The House budget is much worse...

for higher education in Washington state. Key bit:

The House plan would strip $683 million from colleges, even while raising tuition at four-year schools 10 percent a year.

“We are asking them to take the biggest cut” despite the schools being engines of innovation and worker retraining, said Rep. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton. “They will have to do the hardest work to figure out how to get through these tough times. But I know they can do it.”

The Senate plan, which would cut $513 million, is estimated to mean 2,500 fewer higher education jobs. House officials wouldn’t put a number on their proposal, saying they would leave it to the individual colleges to meet budget targets.

Ouch.

Link to related post.

The surest sign of spring...

in eastern Washington is the appearance of the buttercup flower (genus Ranunculus.) I photographed this quarter-sized flower on my wooded property today (click image to enlarge), but I was beaten by a little girl to the $5.00 annual prize offered by the local newspaper for locating the first bloomer of the season. Dang.

Win32/Conficker worm to strike tomorrow...

according to news reports. I frankly don't know how severe this problem is: it may be an April Fools' joke, or it may result in some significant disruption, or it may go the way of the Y2K bug (big yawn.) Nevertheless, it pays to be cautious: link to Microsoft malware protection center.

What? You're not running an antivirus program?! Here's a very good free one: AVG. You're welcome.

An image of Earth...

from space, showing the western U.S. with late season snow cover in mid-March 2009 (click to enlarge.) I'll leave it to you, dear reader, to figure out the geography of this vast, diverse and interesting terrain.

Image credit: MODIS on the Aqua satellite on March 12, 2009.

EWU student rally...

to protest budget cuts to higher education will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, the 1st of April. No foolin'. Here's an e-mail I just received:

Dear Faculty,

On Monday, the Washington State Senate released their tentative budget for the 2009-11 biennium. That budget cut funding to higher education by $500 million and cut around 10,000 student slots state-wide. The students are holding a rally on Wednesday, April 1, to protest these cuts - we want the legislature to understand how these cuts will hurt our institutions.

The rally will be in the campus mall, weather permitted (PUB multi-purpose room if not), and will run for several hours during the day, with booths open for people to write letters and sign petitions between classes. The main event (speeches, etc.) will be at noon, and will last for about ten minutes.

You are all encouraged to attend. We hope to show a united front of faculty and students against these budget cuts. Also, we would be grateful if you would make an announcement about the rally to your classes. There will be press coverage, so we need as big of a turnout as possible.

Thank you very much for your help and support.

Sincerely,

Matthew Holmes
Legislative Liaison

Associated Students of EWU

(360) 631-4723

asewulegliaison@eagles.ewu.edu

The geology of Mars...

and the Scablands connection will be discussed at my lecture next week sponsored by the Ice Age Floods Institute. Here's their announcement:

Join us for an evening of learning more about the Ice Age Floods story sponsored by the Cheney-Spokane Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute.

WHO: Dr. John P. Buchanan, Professor of Geology, Eastern Washington University

WHAT: Free Public Lecture on “The Geology of Mars and the Scablands Connection”

WHEN: Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Spokane Community College, Lair Auditorium. 1810 North Greene, Spokane

DESCRIPTION: Dr. Buchanan will provide an illustrated presentation examining the geology of Mars and how it relates to the Channeled Scablands in eastern Washington. A comparison of Martian and terrestrial landforms will be made, and the history of Mars exploration and recent scientific findings will be highlighted.

/end self promotion.

UPDATE: I understand that this talk conflicts with the meeting time for ENVS 488. I'd be happy to make another presentation during the noon hour on campus. Hello Geology Club? Are you there? Would you like to organize such an event?

Smuggling is occurring in Spokane...

in a quest for more sudsy dishwashing detergent. The nation's strictest phosphate ban has driven many local residents to crime, crossing the state border to purchase more soapy soap in Idaho. Once you go green you'll never get clean, I guess.

Gasp. Environmental scofflaws in our midst!

UPDATE: There's one in the department, but I'm not namin' any names.

