Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Norwegian weather resources...

for the vicarious Arctic-bound traveler:

Link to weather forecast at Bergen, Norway, the point of departure of the voyage.

Link to weather forecast at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, the northern terminus of the voyage.

Check the weather conditions with your own eyes:

Monday, June 29, 2009

Northward bound...

for the next several weeks, traveling first to Bergen, Norway, then across the Arctic Circle and ultimately to the Svalbard archipelago following the route depicted on the map. In geology-speak I'm leaving the North American plate, crossing a divergent boundary just east of Greenland (the Mohns ridge, an ultra-low spreading rate mid-ocean ridge), and landing on the Eurasian plate.

Why? Well, I have the very good fortune of being retained as a geologist lecturer/guide for an adventure travel company - Zegrahm Expeditions - and this is my very first gig with them: Norwegian Fjords to Spitsbergen.

It is my intent to upload a post every day (or so) during the voyage depending on the quality of the Internet connection from the ship. I hope to share a picture of something wonderful we encounter each day, and include a short story about the adventurous experience.

Welcome aboard, at least vicariously, for the journey.

Dinosaur bone thief...

gets off light, with the judge having "sentenced him to 300 hours of community service and ordered him to pay $17,325 in restitution."

Related previous post about this jerk.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Everybody's gotta eat...


From National Geographic: A bat falcon makes dazzling mid-air catches over Mayan ruins in Guatemala. Alert - a tad bit graphic in places.

For your summertime...

entertainment: 6 Wildest Bug Zappers. Plus videos!

Svalbard geology...

summarized here, here and here.

Yeah, this is what I'm reviewing this busy weekend, in addition to organizing and packing my field gear.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

It is very odd...

to be packing for the Arctic when it is shorts and t-shirt weather outside.

In addition to jet lag I wonder if I'll experience geographic shock?

No surprise whatsoever...

in the EWU Board of Trustee's decision to rubber stamp President Arevalo's irresponsible budget reductions for the year ahead. Here's a link to the Board's statement.

Frankly, my expectations were set at floor level so this endorsement was entirely anticipated, though disappointing.

A face that only a mother...

could love: Bat Face Shapes Sound. Concluding quote:
“This is very good physics,” Simmons says. “It just happens to be on animal parts.”
Remember, bats need friends.

Image credit: Rolf Müller via Science News

Wise words...

The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

-- Eden Phillpotts

Friday, June 26, 2009

Traveling north today...

in order to prepare for traveling much further north early next week. Adios, Utah.

New generation of...

digital topographic maps is being offered by the U.S. Geological Survey, called "Digital Map - Beta." Looks good at a glance and I'll give it a test drive when I have the time.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Gigaview of the...


angular unconformity along State Highway 128 and the Colorado River, between Castle Valley and Moab, Utah (click to enlarge.) Here's the link to a previous post that describes the geology at this outstanding field site.

So many geologic features to Gigapan, so little time. This will be the last for a while as I bid farewell tomorrow in order to make preparations for my trip to the Arctic as a geologist lecturer/guide.

Photogallery of endangered...

butterflies.

Pinhook Valley...


is recovering nicely after the Porcupine Ranch fire last September (click to enlarge.)

The charred and twisted skeletons of Gambel's oaks have all leafed out at their base, and alpine lupine are in bloom everywhere. Moreover, no new severe erosion could be observed during my drive through the burned area yesterday.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Wise words...

The foolish reject what they see, not what they think; the wise reject what they think, not what they see.

-- Huang Po

Potash salt evaporation ponds...


used for the concentration of potassium chloride southwest of Moab, Utah. From left (north) to right (south) that's the Kane Creek anticline with the high La Sals looming in the distance, Hurrah Pass, Anticline Overlook and the Needles Overlook (on far plateau at rightmost edge.)

Water from the Colorado River is pumped ~3,200 ft underground where a brine develops due to the solution of evaporites in the Paradox Formation (Pennsylvanian.) The brine solution is pumped back to the surface and allowed to evaporate in these man-made lined ponds. The salts eventually crystallize, then are subsequently harvested with large loaders.

