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VOL. 97 NO. 15 1 AUG 2016

Pinatubo 25 Years Later

Tsunamis on Ancient Mars

Earth & Space Science News Economic Frontiers in the Ocean

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1 AUG 2016 NEWS FEATURE VOLUME 97, ISSUE 15

Pinatubo 25 Years Later: 16 Eight Ways the Eruption Broke Ground From the first rapid assessment of a volcano’s history to insights on geoengineering, the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo changed the way we approach and learn from volcanic hazards.

NEWS

El Niño Will Increase Atmospheric Carbon to Record Levels Tropical fires and drought-stricken ecosystems that normally serve as sinks will release carbon, contributing to high atmospheric concentrations through 2016 and beyond.

OPINION

COVER 10 One for All, All for One: A Global River Research Network The New Blue Economy: A Vast Oceanic Frontier Intermittent rivers are an increasing share of the world’s river Now is an opportune time to reflect on the network, but current models don’t include them. One research network realizable potential for investing in, and is gathering knowledge about these rivers from around the world. building, a new blue economy.

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 1 Contents

DEPARTMENTS

Editor in Chief Barbara T. Richman: AGU, Washington, D. C., USA; eos_ [email protected] Editors Christina M. S. Cohen Wendy S. Gordon Carol A. Stein California Institute Ecologia Consulting, Department of Earth and of Technology, Pasadena, Austin, Texas, USA; Environmental Sciences, Calif., USA; wendy@ecologiaconsulting University of Illinois at [email protected] .com Chicago, Chicago, Ill., USA; [email protected] José D. Fuentes David Halpern Department of Meteorology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pennsylvania State Pasadena, Calif., USA; University, University davidhalpern29@gmail Park, Pa., USA; .com [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board M. Lee Allison, Earth and Space John W. Lane, Near-Surface Geophysics Science Informatics Jian Lin, Tectonophysics Mark G. Flanner, Atmospheric Figen Mekik, Paleoceanography Sciences and Paleoclimatology Nicola J. Fox, Space Physics Jerry L. Miller, Ocean Sciences and Aeronomy Michael A. Mischna, Planetary Sciences Steve Frolking, Biogeosciences Thomas H. Painter, Cryosphere Sciences Edward J. Garnero, Study of the Philip J. Rasch, Global Environmental Earth’s Deep Interior Change Michael N. Gooseff, Hydrology Eric M. Riggs, Education Brian C. Gunter, Geodesy Adrian Tuck, Nonlinear Geophysics 26 Kristine C. Harper, History Sergio Vinciguerra, Mineral of Geophysics and Rock Physics Susan E. Hough, Natural Hazards Andrew C. Wilcox, Earth and Planetary Emily R. Johnson, Volcanology, Surface Processes 23–25 AGU News Geochemistry, and Petrology Earle Williams, Atmospheric Keith D. Koper, Seismology and Space Electricity AGU Talent Pool Programs Can Help Robert E. Kopp, Geomagnetism Mary Lou Zoback, Societal Impacts Students with Next Career Steps; and Paleomagnetism and Policy Sciences 2016 AGU Section and Focus Group Staff Awardees and Named Lecturers. Production and Design: Faith A. Ishii, Production Manager; Melissa A. Tribur, Senior Production Specialist; Liz Castenson, Editorial and Production Coordinator; Elizabeth 4 Jacobsen, Production Intern; Yael Fitzpatrick, Manager, Design and Branding; Valerie 26–27 Research Spotlight Bassett and Travis Frazier, Electronic Graphics Specialists How Tropical Cyclones Influence Editorial: Peter L. Weiss, Manager/Senior News Editor; Mohi Kumar, Scientific Content Editor; Randy Showstack, Senior News Writer; JoAnna Wendel, News Writer; 3–8 News Photosynthesis; The Mathematics of Amy Coombs, Editorial Intern Braided Rivers; Defining the Onset Marketing: Angelo Bouselli, Marketing Program Manager; Jamie R. Liu, Manager, Tsunamis Splashed Ancient Mars; and End of the Indian Summer Marketing Report Touts White House Science Monsoon. Advertising: Christy Hanson, Manager; Tel: +1-202-777-7536; Email: advertising@ Impact; El Niño Will Increase agu.org Atmospheric Carbon to Record ©2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Material in this issue may be Levels; The 2015 Indonesian Fires: 28–32 Positions Available 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 Less Carbon Release Than Was Current job openings in the Earth journals. For permission for any other uses, contact the AGU Publications Office. Thought; Habitat Fragmentation and space sciences. Eos (ISSN 0096-3941) is published semi-monthly, on the 1st and 15th of the month by Prevents Migration During the American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, Climate Change; Robert L. “Bob” USA. Periodical Class postage paid at Washington, D. C., and at additional mailing Inside Back Cover: offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Member Service Center, 2000 Carovillano (1932–2015). Postcards from the Field Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Member Service Center: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern time; Tel: +1-202-462-6900; Exposed Cambrian reef at Mount 9 Meeting Report Fax: +1-202-328-0566; Tel. orders in U.S.: 1-800-966-2481; Email: [email protected]. Magruder in Nevada. Use AGU’s Geophysical Electronic Manuscript Submissions system Ocean Observatories Initiative to submit a manuscript: http://eos-submit.agu.org. Expands Coastal Ocean Research. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official On the Cover positions of the American Geophysical Union unless expressly stated. The Fish River in southern Namibia Christine W. McEntee, Executive Director/CEO 10–11 Opinion floods in late summer, but dries into The New Blue Economy: A Vast a series of pools the rest of the year. Oceanic Frontier. Credit: Teagan Cunniffe.

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Tsunamis Splashed Ancient Mars

Mighty Waves Resculpted Ocean Shore The team used three data sets— visible images, altimeter data, and thermal images—from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Global Surveyor to probe a small section of the northern plains. The images show two different populations of semicircular sedimentary deposits called lobes, one of which is associated with backwash channels, and massive boulders aligned within those channels. From the features, Rodriguez and his colleagues have been able to piece together a detailed story of what transpired to create those landforms long ago. The first tsunami swept past the shoreline, the team con-

Alexis Rodriguez, NASA, JPL-Caltech, Arizona State University JPL-Caltech, Arizona State NASA, Alexis Rodriguez, tends, entraining with it boulders as wide as 10 meters, until it This thermal image shows elevated ice-rich lobes likely deposited by the second of two tsunamis suspected to have inundated Mar- hit surrounding highlands. There tian shorelines billions of years ago. The lobes, outlined in yellow and marked with arrows indicating flow direction at the time they the water rolled uphill and left formed, each extend approximately 250 kilometers, roughly the distance from Baltimore to New York City. sediments behind until it retreated into the ocean. As the waters washed inward, they he northern hemisphere of Mars hosts “It is difficult to imagine summer Califor- gouged enormous backwash channels along a vast, smooth basin that looks as nian beaches on early Mars, but try picturing the shore and aligned boulders within those T though it could have once held an Norwegian iced fjords during a particularly channels. ocean. However, the basin lacks topographic cold winter and maybe you’ll get a more features of an obvious and complete ancient accurate picture,” said Alberto Fairén of the Big Chill shoreline, so planetary scientists have Center of Astrobiology in Madrid, Spain, who During the thousands of millennia between debated this tantalizing possibility for that tsunami and the next, Mars underwent decades. Signs of a Martian ocean serious global cooling, the team asserts. Now a team of researchers has given During this time, the ocean partially froze extraordinary new scrutiny to these land- sustained for millions of and much of it evaporated, causing its sea forms. As a result, the scientists have identi- level to drop by about 300 meters and the fied huge deposits of rocks and sediments, years between meteorite shorelines to retreat. backwash gullies, and other topographic fea- impacts bolster the When a second projectile eventually tures on the edges of the basin. They report smacked into the smaller, ice-rich ocean, a that these features were likely produced possibility that the Red second tsunami washed ashore. Unlike the when tsunamis raced through an ocean in the previous event, this tsunami didn’t realign basin and scarred shorelines roughly 3.4 bil- Planet offered a tolerable boulders or even leave backwash channels. lion years ago. “You can imagine that if you have water and The evidence suggests that two separate environment for life. you spill it over a frozen surface, it will freeze tsunamis stormed through the ocean—which over very fast because it’s thin,” said Rodri- encircled the north pole and could have been guez. “So the tsunami basically freezes in situ one third the size of the entire globe—some participated in the research and is a visiting and it doesn’t enter a backwash phase. It just millions of years apart. The new signs of a scientist at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. stays there.” Martian ocean sustained for millions of years Fairén, first author Alexis Rodriguez of In their paper, the researchers compare the between meteorite impacts bolster the possi- the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, icy, more recent tsunami to an event that was bility that the Red Planet offered a tolerable Ariz., and their colleagues published the recorded in 2013 in the Codette Reservoir in environment for life at the time, the analysis on 19 May in Nature Scientific Saskatchewan, Canada. “The ice surge trig- researchers said. Reports (http://go.nature.com/1VQBQpQ). gered catastrophic ice-rich floes and led to

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 3 NEWS

the emplacement of enormous lobate fronts, which are very similar to those shown in our Report Touts White House area of study on Mars,” said Fairén. Science Impact Out of This World Tsunamis Despite the cooler conditions at the time of the second impact and tsunami, both inun- dations went way off the charts compared with typical tsunamis on Earth. The waters surged as far as 650 kilometers inland and submerged as many as a million square kilometers of land. “These run-up distances and inundation areas are enormous by terrestrial standards,” the team noted in its paper. The researchers chalk up the tsunamis to strikes by meteorites big enough to have left behind craters roughly 30 kilometers in diameter—a scale of impact that took place with about the right frequency back then to support this Martian tsunami hypothesis, the team reported.

If the ocean once contained life, organisms might remain encased within the icy lobes.

Implications for Extraterrestrial Life To Greg Michael of the Free University of Ber- lin in Germany, who was not involved in the Souza White House/Pete research, the evidence for a lingering ocean White House science adviser John Holdren (right) meets with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office prior to the on early Mars suggests exciting implications. release of a March 2009 Presidential Memorandum on Scientific Integrity. “This obviously is very interesting if you want to talk about the possibility of life,” he said. If the ocean once contained life, organ- White House list of 100 top science, administration’s 2009 memorandum on sci- isms might remain encased within the icy technology, and innovation achieve- entific integrity. lobes piled up by the more recent tsunami, A ments of the Obama administration Rodriguez said. Even if those lobes lack fro- includes progress related to the Earth and Longest-Serving Science Adviser zen microbes, they might tell scientists space sciences in understanding and combat- The 21 June report noted that earlier that whether the chemistry of the ancient ocean ing climate change and boosting energy effi- month, White House science adviser John Hol- was at least conducive to life. ciency and clean energy production. dren became “the longest- serving President’s What’s more, said coauthor and retired sci- The recently released report (see http:// Science Advisor since Vannevar Bush pioneered entist Kenneth Tanaka of the U.S. Geological 1.usa .gov/28UVuLG) highlights the adminis- a similar role while serving Presidents Roos- Survey in Flagstaff, Ariz., the Curiosity mis- tration’s Climate Action Plan, issued in 2013; evelt and Truman during and after World War II.” sion’s presence in Gale crater just a couple of its successful efforts toward the landmark Holdren assumed the positions of White hundred kilometers away from the lobes has United Nations climate agreement in Paris House science adviser and director of the White already demonstrated the feasibility of a last year; and a goal recently established with House Office of Science and Technology Policy future rover reaching the tsunami site. The 19 other nations and the European Union to (OSTP) on 19 March 2009. On 18 June he had new analysis “will definitely move the com- double their governments’ investments in served in those positions for 7 years, 2 months, pass toward [the icy lobes],” he added, “but clean energy research and development by and 29 days, breaking the previous record for whether the exploration committees would 2021. time served in both offices set by John Mar- point NASA to go toward these, it’s hard to Other Earth and space science–related burger III. Marburger advised the George W. say.” items on the list include a comprehensive Bush administration and was its OSTP director strategy for the Arctic region, a national from 23 October 2001 to 20 January 2009. strategy for Earth observations, a national By Shannon Hall, Freelance Writer; email: ocean policy, efforts to increase resilience of [email protected] U.S. communities to natural hazards, and the By Randy Showstack, Staff Writer

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El Niño Will Increase Atmospheric Carbon to Record Levels

his year, for the first time, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations T recorded at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, will exceed 400 parts per million (ppm) and remain above this level indefinitely. This sustained high level is due to El Niño effects, which disrupt carbon sinks and increase emissions from forest fires, according to findings published on 13 June in Nature Climate Change (http://go.nature.com/296UOpy). In 2015 the annual average concentration passed the 400- ppm mark, but monthly concentrations fell back to about 397.5 ppm during the summer and fall. But now there’s no going back to pre- 400- ppm levels, explained lead author Richard Betts of the Met Office Hadley Centre for Climate Science and Services and the University of Exeter, both in the United Kingdom. The 400-ppm mark would have been

exceeded “next year or later anyway, but NOAA El Niño has caused the CO2 to rise extra fast Satellite image showing the average sea surface temperature during the 2015–2016 El Niño. Red indicates warmer this year,” Betts said. “We hit the mark earlier than average temperatures. than expected.”

