bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AGU Fall Meeting mentors for students sought
Authors: Karsten Jill
Published: October 2006

Science mentors are sought for the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science Initiative (MS PHD's) Professional Development Program. MS PHD's, begun in 2004, is a joint NASA‐U.S. National Science Foundation funded program that provides early career mentoring, professional development, and networking for minority undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in the Earth and space sciences.

AGU is one of several major sponsoring societies for this five‐year effort to provide participating students with increased exposure to, interaction with, and engagement in the Earth system science community, in order to help them achieve their academic and professional goals.
Meteorites: A Petrologic, Chemical and Isotopic Synthesis
Authors: Jones Rhian
Published: October 2006

Meteorites, through their astonishingly diverse record of exotic geological environments that chronicle the formation of the solar system, provide us with a material connection to our fundamental origins. They inform us about processes including condensation of Stardust in stellar outflows, formation of the solar nebula cloud, interactions between water and minerals on asteroids, planetary core formation, and igneous as well as surface processes on Mars and the Moon.Meteorites: A Petrologic, Chemical and Isotopic Synthesis is a book that invites one to explore the wonders of our solar system and beyond.

This book, written by Robert Hutchison, is loosely modeled as an update of the classic volume by Dodd [1981]. In the intervening 24 years, meteoritics has undergone a fast‐paced revolution, resulting from the recovery of thousands of new samples from Antarctica and the hot deserts, combined with dramatic progress in analytical techniques.
Expansion of U.S. coastal barriers system receives support
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

The extent of lands included in the U.S. Coastal Barriers Resources System should be expanded in order to protect more people, property, and natural resources in vulnerable coastal areas, according to several witnesses at an 8 November U.S. congressional hearing.

However, the witnesses disagreed as to whether sections of Louisiana should be included in that expansion. Louisiana received attention at the hearing due to the extent of damage caused by recent hurricanes; the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated that 100 square miles of Louisiana marsh became open water during the storms.
Quick estimator of the size of great earthquakes
Authors: Bormann Peter , Wylegalla Kurt
Published: October 2006

The reintroduction of the body wave magnitude mB based on broadband records (i.e., records in a wide frequency range) of the first arriving seismic P‐waves into international seismological practice could result in better quick estimation of the size of large earthquakes.

This recommendation, made by the Working Group for Magnitude Measurements of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI), was adopted—along with other recommendations related to future standards of magnitude measurements—by the IASPEI Commission on Seismic Observation and Interpretation at the IASPEI General Assembly in Chile, 2–8 October 2005.
Uncovering buried volcanoes at Yucca Mountain
Authors: Perry Frank V. , Cogbill Allen H. , Kelley Richard E.
Published: October 2006

The hazard posed by small‐volume basaltic volcanism to the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada has been a topic of scientific debate for well over a decade. In the past few years, debate has focused on the extent and age of buried volcanoes in alluvial‐filled basins of the Yucca Mountain region (YMR) and their potential impact on volcanic hazard estimates.

To address this issue, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has sponsored an exceptionally high resolution aeromagnetic survey completed in 2004, and a presently ongoing drilling program to characterize the location, age, volume, and chemistry of buried basalt in the YMR (Figure 1). DOE has convened an expert panel that will use this information to update probabilistic volcanic hazard estimates originally obtained by experts in 1996. Partly on the basis of the unknown extent of buried volcanoes, Smith and Keenan [2005] suggested that volcanic hazard estimates might be 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than estimated by the 1996 expert elicitation.
The public's changing interpretation of the aurora
Authors: Schröder Wilfried
Published: October 2006

At the end of medieval times and the beginning of modern times, people in northern Germany and the rest of Europe were frequently terrified by mysterious optical phenomena in the sky [cf.Brekke, 1995; Schröder, 1984]. These included meteorites, unusual rings around the Sun and Moon, and colorful phenomena, all of which astonished them and often caused anxiety. These phenomena and their common interpretation took place against the political chaos of the Reformation, which added to the fears of the average person.

As the sky was previously considered everlasting and unchangeable, these phenomena—when “frightening faces” and “awful signs of miracles” appeared that were as diverse as they were unexplainable—seemed to forecast something terrible. Any deviation from the pre‐determined, divine, cosmic order deeply shocked people during that time.
Method allows for continuous monitoring of volcanic gases
Authors: Tedesco Dario , Castrillo Antonio , Casa Giovanni , Vaselli Orlando , Gianfrani Livio
Published: October 2006

Many ongoing geophysical and geochemical studies are attempting to understand how volcanoes work and to forecast volcanic eruptions. While many geophysical methodologies for studying volcanoes have been completely standardized, continuous geochemical monitoring in active volcanic areas is still in its infancy.

