bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mars: Uncovering the Secrets of the Red Planet
Authors: Goddis Lisa
Published: October 2006

Riding on the tidal wave of interest in Mars sparked by the highly successful Mars Pathfinder mission, Mars: Uncovering the Secrets of the Red Planet was first published in hardback in August 1998. The book, now available in paperback edition's loaded with more than 125 spectacular photographs from every successful mission to Mars from Mariner and Viking to Mars Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor. Raeburn portrays both the drama and the human history of the exploration of Mars in seven chapters.

While the text is technically accurate from both engineering and geology viewpoints, its potential dryness is also frequently enlivened by anecdotes that provide a unique personal perspective on more than 30 years of Mars exploration. The players discussed rank among the most distinguished members of planetary science, including Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Lowell, Sagan, and many more currently active scientists too numerous to mention here. The foreword provided by Matt Golombek, the project scientist for Mars Pathfinder at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, sets the stage by outlining some of the major issues in the exploration of Mars. These key issues include the history of water at and below the surface, the possibility of life on Mars and its possible preservation in the Allan Hills meteorite (ALH 84001), and the role of future human exploration in finding some answers.
Software simplifies air‐sea data estimates
Authors: Pawlowicz Rich , Beardsley Bob , Lentz Steve , Dever Ed , Anis Ayal
Published: October 2006

The atmosphere and oceans interact at the ocean surface through boundary layers that are millimeters to many tens of meters thick. Processes at work in this relatively thin region are crucial in controlling the coupling between air and ocean and, as such, are important both in studies of the ocean or atmosphere in isolation, and in studies of the coupled system that investigate—for example—interannual climatic variability

However, as a practical matter, attempts to generate flux estimates from particular observational data sets often involve a great deal of effort, since the relevant parameterizations are scattered throughout the literature; may have only limited applicability to certain locations and regimes; and are found using algorithms that are often complex and iterative. This can be especially frustrating when boundary layer theory is only peripheral to the main scientific or educational interest.
Fundamentals of Glacier Dynamics
Authors: Thomas Robert H.
Published: October 2006

Glaciers form when snow melts and refreezes, or is compressed, to form ice. Spreading under their own weight, they flow seaward, channeled along preferred routes by the shape or composition of the underlying bedrock. Though we don't know why, some ice streams flow rapidly within slower‐moving ice in Greenland and Antarctica. Glaciers exist on all continents except Australia, and at high enough elevations, they can be found even at the equator. Many are melting as global temperatures rise, but about 99% of glacier ice is in Greenland and Antarctica, where it is partly protected from global warming by low temperatures. Nevertheless, the coastal ice sheet in Greenland has thinned recently for unknown reasons, and we still don't know whether the far larger Antarctic ice sheet is growing or shrinking.
Quaternary Climates, Environments and Magnetism
Authors: Fuller Mike
Published: October 2006

Magnetism has a habit of turning up in different areas within the Earth sciences and defining new disciplines. One obvious example is magnetostratigraphy. Another is the subject of this book—environmental magnetism—which is the interpretation of environmental conditions and past climate from the record of variations in the magnetic characteristics of sediments. With its rapid and relatively straightforward magnetic measurements, the field has already had a major impact on our understanding of the paleoclimatology and the paleoenvironmental conditions of our planet.
Reply: Report safeguards future studies of Europa
Authors: Esposito Larry W.
Published: October 2006

I am able to reply to some of the issues raised in the comment above.

Since the National Research Council Task Group on the Forward Contamination of Europa has officially disbanded, I cannot address the issues concerning the soundness or completeness of our report, or the proposal by Greenberg and Tufts for an alternate guiding principle for planetary protection. The National Academy of Sciences, NASA, and the International Council of Scientific Unions' Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) have received the Task Group report and may wish to address these concerns.
Data Sets from forest‐atmosphere research now available
Authors: Huemmrich K. F. , Hall F. G. , Landis D. R. , Newcomer J. A.
Published: October 2006

Research to date indicates that rising global temperatures could have their greatest impact at higher latitudes (45° to 65°N), with the most marked effects within continental interiors; this includes predictions of significant warming and drying. In response to the need for data to better model the possible effects of global warming on boreal forests—which inhabit much of the northerly latitudes—the Boreal Ecosystems Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) was carried out between 1990 and 1999.

