bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Membership in ISRM
Authors: Engelder Terry
Published: October 2011

The International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) was formed in 1962 as the only technical society devoted entirely to fostering the advancement of rock mechanics. In addition to sponsoring congresses and symposia, the Society undertakes its own scientific and technical studies, the results of which are published as commission reports.

United States interests are represented in the ISRM by a national group, the U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics (USNC/RM), which adheres to the Society on behalf of U.S. scientists, engineers, and technologists interested in rock mechanics. AGU is represented in USNC/RM by Terry Engelder (Lamont‐Doherty Geological Observatory). One of the functions of the national group is to provide for individual memberships in the ISRM.
Deep borehole in northern Illinois
Authors: Greathouse Lee
Published: October 2011

An opportunity has arisen to investigate deep Pre‐cambrian structure in northern Illinois. A 1500‐m hole, 7.5 cm in diameter, is being drilled near the town of Winslow, in Stephenson County. Researchers interested in geological and geophysical studies on this hole should contact Bezalel Haimson, at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison, by March 17. He can be reached at 608/262‐2563, 262‐3732, or 262‐1478, or at 1509 University Avenue, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.
Fall Meeting Report
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The 1979 Fall Meeting drew 1985 member and non‐member registrants. Over 1500 papers were presented, and there was a last minute session added on the Imperial Valley earthquake (October 15, 1979). On the more physical side, Clyde Wahrhaftig's field trip in the San Francisco area was enthusiastically received, and plans are already being made for next year's encore. The field guide, Streetcar to Subduction, will be on sale at the 1980 Fall Meeting.
Applications of a dedicated gravitational satellite mission
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

In 1978, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) asked the National Research Council, through the Committee on Geodesy, to conduct a workshop on the applications of a dedicated gravitational satellite mission. Such a mission had been recommended in the report, Geodesy: Trends and Prospects, subject to the analysis of accuracy requirements and feasibilities. The workshop was organized through the Panel on Gravity Field and Sea Level, chaired by John C. Harrison. His co‐chairman was Richard H. Rapp.
Subsurface magma movement detailed at Kilauea and Krafla
Authors:   Smithsonian Institution
Published: October 2011

Within the last 3 weeks, two major subsurface magma movements have been observed to occur: without major eruption, at Kilauea, Hawaii, and with a small eruption, at Krafla, Iceland. Researchers from Iceland and the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have been able to observe and roughly quantify, by careful instrumental monitoring, the filling of magma chambers from depth and their subsequent draining by intrusive events of eruptions.

On March 2, a microearthquake swarm began on Kilauea's upper east rift, near Pauahi Crater, site of a brief eruption in November 1979. Summit deflation, indicating draining of the magma chamber below, started within 7 minutes, and a tiltmeter began to record deformation as magma was intruded near Pauahi, 6 km downrift. About 2000 earthquakes, including several felt events, were recorded before the swarm ended 8 hours later. Deflation of the summit, totaling only 8 mm, continued for another hour. Just over a week later, a second intrusion took place a few kilometers further down the east rift beneath Mauna Ulu, active from 1969 to 1974. Earthquakes began on March 10 at 2157, summit deflation at 2206, and volcanic tremor at 2310. Eight centimeters of deflation, representing the draining of 8×106 m3 of magma from the summit the end of summit deformation on March 12 at 1630. Volcanic tremor around Mauna Ulu waned slowly and had almost ceased by March 13.
IUGG Canberra—For the record
Authors: Greathouse Lee
Published: October 2011

A full list of officers of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences has been received since publication of the February 12 issue of EOS.
IAMAP Assembly
Authors: Ruttenberg Stanley
Published: October 2011

The following actions were taken by the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics (IAMAP) during the XVII IUGG General Assembly in Canberra, Australia, in December.

As previously reported (EOS, 61(7), February 6, 1980), IAMAP elected a new president, two new vice‐presidents, and a member of the executive committee (to replace deceased colleague E. Hesstvedt). Those elected were: president, W. L. Godson; vice‐president, H. U. Dütsch; vice‐president, H. Sundqvist; and member, executive committee, R. G. Soulage. Stanley Ruttenburg continues as secretary general; he was elected at the XVI IUGG, Grenoble, for two terms.
Jupiter Data Analysis Program
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

It is recognized that the data that exist from the Voyager encounters with Jupiter constitute a national resource, and that it is necessary to conduct a program whereby Voyager and non‐Voyager program scientists have an opportunity to analyze the data fully and to obtain additional or alternate interpretations of the data.

