bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proposals sought for site surveys
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

As part of the continuing International Phase of Ocean Drilling (IPOD), the Glomar Challenger is scheduled to drill in the Gulf of Mexico from March through May 1983. The Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc. (JOI) will manage the site survey program in preparation of these drilling activities and has issued a request for proposals for the program.

Funding also is anticipated for conducting multi‐channel reflection surveys of candidate drill sites in either the Peru‐Chile Trench region or off the northwest African continental margin. These surveys will be to support proposed post‐1983 Challenger drilling, according to JOI.
Five‐year science outlook
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Research on water quality, on solar activity's possible link to earth climate, and on potential resource deposits will be among the top scientific and technological problems to be tackled during the next 5 years, according to a National Research Council (NRC) report, ‘Outlook for Science and Technology: The Next Five Years.’ Written and reviewed by more than 200 scientists, the report is the second in a series describing current research trends; the first report was issued in 1979. The NRC report also offers a concise overview and comparison of the research environments in the United States, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. In addition, the report identifies prospects for new technologies in seven fields with emerging technologies or emerging situations that rely heavily on technology. The fields discussed are recombinant DNA, superconductivity, medical technology, energy storage, potential new resource deposits, the space shuttle and the space telescope, and information processing.
International Earth Science Directory
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A worldwide directory of more than 900 national earth science agencies and more than 80 related major international organizations is available, free of charge, from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The 87‐page directory provides the names, addresses, and, if available, the names of the chief administrators of the major governmental earth science agencies with functions similar to those of the USGS. Coded designations for each agency indicate its principal function and correspond approximately to principal functions of the operating divisions of the USGS: cartography (National Mapping Division), geology (Geologic Division), hydrology (Water Resources Division), and minerals and petroleum regulation (Conservation Division). The information in the directory is current as of November 1979.
A letter from a concerned AGU Member
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

I apologize for the delay in responding to AGU's request for support. The campaign started shortly after I had made a major adjustment in my estate that essentially limited my discretionary funds to living expenses and minor contributions. However, over the past year some of my assets have been released and I am able to make the enclosed contribution.

AGU has afforded me an opportunity to serve the scientific community and to develop professionally. Now that I am in the twilight of my career, I am indeed pleased to assist in the furtherance of the sciences the AGU encourages.
First JECSS Workshop
Authors: Ichiye Takashi
Published: October 2011

The first Japan and East China Seas Study (JECSS) workshop convened at Tsukuba University, about 60 km north of Tokyo, Japan, June 1–4, 1981, to assess hydrographic data, review descriptive and theoretical Work, and promote future cooperation for studying the Japan Sea and East China Sea and marginal seas of the Western North Pacific Ocean. The conveners were Takashi Ichiye of Texas A&M University and Kenzo Takano of Tsukuba University, and the workshop was funded by the Hidaka Foundation, which was founded by Koji Hidaka, patriarch of dynamic oceanography in Japan.

There were 41 participants: seven from the United States, six from Korea, one from the Peoples Republic of China, and 27 from Japan. Twenty‐four papers were presented, and topics included the Japan Sea, the East China Sea, and marginal seas in general. Subjects concerned descriptive physical oceanography; internal waves, tides, and shelf waves; circulation modeling; data assessment; remote sensing; and sedimentology and marine chemistry. The seasonal change of the Tsushima Current, a branch of the Kuroshio in the Japan Sea, was determined by the Tohoku University group; preliminary results of the NOAA R/V Oceanographer cruise in Spring 1980 were presented; and the numerical modeling of the Japan Sea circulation, the tides of the Yellow Sea, and the barotropic current of the East China Sea were discussed. The papers presented will be published in 1982 in La Mer, a journal of the Japanese‐French Oceanographical Society.
[Comment on] Toward a near‐perfect AGU
Authors: Ilyas M.
Published: October 2011

For many months I have been troubled by the thought of a near‐perfect AGU, deriving my inspiration from the AIP (consisting of eight big scientific societies), which has successfully organized journals in a very information‐efficient manner and is able to avoid duplication in its four‐dozenodd publications. This is a great value to members who wish to subscribe to individual journals for personal use.

