Chesapeake Bay Plankton and Fish Abundance ...

Raising the Ante on the Climate Debate, Pg. 262 Comment on “A Strategy to Rapidly Determine the Magnitude of Great Earthquakes, Pg. 263 Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project, Pg. 264

VOLUME 86 NUMBER 28 12 JULY 2005

Chesapeake Bay Plankton and Fish Abundance Enhanced by Hurricane Isabel Hurricane Isabel made landfall east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, as a Category 2 (Safford-Simpson scale) hurricane on 18 September 2003. The storm’s center tracked to the northwest, passing west of Chesapeake Bay ( Figure 1) in the early morning of 19 September. Hurricane Isabel brought the highest storm surge and winds to the region since the Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane of 1933 and Hurricane Hazel in 1954 (http:// www.erh.noaa.gov/er/akq/wx_events/hur/ isabel_2003.htm). Storm surge was variable in the region, reaching a high of 2.7 m on the western side of the bay, where the heaviest rainfall occurred. The highest sustained wind in the bay region reached 30.8 m s -1 at Gloucester Point,Virginia, with gusts to 40.7 m s -1. Overall, Hurricane Isabel was responsible for physical and biological changes in Chesapeake Bay on a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Short-term responses (e.g., the reduction of hypoxia by mixing, nutrient inputs to the upper water column, and a large-scale phytoplankton bloom) and longterm responses (e.g., early onset of hypoxia in spring 2004, high abundance of the calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis in spring 2004, and increased recruitment of Atlantic croaker) highlight the importance of hurricanes to the function of a large, estuarine ecosystem.

Physical Changes In the days preceding Hurricane Isabel’s landfall, northerly winds drove surface waters out of the bay and depressed sea level over the northern half of the estuary ( Figure 2). Isabel arrived with strong southeasterly winds on 18 September and produced an initial storm surge of 1.8 m at the bay’s entrance. The hurricane subsequently moved inland along a track to the west of the bay at a speed >10 m s -1. This speed is of the same order as that of the bay’s long-wave propagation speed of ~7 m s -1. The coincidence of storm movement with an associated propagating surge enabled local winds and the transiting low-pressure center to be BY M. R. ROMAN, J. E. ADOLF, J. BICHY, W. C. BOICOURT, L. W. HARDING, JR., E. D. HOUDE, S. JUNG, D. G. KIMMEL, W. D. MILLER, AND X. ZHANG

especially effective in creating large storm surges over the northern and western portions of the bay. As the storm moved northwestward, southeasterly winds blew directly up the Potomac River, driving a storm surge in Washington, D. C., that reached 2.7 m. The same winds forced a steep cross-estuary slope in sea surface off Baltimore, Maryland, with a 2.2 m surge at Baltimore on the bay’s western shore exceeding the surge on the eastern shore by 0.7 m. Currents measured at the Chesapeake Bay Observing System’s (CBOS; http://www.cbos. org) mid-bay buoy (latitude 38.3ºN) revealed strong flows associated with Hurricane Isabel superimposed on the regular ebb and flow of the semidiurnal tide ( Figure 2). Prior to the storm, northerly winds drove a typical two-layer, wind-forced flow, with the upper layer flow moving seaward and the lower layer flow moving into the bay. In the afternoon of 18 September, the storm’s southeasterly and southerly winds became sufficiently strong to force the entire water column up the bay at speeds in excess of 1.5 m s -1, mixing the water column in the process. This mixing event redistributed salt, nutrients, plankton, and fish within Chesapeake Bay, and the event brought with it a rapid (1.0 m s -1 or ~100 km d -1) intrusion of ocean water. After the storm, the bay relaxed with a strong water column movement in the opposite direction that subsequently reverted to a two-layer structure late on 19 September ( Figure 2).

Biological Responses Aircraft remote sensing of chlorophyll (chl a) on 11 and 24 September 2003 documented a response of the middle to lower bay to the passage of Hurricane Isabel (http://www. cbrsp.org). Typical expressions of fall phytoplankton dynamics in Chesapeake Bay include low biomass as chl a (5–11 mg m -3; Figure 1a), modest primary productivity (265–1065 mg carbon m -2 d -1), and a flora dominated by diatoms and cryptophytes [cf. Harding et al., 2002]. Observations from aircraft six days after Hurricane Isabel showed

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Fig. 1. Comparison of long-term average and post-Isabel concentrations of (a and b) phytoplankton biomass as chlorophyll (chl a) from aircraft remote sensing, (c and d) mesozooplankton as biovolume from an optical plankton counter, and (e and f) Atlantic croaker abundance from midwater trawls. Left panels represent fall averages for chl a, 1990–2003; biovolume, 1995–2000, for mesozooplankton; and numbers, 1996–2003, for Atlantic croaker. Right panels represent postIsabel observations on 23 September 2003 for phytoplankton; 4–5 November 2003 for mesozooplankton; and 6–7 November 2003 for Atlantic croaker.

Collecting, Digitizing, and Distributing Historical Seismological Data The digital preservation of the unique seismological heritage consisting of historical seismograms and earthquake bulletins, and of related documentation (e.g., observatory logbooks, station books, etc.), is critically important in order to avoid deterioration and loss over time [Kanamori, 1988]. Dissemination of this seismological material in digital form is of equal importance, to allow reanalysis of past earthquakes using modern techniques and the reevaluation of seismic hazard. This is of particular interest for those areas where little or no earthquake activity has occurred since the last significant historical earthquake. BY A. MICHELINI, B. DE SIMONI, A. AMATO, E. BOSCHI

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Euro-Mediterranean area through the European Seismological Commission Working Group on the History and Data of Instrumental Seismology, the EuroSeismos project (http://storing.ingv.it/es_web/). The participating partners gather historical records at their observatories and send them to SISMOS for scanning, archiving, and dissemination. In 2001, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e A parallel effort, SeismoArchives, has been Vulcanologia (INGV) started an innovative initiated by W. H. K. Lee under the auspices project, Progetto SISMOS (i.e., SISMOgrammi of the International Association of Seismology Storici), to scan (i.e., convert into digital form and Physics of the Earth’s for storage on a computer), at very The SISMOS project Interior (IASPEI) Committee high resolution, and archive seisof INGV will for Preservation of the Worldmological paper records and preserve a historical Wide Standardized Seismorelated material. The Italian heritage spanning graph Network (WWSSN) and Ministry for the Environment originearly 100 years Historical Seismograms nally funded the project to encomof seismology. (ICPWHS), in collaboration pass the digitization of seismogram with the Data Management records of the Italian seismic obserCenter (DMC) of the Incorporated Research vatories and of associated bulletins for the Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) (http:// period 1895–1984 (i.e., from the early age of www.iris.edu/data/SeismoArchives/). seismometry to the advent of the digital era). SeismoArchives has gathered primarily In 2002, the SISMOS activity was long-period WWSSN recordings since the extended to seismograms and bulletins early 1960s, and its activity is currently hamfrom observatories in 28 countries of the

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pered by a lack of dedicated funding and personnel. SISMOS, among others, has provided funding to scan the microfilms of some significant earthquakes that occurred in Italy. Also, EuroSeismos and ICPWHS, which have many common participants, maintain an ongoing collaboration.

Key SEISMOS Products INGV has designed and implemented a registered-user Web portal to the SISMOS archive of the Italian historical material. (Access to the EuroSeismos data also will be granted in the future as the digitization of all the records nears completion.) As of May 2005, more than 82,000 seismogram records have been scanned and made available. Similarly, historical seismic bulletins have been scanned and are available in Adobe® PDF [Portable Document Format] on the SISMOS Web site. The main products of SISMOS available through the Web server (http://sismos.ingv.it) include:

Seismological Data

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forum Raising the Ante on the Climate Debate TRANSACTIONS AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION The Newspaper of the Earth and Space Sciences

Editors Keith Alverson: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO, Paris, France; [email protected] John W. Geissman: Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science,University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA; [email protected] Venkat Lakshmi: Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia USA; [email protected] Editor in Chief A. F. Spilhaus, Jr.: AGU, Washington, D.C., USA; [email protected]

Corresponding Editors Roland Burgmann (Tectonophysics): University of California at Berkeley, USA; burgmann@seismo. berkeley.edu

William E. Carter (History): Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA; [email protected]

Millard F. Coffin (Japan): Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Japan; mcoffin@ori. u-tokyo.ac.jp

Steven C. Constable (Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism): Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA; sconstable@ucsd. edu

Richard S. Gross (Geodesy): Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,California USA; richard.gross@ jpl.nasa.gov

Marguerite Kingston (Public Affairs): USGS (retired); [email protected] Louise Prockter (Planetary Sciences): Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, USA; [email protected]

Paul Renne (VGP): Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, California, USA;[email protected]

Justin S. Revenaugh (Seismology): University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA; [email protected]. edu

Jeffery J. Roberts (Mineral and Rock Physics): Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA; [email protected]

Sarah L. Shafer (Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology): U.S. Geological Survey, Corvallis, Oregon, USA; [email protected] David Sibeck (Space Physics and Aeronomy): NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA; [email protected]

Ramesh P. Singh (India): Dept. of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India; [email protected] Stephanie Ann Stockman (Education): Science Systems and Applications Inc., Lanham, Maryland, USA; [email protected] Maribeth Stolzenburg (Atmospheric and Space Electricity): Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Mississippi, University, USA; [email protected]

Jeffrey M. Welker (Biogeosciences): Environment and Natural Resources Institute, University of Alaska, Anchorage, USA; [email protected] Assistant Editors Peter Folger: AGU, Washington, D.C., USA; [email protected]

