bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
President's page: Energy and geothermal resources
Authors: Press Frank
Published: October 2011

Haicheng is a small town of 100,000 population in Liaoning Province of northeast China. It was totally destroyed in an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 which occurred on February 4, 1975. The epicentral region contained more than 1 million people. Not far from Haicheng, the southeast portion of the Liaotung Peninsula experienced an uplift of some 5 cm over the previous decade, with a corresponding subsidence of the northeast end.

The San Andreas fault cuts diagonally across the northeast corner of Los Angeles County. In a paper published in Science a few weeks ago, Robert Castle of the U.S. Geological Survey reports that an uplift of some 25 cm has occurred over a region of about 10,000 square km, mostly in Los Angeles County. The axis of the elliptically shaped uplift coincides with a 150‐km stretch of the San Andreas fault which broke in the last great earthquake in southern California, an event of magnitude 8 or larger, in 1857.
AGU Officers 1976–1978
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Arthur E. Maxwell President Allan V. Cox President‐Elect L. Thomas Aldrich General Secretary Carl Kisslinger Foreign Secretary (1976–1980 term)
Soil and water conservation
Authors: Ackermann William C.
Published: October 2011

Water has been called ubiquitous, which may be a small exaggeration, but it is no exaggeration to say that it is intimately associated with soil. In the never‐ending hydrologic cycle, rain falls upon the soil, and whether the soil is shielded by vegetation or otherwise protected is much of what soil and water conservation is all about.

The story of soil and water conservation through our 200‐year history could be told in many ways. I have chosen to do so by citing, quoting, and commenting upon three giants in American history: Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Hugh Bennett. To this will be added a modest, personal footnote as to where we are presently trending.
Land use classification system adopted
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A new system for classifying land use and land cover has been adopted by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, for its national land use mapping program, following 4 years of testing, review, and revision of a system proposed in 1972.

The system was developed also to meet the needs of other federal, regional, state, and local agencies for an up‐to‐date, uniform, and standardized method of classifying land use and land cover at a time when land, resources, and the environment are critical issues facing land planners, administrators, and decision makers.
Reply [to “Comment on Use of anomalous stations for IMS” by P. A. Camfield and D. I. Gough]
Authors: Lanzerotti L. J. , Sugiura M.
Published: October 2011

We agree with the comments of Camfield and Gough in that it is desirable to remind the magnetospheric community that geomagnetic anomalies can affect the interpretation of data from certain ground stations. However; of the three stations in question, those at Alert and Mould Bay, N.W.T., are regular magnetic observatories operated by the Canadian Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources for many years, and they were not chosen by the IMS planners. Unlike the previous international programs such as IGY and IQSY, the essence of the IMS lies in the active coordination of the existing multidisciplinary programs with a minimum of increment funding. Thus the inclusion of the Alert and Mould Bay observatories in the IMS network [Lanzerotti et al., 1976] came about quite naturally. Indeed, with the limited increment funds available to the Canadian and U.S. IMS programs it would be virtually impossible to relocate the Alert and Mould Bay observatories or to add replacement stations. To do so would have meant sacrificing other strategically located magnetometer stations designed for specific purposes.
Ocean sediment care data available
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Paleontological and geochemical data from 635 cores are available through the National Geophysical and Solar‐Terrestrial Data Center Climap study, part of the International Decade of Ocean Exploration program funded by the National Science Foundation. Collection and analysis of ocean sediment core data for Climap are carried out by several major U.S. universities as well as foreign institutions. By describing and defining climatic change and patterns of change over the last million years, as recorded in marine sediments, and by comparing these observations to computer models, Climap scientists expect to better understand the mechanisms of transitions between temperate and ice ages.
Deep‐sea waste disposal
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Deep‐sea sediments recovered during a just‐concluded North Pacific expedition appear to have been undisturbed by either cataclysmic or chronic occurrences in the earth's history. This degree of stability could make such sediments suitable for disposal of high‐level radioactive waste from nuclear power reactors.

The red clay sediments were recovered from a site about 965 kilometers north of Honolulu during a recent scientific expedition directed by Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque. The expedition is part of a research program which Sandia is conducting for the Energy Research and Development Administration. Its long‐range objective is to determine the technical and economic feasibility of providing terminal storage of high‐level radioactive waste in canisters buried in geologic formations beneath the ocean floor.
Gravity mapping and interpretation in Ghana
Authors: Hastings David A.
Published: October 2011

Ghana, about the size of Oregon (238,000 km2), is located in the area of about 1°E–3°W longitude and 5°N–11°N latitude, on the West African Gulf of Guinea. The southern part of the country is primarily equatorial rain forest, partially cleared for farming in many areas. Northern Ghana and some narrow rain shadow zones along the coast are savannah, as West Africa tends to be progressively drier northward into the Sahel and into the Sahara itself.

