American Geophysical Union
From Freepedia
The American Geophysical Union (or AGU) is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting (as of 2004) of over 41,000 members from 130 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics. The geophysical sciences involve four fundamental areas: atmospheric and ocean sciences; solid-Earth sciences; hydrologic sciences; and space sciences.
The mission of the AGU is
- to promote the scientific study of Earth and its environment in space and to disseminate the results to the public,
- to promote cooperation among scientific organizations involved in geophysics and related disciplines,
- to initiate and participate in geophysical research programs,
- to advance the various geophysical disciplines through scientific discussion, publication, and dissemination of information.
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History
The AGU was established in 1919 by the National Research Council and for more than 50 years operated as an unincorporated affiliate of the National Academy of Sciences. In 1972 AGU was incorporated in the District of Columbia and membership was opened to scientists and students worldwide.
Publications
AGU is the publisher of several scientific periodicals, including the weekly Eos newspaper and eighteen peer reviewed research journals, notably the Journal of Geophysical Research and Geophysical Research Letters.
Meetings
AGU holds Spring and Fall meetings each year which cover all areas of the geophysical sciences. AGU also sponsors many specialized meetings that are intended to serve the needs of particular scientific disciplines or geographical areas, including the Ocean Sciences Meetings and Western Pacific Geophysical Meetings which are held in even numbered years. Small, highly focussed meetings are offered through the Chapman Conferences.
Position statement on climate change
The AGU issued a position statement on climate change in December 2003 [1]. The statement concludes that:
- Human activities are increasingly altering Earth's climate, and that natural influences alone cannot explain the rapid increase in surface temperatures observed during the second half of the 20th century.
The statement was drafted by Marvin Geller, John Christy and Ellen Druffel.
