#volatiles2014

Final Announcement — September 2014

Meeting Location and Date

The Workshop on Volatiles in the Martian Interior will be held November 3–4, 2014, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), located in the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) building, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston TX 77058.

Important Note About Parking —

Parking is available at USRA Houston. Please do not attempt to park at UBC as there is no shuttle for this meeting.

Purpose and Scope

Since the Workshop on Water in Planetary Basalts in 2007, there has been extensive research conducted on volatiles (H₂O, CO₂, O₂, S, Cl, F, and noble gases) in the martian interior and martian basalts. This new workshop will gather together researchers working on volatiles in the martian interior to discuss the latest developments in the field, where data are lacking, and which observations, instruments, or experiments are needed to make progress on understanding the origin, roles, and evolution of volatiles in the interior of Mars. Reports on data from meteorites, remote sensing, laboratory experimental investigations, in situ surface investigations, astrobiological implications, and geophysical/geochemical modeling are all applicable for inclusion in this workshop.

Meeting Format

The workshop will consist of plenary sessions and a poster session over a period of 2 days. There will be morning and afternoon oral sessions organized around topical themes, and a few invited presentations. Ample time will be reserved for questions and discussion. A poster session will be held in the evening.

For more details, view the program and abstracts. Authors will not receive notification letters. Please check the author index to see where your presentation has been scheduled.

Information For Presenters

Oral Presentations —
A PC laptop, LCD projector, and speaker remote will be available for presentation of oral presentations during the scientific sessions. In order to facilitate a smooth transition between speakers, all presentations MUST be preloaded and tested in advance. To aid the preloading process, create a folder on your flash drive/CD called “Volatiles 2014” and place your PowerPoint presentation in that folder. Please include your last name in the naming of your presentation file. An IT technician will be available each morning from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. and each afternoon from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and during breaks as necessary to assist in loading your talk.

Hardware and Software Specifications —
The plenary room will be equipped with the following minimum hardware and software:

Poster Presentations —
All posters will be available for viewing throughout the workshop.

Student Support

NASA's Mars Program Office has announced that travel funding awards are available for up to three students. Students who are U.S. citizens or legal residents, and who are engaged in relevant Mars-related research, are eligible. An application must be submitted by August 19 to be considered for this funding. NASA Headquarters will make the selections and students will be notified in September. For more information and the application, see the MEPAG Student Opportunities page. Questions about this program should be directed to Serina Diniega.

Registration

Credit card registrations: Participants registering by credit card MUST use the secure electronic registration form.

Other methods of payment: Those registering using any other method of payment (check, money order, traveler's check, or wire transfer) must contact the USRA Meeting Registrar for detailed instructions.

Third-Party Payments: Participants required to register using a third party (e.g., SATERN for NASA civil servants) should still register in advance using the electronic registration form. The confirmation e-mail you receive after registering will include payment instructions to submit to the third party. Please be aware, however, that your registration will not be considered complete until the funds have been received.

Split Payments: Selecting the "Split Payment" tab on the payment page allows the registrant to use various payment methods to pay for specific fees. For example, you can select Third-Party Payer for the conference registration fee, but use a personal credit card for other non-reimbursable expenses (lunches, social event fees, banquets, etc.).

Cancellations: Requests for cancellation with a fee refund (less a 10% processing fee) will only be accepted through October 27, 2014. Those who fail to attend and do not notify USRA prior to the October 27 deadline will forfeit their full fee.

Check-in: The workshop registration desk at the LPI will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday and Tuesday.

Accommodations

Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements and hotel reservations. For a list of hotels in the area, refer to Bay Area Houston Hotel Information. The location of the hotels in relation to the USRA building is shown on the area map.

Contacts

For further information regarding the scientific content of the meeting:

Justin Filiberto
Southern Illinois University
E-mail:  [email protected]

For further information regarding meeting details or announcements:

Katy Buckaloo
Meeting and Publication Services
USRA Houston
Phone:  281-486-2106
E-mail:  [email protected]

Schedule