In this edition of Science Picks, learn about an upcoming Canoe Journey to study water resources in the Salish Sea, a new USGS partnership to develop a volcano early warning system in Chile, how California sea otter populations are recovering at a slow rate and what the odds are of a 500-year flood in the Midwest. Discover what makes an old geyser faithful, a recent finding that may help explain the solar system's formation and new research on the sage-grouse's chances for survival. As Independence Day approaches, many will ask what makes the colors in fireworks so vivid. Learn the answer to this and much more! If you would like to receive Science Picks via e-mail, would like to change the recipient, or no longer want to receive it, please e-mail jrobertson@usgs.gov.
July Highlights:
- Tribal Canoe Journey to Help Restore Salish Sea Resources
- USGS to Help Chile Develop Volcano Early Warning System
- California Sea Otters: Population Recovery Continues at Slower Rate
- Two 500-Year Floods Within 15 Years: What are the Odds?
- What Makes an Old Geyser Faithful?
- One Step Closer to Understanding the Solar System's Formation
- Chances for Sage-Grouse Survival: New Model Explains Population and Habitat Trends
- What Makes the Colors in Fireworks?
- USGS Helps the Phoenix Mars Lander Safely Land
- Stalking Snakes: On the Prowl for Invasive Species
- National Treasure Expands: National Archives to Include Earth Imagery
- Water Science for Schools Now Available in Chinese
- Hair Sheds Light on Elusive Carnivores
LEADS: (top news, updates and happenings in natural science)
Tribal Canoe Journey to Help Restore Salish Sea Resources
The Coast Salish Nation and the USGS will embark on a Canoe Journey from July 8-29 to study and improve water resources in the Salish Sea. Water quality has deteriorated significantly across Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia in recent decades and threatens most near shore and marine habitats and ecosystem functions. This is the only year so far that a scientific component has been added to the Coast Salish Annual Tribal Journey. For the first time, water quality surveys will be simultaneously conducted behind multiple canoes to show variations in a broad area crossing international borders. This project will blend traditional knowledge of the Coast Salish People with USGS science in an effort to help improve management of ancestral waters experiencing environmental decline. Follow the journey's progress by visiting the USGS Tribal Journey's website and obtaining updated press releases, maps, videos and photos at www.usgs.gov/coastsalish. For interview opportunities or more information, contact Jennifer LaVista at 703-648-4432 or jlavista@usgs.gov or Charles O'Hara with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community at 360-466-7200 or cohara@swinomish.nsn.us.
USGS to Help Chile Develop Volcano Early Warning System
The USGS is partnering with the Chilean government to develop a volcano early warning and emergency response system for the country after the historic eruption of Chaitén Volcano on May 2. Following the eruption, the USGS helped Chile install monitoring networks at Chaitén to transmit real-time data and help warn the public of further eruptions. On June 13, the USGS signed a letter of intent with President Bachelet of Chile to work with USGS counterpart agency Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería to establish a volcano early warning system. Prior to this eruption, there was virtually no instrumental monitoring at Chaitén. This left almost no time for those at risk to prepare themselves, their families or their possessions for an eruption. To listen to a podcast interview with USGS scientists John Pallister, John Ewert and Andrew Lockhart about this partnership and Chaitén Volcano, visit http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ep=51. For more information, contact Clarice Nassif Ransom at 703-648-4299 or cransom@usgs.gov.
California Sea Otters: Population Recovery Continues at Slower Rate
California's southern sea otter, a threatened population on the Endangered Species list, continues to recover, but at a rate that appears to have slowed. USGS scientists say the latest 3-year average (2,826 sea otters) was 0.3 percent higher than last year's 3-year average, representing a slower rate of increase than they have seen in recent years. For southern sea otters to be considered for removal from the Endangered Species list, the 3-year running averages would have to exceed 3,090 for 3 continuous years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Southern Sea Otter Recovery Plan. Differences in weather conditions, otter distribution and other factors contribute to the year-to-year variance in survey numbers. Graphs, maps and other information on spring surveys of the California sea otter population are available at http://www.werc.usgs.gov/otters/ca-surveys.html. For more information, contact Tim Tinker at 831-459-2357 or ttinker@usgs.gov, or Brian Hatfield at 805-927-3893 or brian_hatfield@usgs.gov.