One reason geochemical approaches lag behind geophysical ones is because current technologies are not able to cope with prohibitive environmental conditions. The development of techniques that allow monitoring of geochemical parameters in the harsh environments of active volcanoes should be a goal to achieve within a decade.
Opportunities for 3‐D seismic reflection in geoscience research
Authors: Mutter John C. , Moore Gregory
Published: October 2006

You would think they were images of the Earth's surface made from an aircraft or satellite, or maybe high‐resolution images of the seafloor, the sort made with modern multibeam echo sounders. There are hills and valleys, steep scarps and flat plains. Features like meandering river channels including levees and over‐bank deposits are clearly defined, and great armadas of ripples like desert sand dunes appear as if seen from the window of a commercial aircraft. There are even impact craters made by meteorites with resolutions as clear as those seen on the Moon through telescopes.
Physical Geology of High‐Level Magmatic Systems
Authors: Morgan Sven S.
Published: October 2006

The title of this volume almost says it all. This book is a compilation of fifteen papers on upper crustal intrusions that were presented in a workshop on laccoliths and sills (types of magma bodies) in Freiburg, Germany, in October 2002.

The papers can be divided into two categories: 10 detailed descriptions of shallow‐level magmatic systems, mostly from eastern and southern Europe, and five shorter papers on modeling and seismic studies of sills, laccoliths, and dikes.
Long‐term bird study records Arctic climate change
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

Alaska's summer of 2005 was the second warmest on record there, with a record retreat of arctic pack ice. As Alaskan temperatures gradually increase, artic birds, such as the black guillemots of Cooper Island, near Barrow, Alaska, are experiencing drastic habitat changes. Though these small black and white birds—the subjects of a long‐term study of climate change—fared better this year than they have in the recent past (due to local cool conditions), they are nonetheless struggling to adapt as their artic island summer home becomes subarctic.

George Divokyan ornithologist at the Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, discovered the Cooper Island colony of guillemots in the early 1970s and has spent every summer since 1975 there studying these birds. He presented his latest research during a 3 November talk in Washington, D.C.
Peter V.Hobbs (1936–2005)
Authors: Wallace John M.
Published: October 2006

Peter Hobbs, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, died of pancreatic cancer on 25 July 2005.

Born in 1936, Hobbs experienced what he described as “a wild, adventurous youth on the streets of postwar London.” He engaged in competitive swimming and at age 13 held the title of Junior Boxing Champion of the County of Surrey.
Rocks beneath New Zealand's Central North Island: Mantle or crust?
Authors: Stern Tim , Benson Adrian , Stratford Wanda , Bannister Stephen
Published: October 2006

A long‐standing question in crustal seismology is the nature of rocks with compressional P‐wave speeds of 7–7.6 kilometers per second that are found beneath continental rift zones [e.g., Cook, 1962]. Two interpretations are possible: They are either lower crustal rocks, or upper mantle material with unusually low P‐wave velocities because of the presence of a small percent of partial melt.

An April 2005 explosion seismology experiment set out to explore the issue of what is crust and what is mantle in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), central North Island, New Zealand. The TVZ is the apparent continuation of oceanic back‐arc spreading within the Havre Trough into the continental lithosphere of New Zealand (Figure 1). Determining whether crust or mantle exists in such settings is fundamental to understanding back‐arc basins and subduction zones, both of which are vital elements in recycling oceanic lithosphere and creating new continental crust
Toward a second U.S. national climate change assessment
Authors: Piltz Rick S.
Published: October 2006

The Bush administration has a problematic relationship with climate science research and the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), the program through which federal agencies coordinate support for research on climate and global change. The administration has acted to impede forthright communication of the state of climate science and its implications for society, particularly at the points at which key scientifically‐based assessments of climate change touch on the arenas of policy‐making and research planning.

The administration essentially has suppressed a major study, the National Assessment of Climate Change Impacts, which was produced by an independent team of scientists with the support of the federal research program [National Assessment Synthesis Team, 2000, 2001; Piltz, 2005; Thacker, 2005a; Thacker, 2005b] (http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/nacc/). In its place, the administration has substituted a set of 21 prospective synthesis reports on disparate topics, under a process in which drafts by lead authors will undergo final review at a political level prior to being published as government documents (described at http://www.climatescience.gov).
Council adopts a Statement of Values for the Union
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

At its 9 December meeting, Council adopted the following set of values, which are intended to inform and guide AGU's actions in developing activities, policies, and practices:
Controls on the hydrogen isotopic composition of biogenic methane from high‐latitude terrestrial wetlands
Authors: Chanton Jeffrey P. , Fields Dana , Hines Mark E.
Published: October 2006

