Oral presentations will be scheduled during the conference to allow 10 minutes for speaking and 5 minutes for discussion and speaker transition. Electronic presentations will be the only audio-visual support allowed for oral presentations. Audio-visual equipment available for oral presentations will include laptop PCs and Macs and an LCD projector. There will NOT be an option for dual-screen presentations.

Please read carefully the instructions for electronic presentations.

Two separate poster sessions will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Posters may also be viewed any time between noon on Monday and 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Authors of papers scheduled for poster presentations must designate — and post — a specific timeslot of one hour during the 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. timeframe during which they will be present at their poster to discuss their results. This will give the poster authors an opportunity to view and discuss other posters that are scheduled during the same poster session.

Posters scheduled for presentation on Tuesday may be installed any time on Monday, but MUST be removed at the conclusion of the poster session on Tuesday. Posters scheduled for presentation on Thursday should be installed between 10:00 a.m. and noon on Wednesday, but MUST be removed no later than 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning. Any remaining posters will be discarded.

Each poster will have a space 44" x 44" (1.1 m x 1.1 m) for display. Posters will be displayed on free-standing panels that are 4' x 8' (122 cm x 244 cm) (inside frame). Two presenters will share one side of one panel, so it is important that displays are confined to the specified limit. Posters must be designed to be attached to the panel with pushpins. Due to space limitations, tables, computers, video equipment, etc., cannot be accommodated as a part of a poster display.

Tuesday posters MUST be taken down at the end of that session.

Thursday posters MUST be taken down by 10:00 a.m. Friday.

Posters may be viewed anytime from noon Monday to 10:00 a.m. Friday.

Masursky Lecture
The Masursky Lecture will be given during a special plenary session that will be held Monday afternoon from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The lecture will be presented by Dr. Margaret Kivelson of the University of California, Los Angeles. Kivelson is a distinguished senior scientist, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and the 2005 recipient of the American Geophysical Union's John Adam Fleming Medal, which recognizes original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy, space physics, and related sciences. Kivelson has had a remarkable career in the fields of solar-terrestrial physics and heliospheric and planetary science, with particular emphasis on planetary magnetism.

Special Session on SMART-1
After one-and-a-half years of orbital science, Europe's first lunar mission, SMART-1, ended with a bang in September 2006 when the probe was directed to crash into the Moon's nearside. Astronomers observed the impact flash and ejecta debris. The low-cost probe tested solar electric propulsion techniques and a suite of remote sensing instruments as it mapped the Moon's surface. This session will provide an overview of the newest results from the mission, e.g., lunar composition, origins, and evolution; the study of impact, volcanic, and tectonic processes; the mapping of polar regions; and surveys for future lunar exploration.

Special Session on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
The primary science phase for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) began on November 7, 2006. All MRO instruments are returning excellent data, providing higher-resolution data than has been previously been obtained from orbit. In the first five months of the mission, MRO will acquire several terrabytes of data. MRO carries six science instruments: HiRISE, a high-resolution camera [ground sampling distance (GSD) ~0.3 m]; CTX, a context camera (GSD = 6 m); CRISM, a visible-near-IR imaging spectrometer (GSD = 20 m, spectral range = 0.4–3.96 µm); MARCI, a wide-angle color imager; MCS, an atmospheric IR sounder; and SHARAD, a shallow radar sounder (to a depth of ~0.5 km). Additionally, the accelerometer and radar tracking data provide data on atmospheric density and the martian gravity field. This session will provide an overview of new results, covering a wide range of studies. Specific investigations will be presented in other relevant Mars sessions.

Special Session on Volcanism and Tectonics on Saturnian Satellites
Cassini's tour of the Saturn system has revealed a wealth of detail on the planet's icy satellites. Cassini has returned mapping images of 100–200 m/pixel for many of these satellites and high-resolution images down to 20–40 m/pixel in a few locations. Unprecedented disk-resolved near-infrared multispectral data have also been returned. These new data have helped resolve some Voyager-era mysteries, but have raised even more new questions. Satellites such as Dione and Enceladus have proved to be even more geologically active than hinted at by Voyager. Participants are invited to present their latest views on the roles of tectonism and volcanism in creating these geologically diverse bodies.

