The transport properties of the lower mantle, such as the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and viscosity are important to the understanding of mantle dynamics and thermal evolution of the mantle. An international workshop is scheduled to take place in northeastern Japan for 3 days between October 21 and 24. Agenda for the three days have speakers from the areas of experimental and theoretical mineral physics, observation electromagnetism, seismology, and mantle viscosity. The organizers are Kei Hirose from Titech, Japan David A. Yuen from University of Minnesota and David Rubie from Bayreuth Geoscience Institut, Germany. They anticipate attendance of around 50 to 55 scientists from around the world. Japanese funding for this event is substantial, around $36,000. Funds will cover the airfare of 5 to 6 junior scientists from American institutions. Findings of this workshop will be disseminated in a special issue of Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interior and put the abstracts on a website at the Minnesota Supercomputer Institute.
