bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lava Flows and Lava Tubes: What They Are, How They Form (DVD)
Authors: Garcia Michael O.
Published: October 2006

This DVD is a treat for volcanologists, Earth scientists, and others who are curious about volcanoes. Beautiful photography of lava flows from the current eruption of Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii is explained by volcanologist Ken Hon, a noted authority on the formation of lava flow fields. Hon and Gansecki are with the Geology Department at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, which provides them with close proximity to document the wonders and changing personality of the ongoing Pu'u'O'o eruption. They are assisted by volcanologist Jenda Johnson.
Observing the historic eruption of northern Mariana Islands volcano
Authors: Wiens Douglas A. , Shore Patrick J. , Sauter Allan , Hilton David R. , Fischer Tobias , Camacho Juan T.
Published: October 2006

Anatahan volcano erupted for the first time in recorded history at about 7:30 GMT on 10 May 2003, covering the island of Anatahan, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), with ash, and providing scientists with important opportunities to study this volcano. The eruption was first reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Volcanic Ash Advisory Center at 12:32 GMT, based on satellite images of the ash cloud. At about the same time, unusual light flares were observed from an approaching small ship, the Super Emerald, which was carrying a group of seismologists from Washington University in St. Louis, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the CNMI Emergency Management Office. As morning broke, the ship was approximately 10 km from the island, and those on board witnessed billowing ash and gas rise from the volcano's caldera to form a great cloud exceeding 6 km in altitude (Figure 1).

The scientists were in the region installing land seismographs for the Mariana Subduction Factory Imaging Experiment, a joint U.S. Japanese deployment of 20 land broadband seismographs and 58 ocean bottom seismographs funded (on the U.S. side) by the Margins program of the National Science Foundation. The experiment has the goal of imaging the magma production regions and mantle flow patterns within the upper mantle beneath the Mariana arc and backarc (see http://epsc.wustl.edu/seismology/MARIANA).
Instrument demonstrates ability to closely track coronal mass ejections
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A proof‐of‐concept experiment orbiting 840 km above Earth demonstrates the possibility of instituting a real‐time, early warning system for coronal mass ejections which can cause large geomagnetic storms on the planet, according to scientists involved with the project.

Whether or not the experimental Solar Mass Ejection Imager, or SMEI, is able to provide such early warnings, it should pave the way for a future mission to do this, according to mission scientists at an 11 December briefing held during the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco.
Creationism in the Grand Canyon, Texas textbooks
Authors: Folger Peter
Published: October 2006

AGU President Bob Dickinson, together with presidents of six other scientific societies, have written to Joseph Alston, Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, pointing out that a creationist book, The Grand Canyon: A Different View, is being sold in bookstores within the borders of the park as a scientific explanation about Grand Canyon geologic history President Dickinson's 16 December letter urges that Alston clearly separate The Grand Canyon: A Different View from books and materials that discuss the legitimate scientific understanding of the origin of the Grand Canyon. The letter warns the Park Service against giving the impression that it approves of the anthscience movement known as young‐ Earth creationism, or that it endorses the advancement of religious tenets disguised as science. The text of the letter is on AGU's Web site: http://www.agu.org/scLsoc/policy/ sci_pol.html.
Turcotte receives 2003 William Bowie medal
Authors: Cathles Lawrence M. , Turcotte Donald L.
Published: October 2006

Donald L. Turcotte was awarded the Bowie Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 10 December 2003, in San Francisco, California. The medal honors “outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and for unselfish cooperation in research”
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Charles E. Graham, 2003, Retired Life Member, Tectonophysics, 1953.

Robert E. Veiga, 2003, Atmospheric Sciences, 1990.
Chasing Lava: A Geologist's Adventures at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Authors: Varekamp Johan C.
Published: October 2006

Many popular volcano books have appeared over the last few years; for example, Vulcan's Fury by A. Scarth, Melting the Earth by H. Sigurdsson, and Volcanoes in Human History by J.Z. deBoer and D.T.Sanders. All of these books have their own qualities. Duffield's Chasing Lava: A Geologist's Adventures at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory stands apart from that crowded field and is comparable to Out of the Crater by R.V Fisher. The book presents a very personal view of volcanology, erupting volcanoes, and what it means to be part of a team that investigates them. The author mixes scientific observations with accounts of the grandeur of Hawaii, musings about his own personal life 30 years ago, and the pleasure that one derives from working in an organization like the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) on a gorgeous tropical island.
Offshore monitoring system records recent earthquake off Japan's northernmost island
Authors: Watanabe Omoki , Matsumoto Hiroyuki , Sugioka Hiroko , Mikada Hitoshi , Suyehiro Kiyoshi , Otsuka Riyo
Published: October 2006

Earthquakes and associated crustal movement provide major clues for evaluating occurrences in the Earth's crust. Seismologists have tried to monitor earthquakes using integrated measurements taken by seismometers, tiltmeters, gravimeters, and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. For major earthquakes on land, hypocenter locations or mechanisms of earthquakes have been well analyzed using dense land data. Recently fault lubrication and detailed rupture mechanisms for the 1999 Chichi earthquake in Taiwan were studied using acquired waveforms from dense observations surrounding the faults that caused the earthquake. On the other hand, major subduction‐related earthquakes suffer in general from a lack of constraint especially around subduction faults.