El Niño and Emissions lously high annual atmospheric CO2 growth additional effect of slowing carbon removal In a normal year, water in the eastern Pacific rate. Starting last year, drought conditions in over time. Ocean is about 8°C cooler than in the western Indonesia, brought on by the 2015–2016 Pacific. This is because wind patterns typi- El Niño, also spurred expansive fires (see Shifting Baselines cally push water to the west, bringing cool, page 6 of this issue). “All surface monitoring stations around the deep water to the surface of the eastern world have now seen baseline episodes of Pacific. A Threshold Crossed 400 ppm or more,” said Paul Fraser of the Cape El Niño dramatically alters this cycle— Models have simulated the strength of El Niño Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station in Smith- winds get weaker, and warm water slumps effects on sea surface temperature, but no ton, Tasmania, Australia. Cape Grim hit this into the eastern Pacific, raising ocean tem- previous study had predicted the total contri- record for the first time in May, and Fraser peratures. The cascade of ensuing weather butions of El Niño effects to atmospheric expected that observations will remain high. patterns increases drought and fire in the CO2 levels. With the exception of monitoring stations tropical western Pacific. Betts and his colleagues focused on the at high latitudes in the Arctic, where levels 2015–2016 El Niño, using data collected at the might not hit 400 ppm every month, levels The damage to carbon historic Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, around the globe are expected to exceed where rising atmospheric CO2 was first 400 ppm for hundreds of years, if not longer, sinks from drought and recorded in 1958. The team built a statistical added Fraser, who was not affiliated with the model using multiple linear regression analy- study. Because natural sinks remove CO2 only fire has the additional sis to relate sea surface temperatures and gradually, atmospheric levels will remain high effect of slowing carbon atmospheric CO2 concentrations. even if humans curb emissions. According to the findings, CO2 levels will “Carbon dioxide levels will still increase removal over time. break historic records this year. The monthly unless we dramatically reduce emissions,” said mean CO2 concentration at Mauna Loa is pre- study coauthor Ralph Keeling of the Scripps dicted to remain above 400 ppm year-round, Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. and the El Niño effect is estimated to contrib- “We can cut the growth rate in atmospheric car- For example, the 1997 El Niño caused dry ute an additional 0.5–1.5 ppm to the usual bon dioxide concentrations, but total levels will conditions in Indonesia and Malaysia, which year-by- year rise of about 2 ppm. This small increase unless emissions are cut by about 50%.” exacerbated human-caused fires and ignited increase lasts only as long as El Niño itself, carbon-rich peatlands that burned out of con- perhaps with a small lag, but the damage to trol for months, contributing to an anoma- carbon sinks from drought and fire has the By Amy Coombs, Editorial Intern

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 5 NEWS

particulate pollution from the smoke reaching The 2015 Indonesian Fires: Less 10 times the amount considered hazardous to human health. Current estimates of the Carbon Release Than Was Thought amounts of various greenhouse gases produced by peat fires come from lab experiments, and on the basis of those, Indonesia’s fires make it the world’s third-largest carbon emitter. Without its forest fires, however, Indonesia would rank around 22nd, according to Erianto Putra of South Dakota State Univer- sity in Brookings, the climate scientist who presented the data at the meeting. To obtain a more accurate, field-based analysis of the smoke’s components, Putra’s colleagues imported a portable infrared spectrometer and other equipment into Indonesia from the United States. The researchers took the spectrometer out into still-smoldering peatlands, where they collected samples of the smoke and analyzed its makeup. “Our ministry of forestry is working on monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, but they still have questions about the emissions from peatland fires,” says Putra. “We are the first to conduct research on the smoke from peat fires in Indonesia, and we want to fill in this critical gap” by answering the ministry’s questions.

Understanding Peat Fires Preliminary results presented at the wetlands

NASA/Kevin C. Ryan NASA/Kevin meeting on 3 June show that burning peat emits A scientist takes a smoke sample from a smoldering peat fire in Kalimantan, Indonesia. 8% less carbon dioxide and 55% less methane than previously believed. While this doesn’t make the most recent fires’ impacts on South- ast fall, fires driven by extreme El Niño organic matter, called peat, which acts as a car- east Asia any less catastrophic, it does mean conditions swept through the peatlands bon sink. that Indonesia may be shouldering an unfair L of Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan prov- Indonesia—primarily Kalimantan, the share of blame for the world’s carbon woes. ince, with catastrophic effects on air quality Indonesian region of Borneo—is home to half “Fires in degraded peatlands like the throughout Southeast Asia, including air pol- of the world’s tropical peatlands. In the mid- drained peat swamp forests of Indonesia have lution up to 10 times the level considered haz- 1990s the Indonesian government’s Mega Rice a profound influence on the environment, ardous to human health and visibility in some Project (see http://bit.ly/ MegaRice -NatGeo) both locally and globally,” said plant ecologist areas reduced to 50 meters. drained and cleared more than a million hect- Brian Benscoter of Florida Atlantic University Emissions from fires like these have given ares of Kalimantan’s peat forest in an unsuc- in Boca Raton, chair of the Society of Wetland Indonesia a notorious place on the list of the cessful attempt to convert it to agriculture, Scientists’ peatlands section. The prolonged world’s largest contributors to climate smoldering of the dense organic soil, he change—it’s currently ranked the third worst. explained, produces heavy smoke that can A NASA- funded collaboration between Indo- Fires in degraded peatlands remain low in the atmosphere for long peri- nesian and American scientists, however, has like the drained peat ods, creating visibility hazards and threaten- found evidence that questions this ranking. ing the health of local communities. Preliminary results presented recently at the swamp forests of Indonesia “Research like that of Dr. Putra and his col- Society of Wetland Scientists’ annual meeting leagues is helping to inform gaps in our cur- in Corpus Christi, Texas, suggest that Indone- have a profound influence rent understanding of smoke emissions during sia’s peat fires may produce less greenhouse on the environment. peatland burning in tropical peatlands and gas than previously believed (see http://bit.ly/ beyond,” Benscoter said. The peat fires offer iIndo-fires - SWS16). “a strong and compelling example of what can happen in degraded peatlands and why these Up in Smoke which has led to widespread annual fires in the important ecosystems need to be restored or Peat forms in wetlands where wet, oxygen- region as the carbon-rich peat dries out and conserved globally.” poor conditions prevent plant material from becomes flammable (see page 5 of this issue). fully decomposing. As generations of plants In fall 2015 a particularly strong El Niño grow, die, and then only partially decompose, drove severe dry conditions in the region that By Rebecca Heisman, Freelance Science Jour- their remains pile up into a thick layer of led to the worst fires in nearly 20 years, with nalist; email: [email protected]

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scape to be accessible. In contrast, when Habitat Fragmentation Prevents allowing for 100-kilometer migratory routes in the West, climate connectivity rose to 75%. Migration During Climate Change Although surprised by the dire state in the East, David Ackerly of the University of Califor- nia, Berkeley predicted that connectivity would be better in the West because of the rugged ter- rain. “If you live in a mountain range and temperatures begin to warm, you just move a short distance uphill,” said Ackerly, who is not affiliated with the study. “But on a large span of flat landscape, like the plains or coastal hills, you have to traverse a greater distance to reach higher altitude and cooler climate.”

Connecting Shrinking Habitats Prior studies have mapped routes between dwindling populations to help increase inter- breeding and genetic diversity. This strategy supports a long list of species, including threatened plants, which disperse to moist areas by spreading pollen, and predators like foxes and mountain lions, which migrate according to the shifting ranges of food species and distant mates. It also helps local species like the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), which is currently protected by the Endangered Species Act because of the disturbance of sandy pine forests in Florida and Georgia, where it digs bur-

PNAS, 2016, doi:10.1073/pnas.1602817113 PNAS, rows that shelter more than 300 other types of Can a species move from a warming habitat to a cooler zone without hitting a city, hot desert, or impenetrable agricul- animals. The threatened seepage salamander tural zone? The West has adjacent or closely linked habitats (blue) and areas linked with corridors (red). Most habitats (Desmognathus aeneus) is similarly found only in in the East are entirely fragmented (gray). small areas of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, but these ranges are predicted to shrink because of climate change s climates change over the next cen- Fragmented Green Space (see http://bit.ly/PLOS-ONE-salamander). tury, many species of plants and ani- McGuire and her colleagues set out with an A mals will be forced to change their ambitious plan to identify all spans of green “The East Coast is in dire habitat ranges to survive. According to the space in the United States where species can first continent-wide geospatial study of cli- migrate from a warmer to a cooler habitat shape because habitat is mate connectivity—a measure of the migra- without having to traverse extreme deserts, tory routes between warm and cool zones— cold mountain peaks, or disturbed areas like already in very small only 2% of the eastern United States contains cities and agricultural lands. patches.” the connected green space needed for ani- They used an algorithm to consider tem- mals to find new homes. The findings perature change over time and then mapped appeared on 13 June in the Proceedings of the cooler areas that species in warming locations National Academy of Sciences of the United States could access. Then they measured how close Corridor projects that create greenways for of America (see http://bit.ly/PNAS- climate populations are to where they could go, using migration can help such isolated populations -connect). corridor lengths of no longer than 100 kilome- breed, but they rarely consider long-term “The East Coast is in dire shape because ters. range changes that will alter habitat boundar- habitat is already in very small patches,” According to their findings, about 50% of ies as temperatures warm. says study author Jenny McGuire, a research the American West can support migration. However, “the current findings give us a scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technol- However, the landscape on the East Coast 30,000-foot view of the problem” because ogy in Atlanta. “We have a nice swath of remains too fragmented for plants and ani- they consider climate conditions, says Ackerly. intact land around the Appalachian Moun- mals to change their range—only 2% of the “By tracing connectivity across coastal and tains, but other natural areas are patchy and eastern plains and coastal areas have cool sites mountainous regions, we can see areas where fragmented.” This keeps animals—and the adjacent to warm zones. restoration work would significantly expand plant seeds they may carry—from moving to Eastern species able to traverse 10- connectivity in the East.” cooler areas where they can maintain a tem- kilometer corridors can enjoy 16% climate perature similar to the climate in their cur- connectivity, and those that migrate more rent habitat. than 100 kilometers will find 27% of the land- By Amy Coombs, Editorial Intern

