bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
1992 AGU Front Range Meeting
Authors: Rush Sandra
Published: October 2006

The AGU Front Range Branch held its annual meeting on February 10, 1992, at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. The theme of the meeting was “Our Changing Environment,” with specific emphasis on the Rocky Mountains, the Front Range, the High Plains, and the Great Basin environments.

The all‐day meeting featured twenty oral presentations and five poster presentations. Most of the topics presented were related to environmental issues such as ozone depletion, emergency response applications at the Rocky Flats Plant, climatic forcing, and hydrogeology. Other papers of interest included a geophysical study of the Sand Dunes National Monument in Colorado, a paper on the impact of the 1988 forest fires on the chemistry of nonthermal groundwater at Yellowstone National Park, and a poster on the soil‐gas flux of carbon dioxide from nonventing areas of the Kilauea Summit in Hawaii. A poster and an oral presentation centered on the vulnerability of transportation and energy supply networks in the central United States to earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone. The field of space science was represented by two posters on recent geomagnetic behaviors and magnetospheric convection and an oral presentation on plasma density in the Earth's magnetosphere. Three Front Range Branch awards were given to students to recognize excellent presentations.
Multisensor, deep‐towed instrument explores ocean floor
Authors: Murton Bramley J. , Rouse Ian P. , Millard Nick W. , Flewellen Chris G.
Published: October 2006

Acoustic imagery of the ocean floor has seen great advances in recent years with the development of wide‐multibeam, swath‐mapping sonar and high‐resolution, side‐scan sonar [Tyce, 1986]. TOBI, a deep‐towed vehicle built by the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Wormley, U.K., is the newest of these instruments to be developed. It is towed at depths of up to 6000 m at an altitude of 400 m above the bottom. It carries a variety of sensors, including a 30‐ to 32‐kHz dual‐sided side‐scan sonar (6‐km swath), a 7.5‐kHz subbottom seismic profiler, a triaxial luxgate magnetometer, a temperature sensor, a photo‐transmissometer, and vehicle status sensors (pitch, roll, heading, speed, and hydrostatic pressure).
House Panel continues to investigate science priorities
Authors: Jones Richard M.
Published: October 2006

The House science committee held the second of three hearings to address priority setting in federal research funding. At the April 28 hearing, four witnesses from both the public and private sectors agreed that scientists must become more involved in setting priorities, even if the mechanisms to do so are still being developed.

The lead witness, former Ohio governor Richard F. Celeste, now chairman of the Government‐University‐Industry Research Roundtable, contended that “priority setting is essential” but cited “deep concern about excessive planning, too much specificity in setting research priorities for fundamental research.” He said that broad participation is critically important, calling for a national forum where “institutions could discuss and compare their plans and priorities.” Over the next two years the roundtable plans a series of focus groups and national colloquia to examine priority setting and strategic planning.
Student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Eight presentations in the Atmospheric Sciences section were named “Outstanding Student Papers,” at the AGU 1991 Fall Meeting in San Francisco.

Jennifer Holmes, who presented “Long‐ Term Atmospheric Aerosol Collection at Mauna Loa Observatory,” is a doctoral candidate in the chemistry department at the University of Washington. She is studying the 12‐year aerosol record at Mauna Lau Observatory, including completing analysis and applying statistical approaches to aid in data interpretation. She is also interested in volcanic emissions, especially platinum group elements from hot‐spot volcanos. She also works on an on‐line pollution‐monitoring prompt gamma‐ray spectroscopy system. She received a masters degree from the University of Washington in 1989 and a bachelor of science degree from Arizona State University in 1985.
Evolution of backarc basins: ODP Leg 135, Lau Basin
Authors:   Leg 135 Scientific Party
Published: October 2006

The Ocean Drilling Program recently concluded a series of drilling transects at active and remnant island arc‐backarc basin systems that rim the Western Pacific Basin. These transects were designed to obtain a better understanding of the geology and evolution of backarc basins and their adjacent arc systems, and of the tectonic and hydrogeologic processes associated with sediment accretion at convergent margins. We report here some preliminary results from ODP Leg 135 that drilled at six sites in the Lau (backarc) Basin and at two sites on the Tonga Ridge (Figure 1).
IAMAP 1991: The joys of international science
Authors: Roper Bob
Published: October 2006

Need to know the latest about lightning location and its application to the forecasting of meteorological phenomena and the global circuit? Electrical properties of thunderstorms? Aerosol‐cloud‐climate interactions? The parameterization of complex terrain effects in regional and large scale models?
Beven receives 1991 Horton Award
Authors: Wood Eric F. , Beven Keith
Published: October 2006

The AGU Hydrology Section's 1991 Robert E. Horton Award was presented to Keith Beven in December at the 1991 Fall Meeting, held in San Francisco. The award honors a “single outstanding contribution to the science of hydrology made during the preceding 5 years.”
UARS science instruments are shut down
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

NASA turned off the science instruments aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite on June 2 after the primary solar array drive failed and its backup stopped. The array is now “parked” in a position that allows it to generate power for control and communication, but not enough to run the instruments, according to John Donley, NASA deputy project manager, Earth Science Mission Operations.

