- Structural Geology, Tectonics and Geodynamics
- Mineralogy, Petrology, Geochemistry
- Stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry: development and applications
- Environmental Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements
- Paleontology
- Stratigraphy and Sedimentology: processes and deposits through time
- Seismic Hazard and Risk in Switzerland: From Science to Mitigation
- Deep geothermal energy, CO2-storage and energy-related exploration of the subsurface
- Quaternary environments: landscapes, climate, ecosystems and human activity during the past 2.6 million years
- Geomorphology or Shaping Earth Surface
- Soil: Processes, Functions and Management
- Cryospheric Sciences
- Hydrology and Hydrogeology
- Limnology in Switzerland and the new LéXPLORE infrastructure
- Scientific Ocean Drilling: Driving Questions from a Swiss Prospective
- Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions and Greenhouse Gases
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- Climatology
- Tackling the Climate Crisis: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Climate Change Education and Communication
- Remote Sensing of the Spheres
- Geoscience and Geoinformation – From data acquisition to modelling and visualisation
- Human Geographies: Bodies, Cultures, Societies
- Human Geographies: Cities, Regions, Economies
- Human Geographies: Materials, Natures, Politics
- Forms, flux and processes of carbon exchange within and between Earth’s surface and the deep Earth through time
- How to build a habitable planet? Insights from the Earth’s Interior
- Mountains as contexts for global change: interdisciplinary experiences, challenges and new perspectives across the natural and social sciences
- Challenges to Life on Land: Remediation Actions and Practice for Securing Land-Based Resources
1. Structural Geology, Tectonics and Geodynamics.
Sandra Borderie, Neil Mancktelow, Paul Tackley
Swiss Tectonics Studies Group of the Swiss Geological Society
Presentations are invited considering structural geology, tectonics, and geodynamics, including field, experimental and model studies of structures at all scales. The session should also provide a forum for interdisciplinary contributions studying the interplay between surface processes, topography and tectonics. Young researchers are particularly encouraged to participate and present their results.
2. Mineralogy, Petrology, Geochemistry
Sébastien Pilet, Bernard Grobéty, Eric Reusser
Swiss Society of Mineralogy and Petrology (SSMP)
This session aims to provide a platform for research reports in all fields related to mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry that are not covered by other sessions (e.g. experimental petrology, volcanology, analytical approaches etc.). Furthermore, it provides a platform to young scientists that want to report about the results of their PhD/master projects. It is planned to have an accompanying poster session.
3. Stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry: development and applications
Afifé El Korh, Andres Rüggeberg, Nicolas Greber
Progress in the domain of mass spectrometry (e.g. MC-ICPMS, TIMS, SIMS) over the past twenty years has allowed the development of protocols to measure non-traditional stable isotopes (or “metal stable isotopes”; e.g. Li, B, Mg, Ca, Fe, Ge, Ti, V, Cr, Zn, Ba, Mo, Ni, U), traditional stable isotopes (e.g. O, C, S) and radiogenic isotope systems (e.g. Sr, Nd, Hf, Pb) with higher precision and spatial resolution. This improved significantly our understanding of the mechanisms that control stable isotope fractionation and it also opened new research avenues for radiogenic and stable isotope systems. This session therefore invites contributions that use stable and/or radiogenic isotopes to discuss questions related to surface and deep Earth geochemical processes, including geochemistry of magmatic and metamorphic rocks, sedimentology, cosmochemistry, environmental geochemistry and biogeochemistry.
4. Environmental Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements
Andreas Voegelin, Moritz Bigalke, Montserrat Filella, Adrien Mestrot, Lenny Winkel
Trace elements play crucial roles in aquatic and terrestrial environments as growth-limiting nutrients, but also as highly toxic or radioactive compounds. Trace elements derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources may thus critically affect ecosystem functioning and productivity as well as human health.
The environmental fate and impact of trace elements are controlled by their speciation and the intimate coupling of abiotic and biotic transformation processes at different scales, and are closely linked to the biogeochemical cycling of other elements such as Fe, Mn, Ca, P, S, or C.
