Future Devonian Meetings

4th ICOS - International Conodont Symposium

Valencia (Spain)

25-30 June 2017


5th IPC - International Palaeontological Congress

Paris (France)

9-13 July 2018

 
 


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SDS Minutes 2004

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Minutes of the SDS Business Meeting,

RABAT, March 1st 2004

1. Introduction and apologies for absence

2. Approval of the Minutes of the 2002 Business Meeting, Toulouse

3. Chairman's Business

4. Report on the informal SDS Meeting held in Seattle, November 2003

5. Devonian Substages

5.1. Emsian

5.2. Givetian

5.3. Frasnian

5.4. Famennian

6. ICS News

7. Membership

7.1. Election of a chairman and vice chairman for the period 2005-2008

7.2. Discussion on future new TMs

7.3. Election of new CMs

8. Financial Report (by the Chairman) for the period 2003 to March 2004

9. Future Meetings

9.1. International Geological Congress, Florence, August 20th-28th August 2004

9.2. SDS and IGCP 499 Symposium and Excursion, southern Siberia, 2005

9.3. ECOS IX, England 2006

9.4. SDS Symposium, Western Interior/Nevada, 2007

10. Any other business

 

No Annual Business Meeting took place in 2003 and there was only an informal meeting of SDS members during the GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle in early November 2003. Instead, two Business Meetings were planned for 2004, the first of which was held in conjunction with the International Meeting on Stratigraphy, on “Devonian neritic-pelagic correlation and events”, organized jointly by SDS and the Institute Scientific, most prominently by our TM A. El Hassani, from 1st to 10th March 2004. The Business Meeting was scheduled at the Institute Scientifique at 4.15 p.m. on the 1st of March. At the Rabat Symposium, 24 talks were given which covered a wide range of topics with strong emphasis on Devonian biostratigraphy, event stratigraphy and sedimentology. A further 20 posters and more than 50 participants give evidence of the symposium success and significant advances in Devonian research. The Guidebook of the subsequent SDS excursion to the Dra Valley is about to be published as volume 19 in the “Documents de l´Institut Scientifique” series (A. El Hassani, Ed.) and will become available to everybody for purchase. Symposium proceedings will be published in the highly regarded “Geological Society, Special Publications” series (Becker, R. T. & Kirchgasser, Eds.), as a volume dedicated to our late former Chairman M. R. House. The Geological Society editorial board has just accepted our planning for such volume and all authors who have indicated their wish to contribute will be given more details in early August. Publication is planned for autumn 2005 (new manuscript deadline = 1st December) and will serve as one of the first examples for the new collaboration between IUGS and the Geological Society.

Attendance

A total of 33 people attended which is slightly less than at the Toulouse business meeting in June 2002: TMs R. T. Becker, P. Bultynck, A. El Hassani, W. T. Kirchgasser , P. Morzadec, Zhu Min, CMs M. Bensaid, C. E. Brett, D. Brice, Chen, Xiu-Qin, M. El benfrika, U. Jansen, P. Sartenaer, E. Schindler, M. Streel, N. Valenzuela-rios, Guests Z. S. Aboussalam (Münster), M. Amler (Marburg), F. Bigey (Paris), J. Bockwinkel (Leverkusen), J.-G. Casier (Bruxelles), C. Corradini (Cagliari), C. Cronier (Lille), Gouwy, S. (Bruxelles), V. Ebbighausen (Odenthal), A. El Albani  (Poitiers), P. Königshof (Frankfurt a m.), Liao, Jau-Chyn (Valencia), U. Mann (Jülich), G. McIntosh (Rochester),J.-P. Nicollin (Lille), J. Orso (Milano), G. Plodowski (Frankfurt a. M.).

Five documents were presented at the meeting which were numbered as follows:

  1. Tsyganko, V.: Levels of the substage boundaries from the Middle and Upper Devonian (European North-East). – 1p.

  2. Streel, M., Belka, Z., Dreesen, R., Durkina, A. V., Groos-Uffenorde, H., Hance, L., Hartkopf-Fröder, C., Haydukiewicz, J., Korn, D., Perri, M. C., Piecha, M. & Spaletta, C.: Relation of the neritic microfaunas and continental microfloras with the conodont and other pelagic faunas within the latest part of the Famennian. – 6 pp.

