Posted today on the discussion board for members of the History, Philosophy, and Geoheritage Division (HPGD) of the Geological Society of America (GSA).
We hope you are making plans to come to San Antonio for the annual Connects meeting October 19-22. With the fusion of history, philosophy, and geoheritage into the Division there will be much energy and enlightening conversation!
Five topical sessions are listed below. In addition to those, there will be a Pardee session devoted to Geoheritage (Tuesday, 21 October, P3). We will announce a student luncheon with an award ceremony and a business meeting shortly.
More info here.
Submit abstracts here.
Abstracts must be submitted before August 5th, but why not now?
We hope you will present a paper in one or other of the sessions listed below, so make plans now to come to the meeting and submit an abstract asap!
Kerry Magruder,
for the HPG Division Board
Topical Session 85: Crossing Borders in the History and Philosophy of the Geosciences
Session Advocates: Kerry Magruder, David Spanagel, Rex Hanger, Christopher Hill, Patricia Coorough Burke
Description: Presentations explore how the geosciences cross borders, whether disciplinary, geographical, national, political, institutional, social or philosophical in nature, including women and minorities in geology, international and interdisciplinary collaborations, connecting the field and lab, colonialism, social aspects of geological maps, etc. (To submit abstract, search for “85” or use the tag Primary Discipline: History and Philosophy of Geology)
Topical Session 86: Crossing Boundaries: Histories of Geoheritage
Session Advocates: Kerry Magruder, Rex Hanger, Renee M. Clary, Stephen K. Boss, Christopher Hill, Patricia Coorough Burke
Description: Presentations explore the range of meanings of geoheritage from a variety of perspectives that cross boundaries, whether historical, disciplinary, geographical, national, political, institutional, or philosophical in nature. Papers may address geo-sites and geo-collections which are contested, marginalized, or unjustly forgotten. (To submit abstract, search for “86” or use the tag Primary Discipline: History and Philosophy of Geology)
Topical Session 180: Philosophy of Extreme Events and Landscape Evolution on Earth and Other Planets: Thinking Geologically in the Spirit of Victor Baker
This session highlights Victor Baker’s contributions to Earth-based and planetary research on catastrophic events in shaping landscapes and the role of outrageous hypotheses in scientific inquiry. Presentations explore these transformative influences on understanding surface processes. (To submit abstract, search for “180” or “Baker”)
This special session will bring together researchers whose work intersects with or has been inspired by Professor Baker’s wide-ranging contributions. Presentations will highlight: Paleoflood Hydrology and Flood Geomorphology: Advances in flood hazard analysis, paleohydrological methods, and Quaternary geomorphology. Ongoing work examining catastrophic flooding events on Earth and their implications for understanding Earth’s climate and geomorphological evolution. Planetary Geology and Comparative Planetology:Investigations into surface processes and geomorphic features on Mars, Venus, and other planetary bodies. Connections between terrestrial analog studies and planetary exploration missions. History and Philosophy of Geology: Explorations of the historical development of geological thought, including the role of catastrophic events in shaping landscapes. Philosophical perspectives on scientific inquiry, including the nature of hypotheses, theories, and interdisciplinary research methods.By merging insights across these thematic areas, the session will reflect Professor Baker’s holistic approach to geology-linking observational data, modeling techniques, and theoretical frameworks to enrich both Earth-based and planetary research. We aim to feature a combination of invited and contributed talks that showcase current innovations and highlight the continuing influence of Baker’s scholarship. Professor Victor R. Baker-Regents Professor of Hydrology, Geosciences, and Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona-has been a pioneering force in advancing multiple fields of geoscience during his nearly six decades of GSA membership (49 years as a GSA Fellow). His influence spans research topics ranging from paleoflood hydrology (a field he helped define), flood geomorphology, and planetary geology, to the philosophy and history of Earth and planetary sciences.Professor Baker’s interdisciplinary insights have profoundly expanded our understanding of how catastrophic floods shape landscapes on Earth, Mars, and Venus, as well as how geological thinking intersects with broader scientific and philosophical realms. He served as President of the Geological Society of America (1998) and chaired three GSA Divisions-Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology (1987), Planetary Geology (1986), and History and Philosophy of Geology (2010)-while also holding prominent roles in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the International Union for Quaternary Research. Among his numerous GSA recognitions are the 2024 establishment of the Victor R. Baker Graduate Student Research Grant Award, designation as the 2012–2013 Inaugural GSA Distinguished International Lecturer, and the 2010 Distinguished Career Award from the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division. Given his prolific scholarly output (over 1,100 scientific contributions) and international recognition, this session will celebrate Professor Baker’s enduring impact on geoscience, provide a platform for reflecting on emerging research that builds on his foundational work, and inspire future directions in geology’s integration of physical, planetary, and philosophical perspectives.
Topical Session 87: One Century of Oil and Gas in the Permian Basin
Times, colleagues, tools, and technology have all changed over the past 100 years. The professionalism and comradery of geologists in the Permian Basin remains. Historical perspectives to help innovate for the future. (To submit abstract, search for Primary Discipline: History and Philosophy of Geology). (To submit abstract, search for “87” or use the tag Primary Discipline: History and Philosophy of Geology)
Session Advocates: Francesco Gerali, Daniel Minisini, Julie Bloxson
The Permian Basin (an area that covers just 86,000 square miles – 220,000 km2) first boosted and then dramatically influenced the United States’ hydrocarbon supply starting the 1920s. Since the 1990s, it has been the epicenter and crucible for research and development of those unconventional technologies and new geological knowledge instrumental to sustain and implement the today level of hydrocarbon production. Knowledge and understanding of the history of the Oil & Gas industry are essential to analyze and interpret the energy transition process with due maturity and awareness. The history of oil is not just “a look at the past”: it is part of the training path of the energy and environmental science professionals ready to face emerging global challenges.
Topical Session 32: New approaches to old fossil collections
Material collected during the early history of paleontology conserves deep time ecosystems and remains available for study. We invite presentations of new analyses and interpretations of well-studied collections in the context of the broader history of the discipline. (To submit abstract, search for “32” or “old fossil”)
Session Advocates: William Matthaeus, Bryton A Smith, Ingrid Romero, Jonathan P. Wilson, Scott Wing
Paleontology is more than two hundred years old, and much of the material collected during the field’s early history remains available for study in museum collections. These collections conserve the ground truth of deep time ecosystems. They also represent an enormous and often irreplaceable investment because the fossil sites can no longer be collected. As theory and technology advance, new analyses of these invaluable collections become possible and offer insight into the history of life on Earth as well as the history of paleontology as a discipline. In this session, we invite presentations that describe innovative approaches to gathering data from old fossil collections, particularly those of historical and scientific significance. While focusing on novel methods and results, we encourage presenters to briefly contextualize their work with the history of the collections and/or collectors, and to consider the effect of that history on their work.
