bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aeronomy‐astronomy collaboration focuses on nighttime terrestrial atmosphere
Authors: Slanger T. G. , Osterbrock D. E.
Published: October 2006

Measurements at the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, are contributing greatly to a new understanding of chemical and physical processes in the nighttime terrestrial atmosphere. The observations, involving collaboration of aeronomers and astronomers, may begin to answer long‐standing questions concerning dynamics and energy flow in the 80‐110‐km region.

Results so far indicate joint aeronomy‐astronomy efforts can have significant impact for both fields. Spectrometers and telescopes, instruments used for ground‐based aeronomy and for astronomy, respectively, point in the same direction—upward. This is a fact which in principle should be synergistic. Astronomers view celestial objects through a foreground of near‐field radiation, much of which is generated in the upper atmosphere and is considered the purview of aeronomers. This disciplinary overlap is not often exploited.
The search for life in the universe spurs development of the field of astrobiology
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Life, or the possibility of life, seems to be breaking out all over the place.

The Hubble Space Telescope and other instruments recently have detected nearly a dozen planets that orbit stars other than our Sun.

Water may have flowed across the surface of Mars during some point in its geological history.

One recent picture of the planet even suggests a riverbed with an oxbow carved across the landscape.
U.S. Congressional Committee Reviews National Science Policy
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Vernon Ehlers has a tall order. The Republican congressman from Michigan is aiming for the completion of a comprehensive yet concise national science policy report by about June.

That would be less than one year after the Republican leadership assigned him the task of leading the development of the report by the House of Representatives science committee that could stimulate a national debate on science policy, serve as a long‐range vision statement, and perhaps form the basis for a House resolution.
Airborne Salinity Mapper Makes Debut in Coastal Zone
Authors: Miller Jerry L. , Goodberlet Mark A. , Zaitzeff James B.
Published: October 2006

New technology has been developed through a joint public‐private partnership that could greatly improve the ocean sciences community's ability to study coastal oceanography in the same way that satellitebased infrared imaging revolutionized basinscale oceanography. Recent advances in passive microwave technologies and novel means of integrating those advances haveled to the development of the Scanning Low‐Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SLFMR) for remote sensing of sea‐surface salinity.

Designed and built for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the SLFMR—also known as the salinity mapper—was recently used by a team of scientists from government and industry to generate the first remotely sensed image of sea‐surface salinity (Figure 1). This image of salinity was obtained near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, during the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Chesapeake Outflow Plume Experiment (COPE), elements of which were conducted in collaboration with NOAA.
Comment [on “Unknowns about climate variability render treaty targets premature”]
Authors: Alley Richard B. , Bartlein Patrick J. , Clark Peter U. , Hostetler Steven W. , Mix Alan C.
Published: October 2006

In a recent Forum piece that discusses climate variability (Eos, December 16, 1997), S. F. Singer claims that “a higher CO2 level may be less dangerous to the climate system than a lower one.” The basis for this reasoning is the observation that during the last Ice Age, CO2 levels (∼200 ppmV) were lower than pre‐Industrial Revolution Holocene levels (∼280 ppmV), yet the climate system was apparently more unstable than during the Holocene.

Singer neglects to add that, in addition to CO2, other Ice Age global boundary conditions were very different from today's, notably larger continental ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere, higher levels of aerosols, and colder sea‐surface temperatures. Climatic variations associated with these boundary conditions are not completely understood, but clearly singling out CO2 grossly oversimplifies the complexity of the climate system and the underlying causes of climate variability.
Kinematic Wave Modeling in Water Resources
Authors: Julién Pierre Y.
Published: October 2006

Kinematic Wave Modeling in Water Resources fills an important gap in the literature on physically based hydrologic modeling. The author should be complimented on his approach, which is based on solving the governing partial differential equations. He displays remarkable ingenuity at finding solutions to a system of differential equations that is particularly intractable. This volume covers the fullest possible spectrum of solutions emerging from the method of characteristics. The author's physically based, deterministic approach is refreshing in a world overwhelmed with black box and numerical methods.
In Search of Lost Time
Authors: Duncan Robert A.
Published: October 2006

Time is our most familiar means of organizing thought and action, yet it is also the most illusive. Awareness of time as a perceptible one‐way flow is a central facet of human consciousness. Everyone knows what time is but anyone would be hard pressed to define it. Is time unidirectional? Does it tick by at a constant rate? How do we measure it? How do we make sense of time before human experience? These are some of the mind‐bending questions that Derek York introduces in his short and very readable collection of vignettes about time.
Insuring the quality of gravity data
Authors: Grandjean Gilles , Mennéchet C. , Debéglia N. , Bonijoly D.
Published: October 2006

The GeoFrance 3D programme, which combines geological and geophysical information to produce reliable three‐dimensional models, is devoted to studying crustal and lithospheric structures in France and neighboring countries. In addition to the GeoFrance 3D regional projects, illustrated by the results of the Alps or the Massif Central projects, the Million project compiles geological and geophysical data and insures their quality in order to valorize them by modeling at the million scale. By applying data analysis and validation methodology to gravity data compilation, we discovered that the Bouguer anomaly map only provides a discriminating insight of crustal structures if uncertainties of gravity measurements, sampling heterogeneities, and processing errors are known.
Albright encourages developing countries to reduce greenhouse gases
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

In response to criticism that the Kyoto Protocol on global climate change, negotiated last December, does not immediately require developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on April 21 that the Clinton Administration is initiating “a diplomatic full court press” to encourage developing countries to participate in combating global climate change.