BOREAS was an international, interdisciplinary field campaign to improve understanding of boreal forest ecology the interactions between boreal forest and the atmosphere, how these interactions are affected by climate change, and how satellite imagery can be used to monitor these interactions [Sellers, et al., 1997]. BOREAS was a cooperative field experiment involving elements of land surface climatology, biogeochemistry and terrestrial ecology, with remote sensing playing a strong, integrating role. A primary objective was to collect the data needed to improve computer simulation models of the important processes controlling these exchanges, in order to improve capabilities to anticipate the effects of global change—principally altered temperature and precipitation patterns—on the biome.
Global water data: A newly endangered species
Authors:   The Ad Hoc Group, Vörösmarty C. , Askew A. , Grabs W. , Barry R. G. , Birkett C. , Döll P. , Goodison B. , Hall A. , Jenne R. , Kitaev L. , Landwehr J. , Keeler M. , Leavesley G. , Schaake J. , Strzepek K. , Sundarvel S. S. , Takeuchi K. , Webster F.
Published: October 2006

Water science finds itself at an interesting and critical crossroads. Sophisticated atmospheric modeling, remote sensing, and Internet‐based exchange of data enable exciting new synergies to develop among scientists, policy‐makers, and the private sector. Paradoxically we find it evermore difficult to validate products from these high‐technology tools and to exploit their full potential due to a severe and sustained decline in available hydrologic data sets.
A Compendium of Geochemistry: From Solar Nebula to the Human Brain
Authors: Suits Neil S.
Published: October 2006

Over the past decade, interest in the biogeosciences has expanded at a remarkable rate. This approach to the study of the Earth is by its very nature interdisciplinary and requires an enormous wealth of knowledge. It also requires the ability to make connections between various natural systems and processes. Over a slightly longer period, there has been a widespread effort to document the so‐called ‘average’ composition of geologic and biologic units. In a sense, Li has now helped us to take full advantage of this effort and bring this knowledge to bear on questions arising in the biogeosciences. That is because in his new book, A Compendium of Geochemistry: From Solar Nebula to the Human Brain, he has amassed an exhaustive list of data sets, gathered from numerous sources, and documenting the composition of the natural universe.
U.S. congressional caucus examines risks from natural hazards
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Two recent disastrous earthquakes—the magnitude 7.6 quake in El Salvador on January 13, and the magnitude 7.7 quake felt throughout much of the Indian subcontinent on January 26—are among the latest natural hazards to rattle the public out of any misperceptions that the Earth is a quiet and uneventful planet. Occurring in between these two deadly events, the bipartisan Natural Hazards Caucus of the U.S. Congress held a hearing on January 22 in Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to deal more effectively with natural hazards within the country and internationally, through preventative measures to reduce risk, and through improved mitigation, and disaster relief efforts.
New Congressional science chair to focus on education, energy policy, and environment
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

With the re‐shuffling of the leadership of Congressional committees following the recent U.S. general elections, Sherwood L. Boehlert, a 10‐term congressman from upstate New York, has been selected by the Republican leadership to be the chair of the Science Committee in the House of Representatives. During his January 31 “maiden” speech as the new committee leader, Boehlert told members of the Universities Research Group, “I want to build the Science Committee into a significant force within the Congress. With that momentum, I want to ensure that we have a healthy, sustainable, and productive [research and development] establishment; one that educates students, increases human knowledge, strengthens U.S. competitiveness, and contributes to the well‐being of the nation and the world.”
IPCC Report cautiously warns of potentially dramatic climate change impacts
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Recent regional climate changes already have affected many physical and biological systems on Earth; and projected climate changes, as well as changes in climate extremes, could have major consequences, according to a February 19 report by Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is a scientific body launched in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The report emphasizes that adaptation to climate change is a necessary strategy at all scales to complement mitigation efforts, and adds that while most people could be affected by climate change, “those with the least resources have the least capacity to adapt and are the most vulnerable.” Among those considered most vulnerable are many people in developing countries; the poor generally, even in developed nations; small island nations; and low‐lying coastal areas.
Outstanding student awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Hydrology Section presented seventeen outstanding student paper awards at the 2000 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Space Physics and Aeronomy Section presented fourteen outstanding student paper awards at the 2000 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Geophysicists
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Institute of Geophysics at the University of Gottingen, Germany has a long tradition that began long before its official founding in January 1898. Its history goes back to at least 1756, to the work on geophysical problems by Tobias Meyer, Carl‐Friedrich GauS, and Wilhelm Weber. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first director of the institute, Emil Wiechert, established a seismological working group that was a worldwide leader in this type of research for the next 10 to 12 years. In those golden years of seismology at Gottingen, famous students and co‐workers of Wiechert such as G. H. Angenheister, L. Geiger, B. Gutenberg, L. Mintrop, and K. Zoeppritz made fundamental discoveries.
Transition to electronic publishing
Authors: Dehant Veronique
Published: October 2006

Previous communications have described some of the changes that will occur in the next few months as AGU makes the transition to fully electronic publishing. This piece discusses subscription options and new services that will be available to members in 2002, ones that the Publications Committee believes will be sufficiently attractive to encourage many members to continue or initiate personal connections with the AGU journals in electronic form.

