Second circular

We have the pleasure to announce that, in the framework of the R.C.M.N.S. activities, the Interim Colloquium "The Messinian salinity crisis revisited-II" will be held in Parma (Italy) the 7^th-9^th September 2006.

The Colloquium is organized in collaboration with GeoSed, the Italian Association for Sedimentary Geology.

Following the successful 2004 Colloquium held in Corte, this meeting wishes to offer to the large Messinian community an opportunity for the debate of all the important themes related to such a complex of paleobiogeographical events, many of them still representing a stimulating challenge for geologists, paleobiologists and paleoceanographers, due to their significance for the comprehension of past and future environmental changes.

During the last years a large number of papers have been published, many of them offering new data and interpretations for different Messinian topics, in some cases being highly innovative and stimulating. This testifies to the great vitality of the Messinian scientific community and represents a good base for a successful 2006 Edition.

The Meeting will be held at the Earth Sciences Department of Parma University, Parco Area delle Scienze 157A, 43100 - Parma - ITALY.

The Earth Sciences Department is ubicated in the University Campus, at the southern end of Parma, which is easily connected by bus to the Railway Station and to the city centre (bus lines 7 and Campus Express, 20-25 minutes).

Lunches are not included in the registration fee and will be available at low prices at the Cafeteria located just in front of the Earth Sciences Department.

The general schedule of the meeting is reported in the following table.

The detailed programme of technical sessions will be provided with the third circular

Scientific Committee

Adele Bertini, Firenze University, Italy
Jordi Agustì, Tarragona University, Spain
Juan Braga, Grenada University, Spain
Mario Grasso, Catania University, Italy
Silvia Iaccarino, Parma University, Italy
Wout Krijgsman, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Stefano Lugli, Modena-Reggio Emilia University, Italy
Jean-Marie Rouchy, CNRS, Muséum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
Marco Roveri, Parma University, Italy
Charlotte Schreiber, Washington University, Seattle, U.S.A.
Marco Taviani, Ismar-CNR, Bologna, Italy

Organizing Committee

Silvia Iaccarino, Parma University, Italy
Stefano Lugli, Modena-Reggio Emilia University, Italy
Vinicio Manzi, Parma University, Italy
Marco Roveri, Parma University, Italy

Scientific Secretary

Vinicio Manzi, Parma University, Italy E-mail: vinicio.manzi@unipr.it

Administrative Secretary

Vincenzo Pascucci, Sassari University, Italy E-mail: pascucci@uniss.it

Information: info@Messinianonline.It

Congress Website: http://www.messinianonline.it

 Following Corte's outcomes and final recommendations, the following themes are proposed:

-   Chronology of synchronous vs. diachronous events
-   Evaporitic deposits: toward new sedimentary and stratigraphic models for primary precipitated and clastic facies
-   Mass wasting processes and products along Messinian slopes: triggers, modalities and implications
-   Tectonic vs. eustatic signatures on Messinian sedimentary records
-   Role of climate and global sea-level changes
-   Messinian salt: where, when, how, why?
-   The 'Lago Mare' event(s): detailed chronology and palaeoenvironmental scenarios
-   Biological impact
-   The geodynamic context of the Messinian salinity crisis
-   Mediterranean water exchanges with the Ocean and the Paratethys
-   Consequences of the Messinian Salinity Crisis
-   Numerical modelling

Registration

Online registration is warmly encouraged to make the Congress organization easier; the registration site will be available within March 15th in the Messinian website (www.messinianonline.it).
A registration form is attached to this circular or can be downloaded from the Congress website can be compiled and sent by e-mail, mail or fax to the following address:

MSCR-II RCMNS IC Parma 2006 Secretary
c/o Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università degli Studi di Parma
Parco Area delle Scienze 157/A
43100, Parma, Italy
fax +39-0521-905354
e-mail: vinicio.manzi@unipr.it


Congress Registration Fees

Excursion Registration Fees
Based on the interest of the participants to subscribe for one or both excursions, a final decision on their feasibility will be taken by the end of May 2006.
The costs reported below could be slightly modified, therefore the Field Excursions subscribers are invited to wait for a formal communication from the organizers about the excursion final costs before paying the registration fee.

Cancellation policy
Cancellation of registration should be notified in writing to the MSCR-II RCMNS IC Parma 2006 Secretary by e-mail, fax or letter (see above).
Cancellation before July 31st 2006: 50% refund.
Cancellation after July 31st 2006: no refund.

Payment can be made only through bank transfer to the following account

GeoSed - Associazione Italiana per la Geologia del Sedimentario
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell'Università di Siena
Via Laterina, 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
Codice Fiscale e Partita IVA: 01102980529

Registrations will be confirmed only on payment receiving

Language
Authors are invited to present their talk in English. All abstracts should be submitted in English.

Abstract submission
Abstracts, limited to one A4-size page, text only without figures or tables, should not exceed 4000 characters including references.
Authors are requested to prepare the abstracts using the format of the sample file attached to this circular and downloadable from the Messinian website; once prepared, the abstracts can be uploaded in a RTF format or as a Word document.

