bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of local ecological knowledge in the management of algal blooms
Authors: SCHLACHER THOMAS A. , LLOYD STEWART , WIEGAND AARON
Published: May 2010

More frequent and severe algal blooms are symptomatic of increasing ecosystem stress in coastal waters. Economic losses typically follow and local governments are forced to ‘manage’ this issue. Because many blooms are not monitored, local ecological knowledge (LEK) and oral history are the only practical tools to obtain data on bloom characteristics and identify their drivers. LEK was applied to outbreaks of brown algae on popular tourist beaches in south-east Queensland (Australia). Structured interviews with local citizens who had a close and frequent connection with the ocean provided 541 bloom records, which showed that blooms are regional (≥400 km) rather than local, and that they are a historical (≥40 years) rather than a recent phenomenon. LEK frequently cited that particular wind regimes coincided with the arrival of blooms, but this could not be verified by statistical cross-validation with empirical data. Harnessing LEK was valuable in engaging citizens, in generating testable hypotheses about plume causes, in providing a previously unrecognized historical perspective and in identifying the correct spatial scale of the issue. Multi-pronged approaches will be most effective in addressing blooms where local mitigation actions are combined with broader regional coastal environmental conservation efforts.
Ethnolects and the city: Ethnic orientation and linguistic variation in Toronto English
Authors: Hoffman Michol F. , Walker James A.
Published: May 2010

Following recent work that questions traditional social categories, this paper examines the role of ethnicity in conditioning linguistic variation. Reporting on a large-scale project in the multicultural context of Toronto, we argue for combining emic and etic approaches to social categorization. Focusing on the Chinese and Italian communities, our analysis of two sociolinguistic variables shows that speakers may vary in overall rate, but linguistic conditioning remains largely constant across and within ethnic groups. Whereas there is evidence for language transfer in the first generation, differences between generations suggest that transfer does not persist. Some speakers appear to use overall rates to express ethnic identity. Differences between communities may be explained in terms of different timelines of settlement and visible-minority status.
The past, present, and future of English dialects: Quantifying convergence, divergence, and dynamic equilibrium
Authors: Maguire Warren , McMahon April , Heggarty Paul , Dediu Dan
Published: May 2010

This article reports on research which seeks to compare and measure the similarities between phonetic transcriptions in the analysis of relationships between varieties of English. It addresses the question of whether these varieties have been converging, diverging, or maintaining equilibrium as a result of endogenous and exogenous phonetic and phonological changes. We argue that it is only possible to identify such patterns of change by the simultaneous comparison of a wide range of varieties of a language across a data set that has not been specifically selected to highlight those changes that are believed to be important. Our analysis suggests that although there has been an obvious reduction in regional variation with the loss of traditional dialects of English and Scots, there has not been any significant convergence (or divergence) of regional accents of English in recent decades, despite the rapid spread of a number of features such as TH-fronting.
Depleted plural marking in two Afro-Hispanic dialects: Separating inheritance from innovation
Authors: Lipski John M.
Published: May 2010

Spanish is characterized by number concord in determiner phrases (DPs) and predicate nominals; the plural marker /s/ is attached to all relevant elements in a plural DP. Exceptions to this rule usually involve phonetically motivated processes of /s/-weakening in coda position, and do not result in a functionally different system of plural marking. A distinct pattern is found in two isolated dialects of Spanish spoken in ethnically cohesive Afro-descendent communities where Spanish was originally acquired as a second language by speakers of African languages. In both varieties, characterized by the absence of /s/-reducing phenomena, plural /-s/ tends to be marked only on the first element of plural DPs, usually a determiner. In one of the dialects, spoken in Ecuador, these “stripped plurals” alternate with full multiple plural concord, similar to vernacular Brazilian Portuguese. In the other dialect, spoken in Bolivia, stripped plurals appear to be a recent development, emerging from a more restructured traditional variety in which plural /-s/ was not used at all. A variational analysis of both dialects finds little evidence for spontaneous drift away from canonical multiple plural marking, but rather suggests an evolution from earlier contact-induced interlanguages that exhibited even less systematic plural marking. The appearance of Afro-Hispanic stripped plurals is tentatively correlated with the shift from a depleted definite article system to a configuration more closely resembling modern Spanish. A similar set of circumstances may have contributed to the formation of stripped plurals in vernacular Brazilian Portuguese.
Social work and linguistic systems: Marking possession in Canadian English
Authors: Tagliamonte Sali A. , D'Arcy Alexandra , Jankowski Bridget
Published: May 2010

The system of stative possession has been subject to variation and change since at least the Early Modern period, withhave gotrising in frequency in British and Antipodean varieties of English. In Canadian English, as represented by data from the largest city, Toronto,havepredominates. Nonetheless, the full set of constraints previously reported for this variable are operative, corroborating the longitudinal maintenance of linguistic factors across time and space (Kroch, 1989). At the same time, variation among possessive forms is conditioned by robust sociolinguistic patterns.Haveis correlated with education and with female speakers, whereas less-educated men favorhave gotandgot. Such findings demonstrate that the domination of one form or another in a variable system can be the result of historical accident, in this case a founder effect at a particular point in history, and that the social value of forms is a product of local circumstances at the time of change.
Exit Frequency Matrices for Finite Markov Chains
Authors: BEVERIDGE ANDREW , LOVÁSZ LÁSZLÓ
Published: May 2010

Consider a finite irreducible Markov chain on state spaceSwith transition matrixMand stationary distribution π. LetRbe the diagonal matrix of return times,Rii= 1/πi. Given distributions σ, τ andk∈S, the exit frequencyxk(σ, τ) denotes the expected number of times a random walk exits statekbefore an optimal stopping rule from σ to τ halts the walk. For a target distribution τ, we defineXτas then×nmatrix given by (Xτ)ij=xj(i, τ), whereialso denotes the singleton distribution on statei.