Member subscribers will have many possibilities for online access. The different options for back issue access are intended to provide fairness to all members and also to discourage random‐year subscriptions.
Ice in the Ocean
Authors: Jeffries Martin O.
Published: October 2006

“You are in a world of white.…The sun burns low on the horizon through a scintillating suspension of ice crystals.…All around lies a pure white landscape of snow, like a…field, with…gentle hummocks, valleys and occasional rocky lumps softened by the snowy mantle. The field is bordered by what looks like a white stone wall.…Great white rock monoliths rear into the sky, while others lie at random at their feet and in some places there is a semblance of a regularly laid pattern of blocks. It is a pressure ridge…Beneath your feet are three metres of sea ice. Beneath that are five thousand metres of water. You are walking on the Arctic Ocean.”
[Comment on “Solar variability and climate change: A historical perspective”] Letter to the Editor
Authors: Schröder Wilfried
Published: October 2006

I read with interest the article by Theodore Feldman in the November 14 issue of Geos (Solar Variability and Climate Change: A Historical Perspective.) However, for the sake of history, it is important to note that the problem of "missing sunspots" and "missing auroras" was well‐known long before Eddy!
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Biogeosciences Section presented six outstanding student paper awards at the 2001 Spring Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, last June.
Global Positioning System, Theory and Practice, 5th Edition
Authors: Nerem R. S. , Larson K. M.
Published: October 2006

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is rapidly becoming as much a part of our daily lives as the Internet, and it is now being used to navigate and locate cars, commercial and private aircraft, military vehicles, ships, spacecraft, recreational vehicles, hikers, and wildlife. In addition, GPS is becoming our primary system for precision timing and an important tool for active microwave remote sensing. Finally, in the geophysics community, GPS is the primary geodetic tool for monitoring crustal deformation.

Hundreds of receivers have already been installed in areas subject to seismic and volcanic risk in the United States alone, with many more worldwide. Therefore, interest in the technical details of how the system works has rapidly increased, as evidenced by the proliferation of GPS courses in academia and professional workshops.
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

John Apel died on August 16, 2001, at age 71. He had been an AGU member (Ocean Sciences) since 1971.

William H. Banks died in 1990, at age 76. He was a retired life member (Atmospheric Sciences) who joined AGU in 1948.
“Professor Smith” goes to Washington
Authors: Filippelli Gabriel
Published: October 2006

I recently found myself in a position both strange and familiar for a younger scientist— in a suit and tie, scurrying from office to office, discussing and defending the science behind global warming, and leaving behind packets of information to support my case. No, this was not a job interview for a faculty position on a college campus. This was a visit to Senate and House staff members from Indiana, and the location was Capitol Hill. The suit and tie are de rigueur on the Hill (except, I found, among the casually dressed younger staffers whose bosses were back in Indiana). But my visit was timely, as the national leaders struggle over issues of energy policies and global warming and the international community looks on with concern over the rejection of the Kyoto Protocol by the Bush Administration. My goal was to provide adequate scientific background to inform my legislators that the science behind global warming is sound, that the potential impacts are severe, and that action needs to be taken now to control global warming.
Beaches and Dunes of Developed Coasts
Authors: Pilkey Orrin H. , Stulz Matthew L.
Published: October 2006

Throughout recorded history, humans have derived both sustenance and pleasure from proximity to the sea. Archeological artifacts testify to our continuous presence at the coast and provide clues to how we have changed the landscape. At any number of temporal and spatial scales, humans have clearly become the dominant geomorphological agents in the coastal zone. The details of how this important role is being fulfilled is the subject of Beaches and Dunes of Developed Coasts.
The last word
Authors: Cliver Edward W.
Published: October 2006

This is the first in an occasional series that provides discussion and debate on terminology in solar physics and heliophysics.

Like any living language, the terminology of an advancing filed of science is characterized by change.
In defense of the term ICME
Authors: Russell C. T.
Published: October 2006