“We have a very serious problem,” said Robert J. McNeal, UARS program scientist, adding that he was nonetheless “optimistic” that it could be diagnosed and overcome.
Examining sexism in the geosciences
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

Do women geoscientists face worse obstacles because of their gender than women in other sciences? A recent survey by the Committee on Professionals in Science and Technology showed that women with geoscience bachelor's degrees start off at only 68% of their male colleagues' salaries, much lower than women in biology (92%), engineering (102%), chemistry (103%), and physics (111%).

Women still lag behind men in geoscience degrees as well. In 1990, women received about one‐third of geoscience bachelor's degrees, one‐quarter of masters, and about one‐fifth of Ph.D.'s, reports the American Geological Institute. In the sciences overall, women received about half of bachelor's degrees, 42% of masters, and about a third of Ph.D.'s in 1989, according to the National Research Council.
More GEOSAT data declassified
Authors: Blue Charles
Published: October 2006

Although accurate sea surface measurements are valuable for both scientific research and commercial applications, some of the world's most accurate sea surface measurements taken by the U.S. Navy have been classified because of their strategic value. Now, through an initiative of AGU and other organizations, millions of altimetric measurements of the ocean's surface are being declassified for scientific use.

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral G. L. Chesbrough has authorized the declassification and release of the Navy Geodesy Satellite (GEOSAT) Geodesy Mission (GM) data south of 30°south latitude, around the entire globe. These new data will allow scientists access to highly accurate measurements of nearly half of the world's oceans and will also make it possible to study and understand geophysical properties of the marine gravity field with extraordinary accuracy, quality, and coverage.
International meeting airs ozone studies: The Troposphere: New Hot Spot for Ozone Research
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

The dramatic discovery of the stratospheric ozone hole has eclipsed attention to ozone increases in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere beginning at the Earth's surface. But tropospheric ozone got equal billing with the stratosphere at a recent international symposium, suggesting that tropospheric issues have come into their own.

“Only in the past decade or so has tropospheric ozone become an important scientific concern,” said Henry Reichle of Langley Research Center. Historically, the Quadrennial Ozone Symposium, begun in 1927, dealt only with the stratosphere. But tropospheric studies shared the limelight at this year's meeting, held June 4–13 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “Now we understand that tropospheric ozone can have an impact on a larger scale, not just locally,” Reichle said.
Seeking Pinatubo's imprint on ozone
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

As the first anniversary of Mt. Pinatubo's eruption approached, atmospheric scientists at the Quadrennial Ozone Symposium gave a progress report on their search for the Philippine volcano's signature upon atmospheric ozone.

Whether Pinatubo indeed left a distinctive fingerprint on ozone—and what chemical processes are responsible—is under considerable debate. The volcano's effect on ozone “is either pretty subtle or it's significant, and we can't tell the difference yet,” said NASA scientist Arlin Krueger of Goddard Space Flight Center, who chaired the symposium session on volcanism and ozone. “There are still mysteries here.”
What is DOSE?
Authors: Dixon Tim , Bills Bruce
Published: October 2006

NASA's Crustal Dynamics Project (CDP) spearheaded a major scientific and engineering effort over the last decade to develop and apply space geodetic techniques such as Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) to a wide range of problems in the Earth sciences. Major study areas included plate motion, broad scale crustal deformation, polar motion, and variation in the Earth's rotation rate. Observations were initiated all over the world in collaboration with international scientists and agencies, while university and other scientists in this country received funding for research projects utilizing the new data. Numerous accomplishments over the lifetime of the CDP (to be summarized in an upcoming AGU monograph) include an order of magnitude improvement in the accuracy of space geodetic measurements; monitoring variations in the Earth's pole position and rotation rate with astounding resolution, leading to greatly improved understanding of the underlying physics; and demonstration of a remarkable consistency in plate velocities from geodetic (decadal) to geologic (several‐million‐year) time scales.
Earthquake mobilization plan tested
Authors: Schwartz Susan Y.
Published: October 2006

In the seismological community, much effort has been directed recently toward developing a coordinated plan for rapid response to major earthquakes. This topic was the subject of a special interest group at the recent annual meeting of the Incorporated Research Institutions in Seismology (IRIS). Several new and some old ideas concerning a rapid array mobilization plan (RAMP) emerged. IRIS has agreed to set aside initial funding and equipment to deploy five seismic stations in support of approved RAMP initiatives. Although five stations are not sufficient to ensure a successful aftershock deployment, the present high demand for IRIS portable equipment in planned experiments precludes reserving any additional instruments for aftershock studies.
No growth for NASA, NSF
Authors: Leath Audrey T. , Jones Richard
Published: October 2006

On June 25, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies completed marking up its funding bill, which prescribes the annual budget allotments for NASA and the National Science Foundation, among other agencies.

