International Symposium: Fifty Years after IGY
- Modern Information Technologies and Earth and Solar Sciences -

Message from the Organizing Committee

The International Geophysical Year, IGY (1957-1958) led to a comprehensive global study of geophysical phenomena and their relationship to solar activity. It aimed to make wide-spread, simultaneous, and intensive observations of a range of geophysical phenomena, using the latest instrumentation, rocket, and satellite technologies. The IGY greatly expanded our knowledge of global processes, heralded the exploration of geospace, and left a legacy of monumental achievements including the World Data Center (WDC) System.

Fifty years on, four new international programs -- International Polar Year (IPY), electronic Geophysical Year (eGY), International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), and International Helio- physical Year (IHY) -- have been proposed and are in progress. Efforts for renewal of the international data system such as the WDC and CODATA are also in progress. Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP) has also been promoting geosciences since 1966.

On the other hand, the rapid innovation in information technologies such as super computers and ultra-high speed Internet drastically changed the style and themes of research, amount and treatment of data. The new observations and simulations with high technology are producing huge amounts of data. Because of the limitation of handling these data by individual researchers, it is very important for Earth sciences and their use for our global society to develop a cohesive methodology which includes advanced information technologies. The aforementioned international programs and data systems have their own purposes and activities. However, there also exist many common interests, common techniques and overlapped activities. This symposium will treat a wide range of topics related to the above mentioned activities, and expects that the scientists and engineers in Earth sciences, solar sciences, informatics, computer sciences and related fields meet together. By convening these people at one place, it is possible to share our experiences and opinions on how we have been handling very varied and huge amounts of data and extracting/expanding the knowledge, and on current and future plans.

We believe that this symposium will provide an opportunity for creation of new and interdisciplinary Earth and solar sciences and a chance for the elucidation of their importance to the world.

Masaru Kono, Chair

IGY+50 Symposium Organizing Committee

 

2. Committees

IGY+50 Symposium Organizing Committee

Chair:

Masaru Kono

Members:

Eikichi Tsukuda (IYPE)

Natsuo Sato (IPY)

Kiyohumi Yumoto (IHY (STPP))

Toshihiko Iyemori (eGY)

Shuichi Iwata (CODATA)

Takashi Watanabe (WDC)

Toshitaka Tsuda (SCOSTEP)

Scientific Organizing Committee

Chair:

Toshihiko Iyemori

Members:

Hiromichi Fukui, Shuichi Iwata, Masaki Kanao, Asanobu Kitamoto, Minoru Kubota,

Chikao Kurimoto, Takashi Moriyama, Takeshi Murata, Yasuhiro Murayama,

Ryosuke Nakamura, Masatoshi Ohishi, Tatsuki Ogino, Kazunari Shibata,

Masumi Shimojo, Kazuo Shiokawa, Hiroaki Toh, Seiji Tsuboi, Toshitaka Tsuda,

Takashi Watanabe

Local Organizing Committee

Chair:

Kiyohumi Yumoto

Members:

Mamoru Ishii, Shuichi Iwata, Masaki Kanao, Teruki Miyazaki, Masahito Nosé,

Munetoshi Tokumaru, Toshitaka Tsuda, Eikichi Tsukuda, Shinichi Watari,

Toshitsugu Yamazaki

 

3. Sponsor, Co-sponsors, Supports

Sponsored by:

Science Council of Japan/IYPE/IPY/IHY(STPP)/eGY/WDC/SCOSTEP/CODATA

Co-sponsored by:

Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University

Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University

The Graduate University for Advanced Studies

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology

National Institute of Polar Research

Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University

Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences

Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University

Space Environment Research Center, Kyushu University

The Kyoto University Museum

Supported by:

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology

JSPS Core-to-Core Program

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/JSPS

Inoue Foundation of Science

 

 

4. Tsukuba Science City

Venue

Tsukuba City is about 50 km northeast of Tokyo and 40 km northwest of the Narita Airport (New Tokyo International Airport). It covers an area of 28,000 ha (112 square miles) with a population of about 200,000. Seen from one angle, Tsukuba City has the look of a rural refuge of abundant greenery; to the north lies Mount Tsukuba, 877 meters above sea level. Seen from another angle, it is known as "Tsukuba Science City", a superb modern urban landscape. Tsukuba Science City is home to about 300 government and private research organizations with a total of about 19,000 researchers encompassing such research fields as science, industry, agriculture and forestry, environment, and space development.