There are two major shortcomings in studying subduction‐related earthquakes. One is the absence of monitoring facilities in the offshore area. The other is the distance from land to the real source of the earthquakes. Therefore, observation instruments must be located offshore to record earthquake signals and associated phenomena in near field if we are to better understand the nature of plate boundary earthquakes.
New global drifter data set available
Authors: Pazan Stephen E. , Niiler Peter
Published: October 2006

Since 1978, oceanographers, meteorologists, and the U.S. Navy have deployed a large number of Argos satellite‐tracked drifters in all of the major ocean basins (Table l). The Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) of the World Meteorological Organization/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (WMO/IOC) has coordinated the deployment of drifters via cooperative projects in various ocean basins. In any given month since 1993, there has been an array of more than 600 drifters in the global ocean (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/dac/ dacdata.html).

Most of the raw observations and processed data have been accumulating at the Meteorological and Environmental Data Service (MEDS), Canada. The raw data on file have been processed from MEDS, and other sources, and merged with the processed data at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) to form a single file.
New report charts course for future of geosciences
Authors: Adlen Sam , Brodsky Emily E. , Oki Taikan , Ridley Aaron J. , Sanchez Laura , Simionato Claudia , Yoshizawa Kazunori , Shamir Uri
Published: October 2006

Over the past century, the geosciences have developed an impressive capability to understand and anticipate events occurring within the Earth system.The past decade has seen an explosion in quantitative geoscience. Progress is continuing to accelerate as advances in observational systems and computational tools are allowing simulations and predictions of geophysical processes with a temporal and spatial resolution unprecedented in human history. With these advances comes the necessity to reflect on the current state of geoscientific research, to reassess the direction in which research should be progressing, and to redefine the goals that can be realistically achieved.
NASA developing initial plans for new mission to Jupiter system
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

NASA is proceeding with initial efforts toward developing a new mission to explore the icy moons of Jupiter, members of a NASA‐chartered science definition team said at an 8 December briefing at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco.

The Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Mission (JIMO) would include some key science and engineering goals, and could be launched at some point after 2011, if technical and funding issues are resolved, they said.
Russell receives 2003 John Adam Fleming medal
Authors: Gosling Jack , Russell C. T.
Published: October 2006

Christopher T Russell was awarded the Fleming Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 10 December 2003, in San Francisco, California. The medal honors “original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy, space physics, and related sciences.”
Neumann receives 2003 Robert E. Horton medal
Authors: Sorooshian Soroosh , Neuman Shlomo
Published: October 2006

Shlomo P. Neuman was awarded the Horton Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 10 December 2003, in San Francisco, California. The medal honors “outstanding contributions to hydrology.”
The Sun's Surface and Subsurface. Investigating Shape and Irradiance
Authors: Kosovichev Alexander
Published: October 2006

Since the Sun's radiative output establishes the Earth's thermal environment, knowing the source and nature of its variability is essential for understanding and predicting the interactions in the Earth‐Sun system, among which are climate changes and the energy balance, photochemistry, and dynamics of the middle and upper atmosphere. The Sun's Surface and Subsurface brilliantly demonstrates how precise measurements of the Sun's properties, such as the solar diameter, oblateness, irradiance, and oscillation frequencies of normal modes provide insight into the structure and dynamics of the deep interior and the physical mechanisms of solar variability.

This relatively compact book provides a comprehensive review of the basic principles, methodology, and tools for studying the solar variability. The main focus is on measurements and interpretation of the solar properties rather than on theory. It provides both an excellent introduction to the field and an exciting review of the recent advances in solar observations from the ground and space.
Awaiting Halley's return
Authors: Heyn Herman M.
Published: October 2006

When Comet Halley perihelioned in early 1986, there were people still around who had witnessed its previous 1910 apparition. (Then there is Mark Twain, who was born under the comet in 1835, wished for his demise upon its return, and died one day after it perihelioned in 1910!) I so enjoyed my 1986 view of Halley, that I decided I would like to be among those who see it again when it perihelions in 2061. The big problem with this ambition is that I would need to live to a Guinness Book of World Records age of 131 years.

