General Information
Joint AGU Chapman/SSSA Outreach Conference on Application of GIS, Remote Sensing, Geostatistics, and Solute Transport Modeling to the Assessment of Nonpoint Source Pollutants in the Vadose Zone
Mission Inn
Riverside, California
October 19-24, 1997
(Sunday through Friday)



Conference Dates Sunday, Oct. 19, 1997
Registration and welcome reception
6:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.

Monday-Friday, Oct. 20-24, 1997
Joint AGU Chapman/SSSA Outreach Conference
Music Room, Mission Inn
The conference will run 5 days from Monday, October 20 (8:00 AM) to Friday, October 24 (3:15 PM).


Sponsors
COSPONSORS:
AGU and SSSA gratefully acknowledges the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the University of Illinois, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, for their generous support. Other cosponsored support of this conference was provided by


Conference Scope This meeting will explore current multidisciplinary methodologies for assessing the impact of non-point source (NPS) pollutants upon soil and groundwater resources at field, basin, regional, national, and global scales. The meeting will encourage interaction between the disciplines of spatial statistics/geostatistics, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and solute transport modeling to enhance the development of techniques for the measurement, assessment, and modeling of NPS pollutants in the vadose zone and in subsurface waters.

Topics to be Discussed


Conference Dedication The 1997 Joint American Geophysical Union Chapman - Soil Science Society of America Outreach Conference is dedicated to the memory of Professor Robert J. "Jeff" Wagenet from Cornell University. Jeff was both a gentleman and an international scholar whose work in the area of modeling nonpoint source pollutants was of the highest caliber. Jeff's integrity, self-effacing manner, positive and generous attitude, grace and dignity set an example for all to emulate. Jeff's contributions to Soil Science are appreciated and his presence will be deeply missed by his many students and colleagues.


Goals and Objectives As the world's population continues to grow, the foremost nonparochial problem facing man is meeting the world's food demand with a sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture strives to optimize food production while maintaining economic stability and minimizing impacts upon the environment and minimizing the utilization of finite natural resources. Assessing the environmental impact of non-point source (NPS) pollutants at local, regional and global scales is a key component to achieving sustainability of agriculture. Because of the volume of data, the spatial heterogeneity of the earth's surface and subsurface, and the complexity of solute transport processes, a multidisciplinary approach is required to assess the impacts of non-point source pollutants upon soil and groundwater resources.

The subdiscipline of spatial statististics is essential to establish the uncertainty of spatial information and to characterize the spatial variability; remote sensing is needed to measure/estimate physical, chemical and biological properties and to measure/estimate real-time environmental impacts over vast areas in a cost effective and timely manner; geographic information systems (GIS) are needed to manipulate, store, retrieve and display the tremendous volumes of spatial data; and solute transport models are needed to simulate future scenarios to assess temporal and spatial changes.

The objective of this jointly-sponsored conference is to explore current multidisciplinary methodologies for assessing the impact of non-point source pollutants upon soil and groundwater resources. Topics covered by the conference will include, but are not limited to, spatial analysis, geostatistics, remote sensing and non-invasive techniques for solute transport parameter measurement, solute transport parameter estimation techniques (e.g., pedo-transfer functions), scaling, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, fuzzy set theory and fractal approaches, risk assessment, GIS and solute transport modeling as related to the assessment of the impact of non-point source pollutants upon soil and groundwater resources from a local to a global scale. The goal is to stimulate interaction between the disciplines of spatial statistics/geostatistics, remote sensing, GIS and solute transport modeling to enhance the development of techniques for the measurement, assessment and modeling of non-point source pollutants in the vadose zone and in subsurface waters.


Conference Location The conference will be located at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California. The Mission Inn is a registered state historical monument which has recently been totally remodeled.

The Mission Inn offers a unique Spanish mission setting in a tranquil, luxurious environment. As a state historical monument, the Mission Inn has in the past provided lodging to several U.S. Presidents and other dignitaries.