There are few rock outcrops, especially in the southern portion of the country, where beneath the thick vegetation lies up to 60 m of lateritic soil and weathered rock overlying bedrock. Surface geological mapping is thus very difficult over most of the country, as outcrop searches and trenching, perhaps even boring through the overburden, take a great deal of time and effort, not to mention the cost in funds and manpower to a developing country.
President's page: A new helmsman for NOAA
Authors: Maxwell A. E.
Published: October 2011

With the departure of Bob White as Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), both the government and the scientific community have lost a capable leader. He has performed outstandingly with NOAA and its predecessor agencies under five different U.S. Presidents. White's administrative competence combined with his scientific ability has enabled him to lead NOAA through its formative stages, which have involved increasingly complex problems with oceans and atmosphere. His dedication has been unquestioned. If there has been any tinge of lasting criticism of White's tenure, it might be said that to a certain extent he favored atmospheric over oceanic affairs. This would be natural and understandable considering his meteorological background.
Huge south Atlantic submarine canyons found
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Recent deep‐sea discoveries in the South Atlantic Ocean reported by J. G. Slater, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, provide dramatic additional evidence of global plate tectonics. A spectacular V‐shaped submarine canyon, one of the largest geological features in the deep sea, was discovered and mapped during two National Science Foundation sponsored research cruises. The canyon lies about 2200 km southwest of Cape Town, South Africa, and about 1920 km off the coast of Antarctica.

The canyon is 700 km long, 30 km wide, and 3–4 km deep and is part of a series of major fracture zones in the earth's crust.
Awards Presented at the Spring Meeting: Second Presentation: Maurice Ewing Medal to Henry M. Stommel by the American Geophysical Union and the U.S. Navy for Profound and Imaginative Contributions to Physical and Dynamical Oceanography
Authors: Stommel Henry M. , Wunsch Carl
Published: October 2011

The second recipient of the Maurice Ewing Medal of the American Geophysical Union is Henry M. Stommel. He was selected for his profound and imaginative contributions to physical and dynamical oceanography during the past generation. Probably the most truly creative physical oceanographer of his time, Stommel has made fundamental contributions to an astonishingly diverse range of problems, from microstructure and estuaries to the general circulation of the ocean. He has used almost all of the tools available to a physical scientist: theory, work at sea, and laboratory experiments. No other oceanographer has managed to combine the purely naturalist aspect of the field—geographical exploration at sea—with such revolutionary theoretical contributions.
Research needs in erosion and sedimentation
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Erosion and sedimentation are important problems in environmental and water quality studies, watershed management, river mechanics and training, reservoir planning, and dredging in waterways and harbors. The importance of these problems is being magnified by the increasing demands for energy and foods, which in turn require an increased water supply. Rivers are one of the key sources of water supply, but the river flow also contains sediments which create numerous problems. Thus the water supply cannot be separated from erosion and sedimentation and related problems. In the United Stales, millions of federal dollars are spent annually on research to deal with the problems of erosion and sedimentation. However, they are complex, and the present status of research is still very far from satisfactory. This article describes several major aspects of these problems in which research is needed.
Caltech studies reveal microquake swarms before earthquakes
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Hiroo Kanamori and other seismologists from the California Institute of Technology reported at the 1977 AGU Fall Meeting the first evidence of anomalous clusters of small earthquakes preceding the San Fernando earthquake of 1971. Their discovery of such clusters in earthquake records from central and southern California offers considerable encouragement that these swarms may be used to predict larger earthquakes.
On the design of Hydrologio Data Networks
Authors: Moss Marshall E. , Lettenmaier Dennis P. , Wood Eric F.
Published: October 2011

This paper was prepared as an activity of the Network Design Committee of the Hydrology Section of the American Geophysical Union.
New investigation of east coast mystery booms
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

An independent study, sponsored by the MITRE Corporation, shows that a majority of the East Coast mystery booms were caused by the operation of supersonic aircraft but that a substantial number have an unknown natural origin.

Intense booming sounds heard during the 1977–1978 winter and spring in New Jersey, South Carolina, and Nova Scotia generated wide public concern. The study found that of the 594 separate events reported between December 1977 and June 1978,413 could be associated with the operation of supersonic aircraft but that 181 were not related to any known aircraft operation. The study concludes, after examining other man‐made sources of booms, that many of the unknown 181 events have a natural origin. This conclusion is in accord with hundreds of well‐documented historical accounts of booming noises reported along the East Coast and throughout the world in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
UCAR board elects new officers
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

At its annual meeting in Boulder on January 11–12 the University Corporation for Atmosphere Research (UCAR) Board of Trustees elected new officers. Elected were William Gordon (Rice University), chairman; Robert White (National Academy of Sciences), vice chairmen; Thomas Donahue (University of Michigan), secretary; John Dutton (Pennsylvania State University), treasurer; and A. Ray Chamberlain (Colorado State University), member‐at‐large of the Executive Committee.

