bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Note from the section president
Authors: Spiess Fred
Published: September 2022

The new, less formal Section News format for Eos provides an opportunity to initiate discussions and provide information about the affairs and operations of our section. I intend to take advantage of this with occasional “Notes from the President,” which I hope will stimulate responses from readers. To facilitate communication in general, I urge any of you who have ideas that might be useful to use our Executive Committee Telemail address, OC.EXEC, as a comment/suggestion box.

The change of Eos format and editorial approach itself makes a good first topic. Among other things, in order to make the Union's weekly newspaper more timely and of more general interest, the new approach discourages long articles for limited audiences. At the same time, by including space every week for short, section‐related items, it is hoped that response times for bringing out new ideas will be improved. Our section has felt the result of the change more directly than others, since it meant the demise of the predictable, monthly Oceanography Report, which often consisted of longer items of interest primarily to groups within a part of the Ocean Sciences.
Volcanism and global change conference set for 1992
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Papers are solicited for the AGU Chapman Conference on Climate, Volcanism, and Global Change, to be held March 23–27, 1992, in Hilo, Hawaii. Conference conveners are Stephen Self, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Richard P. Turco, University of California, Los Angeles.

Papers should focus on areas related to volcanic eruption dynamics and geochemistry, dispersion and removal of volcanogenic aerosols, effects on the atmosphere and climate, and signatures in sediments, ice cores, and tree rings. The conference will bring together a broad range of geophysicists whose research or interests involve volcanic eruptions and their impact. Results obtained from investigations of the El Chichón 1982 event and its aftermath are of particular interest for sessions dedicated to this specific, well‐documented atmospheric perturbation.
Appropriating the Weather
Authors: Gillmor C. Stewart
Published: September 2022

Technology, it is said, is more parochial than science. In this view, technology is constructed by specific cultures to fit specific needs: while the science of physics is universal, there are a thousand ways to dig dirt from the ground or to build a house. But is this true? In his book, Friedman shows us that at least the study of science is approached differently from one culture to another and that social, political, and economic aspects lead one people or nation or world region to emphasize different areas of science. From Per Kalm (a Swedish naturalist who collected auroral observations before 1750) to Hannes Alfven, the Scandinavians have studied the Northern sea and the Northern sky.
Flawed GOES satellite discussed in Senate
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: September 2022

The near‐crisis situation caused by technical problems with the GOES‐7 satellite recently caused the Senate to express a willingness to provide $110 million to the Hughes Space and Communications Group to deliver a satellite quickly. The plan would involve a presidential declaration of emergency to either build a simpler satellite or purchase one currently being built by Hughes for Japan.

In an unprecedented action, a special hearing on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES program was called by the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary and Related Agencies Appropriations on July 10.
Remarks from the section president
Authors: Marsh Bruce D.
Published: September 2022

VGP remains strong, healthy, and growing in number of abstracts submitted to each meeting. The recent Spring Meeting was the largest AGU meeting ever to be held on the East Coast. The next Spring Meeting will be held in Montreal, May 11–15, 1992. It's not too early to begin planning special sessions. Special sessions are extremely important to the well‐being of sections. They focus attention on timely research directions and are fun to organize and attend. For more information on program arrangements for special sessions, contact Randy Van Schmus, Dept. of Geology, University of Kansas; tel. 913‐864‐3676.
U.S. policy on CO2 reduction criticized
Authors: Bush Susan
Published: September 2022

In a recent Congressional hearing, members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee criticized the United States for failing to take action to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, despite scientific evidence that the greenhouse gas contributes to global warming. The Committee met July 17 to review technologies and strategies for addressing global warming.

Following close on the heels of a pronouncement by British environment secretary Michael Heseltine, reported in the July 14 issue of the Washington Post, that Britain will no longer automatically side with the United States on the global warming issue, committee chairman George E. Brown, Jr. (D‐Calif.) said that “while many industrialized nations have adopted specific targets and timetables for curbing carbon dioxide emissions, the United States has resisted such an approach, which has resulted in a degree of isolation between our government and other major industrialized nations.”
History of Geophysics, Volume 4
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

This is the fourth volume of a series that was initiated in 1984 upon recommendation of AGU's Committee on the History of Geophysics. The series seeks to gather historical articles from the various AGU journals and present them in collected form for a wide and diverse audience of scientific and historical readers. Volume 3 was based largely upon previously unpublished contributions to the history of hydrology presented at two AGU symposia. The other volumes in the series, including Volume 4, focus on the interests of AGU members—geomagnetism, seismology, space physics, meteorology, tectonics, water resources, and so forth.
Geophysical Atlas of North Atlantic
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

A new resource, Geophysical Atlas of the North Atlantic Between 50 and 72°N and 0 and 65°W, by S. P. Srivastava, D. Voppel, and B. E. Tucholke has been published by Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut, Hamburg, Germany. The atlas consists of a series of colored maps depicting magnetic and gravitational anomalies and sediment thicknesses. Projection is Mercator, with a scale of one in two million.

