bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental magnetism in Australia and Papua New Guinea
Authors: Clark Robin L.
Published: October 2006

Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic research in Australia has for some time been among the best in the world, mainly through the work of groups at the Australian National University (ANU), the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). Environmental magnetism is a relatively new field, but one that is developing rapidly in Australia, as elsewhere. This report outlines both past and present research and suggests some future directions.

Environmental magnetism in the Australian region began as an adjunct to paleomagnetic studies of lake sediments in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) [Thompson and Oldfield, 1978; Oldfield et al, 1980] and in Western Victoria [Barton and Polach, 1980]. In both cases, magnetic susceptibility and some remanence measurements were used for core correlation.
Streams storing salt
Authors: Bush Susan M.
Published: October 2006

Salinity levels in the Colorado River have increased dramatically during the past century, both from natural sources such as surface erosion and saline springs, and from industrial and municipal sources. Since the Colorado provides water for more than 22 million people and 1.7 million acres of irrigation, salinity levels are a primary issue and have caused environmental problems for the United States and Mexico.

Stanley Schumm, a geomorphologist at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, has studied the Colorado River basin for the past 20 years and has shown that the Colorado and other streams in the southwest are recovering from a period of climatic fluctuations, human activities and grazing practices in the late 1800s that caused accelerated erosion and deep channel incision. Channel incision allowed large amounts of sediment to be deposited in the Colorado from its tributaries. Gradually, the tributary channels widened, stabilized, and formed new floodplains.
Pb‐Zn deposits by tectonic expulsion?
Authors: Bush Susan M.
Published: October 2006

The tectonic expulsion of fluids theory could explain the presence of lead‐zinc ores in sedimentary rocks. Originally proposed in 1986 by Jack Oliver, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., the theory is based on the subduction of tectonic plates, where hot mineral‐bearing fluids would be expelled from the subduction zone to circulate in overlying sediments during a continent‐continent collision.

The problem with Oliver's idea is that formation ages of some lead‐zinc deposits are older than the formation ages of mountains close to the deposits. According to the theory, the age of the mountains would equal the age of mineralization.
Loma Prieta research
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The National Science Foundation is inviting proposals for scientific research related to the October 17 Loma Prieta earthquake. The program is being funded through the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program.

Deadline for submission of proposals is January 25. Proposals may be submitted for studies in seismology, geodesy, engineering geology, engineering seismology, structural engineering, and economic and societal aspects of the Loma Prieta earthquake.
World stress map: International workshop on the European contribution
Authors: Mastin Larry , Müller, Birgit , Zoback Mary Lou
Published: October 2006

Ever since the recognition of plate tectonics as a major Earth process, maps of the orientation of stress in Earth's crust have given us one of the most direct clues to the forces that drive plate movements. We now know from these maps that stress orientations are consistent on a regional scale, that the boundaries between provinces of uniform stress direction generally coincide with major physiographic and structural boundaries, and that for many regions the orientation of the maximum compressive horizontal stress generally coincides with directions of plate motion [e.g., Zoback and Zoback, 1989].

On a regional scale, maps of crustal stress have provided striking evidence of the low strength of plate margin at the San Andreas Fault in California [M. D. Zoback et al, 1988]. In industry, maps of stress orientations have been used to plan secondary recovery projects for oil and gas [Bell and Babcock, 1986] and evaluate seismic risk near critical facilities [e.g., Stock et al., 1985].
Distant effects of the Tambora Eruption of April 1815: An eyewitness account
Authors: Rampino Michael R. , Rampino Michael R.
Published: October 2006

Large explosive volcanic eruptions can have far‐reaching effects on the atmosphere. The eruption of Tambora volcano on Sumbawa Island in Indonesia in April 1815 was the largest ash eruption in recent historic times, producing a bulk volume of about 150 km3 of pumice and ash [Stothers, 1984], by most estimates more than 100 times that of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. The loss of life and the destruction of agricultural land on Sumbawa and neighboring Lombok were catastrophic. In the aftermath of the Tambora eruption, in order to obtain more information about the effects on Java and the surrounding islands, the lieutenant governor of Java, Thomas Stamford Raffles, circulated a letter with three brief questions. The following questionnaire was completed by the Resident of Surakarta in eastern Java describing local eyewitness accounts of the effects of the Tambora eruption (catalogued by Blagden [1916]). It gives a vivid picture of the effects of the massive eruption some 800 km from the volcano. (The style, punctuation, and spelling of the original handwritten report in the MacKenzie Collection of the British Library have been retained throughout.)
Climate and water
Authors: Lemmela Risto , Kuusisto E.
Published: October 2006

The International Conference on Climate and Water was held in Helsinki, Finland from September 11‐15, 1989 and was attended by 250 specialists from 28 countries. It was convened by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) under the auspices of the Organization's Regional Association VI (Europe). The majority of the participants and scientific papers were from European countries; experts did, however, attend from as far away as Africa, India, the United States, and Australia.

