Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Enviro-Sciences - 28 September 2015

Another great week of listings before October rolls around.

A brief 'Reno report' from Elaine:

Indian summer here....rabbitbrush starting to fade....leaves showing definite change of color.....and temps supposed to drop from near 90 to more seasonal upper 70s during the days!!

 I always loved the autumn in the Reno-Tahoe area.

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Note: all the links should be hot; if not, paste the URL into your browser. The PDF and Word lists below contain the URLs. 

Here are the lists in Word/PDF:

As a PDF: Download Bulletin_board_listings_28Sept2015

As a Word document: Download Bulletin_board_listings_28Sept2015 

Geosciences Bulletin Board – 28 September 2015. Compiled by Elaine J. Hanford. Compilation of selected current news articles pertinent to the discipline.

12 interesting facts about the Autumnal Equinox since we are now into the next season

• http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/11-facts-about-autumnal-equinox.html

Movie review:  “The Wave” a disaster movie about a geologist and his family

• http://screencrush.com/the-wave-review-fantastic-fest/

Earth science offers keys to potentially meeting UN Sustainability Goals

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Earth_science_offers_key_to_many_United_Nations_Sustainable_Development_Goals_999.html

Restrictions on fracking injections coincide with reduction in intense earthquakes in Kansas

• http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2015/09/25/382816.htm

“Icefall doctors” are carving a new route to the top of Mount Everest

• http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/24/nepal-icefall-doctors-everest-ascent-routes-sherpa-mountain

Landslides into Öskjuvatn Lake in Iceland cause tsunami waves

         http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/a-new-landslide-askja-region-nature-still-work

No surprise here….climate change models are too simplistic

• http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/285179/climate-change-models-too-simplistic-report

New insight into the composition of the core of Earth – more oxygen, less silicon

• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/dlnl-anv092215.php

New mathematical model approach to assessing strontium isotope ratios that can be used to assess living organisms and fossil materials

• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/uoc-ns092315.php

Massive meteor shower pummeled Earth and changed chemistry of the crust

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3246600/Massive-meteorite-shower-pummeled-Earth-100-MILLION-years-changed-planet-s-chemistry-forever-claims-study.html

Will a strong El Niño relieve drought conditions across the US?

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3246945/Parched-America-Satellite-images-reveal-just-dry-ground-California-Oregon-Washington.html

Down to Earth with a glaciologist

• http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/down-earth-glaciologist-erin-pettit

Bunostegos akokaensis – a pre-reptile – may have been first to walk upright on all four feet

• https://news.brown.edu/articles/2015/09/posture

Fremantle, Australia, has the highest rate of meteorological tsunamis in the world

• http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-09/23/c_134651545.htm
• Paper:  http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/roypta/373/2053/20140377.full.pdf

Bárðarbunga volcano in Iceland emits large amounts of sulfur dioxide on a daily basis

• http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3759/icelandic_volcanos_toxic_gas_is_treble_that_of_europes_industry

William “Strata” Smith’s first geological map of England and Wales to go on display in Cardiff

• http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rare-edition-first-geological-map-10124569

Top 10 US cities at greatest risk of natural disasters

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3247407/From-hurricanes-flooding-wildfires-earthquakes-10-cities-risk-natural-disasters-one-South.html

When will this “hillock of swelling” explode and become a massive sinkhole in Siberia?

• http://www.rt.com/news/316261-siberia-crater-new-abnormal/

Seismic shaking, unstable soils and ancient landslide cause concern for Washington Park reservoir in Portland, Oregon

• http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/09/portlands_washington_park_rese.html

Predicting beach erosion in the future if climate change occurs in NSW

• http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/weather-patterns-could-lead-to-more-beach-erosion/2782999/

Pollen spores in cores from Lake Elsinore suggest series of mega-droughts in California between 27,500 and 25,500 years ago

• http://phys.org/news/2015-09-ancient-pollen-mega-droughts-california-thousands.html

Earliest fossil specimens of coelacanthe in Africa is found in Devonian age fossil nursery

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150921090201.htm

Early human inhabitants and giant apex predator lizards co-existed in Australia

• http://phys.org/news/2015-09-giant-killer-lizard-fossil-early.html
• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3247338/Giant-killer-lizards-roamed-Australia-Ice-Age-Fossil-evidence-predators-lived-alongside-Aborigines.html

Imja Lake, with glacial meltwater behind a natural dam, poses potential downstream hazard if avalanche or rockslide explodes the lake and the dam fails

• https://asunews.asu.edu/20150901-lake-sherpa

Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis, 30-foot-long herbivorous duck-billed dinosaur found in Alaska

• http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-a-cold-weather-dinosaur-20150921-story.html

Nine years and counting:  controversy over Lusi mud volcano flow in Indonesia

• http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/science/9-years-of-muck-mud-and-debate-in-java.html

Enviro-Sciences Bulletin Board – 28 September 2015. Compiled by Elaine J. Hanford. Compilation of selected current news articles pertinent to the discipline.

