british society for geomorphology annual conference...

British Society for Geomorphology Annual Conference

University of Exeter, 2-4 July 2008 sponsored by The Geological Society

In This Issue:

BSG: Future Vision and Strategy

Proposals for Changes to the BSG Constitution

BSG Annual Conference 2008 — Exeter

Postgraduate Reports

Geophemera 103

Spring-Summer 2008

The newsletter of the

British Society for Geomorphology (incorporating the BGRG) Registered charity 1054260

www.geomorphology.org.uk

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BSG Executive Committee: 2007-2008

Chair Prof. Bob Allison Sussex [email protected]

Vice-Chair Prof. Lynne Frostick Hull [email protected]

Junior Vice-Chair Prof. Andreas Lang Liverpool [email protected]

Honorary Secretary Dr Richard Chiverrell Liverpool [email protected]

Honorary Treasurer Dr David Robinson Sussex [email protected]

Membership Secretary Dr Robert Inkpen Portsmouth [email protected]

Geophemera ex officio Dr David Simm Bath Spa [email protected]

Publications ex officio Dr Trevor Hoey Glasgow [email protected]

Research Prof. Angela Gurnell King’s College [email protected]

Education, co-opted Mr Ed Anderson Bede College [email protected]

Web Officer Tibi Codilean Glasgow [email protected]

Postgraduate Reps Mr Tri Van Southampton [email protected]

Ms Caroline Setchell Imperial [email protected]

Ordinary members Dr Mark Bateman Sheffield [email protected]

Dr Alan Dykes Kingston [email protected]

Dr Stephen Tooth Aberystwyth [email protected]

Dr Andrew Nicholas Exeter [email protected]

Dr Robert Bryant Sheffield [email protected]

CONTACT THE BRITISH SOCIETY FOR GEOMORPHOLOGY

For further information on the BSG contact:

Honorary Secretary, Dr Richard Chiverrell

Department of Geography, University of Liverpool

E-mail: [email protected]

For general enquiries, including details of membership and meetings contact:

BSG Administrator, Dr Stephanie Mills

RGS-IBG, 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR

Tel: +44 (0)20 7591 3028 Fax: +44 (0)20 7591 3001 E-mail: [email protected]

For electronic submission to Geophemera contact:

Editor, Geophemera, Dr Dave Simm

Department of Geography, Bath Spa University, Newton Park, Bath, BA2 9BN

Tel: +44 (0)1225 876114 Fax: +44 (0)1225 875776 E-mail: [email protected]

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Editorial: Proposed Changes to the BSG Constitution

Dear Members

The Annual General Meeting of the BSG will be held between 12.30 and 2.00 pm on Thursday 3rd July 2008 in the Peter Chalk Centre on the Streat-ham Campus, University of Exeter. The AGM meeting will be held in the venue for lunch and as lunch is served. Further details and information are available in the sections below and from:

www.geomorphology.org.uk/news/

In recent years the British Geomorphological Re-search Group changed its name to the British So-ciety for Geomorphology, with the implication that the BGRG needed to make a step-change in activity and visibility. Apart from the title, what else has changed? Probably relatively little to date: we have a similar number of conferences and meetings - although some struggle and others have fallen by the way-side; what we offer Society members is very much the same in terms of grants and awards; and our membership remains relatively static. Many current Society activities were the same over 20 years ago. At the same time, the external environment has evolved in ways that has impacted upon we do, and there is a need for us to consider the future strategic direc-tion of the re-named Society.

The Executive Committee has spent time since the last AGM thinking about the future of the So-ciety. What should we be about and do our activi-ties reflect what the Society is trying to achieve? Is change necessary or should we simply maintain the status quo? How should we be spending our income and can we be sure that what we do repre-sents value for money to BSG members? Do we see the Society as the national / international voice for geomorphology? If we do is this reality and, if not, what do we need to do to change our public image and have influence beyond the disci-pline? Finally, how can we configure our commit-tee structure to best deliver the proposed next phase of Society development?

The following documents outline a series of pro-posals for reconfiguring the Structures and Ap-proach of the BSG. The documents are (1) a nar-rative explaining and justifying the changes; (2) a revised Constitution that encompasses the changes; and (3) a postal vote form for members not attending the AGM. These documents pre-sent a series of formal proposals, but are also a subject for discussion. The Executive Committee invites feedback from the membership and these documents will form the basis for discus-sion at the AGM in July. Please send feedback to the BSG Administrator ([email protected]).

Richard Chiverrell BSG Honorary Secretary [email protected]

CONTENTS

Spring-Summer 2008 — No.103

Editorial 3

Bulletin Board 4

Invitation to the AGM and Preliminary Agenda 7

BSG: Future Vision & Strategy 9

Terms of Reference for BSG Committees (Proposals) 14

Revisions to BSG Constitution (Proposal) 18

BSG Annual Conference, Exeter 22 - Further details 22 - Registration Form 24 - Timetable & Programme 27

Postgraduate Conference Fund Report 34

New Thesis 36

Diary 37

Membership Details 39

AGM Postal Voting Form 40

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BULLETIN BOARD

The Windsor Workshop 2008

The annual Workshop for new Postgraduate stu-dents will be held at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park from 15th–18th December 2008.

Details are on: www.geomorphology.org.uk/pages/postgraduates/windsor/index.html

We would encourage you to send your new post-graduates on this Workshop. It should count for 4 days training and most universities will offset this amount for a postgraduate training requirement. The more that attend the cheaper it will be; the estimate for BSG postgraduate members is ex-pected to be about £190. This includes all food and accommodation. Booking starts 1st October.

Brian Whalley Queens University Belfast [email protected]

New Appointment

Dr. Rob Simmons has been appointed as Lec-turer in Soil Erosion and Conservation within the National Soil Resources Institute, Depart-ment of Natural Resources, Cranfield University. His previous appointment was as Senior Re-searcher/Soil Scientist in the International Wa-ter Management Institute, Hyderabad. Now based in the Soil Conservation and Management group of NSRI, Dr. Simmons' diverse research interests include land and water management, particularly soil erosion and soil conserva-tion; heavy metal risk assessment and wastewater re-use in agriculture. Jane Rickson National Soil Resources Institute (NSRI) Cranfield University [email protected]

A Repository for Geomorphological Images and Educational Objects Like many people who regularly take photographs I have 'gone digital'. This was partly a response to the chore of rummaging through slide collections and then scanning an appropriate image for a lec-ture. However, digital availability has also got me thinking about the importance of preserving im-ages (and data of other kinds too) for the future such that they become more valuable over time rather eventually disappear.

As well as images for research purposes, the digi-tal concept also applies to teaching materials and reusable learning (or educational) objects. The obvious contenders for exchange and re-use are PowerPoint, video and audio materials. The JISC supported JORUM project repository (www.jorum.ac.uk/) caters for UK HEI teaching materials. Perhaps the UK geomorphological community could contribute to this directly.

There is not space here to discuss all the issues involved but if you are interested in hearing more

about these ideas – and perhaps contributing material – then please mail me. Please also have a look at: web.gg.qub.ac.uk/people/staff/whalley/digital/digital.html where there are more developed arguments. I would welcome discussion of these ideas before setting anything up formally.

Brian Whalley Queens University Belfast [email protected] (please put 'digital geomorphology' in the subject line)

IAG Working Group on Rock Coasts

This is a short report on the recent activities of the IAG working group on Rock Coasts, with a view to helping cascade the work of the group to date to Geophemera readers and to encourage others to participate. In June 2007 we held or-ganised a session at the IAG regional conference in Kota Kinabalu, where Prof. Alan Trenhaile gave an engaging keynote lecture. We are cur-rently co-editing a Special Issue of Geomorphol-

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Geophemera

is the newsletter of the British Society for Geomorphology

(incorporating the BGRG) and is published 3 times a year

(Spring-Summer, Autumn, Winter).

Available online at www.geomorphology.org.uk

Please submit material for Geophemera 104

by 30th September 2008

Send to Dr Stephanie Mills, BSG Administrator

[email protected]

Geomorphorum

Geomorphorum is issued twice a year by the Geo-morphology Specialty Group (GSG) of the Asso-ciation of American Geographers. The purpose of this newsletter is to exchange ideas and news about geomorphology, and to fostor improved communication within our community of schol-ars. The contents of Geomorphorum depend on contributions from members and from anyone who has an interest in geomorphology. Please send relevant thoughts, comments, reports, news, lists of recent publications or activities, program updates, or any other item you would like to have considered for inclusion in the next edition.

Jon Harbor Geomorphology Specialty Group Chair, AAG [email protected]

New e-journal Geográfica Acadêmica

Geográfica Acadêmica is an electronic journal from the Geology and Physical Geography Labo-ratory of Institute Studies Social-Environment in Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) - BRA-ZIL. The aims is publications about geomor-phology, pedology, biogeography, urban geogra-phy, climatology, rural geography, environment education, geography of tourism and cultural geography.

http://geograficaacademica.webng.com/ingles/index.html

Thiago Morato [email protected]

ogy on Rock Coasts, including many of the papers from this conference. We have also had lively e-discussions on ‘what constitutes a cliff’ and are increasingly using the working group as a means of supporting research by connecting new re-searchers. Forthcoming events include: 1) A ses-sion at the July 2008 BSG conference in Exeter and 2) A session and fieldtrip associated with the IAG Conference in Melbourne in July 2009.

We also wanted to raise awareness about the forthcoming Rock Geomorphology session to be held at the BSG conference in Exeter this July. We strongly encourage any geomorphologists dating with or working on hard rock substrates to attend. Piotr Migon will be delivering a keynote lecture on the topic of ‘Rock-landform relationships - how can they be demonstrated?’ while Bernie Smith and Heather Viles will co-chair the session. The session is co-sponsored by the IAG working group on rock coasts. This means that a large number of specialists around the globe will be contributing to the session at the conference. Oral presentations and posters will be presented by researchers from Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. We will also be arranging a discus-sion session at the conference to enable sharing of ideas.

Larissa Naylor University of Exeter

British Society for Geomorphology

Annual Conference

University of Exeter, 2-4 July 2008

sponsored by The Geological Society

See pages 22-33

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Atlantic Geology Special Issue

Atlantic Geology is the well-established journal of the Atlantic Geoscience Society and although has previously focussed mainly on North Ameri-can topics, the journal is attempting to cross the pond and encourage papers from the UK and Europe. I have become the UK/European co-editor for the journal and would like to draw your attention, and invite you to submit a paper, to a Special Issue on Environmental Geosciences (broadly defined).

Prof. Simon Haslett Bath Spa University [email protected]

Atlantic Geology: Special Issue in Environmental Geoscience

This special issue will focus on research papers falling under the broad context of Environ-mental Geoscience. Solicited papers may (but are not limited to) pertain to research in the fol-lowing fields: hydrogeology, engineering geol-ogy, environmental geography, geomatics. The research papers may address:

• The management of geological and hydro-geological resources such as fossil fuels, minerals, water (surface and ground wa-ter), and land use.

• The definition and mitigation of exposure of natural hazards on humans

• The management of industrial and domes-tic waste disposal and minimization or elimination of the effects of pollution.

• Environmental change, impacts and adap-tations

Submissions related to the broad theme of Envi-ronmental Geoscience are welcomed from any source.