Wise words...

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity.

— Albert Einstein

Signs along the trail...

reminding one not to bust the crust in Arches National Park (click to enlarge.)

Action video games...

improve vision, research shows.

I'm delighted to learn that all those hours weren't entirely wasted.

Higher education in Washington...

takes a big hit in the state Senate budget. Relevant parts:

• no state cost of living increases over the next two years for state workers, college staffers or teachers, and no additional money for home-care and child care workers

• $485 million less for the state’s colleges

• tuition increases of 7 percent a year at four-year colleges and 5 percent at community and technical colleges

• cutting room for more than 3,000 expected students from the state’s colleges

We'll have to see what EWU's share of the reduction will be, and how the EWU administration will apportion those cuts internally. We already know the athletics program will be spared.

Mars rover update...

from NASA.

They keep going, and going, and going...

Spokane breaks snowfall record...

with 93.6 inches of snow. This record snowfall, and last years' third most snowiest year, coincide with an unusually quiet sun cycle (see post below.)

I don't believe in coincidences.

New spacecraft to monitor the Sun...

and its fluctuating energy output in an attempt to better understand climate change.

Hmm. Finally an attempt to quantify solar energy and its important impact on climate.

Previous post: The Sun- Earth connection.

Drought condition...

assessment for the western U.S. This is not surprising given the manner in which the winter snowstorms suddenly diminished after the first of the year.

Signs along the road...

in Arches National Park, taken during my recent field trip, on the last evening near sunset (click to enlarge.)

Pop quiz: what's the name of the lowermost member of the Entrada Sandstone, seen in the lower half of the illuminated outcrop?

Something to consider...

when recycling an old computer: how to wipe the data on your hard drive.

Me? I remove the drive and beat it to death with a rock hammer. Seriously.

And cathartic.

Recent impact craters on Mars...

reveal ice beneath a dusty regolith in mid-northern latitudes, as seen in HiRISE images. Link to extended abstract.

Water ice on Mars may be more abundant than ever thought.

The International Space Station...

in high-resolution (click image to view hi-res version.) You gotta look at this. Amazing.

Mount Redoubt has erupted...

and continues to rumble and belch ash. Catch up on all the continuing activity of this eruption at the Alaska Volcano Observatory web site.

Wouldn't you know it - you leave for a few days on a geology field trip and this happens.

Cryovolcanism discovered...

on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn? Recent Cassini spacecraft imagery shows an area called Hotei Arcus that may be constructed by ice volcanoes.

If true, these would be the second set of cryovolcanoes in the solar system: Cassini also imaged active ice eruptions on Enceladus, another Saturnian moon.

Wise words...

It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.

— Yogi Berra

We already miss the desert...

after returning to unseasonable cold and sleeting conditions in the Spokane area. Here's a pic of my merry band of sedimentologists in Arches National Park earlier this week (click to enlarge.)

Great students. Great place. Great time.

White-nose syndrome...

visible on this little brown bat is killing large numbers of bats in eastern states. Here's the latest on this devastating disease at Bat Conservation International.

Bats need friends.

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Hooray, hooray. It's the first day of spring.

On the road today...

and the next nine with my Colorado Plateau geology field class, 14 fledgling geologists in all. After spending tonight at Willard Bay State Park on the northern shore of the Great Salt Lake, we will arrive in the Moab area by mid-afternoon on Saturday.

First stop will be at the Fisher Towers area (shown in the pic above) looming over the Colorado River in the foreground, with the snow-capped La Sal Mountains as a backdrop. There we will examine the arkosic sandstones and conglomerates of the Cutler and Moenkopi Formations that comprise the bulk of these peculiar eroded spires.

Underwater volcano erupts...

in the South Pacific near Tonga. Link to recent news article with super spectacular pictures and video.

Hat tip: the Bu bro.