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 7 NEWSTRIBUTE

Robert L. “Bob” Carovillano (1932–2015)

obert Caro- Bob was the son of first-generation Ital- Universities Space Research Association, he villano, an ian immigrants and the first in his family to twice served as chairman of the Council of R internation- attend college. He overcame infantile paral- Institutions. In 1982–1984 he was liaison ally recognized ysis (polio) to become f0r decades an enthu- scientist at the Office of Naval Research, theoretical space siastic squash and tennis player. He was an London (U.K.) office. physicist and avid “armchair athlete” for his entire adult inspiring teacher life and rooted for the Yankees, the Red Sox, Making a Mark at NASA and mentor of the Giants, and the Patriots with equal Bob went on to serve as a visiting senior numerous under- gusto. His stories of playing stickball in the scientist at NASA Headquarters in the

Boston College Faculty and Staff Photographs, Boston College Faculty and Staff Boston College Burns Library, John J. graduate and grad- streets of Newark, N.J., as a child and Office of Space Science, where he was Robert L. Carovillano uate students, died watching the Yankee greats were captivat- responsible for supervising several space suddenly on ing to his family and friends. physics programs and research initiatives. 15 October 2015 in Here he coordinated the various missions Delray Beach, Fla. He was 83 years old. Focus on Magnetospheric in the International Solar- Terrestrial Phys- Bob received his B.S. degree from Rut- and Space Physics ics program and maximized their combined gers University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees In the mid-1960s Bob’s research interest scientific output. In particular, his efforts in theoretical physics from Indiana Univer- moved to magnetospheric and space phys- nurtured data sharing and the development sity. His thesis was on the theory of the ics, and he published on a broad spectrum of coordinated analysis tools. He worked nuclear force, and his early publications of topics in theory and data analysis. adroitly and successfully with his advisory were in nuclear physics and quantum field These include magnetospheric energy the- committees to achieve and implement the theory. He joined the Boston College (BC) orems, magnetosphere-ionosphere cou- goals of the entire heliospheric science faculty as an assistant professor of physics pling processes, substorm modeling, ion- community. in 1959 and chaired the Department of ospheric electric fields and currents, ring Bob also served in various capacities at Physics from 1969 to 1982. He played a current and radiation belt energetics and AGU: secretary of Magnetospheric Physics leadership role in establishing the doctoral dynamics, hydromagnetic waves and and Solar-Planetary Relations, 1970–1976; program in physics and founding the uni- plasma resonances, solar wind propaga- section chairman of Magnetospheric Phys- versity chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and tion and structure, and analysis of satellite ics on numerous occasions; and member Sigma Xi. measurements and auroral images. (1974–1975) and chairman (1977–1978) of Bob built up the space science program at the Meetings Committee. Bob cofounded Devoted Teacher and Mentor Boston College in the years 1965–1980s the Chapman Conferences, an ongoing Bob was a natural and popular teacher and despite stringent limitations on faculty hir- series of small, topical meetings that has while at BC taught seven different courses ing. His political acumen enabled the cre- grown into a major part of AGU’s meetings for nonscience majors, 11 for science ation of a research core of professors and program. majors, and 11 for graduate physics stu- visiting professors. He organized one of the Vociferous in his opinions, charming, dents. He retired from Boston College in earliest international conferences at Boston handsome, and proud, he was the very 2003, having supervised 15 doctoral stu- College on “The Physics of the Magneto- embodiment of the supposition that any dents. sphere” (1968) and an international sympo- obstacle can be overcome, given hard work Jack Maguire was one of his early doctoral sium on “Science and the Future of Man” and determination. Despite an illustrious students and had this to say: (1971). academic career, he considered his greatest “I have been blessed with scores of He collaborated with numerous scientists accomplishment to be his three children great teachers at both BC High and Boston in the field and at various times was a visit- (Deborah, David, and Rebecca), eight College. But Bob Carovillano was by far the ing professor at Massachusetts Institute of grandchildren, and three great- best I have ever known. He was brilliant, Technology; University of California, Los grandchildren, of whom he was immensely demanding, and empathetic. The dedica- Angeles; and University of Colorado Boul- proud. He was predeceased by his wife, tion of my doctoral thesis 50 years ago der. Mary Ann, to whom he had been married stands as my tribute to a man with the Bob served on and sometimes chaired for more than 30 years. looks of Elvis and the brain of an Einstein: advisory committees for the National Acad- ‘To Professor Robert L. Carovillano—my emy of Sciences, the National Center for teacher, mentor, and friend—who gave Atmospheric Research, and the National By Robert Eather, Keo Consultants, Brookline, unstintingly of himself in an oftentimes Science Foundation. He was a member of Mass.; email: [email protected]; Jack heroic endeavor to make me a better NASA’s Space Science Advisory Committee Maguire, Maguire Associates, Concord, Mass.; physicist…I dedicate this thesis.’” and reviewed space shuttle and satellite and Rebecca Carovillano, CH2M Environment projects. As an officer and trustee of the and Nuclear Business Group, Philadelphia, Pa.

8 // Eos 1 August 2016 MEETING REPORT

Ocean Observatories Initiative Expands Coastal Ocean Research OOI Coastal Arrays Community Workshop Washington, D. C., 5–7 January 2016

participants acquired firsthand experience in data querying, plotting, and downloading of OOI data. In addition, participants had numerous opportunities to provide feedback to the OOI Cyber Infrastructure Team. Anyone can sign up for an account to gain access to OOI data. These data are now available for plotting on the OOI data portal, and select data streams are also available. These sites will be updated with additional data and downloading formats as they become available. NSF program managers from all relevant disciplines expressed their support for the arrays. In addition, we learned the details of how to submit proposals related to OOI data, and all the proposal submission information is available on the OOI website (http:// Andy Cripe, Corvallis Gazette-Times Andy Cripe, An Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) inshore surface mooring is deployed in June 2015 off the coast of Newport, oceanobservatories .org). Workshop participants also learned about the OOI education Ore., from Oregon State University’s (OSU) R/V Pacific Storm. In the background, a team on OSU’s R/V Elakha is deploying an OOI underwater glider. portal, which can bring cutting-edge ocean data and ocean science concepts to classrooms and informal science education sites. he coastal ocean provides critical ser- carbon cycling, controls on the abundance of The message from NSF was clear: OOI has vices that yield both ecological and eco- marine organisms, and the effects of long- entered a new phase of community engage- T nomic benefits. Its dynamic nature, term warming and extreme weather events. ment in which scientists and educators are however, makes it a most challenging envi- At the workshop, Jack Barth (Oregon State encouraged to use these data, provide feed- ronment to study. Recently, a better under- University) and Glen Gawarkiewicz (Woods back on data access ease and quality, and in standing of the coupled physical, chemical, Hole Oceanographic Institution) presented the process, expand our understanding of geological, and biological processes that char- preliminary results of recent studies and data coastal oceans. A new era is approaching in acterize the coastal ocean became more collection efforts, stressing the rapid, ongoing which integrated ocean observatories will help attainable. changes in coastal ocean temperatures in the stimulate innovative science and educational Last January, the Ocean Observatories Ini- partnerships at the same time they enhance tiative (OOI), a program of the National Sci- our ability to understand the changes occur- ence Foundation (NSF), held a workshop in Scientists and educators ring in our coastal oceans. Washington, D. C. (http://bit.ly/OOI Jack Barth and Chris Edwards contributed to -Workshop), to acquaint potential users with are encouraged to use the the writing of this summary. We thank NSF the capabilities offered by OOI systems, which data and provide feedback for sponsoring this workshop and the were fully commissioned as of the end of 2015. University- National Oceanographic Labora- A future workshop is planned for this fall on on data access ease and tory System for organizing the event, with a the West Coast. special thanks to Larry Atkinson and Annette OOI maintains two coastal ocean arrays: the quality. DeSilva for their efforts. We also thank the Pioneer Array in the northwestern Atlantic workshop participants and the OOI Cyber and the Endurance Array in the northeastern Infrastructure Team for their continued work. Pacific. Each has a series of fixed moorings spanning the continental shelf, as well as U.S. West Coast and East Coast shelf and slope mobile assets—underwater gliders and systems. Other participants discussed connec- By Robinson W. Fulweiler, Department of Earth propeller- driven autonomous underwater tions between physics and water column and Environment and Department of Biology, Bos- vehicles. nutrients, the temporal variability of key shelf ton University, Boston, Mass.; email: [email protected]; Together these observatories are capable of currents, and the role of OOI data in assessing Glen Gawarkiewicz, Woods Hole Oceanographic resolving coastal ocean processes across a biodiversity. Institution, Woods Hole, Mass.; and Kristen A. range of temporal and spatial scales. Such data A key outcome of the workshop was the Davis, Department of Civil and Environmental are critical for understanding nutrient and introduction of the OOI data portal, where Engineering, University of California, Irvine

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 9 OPINION

market needs. From farmers, emergency The New Blue Economy: managers, and corporate executives to heads of households and heads of state, users A Vast Oceanic Frontier increasingly demand spot- on information at their fingertips. They want to know whether their street, their business, or their favorite beach will be in harm’s way. To get ahead of medical emergencies, for example, coastal communities and public health officials need an app to accurately forecast harmful algal blooms. Port-by- port fog and other forecasts could substantially cut shipping costs. Because, on average, U.S. floods, including those from ocean storm surges, kill more people each year than any other weather event, emergency managers must know precisely whom to evacuate and where the sandbags should go. Maps showing wide swaths of land and highways don’t zero in on such critical information. The new blue economy offers ways to navigate between these shores, drawing on scientific and technological capabilities to create new solutions that will satisfy precise customer demands.

What Will the New Blue Economy Bring? Envisioning value-added, tailored solutions opens a sea of opportunities. What difference

Andy Cripe, Corvallis Gazette-Times Andy Cripe, would better seasonal sea ice predictions Ship traffic near the port of Miami, Fla. make to Arctic navigation? And open-ocean predictions of swirling eddies to cruise lines? How about forecasts of low-pH water intru- or centuries the sea has sustained lives enormous amount of scientific knowledge we sions to shellfish hatcheries? Or real- time and livelihoods, divulged ancient and continue to gather, drawn from observations observations of deep-ocean health to support F unforeseen treasures, and stirred our and made available through web-based plat- oil spill recovery? Already, some creative dreams of remarkable new discoveries. But forms that let us synthesize and visualize entrepreneurs have developed highly valued never in history have we had the immense data from innumerable sources in real time. tailored ocean temperature forecasts for the opportunities now beckoning from the sea. Through satellite and ocean-based sys- market of recreational tournament fishing. On the horizon is a new blue economy, an tems, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric We’ve learned that depending on condi- exciting oceanic frontier that offers great Administration (NOAA) and other agencies tions, just 90 feet of salt marsh can stop 94% promise for making our nation safer, health- provide actionable data and other informa- of wave energy. Yet, increasingly, coastal ier, and more prosperous. The new blue econ- tion about the sea to inform a range of pre- communities vulnerable to sea level rise are omy is a knowledge-based economy, looking dictions, from currents, waves, tides, and being hit with tough choices about what, to the sea not for extraction of material goods storm surges to water temperature, chemis- where, and even whether to build. With but for data and information to address socie- try, and the marine biological system. These most U.S. coastal land privately owned, most tal challenges and inspire their solutions. data and other observation-based “environ- shoreline protection privately designed, and A wide gulf often separates science from the mental intelligence”—timely, actionable, nearly 5 million people already living on land people who need research results to protect and reliable information—provide foresight, less than 4 feet above high-tide levels, “liv- and support them. However, the new blue enabling us to make wise choices, hedge risks, ing shorelines” of natural infrastructure such economy puts science and predictive capabili- and reduce the costs of uncertainty. as salt marshes offer a resilient option upon ties to work in a way that can fill critical, fast- For example, we can anticipate a hurri- which entrepreneurs can capitalize. rising needs across sectors. This economy is cane’s track and intensity, evacuate vulnera- Now, as never before, we have the know- entrepreneurial and environmentally respon- ble communities, anticipate resulting stresses how and technology to honor the sea’s fragile, sible, collaborative and competitive. to infrastructure, and make detailed plans finite resources while simultaneously spurring Now is an opportune time to reflect on the should water, power, or other critical services economic growth, new revenue streams, and realizable potential for investing in, and fail. As the infrastructure for environmental jobs. building, this new blue economy. intelligence, observations and predictions are the bedrock of ready, responsive, and resilient Making Fathoms of Data Charting a Course from Shore to Shore communities. Publicly Available The ocean of potential waiting to be tapped On the other shore are consumers calling Because sound science and reliable, timely spans two metaphorical shores. On one is the for distinct tools and solutions for particular data are foundational to the new blue econo-

