Member of SCNAT

The aim of NGD is the promotion of the studies in different fields of natural sciences and to explore the Davos region from a scientific point of view.

Image: ESO, R. Fosbury

«Moving Boundaries» specialist conference and public lecture

Boundaries, like those formed by different rock strata in the mountains, colliding continental plates or the tree line are particularly clear indicators of how our planet forms and changes. For this reason, transitions between materials or systems are hot topics in the geosciences. From 17 to 18 November, 600 earth science specialists will meet in Davos for the 15th Swiss Geoscience Meeting focussing on "Moving Boundaries". This year's conference of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) is being organised by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF.

The magic line of the Glarus Alps thrust at the Tschingelhörner

Grisons’ Cantonal Councillor Mario Cavigelli will open the conference on Friday afternoon. Florian Amann from RWTH Aachen University will then explain the Pizzo Cengalo rock avalanche and subsequent debris flows from a geological point of view. After that, the four main speakers Maurine Montagnat, Susanne Buiter, Annette Menzel and Helen Glaves will give the conference participants a tour through the geosciences, covering a wide range of topics, including ice cores, plate tectonics, changes in mountain ecosystems and current questions on developments in the scientific community.

On Saturday, scientists from all over Switzerland will present their latest findings in 16 symposium sessions. The conference is aimed at researchers from the various branches of the geosciences and is a permanent fixture in the SCNAT's annual calendar.

Complementing the specialist scientific programme, on Friday evening the Davos Association of the Natural Sciences (NGD) invites you to a public lecture entitled "Als Davos noch Meer war" (When Davos was still under the sea) about fish and dinosaurs from the Middle Triassic in the Ducan area. The speaker will be Dr Heinz Furrer from the Palaeontological Institute and Museum of the University of Zurich. Admission is free. Venue: the Aspen Room at Davos Congress Centre.

Categories

  • Geosciences