Faced with an allocation for fiscal year 1993 that does not even keep pace with inflation inflation, the subcommittee could not hope to approach the almost 18% funding increase that President Bush requested for NSF. Instead, the agency's total budget remains relatively flat. It is proposed to grow by $39 million, or 1.47%, to $2.72 billion, translating into a real decrease after inflation. The NSF total is $303.5 million less than the $3.02 billion requested by the Bush administration.
Sibeck receives Macelwane medal
Authors: Potemra Thomas , Sibeck David G.
Published: October 2006

The James B. Macelwane Medal for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by a young scientist of outstanding ability was presented to David G. Sibeck at the 1992 AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony on May 13, 1992. The meeting was held in Montreal, Quebec. The award citation, delivered by Thomas Potemra, as well as Sibeck's response, are presented here.
AGU acquires Springer‐Verlag Series
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

AGU has acquired Springer‐Verlag's (New York) Coastal and Estuarine Studies book series. This acquisition adds thirty‐nine volumes to AGU's own Coastal and Estuarine Sciences book series.

Coastal and estuarine science is a rapidly growing area of research driven in part by an increasing awareness of man's impact on the coastal zone, and the importance in understanding its delicate ecosystems. This area of study enhances AGU's initiatives in interdisciplinary research. Particular emphasis is being placed on understanding the complex interactions between the physical, geological, chemical, and biological aspects of marine science.
Merger of Science Agencies Proposed
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

A bill proposing the establishment of a cabinet‐level Department of Science, Space, Energy and Technology was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 1 by Robert Walker (R‐Pa.), George Brown (D‐Calif.), Ron Packard (R‐Calif.), and Joe Kolter (D‐Pa.). The department would be a conglomerate of existing civilian science and technology agencies, including NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the National Technical Information Service, and research functions at the Department of Energy.
Hill takes action on NOAA funding
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: October 2006

Action was taken recently in both the House and Senate on fiscal year 1993 appropriation bills that fund the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The House Commerce, Justice, and State,the Judiciary and Related Agencies Subcommittee voted on its funding bill on June 30. The Senate, the Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its bill on July 22.
The flight of the tethered satellite system
Authors: Papadopoulos Dennis , Drobot Adam , Stone Nobie
Published: October 2006

The first Tethered Satellite System (TSS‐1) Electrodynamics Mission is scheduled for launch aboard the space shuttle ST‐46 on July 31, 1992, as a joint mission between the United States and Italy. A 500‐kg, 1.6‐m‐diameter satellite, attached to the shuttle by a thin (.24 cm), conducting, insulated wire (tether), will be reeled upwards from the orbiter payload to a distance of 20 km when the shuttle is at a projected altitude of 300 km.

TSS‐1 is an extremely ambitious mission with high‐risk payoff potential. This is the type of pioneering mission NASA and the United States should be encouraging, with the risk in the achievement of the mission objectives rather than in safety. The mission has been likened to the maiden flight of a new airplane. We expect surprises and hope to set the stage for the next mission, the TSS‐reflight.
Watkins offers view of future DOE mission
Authors: Jones Richard M.
Published: October 2006

The fifth plenary meeting of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) was held in Washington on July 10. Opening comments by Admiral James Watkins, Secretary of the Department of Energy, provided insights into his vision of the agency's future direction.

These are exciting times, Watkins said, declaring that the “evil empire has disappeared.” He hailed Boris Yeltsin's recent declaration to Congress that communism is dead. Watkins spoke of the opportunities of the “new world order,” but also said that DOE is facing a management challenge of great proportions.
UARS back to full operation
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

All ten instruments aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) were brought back to full operation July 21, according to NASA. Problems with the drives for the satellite's solar array led flight controllers to shut down the satellite's instruments on July 2 (see Eos, June 16, 1992).