The recent Publications Committee letter (Eos, 62, 19, 489) inquiring whether AGU journals should be further split up along our disciplinary lines provided the stimulus for this note. I feel that there is a lot of publication overlap between AGU and AMS. JGR‐Space Physics, and JGR‐Oceans and Atmospheres duplicate to some extent the coverage of the Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, the Monthly Weather Review, and the Journal of Physical Oceanography. Similarly there is overlap between the third section of JGR and Geophysics, the bulletin of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. Could there not be a federation of these societies, with one of its primary tasks to reorganize journal publication, cutting down, but not necessarily eliminating, duplication along the AIP lines? I suspect there are a number of other societies that should be included in such a federation.
Science and engineering faculties aging
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

The Division of Science Resource Studies of the National Science Foundation has recently published its third in a series of surveys of faculties at degree‐granting academic institutions. ‘Young and Senior Science and Engineering Faculty, 1980’ (Nat. Sci. Found., Publ. 81–319) contains information collected from faculties at 156 institutions that had received at least $1.4 million in federal government research and development funds in 1977. The survey spanned 19 science and engineering fields and 39,760 fulltime faculty and included numerous factors concerning age, sex, race, and conditions of faculty appointments and departures. (Chem. Eng. News, Feb. 15, 1982).
Hearings on planetary budget
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

The proposed budget for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is ‘a disaster for planetary science and exploration,’ David Morrison, professor of astronomy at the University of Hawaii, told the Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications of the House Committee on Science and Technology. Morrison was one of six scientists and aerospace industry leaders to testify on February 25. From each, the message was clear: the planetary budget, as proposed by President Reagan (Eos, February 23, p. 169), is inadequate.

The proposed cuts do the most damage to mission operations and research and data analysis, Morrison told the subcommittee. ‘A substantial fraction of the planetary program is now slated for termination, including spacecraft operations and data analysis that represent much of the scientific payoff from large previous investments,’ he said.
Early crustal genesis: A report of the Airlie House Meeting
Authors: Ashwal Lewis D. , Phillips Roger J.
Published: October 2011

Over 100 scientists from seven countries met at Airlie House, Warrenton, Virginia, November 13–17, 1981, to discuss relevant scientific issues concerning the early evolution of the crusts of the terrestrial planets. The impetus for this meeting was twofold: to bring the planetary and Archean scientific communities together and to lay the framework for a long‐term multidisciplinary research project.

The motivation for such a project stems from the fact that during the past several decades vast quantities of new data relevant to the origin and evolution of the planets have been acquired. As a result, a revolution has occurred in our approach to the evolution of crust‐mantle systems of planetary bodies, with the appreciation that all but the smallest bodies in the solar system probably underwent a period of extensive melting and differentiation during their first few hundred million years of existence.
C.W. Leonis has 15‐Å molecules
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

The star IRC+10°216, or C.W. Leonis, was a good candidate for astronomers M.B. Bell, P.A. Fedelman, Sun Kwok, and H.E. Matthews of the Herzberg Institute of Canada to study for the existence of new large extraterrestrial molecules (Nature, 295, 389‐391, 1982).

C.W. Leonis is a cool red giant in Leo that is losing mass by releasing gas and dust into a broad envelope. A number of dust‐gas organic and organometallic molecules have been identified during the past 20 years. Indeed, 17 such molecules have been confirmed in IRC+10°216, seven of which have carbon‐carbon bonds, and ten of which have appended CN radicals. Bell et al. studied spectra they obtained at the 46‐m‐dish Algonquin Radio Observatory and the 37‐m‐dish Haystack Observatory and discovered existence of cyano‐deca‐penta‐yne, HC11N, the largest and heaviest molecule (∼15Å, 147 AMU) yet detected outside the earth's atmosphere.
Research fellowships in India
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Twelve long‐term (6 to 10 months) and nine short‐term (2 to 3 months) research awards are being offered for 1983–84 by the Indo‐U.S. Subcommission on Education and Culture. The fellowship program seeks to open new channels of communication between academic and professional groups in the United States and India and to encourage a wider range of research activity between the two countries. Scholars and professionals with limited or no experience in India are encouraged to apply.

The fellowship, without restriction to field, is for $1200 to $1500 per month, depending on academic/professional achievement and seniority; $350 per month is payable in dollars, with the balance paid in rupees. There is also an allowance for books and study/travel in India and for international travel. In addition, long‐term fellows receive international travel allowances for dependents; a dependent allowance of $100–$250 per month in rupees; and a supplementary research allowance up to 34,000 rupees.
ETL wins Army Lab Prize
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The U.S. Army Engineer Topographic Laboratories (ETL), located in Fort Belvoir, Va., was awarded the 1981 Department of the Army Most Improved Laboratory of the Year Award for ETL's scientific and technical achievements in mapping, military geographic information, and geographic intelligence systems.

