An update from NPR on the California fires as of noon, 7 September 2020: 23 major fires; total firefighters: about 15,000; total area burned this years: ~2M acres, or a little over 3100 square miles (3x the land area of Rhode Island).
Some high temperatures over the weekend: downtown LA: 112 degrees: Woodland Hills, CA: 121 (record for LA County).
Editing the papers for the upcoming issue of Water Resources IMPACT. Topic: 'Fire and Water' decided two years ago). Maybe I will change the title.
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Geoscience Bulletin Board – 7 September 2020 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Just for fun: See where your hometown was over geologic time since 750 myo
- https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/30/us/map-hometown-earth-continental-drift-scn-trnd/index.html
- Interactive Map: https://dinosaurpictures.org/ancient-earth#120
Interactive Dinosaur Database
Megadrought in Asia linked to desertification process the Sahara
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2020/08/31/desert-dust-may-to-blame-for-one-thousand-year-long-megadrought/#4011f713f6f9
- Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17927-6
Geophysical techniques reveal greater depths of deepest cave system
Monitoring the super-heated lake in the summit caldera of Kilauea in Hawaii – time-lapse video
Meltwater accumulating in glacial lakes and may lead to catastrophic floods
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/climate-change-glacial-lakes-flooding-canada-calgary-1.5706477
- https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_811579_en.html
Can human demand for deep-sea metals be balanced with concerns for the environment?
5 new DART (Deep-ocean Assessment & Reporting of Tsunami) buoys deployed by New Zealand
AI algorithm predicting slow earthquakes
Release of methane gas created massive blast hole in the tundra on the Yamal Peninsula in Russia
Simulating Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent is key to modeling & predicting El Niño events
- https://phys.org/news/2020-08-fidelity-el-nino-simulation-future.html
- Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17983-y
Geodesy – history of measuring shape of Hawaiian volcanoes
Barry Arm fjord and tsunami hazard
- https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/barry-arm-landslide-and-tsunami-hazard?MvBriefArticleId=44636
- https://dggs.alaska.gov/hazards/barry-arm-landslide.html
How long will it take for erosion to erase Mount Rushmore?
Investigating the underwater behavior of oil & gas jets and plumes
Exploration, mining & refining cobalt beyond the Congo - infographic
Mastodons migrated long distance adapting to climatic conditions
In Memoriam: Donald “Digger” Gorman (1922-2020) – mineralogist & teacher extraordinaire
New study suggests Bering Sea ice at lowest levels in 5500 years
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-change-bering-sea-ice-winter-melt-lowest-level
- Paper: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/36/eaaz9588
Fossil evidence that animals have been using torpor (hibernation) for 250 million years
- https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fossil_suggests_animals_have_been_hibernating_for_250_million_years_999.html
- Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-01207-6
Hematite detected at high latitudes on the Moon
- http://www.sci-news.com/space/hematite-moon-08809.html
- Paper: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/36/eaba1940
In Memoriam: Edmund Walter Kiessling (1928-2020) – Geologist with California Div Mines & Geology
Lower Cretaceous trace fossils of marine wood-boring Apectoichnus lignummasticans
Jurassic moth lacewing Lichenipolystoechotes mimicked fossil lichen Daohugouthallus
Improved understanding of interaction of gravity waves with jet stream & polar vortex
Wildfires mineral particulates are ice-nucleating particles that raise freezing temperatures in clouds
Simulated earthquakes reveal frictional forces driving thrust-faulting
Isotopic & conventional techniques can distinguish between multiple sources of groundwater contaminant
Ora Banda Crater in Western Australia is massive 100 myo meteorite impact site
- https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/sep/03/massive-meteorite-crater-found-in-western-australia-thought-to-be-100-million-years-old
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-02/new-meteor-crater-discovered-in-wa-100-million-years-old/12620970
Small M3.8 earthquake in northwest Florida – Bahamas Fracture Seismic Zone
- https://www.al.com/news/2020/09/earthquake-near-florida-border-tied-for-alabamas-13th-largest.html
- https://wsvn.com/news/local/small-earthquake-shakes-northwest-florida/
Time for another episode of geothermal energy development in Nevada?
