14th SINAGEO National Symposium of Geomorphology – Corumbá, Brazil (24-30 August 2023)

The IAG gives its auspices to the 14th SINAGEO, the National Symposium of Geomorphology in Brazil! Organised by the União da Geomorfologia Brasileira (UGB) along with the University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), it will take place in Corumbá (Brazil) on 24-30 August 2023.
The focus of that edition is ‘Geomorphology of Wetlands in the Context of Environmental Changes‘, with highlights given to the Pantanal – the largest wetland in the world – and its interactions with current environmental changes.

Registration will open on 1st May, and the deadline to submit abstracts is 1st April. Programme will be available soon, and in the meantime find the 1st circular here (in Portuguese). More information on the website of the 14th SINAGEO here.

6th International Symposium of Living with Landscapes (ISLL-6) – Marsa Alam, Egypt (24-27 September 2023)

The Egyptian Society of Environmental Change organises the 6th International Symposium of Living with Landscapes (ISLL-6), under the auspices of the IAG! The focus of this edition is ‘Living with Environmental Challenges in the Coastal Zones’, and will be held on 24-27 September 2023 in Marsa Asalam (Egypt).
It includes 11 Scientific Sessions covering a wide variety of subjects, such as natural coastal hazards, renewable energies, or applications of drones in coastal geomorphology. Two field workshops are also scheduled during the event, in the Wadi El Gemal Natural Parks (first day) and along the Marsa Alam beaches (second day). In addition, an optional post-symposium excursion is planned to the Makadi Beaches in 17-30 September.

The deadline to submit an abstract is 15 July 2023. Registration is 300€ (60€ with early career/less-favoured countries reduction), with abstract processing fees of 100€. The Egyptian Society of Environmental Change also offers two grants of 50% of registration fees to two young Egyptian researchers.

Find more information on the website of the event here.

Special Issues resulting from the 10th International Conference on Geomorphology

The 10th International Conference on Geomorphology (Coimbra, Portugal), that was held in September 2022, has resulted in the preparation of 10 Special Issues coming from various scientific Sessions:

  • Session 5: Forms, Processes and Landscape Change:
    Title: Denudation under changing environment at different temporal and spatial scales
    Journal: Geomorphology
    Editors: Juan Remondo, Achim A. Beylich, Dongfeng Li, Sara Savi
    Link
  • Session 8: Glacial and Periglacial Geomorphology
    Title: Recent trends in glacial and periglacial geomorphology
    Journal: Geomorphology
    Editors: Barbara Woronko, Goncalo Vieira, Greg Wiles, Jorge Rabassa
    Link
  • Session 9: Tectonic and Seismic Geomorphology
    Title: Selected Papers from the 10th International Conference on Geomorphology (ICG2022)
    Journal: Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie
    Editors: Efthimios Karymbalis, Paola Fredi, Giandomenico Fubelli, Konstantinos Tsanakas
    Link
  • Session 9: Tectonic and Seismic Geomorphology
    Title: Tectonic Geomorphology in Different Geodynamic Contexts
    Journal: Geomorphology
    Editors: Efthimios Karymbalis, Marta Della Seta, Giandomenico Fubelli, Maria Araújo, António Gomes
    Link
  • Session 10: Fluvial Geomorphology
    Title: Fluvial geomorphology: sediment transport, river management, and extreme events at different spatial and temporal scales
    Journal: Geomorphology
    Editors: Frédéric Liébault, Vittoria Scorpio, Daniel Vazquez-Tarrio
    Link
  • Session 11: Aeolian Geomorphology
    Title: Selected Papers from the 10th International Conference on Geomorphology (ICG2022)
    Journal: Geosciences
    Editors: Ana Ramos-Pereira, Vanda de Claudino-Sales, António Campar, Abdessamad Charif, Jorge Trindade
    Link
  • Session 12: Marine and Coastal Geomorphology
    Title: Advances in Coastal Geomorphology
    Journal: Geomorphology
    Editors: Carlos Loureiro, Angela Rizzo, Stefano Furlani
    Link
  • Session 14: Karst Geomorphology
    Title: Surface-Subsurface Connectivity in Karst Geomorphology
    Journal: Geomorphology
    Editors: Mateja Ferk, Alexander Klimchouk, Luca Antonio Dimuccio, Luiz Eduardo Panisset Travassos
    Link
  • Session 19: Geomorphological Hazards and Risk Management
    Title: Geomorphological Hazards and Risk Management
    Journal: Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie
    Editors: Susana Pereira, Maria Carolina Villaça, Ana Luiza Coelho Netto
    Link
  • Session 25: Planetary Geomorphology
    Title: Planetary landscapes, landforms, and their analogues
    Journal: Earth Surface Dynamics
    Editors: Frances Butcher, Susan Conway
    Link

Webinar series from the IAG Working Group on Tectonic Geomorphology

The Tectonic Geomorphology Working Group is organising a series of five webinars, one each month between March and July 2023. You will have the opportunity to hear speakers from all around the world, talking about various topics related to tectonic geomorphology – including supra-detachment, tectonic uplift, coastal markers of tectonic activity… find the Webinar’s full programme here.