As Burlaga [2001] correctly points out, the term “cloud” has been used for many years to describe solar wind disturbances. “Plasma cloud,” “magnetized plasma cloud,” and now “magnetic cloud” have all seen use. While the first two terms were rather inclusive in their definition, the last one is rather restrictive [Burlaga et al., 1981]. A magnetic cloud has to have a particular duration, a smooth rotation, strong magnetic field, and a low proton temperature. Thus, we are forced into adopting a separate name for many structures that do not fit this restrictive scheme. The term “ejecta” could be used, but there are two types of ejecta: flare ejecta and coronal mass ejecta. The latter term has been used extensively for the disturbance seen at 1 AU that arises in response to a coronal mass ejection (CME) detected at the Sun. This usage has led to some difficulties, because one line of research in this field is to compare the properties of CMEs in the corona with the disturbance seen later in the interplanetary medium. Both cannot be simply called CMEs, or confusion reigns. Thus arose the practice of using the term ICME for the interplanetary counterpart of a CME; e.g. [Lindsay et al., 1999; Mulligan et al., 1999a, b]. This term includes a wide variety of structures; in particular, structures missing one feature of a magnetic cloud, but clearly being associated with a CME on the Sun. While not every ICME detected has been identified with a specific CME, enough have that we can be confident of the association [e.g. Lindsay et al., 1999].
Recent rates of warming in marine environment meet controversy
Authors: Folland Chris K. , Karl Thomas R.
Published: October 2006

To determine the sensitivity of the climate to increases in greenhouse gases and other factors, it is important to be able to condidently assess observed changes in global surface temperature. Much has recently been made in the populare press about differences in the rate of temperature change over the oceans as derived from marine surface boundary layer aire temperatures as opposed to temperatures measured at the sea surface.
New agency to promote natural hazards risk reduction worldwide
Authors: Wyss Max
Published: October 2006

The World Agency of Planetary Monitoring and Earthquake Risk Reduction (WAPMERR) came into existence as a non‐profit organization on May 5, 2001, in Geneva, Switzerland, where its offices are now located. The objectives of the agency will be to reduce the impact of natural and technological disasters on human life and health, as well as property.

During a three‐day meeting, 60 delegates from 26 countries discussed the initiative presented to them by the founding committee, which was headed by Alexey Nicolayev of Russia's Academy of Sciences. The delegates signed WAPMERR's charter, which they had formulated and adopted as founding members.
The Effects of UV Radiation in the Marine Environment
Authors: Karentz Deneb
Published: October 2006

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is a ubiquitous component of sunlight. Anyone who has ever been sunburned can readily attest to the biological hazards of over‐exposure. While the role of UV in human health has been studied extensively, much less is known about UV effects on marine organisms. We have recognized for a long time, even prior to ozone depletion, that UV causes debilitating and lethal responses. However, relatively few studies were conducted prior to the 1990s under conditions that are comparable to the intensities and wavelengths of UV present in sunlight. Only in the last two decades of the 20th century did growing awareness and acceptance of long‐term trends in stratospheric ozone depletion initiate serious concern about the possible ramifications of increased UV in the marine environment. Since then, investigations of the ecological impacts of UV have received increasing attention, funding, and research.
Reconstructing Ocean History: A Window Into the Future
Authors: Peterson Larry C.
Published: October 2006

Paleoceanography the branch of Earth science that studies the history and evolution of the ocean, has matured dramatically within the past few decades. The improved recovery of marine archives such as sediments and corals, the development of new measurement tools and proxies for inferring past ocean properties, the increased sophistication of sampling and interpretive schemes, and a continuing trend toward data‐model integration have led to major advances in our understanding of ocean history and the integral role that the oceans play in the climate system. Indeed, as the title of this book implies, it has become increasingly evident that we must learn to read and comprehend the ocean's record if we are to fully understand what future climate may hold in store for us.
Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry
Authors: Thompson Anne M.
Published: October 2006

In thirty years of university teaching, Peter Hobbs of the Atmospheric Sciences Department at the University of Washington, has seen atmospheric chemistry grow from a relatively small branch of geosciences into one with which every student of atmospheric sciences needs familiarity Some students are captivated in their first course and make atmospheric chemistry a field of further study or a lifelong career. At the same time, courses of “global change” and emerging curricula in scientific policy require students from diverse backgrounds to develop sufficient knowledge to become well‐informed policy‐makers. A number of practicing atmospheric chemists are retrained on the job from other scientific backgrounds and need selfeducation in the basics of the field.
Integrated strategy urged to address coastal contamination issues
Authors: Swarzenski Peter W. , Kvenvolden Keith A. , Horowitz Arthur J. , Buchholtz ten Brink Marilyn
Published: October 2006

Coastal bays and estuaries are well known for their intrinsic recreational and economic value, yet these ecosystems are also among our most troubled natural environments. Urban development, agriculture, and shipping are just a few examples of human activities that can cause a wide range of deleterious changes within the coastal environment. These alterations, however, occur simultaneously with cycles of natural variability such as climate change. To effectively manage coastal ecosystems, we need to be able to carefully distinguish between anthropogenic and natural causes of change.
Warm Climates in Earth History
Authors: Wilson Gary
Published: October 2006