The Mission Inn is an ideal conference location:


Anticipated Participants The conference is open to all scientific disciplines and intended for GIS specialists, geographers, remote sensing specialists, spatial statisticians, geostatisticians, time-series analysts, solute transport modelers (including soil physicists, soil chemists, agronomists, civil engineers, wastewater specialists, and hydrogeologists), hydrologists (surface and subsurface), environmental scientists, geomorphologists, groundwater specialists, water resource specialists, water conservationists, cooperative ag-extension specialists, risk assessment specialists, toxicologists, and natural resource policy-makers. Estimated attendance of 90-100 attendees.


Conveners Dennis L. Corwin, Ph.D., Soil and Environmental Scientist
USDA-ARS, U.S. Salinity Laboratory, 450 West Big Springs Road, Riverside, CA 92507-4617, Phone: +1-909-369-4819, Fax: +1-909-342-4962

Timothy R. Ellsworth, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Illinois, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, Phone: +1-217-333-2055, Fax: +1-217-244-3219

Keith Loague, Department of Geological and Environmental Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-3090, Phone: +1-415-723-3090, Fax: +1-415-725-0979


Presentations Oral Presentations:
Keynote presentations are 45 minutes in length (5-10 minutes for Q&A); invited presentations are 30 minutes in length (5 minutes for Q&A); and contributed presentations are 15 minutes in length (2-5 minutes for Q&A). Oral presenters should check the Conference Program for exact time schedule and length of their presentation. Oral sessions will be located in the Music Room.

All oral presenters are required to submit a short biographical sketch (one paragraph) to AGU for introduction purposes by September 15.

Oral Session Chairpersons:
All keynote and some selected invited speakers are asked to serve as Session Chairpersons. Each Session Chairperson will be responsible for (a) introducing each presenter within their session using the bio provided by the presenting author, (b) directing the Q&A at the end of each presentation, (c) making certain that each presentation oes not exceed its allotted time, and (d) preparing a 1-2 page summary of the session, which should include a brief summary of each presentation and an overall summary/conclusion for the session.

Audio Visual Equipment:
The standard audio visual equipment for oral sessions is one slide projector, one overhead projector, and two screens. If you require additional audio visual equipment, please contact Brenda Glenn for more information.

Poster Presentations/Computer Demos:
Poster presentations are scheduled for 7:00 P.M.-9:30 P.M. on Tuesday, October 21. Poster presenters will be required to set up their posters between 6:30 P.M.-7:00 P.M. Posters must fit on a 4-foot high by 8-foot wide poster board. Presenters are expected to be with their posters between 7:00 P.M. 9:30 P.M. Poster must be taken down by 10:00 P.M. Each presenter will be provided with a table and chair, pushpins, scissors, etc.

A limited number of computer demos will be permitted with poster presentations. Please contact Brenda Glenn at AGU by September 1 if you plan to give a computer demo. Please indicate whether you plan to
bring your own computer equipment or if a computer needs to be rented.


Conference Publications There will be two special publications for this meeting. One is a book published by AGU, entitled, Application of GIS, Remote Sensing, Geostatistics and Solute Transport Modeling to the Assessment of Nonpoint Source Pollutants in the Vadose Zone, which will include chapters by keynote and invited speakers at this conference. The second publication is a special issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality (JEQ), which will include contributed papers for this conference.

Manuscripts (5 copies) are due NOVEMBER 15, 1997. Please indicate in your cover letter that the manuscript is part of the Joint AGU Chapman/SSSA Outreach Conference on Application of GIS, Remote Sensing, Geostatistics and Solute Transport Modeling to the Assessment of Nonpoint Source Pollutants in the Vadose Zone.