To investigate the controls on the δD isotopic composition of biogenic CH4 in terrestrial wetlands, we collected a series of samples for δD‐H2O, δD‐CH4, δ13C‐CH4, and δ13C‐DIC (dissolved ΣCO2) along a N‐S transect across Alaska from 60°N to 70°N latitude from 7 to 15 August 2001. The δD‐H2O and δD‐CH4 values varied from −108‰ to −161‰ and from −308‰ to −394‰, respectively, from south to north and were significantly correlated, indicating the significant influence of the δD‐H2O on the δD of terrestrial CH4 collected along a latitudinal spatial gradient. Additionally, the apparent fractionation factors (α, αA–B = RA/RB, where R = 13C/12C or D/H) for H2O → CH4 (αD) and DIC → CH4 (αC) varied from 1.26 to 1.42 and from 1.035 to 1.084, respectively, and were inversely correlated. We conclude that while δD‐H2O is a critical factor controlling δD‐CH4 across latitudes, the CH4 production mechanism is also responsible for variation in the δD‐CH4. If the isotopic values of the precursors of methane, H2O, DIC, and organic matter are relatively constant, CH4 produced by acetate fermentation will be enriched in δ13C and depleted in δD relative to CH4 produced via the CO2 reduction pathway. Production mechanism variation will be particularly important in controlling variations in CH4 isotopic composition with depth. The strong dependence of δD‐CH4 on the δD of environmental H2O indicates that specific fields on plots of δD‐CH4 versus δ13C‐CH4 may not always accurately represent the isotopic composition of CH4 produced by CO2 reduction in northern wetlands. Because of this variation at high latitude, we assert that δD‐CH4 values cannot be associated with production mechanism in an absolute sense. The production mechanism effect is in addition to the effect of the δD‐H2O.
European global navigation satellite launches
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

The European Space Agency launched its first Galileo satellite on 28 December 2005.When fully deployed, the Galileo system will provide a European global navigation alternative to the U.S. global positioning system (GPS) and the Russian global navigation satellite system (Glonass).

The Galileo system will consist of 30 satellites (27 operational plus three active spare satellites) that are scheduled to be launched and fully operational by the end of 2008.The system will provide real‐time positioning within one meter of accuracy and be fully inter‐operable with the U.S. and Russian systems. However, unlike GPS and Glonass, Galileo will be under civilian rather than military control.
Assessing, modeling, and monitoring the impacts of extreme climate events
Authors: Murnane Richard J. , Diaz Henry F.
Published: October 2006

Extreme weather and climate events provide dramatic content for the news media, and the past few years have supplied plenty of material. The 2004 and 2005 Atlantic hurricane seasons were very active; the United States was struck repeatedly by landfalling major hurricanes. A five‐year drought in the southwestern United States was punctuated in 2003 by wildfires in southern California that caused billions of dollars in losses. Ten cyclones of at least tropical storm strength struck Japan in 2004, easily breaking the 1990 and 1993 records of six cyclones each year. Hurricane Catarina was the first recorded hurricane in the South Atlantic. Europe's summer of 2003 saw record‐breaking heat that caused tens of thousands of deaths.
Summer school on board an Arctic icebreaker
Authors: Alexeev Vladimir , Dmitrenko Igor , Fortier Louis , Repina Irina , Mokhov Igor
Published: October 2006

It has been reported widely that the climate in the Arctic is changing rapidly, maybe faster there than anywhere else. In addition, northern sea ice is shrinking, especially in the coastal seas of the Russian Arctic, such as the Laptev Sea. Since 2002, the International Arctic Research Center (IARC), based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has been recording long‐term oceanographic observations in this region through the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observation System (NABOS) project.

In 2005, the annual NABOS expedition was conducted in parallel with a summer school on board the icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn. This was the third IARC‐supported summer school.Two previous summer schools were held in Fairbanks. A total of 24 university students and early career scientists had been chosen, out of about 140 summer school applicants: six from the United States, five from Russia, five from Canada, two from Norway and one each from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden.Vladimir Alexeev of IARC, the author of this meeting report, served as the director of the school; Louis Fortier of Laval University (Quebec City, Canada) was co‐director.
NASA terminates two Earth observation missions
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

Citing a lack of available funds, NASA has ended support for two Earth observation missions: Hydros, which never left the formulation phase, and the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), which was already built and waiting for launch.

Richard Anthes, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., said that these two new cancellations are “further evidence that…the nation's Earth‐observation satellite programs are at risk.”
New assessment focuses on ecosystems, human well‐being, and the climate system
Authors: Brovkin Victor , House Joanna I. , DeFries Ruth S.
Published: October 2006

Five volumes of working group assessment reports, which were published which were published on 19 January by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) [Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2006], synthesize scientific data on the consequences of ecosystem change for human well‐being as well as options for responding to those changes.