The first speaker, Dr. Emmanuel Vassilakis, is on Thursday 2nd March at 18:00 UTC.

IAG Regional Conference in Cappadocia, Türkiye (12-14 September 2023) – Registration open

The IAG is pleased to announce that registration and abstract submission are open for its Regional Conference, held in Cappadocia (Türkiye) in 12-14 September 2023! Organised by the Turkish Society for Geomorphology, the Conference will take place at the Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University in Cappadocia. A pre-conference field trip and four post-conference field trips will also be held in various places around Türkiye!

Find more information, register and submit your abstract before 30th April on the website of the conference here.

3rd Intensive Training Program of the Indian Young Geomorphologists Forum – 2-5 March 2023

The Indian Young Geomorphologists Forum organises its 3rd Intensive Training Programme for Young Geomorphologists on 2-5 March 2023, under the auspices of the IAG. The event will be held in Computer Aided Design Centre, Jadavpur University (Kolkata) and focused on the theme ‘Application of UAV (drone) in Geomorphological Studies and Environmental Monitoring‘.

The four-days intensive training course will provide Young Geomorphologists with an overview on UAV technologies, image processing and mapping, and a field trip (5 March) in the coastal environment of the Indian Sundarban – with UAV-based applications. Applicants are expected to have a clear understanding of geomorphology and interest in the research domain, along with basic knowledge in statistics, field instruments and RS-GIS.

Register via that online form, before 20 February, for 2,700 rupees (~ 30€). The first 40 applicants that fulfil the requirements will be accommodated. Registration fees include working lunch, workshop kit and field trip but not the accommodation.

For further details, including the payment options, find the circular here.

International Geomorphology Week 2023: programmes available and registration open!

The IAG is happy to unveil the programme of the International Geomorphology Week 2023 (1st – 7th March)! Registration for the Regional Webinars is now open and free. Remember that anyone is welcome to attend any Regional Webinar, and that other events will be conducted in the scope of the IGW2023 under the auspices of the IAG!

Find the list of the events and their programmes here, and register to regional webinars on our Eventbrite page here.

CALL for GRANTS for the European Meeting of Young Geomorphologists (Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, 9-11 June 2023)

The International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) offers 2 travel grants of 300 (three-hundred) Euros to support the participation of two Young Geomorphologists* worldwide (except those based in France, Switzerland and Italy) who are willing to take part in the European Meeting of Young Geomorphologists (Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, 9–11 June 2023). The preference will be given to applicants for countries without young geomorphologists groups. The meeting is organised by the Young Geomorphologists of the Swiss, French and Italian Geomorphological Societies under the auspices of the IAG.
The meeting will gather young researchers interested in geomorphology. The event will focus on regional-scale studies, including the interactions between climate change, human societies and landscape evolution in fluvial, periglacial and glacial environments. The program of the meeting involves: i) a conference, where the participants will present their research, and ii) a two-days excursion in Chamonix Valley and Veny Valley to discover the fluvial and periglacial geomorphology in alpine environments.
For further information on the meeting, please visit:
https://geomorphology.ch/en/uuid/i/c16027ac-85c2-57c8-b2df-510bacd9c3a2-European_Young_Geomorphologists_Meeting

Applications from candidates who already achieved one or more IAG grants totalling 500 euros or more in the past 3 years will not be eligible.

Candidates for IAG GRANTS are requested to submit the following files up to Monday 20 February 2023:

  • Application form (.pdf/.doc);
  • Short CV (maximum 2 pages long), including no more than 10 papers;
  • Certificate of the highest degree achieved (with the date of achievement);
  • Abstract submitted (or to be submitted) to the event.

Files should be submitted to:

Anita Bernatek-Jakiel and Efthimios Karymbalis, IAG Training Officers
e-mail: iaggrants@gmail.com (e-mail subject: “Chamonix-Mont-Blanc 2023”)

The selection of candidates will be carried out by a Commission appointed by the IAG Executive Committee. 

Prof. Efthimios Karymbalis          Dr. Anita Bernatek-Jakiel
IAG Training Officer                     IAG Training Officer
karymba@hua.gr          anita.bernatek@uj.edu.pl

 

*Undergraduate or postgraduate – Masters/PhD students or scientists who have received their highest degree, i.e. BSc, MSc, or PhD, within the past seven years. Provided parental leave fell into that period, up to one year of parental leave time may be added per child, where appropriate.

Reports by IAG Grant Holders – ICG 2022 Intensive Course for Young Geomorphologists (17-20 September 2022, Guimarães, Portugal)

Attendees of the post-conference intensive course with Prof. Sílvio Rodrigues (photo from Flávio Fernandes).