In addition, Albright announced the creation of a new position of State Department coordinator for global climate change to help to pursue this diplomatic effort.
GRL receives Association of American Publishers' best single issue award
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) presents a number of awards each year. One of the awards is for the best single issue of a journal. The November 15 issue of Geophysical Research Letters won that distinction for 1997. The issue contained groups of papers on three important subjects: record low levels of ozone in the Arctic last spring, Indian Ocean circulation, and the corona's influence on solar wind acceleration.
Beach Processes and Sedimentation, Second Edition
Authors: Howd Peter
Published: October 2006

Anyone who has ever ventured to a beach has without a doubt watched in wonder, if not awe, what waves, tides, and currents may produce—or destroy—over timescales ranging from minutes to millennia. The second edition of Beach Processes and Sedimentation clearly and succinctly explains the physical processes responsible for shaping our coastlines. The material is presented at a level suitable for advanced undergraduates with backgrounds in physical science and beginning graduate students in any marine science discipline, including those interested in coastal management or policy. It will also serve as a valuable reference for those who have left their student years behind and for whatever reason find themselves in need of a reintroduction to beach dynamics.
Congress turns up heat as International Space Station cost overruns and delays continue
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Following up on a new oversight report that warns of further cost overruns and delays in the completion of the International Space Station (ISS), the Science Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held a May 6 hearing to vent its frustrations with NASA and the Clinton Administration. A key concern is that the project relies too heavily on the Russian Space Agency, which has fallen behind in its commitments due to significant underfunding by the Russian government.

Despite their frustration, many committee members as well as witnesses said the partnership with Russia has provided a solid working relationship between space agencies, a valuable opportunity for Americans to learn about long‐duration human space flight from a nation with a continuous presence in space for the past 27 years, and a symbol of post‐Cold War cooperation rather than competition.
Sterilized Mars rock and soil analog samples available for analysis
Authors: Allen Carlton
Published: October 2006

When rock and soil samples are returned from Mars in 2008, they will be immediately placed in biological quarantine and tested for signs of life and hazard, a process that could take weeks or months. Selected subsamples, which have been biologically sterilized, could be released sooner for geochemical analysis. If signs of life or hazard are found in the martian samples, it is quite possible that only sterilized material will make it out of quarantine. Geoscientists thus have a significant stake in finding sterilization techniques that have minimal and quantifiable effects on geochemical measurements of these samples.
Physics of Solar System Plasmas
Authors: Hughes W. Jeffrey
Published: October 2006

Anyone who has taught an introductory course in space physics faces an insolvable dilemma. Space physics is the common name for the physics of the plasma regions in the solar system. The dilemma is, do you introduce the topics in plasma physics in an ordered progression and illustrate them with examples drawn from the solar system, in which case you are teaching a course in plasma physics with applications to the solar system? Or do you describe the various regions and environments found in the solar system in a coherent order and introduce the plasma physics as it is needed, in which case you are teaching a course in geophysics? I have tried both approaches, and neither works well. The first approach gives students an understanding of plasma physics and its hierarchy of approximations, but they usually do not get a coherent understanding of geospace. The second approach gives students a good grasp of the Sun/solar wind/magnetosphere/ionosphere as a single complex system, but they invariably end up with a poorer grasp of what physics applies in various situations. For programs that can accommodate it, two separate courses is clearly the best approach. Not all programs have that luxury.
Wysession begins term as Eos Section Editor for Seismology
Authors: Wysession Michael
Published: October 2006

In mid‐April, Michael Wysession, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University, embarked on a 3‐year term as section editor of Eos for seismology. Wysession brings to the position a strong background in research and teaching. Below are a few remarks from Wysession.

“I recently became the new seismology editor for Eos. I look forward to presenting the many exciting areas of seismological research to the entire geophysical community. I have taught at Washington University since obtaining my Ph.D. at Northwestern University in 1991. My interest in seismology began during my undergraduate years at Brown University (Sc.B., 1984), but my experience as an educator began after I graduated and taught high school math and physics in Staten Island, N.Y.
Atmospheric changes caused By El Ni˜o slightly increase length of day
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

El Niño, which has dramatically altered the climate in many regions around the globe, also infinitesimally increases the length of the day (LOD), scientists at the 1998 AGU Spring Meeting reported on May 26. They say these tiny changes could affect global and interplanetary navigation, and provide an important clue about energy distribution within the Earth system and how components of the system work together.

