bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constraining fault growth rates and fault evolution in New Zealand
Authors: Lamarche Geoffroy , Bull Jonathan M. , Barnes Phil M. , Taylor Susanna K. , Horgan Huw
Published: October 2006

Understanding how faults propagate, grow, and interact in fault systems is important because they are primarily responsible for distributing strain in the upper crust. They localize deformation and stress release, often producing surface displacements that control sedimentation and fluid flow, either by acting as conduits or barriers. Identifying fault spatial distribution, quantifying activity, evaluating linkage mechanisms, and estimating fault growth rates are key components in seismic risk evaluation.

Scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), New Zealand, and the Southampton Oceanography Centre, United Kingdom, are working on a collaborative project that aims to improve understanding of faulting processes in the Earth's crust.The program comprises two research cruises to survey the Whakatane Graben, New Zealand, which is a zone of intense seismicity active extensional faulting, and rapid subsidence within the back‐arc region of the Pacific‐Australia plate boundary zone (Figure 1). Few places in the world offer the same opportunity to study the mechanisms by which major crustal faults have grown from small‐ to large‐scale structures capable of generating moderate to large‐magnitude earthquakes.
U.S.‐Russia venture probes Siberian peatlands' sensitivity to climate
Authors: Smith Laurence C. , MacDonald Glen A. , Frey Karen E. , Velichko Andrei , Kremenetski Konstantine , Borisova Olga , Dubinin Petr , Forster Richard R.
Published: October 2006

The extent to which northern peatlands respond to or influence climate change is an unresolved question in Arctic science. Recent studies in Alaska, Canada, and Fennoscandia have raised concerns that northern peatlands, while currently a net sink or minor source of atmospheric CO2 , may become a significant CO2 source under a warming climate.

Expanding peatlands emit methane but sequester atmospheric carbon through long‐term accumulation of undecomposed plant matter. Drier conditions may reverse this process by increasing temperatures and lowering the peatland water table, causing anaerobic decomposition of stored peat and subsequent outgassing of CO2.While this process would likely reduce methane emissions and possibly enhance C uptake from increased soil nutrient mineralization rates [Oechel and Vourlitis, 1994], many scientists now believe that warming and drying of northern peatlands will liberate stored C for uptake by the atmosphere and biosphere.
Experiment will examine gravity waves in the middle atmosphere
Authors: Hamilton Kevin , Vincent Robert A.
Published: October 2006

Over the last 4 decades, the study of high‐frequency gravity waves with periods from minutes to several hours in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere has been a leading area of research in both meteorology and aeronomy. This interest has been natural, since gravity wave motions often dominate the variance observed in the upper mesospheric and thermospheric wind field, and since the vertical transport of mean flow momentum by gravity waves is now thought to play a key role in maintaining global‐scale circulation throughout the middle atmosphere.

Part of the spectrum of the gravity waves propagating upward through the mesosphere will reach F‐layer heights, where the gravity waves account for temporal and spatial variability in electron density Electron density, in turn, can affect aspects of radio wave propagation. Gravity waves in the equatorial F‐region may also trigger large‐scale ionospheric instabilities, which account for the “spread‐F” phenomenon. Late next year, investigators involved in the Darwin Area Wave Experiment (DAWEX) will make detailed coordinated observations of the gravity wave field in the mesosphere and thermosphere with unprecedented areal coverage, and will attempt to relate these observations to a particularly well‐defined and intense tropospheric source.
Crisis on coral reefs linked to climate change
Authors: Wellington Gerard M. , Glynn Peter W. , Strong Alan E. , Navarrete Sergio A. , Wieters Evie , Hubbard Dennis
Published: October 2006

Since 1982, coral reefs worldwide have been subjected to an increased frequency of the phenomenon known as coral bleaching. Bleaching involves the dramatic loss of pigmented, single‐celled endosymbiotic algae that live within the gastrodermal cells of a coral host that depends on this relationship for survival. Prior to the 1980s, and as early as the 1920s when coral reef research intensified, localized bleaching events were reported and attributed to factors such as extremely low tides, hurricane damage, torrential rainstorms, freshwater runoff near reefs, or toxic algal blooms [Glynn, 1993]. However, these early occurrences have recently been overshadowed by geographically larger and more frequent bleaching events whose impact has expanded to regional and global proportions.
Cruise reveals history of Holocene Larsen Ice Shelf
Authors: Domack Eugene , Leventer Amy , Gilbert Robert , Brachfeld Stefanie , Ishman Scott , Camerlenghi Angelo , Gavahan Kathleen , Carlson David , Barkoukis Athen
Published: October 2006

In May 2000 the U.S. Antarctic Research Vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer braved extensive ice and the frigid temperatures of the Northwest Weddell Sea to penetrate the coastal leads along the Nordenskold Coast (Figures 1–3). The scientific objective of this international endeavor was to understand the natural variability of the Larsen Ice Shelf, the largest of several ice shelves along the northern extremities of the Antarctic Peninsula to have undergone catastrophic decay over recent years (Figure 2) [Vaughan and Doake, 1996; Skvarca et al., 1999].