This is the purpose of a recent announcement by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) to support ‘data analysis’ of the results of the Voyager encounter with Jupiter. The closest approach dates at Jupiter were March 5,1979, for Voyager 1 and July 9, 1979, for Voyager 2. During the 100 plus days of each encounter period, a substantial volume of data was acquired in each of the principal investigation domains: the planet Jupiter itself, the satellites, and the Jovian magnetosphere. The 11 instrument‐related investigations are listed in the table shown.
SEAN report
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Mount St. Helens Volcano, Cascade Range, southern Washington, U.S.A. (46.20°N, 122.18°W). All times are local (GMT ‐ 8 h). After a week of local seismicity, Mount St. Helens began to erupt steam and ash on March 27, the first eruption in the contiguous United States since the 1914–1917 activity of Mt. Lassen, California. Steam and ash explosions and earthquakes from Mount St. Helens were continuing on April 19, but no fresh magma had reached the surface.

Seismic activity was initiated at 1548 on March 20 by a magnitude 4.1 earthquake centered on or near Mount St. Helens at 5 km depth or less. Events of magnitudes 3.5 on March 22, 3.4 on March 23, and 4.2, 3.4, and 3.4 on March 24 punctuated smaller events that were occurring every few minutes by the 24th, at depths of less than 5 km. Seismologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Washington installed an array of portable seismographs to record the earthquake swarm. USGS personnel who flew over the volcano on March 24 saw no new snow‐free patches or fumaroles, but they observed a number of snow avalanches triggered by earthquakes. Seismicity became more vigorous on March 25, when 11 earthquakes between magnitude 3.4 and 3.8 were recorded, and continued to increase the next day, when 14 shocks, ranging in magnitude from 3.4 to 4.0, accompanied the numerous smaller events that continued to occur.
Cui Honorem Honorem
Authors: Russell C.T.
Published: October 2011

I see by the announcement in the April 1 issue (which I assume is no joke) that the all‐male AGU awards committees have upheld the traditions of their (male) colleagues of years past and once again ignored the contribution of our female colleagues in the presentation of awards. I do not question the qualifications of the awardees, but I do believe there are many of equal standing to those chosen and many of these equals are female. Could there be a selection bias in the nominating procedure? Are strong nominations being written for female candidates? Perhaps the awards committees should take an active role in ferreting out potential awardees so there is a more even mix of candidates.
Open letter to the volcanology, geochemistry and petrology section
Authors: Smith Joseph V.
Published: October 2011

As incoming president‐elect of this section, I welcome suggestions from members. Because of the strong overlap of interests with those of the Geological Society of America, Geochemical Society, Meteoritical Society, and Mineralogical Society of America, I am particularly interested in maintaining appropriate coordination. Ideas for themes of sessions at the annual meetings would be welcome, along with offers of help in organization. I am concerned about the high costs of meetings but suspect that there is no way of cutting costs except to go to a state university and use dormitory facilities. Any ideas about locations for meetings would be useful for discussion. There is considerable duplication of papers given at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference and the American Geophysical Union meetings. Should there be discussion about combining the LPSC with the AGU Spring Meeting? Can research budgets continue to cover the approximately $1000 needed for two conferences? Is any member concerned about publications? Even in the best run organizations there can be administrative problems; do you have any concerns? If you would like to nominate anyone for an award, please send appropriate information. Thank you.
Mount St. Helens finally blows
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Mount St. Helens Volcano, Cascade Range, southern Washington, U.S.A. (46.20°N, 122,18°W). All times are local (GMT—7 hours). Without giving a sign that its internal forces had built to the breaking point, Mount St. Helens erupted with a tremendous explosion on May 18, at 0823, projecting ash into the stratosphere. A magnitude 5 earthquake struck the mountain apparently seconds before the eruption and may have prompted the blast, according to U.S. Geological Survey geologist Bob Christiansen.
Super magnetic storm due for Earth
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

A super magnetic storm, which will cause unprecedented disruptions in earth's power transmissions, will probably strike in the next few years, according to a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Magnetic storms set up currents in power lines that cause overloads and cut off power. Howard Sargent of the Commerce Department's Space Environment Services Center believes power transmission systems are more vulnerable than ever to magnetic disturbances and that conditions are ripe for a storm more powerful than any of these systems have weathered.

There is a class of ‘super’ magnetic storms, he said, that tends to occur after the peak in the sun's 11‐year sunspot cycle. They are especially likely, he noted, in odd‐numbered, active cycles. The sun is now just past the peak of a particularly spotty cycle, cycle 21.
Atmospheric studies by satellite
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected 26 scientific investigations to be studied for possible inclusion aboard two Upper‐Atmosphere Research Satellite missions proposed for the late 1980's.

