Carnegie Institution of Washington

September 29, 2004

Contact Alexis Clements at 202-478-8830, email clements@dtm.ciw.edu

Celebrate 100 years of globetrotting and space exploration:
Attend Carnegie’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism Centennial

The expeditions began in the baking deserts, the freezing Arctic, and the steamy jungles of the world via every conveyance imaginable to measure the fluctuations of Earth’s magnetic field. Research continues today in many other disciplines to study the Earth, the solar system, and beyond at the Carnegie Institution of Washington’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM). The department celebrates a century of scientific discovery and invites the public and press to a centennial symposium on October 8, 2004, at 1:00 pm in the Elihu Root Auditorium at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 16th and P Streets, NW, Washington, DC (P Street entrance). The symposium features four dynamic speakers who will bring the history and science at the department to life and will look to what the future holds.

With the accomplishment of the charting the global magnetic field, DTM evolved to reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of Earth, planetary, and astronomical sciences. DTM scientists have recently been featured in many major news stories, including those about the launch of NASA’s MESSENGER mission to Mercury (headed by DTM director, Sean C. Solomon) and the discoveries of two Neptune-mass planets by Paul Butler and his colleagues. Today the historic goal of the department remains—to understand the Earth and the universe that is our home.

The Department of Terrestrial Magnetism Centennial Symposium is a free event. Speakers and their talks follow: librarian and archivist Shaun J. Hardy, 'To Penetrate the Mantle of Darkness': DTM’s Path Through the Twentieth Century; geophysicist Thomas H. Jordan, Speculations on Some Problems of Continental Evolution; geochemist Julie D. Morris, Ideas, Isotopes, and Instrumentation: Geochemical Studies of Subduction Zones; and astrophysicist Robin M. Canup, The Formation of Terrestrial Planets and the Earth-Moon System. Carnegie president, Richard A. Meserve, along with DTM director, Sean C. Solomon, will introduce this historic event.

The Carnegie Institution is located 3 blocks east of the Dupont Circle Metro stop at 16th and P Streets, NW. For more information about this event please call Alexis Clements at 202-478-8830.

Many exciting and informative links, including two online exhibitions, can be found in the centennial section of our website: http://www.dtm.ciw.edu/