About the
INQUA Commission on Coastal and Marine Processes
The INQUA Commission on Coastal and Marine Processes is dedicated to elucidating as detailed a picture as possible of the profound environmental changes that have occurred during the Quaternary (past 2.6 million years) based on an investigation of the coastal and marine realms. The Commission is divided into three principal research strands (Sub-Commissions on Coasts, Continental Shelves and Deep Sea), each with the intention of developing several research projects in each Sub-Commission within the very near future. The Commission strongly encourages multidisciplinary research, and welcomes thematic research that transcends the scope of the three subcommissions. It is the intent of the Commission to foster strong research linkages with other INQUA Commissions, as well as the research activities of IGCP Projects and other international research programs.
The Coastal Sub-Commission at this stage has four working groups, and there is considerable scope for future working group research projects. The two thematic working group projects within the Coastal Sub-Commission are Long-term Sea-Level Records led by Cari Zazo and Short-term Sea-Level Changes and Coastal Vulnerability led by Simon Haslett. Working Groups on North and West Europe, led by Szymon Uscinowicz, and the Mediterranean Basin, led by Dorit Sivan, represent more geographically-based working groups.
The principal focus of the Shelf Subcommission is the study of the terrestrial records of continental shelves associated with sea level low stands and will examine many of the continental shelf sediment records from around the world. This Sub-Commission will have a strong research linkage with IGCP Project 464, Continental Shelves during the Last Glacial Cycle: Knowledge and Applications. The Deep Sea Sub-Commission will examine prospective regions for further study and provide a critical linkage with the palaeoceanography community.
International conferences, workshops and other activities will be held on a regular basis under the auspices of the Commission and details will appear on the INQUA web pages as new activities are planned.
