The Bu Element

Volcanoes seen from space...

2012-01-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

in an image gallery summarizing recent global activity.

Meanwhile, El Hierro in the Canary Islands maintains a low level of sub-sea activity. Cool. I'll be there in about three months time as I've just confirmed my itinerary to west Africa!

Absolutely riveting...

2012-01-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

and a webcam too: The Pitch Drop Experiment.

Yeah, it's a lot like watching grass grow.

Google upgrades Earth...

2012-01-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

with significantly better rendering, doing away with the patchwork quilt resulting from imagery from different sources. More here: Google Releases Pretty Earth.

Underwater caves in the Bahamas...

2012-01-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

could give clues to life beyond Earth.

You don't have to convince me that caves are special places, and that they provide unique niches for life, both here on Earth and potentially on other worlds.

What if a cruise ship...

2012-01-27T06:08:00.000-08:00

wrecked in Alaska? Although I take the point of the linked article, the example used is not strictly appropriate in a number of ways. But moreover, this caught my attention because I worked aboard the Clipper Adventurer in 2009 in the Arctic Ocean as the geologist lecturer/guide for Zegrahm Expeditions.

Here's the Adventurer at anchor at Poolepynten on Prins Karls Forland on Svalbard while we went ashore to observe walrus. I had a nice moment with these two (click to enlarge):

NOTE: The Adventurer was placed back in service in 2011 and is presently exploring the Antarctic Peninsula as I type this post.

RELATED: Here's the blog post I wrote this day in 2009.

A guest lecturer in geology...

2012-01-26T07:19:00.000-08:00

will be on campus at EWU this coming Monday, 30 January, at noon in SCI 118. Dr. Scott Burns (Portland State University) will discuss the geohazards related to activity along the Cascadia subduction zone, including ground shaking, liquefaction, landslides and tsunamis in a presentation entitled "Engineering Geology Challenges Along the Cascadia Margin." Geology majors - beginning and advanced - should plan to attend this highly relevant lecture.

RELATED: Later in the evening Dr. Burns will present "Cataclysms on the Columbia" at Spokane Community College Lair Auditorium at 7 pm. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Highest resolution image...

2012-01-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

of Earth ever compiled, using the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA's most recently launched Earth-observing satellite - Suomi NPP - has just been released:

You can access other resolutions of this fantastic image at this link for free download. The original 8,000 x 8,000 pixel image is stunning to say the least, but it is an enormous file.

Sand grains of frozen hydrocarbons...

2012-01-24T06:11:00.000-08:00

form enormous dune fields on Titan. And here's a previous related post about the most Earth-like body in the solar system.

A profound moment in history...

2012-01-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

for all of humanity: What Apollo 11 Astronauts Did Right Before Neil Armstrong Set Foot on the Moon.

I remember watching this historic moment at the age of 12, and I credit it as one of the reasons that I pursued science in my education and career. Sadly, nothing quite this motivational involving human exploration of the unknown exists these days. Yeah, robot geologists crawling around on Mars is pretty cool, but it isn't the same as a rock-hammer-wielding astronaut/geologist being there.

Volcano observatories...

2012-01-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

around the world. Interesting, but not an exhaustive list.

Rethinking the "Out of Africa"...

2012-01-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

model for the origin of modern humans. I'd never heard of Denisovans until I read this article.

RELATED: Into the Mind of a Neanderthal.

The snow is adding up slowly...

2012-01-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

on the back deck over the last day and a half:

Geological treasures rediscovered...

2012-01-18T05:35:00.000-08:00

in an old wooden cabinet in a "gloomy corner" of the British Geological Survey: U.K. scientists find 'lost' Darwin fossils. And here's the understatement of the day from the executive director:

"It really makes one wonder what else might be hiding in our collections."

A truly atomic-scale 'bit'...

