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Geosciences Bulletin Board –18 April 2016- compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
6.5M aftershock of the 7.3M EQ caused more shaking and landslides, extensive damage
USGS, originally established in 1879, addresses a number of priorities with its capabilities
Disasters waiting to happen: 8 most dangerous nuclear plants located near active faults
Getting a peek inside Mt. Paektu, known as Changbaishan in China, a North Korean volcano…seismic data suggests a magma reservoir
Mill Canyon dinosaur tracks officially unveils dinosaur track stomping grounds in Utah to the public
When will La Niña arrive?
Crawling around inside the belly of a glacier….what do you see? Lots of ice and water!!
Hots springs are an interesting geologic feature, but can also be deadly – cause of death of two people in Bog Hot Springs in Nevada is under investigation
A pretty good snowpack year in the Sierra does not mean an end to the drought
Hyporheic zone is a critical part of the hydrologic cycle where surface waters mix with groundwater
- Paper:
Perspective: Building a coalition to guide watershed decisions
How to arrive at “consensus” on human-caused climate change: take a consensus of consensus, but does that make it true?
Oil-eating microbes, Deepwater Horizon, “oil snow” and life in the deep Gulf of Mexico
Considering the “early anthropogenic hypothesis” for climate
Spike in mercury in rocks dating from the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event traced to volcanic eruptions
- Paper:
Black sand beaches are more breathtaking than white sand beaches
Newly discovered fossils of an extinct rodent in the Negev Desert may help shed light on dispersal of species between Africa and Eurasia
Arrangement of two Precambrian supercontinents – Nuna-Columbia and Rodina – may have implications for mining companies
Research suggests the theory that comets brought life-forming material to Earth may be viable
Volcanologists have discovered how bubbles are able to accumulate in magma
Tullimonstrumgregarium a 300 million year old fossil from the coal mines of Illinois and better known as the “tully monster” was a vertebrate!
USGS releases new topographic maps for Texas and Oklahoma that include TIGER data
Taking the landslide lab to the Loess Plateau of China
GEER final report on the Kfarnabrakh landslide of 30 November 2015
Despite current downturn in O&G development, BLM announces massive drilling proposal for roughly 4,000 wells in the Uinta Basin
After 167 years, National Weather Service will change how it issues forecasts….no long to use LOUD text
Fossil dinosaur bones from South America show evidence of having been burned in a paleo-fire
Microbial life deep beneath the ocean surface
Red crabs are swarming across the sea floor (video)
This octopus escaped from an aquarium and returned to the sea through a drain pipe
Images of impacts from the 1906 Earthquake in San Francisco…evidence of ground shaking, liquefaction, surface rupture, and the consequent fires
Rescuers dug through 4 foot of snow to reach two skiers stranded on Bear Glacier in Alaska
Is another gravel pit really necessary?
Report suggests that wastewater injection did not cause M4.8 EQ in Texas in 2012
Satellite images record glacial retreat in the tropics over the past decade
Bag of garbage “sacrificed” to the volcano triggers a small eruption (video)
Book Review: "Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens" which erupted 36 years ago – perspective and retrospective (48 images)
Nevada may be on the verge of a lithium mining rush – quality is higher but concentrations are lower
Enviro-Sciences Bulletin Board – 18 April2016– compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Researchers have confirmed for the first time that Zika virus was sexually-transmitted between two men in Dallas, Texas
Entrance to National Parks is free from 16 – 24 April to celebrate 100th Anniversary of National Park Service
Newest Tree of Life reflects the significance of bacteria…humans are just a twig
- Image:
So much sediment in the Mississippi River that it is hampering shipping….OMG!
Government declines to regulate CRISPR-cas9 genetically modified mushroom…what will happen to our food supply?
Researchers are frustrated they don’t have access to individuals with supergenetics that prevent diseases…should they not be more concerned with the potential ethical questions associated with the potential application of their research?
Proposed project in Colorado would move freshwater resources from west slope of the Rockies to the Front Range – project still being challenged by environmental groups
Dam removal on the Klamath River under agreements that are full of promises
Scimitar Oryx are returned to part of their native area in Chad, Africa
Death of 200,000 saiga antelopes in 2015 in Kazakhstan caused by bacteria that led to hemorrhagic septicemia
Why do some humans deliberately kill protected species?
New study suggest where and how phosphorus accumulates in the environment as a result of human activity and its impacts on the phosphorus cycle
Food waste puts an extraordinary burden on the planet
Parents wealthy enough to justify “affluenza” defense but not to pay for rehab? What is wrong with this picture?
