HeSCA Print Festival Second Place - Periodicals Articles published in The University of Arizona's Report on Research may be reprinted without special permission except for copyrighted material where indicated. Please credit Report on Research and appropriate writers and photographers. Jeff Harrison UA News Services Dennis St. Public Instruction Sixty years of discovery, teaching and service . . .
Segments above show the rising sun above the Martian landscape.
The sequence was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder. Prior to this century, fires swept through forests quickly, scorching but not burning, revitalizing the wilderness and promoting new growth. Now however, due to fire suppression policies, when they do occur they are fueled by underbrush that has collected for decades, leading to extensive forest damage, erosion and loss of animal habitat. UA Tree Ring Scientist Thomas Swetnam compares past fires with climate conditions, helping the USDA Forest Service prepare for dangerous fire seasons. The ancient Anasazi culture built durable, lasting and beautiful homes amongst the rock cliffs of the Four Corners area, but then lived there for less than a century.