Under UCAR bylaws these five officers compose the board's Executive Committee. In recent years they have also served as the board's Budget and Program Committee, which examines UCAR and NCAR plans and budgets and recommends actions to the board.
Research opportunities in 1980
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The National Research Council is pleased to announce the NRC Research Associateship Programs for 1980. These programs provide opportunities for research in many fields of atmospheric and earth sciences, chemistry, engineering, environmental sciences, life sciences, mathematics, physics, and space sciences.

Approximately 250 new awards will be made on a competitive basis to recent recipients of the doctorate and, in some programs, to senior investigators as well. Certain programs are open to non‐U.S. nationals as well as to U.S. citizens. Stipends (subject to income tax) will be individually determined and will begin at $18,000 a year. Grants will be provided for family relocation and for limited professional travel during tenure.
Magnetic buoyancy and the solar cycle
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Is solar activity related to magnetic buoyancy? This possibility has been considered recently by solar physicist John H. Thomas of the University of Rochester (Nature, 280, 622–663, 1979) in analyzing the effects of the solar dynamo on variations of the sun's radius and temperature. The solar luminosity is given by L = 4πRS2 σ T4 where RS is the solar radius, and thus a decrease in temperature T could imply radial expansion rather than reduction in luminosity L, as has been suggested. A drop in surface temperature of 1°K could be interpreted as a relative radial increase or expansion of ΔRS/RS ∼ 3 x 104.
Slosh: Early warning of storm surges
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A series of computer models constitutes the basis for a weather analysis system called Slosh (sea, lake, and overland surges from hurricanes). These models are being developed for east and Gulf coastal areas to assist in forecasting the effects of hurricane storm surges.

Although the opportunity to test Slosh in the extreme occurrence of maximum storm surges where water levels may rise 20 feet or more has not yet occurred, first test results of one of the models during a minimal force hurricane indicate that the system will work. The model developed for the New Orleans area, for example, was used during Hurricane Bob, in July 1979. The information generated by computer, based on data gathered from ships, satellites, aircraft, and radar observations, was helpful in preparing local warnings of potentially dangerous flooding.
Lunar sample budget in squeeze
Authors: Greathouse Lee
Published: October 2011

With the FY 1980 budget, funding for NASA's lunar sampling program recovered from a precipitous drop, but some researchers feel the program has been stunted.

From a high of over $10 million in 1971, when Apollo missions were bringing the first rocks back from the moon, funding for lunar sample research tapered to a little less than $6 million per year in the mid 1970's, according to NASA figures.
Ridge Crest Hot Springs: The story so far
Authors: Edmond J. M.
Published: October 2011

The first evidence that required some form of hydrothermal activity at oceanic ridge crests came from the discovery about 15 years ago of iron‐manganeserich sediments close to the spreading axis of the East Pacific Rise [Bostrom and Peterson, 1966]. Subsequent exploration has shown that these deposits are a common feature on fast‐spreading ridges. Furthermore, they often form the basal section in sediment cores recovered by DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project). However, the scale of the activity necessary to produce the iron and manganese—whether surficial, i.e., associated with local eruptions, or pervasive, i.e., penetrating deep into the intrusion zone—can be ion vaguely specified.
National mapping division
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has revamped its cartographic operations to establish one major mapmaking branch—the National Mapping Division. The new division combines the operations of the former Topographic, Publications, and Geography divisions. According to the acting head of the new division, R. B. Southard, the reorganization will allow USGS to offer more products and services, strengthen research in cartography and geography, and improve the application of new technology to map making.
Double ash tracks from Mount St. Helens
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Maps that show the volcanic plume track for the May 18 Mount St. Helens eruption indicate that the debris from subsequent eruptions, including the June 12 explosion, may follow a different path. Two major eruptions of the Mount St. Helens volcano, at 8:30 and 10:45 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time on May 18, injected ash into the atmosphere to about 18 km above sea level. During the eruptions, and for several days thereafter, brisk upper‐level winds (between 6096 m and 12,192 m) swept volcanic debris over the central states in two to three days, while winds below 3,048 m carried ash over southern Canada for a period of 3 to 4 days.

Meteorologist Roland Draxler of the NOAA Air Resources Laboratories reports that, ‘Based on these surface observations, the ash progressed eastward to about [16 to 32 km/h] across the northern United States and southern Canada.’
Geophysical events
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Mount St. Helens Volcano, Cascade Range, southern Washington, U.S.A. (46.20°N, 122.18° W). All times are local (GMT − 7 h). A major eruption destroyed the summit of Mount St. Helens, projected ash into the stratosphere, devastated the north and northwest flanks, and killed dozens of people last May 18. The initial explosion was heard more than 350 km away. Substantial ashfalls occurred hundreds of kilometers downwind, closing roads, schools, and businesses, and threatening crops in the northwestern United States.

