bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kyoto Protocol one step closer
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The European Union (EU) could soon decide to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, following a 4 March meeting of the European Commissions environment council to approve the treaty.

European Commission President Romani Prodi said the council's move enables the 15 EU member states to take the steps toward simultaneous ratification together with the commission before 1 June.“I urge our partners both in the developed and in the developing countries to also ratify the Kyoto Protocol soon,” he said.
Researchers discuss role of flares and shocks in solar energetic particle events
Authors: Cliver Ed , Klecker Berndt , Kallenrode May‐Britt , Cane Hilary
Published: October 2006

Sixty participants gathered at a workshop last 5–7 August in Lüneburg, Germany just prior to the 27th (Hamburg) International Cosmic Ray Conference to discuss the relative importance of flares and shocks as sources of solar energetic particle (SEP) events. In the current two‐class paradigm for SEP events [Reames, 1999], the flare process accounts for acceleration in “impulsive” events, while Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)‐driven coronal and interplanetary shock acceleration dominates “gradual” events. (For more on SEP terminology see Cliver and Cane [2002].)
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Geomagnetism & Paleomagnetism Section presented four outstanding student paper awards at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Snow, Ice, & Permafrost Committee presented two outstanding student awards at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Angelopoulos, Schrag, and Tabazadeh receive 2001 James B. Macelwane Medal
Authors: Kennel Charles F. , Schrag Dan , Hayes John M. , Angelopoulos Vassilis , Toon Owen B. , Tabazadeh Azadeh
Published: October 2006

Vassilis Angelopoulos, Daniel PSchrag, and Azadeh Tabazadeh received the Macelwane Medal at the 2001 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 12 December, in San Francisco, California. The medal is given for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by young scientists of outstanding ability.
House Committee increases NSF budget
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The National Science Foundation (NSF) would receive an 8.9% funding increase for fiscal year 2003 under a budget resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives' Budget Committee on 13 March.

Under the resolution, funding for NSF would total $5.2 billion. The Bush administration has proposed an FY2003 budget of $5.04 billion, 5% greater than the previous fiscal year.
Seismic Ray Theory
Authors: Virieux Jean
Published: October 2006

Ray method, a forward modeling tool of seismic wave propagation, is a powerful and useful tool for interpretation, if not the unique one at our disposition: full‐wave modeling often provides us synthetic seismograms as complex as real ones. Especially with the ambition and the necessity of three‐dimensional wave seismic interpretation, efforts in the last twenty years have been performed to avoid failure configurations of the ray theory and to extend its domain application.
Continental Reactivation and Reworking
Authors: Whitney Donna L.
Published: October 2006

Continental crust may be repeatedly deformed, metamorphosed, intruded, and eroded over time by plate boundary and intra‐plate processes, and mantle lithosphere may have an equally dynamic evolution during orogenesis. The sum of these events is displayed in rocks and structures that we see at the surface and infer for the parts of the lithosphere we can't directly observe. The “reworking” of continental lithosphere involves many processes that operate at different spatial and temporal scale. Thus, a collection of papers on the subject of continental reactivation and reworking is necessarily multidisciplinary with contributions from structural geology, geochronology petrology, sedimentary geology geophysics, and various types of geodynamical modeling.
Ocean Drilling Program plans final year of operations
Authors: Becker Keir
Published: October 2006

The Ocean Drilling Program (ODP), widely hailed as perhaps the most successful example of international cooperation in all of the geosciences, will formally terminate as of 30 September 2003. This long‐running international partnership of research institutions and geoscientists was organized to explore the Earth's evolution and structure in sub‐sea floor settings throughout the oceans; and it recently planned the schedule for its final year of operations.
Building a home for the biogeosciences: Challenges for understanding terrestrial ecosystems
Authors: Neff Jason , Hedin Lars
Published: October 2006

In recent years, biological, geological, and atmospheric studies have been combined in name and practice and the term ‘biogeosciences’ has quickly entered the scientific lexicon. AGU has recognized the biogeosciences as a vital and rapidly developing field through the creation of a new section in 2000. In reports from the National Science Board [2000] and the National Research Council of The National Academies [1999], the central role of coupled biologic, geologic, and atmospheric systems in the Earth system has been highlighted.
State climatologists issue policy on climate change
Authors: Pielke Roger
Published: October 2006

During the summer 2001 annual meeting of the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC), it was decided that a policy statement by this organization on climate was needed. This community which provides climate service to individual states and regions, had here to fore not provided its view on the subject of climate prediction capabilities and climate services.

Among the major conclusions of the resulting policy statement is that our ability to skillfully predict the future climate, due to both natural causes and human forcings, is limited to approximately a season or so. The policy also states that monitoring and assessments of societal and environmental vulnerability to climate variability and change are the topics which should be emphasized, in terms of the allocation of resources in this area.
Report calls for riparian protection
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A 22 March report by The (U.S.) National Academies calls for the protection and restoration of riparian areas in the United States. However, it concedes that key difficulties in this endeavor include the lack of basic information about the extent and ecological health of these areas, and even a precise ecological definition of what a riparian area is.