The study sought to determine the history of the Larsen Ice Shelf beyond the limits of our historical observations. Such knowledge is needed in order to assess the potentially unique nature of the current disintegration pattern and to determine the role of regional versus global warming scenarios on the future of the break‐up trend.
Forensic seismology and the sinking of the Kursk
Authors: Koper Keith D. , Wallace Terry C. , Taylor Steven R. , Hartse Hans E.
Published: October 2006

On August 10, 2000, Russia's Northern Fleet began its largest naval exercise in more than a decade. Among the vessels taking part was the heavily‐armed Kursk, an Oscar class submarine that was the most modern cruise‐missile sub in the fleet.

Beginning on August 14, a series of reports in the press indicated that the Kursk had been severely damaged during the exercise and that the crew were likely dead. By August 17, news agencies were reporting that seismic networks in the Baltic area had detected two seismic events which appeared to correspond to the Kursk disaster in time and space (Figure 1). Specifically the seismic events were consistent with reports from the British Broadcasting Corporation on the location of ongoing rescue efforts. The fact that this section of the Barents Sea is essentially aseismic added credence to the assertion that the seismic events were directly related to the sinking of the Kursk.
Natural attenuation strategy for groundwater cleanup focuses on demonstrating cause and effect
Authors: Bekins Barbara , Rittmann Bruce E. , MacDonald Jacqueline A.
Published: October 2006

In the 20 years since cleanup of contaminated groundwater has been a high priority in the United States, recognition of both the scope of the problem and the technical difficulties involved has grown steadily Estimates of the number of hazardous waste sites where groundwater may be contaminated vary between 300,000 and 400,000 nationwide [NRC, 1994]. Legislation passed in the 1980s by Congress and the states generally required that groundwater in contaminated aquifers be restored to background or drinking water standards. Unfortunately attempts to meet these goals using conventional methods, such as pump and treat systems, frequently have been unsuccessful [NRC, 1994].
Something wicked this way comes: Clues from foreshocks and earthquake nucleation
Authors: Vidale John , Mori Jim , Houston Heidi
Published: October 2006

The processes that occur prior to and in the initial stages of earthquake rupture are of great interest in earthquake science. They result from the stresses, friction laws, and fault systems in the Earth and as such they determine how well large earthquake ruptures can be predicted, either ahead of time or as rupture is just beginning. There is hope that with better understanding of these processes, the timing of earthquakes might not always remain a deadly surprise. A workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation's U.S.‐Japan program and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science recently addressed these topics.
Ørsted satellite captures high‐precision geomagnetic field data
Authors: Neubert Torsten , Mandea M. , Hulot G. , von Frese R. , Primdahl F. , Jørgensen J. L. , Friis‐Christensen E. , Stauning Peter , Olsen N. , Risbo T.
Published: October 2006

Space‐based, high‐precision magnetometry is essential for understanding a variety of phenomena ranging from secular variation of the Earth's main field, through the signatures of crustal magnetism and the effects of plasma currents flowing externally to the Earth. Ørsted, Denmark's first satellite, was launched on February 23, 1999 into a polar, low‐Earth orbit to provide the first near‐global set of high‐precision geomagnetic observations since the Magsat mission of 1979–1980 (see Magsat Special Issue of Geophysical Research Letters., vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 239–379, 1982). With the new mapping of the Earth's magnetic field, the International Geomagnetic Reference Field model (IGRF), a standard model used for navigation, prospecting, and other practical purposes, has been determined with improved precision for epoch 2000 [Olsen et al., 2000a; Mandea and Langlais, 2000]. The satellite has routinely provided high‐precision vector data since August 1999, and the mission is continuing well beyond its nominal 14‐month lifetime into 2001.
Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide methods passing milestones toward paleo‐altimetry
Authors: Gosse John C. , Stone John O.
Published: October 2006

Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCN) such as 3He, 10Be, 14C, 21Ne, 26Al, and 36Cl are produced at and below Earth's surface in minerals that are exposed to secondary cosmic radiation—primarily fast and slow neutrons and muons. TCN measured in specific mineral phases or multi‐mineralogic rocks of any lithology have most commonly been used to directly determine the duration of landscape exposure. Examples include dating ancient bedrock landforms, glacial erratics and glacierized bedrock, alluvial fans and fluvial terraces, fault scarps, fault line scarps, precariously perched boulders, lavas and cinder, desert pavement and pedogenic carbonates, landslides, emerged shore‐lines, retreating cliffs, and aboriginal rock art.
Updated New Madrid analysis better defines the uncertainty in seismic hazard maps
Authors: Cramer Chris H. , Gomberg Joan S.
Published: October 2006

Although we are uncertain about how and when earthquakes will occur and the intensity of the associated ground‐shaking, forecasts of the level of expected earthquake groundshaking are important to society for planning purposes. These forecasts are conveyed in probabilistic seismic hazard maps.