  3. Blieck, A.: Marine/non-marine correlation. – 2 pp.

  4. Blieck, A., Clement, G., blom, H., lelievre, H., luksevics, E. & young, G. C.: Late Devonian tetrapod-bearing localities: a review including new data, and the need of accurate datings. – 10 pp.

  5. Königshof, P., Lazauskiene, J., Schindler, E., Wilde, V. & Yalcin, M. N.: IGCP 499 – Devonian land-sea interaction: evolution of ecosystems and climate. – 2 pp.

1. Introduction and apologies for absence ã

The Chairman opened the meeting and thanked our Moroccan hosts, especially TM El Hassani, for their hospitality and the splendid organization. The fact that SDS has returned to Morocco only five years after the successful 1999 meeting strongly emphasizes the significance of the Moroccan Devonian for international correlation and it is still far from being fully explored.

The audience stood up for a minute of silence in memory of our members that passed away since the Toulouse meeting:

TM W. Ziegler, TM I. Chlupac, and CM (and previous Chairman) M. R. House.

Apologies: TMs R. Crick, R. Feist, J. Garcia-Alcalde, G. Klapper, V. Menner, C. A. Sandberg, J. Talent, K. Weddige, T. Uyeno, E. A. Yolkin; CMs G. K. B. Alberti, A. R. Ashouri, A. Blieck, G. Brock, P. Carls, B. Ellwood, A. Ivanov, Ma, Xue-ping, R. Mawson, J. E. A. Marshall (later joined the SDS Fieldtrip), W. A. Oliver, J. Over, F. Paris, M. C. Perri, G. Racki, I. Schülke, C. Spaletta, V. S. Tsyganko, M. Truyols-Massoni, C. Ver Straeten, M. Yazdi.

2. Approval of the Minutes of the 2002 Business Meeting, Toulouse ã

The Minutes were approved. TM Morzadec complained that he did not receive Newsletter 19 which included the Minutes.

3. Chairman's Business ã

The Chairman highlighted the program for the forthcoming IGC at Florence where SDS will hold a symposium on high-resolution biostratigraphy and the substage definitions (Symposium G – 22.03 on 23rd August, 9 to 11.45 a.m.). The program consists of nine talks and nine additional posters. Votes on substage subdivisions should take place immediately afterwards and it is hoped that the contributions will include further significant data. He emphasized that there will be no substage GSSPs but a range of regional reference sections where substage levels can be recognized. The recent studies on the Taghanic Event were used as an example which will allow to define an Upper Givetian substage. The four chairmen of the Working Groups should plan multi-authored papers which explain and illustrate the subdivision once decisions have been made. Both Episodes and Lethaia are suitable for publication. The latter has recently been announced as an official journal of IUGS. It is hoped that Florence will bring a major step forwards in the substage cases.

4. Report on the informal SDS Meeting held in Seattle, November 2003 ã

Since the Chairman was not able to attend, the Secretary briefly reported on the informal SDS meeting during the GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, 2nd to 5th November 2003. Apart from a good number of North American members (“Friends of the Devonian”) some TMs and CMs made it to the NW of the States since Jarred R. Morrow and Paul Wignall had organized an interesting symposium on “Understanding Late Devonian and Permian-Triassic Biotic and Climatic Events”.

Present: TMs R. T. Becker; R. Feist; W. T. Kirchgasser; G. Klapper; CMs J. Day, B. Ellwood, P. Isaacson, J. E. A. Marshall, M. Murphy, J. Over, G. Racki, C. E. Ver Straeten; various other Devonian workers. The Secretary gave a report of current SDS activities, focusing on the substages and on the (then) forthcoming Morocco Meeting. The immanent major change in SDS voting members was discussed, with specific respect to the future American TMs (see proposals in Topic 7.2). Our North American members then led a discussion when, where and how to organize a future North American SDS meeting with emphasis on Nevada. (see Topic 9). A proceedings volume of the symposium on Devonian and Permian events will be edited by J. Morrow & P. Wignall and will be published late in 2004 or in early 2005.

