bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AGU Funds
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

AGU members may contribute to any of the following funds. See the accompanying open letter to members for further information about the importance of contributions to AGU activities.
Plate electronics
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2011

Using a Cray T3D supercomputer and a simple assumption about the physical character of Earth's mantle, a pair of researchers from the University of California at Berkeley have built a computer model that may help explain why the planet's tectonic plates look the way they do.

In creating a three‐dimensional numerical simulation of convection in the Earth's interior, UC researchers Hans‐Peter Bunge and Mark Richards simplified their model to account for just one major physical effect: that the viscosity of the mantle increases with depth. Reviewing some recent—but not yet widely accepted—seismic data, Bunge and Richards assumed for the sake of the model that the viscosity of the mantle increases by a factor of 30 from the lithosphere to the core‐mantle boundary. Relying on that assumption, the pair ran the model for nearly three weeks on a supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratory and found that the simulation produced an effect similar to what we see on the surface of Earth. The model produced a surface paralleling the actual width of plates and the geometry of the plate boundaries.
Waterman award nominations accepted
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Nominations for the Alan T. Waterman award are now being accepted. This award goes to an outstanding young researcher in any field of science or engineering funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Presented by the NSF and the National Science Board, the award is named in honor of the first director of the National Science Foundation. The 1997 award consists of a citation, a bronze medal, and a grant of $500,000 over a 3‐year period for scientific research or study at the institution of the recipient's hoice.
Women's studies
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2011

On March 31, 1997, the Association for Women Geoscientists will award two Chrysalis Scholarships to women who have returned to school after an interruption in their education for a year or longer. The $750 awards will be given to geoscience master's or Ph.D. candidates to cover expenses in finishing their theses.

The application deadline is February 28, 1997.
Mission for Mitchell
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2011

In honor of a life of pioneering efforts to use satellite altimetry for geophysical studies, the U.S. Navy announced on December 16, 1996, that it will dedicate its next satellite altimeter—the follow‐on to Geosat—to deceased AGU member Jimmy Mitchell. The announcement was made during a special session dedicated to Mitchell's research at the AGU Fall Meeting.

Mitchell first won renown at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1970s and 1980s while conducting research associated with Voyager missions. But it was his work in later years at the Naval Research Laboratory at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, that led the Navy to honor him with the satellite.
Course of sea‐level change
Authors: Carlowicz Michael
Published: October 2011

This summer, the Environment and Climate Program of the European Union will offer an advanced study course on “sea‐level changes on micro to macro timescales: measurements, modeling, interpretation, and application.” The short course will be taught from July 1–12 at the Aesclepon Conference Center on the island of Kos, Greece.

The interdisciplinary course is designed to bring together at least 40 students from different disciplines in an attempt to share and disseminate fundamental ideas about sea level change, focusing particularly on changes influenced by anthropogenic factors. Participants will be selected by a scientific panel; the European Union will conduct the course free of charge and will provide free lodging. Students must pay for their own travel expenses and food.
NSF adopts new criteria
Authors: Friebele Elaine
Published: October 2011

Beginning in October, grant proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation will be reviewed according to new criteria. The four aspects now used by NSF reviewers to evaluate proposals will be reduced to two: intellectual merit and broader impact to society.

NSF's more comprehensive strategic plan and stronger emphasis on education prompted the first change in its merit review criteria since 1981. The second new criterion—the proposed activity's impact to society—combines two present criteria regarding the relevance of the research and its effect on the infrastructure of science and engineering. The new criteria are organized in a way that, according to administrators, should make them more flexible and easier to use.
Hot tracks
Authors: Friebele Elaine
Published: October 2011

Continental plates don't leave tracks—or do they? As hot material wells up from deep in the Earth's mantle at sites called hotspots, seamounts are produced. Chains of seamounts, like those running northwestward from the Hawaiian islands, reveal the direction and rate of tectonic plate movement— as long as their age can be determined.

Paul Wessel and Loren Kronke of the University of Hawaii recently described a simple and labor‐saving technique for locating extinct hotspots and tracing the history of plate motions without having to know how old the seamounts are. By using the geometric relationship linking hotspots to the seamounts that they produce, the researchers traced the motion of tectonic plates without identifying the age of seamounts. Using this method,
Bad time for weather forecasting
Authors: Friebele Elaine
Published: October 2011

Apparently, the transition from cold, glacial times to warmer conditions was not a smooth one. Paleoclimatic records from equatorial East Africa, Antarctica, and Greenland reveal that atmospheric circulation changed abruptly at the early to mid‐Holocene transition, according to a paper published in the June 20 issue of Science.

