bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Virtual Rivers: Lessons From the Mountain Rivers of the Colorado Front Range
Authors: James L. Allan
Published: October 2006

A rich tradition in historical environmental change emerged in the 20th century within the discipline of fluvial geomorphology the study of river land forms. This tradition has produced considerable fruit, including a scientific and historic understanding of river channel change that has reached a much broader audience, including planners, environmentalists, teachers, engineers, and historians. While historical information is usually qualitative in nature, and therefore not easily incorporated into empirical equations or computer models, the historical perspective is of utmost importance to understanding river systems and predicting their future behavior. Virtual Rivers: Lessons from the Mountain Rivers of the Colorado Front Range is a highly successful application of the historical tradition to the Colorado Front region.
Combined estimates improve high‐resolution coastal wind mapping
Authors: Thompson Donald R. , Monaldo Frank M. , Beal Robert C. , Winstead Nathaniel S. , Pichel William G. , Clemente‐Colón Pablo
Published: October 2006

The operational meteorological community and the numerical weather prediction community share a common need for high‐resolution estimates of the near‐surface wind field in data‐sparse regions of the globe, such as the coastal zones of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Wind estimates over coastal waters using conventional multiple‐antenna scatterometers or passive microwave sensors are difficult to obtain because the large footprint associated with these sensors results in significant contamination from land. Since synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can provide high‐resolution imagery of the surface virtually up to the shoreline, “SAR scatterometry” represents a potentially significant new technique for measuring ocean‐surface wind fields at resolutions more than an order of magnitude finer than is now possible with any other spaceborne technique.
Remote sensing of volcanic clouds shows promise
Authors: Rose William I.
Published: October 2006

An international workshop on the Remote Sensing of Volcanic Clouds was held July 29–August 3, 2001, at Michigan Technological University The workshop's goal was to improve and expand the use of satellite‐based remote sensing data for hazard mitigation and other research purposes, such as volcano‐atmosphere interactions and chemical and meteorological effects on the troposphere and stratosphere. Forty‐six researchers attended, representing 11 countries, 9 universities, and several government meteorological and volcanological organizations, as well as the Volcanic Ash Aviation Centers in Washington, D.C., Anchorage, Montreal, Darwin, London, and Toulouse. (The Volcanic Ash Aviation Centers monitor volcanic ash plumes within their assigned airspace. There are 9 in all and they were created at the request of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other aviation concerns.)
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Christopher P. Cameron died in 2000, at age 61. He had been an AGU member (Volcanology Geochemistry, Petrology) since 1971.

Robert J. Listdied this year. He was a retired life member (Atmospheric Sciences) who joined AGU in 1942.
Researchers consider U.S. Southwest's response to warmer, drier conditions
Authors: Schmidt Kevin M. , Webb Robert H.
Published: October 2006

In 2000, the popular press frequently referred to reports that the southwestern United States might experience a shift from relatively wet to dry conditions during the next couple of decades (see http://topex‐www.jpl.nasa.gov/discover/PDO.html). These predictions stemmed from observations that the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) appeared to abruptly change from a “positive” to a “negative” phase in 1999 (Figure 1). During the mid‐twentieth century, a similar negative phase of the PDO was accompanied by prolonged dry conditions in the southwest.

By extrapolation, some climatologists predicted future drought in the southwest. Such a change would heavily affect land use planning in the region, because national demographics have stressed the region's resources over the past century From 1990 to 2000, for instance, the population of Nevada and Arizona increased by almost 2.3 million people (http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/respop.html). To discuss potential scenarios of landscape and ecosystem response to 25 years of hot and dry climate, scientists from diverse disciplines gathered at the University of Arizona in April 2001. The objectives of this workshop were to address evidence supporting predictions of warmer and drier climate and the possible landscape responses (http://geology.wr.usgs.gov/sw‐workshop/).
Conference investigates formation and preservation of the continental margin stratigraphic record
Authors: Austin James A. , Nittrouer Charles A.
Published: October 2006

The seismically observed stratigraphic record on continental margins around the world is the combined product of a variety of depositional and erosional processes that operate at a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Understanding the nature of this record and how it is produced is becoming more important. It is not only a repository of significant hydrocarbon resources, but also, perhaps, Earth's longest and most reliable record of past climate change.
Alverson takes up helm as Eos Editor
Authors: Grant Shermonta L.
Published: October 2006

Keith Alverson, Executive Director of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme Core Project on Past Global Changes (PAGES) in Bern, Switzerland, has begun a 3‐year term as an Eos editor. He will cover ocean sciences. Alverson said, “I look forward to increasing my participation in [AGU] as one of the editors of Eos. I am particularly interested in taking on this challenge in order to foster interdisciplinary and international interactions as part of a holistic approach to the study of the Earth system.” He said he will also seek to promote international research initiatives within the AGU, as well as enhance the current impact of AGU and Eos internationally.
“Crack!” in the polar night
Authors: Bindschadler Robert , Rignot Eric
Published: October 2006

It happened during the long dark, polar night just over a year ago. It wasn't noticed until months later. Its climatic significance isn't clear yet, but it provides new insight into the process by which the Antarctic ice sheet periodically launches massive icebergs from around its perimeter and heightens concern that this area of Earth's largest frozen continent is changing.

