Conference on societies, climate change and natural hazards, Merida, Mexico

The Sixth European Geosciences Union Alexander von Humboldt International Conference on Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Societies will be held in Merida, Mexico from 14 to 19 March 2010.

Climate changes are thought to have contributed to the decline of ancient civilisations such as those of the Maya in southeastern Mexico and Central America or Pueblo Indians in North America. An eruption buried ancient Akrotiri on the island of Santorini and may have even accelerated the decline of the Minoan culture. Today, societies remain vulnerable to climate changes, rising sea levels, and natural disasters. 


This interdisciplinary conference aims at fostering understanding of the impact of climate change and natural disasters on past and present societies, with an emphasis on anthropogenic impacts in increasingly complex systems.

Topics

• 'The Cretaceous/Tertiary Boundary and the Chicxulub Impact Crater';
• 'Climate and Environmental Change and Early Civilizations';
• 'Volcanism and Earthquakes';
• 'Abrupt Climate Changes';
• 'Global Warming: The next 100 years';
• 'Megacities and Natural Hazards';
• 'Ecological Effects of Global Change';
• 'Geo-Hydrology'; 
- 'Complex Systems in Geosciences';
• 'Uncertainty Management in Geosciences';
• 'Planetary Engineering'. 


Keynote Speakers (confirmed)

• Mario Molina (CMM Mexico)
• Gerald Haug (ETHZ Switzerland)
• Rafael Navarro Gonzalez (UNAM Mexico)
• Matt Larsen (USGS USA)
• Carlos Gay (UNAM Mexico)
• Annette Menzel (TUM Germany)
• Felipe Arreguin (CONAGUA Mexico)/Luis Marin (UNAM Mexico)
• Jan Smit (VU Amsterdam, NL)
  

The event is sponsored by the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Centro de Investigacion Cientifica de Yucatan and the European Geosciences Union.

For further information, please download second circular  


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