Guest Editors: Ian S. Spooner & Clifford R. Stanley Acadia University, Nova Scotia [email protected] [email protected]

Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site—Research Strategy

The School of Earth, Ocean & Environmental Sci-ences at the University of Plymouth have been awarded a contract by the ‘Jurassic Coast’ World Heritage Site to advise them on the development of a research strategy for the next 5 or 10 years. If you have an interest in the geology and geomor-phology of the Dorset & East Devon Coast please get in touch.

We are also interested in collating information on PhD, DPhil, MPhil and other theses that involve work in the area and which (probably) sit unpub-lished on library shelves. If any theses have been completed in your department in the last few years (2000 onwards) we would appreciate being given the details of author, date and title.

The other area of interest is that of M-level courses and the research that they develop. The following information would be appreciated:

• Names of M-level courses that impact on subjects relating to the Dorset & East Devon Coast (e.g. sedimentology, palaeon-tology, organic geochemistry, engineering geology, geomorphology, conservation, etc.);

• Approximate numbers on each course in an ‘average’ year; and

• How students select their research topics and whether the Jurassic Coast WHS might be able to help in the identification of suit-able topics that might be on their agenda for research and/or conservation.

It would also be useful to know how many univer-sity-level field courses regularly use the Jurassic Coast WHS for one day and residential excur-sions. In the case of residential courses do stu-dents use hotels, caravan sites, B&B houses, Youth Hostels, etc.?

Your help with this survey is appreciated.

Prof. Malcolm Hart University of Plymouth [email protected]

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BRITISH SOCIETY FOR GEOMORPHOLOGY Registered Charity Number 1054260 Monday 10th March 2008 Dear Member,

Invitation to the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting of the BSG will be held between 12.30 and 2.00 pm on Thursday 3rd July 2008 in the Peter Chalk Centre on the Streatham Campus, University of Exeter. The AGM meeting will be held in the venue for lunch and as lunch is served. Additional items for the Agenda should be sent to the Honorary Secretary of the BSG by 25th May 2008. Nominations are invited for the following vacancies on the Executive Committee:

1. Junior Vice-Chair – to hold office for the year 2008-9, to succeed to Vice-Chair for the year 2009-10, and Chair for the year 2010-11.

2. Membership Secretary - to hold office for three years. 3. Geophemera Editor - to hold office for three years. 4. Two Ordinary Members – to hold office for three years.

It should be noted that the JVC, Honorary Secretary and the Ordinary Member will be deemed to be Trustees of the group. Details of Trustees duties and responsibilities were published in Geophemera 95: http://www.geomorphology.org.uk/pages/geophemera/past/ Nominations are also invited for the following Sub-committee vacancies:

1. Publications Sub-committee member - to hold office for three years, becoming the Chair in the third year.

2. 3 x Education & Outreach Sub-committee members - to hold office for four years and serving as Chair (and member of the EC) in their fourth year.

In accordance with the constitution, nominations must be received by the BSG Honorary Secretary before the opening of the meeting. Nomination forms for the vacant positions are available on the BSG website (http://www.geomorphology.org.uk/). I look forward to seeing you at the AGM in Exeter. Yours faithfully, Dr Richard Chiverrell (BSG Honorary Secretary) Department of Geography, Roxby Building University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Tel. +44 (0)151 7942846 L69 7ZT Email: [email protected]

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BRITISH SOCIETY FOR GEOMORPHOLOGY Registered Charity Number 1054260

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Thursday 3rd July 2008 at 12.30pm

University of Exeter

PRELIMINARY AGENDA

Section 1 Key business 1. Apologies for absence 2. Minutes of the last meeting (Wednesday 4th July 2007 at 6.00pm; University of

Birmingham; published in Geophemera no. 101, Autumn 2007 – and online version at: http://www.geomorphology.org/pages/geophemera/)

3. Matters arising from the Minutes of the 2007 AGM 4. Proposed restructuring of the BSG committees and revision to the constitution 5. Elections to the Executive Committee:

i. Junior Vice-Chair ii. Geophemera editor iii. Membership Secretary iv. 1 Ordinary Member v. 1 Ordinary Member vi. Report of the election of a Postgraduate Member

6. Appointments to the BSG Sub-committees i. Member of the Publications Sub-committee ii. 3 Members of the Education and Outreach sub-committee

Section 2 Officer and Committee Reports 7. Report of the Honorary Secretary 8. Report of the Honorary Treasurer 9. Report of the Membership Secretary 10. Report of the Geophemera Editor 11. Report of the Publications Sub-committee 12. Report of the Web Officer 13. Report of the Awards Sub-committee 14. Report of the Research Sub-committee 15. Report of the Education and Outreach Sub-committee 16. Any other business 17. Date of next meeting

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British Society for Geomorphology: Future Vision and Strategy

Background and context

The British Geomorphological Research Group has changed its name to the British Society for Geomorphology, implying that the BGRG needed to make a step-change in activity and visibility. Recent discussions, for example at the Loughbor-ough and Birmingham annual conferences, en-compassed words and phrases such as interna-tional Society, professional organisation / pro-fessional reputation, the voice of geomorphology and an influencing body.

Apart from the title, what else has changed?

Probably relatively little to date: we have a similar number of conferences and meetings - although some struggle and others have fallen by the way-side; what we offer Society members is very much the same in terms of grants and awards; and our membership remains relatively static. Many cur-rent Society activities were the same over 20 years ago. At the same time, the external environment has evolved in ways that has impacted upon we do. The Cumberland Lodge Postgraduate Confer-ence was ground breaking in its time. It is now paralleled by many other opportunities, some EU funded and others a consequence of Roberts funding (which has also resulted in NERC with-drawing support for Council funded students). The International Association of Geomorpholo-gists (IAG) now exists and holds increasing num-bers of meetings, some of which compete with the BSG. There are other examples of changes to the external environment but these two highlight the need for us to consider the future strategic direc-tion of the re-named Society.

BSG membership is diverse. The Society serves academic, educational, industrial and lay commu-nities, and we must forget not these constituents. Many Society members work in the HE / public

sectors, where institutional drivers are not in-significantly focused on RAE, QAA and other performance indicators. Many individuals give freely of their time to the Society but in a con-text where it is increasingly necessary to demon-strate that the added value benefits both the in-dividual and the organisation they work for. The time constraint is most evident amongst the membership of the Executive Committee, re-flected in the increasing difficulty in filling elected posts that carry workloads.

The Executive Committee has spent time since the last AGM thinking about the future of the Society. What should we be about and do our activities reflect what the Society is trying to achieve? Is change necessary or should we sim-ply maintain the status quo? How should we be spending our income and can we be sure that what we do represents value for money to BSG members? Do we see the Society as the national / international voice for geomorphology? If we do is this reality and, if not, what do we need to do to change our public image and have influ-ence beyond the discipline? Finally, how can we configure our committee structure to best de-liver the proposed next phase of Society devel-opment?

Future vision and strategy The intellectual strength of the British Society for Geomorphology is founded upon research. Excellent research not only establishes our reputation as an international Society but it supports what we do in education and outreach. It is also central to the exchange of ideas that contribute to society and, thereby, our reputa-tion in the wider public sphere. Today, as when the British Geomorphological Research Group

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was founded, its members seek to enquire, dis-cuss, debate and make seminal contributions to knowledge. While the benefits of research are founded on the production of ideas and under-standings, they also include the personal develop-ment of engaged individuals (e.g. PhD students) and, increasingly, enhancement to society through enterprise and knowledge exchange.

The Society has the opportunity to play a major role in the wider world, through links with other communities, national and international organi-sations, where both partners benefit from a pro-ductive partnership. Translational research is likely to be significant in securing the wider repu-tation of both the Society and the subject that it represents. The agenda here must be pursued in collaboration with other public and private sector stakeholders, in particular partner learned socie-ties, wider education communities, government and the media.

The BSG should have a clear strategy that estab-lishes a vision and direction for the Society. Part of this is having some specific objectives which confirm the commitment we have to furthering excellent research in geomorphology and our en-gagement with other groups, thereby demonstrat-ing the benefits of our subject to a wider world and engaging others with what we do. The strat-egy should set out where we are going and how we are going to get there, firmly establishing the So-ciety as the recognised centre for excellence in geomorphology.

Mission statement and values Should the Society create a single core mission statement which underpins its activities? This ap-proach is sometimes viewed negatively in a HE environment but can equally act as a good sign-post for those looking from the outside-in. If a clear mission statement (perhaps we might call this a statement of intent) is a good idea, what might it be and to what sort of audience should it be aligned?

We can ask the same question about values. Should the BSG have a set of standards or bench-marks against which all its activities (in particular those into which funds are placed) can be tested for rigour, value and quality?

In the 21st century are we or should we be:

• a Society that supports pioneering research and encourages the development of new thinking and approaches;

• a centre of excellence and professionalism, which can boast vitality, enthusiasm and en-ergy, and encourage debate within and be-tween disciplines;

• an engaged Society, which clearly maintains an international outlook but is strongly con-nected to our national perspective;

• an innovative Society, which recognises and nurtures new ideas and new approaches and helps secure a viable future for the discipline;

• an organisation of opportunity that reaches out to people of various backgrounds and seeks to make a difference to people and wider society.

As we move from being the BGRG to being the BSG should we proactively:

• attract, support and retain the best research-ers as BSG members and through our activi-ties attain and maintain international excel-lence in what we do;

• encourage work between disciplines cognate with geomorphology, so that the Society is seen to be supporting plateaus of interna-tional research excellence;

• invest resource around key research themes so as to support the activities of Society members;

• ensure appropriate incentives and rewards are in place to recognise, encourage and en-hance core research in geomorphology;

• support the development of a vibrant and ex-panding community of doctoral and post-doctoral scholars;

• develop Society governance and management structures that support excellent research and develop activities that enhance the repu-

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tation of geomorphology to a wider audience;

• enhance contributions to national and interna-tional policy and practice arising from re-search-led activities;

• foster collaborations with appropriate external public and private sector organisations, region-ally, nationally and internationally, that are mutually beneficial to both partners;

• play a role in society and the economy, through productive knowledge exchange.

A way forwards? The sort of questions asked above will impact upon decisions about how we should develop over the coming years and the role of the Executive Committee and its members in developing Society activities. For organisations such as the British Society for Geomorphology, with finite resource and therefore limited room for major develop-ments, delivery of an ambitious agenda for the future will mean channelling resource to where it is needed most. Even embracing the notion of a Society solely engaged in geomorphology, the full range of activities that includes research, educa-tion and outreach, will necessitate the diversion of resources into specific areas identified for invest-ment and growth within any given time-frame.

Does the Executive Committee and broader mem-bership (through the AGM) have the appetite for such a policy? In short, is it the case that the BSG will have to reconcile its ambitions for excellence and the cost to deliver such excellence, against the many activities in which it is currently engaged?

One organisational weakness is how we manage the range of activities that the Society undertakes. In terms of structure:

• does the Executive Committee focus on appro-priate issues, with its members having well de-fined responsibilities that will deliver the Soci-ety strategy and link the executive group to un-derlying committees and decision making bod-ies;

• do we have the right number of committees, with clear terms of reference and decision

making powers on behalf of the EC and with a member of the EC present for the purposes of good governance;

• is the current overall committee structure too heavy to manage Society affairs and are we placing enough emphasis in the right areas;

• does how we structure ourselves meet the needs of the membership.

