Introduction to AGS
African Geospace Society AGS is a dynamic, innovative, and interdisciplinary scientific association committed to the pursuit of understanding of Earth and Space for the benefit of mankind.

Secretariat: AGS Secretariat, African Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education Complex (ARCSSTEE), Obafemi Awolowo University OAU Campus, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Objectives
AGS mainly focuses on

  • the expansion and strengthening of  the study of the Earth and other planets including their environments in  African continent;
  • facilitating  cooperation among scientists, national, regional and international scientific organizations, which are involved in geophysical  and other related research;
  • initiations of, as well as participations in,  new research and training programs;
  • popularizations of  various geophysical research and training programs in African continent via scientific conferences, publications and trainings - short and long terms.

Means of achieving these objectives

  • organize annual General Assemblies;
  • organize, sponsor or co-sponsor appropriate workshops, scientific meetings, topical conferences, short courses, summer schools, etc. outside General Assemblies, including those organized by other bodies;
  • publish a Newsletter;
  • publish appropriate scientific journals and books on all media, in particular, online and free-access;
  • undertake outreach activities, which should include: identifying and drawing attention to social problems which could be addressed by the scientific work of its members and communication with the non-scientific public;
  • establish links which would allow influence to be brought to bear on decision-makers in Africa and elsewhere;
  • establish liaisons with other scientific organizations, both within and outside Africa, to mutual benefit;
  • encourage participation of young scientists in the affairs of the Union through concessionary fees and a limited number of travel awards to assist attendance at General Assemblies
  • forge a strong partnership with other international geophysical communities such as IUGG, AGU, AOGS, and EGU.

AGS Sections
The fields of relevance to African Geospace Society are:


 S

 Solid Earth Science (geology, geodesy, geophysics, geochemistry, biogeosciences)

 A

 Atmospheric Science (Small scale and local wind systems, air pollution,  mesoscale processes, global wind systems, cyclones, weather forecasting,  atmospheric chemistry, global climate and its change, meteorology)

 O

 Ocean Science (Estuarine and costal oceanography, ocean circulation, marine biogeochemistry, paleoceanography, marine geology, and  atmosphere-ocean coupling.

 PA

 Astronomy and Planetary Science (interior, surface, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper  atmosphere of solar system bodies other than earth, cosmology)

 ST

 Solar and Terrestrial  Science(sun, interplanetary medium, heliosphere, the  magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere of planet earth, space  weather)

 H

 Hydrological Science (Hydrometeorology, Surface Water Hydrology, Ground  Water Hydrology,Water Resources Planning and Management,  Hydroinformatics)

The affair of AGS is being steered by an Interim Executive Committee which consists of Victor Chukwuma (Editor-in-Chief, Nigeria), Lee-Anne McKinnell (Treasurer, South Africa), Olivier Obrou (Secretary General, Cote-D’ivoire), Baylie Damtie (Vice-President, Ethiopia) and Babatunde Rabiu (President, Nigeria). Their fourfold mandate is to:

  • set up a befitting AGS with befitting structure and constitution
  • register AGS with appropriate scientific bodies
  • organize the 1st plenary and annual conference of AGS in 2009.
  • see to the emergence of an elected council in the 1st plenary.

AGS Constitution is available French and English on request from the Secretary General (okobrou@fulbrightweb.org or tunderabiu@yahoo.com) 

Call for membership
Membership is not restricted to individuals of African origin and consists of persons who are professionally engaged in or associated with studies of Earth and Space sciences.  Interested persons should contact us:

AGS Contact:
Olivier Obrou (okobrou@fulbrightweb.org); Babatunde Rabiu (tunderabiu@yahoo.com)
or AGS secretariat ( ags@arcsstee.org )