Geosciences Bulletin Board 2 March 2015

Geosciences Bulletin Board – 2 March 2015

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Kilauea has two shallow magma chambers and also taps deeper magma plume

·  http://news.yahoo.com/double-trouble-found-under-hawaiis-kilauea-volcano-200943176.html

Unwise use of resources in the West may spur geological processes

·  http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/geologic-column-lighting-out-territory

NWS proclaims El Niño is finally here….but it is weak, weird and late

·  http://news.yahoo.com/el-nino-finally-1-weak-weird-140056748.html

Calcite v. Aragonite -- Why seashell minerals crystallize differently in salt water

·  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150303105751.htm

Scientists should disagree and then investigate further, drawing conclusions from facts…but the political climate may be against that scientific approach

·  http://www.gopusa.com/freshink/2015/03/04/climate-change-defectors-having-to-weather-democrat-led-storm/

Urban sprawl in Los Angeles changes weather conditions & lessens coastal fog

·  https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coastal-los-angeles-losing-fog-urban-sprawl

What is the birthstone for March? Trick question – there are two: aquamarine & bloodstone

·  http://earthsky.org/earth/march-birthstone-aquamarine-bloodstone

Global precipitation map from GPM Core Observatory mission is released by NASA (Video)

·  http://www.nasa.gov/press/goddard/2015/february/nasa-releases-first-global-rainfall-and-snowfall-map-from-new-mission/#.VPdNQ_nF_Ct

Modeling the global sulfur cycle including the deep mantle

·  http://www.technology.org/2015/03/04/deep-sulfur-cycle-involving-atmosphere-ocean-and-mantle/

Interview: Earth Scientist addresses question of whether human civilization can continue

·  http://www.livescience.com/49995-can-civilization-continue-an-earth-system-scientist-explains.html

New theory on origins of banded iron formations

·  http://phys.org/news/2015-03-banded-ironstone-formation-theory-current.html

Online atlas of icicles – images & scientific data (video)

·  http://phys.org/news/2015-03-online-icicle-atlas-jackpot-scientific.html

·  Atlas: http://www.physics.utoronto.ca/Icicle_Atlas/

Update on lava flow activity on Kilauea

·  http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/volcano-update/activity-noted-upslope-stalled-lava-flow-front

The most deadly volcanoes in the world

·  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/world-s-deadliest-volcanoes-are-identified/

Dallas, Texas, should prepare for more EQs of larger magnitude than ongoing swarm

·  http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2015/03/smu-dallas-could-see-larger-earthquakes.html/

·  Related: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/20150228-experts-looking-for-middle-ground-in-earthquake-fracking-debate.ece

Ice collapses into subglacial lake on Greenland…now the lake is recharging

·  http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=85376&src=eorss-iotd

Applying Laue X-ray micro-diffraction technique to the San Andreas fault to measure stress

·  http://machineslikeus.com/news/new-level-earthquake-understanding

Lightning + volcanic eruption = LIVS and fulgerite

·  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150303183409.htm

·  Paper: http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2015/02/26/G36255.1.full.pdf+html

Japanese geologist warns Yaeyama IslandsEQ recurrence will generate tsunami to hit Taiwan

·  http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/04/asia-pacific/japanese-geologist-warns-of-coming-tsunami-to-hit-taiwan/?#.VPc7iPnF_Cs

Newest earthquake simulator is unveiled in Japan (videos)

·  http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/earthquake-simulator-aims-prevent-future-devastation-n317106

Cyclical climatic record for the Mediterranean from seabed sediment cores

·  http://phys.org/news/2015-03-historic-climate-mediterranean-seabed-sediments.html

Coring to get at least a half-million year sedimentary record in Ethiopia

·  http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/03/2015/coring-in-ethiopia-to-create-a-half-million-year-sedimentary-record

Villarrica volcano in Chile erupts dramatically….threat of lahars is on-going risk (pics & video)

·  http://www.vox.com/2015/3/4/8147751/chile-volcano-villarrica

Calculating just how much “Sophie” the stegosaurus weighed as she walked around Wyoming

·  http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31712957

New volcanic island Nishinoshima continues to grow and grow and… (video)

·  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/25/nishinoshima-island-japan-growth_n_6754420.html

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Enviro-Sciences Bulletin Board – 2 March 2015 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Just for fun: Why your latte is less likely to spill than a regular cup of coffee