The MA is an international work program modeled after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It was launched by U.N. Secretary‐General Kofi Annan in June 2001 and completed in March 2005. More than 1300 authors from 95 countries have participated in preparation of the peer reviewed assessment.
Task force examines U.S. hurricane research agenda
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

While U.S. federal, state, and local governments continue to debate what should be done, following the devastating 2005 hurricane season, to rebuild the Gulf Coast and to prevent future disasters, a task force of the U.S. National Science Board (NSB) has begun an effort to construct a national agenda for federally‐sponsored hurricane research.

At a 24 January meeting at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) headquarters in Arlington, Va., task force members and government representatives examined current hurricane‐related research conducted and supported by several federal agencies, identified gaps in understanding and future priorities, and discussed how these agencies can better coordinate their activities.
Age‐calibrated three‐dimensional views of the crust
Authors: Gaillot Philippe , Masago Hideki , Thu Moe Kyaw , Curewitz Daniel
Published: October 2006

Scientific drilling provides detailed, highresolution, direct observations of the Earth's crust. Ocean drilling science has a nearly 40‐year history, starting with the Deep Sea Drilling Project (1968–1983), running through the Ocean Drilling Program (1985–2003), and continuing as the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP2003 to present). Ocean drilling science also has growing ties to the International Continental Drilling Project (1996 to present).

Over the course of these scientific drilling programs, intensive analysis of a wide array of global geological and geophysical systems has been accomplished, including oceanic crustal architecture; tectonics and fluid flow along convergent and divergent plate margins; oceanic plateau composition, structure, age, and genesis; volcanic and nonvolcanic rifted margin tectonics, structure, and evolution; sedimentary records of ocean circulation, climate change, and evolution; fault zone geometry and dynamics.
Kivelson receives 2005 John Adam Fleming Medal
Authors: Singer Howard J. , Kivelson Margaret G.
Published: October 2006

Margaret G. Kivelson was awarded the Fleming Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 7 December 2005, in San Francisco, Calif. The medal recognizes original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy, space physics, and related sciences.
Development Bank encourages natural disaster planning
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

In an effort to make countries in Latin America and the Caribbean less vulnerable to natural disasters, the Inter‐American Development Bank (IDB) announced on 21 December 2005 that it has developed a new draft disaster risk management policy to encourage its member countries to plan for these events.

The IDB, the major development bank for the region, decided to place a focus on natural disaster risk planning following several devastating disasters in the region in the 1990s, including 1998's Hurricane Mitch, said Caroline Clarke, IDB senior specialist in disaster prevention and risk management. The IDB provides loans, technical assistance, and policy guidance to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Morel receives 2005 Maurice Ewing medal
Authors: Schrag Daniel P. , Morel François M. M.
Published: October 2006

François M. M. Morel received the Ewing Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 7 December 2005, in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is given for significant original contributions to the scientific understanding of the processes in the ocean; for the advancement of oceanographic engineering, technology, and instrumentation; and for outstanding service to marine sciences
2006 Election results
Authors: Staudt Amanda C. , Given Holly K. , McDonough William F.
Published: October 2006

The voting by the membership for Union and Section officers for the 2006–2008 term was completed on 10 January Voting was conducted electronically through the Internet using commercial surveying software. Paper ballots were available upon request. The tallying and recording of the elections was managed by AGU staff using the Web‐Surveyor software.
Dagan receives 2005 Robert E. Horton Medal
Authors: Fiori Aldo , Dagan Gedeon
Published: October 2006

Gedeon Dagan was awarded the Robert E. Horton Medal at the 2005 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 7 December, in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is given for outstanding contributions to hydrology.
Real‐time seismic displays in museums appeal to the public
Authors: Smith Meagan , Taber John , Hubenthal Michael
Published: October 2006

Technology provides people with constant access to the latest news, weather, and entertainment. Not surprisingly the public increasingly demands that the most current information be available for immediate consumption. For museums striving to educate the public and to maintain and expand visitor interest, gone are the days of passively conveying scientific concepts through static displays.

Instead, science museums must find creative ways to capture the public's interest—successful advocacy for research funding, solutions to environmental problems, even future generations' scientific innovation depend on this. To this end, the continuous collection and dissemination of real‐time science information by the scientific community offers museums an opportunity to capitalize on visitors' data addiction and increase the public's interest in, and understanding of, the Earth system.
Solomon receives 2005 Harry H. Hess medal
Authors: Purdy G. Michael , Solomon Sean C.
Published: October 2006

Sean C. Solomon received the Harry H. Hess Medal at the 2005 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 7 December in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is given for outstanding achievements in research on the constitution and evolution of the Earth and other planets.
Meet the Editors: Water Resources Research
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: October 2006

On 1 January 2005, a five‐member team assumed editorial responsibility for Water Resources Research (WRR). A year later the team of Brian Berkowitz, Amilcare Porporato, Thomas Torgersen, Scott Tyler, and Editor‐in‐Chief Marc Parlange are pleased with the successes of several changes to the journal.