To advance the state of knowledge on the biogeochemistry of trace elements from the molecular to the global scale, state-of-the-art analytical methods such as hyphenated and isotope techniques, synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopies, electron microscopies as well as (bio)geochemical and geostatistical modeling approaches can be used.
For this session, we invite contributions concerned with (bio)geochemical processes and their effects on trace element speciation, mobility, bioavailability, toxicity and distribution in natural and engineered environmental systems on different scales.
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5. Palaeontology
Torsten Scheyer, Christian Klug, Lionel Cavin, Allison Daley
Schweizerische Paläontologische Gesellschaft,
Kommission des Swiss Journal of Palaeontology (KSJP)
This session is dedicated to all subdisciplines of palaeontology in Switzerland and all other countries. Presentations and posters may deal with macro- and microfossils, all major clades including prokaryotes, eucaryotes, metazoans, plants etc. Preferred topics are evolution, biostratigraphy, palaeobiogeography, palaeoecology including palaeoclimate, bio-events, evo-devo, but results from other fields may be presented as well. Fossils provide essential data to document the history of life and evolution; index fossils provide important data for stratigraphic correlations; recently, fossils (especially of plants) have been widely used in research on palaeoclimate. Session language is English. At the end of the session, a young palaeontologist is awarded the palaeo-prize by the KSJP.
6. Stratigraphy and Sedimentology: processes and deposits through time
Alain Morard, Reto Burkhalter, Oliver Kempf, Ursula Menkveld-Gfeller, Sébastien Castelltort
Swiss Committee for Stratigraphy (SKS/CSS)
Swiss Palaeontological Society (SPG/SPS)
Swiss Geological Survey – swisstopo
This session is dedicated to the presentation and discussion of new results from studies on external processes and deposits in a time perspective. Talks and posters on specific regional stratigraphic and sedimentologic questions, on broader scale correlations and reconstitutions (e.g. paleoclimate), as well as on new methodological developments, are most welcome.
7. Seismic Hazard and Risk in Switzerland: From Science to Mitigation
Donat Fäh, Katrin Beyer, Blaise Duvernay
Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Erdbebeningenieurwesen und Baudynamik (SGEB)
Earthquake risk mitigation in Switzerland started about 20 years ago. Since then, several important steps have been taken towards a more systematic implementation of preventive and preparation measures. Scientific studies from different research fields formed the base for decision-making in this continuous process. On-going research includes the estimation and consequences of strong ground shaking, the assessment and improvement of engineered structures, as well as studies on potential earthquake-triggered mass movements, liquefaction in alluvial plains and tsunamis in lakes. We invite researchers working in the fields of seismic hazard, vulnerability and risk to contribute to this session. The session covers all earthquake-related research topics in natural sciences, structural and civil engineering, and social sciences, and aims at bringing together researchers with practitioners, specialists from industry, and decision makers from cantonal and federal offices.
8. Deep geothermal energy, CO2-storage and energy-related exploration of the subsurface
Larryn Diamond, Christophe Nussbaum, Benoît Valley, and Marie Violay
A current worldwide challenge is to develop renewable energy sources while at the same time reducing atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases. Clever use of deep geological formations can make a significant contribution to this endeavour. This symposium brings together researchers and industry representatives involved in exploration and exploitation of the sub-surface geology for the energy sector, and focusses on: deep geothermal energy, carbon sequestration and other novel applications. Geothermal heat extracted from depth in excess of 400 meters is defined as deep geothermal energy. The heat is extracted by enhanced geothermal system processes or by drilling into aquifers or tectonic faults. Carbon sequestration aims at permanently storing carbon dioxide from industrial or air-capture sources in saline aquifers. Other relevant applications of the subsurface include, but are not limited to, seasonal storage and retrieval of heat or other energy carriers in the subsurface, such as methane, hydrogen or compressed air. Presentations related to any of these topics are kindly invited. This includes field measurements, data analysis and interpretation, instrumentation, laboratory experiments, inversion and modelling studies at all scales, but also work dealing with legal aspects is welcomed.