“It” is the sudden formation of a large rift nearly three‐fourths of the distance across the Pine Island Glacier (75°S, 102°W), a major outlet glacier of the West Antarctic ice sheet. The long rift was observed independently by researchers reviewing images collected in two separate mappings of Antarctica with two different sensors. The initial analysis of this dramatic event, including a prognosis of the rift's future growth and impending iceberg formation, incorporates recently collected data from no less than six sensors on five satellites operated by three space agencies.This study illustrates beautifully the new power of multisensor monitoring of the Earth from space.
U.S. preparedness for severe storms questioned
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Doug Hill, chief meteorologist for WJLA‐TV in Washington, D.C., recalled the broadcast news coverage of two supercell thunderstorms that swept through the region on September 24, producing three tornadoes and causing two fatalities. Hill said that only one local radio station which airs his forecasts activated the federal emergency alert system to immediately notify the public about the tornadoes, and added that there should be some changes in requirements. “Somehow, broadcast stations have to get the idea that these warnings and requests to activate [the alerts] are not done [just] for fun,” he said.

Hill was among several experts appearing at an October 11 congressional hearing, “Weatherproofing the U.S.: Are We Prepared for Severe Storms?” The hearing, which was held by the U.S. House of Representatives' Science Committee, included testimony about the nation's emergency preparedness in dealing with several types of severe weather: tornadoes, hurricanes, and wind storms.
Deductive model proposed for evaluating terrestrial analogues
Authors: Soare Richard , Pollard Wayne , Green David
Published: October 2006

Analogical science is science in absentia. Devoid of direct evidence or data sufficient to explain the physical and biochemical processes shaping Mars, Europa, and other non‐terrestrial bodies, planetary scientists seek insight by referring to Earth‐based analogues [Stone, 1999]. This means searching for a terrestrial source mirroring conditions of a non‐terrestrial target, explaining activity at the target in terms of a theory extrapolated from the source, and then seeking observable evidence at the target to confirm analogical viability. An apt or meaningful analogy narrows the conceptual space between source and target, enabling the scientist to enhance his understanding of a distant target by studying a source closer at hand. Heretofore, there have been no clear rules or general criteria with which to evaluate the aptness or meaningfulness of an interplanetary analogy or terrestrial analogue. To redress this shortcomings three‐rung empirically derived model is proposed.
An Introduction to Atmospheric Physics
Authors: Hakim Gregory J.
Published: October 2006

Increasing awareness of the changing global environment stimulates a greater interest in the physical processes that govern these changes. Students with a background in physics who wish to pursue the atmospheric aspect of these issues would be well served by reading David G. Andrews book, An Introduction to Atmospheric Physics. The text is geared toward advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students with working knowledge of basic physics, calculus, and differential equations. This book provides these students with a taste of how physics is applied to the atmospheric sciences, and it supplies a solid background for additional study.
Tales from the Underground: A Natural History of Subterranean Life
Authors: Balser Teri
Published: October 2006

We are all aware of the soil beneath our feet, yet how many of us stop and really think about it? A great diversity of life lies within the soil; it even contains organisms that have changed the course of human history In Tales from the Underground, David Wolfe takes readers on a tour of the soil and underground environment that ranges from the origins of life to the consequences of human impact on the Earth. The result is insight into a critical component of the natural world that many of us take for granted.
Researchers focus attention on coastal response to climate change
Authors: Anderson John , Rodriguez Antonio , Fletcher Charles , Fitzgerald Duncan
Published: October 2006

The world's population has been steadily migrating toward coastal cities, resulting in severe stress on coastal environments. But the most severe human impact on coastal regions may lie ahead as the rate of global sea‐level rise accelerates and the impacts of global warming on coastal climates and oceanographic dynamics increase [Varekamp and Thomas, 1998; Hinrichsen, 1999; Goodwin et al., 2000]. Little is currently being done to forecast the impact of global climate change on coasts during the next century and beyond. Indeed, there are still many politicians, and even some scientists, who doubt that global change is a real threat to society.
Magnetic microscopy promises a leap in sensitivity and resolution
Authors: Weiss Benjamin P. , Baudenbacher Franz J. , Wikswo John P. , Kirschvink Joseph L.
Published: October 2006