ETL, the largest topographic research and development organization of its kind in the world, specializes in mapping, geodesy, point positioning, and military geographic information. ETL addresses the full range of development from basic research to a final product in the topographic sciences. In addition, scientists at the laboratory have interpreted feedback from satellites, such as Landsat, to help pinpoint and improve ecological imbalance in some areas. ETL engineers are developing electronic systems to measure dams, while other ETL staff members are designing a pseudo‐radar system for the Pershing II missile.
Geophysical events
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

This is a summary of SEAN Bulletin, 7(2), February 28, 1982, a publication of the Smithsonian Institution. The complete bulletin is available in the microfiche edition of Eos, as a microfiche supplement, or as a paper reprint. Subscriptions to the SEAN Bulletin are also available. For the microfiche, order document E82‐002 at $1.00 from AGU Fulfillment, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. For reprints, order SEAN Bulletin (give dates and volume number) through AGU Separates: $3.50 for the first copy for those who do not have a deposit account; $2 for those who do; additional copies are $1.00. For a subscription, order SEAN Bulletin from AGU Fulfillment. The price for 12 monthly issues is $18.00 for a subscription mailed to a United States address, $28.00 (U.S.) if mailed elsewhere. Orders must be prepaid.
Do comets have satellites?
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

The impending return of Comet Halley to the inner solar system later in this decade has prompted a large upsurge of interest within the geophysical‐planetary science community. Right now in the United States, major plans to intercept Comet Halley by spacecraft have been cancelled. Nonetheless, the quest for gaining an understanding of comets has become more enthusiastic now in anticipation of Halley (Halley goes through perihelion on February 9, 1986). Now is a time when the very concepts of comets are being examined, and different models of their properties are being developed.
Recent trends in extractive metallurgy
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Metallurgists and solution geochemists are joining forces to develop processes for extraction of metals from low‐grade ores. The processes, which come under the name hydrometallurgy, include several new applications of solvent extraction techniques. Aqueous solutions are employed, leaching metals from ores, mine waste dumps, and even from deposits still in the ground. It was notable, for example, that Chemical and Engineering News (Feb. 8, 1982) recently featured the subject of hydrometallurgy in a special report. They noted that ‘recovering metals by use of aqueous solutions at relatively low temperatures increasingly is competing with dry, high‐temperature pyrometallurgical methods.’ The relatively new techniques have caused a revolution, of sorts, in engineering programs of university metallurgy departments. The challenge of developing selective metal dissolution processes is drawing upon the best national talent in the fields of solution geochemistry and metallurgy.
Hydrothermal vent yields multitude of manganese
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A rising plume of water from an active submarine hydrothermal spring discovered 500 km west of Newport, Ore., contains the highest concentrations of manganese yet reported, according to researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park and at the University of Washington in Seattle. The vent, one of many submarine springs that have deposited large deposits of zinc‐ and silver‐rich metals along the Juan de Fuca Ridge, may be a source of renewable minerals.

‘The discovery of the active water discharge from the vent sites is particularly significant because it indicates that the polymetallic deposits are still being deposited and may represent a renewable mineral deposit,’ according to William R. Normark, a marine geologist with the USGS and chief scientist aboard the S. P. Lee, the USGS research ship that was used to collect water samples above the hydrothermal vent.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Of the 440 people elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 15 are AGU members. They are Leo R. Beard, Duncan Blanchard, Jack E. Cermak, Leverett Davis, Jr., James E. Faller, John C. Gille, William W. Hambleton, Bruce B. Hanshaw, Peter V. Hobbs, Thomas Johnson Joiner, Donald H. Kupfer, James Pollack, Eric C. Silverberg, Arthur A. Socolow, and Kendall L. Svendsen.
Anatomy of a tornado
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Specially equipped Doppler radars enabled scientists at NOAA's Environmental Research Laboratories (ERL) and at the Sperry Corp. to measure, for the first time, the size, speed, and power of a tornado. The radar, aimed at a tornado north of Binger, Okla., last May, revealed a vase‐shaped funnel, about 975 m thick near its base, that widened to about 1609 m about one third of the way up and then narrowed at the top; the width of the tornado averaged about 800 m during its 22.5‐km journey. The 12‐km‐high twister generated winds up to 315 km/h and was powerful enough to have picked up and hurled from its funnel cattle, farm combines, a semi‐trailer truck, and oil storage tanks, among other debris, at 69 km/h, report Donald Burgess, Larry Hennington, and Dusan Zrnic at ERL and Leslie Lemon of the Sperry Corp. The researchers also discovered a ‘hole’ in the radar echoes, indicating a portion of the tornado that is almost devoid of precipitation, dust, or other objects that reflect radar beams.
Atmospheric Sciences Grants
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The Division of Atmospheric Sciences in the National Science Foundation (NSF) is experimenting with a new system for grant renewal, according to Joan M. Jordon, special assistant to division director Eugene W. Bierly. The experimental system, based on a similar experiment by NSF's Division of Chemistry, aims to reduce rising costs and mounting paperwork associated with grant renewals while retaining the effectiveness of peer review, Jordan said.

Investigators seeking grant renewals from the Division of Atmospheric Sciences with starting dates after October 1, 1982, will have the option of submitting either the traditional proposal or a set of recent publications on work under the present grant plus a short statement on future research directions. The scientific merit of the proposed work for the grant renewal will be judged by current procedures.
The Vetlesen prize to M. King Hubbert
Authors: Raleigh C. B.
Published: October 2011

The Vetlesen Prize is awarded for outstanding achievement in the sciences, resulting in a clearer understanding of the earth, its history, or its relation to the universe. The award is given by Columbia University, and the prize is given by the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation, which was endowed from the estate of the late G. Unger Vetlesen, former president of the Norwegian‐American Line Agency, Inc. The prize consists of a medal and $50,000.

