It’s that time of year again! Time for frantic poster-printing, rearranging your talk slides for the third or fourth (or dozenth) time, hoping your flight into SFO will actually land on time and wondering whether you’ll need to pack short sleeves, a wool coat or rain boots. (Right now, I’d recommend the rain boots.) AGU’s annual Fall Meeting starts today, and here at the USGS everyone’s in full preparatory swing.

I won’t be presenting scientifically this year, but as always I’ll be popping up in other places, including as part of a panel on diversity in the honors nomination process and at AGU’s “Ask an Expert” booth in the exhibit hall. But there will be plenty of opportunities for those of us who engage with Earth science online to meet up, exchange ideas and advice, and blog and tweet to our hearts’ content.

Here’s the rundown by day:

Tuesday (December 16):

• Ask An Expert, AGU Booth, Moscone South: 
  • 10:30-11:30: Sarah Robinson, EarthScope Education and Outreach Program Manager – Using Social Media
  • 12:30-1:30: Larry O’Hanlon, , Independent journalist, Blogosphere Manager & Social Media Coordinator for AGU – Using Social Medi
  • 3:30-4:30: Jennifer Blank, Space Sciences & Astrobiology,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, NASA –Using Social Media
• Bloggers Forum, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Moscone West – Room 3000. I’ve been a part of this for the past few years, but this year they’re changing up the panel! Come ask questions and exchange best practices with the ever-growing ranks of the geoblogosphere.

Wednesday (December 17):

• Ask An Expert, AGU Booth, Moscone South:
• 11:30-12:30: Laura Guertin, Associate Professor of Earth Science at Penn State Brandywine, AGU Blogosphere blogger – Using Social Media
• 3:30-4:30: Jessica Ball, Mendenhall Fellow, USGS – Using Social Media
• Social Media Forum, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Moscone West – Room 3000. “To tweet or not to tweet? Find out from social media savvy scientists and science writers in this first-ever Fall Meeting social media forum organized by AGU and the National Association of Science Writers. Panelists include Allen Pope (@PopePolar).”

Thursday (December 18):

• Creating Your Social Media Action Plan for Education and Public Outreach Workshop, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Moscone South Mezzanine 224 & 226. “You’ll leave this workshop with a reusable strategic action plan for focusing your resources to promote an EP/O program or event with social media.”
• Ask An Expert, AGU Booth, Moscone South: 12:30-1:30 PM: Dan Satterfield, Chief Meteorologist for the CBS affiliate WBOC TV, AGU Blogosphere blogger – Using Social Media, Talking with the Public/Media

For those of you who like to combine research with your social media, a keyword search for “Twitter” or “blog” in the Scientific Program will turn up a plethora of fascinating talks and posters. And as always, if you see me at the meeting feel free to say hello! I’ll be splitting my time between volcanology, public policy and social media events, and if you can catch me I’m always happy to chat. (Or you can follow me on Twitter, @Tuff_Cookie.)