The 10th International Conference on Geomorphology took place in Coimbra (Portugal) on 12-16 September 2022. The IAG, the European Geoscience Union (EGU) and the French Geomorphology Group (GFG) offered grants to 19 Young Geomorphologists totaling 22,500€, for them to attend that event, as well as the post-conference intensive course. Find a summary of the grant distribution in the table below.

Concerning the conference, all grant holders emphasized the great organisation, from the conference venue to the catering provided. They also appreciated the opportunity to discover Portugal, and especially the city of Coimbra – either through the guided trip or individually.
All grant holders reported on the high-quality of the oral presentations and posters during the whole week, as well as inspiring keynote lectures. They considered that ICG2022 was a wonderful opportunity for them to present their recent research projects, but also to learn about the novelties in each of their fields of research. The event was especially fruitful in helping to strengthen their network and build new collaborations.

The post-conference intensive course definitely left grant holders with awesome memories. Activities were diverse (lectures, practical courses, field trips) and organised in a professional environment that made this course very productive for everyone. Besides the professional point of view, they emphasized the outstanding landscapes and the friendly atmosphere among students and organisers.

Overall, the grant holders are thankful to the IAG, the EGU and the GFG for their grants, as for some of them their participation in the conference and intensive course would not have been possible otherwise. They encourage every Young Geomorphologist around the world to apply for such grants, as it opens a wide range of opportunities – both from a professional and personal points of view.

Find all the reports in .pdf here.

Reports by IAG Grant Holders – BSG Post-Graduate Training Workshop (Windsor, UK, 5-8th December 2022)

The workshop attendees with Prof. John Wainwright (photo from the report of Maƚgorzata Szczypińska).

Maƚgorzata Szczypińska and Alessia Sorrentino were awarded grants of 300€ each to attend the Post-Graduate Training Workshop organised by the British Society for Geomorphology (BSG), more specifically Dr. Lucy Clark and Prof. John Wainwright. With this grant, they stayed four days in Windsor (UK) at the Cumberland Lodge. Their full reports can be found in PDF here:

They both highlight the great working environment at Cumberland Lodge, which gave off “professionalism combined with a friendly, supportive atmosphere”.  They were also very happy with the content of the lectures: topics were “important” and sometimes “not always discussed”, for instance the presence of predatory journals in the system of research publication. Concerning the socialisation, Alessia judged “crucial” the numerous activities and breaks with the groups, and Maƚgorzata appreciated to “confront [his] research experiences” with other PhD students. Overall, they both report a very good experience, which notably helped them to “feel more comfortable with [their] skills” and gave them “tips and tricks” to help them during the completion of their PhD.

CALL for GRANTS for the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) Workshop, at the 6th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP) 2023 (Puigcerdà, Spain, 18–22 June)

The International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) announces the offering of 2 travel grants of 350 € (three hundred and fifty Euros) to support the participation of two Young Geomorphologists* worldwide (except those based in Spain) in the Permafrost Young Research Network (PYRN) Workshop at the 6th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2023) (Puigcerdà, Spain, 18–22 June 2023).

The aim of the PYRN organisation is to gather young permafrost researchers to network and share ideas on the latest scientific discoveries on permafrost. The meeting will be held at the Museu Cerdà in Puigcerdà, Spain. The Workshop and social event will focus on training and networking specifically young permafrost scientists. The event will involve a whole day of workshops on both technical and soft skills. The program of the Workshop involves: i) half day of talks on permafrost-related scientific topics; ii) half day of talks on soft-skills topics, e.g., writing proposals, pursuing a permafrost career outside academia.

For further information on the event, please visit: http://eucop2023.com/

Applications from candidates who already achieved one or more IAG grants totalling 500 euros or more in the past 3 years will not be eligible.

Candidates for IAG GRANTS are requested to submit the following files up to Monday 6 February 2023:

  • Application form (.doc / .pdf);
  • Short CV (maximum 2 pages long), including no more than 10 papers related to the Conference themes;
  • Certificate of the highest degree achieved (with the date of achievement);
  • Abstract submitted (or to be submitted) to the Conference.

Files should be submitted to:

Anita Bernatek-Jakiel and Efthimios Karymbalis, IAG Training Officers
e-mail: iaggrants@gmail.com (e-mail subject: “PYRN Workshop 2023”)

The selection of candidates will be carried out by a Commission appointed by the IAG Executive Committee. For further information on the IAG Grants feel free to contact the IAG Training Officers.

 

Prof. Efthimios Karymbalis          Dr. Anita Bernatek-Jakiel
IAG Training Officer                     IAG Training Officer
karymba@hua.gr          anita.bernatek@uj.edu.pl

 

*Undergraduate or postgraduate – Masters/PhD students or scientists who have received their highest degree, i.e. BSc, MSc, or PhD, within the past seven years. Provided parental leave fell into that period, up to one year of parental leave time may be added per child, where appropriate.

CALL for GRANTS for the 3rd IAG-DENUCHANGE Working Group Workshop 2023 (Haifa, Israel, 13-16 March)

The International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) announces the offering of 2 travel grants of 450 (four hundred and fifty Euros) to support the participation of two Young Geomorphologists* worldwide (except those based in Israel) in the 3rd IAG-DENUCHANGE-2023 Working Group Workshop (Haifa, Israel, 13–16 March 2023).

