WHAT IS A VIRTUAL CONFERENCE?

A virtual conference has a format and elements similar to a traditional face-to-face (F2F) conference but takes place completely over the internet. The primary mode of communication is text-based and asynchronous. Presentations are given in powerpoint format or PDF poster format can also be accomodated.Please contact, Rob Barnes robin.barnes@jhuapl.edu if other formats are desired to determine if they can be accommodated.

Each presentation is provided with a message board and email link for discussions with the lead author. Presentations are arranged in sessions based on science focus areas. Moderators in each session weave new results and interesting observations from the presentations and discussions into a summary report updated daily. These summary reports provide a unifying overview, and a starting point for subsequent discussions. A conference moderator then weaves the individual summary reports into a synthesis summary report focusing on interdisciplinary threads and overarching system science results.These synthesis summaries may pose new questions and raise discussion items that feedback into the individual sessions. Message board are linked to each of these summary reports to provide for discussion and edits by participants. The summary reports and presentations along with conference data products will be archived after the conference and made available to participants for continuing collaborations. The synthesis report identifies interdisciplinary topics and related discipline-focused science topics for collaborations and future conferences.

The conference facilities contain:

• Parallel sessions designed to address key science issues
  • Sessions consist of online posters
  • Each poster has an associated message board
  • Each session has a moderated message board
• A data commons housing shared information, model outputs and data sets

The eventual aim is to develop the full implementation of the virtual conference as shown in the figure below.

Virtual Conference Objectives

• Address grand challenge science issues within the Sun-Earth system by bringing the international science community (the human element) together with the rapidly developing cyber-infrastructure (virtual observatories, data mining, data assimilation, high-speed computers, etc.)
• Facilitate exchange of views and information among participants
• Promote multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations
• Explore the use of this new medium (virtual conferencing) for scientific communications
• Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year by taking advantage of the internet to create an interface for enhanced scientific collaboration worldwide

Why a Series?

• If too many science topics are addressed in one virtual conference, it becomes difficult for participants to find the time and energy to participate in all elements and the summary reports become unwieldy and diffuse. A solution, adopted here, is to spread the science topics over a thematic series of conferences spaced throughout the year. In this case, the conferences will address selected sun-Earth system science questions culminating in a face-to-face conference during October 2007 in Japan.