Marine and terrestrial records around the world indicate that a climatic reorganization occurred at both the equator and the poles about 8,000 years ago, just as the continental ice sheets were retreating and sea levels were rising. J.C. Stager and P.A. Mayewski from Paul Smith's College in New York and the University of New Hampshire, respectively, recently added evidence from Lake Victoria's diatom and pollen record.
Lunar prospecting
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Shortly after NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft launches to the Moon on January 5, thousands of students around the world will closely monitor the satellite's mapping mission through an Internet program offered by Space Explorers, Inc., an education company.
Forest Service produces risk maps
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

As part of an effort to improve the management and health of forests in the United States, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) presented Congress with new maps to help assess the risks that woodlands face from catastrophic fires, pests, and disease, at a February 24 hearing of a subcommittee of the House of Representatives' Committee on Agriculture.

However, Subcommittee Chair Robert Goodlatte (R‐Va.) questioned the Forest Service's commitment to the mapping initiative, which the committee earlier had requested that the agency undertake. “Even if the initiative is completed on paper, there remains the question whether the Forest Service will actually implement it on the ground,” he said.
Committing to science and math teaching
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

On July 20, US. Secretary of Education Richard Riley commemorated the 30th anniversary of the first landing on the Moon by appointing members of a new National Commissionon Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century and calling for a commitment to improve science and mathematics education.

The commission, chaired by former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn, will develop a strategy to raise the quality of mathematics and science teaching across the nation, and will submit its findings in the fall of 2000.
Reply [to “Comment: Human contribution to climate change increasingly clear”]
Authors: Singer S. Fred
Published: October 2011

Does the “balance of evidence suggest a discernible human influence on climate?” Until properly defined, this main conclusion of the IPCC [1996, p. 5] is not meaningful.This ambiguous phrase does not identify (using Keller's words) “a small but growing [anthropogenic] signal in a noisy chaotic climate.” Nor can it be used “to project future warming even with admittedly imperfect climate models.”
Trace gas study accumulates forty million frequent‐flyer miles for science
Authors: Cho J. Y. .N. , Newell R. E. , Thouret V. , Marenco A. , Smit H.
Published: October 2011

At any given moment about 4000 commercial aircraft are flying over the Earth. To an atmospheric scientist they constitute a potentially vast array of in situ measurement platforms, an obvious source of high‐resolution upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric (UT/LS) trace gas data that could not be obtained on such a continuous basis in any other way, especially over the oceans.

The number of flights has been steadily growing, and the long‐term outlook for continued “funding” looks excellent given the penchant for humans to travel around the world. And yet, to date, there have been few attempts to tap this resource for atmospheric chemistry studies. One study, however, has chalked up 40 million miles over the past 5 years.
Kansas becomes latest U.S. battleground in effort to limit the teaching of evolution
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Anywhere you go, you face some sort of challenge, reasoned Lee Allison, who took over as director of the Kansas Geological Survey on July 26 and is still unpacking boxes. Allison faced his new challenge directly on August 11, when he stood before the 10 members of the State Board of Education at a hearing in Topeka, and urged them not to adopt statewide science standards that de‐emphasize the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Allison delivered the statement in person rather than by letter because he wanted the survey to take a higher profile in the controversy than it previously had done. He wanted to “make a statement that the geology community was not going to sit back and let this happen.”
Teaching evolution
Authors: Geissman John Wm.
Published: October 2011

The decision by the Kansas Board of Education, on August 11, to delete evolution from the state's school science curriculum was a blow to science education and, therefore, to science. Regardless of how appalling the decision is, expressions of shock and disapproval are not the most effective response.

What is needed from scientists, including AGU members, is long‐term, dedicated, and concerted involvement in education at the state and local level. Creationists won in Kansas, have won in other states, and may continue to win elsewhere, because they care enough and are sufficiently organized to get elected or appointed to school boards. Unfortunately, there is often a tendency among scientists to overlook, or be less involved in, issues that may not be perceived as of immediate or direct importance. The deplorable decision by the Kansas Board of Education may reflect a situation in which those who were too busy to participate in local politics had a limited effect on the decision process. Science education in Kansas will suffer, as it has in other states. We need to recognize that science education must not start at the university/college level. Active involvement by scientists in state and local politics has made a difference in some states in thwarting attempts by creationists to profoundly modify science curricula as well as placing educated individuals on school boards.
Comment on “Arrhenius and Current Concerns: Continuity or a 100‐year gap?”
Authors: Kondratyev Kirill Ya.
Published: October 2011

