Symposia

SY-1
Earth Materials, Petrological and Geochemical Processes (in Honour of Frank C. Hawthorne)
Supported by: MAC
Organizers: Elena Sokolova (University of Manitoba; elena_sokolova@umanitoba.ca) and Norman Halden (University of Manitoba)

This symposium is a celebration of the work of Frank C. Hawthorne. Frank has worked on a wide variety of Earth materials from both theoretical and experimental viewpoints, and it is hoped that this Special Session will encourage presentation of a wide variety of topics on Earth materials, from Crystallography to Mineralogy to Petrology to Geochemistry.

SY-2
Granitic Pegmatites – From Fascinating Crystals to High-Tech Elements (in Honour of Petr Černý)
Supported by: MAC
Organizer: Milan Novák (Masaryk University, Czech Republic; mnovak@sci.muni.cz)

This symposium on granitic pegmatites is organized as a tribute to Petr Černý, an outstanding expert on granitic pegmatites, whose interests and career have encompassed all aspects of pegmatite research, from the composition and crystal structure of exotic mineral species to magma-fractionation paths to economic potential of these unusual rocks. The session will draw attention to all aspects of the mineralogy, geochemistry, isotope systematics and industrial significance of granitic pegmatites, and provide a unique forum for the discussion of their petrogenesis, evolution, tectonic environment and genetic links to parental granites.

SY-3
Life and Times of Phanerozoic Seas (in Honour of Rolf Ludvigsen)
Supported by: GAC Paleontology Division
Organizers: Brian Pratt (University of Saskatchewan; brian.pratt@usask.ca); Nigel Hughes (University of California, Riverside), Ed Landing (New York State Museum), Godfrey Nowlan (Geological Survey of Canada), Dave Rudkin (Royal Ontario Museum), Steve Westrop (Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History), Graham Young (Manitoba Museum)

This symposium is to celebrate the work of Rolf Ludvigsen. Rolf has been a major force in invertebrate paleontology in Canada for near four decades, mainly specializing in trilobites. After leaving academia, his focus shifted toward the popularization of paleontology. This Special Session encourages a wide variety of presentations about organisms and their activities in ancient seas.

SY-4
Stirring the Pot: Geoscience Canada Symposium (in Honour of Paul F. Hoffman) – talks by invitation only
Supported by: Geoscience Canada
Organizers: Brendan Murphy (St. Francis Xavier University; editor Geoscience Canada; bmurphy@stfx.ca), Galen Halverson (McGill University)

Paul F. Hoffman needs no introduction. He is a scientist of the highest stature. He has made many seminal contributions, including the comparison between Holocene and Proterozoic carbonates, the application of plate tectonic principles to the Proterozoic, the amalgamation and breakup of Rodinia, and the snowball earth hypothesis. The ground-breaking and transformative research he has conducted throughout his career has earned him many of the most prestigious national and international awards and a transcendent reputation among geologists. Paul is also a passionate student and disciple of the history, philosophy, and development of fundamental concepts in Earth sciences. This symposium acknowledges his enormous contributions to Canadian and global geoscience with invited presentations linked to articles published in Geoscience Canada in his honour.