The atlas also includes a copy of the GEBCO bathymetric map 5.04, showing magnetic lineations on the back of the map; this was specially printed for the atlas by the Canadian Hydrographic Office, Ottawa.
Note on Götz
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Excerpted from an In Memoriam to F.W. Paul Götz by M. Nicolet, Ciel et Terre 71, 35–36, 1955. Translation by M. Baker, member of the Secretariat of the Special Committee for the International Geophysical Year.
New ONR research initiative announced
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The Office of Naval Research announces a new Accelerated Research Initiative (ARI) on the electromagnetic properties of sea ice. The ARI is sponsored by the Ocean Optics, Remote Sensing, Arctic Sciences, Systems and Electromagnetic Theory, and Mathematics Programs. Funding in the FY1993–FY1997 time frame will support innovative research on sea ice interaction with electromagnetic radiation from the microwave through the ultraviolet.

The ARI's goals are: to understand the mechanisms and processes that relate the electromagnetic properties of sea ice to its physical and morphological characteristics; to exploit this understanding to develop and verify predictive models of electromagnetic radiation interaction with sea ice; and to develop and verify mathematical inverse scattering theory using electromagnetic observables to reconstruct sea ice history geophysical properties. A balanced program of theory, laboratory, and Arctic field work is anticipated. The field work will be coordinated with the ONR Arctic Sciences Geodesic Underice Tramway System.
Spring 1991 Meeting outstanding paper
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The Ocean Sciences Committee has presented Andreas Münchow with the Outstanding Student Paper award for a presentation given at the AGU 1991 Spring Meeting, held in Baltimore May 28–31. The award‐winning paper was titled “Implications of Observed Froude, Rossby, and Burger Numbers in a Buoyancy‐Driven Coastal Current.”

The outflow of buoyant waters from major estuaries affects the dynamics of inner continental shelves profoundly. Münchow's paper investigated the the density and velocity field which results from the Delaware Bay outflow on the shelf. The paper presents important dynamical parameters of the flow that will guide future modeling.
Probing the Earth's strength: Can we measure small stress at high pressure?
Authors: Kronenberg Andreas , Kirby Stephen
Published: September 2022

Simulating the conditions and processes that occur in the Earth's deep interior has been a major goal of experimental geophysics since the 1920s. In particular, pioneers such as P. W. Bridgman, David Griggs, Hugh Heard, Mervyn Paterson, William Brace, and their colleagues sought to establish the basic relations between differential stresses and rock and mineral deformation under pressure‐temperature conditions that favor such inelastic processes as brittle fracture, frictional sliding, plastic deformation, and dynamic metamorphism. This work has been applied to diverse problems in the Earth sciences, including the physical nature of earth quake sources, the forces that drive and resist plate movement, deformation under partial‐melting conditions at the tops of mantle plumes, the flexure of the lithosphere, post‐glacial rebound, and the origin of the preferred orientation of minerals and the resultant seismic anisotropy and metamorphic textures.
Joseph Kaplan 1902–1991
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

AGU Fellow Joseph Kaplan, 89, passed away on October 3 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Magellan data released on PDS node
Authors: Dale‐Bannister Mary A. , Arvidson Raymond E.
Published: September 2022

This report summarizes the availability of the Magellan data sets archived by the Planetary Data System Geosciences Node and outlines the charter and duties of the Node. Additional notes will be published in Eos as data sets of wide interest are made available to the community through the Geosciences Node.

NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) is a distributed archive and distribution system in which planetary data and documentation are maintained in direct association with the science community [Lee, 1991]. PDS is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The PDS Geosciences Node serves the needs of investigators in the planetary geology and geophysics and extraterrestrial materials communities.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Bastiaan J. Collette, 61, died recently. He joined AGU (Ocean Sciences) in 1960.

Bernt N. Maehlum died recently at age 62. He joined AGU (Magnetospheric Physics) in 1961.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The latest funding ceiling for NASA's Earth Observing System, $8 billion through the year 2000, was set by a Senate panel on July 31. This is $3 billion less than last year's cap, and half of last year's proposal. Such repeated prunings raise the question of how long the program can keep absorbing cuts and remain viable. Could EOS be, as one observer put it, a 1980s project in a 1990s budget climate?
Scientific communication
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

In striving to stimulate and facilitate communication between geophysical scientists, AGU has built a robust program of publications and meetings that span international and interdisciplinary boundaries. The Union has earned a reputation as a respected scientific society based on the high value and the reasonable prices of AGU's many communications services.
PICES members endure aftershocks at Third Annual Meeting
Authors: Wooster W. S.
Published: September 2022

On October 15–24, 1994, little more than a week after a major earthquake (8.2) struck just 90 km to the east, the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) held its Third Annual Meeting in Nemuro, northern Hokkaido, Japan. The conference center where the meeting was to be held suffered significant damage, but thanks to the prodigious efforts of the people of Nemuro, we convened in the city library and neighboring buildings. More than 200 participants from Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, and the United States experienced daily aftershocks, as they discussed major scientific questions of the subarctic Pacific ocean.