Subsequent tests showed that the main drive, now in use again, has a damaged but usable clutch, according to John Donley, UARS deputy project manager. The back‐up drive, however, cannot be used safely. “We've lost our basic redundancy,” he said
[Comment on “The Greenhouse Debate: Time for action?”] The use of scenarios in the Greenhouse Debate
Authors: Bolin Bert
Published: October 2006

Schlesinger and Jiang [1991a, b, c] and Risbey, Handel, and Stone [1991a, b] have exchanged views on the advisability of delaying responses to the greenhouse issue. The debate has primarily concerned interpreting the uncertainty of results obtained from model experiments, particularly with regard to predictions on regional and local scales, given that climate models are still very crude. By and large, I agree with the criticism of Risbey et al., but I am surprised about the lack of discussion of another aspect of the issue, which is the most important. It concerns more generally the problem of how to utilize scientific information in the development of a response policy. Only in passing did Risbey et al. [1991] mention: “In addition, investments in infrastructure over the next decade will influence the energy mix and greenhouse gas emissions over the next several decades.” The experience gained in the slow progress of the ongoing negotiations about a climate convention show us that the key issue in the present context is a socioeconomic one. The following short comments may be of interest.
Reply [to Comments on “The greenhouse debate: Time for action?”] Greenhouse economics and policy
Authors: Schlesinger Michael E.
Published: October 2006

In their comments, Harvey [1992], Oeschger et al. [1992], and Bolin [1992] raise the intertwined issues of greenhouse economics and policy, particularly the economic and environmental costs of a 10‐year delay in action and the need for the natural and socioeconomic sciences to define future scenarios. In the following I address these concerns by summarizing recent research conducted on greenhouse economics and policy by Peck and Teisberg [1992a, b], W.D. Nordhaus (Rolling the “DICE”: An optimal transition path for controlling greenhouse gases, submitted to the Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1992; hereinafter, referred to as Nordhaus, 1992), and Hammitt, Lempert, and Schlesinger [1992], followed by conclusions and recommendations.
House sustains Space Station funds
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

The House of Representatives rejected an amendment on July 29 that would have eliminated funds for Space Station Freedom. The House voted 237 to 181 against an amendment by representatives Bob Traxler (D.‐Mich.) and Bill Green (R.‐N.Y.) that called for terminating funding for Freedom, except for $525 million to shut down the program.

Opponents of the space station had criticized its cost and questioned its scientific value, while supporters argued that the station would spawn over 75,000 jobs and give a boost to the aerospace industry.
NASA names global change fellows
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

NASA recently selected 63 recipients out of 367 applicants for its 1992–1993 graduate student fellowships in global change research. Each awardee will receive $20,000 annually toward Ph.D.‐level work at U.S. universities or other institutions. An additional $2000 is available to the student's faculty advisor to help support the student's research. The fellowship is renewable for an additional 2 years, pending satisfactory progress based on academic performance and faculty advisor evaluations. Now in its third year, the fellowship program has reached its goal of funding 150 fellowships per year.
Copyright case a victory for science publishing
Authors: Cole Stephen
Published: October 2006

An important victory for the financial health and future of scientific journals was won July 23 when Judge Pierre Leval of the Federal District Court in New York handed down his decision on the copyright infringement suit, American Geophysical Union, et al. v. Texaco Inc. Leval ruled that profit‐making companies cannot photocopy copyrighted journal articles without permission and without compensating the copyright holder.

The class action suit was brought in 1985 by AGU and six other scientific publishers on behalf of 8500 publishers worldwide who make their titles available for legal copying under licenses granted by the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. This licensing system was designed in cooperation with major corporations to facilitate compliance with the 1976 Copyright Act. Although more than 200 companies now use the center, some corporations, such as Texaco, have not. The suit was initiated to force compliance with copyright law. The current decision is very important because it establishes legal precedents on the “fair use” issue.
Gombosi named JGR‐Space Physics Senior Editor
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: October 2006

Tamas I. Gombosi, professor of space science and aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, has been appointed senior editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research‐Space Physics. His term will begin August 1 and continue until December 31, 1996.

Gombosi's main objective as editor is to keep JGR (blue) the “best space physics journal in the world,” while making it more readable, more interesting, and increasing its circulation. Specifically, he wants to provide the highest‐quality forum for space physics, assure equal access and standards for scientists from all over the world, and provide a forum for new, high‐risk ideas.
Kenya Rift International Seismic Project, 1989–1990 Experiment
Authors: Keller G. Randy , Braile L. W. , Davis P. M. , Meyer R. P. , Mooney W. D. ,   KRISP Working Group
Published: October 2006

Ever since Gregory's work at the turn of the century, the extensional structures extending through central Kenya have been recognized as the classic example of a continental rift zone. Because of the scale and variety of rift features present, this locality has fascinated geologists and geophysicists since its discovery.
No change in federal “participation” rules
Authors: Jones Richard M.
Published: October 2006

Federal employees who participate in the activities of professional organizations will be able, at least for the time being, to continue their participation under new standards issued August 10 by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