Sampling of sediments from 10 cores in Lake Pyasino near Norilsk could show rate of contamination from oil spill
Sediment transport (sand, silt & pollutants) & streamflow could increase in San Francisco Bay-Delta if climatic conditions change
- https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-09/agu-ccc090220.php
- Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019WR026245
Stratovolcanoes represent only 1% of total volume in the Cascades
Exploring millions of years of geology in Ingleborough Cave
Cleanup plan for Gelman dioxane plume in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Bronze sculpture of Archie the aetosaur now graces Appalachian State University campus
Determining how long plastics survive in the ocean
Thermal instabilities below the seismogenic zone can excite tremors on San Andreas
“The Thing” identified as large dinosaur egg
- https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200905/geology-mystery-of-ancient-soft-shelled-egg-is-nearly-cracked
Retrospective on exploration of Central Oregon resources by Professor Israel Cook
Podcast: Refection on the wondrous geological story of the Ozarks Hills
Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 7 September 2020 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Global population demographics – world population projected to 2100 – gains & losses
Human activity responsible for 96% of mammal extinctions over past 126,000 years – rates spiked where humans arrived
- https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/humans-almost-solely-responsible-mammal-172757661.html
- Paper: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/36/eabb2313
Finally – after flooding 17 times over 30 years – Baton Rouge neighborhood will be moved to higher ground – vacated area to become restored wetland
Culling deer in Scottish forests condemns young deer to death by starvation
Iranian stockpile of enriched uranium is many times limit permitted under international agreement
Just for fun: How much of your body is your own? - Get an estimate of what you are made of
“Success story” of GMO cotton in Burkina Faso fell apart – faulty evaluation studies but Monsanto received inflated payment
Yellowstone National Park warns tourist of dangers of elk mating season – visitors responsible for their own safety – how long will it be before that warning is ignored?
Pelt of Tasmanian Tiger found in New Zealand reveals rich colors – sighting reported 1936 to 1998
World Rabies Day – 28 September 2020
Perspective: Cancel culture, John Muir and other icons of American life – attempts to erase history
Bobcat tests positive for rabies in Marion, South Carolina
CRS InFocus: Brief Overview of FEMAs Individual Assistance Program – supplement (not supplant_ local, state, territorial or Indian tribal government response & recovery efforts
CRS Report: US Support for International Conservation
Hudson Tunnel construction delayed as costs exceed $275M
How H Katrina changed thinking to emphasis on preparation & risk reduction
70 meters of land & 55 houses washed away by Ganga River bank erosion in Malda district in India
New Guinea singing dog still thrives – thought to have been extinct 50 years ago – unique vocalizations
- https://phys.org/news/2020-08-discovery-ancient-dog-species-human.html
- Paper: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/08/26/2007242117
Debris from artificial turf used without permit in dam project litters Puyallup River
Agreement reached to clean up weapons-grade plutonium waste in South Carolina - $600M settlement
- https://phys.org/news/2020-08-plutonium-south-carolina.html
- https://www.thestate.com/news/local/environment/article245376480.html
- https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/us-government-to-pay-sc-600-million-get-16-more-years-to-move-out-plutonium/article_af6063a8-eb9d-11ea-832f-d79bb1c9a03e.html
Human construction “footprint” on the ocean is quantified
Wildfires rage in California but the smoke extends to other States continuing to degrade air quality
- https://phys.org/news/2020-08-nasa-suomi-npp-satellite-views.html
- https://phys.org/news/2020-08-nasa-terra-satellite-smoky-pall.html
- https://phys.org/news/2020-08-nasa-suomi-npp-satellite-highlights.html
Impacts of H Laura – cleanup begins – residents without water
Fort Wayne, Indiana, implementing project to improve water quality – separated stormwater from sewage
Mid-Atlantic & NE States develop regional cap-and-invest program to address carbon pollution – should work about as well as the 1990s cap & trade program for wetlands
Perspective: Green energy isn’t so green – toxic waste from solar & wind is piling up
Kurichi Lake in India needs rejuvenation after pollution, solid waste dumping & flooding
Longest glass-bottomed bridge completed in Iianzhou, Chia, in Huangchuan Three Gorges Scenic Area – so how long will it be before the glass cracks?