10 // Eos 1 August 2016 OPINION

my’s success, NOAA is working to make more weather industry was just a start-up, and of this environmental intelligence available. many were skeptical about its business Each day, NOAA collects more than model. 20 terabytes of data—more than twice the Today the new blue economy holds similar data of the Library of Congress’s entire print promise. Enterprising private service provid- collection. With demand accelerating quickly, ers will take a look at the coming sea change, NOAA is partnering with Amazon, Google, recognize the opportunities, and roll up their IBM, Microsoft, and the Open Commons Con- sleeves. Markets imagined, and as yet sortium to bring great amounts of data to the unimagined, will open up. Publicly funded cloud. science, ever expanding reams of public data, NOAA is eager to get information out of its and an open toolbox of technological Matt Poole, USFWS, CC BY 2.0 (http://bit.ly/ccby2-0) 2.0 USFWS, CC BY Matt Poole, laboratories and into the hands of those just A saltwater marsh in Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, advances will be leveraged so that consumers as eager to transform it into predictions, Massachusetts. reap personalized value from these consider- solutions, and customizable value-added ser- able assets. vices. A 2013 McKinsey & Company report And, in bits and bytes, the knowledge- shows that public data can generate more based new blue economy will transform than $3 trillion a year in added value, catalyz- Setting Sail information into real profits, real jobs, and ing cost savings, new and improved products, The new blue economy can look to other sec- meaningful impacts on lives and livelihoods and convenience. tors for guidance. There is much to learn from across the United States and the entire global The hope is that in releasing data into the the commercial U.S. weather enterprise, esti- community. new blue economy, NOAA will not only spur mated to be valued in billions and perhaps more innovation and commerce but also tens of billions of dollars. Weather and map- encourage other agencies and groups to open ping tools are now used routinely to help By Richard W. Spinrad, Chief Scientist, National up their data, contributing to an even more untold numbers of people navigate their daily Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), robust enterprise. lives. But a half century ago, the commercial Washington, D. C.; email: rick.[email protected]

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 11 ONE FOR ALL, ALL FOR ONE A GLOBAL RIVER RESEARCH NETWORK

By Thibault Datry, R. Corti, A. Foulquier, D. von Schiller, and Klement Tockner

12 // Eos 1 August 2016 ore than half the length of the global river network consists of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), which by nature cease to flow or go completely dry at various times and places. More and more rivers and Mstreams around the world, including some of the world’s largest rivers, are becoming intermittent as humans extract their water for drinking and irrigation and because of land-use alteration and climate change [Gleick, 2003; Datry et al., 2014]. Such drastic changes in flow regime and IRES distribution prompt fundamental questions: How are the biogeochemistry and biodiversity of river networks affected by these changes? How do these alterations vary across climatic and bio- geographic regions? How can IRES be managed effectively to mitigate the ecological, social, and economic consequences of changing flow regimes? To address these questions and follow up on a call to action in the Policy Forum of Science [Acuña et al., 2014], a global and multidisciplinary approach is necessary. We have created a global science network, the 1000 Intermittent Rivers Project (#1000IRP on Twitter and http://bit .ly/ 1000IRP - Project). The project’s main goal is to

An intermittent river fl ows at the bottom of Fish River Canyon, near

Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images Edwin Remsberg/Getty Hobas, Namibia.

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 13 B. Launay

The Clauge River, Jura, France, during flowing and dry phases.

merge individual knowledge, forces, and passions through We have scant knowledge about the consequences of simple, consistent, and comparable joint experiments in alternating flowing, nonflowing, and dry phases to the IRES worldwide. cycling of materials along river networks and to associated biotic communities [Datry et al., 2014]. As a result, Plentiful IRES, Scant Knowledge the ecological, economic, and social values of IRES, and Despite the predominance of IRES, conceptual and empir- their sensitivity to human activities, are poorly explored ical developments in river science have been derived [Steward et al., 2012; Acuña et al., 2014; Datry et al., 2014]. exclusively from and for perennially flowing waters— rivers and streams that flow continuously from their Addressing the Data Shortage source to a lake or ocean [Acuña et al., 2014; Datry et al., Today 112 participants from 28 countries have joined the 2014]. As a result, incorporating IRES into existing models 1000IRP network (see map at http://bit.ly/1000ires-map), challenges some of the most persuasive paradigms in and more are expected to join in the near future (http://bit river science, including the role of river networks in .ly/1000IRP _ Network). However, some global regions, global biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, and ecosystem including Africa and Asia, remain poorly represented in processes and services [Datry et al., 2014]. this collaborative effort. We encourage colleagues from However, because IRES have been overlooked by scien- countries in these regions to join the project. tists and water resources managers, their incorporation The objectives of 1000IRP are into river science has long been limited by the scarcity of • to raise awareness of the global prevalence and sig- data. For example, the total length and number of peren- nificance of IRES nial river channels are relatively well quantified [Lehner • to improve the global estimate of the spatial and tem- et al., 2008; Raymond et al., 2013], but the spatial extent of poral extent of IRES and to describe their links with peren- IRES remains unexplored at a global scale. nial rivers This is especially troublesome because IRES are the • to conduct low- intensity field and laboratory experi- predominant water bodies in water-scarce regions. For ments to address the key questions stated above example, IRES account for 94% of the river network in • to build an international network of researchers dedi- Arizona, along with 66% of California’s streams and rivers cated to IRES in order to support, complement, and feder- [Levick et al., 2008]. However, IRES are also prevalent in ate current and future international projects on IRES (e.g., humid regions, and they occur from Antarctica to Amazo- Science and Management of Intermittent Rivers and nia [McKnight et al., 1999; Benstead and Leigh, 2012; Ray- Ephemeral Streams (SMIRES), Intermittent River Biodiver- mond et al., 2013; Datry et al., 2014]. The global extent of sity Analysis and Synthesis (IRBAS), EU-LIFE Temporary river networks accounted for by IRES, their current and Rivers (TRivers)), as well as global science network initia- future distribution, their flow regimes, and their connec- tives (e.g., Intergovernmental Science- Policy Platform on tions with perennial channels remain unknown. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Group on

14 // Eos 1 August 2016 Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO Widening the Network, Moving Ahead BON), Future Earth). We hope to bring 1000IRP to a wide, multidisciplinary audience; to strengthen the current network of contribu- Early Results tors; and to encourage the inclusion of more participants During its first year (April 2015–April 2016), 1000IRP chal- and countries, especially from underrepresented areas lenged the current view of the role of river networks in the (e.g., Africa, Asia, and Russia). This global science net- global carbon cycle. Specifically, we aimed to determine work is a useful example of joining forces in research to the extent to which the integration of IRES affects the advance work on fundamental scientific questions [Baker, validity of current estimates of carbon transformation, 2015]. transport, and deposition [Battin et al., 2008], including Thanks to the success of this first year, we are planning carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux rates [Raymond et al., 2013], additional joint experiments in the coming years to fur- from river networks. ther advance our understanding of IRES and their over- IRES and perennial rivers have very distinctive biogeo- looked geophysical, ecological, economic, and social sig- chemical functions and tempos [Foulquier et al., 2015]. natures. Driving global research activities, networks, or Moreover, the dry phases of IRES can be biogeochemically team science from the bottom up will become more com- active and may release substantial volumes of CO2 to the mon in the future [Baker, 2015]. This type of grassroots atmosphere [von Schiller et al., 2014]. During rewetting effort may not only trigger subsequent research activities phases and first-pulse events (where water suddenly in IRES science but also serve as a model for global team rewets a previously dry reach), large quantities of organic science activities to close fundamental knowledge gaps. material, nutrients, and organisms that have accumulated along dry river sections can produce “hot moments” of References biogeochemical transfer and transformation processes Acuña, V., T. Datry, J. Marshall, D. Barceló, C. N. Dahm, A. Ginebreda, G. McGregor, S. Sabater, K. Tockner, and M. A. Palmer (2014), Why should we care about temporary [Corti and Datry, 2012]. waterways?, Science, 343(6175), 1080–1081, doi:10.1126/science.1246666. To determine the extent to which biogeochemical differ- Baker, B. (2015), The science of team science: An emerging field delves into the com- ences between IRES and perennial rivers affect current plexities of effective collaboration, Bioscience, 65(7), 639–644, doi:10.1093/biosci/ biv077. estimates of carbon fluxes in river networks, we require Battin, T. J., L. A. Kaplan, S. Findlay, C. S. Hopkinson, E. Marti, A. I. Packman, J. D. New- large-scale quantification of organic material accumulated bold, and F. Sabater (2008), Biophysical controls on organic carbon fluxes in fluvial networks, Nat. Geosci., 1(2), 95–100, doi:10.1038/ngeo602. along riverbeds during dry phases, as well as information Benstead, J. P., and D. S. Leigh (2012), An expanded role for river networks, Nat. Geosci., on the biodegradability of this material and the reactivity 5(10), 678–679, doi:10.1038/ngeo1593. of dry streambed sediments during rewetting events. We Corti, R., and T. Datry (2012), Invertebrates and sestonic matter in an advancing wetted front travelling down a dry river bed (Albarine, France), Freshwater Sci., 31(4), also require information about the potential environmen- 1187–1201, doi:10.1899/12-017.1. tal drivers controlling these processes, including climate, Datry, T., S. T. Larned, and K. Tockner (2014), Intermittent rivers: A challenge for freshwa- riparian cover (the plant life in and around rivers), sub- ter ecology, Bioscience, 64(3), 229–235, doi:10.1093/biosci/bit027. strate type, and duration and frequency of drying. Foulquier, A., J. Artigas, S. Pesce, and T. Datry (2015), Drying responses of microbial litter decomposition and associated fungal and bacterial communities are not affected by Each participant of 1000IRP has quantitatively sampled emersion frequency, Freshwater Sci., 34(4), 1233–1244, doi:10.1086/682060. coarse organic matter accumulating along at least two dry Gleick, P. H. (2003), Global freshwater resources: Soft-path solutions for the 21st century, Science, 302(5650), 1524–1528, doi:10.1126/science.1089967. river channels using standardized protocols. In addition, Lehner, B., K. Verdin, and A. Jarvis (2008), New global hydrography derived from space- dry sediments and biofilms have been sampled at those borne elevation data, Eos Trans. AGU, 89(10), 93–94, doi:10.1029/2008EO100001. sites, and detailed information about climate, flow regime, Levick, L. R., et al. (2008), The ecological and hydrological significance of ephem- substrate, and riparian zone conditions has been compiled. eral and intermittent streams in the arid and semi-arid American Southwest, Rep. EPA/600/R-08/134, ARS/233046, 116 pp., Southwest Watershed Res. Center., U.S. Dep. All samples, obtained from 210 river reaches, have now of Agric., Tucson, Ariz. been received at the French National Research Institute of McKnight, D. M., D. K. Niyogi, A. S. Alger, A. Bomblies, P. A. Conovitz, and C. M. Tate (1999), Dry valley streams in Antarctica: Ecosystems waiting for water, Bioscience, Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture 49(12), 985–995, doi:10.1525/bisi.1999.49.12.985. (IRSTEA) and further processed for laboratory analyses of Raymond, P. A., et al. (2013), Global carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters, Nature, the biodegradability and quality of the sampled material by 503(7476), 355–359, doi:10.1038/nature12760. Steward, A. L., D. von Schiller, K. Tockner, J. C. Marshall, and S. E. Bunn (2012), When the different leading institutions, including ash-free dry the river runs dry: Human and ecological values of dry riverbeds, Front. Ecol. Environ., weight (University of Grenoble), carbon- to- nitrogen ratio 10(4), 202–209, doi:10.1890/110136. (University of Grenoble), CO2 release (IRSTEA and Univer- von Schiller, D., R. Marcé, B. Obrador, L. Gómez-Gener, J. P. Casas-Ruiz, V. Acuña, and M. Koschorreck (2014), Carbon dioxide emissions from dry watercourses, Inland sity of the Basque Country), leaching (Leibniz Institute of Waters, 4(4), 377–382, doi:10.5268/IW-4.4.746. Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)), and respi- ration of accumulated organic material and sediments Author Information (IRSTEA and University of the Basque). Thibault Datry and R. Corti, Ecohydrology Laboratory We plan to analyze these data to refine current estimates (DYNAM), Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, French National of carbon transfer, deposition, and transformation, as well Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment as CO2 efflux rates from river networks globally. and Agriculture (IRSTEA), Auvergne- Rhône- Alpes, France; We also plan to explore large-scale biodiversity patterns email: [email protected]; A. Foulquier, Laboratoire d’Écol- in IRES and describe biodiversity-ecosystem functional ogie Alpine, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France; relationships within these unique ecosystems using meta D. von Schiller, Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Fac- barcoding, a DNA-based method that provides a rapid ulty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Coun- assessment of biodiversity. These studies will target try, Bilbao, Spain; and Klement Tockner, Leibniz Institute of microbes and aquatic and terrestrial biota and flora in riv- Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany, and erbed sediments. Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 15 PINATUBO

