Program Themes, Subthemes & Sessions
The AGCC 2018 Scientific Program Committee (chaired by Dr Chris Yeats, Executive Director Geological Survey of New South Wales) has developed the technical program around five themes, each convened by a leader in that field.
The themes are designed to cover many facets of the Geosciences. Five to nine subthemes are currently under each theme, with many including several streams. Please click on the links below to view detailed descriptions and champions’ contact details for each theme.
Click here to view the overall program.
Click here for a list of currently confirmed speakers.
Theme 1: Understanding the Earth – Professor Dietmar Müller
Dr Dietmar Müller is Professor of Geophysics in the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. He is well known and respected nationally and internationally. His research interests include marine geology and geophysics, plate tectonics, geodynamics, basin evolution, paleoclimate, paleoceanography, the deep carbon cycle, virtual globes, simulation and modelling as well as big/complex Geoscience data analysis.
Subthemes that are currently outlined:
- 1.1. Deep Earth systems and planetary fluxes
- 1.2 Sedimentary basins
- 1.3 Marine geoscience – the evolving oceans
- 1.4 Earth’s climate – past, present and future
- 1.5 The solar system and beyond
- 1.6 Advances in structural, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary geology
- 1.7 Other
Professor Müller is a member of the GSA.
Theme 2: LIFE ON EARTH – ORIGINS AND DIVERSITY – Professor Simon George
Dr Simon George is Professor of Organic Geochemistry and Director of the Macquarie University Marine Research Centre. He has had considerable experience in conference organisation both while at Macquarie University and prior to that while at CSIRO. His research interests overlap strongly with this Theme.
Subthemes that are currently outlined:
- 2.1 The origins and development of life
- 2.2 Ediacaran and Cambrian Symposium
- 2.3 Mass extinctions
- 2.4 Ancient and historical record of life in Australia
- 2.5 The limits of life on Earth – extremophiles
- 2.6 Geobiology
- 2.7 Life beyond our planet
- 2.8 Earth, Life and Ores
- 2.9 Other
Professor George is a member of PESA and GSA.
Theme 3: Resources – discovery, development, use and sustainability – Dr Kevin Cassidy
Dr Kevin Cassidy has over 25 years diversified experience in the resources industry, ranging from leading exploration teams in frontier regions through to resource development, and applied research. He is currently Director and Consultant at Bare Rock Geological Services. Prior to this he was CEO of ASX-listed gold and base metal explorer Alchemy Resources.
Subthemes that are currently outlined:
- 3.1 Mineral systems – the challenge of discovery under cover
- 3.2 Energy systems – lessons learnt and future energy mix
- 3.3 Water systems – quantity, quality and sustainability
- 3.4 Resources sustainability – responsible investment and management
- 3.5 Technology integration
- 3.6 Other
Theme 4: Applied Geosciences in the 21st Century – innovation, technology and the future – Chris Woodfull
Chris Woodfull is Managing Director of SRK Consulting (Australasia). He is a geologist with over 27 years’ experience in exploration, mining geology and environmental management, in industry or as a consultant. He is an experienced project director and manager in a range of areas including: geological risk, exploration and independent technical reviews for the resource sector. Chris has worked on numerous exploration targeting/assessment and structural geological risk studies for minerals and coal exploration and mining companies. In recent years, he has managed a number of major geological and multi-disciplinary projects including two multi-client, basin-scale structural framework and risk studies to assist coal, coal seam gas and minerals companies operating and exploring in the Sydney-Gunnedah Basin in New South Wales and the Bowen, Surat and Drummond Basins in Queensland.
Subthemes that are currently outlined:
- 4.1 Geohazards, risk and mitigation
- 4.2 Mining geology and geometallurgy
- 4.3 Engineering geology – from underpinning our civil infrastructure to mine closure risk and mitigation
- 4.4 Geoscience and its impact on land use and productivity
- 4.5 Exploration technology: future trends and adoption challenges
- 4.6 Mathematics, modelling, AI, robotics and machine learning applied to the acquisition and interpretation of large or complex geoscience data sets
- 4.7 The National Virtual Core Library
- 4.8 Other
Chris Woodfull is a member of AusIMM.
Theme 5: Beyond the rocks – Geoscience in our society: current application and future trends – Dr Graham Carr
Dr Graham Carr is an Honorary Fellow at CSIRO Mineral Resources and immediate past President of the Geological Society of Australia. During his career at CSIRO he undertook research into geochemical techniques in mineral exploration working closely with industry. He became Deputy Chief of the Division of Earth Science and Resource Engineering and later, Chief Scientist and was closely involved with the establishment of CSIRO Minerals Down Under Flagship and the Deep Exploration Technologies CRC.
Subthemes that are currently outlined:
- 5.1 Geology in Society: geotourism and geoheritage
- 5.2 Prediction, Process, Place: Geomorphology
- 5.3 Geoscience, Education and Professional Development (AUGEN Symposium)
- 5.4 Geoscience Advocacy: thought leadership from geoscience
- 5.5 Planning the Future of Geoscience
- 5.6 Diversity in the Geosciences
- 5.7 Other