Probabilistic seismic hazard maps may be viewed as the earthquake analog to long‐term weather forecasts. Most people accept that the weather cannot be predicted accurately and instead accept the idea of a forecast that states the likelihood of a climatic condition occurring during some time period. In the absence of abundant observations over the full range of climatic conditions, for example, from drought to flood, models of extremes in climate must be employed to estimate the probabilities of the hazardous conditions. Just as these probabilities can be used by society to prepare for extreme weather conditions, seismic hazard maps can be used to prepare for the damaging ground‐shaking caused by earthquakes.
Magmatic and hydrothermal activity in Lena Trough, Arctic Ocean
Authors: Snow Jonathan , Hellebrand Eric , Jokat Wilfried , Mühe Richard
Published: October 2006

The nature of magma generation, crustal construction, and hydrothermalism beneath ocean ridges at extremely low spreading rates is currently a hot topic in marine Earth sciences. Partial melting (10–20%) and magma mixing experienced by most mid‐ocean ridge basalts hampers our understanding of the mantle and melting processes. This is because the lowest‐degree partial melts (containing essentially all the incompatible trace elements) and their still‐fertile peridotite residues are never observed; their compositions can only be inferred. Thermal models predict a sharp drop in partial melting at spreading rates significantly under 16 mm/yr (full rate) [Reid and Jackson, 1981].
Data analysis system developed for ocean color satellite sensors
Authors: Baith Karen , Lindsay Robert , Fu Gary , McClain Charles R.
Published: October 2006

A primary objective of the Sea‐viewing Wide Field‐of‐view Sensor (SeaWiFS) program at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is to provide rapid and easy access to all SeaWiFS data products and exploit the data set to its maximum potential. The SeaWiFS project provides a variety of services and documentation to accomplish this, including user‐friendly data processing and display software: the SeaWiFS Data Analysis System (SeaDAS). SeaDAS Version 4 is a comprehensive software package for processing, displaying, and analyzing all SeaWiFS data products and it is designed to serve a wide range of users, including individual scientists, SeaWiFS ground stations, and operational or commercial users.
Orogenic and glacial research in pristine southern Alaska
Authors: Jaeger John , Hallet Bernard , Pavlis Terry , Sauber Jeanne , Lawson Daniel , Milliman John , Powell Ross , Anderson Suzanne Prestrud , Anderson Robert
Published: October 2006

Southern Alaska is an exceptional natural laboratory for studying a range of geologic problems, including the links between orogenic processes, landscape modification by glacial processes, and continental margin sedimentation. Geologic processes operate at rapid rates along the southern Alaskan margin, which allows scientists to concurrently collect data on tectonic deformation, uplift, erosion, and sedimentation, and develop comprehensive models that connect these diverse processes. Significant advancements have been made in studying fundamental geologic processes in this region. However, efforts to link these into comprehensive models are in their infancy and fundamental research questions remain. The National Science Foundation's MARGINS Source‐to‐Sink program (see http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/margins/SciencePlan.15Novpdf) will provide an interdisciplinary group of geoscientists the opportunity to merge these studies and significantly advance our understanding of continental margins.
Ocean color and river data reveal fluvial influence in coastal waters
Authors: Salisbury Joseph E. , Campbell Janet W. , Meeker L. David , Vörösmarty Charles
Published: October 2006

A critical yet poorly quantified aspect of the Earth system is the influence of river‐borne constituents on coastal biogeochemical dynamics. Coastal waters contain some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth and are sites of intense downward particle fluxes and organic accumulation. Also, in many parts of the world, coastal ecosystems are experiencing unfavorable changes in water quality some of which can be linked directly to the transport of waterborne constituents from land. These include the well‐publicized, increasing frequency of hypoxia events in the Gulf of Mexico [Goolsby, 2000], harmful algal blooms [Smayda, 1992], diminished water quality and changes in marine biodiversity [Radach et al., 1990].
Weighing the risks
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

"I'm thinking,'Yeah, right,'" Janet Babb recalled reacting upon hearing the oddball message left on her tele phone answering machine on January 25.

But a little more than a month later, on March 1–2, the freelance geologist took up the offer. Outfitted in her yellow raincoat, gloves, and gas mask, she used her rock hammer to sample hot lava near the active vent of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, and drove along the nearby Chain of Craters Road.

However, Babb was not up there alone. Accompanying her was a 30‐person film crew, two helicopters, and, of course, her car insurance agent.
Comment [on “Forensic seismology and the sinking of the Kursk”]
Authors: Northrop John
Published: October 2006

The January 23,2001 issue of Eos published a diagnosis of the explosions and sinking associated with the Oscar‐class Russian submarine Kursk in August of last year, based on a study of data from seismic stations in the region. The article prompted the comment and reply below.
Reply [to “Comment on ‘Forensic seismology and the sinking of the Kursk’”]
Authors: Koper Keith D. , Wallace Terry C. , Taylor Steven R. , Hartse Hans E.
Published: October 2006

We thank John Northrop for his interest in our recent Eos article and for providing us with the opportunity to clarify some important points.

