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Geosciences Bulletin Board – 14 November 2016 - compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
New Zealand M7.8 EQ triggers tsunami that hits the South Island
· https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/live-updates-tsunami-threat-all-nz-coast-sparked-dozens-quakes-emergency-services-inundated
· http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-zealand-rocked-by-strong-earthquake-1479038221
· Images: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37967178
La Niña Has Returned
· http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/its-back-la-nina-has-returned-180961073/
· http://www.businessinsider.com/winter-weather-forecast-la-nina-2016-11
USGS to host International Volcano Observatory Best Practices workshop in Vancouver, Washington, from 15-18 November 2016
· https://www.usgs.gov/news/international-volcano-scientists-unite
1 million metrics tons of chemical weapons dumped in the ocean following WWII threaten the ocean worldwide (interactive map)
· http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/decaying-weapons-world-war-II-threaten-waters-worldwide-180961046/
Deep compressional wave imaging improves understanding of Gulf of Mexico geology & structural targets for O&G exploration and development
· http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/print/volume-76/issue-11/geology-geophysics/deep-compressional-wave-imaging-improves-understanding-of-gulf-of-mexico-play.html
Is there a safe place for wastewater injection? New “stress maps” may help
· https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-11/ssoe-nmc111116.php
11th edition of the Calendar of Utah Geology showcases “other-worldly landscapes”
· http://www.ksl.com/?sid=42172697&nid=1288
Trip through the Grand Canyon can put you in touch with geologic time
· https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-grand-canyon-puts-you-in-touch-with-time/
Ontario, Canada, needs more forest fires
· http://www.treehugger.com/conservation/why-ontario-needs-more-forest-fires.html
The Alps are steadily “growing” by 1 or 2 mm per year due to isostatic adjustment due to deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum
· http://www.science20.com/news_articles/the_alps_are_growing-180645
EQ expert Dr. Lucy Jones joins the Advisory Board of SafeQ Institute
· http://csengineermag.com/earthquake-expert-lucy-jones-ph-d-joins-safeq-institutes-advisory-board/
Eruption of Santorini during the Bronze Age generated tsunamis in the Mediterranean Sea
· https://cosmosmagazine.com/geoscience/bronze-age-tsunamis-driven-by-santorini-ash-and-lava-flows
New NASA satellite will provide non-stop monitoring of lightning across the planet and may lead to improved storm forecasts
· http://phys.org/news/2016-11-lightning-storm.html
Symbiotic relationship between algae and modern corals began more than 210 million years ago
· https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=190329&org=GEO&from=news
Geospatial science techniques used to identify high-risk flooding areas in Egypt
· http://phys.org/news/2016-11-geospatial-high-risk-areas.html
Do we really need Al Gore to work with President Trump on climate change?
· https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/11/10/al-gore-offers-to-work-with-trump-on-climate-change-good-luck-with-that/
Dinosaur fossils may be a lot more than just bones!
· http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fossilized-dinos-are-bones-turned-stone-sometimes-part-original-dino-survives-180961042/
Fossil of Tongtianlong or Mud Dragon giving scientists vital clues on late flurry of evolution before the mass extinction event
· https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161110124713.htm
· http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/tongtianlong-limosus-feathered-dinosaur-china-04355.html
M5.0 Earthquake near Cushing, Oklahoma
· https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/magnitude-5-0-earthquake-strikes-oklahoma/
· http://www.mcalesternews.com/cnhi_network/central-oklahoma-city-reacts-to-quake/article_b165ea2f-a271-516e-8abe-d4f02f9ba9a2.html
· http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/07/damage-reported-no-injuries-as-5-0-earthquake-rattles-central-oklahoma.html
Agulhas current is widening rather than strengthening
· http://phys.org/news/2016-11-major-ocean-current-widening-climate.html
Geology & scenery in Death Valley are dynamic!
· http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/14/death-valley-is-alive
International iceberg patrol service tracks drifting ice using ESA-backed cloud computing
· http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Iceberg_patrol_gains_faster_updates_from_orbit_999.html
NASA to launch six next-generation Earth-observing small satellite missions
· http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_small_satellites_will_take_a_fresh_look_at_Earth_999.html
Popcorn-rocks help explain what happens to country rock when magma intrudes
· http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Popcorn_rocks_solve_the_mystery_of_the_magma_chambers_999.html
New fossil evidence suggests rise of dinosaurs was “more gradual”
· http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Dinosaurs_rise_was_more_gradual_new_fossil_evidence_suggests_999.html
Probing the deep underground portion of the Carbon Cycle of Earth
· http://phys.org/news/2016-11-scientists-probe-underground-depths-earth.html
Sorting out how Gypsum forms
· http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/path-gypsum-four-steps-long
Perspective: What does Geoscience mean?