Now, thanks to Randy Showstack's In Brief news note,“Farthest, faintest detection of a comet” (Eos, 16 September 2003), I have been handed a fallback position which, literally, I may be able to live with: a telescopic photo of Halley at aphelion.
Dahlen receives 2003 Inge Lehmann Medal
Authors: Nolet Guust , Dahlen Francis A.
Published: October 2006

Francis A. Dahlen, Jr. was awarded the Lehmann Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 10 December 2003, in San Francisco, California. The medal honors “outstanding contributions to the understanding of the structure, composition, and dynamics of the Earth s mantle and core.”
de La Beaujardiére receives 2003 Charles S. Falkenberg Award
Authors: Schell David , De La Beaugardière Jeff
Published: October 2006

“Jeff de La Beaujardière received his B.A. in physics in 1985 from the University of California, Berkeley and his Ph.D. in astrophysics in 1990 from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Captivated by the Web's potential for information distribution, in 1994 he joined the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, first as a contractor and then as a civil servant. He is currently with the Geospatial Interoperability Office in NASA's Earth Science Applications Division.

“From 1994 to 1998, Jeff was Webmaster of NASA's Public Use of Remote Sensing Data Program, whose unofficial motto was ‘Data to the people.’ The Web site was a showcase for satellite images of hurricanes and other natural phenomena. He was also lead Web developer for the GLOBE Visualization project, which displays environmental data gathered and used by a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists.
Reply [to “Comment on ‘Academic specialties in U.S. are shifting: Hiring of women geoscientists is stagnating’” by John C. Steinmetz]
Authors: Holmes Mary Anne , O'Connell Suzanne
Published: October 2006

We appreciate John C. Steinmetz's comments and would like to add that we reported numbers of women at different types of institutions, but offered no explanations for the numbers. We still lack critical data that would enable geoscientists to explain the numbers, but we do hope that the numbers generate discussion, self‐examination, and more (and appropriate) data collection on this issue.

Missing data that might help explain the numbers include, “How many women are in the applicant pool for a given academic/survey/industry/government position?” If an applicant pool does reflect the degree recipient pool appropriate to the position, but hiring rates are lower, then the kink in the pipeline is occurring at hiring. Is this due to low numbers of offers being made to women, or to women turning offers down? Each institution can collect and examine this data to find its unique answers and appropriate solutions.
Modeling Earth's post‐glacial rebound
Authors: Spada Giorgio , Antonioli Andrea , Boschi Lapo , Boschi Lapo , Brandi Valter , Cianetti Spina , Galvani Gabrielle , Giunchi Carlo , Perniola Bruna , Agostinetti Nicola Piana , Piersanti Antonio , Stocchi Paolo
Published: October 2006

Efforts to mathematically model the Earth's post‐glacial rebound, or, in general, long‐term planetary‐scale viscoelastic deformations, have been ongoing for several decades. Unfortunately, research in the post‐glacial rebound community has not been characterized by much exchange of knowledge. Groups around the world have developed their code independently, sometimes with profoundly different approaches, occasionally leading to inconsistent results [e.g., Boschi et al., 1999].

Postglacial Rebound Calculator (TABOO) is a post‐glacial rebound software that is being made freely available (through Samizdat Press at http://samizdat.mines.edu/taboo/) in the hope that it might become a common reference for all post‐glacial rebound researchers. TABOO is portable and has been tested on Unix, Linux, and Windows systems; all it requires is a Fortran90 compiler supporting quadruple precision. The software is easy to use. It comes with a detailed guide that can work as a quick reference cookbook, and it is also accompanied by a textbook, The Theory Behind TABOO, collecting the most significant theoretical results from post‐glacial rebound literature. TABOO is not a “black‐box,” although it may easily be used as such. The entire source code is provided and should be easy to understand for intermediate‐level Fortran programmers.
Kohlstedt receives 2003 Harry H. Hess Medal
Authors: Cooper Reid F.
Published: October 2006

David L Kohlstedt was awarded the Hess Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 10 December 2003, in San Francisco, California. The medal honors “outstanding achievements in research in the constitution and evolution of Earth and sister planets.”
Bush administration's proposed budget would decrease many Earth sciences accounts
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The Bush administration's proposed $2,319 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2005, announced on 2 February, provides some increases in federal funding for research and development, but mostly stagnant or decreased funding for the Earth sciences.

One winner is the National Science Foundation. The budget for NSF's Geosciences Division would increase by 2.2% to $728.5 million. The foundation's overall proposed $5,745 billion budget represents a 3% increase above levels enacted by Congress for 2004, and a 30% boost since 2001.
Killeen to Be President‐Elect
Authors: Filmer Paul E. , Kammelyer Peter C. , Staudt Amanda C.
Published: October 2006

The TellersCommittee has reported that the following officerwere selected in the recent election to serve 1 July 2004–30 June 2006. The presidents‐elect in this list will then go on to serve as presidents through 30 June 2008.
NSF geosciences budget for FY2005 would increase—But not by much
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The Geosciences Directorate of the National Science Foundation would receive $728.5 million in the Bush administrations proposed budget for fiscal year 2005, which was announced on 4 February That would be a 2.2% increase above the FY2004 enacted level of $713.1 million.