16 // Eos 1 August 2016 25 YEARS LATER Eight Ways the Eruption Broke Ground

By JoAnna Wendel and Mohi Kumar

n 3 April 1991, Sister Emma Fondevilla, a mission- ary based in a native Aeta village on the flanks of Mount Pinatubo, on the Philippine island of Luzon, led a group of villagers to meet with scientists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seis- PINATUBO mology (PHIVOLCS). Fondevilla and the villagers told the scientists about a series of steam eruptions on the north- Owestern side of the mountain. What unfolded next would change history. Somehow, against severe odds, scientists convinced officials to evacuate more than 65,000 people living in Pinatubo’s shadow. Their tireless work stands as one of the most successful hazard mitigation efforts involving a large volcanic eruption. On 15 June at approximately 1:42 p.m. local time, Pinatubo erupted—the largest volcanic blast since Alaska’s Novarupta in 1912. Its ash cloud contained 5 cubic kilometers of material— lofted to 40 kilometers high. Because a passing typhoon simultaneously brought heavy rains, fast moving flows of ash, mud, and volcanic debris called lahars rushed down the volcano, flattening towns, smashing through jungle, and smothering rice paddies and sugarcane fields. The water also mixed with falling ash, creating a cement-like substance, and many buildings caved in from the weight. More than 350 people died during the eruption, most from collapsing roofs. Effects from Pinatubo didn’t end on that date 25 years ago. Gas from the ash plume jostled weather patterns and dampened the

A 12 June 1991 eruption column from Mount Pinatubo, one of several that pre-

Dave Harlow, USGS Dave Harlow, ceded the main eruption, seen from the east side of Clark Air Base.

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 17 effects of global warming for the next year. Lahars, which years earlier. What’s more, surrounding villages were built can run down a mountain after heavy rains, continued to on old pyroclastic flows and lahars. pose threats to surrounding populations more than a decade later. First Successfully Mobilized Pinatubo’s eruption broke ground, literally and figura- 2 Widespread Evacuations tively. Here are eight ways that Pinatubo changed the way By early June the sulfur dioxide emissions dropped sharply we approach and learn from volcanic hazards. to around 250 tons per day. Scientists suspected this meant that the viscous, rising magma had pinched shut cracks or First Rapid Scientific Assessment had cooled and lost volatiles, either way preventing gas 1 of a Volcano’s History from escaping. Once Pinatubo started rumbling, PHIVOLCS set up three Around the same time, earthquakes within Pinatubo seismometers on its northwestern flank. After U.S. Geo- increased in strength and duration. In early June the earth- logical Survey (USGS) scientists—part of the Survey’s quake clusters moved from northwest of the volcano to Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP)—arrived on just under its summit. On 7 June a lava dome started to 23 April, they set up a seismic network of seven stations surface, and on 10 June, sulfur dioxide emissions jumped to located between 1 and 19 kilometers away from the vol- more than 13,000 tons per day. Over the next few days, cano. Throughout May, seismometers recorded at least explosions—some generating columns of ash and debris 200 small earthquakes per day. up to 24 kilometers high—shook the volcano (see http://on A helicopter-mounted spectrometer—a device origi- .doi .gov/ 28RcIJX). nally developed to monitor emissions from smoke- These signs pointed to one thing: The volcano was about stacks—tracked dramatic to blow. But how could scien- increases in sulfur dioxide tists convince the nearly emissions from vents. Gas 1 million people living around escapes as magma rises “One of our biggest the volcano that they may within a volcano, so this sign need to evacuate? of moving magma, along with challenges when we got The stakes were high. Just increasing seismicity and 6 years earlier, Nevado del deformation measured by Ruiz in Colombia had erupted tiltmeters, led scientists to to the Philippines was and killed more than 23,000 believe that an eruption was people. A “breakdown of imminent. to actually convince communications” among sci- But scientists faced a huge entists and local authorities problem: They had had only a was partly to blame, Ewert few weeks to learn as much people [that Pinatubo] said. as possible about Mount In just a few weeks, PHI- Pinatubo’s eruptive history VOLCS and VDAP scientists before it blew. Add to that was in fact a volcano.” had to interpret all the data another challenge: No base- they gathered about the vol- line information about the volcano existed, except for cano’s eruptive history and mold it into a simple warning one carbon date from a 1980s investigation of the area as scheme. The scheme had to be effective and easily digest- a possible site for a nuclear power plant, said John Ewert, ible—enough so that they could convince tens of thou- a geologist and member of the VDAP team deployed to sands of people living around the volcano, who spoke the Philippines. several different dialects and even different languages, to One of the first things the VDAP team did was consult evacuate. the catalog of active volcanoes from the Smithsonian Language wasn’t the only obstacle. “One of our biggest Institution’s Global Volcanism Program. Pinatubo wasn’t challenges when we got to the Philippines was to actually even it in it at the time, Ewert said. convince people [that Pinatubo] was in fact a volcano,” VDAP scientists wasted no time. They studied layers of Ewert said. Many locals accused the scientists from both ancient pyroclastic flows and lahars surrounding all sides PHIVOLCS and USGS of lying for financial gain or political of the volcano. They collected and dated samples of char- reasons. coal. They flew in helicopters around the volcano, map- The team persevered, gathering local leaders of cities, ping the extent of past flows and visiting outcrops. towns, and small villages to explain the dangers and From the air the scientists saw that pyroclastic flows answer questions. Part of this educational campaign appeared “high up on ridges, or over ridges that would involved showing gruesome video footage from the have blocked all but the largest flows,” Chris Newhall, a Nevado del Ruiz tragedy that depicted destructive ash volcanologist who was a part of the VDAP team in the Phil- flows, volcanic mudflows, ashfalls, landslides, lava flows, ippines, told Eos. The observations confirmed how large and more (see http://bit.ly/28RA1by). Although the scien- the impending eruption could be. tists were concerned about overstating the hazards, in the From these studies the scientists figured out that the end they “judged then (and still judge) that strong images volcano had exploded in at least six eruptive periods over were needed to awaken people to the danger,” reflected the past 5000 years, short bursts of activity followed by PHIVOLCS and USGS scientists in 1996 (see http://on.doi long, quiet periods. The most recent eruption occurred 500 .gov/28VpMmV).

18 // Eos 1 August 2016 USGS Cars and people traverse a flooded river in June 1991 after lahars wiped out bridges.

Here scientists learned a powerful lesson in hazard with minute-to-minute updates, much less day-today, mitigation. As Ewert explained, “Showing people what and rumors spread. One of these rumors claimed that a had happened in other places in the world was much more 3-mile-long fissure had formed after the eruption and effective than a scientist standing up in a crowd trying to that the nearby city of Olongapo would soon be hit by a explain it with interpretive dance and hand gestures.” giant lateral blast. By early June, officials called for the evacuation of “Cellular telephones helped briefly, as long as their 25,000 people living in the area, including American ser- batteries lasted,” PHIVOLCS and USGS scientists reflected vice people at Clark Air Base and the U.S. Naval Station in 1996 (see http://on.doi.gov/28VpMmV), “but it was not at Subic Bay. “By June 14 the recommended evacuation until June 16 that we could tell the country that a caldera radius was 30 kilometers, which would have applied to had already formed and that the climax of the eruption perhaps 400,000 people,” Newhall said. Never before had probably passed.” had such a widespread evacuation attempt been made Today’s advanced tools would have been helpful, but before a volcanic eruption. “in the end, for successful natural hazard mitigation, it all By the time the volcano erupted on 15 June, scientists comes down to how effective scientists and public offi- and public officials had convinced more than 65,000 peo- cials are at communicating with each other and the pub- ple to evacuate. More than 350 died during the eruption, lic,” Ewert told Eos. but USGS and PHIVOLCS estimate that evacuation efforts saved between 5000 and 20,000 lives. New Understanding of Triggers for Eruptions 4 Involving Multiple Types of Magma Realization of Importance After the blast, investigations of cooled lava revealed that 3 of Effective Communication the eruption involved a mix of different types of magma, a In 1991, scientists had to look up information in books, phenomenon that had been seen before but wasn’t fully make photocopies, and fax information to each other, understood. Scientists had been aware of mixed- magma Ewert said. This was a time before GPS and before data eruptions, but they weren’t sure what triggered them, could be sent via satellite. Smartphones were science fic- Ewert said. tion. Magma can be classified into types that distinguish how In an era without a 24-hour news cycle, scientists at much silica they contain and how viscous they are, among PHIVOLCS and USGS couldn’t supply the local populations other characteristics. Basaltic volcanoes, like those on

