Session 1: Advances in classical statistics relevant to the Geosciences

Conveners: Jack Schuenemeyer (Southwest Statistical Consulting, LLC, USA - jackswsc@q.com -), Ricardo A. Olea (USGS, USA - rolea@usgs.gov -)

The session will be devoted to novel methodologies relevant to the advancement of modeling in the earth sciences by statistical methods using neither spatial nor temporal information

Session 2: Frontier Geostatistics

Convener: Jaime Gómez-Hernández (Universitat Politècnica de València, SPAIN)

Geostatistics has evolved much since its inception as a set of tools for the estimation of mineral reserves. Nowadays, new algorithms are being developed to handle complex curvilinear heterogeneity patterns, non-Gaussian random functions, multivariate problems, or inverse modeling for better understanding of the natural world. This session aims to attract presentations on the frontier of Geostatistics, either as new algorithms or as applications of recently developed ones.

Session 3: Compositional Data Analysis Applied to Geochemistry

Conveners: Antonella Buccianti (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, ITALY), Eric Grunsky (Division du Nord du Canada Geological Survey of Canada, CANADA - egrunsky@nrcan.gc.ca -)

This session will emphasize developments in the theory and application of compositional data with particular emphasis on geochemical data. Contributions to the theory of compositional data analysis in the context of stoichiometry and practical applications in evaluating geochemical survey data are welcomed.

Session 4: Data assimilation in Geosciences

Conveners: Laurent Bertino (Mohn-Sverdrup Center, NORWAY - Laurent.Bertino@nersc.no -) and Hans Wackernagel (Ecole de Mines de Paris, FRANCE)

Forecasting problems involving repetitive measurements and a dynamical model arise in many areas of Geoscience. Data assimilation methods are used for sequential model-updating to provide improved forecasts by adjusting the description of the non-linear dynamics provided by the numerical model when confronted to new observations. Data assimilation, which is common practice in meteorology and oceanography, has spread to other areas of Geoscience like hydrogeology and petroleum reservoir production optimization. This session will be open both to new theoretical developments and to original applications of data assimilation.

Session 5: Machine learning in Geoscience applications

Converners: V. Demyanov (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK) and M. Kanevski (University of Lausanne, SWITZERLAND)

The session aims to bring novel computer science and statistical learning techniques into Geosciences applications. Machine learning has gained increasing recognition across Geosciences, including reservoir characterisation, environmental and climate modeling, pollution and natural hazard predictions, renewable resources estimations, and other applications. Learning based techniques, such as neural networks and kernel based algorithms, have proven their power in data and knowledge integration and assimilation. The session will invite multi-disciplinary contributions that will demonstrate recent advances in applying learning based algorithms to Geosciences problems.

Session 6: Spatiotemporal analysis: structural complexity and extreme behaviour

Convener: José Miguel Angulo (Universidad de Granada, SPAIN)

Proper representation of complexity inherent to real systems, as well as understanding the intrinsic nature of abnormal behavior leading to extreme events, constitute two main challenges in Geosciences research. In this context, structural characterization, pattern description, prediction/interpolation and risk assessment involve suitably advanced space-time modeling approaches and statistical inferential methods.

Session 7: Parameterization of soil systems at different scales

Conveners: Yakov Pachepsky (United States Deparment of Agriculture, USA), Fernando San José Martinez (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, SPAIN - fernando.sanjose@upm.es -), Miguel Ángel Martín (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, SPAIN - miguelangel.martin@upm.es -) and Dai Yongjiu (Beijing Normal University, CHINA)

Soils are highly complex natural systems. Soil complexity may be easily perceived, but it is often difficult to represent it in mathematical terms without making strong simplifying assumptions. This implies that several different parameterizations can be applicable and identifiable consistent with the available observations. This session seeks presentations on soil parameterization at different scales and for different applications, search for patterns in soil-related information, and soil process modeling.