Twenty years ago, Kirschvink argued that many paleomagnetic studies were limited by the sensitivity of the magnetometer systems then in use [Kirschvink, 1981].He showed that sedimentary rocks could preserve detrital remanent magnetizations at levels of 10−14 to 10−15 Am2, about 100—1000 times below the noise level of today's best superconducting (SQUID) rock magnetometers. If a more sensitive magnetometer could be built, it would dramatically expand the range and variety of rock types amenable to paleomagnetic analysis. Just such an instrument is now on the horizon: the low‐temperature superconductivity (LTS) SQUID Microscope.
Science meets parliament in Canberra
Authors: Gascoigne Toss
Published: October 2006

The Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) sponsored, on August 20–21, 2001, its third “Science Meets Parliament Day.” This is an event that brings scientists and technologists to Canberra, Australia's capital, for one‐on‐one meetings with federal politicians.

The event is shamelessly modeled on the U.S. Congressional “Visits Day” sponsored by AGU and other U.S. scientific and engineering societies; and we gratefully acknowledge the inspiration of our American colleagues.
Congressional Science Fellow goes to work for U.S. senator
Authors: Folger Peter
Published: October 2006

AGU's 25th Congressional Science Fellow, Karen Wayland, began her Fellowship on Capitol Hill by accepting an offer to spend the year in the office of Senator Harry Reid, Democrat from Nevada. In the senator's personal office, Wayland will focus primarily on water and natural resources issues, which may include water supply and wastewater infrastructure legislation and Lake Tahoe watershed management. Despite their specific academic and research backgrounds, Congressional Science Fellows often are tasked with a wide range of legislative issues on Capitol Hill outside their immediate scientific expertise. For example, Wayland might also find herself working on Indian Affairs Committee issues for Senator Reid, or tracking the Fallon, NV cancer cluster investigation.
Scatterometers observe the variation of the Walker circulation
Authors: Pan Jiayi , Yan Xiao‐Hai , Zheng Quanan , Liu W. Timothy
Published: October 2006

The variation of the Walker circulation is closely related to the onset of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events [Kousky, 1984], so observing the Walker circulation can lead to better understanding of ENSO events. Wind data from the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT), Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT), and European Remote Sensing Satellite‐1/2 (ERS‐1/2) were merged into one data set in a 1°×1° grid covering a period from January 1992 to December 2000. The study region was confined to the tropical oceans between 20°S and 20°N. The vector empirical orthogonal function (VEOF) method [Hardy and Walton, 1978] was used to process the wind data set and extract principal modes of the wind fields.
Merton Davies (1917–2001)
Authors: Murray Bruce C. , Johnson Torrence V.
Published: October 2006

Merton Davies passed away unexpectedly in April at age 83 due to complications from surgery. He will be remembered for establishing the prime meridian for essentially every solid planet in the solar system with the exception of Earth and Pluto. He was an AGU Fellow, and had been a member since 1970 (Planetary Sciences).

In cartography and geodesy nothing is more fundamental than establishing the fiducial point to which all other measurements are related. For a planet, this is the location of the prime meridian—zero longitude. Upon this foundation is built the interconnected network of distance, angle, and time coordinates that tell one where one is and what time it is. Here on the Earth, contention for “ownership” of the prime meridian was for centuries a scientific, political, and commercial issue of great moment, before Greenwich finally became the choice of the world's maps. To have established the prime meridian for a single planet alone could be regarded as a major career achievement by any scientist—an instructive lens through which to view Davies' accomplishment.
Surface rupture and behavior of thrust faults probed in Taiwan
Authors: Rubin C. M. , Sieh K. , Chen Yue‐Gao , Lee Jian‐Cheng , Chu Hao‐Tsu , Yeats Robert , Mueller Karl , Chan Yu‐Chang
Published: October 2006

Taiwan's destructive Chi‐chi earthquake of September 21, 1999, was a dramatic expression of active tectonic processes at a complex collisional plate boundary. It resulted in more than 2,400 causalities and tens of billions of dollars in property loss. During the earthquake, an 80‐km stretch of the country's mountainous backbone moved upward and westward along the range‐bounding Chelungpu thrust fault (Figure la). A team of earthquake geologists from the United States, in collaboration with geoscientists from Academia Sinica, National Taiwan University and the Central Geological Survey of Taiwan, worked together to address questions concerning the recurrence of large‐magnitude earthquakes along reverse faults in Taiwan.
New U.S. presidential science advisor steps in at difficult moment
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

John Marburger, III, who became science advisor to U.S. President George W. Bush and head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on October 23, steps in at a difficult period for the nation. In an exclusive interview on November 7, Marburger told Eos that following the events of September 11, his office's “major challenge is to combat terrorism.”