9. Quaternary environments: landscapes, climate, ecosystems and human activity during the past 2.6 million years
Stefanie Wirth, Marc Luetscher, Loren Eggenschwiler, Gaudenz Deplazes, Jean Nicolas Haas, René Löpfe, Bigna Steiner and Catharina Dieleman
Swiss Society for Quaternary Research (CH-QUAT)
During the Quaternary Period, the last 2.6 million years of Earth’s history, changes in environments and climate shaped human evolution. In particular, large-scale features of atmospheric circulation patterns varied significantly due to the dramatic changes in global boundary conditions which accompanied abrupt changes in climate.
Past variations in the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and in climate were archived in Quaternary deposits and provide critical information for the interpretation of present and future environmental changes. Quaternary research focuses on understanding these changes in environmental conditions, and on assessing their impact on landscapes, ecosystems, and human societies.
Within this context, this session brings together scientists from diverse disciplines in Earth Science, Archaeology and Environmental Science. In addition to studies focusing on the reconstruction and impact of past environmental change, we also invite presentations focusing on human expansions and cultural development, and contributions to methodological improvements in climate proxy studies or in methods of age determination. Topics may include all aspects of Quaternary science and we strongly encourage students and young scientists to present the results of their ongoing research.
10. Geomorphology or Shaping Earth Surface
Cristian Scapozza, Nikolaus Kuhn, Dorota Czerski, Caroline Bolliger, Reynald Delaloye, Isabelle Gärtner-Roer, Elisa Giaccone, Christoph Graf, Margreth Keiler, Julia Krawielicki, Isabelle Kull, Mario Kummert, Christophe Lambiel, Géraldine Regolini, Julie Wee
Swiss Geomorphological Society
The Swiss Geomorphological Society (SGmS) invites people from research and practice to present their geomorphologic work at the 18th edition of the Swiss Geoscience Meeting. Young scientists are particularly encouraged to take the opportunity to submit their MSc and PhD theses and to foster relationships with colleagues.
The topic of the 2020 Swiss Geoscience Meeting is Shaping Earth. As geomorphology is the science related to shaping Earth surface, we encourage talks and posters that relates to the study of Earth’s surface processes, landforms, materials and the evolution of landscapes. Landscapes, landforms and processes of the Earth surface affect the planet’s patterns of habitats, the provision and access to environmental services, and the exposure to natural hazards.
Scientists and practitioners in geomorphology, often in close collaboration with related disciplines, try to gain an understanding of the dynamic Earth surface shaping and the associated impacts on geosystems and societies. In particular, geomorphology studies questions such as resources management (water, soil, Earth materials), ecological networks (ecosystems, geodiversity, biodiversity), or the safety and security of territory and human population (hazards, risks, exposure, health, agriculture, forests, changing climate).
Understanding our relationship with the Earth surface shaping is even more relevant in times when planetary boundaries are reached or have been crossed. Looking at other planets, geomorphology also contributes to deciphering their past or present habitability. Therefore, the conveners of this session at the 18th Swiss Geoscience Meeting encourage contributions from all areas of basic and applied geomorphology, including studies of the past and present processes and their implications for the evolution of Earth surface, the influence of global change and how it may influence the Earth’s surface shaping.
11. Soil: Formation, Processes, and Conservation
Tobias Sprafke, Klaus Jarosch, Stéphanie Grand, Tatenda Lemann, Volker Prasuhn
Soil is the interface of all geospheres and involves the complex interaction of weathering, geomorphic processes, bioturbation and other processes from the micro to the macroscale. It has central functions for geo-ecosystems and biodiversity, water-, nutrient cycles and carbon sequestration, and essential human needs (e.g. food production). Furthermore, soil serves as a record of landscape evolution and human-environment interactions. Physical and chemical threats to the pedosphere (e.g. erosion, compaction, contamination) require multifaceted measures for its protection and conservation.
