2000 IAPSO Activities
Administration
During the year 2000, action was initiated to form an IAPSO/IAHS Joint Commission on Groundwater-Seawater Interactions. Funding was obtained to hold an initial meeting at the IAHS Assembly in 2001. Action progressed to form the Inter- Association IUGG Commission on GeoRisk proposed in 1999. 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 2000.
The IAPSO President initiated contacts with the Palace in Monaco regarding the proposed creation of a medal to be awarded for distinguished accomplishments in the physical sciences of the oceans. Prince Rainier of Monaco has agreed to establish the Prince Albert I medal to be awarded biannually by IAPSO for that purpose. An invitation was extended to have a member of the the Prince's family present the first medal at the Joint Assembly in 2001.
Maintenance and updating of the IAPSO Web page continued. A page of information for younger students was added as an outreach effort. A mirror Web page was created as a direct portion of the IUGG Web page. Additional links were added to university, laboratory and institute Web pages. Accesses to the IAPSO Web page reached a level of 5,000 hits per month by late summer, with a substantial percentage accessing the 1999 symposia abstracts and a significant number accessing 1997 abstracts.
Scientific meetings
Plans continued for a Joint IAPSO/IABO Assembly in Mar del Plata Argentina in October 2001. The final technical program for that Assembly was prepared, symposia convenors and co- convenorswere established, registration information was added to Joint Assembly Web page, and efforts were initiated to obtain funds from various sources for travel grants. Substantial advertising has been carried out for the Joint Assembly including e-mail distribution of notices, and distribution of hard copies of the Call for Papers. IAPSO joined with other Associations in providing information at an IUGG booth at the AGU Fall meeting. IAPSO joined with IAG to hold a week-long workshop in Brazil in 2000, with a follow-up symposium scheduled in conjunction with the 2001 Assembly in Argentina.
Discussions were also initiated in regard to the site for an Assembly in 2005. Discussions have been carried out with a representative in India, as India expressed an interest in 1999. Discussions/coordination have continued with IAMAS and IAHS in regard to the possibility of a Joint Assembly. Partial funding was obtained to allow representatives of the three Associations to travel to India in 2001 to view a potential site and discuss possibilities with representatives of the three Associations in India.
The IAPSO Secretary General represented the Association at the IUGG Executive Committee meeting in Boulder, Colorado, in July. The IAPSO Past President represented the Association at the SCOR meeting in Washington, DC. The IAPSO Deputy Secretary General also attended the SCOR meeting.
The IAPSO Secretariat continues to respond to various inqueries for information.