I read with great interest the paper by J. R. Fleming, “Arrhenius and Current Concerns: Continuity or a 100‐year Gap?” (Eos, August 25, 1998, pp. 405, 409–410). I cannot share, however, a general assessment (actually a reassessment) of the importance of S. Arrhenius' “greenhouse” publications. Although it is almost always difficult to say who made the very first step, it is undoubtedly true, in my opinion, that Arrhenius had accomplished pioneering studies of conceptual significance long before the beginning of relevant contemporary investigations. Of course his results should be considered in a historical perspective. But, isn't it curious that Arrhenius' quantitative estimates of global warming practically coincide with the present‐day assessment (1.5–4.5°C warming in the case of CO2 doubling) with the use of the most complicated three‐dimensional global climate models? I am ready to argue that this is notmerely fortuitous agreement.
Reply [to “Comment on ‘Arrhenius and current concerns: Continuity or a 100‐year gap?’”]
Authors: Fleming James R.
Published: October 2011

I thank the distinguished academician K. Ya. Kondratyev for his “great interest” in my paper and find myself in substantial agreement with many of his comments. In particular, I agree that contemporary scientists and policy makers can benefit from a critical study of the history of science. While Kondratyev's focus is on “the more important and difficult task” of improving climate modeling and assessment, my work focuses on the past, which I discuss in greater detail in my book, Historical Perspectives on Climate Change (Oxford, 1998).
Auroral spectra as a tool for detecting extraterrestrial life
Authors: Akasofu Syun
Published: October 2011

One of the most prominent emissions from the aurora is the greenish‐white light from oxygen atoms, while the Jovian aurora contains atomic hydrogen emissions [Clarke et al., 1989]. Most of the processes leading to the production of oxygen atoms are directly or indirectly related to molecular oxygen produced near the ground level. Thus, the oxygen emission, the so‐called “green line” (557.7 nm), of the terrestrial aurora, arises mostly from the fact that plants release abundant free oxygen into the atmosphere by the photosynthesis process. Thus, the green line shows that plant life exists on Earth.
Joint AGU/SSA Statement on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Authors: Lanzerotti Louis J.
Published: October 2011

Recognizing that the debate in the U.S. Senate on whether to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) could benefit from a clear analysis of the technical limits to monitoring nuclear explosions, AGU joined with the Seismological Society of America (SSA) to carry out such an analysis. In the following policy statement, approved by both societies, seismologists speak with essentially one voice about this crucial aspect of the CTBT. This is the first time that AGU has prepared a policy statement jointly with another society, and this is the first policy statement SSA has adopted.

The policy regarding AGU's procedures for developing position statements on public issues, the Union's role in advocacy of the statements, and all current AGU position statements are available online at http://www.agu. org/sci_soc/policy/sci_ pol.html.
Striking a “perfect” balance
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Sixty seconds. That's one that features Patrick Stewart, the actor most well‐known for his portrayal of Captain Jean‐Luc Picard on “Star Trek.” Another, a 30‐second spot, includes a voice‐over by film star Linda Hunt.

These film “trailers,” called “Perfect Balance,” are public service announcements (PSAs) that call attention to the potential threat of global climate change. Movie theaters in at least 60 countries will air the spots beginning in October.
Moon probe benefits continue
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

NASA's dramatic finale to the Lunar Prospector spacecraft—crashing it into a shadowed crater near the Moon's south pole on July 31—has produced no observable detection of ice water, according to research group leaders from the University of Texas at Austin who announced their results on October 13.

The researchers say this lack of ice water detection leaves in question whether permanently shadowed regions of the Moon harbor buried remains of ice that may have been delivered by ancient comet impacts. During its main mapping mission, the Lunar Prospector had indirectly measured large amounts of hydrogen suggesting the presence of water.
U.S. State Department urged to beef up science component
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The U.S. State Department often comes under pressure to respond to a variety of international emergencies one after another, from the U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania to Hurricane Mitch in Central America to the crisis in Kosovo.

Many of the department's priorities include significant science, technology, and health (STH) components: nuclear nonproliferation, global climate change, protecting scientific databases, and international food and water supply safety, including arsenic in drinking water wells in Bangladesh, among other varied issues.
Coralling reef funding
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

With key federal funding for coral reef protection in jeopardy in the fiscal year 2000 U.S. federal budget, an official with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) told Congress on October 21 that the threats to reefs require urgent attention.