The meeting will take place at the University of Haifa, followed by two days of field trips, including geoarchaeological study sites, long and short-term denudation areas and various research sites along the Dead Sea shores. The Workshop aims to gather various Earth scientists from all around the world to contribute to a better understanding of the Earth surface systems, and to facilitate future collaboration. The program of the Workshop includes a special session dedicated to presentations given by Young Geomorphologists. During the Workshop, the Young Geomorphologists will have the opportunity to meet and engage discussions with scientists from various countries, and visit cutting-edge scientific study sites.

For further information on the Workshop, please visit: https://denuchange.wixsite.com/denuchange2023/home

Applications from candidates who already achieved one or more IAG grants totalling 500 euros or more in the past 3 years will not be eligible.

Candidates for IAG GRANTS are requested to submit the following files up to Monday 16 January 2023:

  • Application form (.doc / .pdf);
  • Short CV (maximum 2 pages long), including no more than 10 papers related to the Conference themes;
  • Certificate of the highest degree achieved (with the date of achievement);
  • Abstract submitted (or to be submitted) to the Conference.

Files should be submitted to:

Anita Bernatek-Jakiel and Efthimios Karymbalis, IAG Training Officers
e-mail: iaggrants@gmail.com (e-mail subject: “IAG-DENUCHANGE-2023”)

The selection of candidates will be carried out by a Commission appointed by the IAG Executive Committee. For further information on the IAG Grants, feel free to contact the IAG Training Officers.

Prof. Efthimios Karymbalis          Dr. Anita Bernatek-Jakiel
IAG Training Officer                     IAG Training Officer
karymba@hua.gr          anita.bernatek@uj.edu.pl

 

*Undergraduate or postgraduate – Masters/PhD students or scientists who have received their highest degree, i.e. BSc, MSc, or PhD, within the past seven years. Provided parental leave fell into that period, up to one year of parental leave time may be added per child, where appropriate.

European Young Geomorphologists Meeting 2023 (9-11 June, Chamonix, France)

The IAG gave its auspices to the European Young Geomorphologists Meeting, to be held in Chamonix (France) from June 9th to 11th! This event is organised by the Young Geomorphologists of the Swiss Geomorphological Society, the Italian Association of Physical Geography and Geomorphology, and the French Geomorphology Group. Its purpose is to gather the community of european young geomorphologists for them to present their work and discuss novel research in geomorphology.

The first day will be dedicated to oral presentations, and the two next days to field trips in the Chamonix and Veny Valleys. Registration is open to all young researchers, costs 40€ and is limited to 40 participants. Register and submit your abstract here (abstract submission deadline: March 15th). For more information, find the first circular here, and the event website here. If you have questions contact the young geomorphologists representatives for Switzerland (young@geomorphology.ch), Italy (italianyounggeomorphologists@gmail.com) and France (frenchyounggeomorph@gmail.com).

Report from the 10th International Conference on Geomorphology in Coimbra (Portugal)

The 10th International Conference on Geomorphology (10th ICG) was held from 12 to 16 September 2022 in Coimbra (Portugal). It comprised 25 scientific sessions (program), a post-conference intensive course designed for Young Geomorphologists (intensive course guide), and pre-, mid-, and post-conference field trips (field guides). The 10th ICG also hosted meetings of the IAG Executive Committee and the IAG General Assembly, as well as social events.

The following report (in .pdf here) was written by the Local Organising Committee:

10th IAG International Conference on Geomorphology Report

1. Background leading up to the Conference

Photo 1 – Opening session of the Conference

The organisation, preparation and hosting of the 10th International Conference on Geomorphology of the IAG were affected by two large-scale international events which had a major impact on people’s ability to meet and move around: firstly, the COVID 19 pandemic, of which the aftereffects are still being felt, and more recently, the war between Russia and Ukraine. The direct constraints and uncertainties about the short-term future led to the postponement of the Conference from 2021 to 2022, as well as a successive postponement of the deadlines set for each of the preparation phases, and to a significant reduction in the number of registrations, both due to the uncertainties and insecurity in relation to the pandemic crisis and, later, due to the war, with a natural reduction in registrations of at least Ukrainian and Russian geomorphologists. These constraints meant that some logistical adjustments had to be made, particularly to pre-established deadlines. For example, the registration deadline, which should have been the end of July, but in practice registrations were accepted until the start of the Conference, with all the small upsets that this always entails.