This session is dedicated to soil and therefore interdisciplinary. It unites soil geographers, soil physicists, -chemists,-biologists as well as agronomists and researchers working on sustainable land use. The aim of this session is to provide a platform of exchange related to the different perspectives to the pedosphere. We welcome contributions using field-based methods, laboratory techniques or modelling approaches related to 1) soil formation, classification and distribution, 2) soil processes on different levels and spatiotemporal scales and 3) assessment of soil threats and sustainable soil management.
12. Cryospheric Sciences
Matthias Huss, Theo Jenk, Kathrin Naegeli, Nadine Salzmann, Andreas Vieli
Swiss Snow, Ice and Permafrost Society
This session addresses all topics related to the Alpine and polar cryosphere. We expect contributions covering the whole range of Alpine and polar snow, ice and permafrost research. We encourage theoretical, experimental, as well as practical contributions, especially from young researchers. Presentations that address the aspects of dynamics and thermodynamics of snow, ice and permafrost and impacts related to changes in climate and natural hazards are particularly welcomed.
13. Hydrology and Hydrogeology
Peter Molnar, Daniel Hunkeler, Tobias Jonas, Sandra Pool, Michael Sinreich, Massimiliano Zappa, Sanja Hosi
Swiss Hydrological Commission CHy,
Swiss Society for Hydrology and Limnology SGHL,
Swiss Hydrogeological Society SGH
Hydro(geo)logical research is in the spotlight: This session is open to contributions dealing with hydrology and hydrogeology at all spatial and time scales: from global, continental, catchment to pore scale and processes occurring at the scale of a few minutes, hours or years. Contributions demonstrating interdisciplinary approaches, such as groundwater-surface water interactions, are encouraged. This year, we particularly welcome contributions that improve our understanding of climate change impacts on water resources, including the presentation of results obtained in the context of the Hydro-CH2018 project of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN.
14. Limnology in Switzerland and the new LéXPLORE infrastructure
Damien Bouffard, Natacha Tofield-Pasche, Michael Döring
Swiss Society for Hydrology and Limnology SGHL,
We invite limnologists working on different systems and scales to present their research and exchange with peers. The new LéXPLORE infrastructure will be a special focus. LéXPLORE, a unique floating laboratory of 100 m2 on Lake Geneva, has been operational since early 2019. This innovative infrastructure provides safe working conditions to perform multidisciplinary projects in parallel, using high-frequency and high-tech instrumentation. LéXPLORE is currently used by ~50 scientists all over Switzerland with so far 18 active research projects. This symposium will be the opportunity for scientists to discuss their results after 2 years of operation. This session aims at fostering interactions around the LéXPLORE platform and more generally within the limnology community. The session is expected to share the same poster session as well as the same flash poster session presentation with the “Hydrology and Hydrogeology” session to maintain an integrated view of the water resource.
15. Scientific Ocean Drilling: Driving Questions from a Swiss Prospective
Miriam Andres, Mark Lever, Judith McKenzie, Silvia Spezzaferri and Helmut Weissert
Schweiz. Kommission für Ozeanographie und Limnologie
Swiss IODP-ICDP
This session focuses on the themes that have driven the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP). The four topics which continue to form the core of the current research drilling are:
(1) Climate and Ocean Change, (2) Probing the Dynamic Earth and Assessing Geohazards, (3) Window into Earth’s Crust and Mantle, and (4) Microbial Life Deep Beneath the Seafloor. For this session, we invite scientists, representing all geoscience disciplines and active in IODP, to contribute their research results related to IODP campaigns. Looking to the future, we also welcome contributions and/or research proposals, which aim to define the challenging directions of the post-2023 drilling program. Quo Vadis?
16. Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions and Greenhouse Gases
Christof Ammann, Stefan Brönnimann, Mana Gharun, Martin Steinbacher, Werner Eugster
ACP – Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
ProClim (SCNAT)
The aim of this session is to provide a platform for research reports from all fields related to biosphere–atmosphere interactions and exchange of greenhouse gases. The session welcomes experimental and modelling studies that focus on relevant aspects of surface or ecosystem processes, which either influence atmospheric composition and climate or are influenced by them. Exchange and feedback processes are of key interest, but also case studies of specific chemical, physical or ecosystem processes are welcome, as well as insights from long-term monitoring and larger research infrastructures like ICOS-CH.
