Welcome back to the second day of the 2016 General Assembly! Today is packed full of excellent sessions, and this list of highlights is by no means comprehensive! Make sure you complement this information with EGU Today, the General Assembly newsletter, to get the most out of the conference – grab a copy on your way in or download it here.
This year, the General Assembly has a theme – Active Planet – and to celebrate it there will be Theme lectures on active planet (TL) exploring the Earth’s extraordinary variability extending from milliseconds to its age, from microns to the size of the planet. Today’s first themed lecture (TL4) features the Earth’s outer shell and considers what remains to be explored in carbon/life interactions. It takes place from 13:30 to 15:00 in room 0.93. The second theme lecture of the day will focus on earthquake-volcano deformation cycles that occur over human time scales. (TL2: 15-30 to 17:00 / Room 0.93.
There’s more to the theme than lectures though! If you brought a photo print-out to the conference that represents the theme, you’ll be able to find a large world map in the entrance hall, to which you can affix your picture. Be sure to place it in its point of geographical origin! Throughout the week, a nice photo collage will be formed representing the attendees’ view on our Earth. You can also head on over to GeoCinema, where you can kick back and relax with a geological film (10:30–19:00 daily in the GeoCinema Room, 0.90 on the yellow level), while watching films which celebrate the conference theme. Today’s pick is Dziani, Jurassic lake, showing from 14:00.
We also have an incredible Union-wide session lined up: Geosciences in the Anthropocene (US5, 13:30–17:00 in L6). It will bring together geoscientists, historians, social scientists and journalists to explore and debate not only the geological questions, but also the political, cultural and economic implications of living in the Anthropocene and what it means for the future. You can also follow the session on Twitter (#EGU16SSE) and catch up with the EGU 2016 webstream.
The first of this year’s Great Debates takes place today too and discusses one of the great challenges facing humanity: are there enough resources for us all? Depletion of natural resources has been an ongoing discussion, but there are those who think that the limit to resources is our imagination, while others strongly feel we ought to consume less. Join in the debate from 13:30–15:00 in E1. You can follow the session on Twitter with #EGU16GDB, and, if you’re not attending, tune in with the conference live stream.
The day is full of fantastic scientific sessions, from the coevolution of soils, landforms and vegetation (SSS9.1 / BG1.19 / GM5.5 / NH3.18: from 13:30 in Room -2.20), through to precipitation uncertainty and variability (HS7.2 / AS1.10 / CL2.20 / NH1.20/ NP10.4: Orals from 13:30 in room B / Posters from 17:30 / Hall A) and a lecture on the outcomes of the Paris climate talks (SMP69: Room 2.31 as of 17:30).
There are also eleven Medal Lectures today, in various areas of the geosciences, so make sure to check the programme so that you don’t miss them. The Alexander von Humboldt Medal Lecture by Trond H. Torsvik (ML3: 12:15 – 13:15 / Room E1) is being streamed live.
If you’re an early career scientist (ECS), this year’s conference has more than ever on offer for the ECS community, and today is a bumper day, packed full of ECS-related activities. Meet the EGU Union-level ECS Representatives (Laura Roberts, Lena Noack, Wouter Berghuijs) at the EGU Booth from 09:15 to 10:30, to find out more about the Union and how to get involved. If you want an opportunity to network and meet established scientists who can offer advice on anything from how to prepare a research grant to how to balance your research and personal life, why not come along to the EGU Medallists and Early Career Scientists Reception – now open to all ECS members – from 19:00 in room F2. Light snacks and drinks will be served when you arrive!
Packed poster hall at last year’s General Assembly (Credit: EGU/Foto Pfluegl)
You can also hone your skills during a number of Short Courses on throughout the day:
- Finding funding: how to write a research grant (SC46, 12:15–13:15 in -2.61)
- Rhyme-your-research: Composition (SC27/EOS16: 12:15 – 13:15 / Room-2.85) and Performance (Wednesday, SC28/EOS17: 12:15 – 13:15 / Room -2.85)
- The communicating geoscientist (SC44: 15:30–17:00 / Room -2.85) to hear from researchers actively engaged in science communication and public engagement activities
- Supervising and tutoring students (SC11/GM13.2: 17:30–19:00 / Room -2.85)
There is also a treat of Townhall Meetings on this evening. These meetings allow for a lot more open discussion than many of the Assembly’s other sessions and take place outside the usual time blocks. Here are some of the highlights:
- ERC funding opportunities (TM2, 19:00–20:30 in -2.85)
- OSGeo: Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in the Geosciences (TM7, 19:00–20:00 / Room -2.91)
And there’s a suite of smaller Splinter Meetings organised by conference participants too. Why not join the discussion as to whether the current system of open access and peer review is really satisfactory (SMP2: 17:30 – 19:00 / Room 2.43)? Otherwise, learn about Radiation Belt Models (SMP10, 10:30 – 12:00 in 2.42) or join the ECS Division Meeting for Natural Hazards (SMP25, 08:30–10:00 / Room 2.17).
Finally, remember to take the opportunity to meet your Division’s representatives at the EGU Booth in today’s Meet EGU sessions. Have a lovely day!