Many of the papers presented concerned the impact of climate‐scale variations in atmospheric and oceanic conditions on ecosystems of the region. A series of review papers on oceanography of the subarctic Pacific introduced a workshop, cosponsored by the Science and Technology Agency of Japan, that led to recommendations for monitoring changes in both physical forcing and ecosystem response.
Eagleson receives Bowie Medal
Authors: Brutsaert Wilfried , Eagleson P. S.
Published: September 2022

The 1994 William Bowie Medal, given by AGU for outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and for unselfish cooperation in research, was presented to Peter S. Eagleson at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony on May 25, 1994, in Baltimore, Md. The award citation and Eagleson's response are given here.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

John N. Andrews died December 1, 1994, at age 64. He had been a member (Hydrology) since 1991.

Duane C. Brown died July 30, 1994, at age 65. He had been a member (Geodesy) since 1961.
Ceara rise sediments document ancient climate change
Authors:   Leg 154 Scientific Party
Published: September 2022

Cores of deep ocean sediment taken from the Ceara Rise located off the coast of Brazil promise to provide important clues to global climate change and ocean circulation over past eras of geological history. In early 1994, scientists working on Leg 154 of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) recovered sediment cores from 5 sites on this feature rising 2 km above the abyssal plain in the western equatorial Atlantic Ocean (Figure 1).

Measurements of the sediment samples indicate a steady decrease in the carbonate content of the sediments after 4.5 Ma, presumably reflecting an increased weathering in the Amazon drainage basin as the Earth's climate evolved and late Pleistocene glaciations became more severe.
Geophysical science in the 1996 Budget: NSF gets qualified good news
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The Clinton Administration is seeking a 3% hike for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in FY 1996. NSF Director Neal Lane characterized the $3.36 billion request as “good news in tight times.” The request, which represents the smallest increase proposed by any recent president, would essentially keep funding flat in real dollars.

However, money within the NSF budget for research and related activities would see a roughly 8% or $174 million increase. Within this $2.45 billion account, NSF is also giving a high priority to supporting individuals and small research groups. This increase would be offset by cuts in education and research facility construction. In the geosciences, NSF estimates that the funding rate for competitive awards would be frozen at about 35% in FY 1996. Both the median and average annuated award size would increase by about 4% to $65,000 and $87,500, respectively.
NASA takes a hit but fuels new initiatives
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Even though NASA would take about a 1.4% hit from current funding levels, NASA plans to hold onto its ambitions to launch some new starts.

For FY 1996, NASA sent Congress a request for $14.26 billion. Science, aeronautics and technology would receive about a 1.1% increase, coming in at about $6 billion, if Clinton gets his way. NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin said that NASA will become “less of an operations agency and more of an R&D agency.”
Clinton keeps pledge for NIST
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Clinton wants a total of $1.023 billion for FY 1996 for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This is a 19.8% increase over the current appropriation.

In keeping with Clinton's belief in high technology as an engine to create jobs and improve competitiveness, the administration has regularly requested significant growth for NIST. In past years, Congress has granted NIST increases—though lower ones than requested. Of late, some key Republicans have taken to task NIST's cooperative efforts with industry. A bill is already in the works in Congress to rescind some of the FY 1995 funding for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), which is one of NIST's technology development and outreach programs.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Alan Bratkovich died January 7, 1995. He had been a member (Ocean Sciences) since 1982.

Parke A. Dickey died at the age of 85. He had been a life member (Hydrology), joining AGU in 1945.
New chief
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

U.S. Geological Survey director Gordon Eaton has picked a new chief geologist: P. Patrick Leahy of Reston, Va. Leahy, who assumed the post about 2 weeks ago, will also head the nation's basic Earth resources and hazards programs, as chief of the Geologic Division of the USGS
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Frank L. Culley died at age 91. He was a retired life member (Geodesy), joining AGU in 1934.

John D. Hem died December 27, 1994, at age 78. He had been a member (Hydrology) since 1943.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Robert S. Dietz died May 19, 1995, at age 80. He had been a member (Ocean Sciences) since 1947.

A. Wendell Engle died March 31, 1995, at age 78. He was a retired life member (Seismology) who joined AGU in 1947.
Ulysses at the pole
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The Ulysses spacecraft, the first probe ever to fly over the poles of the Sun, climbed to its maximum latitude of 80.2° north of the Sun's equator on July 31. Ulysses will begin to descend in latitude as it loops over the Sun's northern polar region.
Breezy reopening
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

NASA has reopened a newly refurbished wind tunnel that began operating nearly 50 years ago. The 12‐foot Pressure Wind Tunnel at the Ames Research Center was built in 1946 and has tested models of most U.S. commercial aircraft in service over the past half century.