On July 23, 1991, OGE issued proposed regulations to standardize rules of conduct for federal employees (Eos, Editorial, August 13, 1991). One section of the regulations would have, in the opinion of many scientists, greatly reduced their ability to serve as society officers or in other capacities. At that time, OGE stated, “there is a perception on the part of some employees that involvement in these activities is part and parcel of their Federal employment. Unless participation is specifically authorized as part of their official duties, it is not.”
A geothermal heat pump for every home?
Authors: White M. Catherine
Published: October 2006

Witnesses representing government, industry, and education requested increased federal funding to explore and utilize geothermal resources at a House Subcommittee on Environment hearing July 30. Citing the minimal environmental impact, low cost, and abundance of geothermal energy, and the chance to cut dependence on fossil fuels, the witnesses discussed the geothermal heat pump (GHP)—one of the energy source's most promising applications, according to testimony. The GHP has the capacity to help utility companies manage increased demand for electricity, and its small scale—one to a home—makes it highly accessible.
California earthquake risk reassessed
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: October 2006

According to seismologists, the 7.5 magnitude Landers earthquake on June 28 in the southeast Mojave desert and the 6.6 magnitude aftershock 3 hours later at Big Bear may signal that a larger quake is on its way. Lucile Jones, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena said that the Landers‐Big Bear event has increased stress on the San Andreas fault. “It is clear that the stress has become more conducive to right‐lateral faulting and the type of earthquakes we would expect here,” she noted.
Senate passes DOE, USGS, NOAA bills
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: October 2006

Due to severe budget constraints, there were no big surprises for spending in the geosciences for fiscal year 1993. The Senate recently approved the appropriation bills that fund the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Energy.
After Gorbachev: Science in the Former Soviet Union
Authors: Roederer Juan G.
Published: October 2006

The pace of change in the former Soviet Union (FSU) has been overwhelming. Vast regions of territory and many formerly closed cities have been opened to foreigners, and once‐classified research institutes are now open to visitors. The Soviet Academy of Sciences has become the Russian Academy and separate academies are being established in the other independent republics. A Russian Ministry of Science, Higher Education, and Technology, as well as a Russian Ministry of Defense, have been established, while the much‐heralded “Commonwealth of Independent States” has never really materialized.
The August 18 eruption of Mt. Spurr
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

A brief explosive eruption of Mt. Spurr in southwest Alaska occurred on August 18, with little or no apparent precursory seismicity. Preliminary data suggested that the August 18 activity was similar to somewhat stronger than the previous explosive episode, on June 27 (see last 3 Bulletins). The June 27 ash had been carried north, away from nearby populated areas, but the August 18 ash fell on Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, 130 km east of Spurr, closing its internatioal airport and forcing most of its residents indoors.

The eruption was first reported at 1548 (all times are local: UT −8 hours) by an airplane pilot who saw a dark cloud, probably an ash plume, breaking through weather clouds. About 8 minutes of seismicity at slightly above background preceded the pilot report. No lightning pulses, which often accompany ash eruptions, were detected, but there were additional pilot reports of ash during the next half‐hour. Seismicity increased markedly at 1641, and by 1645, NOAA C‐band radar had detected a plume to almost 11 km altitude. The National Weather Service released a SIGMET, warning pilots of the ash plume, at 1653.
Thomas B. Nolan 1901–1992
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

AGU Fellow Thomas B. Nolan, of Washington, D.C., died on August 2 at age 91.

Nolan was named assistant director of the U.S. Geological Survey in 1944 and served as its director from 1956 to 1965. During his tenure as director, the USGS began an evaluation of the effects of underground nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site, expanded the study of natural hazards—particularly earthquakes and volcanos, began training astronauts in geology, undertook photogeologic mapping of the Moon, took on the design and operation of the national network for collecting water data, and began a program of marine studies to evaluate potential offshore mineral resources. Nolan stepped down in 1965 to return to being a research geologist.
Micro‐ and Mesoscale Phenomena in Space Plasmas Conference
Authors: Burch J. L.
Published: October 2006

A detailed assessment of many of the important mesoscale and microscale processes in geospace was the purpose of the Chapman Conference on “Micro‐ and Mesoscale Phenomena in Space Plasmas,” held at Kauai, Hawaii, from February 11 to 16. The practical goals of the conference were to facilitate the exchange of information on small‐ and medium‐scale phenomena in space plasmas and to increase awareness of the needs of experimentalists and theorists, with a certain focus toward the ongoing Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) and Space Physics Theory programs. The conference was organized by Maha Ashour‐Abdalla (UCLA), Tom Chang (MIT), and Paul Dusenbery (U. Colorado).
ODP drilling at the East Pacific Rise
Authors: Storms M. A. , Reudelhuber D. H. , Holloway G. L. , Allan J. , Batiza R.
Published: October 2006

Understanding the origin of the ocean crust by scientific drilling at the axes of mid‐ocean ridges is a high priority in the Earth science community, as reflected in the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Long Range Plan, the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES) Lithosphere Panel's White Paper, and several reports of the Ridge Inter‐Disciplinary Global Experiments (RIDGE) program. The ODP Long Range Plan provides for over a dozen drilling legs at and near mid‐ocean ridges prior to the year 2002, including a multileg drilling program at the East Pacific Rise (EPR).