The dual Markov chain with transition matrix=RM⊤R−1is called thereverse chain. We prove that Markov chain duality extends to matrices of exit frequencies. Specifically, for each target distribution τ, we associate a unique dual distribution τ*. Let$\rX_{\fc{\t}}$denote the matrix of exit frequencies from singletons to τ* on the reverse chain. We show that$\rX_{\fc{\t}} = R (X_{\t}^{\top} - \vb^{\top} \one)R^{-1}$, wherebis a non-negative constant vector (depending on τ). We explore this exit frequency duality and further illuminate the relationship between stopping rules on the original chain and reverse chain.
FINITE GROUPS AS GALOIS GROUPS OF FUNCTION FIELDS WITH INFINITE FIELD OF CONSTANTS
Authors: ÁLVAREZ-GARCÍA C. , VILLA-SALVADOR G.
Published: May 2010

LetE/kbe a function field over an infinite field of constants. Assume thatE/k(x) is a separable extension of degree greater than one such that there exists a place of degree one ofk(x) ramified inE. LetK/kbe a function field. We prove that there exist infinitely many nonisomorphic separable extensionsL/Ksuch that [L:K]=[E:k(x)] andAutkL=AutKL≅Autk(x)E.
COMMISSION 8: ASTROMETRY
Authors: Kumkova Irina , Evans Dafydd Wyn , Platais Imants , Andrei Alexandre , Fresneau Alain , Popescu Petre , Scholz Ralf-Dieter , Sôma Mitsuru , Zacharias Norbert , Zhu Zi
Published: May 2010

The business meeting was opened by the President, Irina Kumkova. She presented the agenda, which was approved. This session was attended by 42 participants. The meeting approved Dafydd Evans as secretary of minutes.
COMMISSION 31: TIME
Authors: Defraigne Pascale , Manchester Richard , Matsakis Demetrios , Petit Gerard , Hosokawa Mizuhiko , Leschiutta Sigfrid , Zhai Zao-Cheng
Published: May 2010

Dr R. N. Manchester and Dr M. Hosokawa have been elected as, respectively, the new President and Vice-President of the Commission for the next term, 2009-2012. Concerning the Organizing Committee (OC) Members, we welcome as new members: Felicitas Aris (BIPM, France), Philip Tuckey (LNE-SYRTE, France), Vladimir Zharov (MSU, Russia), and Shougang Zhang (NTSC, China) and we acknowledge the outgoing members: Demetrios Matsakis, Gerard Petit, Mizuhiko Hosokawa, Sigfrid Leschiutta and Zao-Cheng Zhai. P. Defraigne remains on the OC as immediate Past-President.
COMMISSION 52: RELATIVITY IN FUNDAMENTAL ASTRONOMY
Authors: Klioner Sergei A. , Petit Gérard , Brumberg Victor A. , Capitaine Nicole , Fienga Agnès , Fukushima Toshio , Guinot Bernard , Huang Cheng , Mignard François , Seidelmann Ken , Soffel Michael , Wallace Patrick
Published: May 2010

The IAU Commission 52 “Relativity in Fundamental Astronomy” (RIFA) has been established during the 26th General Assembly of the IAU (Prague, 2006) to centralize the efforts in the field of Applied Relativity and to provide an official forum for corresponding discussions.
DIVISION III: PLANETARY SYSTEMS SCIENCE
Authors: BOWELL EDWARD L. G. , Meech Karen J. , Williams Iwan P. , Boss Alan , Courtin Régis , Gustafson Bo Å S. , Levasseur-Regourd Anny-Chantal , Mayor Michel , Spurný Pavel , Watanabe Jun-ichi , Consolmagno Guy J. , Fernández Julio A. , Huebner Walter F. , Marov Mikhail Ya. , Schulz Rita M. , Valsecchi Giovanni B. , Witt Adolf N.
Published: May 2010

The meeting was opened by Ted Bowell, president, at 11 am. The 2006 Division III meetings were reviewed by Guy Consolmagno, secretary; as the minutes of those meetings have already been published, they were assumed to be approved.
COMMISSION 15: PHYSICAL STUDIES OF COMETS AND MINOR PLANETS
Authors: Cellino Alberto , Bockelée-Morvan Dominique , Huebner Walter F. , Davidsson Bjrn J. , Dotto Elisabetta , Fitzsimmons Alan , Jenniskens Petrus M. M. , Lupishko Dmitrij , Mothé-Diniz Thais , Tancredi Gonzalo , Wooden Diane H.
Published: May 2010

This report of the business meeting of Commission 15 at the 2009 IAU GA is based on notes provided by Walter Huebner, past president, and on the minutes taken by Daniel Boice, secretary of Commission 15 in the triennium 2006 to 2009, with additional notes from the current secretary, Daniel Hestroffer. The business meeting was split into two sessions, the first held on 5 August and the second held on 11 August. This report presents the minutes of the two Commission 15 business-meeting sessions held during General Assembly XXVII.
COMMISSION 22: METERS, METEORITES AND INTERPLANETARY DUST
Authors: Watanabe Junichi , Jenniskens Peter , Spurný Pavel , Borovička Jiří , Campbell-Brown Margaret , Consolmagno Guy , Jopek Tadeusz , Vaubaillon Jeremie , Williams Iwan P. , Zhu Jin
Published: May 2010

The business meeting of commission 22 was held at the room 5 in the SulAmerica Convention Center in Rio de Janeiro(14:00-15:30). Fifteen people attended at this meeting:J.Borovička, E.Bowell, G.Consolmagno, D.Green, P. Jenniskens, A. Pellinen-Wannberg, R. Rudawska, J. Watanabe, J. Zhu, P. H. A. Hasselmann, F. Ostroviski, D. A. Oszkiewicz, W. Thuillot, P. Mahajani, and A. Sule. This meeting was managed by Junichi Watanabe, the current C22 Vice-President. The summary of the meeting is described.
COMMISSION 51: BIOASTRONOMY
Authors: Irvine William , Ehrenfreund Pascale , Boss Alan , Cosmovici Cristiano , Kwok Sun , Levasseur-Regourd Anny-Chantal , Morrison David , Udry Stephane
Published: May 2010