In summary, perhaps the key questions in think-ing about the future of the Society are (i) what is the extent of our ambition, (ii) what do we need do to realise this, (iii) what boundaries should we seek to place on our current range of activi-ties to achieve our ambition and (iv) what things do we need to start doing (or do differently) to take the Society forwards to its next phase of de-velopment?

The proposed changes The main changes proposed are summarised as follows with further detail in the proposed revi-sions to the Constitution.

1. The term of office for the BSG Chair would be extended to 2 years, but elected 1 year in ad-vance serving as a Vice Chair in the year pre-ceding becoming Society Chair. The JVC posi-tion would cease to exist. In total this is a three year term similar to other posts of the Society. Recent BSG Chairs have complained of getting to grips with the role about the time the term of office comes to an end, and con-versely having little to do as JVC.

2. The EC would comprise the BSG Chair, Dep-uty, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secre-tary, plus three Vice Chairs who would chair the three sub-committees, and three Ordinary Members who would serve as secretaries to the three sub-committees. The Vice Chairs, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, and Ordinary Members would be elected for 3 year terms. In the light of the proposed changes to the subcommittee structure (point 3), postgraduate (PG) representation on the EC is an issue for discussion. PG representa-

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tion in the Society would be increased with 3 PG members of the subcommittees, a question remains over whether one of this PG team should also be a member of the EC (point 5)? The EC would become the group that agrees a three year strategy and financial forecast and would monitor spending. The EC would also develop a Society three year strategic and fi-nancial plan, which will be updated on an an-nual basis. The structure of the Committee is detailed in Table 1.

3. The Committee structure of the BSG should be revised to comprise a Research Committee, Publications Committee and an Outreach (with Education) Committee. These sub-committees would have greater autonomy and prominence in running the business of the Society. There would be a requirement to formally/physically meet once a year with other meetings by re-mote or proxy means. Decisions and actions undertaken by the sub-committees would come to the EC for approval. The sub-committees would have a budget and brief agreed on a three year rolling basis to be presented and ap-proved at the summer meeting. Each subcom-mittee would have to plan and budget for the year with the VCs responsible for agreeing the strategy and devising an operational plan which comes to and is reviewed by the EC. Transparency to and input from the Society would be canvassed at the AGM, with the pres-entation of an Annual Review and Forward Plan (presented by the three VCs). The struc-ture, responsibilities and composition of the subcommittees is detailed in ‘Terms of Ref-erence’ sections below, but all three would have equal scope to shape the future direction and activities of the society across the breadth of its portfolio.

4. The Society needs an influential figurehead, a President, for which nominations would be canvassed in advance and would be approved by the Society at the AGM. The person would

and must be able to represent the interests of the BSG at National and International levels (Government, NGO, Research Councils, In-dustry, etc). The role would essentially be honorary, with no compulsion to attend EC meetings, but with the right to attend. The length of the post would be three years, ex-tendable by two.

5. The postgraduate (PG) membership of the BSG is vital and represents the future of the Society. Given their suggested expanded brief it is important that the PG community is rep-resented on each subcommittee (three repre-sentatives two year terms). Experience shows that the PG representatives would be ex-tremely effective members of the subcommit-tees, and one of this PG team would also be a member of the EC. Paralleling the intention to increase the dynamism of the subcommit-tees, this increased PG representation would improve the voice of this important commu-nity across the activities of the society (e.g. BSG Meetings, Conferences, Awards, Out-reach with Education and Industry).

6. The programme of elections to BSG positions and committees is detailed Table 2, with the normal term three years or two years for postgraduates. Both Vice Chair and Ordinary Members remain with the Committee for the three years, but their election is staggered to ensure Society memory and continuity.

7. To ensure the Society discharges its duties with regard to the Charities Commission, there shall be eight Trustees, who will be re-sponsible for the good governance of the So-ciety. The Trustees will normally include all principal office holders on the Executive Committee, Chair (? Does not fit with the electoral cycle), Honorary Secretary, Honor-ary Treasurer, three Vice-Chairs, and three Ordinary Secretaries. The period of office for all Trustees shall be three years.

Table 1: Summary of the BSG Committee structure

President of the BSG (3 year term + 2 optional)

Executive Committee (10 people + 3 optional co-opted)

Chair (& Deputy Chair), Honorary Secretary (3 years), Honorary Treasurer (3 years), 3 Vice Chairs, 3 Ordinary Secretaries, 1 postgraduate

Research committee

Vice Chair (3 years) Ordinary Secretary (3 years) Postgrad Member (2 years) Co-opted Science links Co-opted Grants Co-opted Awards

Publications committee

Vice Chair (3 years) Ordinary Secretary (3 years) Postgrad Member (2 years) BSG ESPL Editor (? years) Geophemera Editor (3 years) Website Editor (3 years)

Outreach committee

Vice Chair (3 years) Ordinary Secretary (3 years) Postgrad Member (2 years) Membership Secretary (3 years) Education Member Industry Member

Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer have a rolling brief to attend meetings without portfolio

Table 2: Programme of elections and nominations for BSG Committee and other positions

Role Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7

President Election Election or continue Election

BSG Chair Chair Chair Chair Chair Chair Chair Chair

BSG Deputy Chair Election Election Election Election

Honorary Treasurer Election Election

Honorary Secretary Election Election

Research committee

Vice Chair Election Election Election

Ordinary Secretary Election

Postgraduate member Election Election Election Election

Awards (co-opt) ?

Grants (co-opt) ?

Science links (co-opt) ?

Publications committee

Vice Chair Election Election

Ordinary Secretary Election Election

ESP&L BSG Editor ?

Geophemera Editor ?

Website Editor ?

Postgraduate member Election Election Election

Outreach committee

Vice Chair Election Election

Ordinary Secretary Election Election

Postgraduate member Election Election Election Election

Schools and Education ?

Industry/Professional ?

Membership secretary ?

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Terms of reference for the BSG Executive Committee

Key role

The BSG Executive Committee shall coordinate all aspects of Society activity, develop strategy, recommend budgets to the Annual General Meeting for approval and be responsible for the implementation of decisions made at the Annual General Meeting in pursuance of the Society aims and objectives.

Reporting

The BSG Executive Committee will report to the Annual General Meeting of the Society.

Terms of reference

The Committee shall:

• advance the interests of the Society, maintaining its efficiency and encouraging the prosecution of research;

• manage the Society’s strategy and steer Society business;

• monitor and report on activities within the Society to the membership and ensure action as required against decisions made at the Annual General Meeting;

• make recommendations to the Annual General Meeting on policy initiatives and other matters; • monitor budgets and agree the collection and disbursement of funds as agreed by the Annual General

Meeting. Membership

• Chair.

• Deputy Chair.

• Honorary Secretary.

• Honorary Treasurer.

• Vice Chair with responsibility for Chairing Research Committee.

• Vice-Chair with responsibility for Chairing Publications Committee.

• Vice-Chair with responsibility for Chairing Outreach Committee.

• Three ordinary members, each with responsibility for acting as secretary to one of the Society Committees: Research, Education and Outreach.

• Representative of the postgraduate team (?) All posts will be filled following election at the Annual General Meeting, following an agreed rotation with regard to the term of office of a vacancy as and when it arises.

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Terms of reference for the BSG Research Committee

Key role

The BSG Research Committee shall promote and develop a strong research culture and ethos across the Society, encouraging activity that is consistent with an internationally outstanding organisation and a profile that matches the best activity at home and abroad.

Reporting

The BSG Research Committee will report to the Executive Committee. Reports will also be sent to the Publications Committee and the Outreach Committee when appropriate.

Terms of reference

The Committee shall promote research within the Society by:

• developing the Society as a research-intensive centre of critical thinking, learning and discovery;

• undertaking strategic planning to further the research agenda of the Society (e.g. through grants, awards, programme of meetings etc.);

• working with others to develop and hold a programme of meetings to debate and disseminate research;

• administer funds for research as may be allocated by the Executive Committee;

• seek nominations for and make decisions on awards and prizes that the Society may from time to time have to present;

• forward regular reports to the Executive Committee and Annual General Meeting;

• consider proposals for new initiatives as may be referred to it by the Society Executive Committee.

Membership • Vice-Chair, acting as Chair of the Research Committee and also being a member of the Society Executive

Committee (elected by members at the AGM).

• Ordinary Member, acting as Secretary of the Committee and also being a member of the Society Executive Committee (elected by members at the AGM).

• Committee member responsible for scientific links (co-opted by the Society Executive Committee upon the recommendation of the Committee Chair and Secretary).

• Committee member responsible for grants (co-opted by the Society Executive Committee upon the recom-mendation of the Research Committee Chair and Secretary).

• Committee member responsible for awards (co-opted by the Society Executive Committee upon the recom-mendation of the Research Committee Chair and Secretary).

• One postgraduate member (elected by the postgraduate members of the Society).

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Terms of reference for the BSG Publications Committee

Key role

The BSG Publications Committee shall be responsible for the dissemination of information about the Society and its activities, both to the membership and external stakeholders with whom productive engagement is beneficial to geomorphology and geomorphologists.

Reporting

The BSG Publications Committee will report to the Executive Committee. Reports will also be sent to the Research Committee and the Outreach Committee when appropriate.

Terms of reference


• be responsible for all Society publications and outputs;

• co-ordinate Society marketing and publicity;

• take the primary role on behalf of the Society for the shared responsibility with regard to the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms;

• maintain a Society web presence and promote other forms of electronic communication;


• publish and disseminate the Society newsletter Geophemera.

Membership

• Vice-Chair, acting as Chair of the Research Committee and also being a member of the Society Executive Committee (elected by members at the AGM).


• The BSG Editor for the Society journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.

• The Editor of the Society newsletter Geophemera (co-opted by the Society Executive Committee upon the recommendation of the Research Committee Chair and Secretary).

• Committee member responsible for the Society web site (co-opted by the Society Executive Committee upon the recommendation of the Research Committee Chair and Secretary).

• One postgraduate member (elected by the postgraduate members of the Society). The Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer will be ex officio members of the Publications Committee, attending meetings as and when required

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Terms of reference for the BSG Outreach (with Education) Committee

Key role

The BSG Outreach Committee shall promote and develop aspects of Society business that link it to the wider world, in particular through education and activities that encompass business, industry and society.

Reporting

The BSG Outreach Committee will report to the Executive Committee. Reports will also be sent to the Publications Committee and the Research Committee when appropriate.

Terms of reference


• act as the link to external professional bodies such as the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) and The Geological Society of London;

• work with other bodies in support of pathways that can lead to chartered status for geomorphologists;

• foster links with business and the community;

• support education in geomorphology, working, where appropriate, with partner agencies and organisations;

• maintain a database of active Society members;

• decide on the recipient of the Marjorie Sweeting Award for the best undergraduate dissertation in geomorphology;

• be responsible for recruiting new members;


• consider matters that, from time to time, may be referred by the Executive Committee. Membership

• Vice-Chair, acting as Chair of the Outreach Committee and also being a member of the Society Executive Committee (elected by members at the AGM).


• Committee member responsible for links with schools and colleges, preferably a school teacher (co-opted by the Society Executive Committee upon the recommendation of the Research Committee Chair and Secretary).

• Committee member responsible for links with business and industry, preferably a practicing / professional geomorphologist (co-opted by the Society Executive Committee upon the recommendation of the Research Committee Chair and Secretary).

• One postgraduate member (elected by the postgraduate members of the Society). The Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer will be ex officio members of the Publications Committee, attending meetings as and when required.