During the peak period of the current El Niño, LOD increased temporarily by about 600–700 microseconds, according to John Gipson, a scientist with NVI, Inc., based at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. He says the increase is not as much as the peak increase of about 800 microseconds, (less than l/1000ths of a second), registered during the strong 1982–1983 El Niño episode.
Spear receives 1997 Norman L. Bowen Award
Authors: Peacock Simon , Spear Frank
Published: October 2006

Frank S. Spear was given the Norman L. Bowen Award by the Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology Section of AGU. The award is given for a single outstanding contribution to volcanology, geochemistry, or petrology made during the preceding 5 years.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to have the honor of introducing Frank Spear as the 1997 recipient of AGU's Norman L. Bowen Award. The Bowen Award is given by the Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology section for a single outstanding contribution to volcanology, geochemistry, or petrology made during the preceding 5 years. Frank Spear is a remarkable metamorphic petrologist, who literally “wrote the book” on how quantitative petrologic analysis can be used to gain insight into the tectonic evolution of crystalline orogenic belts. Like Bowen, the father of modern petrology, Frank believes that the key to understanding rocks lies in a thorough understanding of physical chemistry, equilibrium relationships, and field and experimental observations.
High pressure melts receive attention at workshop
Authors: Wilding Martin C.
Published: October 2006

The physical behavior of natural silicate liquids influences a variety of geodynamic processes including subduction, the generation and chemical evolution of mantle plumes, and the physics of volcanic eruptions. Since most of these processes occur at high pressures, they remain relatively inaccessible to direct observation. Researchers met at a workshop recently to discuss current and future directions of research in natural silicate liquids. At the meeting, sponsored by the Center for High Pressure Research, attendees raised the questions that are necessary to link melt structure research to the physical and thermodynamic properties of silicate liquids that dictate natural igneous processes.
Living With the Coast of Alaska
Authors: Reimnitz Erk
Published: October 2006

Living with the Coast of Alaska is one of 20 books in the “Living with the Shore” series. It covers a wide range of Alaskan coastal settings, including the ice‐stressed shores of the low‐relief, desert‐like, high Arcticsemi; the coasts of the vast Bering Seasemi; the barren volcanic islands of the Aleutian chainsemi; and south central and southeastern Alaska with their high mountains, large glaciers, steep‐sided fjords, heavy precipitation, and active tectonism. Even for the well‐seasoned Alaskan, this book offers an education in the incredible diversity of this state's coastal zone.

Treating such a broad topic with its multitude of coastal hazards must have been difficult in comparison with other areas covered in the series. But it wasaccomplished quite well through the assistance of experts on coastal hazards and hazard mitigation in construction.
The Endangered Atmosphere: Preserving a Global Commons
Authors: Pielke Roger A.
Published: October 2006

The Endangered Atmosphere: Preserving a Global Commons describes and analyzes four cases of international response to global atmospheric policy issues. The first three—nuclear testing, transboundary air pollution, and stratospheric ozone depletion—are used to set up an analytical discussion of the fourth, climate change.

The historical chapters, which are excellent and could easily stand alone independent of the analytical chapters, provide a detailed history of international decisionmaking in each case study. Undergraduate and graduate students studying any physical or social science related to atmospheric or environmental policy would learn much from these chapters.
Goody receives William Bowie Medal
Authors: Liou K. N. , Goody Richard M.
Published: October 2006

Richard M. Goody was awarded the William Bowie Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on May 27, 1998, in Boston, Massachusetts. The William Bowie Medal recognizes outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and unselfish cooperation in research.
NEAR swings by Earth en route to Eros
Authors: Izenberg Noam R. , Anderson Brian J.
Published: October 2006

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous spacecraft (NEAR) conducted a swingby of Earth on January 23, 1998, en route to its final destination, the asteroid 433 Eros. The spacecraft, built and managed by the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University in Laurel, Maryland, and launched February 17, 1996, aboard a Delta II‐7925‐8 rocket from Cape Canaveral, is on a mission to further our understanding of the nature of asteroids and their role in the formation of the solar system. The spacecraft is three‐axis stabilized, passively cooled, and uses four fixed solar panels to power five scientific instruments and transmit data to Earth through a 1.5 m, fixed, high‐gain antenna.