The missions will focus on a comprehensive investigation of the earth's stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere to better understand the earth's upper atmosphere, the response of the ozone layer to changes, and the role of the upper atmosphere in climate and climate variability.
New Soviet gas field
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

According to a Reuter report, the Soviet Communist party daily Pravda has stated that Russian geologists have found a new natural gas field in western Siberia. Gas was reported to have been found about 3.2 km beneath the new Yevo‐Yakhinsky field, but the size of the strike was not disclosed. The new field is located near the large, established Urengoi field.
Report from IUGG Assembly: IAGA session on rock magnetism of fine particles
Authors: Deutsch E. R.
Published: October 2011

As a frontier science, rock magnetism provided crucial evidence for plate tectonics, but that was two decades ago and skeptics might ask whether the subject can still generate excitement, innovation, and controversy. They would have been reassured at the recent IAGA session on fine particles, the only meeting at Canberra that was devoted to rock magnetism per se, where 14 papers were presented.

One of the few topics on which rock magnetists seem generally agreed is that the stable remanence, important in paleomagnetism, resides in effectively singledomained (SD) grains. However, their mode of occurrence and relationship to multidomained (MD) grains in rocks is not understood. For example, is SD caused by submicroscopic particles or by effective subdivision of much larger grains, or both? Other contentious questions raised at Canberra concern the role of grains that carry viscous remanence (VRM) and of superparamagnetism (SP) as a cause of magnetic instability.
Pioneer maps Venus' surface
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

On the basis of extensive radar data returned by NASA's Pioneer Venus spacecraft, scientists for the first time have mapped nearly the entire cloud‐shrouded planet and identified huge continent‐sized features—including mountains as high as Everest and deep rift valleys. Pioneer Venus has now mapped about 83% of the planet's surface and by month's end will have covered 93%. Prior to Pioneer, less than 1% of Venus' topography had been measured by ground‐based radar. Venus' surface has never been seen because of the clouds which permanently cover the planet.
Geophysical events
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Mount St. Helens Volcano, Cascade Range, southern Washington, U.S.A. (46.20°N, 122.18° W). All times are local (GMT − 8 h through April 26; GMT − 7 beginning April 27). An eruption of Mount St. Helens began on March 27, after a week of local seismicity. During the first 10 days of the eruption, pulses of steam and ash rose as much as 3 km above the summit. Most of the ash fell on a thinly populated zone ranging from northeast to southeast of Mount St. Helens. Slight ashfalls occurred as far away as Spokane (about 500 km to the northeast) and Bend, Oregon (250 km to the south). On March 31, an unusual east wind deposited a thin layer of ash on the Kelso‐Longview area, about 65 km west of the volcano. Numerous debris flows descended the northern and eastern flanks early in the eruption, reaching nearly to timberline in some areas. These were composed of ice blocks and sparse blocks of rock in a matrix of dark‐colored mixed ash and snow. Nonincandescent ash avalanches occasionally flowed down the flanks during the early part of the eruption.
Illinois borehole still open
Authors: Greathouse Lee
Published: October 2011

A rare, deep, exploratory hole in northern Illinois will remain open for experiments by investigators. The hole was scheduled to be plugged, making it inaccessible. At the last minute, money was found to keep it open, said Bezalel Haimson, chairman of a steering group that coordinated testing. The hole penetrated Precambrian granite and reached a final depth of 1606.3 m (EOS, March 4, April 22, April 29).
Does a neutrino have mass?
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Maybe. A new particle physics measurement reported at the spring (Washington, D.C.) meeting of the American Physical Society suggests that the elusive neutrino, a prominent member of the lepton class, may indeed be more of a quark. Frederick Reines of the University of California, Irvine, and his colleagues have described experiments done at the Savannah River reactor that, if confirmed, indicate mass and charge for the neutrino. The implications of this result could be overwhelming. Over and above the major reassessment of particle physics that will be required, the consequences on cosmic physics of the neutrino's having mass will be incredibly large.
A first in nuclear waste storage: Back to granite
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

For the first time, storage of nuclear waste in the form of spent fuel elements and electric heat simulators from a commercial nuclear reactor will soon be tested in a deep granite repository, according to the Department of Energy.

The fundamental principles to be followed for storage of spent reactor fuel from nuclear electric generators are in a preliminary state of understanding (EOS, 61, 513–514, 1980). The guidelines at this state include sealing of the waste materials inside hermetically welded stainless steel containers and canisters. A deep storage well, located north of Las Vegas at the Department of Energy's Nevada test site, was drilled out of a thick formation of granitic rock. The stainless steel canisters will be placed into drilled access holes in the floor of a tunnel in the granite, at a depth of approximately 430 km from the surface.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

J. Paul Wild, chairman of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Sydney, Australia, was awarded the George Ellery Hale Prize at the 156th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, June 17, at the University of Maryland. Wild is the second person to receive the award, which is given in recognition of ‘outstanding contributions to solar physics.’
Seasat images
Authors: Kobrick Michael
Published: October 2011

Application of Seasat's (sea satellite) remote sensing radar to imaging of terrain could bring scientists one step closer to high‐resolution pictures of other planets' surfaces. During its short lifetime, Seasat, equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), took pictures of Earth through clouds and at night with a resolution comparable to photography. The Venus Orbiting Imaging Radar (Voir) mission, not yet approved but at the top of NASA's planetary priority list, also is slated to use SAR at a resolution and coverage comparable to the Mariner 9 coverage of Mars. In addition, SAR is expected to be on board the first shuttle flight to carry scientific instruments (the second orbital flight).
NRC awards research grants
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Four geophysicists will receive research awards under a new cooperative associateship program administered by the National Research Council (NRC). The awards are for up to 2 years of research at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, D.C.