The award was given in December 1981 to M. King Hubbert for his outstanding contributions to earth science by applying principles of physics in solving problems of great geological significance.
Geotechnical centrifuge under construction
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Modifications are underway at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center in California to transform a centrifuge used in the Apollo space program to the largest geotechnical centrifuge in the free world. The centrifuge, to be finished in August and opened next January, following check out and tuning, will enable geoscientists to model stratigraphic features down to 275 m below the earth's surface. Scientists will be able to model processes that are coupled with body force loading, including earthquake response of earth structures and soil structure interaction; rubbled‐bed behavior during in situ coal gasification or in oil shale in situ retorts; behavior of frozen soil; frost heave; behavior of offshore structures; wave‐seabed interactions; explosive cratering; and blast‐induced liquefaction.

The centrifuge will have a load capacity of 900‐g‐tons (short); that is, it will be able to carry a net soil load of 3 short tons to a centripetal acceleration of 300 times the acceleration caused by gravity. Modified for a total cost of $2.4 million, the centrifuge will have an arm with a 7.6‐m radius and a swinging platform or bucket at its end that will be able to carry a payload container measuring 2.1×2.1 m. An additional future input of $500,000 would enable the purchase of a larger bucket that could accommodate a load of up to 20 tons, according to Charles Babendreier, program director for geotechnical engineering at the National Science Foundation. Additional cooling for the motor would also be required. The centrifuge has the capability of accelerating the 20‐ton load to 100 g.
Update on NAS
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

With the approval of the governing bodies of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the first phase of a major reorganization of the National Research Council [Eos, March 16, p. 194] is well underway. As part of the reorganization—which consolidates seven existing assemblies and commissions into three commissions, two offices, and an independent board—the new Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources will combine the activities of the former Assembly of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (AMPS) and the former Commission on Natural Resources (CNR).

Herbert Friedman and Robert M. White, chairman of the assembly and of the commission, respectively, will cochair the new commission for 1 year. Charles K. Reed, executive director of the former assembly, is retiring but will serve as senior advisor to help establish the new commission and will serve as a member of the commission through June 1983. Raphael G. Kasper, executive secretary of the Environmental Studies Board, will be the commission's acting executive director.
Last birthday for Pioneer 10?
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Pioneer 10 celebrated its tenth year in space on March 2, but it may not be sending back data to scientists on earth on its eleventh birthday. Although scientists, such as James A. Van Allen, AGU President‐elect, await current spacecraft findings ‘with intense excitement,’ Pioneer 10 may fall victim to the budget ax wielded by the Reagan administration. National Aeronautics and Space Administrator James Beggs said that communications to the spacecraft may be cut off beginning in fiscal 1983 [Eos, February 23, p. 169].

Having survived the ravages of its 6.6 billion km trip, Pioneer continues to function well, NASA reports, and is currently attempting to define the extent and behavior of the sun's atmosphere or heliosphere. By April 1983, Pioneer will be farther from the sun than Pluto, and by June it will pass Neptune.
Telescopes for the 1980s
Authors: Neugebauer G.
Published: October 2011

In the last decades, astronomy has been changed in a number of significant ways. The number of large optical telescopes with diameters on the order of or larger than 2.3 m has increased from 3 shortly after World War II to about 20 at the present time. Whereas prewar astronomy was largely devoted to the visual wavelengths (0.3–0.8 μm), astronomical observations currently span the range from γ ray wavelengths to the longest radio wavelengths. Most significantly, astronomy outside conventional optical astronomy has developed into sophisticated disciplines rather than experimental explorations. Many of the observational advances at the forefront of astronomy now come from other than visual observations. Along with these changes have come fundamental changes in visual astronomy itself. Observations with photographic plates are the exception rather than the rule at most large observatories. Instead, electronic cameras are in common use. A second change, especially in the United States, is that the funding has gone from largely private funding (e.g., the Carnegie Institution of Washington) to funding with the government providing a main share of the support. Indeed, the government has provided the total funding for those disciplines, like X ray astronomy, which use space‐borne platforms. These changes have also affected the character of doing astronomy, and astronomers have become much more politically active on the national science scene.
1983 Mediterranean Studies
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

After a lay‐up of over 1 year and an extensive refit, R/V Robert D. Conrad of Lamont‐Doherty Geological Observatory has left Port Everglades, Florida, bound for the Pacific Ocean off of South America. Most of the 1982 Conrad operations will be based in the Pacific, highlighted by a deep‐water multichannel seismic reflection study of the Pacific Plate around Hawaii, to be conducted together with R/V Kana Keoki of the University of Hawaii. The scientific equipment on the Conrad is strongly oriented toward marine geophysical studies; however, she is also capable of carrying out limited biological, physical, and chemical oceanographic programs.