Homestake Gold Mine...

in the Black Hills, South Dakota - presently defunct and flooded by groundwater - is being readied for a second life as a scientific facility, with the dedication of the first laboratory taking place this week.

More about the research into dark matter.

Uranium mill tailings...


on the move from the old Atlas mill site near Moab, Utah (click to enlarge.) More than 16 million tons of contaminated soils and mill waste are being excavated and shipped by rail to a newly constructed repository site 30 mi to the north at Crescent Junction.

Here's a related previous post that includes links to the FEIS and the project web site.

UPDATE: status of the project in this week's Moab Times-Independent.

Sodium salts detected...

in the water and ice fountains of Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. This strongly suggests that there is a liquid, salty ocean beneath a frozen crust that could support life.

Nuclear forensics...

at the Hanford site, Washington: Old plutonium reveals new secrets.

New launch date...

set by NASA for space shuttle Endeavour after engineers solved the hydrogen leak (they think.) The STS-127 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will liftoff on 11 July if leak tests go well in the next week.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Meet Putts...


the neighbor's highly energetic dog and an occasional visitor at my place. It's darn near impossible to get a ball past this gal.

Feel good story of the week...

at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge south of Cheney, Washington: Elderly swan a dad again after 22 years.

I credit global warming.

Lunar orbit...

successfully achieved by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) early today. Let the mapping and scientific surveys commence.

This voracious little bugger...


is just one of three larval stages of the tamarisk leaf-eating beetle (Diorhabda elongata) intentionally introduced for the biocontrol of the invasive phreatophyte, which is also known as salt cedar (click to enlarge.) I photographed this one munching away on my property (about 1 cm long), and they will eventually denude the entire plant. Several years of continued stress from exposure to the beetle ultimately kills the salt cedar, and it's working very nicely in the Moab area.

Update on my research...

related to the aquifer system in Castle Valley, Utah.

Interesting trends are beginning to appear. I'll download the latest data from the loggers when I return to the valley in late summer.

Geoscience enrollments...

jump sharply in 2008-2009 according to the American Geological Institute.

I see the same trend in students entering the environmental science program at EWU.

Wise words...

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.

-- Unknown

Life can exist almost anywhere...

on Earth, it seems: Extreme Life Thrives Where the Livin’ Ain’t Easy.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Fossilized crayfish burrow casts...

in the Chinle Formation (Triassic) along the Colorado River Road between Castle Valley and Moab (click to enlarge.) Note the rock hammer for scale in the center of the right third of image.

Link to jargon-rich abstract by a former student and myself on our investigation of these interesting sedimentary structures.

Wanna be all alone?

Then go here: Most Lifeless Place in the Ocean

"Don't take my Kodachrome...

away" go the lyrics of a Paul Simon hit. In fact Eastman Kodak is doing just that - they're ceasing the manufacture of the iconic film product, surrendering to the digital age.

Realistically, the only person I know that is still using film is the paleontologist in my department. Yes, I'm aware of all the old fossil jokes and how they relate here.

An unanswered question...

remains in the Everett Reuss mystery, now more pertinent than ever since the discovery of his remains on Comb Ridge, south of the Colorado River. Here are links to a good summary article about his disappearance and the news of his recent discovery.

The big question is where and how did he cross the Colorado River during his last trek southeast of Escalante, Utah? Based on archeological finds he most likely followed the Mormon trail to Hole-in-the-Rock which provided access to the river for both him and his two burros. However, most everyone dismissed that he would have been able to cross the river given the typically high water.

This morning I inspected the stream gaging records maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey for Lees Ferry (with accurate measurements dating back to 1924.) It turns out that 1934, the year that Everett went missing, the Colorado River experienced the lowest flows on record prior to the modern era of dam construction. So he very likely was able to easily swim across the river during an episode of unusually low water.

Isn't it cool how history and science collide?

Hat tip to LS, for revisiting this story with me over cocktails last week.

A brief history...

of the Royal Observatory and the establishment of the Prime Meridian.