Sally Yozell, NOAA deputy assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere, told the House of Representatives′ Subcommittee on Fisheries, Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans that a congressional conference report on the appropriations bill that only includes $2 million of $12 million requested for NOAAs coral reef program would not be sufficient to adequately map, restore, and protect coral reefs.
Revised Viking landing site yields accurate maps for Mars
Authors: Oberst Jürgen , Zeitler Wolfgang , Parker Tim
Published: October 2011

A new generation of geometrically accurate maps for Mars is in the works thanks to data from the Mars Pathfinder and a mapping project involving reanalyzing images obtained by the Viking Orbiters in the 1970s. During the mapping project it was discovered that the location of the Viking Lander 1 (VL1) on Mars, adopted after its landing in 1976 [Morris, 1980], was not correct. The location represented a basis for previous mapping efforts and is perhaps partially responsible for the poor precision of current maps of the planet.

Availability of maps with good geometric accuracy is of immediate practical importance for pointing orbiting cameras toward specific targets depicted in the maps. Precise maps are also crucial for planning future missions to the surface, such as the Mars Polar Lander, as it is desirable to direct the spacecraft to a specific landing site seen in the maps. Prototypes of new maps of Mars have a geometric accuracy of 1–3 km.
Canadian climate
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The Canadian government announced on November 16 that the Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF) will provide $9.6 million for partial funding of 59 innovative science, technology and public education projects.

Newly funded science project topics include sulphate aerosol forcing in global climate models, climate change and geomorphological hazards in the Canadian cordillera, and climate change impacts on northern river ecosystems and adaptation strategies via the hydroelectric industry.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

William G. Dow died on October 17, 1999, at age 104. He was a retired life member (Planetology) who joined in 1962.

Albert G. Fiedler died in July 1999, at age 102. He was a retired life member (Hydrology) who joined in 1933.
Finding lichens in all the right places
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The scientific process of discovery can take surprising twists.

Take William Bull, a professor emeritus of geosciences at the University of Arizona, with whom Eos recently spoke. One day in December 1989, as Bull gazed across the pastoral New Zealand scenery with sheep grazing in the foreground of the Southern Alps, his paranoia led to a new discovery about how to date past earthquakes and possibly help to forecast future ground shaking.
Nonlinear Processes/Complex Systems listserv
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A listserv has been created for those interested in nonlinear and complex systems in the Earth sciences. It will be used for disseminating information of interest to those working in the field on meetings, announcements of general interest to researchers, publications, funding opportunities, and for those interested in the work of AGU's Nonlinear Geophysics Technical Committee.
New membership system at headquarters
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The AGU membership and subscription record keeping system is being replaced with a new system that can evolve with emerging database and Web technology. The new system is part of an effort to upgrade all information systems at headquarters, following guidelines set by the Information Technology Committee.
Notice
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

William M. Kaula, a retired life member (Geodesy), died on Saturday, April 1, 2000, at age 73. He was an AGU Fellow (1964),a Whitten Medalist (1987),and past President of the Geodesy Section (1992–1994).
Reviving the Mars Polar Lander
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Although the real‐life Mars Polar Lander was lost shortly after entry into the Martian atmosphere, children above age 10, or adults,can build a detailed, l/24th scale, paper model of the Polar Lander, thanks to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The scale model includes the spacecraft's heat shield, lander, microprobes, and other instrumentation.
U.S. toxic emissions top 7 billion pounds
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Publicly reported toxic emissions released by industries in the United States total 7.3 billion pounds annually, nearly three times more than an earlier figure released under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory.

Seven major industrial sectors publicly reporting their discharges for the first time in the 1998 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) issued in May account for most of the increase.
New World Council
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The creation of a new council to provide international bodies such as the United Nations and the World Bank with impartial advice on science, engineering, and medical issues of global concern was announced by a group of national science academies on May 15.

The InterAcademy Council (IAC), headquartered at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in Amsterdam, will serve as a formal advisory body, funded on a project‐by‐project basis by international agencies.
Starry‐eyed medical optics
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The Keck Telescope in Hawaii is one facility using adaptive optics that sharpen images by correcting for aberrations in the atmosphere. Now, that same technology developed by astronomers is being used by vision scientists to improve eyesight even for people who already have 20/20 vision.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Felix E. Mutschler died on May 9, 2000, at age 67. He was a member (Volcanology Geochemistry, and Petrology) who joined in 1970.
Nuclear issues continue to fuel debate
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Issues related to nuclear energy and questions of how to deal with waste from nuclear weapons continue to generate hot debate.

An August 7 report from the U.S. National Academy of Science's National Research Council charges that the U.S. Department of Energy's long‐term stewardship plans to oversee the government's nuclear waste sites is “problematic.” The report says the Department of Energy's (DOE) stewardship plans are not yet specified, adequate funding has not been assured, and there is no convincing evidence that institutional controls of the nation's nearly 150 nuclear waste contaminated sites—remnants of the nuclear arms race—will be reliable in the long term.
Limiting salt intake
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

An August 12 report released by Environment Canada concludes that road salts are toxic to the environment. The results of the 5‐year assessment indicate that the road salts that Canada typically uses each year pose a risk to lake and stream ecosystems, groundwater, and a variety of plants and animals.

