USGS Science Picks - November 4, 2009

United States Using Less Water Today

The United States uses less water today than it did 35 years ago, despite a
30 percent population increase. Declines in water use are partly
attributable to alternative cooling methods at power plants and more
efficient irrigation systems. According to the latest USGS water use report,
nearly half of all water used in the United States goes to cooling
thermoelectric power plants. Irrigation accounts for 31 percent. Eleven
percent of water is used for public supply, and the remaining 9 percent is
used for industrial, livestock, aquaculture, mining and rural domestic uses.
For details, listen to episode 108 of the USGS Corecast
<http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ep=108>  or check out the full
report <http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/> . For more information, contact Susan
Hutson at sshut...@usgs.gov or (901) 246-5330.

Caves Provide Martians (or Scientists) a New Place to Hide

Caves might lie beneath a series of depressions discovered on Mars. These
caves could provide shelter for future Mars exploration missions. They could
also shed light on whether microbial life forms have ever existed on the
"Red Planet." The depressions were detected by the USGS Astrogeology Science
Center using high-resolution images conveyed through Mars-orbiting
satellites. Scientists believe some of these caves were created from a
massive volcano, when solid ceilings of cooled material formed over lava
channels during ancient volcanic eruptions. Sections of these ceilings
collapsed at some point to form the observed skylight entrances, or caves.
For more information, check out the USGS
<http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2330>  Newsroom or contact Glen
Cushing at gcush...@usgs.gov or (928) 556-7201.

Thawing Arctic May Mean More Atmospheric Carbon

One of the world's most important sinks of carbon could start to release its
contents into the atmosphere. A new study by the USGS and the University of
Alaska at Fairbanks shows that the Arctic has been responsible for up to 25
percent of the earth's carbon sink in recent decades. The carbon enters the
Arctic from the atmosphere and is trapped in the permafrost, the frozen
layer of soil underneath the land's surface. This layer is an effective
carbon sink because the permafrost is too cold to for the carbon to
decompose very quickly. However, global warming is causing the permafrost to
thaw, exposing the previously frozen soil to decomposition and erosion, and
could make the permafrost a source of atmospheric carbon, rather than a
sink. For more information, check out the USGS Newsroom
<http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2326>  or contact Dave McGuire
at ff...@usgs.gov or (907) 474-6242.

Wallboard Woes

Recently, homeowners in Florida began reporting respiratory tract
infections, sinus problems and nosebleeds, as well as damage to electrical
wiring in homes. Experts believe these conditions are caused by faulty
wallboard. Wallboard is made out of the mineral gypsum. The USGS collects
information from gypsum producers as well as gypsum production information
from other countries. Based on these data, experts believe the faulty
wallboard is manufactured in China. Gypsum is a byproduct of coal-burning
powerplants, and many wallboard manufacturers use this source of gypsum in
their manufacturing process. This production process in the United States is
similar to that in China, and experts are trying to determine the chemical
differences between the wallboard originating in the two different
countries. For more information, the USGS publishes a monthly Mineral
<http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gypsum/mis-200906-gy...
f>  Industry Surveys on gypsum, or contact Rob Crangle at rcran...@usgs.gov
or (703) 648-6410.

Welcoming a New Director

The USGS will welcome Marcia McNutt as its new director on Nov. 5. She will
also serve as the Science Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior, Ken
Salazar. She is a former USGS scientist who began her career as an
earthquake specialist. McNutt most recently served as President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in
California. She has also been a member of the faculty at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) and participated in 15 major oceanographic
expeditions. She has published 90 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Her
research has ranged from studies of ocean island volcanism in French
Polynesia to continental break-up in the Western United States. Details are
available in an online press
<http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/102209.html>  release. For more
information, contact Mike Gauldin at mgaul...@usgs.gov or (703) 648-4054.

Feeds (science updates and happenings)

Wind Energy: A Scare for Bats and Birds

Wind energy is a promising source of "green energy." However, unprecedented
numbers of certain bat species are consistently dying at wind turbines, and
birds are also affected. USGS scientists are investigating what makes bats
and birds vulnerable to turbines, as well as the extent to which turbines
may be affecting their populations. Scientists are also looking into
possible solutions for reducing bat mortality at wind energy facilities.
Learn more by listening to episode 107 of the USGS Corecast
<http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ep=107> , or check out the USGS
Fort <http://www.fort.usgs.gov/batswindmills>  Collins Science Center Web
site for details. Contact Paul Cryan at cry...@usgs.gov or (970) 226-9389
for more information.