2012-01-18T05:01:00.000-08:00

has been created by researchers at IBM, reaching the smallest physical limit for a memory element: Magnetic Memory Miniaturized to Just 12 Atoms. For comparison, present technology uses about one million atoms to achieve the same memory state. Amazing.

I guess this effectively defines the upper limit of Moore's Law, at least insofar as conventional integrated circuit technology goes.

RELATED: So maybe this is the future at the subatomic scale - so-called quantum computing - by controlling the spin of electrons: Ten-Second Dance of Electrons Is Step Toward Exotic New Computers. Like I said before, amazing.

Finally, here comes winter...

2012-01-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

Here's the link to the NOAA/NWS forecast. Some significant accumulation of snow is predicted in the week ahead.

Know your forest biomass...

2012-01-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

distribution by studying this new map showing the concentration of carbon in trees in the U.S. (Click on the image to download the ~ 4 MB JPG hi-res version).

Can't see the forest for the trees? Now you can.

Geothermal project gaining steam...

2012-01-15T07:27:00.000-08:00

(pardon the pun) at Newberry volcano: Oregon Volcano Holds Energy Hopes.

UPDATE: Here are the related technical documents.

Break out the hard hats...

2012-01-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

again because here comes another out-of-control chunk o' space junk. This time it's a failed Russian spacecraft originally intended to travel to Mars, tumbling in from low Earth orbit: Phobos-Grunt Expected To Return To Earth This Weekend.

I shot some eagles...

2012-01-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

today with my long lens, and here's the bounty for the efforts. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did while visiting Beauty Bay this late morning (click images to enlarge):

Two of more than thirty I spied today:

A juvenile in flight:

And an adult:

Artsy view of a perch:

And a tricked-out cell tower:

Image details: Canon EOS 30D with 400 mm EF lens on monopod.

It's field work Friday...

2012-01-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

again, the first of the year. After completing my monthly rounds measuring groundwater levels in the Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, I'll head over to Wolf Lodge Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene to see if the bald eagles are still hanging out.

I also note that it's Friday the 13th, so I'll be extra careful during my field activities today.

Recently discovered itsy-bitsy...

2012-01-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

teensy-weensy frog in Papua New Guinea is world's smallest known vertebrate. Two of them can sit side-by-side on a dime. Here's a pic.

UPDATE: Angler Fish Challenges Frog's 'Smallest' Title.

Today's Google doodle...

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

celebrates Nicolas Steno's 374th birthday, depicting rock strata with embedded fossils. Here's a screen grab in case you miss it today (click to enlarge):

Learn more about Steno's Laws of Stratigraphy, useful principles applied in relative dating when the absolute age of strata are not known.

Electrons flowing across the Interweb...

2012-01-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

and to my computer have assembled themselves into an e-mail bearing terrific news this afternoon. My research proposal for using ground penetrating radar to explore for caves has been fully funded for field study this summer. Oh, the joy!

Opportunity rover settles in for winter...

2012-01-09T06:01:00.000-08:00

on the edge of Endeavour Crater: 'Greeley Haven' Is Winter Workplace for Mars Rover. While it will continue to make science observations at its parked position during the next several months, let's hope this amazing robot geologist survives the frigid conditions and continues its explorations the following Martian spring.

Bye-bye BlackBerry...

2012-01-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

and hello Samsung's Galaxy Nexus running the new Android 4.0 OS code-named Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). Here's a comprehensive review of the leading edge smartphone.

I've ditched my BlackBerry Storm2 during my two-year upgrade cycle with Verizon and acquired this new device at a nicely discounted price. I've been using it for three weeks and absolutely love the vibrant display, and battery life is good for a 4G phone. I eagerly await the ICS upgrade on my Galaxy Tab 10.1 that is presently running Android 3.2 (Honeycomb).

In sum, it's awesomely awesome technology. Highly recommended. I'll post more later about what I personally regard are indispensable Android apps.

La Niña a bust...

2012-01-05T17:59:00.000-08:00

in the Pacific Northwest: Snow May Be a No-Show. Dang.