Although plans are still preliminary, the 1983 Conrad schedule includes 2 months of operations in the Mediterranean Sea during the late spring or summer. This will be the first time since 1979 that a research vessel of the U.S. Academic Fleet has conducted scientific programs in the Mediterranean Sea.
Geophysical events
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

This is a summary of SEAN Bulletin, 7(3), March 31, 1982, a publication of the Smithsonian Institution. The complete bulletin is available in the microfiche edition of Eos, as a microfiche supplement, or as a paper reprint. Subscriptions to the SEAN Bulletin are also available. For the microfiche, order document E82–003 at $1.00 from AGU Fulfillment, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. For reprints, order SEAN Bulletin (give dates and volume number) through AGU Separates: $3.50 for the first copy for those who d o not have a deposit account; $2 for those who do; additional copies are $1.00. For a subscription, order SEAN Bulletin from AGU Fulfillment. The price for 12 monthly issues is $18.00 for a subscription mailed to a United States address, $28.00 (U.S.) if mailed elsewhere. Orders must be prepaid.
Evolution of Physical Oceanography: Scientific Surveys in Honor of Henry Stommel
Authors: Stewart R. W.
Published: October 2011

In a career that is now getting longer than I like to contemplate, I have contributed to, read, and reviewed a very large number of volumes of the type the Germans call festschrift. However, nothing I have yet seen can match this volume. It is impressive in its size, in its physical quality, in the choice of authors, and in its intellectual content.

In size, it is almost exactly the same in every dimension as the Greater Vancouver telephone book (yellow pages excluded). It is well bound, and the print at two columns per page is clean and legible. Almost all of the diagrams have been taken from other publications, and some of them have obviously had their sizes changed so significantly that some have become rather ugly by being larger than intended and some have been reduced so much that numbers and letters almost need magnification to be read. Nevertheless, the quality of the paper and reproduction is such that everything is ultimately legible. The book gives every impression of solidity and high quality. Yet it must be admitted that it is rather heavy for its binding and much carrying around in airplanes has led to my copy already beginning to break away from its back. However, at $37.50 it must be one of the bargains of the decade, and no physical oceanographer should be without it.
[Correction to “The challenge of climate” by Alan D. Hecht] “Climate Challenge” update
Authors: Hecht Alan D.
Published: October 2011

The proper reference for Figure 5 in the article ‘The Challenge of Climate’ by Alan D. Hecht (Eos, December 22, 1981) is C.D. Keeling, ‘The Influence of Mauna Loa Observatory on the Development of Atmospheric CO2 Research,’ Mauna Loa Observatory—A 20th Anniversary Report, edited by John Miller, U.S. Department of Commerce, September 1978.
Resources evaluation journal
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

In July, the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF) will begin publication of the Resources Evaluation Journal, a quarterly that will feature technical articles on procedures for evaluating natural resources. The journal is a continuation of the Resources Evaluation Newsletter, created by six federal agencies in 1979; budget cutbacks forced the newsletter to fold last November. H. Gyde Lund of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and editor of the former newsletter, will continue as the journal's editor.

The journal will contain, in addition to the technical articles, listings of current literature, general notices on resources management, and announcements of workshops, symposia, and conferences.
Western Water Resources: Coming Problems and the Policy Alternatives
Authors: Wahl Richard
Published: October 2011

This quote from the book leads one to speculate as to what will happen to water policy in these times of increased concern for reducing federal spending, for more reliance on state and local governments as opposed to the federal government, and for more reliance on the private sector as opposed to any level of governmental control. Remembering that a wrenching debate preceded deregulation of oil and other energy prices, what are the opportunities for deregulation in the water resources field?

Western Water Resources consists of the proceedings of a symposium held in Denver in September 1979 and Hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. As in any conference, there is, in addition to the organized substantive content of the papers, a mixture of the clever and the banal, peppered with some humor and chit‐chat. Among the contributors are economists, including Charles Howe, Allen Kneese, Emery Castle, and Kenneth Boulding; legal scholars, such as George Radosevich and Frank Trelease; and political figures, such as Scott Matheson, Governor of Utah, Guy Martin, former Assistant Secretary for Land and Water Resources of the Department of the Interior, and Leo Eisel, former Director of the Water Resources Council. Some papers are followed by a discussion from commentors.
Exploding star
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Three astronomers report that the star Eta Carinae, 100 times more massive than the sun, is nearing its life expectancy and will explode sometime in the next 10,000 years. Until now, astronomers have been unable to discern whether the star was in the process of being born, was a middle‐aged star with an unusual outflow of material, or an aged star about to explode.

