bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
End of the rainbow indeed
Authors: Sammons James I.
Published: October 2006

Many thanks to Adam Light and Patrick J. Bartlein for their helpful and succinct article, The End of the Rainbow? Color Schemes for Improved Data Graphics, regarding color in data illustration (Eos, 85(40), 5 October 2004). I especially appreciate their point about the use of spectral schemes to illustrate sequential data.

As a science writer and reader, I have often struggled with the Crayola‐inspired illustrations that are prevalent today Overuse of color forces the reader into a myopic [paint by numbers] exercise to extract meaning. The situation reminds me of notes that I received just after Microsoft Windows developed the capability to print bit‐mapped fonts. For a while, some authors seemed carried away by this new capability and marked each line, each change of voice, with a new font.
Moon‐to‐Mars Initiative draws heat
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Shifting NASA's priorities toward its Moon‐to‐Mars initiative, which U.S. President George W. Bush announced on 14 January, “will mean neglecting the most promising space science efforts,” according to a 22 November report issued by the American Physical Society Special Committee on NASA Funding for Astrophysics.

The report notes that important science opportunities could be lost or seriously delayed due to this shift in priorities. The new initiative presents the challenge of how to implement it “without destroying the agency's balanced scientific program that was carefully crafted with strong scientific community involvement,” the report states.
Reply [to “Cosmic rays, carbon dioxide, and climate”]
Authors: Rahmstorf Stefan , Archer David , Ebel Denton S. , Eugster Otto , Jouzel Jean , Maraun Douglas , Neu Urs , Schmidt Gavin A. , Severinghaus Jeff , Weaver Andrew J. , Zachos Jim
Published: October 2006

In our analysis [Rahmstorf et al., 2004], we arrived at two main conclusions: the data of Shaviv and Veizer [2003] do not show a significant correlation of cosmic ray flux (CRF) and climate, and the authors' estimate of climate sensitivity to CO2 based on a simple regression analysis is questionable. After careful consideration of Shaviv and Veizer's comment, we want to uphold and reaffirm these conclusions.

Concerning the question of correlation, we pointed out that a correlation arose only after several adjustments to the data, including shifting one of the four CRF peaks and stretching the time scale. To calculate statistical significance, we first need to compute the number of independent data points in the CRF and temperature curves being correlated, accounting for their autocorrelation. A standard estimate [Quenouille, 1952] of the number of effective data points is

urn:x-wiley:00963941:media:eost14930:eost14930-math-0001
where N is the total number of data points and r1, r2 are the autocorrelations of the two series. For the curves of Shaviv and Veizer [2003], the result is NEFF = 4.8. This is consistent with the fact that these are smooth curves with four humps, and with the fact that for CRF the position of the four peaks is determined by four spiral arm crossings or four meteorite clusters, respectively; that is, by four independent data points. The number of points that enter the calculation of statistical significance of a linear correlation is (NEFF− 2), since any curves based on only two points show perfect correlation; at least three independent points are needed for a meaningful result.
Murr receives 2004 F. L. Scarf award
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

David Murr has been awarded the F. L. Scarf Award given annually to a recent Ph.D. recipient for outstanding dissertation research that contributes directly to solar‐planetary sciences. Murr's thesis is entitled “Magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling on meso‐ and macro‐scales.” He will be formally presented with the award on 14 December during the 2004 AGU Fall Meeting, which is held 13–17 December in San Francisco, California.
Make Earth science education as dynamic as Earth itself
Authors: Lautenbacher Conrad C. , Groat Charles G.
Published: October 2006

The images of rivers spilling over their banks and washing away entire towns, buildings decimated to rubble by the violent shaking of the Earth's plates, and molten lava flowing up from inside the Earth's core are constant reminders of the power of the Earth. Humans are simply at the whim of the forces of Mother Nature—or are we?

Whether it is from a great natural disaster, a short‐term weather event like El Nino, or longer‐term processes like plate tectonics, Earth processes affect us all. Yet,we are only beginning to scratch the surface of our understanding of Earth sciences. We believe the day will come when our understanding of these dynamic Earth processes will prompt better policies and decisions about saving lives and property. One key place to start is in America's classrooms.
Comment on “Variations of total solar irradiance produced by structural changes in the solar interior”
Authors: Foukal P. , Spruit H.
Published: October 2006

In a recent Eos article, Sofia [2004] argues for the influence on irradiance variation of global changes in the Sun's structure associated with its magnetic dynamo. These changes would act in addition to the relatively well understood modulation by dark sunspots and bright faculae at the surface. His assessment of the present observational evidence for such a global change agrees with our earlier conclusion that it is not widely convincing at the present time [Foukal, 2003]. But Sofia's article also claims (1) that the numerical results obtained by him and his collaborators at Yale disagree with and correct earlier work, and (2) that a hydrostatic approximation is not adequate for variations on the 11‐year solar cycle timescale. These surprising claims are based on the results of recently published hydrostatic models [e.g., Sofia and Li, 2004] using the same mixing length approximation for convective heat transport used in earlier work [Spruit, 1982, 1991; Gilliland, 1988].
Reply [to “Variations of total solar irradiance produced by structural changes in the solar interior”]
Authors: Sofia S.
Published: October 2006

In their Comment to my article [Sofia, 2004], PFoukal and H. Spruit imply that the surface magnetic effects alone can explain the observed solar cycle variations of (1) the low‐ and medium‐degree p‐mode oscillation frequencies; (2) the f‐mode oscillation frequencies; (3) the solar radius; (4) the solar photospheric temperature; and (5) the solar irradiance.

