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RIVER TO ROCK II RESEARCH CONFERENCE






October 6-9, 2026
Grand Junction, Colorado USA
Conveners:  Stephanie Davidson, Peter Clift (University College London), Liz Hajek (Pennsylvania State University)

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS NOW OPEN!!!

Abstract Submission Form - river to rock 2026 abstract form.docx

The deadline for abstract submission for the upcoming River to Rock II conference is Monday, June 1, 2026.

 The conveners would like to invite you to a conference consisting of a three-day meeting and an optional one-day field trip.

In order to support societal resilience to environmental change we need a better understanding of what controls river systems through study of a range of recent and sedimentary analogues, as well as numerical modelling of the evolution of these systems over time and space.  Looking ahead, the ancient fluvial record potentially provides critical context for decision-making and landscape management in modern rivers, and our understanding of river deposits is a driving factor in our ability to manage subsurface resources, including groundwater, hydrocarbons, or sequestered CO2.


The program of invited keynote speakers includes:  
  • Eilen Wohl (Colorado State University),
  • Irina Overeem (University of Colorado at Boulder),
  • Kathryn Stack Morgan (NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory), 
  • Paul Durkin (University of Manitoba),
  • Eric Barefoot (University of California, Riverside), and 
  • Anastasia Piliouras (Pennsylvania State University).

Sessions will be organized around these topics:

1.    What does the sedimentary record tell us about human-river interactions and how does it inform management of river landscapes? 

2.    How do Anthropocene rivers differ from Holocene or older examples?

3.    How does rapid climate change impact fluvial systems?

4.    How do we better apply cross-disciplinary approaches to tackling 'real-world' challenges in fluvial environments, such as climate change resilience?

5.    How do fluvial processes impact carbon storage across a range of scales?

6.    How do we better understand the controls on resource distribution (and subsequent management) in fluvial deposits?

7.    What aspects of river networks best inform our understanding of modern and ancient ecosystems and landscape mosaics?

8.    How can we relate our understanding of modern and ancient ecosystems to restoring rivers and floodplains to their ‘natural’ state?

9.    How do we constrain and compare river variability across space and time?

10.   Insights from physical experiments and numerical modelling.

11.  What are the closest Earth analogues to Mars' river deposits?


Conference Program - Outline program_R2R Dec2025.pdf

The conference schedule includes three conference days (Tuesday-Thursday, October 6-8) and an optional one-day field trip (October 9th).


Conference Registration

Registration includes morning refreshments, lunch and afternoon snack 

Professional Member:  $525, Professional Non-Member:  $625

Student Member: $135, Student Non-Member: $185


Option Field Trip Registration

Optional field trip   River to Rock II Field trip stops.docx

Professional Member: $175, Professional Non-Member: $200

Student Member: $100, Student Non-Member: $125

Field trip registration includes transportation, field guide handout, drinks and lunch


Hotel information coming soon!!!








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