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BRITISH SOCIETY FOR GEOMORPHOLOGY incorporating the BGRG

Registered Charity Number 1054260

BSG

CONSTITUTION

[Please note: A document with all changes tracked is available on the BSG website at: www.geomorphology.org.uk/pages/BSG/Constitution.pdf]

1. The Society shall be called the British Society for Geomorphology, incorporating the BGRG, herein after referred to as the Society. The Society’s acronym shall be BSG.

2. The Society shall incorporate the Geomorphological Study Group of the Royal Geographical Soci-ety (with the Institute of British Geographers), herein after referred to as RGS-IBG, and shall be affiliated to the Geological Society of London, herein after referred to as the Geological Society.

3. The object of the Society shall be the advancement of the science of geomorphology, in research, in all levels of education, and in its practical application. This objective shall be achieved by, amongst others, the following activities:

a) the promotion of research by the training of postgraduate students, the formation of working parties dealing with co-operative research projects, the publication of the results of such re-search, the holding of meetings, and by co-operating with kindred organisations;

b) the promotion of educational activities and the wider public understanding of the science of geomorphology and its contribution to society, by the preparation and dissemination of teach-ing materials and the organisation of conferences and courses;

c) the promotion of professional geomorphology by the organisation of workshops and confer-ences for practising geomorphologists, and the dissemination of current best-practice to prac-titioner communities.

4. Membership of the Society shall be open to all Fellows and Associate Fellows of the RGS-IBG and Fellows, Honorary Members and Junior Associates of the Geological Society. Membership is also open to academic staffs and research students of institutions of higher education, members of the Scientific Civil Service (scientific officers and above), professional geomorphologists working in all sectors, and such other persons as the Executive Committee of the Society shall consider eligible.

5. Members shall have the right to:-

a) attend all meetings of the Society, other than Executive Committee meetings, and to submit material for discussion or publication

b) vote in any ballot of the Society

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c) be nominated for any committee or working party of the Society

d) receive, electronically or as paper copy, such publications as the Committee of the Society shall from time to time decide

e) be nominated for any office of the Society.

6. The annual subscription for members shall be such a sum as may be determined at an Annual General Meeting.

7.

i) The Society shall be led by a President, who will serve for a minimum of three years. Prospective candidates will be nominated and voted for by the membership. The Society has the option of ask-ing a President to serve for a further two years in addition to the three should that be appropriate.

ii) Management of the Society shall be in the hands of an Executive Committee, herein after referred to as the Committee, consisting of a Chair, Deputy-Chair, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treas-urer, three Vice-Chairs (each of whom chairs one of the three subcommittees), and three Ordinary Secretaries (who serves as secretary to the three subcommittees). The Honorary Secretary, Honor-ary Treasurer, Vice-Chairs and Ordinary Secretaries shall hold office for three years. Each Chair will serve for on the Committee for 3 years, initially holding the office of Deputy-Chair for one year and then succeeding to the Chair for two further years. Thus elections to the Chair will take place every two years, and a Deputy-Chair will only be present on the Committee in alternate years. At least one officer of the Society or one member of the Committee shall be a Fellow of the RGS-IBG, and at least one officer of the Society or one member of the Committee shall be a Fellow of the Geological Society. No member of the Committee shall be eligible for immediate re-election to the same office.

iii) There shall be a quorum when at least one third of the number of members of the Committee for the time being or three members of the Committee, whichever is the greater, are present at a meet-ing.

iv) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to three additional members and to co-opt re-placements for officers or Committee members who leave office before their term is ended. Not-withstanding the provisions under 7(ii), officers and Committee members co-opted as replace-ments shall be eligible for immediate re-election to the same office for one full term. The Commit-tee shall also have the power to co-opt one additional member who is a Fellow of the RGS-IBG, and one additional member who is a Fellow of the Geological Society, if this is necessary in order to satisfy the requirement under 7(ii) that at least one officer or Committee member shall be a Fel-low of the RGS-IBG and at least one officer or Committee member shall be a Fellow of the Geologi-cal Society.

v) There shall be eight Trustees, who will be responsible for the good governance of the Society. The Trustees will normally include all principal office holders on the Executive Committee, namely President (?), Chair (? Does not fit with the electoral cycle), Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treas-urer, three Vice-Chairs, and three Ordinary Secretaries. All Trustees must be members of the Soci-ety and are required to provide full personal details as required by the Charity Commission. Their names will appear in the Annual Report to the Commission. In the event that one or more of the Trustees is not a member of the Executive Committee such persons will be supplied with all pa-pers and minutes pertaining to the Society’s activities, and invited to raise issues of concern to the Executive Committee and to the Annual General Meeting as appropriate. The period of office for all Trustees shall be three years.

vi) The Committee shall assume office at the close of the Annual General Meeting.

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vii) Two Committee members or their nominees, of whom one must be a Fellow of the Geological So-ciety, shall represent the Society on the Specialist Groups Committee of the Geological Society.

viii) The funds of the Society shall be placed at such account or accounts or placed on deposit with such bank or banks as the Committee shall decide, or if the Committee think fit, they may be capi-talised, or invested in such securities as are authorised by law for the investment of trust funds, or in any instruments, equipment, maps or in funding publications of the Society, etc. as the Com-mittee shall deem desirable. The Committee shall invest funds taking due account of the risks in-volved, and may take advice from independent financial advisors.

ix) Proper books of account shall be kept by the Honorary Treasurer who shall submit the accounts annually to the members and to the Honorary Treasurer of the RGS-IBG and the Geological Soci-ety. These accounts shall be audited or examined by an independent registered auditor (or ac-countant) to be appointed by the Society.

x) The Society shall incur no financial obligation chargeable to the Geological Society. Free use of the Society's apartments will be granted up to twice each calendar year.

xi) Minutes of the meetings of the Committee shall be sent to the Executive Secretaries of the Geo-logical Society and the RGS-IBG.

xii) The Committee shall have full powers to deal with any matter that might arise and is not provided for in this Constitution. Committee decisions may be obtained by post or by electronic means, as well as at formal meetings.

xiii) The following are permanent Sub-Committees of the Committee: Research; Outreach; and Publi-cations. The Committee shall have the power to set up temporary Sub-Committees for specific purposes. The duration of temporary Sub-Committees should be no longer than two years. The decisions and action of the three subcommittees are ratified by the Committtee.

xiv) The Research Sub-Committee looks after the programme of meetings, grants and awards ad-ministered by the Society. It makes recommendations on the award of Society grants. It also makes recommendations following the nomination of candidates for the Dick Chorley, Linton Award and Gordon Warwick Award. It recommends the recipient of the Wiley Award and other awards that the Society might from time to time add to its portfolio. The incoming Vice-Chair and Ordinary Secretary of this Sub-Committee are elected at the the AGM and remain on the Sub-Committee for three years. The other members of the Sub-Committee are: a postgraduate mem-ber, and co-opted members with responsibility for Awards, Grants and Scientific Links. The Sub-Committee has the power to co-opt further additional members for specific tasks. Sub-Committee recommendations and decisions are transmitted by the Vice Chair and Ordinary Secretary to the Committee for ratification.

xv) The Outreach Sub-Committee addresses issues relating to would look after Education, mem-bership, marketing/publicity, chartered geomorphologist process, external relations, industry and community (wider audience) and professional matters. It also recommends the recipient of the Marjorie Sweeting Award for the best undergraduate dissertation. The incoming Vice-Chair and Ordinary Secretary of this Sub-Committee are elected at the AGM and remain on the Sub-Committee for three years. The other members of the Sub-Committee are: a postgraduate mem-ber, a co-opted/elected school representative and an industry/professional representative. Sub-Committee recommendations and decisions are communicated by the Vice Chair and Ordinary Secretary to the Committee for ratification. The Sub-Committee has the power to co-opt further additional members for specific tasks.

xvi) The Publications Sub-Committee is responsible for all official Society publications and out-

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puts, looking after would look after ESP&L, web, other publications, Geophemera and other forms of marketing and publicity.. The incoming Vice-Chair and Ordinary Secretary of this Sub-Committee are elected at the AGM and remain on the Sub-Committee for three years. The other members of the Sub-Committee are: a postgraduate member, the Earth Surface Processes and Landforms BSG Editor; the Geophemera Editor; and the Website Editor. The Sub-Committee has the power to co-opt further additional members, for example.the editors of any other serial publi-cation that the Society might from time to time establish would become members of the Publica-tions Sub-Committee. Sub-Committee recommendations and decisions are communicated by the Vice Chair and Ordinary Secretary to the Committee for ratification.

xvii) Sub-Committees meet from time to time as necessary and according to their respective responsi-bilities and according to the Society meeting schedule/diary. Meetings may be in person or con-ducted electronically. There would be a requirement to formally/physically meet once a year Sub-Committees report as standing items to each Executive Committee meeting, for ratification of any decisions made.

xviii) Nominations for postgraduate members of the subcommittees, together with the names of pro-posers and seconders and the consent of the person proposed, shall be sent to the postgraduate members before the beginning of the BSG Postgraduate Symposium. Elections of postgraduate members of the Subcommittees shall take place during the BSG Postgraduate Symposium or, in the absence of successful election at that symposium, during the Annual General Meeting or by postal ballot.

xix) All other elections to the Committee and Subcommittees shall take place during the Annual Gen-eral Meeting. Members shall be informed in writing (by post and/or electronically) of any vacan-cies to be filled. Nominations for all vacant positions for other officers and subcommittee mem-bers, together with the names of proposers and seconders and the consent of the person proposed, shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary before the beginning of the Annual General Meeting.

8.

i) The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year at a time decided upon at the discretion of the Committee. The officers will present reports of the activities of the Society at this meeting.

ii) Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by the Chair and four members of the Committee or by any twenty members. At least thirty days' notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting must be given by the Honorary Secretary.

iii) There shall be a quorum when at least one twentieth of the number of members of the Society for the time being or ten members of the Society, whichever is the greater, are present at any general meeting or represented by postal votes in accordance with clause 9.

9. Subject to the following provisions of this clause, the Constitution may be altered by a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of the members voting at a General Meeting either in person or by postal votes (which must be received by the Secretary seven days prior to the general meeting). The notice of the General Meeting must include notice of the resolution, setting out the terms of the alteration proposed. No amendment may be made to clause 1 (the name of the charity clause), clause 3 (the objects’ clause), clause 11 (the dissolution clause) or this clause without the prior consent in writing of the Commissioners. No amendment may be made which would have the ef-fect of making the Society cease to be a charity at law. The Committee should promptly send to the Commissioners a copy of any amendment made under this clause.

10. The Society may cease to be the Geomorphological Study Group of the RGS-IBG either by a deci-sion of the Society ratified by a two-thirds majority of a returned postal ballot, or by a decision of

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the Council of the RGS-IBG.

11. The Society may at any time be dissolved by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a meeting called to consider such a proposal, of which at least thirty clear days notice shall be given to all members. Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any funds or property of the Society remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, for such charitable purposes being for the furtherance of geomorphological research or education, but no individual members shall benefit directly from this action.

12. The Society shall not take any action which may knowingly conflict with the terms of the Charter and Bye-laws of the Geological Society.

Date of last revision: June 2008.