In fact, it is hard for surface magnetic effects to explain most of these variations since they are not supposed to change the internal structure of the Sun, and these observations require some internal structure readjustment. These failures are further increased by recent observations which show that the faculae, which are supposed to increase irradiance, can actually be dark in the disk center when measured in the continuum wavelengths [Kuhn et al, 1998]. Moreover, if Willson's reconstruction of the total solar irradiance history, which shows a difference in the level at the last two minima, is correct [Willson, 1997],we find another feature of the TSI that is difficult, if not impossible, to explain on the basis of surface magnetic effects alone.
Outstanding student award
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

AGU's Mineral and Rock Physics Focus Group will formally present its 2004 Outstanding Student Award to Motohiko Murakami and Sergio Speziale at the M&RP‐SEDI (Study of the Earth's Deep Interior) Reception.The reception will be held 14 December, at the 2004 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California.

Motohiko Murakami received his Ph.D. from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Japan, in 2004. His thesis, “Phase transitions in lower mantle minerals and its geophysical implications,” was performed under the supervision of Kei Hirose. Murakami now holds a JSPS postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Tech. Murakami's research interests include phase relations, phase chemistry, and physical properties of the Earth's deep materials at high pressure and high temperature.
Editors' Citation for Excellence in Refereeing: 2003
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The following individuals have been cited by Editors of AGU journals for excellence in refereeing. These reviewers are to be commended for consistently providing constructive and thoughtful reviews. The Editors' citations presented at the AGU Fall Meeting in December 2003 recognize this special service to the Union.
“X” Marks the spot: Florida is the 2004 hurricane bull's‐eye
Authors: Bossak Brian H.
Published: October 2006

The hurricane season of 2004 has turned out to be one for the record books.

The first recorded South American hurricane made landfall in Brazil in March 2004. Hurricane Alex, the first named storm of the North Atlantic hurricane season, was the strongest hurricane ever recorded north of 38° latitude. Hurricane Ivan was the most southerly‐forming North Atlantic hurricane recorded. After menacing the Caribbean, Ivan made an official landfall near Mobile, Alabama, but greatly affected the western panhandle region of Florida, which was located within the dangerous northeastern quadrant of the storm.
NASA is big winner in federal science budget
Authors: Keelor Brad
Published: October 2006

In the $388 billion omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2005 that the US. Congress approved on 20 November, most agencies aside from NASA that fund Earth and space sciences face flat or declining budgets.

All agencies covered in the omnibus bill face an additional 0.8% reduction agreed to by Congress and the Bush Administration, which is not calculated into the figures in this article.
Jupiter exploration: High risk and high rewards
Authors: Kite Edwin S.
Published: October 2006

Jupiter exploration is big science, and only the United States can afford self‐contained missions to the gas giant and its four planet‐sized moons. The Galileo spacecraft, which was recently flown into Jupiter to prevent it from contaminating Europa's ocean, cost $1.6 billion. Despite the failure of its High Gain Antenna (HGA), Galileo discovered briny, subsurface oceans on Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto; globally mapped all four Galilean moons; monitored Io's volcanic activity; carried out a 7‐year study of the Jovian magnetosphere; and dropped an atmospheric probe into Jupiter's upper cloud layer.
Hildreth receives Thorarinsson Medal
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Edward Wesley (Wes) Hildreth, research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey received the Thorarinsson Medal at the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) 2004 General Assembly at Pucon, Chile, in November 2004.

The triennial Thorarinsson Medal honors the memory of Sigurdur Thorarinsson (1912–1983) of Iceland, and his pioneering work in volcanology, especially tephrochronology. The medal is the highest award given by IAVCEI for outstanding contributions to the general field of volcanology.
Global land data sets for next‐generation biospheric monitoring
Authors: Running Steven W.
Published: October 2006

The Mauna Loa atmospheric CO2 record initiated in 1957 was the first data set to show that the entire Earth was being affected by human activity C. D. Keeling relived the history and current trends of that CO2 data set in a keynote address at a recent Earth observation meeting where next‐generation capabilities in global biospheric monitoring were unveiled. The second MODIS Vegetation Workshop held last August, was attended by 170 scientists from 27 states and 19 countries.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a visible/infrared optical sensor launched on both the Terra (December 1999) and the more recent Aqua (May 2002) platforms of the NASA Earth Observing System to provide daily global Earth observation at 250‐1000‐m spatial resolution. The MODIS Land Science Team since 1990 has developed algorithms analyzing the spectral data to produce biophysical variables over 110 million km2 of vegetated land surface for global science (http.7/modis‐land.gsfc. nasa.gov/products/).
AGU index terms updated
Authors: Kodama Kenneth P.
Published: October 2006

AGU has just completed a major revision of its Index Terms. The last major revision of the Index Terms was conducted in 1995. AGU Index Terms are used for classification of both AGU publications and meetings programs. The new Index Terms will be available for use by the AGU community on 17 December (http://www.agu.org/pubs/indexterms).

