IX Central American Geological Congress in Costa Rica

Geologists Will Discuss the Effects of Development on Ground Water.

Geologists from the entire American Continent will meet this week in Costa Rica to discuss the geo-scientific role in the war against global warming and the protection of ground water supplies from residential expansion, in an effort to decide what is the role of geology in the well being of humanity. These discussions, together with the presentation of various investigations, are part of the IX Geological Congress of Central America.

The event took place in the Teatro Melico Salazar in San Jose for the first couple of days and will come to a close tomorrow in the San Jose Palacio Hotel.

The Conference inauguration took place on this past Tuesday, July 1, and opened with the presentation “The Role Geology Plays in the Well-being of Humanity” delivered by Linda Gundersen, Research Director of the United States Geological Service (USGS). The official launch of a special postal stamp that is allusive to Costa Rican geology by the National Philatelic Museum Cultural Act followed.

On Wednesday, July 2, presentations such as “The Nature of Disasters: A Discussion on Their Causes and Consequences in Latin America and the Caribbean” with Sergio Mora, and “Progress and Problems of the Study for the Central American Volcanic Arc” were given.

Today the program included “Mineral Resources in Small Economies” delivered by Linda Gundersen, and “Underground Waters in Central America: Is the Resource Guaranteed for the Future?” by Sandra Arredondo, as well as a lecture on the Geological Terrains of Central America.

Tomorrow the group will look at “Results of the Geological Investigation in Central America” with a speech by RN Petr Mixa, Director of The Geological Survey of the Czech Republic, followed by “Issues Arising from the Geological Studies of the Panama Canal Enlargement” with Pastora Franscheschi, Engineer and Geological Coordinator, involved in the enlargement of the Panama Canal.

Next, “Geo- policies in Central American Higher Education: Towards a Sustainable Development” will be presented by Percy Denyer, Director of the Central American School of Geology at the University of Costa Rica. The meeting will come to a close with a talk about “Future challenges for the geological institutional framework of Central America”.

The specialists who are taking part in this event come from all over the world, with scientists from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and Cuba, among other countries. There is also a strong Costa Rican presence, especially where the particularities of the geology of the Isthmus is concerned. The geological community of Costa Rica is quite impressive with a ratio of one geologist per 15,000 habitants, where as developed countries generally have one geologist per 13 000 habitants.

Enid Gamboa and Guillermo Induni organized this very special congress, and they are overjoyed today as so many participants from the world came together to work for a better future. The previous congress had taken place 16 years ago, in Guatemala

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