The organizers of the conference were Ministry of the Environment, Finland; Academy of Finland; National Committee for the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the Research Council for the Environmental Sciences; Finnish National Board of Waters and the Environment; Finnish Meteorological Institute and World Meteorological Organization. The cosponsors were the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).
Geotechnical applications
Authors: Paillet F. L.
Published: October 2006

Committee D18 on Soil a n d Rock of the American Society for Testing and Materials held the symposium Geotechnical Applications of Geophysics June 29 in St. Louis, Mo.

Cochaired by Wayne Saunders, ICF, Inc., Fairfax, Va., and Fred Paillet, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colo., 15 papers were presented from authors from Canada, Japan, and the United States.
Channel flow and catchment runoff
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The International Conference on Channel Flow and Catchment Runoff was held May 22–26 at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, in honor of the centennial of Manning's Formula and Kuichling's Rational Formula. Sponsors were the American Geophysical Union, American Society of Civil Engineers, International Association for Hydraulic Research, and International Water Resources Association. Support came from the University of Virginia and the National Weather Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists from 24 countries gave about 100 presentations.
Ozone hole deep but not deepest
Authors: Maggs William Ward
Published: October 2006

Despite early reports of a record‐setting depletion, the 1989 Antarctic ozone hole was not quite as persistent or long‐lived as in 1987.

The hole began to develop at the beginning of September, when temperatures dropped to −92°C to −93°C, more than cold enough for the formation of polar stratospheric clouds at about 17 km, in the heart of the ozone layer. Then, in the presence of sunlight, chlorine‐bearing compounds derived from anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) reacted on the clouds and began to rapidly destroy large amounts of ozone. Because the temperatures were one to two degrees colder and ozone depletion slightly faster than in early September 1987, there were predictions that this year's hole might be the largest yet. In 1987 more than 99% of the ozone at altitudes of 14–18 km over Antarctica was destroyed. Dobson spectrophotometers that measure total ozone in a column of atmosphere showed that t h e overall depletion was 50% in 1987; background ozone levels vary between 250 and 300 Dobson units (DU), and the lowest levels recorded in 1987 were about 125 DU. Concentrations continued below 200 DU well into November.
A moving atlas
Authors: Maggs William Ward
Published: October 2006

An animated atlas designed for use with personal computers and color monitors will be published in 1992.

The software package will graphically display land vegetation information from the U.S. NOAA‐7 satellite, ocean productivity data from the Coastal Zone Color Scanner aboard the NASA Nimbus 7, images from the French SPOT 1 and ocean information from the Japanese MOS 1, as well as other statistics on population dynamics, cloud cover, and precipitation. Animation of images over extended periods of time will enable viewers to watch changes on a planetary scale.
Proposed international facility in Antarctica
Authors: Inan U. S. , Rycroft M. J.
Published: October 2006

An international workshop was held at Stanford University, Stanford, Calif., April 24–28, to define the scientific and engineering requirements for a new international ELF/VLF wave injection facility to be placed in Antarctica.

The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation, and more than 25 scientists from five countries attended. Discussions covered recent scientific results of wave injection experiments, outstanding questions that lie ahead, and opportunities for international collaboration. Considerations agreed upon by workshop participants follow.
Seventy Years of Radio Science, Technology, Standards, and Measurement at the National Bureau of Standards
Authors: Gillmor C. Stewart
Published: October 2006

This large volume describes all the forms of radio research done at the National Bureau of Standards (now, National Institute of Standards and Technology) from its founding in 1901 until about 1980. The volume truly reflects its subtitle; it describes in great detail research in radio propagation and all its connections with geophysics and geospace, but also radio as instrument for discovery and application in meteorology, navigation, and in standards of measurement and testing in electronics.

The book is a bit unwieldy and some of its chapters will be of most interest to former NBS employees. For example, there is a lengthy chapter on the transfer of radio research work from Washington, D.C, to Boulder, Colo., in the early 1950s, complete with photostat of the quit claim deed to NBS from the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. On the other hand, radio research developed and flourished in this country in the early days at industrial (Bell Telephone, General Electric, Westinghouse) and government (NBS, Naval Research Laboratory) labs more than in academia, and it is very interesting to learn how the labs interacted and to read details of the organizational structure. I can attest personally to the great difficulties in locating materials concerning radio history. While we have numerous volumes devoted to certain popular radio heroes, little is available concerning government radio pioneers such as L. W. Austin, who directed the U.S. Navy's radio research for many years while situated physically at the Bureau of Standards, or J. H. Dellinger, long‐time chief of the Radio Section and head spokesman on radio for the U.S. government until the 1930s.
History and Heritage Committee
Authors: Ince Simon
Published: October 2006