The original wind tunnel suffered deterioration of its pressure shell due to extensive use; by 1986, cracks in the tunnel walls had eliminated its pressurization capability. The new wind tunnel was restored at a cost of $115 milion. The project included completely rebuilding the closed‐loop pressure vessel and installing an innovative air lock system around the test section.
Pole‐arity
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

It took 40,000 years of theoretical time, but it finally happened. In a three‐dimensional, dynamically consistent model of the convecting fluid core of the Earth, the geomagnetic pole reversed after 40 millennia. The model of the dynamo at the center of the Earth, which was developed by Gary Glatzmaier of Los Alamos National Laboratory and Paul Roberts of UCLA, simulated the generation of the geomagnetic field by factoring in evolving variables of fluid temperature, density, pressure, velocity, and local magnetic fields in the Earth's core. Using a Cray C‐90 computer and an algorithm of nonlinear equations, the researchers re‐created the Earth's magnetic field for 1‐week spans over the course of 40,000 years. Near the end of the simulation, over a period of a thousand years, the geomagnetic field reversed itself.
Greasing the skids
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Computer dowsers can now do what most human dowsers could not: find oil faster. A new algorithm developed by scientists at the Sandia National Laboratories may allow geologists to find hidden oil and gas reserves in a matter of hours rather than weeks. The computer program known as SALVO speeds the analysis of exploratory sound waves used by oil prospectors, and it is expected to expose fossil fuel reserves in areas once considered uneconomical to explore. In particular, the algorithm corrects for the refraction of sound waves by the salt sheets beneath such bodies of water as the Gulf of Mexico.
Declassified U.S. Navy submarine data aids in Arctic ice study
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

The United States Navy's Cold War maneuvers once again have proven fruitful for science. The Navy's recent declassification of about 20 submarine cruise tracks in the Arctic Ocean—spanning several decades—could provide researchers with a better understanding of how global climate change is affecting the Arctic ice cap, says Mike Ledbetter, National Science Foundation (NSF) program director for Arctic system science.

NSF announced in January that data from one track—an April 1992 trans‐Arctic Ocean track—already has been released, and that the task of sanitizing all of the tracks for military sensitivity and making them available to the public should be completed in about 1 1/2 years.
Microbes on ice
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

Two scientists examining deep ice core samples from the Vostok Station about 1,000 km from the South Pole are peering into the Earth's past and also into a harsh environment that is stretching the understanding of where life can exist.

If life can be found at Vostok, in ice dating up to 400,000 years old, some scientists say that perhaps life could exist in harsh climates on other planets. With the recent discovery that the Jovian moon, Europa, likely harbors ice and slush, and that there may be water on Mars, interest in research at Vostok Station is increasing.
Name games
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

With an increasing number of space missions, NASA occasionally relies on the public—and schoolchildren in particular— to dream up imaginative names. That technique has paid off nicely in the past. Last summer, for instance, the robotic rover that dawdled across the Martian landscape received the name Sojourner, after abolitionist Sojourner Truth, from a teenager who won a naming contest.

NASA currently is holding several name games. AGU and NASA are cosponsoring a contest for schoolchildren in the 8th–12th grades to name the first in a series of Earth Observing System spacecraft, which could be launched as early as the end of 1998. Currently known by the catchy name of EOS‐AM, the satellite will study the Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice, and life as a total integrated system.
Taking the planet's pulse
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

“The world today is warmer, more crowded, more urban, economically richer, and environmentally poorer than ever before,” says Lester Brown, president of Worldwatch Institute, in Vital Signs 1998, an annual report on global environmental trends. “This past year was one of near‐record global economic growth—and of disturbing new signs of environmental stress.” The report cites global population, which increased by an estimated 80 million people during 1997, and the Earth's temperature, which was the warmest since at least 1866— when record keeping began—as signs of concern. In addition, the report says that the expanding global economy brought mixed results that included some sustainable development efforts, but also threats to large parts of the natural world, biodiversity, and local communities.
Congress approves science agency nominees
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

In late July, with the U.S. Congress rushing toward its recess and preparing for the November elections, the Senate confirmed several nominees for key positions in the government. In addition, President Bill Clinton announced his nominee for director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a division of the Department of the Interior.

The Senate confirmed Neal Lane as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Lane also will serve as assistant to the President for science and technology, provide the President with advice in all areas of science and technology policy, and work to coordinate science, space, and technology policy and programs across the federal government. Lane previously was director of the National Science Foundation.
Climate Web sites
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

With the growing interest in extreme climate and weather events, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has set up a one‐stop Web site. It includes data on tornadoes, hurricanes, and heavy rainfall, temperature extremes, global climate change, satellite images, and El Niño and La Niña. The Web address is http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov.

Another good climate Web site is the La Niña Home Page. Set up by the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the site includes forecasts, data sources, impacts, and Internet links.
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The Ocean Sciences Section presented the following outstanding student paper awards at the 1998 AGU‐ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego, California, last February.