Commission 51 met on August 12, 2009. Outgoing President Alan Boss chaired the meeting, and there were several dozen members present, including incoming President William Irvine, incoming Vice President Pascale Ehrenfreund, and outgoing Past President Karen Meech. Commission 51 (C51) was re-authorized for a term of six more years at the 2006 Prague General Assembly of the IAU, and hence comes up for renewal at the 2012 IAU General Assembly in Beijing, China.
COMMISSION 53: EXTRA-SOLAR PLANETS
Authors: Boss Alan , Lecavelier des Etangs Alain , Mayor Michel , Bodenheimer Peter , Collier-Cameron Andrew , Kokubo Eiichiro , Mardling Rosemary , Minniti Dante , Queloz Didier
Published: May 2010

Commission 53 met in August 12, 2009. Outgoing President Michel Mayor chaired the meeting, and there were several dozen members present, including incoming President Alan Boss, incoming Vice President Alain Lecavelier des Etangs. Commission 53 (C53) was founded at the 2006 Prague General Assembly of the IAU. After a period of 6 years, C53 will come up for renewal at the 2012 IAU General Assembly in Beijing, China. For the moment, more than 150 IAU members have asked to be members of C53 and few dozen non-IAU members having asked to be informed of the commission activity.
DIVISION IV: STARS
Authors: Spite Monique , Corbally Christopher , Dravins Dainis , Allen Christine , d'Antona Francesca , Giridhar Sunetra , Landstreet John , Parthasarathy Mudumba
Published: May 2010

During the General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro the Division IV meeting, and the meetings of the participating working groups and commissions, were held on thursday 6th (session 1 and 2) and friday 7th (sessions 1, 2, 3, 4).
COMMISSION 26: DOUBLE AND MULTIPLE STARS
Authors: Allen Christine , Docobo Jose A. , Hartkopf William I. , Balega Yuri I. , Davis John , Mason Brian D. , Oblak Edouard , Oswalt Terry D. , Pourbaix Dimitri , Scarfe Colin D.
Published: May 2010

The business meeting of Commission 26 was held on Friday, 7 August 2009, and consisted mainly of scientific talks. At the end, incoming President J. A. Docobo gave a video presentation with his thoughts regarding future activities of Commission 26, including the comments of members of the OC. He also announced a December 2009 workshop and discussed potential meetings in the coming years.
COMMISSION 35: STELLAR CONSTITUTION
Authors: Charbonnel Corinne , Limongi Marco , D'Antona Franca , Fontaine Gilles , Isern Jordi , Lattanzio John , Leitherer Claus , Van Loon Jacco , Weiss Achim , Yungelson Lev
Published: May 2010

A business meeting of the IAU Commission 35 was held during the GA in Rio on Friday, August 7, 2009, with a few members of the Commission in attendance. Special care will be taken to have more members attending the BM at the next GA in Bejing in 2012. The points discussed during the BM are summarized below and are posted on the C35 website http://iau-c35.stsci.edu.
DIVISION IV/V WORKING GROUP on ACTIVE B STARS
Authors: Peters Geraldine J. , Jones Carol E. , Townsend Richard D. , Fabregat Juan , Bjorkman Karen S. , McSwain M. Virginia , Mennickent Ronald E. , Neiner Coralie , Stee Philippe , Fabregat Juan
Published: May 2010

The meeting of the Working Group on Active B Stars consisted of a business session followed by a scientific session containing nine talks. The titles of the talks and their presenters are listed below. We plan to publish a series of articles containing summaries of these talks in Issue No. 40 of the Be Star Newsletter. This report contains an account of the announcements made during the business session, an update on a forthcoming IAU Symposium on active B stars, a report on the status of the Be Star Newsletter, the results of the 2009 election of the SOC for the Working Group for 2009-12, a listing of the Working Group bylaws that were recently adopted, and a list of the scientific talks that we presented at the meeting.
DIVISION V: VARIABLE STARS
Authors: Gimenez Alvaro , Kawaler Steven , Christensen-Dalsgaard Jørgen , Breger Michel , Guinan Edward , Rucinski Slavek
Published: May 2010

Division V organized a brief Business meeting during the XXVIIth General Assembly, prior to Business meetings (reported separately) of Commissions 27 and 42. The Division V Business Meeting began at 11:00 on 5 August 2009.
COMMISSION 42: CLOSE BINARIES
Authors: Rucinski Slavek M. , Ribas Ignasi , Giménez Alvaro , Harmanec Petr , Hilditch Ronald W. , Kaluzny Janusz , Niarchos Panayiotis , Nordström Birgitta , Oláh Katalin , Richards Mercedes T. , Scarfe Colin D. , Sion Edward M. , Torres Guillermo , Vrielmann Sonja
Published: May 2010

During the commission business session, the past President presented the new Organizing Committee which was selected by the OC through a e-mail vote conducted during the months before the Rio de Janeiro General Assembly. The new OC will consist of Ignasi Ribas (President), Mercedes Richards (Vice President), and Slavek Rucinski (Past President) with the members: David Bradstreet, Petr Harmanec, Janusz Kaluzny, Joanna Mikolajewska, Ulisse Munari, Panos Niarchos, Katalin Olah, Theo Pribulla, Colin Scarfe and Guillermo Torres.
DIVISION VI: INTERSTELLAR MATTER
Authors: Millar Tom , Chu You-Hua , Dyson John , Breitschwerdt Dieter , Burton Mike , Cabrit Sylvie , Caselli Paola , de Gouveia Dal Pino Elisabete , Ferland Gary , Juvela Mika , Koo Bon-Chul , Kwok Sun , Lizano Susana , Rozyczka Michal , Tóth Viktor , Tsuboi Masato , Yang Ji
Published: May 2010

