[meteorite-list] Workshop on the Early Solar System Impact Bombardment

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 15:14:54 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <200803032314.PAA17391_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/bombardment2008/

Workshop on the Early Solar System Impact Bombardment
September 15-17, 2008
Houston, Texas

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FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT - MARCH 2008
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Sponsored By
Lunar and Planetary Institute
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Conveners
David A. Kring,
   Lunar and Planetary Institute
William F. Bottke,
   Southwest Research Institute

Scientific Organizing Committee
Donald D. Bogard,
    NASA Johnson Space Center
Barbara A. Cohen,
   NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Michelle R. Kirchoff,
   Lunar and Planetary Institute
Christian Koeberl,
   University of Vienna
Stephen J. Mojzsis,
   University of Colorado

With special assistance from Gary Lofgren and the Lunar Curatorial
Office at the NASA Johnson Space Center.
 
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MEETING LOCATION AND DATE
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The Workshop on the Early Solar System Impact Bombardment will be
held September 15-17, 2008, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI),
located in the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) building,
3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas.

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INTRODUCTION
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One of the legacies of the Apollo program is the concept of late heavy
bombardment or a lunar cataclysm that may have resurfaced the Moon and
thermally metamorphosed its crust. Several recent studies have continued
to test that concept and explore the implications any bombardment may
have for our understanding of lunar evolution. It has also been posited
to be a factor in the origin and early evolution of life on Earth.

The source of the debris is variously described as being from the
asteroid or Kuiper belts, which implies any bombardment may have
affected planetary surfaces throughout the solar system, producing a
complementary record that may constrain the dynamical processes behind
the flux of impacting debris. There are hints in existing data that the
bombardment may be linked to a dramatic reorganization of planetary orbits.

Interest in this theme continues to grow, particularly following a
recent National Research Council report about The Scientific Context for
Exploration of the Moon that places a test of the cataclysm hypothesis
at the top of lunar science priorities.

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PURPOSE AND SCOPE
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Recognizing the community's interest in the topic, the Lunar and
Planetary Institute and NASA are organizing a workshop to explore this
theme. The workshop will provide an opportunity to integrate several
diverse components of the above topic, including an assessment of the
geologic record of impact cratering throughout the solar system,
cosmochemical constraints on any early bombardment, and dynamic models
that might explain the flux of debris and potential changes in the flux
of debris.

Although the Moon will likely be a central component of the discussion,
it is hoped that the discussion will be informed by observations
elsewhere, like Mercury, Mars, the asteroid belt, and outer solar system
moons.

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MEETING FORMAT
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The workshop will be dominated by contributed oral and poster
presentations, although four invited presentations are being planned to
help describe the general situation with (1) crater counting, (2) sample
chronology, (3) dynamics, and (4) implications for planetary surface
conditions during any early bombardment. These will be designed to set
the stage for the workshop and identify broad issues. Contributed talks
and posters that then follow will add detail and hopefully new
information that helps resolve the broad issues.

Because the meeting topic has its roots in the Apollo program and is
being organized in response to the NRC recommendation to collect new
lunar samples that will test models of bombardment, a special session
will be set aside so that participants can examine macroscopic samples
and thin sections of lunar impact breccias from the Apollo collection.
 
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WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
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   Monday morning, Sept. 15 Introduction and invited and contributed
presentations
   Monday afternoon, Sept. 15 Contributed presentations and discussion
   Monday evening, Sept. 15 Poster session and reception
   Tuesday morning, Sept. 16 Introduction and tutorial about lunar
impact melt breccias,
with access to Apollo samples
   Wednesday morning, Sept. 17 Contributed presentations and final
discussion
     
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ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
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Deadline for abstract submission will be July 2, 2008. The call for
abstracts will be included in teh second announcement. The final
announcement and workshop program will be posted by August 6, 2008.

  KEY POINTS:
  Abstract Deadline: July 2, 2008
 
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FUTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Further details regarding the workshop with guidelines for abstract
submission will be included in the second announcement, available on
this website May 21, 2008.

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INDICATION OF INTENT
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To subscribe to a mailing list to receive electronic reminders and
special announcements relating to the meeting via e-mail, please submit
an Indication of Intent form by May 21, 2008.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/bombardment2008/iofi/
   
   
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CONTACTS
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For further information regarding the format and scientific objectives
of the meeting, contact

    David Kring
    Lunar and Planetary Institute
    phone: 281-486-2119
    e-mail: kring at lpi.usra.edu

For further information regarding meeting logistics, please contact

    Kimberly Taylor
    Lunar and Planetary Institute
    phone: 281-486-2151
    e-mail: taylor at lpi.usra.edu

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SCHEDULE
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 May 21, 2008
Deadline for Indication of Intent;
Second announcement, including call for abstracts and
registration form, available on this website
 
  July 2, 2008
Deadline for abstract submission
 
  August 6, 2008
Final announcement with program and abstracts
available on this website
 
  August 13, 2008
Deadline for registration at reduced rate
 
  September 15-17, 2008
Workshop on the Early Solar System Impact Bombardment
in Houston, Texas
 
Received on Mon 03 Mar 2008 06:14:54 PM PST