Happy New Year...

2012-01-01T05:29:00.000-08:00

Image credit: Bizzaro.com.

The snowcapped Lost River Range...

2011-12-31T21:31:00.000-08:00

in central Idaho provided a photogenic backdrop during my long drive today. The closure of I-15 at the Montana border due to icy conditions and gusty winds diverted me to a slower, but highly scenic, alternative route north (click to enlarge):

Borah Peak, the highest summit in Idaho at 12,668 ft, lies ensconced in this range in the distance. It is also the location of a large earthquake in 1983. While I've not yet climbed this lofty peak, it is on my "to do" list. Perhaps next summer.

Hidden Valley...

2011-12-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

is the focus of today's exploration, and it is bound by faults parallel to the main Moab-Spanish Valley fault, seen here in a textbook cross-sectional view (click images to enlarge):

After climbing more than 700 ft above the trail head, followed by a short walk, one arrives at a towering wall of varnished sandstone with abundant rock art along its length:

Most of the petroglyphs are easily observed at ground level:

I particularly like this chorus line of anthropomorphic figures:

At the point where I turned around there is a nice view into the densely jointed sandstone terrain of The Land Behind the Rocks towards the north:

And so ends my last sojourn of this holiday. I'll pack tomorrow, shut down the house and say goodbye to my terrific neighbors, then head north on New Year's Eve day.

Rafts of frazil ice...

2011-12-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

on the Colorado River caught my attention on the drive to Moab today (click images to enlarge):

The slushy pancakes drifted slowly along with the gentle currents:

And here's the view, looking upstream, from the bicycle bridge near Lion's Park near Moab:

A wet world...

2011-12-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

not far from Earth.

Rambling around Richardson Amphitheater...

2011-12-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

near Fisher Towers today was quite delightful, under azure blue and sunny skies with temperatures in the upper 40s. The arkosic conglomerates in the Cutler Formation (Permian) are displayed nicely in craggy outcrops (click images to enlarge):

Dried flowers on last season's rabbitbrush were still hanging on:

Rocky ledges on overlying strata in the upper basin provided a purchase for snow that had fallen earlier in the week:

I discovered a monumented section corner established in 1929 as part of the early General Land Office Survey:

And this vertical metal monument marks the site of an abandoned wildcat oil well:

What a great day for a hike, my penultimate outing during my holiday stay in southern Utah.

It was a sedimental journey...

2011-12-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

in Culvert Canyon yesterday, where sedimentary structures galore presented themselves in the Kayenta and Navajo Formations (click images to enlarge). At the base of the landmark sandstone spire lies a channel-fill consisting of an intraformational conglomerate:

Here's the context view of the entire spire:

Nearby, mudcracks were exposed as sole marks on the underside of a bedding plane:

And here's a fallen and rotated slab showing them as they are normally seen on the top surface of a bedding plane (that's my knee at the bottom of the image):

Lastly, at the base of Gold Bar Arch, there are multiple bioturbated beds, separated by laminated sandstones (perhaps tempestites?):

Clouds painted beautiful skies...

2011-12-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

that inspired my photography today on my hike 'round Round Mountain (click images to enlarge):

Luna and Venus...

2011-12-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

setting above Porcupine Rim, just moments ago (click to enlarge):

This culvert is a portal...

2011-12-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

to the eponymously named Culvert Canyon, found along the Potash Road near the Gold Bar campground on the Colorado River, and the focus of today's backcountry sojourn (click images to enlarge):

There are no maintained trails in the branching canyon system, and route finding is not trivial, but here's a reasonably accurate description that can guide you on your own adventure. This sandstone spire stands as a prominent landmark in the upper part of the basin, and serves as a natural guidepost:

Climbing higher and through the pass containing the sandstone sentinel the ultimate goal of today's exploration is found a short distance beyond, Gold Bar Arch:

The opening is about 40 ft high and 50 ft wide, and provides a fantastic stony frame to the distant La Sal Mountains:

Here's a view after passing through the arch, towards the west:

Critical stats: 1.75 miles from the trail head with 1,100 feet of elevation gain. One large rockfall heard. Zero humans encountered. Priceless.