While the assessment report calls for road salts to be added to Canada s List of Toxic Substances maintained under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), Environment Canada states that it is not considering a ban on road salts, and that road safety issues will be considered when adopting any control measures.
Policy makers look at climate change issues before next round of international talks
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Eileen Claussen thinks the next round of major international negotiations on climate change may be able to make progress on some of the outstanding technical and political questions. But she doubts that a number of details, including the controversial issue of allowing countries to receive credits for carbon sequestration in so‐called “sinks” such as agricultural and forest land, will be resolved satisfactorily this year. “The question is, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it count against your Kyoto target?” asked Claussen, president of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, referring to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. Claussen spoke at the Earth Technologies Forum, a conference on climate change and ozone protection, held in Washington, D.C. on October 30.
Comment [on “Which one is correct, 2000 or 2001? How about 1995?”]
Authors: Godsden Michael
Published: October 2011

In a recent letter,Veronis [2000] discusses whether the third millennium began at January 1, 2000, or will begin on January 1, 2001.
[Comment on “Which one is correct, 2000 or 2001? How about 1995?”]
Authors: Randall John
Published: October 2011

Professor Veronis' proof that the new millennium began on January 1, 2000, is wrong. The new millennium will begin on January l, 2001.Veronis's error stems from an apparent confusion of intervals and points on the number line. On the temporal number line, periods such as years, centuries, and millennia are intervals; birth dates are points.
Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition
Authors: Wood Charles A.
Published: October 2011

How do you review an indispensable classic? In 1981, Tom Simkin and colleagues at the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Project (GVP) published Volcanoes of the World. This was the first complete modern English language listing of volcanoes and their eruptions, and it became the fundamental reference for such information. In 1994, Simkin and Lee Siebert published a second edition, which adds 170 volcanoes, 2322 eruptions, and hundreds of references and corrections to the first edition. The value of this compilation is indicated by the fact that even though it is now 6 years old, it warrants a review in Eos!
New report indicates global freshwater systems in trouble
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Maybe a recount is needed, because the numbers do not add up to provide sufficient amounts of freshwater for all competing needs.

Water covers about 70% of the Earth's surface, and is also abundant as groundwater and water vapor. However, less than 1% of water is available to people as freshwater for their use, and humanity already is utilizing more than half of the world's available surface water.
Reflections of an Eos editor
Authors: Bell Jim
Published: October 2011

I served as the Eos Planetary Sciences Section editor from 1997 to 1999, and I want to share a few thoughts and reflections on this experience and to deliver some unsolicited advice regarding the future of Eos and our section.

It has been an incredibly interesting and active period for planetary sciences. I'm happy to say that much of the excitement has been shared with the section and the rest of AGU in the pages of Eos. You've written a wonderful group of feature articles, news stories, meeting reports, and opinion pieces in the past 3 years, providing visibility to the work we do in planetary sciences and educating the more than 35,000 other members of the Union about the scientific and societal impact of what we do. It really has been rewarding working with many of you to help get your thoughts and results into print every week
Outstanding student award
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The AGU All‐Union Committee for Mineral and Rock Physics (M&RP) will present their 2000 Outstanding Student Award to Steven D. Jacobsen during the M&RP and Nonlinear Geophysics Reception. The reception will be held during the AGU 2000 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, USA.
Meeting explores sensor technology for remote, interactive aquatic experiments
Authors: Daly Kendra L.
Published: October 2011

Oceans, lakes, rivers, and groundwater are complex, dynamic environments in which physical, chemical, and biological processes occur over varying temporal and spatial scales (e.g., eddies, nutrient fluxes, patchiness of organisms, benthic processes, and pollution). In addition, deep, remote, or hostile systems such as hydrothermal vents and polar regions traditionally are poorly sampled, but are important to understanding global biogeochemical and hydrological cycles. In the coming decades, moored, cabled, and autonomous observatories will be used to investigate a spectrum of basic processes in aquatic environments. In anticipation of the need to develop or re‐engineer sensors to measure physical, chemical, biological, and geological processes in situ, a one‐day workshop and special session on sensor technology was held during the June 2000 meeting of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) in Copenhagen, Denmark. The goal of the workshop was to exchange ideas on new experimental approaches and methodology, to define strategic themes, and to formulate specific recommendations related to sensor development. The 25 participants from North America and Europe represented academic and industry sensor developers and users, as well as a broad spectrum of scientific interests. Reported here are the recommendations resulting from that meeting in hope that they will be useful as a catalyst for further development of sensor systems.
Report on large dams calls for balanced assessment of projects and revised decision‐making process
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Some 45,000 large dams were built around the world during the last century, which averages out to more than one new impoundment per day These structures have come with substantial development benefits—including irrigation, flood control, water supply and hydroelectric power—for millions of people. But they have also brought controversy The social costs include tens of millions of people displaced and numerous complaints that the benefits of dams are distributed inequitably Dams often have also caused dramatic changes in water flow and water quality, in aquatic biodiversity and ecosystems, and, in some cases, have led to possible excess greenhouse gas emissions from rotting vegetation in reservoirs and carbon inflows from catchments.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Sydney D. Bowers died on May 16,2000, at age 76. He was a member (Hydrology) who joined AGU in 1953.