The report, “Riparian Areas: Functions and Strategies for Management” prepared by the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Research Council, states that “restoration of riparian functions along America's water bodies should be a national goal.”
Hofmann receives 2001 Harry H. Hess Medal
Authors: Halliday Alex N. , Hofmann Albrecht W.
Published: October 2006

Albrecht W. Hofmann received the Harry H. Hess Medal at the 2001 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 12 December in San Francisco, California. The medal is given for outstanding achievements in the research of the constitution and evolution of Earth and sister planets.
Ezekiel and the Northern Lights: Biblical aurora seems plausible
Authors: Siscoe George L. , Silverman Samuel M. , Siebert Keith D.
Published: October 2006

Auroral specialists have suggested that in the Bible's Old Testament book of Ezekiel, the opening vision of a “storm cloud out of the north” depicts imagery inspired by a low‐latitude auroral display [Link, 1967; Eather, 1980; Silverman, 1998]. Naturally, other interpretations have been suggested, including a true epiphany, a sandstorm, a thunderstorm, a tornado, a solar halo, a hallucination, and a UFO. Biblical scholars place the site of the Ezekiel's vision about 100 km south of Babylon near Nippur, latitude ˜32°, longitude ˜45°, and the date is within a year or two of 593 B.C., or about 2600 years ago.

An auroral interpretation of the vision is subject to possible refutation due to several geophysical considerations. Can auroras be seen at Ezekiel's latitude? More important, can they reach a coronal stage of development, which is what the vision requires? Was the tilt of the dipole axis favorable? Was the general level of solar activity favorable? And finally, What effect does a larger dipole moment in Ezekiel's time have on the question? All but the last question could have been answered on the basis of geophysical data a decade ago or earlier.
A climate change policy for America
Authors: Watts J. C.
Published: October 2006

Farmers in Elk City, Oklahoma woke up this morning to the tough job of nurturing their wheat crop through another month of drought. As a member of Congress from Oklahoma, I can tell you those farmers will not complain. They will do their job. And so will I. I will work to ensure those farmers are best served by the federal research programs on climate change. But the current program is failing the farmers of Elk City, and others.
Nonlinear and Nonstationary Signal Processing
Authors: Wunsch Carl
Published: October 2006

Stationary linear systems driven by Gaussian processes are the basic representations of time series used in the Earth sciences. A large body of literature has developed around these misleadingly simple models, which straddle statistics, optimization, control, probability theory, and related fields. That fundamental errors of inference are still made in the refereed literature is perhaps a testimony to the subtleties and confusion that arise when statistics meets the real geophysical world. A major journal devoted to modern climate studies recently felt compelled to publish a tutorial explaining the importance of avoiding aliasing errors when sampling meteorological variables; this subject was clearly understood 100 years ago.
Hansen receives 2001 Roger Revelle Medal
Authors: Prather Michael J. , Hansen James E.
Published: October 2006

James E. Hansen received the Roger Revelle Medal at the 2001 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 12 December in San Francisco, California. The medal is given for outstanding contributions toward an understanding of the Earth's atmospheric processes, including its dynamics, chemistry, and radiation; the roles of atmosphere, atmosphere‐ocean coupling, or atmosphere‐land coupling in determining the climate, biogeochemical cycles, or other key elements of the integrated climate system.
Open source project to aid ionosphere physics research
Authors: Huba J. D. , Joyce G.
Published: October 2006

In the past decade, the Open Source Model for software development has gained popularity and has had many major achievements: emacs, Linux, the Gimp, and Python, to name a few. The basic idea is to provide the source code of the model or application, a tutorial on its use, and a feedback mechanism with the community so that the model can be tested, improved, and archived. Given the success of the Open Source Model, it may prove valuable in the development of scientific research codes. With this in mind, we are “open sourcing” the SAMI2 low‐ to mid‐latitude ionospheric model that was recently developed at the Naval Research Laboratory.
“Relevance, creativity, brevity”
Authors: Morris Nyasha
Published: October 2006

Science and technology often find themselves the unwelcome recipient of inadequate coverage and inaccurate portrayal in the media. The necessity of strengthening the relationship between science/technology and the media became apparent to me during my tenure at CNN as the AGU‐sponsored AAAS Mass Media Fellow for 2001. As a fellow, I was granted the challenging privilege of communicating complex technological subjects to non‐specialists in a creative way.
Stone receives 2001 Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism‐Features
Authors: Wiley John , Stone Richard
Published: October 2006

Richard Stone received the Walter Sullivan Award at the 2001 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 12 December in San Francisco, California. The award is given for a single article or radio/television report that makes geophysical material accessible and interesting to the general public.
Rodriguez‐Iturbe to receive 2002 Stockholm Water Prize
Authors: Grant Shermonta L.
Published: October 2006