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 19 Hawaii, have less viscous, “runny” magma pools. Silicic long- period (DLP) earthquakes. Long- period earthquakes magma—made of dacite or rhyolite—is stickier and more indicate that magma is intruding into surrounding rock, viscous. It holds more gas that when depressurized, erupts but scientists had more frequently observed these events more explosively. at depths less than 10 kilometers. Before Pinatubo, DLP Studies of lava deposits after Pinatubo exploded revealed earthquakes had been rarely observed and were not fully something curious: minerals juxtaposed that would not understood. normally coexist together had magma come from one Nowadays, DLP earthquakes are “something we look for source, Newhall explained. Thermal signatures—for if we have a volcano that’s waking up,” Ewert said. Such a example, crystals partially resorbing, chemical diffusion signal gives scientists clues into movements within the between crystals—suggested that magma was initially a volcano’s plumbing. mix of basalt and dacite prior to the eruption. But by the end of the eruption, magma was fully dacite. Discovery That More Gas Erupts Basalt magma is denser than dacite, so based on density 5 Than Studies of Rocks Can Reveal alone, “the basalt should have been trapped beneath the Until Pinatubo, scientists assumed that the amount of gas dacite,” Newhall said. Instead, it rose into the dacite and a volcanic eruption released—mainly water vapor, carbon mixed with it. But how? dioxide, and sulfur dioxide—was governed by the volume First, when the fresh, water-rich, and considerably hot- of magma erupted and the saturation levels the gas could ter basalt hit the cooler dacite reservoir, the basalt crystal- reach within the magma, depending on the magma’s tem- lized, Newhall explained. That squeezed the basalt’s water perature. Collecting this information involves studying and other dissolved gases into the remaining melt. Rather crystals of cooled lava after an eruption, Ewert said. than remaining confined, the volatiles escaped from the But what scientists found at Pinatubo by directly study- melt and “formed tiny bubbles that decreased the density ing emissions was that “there was far more sulfur gas of the overall basaltic magma,” Newhall said. “So it was emitted in the atmosphere than could be accounted for” by buoyant and rose into and mixed with a small amount of studying crystals, Ewert said. This implied that emissions the dacite. That added even more volatiles.” of water vapor and carbon dioxide—the gases that domi- The resulting slurry was still less dense than its sur- nate emissions—were also more than scientists expected. roundings, so it kept rising and was the first erupted. Before Pinatubo, scientists thought that gas that Eventually, the dacite itself heated enough to rise to the couldn’t be dissolved into the magma escaped through surface and erupt. vents to the surface. But a whopping 17 megatons of sulfur This magma mixing manifested as subtly rumbling dioxide was released by the explosion, as measured by sat- quakes that at times lasted about a minute, called deep ellite spectrometer. This implied that large amounts of gas

Scientists install electronic tiltmeters prior to Pinatubo’s eruptions. Tiltmeters measure how the ground swells during volcanic unrest. USGS

20 // Eos 1 August 2016 NOAA-10 AVHRR, CIMSS/SSEC/University of Wisconsin-Madison AVHRR, NOAA-10 NOAA-10 AVHRR” and CIMSS/SSEC/University of Wisconsin-Madison AVHRR” NOAA-10 The 15 June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, seen from space in thermal infrared. Warmer colors indicate colder temperatures at the top of ash cloud—the deep red indicates areas that reached -86 °C at altitudes of 20-22 kilometers. Yellow puffs trailing through the deep red show a plume from the main cloud that shot even higher (up to 40 kilometers) into the stratosphere.

could accumulate as bubbles and remain in the magma This temperature gradient strengthened the Arctic Oscil- chamber, Newhall explained. lation, a wind pattern circling the Arctic. In its strong phase, Because this excess gas makes an eruption more explo- the Arctic Oscillation pulls warm air from the ocean, heating sive, it might even be that such free gas is required for a northern Europe and shifting northward the global jet Pinatubo-like eruption, Newhall said. If volatiles are stream—the “river” of wind that flows around the globe. already in excess, they can expand immediately once the The shifted jet stream allowed warm winds to flow over pressure drops, without any delay from diffusing through the Northern Hemisphere during the winter, Robock said. melt. Because the jet stream flows like a wave, while Europe was Knowing that magmas can hold excess gas can help receiving warm air from the south, the Middle East with forecasting efforts, Newhall explained. For exam- received colder air from the north, bringing to Jerusalem ple, if a volcano has been plugged since its previous the worst snowstorm in 40 years (see http://nyti.ms/ eruption yet has been continuously recharged with fresh 28SmqNf). magma and gas from depth, scientists can examine the “At the time of the Pinatubo eruption, nobody knew time between its eruptions to gauge whether the volcano about winter warming,” Robock said. Armed with advances has accumulated enough excess gas to make it particu- in modeling, plus the highly monitored atmospheric larly explosive. effects from Pinatubo’s eruption, atmospheric scientists are better prepared to forecast the global effects of the next Illumination of Details big eruption, he added. 6 About Atmospheric Circulation The total amount of sulfur dioxide released before and A Bolstered Case for Human-Caused during the eruption caused the most profound effect on the 7 Global Warming stratosphere since Krakatau in 1883. The sulfuric aerosols The eruption helped scientists definitively declare that that formed from the sulfur dioxide circled the Earth human emissions of greenhouse gases are to blame for at within 3 weeks and remained in the atmosphere for least the past 60–70 years of warming. 3 years, reflecting enough sunlight to cool the entire planet Scientists tracked sulfur aerosols sourced from Pinatu- by half a degree Celsius during that time. bo’s eruption as they traveled around the world. For However, during the following winter, Europe experi- 2 years following the blast, surface temperatures cooled, enced surprisingly warm temperatures. This winter warm- as forecasted by climate models that included Pinatubo’s ing hadn’t been observed after past volcanic eruptions, like injections into the atmosphere (see http://go.nasa.gov/ Mexico’s El Chichón in 1982. What could be going on? 29445NQ). Temperatures rose again once the cooling Using atmospheric circulation models and computer aerosols fell out of the atmosphere. simulations to study how Pinatubo’s sulfur aerosol cloud Pinatubo, in a sense, served as a natural climate experi- traveled around the globe, scientists found that sulfuric ment to test and calibrate models. Scientists plugged aerosols reflect sunlight outward while absorbing heat observed volcanic emissions into climate change models from below, leading to cooling of the troposphere while with and without anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse heating the lower stratosphere, explained Alan Robock, an gases. In the simulations that included only volcanic atmospheric scientist at Rutgers University in New Bruns- eruptions, scientists didn’t see the past 60–70 years of wick, N.J. consistent warming, Robock explained.

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 21 This observation helped climate scientists sharpen their models further, confirming that humans—and the unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases they pump into the atmosphere every year—are to blame for the warming climate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Cli- mate Change was able to use these newly sharpened models to further support the attribution of climate change to human activities (see http://bit.ly/28SmZa1).

More Weight to Arguments 8 Against Geoengineering Some scientists have suggested geoengineering—or hack- ing our own atmosphere—to counteract the effects of climate change, but Pinatubo’s eruption raised great con- cerns over whether such direct manipulation could be controlled. One of these methods would involve injecting sulfur dioxide particles into the atmosphere just like a volcanic eruption would. Robock and other scientists agree that this kind of injection would have negative consequences. One consequence would be the destruction of the atmosphere’s ozone layer, which prevents dangerous ultravio- let rays from hitting Earth. Clouds of sulfuric acid particles—created when sulfur dioxide newly injected into the stratosphere meets water—provide surfaces on which ozone-destroying chemical reactions take place. In the 2 years after the eruption, atmospheric ozone destruction sped up, and the ozone hole over the Southern Hemisphere increased to an “unprecedented size,” scientists reported (see http://on .doi.gov/28VsyIM). Robock said that to halt global warming, humans would have to inject 100 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere every year—that amounts to about five Pina- tubo eruptions per year. Scientists generally agree that the consequences of geoengineering are too risky to attempt. It would be safer and more practical to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and “keep fossil fuels in the ground,” Robock said.

Pinatubo’s Legacy In 1996, USGS and PHIVOLCS scientists wrote this sober- ing reminder of how if factors had been different, disaster may not have been averted at Mount Pinatubo: “In hindsight, we should have been less concerned about overstating the hazard and more concerned about speed- ing preparations for evacuations. Pinatubo almost over- took us” (see http://on.doi.gov/28VpMmV). Mount Pinatubo, for now, stands relatively quiet, some 300 meters shorter than it was before it exploded 25 years ago. What might the next 25 years bring to Pinatubo? Time will tell.

Acknowledgments Information on USGS and PHIVOLCS assessments was gathered from the book Fire and Mud: Eruptions and Lahars of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines (see https://pubs . usgs . gov/ pinatubo).

Author Information JoAnna Wendel, Staff Writer; and Mohi Kumar, Scientific Con- tent Editor

22 // Eos 1 August 2016 AGU NEWS

AGU Talent Pool Programs Can Help Students with Next Career Steps

Earth science.” A small fraction of AGU engages several these “engage in distinct audiences at a learning the field,” and an even smaller variety of career and percentage of individuals “eventually professional stages via a prepare for a career suite of programs at by acquiring special- ized knowledge, conferences and skills, and expertise and by exploring throughout the year. different employment options.” AGU engages several distinct audi- involvement are typical: awareness, engage- ences at a variety of ment, and professional preparation (Figure 1). career and profes- Students at various levels of involvement sional stages via a and progress can further their careers and suite of programs at engage with AGU using a variety of resources conferences and from AGU’s suite of Talent Pool programing. throughout the year. Here are a few examples: These programs include workshops Undergraduate Student A attended the 2015 about teaching strat- AGU Fall Meeting and participated in the Men- egies, networking toring Program (http://bit.ly/AGU-Mentoring) events for students, but can’t make it to the 2016 meeting because Fig. 1. AGU’s Talent Pool programs are geared toward multiple audiences, including the student conferences, of funding limitations. public (diamond), students (circles), and professionals (triangles). Colors denote the level virtual poster show- • Are you a senior looking for your next of the student (K–12, undergraduate, or graduate) and the focus of the professional cases for undergrad- step? Explore AGU’s Career Center (https:// (K–12, early career, or midcareer and beyond). The lengths of the bars in the triangle are uate and graduate careers.agu.org) and sign up for webinars not drawn to scale. Bars bridging multiple portions of the triangle indicate programs in students, and events (http://bit.ly/AGU-Career- Webinars). which individuals can participate at multiple levels. The arrangement of the programs for the public. • Do you have research findings to share? does not imply a direct linear pathway but rather denotes the nature of participation. At first glance, Participate in the Virtual Poster Showcase Solid lines denote conference-only programs, and dashed lines represent year-round these programs (http://bit.ly/AGU-Virtual-Posters) or apply programs. might appear to be for a Student Travel Grant (http://bit.ly/ unrelated, but plac- AGU-Travel-Grants) for a future AGU meeting. ing this suite of pro- • Can you reconnect with your mentor hat attracts individuals to the Earth grams into the NRC framework makes the from last year? Send your mentor an email to sciences and prepares them for connectivity clear. The programs serve dif- get back in touch. W employment? Entry into the Earth ferent audiences, and the connections will and space science workforce often involves a help students and young scientists engage Undergraduate Student B is planning to complex, individualized pathway. It requires and bring the preparation they may need for attend Fall Meeting for the first time in 2016. training and time. It also requires commit- advancing to the next step in their geoscience • Thinking about what’s next? When you ment from academic institutions, faculty, and career. The wide range of programs enables register, sign up to attend the Career Opportu- mentors, as well as engagement with profes- an individual to become involved with AGU at nities Networking Lunch, and consider arriv- sional societies. any time “from K to gray.” ing early for the Student and Early Career Sci- In a recent National Research Council entists Conference. When you are at the (NRC) study (http://bit.ly/NRC-Study), the Diverse Pathways meeting, make sure you attend the Public Lec- Committee on Trends and Opportunities in A recent report by the National Academy of ture (http://bit.ly/AGU-Lecture) to learn about Federal Earth Science Education and Work- Sciences (http://bit.ly/NAS-report) notes that a hot topic in the field. force Development considered a conceptual students enter science, technology, engineer- • Is graduate school your next step? Par- framework of a system of opportunities and ing, and math (STEM) careers from a complex ticipate in the Outstanding Student Paper experience. In this triangular framework, array of diverse pathways rather than a linear Awards and get noticed by potential graduate many individuals first “became aware of “STEM pipeline.” However, three levels of advisers. Apply for some one- on- one guid-