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) is located in the southern part of Tsukuba city, about 4 km south of the Tsukuba Center bus terminal. Surroundings are rich in natural environment; the Doho park is within walking distance. Other institutions that are located nearby include Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Meteorological Research Institute.

The oral sessions of the symposium will be held at the AIST auditorium, and the registration desk and industrial/research exhibition area will be located in the foyer (lobby) of the auditorium (see map below, and refer to the travel information section below)

 

 

5. Time Table

 

Date	Morning (09:00-12:00)						Afternoon (14:00-17:00)			Event
Nov. 9 (Sun)										Arrival at Tsukuba
Nov.10 (Mon)	Reg- istra- tion	Opening talks					Legacy of IGY and Current Status of IGY+50 Programs			Ice Breaker (17:30- 19:30)
Nov.11 (Tue)	Recent Advances and Future in Earth and Solar Sciences				Poster session			Virtual Observatories in Earth, Solar and Other Disciplines		Business Meeting, Tutorial etc.
Nov.12 (Wed)	Applications of Informatics in Geo-science and Other Disciplines				Poster session			International Data Systems Beyond IGY+50		Banquet (17:30- 20:00)
Nov. 13 (Thu)	Interdisciplinary Data Management and Outreach of Data Activities into the Society			Summary and Press Conference			Excursion

 

 

 

6. Scientific Sessions

The symposium will comprise keynote talks from IPY, IHY, IYPE, eGY, WDC CODATA, and SCOSTEP with invited and contributed papers, and a concluding session to express the "Tsukuba Agenda" summarizing the outcome of the symposium. During the symposium, exhibitions and outreach activities will be featured. A grand design of sustainable international cooperation beyond "IGY+50" is expected to be one of the symposium targets.

A goal of the symposium is to encourage communication between Earth and solar scientists, informatics experts, computer technologists/engineers, and others in order to resolve the issues addressed in the symposium.

Contributed papers will cover, but not be limited to, the following.

Part I: New knowledge and information of Earth and solar sciences based on observation/modeling

Papers for this part will review new knowledge and information in the Earth and solar sciences that have been achieved by observations, modeling, and simulations since IGY. Papers are also welcome on advances in technologies during the past fifty years and challenges in Earth and solar science research to be addressed using modern technologies (particularly information and communications technology).

The topics in focus are as follows:

1.  Scientific advances and new knowledge in solid earth, ocean, atmosphere, geospace, sun and astrophysics, and their impact on Earth and solar science

2.  Current status and future plans of ground-based and space-borne observations

3.  Scientific and technical advances of computer simulation, modeling, and assimilation

4.  Multi-scale/interdisciplinary Earth science in the information and communications technology (ICT) era

 

Part II: Application of Information and Communications Technologies

Modern information and communications technologies and advances in informatics now make it possible to research and understand the Earth in a 'digital' way. Digital data processing techniques have been utilized independently in each scientific discipline to yield fruitful results.

However, it is still ahead of us to use an informatics approach in synergistic ways to explore causal relationships between multi-scale phenomena occurring around the Earth. In this part, emphasis is on recent results and methods of informatics (including data integration, data mining, and knowledge extraction), networks, communication engineering, and computer science in Earth and solar science research.

The topics in focus are:

1.  Virtual observatories in Earth, solar and other disciplines

2.  High performance computing for large/huge scale computer simulations

3.  Network database and Informatics of Earth, solar and other data; semantic web and beyond

4.  Grid and other network technologies to support computation and data exchange

5.  Visualizations; immersive technologies and communications

6.  Other new ICTs to progress Earth and solar sciences

 

Part III: Data sharing beyond "IGY+50" and our mission

The body of this part consists in candid and latest information exchange on data center activities, data policy/copyright issues, and preservation/rescue of data in Earth and Solar sciences. The session may begin with comprehensive reviews on the past and current status of the existing international data providing systems with special attention to their roles in basic research, preservation of our environments and disaster prevention. Reports on outreach activities and educational efforts using Earth and Solar science data are also emphasized and welcome.

The topics in focus are:

1.  International data systems - Current status and their future;

2.  Data policy and copyright issues;

3.  Outreach of data activities into society and education and their exemplars; and

4.  What's beyond "IGY+50": International cooperation, collaboration and synergy in the future

 

 

A List of Keynote/Invited Talks (title and speaker)

The sessions consist of the following keynote / invited talks, about 80 contributed papers including posters, and tutorials.