Global warming and global environmental change are two key, inter‐related topics that receive near‐constant attention in the international press. Why? Because the political agencies that direct national and international economies are reluctant to admit that we may be conducting our own global scale experiment in atmospheric pollution. Perhaps they are right to do so. However, the arguments can only be tested properly by carefully documenting the natural climate system and by comparing recent and predicted future regional and global climate change with high‐resolution geologic records of past changes and reorganization in response to climatic forcing. Geologic records on their own, though, are limited in their regional and global application and can only be properly applied to understanding the global climate system by integration with computer models and simulations.
Twenty‐one years later, Mount St. Helens still offers lessons
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington State, October 18—During the drive up to Mount St. Helens on a brisk, clear, fall day, Christine Colasurdo noted that this region of the country has been shaped by volcanism.

“This is a place where the soils have dropped from the sky” said Colasurdo. Her family had enjoyed a cabin along the mountain's Spirit Lake prior to a series of volcanic events that began in 1980—including earthquake‐triggered landslides, a lateral cataclysmic eruption, a vertical column of ash, and lahars and pyroclastic flows on May 18,1980. Events of that day alone lowered the 2,932‐meter‐high volcano by 398 meters, as 2.8 billion cubic meters of material removed from the mountain flattened 148,000 hectares of forest, killed 57 people, and completely changed the landscape. Ash from the volcano circled the Earth in 15 days.
SCOR announces new activities
Authors: Urban Edward R.
Published: October 2006

Roger Revelle had many good ideas during his long and productive career. One of them came to fruition in 1957 in the form of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), which the International Council for Science created as its first interdisciplinary body, to promote international activities in oceanography. Revelle served as SCOR's first president from 1957 to 1960. SCOR offers opportunities for scientists from different countries to cooperate in planning and executing international programs in ocean sciences. Over its 44 years in existence, SCOR has sponsored 120 working groups and has actively participated in many of the major international oceanographic projects. Thirty‐six nations presently participate as SCOR members.
Lautenbacher will face challenges as new NOAA Head
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

With a non‐controversial confirmation hearing on November 8 before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr. is gearing up to soon take over the helm at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). His nomination by the Bush administration also includes serving as undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

A number of sources familiar with Lautenbacher indicated that his Navy and managerial skills will be useful in these posts, as he likely will face a number of science, budget, and administrative challenges in running this $3.2‐billion agency, which comprises 63% of the Commerce Department budget. These sources also sited Lautenbacher's integrity; his ability to listen to different sides of issues and to consult broadly; his connections to both the scientific and political worlds; and his persuasive ability to get things done.
El Niño and the Southern Oscillation. Multiscale Variability and Global and Regional Impacts
Authors: Cane Mark A.
Published: October 2006

The series of books edited by H.F. Diaz and V. Markgraf are standouts in the still‐bullish ENSO market. El Niño and the Southern Oscillation. Multiscale Variability and Global and Regional Impacts is their second book; the first, El Niño: Historical and Paleoclimatic Aspects of the Southern Oscillation, was published in 1992. The contents of the latest volume are eclectic: four chapters cover modern ENSO variability, three treat miscellaneous impacts, four are about paleoclimate, one investigates historical records, and one presents a theoretical model. Only true ENSO junkies will be interested in all of these topics. Fortunately for the publisher, there is no shortage of us.
Soils: An Introduction, Fifth Edition
Authors: Baisden W. Troy
Published: October 2006

Understanding the links among global biogeochemical cycles, ecology, hydrology and climate demands a knowledge base that has traditionally been considered soil science. However, for soil science to play a role in this understanding, geologists, hydrologists, ecologists, climatologists, and many others must have a fundamental understanding of soil science. Do introductory soil science texts speak to this audience?

To address this question, I reviewed the fifth edition of a textbook that set out in its original edition to accomplish just this goal—to be the introductory soil science text for students outside the discipline of soil science. As such, Singer and Munns' Soils:An Introduction must be compared to The Nature and Properties of Soils by N.C. Brady and R.R. Weil, a standard text directly descended from a first edition published in 1922.
Multinational effort studies differences among arctic ocean models
Authors: Proshutinsky Andrey , Steele Michael , Zhang Jinlun , Holloway Gregory , Steiner Nadja , Hakkinen Sirpa , Holland David , Gerdes Ruediger , Koeberle Cornelia , Karcher Michael , Johnson Mark , Maslowski Wieslaw , Walczowski Waldemar , Hibler William , Wang Jia
Published: October 2006