Jack William Fassett died in 1998, at age 66. He was a member (Seismology) who joined AGU in 1982.
Multinational geoscientific research effort kicks off in the Middle East
Authors: Abu‐Ayyash K. , Abueladas A. , Daoud M. , Qabbani I. , Al‐Amoush H. , Bock G. , Bribach J. , Jäckel K.‐H. , Kesten D. , Kind R. , Maercklin N. , Mechie J. , Mohsen A. , Ritter O. , Rümpker G. , Ryberg T. , Schulze A. , Sobolev S. , Stiller M. , Thoss H. , Weber M. , Weckmann U. , Wylegalla K. , Agnon A. , Garfunkel Z. , Bartov Y. , Baumann M. , Scherbaum F. , Ben‐Avraham Z. , El‐Kelani R. , Frieslander U. , Hofstetter A. , Hördt A. , Neubauer M. , Milkereit B. , Stoll J.
Published: October 2011

The Dead Sea Rift Transect (DESERT 2000) is a multinational and interdisciplinary study of the Dead Sea Rift.

The project began fieldwork in February 2000 and the first experiments were successfully completed in May. The seismic, seismological, and magnetotelluric experiments presented here, along with the future electromagnetic, gravity, magnetic, geodynamic, and geological studies, will provide the basic geophysical and geodynamic frame for further geoscientific research. DESERT 2000 should also help address a fundamental question of plate tectonics: How do shear zones work and what controls them?
Exploring Late Pleistocene climate variations
Authors: Sarnthein M. , Kennett J. P. , Chappell J. , Crowley T. , Curry W. , Dupessy J. C. , Grootes P. , Hendy I. , Laj C. , Negendank J. , Schulz M. , Shackleton N. J. , Voelker A. , Zolitschka B. ,   Trins Workshop Participants
Published: October 2011

The origin of much of the variability in late Quaternary climate remains a major question in the understanding of processes of past and future climate change. The origin of major rapid, decadal climate change during the latest Quaternary remains an enigma. These issues are critical for understanding global change. Although major progress continues to be made, a general consensus has developed that limitations in knowledge of the chronology of millennial‐scale climate variability are impeding further progress.
POPs the word
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Text for a United Nations treaty requiring governments to limit and halt the use of a number of so‐called persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, was finalized on December 11.

POPs are highly stable compounds that can bioaccumulate in living organisms, and can also circulate for decades in the environment through evaporation, atmospheric transport, and deposition.
Arcane Allogromid Foraminifera targeted in International Workshop
Authors: Bernhard Joan M. , Bowser Samuel S.
Published: October 2011

If you have ever studied the deep‐ocean sea floor or examined near‐shore sediments, you probably saw a plethora of allogromids, probably without even knowing it. In fact, even if you have never been to the ocean but have waded in a lake or stream or walked through damp leaves in a forest, you were among allogromids.

What exactly is an allogromid and why should you care if they are in lakes, oceans, and forests?
Methods and Applications of Inversion
Authors: Johnson Lane
Published: October 2011

In considering Methods and Applications of Inversions, it is important to realize that the study of inverse problems is not a well‐posed endeavor. To begin with, the variety of such problems is extremely broad; any systematic attempt to use observational data to make inferences about a model of the underlying physical processes qualifies as an inverse method. And then, the methods of analysis can branch off in innumerable directions. Many choices must be made in formulating the problem, determining the type and amount of regularization, selecting a solution algorithm, and in representing the results. Finally there is the peculiar process of appraisal, which is often treated as optional, in which one attempts to determine whether a solution was actually obtained and whether it contains any new information. What this means is that when a group gets together to discuss inverse problems, one should not be surprised to encounter a broad variety of problems and approaches. Such is the case with Methods and Applications of Inversions.
New tool to manage coral reefs
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is making available a new tool for coral reef managers to monitor the cumulative thermal stress of several coral reefs around the world, including the Great Barrier Reef, and reefs by the Galapagos Islands, the agency announced on 25 February.