British Society for Geomorphology (BSG)

Annual Conference University of Exeter

2-4 July 2008

Convenors: Andrew Nicholas, Tim Quine, Rolf Aalto & Richard Brazier

The Annual Conference of the British Society for Geomorphology (BSG), (formerly the British Geomor-phological Research Group), will take place on Wednesday 2nd – Friday 4th July 2008 at the University of Exeter, UK. We welcome researchers of all nationalities, specialities, and at all career stages to join an invigorating multidisciplinary conference on the English Riviera.

Conference themes

A diverse, international group of Geomorphologists and Earth Scientists will deliberate new perspec-tives on geomorphic processes, fluxes, and landform evolution across a wide range of settings (including

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hillslopes, rivers and coasts) and scales (in both space and time). Keynote presentations will explore the relationships between surface processes and biogeochemical mass fluxes, with an emphasis on intercon-nections within and between morphodynamic systems. Key conference themes will include:

• Fluvial processes and morphodynamics

• Sediment tracers in Geomorphology

• Landscape evolution

• Rock Geomorphology

• Dryland processes and environmental change

• Geomorphology and the Carbon cycle

• Reduced-complexity modelling

• Experimental Geomorphology

• Technological and methodological advances

Registration Information

All attendees must pre-register for the meeting. This should be done using the registration form pro-vided here (this can also be downloaded from the conference web site). Payment can be made by cheque or credit card. Cheque payments (in pounds sterling) should be sent with the completed registration form by post to:

BSG conference Department of Geography University of Exeter Amory Building Rennes Drive Exeter EX4 4RJ UK

Credit card payments may also be sent by post. Alternatively, registration forms complete with credit card payment details may be FAXED to +44 (0) 1392 263342. Where registration forms are FAXED you should also send an email to [email protected] indicating that a FAX has been sent. You will receive notification by email that your registration form has been received and a receipt will be issued for payment.

Those presenting papers are asked to confirm their attendance by registering before 30th April. Please note that registration after May 23rd will incur a late registration surcharge (see amounts given on the registration form).

Poster presenters should note that posters will be in portrait format with maximum dimensions 1.15 m x 1.75 m.

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British Society for Geomorphology (BSG/BGRG)

Annual Conference 2008

Registration Form

Delegate Information:

Please fill in all fields (*fields used for name badges) Title:

*Forename:

*Surname:

Department:

*University or other organisation:

Full postal address:

Telephone:

Fax:

email:

Are you a current BSG member (Y/N):

Do you have any special dietary requirements, or require disability assistance?

Registration and payment options:

Prices are listed below according to BSG membership status for the following registration options:

Standard option: Registration, lunches and refreshments Accommodation and dinner on nights of 2nd & 3rd July

Early arrival: Registration, lunches and refreshments Accommodation and dinner on nights of 1st, 2nd & 3rd July

Night of 2nd only: Registration, lunches and refreshments Accommodation and dinner on night of 2nd July only

Night of 3rd only: Registration, lunches and refreshments Accommodation and dinner on night of 3rd July only

Registration only: Registration, lunches and refreshments only

Note that all accommodation is in ensuite rooms located a short walk from the conference centre and includes breakfast. Please tick the appropriate box in the table overleaf, corresponding to your registration option and BSG membership status, then complete the payment details section underneath.

Please note that registration after May 23rd is associated with a late registration surcharge (equal to approximately 15% of the earlier rate).

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Options and prices for registration on or before May 23rd (tick box as appropriate):

Options and prices for registration after May 23rd (tick box as appropriate):

Payment method: (Tick and complete details as appropriate)

□ I enclose a cheque made payable to ‘University of Exeter’ in the amount of £

□ I would like to pay by credit card and enclose a completed credit card payment form

(see overleaf).

Where payment is by credit card, completed forms may be FAXED to +44 (0) 1392 263342. Where registration forms are FAXED you should also send an email to [email protected] indicating that a FAX has been sent. Alternatively, send completed forms and cheques or credit card payment details by post to: BSG confer-ence, Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK.

Membership status

Registration option

Standard option

Early arri-val

Night of 2nd only

Night of 3rd only

Registration only

BSG member (waged) £295 □ £360 □ £225 □ £235 □ £170 □

BSG member

(postgrad or unwaged) £225 □ £290 □ £155 □ £165 □ £100 □

Non-member £325 □ £390 □ £255 □ £265 □ £200 □

Membership status

Registration option

Standard option

Early arri-val

Night of 2nd only

Night of 3rd only

Registration only

BSG member (waged) £340 □ £415 □ £260 □ £270 □ £195 □

BSG member

(postgrad or unwaged) £260 □ £335 □ £180 □ £190 □ £115 □

Non-member £375 □ £450 □ £295 □ £305 □ £230 □

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DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY Amory Building Rennes Drive Exeter EX4 4RJ UK Telephone +44 (0)1392 263338 Fax +44 (0)1392 263342 Email [email protected]

British Society for Geomorphology

Annual Conference 2008

CREDIT/ DEBIT CARD AUTHORISATION

Card Holders Name _______________________________ Signature _________________________

Card Number

Start Date _________ Expiry Date ___________ Debit Card Issue No. ( if applicable ) ________

Security Number ( last 3 digits of number on signature strip )

Cardholders Address _______________________________________________________________________

Including Postcode _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Cardholder's Telephone No. ________________________________

Amount authorised to be paid using the above card details:

£ p

Total

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Provisional Timetable and Programme

Wednesday 2nd July

Lunch & Welcome (12:00 – 12:45) Session 1: Reduced Complexity Modelling in Geomorphology (12:45 – 14:30)

Trevor Hoey (Glasgow), R. Hodge, J-Y. Kim & P. Bishop: Parameterising bedrock incision models: process mechanics and reduced-complexity modelling.

Rob Ferguson (Durham) & M. Church: Simplification in ‘physically-based’ models of gravel transport and aggradation: some conclusions from work on lower Fraser River, Canada.

Emma Waterhouse (Durham), R. Ferguson & S.N. Lane: .Reduced-complexity simulation of interactions between sediment transfer and lateral channel adjustment in gravel-bed rivers.

Doug Jerolmack (Pennsylvania): Simple rules to build complex landscapes by fluvial deposition.

Jie Ding (Cambridge), R. Reis & K. Richards: Catchment sediment modelling in a RCM framework.

John Wainwright (Sheffield), J. Stewart, A.J. Parsons, G.S. Okin, B. Bestelmeyer, E. Fredrickson & W.H. Schlesinger: Cellular modelling of emergent patterns of dynamic desert ecosystems: The role of changing landscape connectivity.

Andreas Baas (Kings College, London): Some practical and conceptual considerations for reduced complexity modeling.

The Wiley Lecture: Paul Bishop (Glasgow) (14:45 – 15:30)

Session 2: Landscape Denudation Rates and Processes (15:45 – 17:15) Keynote: Arjun Heimsath (Arizona State): Quantifying erosion rates and processes across upland landscapes.

Simon Mudd (Edinburgh): On the morphologic memory of soil mantled landscapes.

Tristram Hales (Cardiff) & K.M. Scharer: Does hollow evacuation by debris flows set the pace of landscape evolution?

Alexandru Codilean (Glasgow), T.B. Hoey, P. Bishop, F.M. Stuart & D. Fabel: A GIS-based numerical model for exploring the sensitivity of single grain detrital cosmogenic 21Ne concentration distributions in sediment.

C. Tote, Gerard Govers (Leuven) & F. Licciardello: Prediction of sediment fluxes in South America at an intra-continental scale. Michael Ellis (Climate Change Programme, BGS) (17:15 – 17:30) Poster Session (see below) with drinks reception (17:40 – 19:00) The Frost Lecture: Dave Montgomery (University of Washington) (19:00 – 20:00)

British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) Annual Conference

University of Exeter, 2-4 July 2008

Sponsored by The Geological Society

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Thursday 3rd July

Session 3: Fluvial Processes and Morphodynamics (8:30 – 10:30)

Peng Gao (Syracuse): Bedload transport capacity in natural gravel-bed rivers.

Stuart Lane (Durham), D.R. Parsons, J.L. Best, O. Orfeo, R. Kostachuk & R.J. Hardy: Why do big rivers sometimes mix so rapidly? The role of junction morphology.

Phil Ashworth (Brighton), M. Amsler, J.L. Best, R.J. Hardy, S.N. Lane, A.P. Nicholas, O. Orfeo, N.O. Parker, D.R. Parsons, C. Ramonell, A.J.H. Reesink, G.H. Sambrook Smith, S. Simmons & R. Szupiany: Do unit bars co-exist with dunes in big sand-bed braided rivers?

Rolf Aalto (Exeter), T. Dunne & W.E. Dietrich: ENSO-orchestrated sediment accumulation and channel-floodplain exchange within pristine tropical basins.

Joseph Wheaton (Aberystwyth), J. Brasington, S. Darby, D. Sear & D. Vericat: Beyond the gross reach-scale sediment budget – using repeat topographic surveys for mechanistic geomorphic interpretation.

Michael Singer (St. Andrews), L.A. James & R.E. Aalto: Insights from total Mercury concentrations on transport and storage of Legacy Gold mining sediments in California.

Janet Hooke (Liverpool) & B. Baily: Rates and components of bar formation in floodplain construction on active meandering channels.

Stephen Tooth (Aberystwyth), H. Rodnight, T.S. McCarthy, G.A.T. Duller & A. Grundling: Late Quaternary dynamics of a South African floodplain wetland, and the implications for assessing recent human impacts.

Session 4: Geomorphology and the Carbon Cycle (10:45 – 12:30) Keynote: Christian France-Lanord (Nancy): Quantifying modern Himalayan flux of carbon from river sediments.

Anthony Aufdenkampe (Stroud Water Research Centre): Is mineral motion the ultimate control on carbon sequestration?’

S. De Gryze, Kristof Van Oost (Leuven), J. Gillabel & J. Six: The soil as a chromatographic column: Vertical soil transport and mean residence times of passive SOM pools.

Martin Evans (Manchester), R. Pawson, F. Worrall & J. Rowson: Particulate carbon flux from eroding and restored peatlands.

Stefan Doerr (Swansea), A. Cerda, W.H. Blake & R. Bryant: The role of ash erosion and re-deposition in carbon fluxes arising from wildfires.

Tim Quine (Exeter), A.P. Nicholas & L. Boddy: The carbon dynamics of lowland floodplains. Lunch & Annual General Meeting (12:30 – 14:15)

Session 5: Experimental Geomorphology (14:15 – 15:45) Michal Tal (Paris): Interactions between braiding and vegetation leading to the formation of single-thread channels in a laboratory experiment.

Maarten Kleinhans (Utrecht), R. Hoendervoogt, W.I. van de Lageweg & M. van Dijk: River pattern transitions in a laboratory flume.

Dimitri Lague (Rennes): Horizontal transport of landscapes: insights from physical experiments with tectonic advection.

A. Zimmermann, Michael Church (British Columbia) & M.A Hassan: Flow resistance and channel stability

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observations from mountain stream experiments.

Dina Vachtman (Ben Gurion) & J.B. Laronne: Secondary flow structures over cohesive bed irregularities in a straight channel.

Katerina Michaelides (Bristol), C. Lloyd, R.P. Evershed & D. Chadwick: Experimental investigations of the effects of soil erosion and deposition on soil organic matter dynamics.

Session 6: Sediment Tracers in Geomorphology (16:00 – 17:30) Keynote: Peter Whiting (Case Western, USA): Tracers in Geomorphology: Where we've been, where we are, where we're going.