ODP Leg 142 (February–March 1992) was the first of this multi‐leg effort and was devoted primarily to continued testing and development of the engineering systems needed for successful drilling of bare rock at mid‐ocean ridges. At the same time, it was hoped that drilling would result in cores that could be used to study volcanic and hydrothermal processes, volcanic architecture, fluid flow, and other processes occurring at the active EPR axis.
Space station wins again
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Senate voted 63 to 34 on September 10 to defeat an amendment that would have halted funding for Space Station Freedom, thereby joining the House in continuing to support the venture. The amendment to the appropriations bill by Dale Bumpers (D‐Ark.) would have slashed all but $500 million from Freedom's $2.1 billion allotment next year.
Rethinking federal science policy
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: October 2006

Setting a new agenda for federal funding for science and technology was the recommendation of a report released by George Brown (D‐Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on September 15. Federal funding should be more strongly linked to national societal goals, a move away from the current system that funds basic research without fully assessing its benefit to society, said Brown. The task force sees a need to determine whether available resources are being allocated in a manner that can best achieve national goals.
Former ENSO events probed at International Symposium
Authors: Markgraf Vera , Thompson L.
Published: October 2006

From March 4–7, 1992, over 120 scientists from North and South America and Europe met in Lima, Peru, to discuss evidence of past El Niño occurrences. The International Symposium on Former ENSO (El Niño‐Southern Oscillation) Phenomena in Western South America was organized by J. Macharé of the Instituto Geofísico del Perú and Institut Français d'Etudes Andines, and L. Ortlieb of ORSTOM, Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération, and was supported by numerous French, Peruvian, and U.S. agencies.
Geology and Tectonics of the Chile Triple Junction
Authors:   ODP Leg 141 Scientific Party
Published: October 2006

The coast of southern Chile near 46°S latitude was the location of the Ocean Drilling Program's Leg 141, which occupied five sites (859–863) from November 11, 1991, to January 13, 1992 (Figure 1). The Chile Rise spreading ridge, one segment of the globe‐circling, mid‐ocean‐ridge system, is being subducted beneath the Peru/Chile Trench convergent margin in this region. Three lithospheric plates are involved: The Antarctic Plate and the Nazca Plate are moving away from each other across the Chile Ridge extensional plate boundary, and the continental South American Plate is overriding both the Antarctic and the Nazca plates along the Peru/Chile Trench convergent plate margin. The Chile Margin Triple Junction exists where the three plates meet.
The life history of an Andean volcano
Authors:   The Tatara‐San Pedro Project Team
Published: October 2006

A uniquely comprehensive study of the late Quaternary arc volcano Tatara‐San Pedro, at 36°S, in the Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) of the Chilean Andes (Figures 1, 2), is currently underway on the basis of new samples and field data collected earlier this year by a team of fifteen U.S. and Chilean scientists working under the auspices of the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Joint studies still seismically active
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

Doing science in the former Soviet Union has become riskier and more chaotic than before Gorbachev's fall, but it offers tremendous new opportunities, say scientists participating in the Joint Seismic Program between the United States and the former Soviet republics. In a recent setback, U.S seismologists working at Borovoye Geophysical Observatory in Kazakhstan had their visas confiscated in August and were forced to suspend work. But researchers are also continuing to gain unprecedented access to valuable sites in the former republics and to treasure troves of seismic data once shrouded by Soviet secrecy.
1992 Fall Meeting under one roof
Authors: Furlong Kevin P.
Published: October 2006

The solar corona is the outer shell of the Sun's atmosphere and traditionally, has been observed at the time of solar eclipse. The plasma in this zone is so hot (1–2×106K) that even the Sun's enormous gravity cannot retain it, and a continuous outflow of mass, the “solar wind,” fills the interplanetary region. Electrons and protons are the major constituents of this fluid. A few centuries ago, some of the rare and unpredictable phenomena related to the solar coronal expansion, such as comet tails and aurorae, were considered to be forecasts of the world's destruction. Recent studies of the subject, however, have contributed to our knowledge in such diverse fields as plasma theory, astrophysics, and geomagnetism.
NSF revises grant procedures
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

The National Science Foundation has revised its procedures for proposals and grants, effective October 1. The agency will now place greater emphasis on grantees' adherence to new guidelines outlined in a revised version of “Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering: An Application Guide,” according to an announcement by NSF director Walter Massey.
David Lukens Reasoner (1941–1992)
Authors: Chappell Rick
Published: October 2006

David Lukens Reasoner, former head of NASA's Ionospheric Physics branch, died on April 21, 1992. Reasoner was born July 1, 1941. He worked tirelessly to expand NASA's Space Physics Division, bringing his deep experience and personal expertise to bear on the challenges of growth.