Tribal community of San Ildefonso Puebloat the forefront in battle against contamination from bomb-making and nuclear research at Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico
The deadly legacy of uranium mining still impacts the Navajo Nation
As nuclear power is on the decline in the US because it is no longer cost competitive
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate great apes against Ebola and other diseases to prevent species decline
Living with dogs makes humans healthier –- playing with dogs makes humans happier
“Linc stink” from coal gasification plant may be responsible for negative health impacts on agricultural animals and people
Antibiotic use continues making multi-drug resistance the norm rather than the exception, while development of new antibiotics is lagging
Slowly, plastic bags are being banned by countries across the world (infographic & video)
Cheaper clothing with rapidly changing fashion designs just means more waste
New wind energy turbines produces more than 8,500 megawatts of power in 2015, much of it in Texas
Concerns and high costs for waterfront protection in San Francisco and on the east coast and elsewhere
- San Francisco seawall:
- SF Report:
These 10 quotes from John Muir may inspire you to explore the environment
Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) is established to determine how to keep infrastructure safe from natural disasters and from cyber attacks
Largest outbreak of yellow fever in 3 decades continues across Angola…will vaccine stockpiles be overwhelmed?
How should we bring science and regulators together when considering the next generation of genetically engineered crops and providing proper oversight?
Statistical & biological methods are available to assess the prevalence of obesity across the globe
Two proposed dams on Pascagoula River tributaries would make people and property more (not less) vulnerable and could cause permanent environmental damage
Ortho has already removed neonicotinoids from many pesticide products and will remove it from remaining products over the next 2 to 5 years…this is good news for pollinating insects
Environmental Working Group releases report on which fruits & veggies have most pesticide residues
- Full list:
Why did humans decide to generally mate for life? Perhaps because of germs
Bill would allow Louisiana Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority to manage its budget for coastal restoration and protection
New environmental Management Plan (EMP) for Port City Colombo to ban dredging & mitigate environmental impacts while monitoring marine habitats and species
Isle of Man seeking input on coastal management economic and conservation plan
Teddy Roosevelt went on an epic African safari hunting for a white rhino
Tropical diseases brought by people migrating out of Africa may have impacted Neanderthals
Even if you are poor, geography is important when considering life expectancy
New report confirms 80% of groundwater in major river basins in China is polluted with heavy metals and organic pollutants and unsafe for human contact
Yogurt craze was sparked by a lecture in the early 1900s….the bacteria it provides are a good thing as we are discovering that our human microbiome is linked to aging
New WWF report suggests slight increase in number of tigers in the wild as result of better surveys and perhaps improved protection
Construction of Bakken pipeline in Iowa has approval, but still need Federal permits that will cause some delay
Massive fish kill in Florida because authorities did not control nutrient levels…anoxia followed
Second longest (24 feet 7 inches) python ever captured dies within a few days…likely a result of being captured
Drought and human factors may be creating Dust-Bowl conditions in California…but please get the science correct: “cave-ins of dirt and rock in underground aquifers”…no, it is compaction due to loss of water buoyancy
Can humans mimic nature in use of natural resources to avoid over-exploitation?
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Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board– 18 April 2016–compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Puget Sound, second longest estuary in North America, tackles storm water pollutant problem
Peconic Estuary Program seeks volunteers to help plant rain garden downtown to reduce pollutant discharge
New York Harbor is slowly getting cleaner, planted oysters are helping
Federal Government issues new rules on offshore drilling
How climate change tore apart a Native American community in the bayou
Virginia Beach starts funding regular beach restoration again
Jersey Shore Osprey cam goes live again outside Atlantic City
Climate change: Across Tampa Bay, environmental organizations mobilize around sea level rise
New rules to guide tidal power development in Nova Scotia
US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved firstwind energy research activities plan (RAP) for a facility to be located in U.S. federal waters offshore Virginia
Broad Beach Residents Sued Over Beach Restoration Project and route used to truck in 1M cubic yards of sand
Navarre Beach restoration project is temporarily on hold till at least the end of April
Georgia DNR advises boaters to be on lookout for sea turtles, manatees
Seismic Surveys for O&G off Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coast Could Threaten Endangered Whales
Raptors are on the rebound in Rhode Island due to long-term conservation efforts
Lagoon Preservation Society holds meeting in Alabama, uses an inclusive environmental stewardship approach
Tampa Bay’s largest ecosystem restoration project reaches completion
Monterey Sand Mine, after operating for more than 100 years, is targeted for closure over concerns for beach erosion (video)
Fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico is approved by Federal Government, but not with opposition
Impacts of nitrogen on coastal waters….algae blooms and dead zones
Deaths of baby dolphins linked to Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico