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Palaeoclimate Commission (PALCOMM)

THE ROLE OF THE COMMISSION

The remit of the Palaeoclimate Commission (PALCOMM) is to optimise the use of palaeo-data for detailed climatic reconstructions. The overall objective is to enhance understanding of Quaternary climatic perturbations, transitions and abrupt events. To this end, PALCOMM encourages interactive projects with the other INQUA Commissions to comprehend the links between climatic changes and environmental and human responses. The commission is also attempting to foster strategic links with the international climate modelling community, to assist the process of palaeo-data/model comparisons. PALCOMM is steered by a President, a Vice-president , and a Secretary. A further 12 Full Commission Members act as an international advisory/steering group to oversee the work of PALCOMM. Corresponding membership is open to all scientists with an interest in understanding past climate changes.

NEWS

New project proposals for PALCOMM are due with Sandy Harrison the commission president by January 5th 2009. The official form is available from the INQUA web site (http://www.inqua.tcd.ie/). PALCOMM projects have specific requirements – we do not, for example, fund direct research or one off conferences. For more information please see the December newsletter for more info.

Integration of Ice core, Marine and Terrestrial Records (INTIMATE)

‘INTegration of Ice core, MArine and TErrestrial records of the Last Termination’
a core project of the INQUA Palaeoclimate Commission

The 10th INTIMATE correlation workshop is being held in September in Oxford. The theme of this workshop is the high precision correlation of climate records. the workshop is over two main research days with the first being focussed on the last deglaciation around the Atlantic and Mediterranean and the second on longer time periods and wider coverage in the northern hemisphere. More information on INTIMATE is available at http://www.geo.uu.nl/fg/intimate/Welcome.htm and the local website for INTIMATE 10 is
http://www.rlaha.ox.ac.uk/INTIMATE/intimate.html

ATTENDANCE IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 50 PARTICIPANTS.
On-line registration is now available for the INTIMATE 10 meeting in Oxford. The overall theme of this meeting is High Precision Correlations. We aim for a workshop style meeting with short presentations in specific themes and then focussed breakout workshops. The key results of the breakout workshops will be displayed on notice boards during the workshop and presented by the workshop leaders during the course of the conference. We envisage each breakout workshop achieving some concrete publishable proposals.We plan to produce one or more special issues combining these with submitted papers from the short
presentations. We aim to show how far we have come in achieving very precise correlations between different types of records and how we can extend this approach further back in time.

Payment for registration is by credit card using our secure site.

There are a range of price options depending on whether you require accomodation or not, although we think most people will, and if you want to just attend the workshop or stay for the field trips. The field trips will include visits to local Quaternary sections and there is an optional trip to the only steam powered brewery in Britain afterwards - there are samples.

We have not included any registration only options, all options involve meals and wine receptions etc. Some of the most useful INTIMATE meetings have been where we all get the chance to continue debates and
discussions over dinner and drinks and we want to maintain this ethos. Most days there will also be a cash bar available in the evenings and several rooms for discussions etc. Unfortunately we will not be running
any poster sessions as this is a workshop but we will accommodate as many talks as we can that fit into the overarching theme and everyone will have the chance to contribute constructively to the breakout workshops and publications arising. Some of these we envisage will be discussing how to move things forward, while others will be more practical (such as using Bayesian age modelling software to integrate
records or comparisons of tephra chemical data).

After the conference it is also possible to book extra days accomodation in St-Antony's college for those who wish to spend extra time in Oxford. We have, however, left the night after the field trip free as people may want to explore Oxford on their own. There are, however, several nice pubs close to the college that also sell meals and the local organizers will be leading a short pub crawl.

We will be announcing abstract submission for papers very shortly. We will also be advising on workshop theme/structure shortly and will later request confirmation of which breakout groups you wish to attend.

For all conference organisation information including on line registration please go to the local website.
http://www.rlaha.ox.ac.uk/INTIMATE/intimate.html

The on-line payment system is now live and can be accessed though local website.

Queries can be sent to intimate.conf@rlaha.ox.ac.uk

IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND THE MEETING PLEASE ALSO CONTACT Zicheng Yu ziy2@Lehigh.EDU to join the INTIMATE group
membership is free and open to any scientist with an interest in the core aims of INTIMATE.

PALCOMM report to the International Council of INQUA, 2007

Please note that the PALCOMM President’s 2007 report to the International Council of INQUA, summarising the key outcomes of PALCOMM during the 03-07 inter-congress period, and outlining proposals for PALCOMM’s remit during the 07-11 inter-congress period, is now accessible via the PALCOMM Home Page. The report also lists those nominated for office for the 07-11 period in response to the recent invitation of the INQUA Secretary-General.  

PALCOMM: 2007-2011

A summary of the remit of PALCOMM and an outline of our plans for the 2007-2011 inter-congress period will shortly be available on this webpage. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
                                               
Commissions Projects: 2007-2011

During the 2007-2011 inter-congress period, PALCOMM wishes to promote projects which will (a) facilitate improved understanding of the climate system and the linkages across terrestrial, marine and glacial realms,(b) encourage  large-scale syntheses of terrestrial data and the creation of palaeoclimate or palaeocenvironmental databases, and (c) foster improved links with the palaeoclimate modeling community. A detailed call for proposals for PALCOMM projects to run during the 2007-2011 inter-congress period will be issued shortly.