The session is suited to researchers working in the field of climate sciences, atmospheric physics and chemistry, physical geography, ecology and agricultural sciences. We especially encourage young scientists to present their PhD project or master thesis, either in the oral or in the accompanying poster session.
17. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Ulrich Krieger et al.
Swiss Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics,
This session covers all topics related to aerosols, clouds and their interactions. Topics include for example, the chemistry and physics of aerosol formation and growth, the influence of aerosols on cloud formation and properties, chemical reactions occurring in aerosol particles and cloud droplets, aerosol formation from anthropogenic activities, and the role of the biosphere in aerosol production.
18. Climatology
Stefan Brönnimann, Daniela Domeisen, Andreas Fischer, Jörg Franke, Martine Rebetez,This Rutishauser
Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP),
Swiss Commission for Phenology and Seasonality (CPS),
Verband Geographie Schweiz (ASG)
Unprecedented rates of change characterize 21st century climate. Exceptional amplitudes and rates of warming recorded at global, regional and local scales dominate contemporary instrumental records. The context of longer-term climate variability is crucial in order to assess the uniqueness and mechanisms that contribute to the background of natural climate variability.
For the climatology symposium, we invite studies on any part of the climate system including the atmosphere, the ocean, the hydro- and cryosphere. Analyses can address local to global scale. We are looking forward to contributions on observations, proxies and models alike that contribute to a better general understanding of climate processes and interactions in Switzerland and worldwide.
We welcome contributions from master and PhD students as well as senior scientists likewise to foster a lively discussion.
19. Tackling the Climate Crisis: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Climate Change Education and Communication
Moritz Gubler, Mike Schäfer, Viktoria Cologna, Matthias Probst, Andreas Linsbauer
Swiss Association for Geographic Education (VGDch)
Despite high levels of public awareness about anthropogenic climate change and increasing pressure on the political sphere, climate action among large parts of the general public still remains relatively low. However, climate strikes and demonstrations with ten thousand of predominantly young participants in the recent past may have uncovered new drivers, processes, and forms of individual as well as collective engagement with climate change. So what are the individual and societal preconditions, factors, and mechanisms that facilitate or prevent action on climate change among different segments of the population? And what are the potentials and limitations for climate change education and communication efforts? Here, various disciplines within the educational, psychological, social and climate sciences, as well as humanities can provide the theoretical and practical instruments to understand public engagement with climate change.
This session aims to provide multiple perspectives into the challenges and opportunities of climate change communication and education. Inviting contributions from a broad range of disciplines (e.g., education, psychology, communication, public understanding of science, humanities, social and natural sciences), this session focuses on the perception, processing, communication, application, learning, and education of climate information and knowledge. Talks or posters may relate to all approaches (e.g., theoretical and practical, quantitative and qualitative), scales (i.e. local, national, global), and age levels (e.g., children, adolescents, adults). We encourage contributions from young scientists (Master- or PhD-projects), while interdisciplinary projects are especially welcomed too.
20. Remote Sensing of the Spheres
Stefan Wunderle, Mathias Kneubühler, Dominik Brunner, Alain Geiger
Swiss Commission for Remote Sensing,
Swiss Geodetic Commission
We welcome overviews and in-depth presentations on state-of-the-art Earth Observation methods used for measuring the spheres of the Earth.
Recent advances in characterizing spheres and their interactions within the system Earth using remote sensing will be discussed and presented. Emphasis will be on process understanding through mapping of chemical, biological and physical constituents on land, atmosphere, ocean, as well as the solid Earth.
Furthermore, teams considering GNSS are encouraged to present their developments and applications. Monitoring aspects such as Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), supporting missions and programs from national and international organizations and agencies are invited to be presented, too.