 

Session I: Opening

Yoshikawa, H. "Roles of scientist in sustainability age"

Kitsuregawa, M. "Info-fusion Reactor for Earth Environmental Informatics toward Information Explosion Era"

Carlson, D.J. "Fifty Years after IGY: A Challenging Time for Science and Technology"

 

Session II: Legacy of IGY and current status of IGY+50 programs

Baker, D.N. "eGY: Progress Toward a Global Earth and Space Science Informatics Commons"

Davila, J. "The International Heliophysical Year"

Korsmo, F.L. "The Origins and Principles of the World Data Center System"

Love, J. "Historical magnetic obsevatory data and the analysis of global magnetic activity"

Fujii, Y. "International Polar Year and the Japanese Antarctic Research"

Kim, Y. "20 Years of the Korean Polar Research Program"

Yumoto, K., "IHY Activities in Japan"

Damiani, A. "SIRIA PROJECT: The Information System of the Italian Polar research"

Naganuma, T. "MERGE as a pole-to-pole, microbe-to-globe project of IPY"

Eder, F. W. "50 years after the IGY: finally political support for the Earth sciences"

 

Session III: Recent advances and future in Earth and Solar sciences

Vincent, R.A. "SCOSTEP programs:Past, Present and Future Programs"

Tsuda, T. "Long-term Variabilities and Trends of Middle Atmospheric Winds and Temperature over Low-latitudes"

Kusano, K. "Multi-scale Modeling of Solar Terrestrial Environment System"

Gibson, S. "Whole Heliosphere Interval"

Higuchi, T. "Data assimilation: Building the cyber-enabled discovery systems in data-centric science"

Liu, C.-C. "Monitoring the dynamics of ice shelf margins in Polar Regions with high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution space-borne optical imagery"

Kadokura, A. "ICESTAR Program in Japan during IPY2007-2008"

Fukao, Y. "The atmosphere, ocean and solid Earth as a coupled seismic oscillation system"

Schultz, A. "EMScope: A continental scale magnetotelluric observatory and data discovery resource"

Yokokawa, M. "Experience of the development of Earth Simulator and others"

 

Session IV: Virtual observatories in Earth, solar and other disciplines

Walker, R. "Operating a Virtual Observatory"

Ohishi, M. "Astronomical Virtual Observatories through International Collaborations"

Davey, A. "The Virtual Solar Observatory: Big ideas in a small box"

Thieman, J.R. "SPASE and the Heliophysics Virtual Observatories"

Osuna, A.P. "Interoperability in action at ESAC Astronomy, Planetary and Solar Science Archives"

Jackson, I. "OneGeology - a global initiative to share data and knowledge"

 

Session V: Applications of Informatics in geo-science and other disciplines

Horinouchi, T. "Intelligent Web-based database to archive, share, distribute, analyze, and visualize geophysical fluid data and knowledge"

Takano, K. "The JDXnet: Japan Data eXchange network for earthquake observation data"

Sekiguchi, S. "GEO Grid - Integrated Workbench to facilitate a new age of collaborative geosciences and applications"

Fox, P. "Informatics: Filling the gap between science and ICT in a sustainable way"

Murata, K.T. "A Web application designed for Earth Environment Observation Data and its Semantic Web"

Ritschel, B. "Semantic web approach for ontology-based classification, integration and interdisciplinary usage of geoscience metadata"

 

Session VI: International data systems beyond IGY+50

Minster, J.B. "The Impact of Information Technologies on Global Data Management and Exchange: Challenges and Opportunities"

Koike, T. "GEOSS activities in Japan"

Peterson, W.K. "Open access to digital information: Opportunities and challenges identified during the Electronic Geophysical Year"

Parsons, M.A. "Scientific data as the core legacy of IPY"

Watanabe, T. "WDC Activity in Japan"

Ishii, M. "Activity of World Data Center for Ionosphere"

 

Session VII: Interdisciplinary Data Management and Outreach of Data Activities into the Society

Iwata, S. "Dealing with Digital Divides between Earth Science and Earth Engineering"

Barton, C. "Data practices, policy, and rewards in the information era demand a new paradigm"

Suzuki, T. "Interplay of Earth Scientists and Energy Experts for Creating Data Commons"

Liu, C. "Joint Action on a Decentralized Network of Networks for Innovative Research and Development - UN GAID e-SDDC Vision and Actions"

 

 

7. Instructions for Presentations

i.    Oral presentation:

An L.C.D. projector and a Windows PC with Microsoft PowerPoint are available in the oral presentation room. Presenters are kindly requested to upload their PowerPoint files in advance before the start of their session. Presenters may also use their own PC. The PC for speakers in the conference hall will be connected to the internet via wired-LAN.

ii.   Posters:

Posters can be put throughout the symposium. The core presentation time is 12:00 to 14:00 on November 11 and 12 in principle. The size of poster boards is 175 cm (width) by 115 cm (height).