AGU Fellow Ignacio Rodríguez‐Iturbe has been selected to receive the 2002 Stockholm Water Prize, awarded by the Stockholm Water Foundation, Sweden, for “his significant scientific contributions to the understanding of the interaction between climate, soil and vegetation structures, surface water, floods, and droughts.” Also known as the “Nobel Prize of water” the award of $150,000 is presented to scientists in areas ranging from marine chemistry to water management policy and recognizes “outstanding research, action, or education that increases knowledge of water as a resource and protects its usability for all life,” according to the Foundation.
Web browser applet allows visualization of three‐dimensional models
Authors: Dorman LeRoy M. , Gehringer Douglas D.
Published: October 2006

A new, machine‐independent Java Applet, a program that runs in a browser, downloads both byte code and three‐dimensional models from a remote Web site and displays them on a local computer. The code is a few hundred kilobytes in size and allows the viewer to control a two‐dimensional view of a three‐dimensional array, which can be represented by files as small as one byte per node. This code allows both the angle of view and the color map to be controlled by the user.

Representation of three‐dimensional models by two‐dimensional images is aided by the use of four‐dimensional color maps. A three‐dimensional color map shows each model value as a specific color, usually as a redgreen‐ blue (RGB) triplet. A four‐dimensional color map associates each value with a four‐component set‐RGBA—where the A represents alpha, the transparency. This additional component allows vision through parts of the model—the reference or “uninteresting” parts—to the anomalous or “interesting” parts. But this is not a complete solution, since it does not provide depth perception.
Eco‐hydrology's past and future in focus
Authors: Nuttle William K.
Published: October 2006

Lately, something called eco‐hydrology has blazed forth as the next big thing in hydrologic science. A series of four papers on the topic appeared in Advances in Water Research last year [Rodríguez‐Iturbe et al., 2001]. Before that, in 1996, the International Hydrology Programme (IHP) initiated a new project under the title of eco‐hydrology [Zalewski et al., 1997]; and the AGU Spring Meeting, also in 1996, included a special session on eco‐hydrology. Since then, a book of edited contributions has appeared [Baird and Wilby, 1999], and eco‐hydrology was the topic of both a “vision for the future” in Water Resources Research [Rodríguez‐Iturbe, 2000] and the Langbein Lecture at AGU's 2000 Spring Meeting. Another session on the topic will be featured at this year's AGU Spring Meeting, and a Chapman Conference on Eco‐hydrology of Semiarid Landscapes will be held in September 2002.
Pachauri maps out next steps at IPCC
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Rajendra Pachauri already is settling into his role as the new chairman of the IPCC for his six‐year term. Pachauri is planning to confer with the members of the 30‐person IPCC bureau and other IPCC country delegates in order to bridge any divides caused by a divisive election, and to ensure a collaborative effort within the organization. Pachauri also is planning a bureau meeting for early August to decide on a plan of action for the fourth IPCC assessment, scheduled for completion in 2007.

The IPCC Secretary, Narasimhan Sundararaman, said there would likely be a scoping meeting in February 2003. The purpose of this would be to bring together about 75 experts to decide on topics that the upcoming assessment report should deal with in science, economics, response options, and other areas related to climate change.
A new organization to improve coordination of U.S. volcano monitoring
Authors: Guffanti Marianne
Published: October 2006

With nearly 70 active and potentially active volcanoes in five distinct tectonic settings, the United States is a volcanically vigorous country that repeatedly experiences significant levels of volcanic unrest and eruptive activity. Five interactive volcano observatories, supported mainly by the Volcano Hazards Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), conduct long‐term monitoring and associated research investigations (see text box). In addition,through a joint program of USGS and the U.S. Agency for International Development, some volcanoes in other countries are visited—by invitation— by rapid‐response teams of U.S. volcanologists who assist with monitoring and hazard assessment during periods of unrest or eruption.

Monitoring operations at the volcano observatories are a cooperative undertaking, carried out using staff and facilities of USGS, and of partners at other federal and state agencies and at universities (These are partnerships that are formalized through Memoranda of Understanding, Congressional directive, or long‐standing cooperative agreements with USGS.) The dispersed geographic and institutional nature of the observatory activities requires substantial interaction among all the scientific partners to achieve the desired level of cooperation.
Ronald William Girdler (1930–2001)
Authors: Styles Peter , Searle Roger
Published: October 2006

Ron Girdler, age 71, died unexpectedly of a stroke at his home in Durham, England, on 19 October 2001. He became a member of AGU's Tectonophysics Section in 1960. He was elected a Fellow of AGU in 2001, but sadly, died before he could receive the award.