Cuyahoga River catches fire...

on this date in 1969, thereby spurring the Clean Water Act and ultimately the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

UPDATE: It also inspired the popular song Burn On by Randy Newman.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Million dollar view...


of Castle Valley, Utah (click to enlarge.) From the left (north) to the right (south) you can see Adobe Mesa, the Rectory, Priest and Nuns, Castleton Tower, Adobe Mesa, the high La Sals with Round Mountain (below) and Porcupine Rim. This valley is, in geologic terms, a maturely developed collapsed salt anticline structure.

Yes, I've been very busy Gigapanning today.

Mini-panoramaaaaah...


of the outrageously scenic Professor Valley, Utah (click to enlarge.) From the left (east) to right (west) that's the Fisher Tower area, the Onion Creek salt anticline, Fisher Mesa, the high La Sal Mountains, Adobe Mesa and Castle Valley with the Priest and the Nuns forming the rightmost spires.

Countless western movies have been shot at this location, including The Comancheros and Rio Grande to name just two classics. Clearly the sedimentology and stratigraphy, structural geology and geologic history exposed here are intellectually compelling, but I don't think I'll ever tire of the manifest beauty of this great place.

The juxtaposition of the verdant desert flora against the azure blue sky, with the terra cotta-toned sandstone as the framework, all marry together in a stunning landscape. Hey, it's almost like camping on Mars!

An image of Earth...

from space showing Sarychev Volcano (Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan) in an early stage of eruption on June 12, 2009 (click to enlarge.) Link to detailed image caption.

Looking ahead: I will be on a voyage to the Kuril Islands next summer with Zegrahm Expeditions as a geologist lecturer/guide and can only hope something like this will be going on!

UPDATE: sulfur dioxide plume map.

Image credit: NASA/JSC

The summer solstice...

is upon us in the northern hemisphere, marking the first day of summer and the longest day of the year when the sun reaches its maximum declination above the celestial equator.

Happy Father's Day...

Dads Are Key to Making Us Human (Don't Moms help too?)

Dad: More than Just a Guy with Sperm (Good to know!)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Happy hour with my neighbors...

this evening was a jolly good time. LS is a reader of this silly blog (and an occasional commenter) and the hostess with the mostess, and MM is the expedition leader for an upcoming Arctic tour that I will join in ten days as a geologist lecturer/guide. Both are treasured friends and among the gems in this community.

Peace through superior firepower...

The Top 6 Water Guns of All Time

Hey, the first day of summer is tomorrow. I'm sure you can find some of these bad boys on Amazon.

Textbook example of...

an angular unconformity exposed in the lower canyon wall along the Colorado River between Moab and Castle Valley (click to enlarge.) This stratigraphic structure is an easily recognizable surface of erosion that is preserved in the rock record, and in this case, occurs in the lowermost members of the Triassic-age Chinle Formation. It likely represents the upward movement of evaporites in the underlying Paradox Formation (Pennsylvanian) that resulted in the tilted beds which were ultimately eroded - the horizontal contact is the unconformity - after which sedimentary deposition continued.

The Wingate Sandstone (Jurassic) forms the escarpment and it is subsequently capped by a thin layer of the Kayenta Formation (also Jurassic.) Link to stratigraphic column for the area around Arches National Park.

Stay tuned: fossilized crayfish burrows, ~ 220 million years in age, will be featured in a future post. Oh boy!

End of days...

coming soon: CERN Readies Large Hadron Collider For September Restart.

Related previous post. Like I said before, it's been nice knowin' ya.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Another lousy day in Utah...


at Ryan's Retreat in Castle Valley (click to enlarge.) This is but a small tidbit of a larger panorama that I assembled today using the Gigapan Epic 100. Buggy software, though.

Enjoy!

Wise words...

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

Douglas Adams

The view...

out the entryway to the home, towards the west, of the majestic Porcupine Rim that defines the southwestern edge of Castle Valley.

That's my 1986 Toyota 4Runner that still runs great and is a terrific desert rig. I've driven it the distance to the Moon and it's never let me down.

UPDATE: previous views to the north, south and east. I wish there was something to look at around here!

Doing geology...

on the Moon and Mars. The link takes you to an excellent and comprehensive article published in Scientific American by Harrison Schmitt, the Apollo 17 lunar module pilot and the only scientist/geologist to visit the Moon.