Before commenting on the particulars of Northrop's letter, we must emphasize that we are not claiming to be the originators of a new field called forensic seismology. To the best of our knowledge, the term “forensic seismology” was coined by the British seismologist H.I.S. Thirlaway in the late 1950s to describe what is now known as verification seismology [Thirlaway, 1979]. We are merely extending this catchy phrase to include the investigation of non‐nuclear, man‐made seismic sources that are accidental or unanticipated.
Strides made in reconstructing past weather and climate
Authors: Pfister Christian , Brázdil Rudolf , Obrebska‐Starkel Barbara , Starkel Leszek , Heino Raino , von Storch Hans
Published: October 2006

Historical climatology is situated at the interface of climatology and environmental history As such, its goal is to reconstruct weather and climate, as well as natural disasters, for the last millennium prior to the creation of national meteorological networks. Historical climatology is also concerned with investigating the vulnerability of past economies and societies to climate variations, climatic extremes, and natural disasters, and with exploring past discourses and social representations related to climate.
Multi‐decadal atmospheric modeling for europe yields multi‐purpose data
Authors: Feser Frauke , Weisse Ralf
Published: October 2006

Regional atmospheric models have matured in the past few years. They now find broad applications that range from process studies, reconstruction of recent and paleoclimates, simulation of pathways and deposition of anthropogenic matter, construction of plausible scenarios of future climate change, and regional weather analysis. The initial major problem—namely, the ill‐posed boundary value problem—has been efficiently fixed by including a sponge zone that ensures the consistency of the interior flow with the boundary conditions at the outflow boundaries, or by introducing large‐scale control in the interior. With these setups, regional models may now be integrated stably over many decades and thereby provide information on spatial and temporal scales not sufficiently resolved by present‐day global climate models and weather analyses.
Site holds promise for ecosystem and biogeochemical investigations
Authors: Trull Thomas W. , Gibson John A. E. , Beaumont Karin L. , Bowman John , Burton Harry R. , Davidson Andrew T. , Guichard Antoine , Kirkwood John M. , McMinn Andrew , Nichols Peter D. , Skerratt Jenny H. , Summons Roger E. , Swadling Kerrie M. , Volkman John K.
Published: October 2006

Ellis Fjord, located in the Vestfold Hills of East Antarctica (68.5°S, 78°E), exhibits a range of environments, from essentially marine at its sea‐ward end, to permanently stratified basins with hypersaline brines at its inland end. The drainage basin of the fjord contains small areas of mosses and lichens, but no higher plants, and supplies fresh water to the fjord in ephemeral summer melt streams. Direct anthropogenic inputs are negligible or non‐existent, as are those from other mammals and birds. The fjord exhibits unusual biological and chemical properties, and offers the opportunity to study oceanic processes in isolation and at small scales. It also has the logistical advantage of proximity to the facilities of Australia's year‐round Davis research station.
It takes a rocket scientist
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Even if the U.S. military had missed in shooting down a Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile and mock warhead above the Pacific Ocean on July 14, Raymond Askew, director of space research development at the Texas Engineering Experiment Station of the Texas A&M University System, would not have considered the $100‐million national missile defense test a failure.

“Any new product development goes through a series of tests,” he said. “The fact that they don't meet the ultimate goal on the first or second test doesn't stop [the testing]."
Congress grapples with the search for extraterrestrial life
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Once the laughter had subsided over jokes about the search for intelligent life on Capitol Hill, the U.S. House of Representatives Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics got down to business with a July 12 hearing about the possible existence of extraterrestrial organisms.

“I don't know if little green men exist,” said Subcommittee Chair Dana Rohrabacher (R‐Calif.). “I do know that the science community is attempting to determine the existence of basic life on planets neighboring Earth, as well as planets beyond our Solar system. With the help of scientific methods, we are just now beginning to answer a question that has existed since the dawn of humankind: are we alone?”
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Seismology Section presented three outstanding student paper awards at the 2001 Spring Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, last June.
Assessing flood hazard on dynamic rivers
Authors: Pinter Nicholas , Thomas Russell , Wlosinski Joseph H.
Published: October 2006

Recurrent flooding of the Red River in 1997, North Carolina's Tar River in 1999, and the Mississippi River in 1993, 1995, and 2001 has led to speculation that human activities contribute significantly to these disasters. New analyses of historical hydrologic data from the Mississippi River quantify systematic increases in flood stages for equal discharges. Analyses of cross‐sectional measurements and other evidence suggest that rising stages result from flow retardation by navigational dikes and floodwater confinement by levees. On dynamic rivers, flood‐frequency statistics must be revised periodically for hazard assessments to keep pace with current conditions, but the present reassessment methodology is prohibitively time‐consuming and expensive.
More ocean research urged
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

For several years, a band of U.S. Congressmembers and scientists has been among those trying to nudge along federal interagency cooperation on ocean research and the implementation of an integrated and sustained coastal and ocean observing system that will help with providing more accurate forecasts and a better understanding of the ocean realms. Much progress has been made, with some observation tools already in place or planned, including the “TOGA TOA” mooring array and the ARGO Ocean Profiling Network of buoys. A number of significant documents have been produced in the service of this effort, such as “Discovering Earth”s Final Frontier: A U.S. Strategy for Ocean Exploration,” a report issued last year by the President's Panel on Ocean Exploration.
Initiative to protect Canada's western boreal forest faces challenges from resource development
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Gary Stewart pointed on the map of Canada to a brown swath of western boreal forest that stretches from the border of Ontario and Manitoba, across four provinces and several territories, and up through Alaska. Canada's 2.0 million square kilometers of western boreal forest includes 20–30% of wetlands—bogs, fens, marshes, shallow lakes, and river deltas. The forest of spruce, aspen, poplar, and other trees historically has been heavily and naturally disturbed by fires.