Girdler was one of a vanishing breed of academics who lived completely for his subject, geophysics. He lived especially for rift studies, a particular niche within the discipline. Girdler lived a frugal, simple life. In another time, he might well have been a member of a monastic order, his only extravagance being a love of travel; particularly to the United States and Japan, where he had many, many friends. He was one of a group of post‐war British geophysicists, mainly trained at Cambridge, who helped provide evidence for Wegener's early ideas of continental drift. His career spanned research on reversals of the geomagnetic field, through the early and developing ideas of plate tectonics, and eventually to the routine use of global, satellite‐based investigations of the geoid and geomagnetic fields.
Kepko receives 2002 Fred L. Scarf Award
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Emil Lawrence (Larry) Kepko was awarded the F.L. Scarf Award for his thesis titled Transient Convection in the Earth's Magnetosphere and the Generation of Pi2 Pulsations. He will be formally presented the award during the AGU 2002 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, 6–10 December. The award is given annually to a recent Ph.D. recipient for outstanding dissertation research that contributes directly to solar‐planetary science.
Thermal Signatures of Heat Transfer Processes in the Earth's Crust
Authors: Deming David
Published: October 2006

Thermal Signatures of Heat Transfer Processes in the Earth's Crust is a revised version of the author's D.Sc. thesis. It is a relatively short paperback that will mainly be of interest to those specializing in the study of terrestrial heat flow.

The book is divided into four sections. The first is a brief introduction that argues for the importance and relevance of thermal methods to geological problems and the difficulties and complications of interpreting thermal data. The second section is titled “Spatial and Temporal Scales for Heat Transport Processes.” After a brief tutorial on diffusion, two case studies are presented that involve the reconstruction of climate histories from inversion of borehole temperature logs. The analyses contain some beautiful color igures. The third section is titled “Identification of Diffusion and Advection: Two Case Studies…” and discusses analysis of temperature logs from the 9‐km‐deep KTB drill hole in Germany, and the 12‐km‐deep borehole on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. The fourth section is short, and it analyzes the “influence of an intrusion in the lower crust on the thermal regime in the upper crust.”
Health report on U.S. marine fisheries
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

While a 1 May report on the status of U.S. fisheries indicates that stock levels for many marine fish managed by the United States in its 5.2‐million‐square‐kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone are healthy and others are steadily rebuilding, several key problems remain.

The report, “Toward Rebuilding America's Marine Fisheries,” issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), notes that the number of fish stocks with sustainable harvest rates rose from 159 to 230 between 1999 and 2001; the number of stocks exceeding allowable harvest levels dropped from 77 stocks to 65; and the number of stocks deemed as overfished declined from 92 stocks to 81.
Slowdown in journal production
Authors: Homberger George , Holoviak Judy C.
Published: October 2006

Timely publication is something authors and readers should expect from AGU journals. Currently the journals are falling short in this area because of the challenges of the transition from the old, author‐produced copy to full electronic production and delivery.

We believe that the entire membership should be informed about this problem and about what is being done to return to timely publication.
Earthscope Program Workshop agrees on multi‐pronged education effort
Authors: Hall‐Wallace Michael , Hamburger Michael , Meertens Chuck , Braile Larry , Benthien Mark , Henyey Tom
Published: October 2006

EarthScope is a new Earth sciences initiative designed to dramatically improve our understanding of the evolution and dynamics of the North American continent. It is a partnership extending throughout the Earth science community, including more than 100 U.S. universities, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey regional seismic network, and state geological surveys.

Over 50 scientists and educators recently gathered to lay the foundation for EarthScopes education and outreach (E&O) program. The workshop brought together representatives of the Earth, space, and ocean science communities from colleges and universities, professional science and education societies, K‐l2 schools, and state and federal agencies.
Paleomagnetism: Continents and Oceans
Authors: Harlan Stephen S.
Published: October 2006

A number of interesting and useful textbooks about paleomagnetism and related subjects have appeared during the last decade. One of the most recent is Paleomagnetism: Continents and Ocean by Michael W. McElhinny and Phillip L. McFadden. This new contribution represents a significant update of the classic 1973 edition of Palaeomagnetism and Plate Tectonics by McElhinny, a text that has been used through the years by countless students and geoscientists interested in paleomagnetism, rock magnetism, and the applications of paleomagnetism to plate tectonics.
Exploring submarine earthquake geology in the Marmara Sea
Authors: Polonia A. , Cormier M.‐H. , Cagatay N. , Bortoluzzi G. , Bonatti E. , Gasperini L. , Seeber L. , Gorur N. , Capotondi L. , McHugh C. , Ryan W. B. F. , Emre Ö , Okay N. , Ligi M. , Tok B. , Blasi A. , Busetti M. , Eris K. , Fabretti P. , Fielding E. J. , Imren C. , Kurt H. , Magagnoli A. , Marozzi G. , Ozer N. , Penitenti D. , Serpi G. , Sarikavak K.
Published: October 2006

The disastrous 1999 earthquakes in Turkey have spurred the international community to study the geometry and behavior of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) beneath the Marmara Sea. While the area is considered mature for a large earthquake, the detailed fault geometry below the Marmara Sea is uncertain, and this prevents a realistic assessment of seismic hazards in the highly‐populated region close to Istanbul.

