research project details
Project Title: 11th Annual Symposium of Water-Rock Interaction
Investigator(s): David DeWalle
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Interior
Environmental Problem Addressed:
Symposia to provide unique opportunities for scientific cooperation and knowledge sharing among a mix of international experts from different earth science disciplines.
Research Project Objectives:
This project is a grant-in-aid to help support the Water-Rock Interaction Symposium.
About the Symposium:
The main purpose of the Working Group on Water-Rock Interaction is to organize international symposia that are held every three years, generally in different countries and are co-sponsored by various earth science associations, academies of sciences, private and governmental agencies, the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry (IAGC), and others. The symposia are organized by National WRI Organizing Committees, which are selected by the Working Group on Water-Rock Interaction. The Working Group on Water-Rock Interaction was formed in 1970. It belongs to the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, an affiliate organization of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Members of the Working Group carry out theoretical, laboratory, and field investigations in almost all of the earth science disciplines, including: geology and hydrogeology, geochemistry and hydrochemistry, petroleum geology, ore deposits, environmental sciences, and hazard geology.
Every three years, in a different world setting, the Water-Rock Interaction Working Group of the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry (IAGC) gathers for a week of science and collegiality. On June 27, 2004, the group is meeting for WRI-11 in the beautiful setting of Saratoga Springs, New York, in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.
WRI-11 will feature sessions on all aspects of water-rock interaction--with emphasis on such growing fields as microbial biogeochemistry, weathering, and carbon sequestration, and new tools for geochemical analysis and nanoscience--as well as sessions on classic aspects of WRI. Among these sessions, three special ones in honor of geochemists will take place: a special session in honor of one of the founders of WRI, Don White, will highlight volcanic and geothermal systems; a special session in honor of Henry Ehrlich (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) will highlight geomicrobiology; and a field trip to Howe Caverns in honor of Will White (Penn State), will highlight speleology.