A 15‐person working group, representing various disciplinary groups across the AGU, was established by, and reports to, the Publications Committee. The Index Committee members consulted with their constituencies and considered term‐by‐term usage of the old Index Term list in creating the new list.
Fellowship available: 2005 IIASA Young Scientists Summer Program
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), near Vienna, Austria, will host its annual Young Scientists's Summer Program (YSSP) for a selected group of graduate students from around the world. These students, primarily doctoral, will work closely with IIASAs senior scientists on projects within the institute's theme areas: natural resources and environment (e.g., transboundary air pollution and greenhouse gas initiative), population and society (e.g., risk, modeling, and society, and sustainable rural development), and energy and technology (e.g., transitions to new technologies and dynamic systems).
A method for prediction of California summer air surface temperature
Authors: Alfaro E. , Gershunov A. , Cayan D. , Steinemann A. , Pierce D. , Barnett T.
Published: October 2006

While significant progress has been made in seasonal climate prediction in recent years, summertime mid‐latitude climate prediction remains problematic [e.g., Gershunov and Cayan, 2003]. Several previous studies have explored the skill of Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures (PSST) in the seasonal prediction of various atmospheric variables [e.g., Barnett and Preisendorfer, 1987],but few have focused on the value of PSST in forecasting summer conditions [e.g., Douville, 2003].

Advances in summertime temperature forecasts are important for planning in different economic sectors, such as the energy industry. This issue is especially important in California, where the summer peak energy demand is about 50% higher than that in winter, in response to heavy loads from air conditioners, pumping water, and other seasonal issues.
Comment on “Anomalous cold water detected along Mid‐Atlantic Coast”
Authors: Schwing Franklin B. , Pickett Mark H.
Published: October 2006

The recent Eos article by Sun et al. [2004] described unusually chilly ocean conditions along the U.S. mid‐Atlantic coast in summer 2003 that the authors attributed to stronger than usual upwelling. The stress of alongshore (northward on the North American east coast) wind on the ocean's surface, in concert with Earth's rotation, causes surface water to move offshore and be replaced by water that upwells along the coast from depths of 50–100 m and more. Upwelled water is cooler and more saline than the original surface water, and typically has much greater concentrations of nutrients that are key to sustaining biological production [Smith, 1968].Coastal upwelling is principally considered a west coast process, but it can play an important role in the physics, chemistry, and ecology of the broad continental shelves of east coasts.
Reply to “Anomalous cold water detected along mid‐Atlantic coast”]
Authors: Sun Donglian , Singh Ramesh , Kafatos Menas
Published: October 2006

We are happy to see that our article [Sun et al., 2004] on the anomalous cold water observed along the mid‐Atlantic coast generated interest among readers. We do agree with Schwing and Pickett [2004]] that the upwelling along the east coast of the United States is not as common or as strong as on the west coast. Schwing and Pickett have shown that the upwelling index (UI) found by Sun et al. is well above the 38‐year monthly mean and had exceeded 2 standard deviations above normal.
New approaches for extending the twentieth century climate record
Authors: Brönnimann S. , Compo G. P. , Sardeshmukh P. D. , Jenne R. , Sterin A.
Published: October 2006

Studying twentieth century climate is a key to understanding future climate change. Relatively little is still known, however, about climate variability in the first half of the century. Much could be learned from the relatively large climatic variations that occurred during that first half, including the decade‐long “Dust Bowl” droughts of the 1930s and the warming of the Arctic from 1920 to 1945.

Poor digital data availability prior to around 1948 has hindered previous work to understand these important climatic variations.
Gubbins receives 2004 John Adam Fleming Medal
Authors: Jackson Andrew , Gubbins Dave
Published: October 2006

David Gubbins was awarded the Fleming Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 15 December 2004, in San Francisco, California. The medal recognizes “original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy space physics, and related sciences”
Eos online expands
Authors: Spilhaus Fred
Published: October 2006

Beginning with today's issue all of Eos, exactly as it appears in print, is being posted online each Monday close to midnight UT. Thus, members worldwide will have access to the full issue at the same time. Although Eos has been sent by expedited service to most areas outside the contiguous U.S., Canada, and Mexico for many years, the vagaries of international delivery has meant that Eos does not always reach members as promptly as desired. Electronic delivery can help solve this problem.
Seismic imaging of the ocean internal structure: A new tool in physical oceanography?
Authors: Géli Louis , Savoye Bruno , Carton Xavier , Stéphan Manuel
Published: October 2006

Reflection seismics has been intensively used for the last four decades by marine geologists and geophysicists for imaging Earth structures below the seafloor. Because their subject of interest is below the sea bottom, solid Earth scientists do not usually consider the seismic signal propagating in the water column and most often do not even record it, in order to save data storage space.