As the first NASA Discovery‐class mission, NEAR was designed to return the maximum amount of information on a timely basis with minimal cost. Aside from the transponder that will be used to determine Eros' mass and gravity field, the science instruments are focused on understanding the geology, chemistry, and history of the target asteroid. The seven‐band Multi‐Spectral Imager (MSI), covering wavelengths of 0.5 to 1.1 microns, will image the entire surface of the 40 x 14 x 14 km (25 x 9 x 9 mi) asteroid, mapping its morphology and color [Hawkins et al., 1997]. The Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIS) will map out Eros' surface mineralogy using reflected sunlight in the 0.8 to 2.5 micron range [Warren et al., 1997], while the X ray/Gamma ray Spectrometers (XGRS) will determine surface elemental composition of key rock‐forming species such as Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Fe, Ti, and K [Goldsten et al., 1997]. The NEAR magnetometer will characterize the intensity and structure of any intrinsic magnetization of Eros [Lohr et al., 1997]. Finally, the NEAR Laser Rangefinder (NLR) altimeter will measure the asteroid's topography and shape to 1 m vertical resolution with its infrared 15 mJ pulsed beam [Cole et al., 1997].
Reply [to “Comment on ” Influence of Mediterranean Outflow on climate’”]
Authors: Rahmstorf Stefan
Published: October 2006

It is true that the model resolves only the large‐scale circulation, but large‐scale thermohaline overturning is responsible for over 80% of the heat transport in the North Atlantic. Johnson's basic premise that Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) upwells in high latitudes (near the Wyvilie‐Thomson Ridge) to enter the Faroe‐Shetland Channel and eventually the Norwegian Sea is neither supported by a recent hydrographic data analysis that specifically looked at this question {McCartney and Mauritzen, 1998) nor by high‐ resolution circulation model results (A. Coward, pers. commun., 1998; also see Web site http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/JRD/OCCAM/POSTERS/canigo_posterl .pdf).

In recent research, M. S. McCartney and C. Mauritzen (pers. commun., 1998) show that there is no rise of water from the depths of the Rockall Trough into the Faroe‐Shetland Channel, and that the water entering the Norwegian Sea through that channel is derived from the North Atlantic Current. They find that the northward flow of the eastern boundary undercurrent of MOW fades in intensity through the Bay of Biscay and does not penetrate past Porcupine Bank into the Rockall Trough. Particle trajectories from the OCCAM model (1/4 degree resolution in latitude and longitude) are consistent with this analysis. Only one of the more than 100 MOW particles tracked in the model moved north and upwelled into the Faroe‐Shetland Channel along the path advocated by Johnson.
Paleontological Events: Stratigraphic, Ecologic, and Evolutionary Implications
Authors: Bralower Timothy J.
Published: October 2006

A most active area of modern paleontology concerns the causes and consequences of global mass extinction events. Fueled by wide public interest in extinction of the dinosaurs and debate among geologists over the causes of this event, paleontologists have scrutinized the geologic record of extinction events. Volume after volume has addressed these prominent extinction events. Far less study, and an order of magnitude less paper, have been devoted to the causes of local and regional paleontological events such as local extinctions and incursions even though they are far more common and can be equally dramatic.

Many sedimentary geologists have observed horizons of marine sedimentary rocks unusually enriched in fossil remains. However, few of us stop to consider their significance.Paleontological Events: Stratigraphic, Ecologic, and Evolutionary Implications showcases 20 state‐of‐the‐art papers that explore the causes of short‐term and longer‐term bioevents that have left behind remarkable paleontological records.
Rodriguez‐Iturbe receives Horton Medal
Authors: Bras Rafael L. , Rodriguez‐Iturbe Ignacio
Published: October 2006

Ignacio Rodriguez‐Iturbe was awarded the Robert E. Horton Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on May 27, 1998, in Boston, Massachusetts. The Robert E. Horton Medal recognizes outstanding contributions to the geophysical aspects of hydrology.
Hunten receives Fleming Medal
Authors: Owen Tobias , Hunten Donald M.
Published: October 2006

Donald M. Hunten was awarded the John Adam Fleming Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on May 27, 1998, in Boston, Massachusetts. The John Adam Fleming Medal recognizes original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy, and related sciences.
Russian and German scientists explore the Arctic's Laptev Sea and its climate system
Authors: Kassens Heidemarie , Dmitrenko Igor , Rachold Volker , Thiede Joern , Timokhov Leonid
Published: October 2006

River runoff into the Laptev Sea in the Siberian Arctic (Figure 1) causes dramatic environmental changes in the sea, influencing not only the entire Arctic climate but global climate as well, a 4‐year study suggests. The study, known as the Laptev Sea System program, was conducted by a joint group of Russian and German scientists. It marked the first time a major comprehensive research program looked at the extreme environmental system of the Laptev Sea, addressing both oceanic and terrestrial processes.