Catherine O’Riordan: AGU, Washington, D.C., USA; [email protected] Staff Editorial: Stephen Cole, Publisher; Randy Showstack, Managing Editor; Shermonta Grant, Production Coordinator; Pamela Ingate, Editor’s Assistant Advertising: Carla Childres, Advertising Assistant; Tel: +1-202-7777536; E-mail: [email protected]; Composition and Graphics: Habib Hastaie, Manager; Nancy Sims, and Valerie Bassett, Electronic Graphics Specialists

Almost alone in the world of science, there is a substantial U.S. effort to discredit some basic conclusions in the global warming debate. There are always legitimate reasons to query scientific conclusions, but the tenor of the debate has taken on a flavor of its own. Since the epicenter of the dispute is in Washington, D. C., the suspicion arises that not all of the discussion is business-as-usual scientific disagreement. The most recent example of the heightening level of the dispute involves a 23 June 2005 letter from U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, to Michael Mann (University of Virginia) and his collaborators, Raymond Bradley (University of Massachusetts) and Malcolm Hughes (University of Arizona). The dispute centers on the much discussed Ahockey stick@ reconstruction of Mann et al. [1998, 1999]. In those reconstructions, the twentieth century warming stands well above Northern Hemisphere temperature fluctuations of the last 1000 years. Other investigators, using some of the same data but with different approaches, have also reconstructed temperatures of the last millennium (see Mann et al. [2003] for a summary discussion). In general, there is more agreement than disagreement among the various reconstructions. The differences stem mainly from the scaling of the oscillations, but in all cases the late twentieth century is anomalous in a millennial context. The discussions on the hockey stick would require many pages to describe in detail, but an apparent trigger for the 23 June development goes back to a request about three years ago by a Canadian investigator, Steven McIntyre, for all the files, data sets, algorithms, and source codes that went into the Mann et al. reconstruction. McIntyre is a semi-retired mineral trader with an interest in mathematics, and he wanted to test some of the results of the Mann et al. studies. Although the data were already available on a public FTP (file transfer protocol) computer site, Mann provided them in a different format, as requested by McIntyre. The algorithm was described in the original 1998 Nature paper, but an expanded version was added in 2004 on a Nature supplementary Web site. The source code was not provided because it is considered an intellectual property right. McIntyre continues to press for more information. Not all of this information was provided, in part because of the sheer level of work required. Because I had also produced a millennial climate reconstruction [Crowley and Lowery, 2000], I too was a recipient of a request from McIntyre. I can attest that his initial message was of a somewhat peremptory character, requesting all my files, programs, and documentation, and that a quick follow-up by him had a more threatening tone, implying that the director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) would be contacted if I did not comply. Even after I belatedly supplied some data, McIntyre sent a number of follow-up requests asking for more details on my data and analysis. These requests may have been well-intentioned, but at some point I declined to answer any more, because I was just too busy to stop and respond to the repeated questions and requests. McIntyre and his co-author, Ross McKitrick, an economist at the University of Guelph,

Ontario, Canada, subsequently published a rebuttal paper [McIntyre and McKitrick, 2003] without showing Mann, the provider of the data, a prepublication Acourtesy@ examination to screen for any possible errors. The McIntyre and McKitrick paper (referred to here as AMM@) showed an unexpectedly large warming in the 1400s, apparently calling into question Mann=s analysis and the uniqueness of the late twentieth century warming. However, the consensus among climate scientists most familiar with the data is that the MM warming in the 1400s is due to an error in the MM analysis method; it can also not be supported by an examination of the data. The debate continues. The most recent development appears to have resulted from someone requesting a favor from Rep. Barton, for the content of the Barton letter covers not only ongoing issues between McIntyre and Mann, but also a level of detail that seems to go well beyond that. Two examples from the Barton letter to Mann, his colleagues, NSF Director Arden Bement, Jr., and IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Chairman Rajendra Pachauri illustrate the magnitude of the requests. Your curriculum vitae, including, but not limited to, a list of all studies relating to climate change research for which you were an author or co-author and the source of funding for those studies. Provide the location of all data archives relating to each published study for which you were an author or co-author and indicate: (a) whether this information contains all the specific data you used and calculations you performed, including such supporting documentation as computer source code, validation information, and other ancillary information, necessary for full evaluation and application of the data, particularly for another party to replicate your research results; (b) when this information was available to researchers; (c) where and when you first identified the location of this information; (d) what modifications, if any, you have made to this information since publication of the respective study; and (e) if necessary information is not fully available, provide a detailed narrative description of the steps somebody must take to acquire the necessary information to replicate your study results or assess the quality of the proxy data you used. The letters are available online at http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/ Letters/06232005_1570.htm. Rep. Barton displayed a remarkable grasp of some details of climate statistics when, he further requested whether Mann Acalculate[d] the [sic] R2 [i.e., r2] statistic for the temperature reconstruction, particularly for the 15th Century proxy record calculations and what were the results?@ and Awhat validation statistics did [Mann] calculate for the reconstruction prior to 1820?@ These are virtually verbatim statements from McIntyre=s earlier critiques that had been posted on his own Web site. At some point, one must ask why should a member of the U.S. Congress get involved

©2005 American Geophysical Union. Material in this issue may be photocopied by individual scientists for research or classroom use. Permission is also granted to use short quotes, figures, and tables for publication in scientific books and journals. For permission for any other uses,contact the AGU Publications Office. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union (ISSN 0096-3941) is published weekly by the American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA. Periodical Class postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Member Service Center, 2000 Florida Ave., NW,Washington, DC 20009 USA. Member Service Center 8:00 a.m.–7 p.m. Eastern time; Tel: +1-202-462-6900; Fax: +1-202-328-0566; Tel. orders in U.S.:1-800-966-2481; E-mail: [email protected]. Information on institutional subscriptions is available from the Member Service Center. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official positions of the American Geophysical Union unless expressly stated.

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in this matter which may have been raised by a Canadian? I believe the purpose is twofold: (1) to send a signal of intimidation to researchers who produce results that are not consistent with some political preferences; and (2) to continue to dwell on the hockey stick Ahot button@ by raising questions and fomenting uncertainty, with the aim to discredit greenhouse science so skeptics in government and their supporters can continue to claim that there are too many uncertainties to proceed with any action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has also focused on the Mann et al. reconstruction as a way of delegitimizing the conclusions of the IPCC. The presumed logic is that if the Mann et al. reconstruction can be proved flawed, then so too is the general report of the IPCC that highlights the Mann et al. record. Of course, such Alogic@—basically, guilt by association—conveniently ignores the manifold evidence for global warming summarized in the IPCC report, the fact that the IPCC report represents a broad-based consensus not dependent on any one author, and that the final report was approved not only by scientists, but also by political representatives of the countries that signed the report. The broader scientific community should be aware of these developments, because the politicizing of data/file requests could easily be expanded to other areas where science intersects and conflicts with the interests of some political groups. For example, requests could be made to paleontologists and molecular biologists for all data and files supporting evolution. Likewise, radiochemists could be entrained into pseudoscientific debate because of all the massive and magnificent geochronological data that have been gathered over the last few decades. Hopefully, these extrapolations will not happen and the Barton request will be an anomaly. However, this development does warrant attention, as it seems to be consistent with the tenor of the day. Scientists and the public need to be aware of, and resist, any attempt to intimidate scientists who produce results not consistent with the position of the political party presently in power. Disclaimer The statements in this Forum represent my own views and understanding of the situation. Time invested in the Forum was not supported by funds from any government agency. Although I am friends with Michael Mann, Raymond Bradley, and Malcolm Hughes, I have not been involved with any of their interactions and correspondence with Steven McIntyre.

References Crowley, T. J., and T. L. Lowery (2000), How warm was the Medieval Warm Period? Ambio, 29, 51,054. Mann, M. E., R. S. Bradley, and M. K. Hughes (1999), Northern hemisphere temperatures during the last millennium: Inferences, uncertainties, and limitations. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 759–762. Mann, M. E., R. S. Bradley, and M. K. Hughes (1998), Global scale temperature patterns and climate forcings over the past six centuries, Nature, 392, 779–787. Mann, M. E., et al. (2003), On past temperatures and anomalous late 20th century warmth, Eos, 84(27), 256–258. McInytre, S., and R. McKitrick (2003), Corrections to the Mann et al. 1998 proxy data base and northern hemisphere average temperature series, Energy and Environment, 14, 751–771.

—THOMAS J. CROWLEY, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, N. C

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Comment on “A Strategy to Rapidly Determine the Magnitude of Great Earthquakes” by W. Menke and V. Levin We appreciate W. Menke and L. Levin’s comments (Eos, 86(19), pp.185, 189, 10 May 2005) on the need to develop new seismological techniques to more accurately determine the magnitude of great earthquakes quickly. However, in the first few paragraphs, Menke and Levin suggest that the many thousands of people died because an accurate assessment of the true nature of the 26 December 2004 Sumatra earthquake was not known within the first hour after it occurred. Although this may serve as a wake-up call to seismologists on the importance of better and more rapid magnitude estimation procedures, it should not be used to obscure the most urgent need, which is to establish an effective global tsunami warning system. The primary reason many thousands of lives were lost in the Sumatra tsunami is that there was no tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean. Rather than focusing on the failure of seismologists to accurately estimate the magnitude of the 26 December earthquake, we should understand that what the world needs to prevent another tsunami tragedy on this scale is, first and foremost, a global tsunami warning system. Faster seismological techniques for more accurate magnitude estimation and source characterization will certainly help the warning system. However, such improvements will be of little benefit to nations or regions where there is still no tsunami warning system. In the aftermath of the Sumatra tsunami, there was considerable confusion about what exactly a tsunami warning system is. Many people still seem to believe that warning centers themselves are the warning system. This is a misconception that we are trying to dispel. A successful warning system is composed of three main components: tsunami hazard and risk assessment, warning guidance, and preparedness. Each component must be functioning; otherwise the system collapses. Warning centers are the trip wires; the centers’ responsibilities include determining the location and magnitude of an earthquake as quickly as possible, evaluating potential tsunami threat, issuing message

