Every year the American
Geophysical Union (AGU) hosts a conference which gathers more geoscientists into
one place than any other event in the world (more than 24,000 geoscientists
attend every year). This week-long
conference allows geoscientists from around the world to present their
research, hear about the latest cutting edge research being done, and talk with
other geoscientists, some of whom are the leaders in their field. Last year I attended for the first time and
was awed by the enormous amount of research presented. This year I got to
present some of my own.
The poster hall. Every day 3,000 are presented for the entirety of the conference (15,000 total!)
On the floor of the poster hall. Presenting research in this format allows for casual conversation with others and lets us gain new insights, receive critiques, and ask questions.
Me at my poster. Of the people that talked to me about my work 3 of them were anonymous judges for a student presentation competition
In addition to posters nearly 7,000 lectures are given throughout the week. This one, given by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, was on the importance of making science understandable to the public.
The exhibition hall is a place where vendors can show off their scientific equipment
NASAs booth is always one of the most popular. In addition to giving talks on their projects they also have interactive displays which showcase their many scientific accomplishments. Their free calendars are also in high demand!
I had an amazing time at the conference. I was able to talk to other scientists about their research, listen to amazing talks, and learn new things about both my field of study as well as ones I'm not as familiar with. A big highlight for me was watching two scientists with previously opposing views give back-to-back lectures during which they were able to solve the differences in their research. Already can't wait for next year!