Until recently, though, this vast region was fairly undisturbed by human activity, according to Stewart, manager of conservation programs for the western boreal forest region for the non‐profit Ducks Unlimited Canada (DU). A 1986 North American Waterfowl Management Plan did not even include any perceived threats to Canada's western boreal forest, which DU says is the second‐most important waterfowl breeding area in North America, after the Prairie Pot‐holes region in Canada and the United States. The 13 million breeding ducks supported by the boreal forest are a primary reason for DU's interest, though the group's concern extend to habitat, wetlands, and other biodiversity
Transition to electronic publishing
Authors: Bowning Sam
Published: October 2006

Previous communications have described some of the many changes that will occur in the next few months as AGU makes the transition to fully electronic publishing. With the advent of the new AGU electronic publishing system, manuscripts will be submitted, edited, reviewed, and published in electronic formats. This piece discusses how the electronic journals will differ from the print journals. Electronic publishing will require some adjustments to the ways we currently think about journals from our perspective of standard print versions. Visiting the Web site of AGU's Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G‐Cubed) is a great way to get familiar with the look and feel of electronic publishing. However, protocols, especially for citations of articles, are still evolving. Some of the biggest changes for users of AGU publications may be the lack of page numbers, the use of a unique identifier (DOI),and changes in citation style.
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Hydrology Section presented five outstanding student paper awards at the 2001 Spring Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, last June.
Indian earthquake may serve as analog for New Madrid earthquakes
Authors: Ellis Michael , Gomberg Joan , Schweig Eugene
Published: October 2006

On January 26, 2001, Republic Day in India, a Mw‐7.7 reverse‐fault earthquake occurred in the Kachchh region of the state of Gujarat. The closest plate boundary lies many hundreds of kilometers away The earthquake was felt over 2000 km away and over an area more than 16 times that of the Mw‐7.8 1906 San Francisco earthquake. No field investigation has yet found unequivocal evidence of surface rupture; highly unusual for an earthquake of this size. Also anomalous are the depths of aftershocks [Bodin et al., 2001], which suggest that the main rupture may have propagated into the lower crust. Liquefaction was extensive and occurred at great distances, probably reflecting the considerable thickness of unconsolidated sediments and the extremely shallow water table within the region. The Bhuj earthquake occurred in an old rift system, and the section to the east of Kachchh is a well‐known seismic zone that sustains felt earthquakes on a regular basis.
Coastal Geomorphology: An Introduction
Authors: Murray A. Brad
Published: October 2006

After stealthily traveling thousands of miles across the ocean, swells slowly rise from the deep as they glide toward shore. Whether they rear up and crash against jagged cliffs or lap quietly toward grass‐covered dunes, they are met by people in ever‐increasing numbers. A large and growing number of people live, work, or play near the shoreline. Coastal morphologies and the processes that continually remake them increasingly affect coastal economies as well as sightseers, and vice versa. These interactions are prompting increased study of the Earth's diverse coastal environments.
Morocco Basin's sedimentary record may provide correlations for Cretaceous paleoceanographic events worldwide
Authors: Kuhnt Wolfgang , Chellai El Hassane , Holbourn Ann , Luderer Florian , Thurow Jürgen , Wagner Thomas , El Albani Abderassak , Beckmann Britta , Herbin Jean‐Paul , Kawamura Hiroshi , Kolonic Sadat , Nederbragt Sandra , Street Chris , Ravilious Kate
Published: October 2006

More than 500 m of Upper Cretaceous laminated biogenic sediments, mainly consisting of calcareous nannoplankton, dispersed biogenic silica, planktonic foraminifers, and marine organic matter, were deposited in the depocenter of the Tarfaya‐Laayoune Basin, near the town of Tarfaya in southern Morocco, with sedimentation rates exceeding 10 cm/ky during transgressive phases. These sediments exhibit the world's highest accumulation rates of marine organic matter for the Cenomanian/Turonian, and allow investigation of paleoceanographic and climate events on a centennial time scale resolution, comparable to global change studies in the Quaternary.
Satellite Altimetry and Earth Sciences: A Handbook of Techniques and Applications
Authors: Coleman Richard
Published: October 2006

