11th International Workshop on the Modeling of Mantle Convection in Braunwald, Switzerland from June 29-July 2, 2009

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This proposal requests funds to provide partial travel and registration support for junior US scientists to travel and attend the 11th International Workshop on Modeling Mantle Convection and Lithospheric Dynamics. The workshop will be held in Braunwald, Switzerland and will last 5 days from June 29 ? July 3, 2009. The meeting is capped at ~125 participants, with ~20 US participants planning to attend, including one invited keynote speaker, Magali Billen, from the University of California Davis. Geodynamical research is a critical element in geophysical research, providing a linkage between dynamical processes and seismological, mineral physics, geochemical, and geodetic observations. Geodynamical modeling provides a powerful tool to investigate heat transport, thermal and chemical evolution, and the driving forces behind plate tectonic processes. Computational and experimental techniques are continually advancing, largely due to the sharing of technical information and ideas between scientists. As in past years, this workshop aims to provide an environment in which geodynamicists from around the globe can interact in a very technical, specialist atmosphere compared to typical, much-broader international meetings. Furthermore, several members from other disciplines are invited, and we will explore how geodynamical modeling can be best integrated with other geophysical disciplines to tackle big picture problems currently facing the community. The primary goal of the workshop is to provide a forum for detailed discussion on technical issues associated with geodynamical modeling and how it can be integrated with other fields to address current scientific questions. It will also serve to introduce junior scientists to latest advances in geodynamical modeling and to foster interdisciplinary and international collaboration. Most importantly, the workshop will provide a means for American graduate students and postdocs to meet their European colleagues with the goal of fostering international research collaborations and employment opportunities that will last well into the future, motivating scientific discovery.