plaque that will reside in the Department of Geography and Recreation as long as Dr. Marston is a member of the University of Wyoming faculty. Doug earned the scholarship for his outstanding field work in the Nanga Parbat region of Pakistan, collecting sediment and channel morphology data under rigorous, even hostile field conditions in order to determine rates of landscape denudation. He completed his degree in May 1998 at the University of Wyoming after having completed his bachelors degree in Earth Sciences at Montana State University.
From Vance T. Holliday, Email: vthollid@facstaff.wisc.edu
AWARDS - Vance Holliday (Professor of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison) was awarded the George "Rip" Rapp Career Award of the Archaeological Geology Division of the Geological Society of America and the Kirk Bryan Award of the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division of the Geological Society of America (for his 1995 book Stratigraphy and Paleoenvironments of Late Quaternary Valley Fills on the Southern High Plains). The awards will be presented at the 1998 meeting of the GSA in Toronto.
GRANTS - Vance Holliday (Professor of Geography) received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (Earth Sciences Program) to study "The Late Quaternary Paleoenvironmental Record of Small Playa Basins on the Southern High Plains."
From Greg Pope - News from Montclair State University, Department of Earth & Environmental Studies, Zhaodong (Jordan) Feng and Gregory Pope :
Department activity - A course in Geomorphology was revived for the first time in a number of years, and will be offered on a regular basis. The course was well attended by both geoscience and geography majors (the department offers degrees in both). In addition, a Soil Science course is being taught on a regular basis, attended by undergraduate and graduate students. The department continues to expand its GIS operations, opening a new, $75,000 12-terminal lab in the Winter of 1999. Introductory and advanced courses in GIS are now offered, and faculty and students are actively involved with geomorphology and hydrology work in this lab. Remote Sensing was also reintroduced as a course after an absence of several years, and takes advantage of the new facilities.
Jordan Feng's activity for 1998-99 - Feng continues work in China and Mongolia pertaining to paleoclimatic interpretations through loess deposits. A major field expedition was undertaken in the Summer (1998). *Four Papers Accepted or Submitted (1998-1999):
1. Feng, Z.-D. and Chen, F.H., 1998. Problems in the magnetic susceptibility as the proxy of the summer monsoon intensity in the Chinese Loess Plateau. In (W.D. Nettleton et al., eds.): An International Symposium on Paleosols and Climate Change (in press).
2. Chen, F.H. and Feng, Z.-D., 1998. Stable winter monsoons during the last interglacial documented by the eolian deposits in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Geology (submitted).
3. Feng, Z.-D., Chen, F.H. and Pope, G.A., 1998. Chinese loess/paleosol sequences and the paleoclimatic reconstruction of the last interglacial/glacial cycle: a review. Quaternary Science Reviews (submitted).
4. Feng, Z.-D., 1998. Flood control experience in the Mississippi and its implications to China's floodplain management. An International Symposium on China and the World in the 21st Century (in press).
*Three Journal Papers Published in 1998:
1. Feng, Z.-D., Chen, F.-H., Tang, L.-Y. and Kang, J.-C.,. 1998. East Asian Monsoon Variations and Gobi Dynamics during Stages 4 and 3. Catena, 33: 29-36.
2. Feng, Z.-D., 1998. Last Glacial snowlines in the Tibet Plateau: evidence against a coalescing icesheet. GeoJournal, 44: 355-362.
3. Chen, F.-H., Boemendal, J., Feng, Z-.D., Wang, J.-M., Zhou, Z.-T., Park, E. and Shi, Y., 1998. Last Interglacial East Asian monsoon variation: evidence from the western part of Chinese Loess Plateau. Quaternary Science Reviews (in press -- delayed).
*Three Proceeding Short Papers Published in 1998-1999:
1. Feng, Z.-D., 1998. Eolian Environments in Nebraska during the Marine Isotope Stage 2. In (A. Buscca, ed.): International Symposium on Aerosol, Loess & Global Change, pp. 107-110. Washington State University, Pullman, WA.
2. Chen, F.H., Feng, Z.-D., Wang, J.M. and Bloemendal, J., 1998. Relatively stable monsoon climate during the last interglacial documented by high-resolution dust deposition in margin area of Chinese Loess Plateau. In (A. Buscca, ed.): International Symposium on Aerosol, Loess & Global Change, pp.188-191. Washington State University, Pullman, WA.
3. Feng, Z.-D., 1999. The Gobi Dynamics during the past 50,000 Years in the Mongolian Plateau. In (E. Derbyshire, ed.): Symposium of LOESSFEST, 1999, pp. 121-124. University of Bonn Press, Germany (accepted).
*Presentation at international conferences
1. Feng, Z.-D. and Theophilides, C., 1998. Energy and mass balance modeling of mountain environments using Geographic Information Systems. INQUA symposium on Tibetan Plateau (Xinin, China, June 20-24). Programs with Abstracts.
2. Feng, Z.-D., 1998. Flood-control experiences in the Mississippi Valley: its implications to China's floodplain management. International Symposium on China and the World in the 21st Century (Hong Kong, August 11-15). Programs with Abstracts (a symposium paper is in press).
3. Feng, Z.-D., Chen, F.-H. and Pope, G.A., 1998. Questions about the magnetic susceptibility of Chinese loess as the summer monsoon index. International Symposium on Paleosols and climatic Change (Lanzhou, China, June 27-30). Programs with Abstracts (a symposium paper is in press).
4. Feng, Z.-D., 1998. Eolian environment in Nebraska during the marine isotope stage 2. An International Conference Proceeding on Dust Aerosols, Loess Soils and Global Change, pp. 107-110. Washington State University MISC0190.
5. Feng, Z.-D., 1999. The Gobi Dynamics in the Mongolian Plateau during the past 50,000 Years. An International Conference on Loss (LOESSFEST) (Bonn, Germany, March 25-April 1), a proceeding paper is accepted.
Greg Pope's activity (in addition to 2 collaborations with Feng, above) - Pope continues work in the interface of historic/prehistoric cultural remains and weathering. Work in Portugal is ongoing.
*1 journal paper accepted:
Pope, Gregory A., and Rubenstein, Ruth. 1999. Anthroweathering: Theoretical framework and case study for human-impacted weathering. Geoarchaeology, v. 14, no. 3, in press.
*1 proceeding/journal paper in review:
Pope, Gregory A. Weathering of granitic structures: 6000 years of exposure in Portugal. Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in Antiquity (ASMOSIA) 5th International Conference, Proceedings (journal or publisher to be determined).
*Presentations at international conferences:
Pope, Gregory A. Weathering of granitic structures: 5000 years of exposure in Portugal. Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in Antiquity (ASMOSIA) 5th International Conference, Boston, Massachusetts. Abstract published.
Pope, Gregory A., Altin, Deniz, and Brown, Gloria. Calibrated weathering rates from archaeological and historical rock surfaces in Portugal. International Geographical Union Regional Conference 98, "The Atlantic: Past, Present, and Future", Lisbon, Portugal. Abstract published.
Page originally created by Allan James; Modified by
Karen A. Lemke.
Page maintained by Allan James AJames@sc.edu; Last updated August
16, 2001 (KAL).