“WRR is the international stage where new and emerging ideas are discussed and where the directions for scientific research in all aspects of hydrology are charted,” explained Porporato. “This is the reason why we have worked hard with our associate editors to attract ‘opinion papers,’ ‘inspired reviews,’ and, more recently,‘rapid communications.’” The aim of these new paper types is to encourage discussion of water resource issues relevant to society and to quickly present new results that advance theoretical, mathematical, technological, and experimental observations, Porporato said.
Evolution of the Southern Caribbean Plate Boundary
Authors: Levander Alan , Schmitz Michael , Avé Lallemant Han G. , Zelt Colin A. , Sawyer Dale S. , Magnani Maria B. , Mann Paul , Christeson Gail , Wright James E. , Pavlis Gary L. , Pindell James
Published: October 2006

It is generally accepted that the cores of the continents, called cratons, formed by the accretion of island arcs into proto‐continents and then by proto‐continental agglomeration to form the large continental masses. Mantle‐wedge processes, combined with higher melting temperatures during the Archean (2.5–3.8 billion years ago) and possibly thrust stacking of highly depleted Archean oceanic lithosphere, produced a strong, buoyant, upper mantle chemical boundary layer. This stabilizing mantle layer, known as the tectosphere, has shielded the Archean cratons from most subsequent tectonic disruption and is highly depleted in iron, providing the positive buoyancy that is required to ‘float’ the continents more than four kilometers above the surrounding ocean basins.
Identifying grand research questions in the solid‐earth sciences
Authors: Linn Anne M.
Published: October 2006

Progress in the solid‐Earth sciences has been remarkable over the past few decades, driven by the availability of new instruments, improved modeling capabilities, reduced barriers to cooperation with scientists in other countries, and increased coordination with other disciplines, such as astronomy and biology. With research advancing on such a wide front, it can be difficult to define the frontiers of scientific inquiry and to convey that information in a way that captures the imaginations of the scientific community, the U.S. Congress, U.S. federal agencies, and the general public.

At the request of program managers at the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, and NASA, the U.S. National Academies has assembled a committee of experts to identify the grand research questions driving the solid‐Earth sciences. Although other reports have identified research priorities in this area, just a few (such as “Living on a restless planet,” 63 pp., NASA Solid Earth Science Working Group, Pasadena, Calif., 2002) have cast them mainly as compelling, fundamental science questions. Such ‘big picture’ questions may require decades to answer, and research support from many government agencies and organizations. The answers to these questions could profoundly affect our understanding of the Earth.
Circulation in the Gulf of Mexico: Observations and Models
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: October 2006

A new AGU book, Circulation in the Gulf of Mexico: Observations and Models, edited by Wilton Sturges III and Alexis Lugo‐Fernandez, compiles the current state of knowledge about physical oceanography in this region. Through 22 papers authored by more than 50 scientists, the book highlights the technologies and methodologies that have revolutionized the field since the last such publication more than 30 years ago, and stresses the importance of fundamental science in understanding and mitigating environmental problems.

In this interview, Eos talks with Sturges, a physical oceanographer who has studied circulation in the Gulf of Mexico for more than 30 years.

Sturges is a professor emeritus at Florida State University, Tallahassee. He received his Ph.D. in physical oceanography from John Hopkins University in 1966.

Though retired, Sturges continues to do research, focusing on deep flows in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea and their connection to the open Atlantic, as well as on the strange mechanism of ring shedding from the Loop Current, a gyre that drives surface currents in that area.
U.S. warning system detected the Sumatra Tsunami
Authors: Gower Jim , González Frank
Published: October 2006

Although the December 2004 great Sumatra earthquake and the resulting tsunami were very distant from the northeast Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Deep‐ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) array in the northeast Pacific successfully demonstrated high sensitivity and provides useful data for understanding the propagation of the tsunami.

At the time of the tsunami, the Pacific DART network already was one of the most sophisticated tsunami detection systems in operation.The network, which then consisted of eight stations (seven U.S. and one Chilean), now consists of 11 stations (10 U.S. and one Chilean) [González et al., 2005] (Figure l). Each station is equipped with a bottom pressure recorder (BPR) transmitting data acoustically from the ocean bottom to a surface buoy, which then passes the data to tsunami warning centers and other land stations by satellite communication links.
Inkaba yeAfrica Project surveys sector of Earth from core to space
Authors: de Wit Maarten , Horsfield Brian
Published: October 2006

In the Xhosa language, ‘inkaba’ means ‘navel,’ the central point from which all energy, material, and knowledge emerge and are recycled. The word encapsulates a sense of total interconnectivity Uniting inkaba with yeAfrica adds a regional perspective to a project that has as its central focus the understanding of the dynamic interactions between the Earth and its life‐support systems.