James Howard Beall and Judith Tobi Karpen, graduates of the University of Maryland's Ph.D. program, will work in NRL's space sciences division. John Blake Hoover, a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University, and George Frederick Spooner, a graduate of the University of Washington, will work in the ocean sciences division.
Geologists to teach in Pakistan
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Two geologists, recipients of Fulbright awards for university teaching and advanced research abroad, will lecture at the University of Peshawar in Pakistan this academic year.

Ernest H. Gilmour, professor and chairman of the Eastern Washington University's geology department, will lecture on invertebrate paleontology, carbonate petrology, biostratigraphy, and field geology. Robert G. Raynolds, professor of earth sciences at Dartmouth College, will lecture on stratigraphy, sedimentary geology and plate tectonics, and remote sensing.
Lightning study inside out
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Whoever said lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place wasn't at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Oklahoma this summer with researchers from NASA's Langley Research Center at Hampton, Virginia.

A Langley team of 19 people can testify that lightning not only struck twice but three times, while they intentionally guided a modified F‐106B jet fighter through severe southwest thunderstorms.
What do we expect in magnetic activity in the current solar cycle?
Authors: Sugiura Masahisa
Published: October 2011

Nearly all geomagnetic perturbations that are of origin external to the earth are directly or indirectly caused by the sun. Therefore one would expect that, in general, geomagnetic activity would be high when the sun becomes active. While this may be true so far as the overall impressions from visual inspection of magnetograms are concerned, the relation between solar activity and geomagnetic activity is by no means simple. This is in part because the geomagnetic field undergoes many different types of variations which have vastly different magnitudes, time scales, and scale sizes. For instance, global effects of a severe magnetic storm may last for several days, or substorms that mainly disturb polar regions typically last from one to a few hours. At another extreme, magnetic pulsations that have periods from a fraction of 1 second to a few tens of minutes may sustain their activity more or less continuously or intermittently for several hours, or even days, or they may have isolated occurrences. Magnetic perturbations that are associated with large‐scale disturbances have magnitudes from several tens to a few thousand nanoteslas (1 nT = 1γ), while magnetic pulsations have amplitudes from the order of picotesla (1 pT = 1 mγ) to tens of nanotesla. Thus one can define several different kinds of geomagnetic activity that represent diversely different disturbance phenomena. However, by the term ‘geomagnetic activity’ we usually mean large‐scale disturbances that are mainly caused by magnetic storms and substorms, and we follow this convention here.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Roger G. Wolff has been appointed deputy assistant chief hydrologist for research at the U.S. Geological Survey National Center in Reston, Virginia.

John E. Moore has been appointed deputy assistant chief hydrologist for scientific publications and data management at the U.S. Geological Survey National Center in Reston, Virginia.
International Lithosphere Program
Authors: Kisslinger Carl
Published: October 2011

A new program of international, interdisciplinary research in geodynamics was approved by the International Council of Scientific Unions at its meeting in Amsterdam in September 1980. The program, which is planned as a 10‐year effort, is a cooperative activity of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Management of the new program is the responsibility of a newly created Inter‐Union Commission on the Lithosphere.

The research, to be carried out under the program entitled ‘Dynamics and Evolution of the Lithosphere: The Framework for Earth Resources and the Reduction of Hazards,’ will build on the remarkable accomplishments of the Upper‐Mantle Project and the International Geodynamics Project, which ended in 1979. The central theme of the program is the state, origin, evolution, and dynamics of the lithosphere, with special attention to the continents and their margins. The approved plan emphasizes that the program's goals can only be achieved by closely coordinated interdisciplinary efforts of geologists, geophysicists, geochemists, and geodesists. It is also clear that the desired improvement in our knowledge of the continental lithosphere requires additional work on key problems of the suboceanic lithosphere and of the structure, composition, and processes in the deeper parts of the earth.
The eruption of Mount St. Helens, March–September 1980
Authors: McClelland Lindsay
Published: October 2011

The violent eruptions of Mount St. Helens in 1980 have dramatically brought volcanism to public attention. Scientists of many disciplines have been provided an unparalleled opportunity to study explosive volcanism and its effects. A brief summary of the eruptions and of the varied research on its processes and products follows.