Two physical oceanographers, Gonella and Michon [1988],first reported internal waves revealed by reflection seismics in the northeastern Atlantic. Only recently, though, has the scientific community realized the importance of this issue, after Holbrook et al. [2003] published reflection seismic sections of the water column off Newfoundland, Canada, showing reflectors related to the major oceanographic front between the Labrador Current and the North Atlantic Current.
Meeting the challenges of natural hazards in the wake of the tsunami disaster
Authors: Sorooshian Soroosh
Published: October 2006

In the wake of the 26 December 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami, it is natural to ask ourselves what we could have done as scientists to help prevent or minimize the impact of this disaster. It is imperative, however, also to ask ourselves what we should be doing to mitigate the adverse impact of the next calamity.

AGU's Committee on Public Affairs, which I chair, is charged with advocating the contents of AGU position statements, one of which is entitled Meeting the Challenges of Natural Hazards. In that statement, AGU calls for three basic activities to reduce our vulnerability to natural disasters: (1) fundamental research on Earth and space, and monitoring of natural hazards; (2) dissemination of the relevant results to the public, especially vulnerable communities; and (3) implementation of multidisciplinary efforts needed to apply effective mitigation strategies worldwide.
Canup, Sigman, and Thompson receive 2004 James B. Macelwane Medal
Authors: Halliday Alexander , Canup Robin M. , Bender Michael L. , Sigman Daniel , Randall David A. , Thompson David W. J.
Published: October 2006

Robin M. Canup, Daniel Sigman, and David W.J. Thompson received the Macelwane Medal at the 2004 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 15 December, in San Francisco, California. The medal is given for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by a young scientist of outstanding ability.
Forcing of polar motion in the Chandler frequency band: An opportunity to evaluate interannual climate variations
Authors: Plag H.‐P. , Chao B. F. , Gross R. S. , Van Dam T.
Published: October 2006

The Earth rotates about its axis once per day but does not do so uniformly. The length of the day changes by as much as a millisecond from day to day and the Earth wobbles as it rotates. That the Earth should wobble was predicted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1765, but it was not until 1891 that the wobbling motion of the Earth was detected by the American astronomer Seth Carlo Chandler, Jr. In fact, Chandler observed that the Earth has two distinct wobbles, one with an annual period and the other with a 14‐month period. The annual wobble is a forced motion of the Earth caused by seasonal variations in the atmosphere, oceans, and hydrosphere.
Workshop launches international coalition for geoinformatics
Authors: Klump Jens , Huber Robert , Cervato Cinzia , Snyder Walter S.
Published: October 2006

A global forum on sedimentary geology and paleobiology was launched at an inaugural meeting at the 32nd International Geological Congress, in Florence, Italy. The workshop developed a collaborative international effort that focuses on next‐generation research and education and that provides a forum for individuals and organizations involved in conducting and sponsoring this research.

Thirty‐five scientists and 20 representatives of European funding organizations met in the first of a planned series of workshops on “Coordinating GeoInformatics Efforts in Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology.”
Paterson receives 2004 Walter H. Bucher medal
Authors: Paterson Mervin S.
Published: October 2006

Mervyn S. Paterson received the Bucher Medal at the 2004 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 15 December, in San Francisco, California. The medal is given for original contributions to the basic knowledge of the crust and lithosphere.
Science opportunities for a long‐range Antarctic research aircraft
Authors: Studinger Michael , Bromwich David , Csatho Bea , Muench Robin , Parish Tom , Stith Jeff
Published: October 2006

The polar regions play a critical role in thegeodynamic and climate system of the Earth. Although located far from the main centers of human civilization, the polar atmosphere and oceans have strong global connections and therefore directly affect global weather, climate, and the world's population, living mostly in tropical and midlatitude environments. Antarctic geodynamic processes are the driving forces for ice sheet dynamics and global environmental change that affect current and long‐term, large‐magnitude sea level changes.

The importance of the polar regions for our natural environment has long been recognized. Many nations around the world are currently planning the International Polar Year 2007–2008 (IPY), an intense, coordinated effort of novel and comprehensive observations combined with multidisciplinary research, analysis, and educational activities (http://www.ipyorg).
The International Water Cycle Workshop
Authors: Miller Norman L. , Koike Toshio , Wood Eric F. , Lawford Richard , Herland Einar‐Arne
Published: October 2006

Scientists from Japan, Europe, and the United States met at the International Water Cycle Workshop, in Seattle, Washington, last summer. The goals of this workshop were to review a draft implementation of the water cycle component to the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS), and to develop a companion “water cycle road map” that would provide specific actions and timetables for its implementation.