Session 8: Fractals, Chaos and Complexity in the Earth System

Convener: Carlos Paredes (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, SPAIN)

The study and understanding of how nature works have changed since ideas from fractal geometry, chaotic dynamical systems analysis, and self-organized complexity have been applied. Fractal or multifractal scaling, low dimensional chaoticity, self organized criticality, non-extensive entropy, among others, have been proposed suitable to describe, characterize and also model a variety of geological, morphodynamical and geophysical problems. Keeping in mind the broad range of earth science scientist interested in participate, presentations are called for this session to interexchange suggestions, ideas, knowledge, and fruitful discussions to get deeper into the causes of such behaviours, why such comportments arise in geodynamics, and how they could be used in a phenomena modeling framework.

Session 9: Remote Sensing a Changing World

Conveners: Peter Atkinson (University of Southampton, UK - P.M.Atkinson@soton.ac.uk -), José Fernandez (Spanish National Research Council CSIC, SPAIN - jft@mat.ucm.es -)

Remote sensing has come of age and is now used routinely and operationally to monitor changes on the Earth's surface over vast areas. At the same time, archive time-series of spatially extensive images present new opportunities for monitoring fundamental changes (e.g., changes in carbon fluxes, energy exchanges, species distributions, mega-river planforms) over long time-scales. These data present interesting challenges and are leading to new developments in space-time Geostatistics and related approaches. This session will showcase the latest advances in space-time methods for remote sensing monitoring of changes on the Earth's surface.

Session 10: Radar remote sensing for the detection, monitoring and modelling of ground instabilities

Conveners: Dr. Gerardo Herrera García (IGME, SPAIN - g.herrera@igme.es -), Dr. Tomas M. Fernandez-Steeger (RWTH Aachen, GERMANY)

In the last decades, differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry (DInSAR) has become a very useful microwave-based remote sensing technique for detecting and monitoring landslides and subsidence processes. The development of advanced DInSAR algorithms, the availability of high resolution satellite missions (TerraSAR-X and COSMO-SkyMed), as well as near future satellite systems (e.g. SENTINEL) will increase the use of radar remote sensing. The session brings together earth scientists, engineers and remote sensing experts to discuss the state-of-the-art of radar remote sensing applications for detecting, monitoring and modelling ground deformations and their local and regional consequences on structures and infrastructures. The session welcomes: (i) studies describing the integration of in-situ and remote sensing observations; (ii) studies discussing innovative spaceborne and ground-based microwave techniques, and associated data processing methods; (iii) critical analyses of existing and innovative methods for  geo-mechanical modelling, vulnerability assessment and damage quantification; (iv) the results of case studies executed at different spatial and temporal scales, in different climatic, physiographical, geographical and societal settings.

Session 11: Geographic Information Systems/Geoinformatics

Conveners: Robert Marschallinger (University of Salzburg, AUSTRIA - robert.marschallinger@sbg.ac.at), Eric Grunsky (Division du Nord du Canada Geological Survey of Canada, CANADA - egrunsky@nrcan.gc.ca -)

This session will provide a forum for the presentation of recent advances in the analysis and interpretation of georeferenced geoscience data. Contributions to theory and practice for geoscience data capture, display, analysis and interpretation are welcomed.

Session 12: Quantitative methods in Geomorphology and Land Surface Processes

Convener: Francisco Gutiérrez (Universidad de Zaragoza, SPAIN - gutierrezfgutier@unizar.es)

The study of surface processes and the resulting landforms are of major interest for our society. A significant proportion of the geoenvironmental problems are related to the interactions between human activity and geomorphic processes. Quantitative analyses are essential to develop a sound scientific and technical basis for a proper management of the rapidly growing geomorphological problems.

Session 13: Deformation modeling, Geodynamics and natural hazards

Conveners: José Fernández (Spanish Council for Scientific Research, CSIC, SPAIN - jft@mat.ucm.es -), Pablo J. González (University of Western Ontario, CANADA)

Earth interior and surface processes redistribute masses and deform the Earth’s rocks. Usually such processes can be measured using space and terrestrial techniques providing high quality data. To understand the geodynamics and natural hazards, it is essential the interpretation of spatial and temporal distribution of ground surface displacements and gravity changes based on new development of mathematical (analytical and numerical) models and methods. The new venues should be able to synthesize in a compact and efficient fashion the Earth’s complex processes and the near-future available large quantities of data. This session should be dedicated to the description of theoretical models, inversion techniques and their application to observational geodetic and geophysical data sets in active areas

Session 14: Hydrogeology: From process understanding to improved predictions

Convener: Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, GERMANY - h.hendricks-franssen@fz-juelich.de -)

This session focuses on new developments contributing to improved predictions of flow and transport processes in aquifers, by means of process understanding and subsurface characterization. Possible topics are anomalous transport behavior in aquifers, reactive transport, upscaling of transport parameters, subsurface parameter identification including realistic representation of Geology and fully coupled modeling of the groundwater compartment together with other compartments (e.g., vadose zone, overland flow and land surface).

