October 2004
American Geophysical Union
AGU Fall Meeting - media advisory 2Book hotels and flights now; Winemaking field trip to Napa Valley; Preliminary press conference overview; Press registration formContents of this advisory
1. Hotel Bookings and Flight Reservations at Meeting Rates Now Open
2. Geophysics of Winemaking Field Trip: Participants and Venues
3. Press Conferences and Workshops in the Planning Stage
4. Press registration information
5. Press registration form
6 Who's Coming
Attention international science writers: Please see important U.S. visa information in Media Advisory 1, regardless of your country of citizenship: http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/prrl/prrl0431.html
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1. Hotel Bookings and Flight Reservations at Meeting Rates Now Open
AGU has arranged special Fall Meeting rates at 15 San Francisco hotels, with prices ranging from $90 to $149 single or double per night, plus tax. Distances of hotels from Moscone West range from one block to three kilometers (two miles), with free shuttle bus service from the more distant hotels. See http://www.cmrhousing.com/agu_8u/hotel-list.asp for detailed information on each hotel and online access to reservations. The deadline for reservations at Meeting rates is 7 November, but some hotels may fill up sooner than that.
United Airlines is offering discounted fares from airports in the United States to San Francisco for those attending Fall Meeting. You will receive a 5% discount off the lowest applicable discount fare, including first class, or a 10% discount off midweek coach fares purchased 7 days in advance. If purchasing at least 30 days in advance of the travel dates, you receive an additional 5% discount off the already discounted or special fare. Or you may choose Area Pricing, a discounted, fixed-rate airfare based on geographical location, which must be purchased 7 days in advance.
To obtain these special discount fares, you or your travel agent must contact United's Convention Sales Department at the number listed below and provide the Meeting ID number 549TP. You cannot book these fares online. United Airlines Convention Sales: 1-800-521-4041
0800h - 2200h (Eastern Time)
Meeting ID #549TP
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2. Geophysics of Winemaking Field Trip: Participants and Venues
Several leading scientists and two first rate Napa Valley vineyards are participating in the Geophysics of Winemaking Field Trip on Sunday, 12 December.
The scientists are:
David Howell, Geologist emeritus, U.S. Geological survey, Menlo Park, California. Howell is interested in aiding in the process of creating wines that reflect the place in which they were grown--their physical terroir. His work with Jonathan Swinchatt relies on in-depth understanding of the underpinnings of vineyards, i.e., the geology and geological processes that have made the land what it is today. His talk will summarize the salient points put forth in their new book: The Winemakers Dance: Exploring Terroir in the Napa Valley (University of California Press, 2004). The story begins millions of years ago with the clash of continental plates that created the Napa Valley and show how this small region, with its myriad microclimates, complex geologic history, and dedicated winemakers, came to produce world-class wines.
Susan Hubbard, Environmental Remediation Program Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California. Hubbard's study represents a nexus of her professional interest in subsurface hydrogeological properties, using geophysical methods, and her personal interest in fine wine. Soil texture, or the proportion of sand, silt, and clay, is an important attribute for grape growing, because it controls the water holding capacity of the soil and influences soil compaction and canopy growth. Conventional approaches for measuring soil properties are invasive and typically provide information at a single location in time/space only. She will discuss how surface geophysical tools, such as ground penetrating radar, can be used to map variations in soils and how these maps can be used to optimize vineyard development (such as the choice of rootstock, row and vine spacing, and irrigation system design) and management. Such optimization is expected to lead to higher quality winegrapes and lower overall use of irrigation water.
Lars Pierce, Associate Professor, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, California. Pierce predicts vine water stress using a simple water balance model. The seasonal timing of vine water stress is influenced by climate, soils, and trellis-type and is an important control on both grape yield and wine quality. Pierce combines satellite imagery and daily weather information, using a daily water balance model. He can thereby examine relationships between vine water stress and wine quality and determine how this relationship is influenced by climate and soils.
Gregory V. Jones, Department of Geography, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon. Jones is fascinated by the role of climate in vine phenology, ripening, and wine quality. He has studied the impacts both as a climatologist and in his family vineyard and winery in Oregon. He will provide an overview of climate's role in terroir, how climate influences vine growth, wine production, and quality, and discuss the impacts future climate change may have on the industry. Since winegrapes are grown in fairly narrow geographic, and therefore climatic, niches, the industry is especially prone to both short- and long-term changes in climate.