The business meeting of Division VI was held on Monday 10 October 2009. Apologies had been received in advance from D Breitschwerdt, P Caselli, G Ferland, M Juvela, S Lizano, M Rozyczka, V Tóth, M Tsuboi, J Yang and B-C Koo.
DIVISION VII: THE GALACTIC SYSTEM
Authors: Gerhard Ortwin , Hatzidimitriou Despina , Whitelock Patricia A. , Lada Charles J. , Sarajedini Ata , Wyse Rosemary F. , Lazio Joseph
Published: May 2010

Division VII provides a forum for astronomers studying the Milky Way Galaxy and its constituents. Several meetings directly relevant to his subject were held at the General Assembly in Rio: IAU Symp. 262 Stellar Populations, IAU Symp. 265 Chemical Abundances in the Universe, IAU Symp. 266 Star Clusters, Joint Discussion 5 Modeling the Milky Way in the Era of Gaia, and Special Session 5 The Galactic Plane. Division VII therefore did not organize a separate science session at Rio, but business meetings were held for both the Division and for Commissions 33 and 37.
COMMISSION 37: STAR CLUSTERS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Authors: Elmegreen Bruce , Carraro Giovanni , Hatzidimitriou Despina , de Grijs Richard , Minniti Dante , Lada Charles , Da Costa Gary , Tosi Monica , Deng Licai , Lee Young-Wook , Sarajedini Ata
Published: May 2010

The business session for Commission 37 was held on 11 August 2009 at the IAU General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro. The meeting was attended by about a dozen members of our Comission, including President Elmegreen, VP Carraro and several committee members. We introduced ourselves and then went through a powerpoint presentation first prepared by outgoing President Hatzidimitriou and revised by incoming President Elmegreen. The contents of the powerpoint presentation are given in this summary.
COMMISSION 25: STELLAR PHOTOMETRY AND POLARIMETRY
Authors: Martinez Peter , Milone Eugene , Landolt Arlo , Jordi Carme , Mironov Aleksey , Shenbang Qian , Schmidt Edward , Sterken Christiaan
Published: May 2010

The Business Meeting for Commission 25 was held on the 6th of August 2009. The meeting was chaired by Dr Eugene Milone, Vice President for the 2006-2009 triennium, and incoming President for the 2009-2011 triennium. Dr Milone presented an apology from the President of the Commission, Dr Peter Martinez, who was unable to attend the meeting.
DIVISION IX / COMMISSION 25 / WORKING GROUP: INFRARED ASTRONOMY
Authors: Milone Eugene F. , Young Andrew T. , Bell Roger A. , Bessell Michael , Boyl Richard P. , Cohen Martin , Fry David J.I. , Garrison Robert , Garrison Robert , Glass Ian S. , Graham John , Granada Anahi , Hillenbrand Lynn , Kurucz Robert L. , McLean Ian , Mountain Matthew , Riecke George , Riffel Rogerio , Samec Ronald G. , Schiller Stephen J. , Simons Douglas , Skrutskie Michael , Stagg C. Russell , Sterken Christiaan L. , Thompson Roger I. , Tokunaga Alan , Volk Kevin , Wing Robert
Published: May 2010

The formal origin of the IRWG occured at the Buenos Aires General Assembly, following a Joint Commission meeting at the IAU GA in Baltimore in 1988 that identified the problems with ground-based infrared photometry. The situation is summarized in Milone (1989). In short, the challenges involved how to explain the failure to achieve the milli-magnitude precision expected of infrared photometry and an apparent 3% limit on system transformability. The proposed solution was to redefine the broadband Johnson system, the passbands of which had proven so unsatisfactory that over time effectively different systems proliferated, although bearing the same JHKLMNQ designations; the new system needed to be better positioned and centered in the atmospheric windows of the Earth's atmosphere, and the variable water vapour content of the atmosphere needed to be measured in real time to better correct for atmospheric extinction.
DIVISION X: RADIO ASTRONOMY
Authors: Nan Ren-Dong , Taylor Russ , Rodriguez Luis F. , Chapman Jessica , Dubner Gloria , Garrett Michael , Goss W. Miller , Torrelles Jose M. , Hirabayashi Hisashi , Carilli Chris , Hills Richard , Shastri Prajval
Published: May 2010

The business meeting of Division X in the IAU 2009GA took place in three sessions during the day of August 6, 2009. The meeting, being well attended, started with the approval for the meeting agenda. Then the triennium reports were made in the first session by the president of Division X, Ren-Dong Nan, and by the chairs of three working groups: “Historic Radio Astronomy WG” by Wayne Orchiston, “Astrophysically Important Lines WG” by Masatoshi Ohishi, and “Global VLBI WG” by Tasso Tzioumis (proxy chair appointed by Steven Tingay). Afterwards, a dozen reports from observatories and worldwide significant projects have been presented in the second session. Business meeting of “Interference Mitigation WG” was located in the third session.
DIVISION X WORKING GROUP on RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE MITIGATION
Authors: Tzioumis Tasso , Baan Willem , Emerson Darrel , Ohishi Masatoshi , Gergely Tomas , Fisher Rick , Ponsoby John , Boonstra JAlbert-Jan , Ekers Ron , van Driel Wim , Zhang Haiyan
Published: May 2010