Frank Magilligan (Dartmouth College, USA), C.E. Renshaw, N. Salant, K.H. Nislow, J. Kaste, K. Svendsen & A. Heimsath: Application of fallout radionuclides to determining the hydro-geomorphic impacts of dams.

Ian Foster (Coventry), K. Rowntree, J. Boardman, T. Mighall, L. Dupreez & B. Van der Waal: Sediment source tracing using mineral magnetism and gamma-emitting radionuclide signatures in farm reservoirs in the South African Karoo.

Wojciech Froehlich (Polish Academy of Sciences): The use of fallout radionuclides in investigations of sediment transfer through the fluvial system of the Dunajec River in the Polish Flysch Carpathians.

Vladimir Belyaev (Moscow State University), V.N. Golosov, M.V. Markelov, & J.S. Kuznetsova: Application of radionuclide tracers and direct rill measurements to evaluate the contribution of individual events to soil redistribution on cultivated slopes. Poster Session (see below) with drinks reception (17:40 – 18:50) Awards Ceremony The Linton Lecture: Tom Dunne (UC Santa Barbara) (19:00 – 20:00)

Friday 4th July

Session 7: Dryland Processes and Environmental Change (8:30 – 10:15) Will Blake (Plymouth), S.P. Theocharopoulos, N. Skoulikidis, P. Clark, P. Tountas, R. Hartley & Y. Amaxidis: Wildfire, soil erosion and the risk to aquatic resources: evidence from the burnt Evrotas River basin, southern Peloponnese, Greece.

Laura Turnbull (Sheffield), J. Wainwright & R.E. Brazier: Modelling interactions between runoff, erosion and lateral nutrient redistribution and biogeochemical cycling over a grassland to shrubland transition.

Mark Smith (Durham), L.J. Bracken & N.J. Cox: Overland flow resistance and flood generation in semi-arid environments.

Les McFadden (New Mexico) & G. Meyer: Soil geomorphologic studies of hillslope-forming processes and hillslope types in dryland areas in the Southwestern USA. Dave Thomas (Oxford), R. Bailey, J.A. Durcan, P.A. Shaw & J.S. Singarayer: 44ka of hydrological changes in East Africa reconstructed from the palaeo-shorelines of Lake Chilwa: is there a link to Heinrich events?

Sallie Burrough (Oxford), D.S.G. Thomas, J.S. Singarayer & F.D. Eckardt: Mega-lake Makgadikgadi: The role of lake shorelines in establishing palaeo-hydrological landscapes of the Middle Kalahari.

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Stephanie Mills (Queen Mary), S. Carr, S. Grab & B. Rea: Reconstructing the extent of past glaciation in eastern Lesotho during the LGM.

Session 8: Climatic and Tectonic Controls on Landscape Evolution (10:30 – 12:00) Keynote: Niels Hovius (Cambridge): Erosion and exhumation of the Alborz Mountains, Iran.

Paul Bishop (Glasgow), J. Jansen, D. Fabel, T. Hoey & S. Freeman: The dynamics of Pleistocene (deglaciation) and Holocene (post-Younger Dryas) knickpoints, western Scotland.

Mikaël Attal (Edinburgh), G.E. Tucker, P.A. Cowie, A.C. Whittaker & G.P. Roberts: Modelling fluvial incision and transient landscape evolution: influence of dynamic channel adjustment.

Ruth Robinson (St. Andrews), M.I. Bird, N.W. Oo, C. Brezina, A.S. Walters, R.R. Parrish, M.S.A. Horstwood, G.J.H. Oliver & M. Thein: U/Pb dating and provenance of detrital minerals from Cenozoic to modern fluvial sediments of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin catchments of Myanmar; constraining the timing of large-scale river capture.

David Foster (Manchester), S.H. Brocklehurst & R.L. Gawthorpe: Glacial-topographic feedbacks in the Teton Range, Wyoming, USA.

Session 9: Rock Geomorphology (12:45 – 14:30) Keynote: Piotr Migon (Wroclaw): Rock-landform relationships - how can they be demonstrated?

N.J.Porter & Alan Trenhaile (Windsor, Ontario): Investigating shore platform processes in the laboratory.

F. Biagioni, A. Chelli, P.R. Federici & Marta Pappalardo (Pisa): Rock platforms along the coast of Liguria (NW Italy): morphology, age and process environment.

Mara Nunes (Algarve), Ó. Ferreira, M. Schaefer, J. Clifton, B. Baily, D. Moura & C. Loureiro: Hazard assessment in rock cliffs: an integrated approach. Uwe Dornbusch (Mouchel) & D.A. Robinson: Block removal and step back-wearing as erosion processes on rock shore platforms: A case study of the chalk shore platforms of south east England.

Stefano Furlani (Trieste) & F. Cucchi: Short-term sandstone micro-morphology changes.

Session 10: Coastal and Shoreline Systems (14:45 – 16:15) Keynote: Denys Brunsden (Halcrow) & R. Moore: The role of Geomorphology in offshore geohazard assessment.

E. Kraal, M. van Dijk, G. Postma & Maarten Kleinhans (Utrecht): Martian stepped deltas record rapid water release.

Jonathan Booth (Aberystwyth), P. Brewer, M. Macklin & S. Tooth: The response of steepland coastal catchments to the AD 365 instantaneous uplift event & late Holocene climate change, western Crete.

Nicholas Odoni (Durham) & S.E. Darby: More bang for your buck: metamodels as tools in geomorphological modeling.

Julian Leyland (Southampton) & S.E. Darby: Exploring the drivers of long term development of incised coastal channels (Chines) on the Isle of Wight using a numerical model.

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Poster Presentations

Slope Processes

Chadi Abdallah (National Council for Scientific Research, Lebanon) & R. Bou Kheir: Volumetric block fall mapping using GIS-decision tree models.

Susan Conway (Open University), M.R. Balme, J.B. Murray & M.C. Towner: Icelandic debris flows and their relationship to Martian gullies.

Alan Dykes (Kingston): Peat landslides in the British Isles.

Rania Bou Kheir (National Council for Scientific Research, Lebanon): Designing erosion management plans in Lebanon using remote sensing, GIS and decision-tree modelling'

David Milledge (Durham), S.N. Lane & J. Warburton: What controls shallow landslide size?

John Wainwright (Sheffield), M. Rossi, F. Guzzetti & B.D. Malamud: Simulating landslide frequency-magnitude relationships.

Landscape Evolution

Mikaël Attal (Edinburgh) & J. Lavé: Pebble abrasion by inter-particle collision during fluvial transport: experimental results and implications for landscape development.

Vladimir Belyaev (Moscow State University): Monitoring of geomorphic processes at crossings of small river valleys by high-capacity long-range oil and gas pipelines during the construction period.

Simon Brocklehurst (Manchester), K. MacGregor & D. Foster: Numerical modelling of glacial landscape response to tectonic and climatic forcing.

Caroline Burberry (Imperial College, London), J.W. Cosgrove & J-G Liu: Drainage diversion patterns and landform morphology as an indicator of deformation style in the Zagros Simply Folded Belt, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Lucy Clarke (Exeter), T.A. Quine & A.P. Nicholas: Alluvial fans: An experimental investigation.

Ian Evans (Durham): Broad confirmation of the allometric development of glacial cirques: relevance to the ‘buzzsaw hypothesis’.

Ian Foster (Coventry), J. Boardman, K. Rowntree, T. Mighall, L. Dupreez & J. Gates: Landscape response to climate and environmental change, Eastern cape, South Africa.

Richard Pope (Derby), I. Candy, A. Murray & G. Ferrier: Utilising optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and Multi-collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS)-based U-series dating to derive high resolution fan chronologies: initial results from Sfakia, Crete’

Liam Reinhardt (Exeter) & M. Ellis: Mountain evolution: autogenic dynamics in an experimental system.

Alexander Whittaker (Imperial College, London) & S.J. Boulton: Quantifying the slip-rates, spatial distribution and evolution of active normal faults from geomorphic analysis: Field examples from an oblique-extensional graben, Southern Turkey.

Numerical Simulation of Aeolian and Fluvial Systems

Tom Coulthard (Hull): Wind versus water: Cellular modelling of aeolian and fluvial processes.

Steve Darby (Southampton), L. Nardi, R. Scozzafava, L. Solari & M. Rinaldi: Simulating the fluvial erosion of fine-grained river banks.

Johnny Douvinet (Caen), D. Delahaye & P. Langlois: Cellular modelling of topographic influence on rapid muddy

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floods: Scale effects and emergencies.

R.J. Hardy, D.R. Parsons, Stuart Lane (Durham), J.L. Best, O. Orfeo & R. Kostaschuk: Three-dimensional modelling of flow over a natural dune field in a large river with time evolving topography.

Christopher Hutton (Exeter), R.E. Brazier, A.P. Nicholas & M. Nearing: Modelling ephemeral channel evolution in the American South-west.

Andrew Nicholas (Exeter), M. Amsler, P.J. Ashworth, J.L. Best, R.J. Hardy, S.N. Lane, O. Orfeo, N.O. Parker, D.R. Parsons, C. Ramonell, A.J.H. Reesink, G.H. Sambrook Smith, S. Simmons & R. Szupiany: Reduced –complexity modeling of large sand-bed rivers.

Joanna Nield (Southampton) & A.C.W. Baas: Modelling ecogeomorphic interactions and response in aeolian dune fields.

Fluvial Processes and Morphodynamics

Andrew Best (Birmingham), D. Lawler, J. Bridgeman, I. Foster & S. Harper: Anticlockwise hysteresis and downstream translation effects in fluvial suspended sediment transport dynamics in a highly urbanized river: challenging the first-flush model.

James Cooper (Hull) & S.J. Tait: The spatial organisation of time-averaged streamwise velocity and its correlation with the surface topography of water-worked gravel beds.

Mark Fonstad (Texas State): The local, the link, and the network: hyperscale comparisons of remotely-sensed river environments.

Claire Goulsbra (Manchester), M. Evans & J. Lindsay: Flow network expansion and contraction in a peatland headwater catchment.

Nurul Islam (Nottingham): Overland flow and sedimentation: A case study from Jamuna floodplain of Bangladesh.

Matthew Johnson (Loughborough): The influence of net-spinning caddisfly larvae on river-gravel stability: an experimental field and laboratory flume investigation.

Nina Kilham (UC Santa Barbara), M.B. Singer & R.E. Aalto: Floodplain sedimentation on the Feather River, California.

Timea Kiss (Szeged), V. Oroszi & G. Sipos: Consequence of 19th Century levee constructions: Accelerated floodplain aggradation on the River Maros, Hungary.

Luca Mao (Padova), N. Surian & L. Ziliani: Morphological response of a gravel-bed river to different flood events.

Chris Parker (Nottingham) & C.R. Thorne: Quantitatively accounting for catchment-scale sediment dynamics in UK rivers.

Dan Parsons (Leeds), S.M. Simmons, J.L. Best, K.A. Oberg, K.K. Johnson & C. Malzone: Large-scale river dune sediment transport dynamics revealed by multibeam sonar imaging.

Steven Sandbach (Leeds), D.R. Parsons, G.M. Keevil, J.L. Best, S.N. Lane, R.E. Thomas & R.J. Hardy: Flow structures, sediment transport and controls at river bifurcations: a laboratory flume experiment.