Satellite altimetry is not new. The first measurements were made from Skylab in 1973. However, altimetry has blossomed since the early 1990s, especially with results from the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter mission, which began in 1992 and continues today. Few people missed seeing altimeter‐derived images or movies of the El Niñno/La Niña events in the late 1990s on television newscasts, though many may not have realized the source.
Workshop explores debris transported by icebergs and paleoenvironmental implications
Authors: Dowdeswell Julian A. , Cofaigh Colm Ó , Andrews John T. , Scourse James D.
Published: October 2006

The only major mechanism for the delivery of sand grains and larger rock particles, known as ice‐rafted debris (IRD),into deepocean basins is through transport by floating ice in the form of icebergs and sea ice. For this reason, the earliest occurrence of IRD in Ocean Drilling Program cores obtained from high‐latitude continental margins has been used as a key indicator of the inception of large‐scale ice‐sheet development during the Cenozoic. IRD in Late Quaternary cores from the North Atlantic has also enabled the identification of six sand‐rich layers, or “Heinrich Layers” that were deposited from a source in the Hudson Bay drainage area of the last North American ice sheet across some 3000 km of this ocean basin, as far east as the Portuguese margin [Bond et al., 1992]. These layers are thought to have resulted from the melting and release of debris from very large numbers of icebergs that were produced during successive collapses of a 1–2×106‐km2 basin within this ice sheet.
New insight into JFK lunar goal
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

In a well‐known message to Congress in May 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy stated his goal of reaching the Moon, and beating the Soviet Union in the space race: “First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long‐range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.”
GIS plays key role in NYC Rescue and Relief Operation
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

New York City, Sept. 17—The posters of missing loved ones are pasted onto New York City walls and street signs six days after 2 hijacked commercial airlines destroyed the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan on September 11. Several miles uptown from “ground zero,” heightened security hovers around the city's Office of Emergency Management rescue and relief command center, an around‐the‐clock operation. Police, firefighters, military, officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, communications technicians, and a beehive of others work in controlled chaos in this cavernous, convention center‐sized hall, lined with computers and adorned with several American flags.

After the original command center at 7 World Trade Center collapsed to rubble as an after‐effect of the plane strikes, city officials scrambled to recreate it. Alan Leidner, director of New York's citywide geographic information systems (GIS), and who is with the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, knew that maps would be an integral component of the rescue and relief efforts. Maps provide emergency workers and others with accurate and detailed scientific data in the form of visual aids upon which they can make informed decisions.
Ocean drilling constrains carbonate platform formation and Miocene sea level on the Australian margin
Authors: Isern Alexandra R. , Anselmetti F. S. , Blum P.
Published: October 2006

Carbonate platforms are large geologic structures composed of the remains of formerly living, calcium carbonate‐secreting organisms that can develop in environments ranging from tropical to temperate, and in locations that are free of siliceous sediment to those with significant amounts of sediment from land. Because these platforms are composed of biogenic remains sensitive to changes in environmental conditions such as sea level, wind or currents, nutrient content, and water temperature, the study of carbonate platforms provides fundamental information regarding environmental change in a range of environments. In addition to their high‐quality environmental record, carbonate platforms are often important petroleum reservoirs. Thus, much effort has been expended in both the academic and industrial sectors in order to understand the growth, development, and associated diagenetic alteration of carbonate platforms.
Global ice and land climate studies using scatterometer image data
Authors: Long David G. , Drinkwater Mark R. , Holt Benjamin , Saatchi Sasan , Bertoia Cheryl
Published: October 2006

Scatterometers have provided continuous synoptic microwave radar coverage of the Earth from space for nearly a decade. NASA launched three scatterometers: the current SeaWinds scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT (QSCAT, 13.4 GHz) launched in 1999; the NASA scatterometer (NSCAT, 14.0 GHz), which flew on the Japanese Space Agency's ADEOS‐1 platform during 1996–1997; and the Seasat‐A scatterometer system (SASS, 14.6 GHz), which flew in 1978. The European Space Agency's (ESA) 5.3‐GHz scatterometer (ESCAT) has been carried onboard both the ERS‐1 and ERS‐2 satellites since 1991.

properties, including the phase state, of a particular surface type. Varying response from the surface also results from different polarizations, viewing angles and orientations, and radar frequencies. The wide swath of scatterometers provides near daily global coverage at intrinsic sensor resolutions that are generally between 25–50 km.
Ocean Circulation and Climate—Observing and Modelling the Global Ocean
Authors: Gille Sarah T.
Published: October 2006

The World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) began with the goals of developing models and collecting the oceanographic data necessary to predict and monitor climate change. Early discussions of WOCE started in the late 1970s, and a full observational and modeling plan was gradually formulated over the course of the 1980s. WOCE seagoing work carried out in the 1990s spanned the global ocean, taking oceanographers to some of the most distant parts of the ocean to complete long hydrographic lines and deploy instruments. Satellite altimetry was also included in the plan, and the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter was launched in 1992. In 1998, several hundred oceanographers gathered in Halifax, Canada, at a conference marking the end of the fieldwork phase of WOCE and the beginning of the analysis, interpretation, and modeling phase. Ocean Circulation and Climate—Observing and Modelling the Global Ocean had its genesis in that conference.
Seismologists celebrate the new millennium with an experiment in central Europe
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

A large consortium of European and North American institutions—28 in all—recently completed a huge active source seismic experiment focused on Central Europe. This experiment is called Central European Lithospheric Experiment Based on Refraction, or CELEBRATION 2000. It targeted the structure and evolution of the complex collage of major tectonic features in the Trans‐European suture zone (TESZ) region, as well as the southwestern portion of the East European craton (southern Baltica), the Carpathian Mountains, the Pannonian basin, and the Bohemian massif (Figure 1). The TESZ region (Caledonides‐Tornquist Teisseyre zone area, Figure 1) can be thought of as a broad zone of deformation that extends across Europe from the British Isles to the Black Sea region.
Remote Sensing and Climate Change? The Role Earth Observation
Authors: Merry Carolyn J.
Published: October 2006

This book is a collection of 15 lectures presented at a summer school session, “Remote Sensing and Long‐term Global Datasets for Climate Studies,” held at Dundee University, August 2–13, 1999. The lectures, each of which is covered in a chapter, have been revised and updated. Thus,they provide a nice balance between understanding and modeling global climate change while presenting the potential that remote sensing data sets have for observing global climate. Since global change has been in the media quite frequently lately with the recent Senate committee hearings, this book serves as an excellent resource. From it, readers can glean a better understanding of where the United States and other nations stand in terms of global climate change issues.
Gathering recognizes contributions of former Section President
Authors: Mac Niocaill Conall , van der Pluijm Ben , Torsvik Trand
Published: October 2006

To celebrate the sixtieth birthday of Rob Van derVoo, AGU's President and President‐elect of its Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Section, 1988–1992, a workshop was recently held in an intimate conference setting in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The purpose was to celebrate Rob's many contributions to the fields of paleomagnetism and tectonics as he reached this milestone. Some 30 people attended and were treated to 18 presentations, many of which have recently been published or are currently in review for a special issue in his honor. While great emphasis was placed on paleomagnetism as the only quantitative tool for generating paleogeographic reconstructions for pre‐Mesozoic time, a recurring theme within the meeting was the integration of paleomagnetic results with those from other disciplines—a hallmark of Rob's research efforts at the University of Michigan. The meeting also provided an opportunity for students and colleagues of Rob's to indulge in more “speculative” ideas, and the presentations were accompanied by wide‐ranging and “spirited” discussions during both the “formal” sessions and the highly enjoyable evening social activities.
Seismic waves generated by aircraft impacts and building collapses at World Trade Center, New York City
Authors: Kim Won‐Young , Sykes L. R. , Armitage J. H. , Xie J. K. , Jacob K. H. , Richards P. G. , West M. , Waldhauser F. , Armbruster J. , Seeber L. , Du W. X. , Lerner‐Lam A.
Published: October 2006

Seismologists sometimes do their work of data acquisition and analysis against a tragic background. Usually, the context is fieldwork far from home, in an area subjected to the natural but sometimes devastating effects of an earthquake. But in the present case, we are in our own New York City area; that is, the Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, in Palisades, N.Y; and the context is inhuman actions against people and the fabric of our society.

As the appalling events of September 11 unfolded, we found that we had recorded numerous seismic signals from two plane impacts and building collapses of the two World Trade Center (WTC) towers, often at times different than those being reported elsewhere. Collapses of the two WTC towers generated large seismic waves, observed in five states and up to 428 km away The north tower collapse was the largest seismic source and had local magnitude ML 2.3. From this, we infer that ground shaking of the WTC towers was not a major contributor to the collapse or damage to surrounding buildings. But unfortunately, we also conclude that from the distance at which our own detections were made (the nearest station is 34 km away at Palisades) it is not possible to infer (with detail sufficient to meet the demands of civil engineers in an emergency situation) just what the near‐in ground motions must have been.
Technological impacts of space storms: Outstanding issues
Authors: Daglis Ioannis A. , Baker Daniel N. , Galperin Yuri , Kappenman John G. , Lanzerotti Louis J.
Published: October 2006

Several recent articles in Eos have described various aspects of what has become known as space weather. This article reiterates some key points, emphasizing those that are relevant to its basic theme—the physical foundations and dynamical evolution of space storms (which are a main element of space weather) and their technological and societal impacts.
Program to perform repeat ocean observations
Authors: Fine Rana , Wanninkhof Rik
Published: October 2006

The scientific steering committees of the U.S. Global Change Research Program Carbon Cycle Science Program (CCSP) and the U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program (CLIVAR) have formed a joint working group to plan a national program of global, full‐water column ocean observations to better meet these programs' overlapping goals of assessing natural and anthropogenic changes in the ocean on decadal time scales. The working group will devise an appropriate work plan and pass its conclusions through the two steering committees. This plan then will be used to help formulate an interagency plan in support of the suggested implementation strategy.
Satellite imagery detects coastal stormwater and sewage runoff
Authors: Svejkovsky Jan , Jones Burton
Published: October 2006

