Geoscience Bulletin Board – 29 January 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Research suggests rate of erosion of the Alps is has declined over past 10,000 years ago compared to Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene time (i.e., since the Younger Dryas)
- https://phys.org/news/2024-01-european-alps-eroding-slower-years.html
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X23005083
Fault roughness & stress heterogeneity control induced seismicity – important for hydraulic stimulation in reservoirs
- https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1031695
- Paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2310039121
Inclusions of water in feldspar are key to formation of hydroxyl groups and seeding cloud formation
- https://www.sciencealert.com/we-now-know-why-this-common-rock-is-so-good-at-growing-clouds
- Paper: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03235
Euglenids split off from other eukaryotes about 1 byo – gain energy from photosynthesis & preying on other organisms
- https://www.sciencealert.com/bizarre-fossils-are-neither-plant-nor-animal-but-a-weird-fusion-of-life
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034666723002129
Tracking hydrothermal activity in Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone using seismic, ground deformation, low-frequency sound and weather data
Quantifying sediment flux from the Himalayas to estimate erosion rates & tectonic changes
- https://eos.org/editor-highlights/how-good-a-recycler-is-the-himalaya
- Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JF007164
22 January 2024 landslide in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province, China
- https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/the-22-january-2023-landslide-at-zhenxiong-in-yunnan-province-china
- https://english.news.cn/20240122/693f91421a464aba98715198cfee770a/c.html
Quantitative model for predicting frictional rock deformation, fault behavior & seismicity
- https://eos.org/editor-highlights/law-and-order-for-friction-and-faults-one-law-to-rule-them-all
- https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023AV000972
High-resolution regional model of Southern Ocean – topographically induced mixing
- https://eos.org/editor-highlights/overturning-ocean-water-by-turbulence
- Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022AV000858
Attempting to redirect the flow of lava: earthen dams, berms, lava “freezing” experiment, explosives
Could early life on Earth have begun in shallow soda lakes?
- https://phys.org/news/2024-01-shallow-soda-lakes-cradles-life.html
- Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-01192-8
Time to shut down moves to play God with the climate – drawdown not geo-engineering with dangerous methods
India splitting into separate layers – delamination of lithospheric mantle during flat-slab subduction
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/india-is-starting-to-split-in-two-new-study-discovers/ar-BB1h4BWB
- Paper: https://essopenarchive.org/doi/full/10.22541/essoar.170000377.75686509/v1
Marine geological sample repositories are vital for oceanography, climate studies, and more
Update on M7.0 Uqturpan earthquake near Kyrgyzstan-China border – oblique thrust fault
Ice volcanoes on the beach of Lake Michigan
Attributing recent Northern Hemisphere continental cold waves to decadal mid-latitude ocean fronts not Arctic arming and weakening of Jest Stream due to declining Arctic Sea ice
- https://phys.org/news/2024-01-cold-east-asia-north-america.html
- Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43686-1
Obsessed with finding extreme temperatures
- Abstract & link to pdf paper: https://journals.ametsoc.org/configurable/content/journals$002fbams$002faop$002fBAMS-D-23-0095.1$002fBAMS-D-23-0095.1.xml
Megalodon was skinnier that theatrical depictions
- https://www.sci.news/paleontology/slender-otodus-megalodon-12623.html
- Paper: https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2024/5079-megalodon-body-form
Images of heat emanating from fracture and lava flow at Grindavik, Iceland
Keuhneosaurs – Triassic gliding winged reptiles lived in Mendip Hills in Somerset, England
- https://www.sci.news/paleontology/kuehneosaurs-12620.html
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787823000998
Eagle lizard – Aetosaurs of the Late Triassic discovered in Texas
Magerifelis peignei – Middle Miocene mid-sized cat species from Spain
- https://www.sci.news/paleontology/magerifelis-peignei-12614.html
- Paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2023.2288924
Oldest known fossilized skin is 289 myo from cave system in Richards Spur Limestone in Oklahoma – Captorhinus aguti an early reptile
- https://www.sci.news/paleontology/captorhinus-aguti-skin-12605.html
- Paper: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)01663-9
Palau becomes first nation to ratify UN High Seas Treaty – 15 years of discussions
- https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Palau_becomes_first_nation_to_ratify_UN_high_seas_treaty_999.html
No big surprise: Iceberg A23a moving northward from Antarctica - melting & battered by waves
Water levels in 2016 from multiple-well aquifer test in basalts in northeastern Oregon
- https://www.usgs.gov/publications/water-level-change-a-multiple-well-aquifer-test-volcanic-rocks-umatilla-indian
- OFR 2023-1081: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1081/ofr20231081.pdf
Newest version of NCEI coastal relief models
- https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/foundational-coastal-models-updated
- Coastal Relief Model: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/coastal-relief-model