The huge star is coming to the end of what is considered a normal lifetime—about 2 million years—for a star of its size, according to Kris Davidson at the University of Minnesota, Nolan R. Walborn (presently at the Goddard Space Flight Center) of Cerro Tololo Inter‐American Observatory, and Theodore R. Gull at Goddard. When Eta Carinae explodes, the astronomers report, it could emit more light than all the hundreds of billions of other stars in the galaxy for weeks. The expected explosion, or supernova, could produce a bright point of light that would be visible in broad daylight, they add.
Satellite guide
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The University of Rhode Island's Sea Grant Program has published what it calls the first user's guide to environmental satellite data. Written by Peter Cornillon, an oceanographer at Rhode Island, the guide spells out which agencies distribute information from 14 environmental satellites. For those unfamiliar with remote‐sensing techniques, the guide also delineates the various sensors the satellites carry and the types of information they produce. The heart of the looseleaf‐formatted guide is an overview of the characteristics and objectives of each satellite and the characteristics of the data available.
Energy at the Surface of the Earth: An Introduction to the Energetics of Ecosystems
Authors: Fritschen Leo
Published: October 2011

This book contains 23 chapters dealing with various aspects of the surface energy balance. The author presents data and discussion of the data rather than theoretical derivation and mathematical formulas. The work represents a fairly exhaustive literature review with many references from foreign journals. The author synthesizes the literature, discussing details that are often omitted from other publications.
Monsoon Dynamics
Authors: Chang Chih‐Pei
Published: October 2011

This is a collection of 46 edited papers presented at the Joint IUTAM/IUGG International Symposium on Monsoon Dynamics, Delhi, 1977. Obviously, there is not even enough space here to mention all the titles and authors. So this review has to be limited to general comments pertaining to the major strong and weak aspects of the volume.

The 46 papers (chapters) are grouped into five main parts: part I, the large scale climatology of the tropical atmosphere; II, the summer monsoon over the Indian subcontinent and East Asia; III, the physics and dynamics of the Indian Ocean during summer monsoon; IV, some important mathematical modeling techniques; and V, storm surges and flood forecasting. Each of the first three parts is also divided into two subparts: subpart a, observational studies; α, modeling and theoretical studies.
Why publish with AGU?
Authors: Graedel T. E.
Published: October 2011

The most visible activity of the American Geophysical Union is its publication of scientific journals. There are eight of these: Journal of Geophysical Research—Space Physics (JGR I), Journal of Geophysical Research—Solid Earth (JGR II), Journal of Geophysical Research—Oceans and Atmospheres (JGR III), Radio Science (RS), Water Resources Research (WRR), Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics (RGSP), and the newest, Tectonics.

AGU's journals have established solid reputations for scientific excellence over the years. Reputation is not sufficient to sustain a high quality journal, however, since other factors enter into an author's decision on where to publish his or her work. In this article the characteristics of AGU's journals are compared with those of its competitors, with the aim of furnishing guidance to prospective authors and a better understanding of the value of the products to purchasers.
Mediterranean gyre
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A team of scientists from the Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity (NORDA), with assistance from French and Spanish organizations, is studying a 100‐km diameter gyre in the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea. Formed by the water current flowing through the Strait of Gibraltar from the Atlantic Ocean, the gyre is nestled between the coasts of Spain and Morocco.

The project, under the leadership of NORDA principal investigators Thomas Kinder, Harley Hurlburt, Paul LaViolette, and Dennis Conlon, focuses on how oceanic flows generally behave near straits and, in particular, how they behave in the Strait of Gibraltar. Increased understanding of gyre formation and behavior should lead to better forecasting and monitoring of oceanic conditions near the strait.
Viking snaps over 50,000 Mars photos
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

More than 50,000 photographs of Mars, taken by the Viking spacecraft from 1976 through 1980, have been processed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Viking 1, launched August 20, 1975, arrived at Mars on June 19, 1976. The Viking 1 lander separated from the orbiter and landed in the Chryse Planitia region on July 20, 1976. Viking 2 was launched September 9, 1975, and entered orbit around Mars on August 7, 1976. The Viking 2 lander touched down in the Utopia Planitia region of the planet on September 3, 1976.
Solar energy shortage?
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

According to the results of a recent study by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), there has been a decrease of a tenth of a percent in the total amount of solar energy reaching the earth over the 18‐month period from February 1980 to August 1981. This conclusion is based on data obtained from the Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM) that is incorporated onto the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. The results are significant for studies of the physics and geophysics of the sun and could have implications for short‐ and long‐term weather patterns on the earth's surface.