The work focused on mechanisms involved in past and ongoing climate variations in the Laptev Sea region (Figure 2) with an emphasis on the interaction between the sea and the Lena River in the summer, autumn, and spring. In the summer, river water spreads over the sea as a low‐salinity surface layer carrying much of the river's suspended load. In the fall, during ice formation, the low‐salinity layer controls the fast‐ice edge and, consequently, the Laptev Sea polynya or ice clearing.
Mineralogy
Authors: Gutmann James T.
Published: October 2006

Recent years have seen a variety of workshops and sessions at professional meetings concerning the undergraduate teaching of mineralogy. These stem in part from concern that mineralogy courses must remain plainly relevant to today's problems and in part from a desire to ensure that we are teaching the subject as effectively as possible given the interests of today's students and the possibilities afforded by imaginative pedagogy and modern instrumentation. Perkins, the author of Mineralogy, is concerned that some courses and texts are seen as dry and do not present information in ways that help students learn. Indeed, the superb mineralogy texts that already exist may not be the most appropriate for all mineralogy courses. This book was written in an effort to provide a text that presents the subject in a more engaging manner, sacrificing some details but putting it in context and illustrating its relevance in our daily lives.
Hunter receives 1998”1999 AGU Congressional Science Fellowship
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

David E. Hunter was selected by the Committee on Public Affairs (COPA) to receive the Congressional Science Fellowship at its Spring Committee Meeting.

David is currently a U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Global Change Fellow at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His dissertation, under Professor Christopher Charles, has focused on the interannual to interdecadal climate variability in the western Indian Ocean. By measuring oxygen isotopes in Seychelles corals, he created a 150‐year, monthly resolution record of climate. This record yielded a history of interaction between the monsoon and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation and is providing key insights into the decadal variability in the tropics.
Students investigate environmental restoration site in New Mexico
Authors: Ferguson John F. , Baldridge W. Scott , Jiracek George R. , Gonzalez Victor , Pope Paul A.
Published: October 2006

Investigations conducted during the 1997 Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE) field course at one site at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) successfully delineated a waste disposal trench dug in the 1940s. The survey, which was popular with the students, provided them with important experience in “real world” geophysical problems and demonstrated that students can obtain useful and important results during a short field exercise.

The utility of the magnetic, seismic refraction, and ground‐penetrating radar methods will be demonstrated on a profile through one of the major waste trenches at the site. The magnetic and radar methods are sensitive to the presence of metallic objects buried within the trenches. A low‐velocity trench structure is defined by the seismic refraction data. Models of the trench structure are both accurate (linear dimensions are probably good to within a few meters) and somewhat different from prior expectations.
Real‐time monitoring and warning for natural hazards can provide real‐time benefits
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Downhill from a golf driving range on Maryland's Interstate 70 highway near the city of Frederick, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic technicians Richard Saffer and Robert Pentz strode along a short path and over a steel walkway for a site visit to a concrete gage house near the Monocacy River.

Gage house #01643000 sits on top of a stilling well that reaches about 8.5 m above the normal flow stage of the river. Inside the house are floats to lower down the well shaft, a hand pump, pipes leading into the river, and other basic technology befitting a structure built in 1929. But the station also is equipped with a modern data collecting platform, an antenna link to transmit data to geostationary operations environmental satellites (GOES), a modem connection, and other high‐tech tools of the trade.
Senators breathe new life into efforts to double federal dollars for R&D
Authors: Folger Peter
Published: October 2006

At a press conference held Thursday, June 25, Senator Bill Frist (R‐Tenn.) announced that he and Senator Jay Rockefeller (D‐W.Va.) were introducing a bill to double federal support for research and development (R&D) over the next 12 years.

This latest development gives a boost to legislation introduced last October by Senators Phil Gramm (R‐Tex.) and Joe Lieberman (D‐Conn.) to double R&D spending in a decade. The earlier bill, numbered S. 1305, garnered only 18 Senate cosponsors in 8 months and appears to be mired in the Labor and Human Resources Committee with little hope of moving to the Senate floor.
Joint Spanish‐American Research uncovers fracture pattern in northeastern Caribbean
Authors: Dillon William P. , Acosta Juan , Uchupi Elazar , ten Brink Uri S.
Published: October 2006

A joint Spanish‐American geophysical cruise north of the Virgin Islands has delineated the fracture pattern of the North American plate as it is overrun by the northeast corner of the Caribbean plate. Previously known fractures parallel to the plate boundary (approximately east‐west) probably result from plate flexure, while newly defined crossing fractures (north‐northeast) may be related to extension produced by the compound bend of the North American plate. The direction of the fractures may be modified by preexisting spreading tectonic fabric.