Upper Courthouse Wash...

2011-12-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

on the west side of Arches National Park was the focus of a walkabout several days ago, and this Google Earth image shows the incised drainage east of highway 191 (click images to enlarge):

I stuck mostly to the upper plateau surface on the sunny and windless day, satisfied with views from the rim into the partially shaded canyon:

The national park boundary was obviously marked, and I strictly obeyed the instructions found there lest the rangers come after me:

Trace fossils consisting of horizontal tracks and/or burrows were etched in relief on some bedding planes in the Moab Tongue Member of the Entrada Sandstone:

There were good views into the Windows section of Arches NP to the east, and you can spy North and South Window Arches to the right of center:

And to the south, the snow-draped La Sal Mountains provided a distant backdrop as I meandered along the sandstone escarpment:

Timeless timepiece...

2011-12-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

Engineering the 10,000-Year Clock

What I'm reading...

2011-12-24T07:20:00.000-08:00

right now: Race to The End - Amundsen, Scott, and the Attainment of the South Pole by Ross D.E. MacPhee. This is as much a coffee table book due to its lavish illustrations including archival photographs and detailed maps, as a rich account of two competing Antarctic expeditions and personalities. The frigid evening temperatures here in the high desert make for a perfect setting to read this heroic, and tragic, tale.

From southern Utah...

2011-12-24T07:01:00.000-08:00

A last look...

2011-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

inside space shuttle Atlantis.

Castle Valley is getting dressed...

2011-12-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

for the holidays with a light snowfall today (click to enlarge):

Looks like we're having a white Christmas:

An exhumed paleochannel...

2011-12-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

from the Jurassic stands out in relief as a sinuous ridge in these Google Earth images, located about eight miles north of Moab, Utah (that's the intersection of highways 191 and 313 at the top of the first image). The following image is a view to the southwest (click images to enlarge):

This second image is a view in the opposite direction, toward the northeast. The dry wash clips the western end of the landform, and coincides with the position of the Moab fault:

The paleochannel is part of the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation, and stands more than five meters above the surrounding shaly strata belonging to the Tidwell Member:

Here's the view from on top, towards the west, where the sinuous geometry is very apparent. If you look closely, my field vehicle is parked on the Moab fault at the distant end of the landform:

The channel feature is filled with coarse-grained quartz arenite sandstones, with distinct planar-tabular crossbeds that are oriented towards the east, consistent with the basinal dip during the Jurassic:

This bit of field geology was just part of my explorations yesterday of the area around Upper Courthouse Wash west of Arches National Park. I'll post more later.

Periglacial processes...

2011-12-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

alive and well on the red planet: Icy 'hand' moves boulders on Mars. Albeit at a very, very slow, um, glacial pace.

Here's the technical abstract: Boulder movement at high northern latitudes of Mars.

It's always the last place...

2011-12-22T05:19:00.000-08:00

you look: Working Pen Removed From Woman’s Stomach After 25 Years.

I'm putting nuts up...

2011-12-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

for the winter, at least metaphorically, by having a cord of firewood delivered to my desert hacienda today. Although there's about a quarter cord left, enough to keep me warm for my short holiday stay, it's time to restock the log pile for when I return in the spring. Looks like tomorrow's chore will be sorting and stacking.

The longest and shortest...

2011-12-21T06:13:00.000-08:00

night and day, respectively, occurs today/tomorrow (depending on your time zone), known as the winter solstice. Although this marks the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere, it also means that daylight hours will begin to gradually lengthen.

And the apocalypse countdown commences. Enjoy the next 365 days - they're all you've got.

I'm heading south...