Juli M. Berwald presented a poster titled “The Packet Model for the Downwelling Average Cosine of Irradiance in the Ocean,” coauthored by C. D. Mobley and D. A. Kiefer. Juli received her B.A. in mathematics from Amherst College in 1989. Her doctoral research at the University of Southern California focused on understanding relationships between the inherent and apparent optical properties in the ocean. Most of her work is based on results from radiative transfer calculations which mathematically describe how water and particles affect the magnitude and direction of radiance in the ocean. The Lamina Model of the Downwelling Average Cosine of Irradiance, which formed the basis of her AGU presentation, will be incorporated into a new model for reflectance in the ocean. Juli has also developed models of the average cosine of irradiance in which the effects of scattering and absorption on the shape of the underwater light field are individually identified. In addition, she has investigated the effects of raman scattering on the average cosine and the diffuse attenuation coefficient throughout the water column and into the asymptotic field. Juli's graduate work has been supported by a NASA fellowship in Global Change.
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The Tectonophysics Section presented the following outstanding student paper awards at the 1998 AGU Spring Meeting in Boston, Mass., last May.

Paul S. Hall presented a poster titled “Melt Transport at Subduction Zones by Diapiric Flow.” Paul receive his B.A. in physics from The College of Woosterin 1995. He currently is working towards a Ph.D. in geophysics under the supervision of Chris Kincaid at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography in Narragansett. His research focuses on modeling mantel flow at subduction zones and mid‐ocean rides, with an emphasis on incorporating geochemical observable into the physical models, utilizing a combination of laboratory and numerical experiments. Currently, Paul is investigating the geochemical consequences of plume‐ridge interaction through a series of two‐ and three‐dimensional numerical models which incorporate Lagrangian tracer particles to model the melting process.
Is there extraterrestrial life beyond Star Trek?
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

For Star Trek fanatics, extraterrestrials (ETs) are as close as the nearest television set or big screen, where Klingons and other fictional aliens have regular walk‐on roles.

Now, the latest “trekkie” movie, “Star Trek: Insurrection,” which opens on December 11 in the United States and Canada, will promote a way for fans around the world to join in on the scientific search for ETs.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The potential for using sclerosponges, marine organisms that secrete a hard calcerous skeleton, as paleoclimatic indicators has attracted the interest of a number of scientists. Sclerosponges are composed mainly of calcium carbonate and they are very long lived. Variations in their skeletal chemistry contain proxy information regarding their environment and that information has the potential to augment, if not supplant, data from scleractinian corals in interpreting past water temperature, salinity, and productivity over periods of 100s to 1000s of years.

Sclerosponges, or calcified demosponges, contain aragonite or calcite and a small amount of siliceous material. Lang et al. [1975] report that these sponges grow within a reef framework, under coral talus in the shallower parts of a reef less than 55 m deep and on steep surfaces of the fore‐reef between 55 and 145 m deep. The largest and most conspicuous of the sclerosponges described by those authors is Ceratoporella nicholsoni (Figure 1), which is reported to attain a diameter in excess of 1 m. These sponges are similar in growth habit to many massive vanities of scleractinian corals, the live sponge inhabiting the upper portion of the skeleton, while the lower portion of the skeleton is essentially dead.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

Arnold B. Arons died at age 85. He had been an AGU member (Ocean Sciences) since 1950.

P. R. Bell died on January 10, 2001, at age 87. He had been an AGU member (Planetology) since 1961.
International Workshop Examines Debris‐covered Glaciers
Authors: Fountain Andrew G. , Raymond Charles F. , Nakawo Masayoshi
Published: September 2022

Glaciers are important features in climate studies. The smaller alpine glaciers respond to climatic variation in ways visible during the human lifetime. Glacial processes modify the landscape leaving signatures of past climatic conditions. The large ice sheets have an important role in the global heat and water balance, which in turn play a major role in climate change. Glaciers are an important component in the hydrological cycle, acting as reservoirs of stored water with residence times of months to millennia.
Mid‐Ocean Ridges: Dynamics of Processes Associated With Creation of New Ocean Crust
Authors: McClain James S.
Published: September 2022

In the study of mid‐ocean ridges, the interdisciplinary approach has been embraced for many years. On research expeditions, it is not unusual to see geologists, geophysicists, physical oceanographers, chemists, and biologists working together on their respective experiments. The motivation for this approach is not only to combine efforts; it also allows specialists to appreciate the intellectual value of each other's disciplines.
Source of 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami investigated
Authors: Zitellini Nevio , Mendes L. A. , Cordoba D. , Danobeitia J. , Nicolich R. , Pellis G. , Ribeiro A. , Sartori R. , Torelli L. , Bartolome R. , Bortoluzzi G. , Calafato A. , Carrilho F. , Casoni L. , Chierici F. , Corela C. , Correggiari A. , Vedova B. Della , Gracia E. , Jornet P. , Landuzzi M. , Ligi M. , Magagnoli A. , Marozzi G. , Matias L. , Penitenti D. , Rodriguez P. , Rovere M. , Terrinha P. , Vigliotti L. , Ruiz A. Zahinos
Published: September 2022

On November 1, 1755, the city of Lisbon was completely devastated by the combined effect of a tremendous earthquake, tsunami waves, and fire. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake was the most destructive cataclysm recorded in western Europe since the Roman Republic, with an estimated earthquake magnitude Mw ∼8.5 [Martins and Mendes Victor, 1990] and estimated tsunami magnitude of Mt= Mw= 8.5. The earthquake was felt as far away as Great Britain and Finland. The tsunami hit many coastal cities along southwest Iberia and North Africa, causing heavy destruction in Tanger and Casablanca.
Uman receives 2001 Fleming medal
Authors: Krider Philip , Uman Martin A.
Published: September 2022

Martin A. Uman was awarded the John Adam Fleming Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held May 31, 2001, in Boston, Massachusetts. The medal honors original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy space physics, and related sciences.
Nominees for AGU 2002–2004 election of officers
Authors: Anonymous
Published: September 2022

The nominees listed constitute the slate approved by the AGU Council for the election of officers for the next biennium.
Tracking toxic chemicals
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

A new report tracking industrial pollution in North America indicates some good news, in terms of downward trends in the release and transfer of these substances.

