bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PCAST warns against slashing Federal science budget
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

With the congressional cost‐cutting dynamo rolling through the 1996 budget process, a group of academic and industry science advisors has assumed the role of traffic cop, cautioning legislators on both sides of the aisle to [slow down!] Invoking economic productivity, the quality of American life, and national security, the 19 members of the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) have warned both political parties that a budget balanced through severe cuts in research funding will cost the country more than it saves.
The tropical influence on global climate: Are surprises the rule?
Authors: Dunbar R. B. , Cole J. E.
Published: October 2006

The tropical ocean and atmosphere play critical roles in the Earth's climate system. They provide the main conduits for heat and moisture that drive global circulation. Moreover, interaction between the tropical ocean and atmosphere orchestrates climate variability worldwide via influential climate systems such as El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the monsoons.
Global warming picture remains clouded
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

At a time when the scientists studying global warming remain uncertain about the scope and scale of future temperature and sea level changes, many policymakers who fund the research seem to be quite sure of themselves. A recent science research authorization that passed the U.S. House of Representatives would ban the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from conducting long‐term studies of climate change and would restrict the Department of Energy budget for such studies.

“Suppose we are driving down the road at night in a car and our headlights don't work,” says Kurt Cuffey, a paleoclimatologist from the University of Washington. “Most people would try to slow down and probably even stop. Climate and paleoclimate researchers are working on the headlights so they can see where they're going. But the current U.S. Congress is choosing to drive full speed ahead, to discourage [researchers] or even prevent them from working.”
Sarmiento is selected for GBC editorship
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Jorge L. Sarmiento is looking forward to his role as the new editor of Global Biogeochemical Cycles for a term of January 1, 1996 through December 31, 1999. He seeks to continue the high standards of the journal set by the present editor, Karl Turekian, that have brought the journal to preeminence in its field. Other goals are to maintain the rapid publication record of the journal; to continue to draw high‐quality papers from a broad spectrum of terrestrial, atmospheric, and oceanic scientists; and to increase the number of such papers submitted to the journal. He will actively solicit papers on topics that are scientifically provocative and perhaps controversial. An editorial board—consisting of Michael Bender of URI, Peter Vitousek of Stanford University, and Steven Wofsy of Harvard—will provide Sarmiento advice and will help to recruit exciting new papers for Global Biogeochemical Cycles.
Verner Suomi (1915–1995)
Authors: Menzel Paul
Published: October 2006

Verner Edward Suomi passed away in Madison, Wisconsin, on Sunday, July 30, after a long battle with heart disease. Internationally recognized as the father of satellite meteorology, Suomi invented many satellite instruments that led to a better understanding of the Earth and its atmosphere. He succeeded in conducting the first American meteorological experiment ever from a satellite platform in 1959, in which he measured the Earth radiation budget with white and black heat sensing radiometers. This was followed by planetary investigations with similar instruments for Venus and Jupiter space probes. Suomi's most influential invention was the spin‐scan camera, which enabled geostationary weather observations. This technology is still used worldwide today. He also founded the Space Science and Engineering Center, where many of his inventions were created and systems were established to process the data into information. In a eulogy, University of Wisconsin Provost John Wiley commented, “Verner Suomi was a giant of modern science. His inventions were simple and elegant, and their consequences are ubiquitous. Anyone looking at a satellite image of Earth on the evening weather is looking at the product of a rare mind.”
Drive to dismantle commerce department rolls on
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Late on November 7, Republican leaders of the House of Representatives tacked a measure to abolish the U.S. Department of Commerce onto a continuing resolution that keeps the federal government running and solvent while the fiscal 1996 budget debate continues. With the existing temporary funding measure expiring on November 13, congressional leaders were working to extend the budget again and to raise the national debt ceiling.

The fate of the effort to terminate Commerce—which would eliminate the position of the Secretary of Commerce and shut down or transfer the department's programs to other departments—remained unclear at press time because Senate Republicans had not yet voiced support for the measure. The Clinton Administration has stated that the president would veto any attempt to shut down the Commerce Department; however, the link between the current dismantling measure and the continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown and financial default has further complicated the Administration's position.
Department of Commerce survives another week
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

The Commerce Department has been granted a stay of execution, thanks to the budget crisis that shut down the federal government on November 14. Senator Spencer Abraham (R‐Mich.), one of the main proponents of shutting down the department, motioned last week to delete provisions that dismantled Commerce from a bill to raise the federal government's debt ceiling. The senator acknowledged that a moment of budgetary crisis was “not the right time and this is not the right vehicle” for such a controversial measure. The Senate concurred by a simple voice vote.
Outstanding educator nominations sought
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Association for Women Geoscientists Foundation is seeking nominations for the 1996 Outstanding Educator Award, which honors a well‐established college or university teacher who has played a significant role in educating and supporting women geoscientists inside and outside the classroom. Examples of support include encouraging women to enter and continue in a career in geosciences, providing opportunities for field and laboratory experience, and serving as a positive role model. In addition, recipients are selected on the basis of their professional contributions such as active research, a strong publication record, involvement in professional societies, and participation in science education programs in their community.
Infrastructure to support university Global Positioning System studies
Authors: Bell Robin E.
Published: October 2006

Global Positioning System (GPS) geodesy is one of the most important measurement technologies in modern Earth science. It has had a revolutionary impact on crustal motion research. The number of papers and talks featuring GPS is growing exponentially; new applications appear each month; and system performance continues to improve at a remarkable pace. This rapidly changing environment creates great opportunities for the University Navstar Consortium (UNAVCO) community and a bright future for continued growth.
Beeler and Funamori receive Mineral and Rock Physics awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The 1995 Mineral and Rock Physics Award is shared by two outstanding students and highly skilled experimentalists, Nick Beeler and Nobumasa Funamori. This annual award, given by the AGU Committee on Mineral and Rock Physics, recognizes students who exhibit unusual promise, as indicated by letters of support and their published work. The awards will be formally presented at the 1995 Fall AGU Meeting during a wine and cheese reception sponsored by the Committee.
Introduction to Space Physics
Authors: Lysak Robert L.
Published: October 2006

Textbooks and popular science books that describe the broad field of space plasma physics are increasingly important as the space physics community seeks to broaden its base of support among both scientists and the public. Introduction to Space Physics is such a text; it provides a survey of space physics observation and theory meant for the upper division or graduate level student who is well‐versed in standard classical mechanics and electromagnetism but has not been exposed to the variety of phenomena that occur in space. The text is based on a series of lectures given at UCLA in 1990 by experts in areas ranging from the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) processes on the Sun and in the solar wind to the solar wind interactions with both magnetized and unmagnetized planets, ULF and plasma waves, and the collisional and chemical processes in planetary ionospheres.
Winds of change stir up near‐record hurricane season
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Perhaps in four or five years, if scientists can gather enough evidence to theorize that the great Atlantic Ocean Conveyor Belt is moving quickly again, they might consider 1995 a turning point in the recent history of hurricane trends. But until then, researchers will have to keep this year in the record book of hurricane anomalies.

The conveyor‐like megacurrent that cycles water from the Indian and Pacific Oceans into the Atlantic and back—particularly warm water from the tropical Atlantic to the edge of the Arctic—seems poised to pick up its pace, according to hurricane researcher William Gray of Colorado State University. A quicker thermohaline conveyor belt, Gray believes, may be the driver behind the cyclical, decades‐long trends in sea surface temperatures that, by corollary, affect multi‐decadal storm patterns. “The conveyor belt has apparently been slowed down for 25 years,” Gray notes, a change that has coincided with more El Niño events, less rainfall in Africa, and stronger zonal winds. All three of those factors seem to be what Gray calls “proxy manifestations” of conveyor belt variability.
Climate change at high elevations discussed at workshop
Authors: Diaz Henry F. , Beniston Martin , Bradley Raymond S.
Published: October 2006

Alpine glaciers in many areas of the world, such as in the Andes and the Alps, have retreated dramatically [Schubert, 1992; Hastenrath and Kruss, 1992; Oerlemans, 1994]. High‐altitude tropical glaciers and ice caps are particularly hard‐hit [Thompson et al., 1993]. Ice core isotopic records suggest that temperature in Peru is higher than it has been in the last 1500 years and perhaps even longer in western China.
NAS calls for comprehensive science budget
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

If the federal government is going to set the nation's science priorities by spending taxpayer dollars on research and technology, it ought to do so in a comprehensive and coherent manner. That was the message delivered on November 29 by a committee of 18 scientists from academia, the government, and industry, convened by the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. In a 97‐page report entitled “Allocating Federal Funds for Science and Technology,” the committee recommended that the President and Congress should consider the science programs and agencies paid for by the federal as a collective, prioritized whole, rather than current piecemeal line items. In short, the group told the government to look at the big picture.

“By any measure, the federal government's investments in science and technology since World War II have been a spectacular success, producing enormous benefits for the nation,” Frank Press, retired president of the National Academy of Sciences and chairman of the NAS committee, wrote in the introduction to the report. “However, the question now facing the country is how best to continue this success when factors such as the severe budget deficit, the end of the Cold War, and the growth of global competition are bringing unprecedented changes to society and to science and technology.”
Margaret Delaney appointed to Paleoceanography editorship
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Margaret Delaney, associate professor of marine sciences at University of California, Santa Cruz, will begin as Paleoceanography editor, serving a 4‐year term from 1996–1999. She succeeds Kenneth G. Miller of Rutgers University.
URSEIS peeks under Urals for mountain‐building clues
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Just three weeks out of the field, a team of geologists, geophysicists, and seismologists from four nations announced on December 11 that they have used seismic reflection techniques to see what appears to be the base of the lithosphere beneath Russia's Ural Mountains. Working on Project URSEIS Urals Reflection Seismic Experiment and Integrated Studies), the team of scientists from Spain, Germany, Russia, and the United States has produced a seismic profile of the southern Urals extending as far as 150–185 km beneath the Earth's skin. The group presented its preliminary findings at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco.
Report needs cleanup
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has not finished its homework on Yucca Mountain, a committee of the National Research Council (NRC) concluded recently. Reviewing the DOE's “Technical Basis Report for Surface Characteristics, Preclosure Hydrology, and Erosion,” NRC's Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources determined that policy makers will need more precise data in order to make an informed decision about whether to build a permanent, underground waste disposal site under the Nevada mountain. The DOE technical report, issued last April, was supposed to provide information to help the government decide whether such a site could comply with federal safety regulations.
Ocean science leaders seek congressional support
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

“Isn't it interesting that Congress will fund studies aimed at living in space or on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars but does not fund studies to see what technologies will be needed for us to live in the sea around us?…Ironically, we have better topographic maps of Venus than of Earth; we know more about the physiography of small volcanoes on the far side of the Moon than of similar features in our own exclusive economic zone off our shores.”

So spoke Robert Ballard, director of the Center of Marine Exploration at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, as he led off a day of testimony to three subcommittees of the U.S. Congress. At a late‐January hearing on the subject of “Leveraging National Oceanographic Capabilities,” leaders of the science community explained to U.S. Representatives that the federal government possesses tremendous ocean science resources and capabilities, but that without proper leadership and awareness from Congress, these assets could be squandered.
New committee formed to oversee Antarctic research vessels
Authors: Martinson Douglas G.
Published: October 2006

Antarctic Support Associates (ASA), as primary contractor to the National Science Foundation supporting the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), has established an Antarctic Research Vessel Oversight Committee (ARVOC). The committee maintains a Web site, at http://enterprise.asa.org, to disseminate information about the Antarctic Research Vessels, ship scheduling, equipment acquisitions or needs, ARVOC agenda items or announcements, and other relevant information.
Collisional processes examined in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Authors:   Leg 160 Scientific Party
Published: October 2006

Leg 160 of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) recently traveled to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea to study collisional tectonic processes. The Mediterranean is an ideal target for such research because the African/Eurasian plate boundary reflects tectonic settings ranging from steady state subduction to incipient collision. The Eratosthenes Seamount, the main drilling target, is a substantial crustal block in the process of breaking apart and subsiding beneath an active continental margin south of the island of Cyprus. As a result, Cyprus has undergone subduction‐related uplift since 2 Ma.
Fuselier receives Macelwane Medal
Authors: Shelley Edward G. , Fuselier Stephen A.
Published: October 2006

The 1995 James B. Macelwane Medal, given by AGU for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by a young scientist of outstanding ability, was presented to Stephen A. Fuselier at the AGU Fall Meeting Honor Ceremony on December 13, 1995, in San Francisco. The award citation and Fuselier's response are given here.

On behalf of Don Gurnett and the other distinguished members of AGU who supported this nomination, it is a privilege and a pleasure to introduce one of this year's James B. Macelwane Medal recipients, Stephen A. Fuselier of the Lockheed Martin Palo Alto Research Laboratory. Fuselier has established himself as an exceptional young scientist through the broad range of significant contributions that he has already made to space plasma physics.
Lunine receives Macelwane Medal
Authors: Stevenson David J. , Lunine Jonathan I.
Published: October 2006

The 1995 James B. Macelwane Medal, given by AGU for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by a young scientist of outstanding ability, was presented to Jonathan Lunine at the AGU Fall Meeting Honor Ceremony on December 13, 1995, in San Francisco. The award citation and Lunine's response are given here.

Jonathan Lunine is a remarkably talented and accomplished scientist, best known in the planetary community for his work on the nature of icy bodies. It is rather startling to think that he could still win a young scientist award, because his published contributions now span almost 15 years, and his impact and role is very much one of an authority figure. As if the planetary work were not sufficient accomplishment, Jon has also contributed to our understanding of brown dwarfs, objects whose existence has been long in dispute, but for which the evidence is now (at long last) very strong.
1996 Budget picture still clouded
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Four months and three work stoppages into fiscal 1996, whole departments and agencies of the United States federal government remain in budgetary limbo. Five annual spending bills still await approval, and parts of nine federal departments and several agencies face the possibility of yet another shutdown, as the current continuing resolution for temporary funding expires on March 15.

In the wake of the recent three‐week shutdown of the federal government, congressional leaders worked in January to ease future political pain by funding a list of “essential services” for the remainder of the fiscal year. Deemed essential were government programs with the most immediate and conspicuous public impact, such as the National Parks Service and the Passport Services Office. Included on that list of essential services was the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which not only received full funding for the entire fiscal year but also got a 5.7% increase over its 1995 budget.
NASA works to find gains from lost satellite
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

NASA astronauts and scientists proved two concepts with the recent reflight of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS‐1R). Unfortunately, they were only trying to prove one.

“We have demonstrated that you can generate a lot of electricity with a tether,” said mission specialist Jeff Hoffman in a February 26 news briefing from the space shuttle Columbia. “Unfortunately, we've also demonstrated that you can use tethers to launch a satellite into a much higher orbit.”
Introduction to Geochemistry, Third Edition
Authors: Mackenzie Fred T.
Published: October 2006

Krauskopf and Bird's third edition of Introduction to Geochemistry should remain a standard for introductory textbooks in this field into the 21st century. Anyone teaching an introductory course in geochemistry must consider using this text in class. I have used the book in my classes for the last 27 years; it always serves as the backbone of my courses, though I supplement its view of geochemistry with my own for balance. The third edition, like the earlier editions, is meant to introduce geochemistry to undergraduate students who have taken basic courses in Earth sciences, chemistry, and mathematics. It can also be used at the graduate level for Earth, ocean, and environmental science students with weak academic backgrounds in general geochemistry.
Space weather research prompts study of ionosphere and upper atmospheric electrodynamics
Authors: Richmond A. D.
Published: October 2006

Because our society is becoming increasingly dependent on technological systems that can be affected by ionospheric phenomena during geomagnetic storms, the ionosphere, its electrodynamics, and its coupling with the neutral atmosphere and the magnetosphere are being studied as part of a coordinated program of “space weather” research. This research seeks to characterize the variability of ionospheric density and electric currents during magnetic storms, and to determine to what extent valid predictions of those phenomena and their effects can be made.
Martian lights
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Would a romantic stargazer standing on the surface of Mars ever see a shooting star? According to three astronomers, the answer is yes. Working with a computer simulation of the flight of a variety of dust particles through the Martian atmosphere, Lars Adolfson and Bo Gustafson of the University of Florida and Carl Murray of London's Queen Mary and Westfield College observed that the atmosphere is dense enough in the right places to burn up incoming meteors.
Broecker receives the Revelle Medal
Authors: McElroy Michael , Broecker Wallace
Published: October 2006

The 1995 Roger Revelle Medal, given by AGU in recognition of sustained and continued superior contributions to the science of climate dynamcs and to predictions of expected climate changes, was presented to Wallace S. Broecker at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on December 13, 1995, in San Francisco, Calif. The award citation and Broecker's response are given here.
Global atmospheric watch adds six new stations
Authors: Brenninkmeijer C. A. M.
Published: October 2006

With the growing awareness that global atmospheric change may well have far reaching implications for life on Earth, the study of atmospheric chemistry is rapidly intensifying. Essential to understanding the changing atmosphere are global measurements of several key components, for example carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. As part of a large international effort, the World Meteorological Organization is organizing the Global Atmospheric Watch, a network of more than 300 regional monitoring stations scattered across the globe. There are also several stations that can sample air that is representative of large, unpolluted areas (see Figure 1), and this part of the network is being extended. Six new stations are being added in Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, China, Indonesia, and Kenya, nations that until now have been minimally involved in studying atmospheric chemistry.
Outstanding student papers
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Eight presentations were named Outstanding Student Papers in the Atmospheric Sciences Section at the 1995 Fall Meeting.

Steve Davis, who presented “Reversal Effects in Wideband dE/dt from Lightning Measured at Multiple Ground Stations,” is currently attending the University of Florida pursuing a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. He graduated with high honors in 1990 with his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida. He received his master's degree in 1992 from the University of Florida. The research for his master's degree was in the area of photonics with applications to laser and waveguide structures. His current research with Ewen Thomson involves measuring radiation from lightning at multiple ground stations. From these measurements, he hopes to determine lightning parameters such as velocities and currents and apply these to new and existing models.
Interest sought for research aboard new window on the world: The International Space Station
Authors: Eppler Dean , Amsbury David , Evans Cynthia
Published: October 2006

The International Space Station, a new window on the world, will provide opportunities to study terrestrial processes and phenomena, in addition to microgravity and life sciences research. Earth‐viewing windows and external attachment points for sensors will be added to the Space Station in November 1998, returning the science community to the long‐term, observers‐in‐orbit capability of the Skylab program of 1973–1974. This will allow researchers aboard the station to test sensing devices and transmit information about environmental phenomena to Earth.
Lab‐ and space‐based researchers discuss plasma experiments
Authors: Baker D. N. , Yamada M.
Published: October 2006

Plasma physics provides a common language and set of approaches that tie together all scientists who study the acceleration, transport, and loss processes of the plasma state. Some years ago, researchers from the laboratory and space research communities suggested a workshop to bring together the diverse researchers in the respective fields. A series of workshops on the “Interrelationship between Plasma Experiments in the Laboratory and Space” (IPELS) was established, and the third meeting was held July 24–28, 1995, in the beautiful and historic town of Pitlochry in the Scottish Highlands.

The conference reestablished the critical point that plasma physics is an important but surprisingly diversified research discipline. Meetings attendees discussed a number of new approaches to plasma research, including novel diagnostic techniques for use in space, such as active antennas and electric field sounding devices. Detailed discussions covered spacecraft‐plasma environment interactions, including vehicle charging and neutral gas release; fundamental aspects of industrial application of dusty plasmas and waves in dusty plasmas; a very distinctive phase transition of coulomb crystals (from solid state to liquid state) in dusty plasmas; and terrella experiments to simulate and study chaotic transport in the ionosphere.
Outstanding student papers
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Seven presentatons were named Outstanding Student Papers in the Tectonophysics Section at the 1995 Fall Meeting.

Richard Allen presented “Analysis of Offshore‐Onshore Wide‐Angle Seismic Recordings From Western Alaska, Bering‐Chukchi Sea.” He graduated in 1994 from the University of Cambridge, UK, with a B.A. in natural sciences. He received his M.Sc. in geophysics from the University of Durham, UK, in 1995 having completed his thesis while working for the U.S. Geological Survey at Menlo Park, California. His research there focused on the seismic structure of the Bering Strait‐Chukchi Sea. Allen is now studying for his Ph.D. at Princeton University, where his interests focus on the structure of the Icelandic plume. He is imaging its velocity structure using seismic tomography and partitioned waveform inversion techniques (under the supervision of Guust Nolet and W. Jason Morgan). His research interests also include the using seismic parameters, in combination with others, to constrain the petrology.
Program for development of Earth‐orbiting spacecraft relocated
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The NASA Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program has relocated from the NASA Langley Research Center to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The program develops advanced technologies that lead to the design, development, and operation of Earth‐orbiting spacecraft that are ideally suited for the space environment. The program's ultimate goal is to improve the design and development of future spacecraft and reduce the complexity of operations.
Oustanding scientists receive AGU honors
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

AGU is pleased to announce the recipients of AGU's 1996 medals and the Flinn Award. These individuals are outstanding scientists who have been chosen by committees of their peers for their significant contributions to one or more areas of geophysics. President Marcia Neugebauer will present the honors at the Honors Ceremony at AGU's Spring Meeting in Baltimore. President‐elect Sean Solomon will present the honors at the Fall Meeting in San Francisco. The ceremonies will be followed by receptions and banquets where colleagues will have an opportunity to meet and congratulate the recipients.
Rush to judgment at Yucca Mountain
Authors: Wollenberg Harold
Published: October 2006

The Department of Energy (DoE) published a revised Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program Plan late last year calling for an evaluation of “whether Yucca Mountain appears to be technically suitable for development as a geological repository” by the end of 1998. Almost concurrently, the DoE halted investigations that are critical for such an evaluation. These investigations concern the Calico Hills tuffs, the volcanic rocks that underlie the Topopah Springs welded tuffs that comprise the proposed repository.
Make your voice heard in Washington—Literally
Authors: Thomas Dave
Published: October 2006

With federal support for research becoming a concern for many scientists, this year's Spring Meeting in Baltimore offers an opportunity not to be missed. Since the U.S. Congress will be in session from May 20–23, AGU members will have a week to take the case for federal support of science directly to their elected leaders. Roughly 30 miles northeast of Washington, D.C., Baltimore is just a short train ride or drive from Capitol Hill. As Congress struggles to achieve a balanced federal budget by 2002, many programs that were once taken for granted are now being scrutinized. Every possible cut in government programs is being considered, and science programs are not exempt. Senators and Representatives have repeatedly warned scientists that unless constituents tell legislators that science programs are important, scarce research dollars might be redirected to other national and local concerns.
1996 Budget finally passed; NASA delivers bad news
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Seven months, 13 continuing resolutions, and several furloughs into the 1996 fiscal year, the U.S. government and its besieged science agencies now have a budget. On April 25, H.R. 3019, the omnibus spending appropriation for the rest of fiscal 1996 was passed by Congress and, on April 26, President Clinton signed the $163 billion spending bill into law, providing funds for nine cabinet departments and 38 federal agencies through September 30, 1996.
Pet teachers
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Teaching has many rewards, but the federal government thinks there should be at least a few more.