Following two years of workshops and proposal writing, the German and South African Earth science communities embarked in 2004 on a five‐year program, Inkaba yeAfrica, to survey a cone‐shaped sector of the Earth from core to space, intersecting its solid surface around southern Africa and its ocean basins (Figure l).The vision is to track the history of this sector's components back over at least the past 200 million years to understand Earth systems processes and their evolving interactions at different scales and rates.
Scientific challenges of western U.S. water management
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: October 2006

In the western United States, which is characterized by low precipitation, aridity, drought, and rapid population growth, the availability of water presents serious concerns, according to an 8 February report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The report, Water Availability for the Western United States—Key Scientific Challenges, outlines key concerns, including the determination of sustainable ground water levels, methods for desalination and other water reuse programs, sustainable ecosystem management, and the protection of endangered species. In addition, “the potential for departures from average climatic conditions threatens to disrupt society and local to regional economies,” the report stated.
Outstanding student paper awards: 2005 Fall Meeting
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The following members received Outstanding Student Paper Awards at the 2005 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. (Winners in other sections and focus groups will be announced in subsequent issues of Eos).
Scientists investigate recent Philippine landslide
Authors: Lagmay Alfredo Mahar A. , Ong John Burtkenley T. , Fernandez Dan Ferdinand D. , Lapus Mark R. , Rodolfo Raymond S. , Tengonciang Arlene Mae P. , Soria Janneli Lea A. , Baliatan Eden G. , Quimba Zareth L. , Uichanco Christopher L. , Paguican Engielle Mae R. , Remedio Armelle Reca C. , Lorenzo Genevieve Rose H. , Avila Francia B. , Valdivia Waldemar
Published: October 2006

A massive landslide devastated the community of Barangay Guinsaugon, Municipality of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte Province, Philippines, at about 10:30 local time on 17 February The landslide occurred along the steep fault scarp of the Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ) (Figure 1a), a large and active tectonic structure that traverses the entire length of the Philippines [Allen, 1962]. Barangay Guinsaugon is located at the foot of the scarp, directly in the path of the downward moving mass of earth. As of 24 February the landslide caused 122 confirmed deaths; 1,328 people still are missing.
Decadal drought effects on endangered woodpecker habitat
Authors: Stahle David W. , Cleaveland Malcolm K. , Griffin R. Daniel , Spond Mark D. , Fye Falko K. , Culpepper R. Brian , Patton David
Published: October 2006

The critically endangered ivory‐billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) apparently has been rediscovered in old‐growth bald cypress (Taxodium distichum, Figure 1) and swamp tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) forests of Bayou DeView, located seven kilometers northwest of Brinkley, Ark. [Fitzpatrick et al., 2005]. The evaluation of the impact of drought on forest history and wildlife population levels is critical to the conservation of the ivory‐billed woodpecker and other similarly endangered species. Tree ring chronologies have been developed from old‐growth forests at Bayou DeView to aid in this assessment.

This article also describes a conceptual model that has proven useful for the discovery of other noncommercial old‐growth cypress‐tupelo remnants in the Southeast. These relict cypress‐tupelo stands may be candidates for conservation, restoration, and perhaps the eventual reintroduction of the ivory bill and other increasingly rare species native to this ecosystem.
An appeal to the AGU Membership
Authors: Abriola Linda
Published: October 2006

This past January, the AGU Fellows Committee met in San Francisco, Calif., and elected 45 distinguished AGU members for recognition as Fellows. The expertise of these elected Fellows spans an extremely broad range of Earth and space science disciplines. In this, my fourth and final year on the Fellows Committee, I continue to be amazed at the quality and breadth of the nominees.

AGU is committed to ensuring that deserving members from all sectors of the membership are being considered as Fellows. While the demographic distribution of Fellows has become more diverse in the last few years, we still have a long way to go to achieve proportional representation.To further its goal, AGU is expanding its efforts to reach out to underrepresented groups.
Nominations for renewable natural resources awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF) is seeking nominations for three annual awards that honor interdisciplinary achievements in renewable natural resources fields. The RNRF is a consortium of 14 educational, professional, and scientific organizations, including AGU.

