2002 IAPSO Activities

IAPSO activities in 2002 included preparation of the final IAPSO Scientific Program for the 2003 IUGG General Assembly, appointment of convenors, and solicitation of abstracts. Initial planning was carried out for a Joint IAPSO/IABO Assembly in Perugia, Italy in September 2005.

A questionnaire was prepared and information was solicited from all National Correspondents relating to the future of IAPSO. A special Task Committee was formed and that committee met in Cape Town in October to review input and determine directions.

A new Working Group on Deep Ocean Mixing was formed jointly between IAPSO and ICSU's Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). An initial meeting of that working group is planned at the IUGG General Assembly in Sapporo. Initial action was undertaken to restructure the IAPSO Commission on Sea Ice to provide a broader scope. That action is continuing. Other Commissions were reviewed.

Activities of the IAPSO/IAHS Joint Commission on Groundwater- Seawater Interactions have continued. Action also progressed on the new Inter-Association IUGG Commission on GeoRisk. Activities of the Permanent Service on Mean Sea Level (sponsored by IAPSO), and IAPSO's Standard Sea Water Service (operated by Ocean Scientific International) continued in 2002. IAPSO's Commission on Sea Level and Tides operates in cooperation with the PSMSL.

Maintenance and updating of the IAPSO Web page continued. Links to university, laboratory and institute Web pages were added or revised. The abstract books from the 2001 Joint Assembly were added. IAPSO has found that Assembly abstract books are heavily accessed for significant periods of time following the Assemblies. The IAPSO Secretariat continues to respond to various inqueries for information.