14th Geology Conference
When: June 12 - June 16, 2008
Where: Gerace Research Centre, located on San Salvador Island, one of the outermost of a chain of some 700 islands that comprise The Bahamas
Description: The first geological conference held on San Salvador was in 1982. Since then, there has been a geology conference hosted every other year at the Gerace Research Center, a total of 13 conferences as of 2007. Originally focusing on the geology of the Bahamas and Caribbean area, the scope has expanded to include other carbonate regions.
Pre-meeting Field Trip: This years field trip will be to Rum Cay, an island whose geology is surprisingly different from that of San Salvador despite its proximity.
Keynote Speaker: Robert Folk, Emeritus, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
Keynote Title: "Dwarf workpersons in the Carbonate Factory" which will examine the fantastic roles that nannobacteria play in the precipitation of carbonate ooids, cements, etc. in both modern and ancient environments.
Speaker Bio: (In his own words) Robert L. Folk was born Sept. 30, 1925 in Shaker Hts, Cleveland, Ohio where he began collecting pretty rocks from the glacial moraines around 1932. His interest in carbonates began while stalking the cornfields of the Folk family farm in the Shenandoah Valley, West Virginia. He received all 3 degress from Penn State, PhD in 1952, studying under the ineffable Paul D. Krynine. He taught at the University of Texas 1952-1988, and is now emeritus there. In 1973 a visiting stint at the Universita, Milano infected him with a severe case of Italophilia. Until around 1990 he had a reputation as a sedimentary petrologist. In that year at Viterbo, Italy he began discovering minute nannobacteria and has worked on them ever since, forcing his scientific reputation into a catastrophic tailspin...or so most think! Are they on Mars? In your body? Doing all sorts of geolgic work? Or is the whole idea a career-busting fiasco. You decide.
Co-Chairs: Fred Siewers, Department of Geography and Geology, Western Kentucky University; and Jon Martin, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida
Organizer: Thomas Rothfus, Gerace Research Centre
Estimated Cost:
| Registration, including Proceedings Volume | $110.00 |
| Airfare: Ft. Lauderdale-San Salvador | $450.00 |
| Room and Board at the GRC | $276.00 |
| Total | $836.00 |
| Student Room and Board | $232.00 |
| Optional Field Trip (Rum Cay) | $150.00 |
Deadlines: The deadline for Registration is March 31, 2008. The deadline for Abstract submission is April 16, 2008.