bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pioneer Venus: Evolving coverage of the near‐Venus environment
Authors: Brace L. H. , Colin L.
Published: October 2011

Since December 1978, the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) has been orbiting Venus once every 24 hours in a near polar, highly eccentric orbit with apoapsis of about 12 Venus radii and a periapsis as low as 140 km. The spacecraft carries instruments for remote measurements of the surface, the atmosphere, and the clouds of Venus, as well as instrumentation for in situ measurements of its thermosphere, ionosphere, and magnetic field environment and the incident solar wind parameters. These instruments were described in a special issue of the IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing [1980]. A dedicated issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research [1980] described the mission, its goals, and many of its early scientific results. The Venus book [Hunten et al., 1983] presented many review articles that summarized the more complete results and analysis available at that time. Two of the several major goals of the mission have been to perform exploratory measurements of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Venus and to investigate the interaction of the solar wind with the atmosphere of such an unmagnetized planet. The purpose of this paper is to call attention to the way in which secular changes in the PVO orbit are permitting these goals to be achieved. Note that we have addressed only the effect of orbital evolution only upon the in situ measurements. Clearly, the remote measurements of cloud patterns and ultraviolet emissions from the atmosphere will benefit from both the long baseline of observing time and the changing observing altitude and angles.
In Congress: Upcoming hearings
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

The following hearings and markups have been tentatively scheduled for the coming weeks by the Senate and House of Representatives. Dates and times should be verified with the committee or subcommittee holding the hearing or markup; all offices on Capitol Hill may be reached by telephoning 202‐224‐3121. For guidelines on contacting a member of Congress, see AGU's Guide to Legislative Information and Contacts (Eos, April 17, 1984, p. 159).

June 26: Hearing on the National Minerals and Materials Policy Coordination Act (H.R. 3717) by the Mining, Forest Management, and Bonneville Power Administration Subcommittee of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. Longworth Building, Room 1324, 9:45 A.M. (Date changed from June 25.)
New climate center
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A center to direct what has been called the most broadly based scientific effort to predict the world's climate has been established at Columbia University. The goal of the new center is to predict with increasing certainty specific climate changes aroud the planet over periods of decades.

Formed by the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences (GISS) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Lamont‐Doherty Geological Observatory, the new Center for Climate Research was launched by a $1 million gift from the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation.
In Congress: Upcoming hearings
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

The following hearings and markups have been tentatively scheduled for the coming weeks by the Senate and House of Representatives. Dates and times should be verified with the committee or subcommittee holding the hearing or markup; all offices on Capitol Hill may be reached by telephoning 202‐224‐3121. For guidelines on contacting a member of Congress, see AGU's Guide to Legislative Information and Contacts (Eos, April 17, 1984, p. 159).

June 26: Hearing on contracts by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for mapping and charting services by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the National Ocean Policy Study. Russell Senate Office Building, Room SR‐253, 10 A.M.
Amazing and portentous summer of 1783
Authors: Wood C. A.
Published: October 2011

The summer of the year 1783 was an amazing and portentous one, and full of horrible phenomena; for besides the alarming meteors and tremendous thunder‐storms that affrighted and distressed the different counties of this kingdom, the peculiar haze, or smokey fog, that prevailed for many weeks in this island, and in every part of Europe, and even beyond its limits, was a most extraordinary appearance, unlike anything known within the memory of man. By my journal I find that I has notice this strange occurrence from June 23 to July 20 inclusive, during which period the wind varied to every quarter without making any alteration in the air. The sun, at noon, looked as blank as a clouded moon, and shed a rust‐coloured ferruginous light on the ground, and floors of rooms; but was particularly lurid and blood‐coloured at rising and setting. All the time the heat was so intense that butchers' meat could hardly be eaten on the day after it was killed; and the flies swarmed so in the lanes and hedges that they rendered the horses half frantic, and riding irksome. The country people began to look with a superstitious awe at the red, louring aspect of the sun; and indeed there was reason for the most enlightened person to be apprehensive; for all the while, Calabria and part of the isle of Sicily, were torn and convulsed with earthquakes; and about that juncture a volcano sprung out of the sea on the coast of Norway. On this occasion Milton's noble simile of the sun, in his first book of Paradise Lost, frequently occurred to my mind; and it is indeed particularly applicable, because, towards the end, it alludes to a superstitious kind of dread, with which the minds of men are always impressed by such strange and unusual phenomena.
Understanding thermal energy and mass transport in major volcanic centers
Authors: Hermance John F.
Published: October 2011

