Quaternary Perspectives 30 (June 2021)
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INQUA - International Union for Quaternary Research The INQUA Newsletter uaternary Issue 30 erspectives June 2021 2 Quaternary Perspectives - Issue 30 / June 2021 QUATERNARY PERSPECTIVES is the newsletter of From the President of INQUA The end of the COVID-19 hibernation 3 News of the Quaternary News from INQUA 4 The Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal INQUA for outstanding young Quaternary scientists 5 INTERNATIONAL UNION Obituary: Richard Gilbert West, 1926-2020 6 FOR QUATERNARY RESEARCH All roads lead to Rome2023 Established in 1928, INQUA is XVIII Conference of the European Association the representative body for of Vertebrate Palaeontologists (EAVP) 9 Quaternary science world-wide. AIQUA Webinars: Fall 2021 9 INQUA is dedicated to removing barriers and to fostering diversity and inclusivity by From the Commissions prioritising funding for early Coastal and Marine Processes (CMP) career and developing country NEPTUNE 2021: keeping pace with the pandemic waves 10 researchers to enable their participation in the international Terrestrial Processes, Deposits and History (TERPRO) scientific networks that INQUA Activities of the TERPRO Commission, 2021 12 supports. INQUA promotes In memoriam: Nils-Axel Mörner, 1938-2020 13 – and operates according to Looking for an integrated approach to earthquake geology: – a philosophy of inclusivity, the kickoff meeting of the EDITH INQUA-TERPRO Project 14 not discriminating against any individual on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, A view of the World gender identity or expression, SWITZERLAND - The year of online meetings sexual orientation, genetics or and outside summer excursions 16 disability. We encourage you to join INQUA through any of its SLOVENIA - 6th Regional Scientific Meeting on Quaternary Geology: Commissions, and contribute to Seas, Lakes and Rivers 17 the development of Quaternary science worldwide. ESTONIA - In memoriam: Anto Raukas, 1935-2021 17 inqua.org/about Quaternary International EDITORS New Releases 18 Guido Stefano Mariani Kim Davies Cover photo: Rock shelters and paintings at Bhimbetka (Bophal, Central India). Set Francesca Ferrario in the Vindhyan range in Madhya Pradesh in central India, it is a UNESCO World Aliyu Adamu Isa Heritage site with over 700 shelters and thousands of paintings since the Late Annie Lau Acheulian. Nivedita Mehrotra Credits: Ilaria Mazzini, CNR-IGAG, Italy Salunke Mokshada Emuobosa Orijemie inqua.org Sourav Saha [email protected] XXI INQUA Martin Seeliger Twitter: @INQUA Congress Rome QP website 13-20 July 2023 Quaternary International [email protected] inquaroma2023.it Facebook: INQUAECR Facebook: InquaRoma2023 Twitter: @INQUA_ECR Twitter: @InquaRoma2023 Table of Contents Table Issue 30 / June 2021 - Quaternary Perspectives 3 The end of the COVID-19 hibernation The outbreak and rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus and stratigraphy topics organised by the INQUA-SACCOM resulted in a pandemic situation that changed the world; Commission. It was good to have these kind of meetings changed our world. The authorities decided that the way out and to be in contact with colleagues from all over the globe is to reduce mobility and personal contact to the absolute but what we also learned from these virtual meetings is the minimum and most of the world ended in a lockdown. fact, that these virtual meetings are no alternative for the The drastic reduction of activity and mobility reminds to a in-person meetings we used to have before the pandemic. It phenomenon that we know from nature called hibernation, is obvious that we all have a strong urge to meet in person to a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression to talk about our Quaternary Research and to be inspired. Yes, survive the difficult, winter periods. Hibernation may last we will meet again as soon as possible. The current challenge days, weeks, or months, depending on the species. The is to get the COVID-19 virus under control and to “wake” up COVID-19 “hibernation” last already more than 1.5 years and from our COVID-19 hibernation; a wake-up process that takes although there is light at the end of the tunnel, there is still time (and “coffee”) but we will manage. a long way to go. Vaccination seems to be the way out, but Please take care and stay healthy in many countries, the vaccination just started and although the numbers of infected persons is slowly decreasing, it will take quite some time before everyone has been vaccinated Thijs van Kolfschoten and the spread of the virus and its mutations is under control. INQUA President The state of hibernation will continue and for many countries it will take at least several months before we are back to From the President of INQUA “normal”. We should use these months to reset and to think about the post-hibernation period; to make short-term and long-term plans to achieve INQUA’s basic goal which is to promote improved communication and international collaboration in experimental and applied aspects of Quaternary research. During the past 1.5 year we had to stay at home and work from home and