Two geological/geophysical surveys were recently conducted in the Marmara Sea: the first in November 2000 with the R/V Odin Finder, and the second in June 2001 with the R/V CNR‐Urania. Both were sponsored and organized by the Institute of Marine Geology of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), in cooperation with the Turkish Council for Scientific and Technical Research (TUBITAK) and the Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Multi‐beam bathymetry, multi‐channel seismic reflection profiling, magnetometry high‐resolution CHIRP sub‐bottom profiling, and bottom imaging were carried out with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Over 60 gravity and piston cores were collected.
Efforts afoot to double NSF funding
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Legislation to increase funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) by 15% for each fiscal year, from 2003 through 2005, was approved by a U.S. House of Representatives Science subcommittee on 8 May.

Resolution (HR) 4664, the “Investing in America's Future Act,” would increase agency funding from $4.78 billion for fiscal year 2002 to $7.29 billion for fiscal year 2005.
Mikhail Ivanovich Budyko (1920–2001)
Authors: Lapenis Andrei , Hoffert Martin , Groisman Pasha Ya. , Anisimov Oleg
Published: October 2006

Mikhail Ivanovich Budyko died on 10 December 2001 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Budyko was an active member of the international geophysical community and a 1994 recipient of AGU's Robert E. Horton Medal. He made invaluable contributions to our knowledge of the Earth's climate, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Budyko was born in January 1920 in Gomel in the former Soviet Union; it is now part of the Republic of Belarus. In 1942, he received his master of science degree from Leningrad Polytechnic Institute's Department of Physics, and in 1951, he received his doctor of science degree from the Main Geophysical Observatory where he served as director from 1954 to 1972. From 1972 until his death, he was the head of the Division for Climate Change Research of the State Hydrological Institute in St. Petersburg.
Berend Wilken (1934–2001)
Authors: Baker D. N. , Daly P. W. , Fritz T. A.
Published: October 2006

On 4 September 2001, the space research community lost a wonderful colleague and an immensely talented experimental physicist. Berend Wilken passed away at age 67 after a short illness while visiting his daughter in Oldenburg, Germany. He had just returned to Germany after an extended stay in Boston when he suffered a stroke. He died following a 2‐week coma from which he never regained consciousness. A member of the Space Physics and Aeronomy Section, he had been an AGU member since 1971.
Satellite imagery proves essential for monitoring erupting Aleutian Volcano
Authors: Dean Kenneson , Dehn Jonathan , McNutt Steve , Neal Christina , Moore Richard , Schneider Dave
Published: October 2006

Mt. Cleveland is one of more than 40 active volcanoes in Alaska that is monitored by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO). It is located on the western half of Chuginadak, a remote and uninhabited island in the east central Aleutians that lies 1526 km southwest of Anchorage. The closest inhabited community, Nikolski, is 75 km to the east on Umnak Island (Figure 1).

Mt. Cleveland erupted explosively on 19 February and on 11 and 19 March 2001. Because the volcano is not yet monitored with seismic, deformation, or other geophysical instruments, satellite imagery was the only effective tool for detecting and monitoring this activity. Eruption clouds and elevated surface temperatures were detected on multiple satellite data sets. The largest eruption was in February. This first eruption cloud and the subsequent wave of ash (Figure 1) that drifted across Alaska extended up to flight levels and prompted cancellation and re‐routing of air traffic throughout the North Pacific region on 19 and 20 February.
New support line for members
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

AGU has recently established a new customer “support line”—solutions@agu.org—as the point of contact on AGU's staff for members and other individual constituents who have not been able to resolve issues or get questions answered promptly or to their satisfaction through customary channels.

Over the past year, there have been many changes at AGU. Unfortunately—and perhaps as a result of these changes—communication with members and individual constituents has suffered. Some individuals report, for example, that e‐mail messages are not answered to their satisfaction, or in a timely manner. Instructions on AGU's Web site are unclear in some areas. Problems related specifically to the transition to electronic publishing are cropping up.
Federal officials outline efforts to restrict sensitive environmental data
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Since 11 September 2001, the U.S. government has undertaken efforts to tighten access to information that could be useful to terrorists. A White House official told a meeting of the National Research Council's Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, held on 17 May, that new guidelines for deciding which information should be restricted are being developed by the Bush administration.