The ACRIM has a precision of better than 10 4, whereas the uncertainties in the best earth‐based observations are on the order of 1% to 2%. The JPL group conducting the study suggests that the decrease in the sun's energy may even have been a factor in this year's unusually harsh winter.
[Comment on “Submarine hot springs: Origin of life?”] Hydrothermal vents revisited
Authors: Hoffman Sarah
Published: October 2011

It was gratifying to read Peter Bell's synopsis of our paper [Corliss et al., 1981] in the March 23 issue of Eos (Submarine hot springs: Origin of life?) however, in the last sentence, he wrote, ‘They note that microorganisms found in recent expeditions to the submarine hot springs of the East Pacific Rise would be evidence that the processes are still occurring.’

In our final paragraph we actually said that while “events leading to the formation of complex organic compounds and “protocell” structures may still be occurring in present‐day oceanic hydrothermal systems … the complex communities of bacteria in modern oceanic environments would outcompete and consume abiotically synthesized protocells…” Modern‐day vent microbiota will probably mask or destroy any evidence for abiotic synthesis in the hydrothermal vents.
Spiral sunspot spotted
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A pinwheel‐shaped sunspot sighted by astronomers at Kitt Peak National Observatory has been labeled by veteran solar observers as ‘unprecedented,’ according to the National Science Foundation. The sunspot, with a diameter about 6 times that of the earth, was spotted on February 19 with the vacuum solar telescope at Kitt Peak.

The average sunspot, which usually appears in photographs as an irregularly shaped dark hole, has a diameter of about 9600 km. The spiral sunspot's diameter approximated 80,450 km. It maintained its shape for about 2 days before it broke up and changed form.
‘New’ Antarctic volcanos
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Two previously unknown volcanos that show evidence o f recent eruptions were discovered in March on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula, according to the National Science Foundation. The discovery brings to five the number of known active volcanos on the continent.

Volcanic debris still covers a large swath of the adjacent Larsen Ice Shelf, pointing to very recent activity. In addition, one of the volcanos was steaming when the discovery was made, reports Oscar Gonzalez‐Ferran of the University of Chile at Santiago. He made the discovery while doing a geophysical survey by helicopter of the Antarctic Peninsula. The two volcanos constitute the southernmost extension of the eastern side of the ‘ring of fire,’ a ring of volcanos that is believed to mark the active subduction zone on the periphery of the Pacific Ocean.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

David Burdon, an advisor on groundwater to the Geological Survey of Ireland and a director of Minerex Ltd., a Dublin‐based geotechnical consultant company, has been awarded the Aberconway Medal by the Institute of Geologists, a worldwide body that honors one member each year for services to geology. Burdon's work in hydrogeology, particularly in the Middle East, has won him international recognition.

Two AGU Fellows were recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences: Don L. Anderson, director of the Seismological Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, and W. Jason Morgan, professor of geophysics at Princeton University. Both have received awards from AGU in previous years. Anderson was the recipient of the James B. Macelwane Award in 1966; Morgan received the Walter H. Bucher Medal in 1972.
AFGL Geomagnetism Workshop
Authors: Fougere Paul , Singer Howard , Hughes W. Jeffrey
Published: October 2011

On December 2, 3, and 4, 1981, the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory (AFGL) hosted its 2nd International Geomagnetism Workshop with the theme ‘Impulse Response of the Magnetosphere.’ The participants gathered to analyze interactively a data base consisting of ground magnetometer measurements from nearly 100 observatories. The global distribution of these observatories is illustrated in Figure 1, and Table 1 lists the observatory sponsors and workshop participants. The workshop organizing committee was chaired by Paul Fougere of AFGL and Howard Singer of Boston University. The purpose of this report is to inform the geophysics community of the purpose, organization, and results of this workshop.
Rock mechanics research requirements for resource recovery, construction, and earthquake hazard reduction
Authors: Pincus Howard J. , Handin John , Judd William R. , Engelder Terry
Published: October 2011

In 1978, the United States National Committee for Rock Mechanics organized a study to review the current state of knowledge and practice of rock mechanics, to identify deficient areas in which research is required to advance understanding of the science of rock mechanics, and to provide a guide to federal and industrial funding of rock mechanics research. The ultimate objective was to disclose the optimal direction for research in the vital areas of energy and resource recovery, construction, and the mitigation of earthquake hazards. The study was focused on those needs affecting energy‐ and mineral‐resource development, construction, and earthquake hazard reduction. The critical areas included: (1) the determination and prediction of porosity, permeability, and fluid flow in situ; (2) better methods of determining shallow and deep in situ stresses; (3) improvement of the ability to map fracture patterns, particularly major fractures and faults, at depth; (4) improvement of the understanding of rock fragmentation processes so as to increase the effectiveness of drilling and excavation systems; (5) increased understanding of the relation of laboratory‐measured quantities to in situ conditions; (6) better determinative methods for thermal properties of rock, including fractured rock; and (7) development of numerical models to characterize rock behavior.
Planetology resolution
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Dismayed by cutbacks and proposed further reductions in federal funding for planetary science, the Planetology Section of the American Geophysical Union has adopted the following resolution, which touches on some of the reasons for planetary exploration and argues that it is in the public interest to maintain a vigorous planetary program.