An understanding of the thermal regions of the earth's interior and their associated dynamic processes is of central importance, not only to basic science but to a number of national priorities including resource and the mitigation of volcanic and earthquake hazards. Major thermal anomalies over large regions of the continent are associated with intraplate rifts and transform faults (e.g., the Salton Trough and the Rio Grande Rift), distributed extensional tectonics (e.g., the Basin and Range Province), and plate margins (e.g., the Cascade Range). However, it is clear that of all classes of volcanic phenomena within the conterminous United States, the major intraplate silicic caldera complexes (e.g., Yellowstone, the Valles Caldera, the Long Valley/Mono Craters volcanic complex) appear to have, according to present estimates, the highest accessible geothermal resource base and the greatest destructive power during major eruptive phases. In addition, the exhumed fossil analogs of these systems are associated with extensive mineralization and economic ore deposits. What is lacking, however, is a predictive scientific theory describing the fundamental physio‐chemical processes responsible for the development and longterm sustenance of these major volcanic centers in space and time.
In Congress: Legislative update
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

For additional information on these bills, contact the sponsoring Member of Congress or committee indicated. All congressional and committee offices may be reached by telephoning 202‐224‐3121. For guidelines on writing to a Member of Congress, refer to AGU's Guide to Legislative Information and Contacts (Eos, April 17, 1984, p. 159). The last Legislative Update was published in the May 8 Eos
The pre‐1958 atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide
Authors: Elliott William P.
Published: October 2011

In considering the changes in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide wrought by man's activities, it has been the practice to refer to some presumed value of concentration in the late 19th century as the “pre‐industrial” value. Implicit in many of these discussions has been the assumption that prior to the significant use of fossil fuels, the concentration was more or less constant about this value and that fossil fuels were the main reason for the recent departures from it. A value of about 290 parts per million by volume (ppmv) was usually selected as representative of the 19th century concentration. This value arose from a study by Callendar [1958], who examined a number of direct chemical measurements made then. If it is assumed that the fraction of fossil fuel produced CO2 remaining in the air was the same from 1860 to 1958 as it evidently has been since 1958, when systematic measurements began at Mauna Loa Observatory, one calculates a value of about 295 ppmv for the late 19th century.
Landsat bill passes in Congress
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Commercialization of the land remote‐sensing system is virtually guaranteed with the successful completion last week of an informal conference on the differences in the House of Representatives and Senate versions of the Land Remote Sensing Commercialization Act (H.R. 5155). Moreover, the House ratified the compromise version on June 28; the Senate was expected to ratify the bill before the July 4 recess. The bill will then be sent to President Ronald Reagan for his signature. Also on June 28, the Secretary of Commerce announced his selection for final contract negotiations of two of the seven bids received this spring for the operation of Landsat.
Indian Ocean proposed drilling
Authors: Curray Joseph R.
Published: October 2011

Tentative plans for the Ocean Drilling Project (ODP) are for the drilling vessel SEDCO/BP 471 (Eos, March 13, 1984, p. 97) to work in the Indian Ocean during all or parts of 1987 and 1988. The Indian Ocean Advisory Panel of ODP solicits letters of intent or proposals for possible scientific ocean drilling during that period. All areas within the Indian Ocean and any important problems, including tectonics, nature of the lithosphere, paleoceanography, and sedimentary processes will be considered.

Please send proposals, with appropriate charts and copies of pertinent data, in triplicate to the Office of Joint Oceanographic Institutions Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES Office, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149) and, if possible, also send one copy to the chairman or to any other members of the panel. Proposals and letters received before September 1 will be reviewed at the panel meeting scheduled for the first week of September.
Warm core rings
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Gulf stream phenomena have been the focus of numerous studies by U.S. and Canadian oceanographic laboratories. Two years ago, observations of warm core rings associated with the Gulf Stream were reported in The Oceanography Report, (November 2, 1982, p. 834). It was noted then that the structure of warm core rings can undergo rapid transformation. Recently, a multidisciplinary group of physical and biological oceanographic institutions has examined the evolution of warm core rings in detail [Nature, 308, pp. 837–840, 1984]. The study has involved research vessels Endeavor, Atlantis II, and Albatross IV for surface measurements of temperature, salinity, and for measurement surface pigments to assess the concentration of marine plants. The results are that even though warm core rings are often very stable, undergoing only slow changes, it turns out that major alterations in structure can and do occur in short periods of 2–5 days.
1984 William Bowie Medal to Marcel Nicolet
Authors: Heicklen Julian , Nicolet Marcel
Published: October 2011