MAJOR UPDATE: A M7.9 earthquake has just occurred at this site or somewhere very close. We picked up the event on our departmental seismometer just moments ago, at approximately 11:20 PDT. Link to USGS earthquake information. A tsunami warning has been issued though I doubt any significant damage or loss of life will occur.

Wise words...

My formula for success is rise early, work late, and strike oil.

— J. Paul Getty

The energy footprint...

of bottled water. You're much better off economically, and more responsible environmentally, buying a filter attachment to your faucet and filling your own bottles.

Ever notice that the name of major water bottler Evian spelled backwards is "naive"?

Mount Redoubt's status downgraded...

again, at 10:33 am AKDT today:

"The Alaska Volcano Observatory has lowered the Aviation Color Code to YELLOW and the Alert Level to Advisory for Mount Redoubt"

This volcano doesn't know what it wants to do. Be aware that Mount Saint Helens rumbled for nearly three months prior to its eruption in 1980. I'll leave the AVO update links in the right column for a while so one can occasionally check the current activity.

Breaking News!

Domino's scientists test limits of what humans will eat.

Three new species of bacteria...

which are not found on Earth, and which are highly resistant to ultra-violet radiation, have been discovered in the upper stratosphere by Indian scientists. I think this discovery opens the possibility for similar life to exist in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, perhaps.

Isn't science cool?

The tamarisk leaf-eating beetle,...

Diorhabda elongata, is my hero. This diminutive beetle is being tested as a biocontrol method for the invasive salt cedar (tamarisk) along select reaches of the Colorado River in Utah. The non-native tamarisk is a phreatophyte, and it has choked the riparian zone along many western rivers. Bad stuff.

Here's a recent article about monitoring the project. I can personally vouch that the voracious bug has made a significant impact on the tamarisk in the Moab area, while leaving all other native plant species thriving.

Arriving in the mail...

today is this Oregon Scientific ATC2K Waterproof Action Cam, a gift from the Bu bro. Seems pretty well made, but I'll have to wait to fiddle with it until after I return from my field trip next week.

Thanks, bro.

UPDATE: I've given this some further thought. I could strap this thing to my head as I give a lecture next quarter in my geohazards class. It would be my POV as I engage in the lecture: the professor-cam is born. I may very well do this.

Schematic diagram...

of the International Space Station (click to enlarge.) This is a handy graphic to have and print, especially if you follow the spacewalks during the STS-119 mission to the ISS, where the S6 Truss Segment and solar arrays (leftmost in diagram) will be installed.

UPDATE: Discovery is scheduled to dock with the ISS today at 2:12 pm PST using the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 in the lower right part of the diagram.

It's not over...

yet: Spokane's winter now third snowiest on record. Last year was the second snowiest since 1881.

Hmm. I thought it was supposed to be getting warmer.

This will ruin it...

for sure: Moab, Utah declared one of the West's "best small towns."

Dang. I was hoping to keep it a secret.

Wise words...

Give me a firm place to stand and I will move the earth.

- Archimedes

Signs along the road...

in Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel in Hilo, Hawaii. I've stayed there - highly recommended. Sadly, tsunamis are part of the tragic history of this place in paradise: 61 people lost their lives in a 10.7 m (35 ft) tsunami generated by an earthquake near Chile in 1960.

Hematite crystals...

in Australian rocks hint that photosynthesizing life may have existed earlier than previously thought: pushing back the development of an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

My two favorite cellular substances? Chloroplasts and hemoglobin, of course.

It's final exam week...

so it's head banging time for everyone. I'll see my hydrogeology students on Thursday afternoon. I offer my sincerest "good luck" to all.

A watched volcano...

never erupts, it appears. Just days after the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) downgraded the alert status for Mount Redoubt the volcano has resumed its rumbling, and a steam and ash plume has been observed rising over the edifice. The alert status has been elevated to WATCH/ORANGE.

UPDATE: I've added the RSS feed from the AVO to the right column so you can easily track updates.