The Arctic Ocean is an important component of the global climate system. The processes occurring in the Arctic Ocean affect the rate of deep and bottom water formation in the convective regions of the high North Atlantic and influence ocean circulation across the globe. This fact is highlighted by global climate modeling studies that consistently show the Arctic to be one of the most sensitive regions to climate change. But an identification of the differences among models and model systematic errors in the Arctic Ocean remains unchecked, despite being essential to interpreting the simulation results and their implications for climate variability. For this reason, the Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (AOMIP), an international effort, was recently established to carry out a thorough analysis of model differences and errors. The geographical focus of this effort is shown in Figure 1.
Symposium melds past and future polar research
Authors: Johnson Leonard
Published: October 2006

An international symposium, Perspectives of Modern Polar Research, was convened in Bad Durkeim, Germany to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the birth of Georg von Neumayer, the noted polar explorer and facilitator of German and international polar science. Neumayer, who lived from 1826 to 1909, began his career as a seaman in the merchant marine. Through his skill in geophysics and meteorology, he rose to become the founder and director of the Flagstaff Observatory in Melbourne, Australia, hydrographer to the German Navy, and director of the Hamburg Oceanic Observatory. He was instrumental in organizing the first International Polar Year (IPY) in 1882–1883.
Earthquake and ancient civilizations
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The possible role of earthquakes in the destruction of ancient civilizations received an airing on December 13 at the 2001 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California. Amos Nur, professor of Earth sciences and geophysics at Stanford University, presented evidence that earthquakes and related tsunamis were responsible for leveling cities such as Megiddo, or Armageddon, and also have played a significant role in bringing down some ancient civilizations.

Others presenting findings of earthquake destruction included Bernabe Garcia, a former graduate student at Stanford's Center for Latin American Studies, who assisted Stanford geophysics professor Robert Kovach in piecing together evidence of earthquakes in Meso‐America that could have played a role in the collapse of the Mayan classic period in the ninth century. Manika Prasad, research associate in Stanford's Rock Physics Laboratory presented findings of his research with Nur that earthquakes may have contributed to the collapse of the Harappan civilization in South Asia around 1900 BC.
Assessing the TMDL Approach to Water Quality Management
Authors: Aswathanarayana U.
Published: October 2006

Every human being on Earth is a stakeholder in water quality management. And so, for that matter, is every animal, domesticated or wild, though they have no constituency Water quality includes not only considerations of water composition for multiple human uses such as drinking and irrigation, but also in terms of its capacity to support systems of aquatic biota in general. This is so because we now realize that our well‐being is inseparable from the well‐being of, say the aquatic biota. If frogs were dying, we would be next in line!
“Laissez‐Rouler Le Bon LLBL!”
Authors: Newell P. T.
Published: October 2006

Eighty scientists gathered at a Chapman Conference in New Orleans last spring to discuss the low‐latitude boundary layer (LLBL) and its dynamic interaction with the solar wind and magnetosphere. The topic was more narrowly defined than for most previous Chapman Conferences, as this one specifically treated the LLBL. However, the turnout was respectable, albeit in part because many attendees ventured into neighboring issues— notably merging—that have dominated previous meetings, such as the 1994 Chapman Conference on the physics of the magnetopause. Discussions were unusually lengthy and lively; fortunately, they were conducted with little rancor. A highlight of the meeting was Tim Eastman's historical review of early LLBL research, which established when certain terms first entered the literature. “LLBL” was first used by Gerhard Haerendel and colleagues in 1978, although observations of this region had been made earlier.
Council and Executive Committee actions 2001 Fall Meeting
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The AGU Council approved the renaming of existing Technical Committees to Focus Groups at its 14 December meeting. The purpose of this change is to more aptly portray the role of the committees as representing scientific areas of current interest that do not fall neatly within a single Section. All members may affiliate with either a Section or a Focus Group (See Editorial on p. 14).

Among other actions taken by the Council were the approval of the 2002 budget, with its plan to use endowment‐type income derived from the Union's reserves to cover the core expenses of outreach programs and thereby reduce the need for surpluses to be generated by publications, meetings, and other services. The Council also elected James L. Burch,a past president of the SPA Section, and Jeffrey J. Park, president of the Seismology Section, to serve as AGU representatives on the AIP Governing Board.
Water Resources Management and the Environment
Authors: Lakshmi Venkataraman
Published: October 2006

The importance of water and water resources management in today's society cannot be overstated. Simply put, water is the crux of a host of societal, political, health‐related, and scientific concerns.The human population depends on the availability of clean water for activities such as direct consumption, and on water in quantity for agriculture, power production, navigation, and industrial processes, to name a few.
New inferences on Antarctic Ice Sheets and Cenozoic paleoclimates
Authors: Cooper Alan , Barrett Peter , Florindo Fabio
Published: October 2006