All three geoscience divisions also would receive modest increases, with atmospheric sciences up 2% to $243.6 million, Earth sciences rising 2.7% to $155.6 million, and ocean sciences receiving a 2% boost to $728.5 million.
New experiment deploys observing array in N. Atlantic to investigate rapid climate change
Authors: Srokosz Meric
Published: October 2006

Studies of past climate using paleo‐data suggest that large and rapid climate changes have occurred throughout history, and that changes in the thermohaline circulation of the ocean are a major factor in many of these cases. Some of these past rapid changes occurred over a period as brief as a decade, whereas we tend to think of significant climate change as occurring over centuries or millennia. The third assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change OPCQ, released in 2001, discussed the potential slowdown of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation under a global warming scenario (http://www.ipcc.ch/). In addition, a recent US. National Research Council report highlighted the concerns over the possibility of rapid changes in climate and their potential socioeconomic impacts (http://www.nap. edu/catalog/10136.html). The new U.K.Natural Environment Research Council (NERQ Rapid Climate Change Programme (RAPID) is, in part, a response to such concerns.
Discussions of Arctic climate feedback mechanisms
Authors: Gerland Sebastian , Njåstad Birgit , Isaksson Elisabeth , Pavlov Vladimir , Christensen Jens H. , Haugan Peter M. , Holmén Kim , Perovich Donald K. , Reeh Niels , Wadhams Peter
Published: October 2006

The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment process (ACIA; see http://www.acia.uaf.edu/) is an international project of the Arctic Council and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) to evaluate and synthesize knowledge on climate variability climate change, increased ultraviolet radiation, and their consequences.

As a part of the Norwegian work within ACIA (see http://acia.npolar.no/), an international workshop on Arctic climate feedback mechanisms was held in November 2003 at the Norwegian Polar Institute. Invited talks were presented in five sessions focused on climate programs, terrestrial systems, oceans, sea ice, and atmosphere. Poster presentations and working groups were organized for four sessions in the various scientific fields, identifying the state of knowledge and challenges, and making recommendations.
Reply [to “Comment on ‘Maxwell, electromagnetism, and fluid flow in resistive media’” by Glenn Brown]
Authors: Narasimhan T. N.
Published: October 2006

Glenn Brown takes issue with my statement, “It is hoped that Maxwell's contribution to the foundations of fluids in porous media will receive due attention, and that his novel approach will lead to new insights.” He considers that, because Maxwell did not explicitly develop his theory for fluid flow in porous media, his ideas should not be treated as a contribution in that area. Brown contends that doing so is a disservice to Darcy, and is revisionist.

Brown and I differ in the way we perceive science. He looks at the material I have presented from an ideological perspective of upholding Darcy's position in history. On the other hand, I do not question Darcy's valid contribution. Rather, I presented some of Maxwell's fascinating ideas that are relevant to the study of fluid flow in porous media, published in the same year Darcy published his seminal work. I have shown that the relevance of Maxwell's ideas to flow in porous media has gone unnoticed in the literature. Scientists are fallible human beings, and important ideas and thoughts are occasionally overlooked.When, on a rare occasion, we chance upon such an oversight, it is part of our scientific enterprise to bring the finding to the attention of the scientific community. It is up to the community to judge the historical significance of the new information.
Heterogeneity in the Crust and Upper Mantle: Nature, Scaling, and Seismic Properties
Authors: McBride John H.
Published: October 2006

Plate tectonic models succeed at predicting observations at scales of 100–1000 km, but tend to fail for observations at outcrop scales. Such predictions become nebulous when considering small‐scale heterogeneous structure originally generated in the lower crust or upper mantle, whether the observations are made from outcrop, from boreholes, or remotely by seismic methods. Earth scientists have classically dealt with the problem of small‐scale heterogeneity by treating it as “noise” from both an observational and modeling standpoint; however, the increased comprehension of the scale invariance of many geologic processes has spurred investigators to attempt to characterize observations at all available scales. Modelers have responded by adopting more of a statistical characterization approach for spatial variability.
The Dynamic Structure of the Deep Earth: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Authors: Lithgow‐Bertelloni Carolina
Published: October 2006

The interior of the Earth is largely inaccessible to direct observation; the deepest drill holes are only .1% of the Earth's radius. One might call it the undiscovered country. The mysteries of the interior have spanned a great deal of scientific and non‐scientific literature. Most of what we know about the interior comes from seismological observations, our most informative probe of the deep Earth. Seismology reveals the variations of seismic velocities both laterally and at depth. Converting that information into knowledge about the structure, composition, and dynamical state of the Earth's interior requires other disciplines, high‐pressure mineral physics, and geodynamics in the broadest sense. Without mineral physics, it would be impossible to properly translate the seismic information into knowledge of composition and dynamics.
Hearing examines opportunities in lunar science and resource use
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Scientists at a congressional hearing on lunar science and resources debated the feasibility of exploiting lunar resources, and indicated that further exploration of the Moon could yield significant advances in lunar science.