Penrose Albright, assistant director for homeland and national security in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)said that the process for “taking information heretofore readily accessible and restricting it is not yet resolved. A memorandum for the decision‐making process is not yet thought through. But these things are being discussed in the White House and [executive] agencies.”
Water resources in the next millennium
Authors: Wood Warren
Published: October 2006

As pressures from an exponentially increasing population and economic expectations rise against a finite water resource, how do we address management? This was the main focus of the Dubai International Conference on Water Resources and Integrated Management in the Third Millennium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2–6 February 2002. The invited forum attracted an eclectic mix of international thinkers from five continents. Presentations and discussions on hydrology policy/property rights, and management strategies focused mainly on problems of water supply, irrigation, and/or ecosystems.
Drilling reveals climatic consequences of Tasmanian Gateway Opening
Authors: Exon Neville , Kennett Jim , Malone Mitch , Brinkhuis Henk , Chaproniere George , Ennyu Atsuhito , Fothergill Patrick , Fuller Michael , Grauert Marianne , Hill Peter , Janecek Tom , Kelly Clay , Latimer Jennifer , McGonigal Kristeen , Nees Stefan , Ninnemann Ulysses , Nuernberg Dirk , Pekar Stephen , Pellaton Caroline , Pfuhl Helen , Robert Christian , Röhl Ursula , Schellenberg Stephen , Shevenell Amelia , Stickley Catherine , Suzuki Noritoshi , Touchard Yannick , Wei Wuchang , White Tim
Published: October 2006

One of the great stories of geoscience is how Gondwana broke up and the other southern continents drifted northward from Antarctica, which led to major changes in global climate.

The recent drilling of Ocean Drilling Project (ODP) Leg 189 addressed in detail what happened as Australia drifted away from Antarctica and the Tasmanian Gateway opened. The drifting contributed to the change in global climate, from relatively warm early Cenozoic “greenhouse” conditions to late Cenozoic “icehouse” conditions. It isolated Antarctica from warm gyral surface currents from the north and provided the critical deepwater conduits that eventually led to ocean conveyor circulation between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Microbiologists search the clouds
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

On 22 May, a team of microbiologists used a prototype cloud‐catcher mounted on a research plane to collect samples from low‐lying cumulus clouds near Oxford, England. The researchers, from the University of East London (UEL), are investigating whether an active and self‐sustaining ecosystem exists in clouds, and whether airborne microbes may play an active role in forming clouds and causing rainfall.

While scientists have known that microorganisms, including bacteria, fungal spores, and algae, can survive and possibly reproduce in the atmosphere, the challenge, according to the UEL researchers, is to accurately detect, identify, and analyze microbial communities.
Research urged on impacts of chronic oil releases to marine environment
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

U.S. government agencies, academia, and industry should mount a major research effort to better understand and evaluate risks posed to humans and the marine environment from chronic petroleum releases, a 23 May report by the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) recommends.

The report,“Oil in the Sea: Inputs, Fates, and Effects,” found that, annually, more than 260,000 metric tonnes of petroleum are released into the waters off North America from natural and anthropogenic sources, and 1.3 million metric tonnes are released into oceans worldwide.
Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar
Authors: Belville James D.
Published: October 2006

Weather radar has been used by meteorologists throughout the world since the 1940s as a valuable remote sensing technology. A significant milestone was reached in the late 1980s when the first of a network of 158 Weather Surveillance Radar‐1988 Doppler (WSR‐88D) weather radars was installed in central Oklahoma. The WSR‐88D system was designed to accommodate change as advances in science and technology matured enough to be integrated economically into the system. The first major technological upgrade, the improved Radar Product Generator, is nearing completion of deployment.
Planetary Sciences
Authors: McKinnon William B.
Published: October 2006

Thirty years ago, most important planetary research could be found within a modest monthly journal, an annual conference proceedings, and a smattering of articles in AGU and other publications. Since then, planetary science has become an enormously successful enterprise; its literature is now published in several dedicated journals and forms a major component of many others. The downside of such success is trying to keep up with it all. Most of us were forced into triage long ago and have narrowed our focus.
Quantifying ecosystem‐atmosphere carbon exchange with a 14C label
Authors: Trumbore Susan , Gaudinski Julia B. , Hanson Paul J. , Southon John R.
Published: October 2006

The role of terrestrial ecosystems as sources or sinks for carbon to the atmosphere and their contribution to inter‐annual variations in atmospheric CO2 remain hotly‐debated topics. Carbon enters terrestrial ecosystems through a single process, photosynthesis, but it is returned to the atmosphere by the combined metabolic activity of plants, animals, and microbes (Figure l). The largest uncertainties in our understanding of terrestrial carbon cycling are in these return processes, especially how CO2 losses from ecosystems are divided among respiration by living plants—termed autotrophic respiration—versus microbial and faunal decomposition of plant residues—termed heterotrophic respiration (Figure 1); and how seasonal and climatic factors that change plant physiological status and soil conditions influence that partitioning.
Ocean‐sized threats
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Jane Lubchenco, professor of marine biology and zoology at Oregon State University, and president‐elect of the International Council for Science, said that scientists can do more than they currently are doing to clearly communicate to the public and to policy‐makers those issues associated with the many ecological threats faced by the world's oceans. In doing so, scientists can overcome popularly‐held misperceptions about the health of the world's oceans and thus, help protect the seas.