 

 

8. Preparing Manuscript for the Symposium Proceedings

i.      We plan to publish the papers presented at this symposium in two sections on the Data Science Journal (DSJ).

ii.     Proceedings: Each paper will be reviewed by the editorial committee for this proceedings.
Special section: Each paper will be peer-reviewed along the editorial procedure of the DSJ.

iii.   The style format for both proceedings and special section is the same with that of the sample paper shown at
http://dsj.codataweb.org/instructions.pdf

iv.    The length of each paper for the proceedings section should not exceed 12 pages. The deadline of submission is December 31, 2008.

v.     The papers for the special section should follow the instructions for the regular issue of DSJ. The deadline of submission is also December 31, 2008.

vi.    The author who wishes to submit the paper to a peer review journal including the special section of the DSJ should not submit the same paper to the proceedings section.

 

9. Registration

Registration fee for participant:

Online Registration (by October 31, 2008) 20,000 JPY

On-site Registration (after October 31, 2008) 30,000 JPY

Student/Senior(65 years and older)/Accompanying Person Registration 10,000 JPY

Method of payment:

Only credit card is available for online registration. For on-site registration, only cash will be accepted. Please contact to LOC for further requests.

 

 

10. Industrial and Research Exhibitions

The symposium will feature an exhibition with displays and booths of equipment, computer software programs, commercial and research activities, etc. from industrial companies and research institutes/universities. The exhibition will be held at the foyer of the AIST auditorium where the main sessions of this IGY+50 symposium will take place. The "3D room" is also of great interesting, where you enjoy multi-virtual preview of various 3D scientific objects.

 

 

Exhibitor List:

KGT Inc.

Jicoux Datasystems, Inc.

Fujitsu FIP Corporation

Princeton Technology, Ltd.

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology

Data Analysis Center for Geomagnetism and Space Magnetism Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University (World Data Center for Geomagnetism, Kyoto)

Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

National Institute of Polar Research

 

 

11. Social Events

 

Ice breaker, and Banquet
All participants are welcome to our Ice Breaker (5:30pm, November 10 (Mon)) and the banquet (5:30pm, November 12 (Wed)) without reservation.

 

Guided tour of the AIST Geological Museum (http://www.gsj.jp/Muse/eng/index.html)
 Date and Time: 17:30-18:30 on November 11
 The museum is located at 1-min walk from the meeting place.
 Cost: Free
 No reservation required.

Bus tour to Mt. Tsukuba
 Date and Time: 13:30-17:30 on November 13
 Cost: Free, but you will need to buy tickets for cable-car or ropeway to reach the summit of the mountain.
 No reservation required
 See the following websites for Mt. Tsukuba
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tsukuba
  http://www.kitada.com/keiko/tkb.html

 

 

12. Travel Information

Narita Airport (NRT) to Tsukuba Center

Narita airport (NRT) is the nearest international airport. Airport bus is the most convenient way to reach Tsukuba from the airport. It takes about 100 min. and costs 2,540 yen. The service is 9 times a day (7:20am, 9:05am, 10:35am, 12:50pm, 14:30pm, 16:15pm, 17:20pm, 18:45pm, and 20:10pm). You can buy a ticket at the Keisei Bus ticket counter in the arrival lobby. No reservation is required. The Tsukuba Center is not the final stop, but you cannot miss: there is English announcement and most people will get off at the stop.

To reach Tsukuba and AIST from Tokyo, please see the web site below:

http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/guidemap/tsukuba/tsukuba_map.html

 

 

Tsukuba Center to Narita airport

 

The departure time of the bus at the Tsukuba Center bus terminal is: 6:20am, 7:20am, 8:50am, 10:20am, 11:55am, 13:25pm, 14:35pm, 15:50pm, 17:35pm. RESERVATION IS REQUIRED for the bus for the Narita airport. You can purchase your return ticket at the ticket office of the Tsukuba Center bus teriminal when you arrive at Tsukuba Center. Or ask reception of the hotel or the symposium for reservation.