The hearing, held on 1 April by the U.S. House of Representatives Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, followed up on the announcement by President George W. Bush on 14 January of the Space Exploration Initiative. This has prompted a re‐orientation in NASA to focus on space exploration and manned missions to the Moon and Mars. The first launch of a lunar robotic mission is slated for no later than 2008.
Climate Change Science Program comment period
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Public comments on the draft guidelines for the synthesis and assessment products being prepared by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program are being accepted through 7 May The products include reports, data sets, and evaluations of the uses and limits of climate information in addressing policy and resource management decisions. The CCSP integrates federal research on climate and global change.
Haq receives 2004 Ocean Sciences Award
Authors: Maurrasse Florentin , Kennett James P. , Haq Bilal U.
Published: October 2006

Bilal Haq of the U.S. National Science Foundation received the Ocean Sciences Award at the awards program on 28 January in Portland, Oregon, for “extraordinary contributions and service” to ocean sciences.
Young solid Earth researchers of the world unite!
Authors: Simons Frederik J. , Becker Thorsten W. , Kellogg James B. , Billen Magali , Hardebeck Jeanne , Lee Cin‐Ty A. , Montési Laurent G. J. , Panero Wendy , Zhong Shuie
Published: October 2006

In early January 2004, one of us attended a workshop on “science priorities and educational opportunities that can be addressed using ocean observatories.” The attendees constituted a broad group—men and women, scientists, engineers, educators, representatives from the private and public sector—but lacked diversity in at least one important aspect: age.

A well‐known marine geophysicist (with a published record stretching over 30 years) came to me at the ice‐breaker party and said (and I paraphrase):“I'm glad you're here:you're young, you might actually see this project flourish before you retire. There're not enough young people here.” At some point or another, every young scientist may have a similar experience.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Dougas W. Brown, 88, 2004,Retired Life Member, Volcanology Geochemistry and Petrology 1947.

Nicholas P. Fofonoff, December 2003, Ocean Sciences, 1986.
Interball Mission generates results on magnetospheric dynamics and magnetosphere‐ionosphere interaction
Authors: Zelenye L. M. , Petrukovich A. A. , Lutsenko V. N. , Mogilevsky M. M.
Published: October 2006

The Interball project was an international solar‐terrestrial science program conducted by the Russian space agency in the second half of the 1990s [Zelenyi, 1997]. Interball‐Tail (Interball‐1), with an apogee of 200,000 km, perigee of 500 km, and inclination of ∼63° was targeted at studies of the solar wind, the magnetotail, and the outer magnetosphere. Interball‐Auroral (Interball‐2), with an apogee of 20,000 km and the same inclination, was targeted at studies of the inner magnetosphere and the auroral zone.

Interball‐Tail was launched on 3 August 1995 and entered the atmosphere in October 2000 in a fully functional state. Interball‐Auroral was launched on 29 August 1996 and operated for 2.5 years. The Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences was primarily responsible for the program. Sub‐satellites provided by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Republic were detached from both Interball spacecraft shortly after the launch and remained within several thousands of km from the mother spacecraft throughout the flight.
Sedina likely moonless
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The slow, 40‐day rotation period for the newly discovered distant planetoid Sedna is likely not due to the presence of a moon, which could have provided a gravitational tug.

A series of images taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on 16 March failed to reveal a moon, Michael Brown, a member of the research team that discovered Sedna, announced on 14 April. Though, there is a slight chance that Hubble could not have detected a moon if such a companion body was behind Sedna or transiting in front of it.
NBC's “10.5” may answer an age‐old seismologic question
Authors: Newman Andrew V.
Published: October 2006

There is a new NBC 4‐hour mini‐series set to air during the May sweeps period (2–3 May), titled simply enough “10.5.” No, this is not a sequel to “9 and 1/2 weeks,” nor is it a mini‐sequel to"10.” This number instead refers to a megaearthquake that rocks the west coast of the United States. One may think that the network writers have done their homework and have consulted a geophysicist or two regarding the realism of their program, let alone the title. This is just a short note to comment on their potential folly I would like to clarify to the network writers, as well as to the non‐seismologists in the Earth science community what exactly a magnitude 10.5 earthquake could be, and why, if such were to occur, it may be more than just a west coast problem. Alternatively, NBC may just soon answer an age‐old seismologic question…
Ocean commission report includes key recommendations for science and governance
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The preliminary report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy released on 20 April, calls for ecosystem‐based management of the oceans, dramatically restructuring federal governance oversight of ocean issues, and doubling the federal ocean and coastal research budget over the next 5 years to $1.3 billion per year.

The report by the congressionally‐mandated and presidentially‐appointed commission includes nearly 200 recommendations for establishing a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy framework.
“Coupling” Semantics and science in earthquake research
Authors: Wang Kelin , Dixon Timothy
Published: October 2006

Coupling is a convenient word that describes a wide variety of interactions or feedback processes, including those that we do not fully understand. Examples in Earth science include ocean‐atmosphere coupling, climate‐tectonics coupling, and core‐mantle coupling. The word is also very popular in discussions of plate boundary earthquake processes.