This meeting was an outcome of the 10th U.S.‐Japan Workshop on Global Change, Climate and Water, held in Irvine, California, in January 2003, and the Group of Eight (G‐8) Earth Observing Summits I and II. The meeting was timed to align with the G‐8 GEOSS Implementation Plan expert review period (15 July to 25 August 2004).
MYRES: A program to unite young solid earth researchers
Authors: Simons Frederik J. , Becker Thorsten W. , Kellogg James B. , Billen Magali , Lee Cin‐Ty A. , Montèsi Laurent G. J. , Panero Wendy , Zhong Shijie
Published: October 2006

The first Meeting of Young Researchers in the Earth Sciences (MYRES‐I), held in August of 2004, focused on “Heat, helium, hotspots, and whole mantle convection.” Biennial meetings, with MYRES‐I as the first, are one of the ways the MYRES initiative is building an “international, interdisciplinary open and unbiased community of colleagues who interact regularly to informally exchange ideas, data, and tools, and formulate new collaborative research projects” (see Young Solid Earth Researchers of the World Unite! published in Eos, 85(16), 160, 2004). This article reports on our first workshop, discusses what is happening in the community, and calls for proposals to keep MYRES funded.
Global seismographic network records the Great Sumatra‐Andaman earthquake
Authors: Park Jeffrey , Anderson Kent , Aster Richard , Butler Rhett , Lay Thorne , Simpson David
Published: October 2006

On 26 December 2004 the Indonesian subduction zone near the northern end of Sumatra began to rupture at 58 minutes, 47 seconds past midnight Greenwich Mean Time. The rupture continued for approximately seven minutes, extending northwestward along the Sunda Trench for roughly 1200 km to the Andaman Islands. The seafloor displacement generated a massive tsunami that swept ashore with 10‐m amplitude in northern Sumatra and expanded across the Indian Ocean and Andaman Sea, striking Sri Lanka and Thailand within two hours of the rupture. Confirmed deaths along the coastlines of 11 Indian Ocean nations exceed 220,000, marking this as one of the most lethal natural disasters in human history
Heat wave brings an unprecedented red tide to San Francisco Bay
Authors: Cloern James E. , Schraga Tara S. , Lopez Cary Burns
Published: October 2006

An exceptional red tide in San Francisco Bay was observed on 8 September 2004. The red tide had chlorophyll concentrations approaching 200 mg/m3 (Figure 1) in red/purple surface streaks containing high abundances of the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea. Red tides and harmful algal blooms (HABs) are common features of coastal ecosystems, and their growing frequency is a suspected outcome of coastal eutrophication.

However, the authors have never observed a dinoflagellate bloom of this scale during 28 years of sampling in the nutrient‐rich San Francisco Bay. Phytoplankton biomass along this transect is typically <5mg Chla/m3, and has never exceeded 21 mg Chla/m3 during summer‐autumn
Earth Observing System snow and ice products for observation and modeling
Authors: Hall Dorothy K. , Kaminski Marilyn , Cavalieri Donald J. , Dickinson Robert E. , Marquis Melinda , Riggs George A. , Robinson David A. , Van Woert Michael , Wolfe Robert E.
Published: October 2006

Snow and ice are the key components of the Earth's cryosphere, and their influence on the Earth's energy balance is very significant due at least in part to the large areal extent and high albedo characterizing these features. Large changes in the cryosphere have been measured over the last century and especially over the past decade, and remote sensing plays a pivotal role in documenting these changes. Many of NASAs Earth Observing System (EOS) products derived from instruments on the Terra, Aqua, and Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) satellites are useful for measuring changes in features that are associated with climate change. The utility of the products is continually enhanced as the lengths of the time series increase.
Eighth International Conference on Paleoceanography
Authors: Grousset Francis , Peterson Larry , Delaney Peggie , Elderfield Harry , Emeis Kay , Haug Gerald , Stocker Thomas , Wang Pinxian
Published: October 2006

Every three years since 1983, the paleoceanographic community has come together at a different venue to share new data and discoveries at the International Conference on Paleoceanography (ICP). For the recent ICP‐8, France was the host country for a conference focused on the theme of “An Ocean View of Global Change.” The Environnements et Paleoenvironnement Oceanique (EPOC) paleoceanography group of the University Bordeaux I acted as the local organizing committee.

Scientific presentations at ICP‐8 addressed the latest discoveries in paleoceanography and highlighted both emerging and as‐yet‐unsolved questions on global climate change. Thirty‐five speakers, invited by the ICP‐8 Science Committee, gave overview talks during morning sessions organized around five major scientific themes. These themes were Cenozoic‐Mesozoic Oceans; Carbonate and Silica Systems of the Pleistocene Ocean; Biogeochemical Cycles of the Past; High‐Frequency Climate Variability; and Interhemispheric Ocean‐Continent‐Climate Linkages.
EarthScope science for Mid‐America
Authors: Bodin Paul , Langston Charles A. , Paterson Gary , Powell Christine , Withers Mitch , Gomberg Joan
Published: October 2006

In mid‐America (roughly the region between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains, and between the U.S./Canadian border and the Gulf of Mexico), the National Science Foundation's (NSF) EarthScope program presents important opportunities to advance the understanding of the evolution, composition, and hazards of the North American heartland. EarthScope (http://www.earthscope.org) will help to image the geological roots of North America at unprecedented resolution with a variety of geophysical techniques.