5. Devonian Substages ã

5.1. Emsian ã

Progress has been relatively slow in 2003. Significant new data for German and Bohemian sections are still missing, partly due to the loss of our TM I. Chlupac. There was a formal decision for Lower and Emsian substages in 2003 but the boundary level is still unsettled: close to the base of the Daleje Event, close to the inversus conodont Zone, close to the entry of Nowakia cancellata. In the absence of the Emsian Working Group Leader, the Chairman gave a review talk, using data and illustrations from Chlupac (2000), Bultynck & Morzadec (1979), Bultynck (1989), and Bultynck et al. (2000; SDS Newsletter 17: 10-11). He also drew attention to the complex new conodont data by Bardashev et al. (2002) in Senck. lethaea, 82 (2). The detailed nowakiid results, especially the sequence of morphotypes/subspecies of oldest Now. cancellata, still have not been published. In the Ardenne, the Daleje Event may be correlated with the transgression of the Hierges Formation. Special attention is given to Po. gilberti which enters later than both Po. inversus and Po. laticostatus in the La Grange Limestone. The entry of I. corniger ancestralis and I. fusiformis is also relevant. Po. gilberti was previously partly included in Po. laticostatus and also occurs in Nevada. In The Tafilalt, the upper part of the Anetoceras Limestone yielded no Po. gilberti but Po. vigieri, which does not overlap in the Armorican Massif with the latter in earlier strata. TM Morzadec asked whether Po. gilberti occurs in Spain which is not the case (but Po. aff. gilberti is recorded by Garcia-Lopez et al. 2002, ECOS VIII Field Guidebook = Publ. Inst. Geol. Min. España, Cuad. Museo Geominero, vol. 1). CMs Jansen & Schindler reported that studies on samples on Cisarska Rocle are still continuing where a black shale is developed. Palynology is under way and P. Budil (Praha) is studying the trilobites. It seems that Now. cancellata enters rather early. The secretary explained the Lower/Upper Emsian transition in the western Dra Valley where there is a change from grey to black shales (Black Marl Member) of the upper Oui-n-Mesdour Formation to the Hollardops Limestone Member at the base of the Khebchia Formation. The latter has only yielded icriodids, such as I. fusiformis, I. corniger ancestralis, and Caud. culicellus, but these seem to be of high biostratigraphical significance and similar icriodid faunas are well known from similar levels in Spain. In the eastern Dra Valley, brachiopods studied by CM Jansen indicate that the base of the Upper Emsian lies within the Rich 3 Sandstone Member of the Mdauer-el-Kbir Formation (outlined in more detail by CM Jansen during the fieldtrip). The use of Po. gilberti as Upper Emsian index species was questioned by the Secretary since it overlaps in the La Grange Limestone with the youngest Anetoceras faunas which are normally regarded as Lower Emsian or Zlichovian in age. It is clear that the available data are still insufficient for a final decision. All SDS members are strongly urged to submit relevant data in order to progress with the Emsian subdivision at the Florence meeting.

5.2. Givetian ã

The Chairman, in his function as Working Group Leader gave a review of current data concerning the subdivision into three substages. He reminded of previous documents (Aboussalam & Becker 2001, 2002) which plead for the base of the hermanni Zone as the base of an Upper Givetian substage. Unfortunately, this zone is not recognizable in the conodont-poor parts of the Fromelennes Formation of the Ardenne. He pointed out (citing Rogers 1998) that the correlation of the shallow-water Lower subterminus Fauna with the deeper-water zonation is not entirely clear and that it may enter earlier than the disparilis Zone. I. subterminus does occur in the Upper Fromelennes Formation, but already together with Pand. Insita which indicates the norrisi Zone (= basal falsiovalis Zone). The hermanni Zone is recommended as a substage boundary level in NW Russia (CM Tsyganko, Document 1: base of Pashija Suite). Givetian lithostratigraphy, miospores, brachiopods, corals, and conodonts of the Ardenne have successfully been combined with graphic correlation (Gouwy & Bultynck 2003, Rev. Esp. Micropaleont., vol 35) which allow cross-facies correlation, far into the neritic realm. The base of a Middle Givetian substage may be placed at the entry of Po. rhenanus and Po. varcus (rhenanus-varcus Zone) within the former Lower varcus Zone. Both species are known from the upper part of the Mont d´Haurs Formation in the Ardenne. Their entry in the Eifel Mountains is still unknown. A correlation diagram with the New York sequence is based on the currently known first entry of Po. timorensis (base of timorensis Zone = base of former Lower varcus Zone) in the Centerfield Limestone and of Po. rhenanus in the Tichenor Limestone. The Secretary illustrated the Givetian stratigraphy of the Dra Valley which is outlined in detail in the Fieldguide. Sparse conodont data (juvenile Po. varcus) suggest that the base of a Middle Givetian as defined in the Chairman's proposal would lie in the eastern Dra Valley (Oued Mzerreb, Becker et al., Fieldguide) within beds with agoniatitids, preceding the entry of Maenioceras s. str. and well below the Lower Pumilio Bed. The presence of Maenioceras, Sellagoniatites and of the “Tornoceras” amuletum Group at the top of the Ledyard Shale and in the Wanakah Shale, a typical association of the lower terebratum Zone, suggests that the first record of Po. rhenanus in the overlying Tichenor Limestone is a facies-controlled late entry. The base of the rhenanus-varcus Zone must correlate with a much older level in New York where the conodont record is poor.