2011-12-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

for a couple of weeks to my red rock desert retreat in Castle Valley, Utah, where the days are reliably sunny and temperatures a bit warmer. Although the days are still short, I reserve a bunch of hikes in south-facing canyons for exploration this time of year.

I'm up early and will head out shortly. Will check in on the other end.

UPDATE: Arrived a while ago under a crystalline starry night - Orion rose above the La Sals as I rolled into the Moab area. Will build a fire tomorrow to warm this place up, but I thought I'd update the blog while I'm waiting for the Scotch to take effect. Good night.

Battle of fire and ice...

2011-12-16T14:37:00.000-08:00

and the icy comet Lovejoy wins! Here's the video of the rapidly moving comet being slingshot through the Sun's corona:

Quite extraordinary, and you may want to replay it multiple times. Here are more details of this amazing encounter.

Scientists find microbes...

2011-12-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

in lava tube living in conditions like those on Mars.

That's where I'd look for extant life on the red planet - in thin films on the walls of lava tubes. The cavern environment provides more moderated temperatures, and shielding from ionizing radiation, than on the surface.

Bicentennial anniversary of enormous quakes...

2011-12-16T05:42:00.000-08:00

that rattled the Midwest occurs today, and over the next two months: The New Madrid earthquake events.

Image courtesy Wikipedia.

A very unlucky year...

2011-12-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

at the Lucky Friday mine in Idaho: Three miners hospitalized in Lucky Friday rock burst.

EWU's marketing motto...

2011-12-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

seems like a natural domain name for a pornographic web site - startsomethingbig.xxx - don't you think?

RELATED: Washington colleges pay to fend off porn sites. "At Eastern Washington University, school officials decided against purchasing any of the domains during the two-month window but are continuing to consider their options."

So is EWU's reluctance to jump on this a) a missed opportunity to protect the university's fine reputation, b) overlooking a potential money-maker during a time of diminished state support, or c) a failure to generate greater student interest in our institution?

Geographic South Pole...

2011-12-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

reached for the first time 100 years ago on this date in 1911 by Roald Amundsen. I've just ordered this book for some holiday reading, as I prepare for my personal mini-expedition to southern Utah. When I'm not hiking or skiing or exploring I'll be reading.

UPDATE: Why the British Were Doomed to Lose the Race to the South Pole.

Know your antipode...

2011-12-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

before tunneling through the center of the Earth as it may be helpful to have an idea where you will emerge on the other side of the globe. Here's an easy antipode calculator.

For me, digging down from Cheney, America, it's in the southern Indian Ocean, near the Kerguelen Islands.

An excellent visual comparison...

2011-12-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

of the energy released by recent earthquakes (best viewed full screen):

Hunt for Higgs...

2011-12-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

boson is still elusive, ambiguous: Possible Higgs boson signals, but we won't know for sure until next year.

In the meantime the universe continues to exist.

What would you do...

2011-12-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

if you were facing a similar situation?

Jupiter's moon Europa...

2011-12-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

is target for possible NASA lander. Why? "Europa, I think, is the premier place to go for extant life" said one scientist.

But apparently NASA didn't get the message about not landing there.

Plan a hike...

2011-12-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

on Mars using the new HiView software and HiRISE images acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.

This will have to do until you're able to get there. Have fun.

I get up early...

2011-12-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

so you don't have to, and here's the fruit of my labor. The predicted fog didn't manifest itself in the 18-degree F early morning, allowing for a good look at the total eclipse of the Moon.

Image details: Canon EOS 30D with 400 mm EF lens on monopod.

RELATED: Here's another early morning astroimaging project of mine from a couple of years ago.

I think he likes it...

2011-12-09T14:45:00.000-08:00

It's field work Friday...

2011-12-09T06:05:00.000-08:00

today, the last of the calendar year, as I check the dipsticks in the Rathdrum Prairie aquifer.

Watch the dawn eclipse of the Moon...

