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Geosciences Bulletin Board –27 February 2017- compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Understanding the crater-dome illusion in interpreting space or aerial imagery
Cosmic rays, clouds, and variation in solar output responsible for 1,500 year climate cycle
- CERN Courier:
Amount of summer sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere & length of preceding glaciation can predict the length of an interglacial
New study assesses risk for rapid cooling in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre this century
- Paper:
Rift in Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica puts spotlight on advances in glaciology
Tuatara went extinct in Europe 70 myo, but now one has hatched at the Chester Zoo
Ice shoves beginning to form on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin
15 of the best locales for watching the total solar eclipse across the US on 21 Aug 2017
Alaska must be experienced first-hand as pictures never quite capture the grand scale
Surprise! Researcher says “atmospheric rivers” are wet & windy! Guess he never lived in Reno!
Microbes in giant crystals in Naica, Mexico, live on iron, sulfur and other chemicals
Video of fracture in Larsen C Ice Shelf
This remotely controlled machine is designed to “pluck” manganese nodules from the ocean floor
Giant oarfish described as “messengers of the sea” foretelling of an earthquake
“Everything you need to know” about the formation of volcanoes
Micro-fractures and garnet crystals reveal age (420 myo) and amout of slippage during ancient EQ
Toward a better understanding of the timing and magnitude of a future EQ
Canadian Armed Forces preparing for the “Big One” in British Columbia
O&G wastewater spills alter microbial communities in West Virginia
Planetary geology: explaining unusual dune-like patters on comet 67P
Planetary geology: On adopting a new geophysical definition of the term “planet”
16 locations newly listed as major active faults in Japan
Satellite images of Earth from January 2017
Overview of the precipitation-triggered 170 km/h Sanxicun landslide in Sichuan Province, China
Theory of chaotic variations in the orbit and spin vector of Earth confirmed by Cretaceous geological evidence
“Pineapple Express” or “atmospheric river” results in large amounts of precipitation along the West Coast
An “early Spring” or as Punxsutawney Phil predicted: 6 more weeks of winter
40 years of subsidence due to fluid withdrawals in the Houston-Galveston, Texas, area
- Links to report & maps:
Reassessing old data to predict seismic activity in the Central US
- Paper:
Sediment and freshwater flows into Galveston bay improve understanding of the watershed
- USGS report:
- PDF:
Websteroprionarmstrongi - a monster worm with snapping jaws prowled the Devonian seas
Adult and juvenile fossils of Miocene age Isostylomyslaurdillardi raise questions about classification in rodent family Dinomyida
Hatzegopteryx, a flying reptile with 10-m wingspan & body mass of 220 kg, was dominant predator during late Cretaceous time in what is now Romania
New research questions origin of unique iron composition of Earth
Argentine volcanologist & Nicaraguan guide fell into active Masaya Volcano, were rescued by firemen
Ocean currents, like the Agulhas, are broadening and growing more chaotic – may take less heat poleward
Down to Earth: Mountain biking geologist Kurt Refsnider
Digital Rock Physics and the Digital Rocks Portal scan rock fragments at high resolution to reconstruct 3-D structure and create virtual simulations and experiments
- Portal:
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Environmental Sciences Bulletin Board – 27 February 2017 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Murkowski family once again urging oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska
Determining why the Oroville Dam spillway failed – “an accident waiting to happen”
First partially drug-resistant malaria parasite identified in Africa
Why do cities sink? Natural and man-made causes
There is still so very much that humans do not understand about our Earth environment
- “Social Conquest of the Earth”
President expected to sign measure to rescind EPA Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule
Mapping the regions in the country at risk from declining bee populations & rising crop pollination demand
3,000 chemical substitutes developed for cancer-linked PFCs may also be harmful
In Africa, cassava, cyanide, poverty, conflict and konzo are linked
Was a catastrophic outbreak of salmonella responsible for collapse of Aztec society?
China creates more than 520,000 tons per day of trash – question is: what to do with it?
Chatham House report identifies UK claim of burning biomass as a carbon-neutral source of energy is a flawed assumption – UK Renewable Energy Association responds
- Chatham Paper:
14,000 evacuated from homes so far in San Jose, California, due to flooding – more storms to come
EU hesitant on gene-editing rules…but given ethical questions, should scientists push the issue?
Legal challenges and questions about ownership & ethics re: CRISPR gene editing – is it worth doing?
People in the QuebradaCamarones region of the Atacama Desert in Chile have evolved to detoxify potentially deadly arsenic in their water supply
Wastewater from O&G operations contained petroleum & other pollutants that altered diversity, number s & functions in microbial community downstream
Scott Pruitt confirmed as new head of EPA – predictions for the Agency
Maximum-security biolab in China will be part of network of BSL-4 facilities
Should climate models focus more on human sociology? Is their reasoning supported by sound analysis (see especially figure 1 in paper)?
- Paper:
Ammunition made with lead poisons wildlife, but hunters say it is too expensive to change
Los Angeles ranks highest as the most traffic-clogged city in the world
- INRIX scorecard:
Illegal migration can turn deadly – 74 bodies wash ashore in western Libya, 12 missing,
USDA announces it will invest $103M in 2017 to protect lives & property after natural disasters
As population numbers of giraffes are plummeting, we need better understanding of the species
Is a virtual game version the next best thing to actually walking in the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond? I don’t think it quite compares (video trailer)
- The game:
Famine is declared in parts of South Sudan
- 180962242/
Like polar bears, reindeer (caribou) are adapting to climatic conditions – if only humans would do so
How to treat back pain effectively and reduce the likelihood of opioid drug additions
Ongoing questions regarding Bears Ears National Monument in Utah
Have you ever heard the sound of a starling murmuration? (video)
Construction of two nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Georgia is delayed
Aging dams in the US pose potential risks for those who live and work downstream
Addressing the cultural and economic downsides of counterfeit makeup – what about the safety of the ingredients and potential for health impacts?
Only about 14 percent of plastics are recycled – can technology improve on that?
- Report:
Dell project intends to recycle “ocean plastic” into product packaging
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Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 27 February 2017 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
China to debut world's first bird 'airport'
Sediment Flows into Galveston Bay Studied to Help Understand Health of Watershed
Process of drafting new Coastal Zone Management Plan set in motion – Panjim, India
A disaster that’s still unfolding – oil spill along Chennai coast, India
Desalination plants face roadblock – Chennai, India
Traditional fishermen wary about tourism sheds on Goa beaches - India
No “I do” near sand dunes, turtle nesting sites – Goa, India
Sea Change: Washington Supreme Court Decision Affects Coastal Energy Projects
Exxon Wants In on California Coastal Fracking, Acidizing Suits
Beaches: Challenge to DeBordieu seawall starts over – South Carolina
South Africa: Critical Court Showdown on Mining and Environment
Along the hotly disputed Pinelands pipeline's path, hopes, fears, and doubts – New Jersey
Topsail Beach’s Request for Sand Site Stalled – North Carolina
EU opening a new chapter of relations with The Gambia
Marquette Street development finally approved – Oceanside, California
Vietnam’s coastal zones boast rich resources
Coastal Commission locks in Banning Ranch denial, though developer vows to fight on – California
In Carova, a battle rages over commercial development – North Carolina
In Massachusetts, Coastal Residents Consider How to Adapt to Climate Change