The National Science Foundation and the Office of Science and Technology Policy have announced the creation of a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. The awards, which will be bestowed upon as many as 10 individuals and 10 institutions each year, will recognize outstanding mentoring efforts or programs that enhance participation in science by underrepresented groups—particularly ethnic minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. Awardees must demonstrate an outstanding and sustained effort to guide students from any setting—K‐12, undergraduate school, or graduate school—toward science careers and science literacy.
Postdoc fellows present global change research
Authors: Engle Joanna , Holmes Linda , Olsen Curtis
Published: October 2006

Multidisciplinary researchers studying various areas of global change met in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last November to exchange ideas. “New Research in the Science of Global Change: A Multidisciplinary View” fostered the interdisciplinary networking that is crucial for integrating global change research and addressing environmental issues. The workshop featured presentations by the Department of Energy's Global Change Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows.
Science committee passes FY '97 authorization
Authors: Carlowicz Mike
Published: October 2006

Despite objections from Democrats, the Republican‐led Science Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has jumped over its traditional itinerary of subcommittee meetings and into immediate and comprehensive consideration, or “markup,” of a federal science authorization for the 1997 fiscal year (FY '97).
SOHO maximizes views of a minimal sun
Authors: Carlowicz Mike
Published: October 2006

The Sun may be less boisterous now than it was in 1989 or than it will be in 2000, but it is anything but quiet. In fact, the first images returned this spring from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) reveal a Sun that is quite active even though it has waned to its solar minimum.

“Movies made from SOHO ultraviolet data show that there is continuous motion and action everywhere on the Sun,” said Joseph Gurman, an astrophysicist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and coinvestigator for SOHO's extreme ultraviolet imaging telescope (EIT). “Even at the quietest places on the Sun, including the so‐called coronal holes, there is a tremendous amount of activity… a general twinkling everywhere we look.”
Great wall...and lesser wall
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

What nature has covered up, humans have again exposed. Using images from the Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X‐band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR‐C/X‐SAR), researchers have found remnants of two generations of the Great Wall of China buried beneath desert sands, 700 km west of Beijing. Erosion and wind storms had shielded parts of both walls from view, but the foundation now has been laid bare by remote sensors.
Twin ice cores from greenland reveal history of climate change, more
Authors: Alley R. , Mayewski P. , Peel D. , Stauffer B.
Published: October 2006

Two projects conducted from 1989 to 1993 collected parallel ice cores—just 30 km apart— from the central part of the Greenland ice sheet. Each core is more than 3 km deep and extends back 110,000 years. In short, the ice cores tell a clear story: humans came of age agriculturally and industrially during the most stable climatic regime recorded in the cores. Change—large, rapid, and global—is more characteristic of the Earth's climate than is stasis.
New WWW site provides public with tsunami data
Authors: Cook Benjamin , Petroff Catherine
Published: October 2006

Tsunami!, a developing on‐line source of tsunami data and educational material, is now accessible on the Internet at the following URL: http://www.geophys.washington. edu/tsunami/welcome.html. Tsunami's target audience includes secondary and university students, tsunami and interdisciplinary researchers, hazard management professionals, and residents of coastal communities.

Because of the diverse information needs of these users, Tsunami! covers many areas. Multimedia‐supported sections provide explanations of the physics of tsunami propagation and inundation, case studies of significant historical tsunamis, an overview of the Tsunami Warning System (TWS), and hazard mitigation and prevention information. Recent tsunami event documentation and an index of tsunami‐related WWW resources are also available through the site.
Awash in ignorance
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Most Americans enjoy vacationing and playing near lakes, rivers, and oceans, and nearly all of them grow frustrated when those waters are fouled. But most people have no idea how they contribute to the spoiling of these natural havens.