After a week of local seismicity, Mount St. Helens began to eject steam and ash on March 27, breaking 123 years of quiet. The eruption was the first in the contiguous United States since the 1914–1917 activity of Mt. Lassen, California. Pulses of steam and ash rose as much as 3 km above the summit of Mount St. Helens during the first 10 days, producing slight ashfalls as far away as Spokane, 500 km to the east‐northeast. By April 8, two initially separate active vents had coalesced into a single crater at least 500 m long by 350 m wide. Explosions decreased in both size and ash content through April, and by late month, episodic explosions had been replaced by continuous steaming. No fresh magma was identified in any of the March‐April ejecta.
Antarctic Meteorite Program
Authors: Duke M. B.
Published: October 2011

The promise of substantially increasing knowledge about young igneous events in meteorite parent bodies was made with the discovery of two rare Antarctic achondrites during the 1979–1980 austral summer season. The NSF‐sponsored program to recover meteorites from Antarctica will continue during the 1980–1981 season along the Transantarctic Mountains near McMurdo Station. The search will concentrate on an ice field near Reckling Peak, about 260 km northwest of McMurdo.

As in past seasons, all Antarctic finds will be returned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for classification and curation. Many of the 27 meteorite specimens returned in 1979 have been tentatively classified; some scientifically exciting meteorites have been identified, including six achondrites. For example, Elephant Moraine A79001 is a 7.9‐kg specimen that appears to be closely related to the Shergotty, India, and the Allan Hills A77005 meteorites. This rare class of achondrite sparks interest among meteorite investigators: The meteorites show similarities to terrestrial materials in their abundances of several elements and in the oxidation state. They apparently experienced igneous differentiation in recent solar system history. In addition, the Elephant Moraine specimen may be the first meteorite found to exhibit a mineral and textural gradient produced during igneous differentiation.
Priorities for atmospheric research
Authors: Shore Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Highest priorities for atmospheric sciences research during the coming decade should be to improve short‐term weather predictions, to predict climatic response to urbanization and other surface changes, and to identify global atmospheric chemical cycles. These are the conclusions of a report by the National Research Council's Committee on Atmospheric Sciences, a part of NRC's Assembly of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Two other broad topics were suggested for ‘intensive investigation’: the effect of solar radiation on the atmosphere, and weather modification.
Tsunami data amassed
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

To facilitate understanding of the tsunami, the National Geophysical and Solar‐Terrestrial Data Center (NGSDC), also known as World Data Center A, has compiled a set of data bases for tsunami research and operations.

The data bases include digital and analog seismograms from the Worldwide Standard Seismograph Network and the derived information on epicenter, magnitude, and focal mechanisms; hydrographic data from tide records; digital bathymetric data; and photographs. The data center publishes catalogs on tsunamis in Alaska and Hawaii. It also operates a modest guest worker program and can provide access to computers, digitizers, and plotters and data files. Limited financial help is available to researchers who need access to large amounts of data.
Earthquake research abstracted
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

A comprehensive survey of the world literature published in 1979 on earthquake hazard mitigation has been assembled in the ninth volume of the Abstract Journal in Earthquake Engineering. More than 1600 abstracts of reports, papers, and other publications from professional journals, consulting firms, and conferences are included in the volume. Abstracts of publications from research, educational, and government institutions round out the volume's coverage.
Lightning on Saturn possible
Authors: Shore Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Evidence of lightning on Saturn is ‘promising and suggestive,’ according to a member of the Voyager 1 plasma wave experiment team. Two sets of signals that sound like ‘whistlers’—the long high‐pitched sounds in the upper atmosphere that accompany lightning—were detected by Voyager. In addition, lightning may be present within Saturn's rings. Further analysis is required to confirm the evidence, however.
National climate program report
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The first of a series of annual reports is available on the National Climate Program. The report, compiled from information on 1979 activities in seven federal agencies, includes assessment of climate impact, research on the climate system, and climate data, information, and services.
New NSF directorate
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

A few years ago the National Science Foundation expanded its basic research programs to include areas not normally thought of as being in the realm of science. These included behavioral and social sciences and extended to high school education and international affairs. The result was an organization of six directorates. Now the NSF will be undergoing a major change, which will include the replacement of the directorate for engineering and applied sciences by a new directorate for the support of engineering alone. According to the current acting director of NSF, Donald Langenberg, and the director‐designate, John B. Slaughter, the basic research programs of the foundation will not be cut or diminished, but nonetheless the NSF will be significantly reorganized, starting in the first part of 1981. Applied research is to be distributed among all of the directorates, which carries the implication that the foundation will take a more applied, rather than basic, approach in the future.
Radio astronomy in Earth studies
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