21. Geoscience and Geoinformation – From data acquisition to modelling and visualisation
Nils Oesterling, Massimiliano Cannata, Michael Sinreich, Elmar Brockmann
Swiss Geological Survey
Swiss Geodetic Commission
Swiss Geophysical Commission
Swiss Hydrogeological Society
Digital data acquisition and 3D visualisation of geospatial objects and processes are already standard and are still gaining increasingly importance in geosciences. For instance geodetic data capture in combination with digital geological mapping constitutes an important basis for various tasks in engineering geology, natural hazard prevention and other geoscientific fields. Moreover, 3D modelling, GIS handling and visualisation of such data gives a better understanding of the respective problem setting. The analysis observations and the prediction of unknown data by machine learning approaches is getting increasingly important in recent years.
In this symposium papers related to geospatial applications in all geosciences (geodesy, geophysics, geology, hydrogeology, engineering geology, geomorphology, etc.) will be presented. The focus will be on the following topics:
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- Development and application of digital tools for data capture
- Transformation from field data to digital datasets and time series
- Digital geological mapping and geoscientific information systems
- 3D modelling, analysis of temporal variations and visualisation of geospatial objects and processes
Methodological papers as well as thematic case studies will be discussed. Contributions related to the topic of the 18th SGM Plenary Session « Shaping Earth, from planet accretion to microbes», e.g. data capture and analysis of sub-surface data, modelling of structures and processes in the underground are especially welcome this year.
22. Human Geographies: Bodies, Cultures, Societies
Karine Duplan, Elisabeth Militz
Swiss Association for Geography (ASG)
The symposium provides room for timely and innovative research across critical social and cultural geographies. A string of three panel sessions invites empirically grounded contributions and/or theoretical as well as methodological interventions from students, doctoral candidates, postdocs, lecturers and professors.
If you are interested in organizing a session within this symposium, please send an abstract of 300 words to Karine Duplan (karine.duplan@unige.ch) and Elisabeth Militz (elisabeth.militz@giub.unibe.ch). Those interested in presenting a paper should please wait for the individual session calls, but do feel free to get in touch with the symposium organizers to register your initial interest
23. Human Geographies: Cities, Regions, Economies
Sven Daniel Wolfe, Julio Paulos
Swiss Association for Geography (ASG)
This symposium is devoted to research that involves or interrogates the urban. Over three panel sessions, we invite contributions from urban, economic, and/or political geographers at any career stage. We welcome empirical, theoretical, or methodological interventions covering (but not limited to) urbanizations, gentrifications, mobilities, neoliberalisms, contestations, exclusions, borderings, East/South/North comparative work, etc.
If you are interested in organizing a session within this symposium, please send an abstract of 300 words to Julio Paulos (julio.paulos@unil.ch) and Sven Daniel Wolfe (svendaniel.wolfe@unil.ch). Those interested in presenting a paper should please wait for the individual session calls, but do feel free to get in touch with the symposium organizers to register your initial interest.
24. Human Geographies: Materials, Natures, Politics
Swiss Association for Geography (ASG)
This symposium brings together three panels that address human geography debates around materials, natures, and politics from different angles.
We welcome session proposals with a focus on themes such as (but not limited to) the following:
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- Extraction, resources and waste
- Security, risks and hazards
- Environmental governance and politics
- Environmental histories and futures
- Infrastructure and socio-technical imaginaries
- Anthropocene & the Earth system politics
- Etc
If you are interested in organizing a session within this symposium, please send an abstract of 250 words to Rony Emmenegger (rony.emmenegger@unibas.ch). Those interested in presenting a paper should please wait for the individual session calls, but do feel free to get in touch with the symposium organizers to register your initial interest.