Mount St. Helens had begun to erupt on March 27, after a week of local seismicity. During the first 10 days, small to moderate steam and ash explosions ejected ash to as much as 3 km above the summit. A little ash fell as far away as Spokane, Washington, 500 km to the northwest. Small debris flows and cold ash avalanches moved down the flanks of the volcano. By April 12, the two initially separate explosion vents had coalesced into a single crater that was at least 500 m long, 350 m wide, and 300 m deep. Both explosions and ash content decreased in size through mid‐April, then episodic explosions were replaced by continuous steaming late in the month. Explosions, similar to those of early to mid‐April, resumed on May 6 and continued until at least May 14. Several tens of earthquakes per day of magnitude 3 or greater continued to be recorded through May 17. Total seismic energy release remained relatively constant through late April, then declined slightly.
1980 AGU Fellows Citations
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Charles S. Cox. For his impact on the development of modern oceanography, his development of instruments for measuring the ocean microstructure, and his concepts concerning the eddy diffusion associated with this microstructure.

Cesare Emiliani. For his contributions to our knowledge of Quarternary history, Pleistocene geology, and deep‐sea stratigraphy.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Irwin H. Kantrowitz, 42, is the new district chief of the U.S. Geological Survey's Florida Water Resources District. He comes to the statewide post after 3 years as hydrologist‐in‐charge of the USGS Long Island, New York, water resources office.
South Africa to build Landsat station
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

An agreement to establish a Landsat ground station at Hartebeesthoek, near Johannesburg, South Africa, was recently signed by U.S. and South African officials. The Memorandum of Understanding will permit the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to operate a ground station that will receive, process, archive, and disseminate Landsat data. The South African Council was an early user of Landsat data.

The agreement, signed by Robert A. Frosch, NASA Administrator, and Favid H. Jacobson, vice‐president of the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, mandates that the Council will make the Landsat data it receives available on a public, nondiscriminatory basis. Current and prospective Landsat users in southern Africa will therefore be able to obtain regular, timely coverage of their region. This data can make a valuable contribution to the national development efforts of the southern African countries.
Team for volcano mission
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

NASA and a university research team are joining forces this month to mount what could become one of the most significant research missions ever undertaken to understand how volcanos affect the earth's atmosphere, weather, and climate, and their target is Mount St. Helens.

The mission will use a NASA applications satellite, an aircraft crammed with the latest in laser and electronic remote—and near‐sensing technologies, and the expertise of scientists from two NASA centers—Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, and Wallops Island Flight Center, Wallops Island, Virginia. The university research team will have investigators from Drexel University in Philadelphia; the Universities of Maryland, Arizona, and Alaska; Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire; Michigan Technological University, Houghton; and the Oregon Graduate Center.
Dynamics Explorer Program
Authors: Hoffman R. A.
Published: October 2011

Man's near‐space environment is dominated by energy from the sun, which arrives in the vicinity of the earth in two forms: as electromagnetic radiation and as the plasma flow of the solar wind. This energy interacts with the earth's magnetosphere and atmosphere in a variety of ways. The study of these interactions has been a major goal of NASA's Explorer programs.

Most of the solar electromagnetic energy lies in the visible region of the spectrum and passes directly through the upper atmosphere. However, part of the solar energy in the ultraviolet interacts strongly with the upper atmosphere and produces the ionospheric and ozone layers. Understanding how this radiation controls the ionosphere and thermosphere has been a primary objective of the Atmosphere Explorer program.
Solid Earth geophysics and satellites
Authors: DeNoyer John M.
Published: October 2011

Part of the frustrations in geophysics arise from the inability to adequately control the conditions for measurements and experiments. The earth is just too big to put into a conventional laboratory. Satellites provide a method of quickly‐making geophysical measurements globally.

Early measurements of the earth and its gravity field were obtained from tracking satellite orbits. This led to experiments such as the geodetic satellites Geos‐1 and ‐2, which carried laser reflectors for improved tracking accuracy, and Geos‐3, which included a radar altimeter to measure directly ocean surface height. Radar altimeter technology has been improved and was tested on Skylab and used on the Seasat mission. These altimeter data make it possible to define the position of the geoid with respect to the spheroid more accurately over the oceans than over much of the continental masses. Uncertainties of the geoid's position over the oceans are 1 m to 5 m averaged over 5° by 5° areas. These uncertainties arise from our inability to account for all the variables, such as currents and tides, and from the lack of adequate data in some localities. The NASA Gravsat mission could provide a geoid accurate to 10 cm. This accuracy would make it possible to use future radar altimeter missions to measure ocean surface changes that deviate from the geoid. An additional product of radar altimetry would be a gravity map of the world that would include both oceans and continents. The map would be accurate to 1 to 5 mgal averaged over 1° by 1° areas.
Water resources of the People's Republic of China
Authors: Matalas N. C. , Nordin C. F.
Published: October 2011

