1) S-1 MEMBER NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

A) Mars Rover Scientist will be Keynote Speaker for Landscape Symposium

Dr. Ray Arvidson of Washington University is co-PI on Mars Exploratory Rover Science Payload Project and will be the keynote speaker for the Landscape Processes Symposium. He is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor. His webpage is: http://zipcodemars.jpl.nasa.gov/bio-contribution.cfm. Co-sponsors for this symposium include A3, S2, S4, S5, and S11.

B) Title-Summary Form Deadline for the SSSA Annual Meeting in Seattle - May 3, 2004, 4:00 pm (CDT):

To register a Poster or Oral paper for the 2004 SSSA Annual Meeting in Seattle please visit: www.asa-cssa-sssa.org/anmeet/. The deadline is 4:00 pm CDT, Monday, May 3, 2004. Your paper is not submitted until you receive a confirmation screen saying that an e-mail receipt has been sent to you. This e-mail will acknowledge the successful registration of your paper and will contain your Title-Summary Number. Without this number, your paper is not officially registered. Keep all e-mail receipts as they are the only accepted proof of a successful submission. If you are having trouble with your submission, notify Keith R. Schlesinger immediately by e-mail: kschlesinger@agronomy.org or by phone: (608) 273-8090 Ext. 322.

As a reminder, the S-1 Soil Physics Division sponsors the following symposia and sessions:

Symposium 1: Reconciling Measured and Predicted Water, Heat and Solute Transport in Soil: A Tribute to Peter J. Wierenga
Contacts: Bob Horton (rhorton@iastate.edu), Rien van Genuchten (RVANG@ussl.ars.usda.gov), and Jan Hendrickx (hendrick@nmt.edu).

Symposium 2: Landscape Processes: Monitoring, Mapping, and Modeling
Contacts: Jan W. Hopmans (jwhopmans@ucdavis.edu), Henry Lin (henrylin@psu.edu), Dennis Corwin (DCORWIN@ussl.ars.usda.gov), Gary Kachanoski (gary.kachanoski@ualberta.ca), Chris van Kessel (cvankessel@ucdavis.edu), and Don R. Nielsen (drnielsen@ucdavis.edu).

Session 1: Soil Water Content Sensing Methods: Comparisons and Calibrations
Contact: Steve Evett (srevett@cprl.ars.usda.gov).

Session 2: Advances in the Characterization of Soil Structure
Contacts: Daniel Giménez (gimenez@envsci.rutgers.edu) and Clark J. Gantzer (gantzer@missouri.edu)


C) Vadose Zone Journal (VZJ):

The Vadose Zone Journal (VZJ) continues to do well, with the number of submissions in 2004 being significantly higher than last year. The first issue of 2004 in February (see www.vadosezonejournal.org) contained a special section "Understanding Subsurface Flow and Transport Processes at the Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Site". The section has 17 papers discussing various aspects of the INEEL site, its history, its soil and groundwater pollution problems, the extreme heterogeneity of the site, infiltration in fractured basalt, biodegradation of organic contaminants, numerical simulations of vadose zone flow and transport processes at the site, and whatever else has been learned of the site, or is being studied at present.

The next issue of VZJ (May 15, 2004) has an impressive 37 papers, with special sections on colloid and colloid-facilitated transport (15 papers, including several reviews), and uncertainty in subsurface flow/transport (some 10 papers).

If you have not already done so, please remind your Library to subscribe to the journal (at a very modest $300 this year). This is most easily done using the online form at the top of the VZJ website (www.vadosezonejournal.org). And, please, continue to submit your very best papers to VZJ!! Thanks. Rien van Genuchten.

D) Humboldt Research Award

Alvin J.M. Smucker, soil biophysics professor in the department of crop and soil sciences is the recipient of a three-year Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Research Foundation. The Humboldt Foundation was established in 1953 by the Federal Republic of Germany for the promotion of international research cooperation. This competitive award is granted to scientists and scholars recognized for their academic accomplishments. Candidates are nominated by a German professor and endorsed by several internationally recognized scientists, before a panel within the Humboldt Foundation selects awardees.

Smucker is planning a sabbatical research project with Rainer Horn at the University of Kiel and at other universities in Germany, for several months beginning in 2004. He will also join scientists at other European universities to investigate the biophysical and biogeochemical mechanisms of terrestrial carbon sequestration within soil aggregates.

2) UPCOMING MEETINGS OF INTEREST (arranged by meeting date)

A) Gordon Research Conference- Flow and Transport in Permeable Media (July 11-16, 2004, The Queens College, Oxford, England). The Gordon Research Conference on "Flow and Transport in Permeable Media" is a bi-annual conference focusing on the latest advances in flow and transport in porous media. The conference provides a stimulating and relaxed forum for an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas. Participants typically include hydrologists, chemical and petroleum engineers, environmental engineers, soil scientists, geologists, mathematicians, and physicists. In the spirit of the Gordon Conferences, the format is designed to encourage in-depth discussion, with a program of morning and evening invited lectures and open discussions. Free afternoons and evening social gatherings provide ample time for more informal interactions. Poster sessions form an important part of the meeting. For more information please visit: http://www.hyd.citg.tudelft.nl/grc/

B) AGU Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting - Session on "Surface and Subsurface Hydrological Responses to Land Cover and Land Use Changes in Tropical Watersheds" (August 16-20, 2004, Honolulu, Hawaii). The Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting held in Honolulu, Hawaii will contain a session titled "Surface and Subsurface Hydrological Responses to Land Cover and Land Use Changes in Tropical Watersheds". Although the title says tropical watersheds, research presentations regarding other watersheds are welcome.