Open House Displays of Outreach Programs and Activities
On Sunday evening, March 11, in conjunction with LPSC's open house and registration, the LPI will host displays of educational outreach activities and programs. The displays are intended to showcase programs that have an interactive component and/or associated products. Because of limited space in the Tuesday and Thursday evening poster sessions, programs proposed for both the Sunday display and the poster session may only be included in one. Displays will be set up at 4:00 p.m. and will be on display from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

NASA Headquarters Session
The NASA Headquarters briefing will be held on Monday, March 12, at 5:30 p.m. in Crystal Ballroom A of the South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center.

Student/Scientist Reception
A special reception will be held on Monday, March 12, to honor the Masursky Lecturer, the winners of the GSA Stephen E. Dwornik Student Awards for 2006, and all students who are making presentations at the 38th LPSC. The reception will be held in the Marina Plaza Ballroom immediately following the conclusion of the NASA Headquarters Session.

Wednesday Night Social Event
Because of the expansion of the scheduled sessions to a full five days, and the increase in other conference-related activities, we have received numerous requests from the community to forego the mid-week social event. In response, we are not formally scheduling any organized social activity on Wednesday evening. Participants are encouraged to take advantage of this rare opportunity to have a free evening to network and socialize with colleagues.

Combined Publishers' Exhibit
A Combined Publishers' Exhibit will be held in conjunction with the 38th LPSC. This conference exhibit provides an opportunity for LPSC participants to review new publications in the fields of lunar and planetary sciences, astronomy, astrophysics, geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, mathematics, computer science applications, remote sensing, and image processing applications. Publishers and authors are invited to submit materials related to these fields for display at this exhibit. Previous exhibits have featured books, journals, maps, globes, posters, images, slide sets, videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMs, along with advertising materials, catalogs, and order forms. A comprehensive exhibit catalog listing all participating publishers, all items on display, and contact information will be made available to conference participants at the exhibit.

There is no charge to display items at the exhibit; however, materials sent for the exhibit will not be returned. All materials submitted for display should be sent by February 16, 2007. For more information about the exhibit, contact Linda Chappell, Combined Publishers Exhibit Coordinator, at 281-486-2103 or [email protected].

Please note that this is NOT a book sale. All submitted exhibit items are for DISPLAY ONLY and become property of the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

There will not be a Wednesday evening social event this year.

Two awards are given annually: one for an oral presentation and one for a poster presentation. The awards are open to U.S. citizens who are currently enrolled as students at any degree level in the field of planetary geosciences. Only one abstract per student will be considered for the award. The student must be the senior author of the abstract and the material should not have been previously presented at another meeting. Judging will be based on both the written abstract and the presentation. Recent graduates, pre-college students, and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible. To apply for the award, students MUST complete the student award application form and MUST send the original application, with an original signature by their advisor, to LPI on or before the deadline of January 9, 2007.

Abstract Submission Policies
There will be a limit of TWO abstracts per first author for oral or poster presentation requests. Authors submitting two abstracts will be asked to rank them in order of preference.

Authors may request any combination of two — but no more than two — oral and poster presentation formats (i.e., two orals, two posters, or one oral and one poster).

In an effort to promote the dissemination of research from members of the community who may not be able to attend the meeting, print-only abstracts will still be allowed, but ONLY from those authors who are NOT submitting an abstract for oral or poster presentation. In other words, if you're requesting a print-only abstract, you cannot submit an abstract for any other type of presentation. Authors are limited to ONE print-only request.

The program committee will strictly enforce the above policies. Abstracts submitted in violation of these policies will be rejected. The only exception will be for those who are invited to give a talk at a special session (e.g., the Masursky Lecture, or an invited speaker for a special session). Those abstracts will not be counted against authors as one of the two abstracts they are allowed to submit.