The RNRF's Sustained Achievement Award honors the long‐term contributions of an individual to the protection and conservation of natural resources. The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes a single project, publication, piece of legislation, or similar concrete achievement that occurred within the last three years.
Outstanding student papers—2005 Fall Meeting
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The following members received Outstanding Student Paper Awards at the 2005 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. (Winners in other sections and focus groups will be announced in subsequent issues of Eos).
Integrating enhanced satellite data maps into coastal management
Authors: Stegmann Petra M. , Foley David G. , King Chad , Schwing Franklin B. , Price Holly , Bograd Steven J. , Palacios Daniel M.
Published: October 2006

Coastal areas continue to be popular destinations for tourists as well as for a large population who now reside year‐round near coasts and whose size is predicted to grow steadily. Along with rapid growth in recreational and commercial marine activities, this increase in coastal development also brings issues related to urban runoff, water quality, beach access, and marine ecosystem health. All of these factors contribute to an increase in pressure on the living marine biota found in coastal waters. Coastal managers are therefore faced with the dual task of conserving and protecting marine resources as well as allowing for multiple uses within nearshore waters.
Renne receives 2005 N.L. Bowen award
Authors: Farley K. A. , Renne Paul
Published: October 2006

Paul Renne received the N.L. Bowen Award on 6 December 2005 from the Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology Section at the 2005 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to volcanology, geochemistry, or petrology.
Meet the Editors: JGR‐Atmospheres
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: October 2006

Three scientists were newly appointed and one scientist was reappointed last year as editors of JGR‐Atmospheres. The three new editors, John Austin, Jose D. Fuentes, and Ruth Lieberman, along with returning editor Colin O'Dowd, would like to see several changes made to the journal.

“JGR‐Atmospheres is still regarded as the highest‐quality atmospheric science journal, having perhaps one of the most stringent and rigorous review processes,” said O'Dowd. “However, there is still room for improvement.”
Future of Environmental Satellite Program uncertain
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

The National Polar‐orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), over budget and behind schedule, is undergoing a mandatory review process that could leave the program cut back or canceled. However, the outcome of the review will not be known until June, witnesses testified at a 30 March hearing before the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction.

NPOESS is a set of six satellites that are intended to replace the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Polar‐orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) program and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, which collects weather data for the military. POES supports many of NOAA's environmental monitoring programs.
U.S. ocean research plan drafted
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

The U.S. Committee on Ocean Policy, which coordinates ocean‐related activities throughout the federal government, released an ocean research priorities draft plan and implementation strategy on 27 March for a 45‐day public comment period.The plan is intended to set priorities for ocean science and technology across a wide range of societal interests.

The plan covers seven themes: enhancing human health, improving ecosystem health, sustaining natural resources, promoting marine operations, the ocean's role in climate change and variability, mitigating effects of natural hazards, and improving quality of life. Under each theme, the plan identifies challenges, and research, infrastructure, and technical needs.
Draft Wetlands Rule released
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released on 28 March a draft of a new rule to guide compensatory mitigation for when wetlands are unavoidably lost due to development. However, whether the rule is successful in preventing a net loss in wetlands will depend largely on its implementation, according to two wetlands scientists who evaluated the issue for the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) in 2001.

Under the federal Clean Water Act, developers who seek to build on wetlands must compensate for any wetlands loss if they are unable to avoid or minimize the loss. Such compensation is covered under the newly proposed compensatory mitigation rule. Benjamin Grumbles, EPA assistant administrator for water, called the rule an “innovative new standard that will accelerate the pace of wetlands conservation and restoration.”
Reducing natural disaster vulnerability
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

Because poor countries are vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters, the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) launched on 30 March a new policy to better integrate natural disaster risk reduction into development and humanitarian activities.

Gareth Thomas, U.K. development minister, said, “There is nothing we can do to stop hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes from striking. But what we can do is help put simple measures in place, such as better built houses, schools, and hospitals alongside more high‐tech early warning systems to reduce the loss of life.”
Bathymetric survey images structure off Sumatra
Authors: Ladage Stefan , Gaedicke Christoph , Barckhausen Udo , Heyde Ingo , Weinrebe Wilhelm , Flueh Ernst R. , Krabbenhoeft Anne , Kopp Heidrun , Fajar Suryono , Djajadihardja Yusus
Published: October 2006

Fault rupture models and aftershock activities of both the 26 December 2004 Mw 9.3 and the 28 March 2005 Mw 8.7 earthquakes postulate a strong structural segmentation of the Sumatra fore arc, or the region between a subduction trench and the volcanic arc. The 2004 earthquake rupture propagated some 1200–1400 kilometers to the northwest from the epicenter along the plate boundary Yet the rupture ended abruptly at a southern boundary crosscutting the upper plate from the trench to the island of Simeulue. Similarly, the rupture plane and aftershock distribution of the 2005 earthquake are confined to a zone some 300–400 kilometers around the epicenter off Nias Island, clearly distinguishable from the northern rupture zone.
Satellite constellation monitors global and space weather
Authors: Cheng Chio‐Zong Frank , Kuo Ying‐Hwa , Anthes Richard A. , Wu Lance
Published: October 2006

Six identical microsatellites were successfully launched into a circular low‐Earth orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., at 0140 UTC on 15 April 2006.