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products, and monitoring sea level gauges for evidence of tsunami activity. Emergency managers evaluate warning center message products (with the help of local tsunami advisors, when possible), plan evacuation routes and shelters, and develop a communications system to alert the public to a tsunami emergency. Tsunami awareness also is vital. The public needs to be educated about what actions to take to save their lives during a tsunami emergency. For example, if you are near the shore and feel a strong earthquake, you should immediately head inland and/or uphill. Likewise, a proper understanding of some basic properties of tsunamis and their causes can save lives, even in the epicentral region. One sure sign of an approaching tsunami is the ocean draw-down, i.e., when the ocean recedes in an unnatural way. How would the Pacific tsunami warning system react if a 26 December type event were to occur in the Pacific Basin? With an initial Mw estimate of 8.0, and based on predetermined conservative criteria, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Richard H. Hagemeyer Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the agency’s West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center would issue warnings, watches, and advisories to their respective clients in the Pacific. (NOAA’s tsunami warning centers work with a number of U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey and other NOAA organizations. Internationally, the warning centers work with Australia’s National Tidal Center, Chile’s Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada, the Japan Meteorological Agency, and other organizations. Through such collaborations, NOAA’s warning centers obtain the information needed to provide timely tsunami threat warnings.) To provide timely warnings, the earthquake must be evaluated as fast as possible. Warning centers understand that evaluating the first 100 seconds of signal may not indicate the size of a great earthquake with a rupture time of several hundred seconds.

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Progress and Planning Workshop, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Sponsor: The National Science Foundation. (P. Nordstrom; Tel: +1-814-8657434; E-mail: [email protected]; Web Site: http://www.ridge2000.org/science/meetings/ WorkshopInfo.php?workshopID=Vancouver5) Abstract deadline is 19 September 2005. The meeting will provide a forum for exchange of information on the recent work and future goals of current Integrated Studies Sites.

15086-7573; Tel: +1-724-779-3003; Fax: +1-724-779-8313; E-mail: [email protected]; Web Site: http://www.mrs.org/ meetings/fall2005/) The meeting will provide a forum for the materials community. Topics include energy and the environment; bio-organic/inorganic composites; nano to microstructured materials; smart materials/devices; mechanical behavior; and electronics/photonics. The meeting will also feature a “fashion show” on wearable smart materials, as well as a hydrogen fuel cell car race for high school students and teachers.

13–16 November 2005 10th European Bio-

01–02 December 2005 Congress on Assessing

solids and Biowastes Conference, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. Sponsors: Montgomery Watson Harza (MWH Global); Yara. (F. Eldon, Richmond House, 16 Blenheim Terrace, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England LS2 9HN; Tel: +011-44113-2424200; Fax: +011-44-113-2442166; E-mail: [email protected]; Web Site: http://www.european-biosolids.com) The conference will provide a forum for discussion on biosolids and biowaste treatment and disposal including engineering, strategic planning, regulation, sustainability, soil science, and practical and innovative short and long-term solutions for handling, treating, recycling, and resource utilization of the ever-growing quantities of these residuals. The meeting will review the results of the past decade and the challenges, opportunities, and threats for biosolids and biowastes in the future.

However, the initial estimate can be used to determine if an earthquake is over a warning threshold. Had the 26 December event occurred in the Pacific, all regions within three hours of tsunami travel time would have been placed in a tsunami warning status based on the initial determination of an Mw of 7.9 or greater. More limited regional warning bulletins are issued for earthquakes in the Pacific with an Mw as small as 7.55, and local warnings are issued for earthquakes with an Mw as small as 6.8. Although destructive tsunamis resulting from an earthquake with an Mw as small as 6.8 are extremely rare, they are not impossible. For example, such an earthquake could potentially trigger landslides, or the earthquake could be a “slow” earthquake (sometimes referred to as a “tsunami earthquake”) resulting in a much larger than expected tsunami given the earthquake’s seismic moment. Fortunately, the tsunami warning system of the Pacific has an extensive network of over 130 remotely reporting sea level gauges including several deep-ocean pressure sensors. These gauges are a critical asset for tsunami warning that was completely missing in the Indian Ocean on 26 December. The Pacific network of sea level gauges allows warning centers to confirm the existence or nonexistence of tsunami waves following a warning based solely on the seismic data. Most Pacific warnings are canceled within 2–3 hours after they are issued, based on the sea level data. Without the network of sea level gauges, the entire Pacific Basin would have unnecessarily been placed in a warning status many times during the past 40 years over which the tsunami warning system of the Pacific has been operational. Aside from causing a significant disruption to normal activities in coastal zones, frequent false warnings cause them to be discredited, and make warnings of real threats ineffective. On 26 December 2004, there was no tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean: there was no warning center, inadequate regional seismic networks, no network of remotely reporting sea level gauges, no designated national authorities for tsunami warnings, no communications methods to reach potential authorities, no tsunami-educated emergency managers or local tsunami experts, no communications to disseminate warnings to coastal regions at risk, and painfully little tsunami awareness. We hope we have made it clear that what is vitally important is a functioning tsunami 14–19 May 2006 14th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, Key Biscayne, Florida, USA. Sponsors: U.S. Geological Survey; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; others. (E. Muckle-Jeffs, 1027 Pembroke Street East, Suite 200, Pembroke, Ontario, Canada K8A 3M4; Tel: 1-800-868-8776; Fax: +1-613-732-3386; E-mail: [email protected]; Web Site: http://icais.org) Abstract deadline is 16 September 2005. The conference will serve as a forum for the presenta-

and Mitigating Environmental Impacts of Emerging Contaminants, Washington, DC, USA. Sponsor: U.S. Geological Survey. (R. Day, 5430 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, Maryland, USA 20814-2193; Tel: +1-301-493-9101; E-mail: [email protected]; Web Site: http://www.rnrf.org) The congress will identify problems and unintended consequences of emerging contaminants. Specific issues to be examined include: efficacy of the existing regulatory framework; research and monitoring needs; impacts on human and wildlife health; and public information and education needs. Discussion will focus on nanoparticles; pharmaceuticals; pesticides and metabolites/ degradates – synthetic pyrethroids; and industrial chemicals – brominated flame retardants.

16–18 November 2005 Climate Change, Sus-

tainable Development and Risk – An Economic and Business View, Lutherstadt/Wittenberg, Germany. Sponsor: Stiftungsfond Dresdner Bank. (R. Antes, Martin-Luther-University, Faculty of Economics, Grobe Steinstrasse 73, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany D-06099; Tel: +011-49-345-5523-463; Fax: +011-49-345-5527-199; E-mail: [email protected]. de; Web Site: http://www.wiwi.uni-halle.de/lui/bwl/ umwelt/) Abstract deadline is 31 July 2005. The workshop will provide a forum to discuss corporate climate risk strategies, changing and emerging markets, risk profiles of sustainable companies, and climate change perceptions/behavior of economic actors.

28 November–02 December 2005 2005 MRS

(Materials Research Society) Fall Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Sponsor: Materials Research Society. (Materials Research Society, 506 Keystone Drive, Warrendale, Pennsylvania, USA

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warning system. Better seismology for such events is something that can help; but with respect to mitigating loss of life from tsunamis, it is of secondary importance to the establishment of a global tsunami warning system. We are always seeking ways to improve the warning system. Currently, the tsunami warning centers employ the Mwp , Mm , and Ms methods to estimate the size of earthquakes at teleseismic distances. In particular, the Mwp (P -wave moment method [Tsuboi et al., 1995]) and Mm (mantle magnitude method [Okal and Talandier, 1988]) are methods that are designed to reduce the effects of saturation (underestimation of the earthquake magnitude when source duration significantly exceeds the seismic wave period at which the magnitude is measured) and yield quality seismic moment estimates of great earthquakes in near real time. While these methods underestimated the 26 December earthquake, they performed superbly for the 28 March 2005 earthquake, a Harvard Seismology CMT magnitude Mw = 8.6 event as estimated by Harvard Seismology that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported in its initial bulletin as an Mw 8.5 just 19 min after the event. Further analysis by Weinstein and Okal [2005] shows that extending the Mm method to longer periods gives a value for the 26 December Sumatra earthquake of 8.9. We appreciate Menke and Levin’s efforts directed at developing new seismological techniques that could improve the warning system’s capability to more accurately assess great earthquakes in a timely fashion, and look forward to any other such advances that may emerge from the scientific community at large in the wake of the 26 December event.

References Okal, E. A., and J. Talandier (1989), Mm: A variable period magnitude, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 4169–4193. Tsuboi S., K. Abe, K. Takano, and Y. Yamanaka (1995), Rapid determination of Mw from broadband P waveforms, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 85, 606–613. Weinstein, S. A., and E. A. Okal (2005), The mantle magnitude Mm and the slowness parameter Θ: Five years of real-time use in the context of tsunami warning, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 95, 779–799.

—S. A. WEINSTEIN, C. MCCREERY, and B. HIRSHORN, Richard H. Hagemeyer Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, Ewa Beach, Hawaii; and P. WHITMORE, West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, Palmer

tion of the latest field research; introduction of new technological developments for prevention, monitoring, and control; and discussion of policy, legislation, public education, and outreach initiatives to raise awareness of the impacts of aquatic invasive species and prevent new introductions. Topics include policy and programs; ecological and ecosystem impacts; socioeconomic impacts, and education and outreach.