Mmmm, dinner...


for a hungry black widow spider (click to enlarge, if you dare!) Hey, everybody's gotta eat - it's the circle of life thing.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Wise words...

The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. From it we have learned most of what we know. Recently, we have waded a little out to sea, enough to dampen our toes or, at most, wet our ankles. The water seems inviting. The ocean calls.

Carl Sagan

Finally, back to the Moon...

after a decade-long hiatus in its exploration: the Atlas V rocket carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) successfully lifted off today at 5:32 pm EDT.

In October this year, LCROSS will intentionally impact the surface of the Moon while spectrometers on the orbiting LRO (and Earth-based telescopes) examine the ejected debris looking for the presence of water ice or hydrated minerals. This event should be observable by amateur astronomers. I'll be looking, for sure.

Isn't science cool?

Peculiar mud volcano...

in East Java, Indonesia may continue to gurgle for 30 years:
"The volcano has buried 12 villages, killed 13 people, displaced more than 42,000 residents and wiped out 800 hectares (1,977 acres) of densely populated farming and industrial land."
Moreover, it was created by accident during drilling for oil and gas. Doh.

The view...


off the back deck, to the north, towards Parriott Mesa (click to enlarge.) That's Arches National Park on the distant plateau, and the Colorado River flows along the base of the escarpment.

It was only a matter of time...

that hard evidence of a lake on Mars would be discovered: University of Colorado team finds definitive evidence for ancient lake on Mars. No indication on the quality of fishing, however.

My prediction: we'll find fossilized microbial life, perhaps in the form of stromatolites or similar features, once we get to Mars and can explore in earnest.

BIFs are interesting...

sedimentary rocks that provide a record of early oxygen on Earth. What's a BIF? Why a banded iron formation, of course.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Mystery of the...

missing sunspots has been explained.

Did you know there was a jet stream in the interior of the Sun? Neither did I.

"Ahh rooo uuu!"

Fact or Fiction: Dogs Can Talk

Upheaval Dome...


in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, the mini-panorama version (click to enlarge.) The inner part of this impressive domal structure is ~ 2 km in diameter, and most geological evidence concludes that it is the underlying remnant of an ancient impact crater.

Shuttle Endeavour going nowhere...

as NASA scrubs today's launch attempt due to another hydrogen fuel leak; this is the same problem that plagued the liftoff of space shuttle Discovery in March. The earliest Endeavour will fly is 11 July.

Meanwhile, the LRO/LCROSS launch is still slated for tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Wise words...

The scientific mind does not so much provide the right answers as ask the right questions.

-- Claude Levi-Strauss

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

It's true!

Report: 90% Of Waking Hours Spent Staring At Glowing Rectangles

In fact, you're doing it right now.

A late evening safari...

around the perimeter of my home yielded this beautiful black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus) in addition to a bull snake out on patrol (click image to enlarge.) In fact, I witnessed a bull snake attack a large whiptail lizard this morning, but the lizard released its tail in a diversionary tactic to safely escape.

It's the wild kingdom out there!

Web-based crystal ball...

to guide your decisions at Hunch.com.

I have a hunch: those that use this web site to make important decisions are desperately dumb. Hey, it's just a hunch.

A photogallery...

of extraordinary clouds. Some of these are truly intriguing. Take a look, look takers.

Traffic jam at Cape Canaveral...

as NASA attempts to launch space shuttle Endeavour on its STS-127 mission to the International Space Station on Wednesday, delaying the scheduled liftoff of the LRO/LCROSS science mission to the Moon by one day to Thursday.

Let's hope all goes well for both missions.

Monday, June 15, 2009

The view...

from the kitchen window, looking east toward Castleton Tower, as the sun sets this evening (click to enlarge.) Lousy, eh?

The spire is composed of a detached remnant of the Wingate Sandstone (Early Jurassic) and is one of the "50 Classic Climbs" in North America (of which I've achieved only 10%.) I've got my climbing kit here and am looking for a partner for the traditional 5.9 historic first ascent route to the top.

It's alive...

Rip Van Winkle microbe wakes up after 120,000 years.