Two 500-Year Floods Within 15 Years: What are the Odds?
Heavy rainfall across the Midwest has caused major flooding, which has been described as a "500-year flood." So what does that mean? This term is based on the annual likelihood of the degree of flooding. A 500-year flood magnitude has a 0.2 percent chance — or 1 in 500 — of being exceeded in any one year. A 100-year flood magnitude has a 1 percent chance — or 1 in 100 — of being exceeded in the same place, and so on. These statistics are not dependent on what happened last year, 15 years ago or even 100 years ago. Instead, they are calculated by taking annual peak flow values from the network of USGS streamgages and feeding that data into highly developed probability models. Streamgages provide long-term stream flow data that scientists need to better understand floods and define flood-prone areas. For more information about Midwest flooding, visit http://www.usgs.gov/homepage/science_features/flooding_june08.asp. To listen to an interview with USGS scientist Robert Holmes on this topic, visit http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ID=81. For more information, contact Heidi Koontz at 303-202-4763 or hkoontz@usgs.gov.
What Makes an Old Geyser Faithful?
New research suggests that how often Old Faithful and other Yellowstone geysers erupt may depend on annual precipitation patterns. Geysers are rare hot springs that periodically erupt bursts of steam and hot water. Old Faithful has remained faithful for at least the past 135 years, showering appreciative tourists every 50 to 90 minutes (most recently an annual average of 91 minutes). Scientists from the USGS, Stanford University and Yellowstone National Park have discovered that changes of water supply to a geyser's underground plumbing may have a large influence on the time between eruptions. For example, geysers appear to lengthen and shorten their intervals on cycles that mimic annual dry and wet periods. For more information about this new research, visit http://www.gsajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1130%2FG24723A.1 or contact Leslie Gordon at 650-329-4006 or lgordon@usgs.gov.
One Step Closer to Understanding the Solar System's Formation
A recent discovery will help scientists better understand how the solar system formed. Higher-than-expected levels of sodium were found in a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite, specifically the meteorite's chondrules, which are millimeter-sized grains. It is known that chondrules formed when dust in the early solar system melted. These high levels of sodium suggest that the dust clouds from which the chondrules formed were much denser than previously assumed. The mechanism by which the dust melted is unknown, but this new insight will help scientists understand this process. This finding also suggests there may be a link between chondrule formation and the formation of asteroids and planets. This research was collaboratively conducted by scientists from the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, the USGS, and the American Museum of Natural History. To read the recently published Science magazine article on this research, visit http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/320/5883/1617. For more information, contact Jeffrey Grossman at 703-648-6184 or jgrossman@usgs.gov.
Chances for Sage-Grouse Survival: New Model Explains Population and Habitat Trends
Long-term trends in landscape conditions have significantly reduced sagebrush habitat and populations of greater sage-grouse, according to a new USGS study. The USGS has substantially augmented its research efforts in sagebrush ecosystems in response to escalating energy development and conservation concern for many sagebush-dependent species, such as the greater sage-grouse. Investigators developed a model predicting where these birds are most likely to persist and where they are at risk of disappearing. The species, which is being considered for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act, currently occupies just over half of its historical range. The resulting maps can help federal and state land managers prioritize remaining areas for conservation. For more information on the new model and associated maps, visit http://www.fort.usgs.gov/Products/Publications/22235/22235.pdf and http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/images/2008-6-17/map.pdf. To learn about related USGS research, visit http://www.fort.usgs.gov/SageEnergy. You can also contact Cameron Aldridge at 970-226-9433 or aldridgec@usgs.gov or Zack Bowen at 970-226-9218 or bowenz@usgs.gov.
FEEDS: (USGS tools and resources)
What Makes the Colors in Fireworks?
Every Independence Day, Americans all around the country are drawn to spectacular fireworks displays. But what makes the colors so vivid? It's minerals — each color is produced by a specific mineral compound. Bright greens are from barium, blues come from copper and yellows require sodium. More colors are made by mixing compounds. The role of minerals in fireworks is just one example of our society's growing reliance on minerals for making products ranging from automobiles to toothpaste. Want to know more? Visit http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals for USGS statistics on production, trade and resources for about 90 mineral commodities from around the world. Enjoy fun facts at http://minerals.usgs.gov/west/factfaq.shtml. For more information, contact Diane Noserale at 703-648-4333 or dnoseral@usgs.gov.