As a vague expression, fault coupling is a perfectly adequate term, describing some kind of mechanical interaction between rocks of each side of a fault. For those of us who try to infer fault processes from geodetic measurements, coupling usually indicates a state of no or low current slip. If a fault is fully locked, we may say it is “coupled” or “fully coupled.” If a plate boundary fault is slipping at the long‐term plate convergence rate, we may say it is “decoupled.” Fault segments that are slipping more slowly than the plate convergence rate are then “partially” coupled. To avoid awkward expressions such as “negatively” or “overly” coupled, an equivalent description has been used in the literature; that is, to define a “coupling ratio” with values ranging from negative to greater than unity. For describing kinematics, these expressions would not be wrong. However, with one additional step, our usage of the word coupling can lead to confusion. That step is to describe a fault that is not slipping as “strongly coupled.”
Nations adopt framework document for Earth observation system
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Forty‐seven countries and the European Commission adopted a framework document to develop a 10‐year implementation plan for a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

It was signed at a 25 April summit in Tokyo.
Climate change, salmon in the NOAA budget spotlight
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A U.S. Senate hearing on 29 April about the administration's proposed budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fiscal year 2005 turned testy when senators pressed for specific information about the agency's programs on abrupt climate change and protecting wild salmon.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R‐Maine), chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation's Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, expressed concern that funding for the agency's program on abrupt climate change appears to be eliminated in the proposed budget.
Study provides indicators on fresh water, ozone
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The availability of fresh water resources per capita fell by an average of 1.6% globally from 2001–2002, according to the World Bank's “Little Green Data Book 2004,” released on 28 April. The study notes that an even sharper decline of 2.6% in the water‐scarce regions of the Middle East and North Africa, and warns that some countries soon could cross a “water scarcity threshold” of 1,000 cubic meters per person. James Evans, acting director of the bank's environment department, said, “In the short term, population growth will be the main pressure on scarce water resources. In the long run, climate change may exacerbate the problems, causing irreversible impacts, especially in arid and semi‐arid zones.”
The High‐Latitude Ionosphere and Its Effects on Radio Propagation
Authors: Moses Ronald W.
Published: October 2006

The ionosphere is indeed the place where Earth and space come together. Correspondingly, the ionosphere is subject to the details and complexities of both Earth and space. If one is to develop a logical understanding of even a limited portion of the ionosphere, that knowledge will be constructed on a foundation of many facts of nature. Awareness of those facts will in turn be supported by a vast historical array of scientific effort to ascertain the fundamentals of Earth and space that combine to form the ionosphere as we know it. Fortunately for us, R.D. Hunsucker and J.K. Hargreaves have written a book that goes from the Earth up and comes from the Sun down to arrive at a remarkably detailed physical description of the ionosphere and its impact on human activities, especially radio‐frequency (RF) communications.
Cyclonic eddy entrains Orinoco River Plume in eastern Caribbean
Authors: Corredor Jorge E. , Morell Julio M. , Lopez Jose M. , Capella Jorge E. , Armstrong Roy A.
Published: October 2006

“Mesoscale” eddies are large whirlpools in the ocean with diameters of hundreds of kilometers. Their influence can extend to depths of 1000 m or greater. Oceanographers are only now beginning to document the prevalence, extent, and influence of such features in the world ocean. The availability of third‐generation ocean color imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer‐MODIS sensors aboard NASAs AQUA and TERRA platforms, and support for direct observation at sea, have now allowed characterization of such an eddy interacting with the Orinoco River plume (ORP) while traversing the eastern Caribbean basin.
National science board report indicates U.S. research workforce may decline in size
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The United States continues to maintain a global leadership role in research and development, but some troubling trends could affect the science and engineering workforce and the U.S. economy, according to the 2004 edition of Science and Engineering Indicators, a biennial report of the National Science Board.

The report was issued on 4 May.
Plotting early nineteenth‐century hurricane information
Authors: Bossak Brian H. , Elsner James B.
Published: October 2006

Hurricane climate research is based largely on records from the past 100 years or so. The official Atlantic hurricane record extends back to 1851, but data prior to the middle twentieth century need to be treated with particular caution. To better understand climate mechanisms responsible for variations in hurricane activity, it is important to have long‐term records.

Tropical cyclone impacts in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century have been mapped by combining information from historical documents using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The resulting historical hurricane information tool (HHIT) is based on Environmental Systems Research Institute's ArcView GIS. It is available on CD‐ROM and online through the Hurricane Climate Institute at Florida State University. The HHIT contributes to greater accessibility of pre‐instrumental U.S. hurricane information and can serve as a basis for re‐analysis of early U.S. hurricanes.
Environmental Magnetism: Principles and Applications of Enviromagnetics
Authors: Geissman John
Published: October 2006

As the authors state in their preface to Environmental Magnetism: Principles and Applications of Enviromagnetics, this is a quite new science. It began from disparate beginnings involving interdisciplinary approaches to studying young sediment records to tease out a history of past but geologically recent global change. Today the subject has blossomed into an important, vibrant field that envelops many aspects of the geosciences and beyond.