The July report, which tracks 165 chemicals released in the United States and Canada, shows that the total amount of 3.2 million tonnes of chemical releases and transfers from industrial facilities tracked by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) decreased by 2% overall from 1995 to 1998.
Strategic efforts to protect closed forests
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

While many of the world's remaining forests are receding rapidly are fragmented, and are under development pressures, a new study could focus conservation efforts more strategically Of the world's remaining closed forests (WRCFs)—which in 1995 comprised an estimated 2.87 billion hectares and occupied 21.4% of the world's land mass—more than 80% are located in just 15 countries.
Effort to target agricultural runoff through farm legislation
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

The farm bill currently moving through the U.S. Congress could include provisions aimed at significantly reducing nitrogen and phosphorous runoff from agricultural areas, if a bipartisan group of more than 120 members of Congress has its way.

The “Working Lands Stewardship Act of 2001” (H.R.2375) would provide more than $6 billion annually to willing farmers to help reduce polluted runoff and restore wetlands.
Water Shortage: Lessons in Conservation From the Great California Drought, 1976–1977
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2022

Legislation moving quickly through both houses of the U.S. Congress would establish a fund to promote and support research and development to increase the security of the nation's water infrastructure from source to faucet.

The House of Representatives bill, “The Water Infrastructure Security and Research and Development Act” (HR 3178), would provide $12 million per year for fiscal years 2002–2006 for a number of research areas. These include assessing water supply systems for physical vulnerabilities, including biological, chemical, and radiological contamination; devising real‐time systems to monitor water for contamination; determining mitigation options; and upgrading security technologies.
ISCA2 inhibition decreases HIF and induces ferroptosis in clear cell renal carcinoma
Authors: Green Yangsook Song , Ferreira dos Santos Maria C. , Fuja Daniel G. , Reichert Ethan C. , Campos Alexandre R. , Cowman Sophie J. , Acuña Pilarte Karen , Kohan Jessica , Tripp Sheryl R. , Leibold Elizabeth A. , Sirohi Deepika , Agarwal Neeraj , Liu Xiaohui , Koh Mei Yee
Published: September 2022

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common form of kidney cancer, is typically initiated by inactivation of the von Hippel Lindau (VHL) gene, which results in the constitutive activation of the hypoxia inducible factors, HIF-1α and HIF-2α. Using a high throughput screen, we identify novel compounds that decrease HIF-1/2α levels and induce ferroptosis by targeting Iron Sulfur Cluster Assembly 2 (ISCA2), a component of the late mitochondrial Iron Sulfur Cluster (L-ISC) assembly complex. ISCA2 inhibition either pharmacologically or using siRNA decreases HIF-2α protein levels by blocking iron-responsive element (IRE)-dependent translation, and at higher concentrations, also decreases HIF-1α translation through unknown mechanisms. Additionally, ISCA2 inhibition triggers the iron starvation response, resulting in iron/metals overload and death via ferroptosis. ISCA2 levels are decreased in ccRCC compared to normal kidney, and decreased ISCA2 levels are associated with pVHL loss and with sensitivity to ferroptosis induced by ISCA2 inhibition. Strikingly, pharmacological inhibition of ISCA2 using an orally available ISCA2 inhibitor significantly reduced ccRCC xenograft growth in vivo, decreased HIF-α levels and increased lipid peroxidation, suggesting increased ferroptosis in vivo. Thus, the targeting of ISCA2 may be a promising therapeutic strategy to inhibit HIF-1/2α and to induce ferroptosis in pVHL deficient cells.
Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor FokI polymorphism as risk factors for COVID-19
Authors: Zeidan Nancy M. S. , Lateef Hanan M. Abd El , Selim Dalia M. , Razek Suzan A. , Abd-Elrehim Ghada A. B. , Nashat Mohamed , ElGyar Noha , Waked Nevin M. , Soliman Attia A. , Elhewala Ahmed A. , Shehab Mohamed M. M. , Ibraheem Ahmed A. A. , Shehata Hassan , Yousif Yousif M. , Akeel Nagwa E. , Hashem Mustafa I. A. , Ahmed Amani A. , Emam Ahmed A. , Abdelmohsen Mohamed M. , Ahmed Mohamed F. , Saleh Ahmed S. E. , Eltrawy Heba H. , Shahin Gehan H. , Nabil Rehab M. , Hosny Thoraya A. , Abdelhamed Mohamed R. , Afify Mona R. , Alharbi Mohanned T. , Nagshabandi Mohammed K. , Tarabulsi Muyassar K. , Osman Sherif F. , Abd-Elrazek Amal S. M. , Rashad Manal M. , El-Gaaly Sonya A. A. , Gad Said A. B. , Mohamed Mohamed Y. , Abdelkhalek Khalil , Yousef Aly A.
Published: September 2022

Background

Given the sparse data on vitamin D status in pediatric COVID-19, we investigated whether vitamin D deficiency could be a risk factor for susceptibility to COVID-19 in Egyptian children and adolescents. We also investigated whether vitamin D receptor (VDR) FokI polymorphism could be a genetic marker for COVID-19 susceptibility.

