National Geoscience Conference 2014 : Climate and Sea Level Change Through Geologic Time ( 13 - 14 June 2014 , Kuala Terengganu , Malaysia )

Abstract

The 27th National Geoscience Conference held in Kuala Terengganu on 13-14 June, and co-organised by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and the Malaysian Minerals & Geoscience Department, was attended by 200 participants. The potential effects of ongoing climatic and sea level changes are of global concern, especially for countries with coastal populations. The most recent geologic period, the Quaternary (0 to 2.6 million years ago), is characterised by high frequency climate and sea level changes. The conference focussed on understanding these changes to facilitate prediction of future coastal trends. In addition to the conference theme there were sessions on geohazards, engineering geology, geochemistry, hydrogeology and economic geology. The conference was opened by Professor Datuk Ibrahim Komoo, UMT Vice Chancellor, who emphasised that geoscientists have a leading role in contributing towards understanding past environmental changes. The well-known geological truism that “The Present is the Key to the Past”, needs to be joined with one that “The Past is the Key to the Future”. Geologists understand past climatic changes well and so are ideally positioned to assist with future predictions.