Table of Contents ====================================================================== 1. GGCM Modeling Challenge Update: Final Call to join the first round of the Dst Index metrics study 2. Call for GEOScan Workshop Participation and Registration 3. Call for Nominations for the 2011 Sunanda and Santimay Basu Award ====================================================================== *************************** ** THE GEM MESSENGER ** *************************** Volume 21, Number 2 March 1, 2011 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. GGCM Modeling Challenge Update: Final Call to join the first round of the Dst Index metrics study ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Masha Kuznetsova To participate in the first round of the Dst index metrics organized by the GEM Metrics and Validation Focus Group please submit your model results using the CCMC web interface prior to March 31st, 2011. Simulations results submitted before the deadline will be included in the first paper to be submitted to Space Weather Journal in June 2011. The Dst index Challenge was initiated in Summer 2009. Preliminary results were discussed at GEM 2010 summer workshop and 2010 AGU mini- workshop. For more details go to the Challenge Web site: http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/support/GEM_metrics_08/. Please send questions, comments and suggestions to: Masha Kuznetsova (Maria.M.Kuznetsova@nasa.gov), Aaron Ridley (ridley@umich.edu) and Lutz Rastaetter (Lutz.Rastaetter@nasa.gov) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Call for GEOScan Workshop Participation and Registration ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jonathan Fentzke Dear Colleagues, The organizers and steering committee of the GEOScan Planning Workshop invite you to participate in a 2.5-day workshop that is open to the entire Geosciences community. GEOScan is a grassroots effort envisioned as an NSF GEO facility from space that will bring a revolutionary capability of massively dense global observations facilitated by system and hosted payloads on the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. The dual theme concept of GEOScan involves System Science (SS) sensors on all 66 Iridium NEXT satellites as well as Hosted Sensor (HS) suites that can accommodate unique payloads in a standard, CubeSat-like configuration on individual satellites. This configuration helps us to address the needs of a number of sponsors and a broad scientific community engaged in geospace system science. Participants are encouraged to submit presentations covering both/either science goals and candidate sensors. In addition, some level of travel support should be available based on the number of participants in need. The results of the workshop will culminate in the selection of the system sensors and scientific goals of the proposed program, which will be reported to the National Science Foundation and the community at large. Full Workshop information, registration and abstract submission are available at: http://workshops.jhuapl.edu/geoscan/ Workshop Dates: March 27-30, 2011 Workshop Outline: March 27: Evening Icebreaker reception March 28-29: Two full-day community presentations and discussions on science goals and candidate sensors. March 30: (8am-noon) Steering Committee meeting, open to anyone interested in providing input for the Conceptual Design report. Location: Historic Inns of Annapolis, Maryland: http://www.historicinnsofannapolis.com Registration Deadline: 03/28/11 Contact the Local Organizing Committee with Questions: Lars Dyrud (Lars.Dyrud@jhuapl.edu) Brian Anderson (Brian.Anderson@jhuapl.edu) Jonathan Fentzke (Jonathan.Fentzke@jhuapl.edu) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Call for Nominations for the 2011 Sunanda and Santimay Basu Award ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: David Hysell The Space Physics and Aeronomy (SPA) Section of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) is seeking nominations for the Sunanda and Santimay Basu Award in Sun-Earth Systems Science. This award is presented annually to honor an individual young scientist from a developing nation for making outstanding contributions to research in Sun-Earth Systems Science that further the understanding of both plasma physical processes and their applications for the benefit of society. The award is open to scientists who received their Ph.D. degree after 1 June 2004 and currently live and work in developing nations. Consideration is to be given to candidates who have overcome obstacles in attaining their research objectives. The Space Physics and Aeronomy Section will invite the recipient to present a paper at AGU's Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California. Travel funds and living expenses will be provided to attend the meeting, where the recipient will also receive a certificate of appreciation and three years' membership to AGU. The award will be presented at the SPA dinner, for which the awardee will receive a complimentary ticket. The awardee will also be announced in Eos. Nominations should be prepared by an AGU member or other geoscientist who is knowledgeable of the candidate's qualifications and include the following information: . nominator's name and title, address and contact numbers; . nominee's name and title, institutional affiliation, and address; . a statement (not to exceed 2 pages) of the action(s) or achievement(s) for which the candidate is nominated; . two letters of support from AGU members or from other recognized geoscientists belonging to institutions other than that of the nominee; . a curriculum vitae (not to exceed 3 pages). A list of previous recipients of the award can be found at: http://www.agu.org/about/honors/section_fg/spa/ The deadline for receipt of the nomination package is 15 May 2011. Send nominations to: American Geophysical Union Attn: Danica Williams, Member Relations Coordinator 2000 Florida Avenue, NW Washington DC 20009 USA Tel: +1-202-777-7513 E-mail: dwilliams@agu.org You can also contact the Chair of the Sunanda and Santimay Basu Award Committee with questions: Professor David Hysell (david.hysell@cornell.edu) +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | To subscribe GEM Messengers, send an e-mail to | | | | with the following command in the body of your e-mail message: | | subscribe gem | | To remove yourself from the mailing list, the command is: | | unsubscribe gem | | | | To broadcast a message to the GEM community, please contact | | Peter Chi at | | | | Please use plain text as the format of your submission. | | | | GEM Messenger is also posted online via newsfeed at | | http://heliophysics.blogspot.com and | | http://www.facebook.com/heliophysics | | | | Back issues are available at ftp://igpp.ucla.edu/scratch/gem/ | | | | URL of GEM Home Page: http://aten.igpp.ucla.edu/gemwiki | | Workshop Information: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/gem/index.html | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+