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 23 AGU NEWS

ance in our Fall Meeting Undergraduate Men- toring Program. Attend Student Pop- Up Talks 2016 AGU Section and Focus Group at Fall Meeting and learn more about the multiple dimensions of geoscience research. Awardees and Named Lecturers • Don’t stop after Fall Meeting! Sign up for emails from sections/focus groups (http:// bit.ly/AGU-Sections), the Education Special Interest Group (http://bit.ly/AGU-ESIG), and n behalf of AGU leaders and staff, sec- honor distinguished scientists in their respec- the Career Center (http://bit.ly/AGU-Career tion and focus group selection com- tive fields of science. -Email). Next year, consider participating in O mittees, and the entire AGU commu- We thank all sections and focus groups for the Virtual Poster Showcase to share your lat- nity, we extend our heartfelt congratulations giving these honors to their well-deserving est research findings. to all of this year’s section and focus group colleagues. These awardees/lecture recipients awardees and named lecturers! represent some of the most innovative minds Graduate Student C went to the AGU Ocean Listed below are scientists, in various stages in their fields. We recognize their continuing Sciences Meeting in 2016 and left completely of their careers, who have been selected by meritorious work and service toward the overwhelmed. Now this student is preparing AGU sections and focus groups to receive advancement and promotion of discovery in to head to the Fall Meeting without his or her awards in 2016. Also listed are scientists who Earth and space science for the benefit of adviser. were chosen to present lectures under the humanity. • Plan ahead. Arrive at Fall Meeting a day annual Bowie Lecture Series as well as the Sec- We look forward to recognizing their early and attend the Student and Early Career tion and Focus Group Named Lecture Series. achievements at the 2016 AGU Honors Tribute, Scientists Conference. Check out all of the stu- The Bowie Lecture was inaugurated in 1989 to be held 14 December in San Francisco. dent events (http://bit.ly/FM-Student-Events), to commemorate the fiftieth presentation of network with peers at the Student Mixer, and the William Bowie Medal, which is named for consider signing up for a time slot to chat with AGU’s first president and is the highest honor Eric Davidson, AGU President-Elect and Chair, a seasoned AGU member early in the week. given by AGU. Bowie lecturers in the list below AGU Council; and Sam Mukasa, 2015–2016 • On a budget? Check out our suggestions are denoted by asterisks. Named lecturers are Chair, Honors and Recognition Committee; email: for saving money (http://bit.ly/FM-Discounts). designated by sections and focus groups to AGU_Unionhonors @agu .org Consider working as a student volunteer, apply for student travel grants or scholarships, and find other students who are inter- Atmospheric Sciences Section Nye Lecture ested in sharing a room. Ascent Award Christina Hulbe, University of Otago • Passionate about teaching? Attend as Alex Hall, University of California, Los many education- related events as possible at Angeles Earth and Planetary Surface Processes Fall Meeting. Attend the Job Fair—even if you Christian Jakob, Monash University Focus Group aren’t looking yet—to get an idea about what Eric Maloney, Colorado State University G. K. Gilbert Award in Surface Processes opportunities are out there. Adam Scaife, Met Office Hadley Centre Christopher Paola, University of Minnesota Susan Van den Heever, Colorado State Luna B. Leopold Award AGU’s Talent Pool programs provide numer- University Alison Duvall, University of Washington ous awareness, engagement, and professional James R. Holton Junior Scientist Award preparation opportunities for students and Sharp Lecture Yuan Wang, California Institute of early-career Earth and space scientists. Career Alison Duvall, University of Washington paths are often disjointed and nonlinear, but Technology the suite of programing is designed to provide a Yoram J. Kaufman Unselfish Cooperation in Earth and Space Science Informatics series of touch points between students and Research Award Focus Group AGU at any time in the calendar year. Karen Rosenlof, National Oceanic and Leptoukh Lecture Mentors must make it clear: The onus is on Atmospheric Administration Cynthia Chandler, Woods Hole you, the student, to determine which programs Oceanographic Institution best meet your needs and career goals. For stu- Bjerknes Lecture* dents who have not yet developed any career Isaac Held, National Oceanic and Geodesy Section goals, focusing on awareness and engagement Atmospheric Administration Geodesy Section Award programs is a great place to start. Faculty, men- Charney Lecture* Emma Hill, Earth Observatory of Singapore tors, and department chairs play an integral role Daniel Jacob, Harvard University Ivan I. Mueller Award for Service and Leadership by helping students find the right opportunities Eric Fielding, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for their advancement, whether that be a Biogeosciences Section research project or entering the workforce. Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and William Bowie Lecture* Mentoring Mark Simons, California Institute of Erika Marin-Spiotta, University of Technology By Pranoti M. Asher, Education and Public Wisconsin Outreach Manager, AGU; email: pasher@agu Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism, .org; Claire Wilson, Education Intern, AGU; Erik Cryosphere Focus Group and Electromagnetism Section Hankin, Student Programs Manager, AGU; and Cryosphere Early Career Award William Gilbert Award David Harwell, Talent Pool Assistant Director, AGU John Paden, University of Kansas Ron Shaar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

24 // Eos 1 August 2016 AGU NEWS

Bullard Lecture* Nonlinear Geophysics Focus Group Nicolet Lecture Nils Olsen, Technical University of Denmark Donald L. Turcotte Award Tom Cravens, University of Kansas Yavor Kamer, ETH Zurich Global Environmental Change Focus Group Parker Lecture* Lorenz Lecture Tom Woods, University of Colorado GEC Bert Bolin Award/Lecture Vladimir Zakharov, University of Arizona Alan Betts, Atmospheric Research Study of the Earth’s Deep Interior GEC Early Career Award Ocean Sciences Section Focus Group William Anderegg, Princeton University Ocean Sciences Voyager Award Study of the Earth’s Deep Interior Graduate Laurent Bopp, Laboratoire des Sciences du Research Award Schneider Lecture Climat et de l’Environnement Harriet Lau, Harvard University David Battisti, University of Washington Joseph O’Rourke, California Institute Carson Lecture Tyndall Lecture of Technology Virginia Armbrust, University of Waleed Abdalati, University of Colorado Washington Tectonophysics Section Hydrology Section Sverdrup Lecture Jason Morgan Early Career Award Early Career Hydrologic Science Award Susan Wijffels, Commonwealth Scientific Whitney Behr, University of Texas at Austin Ciaran Harman, Johns Hopkins University and Industrial Research Organisation Birch Lecture* Horton Research Grant William S. and Carelyn Y. Reeburgh Lecture Maya Tolstoy, Lamont-Doherty Earth Noah Jemison, University of Illinois at Ronald Oremland, U.S. Geological Survey Observatory Urbana-Champaign Hadley McIntosh, Chesapeake Biological Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology Volcanology, Geochemistry, Laboratory, University of Maryland Focus Group and Petrology Section Center for Environmental Science Dansgaard Award Hisashi Kuno Award Katalyn Voss, University of California, Jerry McManus, Columbia University Esteban Gazel, Virginia Polytechnic Santa Barbara Institute and State University Planetary Sciences Section Hydrologic Sciences Award Norman L. Bowen Award and Lecture Ronald Greeley Early Career Award in Planetary Amilcare Porporato, Duke University Dante Canil, University of Victoria Science Tim Elliott, University of Bristol Langbein Lecture* Edwin Kite, University of Chicago James Kirchner, ETH Zurich Daly Lecture* Whipple Award and Lecture Richard Walker, University of Maryland Witherspoon Lecture John Spencer, Southwest Research Paolo D’Odorico, University of Virginia Institute Joint Award: Geodesy, Seismology, Shoemaker Lecture* and Tectonophysics Sections Mineral and Rock Physics Focus Group Meenakshi Wadhwa, Arizona State Paul G. Silver Award Mineral and Rock Physics Early Career Award University Robert Reilinger, Massachusetts Institute Heather Savage, Columbia University of Technology Mineral and Rock Physics Graduate Research Seismology Section Joint Lecture: Biogeosciences and Award Keiiti Aki Young Scientist Award Planetary Sciences Sections Jeffrey Pigott, Case Western Reserve Zhongwen Zhan, California Institute of Sagan Lecture University Technology Nathalie Cabrol, SETI Institute and NASA Lucas Pimienta, École Normale Supérieure Gutenberg Lecture* Ames Research Center Paris Karen Fischer, Brown University Jamieson Student Paper Award Joint Lecture: Paleoceanography Ting Chen, Stony Brook University Space Physics and Aeronomy Section and Paleoclimatology Focus Group Xintong Qi, Stony Brook University Basu United States Early Career Award and Ocean Sciences Section Xuebing Wang, Stony Brook University Colin Komar, NASA Goddard Space Flight Emiliani Lecture Center Bette Otto-Bliesner, National Center for Natural Hazards Focus Group Atmospheric Research Fred L. Scarf Award Natural Hazards Focus Group Award for Kok Leng Yeo, Max Planck Institute Graduate Research Joint Student Grant: for Solar System Research Tarsilo Girona, Georgia Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Space Physics Technology Space Physics and Aeronomy and Aeronomy Sections Richard Carrington Education Dr. Edmond M. Dewan Young Scientist Gilbert F. White Lecture and Public Outreach Award Scholarship for Atmospheric Sciences and Roger Pulwarty, National Oceanic and Ramon Lopez, University of Texas at Space Physics Atmospheric Administration Arlington Michael Allen, University of Western Ontario Near-Surface Geophysics Focus Group Sunanda and Santimay Basu Early Career GSSI Near-Surface Geophysics Student Grant Award in Sun-Earth Systems Science Han Deng, Brigham Young University Joseph Olwendo, Pwani University *Asterisks denote Bowie lecturers.

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 25 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

How Tropical Cyclones Influence Photosynthesis NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, data from NOAA GOES data from NOAA Space Flight Center, NASA-Goddard A computer-generated composite shows Hurricane Ivan, by then a category 3 storm, making landfall on 16 September 2004.

long with the destruction they cause for human civilization, To understand the effect of the storms, the researchers ran the tropical cyclones play a vital role in nourishing onshore ecosys- model with retrospective data from 2002 to 2012 and compared the A tems with freshwater. As a tropical storm tracks inland, it cre- real-world results with a second simulation in which all tropical ates thunderstorms via a common convective process. In the south- cyclones had been removed and replaced with average weather. Many eastern United States especially, these storms can represent a large variables proved to be important in determining how much influence fraction of the total rainfall during hurricane season, which extends a cyclone would have on gross primary production, but the timing and from 1 June through 30 November. Here Lowman and Barros use the trajectory of cyclones proved to be especially important. Duke Coupled Hydrology Model with Vegetation in two different In wet years with more tropical cyclones than average, such as 2004 scenarios—with and without the influence of tropical cyclones—to and 2005, the storms increased gross primary productivity by up to 9%— assess how such storms affect gross primary productivity in the south- the equivalent of 3–5 million grams of carbon per square meter across eastern United States. the study region. In dry years the cyclones increased carbon uptake by The model includes a large number of variables, such as soil charac- 4%–8% relative to the simulations where the storms had been replaced teristics and vegetation type, to track the movement of water through with average weather. a region as realistically as possible. Using the scientific understanding Under the current climate trends, tropical cyclones are expected to of plant physiology, specifically how processes in light and photosyn- increase in the future, and thus the authors argue that understanding thetic reactions scale with carbon assimilation, the researchers could how they affect vegetation, carbon fixation, and drought will become also calculate the total amount of photosynthesis occurring in the only more important with time. ( Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeo- region using the same model. sciences, doi:10.1002/2015JG003279, 2016) —David Shultz, Freelance Writer