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MEETINGS Second Phase of Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project By devoting an entire chapter of the fourth assessment report (AR4) to paleoclimates, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recognized that studying past climates is essential for comprehending the climate system, and hence for predicting its future evolution. In particular, numerical simulations of past climates, different from today, constitute an independent test of the performance and reliability of the general circulation models commonly used for climate predictions. This idea is the motivation for the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project ( PMIP ), a long-standing initiative endorsed by the World Climate Research Programme and the International Geosphere and Biosphere Programme. The focus has so far been on two reference periods, chosen as being the most representative of cold and warm climate intervals in the recent past: the Last Glacial Maximum ( LGM, 21,000 years ago) and the mid-Holocene (6000 years ago). The first phase of PMIP, launched in 1992, was based on analysis of atmospheric general circulation models. PMIP 1 met with considerable success, with 67 model experiments archived in a central database and over 70 papers published in the refereed literature. One of the greatest achievements of PMIP 1 was to provide a framework for paleoclimate modeling by bringing a community of climate modelers and field experts together. In 2002, the PMIP steering committee decided, therefore, that the time had come to define new numerical experiments that take advantage of the new generation of atmosphereocean-vegetation coupled models [Harrison et al., 2002]. With these new simulations PMIP 2 also hopes to extract quantitative information on climate sensitivity in order to better predict the consequences of climate change on human societies. The first PMIP 2 workshop, held in April 2005, gathered most of the scientists involved in the project. The attendance spanned the different representative disciplines (climate modeling, geophysics, biology, palynology, geochemistry, and paleoceanography) with 65 scientists from five continents. On the agenda were a discussion of model results obtained so far (including a comparison with paleodata), an overview of newly available paleoclimate data syntheses, and plans to widen the scope of PMIP 2 by defining experimental protocols for other periods in the past.

A Series of New Paleoclimate Simulations Compared with PMIP 1, the PMIP 2 project considers, for each period, a suite of

(S. Harrison) that objectively determines the level of agreement between models and data on the basis of a series of qualitative but robustly documented paleoclimatic features, for example, abundant monsoon rainfall in the Sahel throughout the mid-Holocene. It was also shown (A. Abe-Ouchi) how quantitative information produced from paleoclimate records, such as the amplitude of the tropical Pacific cooling at the Last Glacial Maximum, may be used to infer constraints on climate sensitivity on the basis of a large ensemble of climate simulations. This technique could provide a valuable contribution to the IPCC.

numerical experiments that differ by the number of components of the Earth system that are interactively taken into account: AGCM simulations use atmosphere general circulation models with prescribed sea surface temperatures; OAGCMs have a compoPromising Advances in Data Reconstructions nent calculating the dynamics of the ocean; and OAVGCMs are coupled to a dynamic The meeting was equally rich on the vegetation model. data side. Pollen data and macrofossils The high scientific potential of this ( M. Kerwin, M. Edwards) show that the approach was highlighted in a series of prewarmest epoch between the Last Glacial sentations describing recent OAGCM and Maximum and today (the Holocene thermal OAVGCM simulations. Y. Zhao showed how optimum) occurred as early as 10,000 years the shoaling of the mixed layer in the Indian ago in the Alaska–eastern Siberia sector Ocean enhances the response of the Indian (Beringia), while northeastern America summonsoon to the changes in orbital forcing. mer temperatures hit their maximum less This is a good example of positive feedback than 6000 years ago. The late thermal optiof the ocean response on the atmosphere mum in northeastern Canada is partly dynamics. Having interactive vegetation may linked to the presence of remainders of the further enhance the response of the atmoLaurentide Ice Sheet until about 7000 years sphere with, in turn, consequences to the ago. Perhaps in connection with the disapstructure of the ocean mixed layer. Such an pearance of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, cysts ocean-vegetation synergy needs to be taken of dynoflagellates reveal a sharp increase in into account to understand the abundant surface salinity and mixed-layer depth monsoon rainfall in the Sahel around 7500 years ago in the Numerical simula- Labrador Sea (A. de Vernal). during the mid-Holocene tions of past climates When possible, a multi-proxy [Braconnot et al., 2004]. constitute an inde- approach is preferable for inferAnother goal of PMIP 2 is to pendent test of the ring robust information on past maintain a database of model performance and reli- climate evolution. A good examresults in which long-term means and individual years are ability of the general ple was given for southeastern circulation models Brazil (B. Turcq), where lakearchived. Information on intercommonly used for level reconstructions, speleoannual and interdecadal variclimate predictions. themes (e.g., stalagmites), and ability can therefore be extracted. Specifically, prelimipollen fossils allow the docunary comparisons of the El Niño–Southern mentation of a continuous increase in preOscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation cipitation since the Last Glacial Maximum. signals in PMIP 2 experiments were shown Progress has also been made about the by U. Merkel and R. Gladstone. The first PMIP knowledge of past ice sheets. Geophysical 2 model outputs also provided the opportuconstraints on the history of the Laurentide nity to illustrate some innovative analysis Ice Sheet (W. R. Peltier) allow the inferring techniques (quantification of cloud feedof the existence of large freshwater meltwaback based on regime analysis, simulations ter runoff flow into the Arctic during the of potential vegetation, lake-level modeling). Younger Dryas (12,700–11,700 years ago). Apart from using more sophisticated cliThere are also an increasing number of mate models, PMIP 2 uses up-to-date inforattempts to extract indices of past climate mation to define the experiments, including variability from high-resolution paleoclithe latest reconstruction of the Last Glacial matic records, although it has not been posMaximum topography (ICE-5G) and a river sible so far to infer information on interanrouting scheme derived from geological evinual variability that is spatially consistent dence complemented by hydrological mod(S. Brewer). Finally, detailed analysis of modeling. It is therefore essential to determine to ern climate and pollen data remains essenwhat extent these refinements improve the tial, as illustrated by an extensive survey of ability of state - of - the - art climate models to modern bioclimatic relationships presented reproduce past climatic data. by B. Thompson. This question was discussed at the workshop. On the one hand, a series of posters Widening the Scope: New Targets was devoted to specific sensitivity experifor PMIP Experiments ments analyzing the role of river routing, horizontal resolution, and freshwater fluxes Although the mid-Holocene and LGM on simulation results. On the other hand, a continue to be of interest, other periods scheme was developed during the meeting pose interesting challenges. Specifically, PMIP 2 has expanded the set of standard experiments to include simulations of the previous interglacial/glacial transition (this is the “glacial inception,” 115,000 years ago), the early Holocene (9000 years ago), the Younger Dryas (the cold period observed in different regions of the Northern Hemisphere between 12,700 and 11,700 years ago), and the abrupt cooling event 8200 years ago. The focus on glacial inception is motivated by some earlier experiments suggesting

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that vegetation and ocean feedbacks are essential for explaining year- to - year accumulation of snow in northeastern America at the end of the previous interglacial period. With the PMIP community focusing on fully coupled OAVGCMs, it is appropriate to revisit this issue. Younger Dryas and 8.2 kyr experiments are an opportunity to obtain information on the stability of the ocean circulation, and the consequences of possible changes in its structure, by comparing model outputs with paleoclimatic data. The meeting has allowed the defining of the corresponding experimental setups. Several contributions also highlighted the necessity of using Earth system models of intermediate complexity to develop analysis methods, explore the parameter space, and analyze the response of climate over long timescales. For example, it was shown that several thousands of years are needed by the climate system to recover from a perturbation of the North Atlantic freshwater balance. Furthermore, the characteristic response time differs for glacial and interglacial conditions (I. Ross, E. Bauer). A. Koutavas (LDEO, Columbia) and A. Ganopolski (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany) were awarded the best poster prizes. The meeting also provided the opportunity to tighten social links; and an excursion to the nearby Porquerolles Island nicely complemented the program. Full details about the meeting, the project, and how to be involved in result analysis are available at http://www-lsce.cea.fr/pmip2. The Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Workshop was held on 3–8 April 2005, in Giens (Var, France),

Acknowledgments Financial support to the meeting was provided by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France), Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA, France), the international programs on climate variability and predictability (CLIVAR) and Past Global Changes (PAGES). The local organization and the program were settled by P. Braconnot and B. OttoBliesner with the help of the PMIP 2 steering committee and the Laboratoire des Sciences de Climat et de l’Environnement (CEA-CNES, France) climate modeling group. S. Galot cared for the administration and French language support. Travel funding for many of the U.S. participants was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Earth System History program and U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Global Programs.

References Braconnot, P., S. P. Harrison, S. Joussaume, C. D. Hewitt, A. Kitoh, J. E. Kutzbach, Z. Liu, B. Otto-Bliesner, J. Syktus, and N. Weber (2004), Evaluation of PMIP coupled ocean-atmosphere simulations of the mid-Holocene, in Past Climate Variability Through Europe and Africa, edited by R. W. Batterbee et al., pp. 515–533, Springer, New York. Harrison, S. P., P. Braconnot, S. Joussaume, C. D. Hewitt, and R. J. Stouffer (2002), Comparison of paleoclimate simulations enhances confidence in models, Eos Trans. AGU, 83(40), 447.

—M. CRUCIFIX, Hadley Centre, Met Office, Exeter, Devon, U.K.; P. BRACONNOT, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, CEACNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; S. P. HARRISON, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, U.K.; and B. OTTO-BLIESNER, Climate and Global Dynamics Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo. For additional information, contact M. Crucifix; E-mail: [email protected].

