A new global geologic map of Mars –the most thorough
representation of the “Red Planet’s” surface – has been published
by the U.S. Geological Survey. This map provides a framework for
continued scientific investigation of Mars as the long-range
target for human space exploration.
Seasonal carbon dioxide frost, not liquid water, is the main
driver in forming gullies on Mars today, according to a recent
U.S. Geological Survey study that relied on NASA’s Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter’s (MRO) repeated high-resolution
observations.
NASA’s new spacecraft to sniff carbon dioxide in the earth’s
atmosphere reached orbit on Wednesday after launching from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
“During the last year, whole oceans worth of water have been
found in the [Earth's] mantle, hundreds of kilometers below the
crust. And a paper in today’s [June 12] issue of Science traces
water’s influence all the way down to an important boundary
inside the Earth, the top of the lower mantle.”
“With a quiet hull, advanced acoustic systems and 3D sonar, the
new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship, the
Reuben Lasker, is poised to peer into the depths of the
Pacific. …
“Lasker was renowned for research on how young fish join the
adult populations, a key facet of fisheries management.”
“California’s drought is imperiling tricolored blackbirds, large
trees and native fish, with some of the affected species already
on the state’s endangered list and others likely headed there
because of rapidly declining numbers, scientists say.”
“By crunching data from the Central Valley, eBird can generate
maps showing where virtually every species congregates in the
remaining wetlands. … The BirdReturns program, financed by
the Nature Conservancy, then pays rice farmers in the birds’
flight path to keep their fields flooded with irrigation water
from the Sacramento River as migrating flocks arrive.
“Inside a moon of Saturn, beneath its icy veneer and above its
rocky core, is a sea of water the size of Lake Superior,
scientists announced on Thursday.
“The findings, published in the journal Science, confirm what
planetary scientists have suspected about the moon, Enceladus,
ever since they were astonished in 2005 by photographs showing
geysers of ice crystals shooting out of its south pole.”
“Don’t expect to find genetically modified salmon – or any
other engineered fish or meat – on store shelves anytime soon.
“The Obama administration has stalled for more than four years
on deciding whether to approve a fast-growing salmon that would
be the first genetically modified animal approved for human
consumption.”
From the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Science Features blog:
“The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia will be
featuring many exciting events for the world to see. Though the
Olympics Games is the premier athletic competition worldwide,
the games also bridge the gap between science and sports by
covering a number of Earth science topics as well. …
“The U.S. Geological Survey compiles water use statistics every
five years and hopes to build towards a National Water Census.
From Greenversations, An EPA Blog About Science Matters, in a
post by Marguerite Huber:
“EPA researchers studying green infrastructure (using
vegetation, soil, and other naturalistic techniques to reduce
stormwater runoff) collaborated with colleagues in the Agency’s
New England office (EPA Region 1) to develop a new
public-domain software app called the Watershed Management
Optimization Support Tool (WMOST).
“The goal of the tool is to help water resource managers and
planners identify cost effective, sustainable green
infrastructure options for their local jurisdictions.
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Climatic Data Center (NCDC):
“What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear
Antarctica or Greenland? If you’re like most people, the answer
is probably ice and lots of it. And it is ice that draws
paleoclimatologists literally to the ends of the Earth in the
quest for knowledge about where our planet has been, where it is,
and where it might be going.”
From the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) Delta Science Program:
“The 2013 Delta Science Plan has been released. Called for in the
Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan, the Science Plan is a
framework for conducting science that organizes and integrates
Delta science activities and builds an open, collaborative
science community (One Delta, One Science).”
“Clues from ancient Hawaiian coral show a major shift in the
subtropic Pacific Ocean’s ecosystem around 1850.
“A research team from UC Santa Cruz has created a 1,000-year
record of how the North Pacific Subtropic Gyre, the world’s
largest ecosystem, produces organic material, said Owen
Sherwood, co-author of the study.”
“NASA says an airborne mission helped water managers for 2.6
million Californians achieve near-perfect water operations this
summer.
“Despite the driest year in California’s recorded history,
high-resolution snow maps of the Tuolumne River Basin in the
Sierra Nevada provided by the prototype Airborne Snow
Observatory mission helped optimize reservoir filling and
hydroelectric generation at a reservoir and dam that serves the
San Francisco Bay Area, the space agency reported Monday.”
“Thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope and some new imaging
techniques, scientists have detected traces of water vapor on
five massive planets right in our galactic backyard.”
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday appointed
Francesca Grifo as the agency’s official in charge of
scientific integrity. …
“The EPA, which incorporates scientific analysis into its
regulations, frequently comes under fire for decisions opposed
by industry and challenged by other scientists.”
“A new study based on Earth-observing satellite data
comprehensively describes changes in the world’s forests from the
beginning of this century. Published in Science today
[Nov. 14], this unparalleled survey of global forests tracked
forest loss and gain at the spatial granularity of an area
covered by a baseball diamond (30-meter resolution).
From the California Department of Water Resources (DWR):
“With the new California Irrigation Management Information
System (CIMIS) trailer in West Sacramento, DWR employees now
have a better station for repairing sensors used to gather
information for California’s agricultural lands, golf courses
and other landscapes.
“CIMIS was created in 1982 by the California Department of
Water Resources and the University of California at Davis to
provide reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimates to
irrigators.”