The program challenges the solid Earth science community to define multidisciplinary science objectives that further both the technical knowledge and the societal impact of our work.
Analyzing atmospheric trace gases and aerosols using passenger aircraft
Authors: Brenninkmeijer, C. A. M. , Slemr F. , Koeppel C. , Scharffe D. S. , Pupek M. , Lelieveld J. , Crutzen P. , Zahn A. , Sprung D. , Fischer H. , Hermann M. , Reichelt M. , Heintzenberg J. , Schlager H. , Ziereis H. , Schumann U. , Dix B. , Platt U. , Ebinghaus R. , Martinsson B. , Ciais P. , Filippi D. , Leuenberger M. , Oram D. , Penkett S. , van Velthoven P. , Waibel A.
Published: October 2006

CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container) resumed regular measurement flights with an extended scientific payload in December 2004. After an automated measurement container was successfully deployed on intercontinental flights using a Boeing 767 from 1997 to 2002, a far more powerful package now is deployed using a new Airbus A340‐600 made available by Lufthansa German Airlines (Star Alliance). The new CARIBIC system will help address a range of current atmospheric science questions during its projected lifetime of 10 years.

European and Japanese scientists are developing a variety of atmospheric chemistry research and monitoring projects based on the use of passenger aircraft. This is a logical approach with a main advantage being that near‐global coverage is obtained, in contrast to limited coverage through research aircraftbased expeditions. Moreover, highly detailed and consistent data sets can be acquired, as compared to satellite observations in general. In addition, even compared to land‐based observatories, operational costs are moderate.
Deep drilling in the Dabie‐Sulu Ultrahigh Pressure Metamorphic Belt, China
Authors: Xu Zhiqin , Yang Jingsui , Robinson Paul T.
Published: October 2006

One of the most exciting geologic discoveries in the last 20 years is the finding of the presence of a major ultrahigh pressure (UHP) metamorphic belt in the Dabie‐Sulu region of eastern China. In this belt, high‐grade continental crustal rocks contain both diamond and coesite [Xu, 1987;Xu et al., 1992; Yang et al., 1999], clear evidence of crustal subduction to depths >150 km.

This belt formed by collision between the North China and Yangtze blocks in the Mesozoic between about 240 and 220 Ma. Recent work has identified an older, parallel belt on the north side of the Dabie‐Qinling Mountains dated as Ordovician (˜500–440 Ma) [Yang et al., 2001, 2002]. This older belt extends northwestward for nearly 4000 km through the Qilian Mountains into northern Tibet, where it is offset by the left‐lateral Altyn Tagh Fault (Figure l). In the Dabie‐Sulu region, the rocks consist chiefly of granitic gneiss, paragneiss, eclogite, and garnet peridotite, whose protoliths are supracrustal rocks with a formation age of about 800–1800 Ma.
Dalrymple receives National Medal of Science
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

G. Brent Dalrymple, who served as AGU president from 1990–1992, has been selected as a one of eight recipients of the 2003 National Medal of Science, the White House announced on 14 February The presidential award, which will be presented on 14 March, is considered the nation's highest honor for scientists and engineers.

A former research geologist‐geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and former dean of oceanic and atmospheric sciences at Oregon State University, Dalrymple helped to lay the foundation for the theory of plate tectonics.
Rubin receives 2004 Hydrology award
Authors: Rinaldo Andrea , Rubin Yoram
Published: October 2006

Yoram Rubin received the Hydrology Award at the 2004 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Getting closer to Congress: A scientist's arrival on Capitol Hill
Authors: Davis Jana L. D.
Published: October 2006

Where is this “hill,” and how do I get there? During my first month here in Washington, D.C., as I was rushing down First Street on my way from the House of Representatives to the Senate (I wasn't really in a hurry but I was practicing for what others promised lies ahead), someone stopped me to ask for directions to “the Hill.” Just two weeks prior, I had been in the same boat, having never worked in the policy world and having spent many years in California where topography is defined a little differently. By this time, however, I knew the answer. To the woman seeking topography I proudly glanced down at my one‐day‐old Senate staff badge and said, “You're here, ma'am. You're on the Hill.”
GPS analyses of the Sumatra‐Andaman earthquake
Authors: Khan S. A. , Gudmundsson Ólafur
Published: October 2006

The Sumatra, Indonesia, earthquake on 26 December 2004 was one of the most devastating earthquakes in history. With a magnitude of Mw = 9.3 (revised based on normal‐mode amplitudes by Stein and Okal, http://www.earth.northwestern.edu/people/seth/research/sumatra.html), it is the second largest earthquake recorded since 1900. It occurred about 100 km off the west coast of northern Sumatra, where the relatively dense Indo‐Australian plate moves beneath the lighter Burma plate, resulting in stress accumulation.

The average relative velocity of the two plates is about 6 cm/yr. On 26 December 2004, however, the two plates moved by a distance of several meters, releasing the stress accumulated over hundreds of years. The result was a devastating tsunami that hit coastlines across the Indian Ocean, killing about 300,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Somalia, and other countries (Guardian, 29 January 2005, http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/story/0,15671,1380895,00.html).
NASA supercomputer improves prospects for ocean climate research
Authors: Menemenlis D. , Hill C. , Adcrocft A. , Campin J.‐M. , Cheng B. , Ciotti B. , Fukumori I. , Heimbach P. , Henze C. , Köhl A. , Lee T. , Stammer D. , Taft J. , Zhang J.
Published: October 2006

Estimates of ocean circulation constrained by in situ and remotely sensed observations have become routinely available during the past five years, and they are being applied to myriad scientific and operational problems [Stammer et al., 2002]. Under the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE), several regional and global estimates have evolved for applications in climate research, seasonal forecasting, naval operations, marine safety, fisheries, the offshore oil industry coastal management, and other areas.

