2nd Conference on Early Mars: Geologic, Hydrologic and Climatic Evolution and the Implications for Life

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/earlymars2004/

Second Conference on Early Mars: Geologic, Hydrologic and Climatic
Evolution and the Implications for Life

October 11-15, 2004
Jackson Hole, Wyoming

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT
March 2004

Conveners -
Steve Clifford, Lunar and Planetary Institute
Jack Farmer, Arizona State University
Robert Haberle, NASA Ames Research Center
Horton Newsom, University of New Mexico
Tim Parker, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Sponsored by
Lunar and Planetary Institute,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The influx of new data received from recent spacecraft missions to Mars,
recent progress in early climate modeling, the growing evidence of the
role of water in the planet's evolution, and the rapid pace of new
discoveries about the origin and diversity of life on Earth have
reinvigorated interest in both the conditions that prevailed on Mars
during its first billion years of geologic history and their
implications for the development of life.

These issues were first addressed during the First Conference on Early
Mars that was held in April 1997 at the LPI in Houston, Texas. This
interdisciplinary meeting attracted approximately 185 terrestrial and
planetary scientists from a variety of fields. The Second Conference
on Early Mars is intended as the scientific successor to the 1997
meeting, sharing the same interdisciplinary scope and emphasis on
discussion and debate.

The purpose of the conference is twofold:

(1) to consider how impacts, volcanism, and the presence of abundant
water affected the physical and chemical environment that existed on
Mars 4 G.y. ago, particularly as it related to the nature of the
global climate, the existence of a primordial ocean, the origin of
the valley networks, the geologic and mineralogic evolution of the
surface, and the potential presence of local environments that may
have been conducive to the development of life and the preservation
of its signature in the geologic record; and

(2) to discuss the investigations that might be conducted by present
and future missions to test the hypotheses arising from (1).

TIME AND LOCATION

This five-day meeting will be held from October 11-15, 2004, at the
Snake River Lodge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This location was chosen
due to its proximity to the hydrothermal sites in Yellowstone National
Park, which will be the focus of the mid-conference field trip on
Wednesday, October 13.

CONFERENCE FORMAT

The conference technical sessions will be held Monday and Tuesday
(with a topical emphasis on early Earth and Mars geologic, hydrologic,
and climatic evolution) and then Thursday and Friday (emphasizing
the origin of life, life in extreme environments, and related topics).
A one-day field trip to a number of hydrothermal sites in Yellowstone
National Park will be conducted on Wednesday.

The conference program will consist of invited and contributed talks,
panel discussions, and poster presentations, and will be supplemented
by several special sessions and social events held throughout the
meeting.

Any scientist with relevant theoretical, experimental, or field
experience is strongly encouraged to participate and to submit an
abstract. Contingent upon review and acceptance by the program
committee, abstracts will be published on a CD-ROM and distributed
to conference participants at the meeting. The abstracts and
preliminary program will also be available in electronic format and
accessible via the conference Web page by August 25.

FUTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Further details regarding the program, topics for discussion,
opportunities for participation, and guidelines for abstract and
poster preparation will be included in the second announcement that
will be posted on this Web site by May 12.

INDICATION OF INTEREST

To subscribe to a mailing list to receive electronic reminders and
special announcements relating to the meeting via e-mail, please
submit an electronic Indication of Interest form by May 10, 2004.
Please submit the Indication of Interest even if you do not care
about electronic notification of announcements.

The number of interest forms will facilitate the planning of the meeting.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For further information regarding the format and scientific
objectives of the conference, please contact

Steve Clifford
phone: 281-486-2146;
e-mail: .

For further information regarding conference logistics, contact

Kimberly Taylor
phone: 281-486-2151;
fax: 281-486-2125;
e-mail: .



SCHEDULE

May 12, 2004 Second announcement posted on this Web site
July 13, 2004 Abstract Submission Deadline
August 25, 2004 Final announcement with program and abstracts
posted on this Web site
October 11-15, 2004 Second Conference on Early Mars in Jackson Hole,
Wyoming