Professor Marcel Nicolet has been awarded the William Bowie Medal for 1984 because of his contribution to the elucidation of the chemistry of the earth's upper atmosphere and for acting as Secretary General of the Special Committee of the International Geophysical Year (1953–1960). Marcel Nicolet has made a greater contribution to our understanding of the chemistry of the earth's upper atmosphere than any other single individual alive or dead. Some of the contributions are (1) determination of photoionization and photodissociation coefficients; (2) showed the importance of diffusion in determining concentration profiles in the thermosphere; (3) elucidated the mechanism for the infrared airglow formation; (4) predicted the presence of the He layer; (5) explained the formation of the D region as due to NO ionization by Lyman‐α radiation and cosmic rays; (6) predicted the presence of NO, NO2, HNO3, HO2, and H2O2 in the upper atmosphere before they were measured; (7) was the first to recognize the importance of NOx (NO, NO2), and HOx (HO, HO2) in the upper atmosphere; (8) was the first to conclude that N2O by its reaction with O(1D) is important in the stratosphere as a source of NO.
TOPEX: Observing the oceans from space
Authors: Born Goerge H. , Wunsch Carl , Yamarone Charles A.
Published: October 2011

The vastness and inaccessibility of the oceans make difficult the collection of measurements necessary to develop detailed models of the oceans and an understanding of oceanic dynamics. However, the combination of satellite altimetry and scatterometer wind measurements, technologies developed and demonstrated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, together with enhanced in situ measurements, can provide a major improvement in our ability to observe the oceans globally and synoptically. For example, these data could greatly improve the modeling and long‐range predictions of global oceanographic and atmospheric anomalies associated with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation such as occurred in 1982–1983. Hence, the launch of the Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX) satellite, which will provide worldwide altimeter data, combined with the initiation of international programs such as the World Climate Research Program, will lead to significant progress in the understanding of oceanic processes on global scales.
Shuttle mission to study Halley
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A series of astronomy missions slated to be carried aboard the space shuttle will lead with a special look at Halley's Comet.

The missions, dubbed Astro, consist of three ultraviolet telescopes that will be used to study stars and galaxies. To study Halley's Comet, a pair of visible‐light cameras have been added to the Astro payload's first flight, scheduled for March 1986.
Geodynamics study in Israel
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The origin of Mediterranean earthquakes and the precise determination of very small movements of the earth's crust will be the focus of a joint study by the Israeli Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Israel will join 11 other countries conducting laser ranging activities with NASA as part of the agency's geodynamics program.

As part of a global network striving for determining with a precision of 3 cm small movements in the earth's crust, the Israeli Space Agency will build a ground station that will beam low‐power laser pulses to several satellites, including LAGEOS (the Laser Geodynamics satellite) and the French satellite Starlette. NASA's annual budget for the global network is roughly $30 million.
Upcoming hearings in Congress
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

The following hearings and markups have been tentatively scheduled for the coming weeks by the Senate and House of Representatives. Dates and times should be verified with the committee or subcommittee holding the hearing or markup; all offices on Capitol Hill may be reached by telephoning 202‐224‐3121. For guidelines on contacting a member of Congress, see AGU's Guide to Legislative Information and Contacts (Eos, April 17, 1984, p. 159).
Personal seismometry now!
Authors: Husebye E. S. , Thoresen E.
Published: October 2011

This article discusses the possibility of personal seismometry (i.e., seismologists having direct access to seismometer installations even from their studies at home). The basic ingredients for this are the general availability of relatively inexpensive microprocessors and easy access to a switched telephone network or equivalent communication systems. Finally, an experiment is described by which seismological data were exchanged between a temporary installation in the United Nations restaurant in Geneva and data center facilities in Oslo, Trondheim, Washington, D.C., and also Canberra.
Anne Burford to NACOA
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Anne Burford, who resigned as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March 1983, has been appointed chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere (NACOA). Seven others have been appointed to the 18‐member committee, which advises the president on ocean and atmosphere policy.

Burford succeeds John A. Knauss as NACOA chairman. Knauss, whose term of office on NACOA officially expired on July 1, had been on the committee for 6 years. Burford resigned from EPA following controversy over hazardous wastes.
Congressional capsule
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Several geophysics‐related bills were passed as the House of Representatives and the Senate each scrambled to complete as much business as possible before the recess for the Independence Day holiday and the Democratic National Convention. The House and Senate will reconvene July 23.

The Senate ratified the compromise version of the Land Remote‐Sensing Commercialization Act (H.R. 5155) (Eos, July 3, 1984, p. 425) in the final hours before recessing. The bill was expected to be sent to President Ronald Reagan for his signature as Eos went to press.
Are Northern Hemisphere Tropospheric Ozone Densities Larger?
Authors: Kirchhoff Volker W. J. H.
Published: October 2011

Tropospheric ozone densities at two tropical stations are compared. Contradicting previous evidence, the southern hemisphere measurements show ozone densities larger than those collected at the northern hemisphere station.
Marginal ice zone
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A multidisciplinary team of scientists, including meteorologists, oceanographers, physicists, and biologists from more than 10 countries, are in the process of wrapping up a study of ice packs and their relationship to the environment of the East Greenland Sea. The study, known as the Marginal Ice Zone Experiment (MIZEX '84), continues and expands on last February's MIZEX '83 pilot program that mapped ice movement and studied ice pack behavior in the Bering Sea (Eos, October 4, 1983, p. 578, and December 21, 1982, p. 1220).
Archean geochemistry
Authors: Phinney William C.
Published: October 2011

A cross section of the Archean crust provided the focus of the 1983 Archean Geochemistry and Early Crustal Genesis Workshop that convened in Ottawa on August 10, 1983. Forty‐six geoscientists registered: 24 from the United States, 16 from Canada, three from Australia, and one each from West Germany, the Peoples' Republic of China, and Zimbabwe. The workshop was sponsored jointly by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), the International Geological Correlation Project (IGCP), the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS).