The committtee on History and Heritage of Hydrology of the AGU Section of Hydrology was formed when R. A. Freeze became president of the Hydrology Section. The first chairman of the committee, July 1, 1984–June 30, 1986, was William Back of the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va. Back defined the functions of the committee: to encourage study of the classical history of hydrology in order to provide practicing scientists with a sense of continuity by knowing their roots to develop a body of knowledge that could be considered contemporary history by documenting the history of the past 50 years before data are lost and memories fade to develop some means of preserving the hydrologic data that will be of scientific significance in the future.
GeoSync expands
Authors: Sutton Steve
Published: October 2006

To advance the application of synchrotron radiation in the geosciences, Earth scientists have formed GeoSync International. GSI, an expansion of GeoSync America, which was established at a meeting hosted by Argonne National Laboratory in January 1988, is the culmination of several informal meetings including one associated with a symposium held at the European Union of Geosciences meeting in Strasbourg, France, in March.

When they met August 6 at Stanford University, Gordon E. Brown, Jr., of Stanford, Georges Calas of Laboratoire de Mineralogie Cristallographie in Paris, and J.V. Smith and Ian M. Steele of the University of Chicago decided that GSI should have three geographically convenient divisions: GeoSync Asia (GSAS), GeoSync Europe/Africa (GSEA) and GeoSync America (GSAM). Such an organization will help GSI in its goals to coordinate development of experimental stations on the synchrotrons around the world to attain rapid development at minimal cost, disseminate information by organizing symposia, study institutes and review articles, publish news about GeoSync activities, and coordinate with other disciplines in the materials sciences (sensu lato).
Hurricane Hugo briefing
Authors: Bush Susan M.
Published: October 2006

The effects of Hurricane Hugo could have been much worse, in terms of lives lost and structural damage, according to postdisaster study teams. As part of the National Research Council's Committee on Natural Disasters, teams were sent to the disaster sites almost immediately after Hugo struck on September 18.

Meteorologists, wind engineers, coastal geologists, civil engineers, structural engineers, and other members of the study teams presented their findings at a briefing held November 28 in Washington, D.C.
Voters polled on greenhouse
Authors: Maggs William Ward
Published: October 2006

Most voters in the United States believe global warming is a serious threat and want the nation to lead efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even without an international agreement, according to a new poll.

A majority also support use of increased energy efficiency and renewable energy resources rather than fossil fuels, which are seen as the primary cause of warming, and nuclear energy.
Crustal‐scale fluid transport: Magnitude and mechanisms
Authors: Torgersen Thomas
Published: October 2006

Fluid mass transport controls a majority of the many chemical‐rock reactions observed in Earth's crust. The scale and magnitude of this crustal fluid transport has been considerably extended in recent years. This review summarizes some of the cross‐disciplinary evidence for large‐scale fluid migration in Earth's crust and the proposed mechanisms that may account for its transport.
Hydrometeorology of Rocky Mountain floods
Authors: Jarrett Robert D.
Published: October 2006

Climatology and flood hydrology of the Rocky Mountains were the topics of a workshop held in Lakewood, Colo., October 4–5, 1990. Ninety‐one people participated in the workshop, which was organized by Robert Jarrett, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver; John Liou, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Denver; and Doug Laiho, Delta Environmental Consultants, Boulder, representing the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The workshop was held to address some of the recognized complexities in the hydrometeorology of floods in the Rocky Mountains. The complexities are caused by the effects of rough mountain terrain on meteorology, snowmelt and rainfall flooding, and limited rainfall and streamflow data. The current theories and methods used to estimate flood flows in the Rocky Mountains, particularly estimation of the probable maximum precipitation (PMP) and the probable maximum flood (PMF), have been questioned by hydrologists and engineers for some time. Purposes of the workshop were to review the current understanding and ongoing research of floods—both frequent and extreme, including the PMF, in the Rocky Mountains; to bring together scientists, engineers, and flood‐plain managers in government, industry, consulting firms, and universities; and to provide a mechanism for the exchange of ideas and technology between climatologists, meteorologists, hydrologists, engineers, and managers.
[Comment on “Labor pains at subduction's birth” by William Ward Maggs, and “Macquarie Earthquake of May 23, 1989” by Barbara Romanowicz and Goran Ekstrom] Earthquake update
Authors: McCue Kevin
Published: October 2006

Following the two notes in Eos on the recent great earthquake on the Macquarie Ridge (“Labor Pains at Subduction's Birth,” by William Ward Maggs, June 13, p. 650, and “Macquarie Earthquake of May 23, 1989,” by Barbara Romanowicz and Goran Ekstrom, July 11, p. 700), we would like to put the record straight on minor comments in the articles.