 

 

Tokyo to Tsukuba

 

To reach Tsukuba and AIST from Tokyo, please see the web site below:

http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/guidemap/tsukuba/tsukuba_map.html

 

 

Tsukuba Center to the Hotel New Taka and AIST auditorium

 

The hotel and the AIST auditorium are located at about 4 to 5 km south of the Tsukuba Center. It takes about 10 min by taxi, and costs about 1400 yen to the AIST auditorium, and about 1700 yen to the hotel. If you want to try a local bus (but we do not recommend for those who do not speak Japanese), take a bus for Arakawaoki (route #20 and 21A) at the bus stop #4 of the Tsukuba Center bus terminal, and get off at Namiki-2chome for the AIST auditorium, and at Namiki- danchi-minami for the hotel. The service is 2 or 3 times per hour, and the last service is at 21:42. You can see the hotel from the bus stop. Never take buses for other destinations (for example, Hitachino-ushiku (route #30, 31), Matsushiro (#C5)), which leave from the same bus stop.

 

 

 

13. Accommodations

For participants staying at Hotel New Taka [ http://www.hotelnewtaka.com (in Japanese only)], a bus transportation between the hotel and the symposium site will be available every morning and every evening. Or you can walk; it takes 15 to 20 minutes.The LOC will provide bus schedule at the site.

Other hotels are listed below.

Tsukuba Daily Inn

http://www.dailyinn.com/index.html (in Japanese only)

Tsukuba Pension Hotel

http://www.55-hotels.com/tsukuba-pension (in Japanese only)

Gakuen Sakurai Hotel

http://www.gakuen-hotel.co.jp/English/index.html

Hotel Suwa

http://suwatsukuba.com (in Japanese only)

Tsukuba Sky Hotel

http://www.55-hotels.com/tsukuba-sky/e/index.html

Hotel New Takahashi Takezono

http://www.new-takahashi.co.jp/takezono.html

Okura Frontier Hotel

http://www.okura-tsukuba.co.jp/english/index.html

Hotel Grand Shinonome

http://www.hg-shinonome.co.jp/index.htm

Hotel Route Tsukuba

http://www.route-tsukuba.jp (in Japanese only)

Hotel Bestland

http://www.hotel-bestland.co.jp/index.html (in Japanese only)

 

 

14. General Information

Currency and Money Exchange

The unit of Japanese currency is "yen". There are four kinds of bills (10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, 2,000 yen, 1,000 yen) and six kinds of coins (500 yen, 100 yen, 50 yen, 10 yen, 5 yen, 1 yen).Only Japanese yen (JPY) is acceptable at regular stores and restaurants. The exchange rate of Japanese yen is about 100-105 yen to one US dollar as of October 2008. You can buy Japanese yen at international airport exchange centers or at authorized city banks in Japan.

VAT

VAT (value added tax) of 5% is included in all goods purchased in Japan.

Traveler's Checks and Credit Cards

Traveler's checks are accepted only by airport, leading banks, and major hotels; and the use of traveler's checks is not popular in Japan. VISA, MasterCard, Diners Club, and American Express are widely accepted at shops and restaurants in urban areas. Many ATMs in Japan do not accept foreign credit cards for cash advances. We recommend you to exchange cash into yen when you arrive at the Narita airport or obtain yen in your own country. An ATM of the Japan Post Bank is located next to the AIST auditorium, from which you will be able to withdraw cash using major credit cards.

Visa

A visa is required for citizens of countries that do not have visa-exempt agreements with Japan. Please contact the nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate for visa requirements. Detailed information is available through the Web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html).

Climate

The weather in and around Tsukuba in the middle of November is cool and dry. The average temperature ranges between 10ºC and 15ºC. Almost no rain is expected.

Tipping

Tipping is not practiced in Japan. However, restaurants and hotels will usually add a 10 to 20 percent service charge to your bill.

Electricity

Electricity is supplied at 100 volts, 50 Hz AC in eastern Japan including Tsukuba and Tokyo, and 60 Hz AC in western Japan including Kyoto and Osaka. The plug type is "A" (2-pin, the same as that in the USA).

 

Internet connection at the symposium

Internet service will be available for participants at the symposium site. The current plan is that speaker's PC can be connected via wired-LAN in the conference hall, and that wireless-LAN is in the foyer (lobby) of the hall.

 

 

15. Information and Website

http://wdc2.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/igy50

 

 

16. For More Information Contact

On accommodation, or transportation please contact LOC;

(igy50loc@swdclx19.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp).

On science sessions, paper submission, or abstract, please contact SOC;

(igy50soc@swdclx19.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp).

On registration, please contact Registration Office;

(igy50registration@swdclx19.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp).

 

-->