At the invitation of the Society of Hydraulic Engineers of the People's Republic of China (PRC), a delegation of U.S. hydrologists and hydraulic engineers visited the PRC in the fall of 1978.* From discussions with officials of both the Society and the Ministry of Water Conservancy and Power (MWCP), and from visits to research and academic institutions and water projects, the delegation gained a general understanding of the country's surface water resources. The reported statistics, supplemented with others from published sources, provide a quantitative description of the PRC's water resources in relation to those of the United States.

Recent government reorganization has led to the division of the MWCP into two ministries: one responsible for water conservancy, the other for power. However, in the following discussions, reference is made to the MWCP. Chinese spellings follow the more familiar Wade‐Giles system rather than the official Pinyin system recently adopted by the PRC.
International Magnetospheric Study Symposium
Authors: Cole Keith
Published: October 2011

As a model of cooperation in the solution of global geophysical problems the International Magnetospheric Study (IMS) has set a standard at the highest level. The data collection phase of the IMS, 1976–1979, involved about 50 nations; over 1000 experiments which used satellites, rockets, balloons, and ground bases; and engaged over 10,000 scientists. The magnetosphere is such a huge object that only the combined efforts of many nations can be expected to solve its complexities in a reasonable period of time.

Many regional symposia on IMS results have been held during the last few years. The first major one was held at La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia from November 27 to December 1, 1979. The meeting was cosponsored by the Scientific Committee on Solar‐Terrestrial Physics (Scostep) and the International Association on Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (LAGA) and was held as part of the 17th General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. Attendees from over 20 countries heard 126 papers from 270 authors on the results acquired so far from IMS experiments.
Device to steady divers
Authors: Shore Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

A device to help steady divers and their equipment during underwater research has been developed at the Battelle Columbus Laboratories.

Divers have problems keeping themselves in position and holding onto equipment during salvage and other underwater operations, explained developer Donald J. Hackman. The ‘seawater evacuation system’ operates as a suction pump and establishes a clamping force.
Water on Mars
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

It appears certain now that water exists on the surface of Mars both as ice and as liquid. A recent report by S . H. Zisk and P. J. Mouginis‐Mark indicates that liquid water exists in Mars' southern hemisphere at the area of Solis Lacus (Lake of the Sun). Interestingly enough, the results were obtained from radar data from earth‐based stations rather than from Viking spacecraft. The reason for this is that data from the Viking orbiters showed a rough, evidently solid, frozen surface. Images from the Viking spacecraft were obtained during the Martian winter, but the earth‐based radar measurements were obtained in the Martian summer.
Cloud‐seeding agreements signed
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Two agreements to continue studying cloud‐seeding's role as a method of increasing rainfall and water supply have been signed by the state of Texas and the Water and Power Resources Service.

The first agreement is between Water and Power and the Texas Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. The cooperative agreement provides $147,346 to Texas to participate in the Southwest Drought Research Program. The second agreement provides $21,000 to the Blacklands Research Center for research on the effect of increased precipitation on crop development.
Radiowave “messages” from space
Authors: Shore Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Detailed maps of distant galaxies, quasars, and black holes will be available to astronomers through the use of the Very Large Array (VLA), a Y‐shaped collection of 27 antennae in the New Mexico desert. The $78‐million system, the world's largest radio telescope, has a collecting area equivalent to that of a single antenna of 131‐m diameter.

Resembling large white mushrooms, the antennae capture incoming radiowaves and send them, via underground microwave channels, to a central computer. Radiowave maps, as detailed as photographs taken by large optical telescopes, are then made. Unlike optical telescopes, however, VLA is not limited to nighttime observations or by cloud cover.
As comet Halley approaches
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The earliest probable recorded apparition of the comet Halley was 240 B.C., although what could be considered as data gathering on the comet was begun by Johannes Kepler in 1607. Kepler's observational data consisted of visual observation, which started on September 28 of that year and continued through the year, and then again in 1682, 1759, 1835–36, and 1909–11, the last of which was a precise telescopic observation. As we approach the arrival again of comet Halley in 1985, observers on the national scene are calculating the physical behavior to be expected. (The Comet Halley Handbook: An Observer's Guide Created for the International Halley Watch, D. K. Yeomans, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., 1981). A continuing search for the comet's arrival began in November 1977, but was unsuccessful. At that time the magnitude of the comet was estimated to be fainter than 26. When it arrives in 1985 it will be hard to see by the naked eye and probably will only be observed by those who are equipped with telescopes or binoculars and know where and when to observe. It will be necessary to observe outside of populous areas to avoid significant effects of artificial lighting.
Winter snow drought
Authors: Wiesnet Don
Published: October 2011