·  https://www.sciencenews.org/article/why-lattes-are-less-prone-spills-regular-coffee

FDA issues warnings about possible dangers of “keepsake ultrasounds” (video)

·  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/3-d-ultrasounds-cause-concern-for-obgyn-doctors-and-fda/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17

Ebola outbreak has long-lasting effects on mental health & maternal health

·  http://www.nature.com/news/ebola-s-mental-health-wounds-linger-in-africa-1.17033

·  http://www.nature.com/news/maternal-health-ebola-s-lasting-legacy-1.17036

Hybrid “beefalo” escaped from failed breeding program and estimated 600 are causing significant damage to Grand Canyon

·  http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31661920

Grand “Tree of Life” calibrated for time reflects the importance of random genetic events and geographic isolation in speciation

·  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150304075414.htm

Emergency preparedness for a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak

·  http://www.cattlenetwork.com/news/industry/emergency-preparedness-one-bite-time

Digital epidemiology – tracking diseases in the “mobile app age”

·  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-digital-epidemiologytracking-diseases-mobile-age.html

Pollution & human health tracked using sewage microbes

·  http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2015/03/pollution-human-health-tracked-sewage-microbes

Bill Nye joins many other scientists who are concerned about risks of GMO

·  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bill-nye-science-guy-finally-003414394.html

McDonalds Restaurants announce they will start using chickens raised without use of antibiotics and milk from cows that are not treated with the artificial growth hormone rbST

·  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-mcdonald-chicken-human-antibiotics.html

Loss of prey results in rapid adaptation for the survival of this fish species – changes in diet, ratio of males to females, and their physical appearance

·  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-03/cwru-upg030415.php

Bacteria in gut of children plays important role in later development of allergies

·  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-infant-gut-bacteria-food-sensitization.html

Cholera outbreak in DR Congo linked to drinking water supplies and is deadly to some

·  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-dr-congo-cholera-cases-dead.html

1500 gallon oil spill in southeast of Seattle, Washington, impacts Yakima River & water fowl

·  http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WASHINGTON_OIL_SPILL

WHO releases new general fact sheet on ingredients in tobacco products

·  http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/152661/1/WHO_NMH_PND_15.2_eng.pdf

We are what we eat…WHO says we eat too much sugar & releases new guidelines

·  http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_MED_SUGAR_GUIDELINES

·  Guidelines: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/149782/1/9789241549028_eng.pdf

New technique to measure toxic methylmercury levels in fish

·  http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/web/2015/03/Glowing-DNA-Strands-Measure-Toxic.html

Almost, but not quite yet the weather for tapping trees to make Maple Syrup!!

·  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/03/02/its-not-quite-time-to-tap-sap.html

Survey reports important increase in wild Giant Panda population in China (video)

·  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11443208/Giant-pandas-make-comeback-in-China.html

Kenya to destroy 15 tonnes of illegally poached ivory (video)

·  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/kenya/11448230/Kenyan-president-burns-15-tonnes-of-illegal-ivory.html

Disneyland measles outbreak leads to 14 states introducing bills to strengthen vaccination laws

·  http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2015/0303/States-move-to-toughen-vaccination-laws-in-wake-of-measles-outbreak

Buildings built before 1950 suffered more damage during Napa EQ of August 2014

·  http://phys.org/news/2015-03-pre-august-napa-quake.html

The evolution of animal functional diversity

·  http://phys.org/news/2015-03-animal-functional-diversity-poor-richer.html

Mapping the unprecedented rapid urbanization of Southeast Asia

·  http://phys.org/news/2015-03-scientists-unprecedented-urbanization-east-southeast-asia.html

·  Paper: http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/10/3/034002/pdf/1748-9326_10_3_034002.pdf

Calculating the true environmental cost of a gallon of gasoline

·  http://phys.org/news/2015-03-yield-clearer-picture-emissions-true.html

Depending on where you live, so-called “green” alternatives may do more harm than good

·  http://phys.org/news/2015-03-greener-alternatives-good.html

Obama administration sides with hunters against protecting endangered gray wolves

·  http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/obama-administration-sides-with-hunters-over-protection-of-gray-wolves-150303?news=855838

Update on NRDC suit against EPA as numbers of Monarch Butterflies significantly decrease