Tsunami: Indeed, a tsunami was generated and recorded on at least four tide gages along the coast of southeastern Australia, southeast Tasmania and southeastern New South Wales. The peak‐to‐trough amplitude was very small, 0.3 m, barely above the normal harbor seiche at each ot the tide gage sites. The duration of the wave train in Sydney harbor was seven hours.
Inversion of ocean circulation models
Authors: Willebrand Jurgen , Wunsch Carl
Published: October 2006

The development of models that describe the ocean general circulation and its variability on decadal time scales is the principal objective of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) within the World Climate Research Program (WCRP). Such models are, in conjunction with atmospheric circulation models, essential for the prediction of climate change. To be a credible tool for this purpose, the models not only must be based on established dynamical principles, but also must be compatible with the observed elements of the global circulation.
Coupled ocean‐atmosphere models: 21st International Liege Colloquium on Ocean Dynamics
Authors: Weinstein Alan I. , McDonald B. Edward
Published: October 2006

Global‐scale ocean dynamics related to El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was the focus of the 21st International Colloquium on Ocean Dynamics. ENSO provides modelers a great deal of data revealing correlation between sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and atmospheric pressure differentials in the tropics. (See Enfield [1989] for an excellent review of the data.)

The meeting was held May 8–12, 1989, at the University of Liege, Belgium. More than 50 scientists attended, from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, People's Republic of China, Spain, U.K., U.S., and U.S.S.R.
Probing impacts in Fennoscandia
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

A symposium on impact crater structures in Fennoscandia was held on the Otaniemi Campus of the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT), Espoo, Finland, May 29–30, 1990. The symposium was hosted by the faculty of Materials Science of HUT (led by M. Peltoniemi and B. Söderholm), and sponsored by the Geological Surveys of Finland and Sweden, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Academy of Finland, the Swedish National Science Research Council, and the Finnexploration Company. Sixty scientists, mainly from the Nordic countries but a few from the United States, Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union participated in the meeting. Although similar symposia on impact structures have been held recently, for example, the Vredefort Symposium in South Africa (see Tectonophysics special issue, 1990) and the Ries Crater Symposium in Germany (see Meteoritics special issue, 1989), this was the first of its kind held in Scandinavia.
Continental Flood Basalts
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Continental flood basalts have been receiving considerable scientific attention lately. Recent publications have focused on several particular flood‐basalt provinces (Brito‐Arctic, Karoo, Parana', Deccan, and Columbia Plateau), and much attention has been given to the proposed connection between flood‐basalt volcanism, bolide impacts, and mass extinctions. The editor of Continental Flood Basalts, J. D. Macdougall, conceived the book to assemble in a single volume, from a vast and scattered literature, an overview of each major post‐Cambrian flood‐basalt province.

Continental Flood Basalts has 10 chapters; nine treat individual flood‐basalt provinces, and a summary chapter compares and contrasts continental flood‐basalts and mid‐oceanic ridge basalts. Specifically, the chapters address the Columbia River basalt, the northwest United States including the Columbia River basalt, the Ethiopian Province, the North Atlantic Tertiary Province, the Deccan Traps, the Parana' Basin, the Karoo Province, the Siberian Platform, and Cenozoic basaltic rocks in eastern China. Each chapter is written by one or more individuals with an extensive background in the province.
Successful modeling?
Authors: Lomnitz Cinna
Published: October 2006

Tichelaar and Ruff [1989] propose to “estimate model variance in complicated geophysical problems,” including the determination of focal depth in earthquakes, by means of unconventional statistical methods such as bootstrapping. They are successful insofar as they are able to duplicate the results from more conventional procedures.
Regional seismic networks upgrade encouraged
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

A partnership between the U.S. National Seismic Network (USNSN)—planned by the U.S. Geological Survey for implementation in the early 1990s—and a group of modernized, independently run regional seismic networks is recommended by the National Research Council in their recent report, “Assessing the Nation's Earthquakes: The Health and Future of Regional Seismograph Networks.” The panel that prepared the report said that together, the facilities would constitute a National Seismic System, a satellite‐based network capable of systematically monitoring and analyzing earthquakes throughout the nation within minutes of their occurrence.

Regional seismic networks are arrays of tens to hundreds of seismic stations targeted chiefly on seismically active regions. They provide a broad range of data and information, which can be applied to public safety and emergency management, quantification of hazard and risk assessment associated with natural and human‐induced earthquakes, surveillance of underground nuclear explosions, basic research on earthquake mechanics and dynamics, seismic wave propagation, seismotectonic processes, earthquake forecasting and prediction, and properties and composition of the crust and the internal structure of the Earth.
Ocean science proposals: 1989 Report on the Triennial Oversight Review of the Ocean Sciences Research Section of the National Science Foundation
Authors: Peterson Charles H.
Published: October 2006