The IAU Working Group on Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Mitigation was setup in the 2000 IAU GA in Manchester and its mandate was renewed at subsequent IAU GAs in 2003 and 2006. It was noted that that there are important issues related to RFI mitigation that extend beyond the regulatory function of IUCAF, and hence a more extended working group, which may include IUCAF members, was established.
DIVISION XII BUSINESS MEETINGS
Authors: Smith Malcolm G. , Genova Francoise , Anderson Johannes , Federman Steven R. , Gilmore Alan C. , Nha Il-Seong , Norris Raymond P. , Robson Ian E. , Stavinschi Magda G. , Trimble Virginia L. , Wainscoat Richard J.
Published: May 2010

Brief meetings were held to confirm the elections of the incoming Division President, Francoise Genova and Vice President, Ray Norris along with the Organizing Committee which will consist of the incoming Presidents of the 7 Commissions (5,6,14,41,46,50 and 55) plus additional nominated members. The incoming Organizing Committee will thus consist of:
COMMISSION 5: DOCUMENTATION AND ASTRONOMICAL DATA
Authors: Norris Ray P. , Ohishi Masatoshi , Genova Franoise , Grothkopf Uta , Hanisch Bob , Malkov Oleg , Pence William , Schmitz Marion , Zhou Xu
Published: May 2010

Commission 5 and its working groups have continued to operate at a high level of activity over the last three years. In an era when the volume of astronomical data generated by next-generation instruments continues to increase dramatically, and data centres and data tools become increasingly central to front-line astronomical research, the activities of Commission 5 are becoming even more significant. However, most of the activities of Commission 5 take place through its working groups. That was reflected in the meetings at the IAU GA, where there was only one short Business Meeting of the Commission as a whole, but several vigorous meetings of the working groups.
COMMISSION 6: ASTRONOMICAL TELEGRAMS
Authors: Gilmore A. C. , Samus N. N. , Aksnes K. , Green D. W. E. , Marsden B. G. , Nakano S. , Roemer E. , Ticha J. , Yamaoka H.
Published: May 2010

The President verbally reported that the only scientific matter that he dealt with during the triennium as an appeal over the withholding of a supernova designation from an object observed only in the infra-red with no supporting spectrum.
COMMISSION 41: HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY
Authors: Il-Seong Nha , Ruggles Clive , Gurshtein Alexander , DeVorkin David , de Jong Teije , Kochhar Rajesh , Nakamura Tsuko , Orchiston Wayne , Videira Antonio A. P. , Warner Brian
Published: May 2010

The Business Meeting of Commission 41 was held in Sessions 2 on 5 August 2009, with Acting President Clive Ruggles (UK) in the Chair. He called for a moment of silence for those members who had passed away in the last triennium, including Prof. Xi Zezong (b. 1927, d. 2008 Dec 27) and Prof. Chen Meidong (b. 1936, d. 2008 Dec 30).
COMMISSION 41 WORKING GROUP on ASTRONOMY AND WORLD HERITAGE
Authors: Ruggles Clive , Wolfschmidt Gudrun , Badolati Ennio , Batten Alan , Belmonte Juan , Bhathal Ragbir , Brosche Peter , Dbarbat Suzanne , DeVorkin David , Duerbeck Hilmar W. , Epifania Priscilla , Ferlet Roger , Funes Jos , Glass Ian S. , Griffin Elizabeth , Gurshtein Alexander , Hearnshaw John , Helou George , Hidayat Bambang , Hockey Thomas , Holbrook Jarita , Incerti Manuela , Kepler S. O. , Kochhar Rajesh , Krupp Edwin C. , Locher Kurt , Maglova-Stoeva Penka , Mickaelian Areg , Pettersen Bjorn R. , Pineda de Caras Mara Cristina , Pinigin Gennadiy , Pompeia Luciana , Pozhalova Zhanna , Yun-li Shi , Simonia Irakli , Le Guet Tully Francoise , Wainscoat Richard
Published: May 2010

What follows is a short report on the Business Meeting of the Astronomy and World Heritage Working Group held on Thursday August 6, 2009. This was the first formal Business Meeting of the Working Group since its formation following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the IAU and UNESCO on Astronomy and World Heritage in October 2008.
COMMISSION 46: ASTRONOMY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Stavinschi Magda D. , Ros Rosa M. , Pasachoff Jay M. , Andersen Johannes , Deustua Susana , de Greve Jean-Pierre , Guinan Edward F. , Haubold Hans J. , Earnshaw John B. , Jones Barrie W. , Kochhar Rajesh K. , Leung Kam-Ching , Marschall Laurence A. , Percy John R. , Torres-Peimbert Silvia
Published: May 2010

Commission 46 had held two sessions of business meetings during the General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro. Both of them were chaired by Magda Stavinschi.
COMMISSION 50: PROTECTION OF EXISTING AND POTENTIAL OBSERVING SITES
Authors: van Driel Wim , Green Richard , Wainscoat Richard , del Castillo Elizabeth Alvarez , Blanco Carlo , Crawford Dave , Metaxa Margarita , Ohishi Masatoshi , Sullivan Woody , Tzioumis Tasso
Published: May 2010

The past President of Division XII, Malcolm Smith, took the chair of the business meeting of C50, in the absence of the past President of C50, Richard Wainscoat. He described the procedure of the election in 2006 of the then-time vice-president of C50, Richard Wainscoat, as President of C50, after the untimely deatch of the then-time C50 President, Hugo Schwarz. He also described the procedure for electing the incoming OC members and officers.
COMMISSION 55: COMMUNICATING ASTRONOMY WITH THE PUBLIC
Authors: Robson Ian E. , Crabtree Dennis R. , Christensen Lars Lindberg , Pomares Oscar Alvarez , Neto Augusto Damineli , Fienberg Richard T. , Green Anne , Kembhavi Ajit K. , Nordström Birgitta , Sekiguchi Kazuhiro , Whitelock Patricia Ann , Zhu Jin
Published: May 2010

