International Union of Geological Sciences
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| Type | Non-governmental, non-profit agency |
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| Headquarters | Trondheim, Norway |
| Area served | Global |
| Key people | Alberto Riccardi (President) Peter Bobrowsky (Secretary General) William Cavazza (IUGS Treasurer) |
| Industry | Geology Organizations |
| Website | www.iugs.org |
The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the field of geology.
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[edit] About
The IUGS was founded in 1961 and is a Scientific Union member of the International Council for Science (ICSU), which it recognizes as the coordinating body for the international organization of science. Currently geologists from 120 countries are represented in IUGS through national (and regional) organizations, and 46 Affiliated Organizations. IUGS promotes and encourages the study of geological problems, especially those of world-wide significance, and supports and facilitates international and interdisciplinary cooperation in the earth sciences. [1] The Union's Secretariat is currently located at the Norwegian Geological Survey (NGU) in Trondheim, Norway.
[edit] Activities
IUGS is a joint partner with UNESCO for the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) and they also participate in the Global Network of National Geoparks(GNN). The Geological Society of London oversees the production and distribution of IUGS Publications. The Ministry of Land and Resources in Beijing, China, produces and distributes the Union's quadrennial journal entitled Episodes (journal), as well as providing editorial support. The latest issues of Episodes may be downloaded free of charge [2].
Currently, IUGS runs five international commissions in the following topics:
- Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI) [3]
- Education, Training and Technology Transfer (COGE) [4]
- Environmental Management (GEM) [5]
- Stratigraphy (ICS) [6]
- History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO) [7], [8]
On December 22, 2005, the 60th Session of the United Nations General Assembly ratified the International Year of Planet Earth for 2008. IUGS and UNESCO initiated the programme to establish this UN Year which celebrates Earth Sciences.
The Union is the main scientific sponsor of The International Geological Congress [9], which takes place every four years. The next International Geological Congress will be held in Brisbane, Australia in August 2012 [10]. The last Congress was in August 2008, in Oslo, Norway, and the proceedings will be published online in 2009 [11].