However, Marburger said that while he and OSTP are involved in initiatives to harness science and technology to fight terrorism, he also is focusing on other key priorities. These include helping to ensure the nation's strength in basic research, providing advice on significant science issues such as climate change and space endeavors, and adding an important “sound science” component to the Bush administration, which was earlier criticized for making some science‐sensitive decisions based more on politics than science.
Dealing with uncertainty in environmental model predictions
Authors: Mishra Srikanta
Published: October 2006

There is a growing trend toward the use of complex, integrated models of environmental systems to support policy making in such diverse areas as human health and ecological risk assessments, safety analysis of nuclear waste repositories, and analysis of global climate change. Historically, modeling studies for such problems have been based on a deterministic framework, in which “point” estimates of specific parameters are combined to generate a single estimate of the outcome of interest. These analyses are typically carried out either with conservative—for example, “worst‐case”— assumptions, or more realistic—for example, “best‐guess”—estimates for the model parameters.

In general, the actual likelihood of the resulting single‐point deterministic model predictions cannot be quantified without additional information. However, it can be shown that a systematic use of conservative parameter values yields results that have a very small probability of occurrence due to the problem of “compounded conservatism.” Given that uncertainty is certain, the utility of deterministic model predictions is therefore likely to be diminished without some demonstration of the associated uncertainties.
The Great Kanto earthquake and F. Scott Fitzgerald
Authors: Kawakatsu Hitoshi , Bina Craig R.
Published: October 2006

How many recall the following striking sentence from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which appears on the second page of the novel, where Fitzgerald first introduces Gatsby? “If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away.”

This line may have failed to focus our attention when we first read the book in our younger days. Now, however, as a Japanese seismologist and an American geophysicist (and student of Japanese culture), we would be greatly remiss for failing to take greater note of this statement. Indeed, as The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, it occurred to us that the earthquake Fitzgerald might have been thinking of was the Great Kanto earthquake, which occurred on September 1, 1923 and devastated the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Drilling for Antarctic Cenozoic Climate and Tectonic History at Cape Roberts, southwestern Ross Sea
Authors: Davey F. J. , Barrett P. J. , Cita M. B. , van der Meer J. J. M. , Tessensohn F. , Tohmson M. R. A. , Webb P.‐N. , Woolfe K. J.
Published: October 2006

Since the early 1990s, the Cape Roberts Project has been working to document, through sediment drilling, the proximal record of Antarctic ice sheet history and climate for the southwestern part of the Ross Sea, Antarctica. It has also investigated the tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountain range of the West Antarctic Rift system and its links to the separation of Australasia from Antarctica over the past 55 million years. The recovered sedimentary sequences and the information they contain provide a record of environmental conditions when global temperatures were similar to those proposed for the end of this century, a test for models of ice and climate behavior, and a better understanding of the tectonic evolution of the region.
New finds along Arctic mid‐ocean ridge
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A recent expedition to explore the 1,100‐mile Gakkel Ridge beneath the Arctic ice cap has turned up 12 previously unknown volcanoes, hydrothermal vents with species that are potentially new to science, and other unexpected findings about the world's slowest‐spreading and least volcanically active mid‐ ocean ridge.

Researchers aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy and the German icebreaker F.S. Polarstern made the findings during a July 31–October 3 cruise as part of the Arctic Mid‐Ocean Ridge Expedition (AMORE), funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The researchers announced their results on November 28.
Privatization of environmental data raises concerns among researchers
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Recent trends in many countries toward privatization and commercialization of data—two distinct but linked issues—have become increasingly significant concerns for the geosciences and other scientific fields that need environmental data from around the world in order to study and understand Earth systems.

In response to these trends, a new U.S. National Research Council report concludes that for environmental information systems created by the U.S. government to serve a public purpose, “a full and open data policy is optimal for collecting and synthesizing a wide range of observations, detecting scientific surprises, and avoiding or discovering processes or calibration errors.”
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Ronald Girdler died on October 23, 2001, at age 71. He was a retired life member (Tectonophysics) who joined AGU in 1963.

Henry Karrer died on December 9, 2000, at age 91. He was a retired life member (Hydrology) who joined AGU in 1943.
Ocean commission gets down to business
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

During its first meeting dealing largely with substantive rather than organizational issues, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy in November unanimously urged the U.S. Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The treaty, which entered into force in November 1994 without U.S. support, currently has been ratified by 119 other countries.
John R. Winckler (1916–2001)
Authors: Lysak Robert L. , Anderson Kinsey , Parks George K.
Published: October 2006

John R. (Jack) Winckler, a professor emeritus of physics at the University of Minnesota, died of natural causes in February 2001. He was 84 years old and had been an AGU member since 1958.