The 1989 review committee for the National Science Foundation Ocean Sciences Research Section (OSRS) assembled statistical comparisons of funding patterns for 5 fiscal years (FY 1984–FY 1988) and reviewed in detail 80 individual proposal files. The success rates of research proposals varied greatly among programs, with Chemical Oceanography at 48% Physical Oceanography at 46%, Marine Geology and Geophysics at 37%, and Biological Oceanography at 28%. The success rates of male and female Principal Investigators (PIs) were equal. The numbers of female PIs in ocean sciences are low but clearly growing. New PIs no more than 5 years from award of their Ph.D. had lower success rates than older PIs in Biological Oceanography but not in the other three programs. Review panels can be shown to have a strong influence on the ultimate fate of proposals in OSRS. In virtually all cases examined, this influence of the panel was appropriate and scientifically well justified. The funding decisions of NSF program managers in Ocean Sciences were understandable and well documented—the review committee would challenge only a small fraction of all decisions. The review process appears to be functioning well at all levels to identify and promote excellence in ocean sciences research.
Sposito receives 1990 Horton award
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Gary Sposito received the 1990 Horton Award at the December 6, 1990, Hydrology Section luncheon of the AGU Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
AGU elects New Fellows
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Twenty‐six outstanding AGU members have recently been elected as Fellows of the Union. Fellows are scientists who have attained acknowledged eminence in some branch of geophysics. The total number of Fellows elected each year may not exceed 0.1% of the total membership.
Ground rupture of Iran's Catastrophic June 20, 1990 earthquake
Authors: Berberian Manuel
Published: October 2006

(Ms = 7.7, Mb=6.4, Io=X), looking east. The Rudbar‐Tarom earthquake in northwest Iran, along with its aftershocks, claimed more than 40,000 lives (according to official reports), left more than 500,000 homeless, and destroyed three cities (Rudbar, Manjil, and Lowshan). It also completely destroyed 700 villages, slightly damaged 300 more, and caused $7 million worth of damage in Gilan and Zanjan provinces, southwest of the Caspian Sea. The strongest earthquake to hit a densely populated urban area of Iran this century, the shock disrupted virtually every aspect of urban life.
2nd SEDI Symposium Held
Authors: Loper D.
Published: October 2006

Geomagnetism and paleomagnetism were the emphasis of the second SEDI (Study of the Earth's Deep Interior) symposium, “Reversals, Secular Variation and Dynamo Theory,” convened by Gary Glatzmaier and Paul Roberts at St. Johns College, Santa Fe, N.Mex., August, 6–10, 1990. The program included sessions on structure of the core and lower mantle and on mineral physics.

The organizers and participants of the meeting wish to thank the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics and the Center for Nonlinear Studies at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Center for Earth and Planetary Interiors at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Geophysics Program of the Earth Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation for their support of the symposium. What follows is a condensed summary of some of the highlights of the symposium, compiled by J . Bloxham, M. Brown, J . Cain, D. Fearn, D. Loper, and R. Merrill. A more complete summary is available from David Loper, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute, B‐153, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306‐3017.
1989 Maurice Ewing Medal to Klaus Wyrtki
Authors: O'Brien James J.
Published: October 2006

I am very honored to present the citation for the 1989 Ewing Medal to Klaus Wyrtki, Professor of Oceanography, University of Hawaii. Klaus has marvelous scientific insight. He has made numerous contributions to geophysics and, particularly, to large scale physical oceanography. He has published over 100 papers and an atlas during his scientific career.
1989”1990 AGU Congressional Fellow report
Authors: Frank Barbara J.
Published: October 2006

Describing the last 3 months on the Subcommittee on International Scientific Cooperation of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is no easy task. I have learned a great deal about many issues and about the workings of Congress; yet this knowledge has not been gained in a necessarily straightforward or logical manner.

Although my status on the Subcommittee is that of a Fellow, in effect I am expected to function as a regular staff member. I immediately became involved in the preparation of two hearings, the first on science and technology initiatives for Poland and Hungary, and the second on the Human Genome Project. At these hearings, I learned firsthand about important aspects of science‐related issues that concern Congress, namely, intellectual property rights, U.S. competitiveness in the science and technology arena with other countries, Japan, in particular; and big science versus small science funding.
1989 Fall Meeting report and late abstracts
Authors: Chapman David S.
Published: October 2006

The AGU 1989 Fall Meeting was held December 4–8 in San Francisco with meeting participation continuing the steady growth trend set throughout the decade. More than 4618 members registered at the meeting and 3300 papers were given.