Methods

One hundred and eighty patients diagnosed to have COVID‐19 and 200 matched control children and adolescents were recruited. Patients were laboratory confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 positive by real-time RT-PCR. All participants were genotyped for VDR Fok1 polymorphism by RT-PCR. Vitamin D status was defined as sufficient for serum 25(OH) D at least 30 ng/mL, insufficient at 21–29 ng/mL, deficient at <20 ng/mL.

Results

Ninety-four patients (52%) had low vitamin D levels with 74 (41%) being deficient and 20 (11%) had vitamin D insufficiency. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with 2.6-fold increased risk for COVID-19 (OR = 2.6; [95% CI 1.96–4.9]; P = 0.002. The FokI FF genotype was significantly more represented in patients compared to control group (OR = 4.05; [95% CI: 1.95–8.55]; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Vitamin D deficiency and VDR Fok I polymorphism may constitute independent risk factors for susceptibility to COVID-19 in Egyptian children and adolescents.

Impact

Vitamin D deficiency could be a modifiable risk factor for COVID-19 in children and adolescents because of its immune-modulatory action.

To our knowledge, ours is the first such study to investigate the VDR Fok I polymorphism in Caucasian children and adolescents with COVID-19.

Vitamin D deficiency and the VDR Fok I polymorphism may constitute independent risk factors for susceptibility to COVID-19 in Egyptian children and adolescents.

Clinical trials should be urgently conducted to test for causality and to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation for prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19 taking into account the VDR polymorphisms.
Should we recommend early overjet reduction to prevent dental trauma?
Authors: Cobourne Martyn T. , DiBiase Andrew T. , Seehra Jadbinder , Papageorgiou Spyridon N.
Published: September 2022

There is an association between increased overjet and risk of trauma to the maxillary incisor teeth in children and adolescents. It would therefore seem sensible to recommend overjet reduction as early as possible to help reduce this risk. However, orthodontic outcomes are essentially the same whether you start treatment in the early or late mixed dentition, while early treatment carries a heavier burden on compliance - taking longer and involving more appointments. This article explores the complex association between early overjet reduction and dental trauma in the context of current best evidence. Careful case selection is advised when justifying early intervention for increased overjet based on reducing trauma risk.
E2F1/CKS2/PTEN signaling axis regulates malignant phenotypes in pediatric retinoblastoma
Authors: Chen Meng , Zhao Zhaozhao , Wu Lianqun , Huang Jiancheng , Yu Peng , Qian Jiang , Ni Ting , Zhao Chen
Published: September 2022

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common pediatric intraocular malignancy and is a serious vision- and life-threatening disease. The biallelic mutation of the retinoblastoma gene RB1 is the initial event in the malignant transformation of RB, but the exact molecular mechanism is still unclear. E2F transcription factors can be activated by RB1 loss of function and lead to uncontrolled cell division. Among E2F family numbers, E2F1 has higher expression abundance than E2F2 and E2F3 in RB clinical samples. By integrating E2F1 ChIP-seq data, RNA-seq profiling from RB samples and RNA-seq profiling upon E2F1 knockdown, together with pathway analysis, literature searching and experimental validation, we identified Cyclin-dependent kinases regulatory subunit 2 (CKS2) as a novel regulator in regulating tumor-associated phenotypes in RB. CKS2 exhibited aberrantly higher expression in RB. Depletion of CKS2 in Y79 retinoblastoma cell line led to reduced cell proliferation, delayed DNA replication and decreased clonogenic growth. Downregulation of CKS2 also slowed tumor xenograft growth in nude mice. Importantly, reversed expression of CKS2 rescued cancer-associated phenotypes. Mechanistically, transcription factor E2F1 enhanced CKS2 expression through binding to its promoter and CKS2 regulated the cancer-associated PI3K–AKT pathway. This study discovered E2F1/CKS2/PTEN signaling axis regulates malignant phenotypes in pediatric retinoblastoma, and CKS2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for this disease.
Structural insights into human CCAN complex assembled onto DNA
Authors: Tian Tian , Chen Lili , Dou Zhen , Yang Zhisen , Gao Xinjiao , Yuan Xiao , Wang Chengliang , Liu Ran , Shen Zuojun , Gui Ping , Teng Maikun , Meng Xianlei , Hill Donald L. , Li Lin , Zhang Xuan , Liu Xing , Sun Linfeng , Zang Jianye , Yao Xuebiao
Published: September 2022