The history and behavior of Antarctic ice sheets over millions of years is increasingly of interest as the rising carbon dioxide levels of today exceed any in the ice core record of the last 0.4 m.y. Yet the changes and events that formed these ancient ice sheets are not well understood. A record of these changes lies in sedimentary strata around the Antarctic margin, and such changes have been the focus of a coordinated effort at the Antarctic margin to acquire seismic and drill core data that are needed to derive and model paleoenvironments of the past 65 m.y. The effort is being led by the Antarctic Offshore Stratigraphy Project (ANTOSTRAT), a group that works under the aegis of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
Doing Science
Authors: Hinze William J.
Published: October 2006

Doing Science—that is what the majority of the readers of Eos do, day in and day out, and most of us consider ourselves reasonably accomplished at it. Thus, why should we be interested in a book on Doing Science? I will try to convince you in the following few paragraphs that you will find this book enjoyable and filled with new ideas and reminders of old approaches long forgotten or put aside. The author has done an excellent job of making what he admits is “dreadfully dull material” into an interesting and thought‐provoking read.
AGU and books publication
Authors: Costa John E.
Published: October 2006

Do you ever get angry at the price of a fascinating new book in your field that you would love to own, but really can't afford? Do you feel guilty slipping your librarian one more title that you would like to have on your shelf, but don't because it was published by a commercial press that sets high prices for the approval of shareholders, but not necessarily scientists? Read on, because you can do something to lower your stress and help fellow scientists as well as yourself. As a reward for reading further, at the end of this note, you will get a tip on how to get FREE electronic access to an AGU book that will be valuable to nearly every member.
Ozone threat remains high
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The possibility of severe ozone losses over the Arctic and Europe remains high, due to slow chlorine decreases and the current increases of bromine concentrations, according to a 21 January report released by the European Commission.

The “Assessment Report on European Research in the Stratosphere” also notes that the observed cooling of the stratosphere due to ozone depletion and greenhouse gas emissions further increase ozone losses and changes in atmospheric circulation.
China, U.S. share nitrate problem
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Water supplies used for drinking water in both the United States and the People's Republic of China share a common problem of elevated nitrate concentrations, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey conducted in cooperation with China's Ministry of Water Resources and several regional Chinese agencies.

“Despite the fact that the agricultural land in China has been farmed for a much longer time relative to land farmed in the U.S., the patterns of nitrate contamination are similar,” said USGS hydrologist Joseph Domagalski, lead author of the report.
Progress in global lake drilling holds potential for global change research
Authors: Dean Walter , Rosenbaum Joseph , Haskell Brian , Kelts Kerry , Schurrenberger Douglas , Valero‐Garcés Blas , Cohen Andrew , Davis Owen , Dinter David , Nielson Dennis
Published: October 2006

During the past decade, numerous international investigations of past global change have focused on particular time intervals, or “Time Streams,” suggested by the Past Global Changes (PAGES) Project of the International Geosphere‐Biosphere Programme (IGBP). Time Stream 1 encompasses the last 2000 years, and Time Stream 2 encompasses at least the last 250,000 years. Geographically many of these studies have been grouped into north‐south transects of continental global change records known as the Pole‐Equator‐Pole (PEP) transects [Bradley et al., 1995]. These continental transects have been complemented by the study of marine records included in the International Marine Global Change Study (IMAGES) transects and high‐latitude ice core records such as those from the U.S. Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) and the European Greenland Ice‐core Project (GRIP).
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Seismology Section presented ten outstanding student paper awards at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Marketing Earth science education
Authors: Snieder Roel , Spiers Chris
Published: October 2006

In the 1990s, the Department of Earth Sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands was struggling with a declining influx of students. For years, the department had been active in promoting its program, but this was insufficient to stem the decline in interest. To remedy the problem, the school's Earth science faculty carried out, with the help of consultants, a qualitative evaluation of its promotional activities. The faculty feared that their own image of the department might be in conflict with the image held by others; prospective students, in particular. The consultants interviewed secondary school students, parents, teachers, and study advisors in secondary schools. This article is a report on the results of this evaluation.
Symposium investigates dynamics of the Indian Ocean Dipole
Authors: Yamagata T. , Behera S.
Published: October 2006

Observational and theoretical studies during the period of Tropical Ocean‐Global Atmosphere Program have deepened our understanding of the ocean‐atmosphere coupled phenomenon known as El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropical Pacific and its impact on global climate. The Indian Ocean, in striking contrast, has been regarded as passive in character. Such a concept, however, is rapidly being revised due to the recent discovery of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) [Saji et al., 1999; Webster et al., 1999]; it is now being realized that the tropical Indian Ocean may possess its own inherent coupled mode.
Outstanding student awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Nonlinear Geophysics Committee presented four outstanding student awards at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
Outstanding student awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2006