Whooping Cranes are Flying High!

The Class of 2009 whooping cranes has begun its journey! Twenty-one young
whoopers hatched in captivity are now migrating 1,285 miles from Wisconsin
to Florida, guided by ultralight aircraft. These migrating cranes were
raised in captivity, cared for by USGS scientists wearing crane costumes to
mask the human form and ensure the cranes remain wild. After being guided by
the ultralight aircraft to their wintering habitat in Florida, amazingly
these cranes will be able to find their way back to Wisconsin on their own
in the spring. In the 1940s there were only 15 of these large, white birds.
Today there are 350 whoopers living in the wild, and another 150 in
captivity. Watch these cranes in a video
<http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/172>  or learn more about this project
online at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/Cranes.htm.
<http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/Cranes.htm>  For more information, contact John
French at jbfre...@usgs.gov or (301) 497-5702.

Hazards Remain After the Smoke Clears

Though the recent southern California Station Fire is over, communities
immediately downstream of burn areas shouldn't relax just yet! The charred
area presents a new danger: debris flows formed by rain, soil, rock,
vegetation and other wreckage. This mixture can create menacing slurry,
capable of destroying bridges, roadways and structures. USGS scientists
found that some watersheds in the burn area can generate debris flows with
enough material to fill a football field 60 feet deep with mud and rock. The
USGS identified and mapped areas with debris flow hazards to assist state
and local planners as they work to protect lives and property from these
potentially destructive events. For details, check out the USGS
<http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2322>  Newsroom or a USGS Fact
Sheet <http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3106/>  on fires and debris flows in
southern California. For more information, contact Paul Laustsen at
plaust...@usgs.gov <mailto:plaus...@usgs.gov>  or (650) 329-4046.

Giant Snakes Threaten Ecosystems

Introduced giant constrictor snakes pose major risks to ecosystems in the
United States. Already in South Florida, breeding populations of boa
constrictors and Burmese pythons have become established and appear to be
spreading. Other constrictor snakes caught in the wild include anacondas and
other python species. These non-native snakes are likely to thrive in
suitable environments because they mature early, produce many young, travel
long distances, and can eat native birds and mammals. Adequate control tools
have not been established, although several are being tested. A new USGS
report documents the occurrence of these snakes, the potential for further
invasion, and ecosystem risks in the United States. For more information,
including the full report, pictures and video, check out the USGS Newsroom
<http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2324> . Contact Catherine
Puckett at cpuck...@usgs.gov or (352) 264-3532 for more information.

Story Seeds (points to ponder or investigate)

Streamgages: the Silent Superhero

Whether you drink water from your tap, use electricity or canoe down your
local river, chances are, you benefit from USGS streamgages. A streamgage
measures the height and how much water is flowing in a river or stream. This
information is used by drinking water suppliers, water treatment plant
operators, engineers, wildlife managers, recreationalists and many others.
There are over 7,500 streamgages in the United States that transmit
real-time data by satellite every one to four hours. This streamflow
information is available to everyone for free online
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt> . The amount of water in rivers or
streams is not constant, and knowing how much water is available is critical
to those who use and manage the water. Details on the importance of
streamgages are available in a USGS Corecast video
<http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ep=106>  or on the National
Streamflow Information <http://water.usgs.gov/nsip/>  Program Web site. For
more information, contact Mike Norris at mnor...@usgs.gov or (603) 226-7847.

Why Celebrate GIS Day on Nov. 18?

Scientists find geographic information systems (GIS) indispensable. These
systems are used to store, view and analyze information, especially maps.
They can contain data about human populations, storm damage, migratory bird
routes and the location of crops. Geographers at the USGS National Wetlands
Research Center measure coastal
<http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/special/landloss.htm>  land loss along the Gulf
Coast by combining information from aerial photography, satellite images,
radar and elevation data into GIS. Using GIS, they can accurately map the
1900 square miles of coastal lands that Louisiana has lost since the 1930s.
These systems are especially important after events like Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita, which together caused the loss of 217 square miles. Scientists
also use GIS to forecast what land loss may occur in the future, which is
critical information for restoration projects that save wetlands. Learn
details about historical and projected Louisiana land
<http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/special/NewHistoricalland.pdf>  loss (PDF). For
more information, contact Scott Wilson at wils...@usgs.gov or (337)
266-8644.