Winckler, who belonged to the SPA section, was a true pioneer in space and upper atmospheric physics. Many of his discoveries were instrumental in starting areas of research that are thriving today.
Outstanding student awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Mineral and Rock Physics Committee presented two outstanding student awards at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, this month.
Geophysics in the Affairs of Mankind—A Personalized History of Exploration Geophysics
Authors: Oliver Jack
Published: October 2006

This book is a second, and a somewhat modified and expanded, edition of an unusual and exceptionally informative volume; the same, main title was published in 1982 by a commercial publisher, and is currently out of print. The authorship is slightly different: L.C. (Lee) Lawyer, Charles C. Bates, and Robert B. Rice for the second edition, and Bates, Thomas F. Gaskell, and Rice for the first. Much of the excellent early history of—to quote from the subtitle—“exploration geophysics and its allied sciences of seismology and oceanography” that is found in the first edition has been left unchanged, or modified to update it through the 1990s. The section on exploration geophysics, in particular, has been significantly expanded and updated.
Atlas of the Ocean: The Deep Frontier
Authors: Alverson Keith
Published: October 2006

National Geographic magazine is very well known for its photographs of the natural world, and in publishing an atlas of the ocean, they have tackled a project ripe with stunning material.

For those of us who investigate the ocean from the confines of sterile computer rooms or by lowering instruments from aboard diesel‐perfumed, metallic grey, aesthetically‐challenged boats, this visual entree into the world of the deep is a remarkable one. The rainbow of colors, myriad patterns and textures captured in the underwater world, and collected in this book for our enjoyment, is stupendous. My only complaint is that there are not more of them. My rough estimate is that substantially less than one‐fourth of the total page area is devoted to these marvelous photographs.
Sharing Your Science in a One‐Day K‐12 Teacher Workshop
Authors: Edgett Kenneth S.
Published: October 2006

In an increasingly complex, technological world, it is widely recognized that scientists play important roles in improving public understanding of science. In K‐12 science education across the United States, a revolution based in national science education standards— the notion that science is “for all Americans,” and that doing science is the best way to learn science—is underway [Lopez and Schultz, 2001]. Some federal research funding sources, such as the NASA Office of Space Science, include language in their announcements of opportunity that ask scientists to undertake education and public outreach activities.
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Volcanology Geochemistry & Petrology (VGP) Section presented four outstanding student paper awards at the 2000 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
New clues about magnetosphere noise and black aurora
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The noise sounds vaguely as if it emanates from the high‐pitched chatter of tropical birds or wetted fingers rubbing along musical glasses. However, the auroral kilometric radiation (AKR)—a radio wave of about 540–550 kilohertz just below the AM radio band—emanates from Earth's magnetosphere 11,000–13,000 kilometers above the Earth's northern lights.

Some researchers had proposed this as the likely origin for the noise three decades ago. However, scientists at the AGU Fall Meeting, held in San Francisco, California, said that new measurements made by instruments onboard the four spacecraft of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Cluster mission have confirmed this theory.
Will Bush energize U.S. climate and global change research?
Authors: Barron Eric J.
Published: October 2006

Climate and global change research is at a major crossroads. Congress is currently considering amendments to the 1990 law that created the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). In addition, the Bush administration is examining how to accelerate progress in climate change research and in the development of efficient energy technologies. The administration is also debating new mechanisms to manage global change research more effectively. These actions are well‐supported in the recommendations of a number of National Research Council reports. Hence, the potential for the Bush administration to energize U.S. climate and global change research through new programs and a more integrated management is considerable. However, the administration is holding its cards very closely to the vest, creating considerable unease in the scientific community. The success of these research programs is not assured unless: (1) the scientific community is fully engaged as a partner in the formulation of management plans and scientific priorities, and (2) the president's new climate initiatives complement and enhance a strong U.S. Global Change Research Program.
(U‐Th)/He chronometry experiences a renaissance
Authors: Reiners Peter W.
Published: October 2006

Radioactive decay of naturally occurring nuclides provides the basis for nearly all of the quantitative temporal constraints on geophysical phenomena, from climate dynamics on scales of 102–103 years, to planetary differentiation over 108–109 years. In general, there are few geologic problems that cannot be resolved by radioisotopic chronometers, partly because of the wide range of radioactive parent nuclides and decay rates, contrasting chemical behaviors of parent and daughter atoms during common geologic processes, and ever‐advancing geoanalytical techniques. Despite broad success, however, radioisotopic techniques are still difficult to apply to many important geologic phenomena requiring temporal constraints, such as the timing and rates of shallow crustal processes that are critical aspects of geomorphology and neotectonics.
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy: An update
Authors: Müller‐Karger Frank
Published: October 2006

The Oceans Act of 2000 (Public Law 106‐256) establishes the 16‐member U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, “to undertake a thorough review of U.S. ocean and coastal programs and activities,” and “to make recommendations for a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy…” President Bush appointed the Commission on 3 July 2001, with several members from AGU and ASLO among its members.

