|
|  |
| Working Group on Applied Geomorphological Mapping - AppGeMa |
Chair: Dr. Paolo Paron
Nairobi (Kenya)
e-mail
Co-Chair: Dr. Mike J Smith
Kingston-upon-Thames (United Kingdom)
www
WG AppGeMa Website
First circular for the international geomorphological meeting and firld trip organized by the Italian AIGEO and co-sponsored by the IAG Working Group Applied Geomorphological Mapping:
Environmental Analysis and Geomorphological Mapping for a Sustainable Development
Addis Ababa-Desse-Mekelle-Axum (Ethiopia)
February 25th - March 6th, 2008
For more information please contact:
Francesco Dramis
(Department of Geological Sciences, Roma Tre University, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo, 1,
00146 Roma; tel: +39.06.54888022/23; fax: +39.06.54888201; e-mail
|
First meeting of the IAG/AIG WG AppGeMa: British Society of Geomorphology annual conference that will be held in Birmingham (UK), 4-6 July 2007.
A tentative schedule for the meetings of the WG follows the announced Conferences of the IAG. Though it will be very important to meet as soon as possible in an informal meeting with the aim of setting up properly the common agenda of the WG. In case this does not happen the next Conferences of IAG are as follow:
- 2007: 25-29 June, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- 2007: 2-5 August, Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway
- 2008: September, Braºov, Romania
- 2009: June, Melbourne, Australia
During the 2009 Conference it is foreseen a session on Applied Geomorphological Mapping.
A mailing list is open to all the colleagues interested at the following email address: appgema@lists.eogeo.org
In order to subscribe you can do one of the following two options:
1) go to the web page and fill in the "Subscribing to AppGeMa" section (end of the page) , or
2) send me an e-mail, specifying your e-mail address and name, so that I can insert the person directly into the mailing list.
You can then change their preferences and password, if you wish.
The WG is looking for a vice-chairman.
Questionnaire on the WG AppGeMa
- Do you agree with the General Objectives of the WG? if not what would you add/cancel/change?
- Do you agree with the proposed Outputs of the WG? if not what would you add/cancel/change?
- Do you agree on the need to involve also external people to the WG, both scholars and professionals?
- Would you be available for a meeting in Europe before the end of January 2007? Which location would suit better you?
Your answers will constitute the base upon which improving the WG Objectives and Outputs. Please send your answers to Paolo Paron.
The IAG/AIG WG AppGeMa will also need to collect some material (like maps, papers, documents, etc) in a physical place. To set up the collection point for all this material please send to Prof. F. Dramis:
AppGeMa WG c/o Prof. F. Dramis
Dip. Scienze Geologiche - Univ. Roma3
Largo S. L. Murialdo, 1, 00146 Roma, Italy
|
|
Maps are one of the most appropriate and synthetic ways of showing the distribution of landforms, surface and near-surface deposits, the processes that act on landforms and the time of their action. Geomorphological maps are one of most important end products of investigations made by geomorphologists on the territory. Furthermore they are of great usefulness to many other professionals dealing with the landscape and landforms like engineers, urban planners, soil and forest scientists, agronomists, land conservationists, etc.
Moreover, at the present moment, the great development of digital analysis of remotely sensed imagery on the one side, and the widespread application of GIS, Digital Terrain Analysis, DEM analysis (geomorphometry) and of modern lab techniques on the other, can integrate classical field surveys and add values also to a map.
Both inside our scientific community and, even more, among other scientific and professional communities, the pure and applied importance of geomorphological maps is not yet completely understood and developed. Furthermore the increasing human pressure on the environment is pushing the need for a better understanding and planning of the landscape in developed and, to a greater degree, in the so called emerging and developing countries.
Maps can be thought as a frontier or a meeting point at which geomorphologists, geologists and other professionals share their different knowledge of the territory and plan together a sustainable use of the environment.
As stated by Cooke et al. (1982) different geomorphologists have worked on a variety of problems in contrasting terrain and morphoclimatic conditions and several mapping systems have been set up. Nevertheless attempts to produce a unified system do not seem to have been widely adopted so far.
A major role could be here played by the activity of a strong geomorphological mapping school, under the IAG umbrella.
A WG on Applied Geomorphological Mapping has been approved by the EC and National Delegates, in accordance with all three constitutional Objectives of the IAG/AIG.
Its main Goals are as follows:
- Develop and deepen the theoretical basis of applied geomorphological mapping;
- Develop standards, specific mapping procedures and legend systems for different applications and scales;
- Disseminate the importance and effectiveness of the use of geomorphological mapping as a basic tool for those who deal with the physical environment, in order to;
- Put a bridge between our and other scientific and professional communities.
The following general objectives, and outputs are suggested.
General Objectives:
- Developing a systematic, comparative study of different cartographic methodologies and applications;
- Developing different legend systems according to the different applications and scales of a geomorphological map;
- Establish a strong dialogue with the other IAG WGs in support of their mapping needs;
- Fostering the inter-professional exchange of applied mapping experiences and promoting the correct mapping procedures among non-specialists.
The general objectives will be met achieving the following proposed Outputs:
- A collection of articles and book chapters on applied geomorphological mapping, translating into English (and French and Spanish?) the main contributions from schools and languages from all the countries;
- A collection/library of geomorphological maps to serve as a reference for the WG;
- A web-site and an e-mail discussion list (under the umbrella of IAG) as a permanent forum on the use of maps between our and other communities of scientists and professionals;
- A standardized geomorphological legend to be used within GIS software;
- A glossary of terms strictly related to geomorphological mapping (like terrain, landscape, landform, land systems, land unit, physiography, etc);
- A state-of-the-art volume by international experts on the application of geomorphological mapping for particular purposes;
- A session at the next IAG Conferences, and particularly at the International Geomorphological Congress, in Melbourne 2009;
- A summer school/short course open to all the actors of the environment, to disseminate the understanding, importance, and use of geomorphological maps.
In order to better achieve the main goals it is considered very useful to involve members of IAG that have a strong working/research experience with other professionals/scientists. The involvement of members of other scientific organizations like IUSS (International Union of Soil Science), IALE (International Association of Landscape Ecology), etc, is also highly recommended.
The proposed Objectives and Outputs are indicative. Through a very short questionnaire, available in the red box at the top of this page, it will be possible to target better the activities of the WG. Your opinion is of high value. That is why you are invited to fill it in and send it back to the email address you can find at the bottom of the page.
A tentative schedule for the outputs could be the following one:
Dr. Paolo Paron
WG Chair
P.O. Box 8 Sarit Centre, 00606 Nairobi, Kenya, e-mail
Dr. Mike J Smith
WG Co-Chair
Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, WWW
WG AppGeMa Website
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
| |