Richard Stockdale (Hull), S.J. McLelland, R. Middleton & T.J. Coulthard: Measuring river velocities using GPS river flow tracers.

Tri Van (Southampton) & P.A. Carling: To identify the spatially distributed roughness within a bifurcation river system.

Soil, Erosion and Nutrients

Merche Bodí (València), A. Cerdà, S.H. Doerr & J. Mataix-Solera: The effects of ash on runoff and soil loss in

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recently burned terrain.

Richard Brazier (Exeter), G. Bilotta & C. Deasy: Erosion and nutrient delivery from intensively managed grasslands: a hidden problem?

Tim Burt (Durham) & N. Howden: Nitrate breakthrough curves for the Dorset Chalk – an empirical approach.

Artemi Cerdà (València) & M.B. Boda: Soil erosion by surface and subsurface flow in Mediterranean orange orchards under organic farming managements.

Kathy Chandler (Lancaster): Investigating the spatial influence of single oak trees (Quercus robur) on soil permeability.

Holly Croft (Exeter) & K. Anderson: Hyperspectral, in situ directional reflectance measurements for soil degradation monitoring.

Magalie Delmas (Paris), O. Cerdan & J.M. Mouchel: Preliminary study on the origin of river sediment export in Europe: taking into account hillslopes characteristics and spatial variability.

Philip Greenwood (Exeter), D.E. Walling & T.A. Quine: Assessing the physical characteristics of rill and inter-rill-eroded sediment using Caesium-134 and Cobalt-60 as tracers.

Sam Pillidge (Plymouth), W.H. Blake, A. Williams & D. Bright: Evaluating the role of buffer strips in arable catchments using fallout radionuclide tracers.

Phil Taylor (Plymouth), W.H. Blake & M.A. Russell: Using sediment source information to inform management decisions in a flood-prone catchment.

Rock Geomorphology and Coastal Systems

Franco Cucchi (Trieste), S. Furlani, L. Zini & M. Tretiach: Endolitic lichens and limestone weathering: a geostatistical approach.

Alejandra Feal-Pérez (Santiago de Compostela), R. Blanco-Chao, A. Pérez-Alberti, J. López-Bedoya & M. Valcárcel-Díaz: Field measurement of rock strength and weathering in geomorphology: methodological approach with Schmidt Rock Test Hammer and durometer.

Lluís Gómez-Pujol (Esporles) & J.J. Fornós: Coastal microrills: a morphometric and SEM approach.

Lluís Gómez-Pujol (Esporles), W.J. Stephenson & J.J. Fornós: Short-term microtopography change on supratidal carbonate rock outcrops (s’Aladern, Mallorca, Balearic Islands).

Rob Inkpen (Portsmouth): Analysing scale in physical geography.

Rob Inkpen (Portsmouth) & D. Mottershead: Morphological changes in shore platforms: Illustrations from Prawle and the Isle of Wight.

Cherith Moses (Sussex), D.A. Robinson, R.B.G. Williams & U. Dornbusch: Recent advances in quantifying chalk shore platform downwearing.

Tommaso De Pippo (Naples), D. Guida & A. Valente: Morphological evolution of a slope-over-wall profile in Southern Italy.

Tim Scott (Plymouth), P.E. Russell, G. Masselink & A. Wooler: Seasonal and geographical variations in rip currents and beach morphology: implications for beach safety in the UK.

Wayne Stephenson (Melbourne) & L.A. Naylor: Within site geological contingency and its effect on shore platform development.

Adam Switzer (Hong Kong) & C.H. Chim: Mega clasts on rocky shorelines in Australasia: A review and re-evaluation of their role in palaeowashover studies.

Heather Viles (Oxford), B. Ehlmann & O. Sass: Boulders and geomorphology: Some new approaches to old (and new) questions.

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POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH FUND: Fieldwork Report: Fine dust generation using controlled laboratory and wind tunnel conditions at the US Department of Agriculture, Texas Tech University

Alice Lucia O’Donoghue - University of Salford

The BSG postgraduate research fund made possi-ble a fieldtrip to the wind erosion laboratory at the Agriculture Research Service, US Department of Agriculture in Lubbock, Texas, last November. Sediment samples collected at the Bodélé Depres-sion in Chad as part of a larger study, BoDEx http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/research/projects/bodex were brought to Texas and used to simulate dust emission using state of the art equipment.

The Bodélé is perceived to be one of the dustiest places on Earth (Warren et al., 2007; Chappell et al., 2008). The effects are far reaching and have serious implications for future climate as dust particles trap sunlight and cause changes in at-mospheric heating and Earth surface temperature (Miller et al., 2004; Tegen et al., 2006). It is a unique dust source due to the presence of several large mega-barchan dunes made up of diatomite particles of varying sizes.

This study uses measurements of windblown ma-terial trapped at 40 GPS locations across 3 mega-barchan dunes to reveal important information about the surface processes that produce large quantities of dust. It is the first study of the Bodélé to examine the variation in fine scale sur-face processes occurring on individual dunes and their downwind playa floors. The overall aim was to reconstruct the major dust production proc-

esses active in the study sites and demonstrate how a particular surface process can cause varia-tion in the quantity of dust emitted from a spe-cific surface type e.g. playa floor or dune surface.

The influence of different density minerals on overall aerosol emission potential was examined using results from Lubbock Dust Generation, Analysis and Sampling System (LDGASS)

(Zobeck et al., 1997) experi-ments, whilst wind tunnel simulations were used to quantify increasing amounts of dust produced under bombardment by different density materials and pro-duce estimates of dust emis-sion for Bodélé surface ma-terial using a range of ratios of different minerals present in the study area (namely diatomite and quartz). The

LDGASS has the potential to imitate dust emission by gen-

erating aerosol particles in situ. It is also capable of quantifying and collecting PM20 (particulate matter less than 20 microns in diameter) sam-ples. The apparatus consists of a dust generator consisting of a 1 metre long 7.5 cm2 aluminum tube in which kinetic energy is applied by gravity to a dust source soil sample to generate dust (Amante-Orozco, 2000). An electric motor is connected at the centre rotates the chamber 180 degrees and causes the sample to fall to the bot-tom of the tube. The impact of the sample hitting the bottom releases dust which is then sucked out of the chamber and into a settling chamber (45 cm length x 30 cm width) where where the dust plumes are sampled using the following devices: (1) an aerosol sampler ‘MiniVol’ (Airmetrics, Inc.). A known volume of dust laden air per unit of time is drawn through a filter and by weighing the filter before and after an experiment the dust

Figure 1. Wind tunnel (left) and Lubbock Dust Generation System (LDGASS) (right).

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concentration can be calculated (Amante-Orozco, 2000); (2) a ‘DataRAM’, uses a forward-scattering integrating nephelometer to optically measure dust concentrations and collect instantaneous data measuring dust concentrations in the air.

A factorial design of treatments was adopted for the samples. The factors and corresponding levels were as follows: 4 different ratios of quartz to di-atomite (10:90, 30:70, 50:50, 80:20) were used for 3 different sample masses (10, 30 and 60 grams) and 4 different particle size samples (500, 850, 1000, 2000 microns). This design gave a to-tal of 24 runs each with at least 2 replicates. Pre-liminary results show that as the percentage of quartz increased and the diatomite decreased, that the total quantity of dust emitted increased. Sample mass had a signifi-cant effect on dust emis-sion potential because there is a positive correla-tion between kinetic en-ergy and sample mass. In general, as the kinetic en-ergy applied to the sample increased, the quantity of dust produced increased.

For the wind tunnel simu-lations, a tray of sedimet was used as a target and an abrader was fed into the tunnel in order to simulate surface processes in the study sites.

Chunks of diatomite were fixed into trays filled with silicon. The surfaces were leveled with a spirit-level. The trays were fixed on to the work-ing section of the wind tunnel floor and made level with the floor surface. The aim was to calcu-late horizontal and vertical flux data for the mate-rial abraded in the wind tunnel.and quantify the increased amounts of dust produced under bom-bardment by the quartz abrader. The abrader con-sisted of washed commerical quartz measuring approximately 500 microns in diameter. The di-mensions of the surrogate surface were 20 cm by 20 cm. Each run had a duration of 15 minutes, with the wind speed increasing from zero as fast as possible. There were some technical problems with the wind tunnel which led to inconclusive results. The findings showed that a larger target

tray was needed as well as a harder quartz abrader.

Previous studies assume that dust emission is homogenous across global hot spots and fail to take mineralogy into account in their dust emis-sion models, however this study shows that emis-sion is not only variable due to mineralogy but is also highly localized. The study showed that dust production varies according to mineralogy and as most surfaces consist of a mixture of different minerals, it is necessary to account for the bulk particle density of each component mineral when estimating dust emission. It is hoped that the re-sults of the study will help to inform future dust models and contribute to the field of knowledge in this area.

References

Chappell A., Warren A., O’Donoghue A., Robin-son A., Thomas A.D. and Bristow C. (2008) The implications for large scale dust emission model-ling of spatial and vertical variation in dust flux and size measurements from the Bodélé Depres-sion, Chad. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, doi: 10.1029/2007JD009032 (in press).

Warren et al. (2007) Dust-raising in the dustiest place on earth. Geomorphology, doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2007.02.007

Zobeck T.M., Gill T.E., Stout J.E., Zhang M.L., Kennedy A.C., and Gregory. J.M. (1997) Analysis of laboratory-generated dust suspensions derived from soils and roads. 1997 ASAE Annual Inter-national Meeting, Paper No. 972030, 18 pp.

Figure 2. A proportion of the samples (with different ratios of quartz to diatomite) used in the LDGASS (above left) and trays of diatomite used in the wind tunnel

simulations (above right).

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NEW THESIS:

Yiwen Zhao (2008) Livestock impacts on hydrological connectivity

Ph.D. thesis, School of Geography, University of Leeds

ABSTRACT. In response to sustainable land management requirements and catchment-scale hydrological modelling needs, scientific interest in hydrological connectivity has grown. However, little is known about how hydrological connec-tivity is impacted by management. While there has been much research into livestock grazing and soil erosion in the UK, relatively little research has been conducted to characterize the hydrologi-cal patterns of livestock impacts, especially in or-ganic soils which might be more vulnerable to en-vironmental degradation. This thesis examines livestock impacts, as a land use case study, to con-ceptualize the dynamic nature of hydrological connectivity and its potential changes on hillslope and catchment hydrology. Different grazing strategies on organic soils (blanket peats and peaty gleys) in the uplands of Upper Wharfedale and Teesdale and organo-mineral soils (stagnogleys) in lowlands at Kirkby Overblow, northern England are investigated. Field meas-urements and monitoring are combined with laboratory experiments and process-based dis-tributed modelling. Results suggest that compaction effects from sheep differ between soil types and topographic context but that they were generally confined to the upper 20 cm of the soil profile but with greater impacts in the upper 5 cm. Light-medium grazing (~9 a ha-1) significantly raised mean bulk density compared to adjacent soils with no graz-ing in the upper 10 cm of the soil profile of stag-nogleys. The relatively heavy grazing associated with frequently trampled areas under sheep tracks on stagnogleys was associated with soils with a mean bulk density 10 % greater (in the up-per 10 cm of the soil) than those in the surround-ing lightly grazed soil for stagnogleys, 2 % in 0-5 cm and 9 % in 5-10 cm layers of peaty gleys, and at least 50 % in the near surface of peats. The ef-fects of sheep tracks on soil properties and hydro-

logical function were found to extend by at least 2 m further either side of the track rather than just being a feature of the visible track alone. Removing sheep led to a substantial fall in com-paction effects in peats (10.4-21.7 % in bulk den-sity) and stagnogley soils (0.5 % in bulk density) within a short time period (4-6 years). There were also significant differences in infiltration rates between short-term exclosure sites and grazed sites. For peat soils differences between lightly grazed areas and the long-term exclo-sures (35-45 years) were not much greater than those between the lightly grazed areas and the short-term enclosures suggesting that soil re-sponse to removal of sheep can be rapid. This thesis demonstrated that both the value and actual spatial distribution of livestock may significantly decrease vertical connectivity and increase lateral connectivity, and hence increase both the spatial and temporal frequency of over-land flow. In the organic soils of the humid-temperate zone studied this is through altera-tion of saturation-excess processes rather than infiltration-excess flow generation; antecedent water stores or soil moisture content are there-fore of great importance in hydrological connec-tivity responses to livestock impacts. Sheep tracks can be crucial in producing more rapid and connected overland flow on peats and stag-nogleys, and effects extend several metres ether side of the track. Blanket peats are more vul-nerable to livestock grazing than stagnogleys. The modelling approach used on stagnogleys from Kirkby Overblow suggests that increasing sheep density in very wet environments would lead to enhanced flood risks in terms of overall runoff amount and more rapid response due to enhanced coupling of hillslope and river corri-dors, especially in extreme rainfall conditions.