Oral presentations
20 minutes will be allocated for each speaker, including 15 minutes for presentation, and 5 minutes for questions and discussion.
The lecture hall is able to provide all commonly used presentation facilities. Standard presentations are intended through Power Point; speakers are requested to provide their presentations in a CD or USB memory device. Speakers that intend to use overhead projector or 35 mm slide projector (up to two) are requested to inform the Meeting Organization in advance.

Poster presentation
Posters must be no larger than 100 cm (horizontal) x 150 cm (vertical)

A Gala Dinner will be organised on September 8th, 2006, free of charge for all the Meeting attendants.

The direct common observation of rocks in the field is probably the best way to stimulate positive and constructive discussions. For this reason two field excursions are proposed:

Field excursions are intended to provoke discussion on the above topics; for this reason they will have a highly unformal character in order to achieve the hopefully active participation of all attendants. Leaders will provide the basic informations about visited outcrops and their regional geological framework, leaving much space to discussion.

Pre-meeting excursion - The Apennine record of Messinian event CONFIRMED

Leaders: M. Roveri, S. Iaccarino, V. Manzi, R. Gennari (University of Parma), S. Lugli (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia)
Description: This field trip will touch the most famous outcrops of the 'Vena del Gesso' and adjoining Messinian basins in the Romagna Apennines (Santerno and Savio valleys). This relatively small area offers a unique opportunity to describe and compare extensive successions developed in different structural and depositional settings (shallow vs deep-water) during each successive stage of the Messinian salinity crisis, with relevant implications on a Mediterranean scale. In the last years a number of long cores have been collected in some key sections of this area to carry out more detailed biostratigraphic and palaeonvironmental studies on some specific intervals; the results of such studies will be presented and discussed in the field.
Topics: primary precipitated vs resedimented sulphate evaporites facies; genetic and stratigraphic relationships between primary precipitated and resedimented evaporites deposits and their implications on larger-scale scenarios of the MSC; chronology of Messinian events; regional tectonic control on Messinian stratigraphy; high-resolution stratigraphy and palaeoecology of Lagomare deposits.
Duration: 3 days. Monday 4 September - Wednesday 6 September 2006
Start: 9:00 AM Earth Sciences Department-Bologna University
Alternative start: upon request a second meeting point can be arranged at the Bologna Airport no later than 9:00 AM; car-provided participants can join the group in Tossignano (Santerno valley, south of Imola) at 10.00 am
End: 6:00 PM Parma Railway Station
Transportation: mini-bus
Accommodation: Hotel. Fee includes all meals
Weather: Generally hot and humid during the day, comfortable at night.
Degree of difficulty: Low to moderate; wellington-boots and long trousers are recommended for a river bed walk on the second day. Be prepared for sun and high temperatures (up to 30-35 °C). Possibility of biting insects.
Minimum number of participants: 10
Maximum number of participants: 30
Cost: € 200,000

Post-meeting excursion - Clastic vs primary precipitated evaporites in the Messinian Sicilian basins CANCELLED

Leaders: C. Schreiber (University of Washington), M. Roveri, V. Manzi, (University of Parma), S. Lugli (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), M. Grasso (University of Catania), A. Caruso (University of Palermo).
Description: Sicilian basins are often regarded to as a possible equivalent of deep Mediterranean Messinian successions. Clastic and chaotic evaporitic deposits emplaced by tectonically-driven small to large-scale resedimentation processes form an important part of the MSC record of Sicily in the Belice and Caltanissetta basins. Facies characteristics of clastic evaporites, the stratigraphic relationships with the other Messinian deposits, their possible significance in the regional geological evolution and the implications at a Mediterranean scale will be discussed in the field. Attention will be paid also to primary precipitated facies of Lower and Upper Evaporites.
Topics: primary precipitated and resedimented evaporitic sedimentary facies (gypsum, limestone, salt); genetic and stratigraphic relationships between primary precipitated and resedimented evaporites deposits and their implications on larger-scale scenarios of the MSC; chronology of Messinian events; regional tectonic control on Messinian stratigraphy; high-resolution stratigraphy and palaeoecology of Upper Evaporites and Lagomare deposits (Arenazzolo).
Duration: 3 days. Saturday 9 September - Tuesday 12 September 2006
Start: PARMA Earth Sciences Department; 16.00 pm, 9 September.
End: PALERMO Airport 5.30 pm, 12 September.
Alternative End: BOLOGNA Airport, evening, 12 September. A flight back to Bologna can be arranged with an additional fee. Requests must be timely sent to the organizers.
Transportation: Bus Parma-Bologna Airport, airplane Bologna-Palermo, then Mini-bus.
Accommodation: Hotel. Fee includes all meals.
Weather: generally hot and humid during the day, comfortable at night.
Degree of difficulty: normal, some walk in bush and on muddy grounds; boots are recommended. Be prepared for sun and high temperatures (30-35 °C). Possibility of biting insects.
Minimum number of participants: 15
Maximum number of participants: 30
Cost: € 400,000 (including transportation by bus from Parma to Bologna and the flight to Palermo)

2^nd circular
(PDF file, 750 KB)

abstract form
(RTF file, 33 KB)