The workshop was divided into an opening day of 16 formal papers, followed by a 6‐day field trip. Expanded abstracts of the 16 presented papers and four more that were not presented were included with the 70‐page field trip guide given to each registrant.
Pleiades wind
Authors: Reichhardt Tony
Published: October 2011

Astronomers studying the star Hz 1883, located in the cluster of young stars called the Pleiades, report that they have found evidence that the star is pouring out an extremely strong stellar wind from an active emission region roughly one solar radius in size. The rapidly spinning star is losing angular momentum as a result of this steady outward stream, and so is slowing its rotation. Geoffrey Marcy and Douglas Duncan of the Mount Wilson and Las Campanas Observatories and Ross Cohen of the University of California at San Diego wrote in a paper delivered to the American Astronomical Society in Baltimore in June that, “It seems plausible that a succession of rapid rotation, mass loss, and subsequent spin‐down constitutes a natural, though transient, stage in the evolution of late‐type stars.”
Oregon Seismic Experiment
Authors: Stauber Douglas
Published: October 2011

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), with support from the Geothermal and Hydropower Technologies Division of the U.S. Department of Energy, will be conducting an active seismic experiment in central Oregon using nine large explosions during the last week of August 1984. A major goal of this experiment is to detect kilometersize magma chambers in the upper crust below Newberry Volcano (Figure 1). The planned experiment is a small‐scale version of one type of seismic‐imaging experiment proposed by the Program for Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCL). Because of the required density of the recording array, the USGS recording effort will be concentrated in and around the summit caldera and leave ample opportunity for additional recording of the large shots, by interested parties, to study the rest of the volcano and surrounding geologic provinces.
Wind shear test
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Techniques for forecasting and detecting a type of wind shear called microbursts are being tested this month in an operational program at Denver's Stapleton International Airport as part of an effort to reduce hazards to airplanes and passengers.

Wind shear, which can be spawned by convective storms, can occur as a microburst. These downbursts of cool air are usually recognizable as a visible rain shaft beneath a thundercloud. Sometimes, however, the rain shaft evaporates before reaching the ground, leaving the downdraft invisible. Although thunderstorms are traditionally avoided by airplane pilots, these invisible downdrafts also harbor hazards in what usually appear to be safe skies. When the downdraft reaches the earth's surface, the downdraft spreads out horizontally, much like a stream of water gushing from a garden hose on a concrete surface, explained John McCarthy, director of the operational program. Airplanes can encounter trouble when the downdraft from the microburst causes sudden shifts in wind direction, which may reduce lift on the wing, an especially dangerous situation during takeoff.
Ocean climate research
Authors: Webster Ferris
Published: October 2011

A recently published report, An Ocean Climate Research Strategy [Webster, 1984] reviews ocean research that will lead to or support an ability to predict year‐to‐year natural variations in climate one season in advance. The study was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is intended to guide NSF in its lead role for ocean climate research. This article summarizes that study. As with the original report, I here give my personal conclusions derived from the review. Copies of An Ocean Climate Research Strategy are available from the Board of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, Washington, DC 20418.

Oceanographers and meteorologists have proposed research programs to enhance our understanding of climate variability [Committee on Climatic Changes and the Oceans], 1983a; Board on Ocean Science and Policy, 1983]. Parts of these programs are already underway. The report reviews proposals for two largescale research programs: the Interannual Variability of the Tropical Ocean and the Global Atmosphere (TOGA) and the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE). In addition, it reviews plans for large‐scale ocean heat flux experiments, ocean climate monitoring, and ocean climate research that are not explicitly included in the existing proposals for large‐scale experiments. The report offers advice on strategies for use by NSF.
Emerging ocean issues
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Seven topics have been identified by the topics committee of the Year of the Ocean as focal points of discussions as part of the Year of the Ocean celebration. The Year of the Ocean (Eos, June 19, 1984, p. 402, and April 24, 1984, p. 326) is a year‐long commemoration and celebration, begun on July 1, of the oceans. The commemoration has been endorsed by Congress and by President Ronald Reagan.