For further details please visit: http://submissions6.agu.org/wp04/search/ The deadlines for submitting abstracts are: April 15, 2004, for submissions by postal or express mail, and April 22, 2004, for electronic online submissions.

Contacts: Aly I El-Kadi (elkadi@hawaii.edu) and Ali Fares (AFares@hawaii.edu)

C) International Conference on "Finite-Element Models, MODFLOW, and More 2004: Solving Groundwater Problems" (Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), Czech Republic, 13-16 September 2004).The FEM_MODFLOW conference aims at presenting cutting-edge development and practical application of groundwater models in all aspects of hydrological work. The conference is derived from and continues the productive MODFLOW conferences held by IGWMC in 1998, 2001 and 2003. In many countries, MODFLOW, the USGS modular three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater flow model, has become an important standard for groundwater modeling. Therefore, MODFLOW serves as a centerpiece for the recurring conference. However, the Conference Organizing Committee needs and encourages participation by users of all types of models in diverse applications, including those based on the finite-element technique and other approaches. The conference seeks to encourage understanding and appropriate use of the many widely used models. Most of all, the conference seeks to help solve groundwater problems. The conference includes keynote speakers on diverse topics, and contributed oral and poster presentations. Abstracts are due no later than February 29, 2004. For further information please visit: http://www.natur.cuni.cz/fem_modflow/

D) INRA Environmental and Subsurface Science Symposium (Spokane, WA, 19-22 September 2004). This annual Symposium will highlight research being performed at the INRA institutions, the INEEL, and national and international research in our theme area. As the mission for the INEEL is changing in anticipation of the new Idaho National Laboratory (INL), we have decided on a theme which will continue to highlight capabilities in our traditional environmental and subsurface science areas, but with an eye toward the new INL mission areas. For further information please visit: http://www.inra.org/

E) Symposium on Unsaturated Zone Modeling in Honor of Prof. Reinder Feddes (October 3-5, 2004, Wageningen, The Netherlands). Wageningen UR organizes a symposium entitled 'Unsaturated zone modeling: progress, applications and challenges'. Prominent speakers will present strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to analysis of water flow and solute transport in the soil and shallow groundwater. The discussions should indicate the most relevant and fertile directions for future research. Everyone who feels affinity to unsaturated zone hydrology is most welcome. The symposium will be held in honor of Prof. Reinder Feddes, who will retire from Wageningen University, and takes place from 3 till 5 October 2004 in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Extensive information can be found at site http://frontiscms.co.dlo.nl/cms/web/2004/20041003/info.php3?wsid=1

F) Fifth European Conference on Geostatistics for Environmental Applications geoENV (Centre for Hydrogeology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, on October 13-15, 2004).The Congress will be preceded by a two-day workshop, on October 11-12, 2004. The objective of the geoENV conference series is to bring together scientists from many different areas which share in common the application of geostatistics to environmental problems. A non-exclusive list of topics which are covered includes: Groundwater pollution and hydrogeology; Soil science, site remediation, industrial sites; Air monitoring; Spatiotemporal statistics; Climatology; Ecology, natural resources; Forestry, agriculture; Epidemiology, ecotoxicology; Biometry; and Remote Sensing. For further information please visit: http://www.unine.ch/chyn/geoenv/welcome.html.

3) NEW JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS

To review all announcements from the last six months please visit: http://soils.ag.uidaho.edu/tuller/s-1/jobs.htm

A) Lecturer, Soil Science (Soil Physics) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. (posted 03/05/2004) The incumbent will be responsible for undergraduate lecturing in introductory Soil Science and in the specialist area of soil physics. S/he will establish a vigorous research program within the field of soil physics, supervise postgraduate students and obtain funding for research from sources outside the University. Required: a Masters degree in Soil Science or a closely related field; specialist knowledge and at least two years research experience in Soil Physics; at least two years lecturing experience or a demonstrable ability to lecture in Soil Science. Desired: A Ph.D. degree in Soil Science and/or experience in, specifically, agricultural or irrigation research. The selection process will commence on 3/19/2004 and the package [Basic salary R92622 - R165871 ($11,650 - $20,864) plus fringe benefits: housing allowance, retirement fund, medical aid + 13th check] is commensurate with experience. Applicants are required to submit a full curriculum vitae, listing research publications and activities, together with the name, e-mail address, telephone and fax no. of three referees to Human Resources Administration, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, Fax: +27(0)332605356 or e-mail NelD@nu.ac.za In striving towards the University's employment equity plans, preference may be given to candidates who belong to the designated groups identified in the South Africa Employment Equity Act. All appointments are merit-based and candidates who do not meet the criteria stipulated above will not be considered.

APPENDICES

A) S-1 Contacts
Chair (04): David Radcliffe dradclif@arches.uga.edu
Chair-Elect (05): Gerard Kluitenberg gjk@ksu.edu
ASA and SSSA Board Representative (04-06) Glenn Wilson: gvwilson@ars.usda.gov
SSSA Journal S-1 Technical Editor: Sally Logsdon logsdon@nstl.gov
Vadose Zone Journal (VZJ) Editor: Rien van Genuchten RVANG@ussl.ars.usda.gov

B) S-1 Working Groups and Committees
S-1 Program for 2004 ASA-SSSA Meetings (Seattle, WA, Oct. 31-Nov. 4): David Radcliffe
Kirkham Conference 2004 (Utah State): Wilford Gardner and Scott Jones
S-1 Early Career Award: Art Warrick, Per Moldrup and Jacob Dane