Annual Report 2011: FY July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011
Astrogeology
Objectives
Organizing symposia at AAPG and other earth science meetings, recommending speakers for distinguished lectures, encouraging technical sessions and field trips on astrogeology at AAPG meetings, and acting as liaison with groups having similar interests, such as NASA and other geological societies. The Committee encourages digital and/or paper publications on astrogeology. All who are interested in astrogeology, planetary science, and their application to energy, environmental, and other resource issues are invited to join the Astrogeology Committee.
Primary Goal in 2010–2011
The primary goal for the 2010-2011 business year was to complete the submission and review process for papers in the upcoming AAPG Special Publication Energy Resources for Human Settlement in the Solar System and Earth’s Future in Space. This special publication is a review of energy resources in the Solar System, including materials that could sustain future human expeditions and settlements as well as meet Earth’s energy challenges in the 21st century. The three main themes of the special publication are
- providing sources of energy and materials for Earth importation,
- manufacturing of propellants for exploration of the solar system and transportation systems in space, and
- sustaining human habitation and settlement of the solar system. As of the end of the business year, all papers for this publication had been through review and most had been revised. The full set of revised papers should be ready for submission to AAPG Publications Department in August 2011.
Other Goals
These included the following.
- Arranging symposia at AAPG conventions that emphasize all aspects of astrogeology and their application to exploration for energy (or other) resources, including evaluation and production.
- The Astrogeology Committee sponsored a pre-convention field trip to NASA Houston Space Center, special presentations by Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, Apollo astronaut Harrison Schmitt, and Shuttle astronauts Jim Reilly and Drew Feustel at the all-convention luncheon, and a technical session at the 2011 Annual AAPG Convention in Houston. Linda and Charles Sternbach and Steve Levine were the field-trip organizers, and the field trip included presentations by Harrison Schmitt, Jim Reilly, and William Ambrose. Steve Levine and Charles Sternbach organized the all-convention luncheon. Harrison Schmitt and William Ambrose co-chaired the technical session, with speakers including Dieter Beike, Bruce Cutright, Seiichi Nagihara, and Prasanta Mukhopadhyay.
- The Astrogeology Committee is sponsoring several activities at the 2012 Annual AAPG Convention in Long Beach, including a pre-convention field trip to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the technical session “Astrogeology: Exploring the Space Frontier; Moon, Mars, and Beyond–Results and Technology,” with Brian Pitts and Don Clarke as organizers.
- Establishing a series of AAPG Astrogeology student chapters in conjunction with the overall AAPG Student Chapter system. The goal of these chapters will be to connect students who are interested in astrogeology and space exploration with professionals in the aerospace and planetary science community. Activities for the student chapters can include monthly technical meetings with a guest speaker, specific projects in which a local sponsor and/or representative from the Astrogeology Committee participate, and establishing contact with representatives from the aerospace industry and professional organizations in planetary science. Matt Duncan, Astrogeology Committee Student Liaison, is spearheading these efforts.
- Astrogeology Committee Membership and Leadership: The Astrogeology committee welcomed new members Dieter Beike, Trey Boardman, Doug Cook, Stacey Evans, Sean Gulick, Margaret Jason, Art Johnson, David King, Michael Raines, John Reynolds, Nils Sandin, and Kadira Singh. Jim Reilly served as Chair and Doug Peters and William Ambrose served as Committee Co-Vice Chairs. Linda and Charles Sternbach were Co-Vice Chairs for the 2011 Annual AAPG Convention in Houston. Matt Duncan was Student Liaison, Ronald Hart was AAPG Staff Liaison Officer, Charles Caughey served as Committee Coordinator, and William Houston was AAPG EC Liaison. Bruce Cutright will serve as the new Co-Vice Chair in 2011–2013 (replacing Doug Peters), and Brian Pitts and Don Clarke are the Co-Vice Chairs for the 2012 Annual AAPG Convention in Long Beach. A new Co-Chair for the Committee is under review.
Website
The Astrogeology Committee continues to develop its website. Among the posted items are: mission statement, goals, business plan, list of committee members and responsibilities, calendar of events, AAPG convention activities including technical sessions, field trips and forums, abstracts, presentations, calls for papers, and PowerPoint presentations in an Outreach section. The Committee greatly appreciates the services of Janet Brister who designed, created, and updated the website. It can be accessed at: http://www.aapg.org/committees/ astrogeology/index.cfm.
James F. Reilly, Chair William A. Ambrose and Bruce Cutright, Co-Vice Chairs
Committee members:
M. Lee Allison, William Anthony Ambrose (co-vice chair), David B. Buthman, David G. Campbell, Michael D. Campbell, Philip Jan Cannon, Donald Dean Clarke, James L. Conca, Bruce Lee Cutright (co-vice chair), Cynthia L. Dinwiddie, Stacey Coleen Evans, Sean Sandifer Gulick, Arthur H Johnson, Brandon Johnson, David T. King Jr., Thomas C Klekamp, Prasanta K. Mukhopadhyay, Seiichi Nagihara, Douglas Cameron Peters, Brian P. Pitts, James F. Reilly II (chair), Harrison Hagan Schmitt, Kadira Analisa Singh, and Charles Alan Sternbach