Since its formation at the XXVI General Assembly in Prague in 2006, amazing progress has been made by Commission 55, all due to the work of the key activists and enthusiasts. The web-page for the Commission contains a wealth of information and is one of the key foundations and tools for the Commission. The web address is http://www.communicatingastronomy.org
Penetration of the convection and overshielding electric fields to the equatorial ionosphere during a quasiperiodic DP 2 geomagnetic fluctuation event
Authors: Kikuchi T. , Ebihara Y. , Hashimoto K. K. , Kataoka R. , Hori T. , Watari S. , Nishitani N.
Published: May 2010

The convection electric field penetrates to the equatorial ionosphere with no significant shielding during DP 2 fluctuation events with periods of 30–60 min (Nishida, 1968) and even during the main phase of a storm that continues over several hours (Huang et al., 2007). On the other hand, shielding becomes effective in 20 min during the substorm growth phase (Somayajulu et al., 1987), and in 1 h during the main phase of a storm (Kikuchi et al., 2008a). To clarify the relative contributions of the convection and shielding electric fields at middle to equatorial latitudes, we analyzed an equatorial DP 2 fluctuation event of 30 min duration, using magnetometer data, Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) convection maps, and electric potentials calculated with the comprehensive ring current model (CRCM). The equatorial DP 2 fluctuations were found to be caused by alternating eastward electrojets (e‐EJ) and westward electrojets (w‐EJ) in the equatorial ionosphere, which were caused by the southward and northward interplanetary magnetic field, respectively. Using the SuperDARN convection map, we further show that the e‐EJ is associated with large‐scale two‐cell convection vortices, while the w‐EJ accompanies reverse flow vortices equatorward of the two‐cell vortices. With the aid of the CRCM, we suggest that the reverse flow vortices were associated with the region 2 field‐aligned currents (R2 FACs) that caused overshielding at the equator. We think it reasonable that the overshielding electric field could appear at middle to equatorial latitudes irrespective of the period of fluctuations as the region 1 FACs decrease their intensity. This scenario well explains both DP 2 fluctuations with periods of 30–60 min and continuous penetration for several hours during the main phase of storms.
Mercury emissions from forest burning in southern Amazon
Authors: Michelazzo Paula Albernaz Machado , Fostier Anne Hélène , Magarelli Gabriella , Santos José Carlos , de Carvalho João Andrade
Published: May 2010

Several recent studies have indicated that forest fires are likely to re‐emit important quantities of atmospherically deposited mercury (Hg) to the atmosphere. Although the Amazon forest accounts for approximately 25% of the world's total rainforest, few data are available about these emissions. The emissions of mercury from prescribed fires of two 4‐ha plots of Amazon forest were investigated. Hg concentration and Hg burden were determined for vegetation, litter and soil before and after the fires. The data show that only Hg present in the aboveground vegetation and in the O‐horizon was volatilised; no significant soil emission was observed. Before the fire, the Hg stored in the vegetation (logs, branches, leaves and litter) ranged from 3.7 to 4.0 g ha−1 while 1.8 g ha−1 was found in the O‐horizon. The mass balance calculations of the present work indicate an average Hg emission of 3.5 g ha−1 due to forest fires, with 1.6 ha−1 originating from O‐horizon and 1.9 from above ground vegetation. On the base of the average annual deforestation rate of the Brazilian Amazon between 2000 and 2008, an annual Hg emission of 6.7 Mg yr−1 was estimated.
Storm time observations of electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves at geosynchronous orbit: GOES results
Authors: Fraser B. J. , Grew R. S. , Morley S. K. , Green J. C. , Singer H. J. , Loto'aniu T. M. , Thomsen M. F.
Published: May 2010

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves may contribute to ring current ion and radiation belt electron losses, and theoretical studies suggest these processes may be most effective during the main phase of geomagnetic storms. However, ground‐based signatures of EMIC waves, Pc1–Pc2 geomagnetic pulsations, are observed more frequently during the recovery phase. We investigate the association of EMIC waves with various storm phases in case and statistical studies of 22 geomagnetic storms over 1996–2003, with an associated Dst < −30 nT. High‐resolution data from the GOES 8, 9, and 10 geosynchronous satellite magnetometers provide information on EMIC wave activity in the 0–1 Hz band over ±3 days with respect to storm onset, defined as commencement of the negative excursion of Dst. Thirteen of 22 storms showed EMIC waves occurring during the main phase. In case studies of two storms, waves were seen with higher intensity in the main phase in one and the recovery phase in the other. Power spectral densities up to 500 nT2 Hz−1 were similar in prestorm, storm, and early recovery phases. Superposed epoch analysis of the 22 storms shows 78% of wave events during the main phase occurred in the He+ band. After storm onset the main phase contributed only 29% of events overall compared to 71% during recovery phase, up to 3 days. Some differences between storms were found to be dependent on the solar wind driver. Plasma plumes or an inflated plasmasphere may contribute to enhancing EMIC wave activity at geosynchronous orbit.
Rheology and microstructure of (Ca0.9,Sr0.1)TiO3 perovskite deformed in compression and torsion
Authors: Mecklenburgh Julian , Heidelbach Florian , Mariani Elisabetta , Mackwell Stephen , Seifert Friedrich
Published: May 2010