In an independent research study conducted in 1995 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), only 5% of Americans surveyed identified runoff from their own driveways, yards, and gardens as a major source of water pollution. More than 25% of respondents blamed untreated sewage for water pollution, while another 20% blamed industry.
New scheme provides a first step toward geomagnetic storm prediction
Authors: Akasofu S.‐I.
Published: October 2006

Establishing a geomagnetic storm prediction scheme is like constructing a car, and the four disciplines of solar physics, solar wind physics, magnetospheric physics, and thermospheric (ionospheric) physics are like the car's parts. Unfortunately, in spite of much progress in the separate disciplines in the past, there has been little effort to integrate them. As constructing a car is different from improving its parts, considerable effort is needed to integrate solar physics, solar wind physics, magnetospheric physics, and thermospheric physics into a single discipline of geomagnetic storm prediction.
Controlled flood of Colorado River creates stream of data
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

Despite all the important hydrologic and ecologic questions to be answered by the recent attempt to simulate a springtime surge on the Colorado River, the public success of the experiment hinged on just one question: could a controlled flood shore up the beaches downriver from the Glen Canyon dam? Now that the flood waters have receded, the answer appears to be a resounding “yes.” But as one question often leads to another, scientists now are wondering: how long will those beaches last?
Coasts
Authors: Seymour Richard J.
Published: October 2006

Coasts provide an almost endless variety of complex forms, influenced by tectonics, upland morphology, local and global climate, biology, chemistry, and the activities of man. In Coasts, Richard A. Davis reduces the complexity by classifying coasts into subtypes, such as beaches, inlets, deltas, barrier islands, and so forth. The emphasis is on the coasts of the United States, but examples from throughout the world are included. Differences within the subtypes brought about by latitude, position relative to ocean basins, upland features, and a variety of other causes are described and clearly explained.
Earth observations from space: A dream deferred?
Authors: McElroy John H.
Published: October 2006

Earth observations from space are one of the great successes of the space age. However, because the promise of this technology is a long way from being realized, the joy of success is tinged with disappointment for both researchers and operational users of the data. U.S. Earth observation programs have been in turmoil since their inception, with confusion coming to a crescendo over the past 6 years. Neither the executive or legislative branches of the government have shown that they can successfully manage this technological capability created by the space program.
Hanson receives Macelwane Medal
Authors: Ravishankara A. R. , Hanson David R.
Published: October 2006

At the 1996 Spring Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, David R. Hanson received the 1996 James B. Macelwane Medal, which recognizes significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by a young scientist of outstanding ability. The medal citation and Hanson's response are given here.
Atmospheric model documentation available on‐line
Authors: Phillips Thomas J.
Published: October 2006

Scientists working with atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) can now access documentation summarizing the numerics and physics of most of these models on the World Wide Web (WWW) at address http://www‐pcmdi.llnl.gov/phillips/modldoc/amip/amip.html. The electronic documentation is unprecedented in both its scope and depth. Some 35 features of 30 atmospheric models are summarized, allowing scientists to investigate the relationship between current AGCMs' simulations and the various choices of algorithms these models represent. Hypertext links are used to expedite the retrieval of information on specific models or features.
Clearing skies
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

The amount of ozone‐depleting compounds in the troposphere has declined for the first time since the compounds were sampled, according to research conducted by scientists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reversal appears to validate the Montreal Protocol, the international agreement to phase out the use of ozone‐destroying compounds.
Entekhabi receives the Macelwane Medal
Authors: Eagleson Peter S. , Entekhabi Dara
Published: October 2006

The James B. Macelwane Medal, given for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences to young scientists of outstanding ability, was awarded to Dara Entekhabi. Entekhabi was presented with the medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony May 22, 1996, in Baltimore. The award citation and Entekhabi's response are given here.
Exercising options
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

In a recent speech to graduates of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences at the University of Maryland, Anne Petersen, deputy director of the National Science Foundation, encouraged a new generation of scientists to embrace opportunity and choice, and to use their scientific training as an employment credential, not a limit. In her May 23 commencement address, Petersen exhorted students to view their freshly minted diplomas as tickets to a broad and diverse job market, not just one‐way trips to the laboratory.

“Looking for the options and alternatives open to us—and creating options for ourselves where they are not apparent—can give us a sense of direction and volition that enriches our lives immensely…
Engineering Risk Analysis of Water Pollution: Probabilities and Fuzzy Sets
Authors: Simonovic Slobodan P.
Published: October 2006

Issues related to sustainability place enormous demands on science. A number of questions raised by the sustainability perspective reveal that there are major deficiencies in what is known about the behavior of a range of natural and human systems. Because many of these deficiencies cannot be eliminated immediately, uncertainty and risk—a measure of the probability and severity of adverse effects—also must be considered in relation to sustainability.
Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating: Tested and ready for action
Authors: Gosse J. C. , Reedy R. C. , Harrington C. D. , Poths J. , Gillespie A. R.
Published: October 2006

Neogene Earth surface events are often extremely difficult to date by conventional means because most geochronological techniques lack the required sensitivity for this time period or present other problems. Yet, quantitative modeling of neotectonic and global change processes requires reliable temporal control to establish rates and recurrence frequencies.
Reevaluation of the Bedford‐Berea Sequence in Ohio and Adjacent States: Forced Regression in a Foreland Basin
Authors: Woodrow Donald L.
Published: October 2006