A tough little bacteria, Herminiimonas glaciei, is alive and vigorous after being discovered about 3 km deep in a Greenland glacier where food and oxygen are scarce.

Why not on Mars?

Father's Day gift suggestion...

from the folks at the Onion Store: The Visorganizer.

Believe me, your Dad will love this.

Top 10 amazing facts...

about the Moon.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

The view...


out the front window, towards the south, of the La Sal Mountains and Round Mountain (click to enlarge.) Read more about the geography and geology of the La Sal Range.

Newberry Volcano National Monument...

is referred to as "Oregon's absentee volcano" in this article. A visit to this interesting volcanic edifice will be made during this summer's field class (now fully enrolled but the wait list is open) taught by yours truly and professors O'Quinn and Thomson.

Top 10 scientific objects...

that changed the world: a photo gallery.

I would have included the clock designed by John Harrison to enable seamen to calculate their longitude.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Traveling today to...

my hideaway in Castle Valley, Utah. Will engage in desert blogging upon arrival.

UPDATE: I am happily ensconced in my desert home, enjoying a cool and stormy evening, after having been met by good friends (geogal and JR) in Moab for dinner.

I like to use my GPS when I fly (permissible by airlines after takeoff) since I'm a guy who likes gadgets and I like to measure things. Fun stats: the maximum airspeed on the flight was 502 mph, our maximum altitude was 35,389 ft while the cabin was pressurized to 7,200 ft. Oh yeah, and I'm a nerd.

Shuttle Endeavour launch...

is scrubbed this morning due to a hydrogen leak during fueling. Not good.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Earthling assaulted by meteorite...

in Germany. The 14-year old boy was struck in the hand by a pea-sized meteorite and it "scared the bejeezus out of him." I bet! Link to more complete news article.

Someone call a lawyer.

One of the more joyful...

responsibilities I have as director of the environmental science program at EWU is to acknowledge the very best students at graduation. The annual College of Science, Health and Engineering's Honors & Awards Reception occurs today, from 3 - 5 pm, where I'm proudly awarding the Outstanding Environmental Science Student certificate to Mark Paluch. Congrats Mark, it's well deserved.

It's field work Friday...

once again on the Rathdrum Prairie, Idaho as I make my usual rounds measuring groundwater levels. Spring recharge to the aquifer has peaked and irrigation season has begun, so I anticipate the groundwater levels have achieved their highest elevation for the water year.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

It's hummer season...

in eastern Washington (click to enlarge.) I really enjoy these little guys, and capturing their active portraits.

WHO said what?

Remember the wimpy swine flu, also known as H1N1 virus? Not so wimpy according to the World Health Organization (WHO): WHO declares first 21st century flu pandemic.

Link to official statement from the WHO.

This isn't helpful: some hand sanitizers contaminated with bacteria. Doh.

Wise words...

The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related, that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime makes the ridiculous, and one step above the ridiculous makes the sublime again.

Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Magnetotelluric sensors...

around Mt. Saint Helens suggests there "may be an extraordinarily large zone of semi-molten rock, which would be capable of feeding a giant eruption" according to some researchers.

It's called shrinkage...

as the bright, red supergiant star Betelgeuse, in the constellation Orion, contracts by 15% in size since 1993:
"That means the star's radius has contracted by a distance equal to the orbit of Venus. Though the star is shrinking, its visible brightness has not dimmed significantly over the past 15 years, the researchers say."

Tweet once...

to never tweet again:
"After examining some 300,000 Twitter accounts, a Harvard Business School professor reported last week that 10 percent of the service's users account for more than 90 percent of tweets. The study dovetails with recent analysis by the media research firm Nielsen asserting that 60 percent of Twitter users do not return from one month to the next."
I still don't get it, but I'm not into texting either (and besides, I don't have any friends.) There are a lot of abandoned blogs, too.

Hat tip: the Bu bro.

And now for some fun...


to relieve the stress at the mid-point of final exam week: a salsa dancing chihuahua.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

A very nice remembrance...

of Dr. Tony Oertling was celebrated this afternoon at EWU. Dean Judd Case, two close friends and colleagues, and Tony's wife all spoke eloquently, personally and humorously about his rich life. It was a good thing.

