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The Geological Society of America’s 125th birthday year has begun!  We are kicking off this 125th anniversary year now with the celebratory launch of the Akademic Ioffe on an extraordinary voyage of discovery to one of Earth’s most dynamic ecosystems: Antarctica.  This once-in-a-lifetime cruise, ‘Travels in Geology — Antarctica and the Scotia Arc: Tectonics, Climate and Life’, will focus on the geology, wildlife, and history of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean.

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The field program, developed by the trip’s scientific leaders and lecturers, Ian Dalziel, Richard Alley, Rob Dunbar, and Rudolph Trouw, was designed for both the professional scientist and anyone with an interest in the planet, its life and future.  (View itinerary below)

For the many interested geologists who couldn’t join the expedition, please enjoy a vicarious experience with us by following the trip on GSA’s 125th Anniversary website.  There you can follow along with the explorers and track the ship.

I hope you will be part of the Geological Society of America’s 125th Anniversary celebration as we continue looking at our science, our societal impact, and our unique thought processes. Although my 30 some years of GSA involvement is only a small fraction of GSA’s history, its impact on me, my students, and our research has been immense.  Please help mold what is sure to be a dynamic technical program at next year’s 125th Anniversary Meeting in Denver as we explore how much our science has changed in the last 50 years and the future of our science. Propose a technical session by 15 January 2013, and share your knowledge, experience, and research.  Also, check out the 125th GSA Anniversary webpage to find out about all the meetings, fieldtrips, and other events planned throughout the year (add link).  Join me in the Give 125 Campaign, where members can give 125 “somethings” to help expand the Society’s reach in mission-critical programs, education, and outreach.

Stay tuned as more 125th Anniversary celebration activities roll out throughout 2013!

Cheers,
Sharon Mosher
Chair, GSA’s 125th Anniversary Celebration Committee

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Expedition Itinerary:

Our anniversary Antarctic excursion will attempt to understand the physical changes taking place in the Earth’s Antarctic region, with a focus on the projected impact of these changes on ecological systems.

  • Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, with the classic sedimentary cover of the Gondwana supercontinent and a huge diversity of species
  • South Georgia, an incredibly rugged island microcontinent comprising a marginal basin turbidite infill      displaced eastward from the southernmost Andean Cordillera, with thriving colonies      of penguins, seals, and albatross
  • South Orkneys with uplifted Gondwanide margin fore-arc rocks and nesting Snow Petrels
  • Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands, the “Antarctandes,” including the active Deception      Island volcano in the Bransfield back-arc rift and uplifted subduction complexes