Winter Newsletter 2023

Posted December 19, 2023

Newsletter items: 1. Winter 2023 Update; 2. NORDQUA @NGWM24; 3. Upcoming meetings of interest.

Dear NORDQUA colleagues, 

Here is your end-of-the-year newsletter from the NORDQUA secretariat for 2023. 

1. Winter 2023 Secretariat Update 

  • NGWM2024: For those attending NGWM next month, please keep reading for details on the NORDQUA members meeting and social gathering in Gothenburg in January.
  • Secretariat nominations: As previously announced, we believe that the time has come for a refresh of some of the Secretariat team. To allow for some continuity we propose not to have a complete change in the leadership, but are looking for nominations for roles of Leader and Excursions Officer, as Anna and Ívar, have held these roles since January 2018! If you are interested in putting yourself forward, or know someone who would welcome this opportunity to bring new ideas to NORDQUA leadership, then please get in touch by sending an email to secretariat@nordqua.org or speak to us during the NGWM.  
The NORDQUA Secretariat standing together on a rock ledge in front of the Aldeyjarfoss waterfall
NORDQUA Secretariat Team all together in-person for the first time at the Aldeyjarfoss waterfall, day 3 of the NORDQUA 2023 Excursion to Iceland. 
  • Excursion reports: We are pleased to announce that reports relating to the Iceland 2022 and Iceland 2023 NORDQUA excursions are now available from the NORDQUA webpages.  The 2023 report includes a summary of the Palaeoarc mid-conference day trip to Tjörnes and the 3-day excursion to sites around Akureyri. Thanks to Thomas Barnes, Lena Uldal Hansen, and Henry Patton for their work to put together the 2022 report, and Aloïs Revéret and Henry Patton for the 2023 reports. Thanks also to all involved in organising and leading these excursions!
Participants of the NORDQUA excursion standing together on a flat delta surface, with glacial geomorphology of Fnjoskadalur visible in the background.
Group drone photo at Fnjóskadalur during day 1 of the NORDQUA Iceland 2023 excursion.
  • NORDQUA @ INQUA Roma 2023: The 2nd NORDQUA @ INQUA members meeting and social in Rome was very well attended despite the record-breaking heat.
    • Karl Ljung, Lund University gave a moving and personal presentation honouring the life and scientific contributions of Professor Svante Björck who passed away earlier this year. 
    • National representatives from the Nordic countries who currently have representation within INQUA who were in attendance (Finland: Niko Putkinen, Norway: Inger Alsos, Sweden: Stefan Wastegård) also gave some brief updates about INQUA Committee activity. Headline information is that: 1) INQUA has money to spend and we are encouraged to apply for funding opportunities as they arise, and 2) There are proposals to re-structure INQUA commission structure. We await information as to when and how representatives can feed into this process. A short report from the Nordic INQUA representatives can be found here.
    • A NORDQUA news item about the INQUA Congress is here.
NORDQUA Members at the INQUA 2023 Congress in Rome, Italy.

2. NORDQUA @ NGWM 2024

  • Science programme for the NGWM is now out. We understand that there will be up to 200 Quaternary scientists attending – go team! We highlight the following sessions of interest:
    • Wednesday 10 January:
      • 20 – Geoscience for Offshore Wind and Marine infrastructure
      • 27 – Aeolian sediments, landforms and processes, and their paleoenvironmental record
      • 4 – Slope stability, landslides/avalanches and their secondary effects
      • 19 – Marine geology records of Quaternary to late Holocene changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation with a special reference to Arctic and North European climate
    • Thursday 11 January:
      • 28 – Quaternary palaeoclimate from Scandinavian to Global perspective – a session in honour of Svante Björck
      • 37 – Geology, landscape, and the human past – Recent approaches to geoarchaeology
      • 26 – Sedimentary ancient DNA applications to Quaternary Geology
      • 29 – Quaternary geology/Geomorphology: Open Session
    • Friday 12 January:
      • 25 – Glacial processes: Under ice and under pressure
      • 24 – Deglaciation: dynamics, processes and products
  • As usual we will have a members general meeting during the NGWM. This will be on Friday 12 January during the lunch break in room R2. We will aim to start the meeting at 12:20, to give you time to get lunch first. 
  • If you have an item for the agenda let us know via email, or speak to Anna during Wednesday and Thursday in Gothenburg.
  • There will also be a NORDQUA pub social following the Icebreaker on Wednesday 10 January. From 19:30 you will find us at John Scott’s (https://johnscotts.se/avenyn/), located c. 1 km (15 min) walk from the conference venue (https://maps.app.goo.gl/dwGx1XuDVJXodgGw9). All NORDQUA members and friends welcome!

3. Upcoming meetings of potential interest

As ever, you will find updates on upcoming meetings and news via the NORDQUA webpages: https://nordqua.org/events/

We wish all NORDQUA members a very happy Christmas and New Year 2024!

Best wishes, 
Your NORDQUA Secretariat: Anna, Ívar, Henry, Daniel, and Aloïs 

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