West Coast geophysical awareness had been heightened earlier in the fall by the magnitude‐7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake, which occurred October 17 just south of San Francisco. This event provided a topical accent for parts of the week's program. A Monday Union session was devoted to initial results from, and reaction to, the earthquake. The session was concluded by a address by U.S. Representative George E. Brown, Jr. (D‐Calif.), sponsor of the earthquake hazard reduction bill presently funding much of the earthquake hazards reduction program in the U.S.
Scripps gets grant for seafloor surveying
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The W. M. Keck Foundation awarded a grant of $1.5 million toward the first installation of a pioneering system in seafloor surveying aboard the University of California, San Diego/Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) research vessel Melville. Total cost of the project is more than $2 million. Scripps has provided about $600,000 from university sources; additional funding has been requested from the U.S. Navy and the National Science Foundation. The Keck Foundation focuses on grants to universities and colleges throughout the United States, particularly in the fields of science, engineering, and medical research.
North American datum report published
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The redefinition of the horizontal geodetic control network in North America is the subject of a recently published book by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Geodetic Survey. North American Datum of 1983 (NOAA Professional Paper NOS 2) covers the history of the project from its inception in 1978 to completion of the redefinition in 1988.

The 256‐page report is intended to serve as a record of what was actually done during the new datum project, which was a cooperative effort supported by the United States, Canada, Denmark, and Central America. The report describes the actual execution, including the inventory of data used, the laborious task of building the data base, the computations themselves, and the datum implementation activities.
[Comment on “IGBP: Crown jewel or prodigal son?” by Juan Roederer] IGBP and ICSU
Authors: Wooster Warren S.
Published: October 2006

Juan Roederer's article about IGBP (International Geosphere‐Biosphere Program) and ICSU (International Council of Scientific Unions) in Eos, (“IGBP: Crown Jewel or Prodigal Son?” December 12, 1989, p. 1552) has interesting implications for the organization of international scientific cooperation within the framework of ICSU.

In ICSU, power is divided between the International Scientific Union members and National Members (representing national academies and research councils). Even though the research sponsored by ICSU is done at national expense, and the operating expenses of ICSU come directly or indirectly from national sources, the Unions tend to hold the balance of power.
Rings dominate western Gulf
Authors: Vidal L. Francisco V. , Vidal L. Victor M. V. , Molero José María Pérez
Published: October 2006

Surface and deep circulation of the central and western Gulf of Mexico is controlled by interactions of rings of water pinched from the gulf's Loop Current. The discovery was made by Mexican oceanographers who are preparing a full‐color, 8‐volume oceanographic atlas of the gulf.

Anticyclonic warm‐core rings pinch off the Loop Current at a rate of about one to two per year, the scientists of the Grupo de Estudios Oceanográficos of the Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas (GEO‐IIE) found. The rings migrate west until they collide with the continental shelf break of the western gulf, almost always between 22° and 23°N latitude. On their westward travel they transfer angular momentum and vorticity to the surrounding water, generating cyclonic circulations and vortex pairs that completely dominate the entire surface and deep circulation of the central and western gulf.
Hydrology Section Executive Committee minutes
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The AGU Section Executive Committee was called to order at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 7, 1989, by George Pinder. In attendance were Steve Burges, George Pinder, John Wilson, David Maidment, Ken Potter, Marshall Moss, George Leavesley, Chris Milly, Fred Spilhaus, Dennis Lettenmaier, Eric F. Wood, William Dietrich, Ken Bencola, Jeff Dozier, Don Nielsen, Simon Ince, Soroosh Sorooshian, David Brookshire and William Herkelrath. Karen Prestegaard, Secretary, had earlier reported that she would not be in attendance.
Assessing SPR education
Authors: Tsurutani Bruce T. , Engebretson Mark J.
Published: October 2006

The SPR Education Committee has been charged with determining the adequacy of education in the SPR field at all levels (pre‐college, college, graduate, postgraduate, and general public education). After an initial assessment, the committee will recommend implementing specific actions under its aegis.

As a start, the committee would to hear from members who are writing textbooks or working in education (other than teaching classes) on space physics and aeronomy. The committee aims to discern obvious gaps in coverage of the field, and to encourage top scientists to write books or pamphlets to remedy these lacks. Survey results will be published in Eos.
Heliosphere
Authors: Siscoe George L.
Published: October 2006

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are playing increasingly important roles in models developed to understand solar‐terrestrial physics. A CME is characterized by a disruption or change in a helmet streamer, one of the radiant petals so prominent in solar eclipse pictures. This remarkable phenomenon, discovered in the 1970s, was long regarded a consequence of energetic processes occurring lower in the atmosphere, exemplified by solar flares. Now it appears that the roles are reversed—CMEs, not flares, are the driving process. In the revised picture, flares are frequent, but not necessary, consequences of CMEs; they follow instead of initiate events. CMEs are also geophysically effective. A recent statistical analysis shows they cause nearly 90% of large geomagnetic storms.
NASA Selects first EOS payload
Authors: Wilson Stan , Dozier Jeff
Published: October 2006

On January 18, NASA selected 11 “instrument investigations” for the first satellite of the Earth Observing System (EOS), which is the centerpiece of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. The instruments are AIRS/AMSU‐A/‐B, ASTER, CERES, EOSP, HIRDLS, LIS, MISR, MODIS‐N/‐T, STIKSCAT, and—pending resolution of technical issues—MIMR and MOPITT. In addition, HIRIS has been confirmed for development and tentatively selected for a subsequent flight, while ACRIM has been selected for future flight.