- Interactive Map: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/bathymetry/?layers%3Ddem&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1643986611990152&usg=AOvVaw31nGXsOJZRWe57Fxqmvjkc
Hellfire and brimstone in the Pacific Northwest
Strongest earthquake in Colorado history was MMI VII (M6.6) on 8 November 1882
Strongest historic earthquake in Washington State was 1700 Cascadia even with M8.7 to M9.2
Kenya continues to develop geothermal resources beneath the Great Rift Valley
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Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 29 January 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Groundwater levels worldwide are rapidly declining – rates accelerating
Natural events are acts of God – disasters are acts of man – “severe hydro hazards”
- https://phys.org/news/2024-01-clearer-picture-severe-hydro-hazards.html
- Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022WR034263
US Forest Service seeking public comment until 2 February on protections for old growth forests
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/forest-service-wants-public-comments-on-old-growth-forest-protections/ar-BB1h4Pso
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/12/19/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-advances-commitment-to-protect-old-growth-forests-on-national-forest-system-lands/
- Proposed Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/21/2023-08429/organization-functions-and-procedures-functions-and-procedures-forest-service-functions
- Public Lands Rule: https://www.blm.gov/public-lands-rule
Seizure of 77M pills & nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder seized in one year in US – enough to kill every American – leading cause of death among ages 18 to 45 – flows across open Southern Border
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/dea-seizes-largest-amount-of-fentanyl-in-its-history-386m-lethal-doses-enough-to-kill-every-america/ar-BB1h0gGC
- https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2024/01/17/year-review-dea-innovates-fight-fentanyl
FHWA announces $729M to repair roads & bridges damaged by “natural disasters, extreme weather, or catastrophic events such as hurricanes, flooding ^ mudslides”
Big surprise! Climate chiefs admit UK net-zero plan based on insufficient data: “a mistake”
Deadly smog in Delhi, India, must be addressed on a regional level
- https://phys.org/news/2024-01-delhi-smog-india-cities-limits.html
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772737824000026
BLM trying to finalize Resource Management Plan in Wyoming pitting conservationists against need for energy near Rock Springs
- https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21012024/blm-resource-management-plan-in-southwest-wyoming/
- Rock Springs RMP website: https://wyomingwildlife.org/rock-springs-resource-management-plan/
- Link to documents: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/570
- Draft RMP & EIS – volume 1: https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/13853/200030619/20084073/250090255/Volume%201_Rock%20Springs%20RMP%20Revision%20Draft%20EIS_v2.pdf
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly encourages citizens to get ammo & arm themselves – an increase in crime & dearth of state troopers
Will this cancer vaccine really work? – planned Phase 3 clinical trial
Abundance & severity of cancer-related mutations in stem cell lines used in research cultures
Covid hospitalizations declining – latest peak lower than 7 previous peaks sins September 2020
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/new-covid-19-hospitalizations-decline-for-first-time-in-months/ar-BB1gY6Tn
- CDC Data: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_currenthospitalizations_select_00
Technological hazard: What would the consequences be if AI decides you are a psychopath?
Pre-natal exposure to PFAS forever chemicals linked to childhood leukemia
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/study-finds-concerning-contributing-factor-to-childhood-cancer-these-findings-have-important-public-health-implications/ar-AA1n9RUv
- Paper: https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djad261/7471885
Battle in the Southwest pits mining versus available water resources – proposed Resolution mine estimates would use 775,000 acre-feet of water
Worst traffic in the World? Metro Manilla in the Philippines ranks in the top 10
- https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2024/1/19/dotr-metro-manila-worst-traffic.html
- TomTom Traffic Index 2023: https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking/
Furry little marsupials called antechinuses exhibit cannibalistic behavior after reproducing – all males die at end of brief breeding season poisoned by their own raging testosterone
- https://www.sciencealert.com/these-tiny-creatures-become-cannibals-after-sex-turns-deadly
- Paper: https://www.publish.csiro.au/am/AM23042
Major diversion of another 255M cubic meters of water from Yellow River to the Yongding River in China to support ecological restoration
Perspective: Pop goes the DEI bubble
Impacts of clusters of atmospheric rivers: 3 to 4 times as much damage if clustered
- https://phys.org/news/2024-01-clusters-atmospheric-rivers-costlier.html
- Paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi7905
US Forest Service rescinds permit approval for 12-mile rail through woodlands that is key component of rail transport for crude oil alongside Colorado River
Time to shut down moves to play God with the climate – drawdown not dangerous geoengineering
Most deadly types of cancer becoming more common in US – not a surprise since predisposition to develop cancer is genetically inherited & increasing carcinogen exposure & obesity is increasing