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Chesapeake cont. from page 261

a large phytoplankton bloom with high chl a (14–20 mg m -3) covering more than 3000 km2 of the middle to lower bay (38.3º– 37.2ºN; Figure 1b). Additional flights and shipboard sampling showed the bloom had dissipated by early October. Phytoplankton dynamics following Hurricane Isabel likely were influenced by the strong mixing associated with the sustained winds and storm surge, introducing lower layer nutrients (>2 μM dissolved inorganic nitrogen) and seed populations of phytoplankton from lower layer waters into the photic zone. Zooplankton biomass was measured with an undulating optical plankton counter (OPC) on cruises that took place three and seven weeks after the passage of Hurricane Isabel (5–6 October and 4–5 November 2003). October zooplankton biomass (not shown) was similar to the fall average for 1995–2000 [Roman et al., 2005], whereas November zooplankton was significantly lower than average ( Figures 1c and 1d). Although zooplankton biomass on the November post-Isabel cruise was depressed in the middle and lower bay compared with the fall averages, zooplankton biomass in the upper bay was enhanced following Isabel. Zooplankton size distributions from OPC data showed that abundances of larger zooplankton size classes in the middle and lower bay were lower than 1995–2000 averages. Depression of total biomass and a flat size distribution are probably due to predation on mesozooplankton by the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, a gelatinous predator that was exceptionally abundant in fall 2003. Zooplankton species composition did not exhibit large differences from 1995–2000 averages, whereas copepod nauplii were very abundant, particularly in the middle bay; this suggests that the Isabel-induced phytoplankton bloom enhanced zooplankton production. Midwater trawls collected 21 fish species in waters of the upper bay after Isabel (21– 23 October), five more species than the 1995–2000 average [Jung and Houde, 2003]. The post-Isabel increase in species richness included many previously uncommon freshwater fishes that were flushed into the bay by surging freshwater flow from the Susquehanna River. Post-Isabel abundances of young-of-the-year (fish hatched in the calendar year of the study) anadromous fishes were well above the decadal mean, but high abundances may have been due to prevailing wet conditions in spring 2003 that signal

ABOUT AGU Earth and Space Scientists Visit Capitol Hill AGU’s Office of Public Affairs organizes frequent opportunities for members to meet with Congress. Recently, AGU members participated in two events: an annual Congressional Visits Day and the Coalition for National Science Funding congressional reception. Over 200 scientists and engineers met with key legislators and their staffs on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. as part of the 10th annual Science, Engineering, and Technology Congressional Visits Day (CVD) held on 10– 11 May. In their meetings, participants advocated this year’s CVD theme: Federally funded research secures our nation’s future. To prepare for the visits, AGU, the American Geological Institute, and the Joint Oceanographic Institutions invited 30 Earth and space scientists to participate in briefings from representatives of key U.S. federal agencies: NASA, National Science Foundation ( NSF ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The briefers presented the Bush Administration’s fiscal year 2006 budget request and program priorities for their agencies. Following the briefings, four current Congressional Science Fellows led a panel discussion about their role, and gave tips on how scientists can best communicate with members of Congress and their staffs. At a later briefing with the full CVD group, administration officials and congressional staff underscored the importance of the visits from the scientific community to providing support for science funding. Kei Koizumi, director of the American Association for the

favorable reproductive conditions for anadromous fishes [North and Houde, 2001]. In the lower bay, there was a dramatic post-Isabel increase in abundance of the ecologically important bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli near the bay mouth. Influx of age one+ anchovy may have co-occurred with the entrainment of shelf waters into the bay or by downriver displacement from western shore tidal tributaries after Hurricane Isabel. Young-of-the-year Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, originating from eggs spawned on the shelf, were remarkably abundant in a post-Isabel survey (6–10 November), with peak abundance in the lower bay >10 times higher than observed in trawl surveys over the previous decade ( Figures 1e and 1f). The small mean size (33 mm), high abundance, and concentration in the lower bay indicate a large import of croaker larvae from the continental shelf into the bay, either during the storm surge or in its aftermath, probably from entrainment in bottom waters during conditions of enhanced estuarine circulation. Sampling was conducted 5–7 weeks after Hurricane Isabel, preventing observations of immediate impacts on the bay’s fish community. Despite this constraint, shifts in distributions and abundances of fishes elicited by Hurricane Isabel were documented. Effects mostly indicate enhanced abundances, e.g., young-of-the-year Atlantic croaker and adult bay anchovy. No obvious negative effects of Hurricane Isabel on fish populations or communities in the bay were observed. Hurricane Isabel mixed the water column and resulted in a re-aeration of previously low oxygen bottom waters. However, the mixing event was short-lived, and hypoxia soon re-established and persisted into spring 2004 (http://www.chesapeakebay.net). The impact of Isabel on low dissolved oxygen appears to be similar to that of Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, a storm that was associated with record rainfall and organic matter inputs into the bay and a large hypoxia event during summer 1973. Isabel stimulated a short-lived phytoplankton bloom by mixing nutrients into the upper water column. This event-scale diatom bloom resulted in chl a >2 times that of the long-term average ( Figures 1a and 1b), followed six weeks later by a previously unobserved fall dinoflagellate bloom. Zooplankton populations appeared to be unaffected by Hurricane Isabel throughout the lower bay, with biomass values similar to

Advancement of Science’s R&D Budget and Policy Program, described the 2006 budget constraints and the downward shift from recent trends, and noted that federal research funding would fall 1.4% in the Administration’s proposed 2006 budget. The day concluded with a reception honoring Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Rep.Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), chair of the House Science Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards, for their contributions to science and technology legislation over the past year. At the congressional breakfast on day two, Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) described recent tsunami warning legislation and also emphasized the significance of congressional visits. A morning of visits followed, with noon appointments curtailed by building evacuations prompted by a Cessna jet venturing into restricted airspace. However, many CVD participants continued their meetings outdoors and used the opportunity to approach members of Congress they would not normally be able to meet. Typically, CVD participants visit the offices of their senators and representatives. In total, Earth and space scientists visited offices of 26 senators and 19 representatives on 11 May. Topics discussed in the meetings included NSF appropriations, the USGS minerals programs, and NASA education programs. CVD is held each spring. Scientists who are unable to participate in the CVD but who want to make visits at another time, can find out more information at the Web site: http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/ policy?sci_pol/html.

AGU Scientists at Congressional Reception The Coalition for National Science Funding, an advocacy group to which AGU belongs, held its annual exhibit and reception on Capitol Hill on 21 June. The event is designed to show members of Congress and their staffs the value of research conducted with funds from NSF.

Fig. 2. Records of wind and current velocities for 14–22 September 2003. Wind was measured at Horn Point Laboratory meteorological station at 38.4ºN, 76.1ºW. Currents were measured at the mid-bay Chesapeake Bay Observing System buoy at 38.3ºN, 76.3ºW. Positive flow is directed out of Chesapeake Bay. the long-term average (Figures 1c and 1d), whereas the upper-bay contained record abundances of zooplankton. This zooplankton response appears similar to 1996, an aboveaverage freshwater input year that saw the fall passage of Hurricane Fran through the bay region. In 1996, the copepod Eurytemora affinis was found in high abundance in spring, persisted into the fall, and occurred in high numbers in the spring of 1997 [Kimmel and Roman, 2004]. Elevated abundances of young Atlantic croaker occurred in the bay in the weeks following Hurricane Isabel, and diversity and abundances of fishes were either elevated or unaffected by the storm.

Jung, S., and E. D. Houde (2003), Spatial and temporal variabilities of pelagic fish community structure and distribution in Chesapeake Bay, USA, Estuarine Coastal Shelf Sci., 58, 335–351. Kimmel, D. G., and M. R. Roman (2004), Long-term trends in mesozooplankton abundance in Chesapeake Bay: Influence of freshwater input, Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 267, 71–83. North, E. W., and E. D. Houde (2001), Retention of white perch and striped bass larvae: Biologicalphysical interactions in Chesapeake Bay estuarine turbidity maximum, Estuaries, 24, 756–769. Roman, M., X. Zhang, C. McGilliard, and W. Boicourt (2005), Seasonal and annual variability in the spatial patterns of plankton biomass in Chesapeake Bay, Limnol. Oceanogr., 50, 480–492.

Acknowledgments

Author Information

This work was supported by a U.S. National Science Foundation’s Small Grants for Exploratory Research program grant OCE-0405022. Additional support for data collection was provided by NSF grants OCE9981617 and DEB-9412113, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chesapeake Bay Office, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Star Grant R82867701.

M. R. Roman, W. C. Boicourt, D. G. Kimmel, and W. D. Miller, Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge; J. E. Adolf, Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Baltimore; J. Bichy, Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh; L. W. Harding, Jr., Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge and Maryland Sea Grant, University of Maryland, College Park; E. D. Houde and S. Jung, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons; and X. Zhang, NOAA Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford, Md.

References Harding, L.W., Jr., M. E. Mallonee, and E. S. Perry (2002), Toward a predictive understanding of primary productivity in a temperate, partially stratified estuary, Estuarine Coastal Shelf Sci., 55, 47–46.

House of Representatives Science Committee Chairman Rep. Sherwood Boehlert and Robin Bell of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University at the 21 June Coalition for National Science Funding reception. Photo by Jonathan Lifland/AGU. The theme for this year’s AGU booth— shared with the American Geological Institute and the Geological Society of America—was extreme environments. Deborah Kelley of the University of Washington showed images of recently discovered seafloor hydrothermal vents where hot magma and gas gushes from the vents and makes a habitable environment for unusual sea life. Robin Bell of the LamontDoherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University described recent investigations at Lake Vostok, a submerged lake in Antarctica.