Rarely does a single publication result in the overturn of an established model, but this monograph does precisely that. Pashin and Ettensohn's reinterpretation of the classic Bedford‐Berea sequence is fashioned from a thorough understanding of an Appalachian foreland basin. However, its demonstration of sedimentologic and bathymetric complexity will be a cautionary tale for the interpretation of foreland basins elsewhere.
Rocks, dead or alive? Theory prompts new understanding of fluid‐rock interaction and shear‐wave splitting
Authors: Crampin Stuart , Zatsepin Sergey V.
Published: October 2006

For over 40 years, our understanding of fluid‐rock interactions in porous rocks has been largely based on the theory of Biot [1956] for the behavior of liquid‐filled pores in permeable porous rocks, where Biot assumes that the pore geometry only changes elastically. Such rocks are “dead” in the sense that their only response to changing conditions is elastic oscillations or catastrophic failure. One obvious manifestation that rock is not like this is the pervasive splitting of seismic shear waves in almost all rocks, where the polarization of the faster split shear wave is typically within ±20° of the direction of maximum horizontal compressional stress.
Slowing down
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2006

According to Charles Sonett and colleagues, Earth's bygone days were, in fact, shorter days—as much as 6 hours shorter. Studying layers of ancient sediments deposited along the shores of southern Australia and the United States, Sonett (from the University of Arizona) confirmed the theory that the Earth has been gradually slowing down and taking longer to complete full rotations about its axis.
Researchers investigate fate of oceanic plateaus at subduction zones
Authors:   EW95‐11 Science Party
Published: October 2006

During a 32‐day marine geophysical expedition aboard the R/V Maurice Ewing, scientists investigated the fate of the Ontong Java oceanic plateau (OJP) at the Solomon island arc (Figure 1). The purpose of the cruise was to examine whether oceanic plateaus subduct, obduct, or partially obduct at subduction zones. With an area of 1.86×106 km2 and a crustal thickness of 25–43 km, the OJP is the largest and thickest oceanic plateau on Earth and one of the few Pacific oceanic plateaus that is actively converging on an island arc. Obducted remnants of the OJP may occur in a Neogene accretionary prism, the Malaita anticlinorium, which separates the Solomon Island volcanic arc from the OJP (Figure 1).
Deep‐sea cores from the Caribbean reveal history of volcanism, tectonics, and oceanic change
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Many exciting discoveries about the geologic history of the Caribbean were revealed in deep‐sea cores collected at five sites (Figure 1), one of which was in the igneous basement of the Caribbean Oceanic Plateau (site 1001). The age, physical characteristics, and geochemistry of the basalts recovered are helping to piece together the tectonic history of the Caribbean Plate as a Large Igneous Province.

The spectacular record of Eocene and Miocene explosive volcanism recovered at four of the sites is unmatched in its magnitude and chronostratigraphic resolution. Drilling at the anoxic Cariaco Basin on the margin of Venezuela yielded a triple‐cored record (site 1002) of late Quaternary tropical climate variability that can be studied on timescales of tens to thousands of years, comparable to ice cores and the mid‐latitude sediments of the
Clair C. Patterson (1922–1995)
Authors: Church Thomas M.
Published: October 2006

Clair C. (Pat) Patterson, 73, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Sea Ranch, Calif., on December, 5, 1995. Pat left behind one of the most prolific and influential legacies, not only in geochemistry, but in environmental biogeochemistry as well. In geochemistry, he is best known for first establishing the true age of the Earth and solar system at 4.6 billion years, a date the accuracy of which has survived four decades. This inherently accurate geochronology arose from Pat's development of stable lead isotope techniques clean enough to overcome contaminated and erroneous results of earlier workers. This allowed him to further develop lead isotope systematics for divulging the evolution of the crust and mantle.
Comment on Book Review [“Scale issues in hydrological modeling”]
Authors: Blöschl Günter , Grayson Rodger
Published: October 2006

We are writing to clarify a statement made in the review of Scale Issues in Hydrological Modeling, which was published in the May 14, 1996, issue of Eos (p. 190). We thank Eli Skop for bringing this book of collected papers to the attention of Eos readers. However, the paper by Blöschl et al. was misinterpreted.

It is stated in the review that we “…argue in support of the REA concept.” This is not the case. We present some prerequisites for the existence of an REA, but go on to show that these are not universally present. Quoting from the paper (page 88): “There is no evidence for one universal size of an REA or one universal ‘optimum’ element size in the context of distributed rainfall runoff modeling.”