54th Annual Meeting of AASP-The Palynological Society, Manizales, Colombia, August 7th – 11th, 2022

In 2022, the annual meeting of the AASP-TSP will be held in Colombia for the first time and for the second time in South America. For this reason, we want to celebrate the palynological diversity of the Neotropics and make this event an opportunity to include the diversity of the palynological community.

This meeting will have a hybrid format (in-person/online). This meeting will also include the participation of the Latin American Society of Paleobotany and Palynology (ALPP), and the Online Pollen Catalogs Network (RCPoL). The meeting will take place in Manizales, a traditional coffee city.

Manizales and the Institute of Investigations in Stratigraphy (IIES) at Universidad de Caldas will welcome the global palynological community.

Manizales has a regional airport, La Nubia, located 10 Km west of downtown Manizales. International flights will have a connection in Bogota at El Dorado International Airport or in Medellin at the Airport Jose Maria Cordova.

If information about direct flights to Manizales (COL) does not come up, the suggested search is the place of departure – Bogotá, and Bogotá – Manizales. Flights from Bogota to Manizales can be found on easyfly (https://www.easyfly.com.co /vuelos-bogota-manizales).

Another option is to search for flights from Bogota to Pereira, International Airport Matecaña, 53 km SW from Manizales. In Pereira, there will be cars to Manizales the days before and after the conference. The drivers will have the logo of the meeting, and the price of the ticket is about 10-15 dollars.”

Manizales has a variety of hotels and hostels spread across the area. Here is a list of some possible accommodations:

Hotel Varuna http://hotelvarunamanizales.com/
Hotel carretero https://hotelcarretero.com/
Hotel Quo Quality https://quo.com.co/
Hotel Estelar el Cable https://www.estelarelcable.com/?partner=6458
Hotel Belen Boutique, Manizales https://hotelbelenboutique.com-hotel.com/es/
Hotel Boutique San Antonio Manizales https://www.hbsanantonio.com/
Casa Hotel Viscaya Manizales https://co.hoteles.com/ho1115243776/casa-hotel-vizcaya-manizales-manizales-colombia/
Hostal Casa Grande http://hostal-casa-grande-zona-rosa.hotelesejecafetero.net/es/

The conference will take place at the Rogelio Salmona Building and the IIES – Instituto de Estratigrafía y Sedimentología at the Universidad de Caldas. The Rogelio Salmona Building is a cultural center with a modern architecture built to celebrate the culture of Manizales and to promote innovation, education, and research.

Universidad de Caldas is among the 10 best universities in the country. The IIES is a research institute that focused on the development of research projects related to biostratigraphy, palynology, nannofossils and foraminifera, petrography, sedimentology, and geochemistry.

Deadline to propose sessions: Feb. 15, 2022
Abstracts submission: Jan. 15. 2022 – June 15, 2022
Early registration: Jan. 15, 2022 – Apr. 15, 2022
Regular registration: Apr. 16, 2022 – Aug. 1, 2022

Fees are in US Dollars

	In person			Online
	Early registration	Regular registration	At the event	Early registration	Regular registration
Students	60	80	100	20	30
Professional members	100	120	150	40	50
Professional non-member	140	160	190	50	60
Retired	90	110	140	30	40

Donations: Any member from US or EU that will be willing to support the registration fee of students outside of US and EU.

Due to Colombian biosecurity COVID regulations and the policy of the University of Caldas, we cannot accept any unvaccinated delegates to register for in-person attendance. We ask that those who fit into this category register for online attendance. Additionally, the use of a face mask covering the nose and mouth will be required due to the resolution published by  the University of Caldas in January 2022.

Click here to register

Please follow the template on this website (click AASP_2022_meeting_Abstract_-Submission_Form) for the submission of your Abstract. Submissions which do not adhere to this format will be returned for editing before acceptance. Abstract should be sent to aaspmeetings@gmail.com.

Deadline: June 15, 2022

AASP Business Luncheon cost:
Students: US$ 20
Professionals: US$ 30

1. Introduction to Stratigraphic Data Analysis in R (SDAR), a Quantitative Toolkit to Analyze Stratigraphic Data.

Dates: online 06 Aug. 2021 / in-person 11 Aug. 2022
Schedule: 9-12 a.m. / 2-5 p.m. GMT-5 (6 hours)
Instructor: M.Sc. John R. Ortiz, research fellow of the Colombian Geological Survey (SGC). M.Sc. degree in Geospatial Technologies (Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster, Germany), and main developer of the package: Stratigraphic Data Analysis in R (SDAR).