The winter of 1980–81 can be best described as a ‘snow drought.’ Donald R. Wiesnet and Michael Matson of NOAA's National Earth Satellite Service, who have been monitoring snow cover by using satellite measurements, report that the December–February snow cover in North America averaged only 13.9 million square kilometers, which is four standard deviations below the 10‐year mean (15.5 million km2). January 1981 snow cover (14.1 million km2) was the all‐time lowest January since the satellite records began (1966). February, with only 14.2 million km2, was the lowest February of record. As a result, Wiesnet and Matson are estimating that the December–March total will also be the lowest of record.

Figures for Eurasia are also below average, but not as dramatically as those of North America. When added together, snow cover on both continental land masses is the lowest (40.6 million km2) it has been since 1970.
A preliminary systems analysis of impacts of proposed Soviet River diversions on Arctic sea ice
Authors: Micklin Philip P.
Published: October 2011

Vast river diversion projects could be under construction by the end of the century in the USSR and ultimately reach several hundred cubic kilometers annually. The most seriously considered would take water from major Arctic draining rivers (Ob, Yenisey, Pechora, and Northern Dvina) and transfer it to western and southern regions of need (Figures 1 and 2). These grandiose undertakings would result in significant hydrologic, climatic, cryogenic, biotic, pedologic, and geomorphic changes. Most of these would be of local or regional scale and confined to the Soviet Union [Micklin, 1979]. However, some macroscale alterations with international implications are possible. Of these, modifications in the sea ice cover of the Arctic Ocean that are induced by diminution of freshwater discharge are the most serious. Sea ice plays a key role in the Arctic mass and energy budgets, diminishing water vapor, heat, and momentum exchange between the ocean and atmosphere and affecting pressure and circulation patterns over the entire Northern Hemisphere [Budyko, 1974; Lamb, 1978; Flohn, 1979]. Significant alterations in its extent, thickness, concentration, duration, and distribution would have important consequences not only for Arctic but Northern Hemisphere climate.
Opinion
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Figure 2 of Ross' article, ‘Marine Science and the Law of the Sea,’ is the conventional illustration of the ‘Exclusive Economic Zone’ that would be established by a 200‐mile limit. A more realistic view of the impact is obtained by plotting the 200‐mile limit on an equal area projection.
[Comment on] Scientific Freedom and the Sea
Authors: Riddihough Robin P.
Published: October 2011

As one of the small band of professional marine scientists who have actually been delegates to the UN Law of the Sea Conference and who have been actively involved in negotiating some of the texts, I was most interested to read David Ross' article on marine scientific research. (Eos, 62, Sept. 1, p. 652). I was particularly glad to see that he urged a constructive attitude toward what many scientists seem to feel is a totally unjustified attempt to curb their ‘freedom.’

Two aspects of the negotiations were particularly important in this regard. First, it was found impossible to differentiate satisfactorily between academic, economic, or military research. Much marine research (for instance that concerning gravity or water column temperature) is equally valuable to all three. Much apparently ‘scientific’ research is carried out by academic personnel using commercial subcontractors and supported by military funds. Typical of the confusion were large gravity, magnetic, and bathymetric surveys carried out by the U.S. Navy and NATO over the continental shelves of many Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal states (without notification or consent) during the 1960s, presumably under the justification that they were primarily military in purpose and therefore not covered under the existing 1958 agreement.
Luck + Merit = Grant
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

Granting approval to proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) depends about as much on luck as it does on the scientific merit of the proposal, according to a study by the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Science and Public Policy (COSPUP). In addition, concealing the names of the authors of the proposals, a practice known as ‘blinding,’ would not significantly change the outcome of the grant‐awarding process.

‘The fate of a particular grant application is roughly half determined by the characteristics of the proposal and the principal investigator, and about half by apparently random elements which might be characterized as the “luck of the reviewer draw,”’ according to Stephen Cole, Jonathan R. Cole, and Gary A. Simon in the COSPUP report summary, published in the November 20 Science. If researchers' proposals for NSF grants were rated again by an equally qualified group of reviewers, between 25% and 30% of NSF funding decisions could be reversed, they said.
COSOD update
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

The Conference on Scientific Ocean Drilling (COSOD) (Eos, December 1, p. 1162) ‘identified a set of global scientific objectives ranging from the continental margins to the deep sea that will require a worldwide program of drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and polar oceans,’ explained Roger L. Larson, chairman of the COSOD Steering Committee.