Storm and dry‐weather runoff from coastal metropolitan areas has been increasingly recognized as a major source of marine pollution. Runoff escaping into the ocean through storm drains and creek beds includes bacteria and anthropogenic components from sewage, as well as fuel, oil, brake, tire, and asphalt‐related compounds from roadways, and industrial and agricultural substances. Unlike sewage outfalls that are released offshore, effluent escaping through storm drains and natural outlets is released directly at the ocean shore. The resultant health hazards cause temporary beach closures and possible long‐term effects through the accumulation of pollutants in near‐shore sediments.
Fishing trawler nets Massive “Catch” of methane hydrates
Authors: Spence G. D. , Chapman N. R. , Hyndman R. D. , Cleary C.
Published: October 2006

In November 2000, the commercial fishing vessel Ocean Selector recovered over 1000 kg of gas hydrate in a trawl net. The catch occurred in 800 m near the head of the deeply‐incised Barcley Canyon off Vancouver Island (Figure 1). This is probably the largest recovery of gas hydrate ever reported from a marine setting.

Although methane hydrate is known to be stable at the sea floor for water depths greater than 500–600 m at temperate latitudes, observed outcrops of hydrate at the sea floor are rare and poorly understood. There is a very large disequilibrium between the concentration of methane in gas hydrate and in seawater. Therefore, one would expect that gas hydrate would sublime and dissociate when it comes in contact with seawater. Nevertheless, massive hydrate outcrops have been observed and sampled, most prominently at the Hydrate Ridge off Oregon [Suess et al., 1999] and in the Gulf of Mexico [MacDonald et al., 1994; Sassen et al., 2001].
Conference provides forum for discussion of subterranean coastal environments
Authors: Shaw Timothy
Published: October 2006

An interdisciplinary group of geochemists, hydrologists,and biologists recently convened a conference to discuss mechanisms and impacts of advective exchange through permeable sediment systems at the terrestrial‐marine interface. The format of the conference included 2 days of invited talks followed by working group sessions that focused on three critical areas of research: physical processes, diagenetic processes/organic carbon cycling, and process tracers. The overall theme of the conference reflected the growing recognition of the importance of sub‐seabed exchange of coastal waters on the global mass balance of associated chemical species. Subterranean chemical exchange in coastal systems reflects a group of poorly constrained biogeochemical processes coupled with advective water exchange. This exchange occurs where ground waters or pore waters, ranging from saline to fresh, are cycled through permeable solids as a consequence of pressure gradients.
Eurasia‐Africa Plate Boundary region yields new seismographic data
Authors: van der Lee Suzan , Marone Federica , van der Meijde Mark , Giardini Domenico , Deschamps Anne , Margheriti Lucia , Burkett Peter , Solomon Sean C. , Alves Paulo M. , Chouliaras Makis , Eshwehdi Abdurazzag , Suleiman Abdunnur , Gashut Hadi , Herak Marijan , Ortiz Ramón , Davila José Martin , Ugalde Arantza , Vila Josep , Yelles Karim
Published: October 2006

The tectonic plate boundary between Eurasia and Africa is complex, in that it cannot be characterized as a single discrete plate boundary Deformation near this plate boundary varies from trans‐tensional in the Azores archipelago, through strike‐slip in the eastern Atlantic basin, to overall compressional between the European and African continents, with extensional sub‐domains in the Mediterranean Sea. This complex pattern of deformation, related plate motion, and underlying driving forces leads to strong variations in seismic hazard throughout the region. A better understanding of the plate boundary processes requires knowing crust and upper mantle structure in the region, which is best investigated with three‐component, broadband seismic data. To investigate the region's three‐dimensional crust and upper mantle structure, we are carrying out a multiinstitutional project (MIDSEA) involving seismologists from 10 countries on the northern, southern, and western sides of the plate boundary.
McGlynn awarded Horton Research Grant
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Horton (Hydrology) Research Grant Committee presented a Horton Research Grant at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, to Brian McGlynn. The research grant, which is separate from the Horton Award, supports research projects in hydrology and water resources by doctoral candidates at institutions of higher learning. The grant's objective is to foster graduate student research leading to the completion of doctoral dissertations.
Thermodynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans
Authors: Hobgood Jay S.
Published: October 2006

A comprehensive treatment of the motions in the atmosphere and oceans of the Earth requires a foundation constructed from the relevant principles that describe the transfers of matter and energy in fluids. The scales of processes that significantly affect the flows of matter and energy range from molecular to planetary All three phases of matter play significant roles in the determination of the magnitude and efficiency of energy transfers at both the smallest and largest scales. In books on thermodynamics, the majority of the text often deals with the atmosphere with little mention of the oceans or ice on the surface of the Earth. The authors of this book, Thermodynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans, attempt to remedy that situation and to provide a balanced treatment of the thermodynamics of the atmosphere, oceans, and surface ice. In many instances, the discussion of a particular thermodynamic process begins at the molecular level and proceeds to larger scales.