This article reports on recent progress by one effort, the consortium for Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO), toward a next‐generation synthesis of ocean and sea‐ice data that is global, that covers the full ocean depth, and that permits eddies.
Paytan receives 2004 ocean sciences early career award
Authors: Cutter Gregory , Paytan Adina
Published: October 2006

Adina Paytan received the Ocean Sciences Early Career Award at the 2004 Fall Meeting last December, in recognition of significant contributions to and promise in the ocean sciences.
[Comment on “Tree tectonics” by Peter R. Vogt] Seafloor spreading: Symmetric accretion does not mean symmetrically diverging movement of adjacent plates
Authors: Pavoni Nazario
Published: October 2006

Peter R. Vogt's article “Tree Tectonics” (Eos Trans. AGU, 85(36), 338, 7 September 2004) motivates me to present some comments on the phenomenon of seafloor spreading. In particular, I would like to point out a fundamental inadequacy of the commonly accepted model of seafloor spreading.

As is well known, a striped pattern of successive positive and negative magnetic anomalies characterizes the oceanic crust. The pattern is produced by the continued accretion of crustal material along active oceanic ridges (seafloor spreading) and the periodical reversals of the magnetic field of the Earth (geomagnetic reversals). On cooling in the magnetic field, the reversals are recorded by the magnetization of the newly formed crust.
Outstanding student paper awards: Geomagnetism and paleomagnetism, tectonophysics
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The following members received Outstanding Student Paper Awards at the 2004 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California.

Kristin Lawrence, University of California, San Diego, Evaluation of agreement between paleosecular variation models and empirical distributions at 20° latitude.
Broader impact: Guidance for scientists about education and public outreach
Authors: Franks Sharon E. R. , Peach Cheryl L. , McDonnell Janice , Thorrold Andrea
Published: October 2006

Most Earth and space scientists devote so much of their energy to research, publication, staying funded, and in some cases teaching and supervising students, that it is hardly surprising many feel they have little time to address funding agencies' requirements to articulate how their proposed research will have an impact beyond academia. Even so, many in the research community acknowledge that it is in their own best interests, and that of the global environment, to communicate not just with their peers, but also with educators, students, the media, resource managers, and policy makers.

So the challenge is: How can researchers reach out to these audiences while staying focused on their primary responsibilities?
Neugebauer receives 2004 Kaula award
Authors: Bougeret Jean‐Louis , Neugebauer Marcia
Published: October 2006

The William Kaula Award recognizes unselfish service to the scientific community through extraordinary dedication to, and exceptional efforts on behalf of, the AGU publications program. It is particularly fitting that recognition by the publications program be named in honor of William Kaula, who gave unstintingly of his talents and energies to AGU publications. He served as editor of Reviews of Geophysics and JGR‐Solid Earth, led the development of a number of policies and practices during his service on the Publications Committee, was a mentor to many junior scientists serving as journal editors and associate editors, and pressed always for higher standards for AGU journals.

The 2004 recipient is Marcia Neugebauer.
A new perspective on Earth
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A NASA‐funded scientist has produced the first detailed image of Earth radiating gamma rays, the agency announced on 24 March.

Dirk Petry of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, assembled the image from seven years worth of data from NASA's Compton Gamma‐Ray Observatory, which was active from 1991 to 2000.
Kelemen receives 2004 N. L. Bowen Award
Authors: Langmuir Charlie , Kelemen Pater
Published: October 2006

Peter Kelemen received the Bowen Award, presented by the Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology Section at the 2004 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December. The unabridged versions of this citation and response are available at http://vgp.agu.org/bowen04cit_kelemen.html.
3D visualization of recent Sumatra Earthquake
Authors: Nayak Atul , Kilb Debi
Published: October 2006

Scientists and visualization experts at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have created an interactive three‐dimensional visualization of the 28 March 2005 magnitude 8.7 earthquake in Sumatra. The visualization shows the earthquake's hypocenter and aftershocks recorded until 29 March 2005, and compares it with the location of the 26 December 2004 magnitude 9 event and the consequent seismicity in that region.

The 3D visualization was created using the Fledermaus software developed by Interactive Visualization Systems (http://www.ivs unb.cal) and stored as a “scene” file. To view this visualization, viewers need to download and install the free viewer program iView3D (http://www.ivs3d.com/products/iview3d).
Moon‐Mars: The elephant in the attic
Authors: Leovy Conway , Anderson Tad , Catling David , Charlson Robert
Published: October 2006

Earth scientists have an elephant in the attic, and although some have been mumbling about it, few are speaking out in public. The elephant is the new Presidential vision for America's civil space program that envisages manned lunar missions within two decades and an eventual manned mission to Mars—the “Moon‐Mars” vision, for short.