Viewing opportunities for spacecraft...

that are flying overhead in their orbits can be determined at Heavens-Above. Once you configure your observing location you can check potential sighting opportunities 10 to 14 days in advance. This is a terrific time to use this web tool since Shuttle Discovery just launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on a 14 day long mission.

Here's an alternative, and maybe simpler, tracking utility. Just enter your zip code.

I just checked the viewing opportunities of the ISS for the Spokane area: every night this week, around 8 pm or so, there are easy sightings to be had. It's just a matter for the weather to cooperate but the forecast looks pretty mixed.

RELATED: Here's a NASA web page that includes a nifty java script that shows where the shuttle and ISS are at any moment in time.

Will Discovery get off the ground...

tonight? NASA indicates there is an 80% chance of favorable weather at launch time (scheduled for 4:43 pm PDT.) Link to mission page. Updates will follow:

10:30 am - the 500,000 gallon fuel tank has been filled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen and there are no signs of any leaks.

3:45 pm - the crew is aboard; hatch is closed; weather is 100% favorable.

4:14 pm - apparently a bat has been spotted roosting on the side of the external fuel tank. The assistant launch director says it isn't of any concern. I object!

4:37 pm - final system checks; auxiliary power units on; all is go.

4:43 pm - off it goes.

4:46 pm - solid rocket boosters have separated.

4:47 pm - velocity 5,000 mph; altitude 56 mi; down range 127 mi.

4:49 pm - 9,000 mph.

4:51 pm - 14,000 mph.

4:52 pm - main engines cut off, external fuel tank jettisoned. They're in orbit, moving at ~ 17,000 mph. Hey, it's nearly time for a cocktail.

Is the New Madrid fault system...

in southeastern Missouri shutting down? Some geophysicists think so.

Oddly, this intracratonic location, far from active plate boundaries, is the location of several of the largest historical earthquakes ever experienced in the United States in 1811 and 1812. So powerful was the main temblor that large areas of the land subsided, new lake basins were formed, the course of the Mississippi River was altered, and bells in Boston rung in response to the surface waves.

I recall, as a kid living in a suburb of St. Louis at the time, feeling a small earthquake related to this relict seismic zone. It's the only earthquake I've ever experienced.

Advanced digital imaging...

technique called high dynamic range photography results in stunning pictures. This procedure involves blending multiple exposures of the same image across a wide range of exposure settings. I'm going to do some serious experimentation using this technique in the months ahead.

Happy Pi Day!

This day, 3.14, is for all the math dorks out there. Party on.

More on the mathematical elegance of pi. What an absolutely awesome ratio.

Signs along the trail...

in Mount Rainier National Park. I sure hope some park ranger cleans up the mess before the next bunch of tourists arrive.

Shuttle launch update...

from NASA indicates that engineers understand why space shuttle Discovery sprung a hydrogen leak during the recent launch attempt. They will replace a faulty junction in the shuttle's hydrogen vent line, putting Discovery back on track for a 15 March liftoff from Kennedy Space Center at 4:43 pm PDT. Link to mission web page.

Only in Spokane...

would someone find a cat living inside their just purchased $27 used couch.

You can't make this stuff up.

American adults flunk...

basic science according to this study. This is a clear failure of the K-12 system, and no, throwing more money at the problem isn't going to help; I subscribe to a "back to basics" approach.

Sad, really.

Tread carefully today...

as it's the second Friday the 13th of the year. One more to go this year in November.

Here's my previous post on the fear of this dreaded day, and more on Friday the 13th lore.

Me? I'm tempting fate and doing field work on the Rathdrum Prairie today, though I won't be running with scissors.

Does anybody twitter...

or tweet? It seems to be an increasingly popular convergence of social networking and micro-blogging. If you read this blog, and engage in "twittering" or "tweeting," please leave a comment about your experience.

Important question: why would/should I be interested?

Space junk...

almost whacks the International Space Station today. NASA was so concerned that a fragment of spacecraft debris would impact the ISS that the three astronauts on board took momentary refuge in the docked Soyuz spacecraft in case there would be rapid depressurization of the station modules.