Emergency order to alter Tobacco River Spillway of failed Edenville Dam in Michigan
Planned Jefferson Parkway adjacent to former Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapon Plant is deemed “safe”
Northwest Odessa Groundwater site in Texas being considered for EPA National Priorities List (Superfund) – contamination threatens Trinity/Antlers portion of Edwards-Trinity Aquifer
- https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/cleaning-up-a-contaminated-groundwater-site/513-317280ae-bcc1-4e31-8f28-f4cc236f00c9
- https://www.worldoil.com/news/2020/9/1/epa-seeks-to-add-odessa-tx-groundwater-site-to-superfund-priority-list
More than half the deaths associated with H Laura caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from improper use of portable generators
Zimbabwe granted coal mining concession in Hwange National Park to Chinese – threat to elephants
Concerns raised about integrity of privately constructed section of US Border Wall
Tech hazard – Hundreds of billions of dollars needed over two decades to shore-up US power grid
California Legislature wants to speed public transit projects – bypass environmental reviews
Groundwater crisis in Zimbabwe result of droughts and human demands
Pollution releases began before H Laura made landfall – toxics from major oil refineries, petrochemical plants & plastics facilities
- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/08/28/906822940/millions-of-pounds-of-extra-pollution-were-released-before-laura-made-landfall
- https://theconversation.com/a-burning-chemical-plant-may-be-just-the-tip-of-hurricane-lauras-damage-in-this-area-of-oil-fields-and-industry-145217
NPS & FAA develop framework for Air Tour Management Plans
“Summer of Kittens” in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
- https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2020/09/santa-monica-mountains-are-experiencing-summer-kittens
Hunter kills Dall sheep in Wrangell-St Elias National Park – the forfeits it to be rescued
Asphalt on roads and roofs emits harmful pollution to the atmosphere
- https://www.ehn.org/asphalt-air-pollution-2647424980.html
- Paper: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/36/eabb9785
Pesticide-free farming can be very profitable – yielded annual benefits $14.6B to $19.5B across Asia-Pacific
Male butterflies deploy “chastity belts” to protect their future offspring
Since passage of Clean Air Act & CAFÉ standards, US fuel economy shows savings on fuel & emissions
20% less water observed in Murray-Darling Basin than expected under Basin Plan 2012-2019
- https://phys.org/news/2020-09-murray-darling-rivers-basin.html
- Report: https://wentworthgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MDB-flows.pdf
California is not a good example of how to manage a power grid – overdependence on solar & wind, closing reliable power plants & reliance on energy imports
To commemorate 50th anniversary, USEPA pledges more cleanups & less focus on climate
Texas is the biggest bat hub in the world
USDA designates 18 counties in Iowa as Primary Natural Disaster Areas following recent Derecho
Few hundred dead fish in Yellowstone River believed a result of PKD (proliferative kidney disease)
CORONAVIRUS
Coronavirus COVID-19 statistics by country (click on USA to get State statistics)
- https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
- https://time.com/5800901/coronavirus-map/ \
- interactive maps https://geodacenter.github.io/covid/map.html
Death rates dropped significantly when doctors started rejecting use of ventilators – “informal learning” is the politically correct way to say the wrong medical procedure hastened deaths
Provisional death counts
Excess deaths associated with COVID-19
Underlying health concerns (comorbidities) among 94% of deaths
- https://www.abc15.com/news/national/coronavirus/cdc-data-shows-significance-of-underlying-health-concerns-in-covid-19-deaths
- https://www.axios.com/cdc-covid-deaths-contributing-health-conditions-3315196c-986f-4ae3-ba35-2075fd64bce1.html
Rallying against government restrictions in Europe & across the US
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/berlin-protest-against-virus-constraints-ends-in-police-clashes/ar-BB18uP6t
- https://www.wtvr.com/news/national/coronavirus/thousands-pack-colorado-speedway-against-county-orders-for-rally-against-covid-19-restrictions
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552
- https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/protests-european-cities-target-covid-restrictions
Some realities of testing
Are these “cases” of the disease or merely people who are infected?