It is a true delight to review this book, and not just because Subir Banerjee has done such an outstanding job of providing in the forward, as he states, “a welcoming invitation for the reader to the contents of the book and its special character.” It is indeed of special character, written by two highly accomplished scholars who have devoted a considerable amount of their research attention to linking the magnetic record of geologic materials to Earth processes. The first book on this subject, Environmental Magnetism by R.Thompson and F. Oldfield,was published in 1986 and provided the community with a compilation of several applications oriented toward environmental studies using rock and paleomagnetic approaches. Evans and Heller's volume is quite different.
Long‐term variation of geomagnetic field strength: A cautionary note
Authors: Goguitchaichvili Avto , Urrutia‐Fucugauchi Jaime , Alva‐Valdivia Luis M. , Riisager Janna , Riisager Peter
Published: October 2006

Earth's magnetic field is generated through magnetohydrodynamic processes within the fluid outer core. Several factors that may influence these processes, such as variations in heat flow across the core‐mantle boundary, are believed to have varied through geologic time, triggering speculation that Earth's magnetic field may have been significantly different in the geological past. Based on painstakingly difficult paleo‐intensity experiments, it has, for example, been suggested that Earth's dipole moment was much weaker during the Mesozoic, and perhaps related to different mantle convection [Thomas and Biggin, 2003].

The variable quality of published paleointensity estimates makes global compilations difficult, and extreme care must be taken not to interpret problematic data in terms of geodynamic features. In fact, recently available reliable paleo‐intensity data suggest that the paleo‐strength during early‐middle Cretaceous may have been comparable or even higher than the present intensity and not “anomalously” low as suggested in previous studies [Tauxe and Staudigel, 2004]. The identification of any long‐term features of virtual dipole moment (VDM) seems to rely heavily on the criteria for accepting paleo‐intensity data, which casts serious doubts on the quality and geomagnetic significance of the majority of existing data. In a recent analysis, Thomas and Biggin [2003]—based on so‐called self‐consistency selection criteria—concluded that the relatively low intensity during the Mesozoic is a real phenomenon.
Preparing for the transit of Venus: Then and now
Authors: Carter William E. , Carter Merri Sue
Published: October 2006

On 8 June 2004,Venus will pass directly between Earth and the Sun. Local weather conditions permitting, this “transit of Venus” will be visible in its entirety over much of Europe and Asia, from London to Beijing. In London, the times of the first and last contacts will be 05:19:52 and 11:23:16 Universal Time, respectively—just over 6 hours from start to finish. In Sydney and Tokyo, only the ingress of the planet will be visible before sunset, and residents of Buenos Aries, Toronto, and New York will have to be up early to see the final contact. Another transit will occur on 6 June 2012, and then there will be no more transits until 11 December 2117 and 8 December 2125 [Moor, 2000].
Widespread, low‐level contaminants present in many U.S. streams and rivers
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A federal water quality monitoring program has found that widespread levels of contaminants at very low concentrations are present in many U.S. river basins and aquifer systems. Mixtures of chemical compounds, degradation or “breakdown” products, and seasonal pulses of chemicals are also present in these water bodies, according to scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey.

The scientists provided this information during a 14 May briefing on Capitol Hill, which USGS used to announce the release of a program report, “Water Quality in the Nation's Streams and Aquifers ‐ Overview of Selected Findings, 1991–2001.”
Variations of total solar irradiance produced by structural changes of the solar interior
Authors: Sofia Sabatino
Published: October 2006

In recent years, a lively controversy has existed regarding the sources contributing to variations of the total solar irradiance (TSI) on time scales of the magnetic activity cycle or longer. On one side are those who claim that the TSI variations can be explained entirely as a consequence of surface magnetic features (sunspots, faculae, and magnetic network). On the other side, a number of researchers claim that variations of the solar luminosity emerging from the solar interior, as a consequence of structural readjustments caused by the changing internal (dynamo) magnetic field, are important; and that indeed, they may dominate on those longer time scales.The case for the first viewpoint has been recently made in Eos [Foukal, 2003]; the case for the second viewpoint is presented in this article.
Expedition explores Mariana Arc undersea volcanoes
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A recently concluded expedition to explore seven submarine volcanoes in the Mariana Arc in the western Pacific Ocean made what is thought to be the first direct observation of a deep‐sea volcano during an eruptive episode.