All is well.

Related: an interesting article on the law of space collisions.

"Map of Science"...

shows the virtual trails scientists leave behind when they retrieve information from online services (click to enlarge.) Link to article explaining this interesting graphic.

I'd like to see this colorful dataset in 3-D.

Wise words...

"Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us."

- Oscar Wilde

EWU budget crisis...

update from acting president Dr. John Mason, in an e-mail sent to faculty and staff yesterday afternoon:

"Even as it suffers a decline in state support, EWU will continue its commitment to access, opportunity and excellence. We will not reduce our enrollments unless forced to do so. We will absorb every possible vacancy before reducing our existing workforce. We will strive for even greater economy. We will put teaching and learning first but keep in mind that our students benefit from the contributions of everyone who works for the university, and we will seek to continue our most crucial community engagements for the sake of both our community and our students."

The italicized emphasis is mine, and if one reads between the lines of the highlighted passage, it suggests that meaningful reductions in athletics is not in the cards.

My prediction: Many lecturers in math and computer science, and elsewhere on campus, will be reduced in number. Between 100 and 200 employees will be furloughed. And our football program will remain untouched.

Link to my related previous post.

Overpopulation...

is THE preeminent environmental problem when you come right down to it. World population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050.

It follows that the steadily increasing number of humans means increasing demand of food, water and energy, which in turn impacts the natural environment. Want to reduce your so-called carbon footprint? Simple: don't reproduce.

Web resource: world population clock keeps ticking higher, and higher, and...

Record low temperatures...

were achieved at Spokane last night according to this announcement:

"THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SPOKANE, Wash. -- Spokane residents suffered with a record low temperature of 2 degrees this morning at Spokane International Airport. The previous record of 5 degrees for this date was set in 1950. The normal temperatures in Spokane for this time of year are 47 for a high and 29 for a low. This has been an unusually harsh winter in the Spokane area. Snow earlier in the week pushed Spokane's season total to 88.9 inches, the fourth snowiest since 1881. The record of 93.5 inches was set in the winter of 1949-50. Last winter's 92.6 inches was the second highest amount."

In addition, the mountain snow pack is below normal.

Hey, at least the sun is out!

UPDATE: record lows were recorded two nights in a row.

New battery...

that could recharge in seconds.

How about a computer that boots in <15 seconds?

Poised for launch...

tonight (click image for high-res version from NASA.) I'll add a few comments when launch time arrives for STS-119 around 6 pm. Note: NASA-TV coverage begins at 1 pm PDT.

UPDATE: The launch is scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak. Shuttle managers will attempt a launch tomorrow evening.

LATEST: NASA won't attempt a launch before Sunday:

"Space shuttle Discovery’s launch to the International Space Station now is targeted for no earlier than March 15. NASA managers postponed Wednesday’s planned liftoff due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad."

Boy, this sure has been a troubled mission.

That's too darn cute...

department: Zooborns.

What did I tell you?

Doubts about Mount Redoubt...

and its immediate eruption potential have resulted in the Alaska Volcano Observatory to downgrade the alert status from ORANGE to YELLOW:

"AVO lowered the Aviation Color Code and Alert Level to YELLOW/Advisory this morning. Seismic activity is low but above background levels. It remains possible for unrest at the volcano to change rapidly, advancing from relatively low levels to eruption in time periods as short as 24 hours or less.

AVO will continue to monitor Redoubt closely, but will no longer be formally staffed 24 hours per day."

I doubt we've heard the last of this restless volcano.

Ten days until...

spring. The vernal equinox. Days are getting longer. Hang in there. I snapped this colorful pic in an alpine meadow at Mount Rainier National Park a while ago. Buttercups should be pushing up soon in the Spokane area.

The full moon this evening...

is also known as the "Worm Moon" to native Americans. It ostensibly "signals the coming of northern spring, a thawing of the soil, and the first stirrings of earthworms in long-dormant gardens." Here's a list of special names for each full moon.