The agency's “Degree Heating Weeks” product uses satellite‐derived information to allow continuous monitoring of the extent and acuteness of thermal stress, which are key predictors of coral bleaching, and which contribute to coral reef degradation.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Walter A. Flood died this year. He had been a retired life member (Atmospheric Sciences) who joined AGU in 1959.

Kentaro Tsutsumi died this year. He had been an AGU member (Seismology) since 1967.
Large solar system planetoid discovered
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

A newly discovered planetoid, currently dubbed 2004 UN, could be confirmed as the largest such known body in the Kuiper Belt, scientists announced on 19 February.

The planetoid, located about 4.4 billion miles from Earth, is estimated at about 1,400 kilometers in diameter, according to Michael Brown, associate professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology.
Continued use of methyl bromide allowed
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

Twelve countries have received “critical use exemptions” to continue using limited amounts of the pesticide methyl bromide in 2005. The decision was reached during the 24–26 March inter‐governmental meeting on the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Countries receiving exemptions include the United States, Canada, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The United States requested an exemption for 9,446 metric tons, and agreed to 8,942 metric tons, or 35% of the 1991 baseline amount used by the U.S.
NSF to allow Smithsonian funding
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The U.S. National Science Board approved a resolution to allow all full‐time and postdoctoral scientists from the Smithsonian Institution to apply for National Science Foundation grants through the agency's normal merit review process.

The resolution modifies NSF's policy on funding other federal agencies, and it acknowledges “the unique status of [the] Smithsonian Institution and its special contributions to science research and education.”
NASA ballooning team solicits input
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

A NASA scientific ballooning roadmap team is identifying requirements for a minimal and an optimal scientific ballooning program in the near term and over the next 10 to 15 years. The team, whose report might be considered by NASAs Office of Space Science as the office prepares its next strategic plan, welcomes input from the community regarding opportunities for balloon‐borne investigations, and on requirements for enabling those investigations.
NRC Earth science and applications study planned
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The National Research Council (NRC) is organizing a new study, “Earth Science and Applications: A Community Assessment and Strategy for the Future.” The study, which will be organized in a manner similar to recent NRC decadal surveys in astronomy and astrophysics, solar and space physics, and solar system exploration, is intended to articulate priorities for Earth system science and the space‐based observational approaches to address those priorities.
Bill provides clear mandate for NOAA
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2011

The Science Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on 17 May approved the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Act (House Resolution 50), a bill to clarify and codify the agency's functions and responsibilities. The legislation now awaits action by the full House.

NOAA was created by Executive Order in 1970, and since then has operated without a clear mandate from Congress on what its role and responsibilities should be. Passage of a NOAA organic act was a key recommendation of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.
Renewing investment in ocean research
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

AGU supports the integrated research, research infrastructure, and education findings of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. AGU urges immediate development of a comprehensive ocean policy with a holistic approach to ocean environmental health and resource sustainability.

In 2004, the United States Government issued the Commission's An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, the government's first comprehensive evaluation of U.S. policies concerning Earth's oceans in 35 years. Since publication of the report, the President has issued an executive order establishing a Committee on Ocean Policy as part of the Council on Environmental Quality, and he has released the U.S. Ocean Action Plan. However, these are only the first of many urgently needed measures.
Research Spotlight: Gullies on Mars indicate presence of liquid water
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

Present‐day conditions on Mars were thought to prevent water from existing as a liquid on the planet's surface, but recent studies have pointed to the existence of liquid water. Now observations of gully activity on Mars provide further indications of the presense of transient liquid water.

Reiss et al. studied images of the Russell crater dune field on Mars taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) from November 2006 to May 2009. They observed that the length of a 2‐meter‐wide gully channel had increased by about 50 meters in 1 year and about 120 meters in 2 years. On the basis of the morphology of the channel and other factors, the researchers believe that these changes in the length of the gully are best explained by erosional processes triggered by the melting of small amounts of water ice. This adds to the growing body of evidence that transient liquid water can exist on Mars.
Research Spotlight: Rivers rebound as woodlands replace degraded grasslands
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

The results of a new study suggest that contrary to previous belief, streamflow can increase when grasslands convert to woodlands.