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DIARY

Events convened or supported by the BSG

Location & Date Conference Website & Contact

Exeter, UK 2-4 July 2008 BSG Annual Conference

www.sogaer.ex.ac.uk/geography/index.html

[email protected]

London, UK 27-29 August 2008

RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2008—Geographies that Matter www.rgs.org

Events convened by organisations other than the BSG


Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece 1-6 June 2008

University of the Aegean/UNESCO International Conference—Studying, Modelling and Sense Making of Planet Earth

ftp://ftp.aegean.gr/Anakoinoseis/Geography/07_04_01/INTERNATIONAL_CONFERENCE_2008_1st_ announcement.pdf

Karlovy Vary, Carlsbad, Czech Republic 2-5 June 2008

10th IMWA Congress Mine Water and the Environment www.natur.cuni.cz/imwa2008/

Buenos Aires, Argen-tina 3-6 June 2008

XII Argentine Meeting of Sedimentology www.sedimentologia.org.ar/xiiras

Loughborough, UK 5 June 2008

British Hydrological Society National Meeting—Ecohydraulics at Scales Relevant to Organisms

www.hydrology.org.uk/meetings_events.asp http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~gysr/ecohydraulics/Ecohydraulics_indx_April.html

Pennsylvania, USA 5-8 June 2008

The Biennial Meeting of the American Quaternary Association (AMQUA) - Quaternary Ice Sheet-Ocean Interactions and Landscape Responses

www.amqua.org/news/meetings/ www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/quaternary/

Birmingham, UK 15-19 June 2008

12th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR 2008) www.gpr2008.org.uk

Venezia, Italy 16-21 June 2008

4th ECRR International Conference on River Restoration

www.ecrr.org/conf08/home.htm www.ecrr.org/conf08/conf08a2.pdf

Morschach, Switzerland 23-25 June 2008 Interdisciplinary Workshop on Rockfall Protection www.wsl.ch/rockfallprotection2008

Vancouver, Canada 13-18 July 2008 Goldschmidt 2008 Conference—From Sky to Sea www.goldschmidt2008.org

Oslo, Norway 6-14 August 2008

33rd International Geological Congress—Earth System Science: Foundation for Sustainable Development

www.33igc.org

Bochum, Germany 1-3 September 2008

26th International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS) Meeting of Sedimentology

www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ias2008/index.htm [email protected]

Bochum, Germany 8-12 September 2008

1st Joint Congress of AG/AIG Working Groups—Human Impacts on the Landscape; Geomorphological Hazards

www.geographie.rub.de/institut/Tagung_HILS_Bochum/Webseiten/index.html

Colorado, USA 9-12 September 2008 3rd IAG/AIG SEDIBUD Meeting

www.geomorph.org/wg/wgsb.html www.colorado.edu/mrs

Columbus, Ohio, USA 14-18 September 2008 16th National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop http://streams.osu.edu/conf.php

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Events convened by organisations other than the BSG (continued)


Cadiz, Spain 14-19 September 2008 10th Spanish Geomorphological Meeting www.xreungeomorfcadiz.com

Exeter, UK 15-17 September 2008 RSPSoc 2008 Conference

www.rspsoc2008.org http://tre-research.ex.ac.uk/rspsoc2008/RSPSoc2008flyer.pdf

Prague, Czech Republic 15-18 September 2008

HydroPredict 2008—Predictions for Hydrology, Ecology and Water Resources Management (IAHS) www.natur.cuni.cz/hydropredict2008/

Kalahari Desert Southern Africa 16-19 September 2008

3rd Southern Deserts Conference—Climate Change and the Peopling of the Southern Deserts www.geog.oc.ac.uk/news/events/3sdc/

Brasov, Romania 16-26 September 2008

IAG Regional Conference on Geomorphology—Landslides, Floods and Global Environmental Change in Mountain Regions

www.geomorph.org/ www.geoinst.ro/

Bahía Blanca, Argentina 29 September-3 October 2008

Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association—ECSA 44 Symposium Science and management of Estuaries and Coasts

http://ecsa44.criba.edu.ar

Houston, Texas, USA 5-9 October 2008 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America

https://www.acsmeetings.org/2008/ www.geosociety.org/meetings/2008/index.htm

Hakodate, Japan 7-11 October 2008

5th Japan-Korea-China International Workshop—Earth Surface Processes and Historical Environmental Changes in East Asia

[email protected]

Austin, Texas, USA 10-11 October 2008

39th Annual Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium—Fluvial Deposits and Environmental History

https://webspace.utecas.edu/hudsonpf/binghamton.html

Dehraden, India 23-25 October 2008

Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology—International Symposium on Mountain Building and Climate-Tectonic Interaction

www.wihg.res.in/forthcomingprograms.htm

London, UK 6-7 November 2008

The Geological Society—Rivers, Estuaries, Deltas, and Beaches: Traps for Fossil Fuels www.geolsoc.org.uk/petroleum

Urumqi, China 16-22 November 2008

3rd International Symposium on Larger Asian Rivers—Climate Change, River Flow and Watershed Management

[email protected]

Tokyo, Japan 18-20 November 2008

International Consortium on Landslides—First World Landslide Forum http://iclhq.org/

Christchurch, New Zealand 1–5 December 2008

ICCE-IAHS Symposium—Sediment Dynamics in Changing Environments www.civil.canterbury.ac.nz/icce2008/

Vienna, Austria 20-23 April 2009

HydroEco2009 2nd International Multidisciplinary Con-ference on Hydrology and Ecology www.natur.cuni.cz/hydroeco2009/

Melbourne, Australia 7-12 July 2009

7th International Conference on Geomorphology (ANZIAG) - Ancient Landscapes-Modern perspectives

www.geomorphology2009.com

With thanks to International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) GEOMORPHLIST, hosted and maintained by Dr David Wilkins, Boise State University, USA, available at: http://earth.boisestate.edu/home/dwilkins/geomorphlist/geomorph-l.htm

39

Geophemera 103

BECOME A MEMBER OF

THE BRITISH SOCIETY FOR GEOMORPHOLOGY (BSG)

Why join the BSG?

° Contact with a world-wide body of geomorpholo-

gists; ° Geophemera, the tri-annual newsletter of the BSG

containing news, views, reports, forthcoming confer-ence announcements, registers of new students and grants and much, much more;

° Access to a variety of research and conferences fund-ing opportunities;

° Funds targeted directly at postgraduates; ° Opportunities to attend fixed-term working groups

on specific developments or topic areas within Geo-morphology, postgraduate training workshops, con-ferences and field trips;

° Discounted subscriptions to Earth Surface Proc-esses & Landforms and other journals – e.g. Hydro-logical Processes, Journal of Quaternary Science and Geomorphology.

How do I join & how much does it cost? ° Please print out a membership form from the BSG

website, complete the form, and send it to the Hon. Sec. together with your subscription. The form will be used both as a record of your wish to take up membership of the BSG and to establish a comput-erised database of members. The information will be used in the strictest confidence (under the Data Protection Act) all members will have access to their own records on request. The annual subscription rate to the BSG is:

£30 for full membership per year (or £75 for five

years for overseas members). Unwaged, fulltime undergraduate students and re-

tired members pay £12 per year whilst postgraduate students may pay £45 for a three-year membership, commencing at the beginning of their research pro-ject.

° Subscriptions may be paid by standing order (by

completing the form from the website and sending to your bank and the Membership Secretary), cheque, or money order. Administration costs can be reduced if members pay by standing order. Cheques should be made payable to the British Soci-ety for Geomorphology and made out in pounds sterling. Other currencies cannot be accepted.

Grants available from the BSG

The BSG runs a range of different grant pro-grammes spanning research & education initia-tives and conference travel. The grant deadlines are September and march each year. Full details of eligibility, and application forms are available

at www.geomorphology.org.uk

The main categories of grant available are:

Research Grants: These are available to contribute to small projects or specific costs of research. Grants are available to all non-postgraduate members of the BSG and are judged on their scientific merit. Maximum of

£1000.

Postgraduate Research Funds: Available to all postgraduate members registered for a higher degree. They are primarily to support

students who do not receive full funding, or where an opportunity has arisen to add value to

an existing PhD programme. Maximum of £500.

Postgraduate Conference Fund: Assists postgraduate members in presenting a paper/poster at a conference & is intended to

cover part of the total cost of registration, accommodation and travel.

BSG Fixed Term Working Groups: The BSG funds up to 3 working groups at one

time to enable members to meet to discuss spe-cific topic areas. Funding up to £500/year.

Long Term Geomorphological Monitoring:

To supply small sums (up to £200 pa) to support individuals to maintain long term monitoring

sites (at least 10 years).

Web Resources Development Grant: Grants of up to £500 for projects to develop web resources or involving school teachers and pupils

that will raise the profile of Geomorphology in schools.

Task forces to develop proposals for major research projects:

Funding of up to £1000 available for groups of mem-bers aiming to develop major proposals for

submission to external funding bodies.

BRITISH SOCIETY FOR GEOMORPHOLOGY incorporating the BGRG

Registered Charity Number 1054260

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS - POSTAL VOTING FORM

Please complete this form if you would like to vote on the proposed Constitutional Amendments and are NOT in-tending to vote in person at the AGM. Details of the proposed amendments in each section are given in the ac-companying document (“Constitution Revisions - Explanation of Proposed Changes”).

Place a cross in ONE box in each section

a) Creation of a BSG President

For Against

b) Changes in structure to Executive

For Against

c) Three subcommittees

For Against

d) Election programme

For Against

e) Transitional arrangements

For Against

e) Minor edits, including correcting typos and grammar

For Against

Please return forms by 21st June 2008 to: Dr Richard Chiverrell, BSG Honorary Secretary, Department of Geography, Roxby Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZT.

Please insert you name below. This will be detached from the form and used to safeguard against double-voting. __________________________________________________________________________________________

Name (print):

Signature:

british society for geomorphology annual conference...

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