The EOS satellite, to be launched aboard a Titan‐IV vehicle from the Western Test Range in 1998, is the first of the three‐satellite EOS‐A series. Each satellite will have a 5‐year design life and will produce a 15‐year‐long global data set. The series' primary goal is to make measurements related to potential global warming and other critical aspects of global change, including the Earth's radiation balance, atmospheric circulation, air‐sea interaction, biological productivity, and land‐surface properties.
1991 AGU Medalists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

AGU takes great pride in announcing the recipients of its 1991 medals, the highest honors presented by the Union. These outstanding scientists have been chosen by committees of their peers for their significant contributions to one or more areas of geophysics.
Unite to face Congress, Brown tells scientists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

“As a politician,” George E. Brown, Jr., rather understatedly told the American Association for the Advancement of Science on February 15, “I must tell you that unlimited federal funding for basic research is no longer viewed by the U.S. Congress as a birthright of the scientific community.” In his plenary address to the association's annual meeting, the new chairman of the House Science Committee repeatedly warned scientists and engineers not to be divisive over tight research budgets. The California Democrat also called for a unified vision of scientific and technological progress, built upon better communication between scientists, engineers, and Congress.

The “good news,” Brown said, is that even in a tough budget year, President George Bush has asked for substantial hikes for many research‐funding agencies. However, Brown added, “There will not be huge increases for the funding of basic research over the next 3–5 years,” and even Bush's current requests are not sacrosanct. Ticking off various programs that have been slashed, Brown asked, “Who do you think they're going to set their hungry eyes on?”
Geodesy in the year 2000
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Geodesy in the Year 2000, prepared under the auspices of the Committee on Geodesy of the National Research Council, has just been published by the National Academy Press. Focused on the needs and potential contributions of geodesy during the next decade, the publication contains an overview, recommendations, and eight research reports.

Geodesy is in the midst of a technological revolution. As space‐based observational techniques have been introduced over the past two decades, geodesy has undergone profound changes. Between now and the end of this century, new technological advances will transform the field even further, making new generations of measurements possible, with increased speed and accuracy. Yet the scientific requirements for precision, the spatial and temporal density of the measurements, and the coverage of the planet present a formidable challenge to even the most advanced geodetic tools.
NCAR committee to study ambient hydrocarbon analysis
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

Trace amounts of hydrocarbons can significantly influence the chemistry of the atmosphere. Accurate identification and mixing ratios of the numerous hydrocarbons present are necessary prerequisites for understanding the various species' potential contributions to important atmospheric chemical cycles. The large number, low mixing ratios, and high reactivities of the hydrocarbons present suggest that a carefully controlled intercomparison study is needed.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) announces plans by an international committee of scientists to develop the protocol to be used in intercomparing ambient hydrocarbon samples. The committee welcomes the participation of all scientists who are now or plan to be involved in the analysis of ambient levels of hydrocarbons from rural or clean air.
Voyager 2 at Neptune and Triton
Authors: Benner Lance A. M.
Published: October 2006

Voyager 2 completed its “grand tour” of the outer solar system in 1989 by returning the first in situ observations of Neptune, its rings, and its satellites. The probe revealed that the Neptunian system is dynamic and diverse. Major discoveries include atmospheric bands and large storms on Neptune, the existence and orientation of Neptune's magnetic field, a system of four dark rings, six small satellites, and the geologically spectacular and active surface of Neptune's largest moon, Triton. The observations offer important clues to the origin and evolution of the Neptunian system and the outer solar system and raise many new questions.
U.S./U.S.S.R. seismological network developing
Authors: Given Holly
Published: October 2006

In the spirit of glasnost, the first stage of a state‐of‐the‐art seismological network for global research on Earth structure, earthquakes, and seismic monitoring of nuclear testing is now operating in the Soviet Union, thanks to cooperation between several U.S. and Soviet groups and agencies. Digitally recorded seismic data have been generally unavailable from the Soviet Union prior to the new agreement, leaving an essentially uninstrumented hole in the largest continent on Earth. In 1988 the Soviet Academy agreed to a joint research program with the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) and the U.S. Geological Survey that called for the establishment of 20–25 permanent seismic stations and the operation of portable seismic networks in each country. The U.S. State Department approved the incorporation of the seismic program, now called the Eurasian Seismic Studies Program, under Area IX (Earthquake Prediction) of the Bilateral U.S./U.S.S.R. Environmental Protection Agreement. The network is operated by IRIS, a consortium of over 60 American universities, the USGS, and the Institute of Physics of the Earth (IPE) of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Principal project scientists are Jonathan Berger, a geophysicist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and John Filson, a seismologist at USGS.
Overview of IRIS
Authors: Phinney Robert
Published: October 2006

The fascinating ways in which the Earth's crust moves —spreading at oceanic ridges, colliding in mountain belts, pushing up domes, and sinking down in trenches—are the well‐established phenomena of plate tectonics. The secrets behind these movements lie out of our reach in the crust, mantle, and core of the Earth. How deep do the roots of continents lie? What happens to cold pieces of lithospheric slabs that disappear into the mantle where plates collide? Where do the magmas in Yellowstone and Hawaii come from? The fundamental challenge posed by these questions is to understand how the Earth works by observing it in action.