Termed the Formosa Satellite 3 and Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere, and Climate (FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC) mission, the new constellation's primary science goal is to obtain vertical profiles in nearreal time of temperature, pressure, and water vapor in the neutral atmosphere and electron density in the ionosphere. The observations will be used to support operational global weather prediction, climate monitoring and research, space weather forecasting, and ionospheric research.
Sea ice feedbacks observed in western Weddell Sea
Authors: Hellmer Hartmut H. , Haas Christian , Dieckmann Gerhard S. , Schröder Michael
Published: October 2006

The western Weddell Sea is the largest region of perennial sea ice in the Southern Ocean. Although poorly explored, earlier studies suggest that it hosts important sources for deep and bottom water ventilating of the global abyss. Ocean structure limits ice melt because the oceanic heat flux is only a few watts per square meter, and wind change in summer prevents the large‐scale northward movement of the pack ice [Hunke andAckley, 2001]. As the ice melts,the absence of melt ponds and the development of gap‐like porous internal layers with extremely high amounts of algal standing stocks have large implications for primary productivity and biogeochemical cycles.
Comment on “Communicating government science”
Authors: Lins Harry F.
Published: October 2006

Soroosh Sorooshian's editorial in the 18 April issue of Eos (87(16) 2005) is a timely reminder of the need for unambiguous guidelines governing the interactions between government scientists and the media. His comments implicitly recognize the central role that science plays in a modern democratic society, which includes informing policy at the highest levels of government and educating the general public about the world we inhabit. Federal research scientists, who constitute approximately 15 percent of the AGU's U.S. membership, have a unique public responsibility. They would welcome a consistent policy for the review and approval of publications, oral presentations, and media communications.
3‐D visualization of Tonga Earthquake
Authors: Kilb Debi , Jacobs Allison , Nayak Atul , Kent Graham
Published: October 2006

Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO; La Jolla, Calif.) have created interactive three‐dimensional (3‐D) visualizations of the 3 May magnitude 8.0 earthquake that occurred near Neiafu,Tonga. The earthquake occurred at 1526 UTC at a depth of 16 kilometers (as recorded by the USArray seismic network operated at SIO, http://anf.ucsd.edu). A tsunami warning was initially issued, but it was subsequently canceled, and to date, no fatalities have been reported.

These 3‐D visualizations are available for free download at the Scripps Visualization Center Web site (http://www.siovizcenter.ucsd.edu).The first visualization shows the hypocenter of the 3 May Tonga main shock and locations of historical earthquakes. Global topography and bathymetry data are also included for reference. The second visualization shows a more localized view of the Tonga region, along with vertical cross sections of the velocity structure in the region. An obvious correlation can be seen between changes in the velocity structure and the historical earthquake locations, which map out the geometry of the Tonga subduction zone.
Myers nominated to head USGS
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

U.S. President George W Bush will nominate Mark Myers to be director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the White House announced on 3 May.

Myers most recently held the position of Alaska State Geologist and director of the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Survey. Prior to that position, Myers headed the State of Alaska Division of Oil and Gas, the agency that oversees leases of state lands for oil and gas exploration.
NASA satellites will study clouds and aerosols
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: October 2006

Two NASA satellites, with missions to study the vertical distributions of clouds and aerosols within the atmosphere, were launched on 28 April from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

The satellites, CloudSat and CALIPSO (Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations), eventually will circle approximately 705 kilometers above Earth for three years in a sun‐synchronous polar orbit.
International Symposium on Airborne Geophysics
Authors: Mogi Toru , Ito Hisatoshi , Kaide Hideshi , Kusunoki Kenichiro , Saltus Richard W. , Fitterman David V. , Okuma Shigeo , Nakatsuka Tadashi
Published: October 2006

Airborne geophysics can be defined as the measurement of Earth properties from sensors in the sky. The airborne measurement platform is usually a traditional fixedwing airplane or helicopter, but could also include lighter‐than‐air craft, unmanned drones, or other specialty craft.

The earliest history of airborne geophysics includes kite and hot‐air balloon experiments. However, modern airborne geophysics dates from the mid‐1940s when military submarine‐hunting magnetometers were first used to map variations in the Earth's magnetic field. The current gamut of airborne geophysical techniques spans a broad range, including potential fields (both gravity and magnetics), electromagnetics (EM), radiometrics, spectral imaging, and thermal imaging.
Climate change report on atmospheric temperatures
Authors: Zielinski Sarah
Published: October 2006

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program issued on 2 May the first of 21 climate change assessment reports being prepared by the federal government. The report finds that there no longer exists disagreement between data that showed warming at the Earth's surface but not above it. Some people had cited such a discrepancy to question the validity of climate models.