Cost in person: US$ 10 for students; US$ 20 for professional members; US$ 25 for professional non-members
Cost online: 5 dollars
Description: Stratigraphic Columns (SC) are the most useful and common ways to represent the field descriptions e.g., grain size, lithology, thickness, sedimentary structures, and fossil content, of rock sequences and well logs. Typically, these representations are drawn “manually” using vector graphic editors. There are several software packages available that automatically plots Scs. However, there are no versatile open-source tools to perform these processes. Moreover, it is very difficult to both store and analysis stratigraphic information. Therefore, this workshop will provide an introduction to SDAR, an analytical package designed for both plotting and facilitating the analysis of stratigraphic data using the R programming language. Participants will be introduced to SDAR and work through examples of data sets. SDAR uses simple stratigraphic data and takes advantage of the flexible plotting tools available in R to produce detailed SCs. The main benefits of SDAR are (a) used to generate accurate and complete SC plots including multiple features (e.g., sedimentary structures, samples, fossil content, color, structural data); (b) developed in a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics.

Details of SDAR package available at:
https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/SDAR/vignettes/introduction_to_SDAR.html

2. Course of palinostratigraphy

Dates: in-person/hydbrid Sunday 07 Aug. 2022
Schedule: 8:30-12 a.m. / 2-5 p.m. GMT-5
Cost: US$ 10 for students, US$ 20 for professional members, US$ 25 for professional non-members
Instructor: Mercedes di Pascuo. Doctorate in Geology (Ph.D. 1999), and teacher of semestral courses of Mineralogy, Paleontology, and Palynostratigraphy (1988-2008), at University of Buenos Aires (UBA) in Argentina. Permanent Researcher of CONICET since 2002, transferred to the CICYTTP (Diamante, Entre Ríos) in 2010, to found and be responsible for the Palynostratigraphy and Palaeobotany Laboratory. Post-doctoral Fulbright Fellow (2009) and Affiliate Associate Professor (ad-honorem since 2010) at University of Idaho. Senior Researcher of the Brazilian Program “Science without borders” (CNPq 2013-2014). Supervisor of doctoral and post- doctoral students of CONICET and foreign institutions. Her researches conduct different subjects along the Phanerozoic for and with students and colleagues from numerous countries of America and elsewhere. President of the Latin American Association of Paleobotany and Palynology (ALPP 2009-2024, alpaleobotanicapalinologia.blogspot.com), and among her obligations are to be involved in the organization of the two symposia of Paleobotany and Palynology held in Argentina and Brazil every three years. Member of the board of the Pollen Catalog Network (since 2013, www.rcpol.org.br). Oil industry consultant. Reviewer of journals, scientific events, member of several commissions of evaluation, among other activities.

3. Applied Middle East Late Palaeozoic Palynology: solving geological problems

Dates: in-person/online Thursday 11 Aug. 2022
Schedule: 8:30-12 a.m. / 2-5 p.m. GMT-5
Cost: US$ 10 students, US$ 20 professional members, US$ 25 professional non-members for in-person, US$5 online

Instructor: Prof Mike Stephenson has over 25 years of experience in applied palynology with a particular focus on the Middle East with over 40 peer-reviewed papers on the area and more than 100 peer-reviewed papers overall. Mike began his career with a PhD at Sheffield University on the palynology of the Carboniferous-Permian of Saudi Arabia and Oman focusing on the Unayzah and Al Khlata formations with sample material from Saudi Aramco and Petroleum Development Oman. In 2003 Mike along with other industry professionals published a palynological biozonation for the Carboniferous-Permian of Saudi Arabia and Oman which is still in use today and which has helped to elucidate many stratigraphic problems across the Middle East establishing new correlations and relationships within complex glacial and post glacial sequences of a fast-evolving Gondwana region. Following his PhD, Mike worked with all the major companies in the Middle East on sequences from the Ordovician to the Triassic but mainly on the Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian. Mike has published widely quoted reviews of the Permian of the world and is the Vice Chair of the Sub-commission on Permian Stratigraphy. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the Elsevier scientific journal Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology between 2009 and 2021 and has Professorships at the universities of Leicester, Nottingham, Milan (Italy) and Nanjing (China). His most recent a palynology work focuses on the Permian and Triassic of Israel and Jordan.

Description of the course: This course will cover aspects of Palaeozoic applied palynology for the Middle East – an area where palynology still has a significant impact. The course begins with a basic description of the lithology, structure, and geological history of the Middle East Late Palaeozoic. It then describes some of the problems solved by palynology in sequences where seismic and logs do not provide the certainty required. It looks into the chief groups of spores and pollen in Middle Eastern Late Palaeozoic successions, spending time on around 20 of the most important single palynomorph taxa that have special stratigraphic significance for correlation and palynological characterisation. The last part of the course concentrates on case studies and real applications of Late Palaeozoic palynology in problem-solving both in relation to Earth history but also specific to industry. Regional case studies will cover the Carboniferous-Permian of Oman, the Devonian of Saudi Arabia, the Hercynian unconformity in Iraq, the Carboniferous-Permian of the Pakistan Salt Range, and the Permian-Triassic of Israel and Jordan. Industry case studies will cover the Jauf and Unayzah formations, and the Al Khlata and Gharif formations, as well as palynology and reservoir heterogeneity, well steering and facies time slices.