hence, the communication with colleagues, students, family and friends had to be virtual. A situation that resulted a.o. in the organisation of virtual meetings such as the 2020 PAGES-INQUA ECR meeting and in initiatives such as the organisation of a series of virtual talks during Spring 2021 on a diverse range of geochronology 4 Quaternary Perspectives - Issue 30 / June 2021 N. Mehrotra and F. Ferrario News from INQUA INQUA FUNDING 2022 the Inqua Commissions, tried to overcome the restrictions Commissions welcome grant applications within the related to the pandemic. following categories: The past two years demonstrated the critical role of 1) Single or Multi-year Project INQUA Grant scientific knowledge and collaboration in tackling health, 2) Conference / Meeting INQUA Grant social and environmental challenges. The ECR committee 3) Skills Enhancement Activity INQUA Grant is constantly working to promote the exchange of ideas INQUA Grant applications should be in line with and networking opportunities for Quaternary scientists INQUA’s basic goal i.e. to promote improved communication worldwide. In this sense, we are happy to introduce the and international collaboration in experimental and applied multi-year project “The Spotlight”, aimed at highlighting aspects of Quaternary research, with networking as the focus. researched published in Quaternary International (the Inqua For all streams of funding it is important to contact journal) by scientists in the early stages of their career or from the relevant Commission prior to applying to ensure developing countries. resources are available. A single grant application form to apply for grants in all of the categories listed above, can be THE SPOTLIGHT: A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT FROM ECRS FOR downloaded at https://inqua.org/funding/funding_forms. ECRS Please consult the INQUA website for the most The Geosciences often have a problem of recent information about funding criteria and the relevant representation and Quaternary sciences are no exception. application deadline. The narrative is often dominated by specific groups of people, who often do not fully represent the multi-faceted world of NEW ECR CHAIR Quaternary science and scientists. In July 2019, the Quaternary community gathered in The Spotlight is a multi-year project aimed at Dublin for the XX Inqua Congress. Two years later, we are amplifying the voices of early career researchers (ECRs) and halfway to the next congress, to be held in Rome. developing countries researchers (DCRs) by highlighting their We are pleased to announce that a new Chair of research published in Quaternary International – the INQUA the Early Career Researchers (ECR) committee has been journal – through blog posts hosted on the INQUA website. elected: Nivedita Mehrotra from the Birbal Sahni Institute The papers will be selected based on the relevance of of Palaeosciences (Lucknow, India) Representative of the topic and scientific content, as well as the provenance and Palcom Commission, will take the role of Chair of the ECR career stage of the first or corresponding author. We aim at Committee. covering different topics, representing the variety of themes The Covid-19 outbreak hit few months after the Dublin related to the Quaternary sciences. congress and, since then, our lives drastically changed. The We expect to produce 1-2 posts per month, which will ECR community was badly hit and the lack of networking be published on www.inqua.org and publicized via the social events disproportionately affected early career scientists. media accounts already managed by the ECR Committee News of the Quaternary Online meetings and events, including some organized by (Twitter and Facebook pages). Issue 30 / June 2021 - Quaternary Perspectives 5 Call for nominations for 2021 award The Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal for outstanding young Quaternary scientists Professor Sir NOMINATION Nicholas Shackleton In principle, any scientist working in the field of –or ‘Nick’ as he Quaternary science, but excluding members of the INQUA preferred to be Executive, may propose an appropriate candidate for the called- was one of the Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal. Proposals should include a foremost Quaternary summary and a short personal statement in support of the scientists in the candidate, the curriculum vitae and list of publications of the world, his scientific nominee, and three letters of recommendation. Proposals legacy is in no need should be submitted electronically to both, the INQUA of elaboration. In Secretary-General, Prof. Dr. Enikö Magyari, and the Chair of recognition of his the Awards Committee, Vice-President Prof. Dr. Laura Sadori. pivotal contributions Statements of support are required from three to palaeoceanography nominators who should be independent persons from and the verification of different national organizations, preferably (but not the global importance essentially) from different countries. At least one of the of Milankovitch cycles, nominators must be from an INQUA member country or Nick was elected to the Royal Society in 1985 and knighted region, not in default of INQUA fee payment.