Astrogeology Committee
2007 Annual Report
Mission Statement:
The purpose of the Astrogeology Committee is to provide AAPG members a forum for ideas on astrogeology and its relationships to terrestrial geology and issues. Efforts include organizing symposia at various meetings, recommending speakers for distinguished lectures, and encouraging poster sessions on astrogeology at earth science meetings and acting as liaison with groups having similar interests, such as NASA. 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 resources are invited to join the Astrogeology Committee.
Goals:
The primary goal of the Astrogeology Committee is to develop and implement an annual program of symposia or poster sessions at AAPG Conventions that emphasizes all aspects of astrogeology and its direct and indirect application to the exploration for energy (or other) resources. The Astrogeology Committee also seeks to extend similar programs to AAPG’s International Conference by 2009, develop and implement an annual K-12 or teacher-outreach activity, either at an AAPG-sponsored meeting, or at a similar venue, and organize a Hedberg-type research conference on the extraterrestrial exploration for energy resources within 5 years. The Committee has arranged a diverse technical program for both the 2008 Annual AAPG Convention in San Antonio and the 2008 International Conference in Cape Town (for details, see the following section entitled “Meetings”), and in 2008 will continue to work on its other goals, as well as several new ones.
Astrogeology Committee Membership and Leadership:
The Astrogeology committee expanded its membership in the 2006-2007 year by adding new members Brian Pitts and Jim Conca, and welcoming back long-serving member Doug Peters. For the 2006-2007 year Harrison Schmitt served as Committee Chair and William Ambrose was the Vice Chair. Mark Wilson served as Committee Oversight liaison, Ronald Hart was AAPG Staff liaison officer, and Don Clarke served as Committee Coordinator (Outreach & Sections). Committee Co-Chairs for the 2007-2008 year are Harrison Schmitt and William Ambrose, and Charles Sternbach and Brian Pitts will serve as Co-Vice Chairs. Don Clarke and Ronald Hart will continue as Committee Coordinator and AAPG Staff liaison, respectively, and Bob Lindblom will serve as Committee Oversight liaison, with Ted Beaumont serving as AAPG EC liaison.
Meetings:
Committee Co-Chairs Harrison Schmitt and William Ambrose chaired the session “Alternative Energy Sources: Promises and Pitfalls” at the 2007 Annual AAPG Convention in Long Beach. The session, sponsored by EMD, included Harrison’s presentation “Potential of Lunar Helium-3 Fusion Power”, which was selected for EMD's President's Certificate of Excellence in Presentation for Oral Presentation. The Astrogeology Committee and EMD are co-sponsoring a variety of activities for the 2008 Annual AAPG Convention in San Antonio, including the session “Return to the Moon: Research, Rewards, and Research” and a map gallery “Geospatial Technology”. Cynthia Dinwiddie and Darrell Sims at the Southwest Research Institute are also chairing the session “Astrogeology: A Far-Sighted Look at Unconventional Resources”. The Astrogeology Committee has also proposed two sessions, “Sub-Continental Scale Layered Intrusives and Lunar Mare Structures” and “Snowball Earth and Planetary Climate Change through Time”, and a field trip to the Bushveld Complex, and possibly to the Vredefort impact structure, for the 2008 International AAPG Convention in Cape Town. Doug Peters is the coordinator for astrogeology sessions at the 2009 AAPG Convention in Denver.
Web site:
In 2007 the Astrogeology Committee began work on creating a logo and Web site. Among the items planned for the Web site are: mission statement, goals, and business plan, list of committee members and responsibilities, calendar of events, web links to other organizations, AAPG convention activities including recent and currently planned technical sessions, field trips and forums, abstracts, presentations, and calls for papers. The Astrogeology Committee appreciates the expertise and guidance provided by Janet Brister in construction of the new Web site. The Committee will also compile a set of PowerPoint presentations from its members in an Outreach section.
- Respectfully submitted,
- Harrison H. Schmitt
William A. Ambrose
Astrogeology Co Chairs 2007-08