EURODELTA 3rd year meeting and joint EURODELTA/EUROSTRATAFORM meeting

International conference on Deltas (Mekong venue):
geological modeling and management

(2nd annual meeting of IGCP-475 DeltaMAP)

organized by IGCP-475 DeltaMAP, APN Mega-Deltas of Asia, and CCOP DelSEA projects

Date: January 10-16, 2005

Venue: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Web page: http://unit.aist.go.jp/igg/rg/coast-rg/ADP.html

Key date: deadline of abstract submission and registration: October 15, 2004

17th International Sedimentological Congress:
From the Highest to the Deepest

Date: August 27 to September 1st, 2006

Venue: Fukuoka, Japan
Web page: http://www.isc2006.com

Key date: deadline of the questionnaire: November 30, 2004

Those who submitted to the questionnaire / Reply Form can only receive the second circular.

DelTech workshop

5-9 of May 2003
Venice, Italy

DelTech workshop presentations available

In order to assess the state of the art in prodelta research technology an international field workshop will be organised on 5-9 of May 2003 (Venice, Italy): the "Prodelta Technology (DelTech) Forum". The workshop aims to bring together experts from research institutions and SME's as well as graduate/postgraduate students, and is open for both EURODELTA and non-EURODELTA members.

More information about the workshop program can be found on the DelTech website.

The workshop is organised by the Renard Centre of Marine Geology (RCMG), Gent University, Belgium. For more information please contact:

Tine Missiaen
Tel. +32 (0)9 264.45.71
Fax +32 (0)9 264.49.67
e-mail tine.missiaen@ugent.be

- ComDelta -

Open Conference on
COMPARING MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEA PRODELTAS

26-29 October 2003
Aix-en-Provence, France

ComDelta website

ComDelta meeting presentations available (in progress)

Prodeltas are large shallow-marine features offshore river mouths that are characterised by significant mud accumulation below storm wave base. Prodeltas up to several tens of metres thick are typical features of the modern Mediterranean and Black Seas and constitute historical archives for paleoenvironmental studies, preferential sinks for river-born fine-grained deposits containing pollutants and areas of potential sediment instability, deformation and failure. Because of their location offshore deltaic and coastal systems, prodeltas represent a crucial link in our understanding of short- and long-term interactions between fluviodeltaic and marine sediment processes.

ComDelta is sponsored by the EURODELTA concerted action (visit the project web site at: http://www.pangea.de/Projects/EURODELTA), a EU-funded project to study modern prodeltas on the Mediterranean and Black Sea shelves and define future research needs. In view of the considerable economic and societal importance of European coasts, as well as the increasing need to manage and safely exploit the marine environment, EURODELTA aims at establishing the long-term role and development of prodeltas.

The conference will present state-of-the art science on three research topics related to prodelta formation and evolution during the recent past: stratigraphy, sedimentary processes and geochronology. The conference will also promote the development of integrated research on issues such as: factors controlling changes in sediment supply to prodelta environments; mechanisms of sediment dispersal; extent, composition, internal architecture and stability of prodeltas. Who should attend? The conference welcomes all scientists with an interest in understanding components or the totality of modern prodelta systems; SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) and Environmental Agencies working on coastal zone management will also gain by participating to the conference.

Conference topics

The conference will focus on a broad set of issues involving prodelta environments in three related sessions of one day each:

Session I: Physical stratigraphy of prodelta and shallow coastal environments
- Physical stratigraphy and geographic distribution of late-Holocene prodelta deposits.
- Shallow-water seismic profiling and significance of seismic reflectors and stratal discontinuities.
- Comparison of late-Holocene growth phases of main delta and prodelta systems in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Session II: Processes of sediment transport and deposition in prodeltas
- Sediment dynamics in prodelta and shelf environments.
- Flocculation processes at the fresh/salt water interface.
- Anatomy and preservation of flood deposits from known events (e.g.: the Fall-2000 flood in the Po prodelta).
- Modelling river plume dispersal and prodelta growth.

Format of conference

The conference will include up to 3 days of presentations, discussions, and posters. Each session will have keynote talks (30 min each). Poster sessions will not overlap with oral sessions and poster will be exposed for the entire meeting. Based on the contributions to the conference, a collection of papers will be published on an international journal (e.g.: Marine Geology). The deadline for the submission of the manuscripts is December 1st 2003.

Abstract submissions

Abstract deadline is September 10th 2003. Informations on abstract format will
follow in the next circular.

Conference venue

The ComDelta conference will take place from 27 to 29 October 2003 in the CEREGE
institute, Aix-en-Provence, southern France. Aix-en-Provence can be easily reached by airplane
("Marseille-Provence" airport) or by TGV train from Paris. Detailed informations on conference location
and hotel reservations will be posted in August 2003.

Field trip

A pre-meeting field trip to the Rhône delta system will take place on Sunday, the 26th of October.
Information concerning the exact schedule will be posted in August 2003. For practical reasons,
participation to the field trip is limited to two groups up to 40 people each.

Practical information

The workshop is organised by the University of Aix-Marseille (CEREGE), IFREMER and the Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR-CNR), Bologna. For more information please contact:

Johanna Lofi
Tel +39 051 639 8871
Fax +39 051 639 8940
e-mail johanna.lofi@bo.ismar.cnr.it