The fieldwork took place in May 1997 aboard the Spanish research vessel Hespérides as part of an ongoing effort to study plate interactions and their seismotectonic effects on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Multichannel seismic‐reflection profiles, multibeam bathymetry, and gravity and magnetic data were collected on the cruise. Also examined were reprocessed regional seismic lines, newly relocated earthquake epicenters, and satellite gravity data. The program was planned by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Subsurface Flow and Transport: A Stochastic Approach
Authors: Desbarats Alexandre
Published: October 2006

Anyone who has examined core or petrophysical logs from well bores has wondered at the rhythmic successions of sedimentary fades and has puzzled at their sudden disruption or reappearance. Such wonderment is no doubt shared by those who have stood at a quarry face gazing up at the intricate hierarchy of depositional patterns and the varied textures of sediments. A fortunate few have even slogged along a mine drift and observed at close hand the perplexing relationship between the geological fabric of a rock mass and occurrences of groundwater inflow. Happily, the heterogeneity of geological materials is now widely recognized and efforts over the last 20 years have been concerned with its incorporation into models of fluid flow and solute transport in the subsurface. These research efforts are, at least in part, driven by acute societal concerns over the contamination of groundwater resources and proposed plans for the disposal of nuclear and other toxic wastes in the subsurface.
Marine Arctic science capability making big strides
Authors: Johnson Leonard , Brass Garrett
Published: October 2006

The profound influence of the Arctic Ocean on global environment, the rapid variability of Arctic processes, and the unresolved geology of the ocean floor have led to growing scientific interest in this region. Ongoing studies are investigating recent historical processes and modern processes such as changes in ocean circulation and ice cover patterns. Sediments beneath the Arctic Ocean record long‐ and short‐term waxing and waning of the cryosphere in the Northern Hemisphere and its linkages to bottom water renewal and faunal adaptation. Underlying basement rocks reflect the tectonic history of the ocean basin, including its ridges and plateaus, which are unsampled and of unknown composition and origin. The vulnerability of Arctic populations to environmental problems makes the need to understand the region even more compelling (see, for example, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, 1997; also see Web site http://www.grida.no/amap).
Fractals and Chaos in Geology and Geophysics, Second Edition
Authors: Danos Michael
Published: October 2006

Fractals and Chaos in Geology and Geophysics, Second Edition, is the best technical introduction to chaos known to me. It is suitable not only for geologists, but for anyone who is seriously interested in the subject. The title of the book is misleadingly narrow; its content would be better described by the unwieldy title “Concepts and Application of Chaos Theory,” with an even longer subtitle “Examples Taken Predominantly from the Earth Sciences.” The mathematics are simple; a second‐year college student should be fully capable of handling the book.
Sea‐ice motion derived from satellite agrees with buoy observations
Authors: Liu Antony K. , Zhao Yunhe , Liu Timothy
Published: October 2006

Satellite measurements are providing daily views of sea‐ice motion in the polar regions. This unprecedented capability will lead to routine monitoring of ice flow for climate change studies and ship‐routing applications. In 1996, the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) rode into orbit on the Japanese satellite ADEOS and gathered 8.5 months of valuable wind data. Designed to observe wind speeds and directions over the ocean surface, NSCAT data also achieved exciting and totally unanticipated success in measuring sea‐ice motion—an application for which it was never intended. The wavelettransform method is used to track ice features in the NSCAT imagery and the results are validated against Arctic drifting buoy data. The wavelet‐transform procedure is robust, and NSCAT's unprecedented ability to determine daily sea‐ice motion independent of clouds and at a 25‐km resolution will have profound impacts on global climate change research.
Recent oceanic intraplate earthquake in Balleny Sea was largest ever detected
Authors: Wiens Douglas A. , Wysession Michael E. , Lawver Lawrence
Published: October 2006

The largest oceanic intraplate earthquake ever detected and the largest event worldwide since 1994 occurred in a remote oceanic region near the Balleny Islands on March 25, 1998 (03:12:26 UT; Mw 8.2). An intraplate earthquake of this magnitude is extremely rare, especially for the Antarctic plate, which shows low seismicity.

The earthquake occurred about 300 km west of the Balleny Transform between the Antarctic passive margin and the Australian‐Antarctic spreading center (Figure 1). The best double‐couple mechanism from the Harvard Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) solution shows strike‐slip faulting with nodal planes trending north‐south and east‐west (Figure 1). The CMT solution also shows a large, compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) component that can be interpreted as indicating northwest‐southeast extension.
Stevenson receives Hess Medal
Authors: Kaula William M. , Stevenson David J.
Published: October 2006

David J. Stevenson was awarded the Harry H. Hess Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on May 27, 1998, in Boston, Massachusetts. The Harry H. Hess Medal recognizes outstanding achievements in the research of the constitution and evolution of Earth and its sister planets.