·  http://www.allgov.com/news/controversies/one-billion-monarch-butterflies-migrated-in-1997-this-winter-it-was-down-to-565-million-environmentalists-sue-epa-150304?news=855842

A direct correlation between polluted drinking water & money spent on lobbying by companies

·  http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/polluting-drinking-water-and-lobbying-go-hand-in-hand-150304?news=855845

Will rabbits once again become common to the American dinner table? (videos)

·  http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/america-ready-re-embrace-rabbit-meat.html

In the Amazon, this bird has perfected Batesian mimicry of a toxic spiny caterpillar (pics & video)

·  http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/cinereous-mourner-bird-pretends-it-toxic-spiny-caterpillar.html

First time in a century, baby tortoises in the Galapagos Island thanks to rat eradication program

·  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/02/baby-tortoise-born-galapagos-first-time_n_6787578.html

Will remote-controlled cockroaches help collect environmental data?

·  http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/04/cockroach-robots-not-nightmare-fantasy-but-science-lab-reality

Recognizing the 30 women who are working in bat conservation

·  http://www.batcon.org/resources/media-education/news-room/the-echo/875-celebrating-women-in-bat-conservation

Redback spider catches, poisons, and eats small snake (rare video)

·  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/animals/spider-v-snake-redback-spider-wins-snake-dies-from-likely-poisoning-20150303-13tgdf.html

Origin of HIV-AIDS virus strains traced in part to gorillas in the Cameroon

·  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2015/03/02/study-traces-strains-of-hiv-to-gorillas.html

Two people drown at Mammoth Caves National Park

·  http://cavingnews.com/20150304-incident-at-mammoth-cave-national-park-claims-two-lives

An example of how not to reintroduce a species – or at least do it without the publicity telling folks to come catch them

·  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/save-our-swan/prawn-swan-river-comeback-may-be-short-lived-20150304-13u4g4.html

·  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/save-our-swan/twinkling-lights-of-swan-river-prawners-hide-a-serious-threat-20150304-13tpxj.html

Greatest natural disaster in Australian history? In 1899 a 42-43 ft storm surge from Cat 5 typhoon

·  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/weather/australias-deadliest-natural-disaster-revealed--from-1899-20150304-13vbe1.html

100 Resilient Cities & MWH partnership to address water issues & water-related risks

·  http://cenews.com/post/6926/100-resilient-cities-and-mwh-global-announce-partnership

Understanding how bacteria become antibiotic resistant leads to call for more research

·  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-insight-antibiotic-resistance-focus.html

PARA Act reintroduced into US Senate to reduce over-use of antibiotics in livestock

·  http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/03/senators-reintroduce-bill-to-reduce-antibiotic-overuse-in-food-animals/#.VPccSvnF_Ct

Bats in southern Illinois test positive for White Nose Syndrome – fatal fungal disease

·  http://news.wsiu.org/post/disease-fatal-bats-shows-four-southern-illinois-counties-1

New Orleans recognizes that structural controls (levees) for flooding make subsidence worse

·  http://theadvocate.com/news/11707631-123/special-report-how-new-orleans

Using environmental DNA (eDNA) to track and identify invasive species

·  http://frontpage2.pch.com/p/news/source/news_ap/category/top_headlines/article/e3b7d8c99cd848eb8f26856631d9cfd3

·  https://news.wsu.edu/2015/02/26/targeted-search-with-edna-for-endangered-invasive-species/#.VPXanvnF_Cs

GM Cattle – inserting mouse gene to make cattle more resistant to bovine TB

·  http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/scientists-create-gm-cattle-which-resist-tb-1-7134660

STDs are an important aspect of breeding cattle….especially bulls as they are potential carriers

·  http://www.theeagle.com/landandlivestockpost/ask_the_vet/bull-characteristicsthat-are-of-interest-to-veterinarians/article_b4475f97-ab83-5647-a4ca-1b4853667553.html

Warnings concerning ticks that carry Lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens

·  California: http://ens-newswire.com/2015/02/26/ticks-carrying-lyme-disease-discovered-on-california-birds/

·  New England: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/tech/science/environment/2015/02/28/ticks-cary-institute/24203643/

Two new spider species discovered in Queensland, Australia

·  http://news.yahoo.com/meet-2-spider-species-skeletorus-sparklemuffin-151321617.html