Earthworms may be stirring elsewhere, but certainly not in this area given the frozen ground and bitter temperatures.

Countdown underway for STS-119...

liftoff on Wednesday night around 6 pm PDT. Shuttle Discovery and its seven person crew and cargo is almost ready to launch from Cape Kennedy to the International Space Station (ISS.)

Follow the activities here: NASA STS-119 Shuttle Discovery.

This 14-day mission involves four spacewalks in order to install the the final truss segment and solar arrays for the ISS, thus completing the power grid for the space outpost. This will allow the ISS to support a crew of six ape-descendants at a time, thereby doubling the present crew capacity of three.

UPDATE: Weather forecast is good for the scheduled 6:20 pm PDT liftoff tomorrow evening.

Bridge demolition...

set to opera. This video seems to mesh with final exam week (next week) in a bizarre way. Enjoy!

Where is global warming...

when you need it? Record cold moving into Spokane region.

It's a landslide...

in the haircut poll that has been running on this blog for the last two weeks. 72% of respondents to this highly scientific sampling feel that I should not cut my lengthening locks, whereas 24% suggest that I should (that includes my parents.) One individual had the backbone to admit that they have no opinion about anything. Bravo.

Truth be told, long hair is a pain in the butt, so I am likely to have it trimmed at least.

Stay tuned for the next poll. Suggestions are welcome.

Great news has arrived...

in the campus mail today. My leave proposal for spring quarter 2010 has been approved! This will allow me to spend the term off campus, in southern Utah (a place I sort of enjoy,) in order to work on a photogeologic guidebook to Canyonlands National Park and Deadhorse Point State Park.

Oh, the joy.

Let's get serious...

about nuclear energy. Here's one of several new innovative reactor designs that make this alternative energy source both safe and practical. Solar energy only works where there is abundant sunshine; wind turbines are killing large numbers of bats; hydroelectric dams kill fish; burning fossil fuels presumably leads to global warming. What's left?

You can't claim be a serious environmentalist and not be open to nuclear energy as a viable alternative.

Colorado Plateau geology...

field class pre-trip meeting is today at noon in SCI 118 - all enrolled students are required to attend. We will visit the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park where I snapped the pic shown above (click to enlarge.) The snow-covered La Sal Mountains - composed of Eocene trachyte porphyry laccoliths - loom over colorful Paleozoic strata such as the Cedar Mesa Sandstone in the foreground.

Nanotechnology explained...

through song. Very creative and fun.

Assembling the space shuttle...

for flight is shown in this spectacular series of behind-the-scenes images. Very, very interesting.

A hidden geohazard...

in the Spokane area is the occurrence of radon gas.

Wise words...

The great tragedy of science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.

- Thomas Huxley

If you can't believe the data...

how can you believe the conclusions?

The United States Historical Climatology Network (USHCN) is:

"a high quality, moderate-sized data set of daily and monthly records of basic meteorological variables from over 1000 observing stations across the 48 contiguous United States. Daily data include observations of maximum and minimum temperature, precipitation amount, snowfall amount, and snow depth from 1062 stations; monthly data consist of monthly averaged maximum, minimum, and mean temperature and total monthly precipitation from 1221 stations."

That sounds pretty good at first glance (the italicized emphasis on "high quality" is mine.) But notice the USHCN says nothing of the objective quality of their data. Additionally:

"The USHCN has been developed over the years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) to assist in the detection of regional climate change. Furthermore, it has been widely used in analyzing U.S. climate."

Again, the italicized emphasis is mine.

An independent and enterprising project has been initiated to visit all 1221 of the stations contributing data in this network in order to assess the site conditions where these critical data are being gathered. Surprisingly, they have found only 11% of the stations are rated "best" to "good" and that 69% are "poor" or "worst" using NOAA and NCDC criteria. That means the vast majority of the recording sites are located within 10 meters of a heat source (air conditioner exhaust fans) or next to a building, roof top, parking lot, or concrete surface. Really.