Pliocene sections around Manizales and Cenicafe tour  

Max participants: 25
Cost: 30 dollars students; 40 dollars professionals

The region of Chinchina is located in the Central Cordillera, at 800 to 1100 mamsl, and is in the area around the Chinchina River Valley, affluent of the Cauca River. The vegetation is characterized by a sub-Andean forest, and the most important families of plants are Orchidaceae, Araceae, Piperaceae, Asteraceae, and Melastomataceae.

This region is characterized by complex geology with metamorphic rocks from the Permic-Triassic, related with the aperture of Pangea, and volcanic rocks from the Cretaceous associated with a part of the Caribbean Plate. This complex geomorphology is covered by volcanic sediments from Los Nevados, which are characterized by Pliocene palynomorphs.

This region is located in the region of the major production of Colombian coffee. Some of the additional activities in this field trip include a tour of the company Cenicafe to learn about the production of coffee, including testing in coffee farms.

 

Nevado del Ruiz volcano and Laguna Negra (Quaternary)

Max. participants: 25
Cost: 25 dollars students; 35 dollars professionals

Los Nevados National Natural Park is located in the Central Cordillera (Colombian Andes) and is a volcanic area with the higher point in the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano (5321 mamsl). This area is part of the Ring of Fire, along the Pacific Ocean.

In this park, it is possible to observe different glaciers, which were formed during the Last Glacial Maximum. In the past 40 years, a notorious decrease in the ice cover of surrounding peaks has been detected along with an increase in anthropogenic activity. This park is characterized by its high biodiversity, it has also several touristic landscapes, and the variety of lakes and peat bogs serve as a water reservoir for more than 2 million people.

This region is a great archive for the climatic and environmental history of the Andes.    At 3000 mamsl, the Paramo, endemic from the Andes, is characterized by Poaceae, Lycopodiaceae, Asteraceae, and Ericaceae. At a lower altitude, the mountain forest is characterized by Quercus (Fagaceae), Hedyosmum (Chloranthaceae), Viburnum (Adoxaceae), and Cyatheaceae. In wetlands, the vegetation observed is Cyperaceae, Plantago (Plantaginaceae), Senecio sp. (Asteraceae), Apiaceae (Hydrocotyle), Lachemilla orbiculata (Rosaceae), and Gunnera magellanica (Gunneraceae).

Additional activities: Visit hot springs of the volcano and a hummingbird aviary

 

Sunday, August 7^th

• Pre-meeting field trip Volcano Nevado del Ruiz and Laguna Negra (Quaternary)
• Pre-meeting workshop SDAR online (this workshop will have place on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022)
• Pre-meeting course of palinostratigraphy
• Outgoing Board Meeting
• Early career night

Monday, August 8^th

• Registrations
• Morning session
• Afternoon session
• Posters session
• Welcome Happy hour

Tuesday, August 9^th

• Registration table
• Morning session
• Afternoon session
• Posters session
• Happy hour

Wednesday, August 10^th

• Registration table
• Morning session
• Students/Mentors Lunch
• Afternoon session
• Group photo
• Posters session
• Closure event
• Dinner Business AASP-TPS

Thursday, August 11^th

• Post-meeting field trip to Chinchina and coffee production farm
• Post-meeting workshop SDAR in-person
• Post-meeting course of applied Middle East Late Palaeozoic palynology: solving geological problems
• Incoming Board meeting

The organizers invite registered participants to submit photos for the photo competition, one per category. The categories are 1) Palynomorphs, which includes microscope imaging and digital art; 2) Work in the field. The files must be high-resolution images (minimum of 300 DPI), at A4 size, and in a JPG or PDF format.

Deadline of submission is 1st July 2022.

Send the files to aaspmeetings@gmail.com with a short caption and photo credits. If the file is very large, share the file(s) through Google Drive or Dropbox, and be sure to access permissions to aaspmeetings@gmail.com

The submitted photos will be printed out on poster paper and displayed in the scientific poster area and will be displayed electronically on the website of the meeting for viewing by the participants. The photos may also be shown on the official AASP-TPS website.

All registered participants of the meeting will be able to vote and select the best two photos. Prizes for the best two images per category will be handed out at the meeting business luncheon.

Andres Pardo
Ingrid Romero
Angelo Plata
Damian Cardenas
Carlos Sánchez Botero

Contact information: aaspmeetings@gmail.com