2. The venue of the Conference

Photo 2 – The venue of the Conference – S. Francisco Convent

As the Conference was expected to attract a thousand or so participants, the Convent of St. Francis, on the left bank of the River

Mondego in the city of Coimbra, was chosen as the venue. Due to its aesthetic and functional conditions, this option turned out to be appropriate. However, the fact that a large number of rooms had to be used, which were not initially equipped for image projection and sound installation, meant that sound, image and videoconferencing services had to be subcontracted, with inevitable additional financial costs.
The somewhat peripheral location of the Convent of St. Francis, relative to the central part of the city, prompted us to offer the participants a buffet lunch for the four days of indoor work, so as to keep to the established schedules and to favour greater interaction among the participants. This option assured the fulfilment of these objectives, since the participants remained in the event space in constant interaction and the development of the work in the scheduled times was guaranteed.

3. The cooperation of the Copernicus Agency and Abreu Travel Agency

The handling of the support work for the preparation of the Conference (website, registration for the Conference and the various associated activities, much of the interaction with participants, payments and returns) was carried out by the Copernicus Agency, whose experience and high standard of quality we are pleased to highlight. However, this agency decided not to be present in Coimbra to provide organisational support and to coordinate Secretarial tasks during the event due to ongoing uncertainties related to international travel.
Under these circumstances, we requested the assistance of a reputable national Travel Agency, Agência Abreu, to help us, both in the preparation of the Field Trips and during the Conference in the management of the Secretarial tasks. The latter task was also declined, albeit belatedly, due to a lack of available staff.
These circumstances implied an increase in the tasks that had to be borne by the local organising committee, leading to a reduction in the number of people available per task. However, we must highlight the contribution of the members of the Organising Committee, accompanied by a group of students, who spared no effort to gather the best conditions for the realisation of the event and its related activities.

4. Scientific Planning – Thematic sessions

Photo 3 – Aspect of one of the parallel sessions

The agenda of the Conference was structured in 25 thematic sessions, which stemmed from proposals of the Organising Committee and from the interaction with the members of the IAG EC, with its Working Groups and with the conveners invited to organise the work of the sessions.
Of these thematic sessions, only Session 4 – Experimental Geomorphology failed to receive proposals for presentation of work in the form of oral or poster presentations. All others were sought after by geomorphologists for presentation of their work, although not to the same level (see figure 1). Among the most sought-after sessions were:

  1. ICG2022-10 – Fluvial Geomorphology
  2. ICG2022-24 – Geoheritage, Cultural Geomorphology and Geotourism
  3. ICG2022-19 – Geomorphological Hazards and Risk Management
  4. ICG2022-8 – Glacial and Periglacial Geomorphology
  5. ICG2022-12 – Marine and Coastal Geomorphology

Fig. 1 – Distribution of the registered works by thematic sessions

For various reasons, some of the conveners were unable to travel to Coimbra, so it was necessary to find someone among the participants to replace them in the daily conduct of the thematic sessions. Invitations were sent out so that each thematic session would always have at least two chairs running the presentations.

5. Number of participants and their origin

Fig. 2 – Distribution of participants by country

Photo 4 – Conference attendees during a coffee break

According to the Copernicus Agency’s latest records (30 September 2022), 560 participants from 46 countries around the world registered for the Conference (see figure 2). Besides proximity issues, the travel difficulties experienced by potential participants originating from outside Europe help to explain the fact that European countries had a more significant representation. However, areas of the globe such as Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia were also well represented.
In any case, of the 560 geomorphologists registered, 537 were in Coimbra, which represents about 96% of the registrations made, a value that we consider quite good in view of the travel constraints (including some last-minute ones, such as the granting of visas) that the international circumstances at the time imposed.

6. Oral and poster presentations

Based on the approved abstracts, it was expected, according to the registration list, 665 works (422 oral presentations and 243 poster presentations). Since it is impossible to verify exactly the number of works actually presented, we estimate a figure of around 380 oral presentations and 215 poster presentations, which corresponds to a total of 595 works. The impression gathered from conversations with different participants and with some of the conveners was that the majority of the works presented showed high scientific quality, as well as a high degree of theoretical and methodological innovation.

Photo 5 & 6 – A view of the audience of one of the parallel sessions (left) and Poster presentations (right)

7. Field trips

Photo 7 – Field trip to Serra da Estrela

Field trips are, as a rule, one of the most sought-after activities in Geomorphology scientific events and this 10th International Conference would not be an exception! However, the uncertain conditions also weighed on the registration of the participants. Therefore, the lack or reduced number of registrations for some of the pre- and post-conference field trips, registered in July 2022, led to their cancellation, considering the expenses involved and the time needed for their preparation (guidebooks, buses, accommodation, meals). Still, at the time of the Conference 8 field trips were scheduled and available (1 pre-Conference, 4 on Wednesday during the Conference week and 3 post-Conference). Unfortunately, due to problems related to weather and safety conditions, we had to cancel at the last moment the one-day trip to Serra da Estrela (14 September 2022). The blocking of roads, the isolation of some villages and the forecast of more storms, led us, for safety reasons, to take this decision…
The pre-Conference trip to Cape Verde and one of the post-Conference trips took place with a small number of participants (only 9). The 3 trips on Wednesday had about 50 participants each and the other two post-Conference trips had more than 22 participants. According to the feedback collected, the trips were very interesting at the scientific level, highlighting the best Portuguese Geomorphology.