I am therefore led to the opinion that this data network is fundamentally biased and therefore useless, and at best, is simply measuring the impact of urbanization and the ensuing heat island effect. To describe it as "high quality" is misleading and disingenuous. To use it to decipher climate trends is downright laughable.

No wonder Al Gore doesn't want to debate climate science.

Set clocks ahead...

one hour tonight. Everything you wanted to know about daylight saving time.

Live-blogging the liftoff...

of the Delta II rocket carrying the Kepler Space Telescope into orbit. The launch tower has been rolled back (click to enlarge image) and there is a 95% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of launch. I'll be back in a couple of hours to add some entries.

OK. I've got a glass of wine (a nice Washington state Cabernet) sitting a safe distance from the keyboard, and the satellite TV is tuned to the NASA channel.

6:08 pm - weather briefing concludes with 100% favorable weather at launch time; liquid oxygen fueling commences.

7:02 pm - everything is go; no technical issues.

7:34 pm - the launch director is polling each system lead in the control room: check, check, check, check and check. The launch vehicle is armed.

7:46 pm - final four minutes of the countdown; all is go; final pressure checks.

7:50 pm - good liftoff.

7:52 pm - 31 mi high, 79 mi down range.

7:53 pm - velocity 8,962 mi/hr.

7:55 pm - main engine cutoff; stage 2 ignition OK.

7:57 pm - 89 mi high, 641 mi down range, velocity 13,484 mi/hr. Wow.

8:00 pm - second stage engine cutoff.

8:01 pm - 104 mi high, 1,857 mi down range, 16,947 mi/hr. Spacecraft is now in cruise phase for about an hour, then another burn on the 2nd stage.

That was exciting. All for now. Need another glass of wine.

Gore confronts critics...

of global warming. Not! Al Gore continues to run from debate on the issue.

Why?

Wise words...

“Study nature, not books.”

-- Louis Agassiz

Kepler Space Telescope...

launches atop a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida this evening at 7:48 pm PST. Its 3.5 year mission is to census potentially habitable exoplanets in a small patch of sky, and to determine their structure and diversity.

Link to Kepler mission home page. And in case you want to watch the liftoff, here's a link to NASA-TV.

My prediction: terrestrial (rocky) planets will be found to be common around Population I G-class stars such as our Sun.

An image of Earth...

from space showing The Bahamas and surrounding area (click to enlarge.) This archipelago consists of more than seven hundred islands and two thousand cays.

Andros Island (near center of image) is adjacent to the bright blue waters of the Great Bahama Bank, a shallow coral reef limestone platform that averages about 6 m deep. The edges of the platform drop off steeply to depths of 2000 m, as shown by the surrounding darker colored waters.

This area looks quite inviting, especially after a long and dreary winter.

Image credit: MODIS on the Aqua satellite on 12 February 2009

One week and counting...

to the tentative launch date for space shuttle Discovery: March 11th at 6:20 pm PDT according to this NASA announcement. Night launches are always spectacular.

The timing of launch, if it goes as planned, is favorable for North American sky watchers who will be able to see the ISS and Discovery flying in tandem through the night sky. I'll post information regarding viewing opportunities when the mission launches next week.

What I am reading...

right now:

Ayn Rand's modern-day classic Atlas Shrugged.

I am actually re-reading this book, especially pertinent in this economically stressful time. It is a powerful look at objectivism, and every college age person should take a look.

I am John Galt.

Signs along the road...

at the entrance to the White River campground, Mount Rainier National Park (click to enlarge.)

An interesting proposal...

is being considered in order to augment summertime low flows in the Spokane River by importing water from Lake Pend Oreille. But rather than discharging the imported water directly into the river, it is proposed that it will be injected into the Rathdrum Prairie aquifer. The point of injection will have to be carefully determined to account for the extraordinarily high transmissivity of the Spokane-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, so that the water added to the aquifer arrives at the appropriate effluent (gaining) reach of the river at the desired time. Also, are water rights available in the Pend Oreille River drainage for diversion to another basin?