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Remote sensing and drilling into the lake has indicated that there may be life in this extreme environment. A record 380 people, including 15 members of Congress, attended the exhibit. Those who stopped by the AGU/AGI/GSA booth included House of Representatives Science Committee Chairman Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI). —CATHERINE O’RIORDAN, AGU Public Affairs Manager

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Seismological Data cont. from page 261

• digital images of paper record seismograms; • digital images of historical seismic bulletins; • software for the analysis of the digital image seismograms; • digital vector data of selected seismograms (available in 2006); • alphanumeric data of historical bulletins (available in 2006). The current data set on which SISMOS operates consists of 987 “relevant” earthquakes: 320 on the Italian territory, 530 elsewhere in Europe, and 137 outside Europe. “Relevant” earthquakes are not only those that have caused extensive damage but also those that, for size and vicinity to urban areas, are of interest for seismic hazard assessment. Concurrently, an inventory of all the Euro-Mediterranean seismological stations and their operational history has been prepared. The operation of SISMOS includes SISMOS personnel grouped into different units that have specific tasks. There are four main tasks: (1) selecting and contacting the observatories and obtaining (and returning) relevant seismogram records; (2) identifying the instrument types for each station, labeling the records, and entering alphanumeric information into the database; (3) high-resolution scanning and digitization; and (4) distribution of the digital material through the Web server. The SISMOS team has been organized as follows. The Search and Retrieve group is in charge of visiting the observatories, compiling a detailed list of the archived material, and bringing the material to the Rome headquarters for database archiving and scanning. This group also makes a thorough investigation of the instrumentation installed at each observatory by looking for all the relevant material (e.g., station books, bulletins, and correspondence with other observatories). The Seismic Archive group gathers the information provided by the Search and Retrieve group, verifies its consistency with the actual record seismograms and bulletins (e.g., checks that the recording instrumentation has been identified correctly), enters the information into the database, and prints a unique bar-code label which is pasted on each record. Next, the labeled records are passed on to the “scanning laboratory” that produces the very high resolution digital raster copies. The scanning is carried out at 1016 - dpi resolution using Eskoscan 2636 flatbed professional scanners. This resolution ensures no loss of useful information even when the seismogram traces are very thin as with smoked (i.e., smoked paper on which the seismogram was traced by the seismograph needle) or photographic records. Once scanning is completed, the records are returned to the proprietary observatory together with a copy of the digital records on DVD. Figure 1 provides an example of the raster images contained in the database. The

example shows the 23 July 1930 Irpinia M 6.7 earthquake in the Campania region of southern Italy recorded by the vertical Wiechert seismograph of the Athens observatory (Δ ≈ 800 km). The 1016-dpi digital seismogram raster images reach sizes ranging between 300 and 400 Mb, which requires very large storage facilities. The enlarged details of Figure 1 reveal the high quality of the scanning. The fourth and final stage of the processing involves the distribution of the scanned material through the SISMOS Web server. SISMOS runs a 4-Tbytes Network Attached Storage (NAS) (i.e., storage elements that connect to a network and provide file access services to computer systems) for storage, and a smaller NAS dedicated to the Web server where the entire collection of traces (seismogram records as raster images at 200 dpi) is stored at 200 dpi. These lowresolution preview images are used for preview when accessing the Web server. All data is backed up on high-capacity cartridges and DVDs. The flow diagram in Figure 2 provides a schematic view of the processing carried out by SISMOS for scanning, archiving, and disseminating seismogram records. Vectorization is the process that converts a seismogram trace appearing on a twodimensional raster image into a series of line segments to represent a digital waveform. For this purpose, SISMOS has developed the “Teseo” software [Pintore et al., 2005]. Teseo is a plug-in for the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) software that works on many operating systems (http:// www.gimp.org). The Teseo plug-in includes automatic digitization using Bezier interpolation for interpolation. In the automatic mode, the next digitization step is determined from the calculation of a weighted mean of the trace pixel darkness/color. A version of the plug-in that implements a neural network approach to properly sample the seismogram trace is under development. The techniques under development can be valuable when the seismogram traces intersect each other, as is common on helicorder (seismogram traces acquired on rotating drums) paper recording (see Figure 1). Teseo is freely available on the SISMOS Web site. A main purpose of this activity is to provide, in addition to digital raster images of the records, software tools necessary for vectorization so that interested scientists can promptly digitize SISMOS downloaded records and later return the waveforms in order to provide others with access to them through the SISMOS Web server. In order to make the SISMOS facility of general use to seismologists interested in historical earthquakes, Web access to the data is fundamental. SISMOS has developed a prototype registered-user interface that allows for downloading raster records (http://sismos.ingv.it/request). All seismogram records are available online at 200-dpi

book review Fundamentals of Ground Water FRANKLIN W. SCHWARTZ AND HUBAO ZHANG John Wiley; ISBN 0-471-13785-5; 583 pp.; 2003; $122.95. The hydrologic sciences continue to grow in importance as issues of drought, population growth and pollution, and politics come together to raise water issues to new levels. While groundwater hydrology plays a central role in the hydrologic sciences, relatively few comprehensive textbooks cover this field. Between 1959 and 1979, Ground Water Hydrology (D. K. Todd) guided students and professionals. In 1979, Groundwater (R. A. Freeze and J. A. Cherry) integrated geology and hydrology, physics and chemistry, and science and engineering. That text was followed in 1980 by Applied Hydrogeology (C. W. Fetter). Addressing a need for a new textbook, Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology ( P. A. Domenico and F. W. Schwartz) was published in 1990. Since the 1990s, the aforementioned texts continue to provide students and profes-

sionals with a thorough grounding in the science and technology of groundwater hydrology. However, while Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology continues as an excellent textbook, its advanced level and comprehensiveness make it a less than perfect fit for undergraduate courses. To rectify this, Fundamentals of Ground Water (F. W. Schwartz and H. Zhang) was published in 2003. The book is written at an introductory level to facilitate learning at the upper division undergraduate or lower division graduate level. It also serves as a reference book for professionals. The introductory feel of the text does not come at the expense of scientific depth. Balance is maintained by using a processbased approach with plenty of problem solving. Readers are taken step-by-step through mathematical and chemical concepts and equations. The text is entirely readable by those who have forgotten or never had that elementary college chemistry or calculus class. Concepts are cemented home and interest is maintained through numerous case studies, example problems, and several custom Windows-based computer programs and spreadsheets for simulating groundwater flow and transport pro-

Fig. 1. Example of a scanned seismogram and selected enlargements that show the very high resolution attained at 1016 dpi. The seismogram shows the 23 July 1930 Irpinia M 6.7 earthquake recorded by the vertical Wiechert seismograph of the Athens station about 800 km away. This seismogram has been provided by the Institute of Geodynamics of the National Observatory of Athens and was scanned by SISMOS within the EuroSeismos project of the Working Group on the History and Data of Instrumental Seismology of the European Seismological Commission.

resolution, and requests can be submitted to the server for the retrieval of higher-resolution images either through an ftp area on the Web server or by DVD. The search of available seismic records can be carried out in various ways (e.g., by station selection, date, or both). A user-friendly interface helps to keep track of the selected records and to preview the selected recording. Once a choice of historical recordings to download is made, the registered user places an order of the sought high-resolution record images, and is notified by e-mail when the files are ready for download. The SISMOS project of INGV will preserve a historical heritage spanning nearly 100 years of seismology. All this material would be otherwise lost, as degradation of paper records is inevitable. SISMOS also provides for dissemination of the historical records and bulletins, and makes available to the interested researchers software tools for seismogram digitization. Important steps for successful preservation of the heritage include Internet access to the data, high-resolution scanning, and large storage facilities combined with the organizational structure providing record and bulletin retrieval, identification, and scanning. Easy access to collections of these seismic records could prompt modern reappraisals of historical earthquakes and lead to reevaluations of seismic hazard.

Acknowledgments The activity described in this article would not have been possible without the contribution of the SISMOS Team (http://sismos.ingv. it/index2.php?bframe=organization.php) which is here acknowledged. Thanks also to Graziano Ferrari of SGA Storia Geologia Ambiente, a promoter of the EuroSeismos project, and to Anthony Lomax for revising and editing this manuscript. Parts of the SISMOS database have been designed by Finsiel, an Italian software company.

References Kanamori, H. (1988), Importance of historical seismograms for geophysical research, in Historical Seismograms and Earthquakes of the World, edited by W. H. K. Lee et al., pp. 16–63, Elsevier, New York. Pintore, S., M. Quintiliani, and D. Franceschi (2005), Teseo: A vectoriser of historical seismograms, Comput. Geosci., 31, doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2005. 04.001, in press.

Author Information Alberto Michelini, Bruno De Simoni, Alessandro Amato, and Enzo Boschi, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome

Fig. 2. Flow diagram showing the different work stages leading to scanning and archiving historical material processed by INGV-SISMOS.

cesses. These programs can be downloaded from the publisher’s Web site. While some minor tweaking of text content would benefit the book, mainly in the well hydraulics section, overall it is well written and organized. The first two chapters effectively build the foundation of knowledge in the hydrologic sciences with a review of the hydrologic cycle and the importance of groundwater in this cycle. Chapters 3 and 4 explore the media for groundwater flow: aquifers and confining beds. Porosity, hydraulic conductivity, and mapping of flow in geological systems are all dealt with through applications of Darcy’s law to natural systems. Chapter 4 establishes the critical link between geology and groundwater flow. Those with little or no geology are introduced to the complexity of the subsurface domain hydrogeologists work in and to issues of scale. Ample case studies examine single aquifers on a local scale (tens of kilometers) to regional-scale aquifer systems (hundreds of kilometers). These case studies provide a beautiful link between geology, geological processes, and aquifers and confining beds. After a good dose of geology, the text moves into a discussion of the governing equations of groundwater flow, boundary conditions, and flow net analysis. Conceptual/ mathematical flow models of regional groundwater flow and groundwater/surfacewater interactions are enhanced with case studies. Readers can download the program