This elephant is not just peacefully sleeping; it is actively carousing around up there, threatening to bring drastic changes to the house, changes that could threaten vital research in the Earth sciences. Prior to careful consideration of feasibility or unintended consequences, NASA has moved rapidly to restructure itself in response to the new vision. These changes run the risk of preempting much of the work of a current National Research Council (NRC) panel assessing space‐based needs and priorities for the Earth sciences (http://qp.nas.edu/decadalsurvey).
Expeditions to drill Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific sites
Authors: Coffin Millard F.
Published: October 2006

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), an international collaboration of Earth, ocean, and life scientists that began in 2003, offers scientists worldwide unprecedented opportunities to address a vast array of scientific problems in all submarine settings. Recently, the scientific advisory structure of the proposal‐driven IODP scheduled drilling expeditions, targeting critical scientific problems in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Ocean, for 2005 and early 2006 (Figure I, Table I).

The IOPD, which is co‐led by Japan and the United States, with strong contributions from the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) and China, is guided by an initial science plan, “Earth, Oceans, and Life” (www.iodp.org). For the first time, through the IODP, scientists have at their disposal both a riser (drilling vessel which has a metal tube surrounding the drill pipe that enables the return of drilling fluid and cuttings to the drill ship; the “riser” is attached to a “blow‐out preventer” or shut‐off device at the seafloor) and riserless drilling vessel (which lacks a riser pipe and blow‐out preventer), as well as mission‐specific capabilities such as drilling barges and jack‐up rigs for shallow‐water and Arctic drilling.
Emerging applications of measurements from GPS and related signals
Authors: Zuffada Cinzia , Zumberge Jim , Chao Yi , Kintner Paul , Leroy Stephen , Anderson Jim
Published: October 2006

Over the past two decades, the value of Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements to solid Earth science, atmospheric science, ocean science, space physics, and other areas has been firmly established in some cases, such as global and regional surface deformation. In other cases, the value of GPS measurements is now emerging or showing a potential. Some researchers believe the time now has come to assess, from a multi‐program and multi‐discipline perspective, the benefits of a continuing investment in GPS technology development, and to determine its role in the vision and priorities of national research organizations.

In conjunction with the 2004 AGU Fall Meeting special focus session on “Emerging science applications of measurements from GPS/GNSS and GPS‐like signals: Recent results and future possibilities,” a workshop was held on the prior evening, 16 December. Chaired by Jim Anderson of Harvard University, the workshop objective stated in the invitation to participants was “ …to identify and articulate the key scientific questions that are optimally, or perhaps uniquely, addressed by GPS (or more generally, the Global Navigation Satellite System, GNSS, to include other constellations such as Galileo) or GPS‐like observations, and determine their relevance to existing or planned national Earth‐science research programs.”
The Earth sciences, human well‐being, and the reduction of global poverty
Authors: Mutter John C.
Published: October 2006

Poverty is not solely a social or political matter, nor is it caused simply by population pressures as Thomas Malthus postulated in 1798. A new understanding of poverty is emerging in which natural and environmental drivers, together with social, political, and demographic causes, underpin livelihoods. The Earth sciences, therefore, play a critical role in identifying the deep causes of human suffering and in identifying solutions.

For far too many the state of human well‐being is bleak. Around one in six human beings—1 billion people—live in extreme poverty struggling to survive on less than $1 a day; another one sixth of humanity ekes out existence on $2 per day (U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report, 2004; http://hdr.undp.org/2004/). The extreme poor lack all normal attributes of a decent, dignified life: adequate food, housing, sanitation, health care, education, and employment. Some 800 million people lack sufficient nourishment almost every day. It stunts their mental and physical development and shortens their lives, making them susceptible to common illnesses that attack their hunger‐weakened bodies. Poor nutrition in mothers and infants is the leading cause of reduced disability‐adjusted life years in poor countries [Economist, 2004].
Investigating Canada's Lithosphere and earthquake hazards with portable arrays
Authors: Eaton D. W. , Adams J. , Asudeh I. , Atkinson G. M. , Bostock M. G. , Cassidy J. F. , Ferguson I. J. , Samson C. , Snyder D. B. , Tiampo K. F. , Unsworth M. J.
Published: October 2006

A multi‐institutional research initiative, POLARIS, is providing scientists with unprecedented opportunities to map Earth structure and assess earthquake hazards across Canada. By completion of the initiative's installation phase in August 2005, deployments of POLARIS (Portable Observatories for Lithospheric Analysis and Research Investigating Seismicity) instruments will include 100 telemetered broadband seismograph systems, 10 with continuous‐recording magnetotelluric (MT) devices (devices that record natural variations in the geomagnetic field). Data from these observatories are transmitted by satellite (with a latency of 5 s) to data acquisition hubs in London (Canada) and Ottawa, where they are made available in near real‐time by an automatic data‐request manager (AutoDRM).

Conceived in 2000 by an interdisciplinary group of 10 geoscientists, the 4‐year, C$11 million infrastructure project is fostering strong partnerships between academia, government laboratories, and the private sector.