In mitosis, accurate chromosome segregation depends on kinetochores that connect centromeric chromatin to spindle microtubules. The centromeres of budding yeast, which are relatively simple, are connected to individual microtubules via a kinetochore constitutive centromere associated network (CCAN). However, the complex centromeres of human chromosomes comprise millions of DNA base pairs and attach to multiple microtubules. Here, by use of cryo-electron microscopy and functional analyses, we reveal the molecular basis of how human CCAN interacts with duplex DNA and facilitates accurate chromosome segregation. The overall structure relates to the cooperative interactions and interdependency of the constituent sub-complexes of the CCAN. The duplex DNA is topologically entrapped by human CCAN. Further, CENP-N does not bind to the RG-loop of CENP-A but to DNA in the CCAN complex. The DNA binding activity is essential for CENP-LN localization to centromere and chromosome segregation during mitosis. Thus, these analyses provide new insights into mechanisms of action underlying kinetochore assembly and function in mitosis.
Genotype–phenotype correlations in WHIM syndrome: a systematic characterization of CXCR4WHIM variants
Authors: Zmajkovicova Katarina , Pawar Sumit , Maier-Munsa Sabine , Maierhofer Barbara , Wiest Ivana , Skerlj Renato , Taveras Arthur G. , Badarau Adriana
Published: September 2022

Warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, myelokathexis (WHIM) syndrome is a rare primary immunodeficiency predominantly caused by heterozygous gain-of-function mutations in CXCR4 C-terminus. We assessed genotype–phenotype correlations for known pathogenic CXCR4 variants and in vitro response of each variant to mavorixafor, an investigational CXCR4 antagonist. We used cell-based assays to analyze CXCL12-induced receptor trafficking and downstream signaling of 14 pathogenic CXCR4 variants previously identified in patients with WHIM syndrome. All CXCR4 variants displayed impaired receptor trafficking, hyperactive downstream signaling, and enhanced chemotaxis in response to CXCL12. Mavorixafor inhibited CXCL12-dependent signaling and hyperactivation in cells harboring CXCR4WHIMmutations. A strong correlation was found between CXCR4 internalization defect and severity of blood leukocytopenias and infection susceptibility, and between AKT activation and immunoglobulin A level and CD4+T-cell counts. This study is the first to show WHIM syndrome clinical phenotype variability as a function of bothCXCR4WHIMgenotype diversity and associated functional dysregulation. Our findings suggest that CXCR4 internalization may be used to assess the pathogenicity ofCXCR4variants in vitro and also as a potential WHIM-related disease biomarker. The investigational CXCR4 antagonist mavorixafor inhibited CXCL12-dependent signaling in all tested CXCR4-variant cell lines at clinically relevant concentrations.
Heterologous vector versus homologous mRNA COVID-19 booster vaccination in non-seroconverted immunosuppressed patients: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Mrak Daniel , Sieghart Daniela , Simader Elisabeth , Tobudic Selma , Radner Helga , Mandl Peter , Göschl Lisa , Koblischke Maximilian , Hommer Nikolaus , Wagner Angelika , Mayer Margareta , Schubert Lorenz , Hartl Lukas , Kozbial Karin , Hofer Philipp , Kartnig Felix , Hummel Thomas , Kerschbaumer Andreas , Deimel Thomas , Puchner Antonia , Gudipati Venugopal , Thalhammer Renate , Munda Petra , Uyanik-Ünal Keziban , Zuckermann Andreas , Novacek Gottfried , Reiberger Thomas , Garner-Spitzer Erika , Reindl-Schwaighofer Roman , Kain Renate , Winkler Stefan , Smolen Josef S. , Stiasny Karin , Fischer Gottfried F. , Perkmann Thomas , Haslacher Helmuth , Zeitlinger Markus , Wiedermann Ursula , Aberle Judith H. , Aletaha Daniel , Heinz Leonhard X. , Bonelli Michael
Published: September 2022

Impaired response to COVID-19 vaccination is of particular concern in immunosuppressed patients. To determine the best vaccination strategy for this vulnerable group we performed a single center, 1:1 randomized blinded clinical trial. Patients who failed to seroconvert upon two mRNA vaccinations (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) are randomized to receive either a third dose of the same mRNA or the vector vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. Primary endpoint is the difference in SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody seroconversion rate between vector and mRNA vaccinated patients four weeks after the third dose. Secondary outcomes include cellular immune responses. Seroconversion rates at week four are significantly higher in the mRNA (homologous vaccination, 15/24, 63%) as compared to the vector vaccine group (heterologous vaccination, 4/22, 18%). SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses are reduced but could be increased after a third dose of either vector or mRNA vaccine. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, patient age and vaccine type are associated with seroconversion. No serious adverse event is attributed to COVID-19 booster vaccination. Efficacy and safety data underline the importance of a booster vaccination and support the use of a homologous mRNA booster vaccination in immunosuppressed patients.

Trial registration: EudraCT No.: 2021-002693-10.