|
USGS Science Picks: December 23, 2009 December 2009 Edition In this edition of Science Picks, learn how scientists are forecasting hazards like volcanoes and landslides, and read about a wolf named Brutus, who emails scientists from the North Pole! Also check out research on ancient salt mines, scientists using high tech remote controlled airplanes to survey dangerous areas, and why the call of the yellow-billed cuckoo is getting quieter and quieter. An Eruption of Volcano Monitoring Improvements Volcanoes can be catastrophic. Lava flows and debris avalanches can choke major riverways, destroy bridges and devastate natural areas. Scientists from the USGS work with partners around the world to actively monitor the worlds volcanoes. They use seismometers to detect and monitor very small earthquakes that indicate that magma is rising. They also use GPS to detect changes in the size of the volcano. The USGS has allocated over $7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to 15 universities and state agencies nationwide to modernize the equipment in volcano monitoring networks and produce high-resolution maps of high-threat volcanoes. For more information on volcano monitoring, visit the USGS Volcano Hazards Program Web site. For more information on these recovery funds, visit the USGS Newsroom. For details on these improvements, contact John Eichelberger at jeichelber...@usgs.gov or (703) 648-6711. The King of the North Pole: Brutus the Wolf Thanks to
a GPS/satellite collar worn by a wolf named Brutus, scientists can finally
find out what arctic wolves do during the winter. For a long time,
scientists could only study these wolves during a few months out of the
year, because the winter is too harsh for scientists to stay. There is Landslide in Colorado Feeling Pressure When the
pressure above you changes, you may notice that your ears pop. The Oldest Business in North America The Miwok
Tribe conducted perhaps the oldest business in North America. Unmanned Aircraft Flying Unmanned
Aircraft Systems (UAS) technology can go where no scientist has ever gone
before. Using these remote controlled planes, USGS scientists will be able
to research the most remote and dangerous areas, such as polar regions,
volcanic islands and expansive deserts. Manned aircraft flights are rarely
possible in these areas due to long flight times and hazardous weather
conditions. The USGS has long been known as an authoritative source of
aerial photography and satellite-based imagery. This technology, developed
by the U.S. Army, will allow the USGS to understand landscape change and
conduct wildlife inventories with a level of detail and precision never
before attainable. Details can be found in the USGS Newsroom. For more
information contact Heidi Koontz at hkoo...@usgs.gov
or Cuckoos are Coo-Coo for Native Trees When you
hear ka, ka, ka, ka, ka, kow, kow you know theres a yellow-billed cuckoo in
the area. Once a common call heard from Canada to Mexico and throughout the
Western United States, the western yellow-billed cuckoo is now a candidate
for protection under the Endangered Species Act. Climate Change: Nitrogen Adds to the Equation Nitrogen
from human activities is a significant source of greenhouse gases. Snowpack a Predictor of Lightning Ignitions and Flammability Did you
know that snow could be a predictor of forest fires? Scientists from the
University of Washington and USGS found that a projected decrease in spring
snowpack is correlated with an increase in number and size of fires that are
started by lightning. Less snow also increases the severity of the burn.
Depending on conditions, lightning strikes can cause fires that burn large
areas. Many climate change scenarios predict decreases in the snowpack in
areas like Yosemite, where this study was conducted, making conditions more
suited for fires started by lightning. In a new report published in the
International Journal of Wildland Fire, these scientists project nearly 20
percent more lightning ignitions and more than 20 percent more area burned
at high severity annually by mid-century. For more information, contact Jan
van Wagtendonk at jan_van_wagtend...@usgs.gov
or Red Alert! Valuable Mineral found in Alaska The chemical that produces red color in television monitors and LED used for energy-efficient light bulbs has been discovered in the Taylor Mountains quadrangle of Alaska. Europium has been found by USGS scientists in dark, pellet-like grains of the mineral monazite along with other metals of commercial interest such as gold, collected from Taylor Mountain area streams. Currently, the U.S. europium supply is scarce and limited to ore found in California and imported from China. A report of the findings is available in the December 2009 edition of Explore, the Association of Applied Geochemists newsletter. For more information or a copy of the report contact William Benzel at wben...@usgs.gov. A Wave of Tsunami Research Just days after a tsunami struck American Samoa on September 29, USGS scientists rushed to the scene. This rapid-response tsunami research on water levels and sediment in American Samoa is essential to tsunami preparation and education. The research contributes to tsunami models, which are used in planning evacuation routes and construction. If the researchers had waited any longer, much of the data they were collecting would have disappeared with recovery activities and natural processes. Hear more about USGS tsunami research in USGS CoreCast Episode 110. For more information, check out the USGS Newsroom, or contact Bruce Jaffe at bja...@usgs.gov or (831) 427-4742. (pictures) Research Takes Flight on Seabirds From the
cold Arctic of Alaska to the tropical Pacific of Hawai`i, USGS scientists
are actively studying a diverse array of seabird species.
|