8. The Intensive Course for young researchers

Photo 8 – Intensive Course held at the University of Minho

An intensive course for young researchers, held at the University of Minho in Guimarães, was seamlessly integrated in the Conference activities. It consisted of integrated training activities, with lectures, fieldwork and laboratory work.
The ICG 2022 IAG-EGU intensive course for young geomorphologists was dedicated to the topic “Geomorphological changes in landscapes affected by fire: field and laboratory techniques for soil erosion analysis”. The intensive course was aimed at early career reserchers (ECR) and was attended by 22 young researchers from different countries such as Iran, India, Brazil, Costa Rica, Russia, Poland, Croatia, Italy, Canada, Republic of Korea, Israel and Slovenia (for various reasons, 3 of those enrolled could not, at the last minute, attend).
The intensive course provided training for ECRs in field surveying and soil erosion investigation in fire-affected areas, coupled with laboratory techniques (soil analysis) and with the implementation of geospatial technologies (GIS and Remote Sensing).
This event was part of the IAG training programme and provided an extraordinary opportunity for early career scientists, and especially for those from less favoured countries, to increase their knowledge in Geomorphology and soil erosion related to forest fires and to network with experienced scientists in an international but informal setting.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Geomorphology Division of the EGU, on the basis of the memorandum of understanding signed between the latter and the IAG. It was also supported by Comland – Commission on Land Degradation and Desertification, by the International Geographical Union, and by the Group Français de Geomorphologie (GFG).
The intensive course was given by specialised geomorphologists with different backgrounds (Portugal, Brazil, Spain and Israel) who delivered lectures on specific topics during the first day. The second and third days of the course were dedicated to fieldwork, where the participants could come into contact with areas affected by forest fires, and it was possible to observe and analyse several examples of soil erosion and gully development in areas affected by fire, allowing the discussion of topics covered in the lectures of the first day. The fourth and last day of the course was dedicated to laboratory work. During the morning, different soil analysis techniques were presented, explained and discussed with the participants. In the afternoon, the focus was on the implementation of geospatial technologies (GIS and RS), developing soil erosion modelling exercises with GIS and RS and the use of UAV for soil erosion monitoring and modelling.

9. Opportunity to publish the work presented

The main goal of an International Conference is the presentation and discussion of research work. This presentation is made, directly, at the time of the Conference, for those who participate in it, and is then reproduced, consolidated and disseminated to the scientific community via publications with international reach in highly reputable journals of great scientific merit. To accomplish this goal, the conveners of the different thematic sessions were encouraged to seek the publication of Special Issues in indexed journals whose content matched the theme of the papers in each session.
According to the available information, 15 collaborations of this type have been or are being negotiated, 9 of which have already been formalised: Geomorphology (Forms, Processes and Landscape Change); Geomorphologie: Reliefs, processus, environnement (Climatic Geomorphology); Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Geomorphology (Tectonic and Seismic Geomorphology); Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Global and Planetary Change (Fluvial Geomorphology); Geosciences (Aeolian Geomorphology); Geomorphology (Karst Geomorphology ); Earth Surface Dynamics (Planetary Geomorphology).
Also, a volume of the extended abstracts (up to 6 pages) with peer review is planned to be published in the ASTI Book Series (SPRINGER). There will be no charge to the authors. The proposal is already submitted, and the Conference Organising Committee is waiting for a positive feedback from Springer to start the abstract submission and review process.
These publications are expected to bring more visibility and deserved international scientific projection to the works presented at the Conference.

10. Social engagement

Photo 9 & 10 – A view of the social dinner (left) and Student performance for the participants (right)

As previously mentioned, the conditions and location of the Convent of St. Francis, within the city, made it possible to keep the participants together in the building during the proceedings. A set of social activities was prepared which included, in addition to lunches, coffee breaks, welcome drinks at the end of the first two days’ work and a social dinner on Thursday evening. The traditional music of Coimbra, which is closely linked to its student life, was provided thanks to a student music group (Estudantina), which played at the welcome drink, and a group of fados from Coimbra, which entertained us during the social dinner. We hope that the participants in the conference took a bit of Coimbra and its culture back home with them.

11. Summary and acknowledgements

In addition to the scientific sessions, namely the presentation of oral communications and posters, tributes were paid during the Conference (IAG Honorary Fellows: Dénes Lóczy (Hungary), Ana Luiza Coelho Netto (Brazil), Monique Fort (France), Antonio Cendrero Uceda (Spain), Adrian Harvey (UK) and Mike J. Kirkby (UK)), awarded (Brunsden Medal – Ghislain Zangmo Tefogoum (Cameroon) and Early Career Medal – Irene Maria Bollati (Italy) and Anita Bernatek-Jakiel (Poland)) and grants awarded for young researchers, particularly those from less developed countries to participate in the intensive course of the Conference (21 grants were awarded and the Jean Tricart Prize was awarded to the young geomorphologist Narges Kariminejad (Iran)). Elections were also held for the Executive Committee of the IAG, among many other activities that are part of the life of an International Association with the dimension and the prestige of the IAG.
The IAG 10th International Conference on Geomorphology has come to an end and our balance is very positive regarding the results achieved, both at the level of scientific debate and at the level of hosting and welcoming conditions we were able to provide to the 535 colleagues coming from 46 different countries. Thus, even though we are aware that not everything was perfect, and that we did everything to overcome the small problems that arose, we believe that the goal of organising and experiencing together a “Quality Conference” was achieved!