Keep paddling on, Tony. Your presence at EWU will always be remembered.

UPDATE: A memorial scholarship has been established under his name. To make a donation call Dr. Sylvia Oliver at (509) 358-7635.

Do not buy a Gigapan...

unit unless you want to be extraordinary frustrated by their lack of customer support.

It's now been two full weeks - 10 business days - since I've contacted their technical support (only accessible on-line via e-mail) about a software issue and they have yet to reply. Yes, they are a fledgling company but this lengthy delay is unacceptable and unprofessional.

Alas, such is the problem with being an early adopter. Perhaps others can learn from this experience.

Related previous post.

UPDATE on 9 June: I finally received an e-mail from the company late this afternoon, but not from technical support which has yet to respond to two cases I have open with them.

Power of the blog? Coincidence? Hmm.

UPDATE on 10 June: I've finally got things worked out with their support staff, 11 business days after the initial contact. What spurred them on? They honestly admitted that they saw this blog post yesterday!

Is there a correlation...

between gas drilling and several small magnitude earthquakes in Texas?

Noctilucent clouds...

are a strange phenomena and only observable at high latitudes, and only during the summer.

They occur inside Earth's atmosphere at the edge of space, in a layer called the mesosphere, ranging from 50 to 85 km high. The mesosphere is very cold (-125 C) and also very dry, but the clouds consist of tiny water ice crystals about the size of particles in cigarette smoke. Here's a gallery of images of noctilucent clouds captured in 2009.

I'm hoping to see/photograph some during my upcoming Arctic adventure. Stay tuned.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Wise words...

Darkness is as essential to our biological welfare, to our internal clockwork, as light itself.

-- Verlyn Klinkenborg

Vanishing night skies...

become apparent in this graphic illustrating light pollution in North and Central America. I pity the amateur astronomer that lives east of the Mississippi.

For a higher resolution view of light pollution where you live, check out the very cool Dark Sky Finder that utilizes Google Maps. Also, here's the useful Clear Sky Chart that predicts viewing conditions 48 hours in advance for specific observing sites.

Lastly, consider joining the International Dark Sky Association to preserve the night sky. Future generations will grow up not having ever seen the Milky Way. Sad.

UPDATE: One of the reasons my wife and I bought our place in Utah is that it lies in one of those wonderfully dark spots on the map. In fact, in the community of Castle Valley, there is a "dark sky ordinance" that prohibits unshielded outdoor security lighting. The Milky Way comes all the way down to the horizon when there is no Moon! Awesome.

Image courtesy P. Cinzano, Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute, Thiene, Italy.

Twittering twit jogs into tree...

while tweeting.

This story is posted just for the headline.

It's final exam week...

at EWU and my geohazards class meets Thursday, 8 - 10 am. Good luck everybody - it's almost over.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Wise words...

Physics is like sex. Sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.

-- Richard Feynman

EWU Board of Trustees changes...

the deadline for comments related to the budget reductions to 17 June, shortening it by two days:
"The Eastern Washington University Board of Trustees is now accepting input regarding the proposed EWU budget until June 17 at 9 a.m., rather than the old deadline of June 19. The Board plans to carefully review and consider all input received regarding the budget, prior to taking action on the University budget proposal at its June 25 Board meeting."

Here's the full statement and instructions on how to comment.

Please, if you haven't already, take a moment and express your opinion. It's your school and your future.

UPDATE: I've e-mailed the secretarial assistant to the BoT and inquired about the shortened time line. I'll post the response if/when I receive one.

Redefining the Quaternary Period...

by moving its beginning to 2.6 million years, capturing an 800,000 year portion of the Pliocene Epoch.

This blog...

is being steam cleaned today in order to keep it bright and shiny, just like new. No interruption should be noticed by dedicated readers.

Two for one Moon shot...

will tentatively launch on 17 June from Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) are to launch together atop an Atlas V rocket:

"LRO's objectives during its mission orbiting the moon are to identify safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology. LRO will orbit the poles of the Moon during a one-year exploration mission followed by a planned multi-year science mission.

Approximately four to five months after launch, LCROSS will impact the Moon, providing key information about the lunar composition and presence of water ice or hydrated minerals."