The Act charges the Commission to present its findings and recommendations in a final report to Congress and the President. The report is due in the spring of 2003, and as directed in PL. 106‐256, will cover the following areas
Exploring comets and asteroids
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Two upcoming NASA Discovery missions will have close encounters with comets and asteroids.

Scheduled for launch on 1 July 2002, the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) mission will photograph, map, and analyze at least two comets at a distance of about 160 kilometers from their nuclei. Comet Encke, which CONTOUR will encounter in November 2003, circles the Sun in 3.2 years and has the shortest orbital period of any known comet. Comet Schwassmann‐Wachmann 3 presents an opportunity for CONTOUR in June 2006 to possibly examine subsurface material that was exposed when a large piece split from the comet in 1996.
Undergraduates study climate change science, philosophy, and public policy
Authors: Bullock Mark A. , Frodeman Robert L.
Published: October 2006

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in ongoing scientific research. Existing either as stand‐alone summer programs or as supplementary components to existing NSF research grants, the REU program focuses on introducing aspiring young scientists to the delights and complexities of science. Global Climate Change and Society (GCCS) is an intensive, 8‐week REU program that began a 3‐year run in the summer of 2001.

Developed by a philosopher at the Colorado School of Mines, and a planetary scientist at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colrado, GCCS is a unique experiment in research and pedagogy that introduces students to science by using a distinctive approach. Choosing as its topic the questions surrounding global climate change, the program explores the interwoven scientific, philosophical, and public policy issues that make the climate change debate such a volatile topic in contemporary society. Last summer, the program selected 12 undergraduates through a nationally advertised competition. Student interns came from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds and included physics, philosophy and public policy majors from elite liberal arts schools, major research institutions, and mainstream state universities. The program was held at the University of Colorado and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), in Boulder, Colorado (Figure 1).
Time to support journals of scientific societies
Authors: Hapgood Michael
Published: October 2006

The scientific community needs to take action now to ensure that our journals continue to meet the priorities of science. To achieve this, we should focus our support on journals owned by scientific societies rather than those owned by commercial publishers. This is needed to contain a subtle threat posed by the current growth and development of intellectual property rights (IPR) and the priorities that drive the exploitation of those rights by commercial organisations.
Higher than Everest: An Adventurer's Guide to the Solar System and Turn Right at Orion: Travels through the Cosmos
Authors: Gaddis Lisa R.
Published: October 2006

A little light reading is desirable now and then, especially over the holidays and/or during times of stress or periods of reflection. With this idea in mind, I reviewed two books that may be viewed as “science entertainment.” The first is Higher than Everest by Paul Hodge. Set some 200 years in the future, this book is structured as a guidebook for adventurers who are looking for thrills and spills at spectacular sites in the Solar System. Based on undergraduate‐level lectures in planetary science, the book has 20 chapters focusing on sites such as Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris, Mars; Copernicus Crater on the Moon; Maxwell Montes, Venus; Euboea Montes, Io; and geysers on Triton. With a “peak bagging” emphasis on exploring the highest (or lowest) features, recommendations are provided for siting base camps, including necessary equipment, recognizing environmental constraints, and mapping out traverses and itineraries. Along the way, participants are advised to keep an eye out for aspects of their surroundings that would help to resolve long‐standing “mysteries” regarding their origin. Parallels are drawn between extraterrestrial features and their terrestrial counterparts, and numerous photos are provided to reinforce the similarities among planetary surfaces in different environments.
Missouri River restoration efforts should include adaptive management, report urges
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A new report on the Missouri River calls for major restoration measures and indicates that the river has continued to decline, from an ecological standpoint, to the point at which irreparable damage may be done to the river.

The 9 January report, by the U.S. National Research Council's (NRC) Committee on Missouri River Ecosystem Science, calls for a policy of adaptive management of the river and for the creation of a broad‐based stakeholder process.
Olympian weather forecasting
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

A unique public‐private partnership will provide detailed weather information at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah, 8–24 February About 50 meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) and several private groups will work in the background to provide accurate forecasts.