San Diego County rehabilitated sections of 3 large-diameter First Aqueduct concrete water system
Update: San Pedro Valley Native American Tribes sue to halt $10B SunZia transmission Line – would damage “one of the most intact, prehistoric and historical landscapes in southern Arizona”
Another cost of “clean energy” – US DOE to build $224M research facility in Golden, Colorado
More government subsidies of EVs – EV charger tax credits in “nonurban” areas & $325M to repair broken chargers
Six studies to be retracted & 31 additional studies to be corrected by Farber Cancer Institute
Whistleblowers flagged 300 scientific papers for retraction – journals ghosted them – some retracted
Study suggests multi-generational exposure to toxic chemicals results in cumulative amplified inherited health effects in subsequent generations – increased epigenetic impacts and disease susceptibility
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/multi-generational-toxicant-exposures-show-cumulative-inherited-health-effects/ar-BB1h8NAb
- Paper: https://academic.oup.com/eep/article/9/1/dvad006/7503815
Illegal aliens crossing the Southern US Border pose a threat to all Americans – “soon you’ll know who I am” the unvetted include terrorists and criminals
Colorful liquid detergent packets not only harm the environment but also poison young children & pets
White House pharmacy illegally handed out controlled medications without verifying patient identity & wasted $750,000 taxpayer money
- https://www.statnews.com/2024/01/23/white-house-pharmacy/
- https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/white-house-pharmacy-improper-report/
- OIG Report: https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jan/09/2003373440/-1/-1/1/DODIG-2024-044_REDACTED%20SECURE.PDF
FEMA overhauled disaster aid program – new rule could streamline applications
Romancing the River: Prior Appropriation and Present Priorities
EPA now recognizes risks of gamma radiation of coal ash – Alabama does not track “beneficial” uses of coal ash
Long-lasting toxic legacy of 45M liters Agent Orange with dioxin component in used Vietnam as “safe” tactical herbicide
Ashville, North Carolina, spent millions on electric buses that do not work while maintenance costs topped $250,000 – using biodiesel or hybrids models
You are what you eat – how plastics can harm your health
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/how-plastic-can-harm-your-health/ar-AA1naU65
- Report on plastic in food: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-contaminants/the-plastic-chemicals-hiding-in-your-food-a7358224781/
- Paper: https://academic.oup.com/jes/article/8/2/bvad163/7513992
Nigerians using recycled plastic bottles to build houses – earthquake proof & insulate from heat
Call to expand study of health impacts of pollutants in Brunswick, Georgia, - impacts from mercury, PCBs, pesticides – call for Natural Resource Damage Assessment – 4 Superfund sites in County
- https://thecurrentga.org/2024/01/18/next-steps-discussed-for-study-of-brunswick-pollutants/
- https://thecurrentga.org/2023/09/21/study-shows-high-exposure-to-pcbs-in-brunswick/
Now a total of $5.5B authorized by federal government to build high-speed rail from Las Vegas to Los Angeles - track record for such projects does not bode well – a waste of lots of money
Environmentalists concerned over New Mexico Governor’s plant to address O&G wastewater
Boardwalk at Bricktown in Oklahoma City being redesigned as tallest skyscraper in the US – tall target for tornadoes
Using AI to predict levels of pharmaceutical drug contamination in wastewater
- https://phys.org/news/2024-01-quickly-easily-emerging-contaminant-wastewater.html
- Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41545-023-00282-6
Initial $16M grant from Wyoming Energy Authority to fund permitting, engineering & development of “clean energy” facility to include CO2 capture & sequestration
Levels of 26 PFAS forever chemicals in drinking water in Germany
- https://phys.org/news/2024-01-chemicals-german-hidden-threat-unveiled.html
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772985023000431
Carbon footprint of urban agriculture can be worse than large farms
10 over-the-counter & pharmaceutical drugs linked to dementia – including antihistamines, acid reflux, antidepressants, sleeping pills, statins, pain meds & corticosteroids
“Strong & consistent evidence” links multivitamins to memory & cognitive benefits as we age
- https://www.sciencealert.com/strong-and-consistent-evidence-links-multivitamins-to-memory-and-cognitive-benefits
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916523663427
Fungal infections more common in regions of the US than expected
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/a-rare-fungal-infection-is-popping-in-an-unexpected-part-of-the-u-s/ar-BB1hcorZ
- Paper: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/30/2/23-0825_article
Perspective: Cancer is not normal or inevitable – nearly all species get cancer – preventing most common forms of cancer in humans need not be expensive but result of life-style choices
- https://www.ehn.org/cancer-prevention-2667076588.html
- https://www.ehn.org/breast-cancer-chemicals-2666906815.html
- Paper: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp13233
FDA issues urgent warning that cancer treatment may increase cancer risk
Assessing risk of chemicals causing cancer
Drax Power Plant in North Yorkshire, England, receives billions of pounds in taxpayer handouts but cannot support claims that it generates power by burning 7M tonnes of sustainable wood per year
Plastic and the alternatives (which are not plastic-free) are toxic and pose health risks