· http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/comment-understanding-earth-wider-sense-science
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Enviro-Sciences Bulletin Board – 14 November 2016 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
“Science for Solutions: Linking Data & Decisions” will be theme of 9th Biennial Bay-Delta Science Conference in Sacramento, California, on 15-17 November 2016
· https://www.usgs.gov/news/media-advisory-sf-bay-delta-conference-science-solutions
Commentary on new DiCaprio film “Beyond the Flood” – debunking hype-filled climate change documentary
· http://cnsnews.com/commentary/nicolas-loris/debunking-dicaprios-hype-filled-climate-change-documentary
FDA suspends testing for glyphosate (and other pesticides) residue in US food supply
· http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carey-gillam/fda-suspends-glyphosate-r_b_12913458.html
What wanton hubris is this? A call for “human-assisted evolution” to respond to climate change
· http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-global-warming-changing-nature-human-assisted-evolution-a7410286.html
EPA issues 2016 Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide General Permit for Point Source Discharges from the Application of Pesticides
· http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=d15e477f-ae58-45b5-9553-49ea6d3da84b
China building superhighway along the historic Silk Road: opportunity for environmental initiatives
· http://csis.msu.edu/news/silk-road-environmental-superhighway
Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone research
· http://southwestfarmpress.com/land-management/gulf-mexico-dead-zone-research
12,000 schools in the US are within one mile of a hazardous chemical facility & potentially at risk
· http://ensia.com/features/schools-hazardous-chemical-facilities/
These 5 invasive species may have won the war
· http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/5-invasive-species-that-have-won-the-war
Are women really more susceptible to these mosquito-borne illnesses? Or is another factor involved?
· Zika: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/zika-appears-to-affect-women-more-than-men_us_5824d9cde4b0f616ef302788
· Chikungunya: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-strange-reason-women-get-chikungunya-more-than-men_us_5821fbbfe4b0aac624874959
Will new clean coal technology be competitive with natural gas as energy source?
· http://www.npr.org/2016/11/11/501749351/trumps-plan-for-clean-coal-could-put-the-brakes-on-natural-gas
Obama still trying to give boost development of alternative (solar & wind) energy
· http://www.allgov.com/news/unusual-news/interior-dept-acts-to-boost-solar-and-wind-energy-projects-on-public-lands-161111?news=859747
Which strain of flu virus will make you sick? Depends on what year you were born
· https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/how-year-of-birth-affects-which-flu-strains-make-you-sick
EPA approval of Monsanto dicamba-based herbicide “Xtendimax” may lead to massively increased use of toxic pesticides on GMO crops
· http://www.ecowatch.com/epa-monsanto-dicamba-gmos-2087899331.html
Florida neighborhood votes to reject release of genetically modified mosquitoes
· http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/1110/Genetically-modified-mosquitoes-Florida-neighborhood-votes-no
State of Michigan designates portion of western Lake Erie as “impaired” as result of agricultural fertilizers, sewage treat, and dredge disposal
· http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2016/11/11/Michigan-designates-part-of-Lake-Erie-as-impaired-Advocates-call-for-Ohio-to-do-more.html
EPA enforcement not sufficient to protect drinking water quality in Native American lands
· http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2016/nov/drinking-water-in-indian-country-more-violations-less-epa/document_view
Game theory connecting strategic human behavior with resource depletion & restoration shows how Tragedies of the Commons might be averted
· http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Game_theory_shows_how_tragedies_of_the_commons_might_be_averted_999.html
Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, is rapidly drying up & habitat is being lost
· http://www.ecowatch.com/china-poyang-lake-drought-2084891682.html
New Delhi, India, scores 999 on air quality scale that tops out at 500 – attempts to clean up air
· http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-delhi-scrambles-curb-record-smog-180961054/
Human evolution slowly purging mutations acquired from Neanderthals
· http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-reveals-why-humans-dont-have-more-neanderthal-dna-180961047/
Election results mean 4 more states legalize marijuana – will result in more regulatory government, social impacts & health risks
· http://mashable.com/2016/11/09/marijuana-election-results/#1No.vLOJG5qI
Implications of CRISPR mushrooms circumventing GMO regulations in the US
· http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/11/09/crispr-modified-mushrooms-escaped-gmo-regulations-and-heres-what-it-means-for-the-future/#1891d62f3c54
Mapping the soil microbiome in Africa could help “resist” climate change and improve agriculture
· http://www.nature.com/news/quest-to-map-africa-s-soil-microbiome-begins-1.20956
EPA regulations on methane emissions prompt lawsuits – regulations driven by politics & “cooked up data”
· http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/304358-new-epa-methane-rules-spell-disaster-for-american-economy
Illegal alien smuggling activity runs rampant in the Rio Grande Valley – public urged to take caution
· https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/migrants-continue-putting-their-lives-jeopardy-rio-grande-valley
What causes extinction versus evolution of species?
· http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/extinction-evolution-its-complicated-180961023/
Sell-off of public lands in Utah is controversial & raises concerns
· http://www.sltrib.com/news/4536249-155/family-farm-has-spent-millions-buying
Impacts of un-natural causes on the health of those living in the Animas River valley in Colorado
· https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-river-of-lost-souls-runs-through-western-colorado/2016/11/03/154fd1a0-8651-11e6-a3ef-f35afb41797f_story.html
Amicus brief filed by opponents of over-reach of the Clean Water Rule to clarify which waters are subject to Clean Water Act requirements
· http://www.bna.com/congressional-republicans-pile-n57982082471/
Improved infrastructure can also benefit Nature
· http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/304972-natures-solutions-for-infrastructure-problems
Improving energy performance of multi-family buildings could save estimated $3.4B in annual energy costs
· http://www.constructiondive.com/news/better-energy-benchmarking-could-save-multifamily-buildings-34b-annually/429915/
Endangered Species List may be missing hundreds of species of birds – IUCN methods may underestimate risks to many species
· http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/endangered-species-list-missing-hundreds-birds-180961058/