5.3. Frasnian ã

In the absence of the Working Group Leader, CM Over, not much progress was made in the case of Frasnian substages. The Secretary reported that the Burgberg section of the Rhenish Massif has been re-sampled together with Sarah Aboussalam but recovered faunas were poor and, contrary to previous work by R. Stritzke, the base of the punctata Zone or MN 5 zone was not encountered so far. New sampling at the classical sections at Giebringhausen and Blauer Bruch will commence in May/June. The Chairman drew attention to the poster by Gouwy et al. on the correlation of bentonites in the Ardenne which led to modified conodont ranges, including Pa. semichatovae, in the Ardenne Composite. This is relevant for the recognition of a future Upper Frasnian substage in the area but the classical biostratigraphical data of the region were mostly confirmed. The Secretary briefly discussed the position of the semichatovae Transgression in the eastern Dra Valley (Oued Mzerreb, Becker et al., Fieldguide) where marker goniatites of Upper Devonian I-I suddenly appear in a diverse hypoxic assemblage above reddish limestones with Avignathus decorosus, a marker polygnathid which enters in the upper part of MN Zone 10. The goniatites allow straight correlation with the Martenberg of Germany and with faunas from the Canning Basin which yielded Pa. semichatovae. There seems to be good acceptance for both proposed substage levels (base of punctata Zone or of MN 5 Zone; entry of Pa. semichatovae low in the Early rhenana or MN 11 Zones) but documentation is still insufficient. SDS Members are asked to come forward with potential regional reference sections which show the entry of Pa. punctata and of Pa. semichatovae. The correlation with brachiopod, spore, coral, trilobite and ammonoid successions is of equal importance. CM Tsyganko (Document 1) repeated the suitability of both levels in northern Russia (base of Domanik Suite and base of Member 2 of the Lyaiol Suite/upper Syrachoy Subsuite).

5.4. Famennian ã

The Secretary , in his function as Working Group leader, briefly repeated the outcome of the formal vote on the number of Famennian substages. The majority for four substages was clear and follows the ICS rules for required majorities. He drew attention to the fact that conodont sampling in the Tafilalt by S. Kaiser (Bochum) has proven that Pa. gracilis expansa, the marker of the Lower expansa Zone, enters well below the Dasberg Event, still in the upper part of the Platyclymenia Stufe (Upper Devonian IV) of the traditional ammonoid succession. The last bed below the Dasberg Event does not have Po. styriacus any more but may have the first Bispathodus aculeatus, the index species of the Middle expansa Zone.

Therefore, the base of the Lower expansa Zone does not coincide with a major transgression in Germany and Morocco but is older. The significant faunal overturn and eustatic rise at the IV/V (Hemberg/Dasberg) boundary falls near the base of the Middle expansa Zone. This has serious implications and setbacks for the discussion of an Upper Famennian defined at the level of the Lower expansa Zone (see Document 1). Reviews of both levels on different continents are required. The Secretary advocated to place the base of the Upper Famennian substage near the Annulata Event, which is a major global sedimentary break, more precisely at the entry of Po. styriacus. It is also important to note that many authors have used other taxa than Pa. gracilis expansa to place the Lower expansa Zone in their sections although it is not sufficiently proven that alternative species enter synchronously.