“Science,” Lubchenco said, “has a huge role to play in informing [the public] what is happening and to guide the choice of solutions.]
Microbial activity discovered in previously ice‐entombed Arctic ecosystems
Authors: Welker J. M. , Fahnestock J. T. , Henry G. H. R. , 0'Dea K. W. , Piper R. E.
Published: October 2006

One of the more intriguing discoveries in the biogeochemical sciences in recent years is the tremendous capacity of microbial populations to occupy and flourish in extreme habitats [Rothschild and Mancinelli 2001]. Microbial populations survive and multiply under a diversity of harsh conditions, including the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and on the ocean floor around thermal vents. At the other extreme, active microbial communities occupy some of the coldest and driest habitats on Earth. For instance, a variety of bacterial and fungal species have been found in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and there is evidence that microbes are also present beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet in Lake Vostok, a system that has not been exposed to the atmosphere for thousands of years.
Planetary system similar to solar system discovered
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

An extra‐solar planetary system that has some similarity to our own Solar System has been detected for the first time, a prominent team of planet hunters announced at a briefing on 13 June in Washington, D.C.

A planet orbiting the star 55 Cancri in the constellation Cancer, 41 light years from Earth, is similar to Jupiter in some key aspects, according to the team of astronomers. The planet orbits its star at a distance of about 5.9 astronomical units (AU); this is close to Jupiter's distance of 5.2 AU from the Sun. Also, the new planet's slightly eccentric orbit takes 13 years for one orbit, while Jupiter requires 11.86 years.
FCC to restrict the use of ground‐penetrating radar
Authors: Crum Emily
Published: October 2006

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a commonly employed geophysical tool, with far‐reaching geologic, engineering, hydrologic, and environmental applications. GPR radiates short bursts of radio frequency energy into the ground, ice, water, and man‐made materials, to allow non‐invasive exploration of features not visible at the surface. Data collected using GPR is important for both scientific research and public safety. This technology, which has been used for nearly 30 years, is now threatened by a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling to regulate the operation of ultra‐wideband devices, including GPR. The FCC ruling will take effect on 15 July 2002.
Assessing usefulness, availability of NASA data
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

With the data volume that is returned by NASA missions expected to increase by as much as one to two orders of magnitude over the next five years, a recent report recommends measures for improved data management so that archival data can be used for potential scientific advances. Among the recommendations in the report by the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council are that budgets for mission operations and data analysis be uniformly included as an integral part of mission and/or program funding.
David John Roddy (1932–2002)
Authors: Shoemaker Carolyn
Published: October 2006

David John Roddy, an astrogeologist and an internationally‐recognized expert on impact cratering, died on 21 March 2002. His work on the processes and effects of impact cratering contributed greatly to the recognition of the importance of such phenomena in shaping the Earth, Moon, and other terrestrial planets. David Roddy had been a member of AGU (Planetary Sciences) since 1962.
Report calls for Earth science education “revolution”
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

With just 7% of U.S. high school students taking classes in Earth and space science, in contrast to 88% studying biology, a new report calls for a “revolution” in Earth science education in the nation's schools, from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The June 2002 report, “Blueprint for Change, notes that an increased emphasis on the Earth as a system and the expanded use of Internet resources is causing Earth and space science education to undergo “a revolution that is reshaping the nature and content of what is taught.”
Council actions
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

At its Spring meeting in Washington, D.C., the AGU Council on 30 May gave first approval to change Union Bylaws 7 and 11 and to add a new Bylaw 8. The new bylaw gives formal recognition to Focus Groups as distinct in character and mission from committees. Focus Groups are intended to be cohesive groups of members who focus on scientific problems, issues, or techniques. They will address both long‐standing and “hot” topics, as well as specific techniques and applications that cut across several Sections. More information on AGU Focus Groups can be found at http://wwwagu.org/inside/insidaguco.html. The other changes allow Union members to affiliate with Focus Groups, remove the requirement that all members have a primary affiliation with a Section, and provide for terms of appointment beyond a sitting president's term with consent of the president‐elect. Member comment is being sought before the Council considers final approval of these changes in December. (See next page.)
Pub Matters @ AGU: How is AGU doing? Very well in most areas
Authors: Spilhaus Fred
Published: October 2006

There is some misinformation floating around, and the Council suggested I share some facts with you: Membership numbers are ahead of previous years. Member and institutional subscriptions are above 2001 levels at this time. Manuscript submissions for most journals are above last year's levels and overall are approximately 11% higher through June 2002 (see www.agu.org/pubs/stats).
Magnetite reveals ambient field strength at low temperatures
Authors: Smirnov Alexei V. , Tarduno John A.
Published: October 2006