The Snow, Ice, & Permafrost Committee presented two outstanding student awards at the 2001 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December.
PRUDENCE employs new methods to assess European climate change
Authors: Christensen Jens Hesselbjerg , Carter Timothy R. , Giorgi Filippo
Published: October 2006

Both decision‐makers and the general public need detailed information on future climate to evaluate the risks associated with possible climate change due to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. Projections of future climate change already exist, but they are deficient, in terms of both the characterization of their uncertainties and their regional detail. To date, the assessment of potential impacts of climate change has generally relied on projections from simple climate models or coarse resolution coupled Atmosphere‐Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs). The former include, at best, only a limited physical representation of the climate system. The latter are unable to resolve processes occurring at scales of less than ∼300 km. This resolution limitation precludes the simulation of realistic extreme events and the detailed spatial structure of variables like temperature and precipitation over regions characterized by heterogeneous surfaces. Typical examples of such regions are mountainous areas such as the Alps or Scandinavia or coastal zones, and areas surrounding inland seas, such as the Mediterranean and Baltic.
McKenzie receives 2001 William Bowie Medal
Authors: Sclater John G. , McKenzie Dan
Published: October 2006

Dan McKenzie was awarded the William Bowie Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 12 December 2001, in San Francisco, California. The medal recognizes outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and for unselfish cooperation in research.
Woodhouse receives 2001 Inge Lehmann Award
Authors: Dziewonski Adam M. , Woodhouse John
Published: October 2006

John Woodhouse received the Inge Lehmann Award at the 2001 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 12 December, in San Francisco, California. The award is given for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the structure, composition, and dynamics of the Earth's mantle and core.
Antarctic “Larsen B” Ice shelf shatters
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The break‐up of a Connecticut‐sized ice shelf on Antarctica in just about a month's time is not cause for alarm in itself, but suggests that some other ice shelves “are closer to the limit than we thought,” according to Ted Scambos, glaciologist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder. On 18 March, Scambos and other scientists announced the loss of more than 3,200 square kilometers of the ice shelf, known as “Larsen B,” located on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The ice shelf began breaking up in January, and analysis of a 7 March image from NASA's Terra satellite confirmed the disintegration. With this recent event, the 220‐meter‐thick Larsen ice shelf has lost 5,700 square kilometers in the past 5 years, according to NSIDC.
Intact forests at risk
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

Many of the world's remaining intact forests are at risk from degradation due to unsustainable development practices, according to a series of new reports issued by the World Resources Institute's (WRI) Global Forest Watch on 3 April.

In six regional reports covering nearly half of the world's forests, the group used a combination of remote sensing and ground‐based data to chart where a number of remaining intact forests are and to analyze the various threats they face. The reports point to legal and illegal logging, agriculture, overgrazing, infrastructure development, and other threats.
Chui Receives 2001 David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism‐News
Authors: Zoback Mary Lou , Stein Ross , Chui Glennda
Published: October 2006

Glennda Chui received the David Perlman Award at the 2001 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 12 December in San Francisco, California.
Exploring the Ecuador‐Colombia Active Margin and Interplate Seismogenic Zone
Authors: Collot J.‐Y. , Charvis P. , Gutscher M.‐A. , Operto S.
Published: October 2006

Seismic investigations of lithospheric structures associated with subduction megathrusts are critical to understanding the mechanics of the interplate seismogenic zone, where very destructive, great subduction earthquakes occur. Several factors have been proposed as controlling interplate coupling and tectonic regime of the margin, including sea‐floor relief and the possible re‐activation of such oceanic features when subducted, and the subduction or accretion of high‐fluid content sediment.
Monitoring earthquakes off California Coast
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: October 2006

The first in a network of about 20 permanent broadband earthquake monitors to be placed off the coast of Monterey, California, was burrowed into the ocean floor on 9 April.

The sensor, part of the Monterey Ocean Bottom Broadband project, could help scientists with the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and others to better understand seismic activity along the California coast and on the Pacific Plate.
Nathaniel C. Gerson (1915–2002)
Authors: Gerson Sareen R.
Published: October 2006

Nathaniel C. (“Nate”) Gerson, an ionospheric physicist well known internationally for his expertise in high frequency radio wave propagation, died at his home in Millersville, Maryland, 11 January 2002. Gerson served on the AGU Special Committee for AGU/IGY Relationships in 1957, and was also active in AGU efforts at that time to improve the content and usefulness of the Transactions. He had been a member since 1946 (Space Physics and Aeronomy). He was 86 years old.