For the AGU book, send 5 copies of your manuscript by November 15 to:

Dennis L. Corwin, Ph.D.
Soil and Environmental Scientist
USDA-ARS, U.S. Salinity Laboratory
450 West Big Springs Road
Riverside, CA 92507-4617

For JEQ, send 5 copies of your manuscript by November 15 to:
William Roy, Ph.D.
Assoc. Editor, Journal of Environmental Quality
Illinois State Geological Survey
615 East Peabody Dr.
Champaign, IL 61820


Registration, Housing, and Travel Information How to Register
All participants must register by September 15, 1997. Complete and return the registration form with payment, or e-mail complete registration information to AGU. Registration fees are $245.00 for scientists and $125.00 for students. There are
no one-day pro-rated registration fees. Participant registration fees cover admission to all scientific sessions, welcome reception, conference banquet, and refreshment breaks.

Hotel Reservations:
To obtain the conference discount room rate of $79.00 per night, please indicate your association with the "AGU Chapman Conference." It is recommended that hotel reservations be made with the Mission Inn as soon as possible, but not later than September 15. Call the Mission Inn directly to make reservations, 1-800-344-4225 or +1-909-784-0300; or fax +1-909-683-1342.

Air Transportation:
It is highly recommended that conference attendees fly into Ontario International Airport, the closest airport to the Mission Inn. If you must fly directly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) you may want to consider a connecting flight to Ontario.

Airline Discounts:
Save money on your travel costs to Riverside!
Discounts and special fares are available through USAir and United Airlines.If you plan to fly United Airlines and purchase your ticket by August 19, you can save 10% off the lowest applicable fare! To obtain these special discount fares, you or your travel agent must call the airline's Meeting and Convention Office at the number listed below and be sure to provide the airline's discount number.

USAir: Gold File #90190104 1-800-334-8644 (8:00 A.M. 9:00 P.M. Eastern Time)

United Airlines: Meeting ID #512NW 1-800-521-4041 (7:00 A.M.-12:00 A.M. Eastern Time)

Car Rental Discounts:
Alamo Rent-A-Car is offering special discounted rates for this conference. To receive these special group rates, as low as $134/week, call Alamo at 1-800-732-3232 and refer to Group ID Number 430033, Rate Code GR. International attendees may fax their reservation requests to +1-954-527-4700. Advance reservations are required.

Ground Transportation:
From Ontario International Airport, ground transportation can be obtained free of charge from the Mission Inn (phone: +1-909-784-0300). The drive from Ontario to Riverside is approximately 25 minutes.

In addition, the following shuttle services are available from all the area airports: Xpress Shuttle (1-800-427-7483); SuperShuttle (+1-909-467-9600); Shuttle 2000 (1-800-977-7872); and Inland Express Services Inc. (+1-909-626-6599). The one-way single passenger rate from Los Angeles International/LAX is approximately $45-65 and from Ontario International $22-25.

Travel Grants:
Funding has been requested to provide partial support for those attending the meeting. Application forms for travel support can be obtained from the AGU Meetings Department at the address listed below. The deadline for receipt of travel applications is September 1, 1997.

Insurance Coverage:
Participants traveling from outside the U.S. may wish to purchase accident and medical insurance protection during their visit to California. Seabury and Smith, an association service organization, offers coverage through their Gateway USA program. Insurance must be purchased for a minimum of 15 days, up to a maximum of 60 days. Prices will vary depending upon the individual's age and choice of benefit package. For more information, please contact Seabury and Smith at +1-202-457-6842.


Important Dates Sep. 1, 1997 - Travel grant application deadline. Mail or fax application to AGU.

Sep. 15, 1997 - Registration, housing, and biographical sketch deadlines. Make housing reservations directly with the Mission Inn, 1-800-344-4225 or +1-909-784-0300.

Oct. 19, 1997 - Registration and welcome reception (6:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.,Mission Inn).

Oct. 20-24, 1997 - Joint AGU Chapman/SSSA Outreach Conference (Music Room, Mission Inn). The conference will run 5 days from Oct. 20 (8:00A.M.) to Oct. 24 (3:15 P.M.).


For Further Information Contact:

American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: 1-800-966-2481 or +1-202-462-6910, ext. 215
Fax: +1-202-328-0566
E-mail: meetinginfo@agu.org


Preliminary Program Please be sure to check the final program that will be distributed at the meeting, as this preliminary program is subject to change.

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