Magnetite (Fe3O4) is the most important and oldest known magnetic mineral on Earth (Figure l). We have come a long way from the magnetite loadstone compasses of ancient China; magnetite and titanomagnetite have been established as the principal carriers of geologically important remanent magnetizations in rocks, the study of which led to the plate tectonic paradigm. We now recognize that magnetite plays an important role in the biosphere. Some organisms contain intra‐cellular particles of Fe3O4 that they use for spatial orientation and navigation. When preserved in rocks, these particles—called “magnetofossils”— can provide important insight into the origin and development of life here, and perhaps, on other planets [e.g., Thomas‐Keprta et al., 2000]. Magnetite is now used in the medical field and in nanotechnology research. Nanoparticles of magnetite are used as a contrasting agent in magnetic resonance imaging and are being developed to deliver site‐specific drugs for the treatment of cancer [Alexiou et al., 2000]. Such applications add to a long list of industrial uses of magnetite that range from magnetic ink to magnetic recording media.
Katul receives 2002 James B. Macelwane Medal
Authors: Parlange Marc , Katul Gabriel
Published: October 2006

Gabriel George Katul was awarded the James B. Macelwane Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 29 May 2002, in Washington, D. C. The medal recognizes significant contributions to the sciences by a young scientist of outstanding ability.
A Guided Tour of Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences
Authors: Primeau Francois
Published: October 2006

After reading A Guided Tour of Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences, not only will you be able to impress your friends with a back‐of‐the‐envelope scaling analysis to debunk the myth that a bathtub drains in different directions in both hemispheres. You will also know whether life is possible in a five‐dimensional world. In fact, you will understand a lot of mathematical methods and know how to apply them to real physical problems. This unique textbook presents all of its material in the form of problems that invite the reader to participate in the development of the theory Guided by Roel Sneider's textbook, learning mathematical methods can be fun.
Spacecraft launched for close‐up rendezvous with comets
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The Comet Nucleus Tour (or CONTOUR), a NASA Discovery mission, is on its way to having close encounters with two and possibly three comets of the estimated 1 million million comets in our Solar System. Launched on 3 July from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the $159‐million CONTOUR mission will use a series of Earth‐gravity assist maneuvers to gain up‐close images of the comets Encke and Schwassmann‐Wachman 3. In addition, mission plans include sufficient flexibility to possibly include a rendezvous with a third comet if the opportunity arises and the scientific payoff is considered great enough.
Panel proposes solar system missions
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A proposed probe to the Kuiper Belt and Pluto and another to Europa are among the priority Solar System exploration missions that should be pursued by NASA over the next decade, according to an 11 July report by a steering group of the Space Studies Board of the U.S. National Research Council (NRC).

The report, “New Frontiers in the Solar System: An Integrated Exploration Strategy,” was requested by NASA, and proposes a set of new missions and facilities to respond to key questions in four cross‐cutting themes. The themes, which the report indicates form the basis for an integrated space exploration strategy are: the first billion years of Solar System history; volatiles and organics: the stuff of life; the origin and evolution of habitable worlds; and processes: how planets work.
DOBRE studies evolution of inverted intra‐cratonic rifts in Ukraine
Authors:   DOBREflection‐2000 Working Groups,   DOBREfraction '99 Working Groups
Published: October 2006

Donbas Refraction and Reflection (DOBRE) is a multinational study of the Donbas Foldbelt (DF) of Ukraine (Figure l). The DF is the uplifted and deformed part of the more than 20‐km‐thick Dniepr‐Donets Basin (DDB) that formed due to Late Devonian rifting of the East European Craton (EEC) in eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. The DF; especially its southern margin, was uplifted in Early Permian times in a (trans) tensional tectonic stress regime. Folding and reverse faulting occurred later, during the Triassic and Late Cretaceous.
Author fees for online publication
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Like the journals themselves, AGU publication fees have been restructured to accommodate the new online, publish‐as‐ready approach. The new fee structure is based on authors' providing electronic files of their text and art in acceptable formats (Word, WordPerfect, and LaTeX for text, and .eps or .tif for digital art). However, if you are unable to supply electronic files, you can opt for a higher‐charge, full‐service route in which AGU will create electronic files from hard copy. All authors for AGU journals are expected to support the journal archive through fees based on number as well as size of article files. The revenue from these fees is set aside for the “Perpetual Care Trust Fund,” which will support the migration of the journal archive to new formats or media as technology changes. For several journals, excess length fees remain in place to encourage submission of concisely written articles. During this first transition year, most author fees are based on the number of print page equivalents (pdf) in an article; in the future, however, charges are expected to be associated with file size. The specific fees for each journal are posted on AGU's Web site under Publications‐Tools for Authors.
Monastersky receives 2002 David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism‐News
Authors: Ruark Jennifer K. , Monastersky Richard
Published: October 2006

Richard Monastersky was awarded the David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism‐News at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 29 May 2002, in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes excellence in science news reporting, prepared with a deadline of one week or less.
Mueller receives 2002 Waldo E. Smith Medal
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Ivan I. Mueller was awarded the Waldo E. Smith Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 29 May 2002, in Washington, D.C. The medal recognizes extraordinary service to geophysics.