However, COSOD did not aim to provide scientific goals for the Ocean Margin Drilling Program (OMDP). The main thrust of OMDP, which essentially perished with the withdrawal of industry support (Eos, October 20, p. 705), was to drill deep holes with riser and well‐control technology on or near the continental margins of the United States.
A perspective on Capitol Hill
Authors: Hodges Carroll Ann
Published: October 2011

As the AGU Congressional Science Fellow for 1980–1981, I had a unique opportunity to witness the federal engine in action—a remarkable piece of machinery. The American Association for the Advancement of Science organized an excellent orientation program, introducing our class of science fellows (about 30) to the kinds of options available for a year's tenure on Capitol Hill. These include affiliation with a congressman's or senator's staff or with one of the hundred or so standing, select, or joint committees and subcommittees. I arranged to join the personal staff of Congressman Jim Santini (D, Nev.), largely because of his demonstrated interest in Department of Interior affairs in general and the minerals industry in particular. The position of fellow provides no guarantee of work in one's areas of expertise or inclination, however, and I found that my staff assignments included topics ranging from wild horses to peanut subsidies. My principal task involved evaluation of the Air Force proposal to deploy the MX missile in Nevada and the consequent impact of that incredible scheme on the physical and economic environments of the state and the nation, including effects on minerals exploration. I had not expected to become conversant with missile technology, but the exercise provided quite an education.
Asteroid impact and mass extinction
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Knowledge of the phenomena of impacts of objects from space on planetary surfaces is extensive, resulting from more than a decade of studies of craters on the earth, moon, and the terrestrial planets. Expertise in the geochemical analysis of a trace element assemblage with an extraterrestrial signature, such as iridium, osmium, palladium, nickel, and gold, is also quite well developed, so it was tempting to interpret the finding of such an assemblage in the Cretaceous‐Tertiary boundary layer at numerous locations around the globe as being caused by impact of a large asteroid or other body. The evidence was compelling, and the interpretation as applied to certain marine organisms may be correct. What made the discovery newsworthy, however, was the additional interpretation that the impact had caused the known mass extinction of the dinosaurs and certain other flora and fauna 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period. Particles of the earth's surface expelled by the impact would have been accelerated into orbit, shielding the earth from sunlight. The example for this was the effect observed after the 1888 explosive volcanic eruption in the sea between Java and Sumatra (now called Rakatu) that virtually propelled fragments of the entire mass of Krakatau into the atmosphere for a period thought to have extended for about 3 years, causing darkening of the sky and unusual and spectacular sunsets.
[Comment on] Projection ponderings
Authors: Mantyla Arnold W.
Published: October 2011

I read with interest the article on world projections by F. Webster McBryde (Eos, Dec. 1, 1981, p. 1162). The need for some sort of equal area world map is obvious, and there are many choices available for projections and how to split the different ocean basins. Below are examples of a special mollweide Equal Area Elliptic map that I have found to be convenient for displaying world oceanic data.

There are many useful features of the map: (1) Many deep and bottom water characteristics of the world ocean originate in the north and south Atlantic and are carried eastward in the circumpolar current to the other ocean basins. Thus the Atlantic Ocean should be on the left with the other two oceans placed to the east. (2) Each ocean has the same central longitude for the northern and southern hemispheres, minimizing N‐S distortions within oceans. Each ocean can be used separately without the strange looking N‐S longitude skews that appear in McBryde's Atlantic and Indian ocean maps and also in all three oceans in the familiar University of Chicago Goode base map used by Sverdrup, Fleming, and Johnson (1942). Work begun in a single ocean area can be expanded easily to the other oceans without redoing the original data set (an exercise I went through when switching from a map made on a Pacific Ocean Lambert equal area chart to a world‐wide map). (3) The Atlantic‐Indian ocean split places the Mediterranean with the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. (4) Latitude lines are straight for easy ocean to ocean comparison. (5) Equations for the mollweide projection are readily available for computer mapping programs, facilitating computer generated oceanographic data fields for contouring. My maps are usually computer plotted 40 inches high for each ocean, contoured, and then reduced by 50% for drafting.
Eos cover watchers
Authors: Goguel Jean
Published: October 2011

The cover of Eos, 63(4), January 26, 1982, is a wonderful picture of varves with a strong 11 to 12 periodicity. Does it give evidence for a sunspot cycle in late Precambrian?