A meaningful understanding of the Earth and planets requires explaining their differences. This explanation of planetary processes is difficult partly because it entails a wide range of scales—from microscale, operating at the atomic level, to macroscale, determined by boundaries thousands of kilometers apart. David Stevenson's graduate study was mainly in theoretical condensedmatter physics, but he is remarkable in his grasp of large‐scale planetary processes such as mantle convection and the dynamos. He is also remarkable in his ‘instinct to attack the jugular,’ that is to go for the most important problems and for the versatility of his approaches thereto.
Borehole observatories record driving forces for hydrotheraial circulation in young oceanic crust
Authors: Davis Earl , Becker Keir
Published: October 2006

A greatly improved understanding of the mechanisms of hydrothermal circulation seems within reach, based on preliminary interpretation of long‐term monitoring data from borehole observatories installed during two recent legs of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). These new data should be especially helpful in refining circulation models to resolve the vigor and scale of hydrothermal phenomena in the oceanic crust.

Substantial progress already has been made toward quantifying average thermal and chemical fluxes associated with hydrothermal circulation, but progress toward understanding the mechanisms of circulation has been modest. Measurements of temperatures, pressures, and permeabilities at depth are rare; hence, models for circulation are little more than conceptual, relying to a large degree on inferences from data gathered at the seafloor rather than on in situ observational constraints.
Community‐based research proposed as model to make science more accessible
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

In Woburn, Mass., some community members were concerned that high rates of childhood leukemia in their city from 1969 to 1979 could be related to exposure to contaminated water from public water wells. When government officials did not take what some considered sufficient action against polluting companies, the community group, For a Cleaner Environment (FACE), contacted several professors at the Harvard University School of Public Health. The Harvard scientists assisted with conducting research and developing evidence that helped the community members secure an $8 million out‐of‐court settlement against the companies.

In Yellow Creek, Ky., residents were concerned that a tannery was poisoning the drinking water. They called upon the non‐profit Highlander Research and Education Center of New Market, Tenn., for assistance in 1980. The center helped the Yellow Creek Concerned Citizens of Kentucky conduct health surveys and work with university researchers and scientists to determine the extent of contamination. To date, the results have included a safe water line for the community and an $11 million court decision, still under appeal, to help mitigate the problem.
Researchers investigate inter‐hemispheric climate linkages in the Americas and their societal effects
Authors: Markgraf Vera
Published: October 2006

Records from the past document natural climate variability on all timescales, from seasons to decades to centuries. Documenting and understanding the nature and cause of past climate variability is the key to predicting future climate change, especially since climate will continue to change in response to humankind's impact on the environment.

The International Geosphere‐Biosphere Program on Past Global Change (IGBP‐PAGES) is providing global evidence of natural climate variability and its forcing to establish a framework that will help society and decision‐makers prepare for future change. Because no single record can adequately represent past global climate change, regional paleoclimate evidence from both the ocean and land must be assembled and integrated. Within IGBP‐PAGES, the Pole‐Equator‐Pole Paleoclimate of the Americas (PEP 1) initiative attempts to provide an interhemispheric view by focusing on the integration of paleoclimate data along a longitudinal transect in the western hemisphere [PAGES, 1995].
[Comment on Earthquake precursors: Banished forever?] Comment: Unpredictability of earthquakes–Truth or fiction?
Authors: Lomnitz Cinna
Published: October 2006

I was delighted to read Alexander Gusev's opinions on what he calls the “unpredictability paradigm” of earthquakes (Eos, February 10, 1998, p. 71). I always enjoy hearing from a good friend in the pages of Eos. I immediately looked up “paradigm” in my Oxford Dictionary and found this: paradigm n 1) set of all the different forms of a word: verb paradigms. 2) Type of something; pattern; model: a paradigm for others to copy.

I wonder whether Sasha Gusev actually believes that branding earthquake prediction a “proven nonscience” [Geller, 1997] is a paradigm for others to copy. As for me, I choose to refrain from climbing on board this particular bandwagon for the following reasons.
Reply [to Comment on Earthquake precursors: Banished forever?] Comment: Unpredictability of earthquakes–Truth or fiction?
Authors: Gusev Alexander
Published: October 2006

I agree with many of C. Lomnitz's points. I only wish to add that by the word “paradigm” I mean the entity as T. Kuhn defines it in The Nature of Scientific Revolutions, that is, a belief system considered as the truth by a scientific community for a certain amount of time. Kuhn's idea of scientific progress is by radical paradigm shifts. Earthquake prediction (EP) is a good example. It was a nonscience in 1960, and C. Richter warned every student in his Elementary Seismology that it is “a marsh light,” appealing to one from the darkness but leading those who respond to the swamp.
Earth's Dynamic Systems, 8th Edition
Authors: Winterer Edward L.
Published: October 2006

From the very first edition, Hamblin and Christiansen's elementary geology text, Earth's Dynamic Systems, has stood above its competitors in the quality of its illustrations— all of them now in color. These are exceptionally well planned to bring out essential points of the text and are models of clarity and artistic design, especially the three‐dimensional cutaway diagrams of tectonic and geomorphic features. Many new drawings and photos have been incorporated in this 8th edition, including dramatic pictures of planetary surfaces. Each of the 25 chapters begins with an opening statement that puts the chapter in a larger context and closes with a list of key terms, some thought‐provoking review questions, a list of suggested readings in more advanced works, and—a novel and useful feature—a list of Web sites germane to the chapter. An illustrated glossary and a useful index complete the book. Pages feature wake‐up questions for the student, such as “How do we know that streams erode the valleys through which they flow?”
Dana's Minerals and How to Study Them, Fourth Edition
Authors: Cribb Warner
Published: October 2006