2011-12-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

early this Saturday morning. You'll have to rise at 4:45 am PST if you want to catch the early show, and it will conclude by 6:57 am PST. Get all the details at the linked article, and there's more information here.

Unfortunately, for eastern Washington, fog is predicted due to a cold, stagnant air mass. This may frustrate my attempt at observation.

It's a volcano-palooza...

2011-12-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

with this series of links that I've accumulated the last several weeks:

Gypsum veins discovered on Mars...

2011-12-08T05:43:00.000-08:00

by Opportunity rover: NASA Mars Rover Finds Mineral Vein Deposited By Water. This removes any and all doubt that water flowed through fractures in the past on Mars. Be sure to check out the related images at the link.

Will a new volcano emerge...

2011-12-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

from the sea at El Hierro? Here's the latest information:

If this activity continues I will certainly be communicating with the ship's captain of the Clipper Odyssey to see how close we might be able to approach this interesting site on our upcoming Zegrahm Expedition to the Canary Islands in mid-April 2012.

Mythbusters stunt goes awry...

2011-12-07T06:55:00.000-08:00

and sends cannonball through nearby homes. Fortunately nobody was injured, and be sure to watch the video at the link. Should make for an interesting episode when it airs.

UPDATE: More here with another video.

The Christmas cactus...

2011-12-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

in my window is in full bloom for the holiday season (click to enlarge):

Enjoy the splash of color, and happy holidays to all.

It's big. Really, really big...

2011-12-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

How to Picture the Size of the Universe

Here's one scenario...

2011-12-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

for a great quake and tsunami in the Cascadia subduction zone: Totally Psyched for the Full-Rip Nine.

Petrologic potpourri...

2011-12-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

boiling and bubbling in the Atlantic: Mixing Magmas at the Ongoing El Hierro Eruption. Very interesting.

Year end maintenance...

2011-12-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

of my home desktop computer over the weekend (deleting junk files and programs, defragging the hard drive, scheduled backup, etc.) motivated me to install an additional 2 GB of DRAM, doubling that on the motherboard. What a tremendous improvement in its performance - I should have done this much sooner. Highly recommended, and an inexpensive upgrade (cost me less than $30). Zoom zoom.

It's final exam week...

2011-12-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

at the university so I thought I'd bring out this animated graphic in commiseration for my students:

Study hard and good luck! And at the end of the week, when it's all over, just like banging your head against a wall, it will feel good when it stops.

Have a terrific winter break and I'll see you next year.

Interesting interview...

2011-12-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

with David Gelernter: Rethinking the Digital Future. And another with him here: Seer of the Mirror World.

Robots are coming...

2011-12-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

in all shapes and sizes and designs:

One thing is certain, it will be a very, very different world in another 20 years.

Related previous post.

Dust covered glaciers on Mars...

2011-12-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

in the Phlegra Montes range could contain large quantities of water ice (click to enlarge):

Full story here: Mountains and buried ice on Mars.

Image credit: ESA.

Safer than a T. rex I guess...

2011-12-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

Woolly mammoth to be brought back to life from cloned bone marrow 'within five years'.

100 incredible views...

2011-12-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

out of airplane windows. This is why I always try to grab a window seat, except on interminably long international flights.

Here are several of mine taken during recent travels, here, here and here.

Fisher Towers featured...

2011-12-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

in a commercial that is now airing showing spectacular climbing scenes on the sedimentary crags. The brief shot at about 12 seconds is filmed elsewhere in Canyonlands, but all the climbing is real. Very cool.

Caveman remodeling...

2011-11-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

Credit: The Wall Street Journal.

RELATED: Caveman home decorating.

Camera lost at sea...

2011-11-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

for more than a year returned to owner based on information on the SD card. While the camera was a complete loss, the images were still accessible on the memory card.

This suggests to me that it's a good idea to photograph a note with your name and phone number as a first image on the memory card in your camera. In case your camera is lost and subsequently found, a generous and honest person could then very easily contact you.

