Climate, climate change, sustainability, ecology, biodiversity, energy, food, and water are among the areas of greatest global concern. The newly formed SIAM Activity Group on the Mathematics of Planet Earth (SIAG/MPE) is organized to provide a forum in SIAM for mathematicians and computational scientists who are engaged in these critical priority areas. The interests of SIAG/MPE span the range from developing quantitative techniques to providing policy makers with tools for qualitative decision support.
SIAG/MPE will hold its inaugural meeting (MPE16) at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Friday, September 30-Sunday, October 2 (morning only), 2016.
MPE16 will have the following four themes:
- Planet Earth as a physical system (e.g., earth and space, climate dynamics, oceans, atmosphere, cryosphere)
- Planet Earth as a system supporting life (e.g., mathematical ecology, biodiversity, carbon cycle, sustainability)
- Planet Earth as a system organized by humans (e.g., natural resources, communication, transportation, socioeconomics)
- Planet Earth as a system at risk (e.g., food security, epidemics, extreme events, risk management)
The program will feature invited speakers on each of the themes, as well as a public lecture on the general theme of MPE. Parts of the program will be organized in collaboration with other SIAM Activity Groups and organizations outside SIAM. In addition, there will be minisymposia, poster sessions, and contributed paper sessions. Talks focused on work in progress are especially encouraged. Abstracts will be solicited on the conference website in November 2015.
The activity group is eager to engage students and junior researchers in any of the four themes listed above. To facilitate participation, some travel awards for students and early career academics will be available.The Program Committee of MPE16 is chaired by the activity group's program director, Hans Engler (Georgetown University). Co-chairs are the officers of the activity group: Hans Kaper (Argonne National Laboratory), Antonios Zagaris (Wageningen UR Central Veterinary Institute, the Netherlands), and Mary Lou Zeeman (Bowdoin College). The twelve members of the SIAG/MPE Advisory Board (listed on the SIAG’s website, serve on the meeting’s Organizing Committee.
MPE16 will be held at the same place and at the same time as the inaugural meeting of the SIAM Activity Group on Education (SIAG/ED). One registration fee will allow conference participants to attend sessions at both meetings. The meetings will have separate programs, but some joint activities are being planned.