25. Forms, flux and processes of carbon exchange within and between Earth’s surface and the deep Earth through time
Matthieu Galvez, Samuel Jaccard, Timothy Eglinton
The near-quantitative storage of carbon from the primordial atmosphere into the lithosphere has progressively transformed the Earth from an initially unhospitable state to an habitable planet over time. There are many pathways by which C has been continuously locked, and unlocked, from Earth. These chemical and physical pathways will be the focus of this session. Reduced and Oxidized forms of carbon continuously move and react through the biosphere, oceans and oceanic lithosphere. We welcome any contribution from colleagues interested in how weathering, metabolism, oceanic circulation, control these movements and transformations in the fluid shells of the planet. Conversely, studies aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which solid carbon is continuously unlocked from rocks over a range of chemical composition, pressure and temperature conditions will be welcomed as well. This session is aimed to be a platform where petrologist, geochemist, oceanographers and biologists may meet, share and translate their own perspectives into the intricacies, and possible singularity, of Earth’s style carbon cycle today, and in the past.
26. How to build a habitable planet? Insights from the Earth’s Interior
Matthieu Galvez, Paolo Angelo Sossi, Sylvain Petitgirard, Olivier Bachmann, Peter Ulmer
The presence of liquid water, and ubiquity of life on Earth should not be taken for granted. Billions of years were required in order to shape the environment into one able to sustain life, and the delicate geo/biological balance that maintains Earth in a habitable state remains poorly understood. A key aspect of Earth’s habitability is the role that the solid Earth plays in serving as not only a sink for gases such as CO2 and O2, but also its role in releasing volatile elements (e.g., H, C, N, O, S) and metals (e.g., Zn, Pb, Cd) that are key to the development of atmospheric chemistry over geological timescales and, eventually, the evolution life. This session focuses on the role of processes taking place in, or originating from the Earth’s interior that partition volatiles and metals between the atmosphere, crust and mantle. A special focus will be in understanding how these processes may have evolved through time, and contributed to shaping our planet into its present-day state. Contributions emphasising the role of subduction zones, intraplate magmatism and geodynamic processes in establishing the present-day chemical budget of the atmosphere, oceans and continents are also welcome.
27. Mountains as contexts for global change: interdisciplinary experiences, challenges and new perspectives across the natural and social sciences
Carolina Adler1, Iago Otero2, Emmanuel Reynard2, Jörg Balsiger1,3, Aino Kulonen1
1Mountain Research Initiative (MRI)
2Interdisciplinary Centre for Mountain Research (CIRM)
3Forum Paysage, Alpes et Parcs (Folap)
Mountain regions offer concrete contexts through which challenges and opportunities of global change are experienced, perceived and enacted. The complex interactions between diverse biophysical and socio-economic processes of change call for an integrated system approach to not only understand these challenges, but also to identify key opportunities. Combining knowledge streams across the natural and social sciences, accounting for the complexity of social-ecological interactions, are increasingly called for in mountain research as a response to this complexity. However, this is easier said than done. Contrasting research objectives, methods, epistemological paradigms and evaluation criteria pose significant challenges for a sound integration between both. This may also be the case, when expectations to address societal challenges, leverage opportunities and co-design solutions are encouraged through transdisciplinary research. Moreover, it is not often clear, or made explicit, whether and how an integration between the natural and the social sciences contributes to “better” outcomes in terms of sustainable development, transformative capacity, and justice. This symposium aims at offering a space to showcase research conducted in mountain areas that address these topics, discuss such challenges as well as identify emerging new avenues for research and collaboration among natural and social scientists dealing with global change issues in mountain regions. Contributions are welcome from all fields of study.
28. Challenges to Life on Land: Remediation Actions and Practice for Securing Land-Based Resources
Felicia O. Akinyemi, Ademola A. Adenle, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
With the natural resource base degrading in almost all regions, the persistent loss of land-based resources in the face of multiple stressors, remains a major challenge. The need to minimize the vulnerability of natural and human systems as well as secure the ecosystem functions and services that land provides, including the regulating services, is urgent. Securing land-based resources in all regions of the world requires remediation actions and resource-conserving practices across scales and within the local level governance contexts framing their use. Knowledge of best practices and approaches to explore and manage the use of these resources and land systems is crucial to avoid and restore degraded lands. Contributions highlighting the conditions, and management of soils, water, and vegetation in relation to but not limited to climate change adaptation and mitigation, desertification, land degradation and food security are most welcome. This session contributes to our understanding of protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
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