Testing will not resolve the plandemic
Adding voice of wisdom & reason to the task force – “you don’t lock down healthy people”
Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 7 September 2020 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
September is National Preparedness Month
• https://www.usgs.gov/news/september-national-preparedness-month-1
Alaskan fishermen & Russian Navy crossed paths in Bearing Sea
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russian-warships-sailed-right-through-fishing-fleetsailors/
ar-BB18uKiA
Threat from H Laura prompting Texas leaders to renew call for “Ike Dike” to extend Galveston Wall
Faster computers led to more accurate predictions for H Laura
“Feasibility of Harbor-wide Barrier Systems” suggested Boston Harbor barrier could generate power
• https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/08/30/boston-outer-harbor-barrier-could-generate-tidalpower/
• FHBS Report: https://www.greenribboncommission.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/05/Feasibility-of-Harbor-wide-Barriers-Report.pdf
Failures along largest cliff coast in Germany sensed by seismometers
• https://phys.org/news/2020-08-failures-germany-largest-cliff-coast.html
• Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019JF005487
Newly hatched sea turtles in Florida consuming dangerous quantities of floating plastic
• https://phys.org/news/2020-08-newly-hatched-florida-sea-turtles.html
Cedar Key shoreline restoration project aims to reduce storm damage
One of 3 options for new Chesapeake Bay crossing “will provide the most traffic relief”
• Options: https://wtop.com/dc-transit/2019/08/potential-paths-for-new-bay-bridge-crossingnarrowed-down/
Comparing H Laura to historic Gulf Coast hurricanes
Cargo ship with 43 crew & 6,000 cows sank off Japan during typhoon – one survivor
Braddock Bay on Lake Ontario reveals impacts of climate & human behaviors on coastal habitats
• https://phys.org/news/2020-09-wilds-lake-ontario-bay-reveal.html
“Big One” could create massive tsunami that could overwhelm Washington State coast - simulations
Common sense, coastal bluff erosion & CA Coastal Commission collide with property owners
Cape Hatteras National Seashore extends lifeguard season
• https://www.coastalreview.org/2020/09/cape-hatteras-extends-lifeguard-season/
Oregon will sponsor seven webinars on coastal woodland management – 10 Sept – 22 Oct
• Details: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/coastalwoodland/
Decreasing coastal fog in California could increase wildfire risk
• https://www.capradio.org/articles/2020/09/01/coastal-fog-or-the-lack-of-it-could-be-a-wildfirerisk/
Animation shows coastal wetlands are critical for healthy climate
Water temperatures beneath H Laura were monitored
What are the risks of radioactive effluent from San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station having been released into the ocean adjacent to popular surfing beaches?
Increased freight demand and possible sea-level rise will likely mean increasing port size
Testing combination of sand dunes with coastal structures to reduce flooding potential
• https://today.tamu.edu/2020/09/03/using-nature-inspired-designs-to-protect-coastalcommunities/
Are Redwood City Salt Ponds in San Francisco Bay protected waters of the US or not? Developer wants to build 12,000 housing units
"To reiterate, furlough days cannot be taken on teaching days. And, as to your 'research,' well we don't care about that unless it is funded." - @ass_deans
Thanks, some good stuff here!
Posted by: Michael. | Monday, 07 September 2020 at 07:07 PM