This strikes me as an overly complex solution to sustaining flows in the Spokane River during the driest time of the year, especially when the simplest and most direct strategy would be to allow more water to flow out of Lake Coeur d'Alene at Post Falls dam. But of course that's not a popular political position as many people in the area value the recreational opportunities at the lake, especially during the hot summer, many of which would be impaired by lower lake stages.

Truth: water doesn't flow down hill anymore. It flows towards money.

Wise words...

A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg.

- Samuel Butler

Wow...

A rare jaguar caught, tagged and released in Arizona.

Unfortunately once it eats a toddler it's history.

BUMPED and UPDATED: Rare Arizona jaguar euthanized. Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists put down the jaguar after catching and tagging it last week. Apparently the rare cat stopped moving once it was interfered with by humans.

What a bunch of irresponsible idiots.

Happy Square Root Day!

This occurs rarely (only nine times a century) on those dates when the day and the month are both square roots of the last two digits of the current year. The next celebration is 4 April 2016 - put it on your calendar.

No doubt math nerds around the world are celebrating this joyous circumstance. I wonder if Hallmark makes a card?

Related: Pi Day is arriving soon.

Evidence of recent water flow...

on Mars is shown in this gully-alluvial fan depositional system as explained in this article. Planetary geologists (using crater density measurements) estimate flowing water, likely due to snow or glacial melting about 1.25 million years ago, created this alluvial fan in the southern mid-latitudes of Mars.

The mystery of...

belly button lint has finally been given proper scientific scrutiny. Link to scientific abstract.

Now I can finally sleep easier.

Gypsum megacrystals...

beyond belief are shown in this slide show about the Naica Crystal Cave in Mexico. Silver miners broke into this deep fluid-filled chamber more than eight years ago, and once the grotto was drained, found this astonishing mineral deposit. This video includes an excellent interview with a NASA scientist that is studying the unique occurrence.

Link to technical abstract describing the geochemistry of these enormous gypsum/selenite crystals.

Kepler mission countdown...

is well underway and is scheduled to launch this Friday evening. Here's my previous post on the NASA mission to identify potentially habitable exoplanets. Link to summary article and to mission home page.

SD card with Wi-Fi...

turns most digital cameras into wireless transmitters. This marriage of technologies seems pretty neat, and it has been met with positive reviews. I don't own one (yet) but it strikes me as pretty convenient to download your digital pics directly to your computer. I wonder if next generation cameras will include this capability?

The Colorado River...

as viewed from Deadhorse Point State Park (click to enlarge.) This stunning overlook will be on the itinerary during my GEOL 455 field course at the end of the month. The mandatory pre-trip meeting is one week from today, on 9 March, at noon in SCI 118. Link to course info.

Happy birthday...

to the master of anapestic tetrameter, the children's poet, Dr. Seuss. I grew up with his terrific books but always thought his cartoon characters were kind of creepy. And who in their right mind would eat green eggs and ham?

Hat tip: the Bu parents.

That was a close shave...

this morning at 5:40 am PST as the newly-discovered asteroid 2009 DD45 zipped past Earth only 72,000 km away - about twice the altitude of a geostationary satellite. The estimated 30- to 40-meter wide rock is similar in size to the Tunguska bolide of 1908.

Whew.

The "Gore Effect"...

in action: global warming protest in Washington D.C. today as blizzard paralyzes east coast.

Heh.

It's head banging time...

for my hydrogeology students on Monday. Good luck on the second exam. Hint: go with your gut.

An afternoon of culture...

will be enjoyed with my good buddy, WB, as we attend a performance of the Spokane Symphony at the Fox Theater. It should be a nice outing on an otherwise dreary winter day.

Wise words...

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.

— Mark Twain

Hydrocarbon sand grains...

likely make up Titan’s dunes, which are derived from frozen organic chemicals in Titan’s smoggy atmosphere.