The topics committee is composed of nearly 20 representatives from government, industry, and academia. Thomas Maginnis, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's office of policy and planning, is the chairman of the topics committee.
Valles Galdera research opportunity
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Potential opportunities for research will be available after the completion this summer of a 650‐m, 7.6‐cm‐diameter scientific core taken from the southern ring‐fracture zone of Valles Caldera, New Mexico. (See Figure 1.)

The Valles Caldera coring effort stems from three primary objectives: to study the hydrogeochemistry of a subsurface geothermal outflow zone of the caldera near the source of convective upflow; to obtain structural and stratigraphic information from intracaldera rock formations under the southern ring‐fracture zone; and to obtain continuous core (6.25 cm) samples through the youngest volcanic unit in Valles Caldera, the Banco Bonito obsidian (approximately 0.1 to 0.05 million years).
NACOA: Burford steps down
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Anne M. Burford, who had been appointed early last month by President Ronald Reagan to chair the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere (NACOA), asked the president on August 1 to withdraw her appointment. John A. Knauss, of the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography, will retain his position as NACOA chairman. He has been on the committee for 6 years.

President Reagan agreed to her request the afternoon before Burford was to chair her first meeting. The new NACOA members (Eos, July 17, 1984, p. 442) were sworn in on August 2, although the meeting was postponed until September 20, a NACOA official told Eos.
Bacon‐Bercey Award to Dignon
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Nancy E. Dignon, a graduate student at Florida State University in Tallahassee, is the recipient of the 1984 June Bacon‐Bercey Scholarship for Women in Atmospheric Sciences. The scholarship, administered by AGU, is provided through a gift from the noted meteorologist June Bacon‐Bercey.

Dignon's interest in meteorology developed during her undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Oneonta. While working there on her bachelor of science degree in meteorology, which she completed in May 1983, she developed a strong interest in severe storms and hurricanes. During the past year at Florida State, she has taken courses in tropical meteorology, mesoscale meteorology, numerical weather prediction, and atmospheric circulations. She hopes to work for a government research group following completion of a master's degree and possibly a Ph.D. She is currently working under the guidance of T.N. Krishnamurti on research involving detailed diagnoses of past hurricanes.
Long Valley volcanic update
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A relatively low level of earthquake activity and reduced rates of ground deformation during the past year have led U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists to conclude that the likelihood of imminent volcanic activity at Long Valley, Calif., is reduced from that of mid‐1982 through 1983.

In a letter dated July 11, 1984, USGS Director Dallas Peck advised the California Office of Emergency Services that, based on the assessment of the current situation, a volcanic eruption does not pose an immediate threat to public safety in the Long Valley region.
Precambrian geological evolution
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Geologists from Brazil, the three Guianas, Venezuela, the northern Andean countries, North America, and Europe are participating in a new project of the International Geological Correlation Program, concentrating on the Precambrian geological evolution of the Amazonian region. Most of the major Precambrian rock units of the region are currently being studied by geologists in the various countries that have exposures of the Guiana and Guaporé shields, which make up the Amazonian craton. The craton is notable because of the great expanses of crust that formed in the Early Proterozoic. There are granite‐greenstone terranes as extensive as those of the Archean provinces of the North American shield and high‐grade gneiss and granulite terranes of both Archean and Proterozoic age. These provide opportunities to compare continental formation and evolution of Proterozoic age with their more ancient counterparts in other shields. Most of the craton was established in the Early Proterozoic and was affected by the Trans‐Amazonian orogeny; about half of this was then covered by Middle Proterozoic intracratonic sedimentray basins, associated felsic volcanics, mafic intrusives, and epizonal granitoid rocks. The felsic magmatic rocks of the Middle Proterozoic are particularly extensive and well exposed: This must rank as one of the prime regions in the world to study such rocks. Alkaline complexes with associated carbonatites occur in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela. All of the rock types mentioned have important ore deposits associated with them, and one of the goals of the project is to develop further understanding of the mineral potential and metallogenesis of the region.
Historic cartographic evidence for Holocene changes in the Antarctic ice cover
Authors: Weihaupt John G.
Published: October 2011