Anyone who spends time in a geology lab, natural science museum, or rock and mineral shop can see that nature provides us with an incredible variety of minerals. Countless introductory geology students get “turned on” to the science of geology by studying minerals. Despite the development of modern instruments that enable rapid and detailed mineral, chemical, and atomic structural analysis, the study of minerals by hand sample remains one of the most popular and economical pursuits of many professional geologists, students, and amateur mineral enthusiasts.

Because individuals with varying backgrounds in physical science collect and study minerals, a considerable need exists for a reference text that can be effectively used by both professionals and amateurs. Edward Salisbury Dana published the first such text, Minerals and How to Study Them, over a century ago. The third and last edition of this book was published in 1948. In the 50 years since, considerable changes have occurred in the understanding of mineral chemistry, crystallography, and microscopy. As a result, Dana's third edition is somewhat out of date, and its presentation of material is somewhat antiquated for modern‐day readers.
Volcanoes, Third Edition
Authors: Nye Christopher J.
Published: October 2006

It takes confidence to title a smallish book merely “Volcanoes” because of the impliction that the myriad facets of volcanism—chemistry, physics, geology, meteorology, hazard mitigation, and more—have been identified and addressed to some nontrivial level of detail. Robert and Barbara Decker have visited these different facets seamlessly in Volcanoes, Third Edition. The seamlessness comes from a broad overarching, interdisciplinary, professional understanding of volcanism combined with an exceptionally smooth translation of scientific jargon into plain language.

The result is a book which will be informative to a very broad audience, from reasonably educated nongeologists (my mother loves it) to geology undergraduates through professional volcanologists. I bet that even the most senior professional volcanologists will learn at least a few things from this book and will find at least a few provocative discussions of subjects they know.
Geomorphology: A Canadian Perspective
Authors: Pizzuto Jim
Published: October 2006

Geomorphology is a hot discipline. Recent interest in river restoration, climate change, geomorphic hazards such as landslides and tsunamis, controlled floods, and other issues has increased the visibility of geomorphology as a profession. New methods involving the Global Positioning System, remote sensing, numerical simulation, laboratory experimentation, and novel dating techniques have created new research opportunities. The number of jobs in academia, industry, and the public sector is rising. What is the best way to convey this excitement to students, while at the same time properly training them? The traditional approach is an introductory course at the undergraduate level, built around a general textbook. When I teach geomorphology, I do not use a textbook but rather rely on original readings and field‐based exercises to introduce students to geomorphic concepts and methods.
Temperature rises in heated congressional hearing on climate change
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

July was the hottest month on Earth since at least 1880, when instrumental records began, and the 15th month in a row to set alltime records for global monthly surface temperatures, according to the National Climatic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If the trend persists, the center says that 1998 probably will be the warmest year on record.

Even inside the climate‐controlled U.S. Congressional hearing room, the temperature was rising as witnesses debated about global warming and what, if anything, to do about it.
Project takes a new look at past sea surface temperatures
Authors: Rosell‐Melé Antoni
Published: October 2006

Advancements in knowledge about sea surface temperature (SST) at key points in Earth's past are on the horizon through a new research project called TEMPUS that is funded by the European Commission's Environment and Climate Programme. The first priority of the project is to reconstruct the last ice age, which serves as a stringent test for appraising the validity of climate models. SST data for this effort are being obtained from the Climate/Long‐Range Investigation, Mapping, and Prediction (CLIMAP) project 18 kyr reconstruction [CLIMAP, 1976, 1981]. CLIMAP represented a turning point in the study of climate change and helped to fuel explosive growth in climate research based on the analysis of sediment cores. Maps produced 20 years ago from CLIMAP data are still at the core of much groundbreaking research.
Committee issues report, Recommendations for future of scientific ocean drilling
Authors: Purdy G. Michael , Arthur Michael A.
Published: October 2006

Scientific ocean drilling as we now know it is scheduled to end in 2003. The National Science Foundation (NSF) directed the Joint Oceanographic Institution's (JOI) U.S. Scientific Advisory Committee (USSAC) to assess U.S. interest in scientific ocean drilling beyond 2003. The Committee for Post 2003 Scientific Drilling (COMPOST‐II) met at the University of Miami in February 1997 to address the following questions: What research objectives does the scientific ocean drilling community wish to pursue, and what facilities and funds will be required to achieve those objectives? Committee members were chosen carefully to represent as impartially as possible the U.S. Earth sciences community as a whole.