The vineyards we will visit are:
Opus One Winery, Michael Silacci, Winemaker, Oakville, California. Opus One produces just one wine: Opus One, a Bordeaux-style blended wine whose composition varies slightly from year to year. Recent vintages are currently selling in the $130-$230 range per bottle. See: http://www.opusonewinery.com/
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Charlie Hossom, Director of Winegrowing, Napa, California. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars produces a range of red, white, and rose wines, selling for $18-$70. Its vineyard has been planted for more than a century. See: http://www.stagsleapwinery.com/welcome.html
The number of participants on this field trip is limited. It will depart from Moscone West, 800 Howard Street (the Fall Meeting site), at 0830h and will return in the late afternoon or early evening. Lunch will be available at Stag's Leap. Both wineries will offer tastings to field trip participants.
To sign up, check the box on the Press Registration Form: "I would like to participate in the 12 December field trip on The Geophysics of Wine" (last item on the form). If you have already registered, but did not check the box, send an e-mail to Harvey Leifert: [email protected]. Once the bus is full, we will maintain a wait list. Those who are confirmed, as of the date of this message, are listed following the "Who's Coming" list at the end of this advisory.
Recommended advance reading: The Winemaker's Dance: Exploring Terroir in the Napa Valley, by Jonathan Swinchatt and David Howell (2004, University of California Press). Note: although Howell is a co-author of this book, he has no financial interest in it and does not benefit financially from sales.
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3. Press Conferences and Workshops in the Planning Stage
Scientists have submitted a record 10,650+ abstracts for Fall Meeting, which have been organized into hundreds of oral and poster sessions. They will all be posted online shortly, where they can be searched by topic, author, institution, and other parameters. We will issue a media advisory when they are posted.
We anticipate a schedule of 15-20 press conferences on some of the news emanating from the meeting, as well as two workshops for science writers on upcoming space missions. These will be detailed in a future media advisory.
Some of the topics already suggested for press conferences, and of course subject to change, are: The 28 September M6 Parkfield earthquake on the San Andreas Fault: First results from the most densely instrumented fault site in the world Dynamic Stress Change, Triggered Earthquakes, and Aftershocks, Or are these two earthquakes related, and can one earthquake trigger another? Planetary Geodesy: An essential tool for understanding planetary and solar system dynamics The Changing Arctic Marine Environment New Antarctic Ice Cores Reveal Earth's Climate 740,000 Years Ago First Results From Aura, NASA's Third Earth-Observing System Satellite The Atmospheric Molecular Hydrogen Cycle, Or will the hydrogen economy be atmospherically benign? Megacity Impacts on Air Quality: the Mexico City Case Study Voyager and Beyond: Where Does the Solar System End? Late 2004 Seismic Activity at Mount Saint Helens Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) Mission: Changing Arctic ice sheet and sea ice, cloud and aerosol, land surface and vegetation cover, and ocean surface characteristics Changing Glaciers Around the World Planning the International Polar Year (2007-2008) The Escape of the Martian Atmosphere Costa Rica's Arenal: Understanding the risks faced here and by 500,000 people worldwide who live near active volcanoes What's New at Saturn: The latest from Cassini Challenges to Western Mountain Resources and Ecosystems Again, while we expect all of these sessions to take place, the actual press conferences may include just some, or all, of these topics, or others not listed here. Subsequent advisories will carry detailed information on press conferences.
The two planned workshops are:
Planetary Protection Workshop for Science Writers: Keeping it Clean in Solar System Exploration. Briefing on international plans to protect other planets and moons from Earth-based contamination and protecting Earth from extraterrestrial contamination when astronauts or robotic missions return.
CALIPSO-CloudSat Science Writer's Workshop. Reporters are invited to examine the role that clouds and aerosols--two of the biggest unknowns--play in regulating Earth's weather, climate, and air quality as CloudSat and CALIPSO scientists provide insight into NASA's latest Earth science missions.