That last bit should be exciting, and here's more about the Moon for inquiring minds.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Bright glow at Kilauea volcano...

in Hawaii is emanating from an opening vent in the summit, suggesting that lava may soon appear in Halema`uma`u Crater.

Check the status of Kilauea from the Hawaii Volcano Observatory.

UPDATE: Here's an amazing Quicktime video furnished by the USGS and taken just days ago, looking down into the opening vent. Really, you should take a look (and it isn't Hollywood.)

Image courtesy Associated Press.

Burgers, hot dogs, chips,...

pop, beer, potato salad, green salad, s'mores, strawberries, watermelon, kids, hula hoops, Frisbee and a real dog were all part of the Geology Club barbecue at Riverside State Park this afternoon. The weather was cool and cloudy but the turnout was pretty good, half the faculty and staff appeared, and a good time was clearly had by all.

It was a very nice end-of-the-year event and I wish everyone a terrific summer full of adventure.

Climate Change Reconsidered...

is the abbreviated title of a comprehensive new report available as a book or on-line (at the preceding link.) It is a scientifically-based rebuttal to the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC.)

Principal findings include the following:
  • "Climate models suffer from numerous deficiencies and shortcomings that could alter even the very sign (plus or minus, warming or cooling) of earth’s projected temperature response to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations.
  • The model-derived temperature sensitivity of the earth--especially for a doubling of the preindustrial CO2 level--is much too large, and feedbacks in the climate system reduce it to values that are an order of magnitude smaller than what the IPCC employs.
  • Real-world observations do not support the IPCC’s claim that current trends in climate and weather are “unprecedented” and, therefore, the result of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.
  • The IPCC overlooks or downplays the many benefits to agriculture and forestry that will be accrued from the ongoing rise in the air’s CO2 content.
  • There is no evidence that CO2-induced increases in air temperature will cause unprecedented plant and animal extinctions, either on land or in the world’s oceans.
  • There is no evidence that CO2-induced global warming is or will be responsible for increases in the incidence of human diseases or the number of lives lost to extreme thermal conditions."
Be sure to read it and then make up your own mind about this issue.

Wise words...

Furnished as all Europe now is with Academies of Science, with nice instruments and the spirit of experiment, the progress of human knowledge will be rapid and discoveries made of which we have at present no conception. I begin to be almost sorry I was born so soon, since I cannot have the happiness of knowing what will be known a hundred years hence.

- Benjamin Franklin

Friday, June 5, 2009

One of the most precipitous...

declines in North American wildlife: Mysterious Fungus Is Decimating US Bat Populations.

Bats need friends.

An image of Earth...

from space showing Idaho, Montana and Wyoming (click to enlarge.) That's Yellowstone National Park anchoring the center of the image, and if you know your geography one can easily pick out the Spokane valley, lava flows at Craters of the Moon National Monument, the Teton, Wind River and Bighorn mountain ranges, and the Black Hills to name just a few landforms.

Image credit: Jacques Descloitres; MODIS team; NASA, 14 July 2004.

Rusty meteorites on Mars...

could provide information about weathering rates on the red planet:
"Because the rocks contain iron, which rusts in the presence of water, they could provide a sensitive gauge of how much weathering has affected the region in recent times."
Links to technical abstract and to general information about meteorites found on Mars.

Uranium boom commences...

near Blanding, Utah as the first mining permit in 30 years is granted to White Canyon Uranium Limited. Here's background information about the geology of the mineral deposits on several properties the company holds in southeast Utah.

Mass wasting in Castle Valley,...

Utah as recounted by resident scribe Ron Drake. Your humble correspondent is given a brief mention in the short article, having photographed a moderate-sized rock fall the very day my wife and I moved into our house in the community in 2003. Quite the welcome!

UPDATE: I've added the pic I snapped of the rock fall on Adobe Mesa (click to enlarge.)

Geology is necessary...

for a basic understanding of science, so concludes a National Science Foundation report.
"For humans--and the planet on which they live -- earth science literacy is a prerequisite to a successful future."
I can't disagree.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

"This is bat country!"


From the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Yes, that's Johnny Depp playing the role of Hunter S. Thompson.