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FLOWNETz, which calculates the hydraulichead and stream functions for two-dimensional flow, and explore the classical solutions by Tóth and by Freeze and Witherspoon. Chapter 7 details basic methods for hydrogeologic field investigations and includes drilling and push technologies, piezometer and water table well installation techniques, and hydrogeophysical tools for site investigations. Power Point shows enhance the detailed text graphics. An exhaustive discussion of well hydraulics and aquifer test interpretation is given in chapters 9–14. The only criticism I have of this section is the lack of smoothness in the leaky type curves and an overabundance of image well theory. The last part of the book deals with concepts of mass transport, aqueous chemistry, and groundwater contamination. Again, basic concepts of aqueous chemistry and mathematical models for mass transport are introduced at a fundamental level so the reader can better understand natural groundwater geochemistry and contaminated systems that are addressed in the final chapters. Finally, while this book is priced slightly above the competing texts, in my experience the publisher was willing to match prices for class adoptions. —ROBERT A. SCHINCARIOL, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

EOS


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POSITIONS AVAILABLE Atmospheric Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow (05-105). The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (www.cira. colostate.edu) at Colorado State University seeks to fill one Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue work at its Fort Collins office in the area of microscale ensemble assimilation/prediction. For the complete position requirements, project background, description of duties, condition of employment, and application procedures, visit our web site at http:// www.cira.colostate.edu/admin/jobs/05-105.html. Colorado State University is an EEO/AA employer. Research Assistantship Positions. The Comparative Planetology Laboratory (CPL) has postdoctoral and graduate research assistantship positions open in the area of planetary atmospheric dynamics. Ongoing projects include modeling the interaction of vortices with atmospheric water and other condensables on Jupiter and Saturn and modeling the global circulation of Venus with full topography. Interested parties please contact the CPL Director, Timothy Dowling, [email protected], (502) 852-3927.

Biogeosciences

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. The University of Calgary respects, appreciates, and encourages diversity. To see all University of Calgary academic positions, please visit www.ucalgary.ca/hr/career Two Post-doc Positions in Isotope Geochemistry University of Strasbourg, France. Applications are invited for two post-doctoral research positions in isotope geochemsitry at the Centre de Géochimie de la Surface of the University of Strasbourg to work on applications of U-series nuclides and/or stable isotope system (Ca, B, etc) to research on mechanisms of erosion, weathering or continental ecosystem processes. Both postdoctoral positions are available for an initial period of one year. Candidates are sought with a good/strong research experience in mass spectrometry. Candidates should mail their CV, a summary of research interest, and the name of three referees to François Chabaux, Centre de Géochimie de la Surface, 1 rue Blessig, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France. Tel 00 33 3 90 24 04 06; fax: 00 33 3 90 24 04 02; e-mail: [email protected]

Hydrology

Postdoctoral Position. University of Georgia,

Hydrologist. Sandia National Laboratories is one

Department of Microbiology/Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Position available for individual interested in areas of bacterial iron reduction and/or bacterial cell adhesion related to iron reduction and iron geochemistry. Previous experience with (or desire to learn) operation of flow reactors, reflected light microscopy and image analysis and physicochemical description of the cell surface (including zeta potential and free energy measurement), as well as spectroscopic methods for surface analysis an advantage. Please send CV, desired starting date, and list of three references to Dr. Andrew Neal, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802. An Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer.

of the country’s largest research and engineering laboratories, employing nearly 8,600 people at major facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Livermore, California. We apply our world class scientific and engineering creativity and expertise to comprehensive, timely and cost effective solutions to our nation’s greatest challenges. Please visit our website at www.sandia.gov. We are searching for a groundwater Hydrologist for the Repository Test and Analysis Department located at our Las Vegas, Nevada site. Salary is commensurate with experience. A benefit and relocation package is available. Must be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Security Clearance. Perform modeling activities to predict infiltration and radionuclide flow and transport simulations for the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). Perform reviews of saturated and unsaturated zone analyses conducted as part of the YMP license application process. Prepare analyses, reports, presentations, and correspondence on technical issues. A MS or Ph.D. in hydrology, geohydrology, soil mechanics, civil engineering, water resources management, or related field is required. Proficient is required in the principles, theories, techniques, and practices of hydrology and transport phenomena in saturated and unsaturated media. Must possess a thorough understanding of water well production; mathematics and statistics; aquifer dynamics, hydraulics and water/soil chemistry. Must possess excellent communication skills with strong teaming ability, and able to deal with multiple and sometimes conflicting priorities. Some travel will be required. Experience with hydrogeology, geochemistry, and reactive transport processes is desired, and must fully embrace nuclear safety. Ability to work in demanding regulatory environments with emphasis on safety and quality assurance is strongly desired. Ability to cope with and prioritize ambiguous and seemingly overwhelming demands is also desired. Please submit resume online at www.sandia.gov, under Employment/Career Opportunities/Current Jobs, then reference Job Requisition Number: 053223. U.S. Citizenship Normally Required. Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V.

Geochemistry Canada Research Chair (Tier II), Solid Earth Geochemistry. The Department of Geology and

Geophysics at the University of Calgary invites applications for a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Solid Earth Geochemistry. The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. and an outstanding track record in research and teaching. The Chair will engage in research in solid earth geochemistry, geochronology and/or igneous petrology, with an emphasis on field-based studies of orogenic belts. The Chair will contribute to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including supervision of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. It is anticipated that the appointment will be made at the Assistant or Associate Professor level to an emerging scholar who has received his/her Ph.D. within the last ten years. The Department of Geology and Geophysics provides an outstanding research environment, bringing in ca. Can$4.5 million in external research funding. It has an internationally recognized record of excellence in petrology and tectonics research and hosts the Lithoprobe Seismic Processing Facility and University of Calgary Laboratory for Electron Beam Microanalysis. The University of Calgary is situated within an hour of the Front Ranges of the Canadian Cordillera. Additional information on the Department is available at our website (http://www. geo.ucalgary.ca). The Canada Research Chairs Program has been established by the Canadian government to enable Canadian universities to foster research excellence and enhance their role as world class centres of research. Information on the Canada Research Chairs Program is available at the CRC website (http://www.chairs.gc.ca). Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a statement explaining the applicant? vision for the evolution of the chair (including a research plan), statement of teaching philosophy, and the names of three referees to: Dr. Larry Lines, Head Department of Geology & Geophysics University of Calgary 2500 University Drive N.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4 Telephone: 403-220-2796 Fax: 403-284-0074 E-mail: [email protected] The deadline for applications is September 30, 2005 or until a suitable candidate is found. Nomination to the Canada Research Chairs Program will occur after a candidate has been selected. The anticipated start date for the position is January 1, 2007.

Geosciences at Texas A&M University (http://geosciences.tamu.edu) is seeking applications for two faculty positions, preferably at the Assistant Professor level, but potentially at the Associate or Full Professor level for a candidate with truly outstanding experience and credentials. These positions are part of eleven planned hires in the Ocean Drilling and Sustainable Earth Science (ODASES) program, which is an interdisciplinary, multi-college research and education program designed to maximize participation in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) (http://www.iodp.org). Successful candidates will be expected to develop and maintain a vigorous, externally-funded research program, which focuses on one or more of the central research themes of the IODP science plan, i.e. alternative energy, deep biosphere, climate change, and dynamics of active margins. We are particularly interested in Ph.D. scientists who have a track record of research with ODP/IODP, or who can develop such research, who will interact with faculty and research units of the College of Geosciences, and who will contribute to the teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students. Successful candidates will become members of one of four departments (Atmospheric Sciences, Geography, Geology and Geophysics, or Oceanography), depending on interest, academic background, and expertise. Both positions are tenure-track with 9-month per year state salary support. ODASES will complement the Vision 2020 Faculty Investment Plan in the College of Geosciences by hiring 20 additional tenure-track faculty by 2008 in three target areas: (i) climate change; (ii) oceans, atmospheres and human health; and (iii) environmental and hydrological geosciences. We encourage applications from candidates who will increase the exposure of our students to a diverse culture. Texas A&M University offers a highly interactive research environment, a strong modern infrastructure, and competitive startup packages. Applicants should send their current curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching and research interests, and the names, postal addresses, and e-mail addresses of three references to: Dr. Luis Cifuentes, Professor and Executive Associate Dean for Research Chair, ODASES Search Committee College of Geosciences, M.S. 3148 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843 Review of applications will begin immediately, and applications will be considered until the positions are filled. Texas A&M University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and has a policy of being responsive to the needs of an increasingly diverse faculty including the needs of dual-career partners (http:// hr.tamu.edu/employment/dual-career.html). Tsunami Hydrodynamic Numerical Modeler - FullTime Position, Professional Staff, Research Scientist 3, Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), University of Washington, Seattle, WA. JISAO is recruiting four Hydrody-

namic Numerical Modelers to work with NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Tsunami Research Program on the development and application of hydrodynamic numerical models for coastal hazard mitigation and forecasting. The focus of this Program is the development of an operational NOAA Tsunami Forecast System that integrates real-time tsunami measurements with numerical simulations of tsunami generation, propagation and inundation to provide community-specific predications of tsunami impact. We seek candidates with a Ph.D. in Oceanography, other Earth or Physical Sciences, Mathematics or Engineering, with an emphasis on hydrodynamics and computational fluid dynamics. Preference will be given to those with experience in tsunami modeling. Interested individuals should visit the University of Washington employment website at http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/jobs/ for more information and instructions on how to apply. Tsunami Modeling Support Scientist Full-Time Position, Professional Staff, Research Scientist 2, Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), University of Washington, Seattle, WA. JISAO is recruiting four Modeling Sup-

port Scientists to work with NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Tsunami Research Program on assisting with the application of hydrodynamic numerical models for coastal hazard mitigation and forecasting. The focus of this Program is the development of an operational NOAA Tsunami Forecast System that integrates real-time tsunami measurements with numerical simulations of tsunami generation, propagation and inundation to provide community-specific predications of tsunami impact. We seek candidates with a Bachelor or Masters Degree in Oceanography, other Earth or Physical

Research Fellow, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Melbourne ($41,677 to $70,699 + benefits). A

motivated individual with a background in soil moisture remote sensing, land surface modelling and/or data assimilation is required to join a team of scientists working on high resolution soil moisture mapping from sensors such as AMSR-E, SMOS and Hydros. The project is exploiting a new high resolution airborne system and hydrological monitoring infrastructure in two Australian experimental catchments (see www.nafe.edu.au). This is a full-time (fixed-term) position available for 2 years. See www.hr.unimelb.edu.au/jobs/ for advice on how to apply. Contact Dr Jeffrey Walker, tel. +61 3 8344 5590, email [email protected] for specific enquiries. Applications close 5 August 2005.