Researchers suggest MS is associated with genetic and environmental factors
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/ms-is-more-prevalent-in-america-due-to-ancient-sheep-farming/ar-AA1mL5YM
- Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06618-z
Two 1,000-year storms hit Southern California within weeks – the concept means 0.1% chance a storm will exceed a given level & does not mean such storms are “more likely to occur”
WOAH argument for vaccination of poultry against HPAI – at least they admit culling (slaughter) is not sustainable (hint: it never was) – USDA started vaccine trials
- https://www.woah.org/en/avian-influenza-vaccination-why-it-should-not-be-a-barrier-to-safe-trade/
- https://www.avma.org/news/usda-starts-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-vaccine-trials
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Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 29 January 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Sea otters helped prevent widespread declines of California kelp forests over past century
- https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1029289
- Paper: https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000290
California struggling to cope with derelict yachts and vessels that cause environmental harm
- https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/jan/22/california-struggles-to-deal-with-abandoned-boats/
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12975811/san-francisco-bay-abandoned-boats-anchor-out.html
UNCW studying movement of beach sand in the swash zone
Working waterfronts bill in Congress intended to help fishing & shellfish industries
Update: lawsuits seeking to overturn approval of the South Fork Wind and Revolution offshore wind projects
Using the ocean as a junk yard but calling the dump sites artificial reefs – risks and environmental harm
Toxic PFAS forever chemicals found in penguin colonies around Tasmania
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-18/tas-little-penguins-with-pfas-chemicals/103351198
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723077148
- Paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376223015_Per-_and_polyfluoroalkyl_substances_PFAS_in_little_penguins_and_associations_with_urbanisation_and_health_parameters
Storage facility for 1.9M cubic yards of polluted sediment from Milwaukee Estuary to be built on Jones Island – estimated cost $115M to $150M – one of the most polluted sites in the Great Lakes Basin
Who is responsible for environmental damage as increasing number of boats & yachts abandoned in San Francisco Bay waters?
Hydrochloric acid leak at shuttered Chemours chemical plant in Guanyin District cased mass fish deaths in public estuary on Taiwan – Taoyuan City government to issue fine
New company planning to build artificial “energy islands” in the North Sea for massive wind turbines
Public perception is that Biscayne Bay is “healthy” despite declines in water quality & biodiversity
- https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/miami-residents-believe-biscayne-bay-is-healthy-despite-big-declines-in-water-quality-and-biodiversity-new-study-finds/
- Paper: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287930
Suggesting olivine-dissolution engineering as possible solution to “man-made global warming”
- https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/683039770/estuary-is-the-promising-site-for-olivine-dissolution-engineering-insight-from-olivine-mineralogy
- Paper: https://spj.science.org/doi/pdf/10.34133/olar.0039
Origins of the Hawaiian beaches – volcanoes, coral reefs and parrot fish
Lawsuit: US Army COE failed to get approval before opening Louisiana spillway for 123 days exposing bottlenose dolphins to polluted fresh water with low salinity levels that adversely affected their health
Rogue waves hit Marshall Islands & US military facility - video
- https://abcnews.go.com/International/extreme-waves-marshall-islands-highlights-dangers-climate-change/story?id=106598347
- https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/24/asia/rogue-waves-kwajalein-atoll-pacific-intl-hnk-ml/index.html
Natural events are acts of God & disasters are acts of man – suggesting increase in construction of flood barriers to attempt to thwart increasing coastal flood risk in Britain
Economic & environmental price of LNG production on the Gulf Coast
- Part 1: https://www.ehn.org/lng-environmental-justice-2666656588.html
- Part 2: https://www.ehn.org/lng-gulf-coast-2666664664.html
Newest version of NCEI coastal relief models
- https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/foundational-coastal-models-updated
- Coastal Relief Model: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/coastal-relief-model
- Interactive Map: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/bathymetry/?layers%3Ddem&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1643986611990152&usg=AOvVaw31nGXsOJZRWe57Fxqmvjkc
Jacques Cousteau called Palmorola the most beautiful island in the world – nearly uninhabited by humans which explains why it is still beautiful
Potential e-methanol plant at Port of Victoria, Texas
Venice, Italy, coping with flooding, over-tourism & poor water quality
US Navy will now need to obtain NPDES permits under CWA for discharges to Potomac River
Largest cruise ship ever, Icon of the Seas, launched “investing in false solutions” – iconic greenwashing
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"The line separating good and evil passes not through states, not between classes, nor political parties, either - but through every human heart." - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (quoted in @rgj via @TheWeek)
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