Geoscience at Dalhousie Rocks!

This week, over 1000 geoscientists from across Canada and the world are at Dalhousie for a conference that really "rocks!"

They´re here for the 2005 joint meeting of the Geological Association of Canada, Mineralogical Association of Canada, the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and the Canadian Society of Soil Scientists.

While those attending the conference participate in technical sessions and field trips exploring every aspect of geoscience, the many Dalhousie faculty members helping to organize the conference have used it as an opportunity to reach out to the public.

Their message? More than just rocks, geoscience is the "foundation" for everything. "The theme of the Halifax 2005 meeting is ´Building Bridges - Across science, through time, around the world,´ and that includes bridges between geoscience research and the public," says Peter Wallace, a conference organizer and member of Dalhousie´s Department of Earth Sciences. "We want to get people interested in geoscience, and to share our research."

To accomplish this goal, the conference agenda includes an outreach program. A free public forum, "When the Earth Shakes: Lessons learned from recent natural disasters," is happening on Sunday, May 15 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Ondaatje Auditorium of the Marion McCain Building. The event will include a panel of geoscience experts, eyewitnesses to the Asian tsunami, as well individuals representing media outlets such as the New York Times and CBC. The panel will answer audience questions and discuss strategies for sharing information between researchers, media and the public on potential natural disasters.

Other events include The Canadian Mineral Collection on Display, an exhibit of rare and beautiful minerals samples from every region of Canada. The specimens, on loan from the Canadian Museum of Nature, are part of the Pinch collection, one of the best mineral collections in the world. Admission is free, and the display will be open daily in the Student Union Building from May 15 to 18.

For more public geoscience events, visit www.halifax2005.ca and follow the "Outreach Program" link.