Ocean Sciences ODASES Tenure Track Positions, College of Geosciences at Texas A&M University. The College of

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Sciences, Mathematics or Engineering. Preference will be given to those familiar with numerical models and with experience in a variety of scientific computing environments. Interested individuals should visit the University of Washington employment website at http://www.washington.edu/ admin/hr/jobs/for more information and instructions on how to apply.

Solid Earth Geophysics Advertisement - Laboratory, Geophysicist. The

Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center, located in Woods Hole, MA seeks a geophysicist to conduct research on the acoustic, thermal, and rock physics behavior of marine sediment containing multiple pore-space phases, such as water, ice, gas or gas hydrate. The Program has the responsibility for conducting a wide range of geological, geophysical, and geochemical investigations of the continental margins and adjacent regions in the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the Great Lakes, and polar regions. The successful candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary team and apply knowledge of rock physics and experimental physics to carry out structured laboratory experiments on well-characterized samples of natural and synthetic sediment-fluid mixtures, develop new laboratory technologies for investigating sea-floor geophysical conditions, and integrate results into the broader Coastal and Marine research program. Issues addressed through this research range from understanding continental slope sediment stability to energy resource characterization to contaminant transport in the coastal zone. Candidates should have strong analytical backgrounds in experimental and theoretical physics, geophysics, rock physics, sedimentology, and computer science. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to work within a research team and to communicate orally and in writing with a wide range of professional, governmental, and public audiences. This is a full-time permanent position. Starting salary is $76,400 to $99,317 commensurate with experience. A Ph.D. or equivalent experience and a record of successful research and publication are desirable. For detailed vacancy announcement, including specific qualification requirements & application procedures refer to Vacancy Announcement ER2005-0206 at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov. Deadline for applications: July 22, 2005 The USGS is an equal opportunity employer. Advertisement - Modeler, Geophysicist. The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center, located in Woods Hole, MA seeks a geophysicist to conduct research on the kinematics and geodynamics of sedimentary deposits containing multiple pore-space fluid phases such as water, ice, gas or gas hydrate. The Program has the responsibility for conducting a wide range of geological, geophysical, and geochemical investigations of the continental margins and adjacent regions in the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the Great Lakes, and polar regions. This position is a critical component of multidisciplinary field, laboratory, and modeling investigations of on-shore and off-shore energy resources, permafrost and marine gas hydrate studies, and coastal environmental studies. The successful candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary team and apply knowledge of geophysics to multidisciplinary field experiments and numerical models to develop new insights into the formation of potential natural resources such as gas and gas hydrate, hydrocarbon migration through the sediment column, geohydrology in sedimentary basin and coastal settings, seafloor stability, and global carbon and climate cycles. Candidates should have strong analytical backgrounds in Earth Science, geophysics, geodynamics, geohydrology, and tectonics. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to work within a research team, lead a research investigation, and to communicate orally and in writing with a wide range of professional, governmental, and public audiences. This is a full-time permanent position. Starting salary is $90,281 to $117,368 commensurate with experience. A Ph.D. or equivalent experience and a record of successful research and publication are necessary. For detailed vacancy announcement, including specific qualification requirements & application procedures refer to Vacancy Announcement ER-2005-0205 at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov. Deadline for applications: July 22, 2005 The USGS is an equal opportunity employer.

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Space Physics Research Scientists in Space Plasma. The Labora-

tory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) of the University of Colorado at Boulder invites applications for research scientist positions in space plasma instrumentation, data analysis, and/or theory. Up to three positions are available. We are considering applications at all levels from post-doctorate research scientists to research professor. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in space physics or related field and experience in space plasma instrumentation, data analysis or space plasma observations, and/or theory and simulation of space plasmas. The successful candidates will be expected to work on one or more of a wide variety of existing programs at LASP which include flight instrument programs on THEMIS and MMS and/or electric field instrument development, data analysis programs involving Polar, FAST or Cluster II satellites, and/or theory programs involving planetary magnetospheres, nonlinear plasma physics including electron space holes and double layers, and/or magnetic reconnection. Applicants also may participate part-time in other space physics efforts. The level and salary of the appointment will be commensurate with the applicant’s experience. Please send a curriculum vitae, publication list, a statement of research interest, and the names and contact information of three or more individuals who can be contacted as references. Resumes will be considered on an ongoing basis; we expect to fill the positions by October 2005. Submit applications (attn: Research Scientist 6/05) via email to [email protected], or LASP, 1234 Innovation Drive, Boulder, CO 80303. Submit questions to Prof. Robert Ergun ([email protected]). For more information, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu. The University of Colorado at Boulder is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.

Interdisciplinary/Other Great Lakes Research Investigators. The Univer-

sity of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources & Environment, in conjunction with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory is seeking qualified candidates for two-year Joint Research Investigator positions in the following areas. Renewals for a second two-year appointment are possible provided satisfactory performance and proposal

writing success. The positions are: Environmental Toxicologists (effects of cyanobacterial toxins or other toxins on human health, ecology and foodwebs), Watershed Hydrology (Spatially explicit models for watersheds), Statistical Modeling and Forecasting (Use of large spatial and temporal databases for statistically forecasting Great Lakes conditions (e.g. algal blooms, beach closings, physical hazards, fish recruitment, water quality), Near-shore Coastal Hydrodynamics and Particle Transport, (processes in the near shore zone and their impact on water quality), Coastal Observation (Apply realtime buoy-deployed chemical, biological, physical sensors and remote sensing), and Fish Ecology (Distribution, habitats, feeding ecology and bioenergetics of fishes in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay using underwater acoustics and spatial bioenergetics modeling). For more information, including a full description of these areas of interest and individual contacts, visit http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/about/jobs/, send CV and statement of research objectives by July 22, 2005 to Dr. Donald Scavia, 520 Dana, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1115 or [email protected]. Hardware Engineer for Seismology Support Operations at IRIS PASSCAL. The IRIS PASSCAL Instrument Center at New Mexico Tech solicits applications for a professional Hardware Engineer. Responsibilities include: development, integration, transportation, and maintenance of field instrumentation and data; coordination of field logistics; coordination with seismological scientists and staff; and training of the user community. The ability to work productively and collegially in team situations under demanding laboratory and field conditions is required. Electronic troubleshooting experience is required. Experience with field data collection systems, time series data, and seismological fieldwork are desirable. Applicants are required to have a B.S. or higher degree in engineering, physical science, or another appropriate field at the time of appointment, or 3 or more years of directly related experience relevant to the support of in-house and field seismology operations. Applicants should submit a resume, official college transcripts, a letter of professional interests, and the names and addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers of three references to: IRIS PASSCAL Hardware Engineer Staff Search, c/o Human

Resources, Box 78, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801. To receive full consideration, all materials must be received by August 1, 2005. Appointments will begin on or after August 15, 2005. New Mexico Tech is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Post-Doctoral Fellowships. From time to time the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University seeks to fill Post-Doctoral Fellowships in the broadly defined areas of atmospheric and climate studies, biogeochemistry, geochemistry, geophysics, and planetary science. Please forward a letter of interest and CV to Jason Miller at 20 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 or by email to [email protected]. Harvard University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and applications from women and minorities are encouraged.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES Graduate Research Assistantship: Paleoclimatology, Stratigraphy, Stable Isotopes at the University of New Mexico (Earth & Planetary Sciences).

Applications sought for MS or Ph.D. students researching the origins of 3rd-order (My-scale) Paleozoic sea-level fluctuations using oxygen isotopes from apatitic conodonts. Field and lab work. Contact Dr. Maya Elrick, [email protected], (505) 277-5077. Ph.D. Position in Snow Physics. The Swiss National Science Foundation funds two Ph.D.-students for the project “Dynamics of snow metamorphism”. We are two international teams of scientists working

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on modeling of snow metamorphism at SLF (www. slf.ch) and heterogeneous chemical processes on atmospheric aerosols and snow at PSI (www.psi. ch). We will combine state-of-the-art techniques such as time-lapse X-ray micro-tomography, chemical ionization mass spectroscopy, and short-live radioactive tracers and numerical modeling to investigate microscopic mass flux and chemistry of snow. The position at SLF focuses on snow metamorphism, the micro-structural characterization of the evolving snow using time-lapse micro-tomography, in combination with numerical simulations of the processes. The aim is to improve the physical understanding of snow metamorphism under non-equilibrium conditions. The position requires a diploma or masters degree with excellent grades in physics, materials science, or a related field. We are seeking a talented and highly motivated individual who enjoys experimental work, has interest in theoretical aspects, and enjoys working in an international, multi-disciplinary team of scientists. Excellent communication skills, good written and spoken English as well as basic spoken German are required. For further information, please contact M. Schneebeli, ([email protected] , phone +41 81 417 0171). To apply, send your complete application to: WSL, Human Resources, Mrs. Monika Huber, ref. code 406, Zuercherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.

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