Roughly 125,000 years ago, the earth underwent a climatic warming trend [Bergen and Van Couvering, 1979] called the Sangamon. This occurred more than 1 million years after the commencement of the Pleistocene time of great glacial advances which brought ice sheets of continental proportions to North America, northern Europe, and Siberia. That interglacial warming trend is the most pronounced climatic warming that we know during the period of the Ice Ages [Mitchell, 1977]. The Sangamon was followed, however, by a time of lower worldwide temperatures when the glaciers advanced once more and until a new warming trend commenced some 20,000–30,000 years ago. Earth's glaciers and ice sheets then began to retreat again, and about 10,000 years ago the last vestiges of these northern continental ice sheets withdrew as the latest warm interglacial, the Holocene, began. The Holocene continues today. Earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures rose in this time, well after Neanderthal and Cro‐Magnon men lived in Asia and in Europe. The Holocene warming has been synchronous in both hemispheres and led to a worldwide climatic optimum, called the Hypsithermal interval, between 9,000 and 2,500 years ago [Deevey, 1957]. The Hypsithermal interval was the warmest part of the Holocene to date, and it largely preceded the Bronze Age, which commenced about 3,000 years ago. While the continental ice sheets of North America, Europe, and Asia disintegrated with the approach of the Holocene, the great ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antartica remained stable and largely unchanged at least since the warm Sangamon interglacial of 125,000 years ago.
Overview 1982 to 1984: Membership
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

AGU's membership grew by 7% in 1982 and an additional 9.4% in 1983. This pheonomenal growth is due largely to the ever increasing numbers of students who are joining AGU and to the increase in non‐U.S. membership that has been promoted over the past couple years and is continuing. Student membership was 13.1% of the total membership in 1983 and 15.1% in 1984. Non‐U.S. membership, which was steady at 19–20% in the 1970s, had dropped to 18% in 1982 and is now back at 20%.
Supporting members
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

All dues‐paid members contributing an additional $80 or more in any single year earn recognition as Individual Supporting Members for that year. Among the present Supporting Members, there are 24 Life Supporting Members. To have achieved this special recognition, they have contributed $1500 or more thus far during the AGU‐GIFT program. As a benefit (or dividend) they have no further dues obligations.
Meetings
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The term of Meetings Chairman has been changed at the recommendation of the Meetings Committee to a 3‐year term. Frank Eden, who began his term with the 1983 Spring Meeting, will continue through the 1985 Fall Meeting. A new chairman will be named next spring and will begin learning the ropes at the 1985 Fall Meeting. This is a very important postion in AGU. The entire responsibility for the quality of the national meeting scheduling and especially the Union and Frontiers sessions rests with this individual. Exceptionally good reports on the meetings have been received during Frank Eden's term, and the Union should be pleased that he is continuing.
AGU Statutes and Bylaws (As amended: May 31, 1983)
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The American Geophysical Union, which was established in 1919 by the National Research Council and for more than 50 years operated as an unincorporated affiliate of the National Academy of Sciences, is now a corporation chartered under the laws of the District of Columbia. The Union is dedicated to the furtherance of the sciences of geophysics through the individual efforts of its Members and in cooperation with other national and international scientific organizations.
Upcoming hearings in Congress
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Congress returns on September 5 from its recess for the Republican National Convention and the August district work period. Expect rapid changes in schedule during the next several weeks as the election approaches. The following hearings, markups, and conference committees have been tentatively scheduled for the coming weeks by the Senate and House of Representatives. All dates and times have yet to be announced; the committee, subcommittee, or conference committee holding the hearing, markup, or conference will be setting schedules in the next few days. All offices on Capitol Hill may be reached by telephoning 202‐224‐3121. For guidelines on contacting a member of Congress, see AGU's Guide to Legislative Information and Contacts (Eos, August 28, 1984, p. 675).
Geophysical events
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

This is a summary of SEAN Bulletin, 9(7), July 31, 1984, a publication of the Smithsonian Institution's Scientific Event Alert Network. The complete bulletin is available in the microfiche edition of Eos as a microfiche supplement or as a paper reprint. For the microfiche, order document E84–008 at $2.50 (U.S.) from AGU Fulfillment, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009. For the paper reprint, order SEAN Bulletin (giving volume and issue numbers and issue date) through AGU Separates at the above address; the price is $3.50 for one copy of each issue number for those who do not have a deposit account, $2 for those who do; additionalcopies of each issue number are $1. Subscriptions to SEAN Bulletin are available from AGU Fulfillment at the above address; the price is $18 for 12 monthly issues mailed to a U.S. address, $28 if mailed elsewhere, and must be prepaid.
A global ocean flux study
Authors: Steele John H.
Published: October 2011

A major goal for oceanography in the next decade is an understanding of ocean dynamics at basin and global spatial scales and at time scales from the interannual through the decadal. This understanding is not only of intrinsic interest and importance for the oceans themselves but is an essential component of the larger problems concerning the cycles of heat, water, and chemical constituents through the land, air, and sea. To the extent that the oceans act as the “flywheel” for the total system at these longer time scales, our level of understanding of this component is likely to be critical.
Antonio Marussi 1908”1984
Authors: Chovitz Bernard H.
Published: October 2011

Antonio Marussi, one of the most prominent geodesists of this century, died in Trieste, Italy, on April 24, 1984, at the age of 75. Blessed with good health and a robust physical constitution for most of his life, he was struck down by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) which he had contracted in 1982.