At a 13 May briefing in Washington, D.C., scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration described how an unmanned submersible, the Remotely Operated Platform for Ocean Science (ROPOS), dived into murky waters about one half of a kilometer below the ocean surface off of NW Rota 1 volcano.
Model parameter experiment begins new phase
Authors: Hogue Terri , Wagener Thorsten , Shaake John , Duan Qingyun , Hall Alan , Gupta Hoshin , Leavesley George , Andreassian Vazken
Published: October 2006

The Model Parameter Estimation Experiment (MOPEX) is an ongoing international project to help develop techniques for the a priori estimation of parameters used in land surface parameterization schemes of atmospheric and hydrological models. MOPEX is affiliated with both the Prediction in Ungauged Basins (PUBS) and the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX),and is supported by the GEWEX American Prediction Project (GAPP) as well as by individual participants.

Current procedures for a priori parameter estimation are often based on relationships between model parameters and basin characteristics—that is, soils, vegetation, topography climate, geology, etc. These developed relationships have not been fully validated through rigorous testing using retrospective hydrometeorological data and corresponding land surface characteristics. This is partly because the necessary database needed for such testing has not been available. Moreover, there still exists a gap in our understanding of the links between model parameters and land surface characteristics.
Comment on “Impact demagnetization by phase transition on Mars”
Authors: Mohit P. Surdas
Published: October 2006

In their Eos article (16 December 2003, pp. 561, 567), Rochette et al. described their experimental investigation of the demagnetization of pyrrhotite under pressure and explored the implications for impact demagnetization on Mars. Although the experimental results are very rigorous, there are a few inaccuracies in problems with the discussion of impact demagnetization; namely, the distinction between magnetized and non‐magnetized crust, the modeling of impact‐induced shock pressure distribution, and the discussion of plausible martian magnetic carriers.

First, the map shown in their Figure 1 is somewhat deceptive. It shows only those anomalies with amplitude >20 nT at 400 km altitude, and the authors refer to the 20‐nT contour as the “limit of magnetized and non‐magnetized Noachian crust.” In fact, most of the Noachian age southern highlands crust is magnetized, the main exceptions being the interiors of Hellas and Argyre basins and the Tharsis region (see Connerney et al., [2004] for the most recent magnetic map of Mars). The average intensity of magnetic anomalies as a function of radius around the Hellas, Argyre, and Isidis basins (Figure 1) shows the crust to be completely demagnetized only within ∼0.8 x the basin radius.
Issues and recent advances in soil respiration
Authors: Hibbard K. A. , Law B. E. , Ryan M. G. , Takle E. S.
Published: October 2006

The terrestrial carbon cycle is intrinsically tied to climate, hydrology, nutrient cycles, and the production of biomass through photosynthesis. Over two‐thirds of terrestrial carbon is stored below ground in soils, and a significant amount of atmospheric CO2 is processed by soils every year.Thus, soil respiration is a key process that underlies our understanding of the carbon cycle. Soil CO2 fluxes are the sum of root (autotrophic) and microbial (heterotrophic) respiration. Several factors contribute to soil respiration, including photosynthetic supply to roots, substrate quality and availability, temperature, and moisture.
Support expressed in Congress for U.S. high‐performance computing
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Advocates for a stronger U.S. position in high‐performance computing—which could help with a number of grand challenges in the Earth sciences and other disciplines—hope that legislation recently introduced in the House of Representatives will help to revitalize U.S. efforts.

The High‐Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 would amend the earlier High Performance Computing Act of 1991 (Public Law 102‐194), which is partially credited with helping to strengthen U.S. capabilities in this area. The bill has the support of the Bush administration.
Interdisciplinary discussion of volcanic processes beneath the Long Valley Caldera‐Mono Craters Area
Authors: Hill David , Segall Paul
Published: October 2006

Volcanism in the Long Valley Caldera‐Mono Craters (LVCMC) volcanic field in eastern California over the past 4 Ma is dominated by the 0.76 Ma caldera‐forming eruption of 600 km3 of rhyolite to form the Bishop Tuff. Over the last 150 k.y., volcanism has concentrated along the Mono‐Inyo chain, which extends 45 km north from Mammoth Mountain to Mono Lake (Figure 1, below). Recent eruptions along this chain have occurred from multiple vents 650±50 yr B.P. and from a vent in the middle of Mono Lake ∼300 yr B.P. An earthquake swarm in May 1980, including four M6 earthquakes accompanied by uplift of the resurgent dome in the center of the caldera, called attention to the restless nature of Long Valley caldera. Subsequent activity has included recurring swarms of earthquakes (M≤5.8), episodic uplift of the resurgent dome, diffuse outgassing of magmatic CO2, and mid‐crustal (10‐ to 25‐ km deep), long period (LP) volcanic earthquakes.
Comments solicited on federal appointments
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The National Academies is soliciting comments from the U.S. science community on the issue of the appointment of scientists, engineers, and health professionals to presidentially appointed positions in the federal government, and to federal advisory committees charged with formulating science‐based policy or reviewing research proposals.

The National Academies' ad hoc Committee on Ensuring the Best S & T Presidential and Advisory Committee Appointments is charged with examining the barriers to appointment of the most qualified candidates. It will examine the appointments process and the principles that should be observed in selecting scientists, engineers, and health professionals to serve on federal advisory committees.