Just like Pig-Pen, Charlie Brown’s friend, everyone has a cloud of microbes

• http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/09/22/441841735/wherever-you-go-your-personal-cloud-of-microbes-follows
• Paper:  https://peerj.com/articles/1258/

Unlike Pig-Pen, pigs have a distinct cadaver smell from humans because of the chemicals in the decaying body

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-have-unique-smell-death-180956732/

Americans are sending twice as much trash to landfills than estimated by the federal government

• http://phys.org/news/2015-09-trash-landfills-thought.html

Artistic views of what humans have wrought upon the planet

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/stunning-contemporary-art-captures-terror-wonder-wit-anthropocene-180956742/

The truth behind the “5-second rule” for eating food you’ve dropped on the floor

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3239784/The-truth-five-second-rule-Scientist-reveals-odds-getting-sick-eating-food-dropped-floor.html

New survey seeks to discover how all beef cattle producers use antibiotics

• http://beefmagazine.com/blog/how-do-you-use-antibiotics-new-survey-wants-know
• Survey:  https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e5RY1NGhht1GGIB

Ohiopyle Park to revamp how it handles biological waste & storm water and will install geothermal HVAC system

• http://www.parksandrecreation.org/2015/September/Innovative-Water-Management-at-Ohiopyle-State-Park-Visitor-s-Center/ 

Southern Californians thinking about developing world’s largest municipal water recycling program

• http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-mwd-recycled-water-20150922-story.html

Evidence of heavy metal pollution (copper, lead, nickel and zinc) caused by human activity date to the early Stone Age

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3244837/Man-polluting-Earth-Middle-Paleolithic-Heavy-metal-contamination-caused-Neanderthal-fires-dates-40-000-years.html

Interactive real-time air quality map for cities across the world

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3239920/How-polluted-city-Map-shows-minute-harmful-smog-levels-world-reveal-health-risk.html

El Niño and La Niña will exacerbate coastal hazards across the entire Pacific Ocean 

• http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=4336#.VgLU7N9Viko

 Old Faithful remains faithful and draw millions of tourists to Yellowstone National Park

• http://www.star-telegram.com/living/travel/article36271221.html

Will the US get or take water from Canada?

• http://www.treehugger.com/clean-water/will-canada-export-its-fresh-water-or-will-us-just-take-it.html

Changes in dairy industry in recent decades mean improved production & concern for animal welfare

• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/ehs-cid092215.php

Evidence of gene flow from parasitic wasps to butterflies and moths

• http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/44016/title/Parasite-s-Genes-Persist-in-Host-Genomes/

“Open Tree of Life” shows relationships among 2.3 million species on Earth over 3.5B years

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/open-tree-of-life-shows-how-millions-earthlings-related_560087b9e4b08820d919e398

Sage grouse protection deemed “not warranted” by US Dept of Interior….lawsuits to follow

• http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2015/09/22/the-greater-sage-grouse-denied-esa-protection/

Oriental fruit fly invaded and shut down large segment of fruit industry in Florida

• http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/22/442329655/this-pest-has-shut-down-south-floridas-700-million-fruit-industry

Greenpeace report says 100% renewable energy is possible by 2050…are they correct?

• http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/greenpeace-on-renewables-phase-out-coal-oil-gas-and-nuclear-energy-by-2050-20150920-gjqof4.html
• Report:  http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/Campaign-reports/Climate-Reports/Energy-Revolution-2015/

Rusty-patched bumblebee may gain protection under the Endangered Species Act

• http://news.yahoo.com/u-considers-declaring-bee-endangered-first-time-181619713.html

Heartland disease, likely transmitted to humans by Lone Star tick, recognized in 13 states

• http://wvasfm.org/post/deadly-heartland-virus-much-more-common-scientists-thought

First, humans helped foster antibiotic resistance, now we are fostering anti-parasitic resistance to drugs used to treat livestock…and a call for yet more drugs

• http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ucm462969.htm

Hudson River dredging for Tappan Zee construction completed before the beginning of fish migration & spawning season

• http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/tappan-zee-bridge/2015/09/21/tappan-zee-dredging-now-complete/72558512/

This snake has now reproduced asexually for the second time in two years

• http://qz.com/506100/virgin-snake-gives-birth-for-the-second-time-in-two-years/

Long tradition of humans feeding & befriending deer has made them fearless, now the town wonders how to deal with droves of deer

• http://news.yahoo.com/oregon-town-seeks-solutions-droves-fearless-deer-231410933.html

A better approach to wildfires:  let them burn when prudent

• http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Let_wildfires_burn_when_prudent_999.html

The first continent-wide, multi-factor analysis of watersheds

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/A_new_analysis_and_approach_to_watershed_management_999.html

Methane from landfills was grossly underestimated – are really the 3^rd largest source

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/US_landfill_waste_methane_undercounted_climate_study_999.html

New pipeline safety rule, prompted by recent spills, to be proposed this month

• http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7655d79f750043dd99d324048082cf22/us-senate-committee-probes-pipeline-safety-after-oil-spills

A devastating EQ can be a good thing for the long-term economy

• http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/71699253/boom-picked-for-central-christchurch-in-2016

Concerns increase over re-emergence of bacterial pneumonia in bighorn sheep

• http://www.tbo.com/health/bacterial-pneumonia-resurfaces-in-north-dakota-bighorn-sheep-ap_health8844e62910e14e35804540dd110d0d76

Critically endangered Sumatran elephant is killed (possible poisoning) in Bukit Barisan Selatan national park just for its tusks

• http://news.yahoo.com/killing-endangered-sumatran-elephant-sparks-anger-151006000.html

More money likely to flow to Louisiana coastline for restoration of 2005 hurricane damage

• https://www.businessreport.com/business/contracting-louisiana-coastal-restoration
• http://media.iccsafe.org/news/icc-enews/2015v12n31/jump-katrina.html

Taking in thousands of Mideast refugees may be risky and is definitely costly business

• http://news.yahoo.com/plan-admit-more-refugees-faces-stiff-opposition-u-163227537.html

Bacteria, worms and beetles in the soil play critical role in climate, plant life & ecosystem health

• http://sciencenordic.com/underground-animal-world-crucial-life-above-ground

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." - George Bernard Shaw