USGS Helps the Phoenix Mars Lander Safely Land
The USGS contributed to the recent successful landing of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander by providing 3-D mapping information necessary to select a safe landing site on Mars. This information was provided as a Digital Elevation Model, which is a digital representation of the ground's topography and terrain, obtained from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft data. The USGS has used similar mapping techniques and data to help NASA select safe landing sites for all its recent and upcoming Mars missions. The USGS is also currently working with the Phoenix Mars Lander images to make 3-D models and videos on the process of digging for ice on Mars. To view an animation of what it would look like to fly over the 2004 Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's successful landing site and the nearby Columbia Hills, which the rover is now exploring, visit http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080519m.html. For more information, contact Randolph Kirk at 928-556-7020 or rkirk@usgs.gov.
STORY SEEDS: (points to ponder or investigate)
Stalking Snakes: On the Prowl for Invasive Species
What's it like to spend your nights chasing snakes and your days teaching people how to do it? Find out by reading a USGS scientist's story on preventing the highly invasive brown tree snake from wreaking economic and ecological havoc on currently snake-free islands in the Central Pacific and the continental United States. After World War II, the brown tree snake was accidentally introduced to Guam via military materiel brought from other islands where the snake resides. The snake was ultimately responsible for the elimination of most bird and lizard species and at least one mammalian species on Guam. It has also caused millions of dollars worth of damages in power outages from crawling among high-voltage lines and wiring. If this snake were to become established on any of the Hawaiian Islands or other island territories and countries in the region, the results could be disastrous. Read more and test your snake-finding ability at http://www.fort.usgs.gov/StalkingSnakes/. For more information, contact James Stanford at 671-777-4477 (Guam) or james_stanford@usgs.gov.
National Treasure Expands: National Archives to Include Earth Imagery
The story of the Nation's land during the past 75 years can be told impartially through records of Earth observation — aerial photographs dating from the 1930s and satellite images dating from the 1960s. USGS Director Mark Myers and Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein, who leads the National Archives and Records Administration, recently signed an agreement to work together to ensure the preservation and access of the massive Earth imagery and geospatial data resources currently archived by the USGS. Occupying more than 40,000 square feet and totaling millions of film frames and nearly three petabytes (3,000 terabytes) of electronic data, the USGS archive is massive, essential and irreplaceable. This vast reservoir of data supplies objective reference points that are vital in documenting land change and in understanding climate change. To view photographs of the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center Archive, visit http://eros.usgs.gov/archive/nslrsda/files.php. For more information, contact Tom Holm at 605-594-6154 or holm@usgs.gov.
Water Science for Schools Now Available in Chinese
The USGS Water Science for Schools Web site is available in several languages and is one of the most heavily used sites with basic information on water. Through a collaborative effort with Beijing Normal University in China, the USGS now offers a portion of this Web site in Chinese. Site features include a drip calculator to show how much water a dripping faucet wastes, a rainfall calculator, a quiz to test your water knowledge, information about the distribution of water on Earth, and a water cycle explanation that incorporates a diagram in 67 languages. The English, Chinese and Spanish versions can be accessed at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/. For more information, contact Howard Perlman at 770-903-9114 or hperlman@usgs.gov.
Hair Sheds Light on Elusive Carnivores
The status of many carnivore populations is of growing concern to scientists and conservationists, making the need for data on carnivore distribution, abundance and habitat use ever more pressing. The elusive and wide-ranging nature of many carnivore species, however, makes them inherently challenging to study. A comprehensive guide for wildlife researchers who want to use "noninvasive" research techniques — those that minimize disturbance to the animal being studied — coupled with cutting-edge laboratory and statistical techniques to sample carnivore populations is published in the new book by Island Press entitled "Noninvasive Survey Methods for Carnivores." The chapter "Hair Collection," by USGS scientist Katherine Kendall and USDA Forest Service scientist Kevin McKelvey, provides an overview of hair snagging methods used to collect hair from carnivores such as bears, cougars, wolves and wolverines. The book is available at http://www.islandpress.org/bookstore/details.php?prod_id=1190. For more information, contact Katherine Kendall at 406-888-7994 or kkendall@usgs.gov.
Source: United States Geological Survey