A high precision radio astronomy system has been adopted and used at the Goddard Space Flight Center in studies of the movement of the earth's crust. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) can measure the rotation of the earth, and polar motion, with a current precision of better than 10 cm. Such precise measurements may shed light on the relationship between changes in the earth's orientation and movements in the earth that are associated with large earthquakes. Such movements may occur before an earthquake, but so slowly and over so large a region as to be undetectable by conventional means. Using VLBI stations, the Crustal Dynamics Project has made measurements on the longer baselines to measure continental drift, and on the shorter ones to monitor regional activity.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Neil H. Berg is now in charge of snowpack research for the Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station in Berkeley, California. In his new position, he will direct a team of scientists to study forest management in the snow zones of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges in California.
Cost overruns will affect Galileo mission
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Recent news of the cost overruns in the development of the shuttle's upper stages that will affect launching of the proposed Galileo mission prompted the following statement from Robert A. Frosch, on the eve of his resignation from the post of NASA Administrator: You know that we have been carrying out a concentrated study of Shuttle upper stages for 2 1/2 months now. This study was initiated in early November when we became concerned with the continued rapid escalation of estimated costs for the three‐stage IUS (inertial upper stage). We have decided on the best course of action for the future, and I want to outline for you how I believe the nation should proceed.
Project aims to improve weather predictions
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Project Skywater, an atmospheric research program slated to begin this spring, will investigate basic precipitation problems, including the formation of raindrops, mechanisms by which air outside rainclouds mixes with air inside, atmospheric processes that lead to the birth and growth of a storm, and the origins of ice. These fundamental problems ‘stand in the way of evaluating the potential of weather modification techniques and of predicting precipitation and severe weather,’ according to Bernard A. Silverman, project head.

As part of the project, researchers will work this summer on the Cooperative Convective Precipitation Experiment (CCOPE). Based in Miles City, Montana, CCOPE will study the lifetimes of summer clouds. The work will focus on the major natural processes that lead to precipitation in large cloud systems. In addition, researchers will investigate cloud chemistry and lightning's effect on rainfall.
H Gas: Captured at last?
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

In the strange world of low‐temperature physics, few more unusual phenomena have been discovered than monatomic hydrogen gas. According to a recent report (New Scientist, Jan. 1981, p. 204), hydrogen atoms do not tend to pair up to form molecules under special low‐temperature‐cryogenic experimental conditions. The reasons for the existence of atomic hydrogen gas at ultra‐low temperature, and for its implications, lie in an understanding of its almost pure quantum mechanical properties. Practical uses of atomic hydrogen will await more knowledge of its properties, but right now, if available in sufficient abundance, atomic hydrogen could be used in maser clocks because it emits highly defined frequencies of microwave radiation at room temperature, and atomic hydrogen gas could be used as an energy conservative fuel, as it recombines to the diatomic molecule. For every recombination between two hydrogen atoms, 4.5 eV of energy are released, which calculates to be over 1 million watts of power per second for 10 grams of atomic hydrogen recombined. The large impulse relative to its light mass could be significant in applications of atomic hydrogen as a rocket fuel. Practical applications aside, the main interest in atomic hydrogen at this moment is in the insight into quantum mechanics that study of its properties may provide. Atomic hydrogen atoms ‘abound throughout the universe,’ even though not on Earth, and thus quantum effects in space, and the hydrogen‐rich planets as well, may be elucidated by results of these studies.
Saving for a rainy day
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Critics of solar energy repeatedly point to the technology's ineffectiveness at night or during cloudy days. Proponents argue that storage systems can provide the necessary backup, but the critics counter that the development of storage systems will slow solar energy's growth and add to the already high cost per kilowatt. Now a National Research Council committee adds its voice to the chorus.

The Solar Panel of the Committee on Advanced Energy Storage Systems says that the need for storage systems will not delay solar energy development. Present growth for most applications can proceed in the short run as expected. Delays may occur, however, with ‘stand alone’ electricity‐generating systems, which are not connected to a utility network.
1980 Weather summary
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

The weather in the United States during 1980 was bad. A 3‐month heat wave in the southwest caused about $20 billion in ruined crops, an increase in power consumption, and damage to roads and highways. Nationwide, the heat killed 1320 people. Floods caused more than $1 billion in losses. Hurricane Allen caused about $500 million in property losses and took two lives.