Cyclic sedimentation on Mars...

observed in three outcrops in Erebus crater by robot geologist Opportunity, perhaps capturing climate changes from dry to wet to dry conditions. These discoveries are described in a wonderfully detailed article in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Sedimentary Research (link to technical abstract.)

I'd still like to visit someday and actually hammer on an outcrop.

Link to previous related post.

NASA clears space shuttle Endeavour...

for launch on the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, 13 June, at 7:17 EDT. You can follow the mission - another construction project - using the link in the right column of this blog (near the top.)

The Challenger Deep...

in the Marianas Trench has been visited by a remotely operated submarine named Nereus, diving to a maximum depth of 10,902 meters (6.8 miles.) At that depth, pressures reach 1,100 times the atmospheric pressure at the Earth's surface! Wow.

UPDATE: This dive apparently established a world record.

Happy birthday to Google Earth...

as it turns four years old this month. Here's a gallery of some of the discoveries it's enabled during that time.

Extremophiles may provide insight...

into life elsewhere in the solar system. Here's an excellent web page and video that describes the work being done by astrobiologist Richard Hoover, courtesy of the National Science Foundation.

Related: Yellowstone Hot Spring Teeming with Viruses.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Geology Club end-of-year picnic...

this Saturday, 6 June, at Riverside State Park. Festivities commence at 5 pm. Contact club officers for more information or take a look at the announcements posted in the department.

Don't start without me!

Science frontiers...

Wise words...

That is the essence of science: ask an impertinent question, and you are on the way to a pertinent answer.

- Jacob Bronowski

How close are we...

to real nanotechnology?

Hey, that rhymes.

Mule's ears in bloom...


on my woodsy property southwest of Cheney. The timing of their bloom is impeccable - as the arrowleaf balsamroot fades these sturdy plants (genus Wyethia) stand up to continue the show.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Memorial services for Dr. Tony Oertling...

are being planned. An off campus service is scheduled for Saturday, 6 June at 3 pm at Greenwood Memorial Terrace (top of the hill where the cross is located,) 211 N. Government Way, Spokane.

A memorial service for the EWU community will take place Tuesday, 9 June from 3 – 4 pm in the JFK Auditorium, followed by refreshments at the main entrance of the Computing and Engineering Building (CEB) from 4 – 5 pm.

Link to earlier post about his unfortunate death. As I reflect on Tony's passing I can say that I am grateful that it occurred while he was engaging in something he absolutely loved.

UPDATE: Article in the Cheney Free Press.

Don't fall for the Mars hoax...

that says the red planet will be as large as the full Moon this August. Just take a moment and think about how impossible this would be.

Billion year reprieve...

for mother Earth:
"The Earth could be habitable for another 2.3 billion years, extending previous estimates of life’s horizon by more than 1 billion years."
I don't know about you, but I'll sleep easier tonight.

Signs along the road...


in Mount Rainier National Park. How come you never see signs proclaiming "TREES" or "FLOWERS"?

Penguin poop mapped...

from space, showing migration patterns of emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica.

Seems like bird droppings have scientific as well as economic value.

Monday, June 1, 2009

So-called paleontologist sentenced...

to 60 days in the slammer for stealing dinosaur bones from private land in Montana. My opinion: "Describing this guy as a scum bag would be a disservice to bags of scum" (with attribution to Dennis Miller.)

Seriously, I think he's getting off light.

Do you have a monkey...

on your back, in the form of Internet addiction?

Fortunately there's nothing about blogging in the article. Whew.

One person's guano...

is another person's gold. I enjoyed this brief essay: Does Guano Drive History?

Bat and bird droppings contain high concentrations of nitrates and phosphates that have been mined for centuries. One of the more interesting guano mines (now defunct) in the US is in the Grand Canyon.

Who would have known that excrement has such value that wars have been fought over it? No blood for dung!

"Bing" goes live...

several days early. No, I'm not talking about the resurrection of Bing Crosby, but the new Microsoft search site given the peculiar name Bing. Check it out, check-it-outers.

UPDATE: Is this a glitch or a feature? Microsoft's New Search Engine Puts Porn in Motion.