CM Streel explained Document 2 which focuses on potential biostratigraphic levels for the definition of a Latest Famennian Substage. He illustrated successions from the Etroeungt type area of Northern France, Belgium (Chanxhe), Silesia (Dzikowiec), and the Carnic Alps (Malpasso). Previously discussed potential boundary levels now fall in three sets spanning the Middle expansa Zone to the base of the Lower (Early) praesulcata Zone. Preference is given to the middle set: either the base of the Upper (Late) expansa Zone (= entry of Bispathodus ultimus), or slightly higher, at the entry of Pa. gracilis gonioclymeniae/Ps. marburgensis trigonicus which is not too far from the traditional base of the Etroeungt, based on the entry of Quasiendothyra kobeitusana kobeitusana or from the base of the Wocklumeria Stufe of the traditional German subdivision. The still ongoing discussion shows that it is premature to decide on the level for Upper and Uppermost Famennian substages. There is more consensus regarding the base of a Middle Famennian substage, to be defined at the base of the Lower marginifera Zone. However, more documentation of reference sections and of the correlation with neritic faunal groups and with the spore record is needed in all cases.

6. ICS News ã

The Chairman drew attention to the new medals awarded by ICS in honor of outstanding lifetime contributions to stratigraphy (Digby MCLAREN Medal) or on single publications with extraordinary significance for correlation (ICS Medal). It is too late to make a proposal for 2004 but SDS will nominate one of its prominent members in 2005. The first awards will be given this summer.

At the forthcoming IGC, ICS will hold an official meeting, listed (as Workshop DWO 03) as “Challenges and New Directions in Global Stratigraphy (ICS)” (Thursday 26th August, 9 a.m. to 1. p.m., Room 36). Apart from the ICS officers, all interested SDS members are welcomed to attend and to take part in discussions. The meeting will deal with activities of all subcommissions, publications, the International Stratigraphic Chart and will introduce the new officers. There is now an official collaboration between ICS and the highly regarded journal Lethaia. First significant contributions, focusing on general stratigraphical problems, have already appeared in the last issues.

7. Membership ã

7.1. Election of a chairman and vice chairman for the period 2005-2008 ã

The Chairman, in his function as head of the voting committee, reported on the results of the election of a new chairman and vice-chairman for the period starting on 1st January 2005 (period 2005-2008). There were two proposals for the chairman position: Secretary R. T. Becker and CM E. Schindler. The latter declined to stand for the vote. The ballot resulted in 15 votes in favor of the Secretary and in one vote against. This gives a clear majority and the Secretary accepted his nomination which has been approved in the meantime by ICS. As recommended by ICS, there were also two nominations for the vice-chairman position: TM El Hassani and CM J. Over who, however, decided not to stand for the vote. The ballot gave a clear majority for the nomination of TM El Hassani (14 votes in favor, 1 vote against). The nomination has also been approved by ICS. The voting results have been controlled by TM Garcia-Alcalde. [After the meeting, and following the new ICS procedures, the future Chairman has selected a new future SDS SECRETARY for the 2005 to 2008 period which will be CM J.E.A. Marshall from Southampton.]

7.2. Discussion on future new TMs ã

According to the ICS rules, TMs can be re-elected twice which gives a maximum time to serve without interruption as voting member of twelve years. This upper limit was chosen in order to allow a recurrent exchange of TMs and of scientific fields represented by TMs. The forthcoming major change in voting members of SDS has been outlined in a preliminary list of proposals included in Newsletter 10 (p. 11). Since, additional recommendations have been given by various SDS members.

The current state is:

Continuing TMs (6)

K. Weddige (for Germany), R. Crick (for USA), T.T. Uyeno (for Canada), Zhu Min (for China, vertebrates), R. T. Becker (continues as Chairman), A. El Hassani (for Morocco, continues as Vice-Chairman)

(TM W.T. Kirchgasser, who has not yet reached the maximum service time, decided in July to step down as TM since he is now retired. He will actively continue as CM.)

Proposed new TMs (15, election to take place in August 2004)

CM M.C. Perri (for Italy)

CM J. Hladil (for Czechia)

CM J. Marshall (for England)

CM C.E. Brett (for USA)

CM J. Over (for USA)

CM Chen Xiuqin (for China, Nanjing, invertebrates)

CM Ma Xueping (for China, Beijing, invertebrates)

CM A. Blieck (for France)

CM E. Schindler (for Germany)

CM G. Racki (for Poland)

CM R. Mawson (for Australia)

CM G. Young (for Australia)

CM J. I.Valenzuela-Rios (for Spain)

CM V. Tsyganko (for Russia)

CM J.-P. Casier  (for Belgium)

An additional TM proposal, Prof. Zhu Huaicheng, a highly experienced palynologists with research focus in Western and Northern China (Tarim Basin, Gansu, Jiangsu, Xinjiang), but covering all Paleozoic, was brought forward by the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology. Since Prof. Zhu has no former experience with SDS, it was decided to propose him first as a CM. The list of new proposals will continue the voting membership of most countries with significant Devonian outcrops (unfortunately, still with a strong South American bias) and includes specialists for most significant fossil groups (conodonts, ammonoids, nautiloids, palynomorphs, fish, brachiopods, corals, ostracods) and for sequence stratigraphy. In future SDS should seek a stronger involvement of specialists in isotope stratigraphy. It is hoped that the proposal made above will find a broad acceptance.