Use of Meteorite Names
Please read carefully the information about the use of meteorite names contained in the detailed instructions for authors. A representative of the Meteorite Nomenclature Committee will be reviewing the LPSC abstracts to make certain that all authors are in compliance with these policies. The program committee reserves the right to reject any abstract found to be in violation of these rules.

Policy Regarding File Sizes
All abstracts, regardless of file type, must be NO LARGER THAN 1 MB. If you attempt to submit a larger file, you will receive an error message, and your attempted submission will be rejected by the system.

Deadline
There will be TWO separate deadlines for electronic submission of abstracts. The deadline for electronically submitting abstracts in PDF format will be 5:00 p.m. (CST) Tuesday, January 9, 2007 (see U.S. time zone map). Authors who are unable to produce PDF files must submit their abstracts electronically by 5:00 p.m. (CST) Wednesday, January 3, 2007.

Non-PDF submissions that arrive after January 3, 2007, will NOT be considered for the conference.

No exceptions will be made for late abstracts. If you discover that you are having difficulty submitting your abstract on the Web site, please call us immediately (281-486-2142 or -2188) so that we will have time to assist you.

Preparation of Abstracts
Abstracts can be submitted in any of the following formats: PDF (preferred), PostScript, Microsoft Word for the PC and Mac, and rich text format (RTF). Templates and detailed instructions are provided. After you prepare your abstract file, you will have to fill out the electronic abstract submission form and upload the file containing your abstract (instructions are provided on the form). Abstracts sent by e-mail will NOT be considered.

Remember that electronic transmission of files is not always instantaneous; gateways can temporarily be shut down, local routers can fail, network traffic can be very heavy, etc. Because your abstract file must be RECEIVED at the LPI by 5:00 p.m., it's in your best interest to submit early to allow for possible delays in transmission. Because of the number of abstracts received and the time required to process them, exceptions cannot be made for anyone, regardless of the reason.

Provision for Hard-Copy Submission
If for some reason you will be unable to submit your abstract electronically, you must contact the LPI by fax (281-486-2125) to request the necessary forms and instructions for submitting by hard copy. These requests must be accompanied by a valid fax number, phone number, and e-mail address (we often have technical problems trying to reach fax numbers, particularly those outside the U.S.). The deadline for hard-copy submissions is January 3, 2007. Hard-copy submissions received after that date will be automatically returned to the author.

   5:00 p.m. CST,
   Tuesday, January 9, 2007
   for PDF submissions

Click here for
U.S. timezone map

Participants registering by credit card MUST use the secure electronic registration form; those registering using any other method of payment (check, money order, or traveler's check) MUST use the downloadable registration form. Requests for cancellation with a fee refund (less a $10.00 processing fee) will only be accepted through February 23, 2007.

NOTE: Those who fail to attend and do not notify the LPI Publications and Program Services Department prior to the February 23 deadline will forfeit their full fee.

Sunday Night Registration and Reception
On Sunday evening, March 11, 2007, registration and a reception will be held at the LPI from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The location of the LPI is shown on the area map. Shuttle buses will operate from selected hotels to LPI on Sunday night. Participants arriving after Sunday night will be able to register on site at South Shore Harbour.

Registered guests will have access to the following amenities: complimentary covered parking, marina with rentals for water sports, a 185-foot tropical pool with heated jacuzzi, 70,000-square-foot fitness center, and golfing privileges at South Shore Harbour Country Club (green fees extra).

There are a number of other hotels in the area. When making reservations, you can ask if they offer any special rates for LPSC participants. The local area map shows the locations of the LPI, South Shore Harbour, and other local hotels.

Clear Lake Shuttle (281-334-3873), located in the lobby of South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center, is available to provide transportation to or from George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport. Contact them directly for current rate information.

    MARY CLOUD
    Lunar and Planetary Institute
    Phone: 281-486-2143
    E-mail: [email protected]

For further information regarding abstract submission and registration, contact

    LINDA TANNER
    Lunar and Planetary Institute
    Phone: 281-486-2142
    E-mail: [email protected]