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4. Press registration information
Press registrants receive a badge that provides access to any of the scientific sessions of the meeting, as well as to the Press Room and Briefing Room. No one will be admitted without a valid badge.
Eligibility for press registration is limited to the following persons:
Working press employed by bona fide news media: must present a press card, business card, or letter of introduction from an editor of a recognized publication.
Freelance science writers: must present a current membership card from NASW, a regional affiliate of NASW, CSWA, ISWA, or SEJ; or evidence of by-lined work pertaining to science intended for the general public and published in 2003 or 2004; or a letter from the editor of a recognized publication assigning you to cover Fall Meeting.
Public information officers of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies: must present a business card.
Note: Representatives of publishing houses, for-profit corporations, and the business side of news media must register at the main registration desk at the meeting and pay the appropriate fees, regardless of possession of any of the above documents. They are not accredited as Press at the meeting.
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5. Press Registration Form
The Press Registration Form is set up for online submission, but includes a link to a version that can be printed out and faxed or mailed. Go to: http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm04/?pageRequest=media
The last day for advance press registration is 3 December. You may also register onsite in the Press Room (Room 2024).
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6. Who's coming
The following persons have registered as of the date of this message. If you believe you have registered but are not listed, please resubmit the form in Part 5, above.
Mario Aguilera, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Andrew Alden, About.com
Jonathan Amos, BBC News Interactive
Molly Bentley, BBC World Service
Phil Berardelli, United Press International
Linda Billings, SETI Institute
Henry Bortman, Astrobiology Magazine
Mirella Bucci, Freelance
Bill Cannon, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Kenneth Chang, New York Times
Glennda Chui, San Jose Mercury News
Cindy Clark, Scripps Communications Office
Robert Cowen, Christian Science Monitor
John Cox, Freelance
Matthew Fordahl, Associated Press
Pam Frost Gorder, Ohio State University
Rob Gutro, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Robert Irion, ScienceNOW
Jeff Kanipe, Freelance
Dick Kerr, Science
John Krist, Ventura County Star
Dawn Levy, Stanford News Service
Nancy Light, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program
Emilie Lorditch, Discoveries & Breakthroughs
Merry Maisel, Texas Advanced Computing Center
Carolina Martinez, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Barbara McConnell, National Geographic Magazine
Barbara Moran, NOVA WGBH-TV
Mary Beth Murrill, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
J. Madeleine Nash, Time
Jan Null, San Jose Mercury News
KPIX-TV Photographer
Sid Perkins, Science News
David Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle
Charles Petit, U.S. News & World Report
Horst Rademacher, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Christina Reed, Freelance
Donald Robertson, Astronomy Now
Linda Rowan, Science
Tony Russomanno, KPIX-TV - CBS News
James Sahli, NASA Sun Earth Connection
Mark Shwartz, Stanford News Service
Megan Sever, Geotimes
Alan Stahler, KVMR-FM
Adam Tanner, Reuters
Marijke Unger, NSIDC/CIRES/University of Colorado
John VanDecar, Nature
Joe Verrengia, Associated Press
Potter Wickware, Freelance
Alexandra Witze, Dallas Morning News
Margie Wylie, Newhouse News Service
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Field trip participants (in order of sign-up)
Megan Sever, Geotimes
Sid Perkins, Science News
Margie Wylie, Newhouse News Service
Marijke Unger, NSIDC/CIRES/University of Colorado
Andrew Alden, About.com
Glennda Chui, San Jose Mercury News
David Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle
Alexandra Witze, Dallas Morning News
Jeff Kanipe, Freelance
Robert Cowen, Christian Science Monitor
J. Madeleine Nash, Time
Mirella Bucci, Freelance
Christina Reed, Freelance
Pam Frost Gorder, Ohio State University
Emilie Lorditch, Discoveries & Breakthroughs
Barbara McConnell, National Geographic Magazine
Dawn Levy, Stanford News Service
Henry Bortman, Astrobiology Magazine
Horst Rademacher, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Bill Cannon, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Kenneth Chang, New York Times
Nancy Light, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program
Molly Bentley, BBC World Service
John Cox, Freelance
Merry Maisel, Texas Advanced Computing Center
Alan Stahler, KVMR-FM
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