Wilcox and Huang studied trends in the base flow (water supplied by groundwater and springs) and stormflow (water from flood events) components of streamflow of four major rivers in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas over the past 85 years. Before 1890 the Edwards Plateau region was mainly grassland. From the late 1800s to about 1960, severe overgrazing degraded the land, resulting in loss of vegetation. Since about 1960, the land has been recovering and woody plants have been taking over what had been grasslands.
Research Spotlight: Demonstrating the equivalence of two atmospheric velocity statistics
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

Atmospheric velocity (wind speed) statistics are a key part of weather prediction as well as climate studies. Velocity statistics, which are used in describing atmospheric dynamics as a function of spatial scale, season, or geographic region, are usually calculated on constant pressure levels. Because there can be large altitude variations in constant pressure surfaces during large‐scale atmospheric disturbances, some recent studies have suggested that statistics should instead be calculated on constant altitude levels.
Research Spotlight: Does the ocean influence the atmosphere's response to ozone?
Authors: Kumar Mohi , Ofori Leslie , Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

Southern Hemisphere weather patterns have changed significantly over the past few decades. Modeling studies have shown that these changes can be attributed mainly to stratospheric ozone depletion. However, the ozone layer is predicted to slowly recover over the next several decades, and climate modelers would like to predict how the atmosphere will respond to this recovery.
Research Spotlight: The fate of organic carbon in terrestrial soil on the coast
Authors: Ofori Leslie , Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

Soil found in the Arctic stores half of the world's soil organic carbon (SOC) and twice as much carbon as is in the atmosphere. Because rising temperatures in the Arctic are thawing the permafrost, some of the soil carbon then degrades into greenhouse gases that are remobilized into the carbon cycle, exerting positive feedback on global warming.
Research Spotlight: Direct access to subglacial Lake Ellsworth
Authors: Ofori Leslie , Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

Since the discovery in 1996 that Lake Vostok, a subglacial lake in Antarctica, possessed a water column of more than 500 meters, scientists have come to believe that subglacial lakes are feasible habitats for life and may contain historical records of ice sheets and past climate within the sediments on their floors. So far, however, no subglacial lakes have been directly sampled.

To determine a good location for direct measurements, Woodward et al. studied subglacial Lake Ellsworth in West Antarctica. The area is ideal for access because freezing and water circulation rates are low and are not affected by inflow of sediment with base water.
Research Spotlight: Studying heat transport in geological environments
Authors: Ofori Leslie , Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

Environmental and industrial applications such as oil drilling, geothermal engineering, and radioactive waste storage rely on knowledge of heat transport through geological environments. It is often assumed that heat transfer is governed by a simple equation known as the Fourier transport equation, but there is evidence that heat flow in some media is in fact non‐Fourier.

To explore the issue, Geiger and Emmanuel conducted simulations of heat flow in geologically realistic fractured porous domains. They found that heat transport in a well‐connected fracture network is governed by the Fourier transport equation.
Research Spotlight: Understanding slab‐plume interaction beneath the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Ofori Leslie , Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

During the past 65 million years, the northwestern portion of the United States has experienced significant tectonic and volcanic activity, including volcanism in the Yellowstone region. The origins of volcanism in the area have been debated.

To learn more about the region's tectonic activity and the underlying geologic structure, Obrebski et al. analyzed high‐resolution tomographic images of the Earth's interior created using data from the EarthScope USArray. They verified that there is a mantle plume (a column of hot rock rising upward within the mantle) beneath the Yellowstone Snake River Plain in Idaho.
Research Spotlight: Studying the Sun's effects on Earth's atmosphere
Authors: Ofori Leslie , Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

The Sun contributes to climate and weather on Earth through its influence on the atmosphere, and even small variations in solar radiation can affect Earth. Sun‐Earth couplings and interactions can be complex, and natural variability can make it difficult to detect long‐term trends.

A variety of studies were undertaken as part of the Climate and Weather of the Sun‐Earth System (CAWSES) project to better understand aspects of the Sun‐Earth system. CAWSES research covered solar input to the atmosphere through radiation and particles and the influence of the Sun on mesospheric ice clouds, ozone concentrations, transport of photochemically active gases, and wave processes including atmospheric tides and sudden stratospheric warming, as well as the variability of these interactions on different time scales.
Research Spotlight: Early hunters contributed to global warming
Authors: Kumar Mohi , Ofori Leslie , Tretkoff Ernie
Published: October 2011

According to a new study, hunters 15,000 years ago in Siberia and along the Bering land bridge contributed to global warming even before the emergence of agriculture. Sometime after the last glacial maximum, the mammoth population began to die down due to climate change and hunting. According to Doughty et al., the decrease in the mammoth population led to an expansion of birch trees. The birch had a positive biophysical feedback on the landscape, absorbing more of the Sun's heat and warming the planet, which in turn led to increased birch growth.