7.3. Election of new CMs ã

The following Devonian specialists were elected unanimously to become new CMs:

  •  Jared R. Morrow, University of Northern Colorado, conodonts and sedimentology (proposed by TM C.A. Sandberg and supported widely by other American SDS members at the unofficial Seattle Meeting)

  •  Paul Blake, Geological Survey of Queensland, rugose corals (proposed by TM J. Talent)

  • Carol J. Burrow, University of Queensland, fish/microvertebrate biostratigraphy (proposed by TM J. Talent)

  • Aye Ko Aung , Dagon University, Yagon (= Rangoon), Burma/Myanmar, corals, Devonian stratigraphy of Burma (proposed by TMs Becker & Talent)

  • Gordon F. Baird, Department of Geosciences, Fredonia, New York State, sedimentology, biofacies and sequence stratigraphy (proposed by TM Becker and supported by CM C.E. Brett)

  • B. Mistiaen 

  • The well known Spanish brachiopod worker F. Alvarez (proposed by TM Talent), unfortunately, declined to stand for election.

SDS will seek next year a CM for Turkey and perhaps additional CMs for Spain and Russia.

8. Financial Report (by the Chairman) for the period 2003 to March 2004 ã

Income US $
balance from 2002 450.58
IUGS subvention 2003 1275.00
TOTAL 1725.58
Expenses
Newsletter no. 19 400,00
bank commission 10,00
secretary expenses 250.00

contribution for the organization of the

SDS meeting in Morocco, 2004

500,00

room hire for informal SDS meeting

at Seattle, November 2003

60,00
TOTAL 1220,00
BALANCE 505,58

9. Future Meetings ã

9.1. International Geological Congress, Florence, August 20th-28th August 2004 ã

The Business Meeting will take place on 23rd August, from 5 to 8 p.m., in Room 14 of the Congress Center. It is preceded by the SDS Symposium on the same day, from 9 to 11.45 a.m., in the same room. All SDS members are invited to join an informal dinner party straight after the Business Meeting (restaurant still to be chosen).

9.2. SDS and IGCP 499 Symposium and Excursion, southern Siberia, 2005 ã

TM Yolkin and CM Izokh have proposed (first about two years ago) to hold the annual business meeting for 2005 in Novosibirsk, followed by a two weeks excursion to the Salair and Altai Mountains, ca. at the end of July and in early August. SDS has accepted this invitation with delight in 2003. (The plans have in the meantime been approved by the director of the Institute of Petroleum Geology and details will be circulated soon to all SDS members or via the next Newsletter.) Another international meeting which SDS likes to recommend to all its members is the 6t Baltic Stratigraphic Conference in St. Petersburg, 22nd to 26th August 2005. The meeting is partly organized by our CMs T. Koren and A. Ivanov and includes an important fieldtrip to the Devonian of Leningrad and Pskov districts. The first circular has been distributed recently and all interested members may contact our CM Ivanov (at: aoi@AI1205.spb.edu) or the meeting secretary, Dr. A. Zhuravlev (at: stratigr@mail.wplus.net).

9.3. ECOS IX, England 2006 ã

With respect to the past successful alignments with ECOS meetings, it has been proposed to hold the Annual Business Meeting in 2006 in conjunction with ECOS IX which will take place in England. Our future SDS secretary has agreed to run a long outstanding fieldtrip to the Devonian of the Old Red Continent which should enhance our understanding of cross facies correlations.

9.4. SDS Symposium, Western Interior/Nevada, 2007 ã

At the informal SDS Seattle meeting, our North American members have proposed to hold in 2007 an international symposium, followed by a fieldtrip, in the Interior Basin, with focus on Nevada. SDS happily accepted this proposal. A first circular will be distributed well in advance.

10. Any other business ã

None