the 28th international conference on Mathematical Geophysics sponsored by the Committee on Mathematical Geophysics (CMG) of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) will be held in Pisa, Italy, on June 7-11, 2010 and will focus on:

Modelling Earth Dynamics: Complexity, Uncertainty and Validation

Understanding the evolution of our planet is becoming of increasing importance. The variable dynamics of the Earth's solid and fluid components testify to the complexity of non-linear relationships governing such coupled and multiphase systems. Mathematical models are a key tool for understanding these relationships, and represent the only mean for forecasting their evolution. The goal of this meeting is to present the state-of-the-art modelling capability to represent the different dynamics of Earth's components. Theoretical models of solid-earth dynamics, such as earthquake and volcanic processes, and of atmospheric and oceanic dynamics, including climatic and biological evolutionary processes, are welcome. The focus will be on the capability of models to describe the complex evolution of Earth systems and quantify the sources of uncertainty in their dynamics, as well as to reproduce direct observations and laboratory experiments of the investigated processes.

Scientific sessions

1. Geophysical fluid dynami
2. cs I - Volcanoes
   Conveners: Giovanni Macedonio (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy) and Michael Manga (University of California, USA)
3. Geophysical fluid dynamics II - Sub-surface and surface flows
   Conveners: Einat Aharonov (Hebrew University, Israel) and Daniel Schertzer (École des Ponts ParisTech, France)
4. Geophysical fluid dynamics III - Atmosphere and ocean
   Conveners: Claudia Pasquero (University of California, USA) and Dick Peltier (University of Toronto, Canada)
5. Brittle deformation and computational seismology
   Conveners: Yehoda Ben-Zion (University of Southern California, USA) and Massimo Cocco (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy)
6. Geodynamics and geomagnetism
   Conveners: Matthias Holschneider (University of Potsdam, Germany) and Mioara Mandea (Geo Forschungs Zentrum, Germany)
7. Environmental systems and climate
   Conveners: Daniel Rothman (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA) and Eli Tziperman (Harvard University, USA)
8. Quantifying the uncertainty in Earth Systems
   Conveners: Willy Aspinall (University of Bristol, UK) and Gordon Woo (Risk Management Solutions, UK)
9. Data assimilation and model validation
   Conveners: George Bergantz (University of Washington, USA) and Alik Ismail-Zadeh (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany)
10. Computational geophysics: modern algorithms and applications
    Conveners: Marc Spiegelman (Columbia University, USA) and Dave Yuen (University of Minnesota, USA)

Special session in memory of Prof. Albert Tarantola (by invitation only):

Can our models only predict the irrelevant?
Chairs: Daniel Rothman (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA) and Augusto Neri (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy)

This symposium will address the controversial issue of the use and effectiveness of mathematical models in predicting environmental phenomena.

Important dates

• 18 January 2010 - registration, abstract submission and hotel booking open
• 15 March 2010 - abstract submission deadline
• 15 April 2010 - conference program and schedule
• 30 April 2010 - online registration deadline
• 7-11 June 2010 - 28th CMG Conference

Financial assistance

A limited number of grants will be available to students and participants with restricted funding. Financial assistance may include reimbursement of the registration fee and/or support for accommodation and travel expenditures. Recipients will be reimbursed after the conference.
Participants who wish to apply for financial aid must be the presenting author of their contribution and submit an abstract through the web site by 15 March 2010.
By that date, they should also send a short CV (max one page) and a letter stating their motivation to the Conference Secretariat at cmg2010@meridianaevents.it

Information and contact

For receiving forthcoming conference information, circulars, and notifications please send your name, affiliation, and e-mail address to cmg2010@pi.ingv.it

For any question or problem, please contact the Conference Secretariat at cmg2010@meridianaevents.it

Download second conference announcement (.pdf)