International Conference on

EARTH SCIENCES PAKISTAN 2010: NEW DEVELOPMENTS

September 20-22, 2010.
At
Baragali Summer Campus, University of Peshawar.
Jointly organized by
Department and National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar.

Conference Background:

Pakistan is facing a multitude of issues today than ever before. Uncontrolled population growth combined with internal and external factors like global economic crisis, climate change, environmental degradation, aridity and draught, natural hazards of floods, earthquakes and landslides have severely impacted natural resources of Pakistan. Dwindling water resources, energy shortfalls, shortcomings in oil and gas exploration and depleting raw-material supplies from mineral, agriculture and forestry are threatening economic viability and sustainability of the nation. While serious efforts are needed on part of the government, the geoscientists and engineers need to take the responsibility to meet these challenges. The role of earth scientists has drastically changed. In the modern world, they are challenged to not only add to existing water-, energy and mineral resources, but are required to ensure their environmental sustainability. Exploring and discovering fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) is prime responsibility of Pakistani geologists but they are also responsible for finding ways and means of sequestering out-coming carbon-dioxide, a major global-warming agent. Mineral and chemical waste disposal including byproducts of nuclear reactors and power plants has been added to the responsibilities of earth scientists and engineers. Hydrologists and water-resource engineers discover new aquifers but have to look for techniques like rain harvesting for sustainable aquifer recharge. Natural hazards pose one of the biggest challenges to present-day earth scientists. Spread of populations centres to plate-boundaries, emergence of megacities with population exceeding tens of millions, and more than 90% built environment lacking seismic compliance, exposes Pakistan to unprecedented disasters. Pakistan needs to develop realistic seismic hazard zonation maps and site-specific seismic hazard analyses for sound earthquake engineering designs for built environment. This needs crucial input from structural geologists, geomorphologists, seismologists and earthquake engineers to generate authentic basic data on faults, their kinematics and activity rates, seismicity, strong-motion data, slope stability and local attenuation equations. Floods and climate-controlled mass-movement hazards like avalanches, landslides, debris flow and GLOF are increasingly threatening Pakistan exaggerated by global climate change. A comprehensive, innovative and interdisciplinary approach is required to confront the challenges faced by modern-day earth scientists. The 3-day international conference on Earth Sciences Pakistan 2010 aims to bring together academic scientists, industry professionals, professional consultants and graduate students present their latest research findings on various aspects of earth sciences. The forum will serve to exchange and share expertise, experience and research results to develop a comprehensive approach towards meeting the modern-day challenges including climate change, hazards and sustainable usage of natural resources .

Conference themes:
The conference covers all aspects of earth sciences with particular emphasis on the following;

Himalayan Tectonics
India-Eurasia and Afghan-India Collision: mechanics and chronology, role of transpressional tectonics, High Pressure vs High Temperature metamorphism, Subduction-related magamatism ,stragic minerals.

Economic Mineral Deposits
Exploration, Genesis, Processing and Beneficiation, Gemology, Dimension Stones, Construction Material.

Deposition Systems & Petroleum Exploration
Play concepts in Pakistan foreland basins, Sequence stratigraphy and Basin analyses, Seismic interpretation and petrophysics.

Environmental Geosciences
Environmental toxicology and Assessment, Medical Geology, Climate change, New trends in Geotechnical Engineering, Recent Advances in Environmental Sciences, Surface- and Groundwater Contamination, Waste Disposal.

Natural Hazards Earthquake Seismology, Engineering Seismology, Earthquake Engineering, Neotectonics, Tectonics Geomorphology, Paleoseismology, Mass Movements of Landslides, Debris Flow, Avalanches, Flash Floods, GLOF, Landslides Dam Outburst Floods.

Risk Assessment, Disaster Management and Mitigation
Preparedness Plans, Hazard Assessment, Vulnerability, Capacity and Risk Assessment, Preparedness Planning, Emergency Response.

Water
Resources, Management, Quality, Quantity, Effects of Global Weather Changes, Water Hazards, Monitoring, Water Politics, Emerging Issues, Future Projections and Strategies.

Important Dates
July 31, 2010               Deadline for abstract submission and pre-registration
August 15, 2010               Decision on abstracts and notifying the authors
Oct. 01, 2010              Submission of final manuscript

Submission of Abstracts
The abstract should not exceed 1000 words. Underline the presenting author`s name. The abstract should be sent electronically in Microsoft Word (.doc) format or in rich text format (.rtf) to nceg@upesh.edu.pk.  You can also submit your abstracts online at http://nceg.upesh.edu.pk/conferenceonline. Abstract may be submitted from May 1st, 2010 until July 1st, 2010.

The submitted papers will be published in Journal of the Himalayan Earth Sciences. Each paper will be reviewed per journals policy as approved by HEC. Instructions to authors and journal format can be viewed at http://nceg.upesh.edu.pk

Boarding and Lodging
Participants will be provided free shared accommodation at the Baragali Campus. It may be noted that Baragali Campus is only a make-shift residence and accommodation may not meet standard of Government Rest Houses and Hotels at Nathiagali. Participants interested in staying at Nathiagali Hotels (at their own expanses) will be assisted in bookings at reduced rates and will be provided transport for pick and drop.
Refreshments and meals will be arranged by the Organizing Committee starting from the night of September 20 through September 23, 2010.

Pre-Registration:
Please fill out the attached form and return it by July 01, 2010.

Conveners:
Dr. M. Asif KhanT.I.
Professor  & Director, NCE in Geology, University of Peshawar
Prof. M. Haneef
Chairman, Department of Geology, University of Peshawar
Dr. M. Qasim Jan T.I., S.I., H.I.
Professor Emeritus, NCE in Geology, University of Peshawar

Chief Organizer:
Dr. M. Tahir Shah 
Professor, NCE in Geology, University of Peshawar

Conference Secretary:
Syed Ali Turab Research Associate, NCE in Geology, University of Peshawar