Marussi is best known among geodesists as the father of modern three‐dimensional geodesy. Following an initial presentation at the 1948 Oslo General Assembly of the IUGG, he published in 1949 in the Bulletin Géodésique an article entitled “Fondements de géométrie differentielle absolue du champ potential terrestre,” acknowledged now as one of the seminal works of the geodetic literature. In this and subsequent papers, Marussi developed in a general, rigorous, mathematical setting a unified approach to the solution of both geometric and physical problems in geodesy, obliterating the artificial distinction between horizontal and vertical which had been built up by geodesists over many years because of observational difficulties. He thus introduced many geodesists to the 20th century by demonstrating the value and, indeed, the necessity of advanced mathematical techniques like the tensor calculus and by anticipating useful data to be obtained by observations on close extraterrestrial objects like satellites.
U.S. polar icebreakers
Authors: Brigham Lawson W.
Published: October 2011

An interagency study of the nation's polar ice‐breaking requirements through the end of the century was recently completed. The Polar Icebreaker Requirements Study (PIRS) Group presented fleet size alternatives and recommended that the Icebreaker User Council define the capabilities required for new icebreakers. The User Council consists of representatives from the U.S. Navy, National Science Foundation, the Maritime Administration, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Polar icebreakers are needed for three basic purposes: (1) resupply of Antarctic and Greenland stations, (2) logistical support of polar operations, and (3) scientific research. One of the PIRS recommendations was that any new icebreaker designs should enhance science support while meeting the requirements for escort and logistics. The U.S. Coast Guard will soon begin the preliminary design for a new class of polar icebreakers.
Antarctic research season
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

As the 1984–1985 Antarctic research season gets underway, more than 300 geologists, astronomers, oceanographers, biologists, atmospheric scientists; and other researchers are preparing to travel to the south pole to study everything from solar “seismology” to the fossils of long‐buried mammals. Approximately 96 science projects are scheduled for this, the 30th consecutive year of U.S. scientific activity at the south pole.

Atmospheric scientists will benefit from a new research facility at Arrival Heights, approximately 2 miles north of McMurdo Station, which replaces older, smaller facilities with a one‐story building that will house at least six experiments after it is completed in January. Arrival Heights was chosen as the building site because it is an area of low electromagnetic noise, making it ideally suited to studies of the earth's magnetosphere. Instruments at the new facility will study naturally generated radio wave emissions, auroras, and ultra‐low frequency wave activity.
Hillslope hydrology
Authors: Germann Peter F.
Published: October 2011

A broad area of hydrology was discussed during the session on Hillslope Hydrology at the AGU Spring Meeting in Cincinnati. This is obvious by glancing through the abstracts, published in Eos (April 17, 1984, p. 215–216).

C.R. Amerman outlined the various flow processes at hillslopes observed in the North Appalachian Experimental Watersheds (Coshocton, Ohio). There the sequences of geological strata primarily determine the existence or absence of shallow water tables, subsurface flow, and springs in space and time. J. A. Lynch and E. S. Corbett (School of Forest Resources, Pennsylvania State University and NEFES, U.S. Forest Service, respectively) demonstrated the importance of antecedent soil moisture with respect to the run‐off producing areas. Their experimental system allowed for sprinkling various parts or the whole area of a 7.9 ha forested watershed. The response hydrographs showed two peaks, their timing depending on antecedent soil moisture (ASM) as determined with a neutron probe. At low ASM the first peak occurred shortly after the cessation of rainfall, whereas at high ASM, peak flow lagged several hours behind the cessation of rainfall. Both presentations demonstrated once more the strenuous work involved in collecting reliable field data and making them available for further investigation. T. Dracos (ETH Zuerich, Switzerland) used two‐dimensional sand tank experiments to investigate fast groundwater response upon infiltration. He stressed the importance of hysteretical effects of the water‐content‐pressure relationship in the capillary fringe immediately above the water table. R. E. Smith (USDA, Fort Collins) and R. H. B. Hebbert (University of West Australia) presented their model on flow processes at the hill slope scale and compared its performance with piezometer response data that were observed in an Australian watershed. They also outlined some model applications including the assessment of soil salinity. C. B. Burke (Harza Engineering Co., Chicago) and D. D. Gray (West Virginia University, Morgantown) introduced a finite element computer model that combines subsurface, overland, and open channel flow. They discussed the effects of layered soils on the resulting stream hydrograph as well as the impacts of rainfall characteristics and antecedent moisture conditions on it. K. M. Loague and R. A. Freeze (University of British Columbia) concluded the session with disenchanting comparisons of three different rainfall‐runoff modeling techniques (i.e., regression model, unit hydrograph model, and quasi‐physically based model) on small upland catchments. They hope to improve the performance of the three models by refining the spatial arrangement of the rain gauges.
Meissl Memorial Senior Scientist
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Beginning in 1976, the Committee on Geodesy of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council has administered a Senior Scientist Program supported by the National Geodetic Survey of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Under this program, awardees have spent up to a year in residence at the National Geodetic Survey, conducting research in geodesy and related fields. Through the summer of 1984, 15 prominent scientists have participated, producing more than 20 papers published in a NOAA publications series or in professional journals.