Session 15: Quantitative hydrology: working across scientific disciplines and time-space scales

Conveners : Leticia Rodríguez (Centro de Estudio Hidro-Ambientales. Universidad Nacional del Litoral, ARGENTINA - leticia@fich1.unl.edu.ar -), Allen Batteman Pinzon (Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, SPAIN

In recent decades, multidisciplinary approaches have emerged linking various hydrological processes to land-atmosphere interactions, river ecology, geomorphology, plant physiology, and biogeochemical cycles. An increasing number of processes are being gradually coupled and incorporated into hydrological models to improve the representation of underlying physics and mechanisms at different space-time scales and to test hypotheses, while research continues to advance in order to reduce uncertainties in model predictions.  This session invites contributions, both theoretical and applied.

Session 16: Quantitative Environmental Geology

Conveners: Juan Antonio Luque Espinar (IGME, SPAIN - ja.luque@igme.es -), Juan Grima Olmedo (IGME, SPAIN - j.grima@igme.es -), Mario Chica Olmo (Universidad Granada, SPAIN)

Quantitative Environmental Geology is focused to be a multidisciplinary session concerned with quantitative research in all aspects of interaction between humans and the earth including: environmental problems (contamination, impact, hazards, vulnerability,…), management of environmental data and information, important case studies and proposal of innovative technologies.

Session 17: Modeling of energy resources

Conveners: Ricardo A. Olea (USGS, USA - rolea@usgs.gov -), Jef Caers (Stanford University, USA - jcaers@stanford.edu -)

As demand increases and remaining nonrenewable resources are continuously reduced, detection of future energy resources as well as enhanced recovery of existing resources become progressively critical. This session is devoted to the probabilistic assessment of subsurface energy resources, from exploration to production.

Session 18: New Developments in Oil and Gas Discovery Modeling

Convener: Gordon M Kaufman (Sloan School of Management MIT, USA)

The state of the art of oil and gas discovery modeling has both broadened and deepened over the past decade. MCMC methods enable computation of complex predictive distributions, graphical display technology has transformed our ability to present spatial data in interesting and informative ways and we better understand how to blend expert geological judgment with observed geological and geophysical data. Taken together, these advances have greatly enhanced our ability to model returns to exploration activity, including former "exotic" petroleum sources such as shale gas and natural gas hydrates.

Conveners: Sid-Ali Ouadfeul (Algerian Petroleum Institute, IAP, ALGERIA - souadfeul@ymail.com -), Leila Aliouane (LABOPHYT, FHC, UMBB, ALGERIA)

Many mathematical models have been widely used for oil recovery; they can help for research of hydrocarbon accumulations, reserves estimation, reservoir characterization, data modeling, petrophysical modeling, data inversion...etc.
The goal of this session is to show the utility of mathematics in oil recovery, presenting new mathematical model of oil recovery, case study and application on real data. Papers related to the topic are welcome.

Session 20: Geostatistical priors in inversion of geophysical and engineering data

Conveners: Klaus Mosegaard (Technical University of Denmark, DENMARK), Thomas Mejer Hansen (Technical University of Denmark, DENMARK)

This session will explore current research in integration of geostatistical information with geophysical or engineering data. Special focus will be on new ideas and methods for incorporating geological realism into the solution of inverse problems such as history matching and seismic inversion.

Session 21: Mineral and energy resources for planet Earth: evaluation, extraction and optimal management

Convener: Peter Dowd (University of Adelaide, AUSTRALIA - peter.dowd@adelaide.edu.au -)

The requirement for environmentally sustainable extraction of mineral and energy resources places greater emphasis on their accurate evaluation and subsequent optimal extraction. This session welcomes papers on the evaluation, extraction and management of natural resources in the sub-surface of the Earth including, minerals, coal, hydrocarbons and heat from geothermal sources. Papers on associated environmental aspects are also welcome; for example, ground water invasion into a mine and the quantification of the environmental impact of mining on local aquifers.  Papers should be within a mathematical geology context; novel applications of existing methods and presentation of new methods are equally welcome.