This is the first time that U.S. government and private meteorologists will share forecasting responsibilities for the Olympics, according to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games. The partnership includes meteorologists with the University of Utah and KSL‐TV in Salt Lake City.
Mercury on the move during snowmelt in Vermont
Authors: Shanley James B. , Schuster Paul F. , Reddy Michael M. , Roth David A. , Taylor Howard E. , Aiken George R.
Published: October 2006

Although mercury (Hg) emissions peaked in the United States over the last 20 to 40 years and are now declining, they remain well above natural background levels in soils and sediments. Only a small fraction of the Hg deposited from the atmosphere to the terrestrial landscape runs off in streamflow. However, some of this Hg is methylated in the environment and can potentially bioaccumulate to the top of food webs, posing a hazard to people who eat fish, especially children and pregnant women.

What factors determine the amount of Hg that runs off in streams? During the 2000 snowmelt at Sleepers River in Vermont, strong correlations were found between dissolved and particulate mercury and the respective dissolved and particulate organic carbon fractions, even when data were pooled from 10 streams of diverse watershed size and land cover. Episodic export of particulate Hg during the highest flows appears to be the dominant mechanism of Hg movement.
Tracking disease outbreaks
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Scientists have come one step closer to tracking outbreaks of bartonellosis, a potentially fatal vector‐borne disease. Outbreaks of the disease, which was once thought to be found primarily in the high Andes Mountains of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, may be related to El Ni˜no events, according to researchers with NASA and the U.S. military.

In findings reported on 17 January, climatology and disease prevention researchers said a study conducted in two regions in Peru points to a strong potential link between the 1997–1998 El Niño and an increase in sand flies, which are thought to be the disease host carriers.
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Biogeosciences Section presented six outstanding student paper awards at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Nanogeoscience: From the movement of electrons to lithosphere plates
Authors: Lower Steven K. , Hochella Michael F. , Banfield Jillian F. , Rosso Kevin M.
Published: October 2006

Researchers of nano‐scale science explore the workings of nature in the dimensional space spanning a single nanometer (nm) to about 100 nm. While geoscientists pride themselves on looking at very large‐scale, highly complex processes, the origins of nearly all things geologic are rooted deeply in nanoscale phenomena. The near surface of the Earth is composed of what has been conservatively estimated as 1030 square nm of inorganic and biological surfaces [Hochella and White, 1990; Whitman et al., 1998]. These two types of surfaces have been interacting for over 3 billion years on our planet. A growing number of geoscientists, supported by U.S. agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF),the Departments of Energy and Defense, and even the National Institutes of Health, are embracing the intricate nano‐scale world and helping to forge the frontiers of nanoscience through geological studies.
African Drilling Project may offer climate
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Africa's Lake Malawi, the site of an upcoming scientific drilling project, could provide data on climate variability and the evolution of the region's aquatic organisms, according to researchers from four U.S. universities who have received a $2‐million grant through the National Science Foundation's Earth System History program.

“We believe that Lake Malawi will provide a unique, continuous, and high‐resolution (annual‐to‐decadal) record of past climates in the continental tropics over the last 800,000 years,” said Christopher Scholz, an Earth scientist at Syracuse University in New York, and principal investigator on the project. Researchers from the University of Arizona, the University of Minnesota at Duluth, and the University of Rhode Island also have received NSF support for the drilling project, which is scheduled to begin in January 2003.
Bush science budget slashes USGS funding
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

While the Bush Administration's proposed U.S. federal budget for fiscal year 2003 includes the largest‐ever request for federal research and development funding—$111.8 billion; up 8% over the current fiscal year budget—not everybody in the Earth sciences community is cheering.

Much of the increase is slated for the National Institutes of Health, and research spending for many of the other federal science agencies “would remain anemic under this budget,” according to U.S. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R‐N.Y), chair of the House of Representatives Science Committee. President Bush announced the FY2003 budget on 4 February.
2002”2004 election results
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Tellers Committee has reported that the following officers were selected in the recent election to serve 1 July 2002–30 June 2004.
West Antarctic Ice Sheet release new iceberg
Authors: Bindschadler Robert
Published: October 2006