The second awardee was Peter Meissl, Professor of Geodesy at the Technical University of Graz, Austria, who spent 8 months during 1977 at the National Geodetic Survey. His work, “A Priori Prediction of Roundoff Error Accumulation in the Solution of a Super‐Large Geodetic Normal Equation System,” was released as a NOAA professional paper, published hardbound as an acknowledgment of the permanence of the achievement. His contribution was so outstanding that he was invited to return for the summer of 1982. But, tragically, in May 1982 he was killed in a mountain‐climbing accident near Graz.
Komatiites
Authors: Klein Terry
Published: October 2011

Since komatiites were first described in 1969, we have wondered what they are, what they look like, where they are, and how they got there. Arndt and Nisbet's well‐edited, well‐illustrated volume provides a good basis and excellent resource book for the geologist that wants to know more.

Komatiites, an outgrowth of the 1979 Penrose Conference held in Val'Dor, Quebec, consists of seven parts with 29 chapters by 44 authors. Each part has a helpful editorial introduction that gives background citations, lends historical perspective, and summarizes the section's content. The book's purpose—“to summarize our present knowledge of komatiites”—is accomplished well. Because the proliferation of literature has slowed since the 1970s, only a few significant papers published after 1981 are missing from the reference citations.
Revolution in the Earth Sciences: Advances in the Past Half‐Century
Authors: Gutmann James T.
Published: October 2011

This volume is the proceedings of a symposium held at Carleton College to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Department of Geology and to honor the founder of that department, Larry Gould, later the president of Carleton and long an internationally prominent figure in the area of polar research. The title of the volume may lead some to anticipate a more comprehensive treatment of the “revolution” than its articles provide. However, its stated purpose is to illuminate just how the substantial changes of recent decades came about in each of a wide variety of areas within earth science, in effect providing a set of case studies of the revolution. In this it succeeds admirably.

The dramatic evolution of ideas in geotectonics is not directly treated here; indeed, it would be difficult to say much that is new in doing so. Instead, most of the 31 articles in this paperbound volume focus on developments in specific fields ranging from experimental rock deformation (considered by Tullis and Tullis) to the geology of Antarctica (by Rowley). A noteworthy and distinguishing feature of this collection is that the articles provide lucid reviews at a level accessible to undergraduates. Especially valuable for their concise treatment of major areas are papers on advances in high pressure experimentation (by Bishop), on the development of ideas about Archean tectonics (by Southwick), on current thinking about Precambrian crustal evolution (by Ernst) and on the application of radiogenic isotopic systems to geochronology and petrogenesis (by Bickford). Similarly, Hanor describes the development of thinking about subsurface sedimentary brines, Carson reviews ideas on sediment deposition and deformation at convergent margins, and Collier discusses the renaissance in invertebrate paleontology. Also present are excellent papers on aspects of geomorphology, hydrogeology, archaeological geology, venusian tectonics, and 11 articles on topics in economic geology and mineral and energy resources. Among the latter, all of which are very clearly written, a paper by Albers on the leadership role of the U.S. Geological Survey in meeting national mineral and energy needs is particularly recommended.
Early Proterozoic Geology of the Great Lakes Region
Authors: Kalliokoski J.
Published: October 2011

Interest in the Precambrian geology of the Great Lakes Region has been growing as documented by a new generation of multi‐authored books. Two have been published recently: the volume under review and a companion volume, Geology and Tectonics of the Lake Superior Basin, Mem. 156. The Minnesota Geological Survey has published a regional Precambrian geological map at a scale of 1:1,000,000, and in 2 years' time newer data will appear in a DNAG (Decade of North American Geology) volume on the Precambrian of the conterminous United States. Thus, the papers in the volume under review provide a comprehensive view of the status of geological knowledge as it existed in the spring of 1981.
Eric L. Butler: Congressional Science Fellow
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Eric L. Butler, a chemistry and oceanography instructor at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., has been selected as the 1984–85 AGU Congressional Science Fellow. Last week he began his 1‐year stint on Capitol Hill AGU's eighth Congressional Science Fellow.

Butler, a member of AGU's Ocean Sciences section, received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Oceanography of the University of Rhode Island. While his formal course work focused on chemistry and oceanography, his research has dealt largely with atmospheric chemistry and the measurement and geochemistry of trace organic compounds. He has been associated with the Center for Atmospheric Chemical Studies at the University of Rhode Island since its inception several years ago.