Table 1 – Key data from the Conference

In addition to the organisation of the scientific sessions (see Table 1) and the logistical support necessary for their operation, tributes were made, prizes were awarded, an intensive course was conducted, and elections were held, among many other activities that are part of the life of an International Association of the size and prestige of the IAG. We tried to help, we always collaborated, and again we think that our task was fully accomplished!

Holding a Conference of this magnitude and responsibility naturally requires teamwork, cooperation and institutional support, as well as much effort, organisation and commitment.

Photo 11 – A part of the Secretariat

As the (“local”) Organising Committee, we must highlight and thank the collaboration of the IAG Executive Committee. Not just the absolute competence of our “liaison person”, the always attentive, helpful and diligent Susan Conway, but also all the comments, suggestions and support we received, frequently, from our President and other members of the EC. Despite the small disagreements that, in our opinion, were always well settled, we had, at all moments of this complex process, the certainty and comfort of knowing that we stood together, on the same path and moving in the same direction. Therefore, many thanks to the IAG for the trust it placed in us, for its critical support and for always having been present.
We also benefited from the institutional support of the Coimbra City Council, through its vice-president, Dr. Francisco Veiga, and of the staff of the Convent of St. Francis, namely the architect Paulo Silva, who was committed, patient and generous in his support at all times.
Naturally, we were also provided with important institutional support from the University of Coimbra, its Faculty of Arts, the Department of Geography and Tourism and the Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning (CEGOT). It is an honour to work at this University and to know that we can always count on its support!

Other forms of support must also be mentioned and thanked, namely that of the Copernicus Agency, for the efficient and intelligent way in which it was able to solve or point out to us the solutions to many small things that, in terms of organisation, are always arising. We would also like to thank the Social Services of the University of Coimbra for the efficiency and quality of the services provided, to “Licor Beirão” for the evening entertainment and to the musicians who brought to the Conference a bit of the culture of our city and our University. To all, thank you very much for your generosity!

We would also like to express our warmest thanks to the students who took on Secretarial duties, and who were unfailing in attending to and resolving all types of questions posed by the participants.

Lastly, our gratitude goes to the keynote speakers, Monique Fort and José Luís Zêzere for the excellence of their knowledge and for their generosity in sharing it with us in the two lectures they brought us, to the conveners who had the difficult task of managing the thematic sessions and to those responsible for the intensive course and the field trips… Without your work, without your support, the Conference would not have been possible…

In conclusion, many thanks to all of you who participated in the 10th IAG International Conference on Geomorphology, for granting us the privilege of your presence in Coimbra.

The Local Organising Committee

Report on the conference “The First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites” (25th-28th October 2022, Zumaia, Spain)

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), with auspices from the IAG, organised a conference to conclude the first phase of an IUGS project focused on designation of geoheritage sites of global relevance.
The event, entitled “The First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites“, was organised by the Basque Country UNESCO Global Geopark, and was held in Zumaia (Spain). It included plenary lectures, presentation of geosites, a boat field trip and social events. Particularly, 22 geomorphological sites were designated, and 12 were presented. A special committee was set up within the IAG and chaired by Piotr Migoń. On behalf of the IAG, the committee submitted five proposals of geosites, and three of them were included in the ‘First 100’.

If you want more details on that event, find the full report by Piotr Migoń here.

CALL for GRANTS for BSG Post-Graduate Training Workshop 2022 (Windsor, UK, 5-8 December 2022)

The International Association of Geomorphologists offers 2 grants of 300 (three-hundred) Euros to PhD STUDENTS in GEOMORHOLOGY from EUROPE (except UK) who are willing to take part in the BSG Post-Graduate Training Workshop (Windsor, UK, 5–8 December 2022). The Windsor workshop is only for PhD students who started in 2022. The Workshop is organised by the British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) and recognised by the IAG.

The course will provide PhD students with elements of training for research and with an opportunity to meet others at an early stage of their training when they are facing the problems of research design etc. The content is non-technical, but provides training in project management, group work, dealing with large data sets, fieldwork, lab and numerical modelling, gaining funding as well as publication and future career development. Students will also meet a wide variety of academics and facilitators who are practicing researchers as well as the BSG postgrad representatives on the Executive.

The workshop has been running at the fantastic Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park for over 30 years – many notable researchers and academics attended and benefited from this course.

For further information on the Workshop, find the flyer here or visit the BSG website: https://www.geomorphology.org.uk/windsor-workshop/.