The highest temperature reading during 1980, 51°C (124°F), was reached five times. Locations were at Bull Head, Arizona; Death Valley, California; and three times at Baker, California. Preliminary figures also show that the lowest temperature for the year was recorded at Tok weather station, 150 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. There the mercury plummeted to −56°C (−68°F). In the lower 48 states the minimum thermometer reading was −44°C at Wisdom, Montana.
‘Gloria’ Side‐Scan Sonar in the East Pacific
Authors: Searle R. C. , Francis T. J. G. , Hilde T. W. C. , Somers M. L. , Revie J. , Jacobs C. L. , Saunders M. R. , Barrow B. J. , Bicknell S. V.
Published: October 2011

The Institute of Oceanographic Sciences' long‐range sidescan sonar ‘Gloria’ was operated over almost 20,000 km of ship track during the recent 56‐day cruise 110 of R.R.S. Discovery in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The cruise took place between April and June 1980 and ran between Balboa (Panama), the East Pacific Rise, and Callao (Peru). The main objectives were geophysical studies of fast‐ and medium‐spreading midocean ridges (including the Galapagos Triple Junction) and fracture zones, and the Peru Trench. This is the first time that this unique sonar has been used in the Pacific or on a fast‐spreading midocean ridge.
Lightning superbolts
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

A rare type of lightning bolt previously not thought to occur in flatlands has been identified in Oklahoma prairie storms and could pose a danger to structures not built to withstand it. Researchers at NOAA say the discovery could indicate that buildings or power plants designed on the assumption that such destructive bolts do not occur in flatland might not be safe. The positive charge cloud‐to‐ground flashes once were thought to strike only when triggered by a tall structure or mountaintop, or, on rare occasions, at the end of a storm.

‘Most storms never produce this kind of lightning. In a few storms, there may be one positive bolt, just as the storm is dissipating—sort of the last gasp of the storm,’ according to David Rust of the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Rust added that the triggered bolts often are very high current, making them especially destructive. ‘We know these bolts don't occur in garden variety storms. We are trying to find if the occurrence of this kind of lightning is linked with storm severity,’ Rust said
Gamma Ray Observatory survives
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Right now the budgetary position of NASA science projects for fiscal year 1982 is shaky, outside of the Space Shuttle Program. Two scientifically crucial missions being planned are the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) and the Venus Orbiting Imaging Radar (VOIR). President Reagan's proposed budgetary cuts have left both programs intact but delayed. For FY 1982, GRO will be able to continue at only 15% level—‘about enough money to keep the papers shuffling,’ according to a NASA official (Science News, Mar. 14, 1981). Nonetheless, the importance of planning the GRO mission, now scheduled for a launch date in 1988, has prompted the selection of instruments as follows:
Volcanic violence varies vista
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

This recent photograph shows Mount St. Helens' crater about a year after the volcano came to life on March 27, 1980, following 123 years of quiet. The lava dome (the darkened, raised area in the photo's center) developed during the volcano's eruptions over the last several months. The dome now measures 150 m in height and is 610 m long. The upper part of the photo shows the steep walls of the 2‐km by 3.2‐km crater. Currently, the crater occupies the general area of the north face of the mountain, which bulged for months prior to the violent May 18 eruption. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior
European Seismological Commission Meeting and Abstracts
Authors: Ritsema A. R.
Published: October 2011

The European Seismological commission met in its 17th General Assembly, in Budapest, August 21–29, 1980. Part of the meeting took place jointly with the European Geophysical Society. More than 150 seismologists from 25 countries attended and contributed to the sessions of subcommissions and the two joint symposia. The program gave a total of 152 scientific contributions. The symposia had as subjects: the Edsnet, the European Digital Seismic Network (convener: P.L. Willmore), and the earthquake hazard and prediction (convener: V. Karnik). The IASPEI was represented by President B.A. Bolt, who gave a frontier lecture on strong motion seismology, and Secretary R.D. Adams. H. Meyers, from Boulder, represented WDC‐A. Other seismologists from countries outside the European area attended and took part in the meetings.
Piggyback drilling in Kansas: An example for the Continental Scientific Drilling Program
Authors: Steeples Donald W. , Bickford M. E.
Published: October 2011

As the development of plate tectonic theory has provided a framework within which to interpret new geological and geophysical data, the need for an organized deep‐drilling effort on the continents has become apparent. Since the expense of such a venture will be large, it is important to perform as many scientific experiments as practical on each hole drilled. This paper is a report on scientific, administrative, and financial aspects of a drilling program in Kansas. Experiences related here should be of some use to other groups planning scientific drilling ventures.