Session 22: Recent advances in Quantitative Methods applied to Stratigraphy and Paleontology

Conveners: Francisco Javier Rodríguez Tovar (Universidad de Granada, SPAIN), Andrea Baucon (UNESCO Geopark Naturtejo Meseta Meridional, PORTUGAL - andrea@tracemaker.com -), Carlos Neto de Carvalho (UNESCO Geopark Naturtejo Meseta Meridional, PORTUGAL - carlos.praedichnia@gmail.com -)

Since the 1960’s the application of quantitative methods in stratigraphical and paleontological researches has been revealed as a very useful tool. The usefulness of quantitative methods has been especially significant in particular fields as phylogenetic analysis, morphometry, biostratigraphy, paleobiogeography, paleoecology, cyclostratigraphy, and genetic stratigraphy, among others. This topic focused on the recent advances registered in this approach. 

Conveners: J.I. Soto (Granada University, SPAIN), J. Poblet (Oviedo University, SPAIN) and F. Bastida (Oviedo University, SPAIN)

Folds are one of the most common structures that characterize the deformed regions in the Earth. This session aims to assemble the different mathematical approaches used to analyse the geometry and development of natural and experimental folds merging geological observations, collected from outcrop- to regional-scales, together with geophysical data recorded in 2D and 3D seismic datasets. Since integration of geological measurements and observations with various mathematical tools is an irreplaceable tool to reconstruct the spatial and temporal evolution of fold structures, this session explores how these results help to understand the folding kinematics and mechanics.

Session 24: Mathematical Geosciences and Planetary Geology

Conveners: Vera Pawlowsky-Glahn (Universidad de Girona, SPAIN - vera.pawlowsky@udg.edu -), Jesús Martínez Frías (Centro de Astrobiología, SPAIN)

The application and use of Mathematics in geological research and technology is not only focused on dealing with specific issues of our planet. Study findings in Mathematical Geosciences are also extremely important for the research of meteorites, impact events, and Planetary Geology and exploration (sensu lato), including the characterization of Mars analogs on the Earth. Contributions to this vast field of science are wellcome.

Session 25: Mathematics of Planet Earth

Conveners: Willi Freeden (TU Kaiserslautern, GERMANY), Zuhair Nashed (University of Florida, USA)

2013 will be a special year of emphasis on the Mathematics of Planet Earth interpreted as broadly as possible (www.mpe2013.org). Many dynamic processes occur in our planet and mathematics plays an important role in their modeling and understanding. This will be a multidisciplinary session that will host research contributions on modelling and simulation of geological dynamic systems and computational methods necessary for the mathematical treatment of geoscientifically relevant problems.

Conveners: Santiago Martín Alfageme (IGME, SPAIN - s.martin@igme.es -), Fernando Perez Cerdan (IGME, SPAIN), Helmut Schaeben (Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, GERMANY)

Appropriate data models for multidimensional geological data are the ultimate prerequisite for geo-database systems and geo-data infrastructures to put interoperability to practice. Here, interoperability stands primarily for efficient exchange of multidimensional geo-data and communication of corresponding 3d/4d geo-models without loss of information. To proceed further towards practical interoperability the session calls for contributions from academia and software developers as well as from geological surveys, mining authorities and geo-industries. The session seeks to offer an opportunity to exchange achievements and to discuss remaining problems on the way to an efficient geo-data infrastructure.

Convener: José Antonio Vargas-Guzmán (Saudi Aramco, SAUDI ARABIA - jose.vargasguzman@aramco.com - )

Geosciences, hydrology and petroleum science are putting strong emphasis on dynamic modeling of nonlinear stochastic processes. The fundamental inputs to such endeavors are skewed distributed parameters; which require inverse solutions that integrate parameter fields from nonlinear geostatistics with numerical solutions of stochastic differential equations. This session offers a venue to discuss practical modeling of nonlinear stochastic fields in a multidisciplinary framework, as required for practical applications.