Seismic instruments have been recording earthquakes for a century; the record of ground motion seen on chart paper several thousand kilometers from an earthquake is a record of the interior of the Earth and of the earthquake. Seismic waves present the only phenomenon in physics that can travel to all depths in the Earth. Some seismic waves move through the Earth nearly as well as light traverses the atmosphere.
Solid Earth science during the 21st century
Authors: Oliver Jack
Published: October 2006

In this talk I shall try to forecast some developments in the solid Earth sciences during the 21st century. The forecasts may not be accurate, of course. Some are quite speculative. But perhaps they will be provocative, and will encourage others to dream a little—or a lot.

The first step in forecasting the future of any subject is to look at the past and the present to recognize the recent rate of change and the current base level in the subject of interest.
Geophysical Geodesy: The Slow Deformation of the Earth
Authors: Zund Joseph D.
Published: October 2006

Geodesy is devoted to the determination of the shape, size, and gravity field of the Earth. Its methods include triangulation, leveling, gravity surveys, and tracking by artificial satellites. The results of its observations typically hold for time periods varying from a few hours to decades. In contrast, in geophysics (seismology in particular) one deals with very short periods of an hour or less, while in geological processes, one frequently considers periods of a million years or more. In Lambeck's book, the author treats the middle ground between these two geophysical extremes, which is concerned with the slow deformation of the Earth. He quite appropriately calls this geophysical geodesy, and its topics include crustal motion, spatial and temporal variation of the gravity field, rotation, and tidal deformations of the Earth. Hence geophysical geodesy aims to bridge a traditional gap between geodesy and geophysics.
AGU testifies on NASA Budget
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

Witnesses from outside the U.S. government—including Frank Eden, representing AGU—testified about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's budget on March 12 before the House Science Committee's subcommittee on space. One major topic of the hearing was familiar: what should NASA's top priority be, space science or human exploration of space.

“Obviously this committee has a huge job of trying to set priorities—consistent with the budget restraints—that will end up giving the American taxpayer the most bang for his buck, as well as providing direction for our space program,” said F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R‐Wis.), the subcommittee's ranking Republican. Another recurring topic, cited by the subcommittee's new chairman, Ralph M. Hall (D‐Tex.), as well as by other committee members, was how to translate NASA‐developed technologies into commercial gain for the U.S. in the global marketplace. Hall and others also posed a number of questions on a topic the chairman called a special concern of his: whether it would be economically and scientifically plausible for the U.S. to use the Soviet space station Mir for certain activities, such as medical applications.
CSIRO Centre appoints New Chief
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The CSIRO Centre for Environmental Mechanics (Canberra, Australia), a leader in soil‐water hydrology, micrometeorology, and physical ecology since the late 1950s, has announced the resignation of chief John Philip. Replacing him will be John Finnigan, an aeronautical engineer who joined the centre in 1972. Philip will continue his research as the first appointee to the new classification of CSIRO Fellow. The category was recently created to enable eminent scientists to continue in full‐time research with remuneration packages parallel to those of senior administrators.
[Comment on “Igneous outbursts and mass extinctions” by Robert S. White] Igneous outbursts
Authors: Ryder Graham
Published: October 2006

In his article “Igneous Outbursts and Mass Extinctions” (Eos, 70, 1480, 1989) Robert S. White shows how flood basalts may be produced and erupted rapidly. He avoids the fundamental point that at the Cretaceous‐Tertiary boundary there is a global thin iridium‐bearing layer coincident with mass extinctions of microfauna. The first‐order interpretation is that global microfaunal extinctions and meteorite impact(s) were coincident within the resolution of geologic time. This is either fortuitous, or extinction caused an impact(s), or an impact(s) caused extinctions.
Fisk ponders space budget
Authors: Simarski Lynn Teo
Published: October 2006

In a particularly unpredictable budget year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's proposed 13.6% increase stacks up favorably against other agencies—for now. “If [Congress] took the president's budget and translated that directly into the amount of money allocated to the subcommittees [that deal with NASA], I think we'd have a fairly simple year,” said Lennard A. Fisk, associate administrator for NASA's space science and applications office. “But I don't think that's going to happen.” Explaining the agency's budgets for 1991 and 1992 on March 8 in Washington, D.C. to university representatives in the Space Science Working Group, he forecast a “challenging year” ahead.