This morning begins...

2011-11-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

with a successful launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (also known as the Curiosity rover). The Atlas 5 rocket performed flawlessly and the upper Centaur stage is now accelerating the spacecraft to a point over the Indian Ocean where it will leave Earth orbit and head to Mars. Landing on the red planet will occur in nine months time, in August 2012.

Godspeed, Curiosity.

UPDATE: Here's a video of today's launch.

Mars-bound Atlas 5 rocket...

2011-11-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

is rolled out to Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 pad for launch tomorrow morning at 7:02 am PST, successfully completing the first third-of-a-mile of the spacecraft's 354-million-mile voyage (click to enlarge):

There's a 70% chance of favorable weather at the time of lift-off. Get mission updates here, and watch the launch on NASA-TV.

Photo credit: NASA-KSC.

The physics behind...

2011-11-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

swirling wine. You can practice with your Zinfandel on this holiday.

Just don't be too overly enthusiastic in your experimentation in oenodynamics, both in volume and acceleration.

Happy Thanksgiving...

2011-11-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

from WKRP in Cincinnati: "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

The most capable robot geologist...

2011-11-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

ever built now heads to Mars. And a friend of mine built one of the instruments on the Curiosity rover. How cool is that?

Dinosaur day care...

2011-11-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

discovered with 15 infants crowded in a nest (click image to enlarge).

Image credit: Live Science.

Liftoff rescheduled...

2011-11-21T15:16:00.000-08:00

for the Atlas 5 rocket carrying the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover from Friday to Saturday, 7:02 a.m. PST. A swap out of a battery for the rocket's launch safety system is the reason for the one-day delay.

Here's the Mission Status Center to keep up with launch preparations, and a related previous post.

Fingers crossed.

I guess I'm stuck here...

2011-11-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

Walking through doorways causes forgetting, new research shows.

Gutting gadgets...

2011-11-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

so you don't have to: Teardowns by iFixit . You know, just in case you're curious about what's inside your latest high-tech device. Warning: Don't try this at home - it will almost certainly void your warranty.

European Union bans claim...

2011-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

that water can prevent dehydration. Seriously.

Yeah, and breathing air doesn't forestall asphyxiation.

Marching Martian sand dunes...

2011-11-20T06:22:00.000-08:00

caught in motion (advancing up to two meters over several years) by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. Click on the images at the link and you will see "blinked" comparisons of various dunes at two different points in time. Very interesting.

Credit: NASA/JPL/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY.

Slow motion extinction...

2011-11-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

at the end of the Cretaceous: Massive volcanoes, meteorite impacts delivered one-two death punch to dinosaurs.

Afterwards, mammals celebrate!

Have you ever wondered...

2011-11-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

where that plane flying over your head is going? Smartphone or tablet required.

Very cool. Just tried it earlier today with my Galaxy Tab, and it works.

Engineering majors...

2011-11-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

hit the books more than business majors do.

I know. Shocking.

/end sarcasm

Asking the important questions...

2011-11-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

How Many Sips in a Bottle of Beer?

Warning: The answer involves math and physics.

It's field work Friday...

2011-11-18T06:12:00.000-08:00

on a snowy early morning, so I'm gearing up and leaving soon for my monthly rounds of groundwater level measurements on the Rathdrum Prairie aquifer. More snow is predicted through the day, and some local ski areas open this weekend. Given the snowy winter forecast, I predict a good runoff next spring, which translates into good aquifer recharge.

Hi-res topographic map of the Moon...

2011-11-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

has just been released (click to enlarge):

Selenographers rejoice! Here's more information about the new map (and the color scale) and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera.

Holy Grail of better batteries...

2011-11-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

has been achieved: New technology improves both energy capacity and charge rate in rechargeable batteries.

I'd be thrilled to have a phone that doesn't need recharging for up to a week or more, and a netbook that can run for several days of heavy use. Faster, please.