I want to suggest another interpretation. It may be the record of tides, in a cotidal flat deposition area, with an annual interruption, either by lack of sediments or by erosion. At present, we have some 25 tidal cycles per year. A close examination of the picture shows that the small cycles are much thinner on both sides of the dark lines, which may well correspond to several missing cycles.
The Hurricane and Its Impact
Authors: Burpee Robert W.
Published: October 2011

Recent population increases in coastal regions of the tropics and subtropics have greatly enhanced man's vulnerability to tropical cyclones. Thus, this book on hurricanes by Robert H. Simpson and Herbert Riehl, two of the leading contributors to hurricane research during the last 35 years, comes along when people of differing backgrounds want to learn more about hurricanes. In the 20 years since Dunn and Miller published Atlantic Hurricanes, technical advances in weather satellites, computer modeling and data processing, and research aircraft have substantially increased the tropical meteorologist's understanding of hurricane structure and dynamics. During this same time, field experiments have led to detailed knowledge of the atmospheric environment within which tropical cyclones are initiated. The authors have attempted to describe many aspects of hurricanes for readers that range from students of meteorology to those concerned with planning for natural hazards in the coastal zone. Because Simpson and Riehl have addressed such a wide audience, many readers with a knowledge of atmospheric science will find that the book is overly descriptive, while readers without some background in physics will find it is too technical.
AGU Scholars
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

In recognition of the strong support of the American Geophysical Union and its substantial contribution to the American Geological Institute's Minority Participation Program, 13 of the 1981–82 scholarship recipients were designated ‘AGU Scholars.’ Because of a matching grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to increase the number of minority students studying in fields related to the development of marine and coastal resources, four of this number were designated ‘AGU Sea Grant Scholars.’
Image processing applied to gravity and topography data covering the continental U.S.
Authors: Arvidson R. E. , Guinnes E. A. , Strebeck J. W. , Davies G. F. , Schulz K. J.
Published: October 2011

A great deal of digital topographic information and gravity data exist that cover the continental United States. For instance, data sets that can be purchased from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) include (a) elevations averaged over 30 s of latitude and longitude for the coterminus United States and (b) over a half million gravity readings from stations distributed across the entire country, although in an irregular manner. Both the topography and the gravity data sets are fundamental to the understanding of the structure of the crust and lithosphere, and especially to the understanding of the relationships between topography and structure [McGinnis et al., 1979; McNutt, 1981; and others].
African Gravity Project launched
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Based on discussions at the Second Symposium on Geodesy in Africa, held in Nairobi in November 1981, an African Gravity Network Project has been launched.

According to D. Enilo Ajakaiye, the chairman of the gravity network committee, the project will establish, as suggested in 1977 by the Commission for Geodesy in Africa, 20 absolute gravity stations, which will be widely distributed in Africa. The project also will establish a first‐order gravity network on the continent, with at least two stations in each country, and will extend the gravity survey within each country to provide regional gravity data, especially where none exists.
A.E. Nordenski and the auroral oval
Authors: Nygrén Tuomo , Silén Johan
Published: October 2011

In 1857, Adold Erik Nordenskiöld (1832–1901), a Finnish geographer and mineralogist, was forced to withdraw from his position at the University of Helsinki because of a conflict with the czarist officials in Finland. He then moved to Sweden, where he became one of the most celebrated explorers of his time. Most famous of his polar expeditions was the discovery of the Northeast Passage. Nordenskiöld made his voyage in the wooden steamship Vega in 1878–79.

Vega started its voyage on June 22, 1878, and was directed in a course around Scandinavia and along the Siberian coast toward Bering Strait. Nordenskiöld's plan was to reach the Pacific Ocean during the summer months, but this was hindered by unfavorable ice conditions. At the end of September the sea was blocked by ice fields, and the Vega had to pass the winter on the northern coast of the Chukchi Peninsula (67°4′49″N, 173°23′2″W)—exasperatingly close to the open waters of Bering Strait. The ship could not set sail any sooner than the following July when the sea was free again. After visiting Japan, China, and Ceylon, the Vega passed through the Suez Canal and finally, on April 24, 1880, arrived at Stockholm.
Transport Models for Inland and Coastal Waters
Authors: Hamilton Peter
Published: October 2011

This proceedings volume originates from a symposium held at Berkeley, California, in August 1980. The purpose of the symposium was to assess the ability of models to predict surface water flow and the transport of dissolved substances in natural systems. The authors were invited, after an initial call for papers, by a Scientific Committee of the International Association for Hydraulic Research.

In this context, predictive modeling is limited to hydrodynamic and transport models as applied to rivers, estuaries, shallow coastal waters, lakes, and reservoirs. This is a large subject, though evidently not the whole story on predictive techniques applied to natural water bodies, and many different models are described with applications to a wide variety of natural systems. There is relatively little overlap of material between chapters. It is noteworthy that 21 out of 24 authors of the chapters are affiliated with institutions outside the United States, and many of these are from large European hydraulic laboratories. A number of the chapters summarize numerical modeling studies undertaken by these institutions and so provide the U.S. reader with valuable references to the European open literature and laboratory technical reports. The latter are not usually readily available in the United States. This bias reflects a greater willingness of European engineers to employ sophisticated hydrodynamic numerical models as tools for the solution of engineering and environmental problems of natural water bodies.