During the magical period of the late 1950s and early 1960s when America turned its eyes toward space and the Moon, David Lukens Reasoner journeyed north from the nearby Texas town of Dickinson to Rice University with an idea of getting involved in exploring the frontiers of space. He pursued a course of study in electrical engineering and received a bachelor's degree in 1963 and a master's degree in 1964. In the early 1960s, the Space Science Department at Rice was formed, and President John Kennedy visited to say that America chose to go to space not because it is easy but because it is hard and because it would require the very best talents of our nation to succeed. Dave Reasoner was one of those talented people. His excellence in electrical engineering and physics, combined with his natural abilities in the laboratory, suited him ideally for building the machines of space. As a student, he built sounding rocket payloads and multiple instruments for satellites and experiment packages that were placed on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts. He completed his doctoral degree in space science in 1968. It was in these early thrilling days of space exploration that I first met Dave, beginning a friendship and collegial relationship that was to last 27 years.
Strong‐motion accelerograms available on CD‐ROM
Authors: Seekins L. , Brady A. , Carpenter C. , Brown N.
Published: October 2006

Digitized strong‐motion accelerograms of North American earthquakes through 1986 are now available on CD‐ROM optical disk (USGS Digital Data Series DDS‐7). The collection includes all available ground‐level uncorrected digital strong‐motion records from North America written prior to the end of 1986. The CD‐ROM includes retrieval software that will run on an IBM‐compatible PC. To order the catalog, send a check or money order for $32.00 to Map Sales, U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225; tel. 303‐236‐7477.
AGU 1992 Mineral Physics Student Award
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Michael B. Kruger was recently honored with the Mineral Physics Student Award. The Mineral Physics Committee bestows the award to encourage new students to consider mineral physics as a career.

Kruger received a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a Master of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
TOGA COARE takes to the field
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: October 2006

Field research for a 4‐month multinational study of the interactions between the tropical ocean and the global atmosphere will begin on November 1. The massive Coupled Ocean‐Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) will involve over 700 scientists and support staff from 19 nations. “An experiment on this scale that couples meteorology and oceanography has not taken place for about 20 years,” said Roger Lukas of the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, chief scientist on the R/V Wecoma, which will be taking towed ocean temperatures, salinity, and velocity measurements for the project.
Magellan to stop mapping in '93
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

NASA has informed scientists on the Magellan project that there is a limit to which the spacecraft can plumb the depths of Venus. In September, the Solar System Exploration Division reaffirmed its decision to stop Magellan's probe of Venus in May 1993 and close down operations, according to David Okerson, mission program engineer.
Report on global change data released
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

Federal agencies have developed a plan to manage the huge quantities of global change data already in hand, as well as the even greater masses of data expected soon (see Eos, Feb. 11, 1992). An interagency report, “The U.S. Global Change and Information Management Program Plan,” outlines the program's policy and structure for making present and future data both accessible and usable.

Much existing data and information on global change is hard to access and poorly archived. Under the Global Change Data and Information System (GCDIS), federal agencies that now use data only from their own particular programs will share information among each other and internationally. The Earth Observing System Data Information System is NASA's component of GCDIS.
Public meetings on NASA's future
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

NASA is holding six “town meetings” in November and December to discuss the agency's future. According to NASA, the purpose of the open meetings is to discuss the new vision of the agency with the public, to make contact with businesses that do not now participate in NASA programs, and to seek input on how NASA can reach its goals more cheaply and effectively.

NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin and other agency officials will attend the meetings, along with local reesearchers and business figures.
AGU develops earthquake curriculum
Authors: Blue Charles
Published: October 2006

AGU, in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announces the production of a new curriculum package for grades 7–12 on the engineering and geophysical aspects of earthquakes.

According to Frank Ireton, AGU's precollege education manager, “Both AGU and FEMA are working to promote the understanding of earthquake processes and their impact on the built environment. We are designing a program that involves students in learning how science, mathematics, and social studies concepts can be applied to reduce earthquake hazards.”
Acidic deposition impacts on aquatic biota
Authors: DeWalle David R.
Published: October 2006

Six papers were presented at a special hydrology session, “Acidic Deposition Impacts on Aquatic Biota,” at the AGU 1992 Spring Meeting in Montreal. D. DeWalle, W. E. Sharpe, and J. A. Lynch of the School of Forest Resources, Penn State University, convened this session. Its goal was to integrate information on watershed processes, atmospheric deposition, surface water chemistry, and responses of the aquatic biota.
International Geoid Service begins
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The International Geoid Service has been established as the operational group working within the framework of the International Geoid Commission. The IGS is intended to benefit the international scientific community and is without commercial interest. Its president, Fernando Sanso, was nominated by the president of the International Geoid Commission. The first IGS center began operating September 1 in Milan, Italy.
NASA reorganization splits Earth and planetary sciences
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: October 2006

NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin announced a series of organizational changes at the agency on October 15. The surprise announcement, which according to Goldin was meant to bring focus to space programs and to improve management, has left the scientific community puzzled. “I was very surprised by it,” said Jeff Dozier, University of California, Santa Barbara, and former EOS project scientist, adding that many of the NASA people affected by the shake up were also taken by surprise.
Australian Geophysics Society reorganized
Authors: Barton Charles
Published: October 2006

A recent government proposal to drastically change the administrative arrangements for the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics (BMR) has caused turmoil within the Australian geoscientific community. BMR was established in 1946 to help identify and promote the development of Australia's oil and mineral resources. Currently, the organization is part of the Department of Primary Industries and Energy (DPIE).

The government's proposal was that the resource assessment functions of BMR remain with DPIE and that the remainder of BMR be assimilated into the Commonwealth, Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). CSIRO is the largest scientific wing of government and undertakes industryoriented research in the national interest. The government proposed that BMR could be dismembered and fitted into existing CSIRO groups or possibly kept intact within CSIRO.
New visiting scientists in NSF's Earth sciences
Authors: MacGregor Ian
Published: October 2006

The National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences has hired two new rotators to serve as program directors, as part of the ongoing visiting scientists program. The new directors are Jonathan Fink in Geochemistry and Petrology, and L. Douglas James in Hydrological Sciences.

Fink has exchanged roles for 1 year with NSF's John Snyder, who is on sabbatical at Arizona State University. Fink's current research includes studies of how the Theological properties of magma govern the emplacement of volcanic domes and lava flows, and the gravitational control on their mass movements. This research extends to the mechanisms of igneous intrusion and interpretation of volcanic features in extraterrestrial and submarine environments.
NASA town meetings scheduled
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The dates and locations for a series of public town meetings sponsored by NASA have been set. The meetings will give the public a chance to learn about NASA's projects and to express their opinions on aspects of the space program, according to NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin. Presentations at the town meetings will be made by top NASA officials, university researchers, members of the business community, educators, and individuals from aerospace associations. The public will be able to ask questions.

Each of the town meetings will be held from 2:00 to 6:30 P.M. local time. Dates and locations are listed below.
Omnibus energy bill signed by president
Authors: Leath Audrey T.
Published: October 2006

One‐and‐a‐half years after the Persian Gulf War reminded Americans of their dependence on foreign oil, Congress and President Bush approved a broad‐ranging energy bill (HR776) to reduce that dependence. The bill, passed by Congress on October 8, was signed into law on October 24.

Incorporating provisions under the jurisdiction of many congressional committees, the energy bill faced a long and contentious battle to win approval. The House‐Senate conference lasted 11 hours, and in the last days, several provisions were dropped, including tax incentives for renewable energy development, and bans on some coastline oil and gas drilling.
Understanding changes in coastal environments: The LMER program
Authors:   LMER Coordinating Committee
Published: October 2006

We are currently witnessing the greatest rate of environmental change in human history. Nowhere are the effects of global and local changes more pervasive than at the land‐sea margins, where human populations have always concentrated and where population growth in the United States is at its highest (Figure 1). More people causes a mounting pressure on natural resources and more disturbance to coastal regions. Human activities have brought many changes to coastal environments, including those described below. Loss of habitat: among many examples are the loss of 50% of Connecticut's and 90% of California's coastal wetlands. Interception of water and sediment: waterworks for irrigation, storm protection, and power have reduced the area of wetlands on many coasts, shifted channel locations in the Nile and Mississippi deltas, and catastrophically changed the Aral Sea, where two‐thirds of the water volume was lost between 1960 and 1987.
LAGEOS‐II laser ranging begins
Authors: White M. Catherine
Published: October 2006

On October 24, the first laser beam fired at LAGEOS‐II, a satellite covered with 426 mirror‐like prism reflectors, was received at Orroral Station, Australia. Six days later, 103 passes had been received at fifteen stations around the world. The $4‐million Italian‐built satellite consists of an aluminum sphere, a brass core, and the outer reflectors and has no moving parts. It was launched October 22 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. Thirty countries are tracking LAGEOS‐II from sixty‐five sites worldwide. NASA has ten fixed ground stations and the National Satellite Laser Ranging Committee coordinates thirty‐five ground station laser facilities around the world for tracking LAGEOS‐II and its sister, LAGEOS‐I, as well as several satellites launched by other countries.