Polycrystalline samples of (Ca0.9,Sr0.1)TiO3 were synthesized from high‐purity oxides yielding samples with <1% porosity and grain sizes between 10 and 100 μm. These samples were used to study the rheological properties of the tetragonal and cubic phases of (Ca,Sr)TiO3. Data from compression experiments performed over a temperature range spanning the tetragonal to cubic phase transition show a change from a power law rheology at high stresses and large grain sizes to a linear‐viscous rheology at low stresses and small grain sizes. The best fit flow law is = 100.6σ5.3 exp(−521 kJ mol−1/RT) + 108.4 (σ/z1.4)exp(−627 kJ mol−1/RT), where z (m) is the grain size parameter which includes the median grain size and the standard deviation of the grain size distribution and σ is in MPa. Microstructures from of both torsion and compression experiments point to grain boundary and cooperative grain boundary sliding accommodating ∼80% of the sample strain in both the power law and linear viscous fields. Misorientation axes align parallel to the kinematic axis of the imposed deformation in both compression and torsion tests. The crystallographic preferred orientations (CPO) are weak for both torsion and compression experiments but point to 〈100〉pc as the dominant Burger's vectors. We propose that our samples deform by grain boundary sliding accommodated by diffusion at low stresses and small grain sizes and grain boundary sliding accommodated by dislocation creep at high stresses and large grain sizes. Such deformation mechanisms will not lead to a significant CPO and hence would not create a substantial seismic anisotropy. Under the conditions investigated, little change in rheological behavior was observed across the tetragonal to cubic phase transformation of perovskite.
Estimation of the fluence of high‐energy electron bursts produced by thunderclouds and the resulting radiation doses received in aircraft
Authors: Dwyer J. R. , Smith D. M. , Uman M. A. , Saleh Z. , Grefenstette B. , Hazelton B. , Rassoul H. K.
Published: May 2010

Using recent X‐ray and gamma‐ray observations of terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) from spacecraft and of natural and rocket‐triggered lightning from the ground, along with detailed models of energetic particle transport, we calculate the fluence (integrated flux) of high‐energy (million electronvolt) electrons, X rays, and gamma rays likely to be produced inside or near thunderclouds in high electric field regions. We find that the X‐ray/gamma‐ray fluence predicted for lightning leaders propagating inside thunderclouds agrees well with the fluence calculated for TGFs, suggesting a possible link between these two phenomena. Furthermore, based on reasonable meteorological assumptions about the magnitude and extent of the electric fields, we estimate that the fluence of high‐energy runaway electrons can reach biologically significant levels at aircraft altitudes. If an aircraft happened to be in or near the high‐field region when either a lightning discharge or a TGF event is occurring, then the radiation dose received by passengers and crew members inside that aircraft could potentially approach 0.1 Sv (10 rem) in less than 1 ms. Considering that commercial aircraft are struck by lightning, on average, one to two times per year, the risk of such large radiation doses should be investigated further.
Mount St. Helens: A 30‐Year Legacy of Volcanism
Authors: Vallance James W. , Gardner Cynthia A. , Scott William E. , Iverson Richard M. , Pierson Thomas C.
Published: May 2010

The spectacular eruption of Mount St. Helens on 18 May 1980 electrified scientists and the public. Photodocumentation of the colossal landslide, directed blast, and ensuing eruption column—which reached as high as 25 kilometers in altitude and lasted for nearly 9 hours—made news worldwide. Reconnaissance of the devastation spurred efforts to understand the power and awe of those moments (Figure 1).

The eruption remains a seminal historical event—studying it and its aftermath revolutionized the way scientists approach the field of volcanology. Not only was the eruption spectacular, but also it occurred in daytime, at an accessible volcano, in a country with the resources to transform disaster into scientific opportunity, amid a transformation in digital technology. Lives lost and the impact of the eruption on people and infrastructure downstream and downwind made it imperative for scientists to investigate events and work with communities to lessen losses from future eruptions.
Haiti Quake Increased Stress Along Fault
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: May 2010

The destructive magnitude 7.0 earthquake that ruptured a 40‐kilometer segment of the Enriquillo fault 15 kilometers from Port au Prince, Haiti, on 12 January 2010 has dangerously increased the failure stress on an adjacent eastern segment of that fault, according to research presented on 3 May at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna, Austria.

Jian Lin, a senior scientist with the Geology and Geophysics Department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in Massachusetts, explained that the Haiti quake brought the eastern segment about 2–5 bars closer to failure. With 1 bar equal to atmospheric pressure at sea level, a 2‐to5‐bar increase may not seem significant, Lin said. However, the fault has not ruptured for about 240 years, and it has built up about 1.5–2 meters of stress, at an estimated rate of 7–8 millimeters per year. An increase of just a few bars could act as a trigger, he said. “It's just like your car is on the edge. Now just give a kick and it's going to fall,” he told Eos.
Scientists Sift Through Urban Soils
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: May 2010

City soil gets tramped on, dumped on, and pushed around, but some soil scientists are carefully examining what is underfoot in urban areas. During a 3 May session on urban soils at the European Geosciences Union's General Assembly in Vienna, Austria, scientists discussed various aspects of city dirt.

In a presentation about the large amount of rubble from buildings that were bombed during World War II, Beate Mekiffer with the Soil Protection Group at the Berlin Institute of Technology, Germany, noted that the sulfate concentration in Berlin's upper aquifer has increased continuously for decades. Many areas in Berlin now exceed a 240‐milligram‐per‐liter “precaution value” for sulfate in drinking water, according to Mekiffer.
Irene K. Fischer (1907–2009)
Authors: Morrison Foster , Chovitz Bernard , Fischer Michael M. J.
Published: May 2010

Irene Kaminka Fischer, a prominent geodesist whose career spanned the years 1952–1977, died on 22 October 2009 at the age of 102 at an assisted living facility in Brighton, Mass. Born in Vienna, Austria, on 27 July 1907, Irene grew up there; graduating with a degree in mathematics from the Vienna Institute of Technology; and met and married her husband, Eric, a noted geographer.
Han Receives 2009 Geodesy Section Award
Authors: Ray Richard D. , Jekeli Christopher
Published: May 2010

It gives us great pleasure to see Shin‐Chan Han receive AGU's 2009 Geodesy Section Award, presented to a young scientist for major advances in the field of geodesy.