We firmly endorse the scientific value of planetary exploration and its significance for our nation and our world.
1981 VGP Awardee: Richard A. Yund
Authors: Dalrymple G. Brent
Published: October 2011

The VGP award was established to honor individuals who in the past 5 years have made a significant contribution to the fields of volcanology, petrology, or geochemistry. The first person chosen to receive this award is Richard A. Yund of Brown University, for his pioneering work on the kinetics of solid state processes in minerals.

Dick began his career as a pre‐ then post‐doctoral fellow at the Geophysical Lab, and later at Brown University, where he concentrated on sulfides. After solving some difficult problems of phase relations in sulfide systems and becoming interested in the kinetics and mechanisms of exsolution, he abandoned sulfides and turned his attention to feldspars.
More computer resources needed for ocean modeling
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

‘Ocean numerical modeling has recently become an important part of ocean science and plays today an essential role in the advance of the science itself,’ and to ensure the advancement of the oceanographic sciences, significantly more computer resources are required, according to an ad hoc committee of the National Research Council's Ocean Sciences Board.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Computing Resources and Facilities for Ocean Circulation Modelling, chaired by James J. O'Brien, surveyed the ocean modeling community to assess the available computing resources in the United States and the projected resource needs. The accompanying table summarizes the results of the committee's survey on computer resources.
Disziplingeschichte als wissenschaftliche Selbstreflexion der historischen Wissenschaftsforschung
Authors: Landsberg H. E.
Published: October 2011

This monograph, Disziplingeschichte als wissenschaftliche Selbstreflexion der historischen Wissenschaftsforschung: Eine Darstellung unter Heranziehung von Fallstudien der Wissenschaftsgeschichte der Geophysik, is principally concerned with the problem of how scientific disciplines develop. The historical aspects of geophysics and meteorology, as they became separated from the classical sciences of geography, physics, and astronomy, are the principal topics of discussion. There are three main sections.

In the first the author traces some of the symptoms that characterize the emergence of an independent branch of science. These include establishment of journals specifically focused on advances in the specialty, the appearance of personalities with pioneering research, and organizations devoted to the particular field. In touching on these elements in the context of geophysics, a particular aspect becomes immediately obvious. It is the arising need for international cooperation. In the last century this was demonstrated by the establishment of the International Meteorological Organization in 1873 and the 11‐nation venture of the International Polar Year 1882/83. It also becomes clear that geophysics is distinctly different from the laboratory sciences because it is notably steered by external events such as the Krakatoa eruption 1883, major earthquakes, notable floods, etc.
1982 Bowie Medalist: Henry Stommel
Authors: Munk Walter H.
Published: October 2011

When Curt Collins asked me to present the citation for the award of the 1982 Bowie Medal, my immediate response was: can he deliver the medalist? Henry Stommel is not known for his attendance at large meetings, nor can I believe that the acceptance of public honors is one of his favorite pastimes.

My job is made easier by the recent volume ‘Scientific Surveys in Honor of Henry Stommel’ put together by Bruce Warren and Carl Wunsch. Arons has summarized Hank's scientific work, and there are personal notes by Montgomery, Deacon, and Fuglister that I have greatly enjoyed.
DGG establishes History Working Group
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The German Geophysical Society (Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft) now has a working group on the history of geophysics (chairman, W. Kertz; secretary, W. Schröder). There are three distinct areas of interest in the history of geophysics: (a) classical history of geophysics, (b) contemporary history, and (c) data preservation. The working group has decided to start a newsletter, organize a bibliography of German scientists in meteorology and geophysics, and hold sessions on the history of geophysics during annual meetings of the German Geophysical Society. The working group will sponsor a historical session at the annual meeting o the society in March 1983, in Aachen, Federal Republic of Germany. For further information, contact the secretary of the working group for the history of geophysics: Wilfried Schröder, Hechelstrasse 8, D‐2820 Bremen‐Roennebeck, Federal Republic of Germany.
Neptune has rings?
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Astronomers at Villanova University report preliminary evidence that at least two ‘fairly transparent’ rings encircle Neptune. The report fuels the debate over the possibility that rings similar to those of Jupiter, Saturn, or Uranus also can be found around distant Neptune.

Each of the two rings is about 1900 km wide, according to Edward F. Guinan, Frank P. Malone, and Craig Harris. The findings, gleaned from Guinan's observations of an occultation of Neptune and a star, were reported at the recent meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
Last day [A poem]
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

[A poem]It's Friday, 3 P.M. The meeting is winding down. The lecture halls are down to a bare quorum, just one or two per row, and no one in the rear. The schedule, too, is bare at spots where speakers never came. Displays are being knocked down and repacked while books are sold at half their price; it' cheaper than to ship them home again.