Four holes were drilled to 0.5–1.1‐km depth in Kansas as part of a hydrological study of the Arbuckle Formation. Two of the holes penetrated igneous rock of Precambrian age, and several meters of granitic core were recovered. At least one of the cores is highly magnetic and more radioactive than normal granite. Both cores have U/Pb zircon ages of 1340–1360 million years, presenting evidence for a previously unknown episode of intrusive activity. All four holes have been thermally logged with geothermal gradients ranging from 28° C/km to 36° C/km. The cased boreholes will be available in the future for additional experiments by other scientists.
Energy predictions
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

The course of action in energy and science policy is exceedingly unclear now that the pervasive ‘free market’ philosophy of the Reagan administration conflicts with past practices, but a number of new revelations about the fundamentals of strategic minerals are emerging. For example, estimates of the energy demand projected for the United States to the year 2000 have suddenly been scaled downward by about 20% in numerous published reports. The Department of Energy recently revised its Year 2000 Energy Demand downward by 20 Quads, to 102 Quads (1 Quad = 1015 BTU, which multiplied by 252 equals calories). Other estimates within and outside of the federal government range as low as about 60 Quads for the demand in 2000.
AGIO gets new home
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The Association of Geoscientists for International Development (AGID), in February, opened new global headquarters at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, Thailand. Prinya Nutalaya is AGID's president.

Housed in AIT's geotechnical division, AGID leaves its old home in Caracas, Venezuela. The former secretariat, under the direction of Alirio Bellizzia, now operates as a regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean. A new regional office for Africa also has been established at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria.
AGU Scholars
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

In recognition of the strong support of the American Geophysical Union and its substantial contribution to the American Geological Institute's Minority Scholarship Program, 11 of the 1980–1981 scholarship recipients were designated ‘AGU Scholars.’ Of this group, three were designated AGU ‘Sea Grants Scholars’ because they were funded through a matching grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant Program, which is aimed at increasing the numbers of minority students studying in fields related to developing marine and coastal research.
Why research into the history of geosciences?
Authors: Schröder Wilfried
Published: October 2011

Study of the history of various sciences is rather heterogeneous. Some disciplines, such as medicine, mathematics, and astronomy, have numerous noteworthy compendia and even specialized journals where papers on the history of these sciences can be published.

The situation in geophysics, meteorology, and other subdivisions of the geosciences is far less favorable. This neglect is an outcome of a dogma of autonomy that is essentially oriented toward progress in understanding, without much reference to historical developments. But even the geoscientists cannot ignore that the phenomenon ‘science’ must be viewed in the context of sociological processes. In the initial stages, sociologists and some philosophers, in the context of the general theory of perception, began research into the development of scientific thought, but the geoscientists and other natural scientists contributed very little. It has since become clear that research on these topics requires historical assessment and more insight. The development of the ‘science of science’ is directed toward understanding and explanation of the complex human involvement in science, not only in the sense of theorizing about the scientific processes but also in sociological, political, and historical context [Kuhn, 1973; Burrichter, 1979; Sandkühler and Plath, 1979.]
Acid rain measurements
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

The United States and Canada have launched a project to determine whether the methods they use to measure acid rain produce compatible results. Apparently, the U.S. and Canadian findings may not be comparable because of differences in the way they collect and analyze data.

The U.S. separately collects precipitation from snow and rain as well as dry, windblown material. The samples are gathered and analyzed weekly. The Canadians use instruments that collect only water. They gather and test their samples monthly.
Dying Pacific Hot Spot
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

A team of scientists at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics report that they have evidence for a new hot spot in the Pacific Ocean. Their discovery was described by Barbara H. Keating at AGU's Spring Meeting in Baltimore late last month. The predicted hot spot, located in the Caroline Islands, halfway between Hawaii and Japan, is the first to show evidence of waning, Keating said.

Hot spots are sources of hot rock that may come from the earth's mantle, explained Keating, assistant professor of marine geology and paleomagnetics at the University of Hawaii. The hot rock melts through oceanic crust and forms a chain of volcanic islands and submarine volcanos. These volcanics show a strict age progression from oldest to youngest.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Vinod P. Bhatnagar was recently appointed senior staff physicist in the Department of the Environment of Moniteq Ltd. in Concord, Ontario. Formerly of the University of Western Ontario's physics department, Bhatnagar is also a consultant to the Centre for Research in Experimental Space Science at York University in Downsview, Ontario.

Gordon Eaton will become the dean of geosciences at Texas A&M University on September 1. He succeeds Earl Cook, who has held the post for 10 years. Eaton, a former associate chief geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's geologic division, is known for his research in the volcanic history of Yellowstone National Park and for tectonic studies on the western United States.
Earthquake seismograph development: A modern history—Part 2
Authors: Melton Ben S.
Published: October 2011

Part 1 of this history covered the development of earthquake‐type seismometers from 1948 into 1976. Part 2 covers the ancillary amplifiers, recorders, and timing systems which are required for complete observatories and which were developed over about the same time period mentioned. (The figures in this part are numbered continuously from part 1.) It is not immediately obvious how seismometer development depends on creation of appropriate amplifiers, nor how recorder improvement depends on amplifier output power available. Nor is it obvious that timing system design was initiated as an integral part of the observatory and that its functions have been modified as necessary with the advancing art.