SummerInstitute2013

Summer Institute on Earth-Surface Dynamics, August 14 - 23, 2013

Introduction

NCED (National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics) and CSDMS teach the Summer Institute on Earth-Surface Dynamics, SIESD, designed to engage young scientists in a focused topic in Earth-surface dynamics. The topic of the 2013 Summer Institute will be Subsurface to Surface: recovering surface dynamics from stratigraphic records. NCED shares expertise on laboratory experiments and fieldwork and CSDMS brings numerical modeling experiments. This two-week institute invites PhD students and young faculty to participate in integrated modeling.

Summer School 2013 Topic

There has long been a disconnect between scientists studying the Earth’s past, on the scale of ‘deep time’, and those working in the modern era, typically on human/engineering time scales. A major theme of NCED, which has also found expression in recent NRC publications (NRC, 2010; Transitions, 2011) is the importance of bridging this gap. The idea is to use the Earth’s rich archival record of its own surface evolution and the value of that record to inform understanding of how Earth’s surface might change in the future, considering a spectrum of time scales because even short-term evolution is often conditioned by long-term trends. Understanding these natural trends becomes even more important as human influence grows. Sustainable solutions imply management over long periods, i.e., the goal is that current practices could be continued indefinitely without damaging the environment or depleting future resources. Sustainability thus requires forecasting the effects of current practice over multi-generational time scales. The only data available for testing such forecasts is reconstructions of the past behavior of the surface system.

Application is through a competitive process, NCED will select approximately 40 participants.Participants costs (enrollment, accommodations, and on-site meals) are supported by NCED. However, applicants should remember that they are responsible for the cost of transportation to and from Minnesota and for all incidental expenses.

Deadline for Application: May 10th, 2013

Apply now: [1]