Candidates for IAG GRANTS are requested to submit the following files before Monday 7 November 2022:

– Application form (.pdf, .docx);
– One page CV;
– Title and brief summary of PhD research project.

Files should be submitted to:

Anita Bernatek-Jakiel and Efthymios Karymbalis, IAG Training Officers.
e-mail: iaggrants@gmail.com (e-mail subject: “BSG Windsor 2022“)

The selection of candidates will be carried out by a Commission appointed by the IAG Executive Committee.

IAG Highlights – 3rd issue in 2022

The IAG is happy to announce the publication of the 3rd issue of its Highlights, focusing on the third quarter of 2022! This issue is exceptionally long as it includes all the information on the International Conference on Geomorphology, the quadrennial IAG conference that took place in Coimbra (Portugal) last September!

You can also find the Highlights in .pdf here.

Contributions of Geomorphologists to the International Geodiversity Day

The IAG organises an online seminar on the Contributions of Geomorphologists to the International Geodiversity Day! It will be conducted on October 11th, from 13:30 to 15:15. You will listen to 4 speakers from various countries worldwide, who will illustrate the importance of the International Geodiversity Day with concrete examples. The last 30 minutes will be dedicated to a general discussion. Find the full flyer as a .pdf here, and as a picture below. The seminar will then be conducted via Zoom – the link will be sent by email after registration.

Call for papers – Badlands Working Group Special Issue in the Mediterranean Geosciences Reviews

The Badlands Working Group from the IAG organises a Special Issue in the Mediterranean Geosciences Reviews, entitled “The Origin, Dynamics, and Diversity of Badlands in the Mediterranean and other terrestrial environments“. This Special Issue aims at being interdisciplinary, including the  origin of badlands landscapes, erosion dynamics and rate, effects of climate, or badlands landscape evolution modelling – among others. Find the flyer in .pdf here.

You can submit your paper before 12 June 2023, using Springer Nature MEGR’s online submission platform. Find the guideline for authors here, and more information about the journal here. Note that the publication is planned for March 2024.

Reports by IAG Grant Holders – Youth Symposium “Geomorphology in Quaternary Research” (28th June – 1st July 2022, Borucino, Poland)

Group photo of the Symposium attendees (photograph from the report of Beáta Farkas).

Two PhD students, Beáta Farkas and Shashi Shekhar Shukla, were awarded IAG grants of 300€ each to attend the Youth Symposium “Geomorphology in Quaternary Research”,  held in Borucino (Poland). This event, supported by the IAG, was organised by the INQUA Peribaltic Group (PWG) and the Polish Association of Geomorphologists. Find the reports of the two awardees here:

Both emphasize the programme of the Symposium, which included several workshops and field trips. They also  praise the “breathtaking” beauty of the Symposium venue: Kashubian Lakeland. Attendees also had to present their research subjects, which was “very useful for everyone” according to Beáta, as they had “the opportunity to discuss every emerging question in detail”.  Shashi’s report particularly highlights that such an international event was more than welcome after the covid-19 pandemic. Overall, Beáta and Shashi describe a “wonderful experience“.

“geomorph-list” email distribution is down

Some of you might have noticed that the email distribution through “geomorph-list” has been down for some weeks. It is due to a cyberattack on the servers in June. Please be patient, we have been told that the list should be working again in a couple weeks.

We are sorry if this outage has caused any inconvenience. We realise many of you wished to advertise sessions at AGU or GSA and other upcoming events. In the meantime, if you want to reach the geomorphology community, please use our twitter and facebook channels.

ICG 2022 – registration deadline and information

The IAG reminds that the deadline to register to the 10th IAG International Conference on Geomorphology is on July 31st – find the link to the conference registration platform here. Note that TAP Air Portugal offers flight discounts for participants that book and buy their tickets exclusively via TAP Air Portugal – find the details here.

For oral and poster presenters: note that the guidelines can be found here.

Publication of Karst Hydrogeology, Geomorphology and Caves

The IAG congratulates Profs. Jo De Waele (University of Bologna, Italy) and Francisco Gutiérrez (University of Zaragoza, Spain) for the recent publication of “Karst Hydrogeology, Geomorphology and Caves” with Wiley! This book provides a comprehensive review of many aspects of karst science. Purchase this book with a 20% discount until December 31st – details on the flyer here.

International Conference on Seafloor Landforms, Processes and Evolution, 4-6 July 2022, Valetta (Malta)

The Marine Geology and Seafloor Surveying Group of the Department of Geosciences (University of Malta), along with the Submarine Geomorphology IAG Working Group are organising the International Conference on Seafloor Landforms, Processes and Evolution on July 4-6 2022 on the Valetta Campus, Malta. This conference covers variety of topics on seafloors through many sessions, such as Oceanography, Slope failure, Coast to shelf, Volcanic… as well as posters, a workshop on Geomorphology Mapping, and social events!

Find the booklet of the event here, and register before June 29 following this link.

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