Shin‐Chan burst upon the geodetic scene just before the launch of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, and the timing could not have been more propitious—both for Shin‐Chan and for the GRACE project. His doctoral thesis at Ohio State University dealt with efficient methods for determining gravity from satellite‐to‐satellite tracking data, of the sort GRACE was soon providing. Soon thereafter a remarkable series of papers began to appear, as Shin‐Chan exploited the new time‐variable gravity measurements for applications ranging from surface water hydrology, to earthquake deformation, to ocean tides. All of these used new and highly original methods for extracting signals from the basic satellite tracking data. His analysis of the gravity changes associated with the great 2004 Sumatra earthquake was a revelation to many, for it emphasized the power of satellite gravity data to complement seismology, for example, by constraining the long‐wavelength viscoelastic relaxation and subsequent stress redistribution.
Mölg Receives 2009 Cryosphere Young Investigator Award
Authors: Kaser Georg , Mölg Thomas
Published: May 2010

Thomas Mölg received the 2009 Cryosphere Young Investigator Award at the 2009 AGU Fall Meeting, held 14–18 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award is for a significant contribution to cryospheric science and technology.
Sodium chloride as a geophysical probe of a subsurface ocean on Enceladus
Authors: Glein Christopher R. , Shock Everett L.
Published: May 2010

Recent data from the Cassini spacecraft suggest that an ocean exists inside Saturn's satellite Enceladus. Here, we show that the size of an ocean can be estimated if the NaCl concentration of the ocean is known. We find that concentrations of aqueous NaCl reported by Postberg et al. (2009) imply a relatively large ocean, comprising at least 17% by mass of volatiles on Enceladus. Structural calculations indicate that this ocean would underlie more of Enceladus' surface than just the geologically active south polar region, consistent with modeling of localized tidal dissipation. Conduction calculations suggest that a half‐global ocean can be maintained by steady‐state tidal heating, provided that clathrate hydrate dominates Enceladus' ice shell. We also find that rapid freezing of oceanic water could release large fluxes of stored tidal heat, perhaps partly explaining the anomalous energy output of Enceladus. An alternative, saltier ocean model is also examined.
A rate‐ and state‐dependent ductile flow law of polycrystalline halite under large shear strain and implications for transition to brittle deformation
Authors: Noda Hiroyuki , Shimamoto Toshihiko
Published: May 2010

We have conducted double‐shear biaxial deformation experiments in layers of NaCl within its fully‐plastic (FP) regime up to large shear strains (γ < 50) with velocity steps. From this, we have empirically formulated a rate‐ and state‐dependent flow law which explains the transient mechanical behavior. The steady state flow stress in the FP regime can be explained by a power‐law with a stress exponent ∼8.5 and an activation enthalpy of ∼1.3 eV, with the instantaneous response having a higher stress exponent (13 ± 8), although there is data scatter. The transition to brittle regime is associated with weakening from the ductile flow law. In FP regime, the mechanical response is characterized by a monotonic decay to a new steady state while in the transitional regime, by a peak‐decay behavior. The transient flow law obtained here is of considerable importance in the study of the brittle‐ductile transition in rocks.
Sea surface slope as a proxy for Agulhas Current strength
Authors: van Sebille Erik , Beal Lisa M. , Biastoch Arne
Published: May 2010

The linear relation between the strength of the Agulhas Current at nominal latitude 34°S and the gradient in sea level height anomaly across the current is investigated in a 1/10° resolution regional numerical ocean model. Our results show that the strength of the current can be estimated with reasonable accuracy using altimeter data, once it has been calibrated using in‐situ transport measurements. Three years of transport measurements provide a calibration with worst‐case correlation R = 0.78. In that case the errors in proxy transport have a standard deviation of 9.8 Sv, compared to a 20.2 Sv standard deviation of the transport time series itself. From these results we conclude that the design of the Agulhas Current Timeseries (ACT) experiment, a three‐year deployment of moorings across the Agulhas Current and along a TOPEX/Jason altimeter ground track, will likely produce a good quality multi‐decadal time series of Agulhas Current strength.
Detection of visible lightning on Saturn
Authors: Dyudina U. A. , Ingersoll A. P. , Ewald S. P. , Porco C. C. , Fischer G. , Kurth W. S. , West R. A.
Published: May 2010

Until now, evidence for lightning on Saturn has been indirect – through radio emissions and cloud morphology. Here we report the first visible detection of lightning, on the night side on August 17, 2009 at −36.4° ± 0.1° planetocentric latitude and 10.6° ± 0.9° west longitude. No other locations produced lightning detectable by either imaging or radio. The lightning images are consistent with a single cloud flashing once per minute. The visible energy of a single flash is comparable to that on Earth and Jupiter, and ranges up to 1.7 × 109 Joules. The diameter of the lightning flashes is ∼200 km, which suggests the lightning is 125–250 km below cloud tops. This depth is above the base of the liquid H2O‐NH3 cloud and may be either in the NH4SH cloud or in the H2O ice cloud. Saturn's lower internal heat transport and likely 5–10 fold enrichment of water largely explain the lower occurrence rate of moist convection on Saturn relative to Jupiter.
Big, small or mezzo?
Authors: Vermeulen Niki , Parker John N , Penders Bart
Published: May 2010

Whether scientists like it or not, big science is here to stay. The authors argue that, instead of discussing its problems and risks for small research projects, scientists and funders should devise new ways of how to use and combine small, ‘mezzo’ and big research projects to achieve maximum efficiency.
Checkpoint recovery after DNA damage: a rolling stop for CDKs
Authors: Duursma Anja M , Cimprich Karlene A
Published: May 2010

The cell cycle machinery has to be arrested for efficient repair of DNA damage. A paper in this issue of EMBO reports demonstrates that residual CDK activity is nevertheless required during arrest for activation of FoxM1, which is essential for cell‐cycle progression after the damage has been repaired.