In October 2001, Eos published an article describing the sudden formation last year of a large fracture across most of the floating tongue of Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica (75°S latitude, 102°W longitude) [Bindschadler and Rignot, 2001]. Early last November, the growing fracture completely severed the ice tongue, releasing an iceberg 42 km×17 km, roughly the size of the Caribbean island of Dominica. What makes this event notable is the insight into the process of iceberg formation made possible by the unprecedented series of image data captured by the Multi‐angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument in the days just before the calving.
Bush Climate Change Plan criticized as “business as usual”
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The new U.S. climate change strategy, announced by President George W. Bush on 14 February, relies heavily on voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies. According to the administration, the strategy begins to address the factors that contribute to climate change “in a serious and sensible way” but critics charge that it will actually result in increased U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Bush's strategy, announced during a speech at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, Maryland, presents an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol, which includes an initial target of requiring a group of 38 industrialized nations to reduce emissions of 6 major greenhouse gases by a total of 5.2% below 1990 levels by 2012.
Bush decides on Yucca Mountain
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Yucca Mountain in Nevada will be the U.S. long‐term geologic repository for high‐level radioactive waste, President George W. Bush announced on 15 February. Bush endorsed a formal recommendation by Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Spencer Abraham, which followed more than 20 years of scientific study. The decision, which the state of Nevada is challenging in the U.S. Congress, allows the government's plans for the repository to proceed to the licensing phase.

The plan calls for Yucca Mountain to accept a total of 84,900 metric tons of radioactive waste from temporary storage facilities at 131 sites in 39 states.
Comparing Arctic Regional Climate Model
Authors: Curry J. A. , Lynch A. H.
Published: October 2006

Recent climate modeling results show the Arctic to be a region of particular importance and vulnerability to global climate change. Despite the climatic significance of the Arctic, many physical processes occurring in this region are still not well understood. Hence, it is not surprising that simulated climates of the Arctic vary widely depending on the choice of climate model and physical parameterizations.
Effort underway to bridge “information divide” in climate sciences
Authors: Gettelman Andrew
Published: October 2006

It is increasingly clear that there exists an “information divide” in the climate sciences. Researchers and planners in developing countries do not have the same timely access to climate information that is often taken for granted in developed countries that have a strong geoscience base. A project is underway to assess this information divide and identify possible remedies.To bridge the divide, the assistance of the global geoscience community is requested. Here we present some preliminary results and encourage participation in a year‐long survey of the information divide.
Of the Earth, Spheres, and Consequences
Authors: Morgan Paul
Published: October 2006

Judging by its diverse mix of interesting chapter titles, Of the Earth, Spheres, and Consequences promises an intriguing potpourri of geophysical topics within a relatively short and very attractively priced volume. I was interested in it as a book that I might recommend to students as general background reading. When I received the book, however, I discovered that part of the low price is due to production costs.
Double‐decker Earth Observing Satellite
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Envisat, which will continue observations from two earlier European remote sensing missions, is “the most complex Earth observation satellite ever to be built,” British Science Minister Lord Sainsbury said prior to the satellite's successful 1 March launch from Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana.

The $2‐billion polar‐orbiting satellite, which was developed by the British National Space Center, and by the British space industry in partnership with the European Space Agency includes 10 different instruments to measure Earth's atmosphere, ocean, land, and ice over a 5‐year period. Sainsbury said the satellite is like a double‐decker bus compared with most satellites that have one or two instruments on board.
Geo‐electromagnetic research aids geo‐hazard mitigation
Authors: Chiappini M. , Carmisciano C. , Faggioni O.
Published: October 2006

Some 100 Earth scientists from nine different nations recently gathered in Lerici, Italy; for the Second International Workshop on Geo‐Electro‐Magnetism. While this was not a thematic meeting, most of the 40 papers presented focused on applications of electromagnetic methods to natural or man‐made hazards such as known faults, seismically active regions, volcanoes, landslides, andenvironmental or civil engineering problems. Anomaly and main field studies, both field investigations and theoretical techniques, were also well represented.
Widely awaited community climate system model to be released soon
Authors: Dickinson Robert E. , Kiehl Jeffery , Gent Peter
Published: October 2006

Culminating a multi‐year effort by more than 100 scientists in several disciplines, the coordinated Community Climate System Model (CCSM) program of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is finalizing its next‐generation model and plans to release it by mid‐2002.The first version, CCSM 1.0, was released in 1996. Because of its state‐of‐the‐art quality, easy Web access (http://www.ccsm.ucar.edu/models), and excellent written and in‐code documentation, it has become a valuable research tool for many scientists throughout the world, and especially in the United States. CCSM 2.0 is being developed to represent the principal components of the climate system and their interactions [Blackmon et al., 2001].The new version substantially improves simulations of many important elements of the climate system from the tropical ocean to sea ice in the polar regions.
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Tectonophysics Section presented thirteen outstanding student paper awards at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Shuttleworth receives 2001 Hydrology Award
Authors: Lettenmaier Dennis , Shuttleworth W. James
Published: October 2006

W.James Shuttleworth received the Hydrology Award at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.