26 // Eos 1 August 2016 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

The Mathematics of Braided Rivers

o a casual onlooker, a winding river may elicit visions of canoeing, fishing, or swimming, but for some scientists, flowing bodies of T water bring to mind mathematics. Rivers can be treated as experiments in fluid dynamics, and researchers have long been interested in modeling how flowing water sculpts the land around it and vice versa. Braided rivers are composed of multiple channels separated by short slices of land between the river’s true edges; such rivers are especially difficult to model due to their variable boundaries and rap- idly changing local topography. Here Redolfi et al. calculate a new, dimensionless indicator that reflects the shape of the riverbed and allows the team to derive other mathematical relationships important to modeling the flow of braided rivers. The new indicator, called α, describes the shape of the riverbed when represented as a statistically averaged cross section. Some rivers’ cross sections are U-shaped—flaring out gradually from the base before shooting almost straight up near the banks; others are Y-shaped—wide at the top, but quickly narrowing to a very thin trough at depth; still others are somewhere in the middle—V-shaped with linearly slanted walls. Higher α values correspond to Y-shaped riverbeds, and lower ones produce U-shaped profiles. It’s important James Brasington to note that α symbolizes an average representation of the river’s The confluence of the Rees and Dart rivers in New Zealand. form over a period of uninterrupted distance known as a reach. Accordingly, all of the mathematical relationships revealed by the α indicator are also reach-scale in nature. The α indicator offers advantages over previous techniques because Generally speaking, a host of laboratory and field experiments sug- it does not depend on how much water is flowing through the river at gest that braided rivers tend to have Y-shaped profiles, and single- any given time. Scientists can use the new metric to calculate other thread rivers have more U-shaped profiles. The mathematics indicates properties of braided rivers, such as how shear stress from the flowing that different profiles result from different hydrological regimes, bed water is distributed along a reach and the total volume of sediment material, and valley characteristics. When rivers have a high degree of particles moving through the river. confinement, meaning they occupy all the possible width that their The new mathematics show that physical properties of braided riv- surroundings permit— a river flowing through a thin, high-walled can- ers can be explained by a relatively simple power law, an insight that yon, for instance—the profile moves toward a U shape. should allow scientists to more accurately model these bodies of water When a value D, representing the depth of a river, is raised to the αth with less need for intensive fieldwork to nail down specific river power, it produces a close approximation of the total width of the river parameters. The authors note that the time and resources saved will covered by water. In a nonbraided river this number would be just the be a definite boon to the field as water management becomes increas- bank-to-bank “wetted width,” but in braided rivers the measurement ingly important in the face of climate change and growing world pop- becomes complicated because ridges of land also contribute to the total ulation. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1002/2015WR017918, 2016) width. —David Shultz, Freelance Writer Defining the Onset and End of the Indian Summer Monsoon

very year, the Indian Meteorological Department officially pre- To determine the beginning and end of the ISM, the researchers dicts the onset date of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM), which consider the daily rainfall anomaly—the difference between a given E is characterized by heavy rainfall throughout the season. How- day’s rainfall and the annual mean— averaged over all of India. The ever, this prediction is based on a regional definition of ISM onset that onset of ISM is declared when the all-India average daily rainfall has little bearing on the overall seasonal variation of the monsoon and begins to exceed the all-India averaged annual mean in a sustained prevents precise evaluation of model simulations developed to predict manner. The end of the ISM is declared when the all-India average its timing. In a new paper, Noska and Misra propose a new, objective daily rainfall begins to recede from the all-India average annual definition for ISM onset that is based on measurements of average mean. rainfall across India. The authors argue that the strength of the new definition lies in The researchers used rain gauge data collected between 1902 and 2005 its simplicity: It is based on the sole variable of rainfall. This sim- to develop calculations for an objective definition of both the start and end plicity could enable people outside of the scientific community to dates of the ISM in a given year. Their new definition is consistent with more easily track and understand ISM variability. The new definition other important ISM characteristics, including atmospheric temperature could also improve prediction of anomalous rainfall patterns for a gradient reversal, changes in wind direction, and ocean heat transport. It given summer season. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1002/ also aligns with the variability associated with El Niño and La Niña events. 2016GL068409, 2016) —Sarah Stanley, Freelance Writer

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 27 POSITIONS AVAILABLE

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES graduate program for the spring term if possible, but should be on campus by AGU’s Career Center is the main resource for Hydroclimatology and hydrometeo- June 1, 2017 to begin work. Please con- recruitment advertising. rology PhD student at the University tact Arne Bomblies (Arne.Bomblies@ of Vermont uvm.edu) for more information. A multi-year Graduate Research To apply: please send CV, names and All Positions Available and additional job postings can Assistantship position is available as contact information for three refer- be viewed at https://eos.org/jobs-support. part of a research study on Resilience to ences, and a cover letter outlining Extreme Events in Social Ecological Sys- research interests, expertise and avail- tems of the Lake Champlain Basin. We ability to [email protected] and refer- AGU offers printed recruitment advertising in Eos to seek students interested in pursuing ence Position ID GRA#004. reinforce your online job visibility and your brand. PhD level research in the areas of For detailed job descriptions visit: hydroclimatology, climate data inter- http://www.uvm.edu/EPSCoR/jobs Visit employers.agu.org to view all of the packages pretation and analysis of hydrometeo- available for recruitment advertising. rological events within a changing cli- BIOGEOSCIENCES mate, or closely related fields. Candidates should enjoy being part of Lake PhD Student at the University of an interdisciplinary team of researchers Vermont SIMPLE TO RECRUIT (i.e., faculty, graduate students, under- We seek an enthusiastic and moti- graduates, and stakeholders) working vated student interested in nutrient • online packages to access our Career Center audience toward identifying strategies that biogeochemistry and limnology, who is • 30-day and 60-day options available improve water quality resilience within interested in exploring how extreme the Lake Champlain Basin. events impact water quality/biogeo- prices range $475–$1,215 • Qualifications: At a minimum, a chemistry in diverse lake systems of Bachelor’s (Master’s preferred) in engi- different trophic states and physical CHALLENGING TO RECRUIT neering, climatology/atmospheric sci- configurations. The student’s disserta- ence, physical geography, environmen- tion research will utilize an advanced • online and print packages to access the wider AGU community tal science, or closely related field with in-situ lake monitoring network to • 30-day and 60-day options available research interests in climate processes develop and address fundamental and dynamics, hydrology, extreme value research questions regarding the driv- • prices range $795–$2,691 statistics and mathematical modeling ers of nutrient, carbon and phyto- applied to inter-disciplinary environ- plankton response to such events. DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT mental research. Basic dissertation research questions Start date January 1, 2017, or as soon will focus on environmental controls • our most powerful packages for maximum multimedia exposure as possible thereafter. This position on the response of a lake to extreme to the AGU community comes with a research assistantship events, such as antecedent conditions, • 30-day and 60-day options available that is renewable through May 2021. phenology, and event severity and how

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differ in trophic state, watershed:lake ages between terrestrial and aquatic ability to [email protected] and refer- area, and watershed landcover (forest systems during extreme climate ence Position ID GRA#001. vs. agricultural). events. The student’s dissertation For detailed job descriptions visit: Qualifications: MS research experi- research will utilize an advanced http://www.uvm.edu/EPSCoR/jobs. ence working in similar biogeochemical in-situ riparian soil and stream moni- systems is preferred. Experience work- toring network to develop and address EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE ing with and deploying in-situ sensors, fundamental research questions INFORMATICS as well as conducting advanced statisti- regarding environmental controls on cal analyses requisite for interpretation nutrient (P, N, Fe) and carbon efflux Tenure-line Position in Energy of large environmental datasets are from landscape to streams in forested Resources Engineering at Stanford desirable. Experience working on the and agricultural catchments of the University water in marine or freshwater environ- Lake Champlain Basin. Basic disser- The Department of Energy Resources ments is required and operating and tation research questions will focus on Engineering at Stanford University trailering small vessels is desirable. the drivers of the response of soil and invites applications for a tenure-line This position comes with a research stream water quality to extreme faculty appointment. The position is at assistantship renewable through May events. the assistant professor level. It is 2021. Candidates should enroll in a UVM Qualifications: Previous experiences desired that the selected candidate be graduate program for the spring term if working with in-situ sensors in soils able to start no later than Autumn 2017. possible, but should be on campus by and/or streams are desirable, and enthu- For more information about the Energy June 1, 2017 to begin work. Please con- siasm and physical capability to conduct Resources Engineering Department, see tact Andrew Schroth (Andrew.Schroth@ field intensive research across a range of the Stanford ERE web page at http:// uvm.edu) for more information. weather conditions are required. MS pangea.stanford.edu/ERE/. To apply: please send CV, names and research experiences studying nutrient/ The Department of Energy Resources contact information for three refer- carbon dynamics in forested and/or agri- Engineering focuses on a wide range of ences, and a cover letter outlining cultural riparian soils and/or catchments activities related to the recovery of the research interests, expertise and avail- are also preferable. Earth’s energy resources (e.g., hydro- ability to [email protected] and refer- This position comes with a research carbons, geothermal, and other renew- ence Position ID GRA#002. assistantship that is renewable through ables). The department has core areas For detailed job descriptions visit: May 2021. Candidates should enroll in a of expertise in computational (simula- http://www.uvm.edu/EPSCoR/jobs UVM graduate program for the spring tion and optimization) and experimen- term if possible, but should be on cam- tal approaches to energy production. Soil-Watershed PhD Student at the pus by June 1, 2017 to begin work. ERE offers degrees in both energy University of Vermont Please contact Carol Adair (Carol. resources engineering (B.S., M.S., We seek an enthusiastic and moti- [email protected]) for more information. Ph.D.) and petroleum engineering vated student with expertise in bio- To apply: please send CV, names and (M.S., Ph.D.). geochemistry, soil science, catchment contact information for three refer- We seek scholars with a Ph.D. in an hydrology or related fields with a focus ences, and a cover letter outlining engineering or computational discipline on exploring the biogeochemical link- research interests, expertise and avail- who possess novel and innovative

Earth & Space Science News Eos.org // 29 POSITIONS AVAILABLE

research capabilities in energy transi- at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/ high latitudes and mountainous three references (with telephone tions engineering, renewable energy jobs/7416 in electronic format (pdf regions. Past experience in using pre- numbers, postal and email address) integration and optimization, and only). cipitation from satellite (such as those with contact info to: abehrang@jpl. renewable resource planning and Stanford University is an equal used in the Global Precipitation Mea- nasa.gov. optimization. We envision intellectual opportunity employer and is commit- surement mission; GPM), total water engagement in one or more of the fol- ted to increasing the diversity of its storage from the Gravity Recovery And INTERDISCIPLINARY lowing areas: faculty. It welcomes nominations of, Climate Experiment (GRACE), and Computational approaches for the and applications from women, mem- global hydrologic modeling is highly National Watershed Integrity Map- design and dispatch of renewable or bers of minority groups, protected desirable. The Postdoctoral Scholar ping hybrid renewable-fossil energy systems veterans and individuals with disabili- will build a framework for assessing National Watershed Integrity Map- Optimal control of renewable- and ties, as well as from others who would regional to basin-scale water budget ping (position EPA-ORD-NHEERL- flexible-power systems operation bring additional dimensions to the and hydrologic changes, interact with WED-2016-03). Qualifications Energy storage system design, university’s research, teaching and GPM and GRACE science team mem- include: doctoral degree in aquatic including optimization, valuation, and clinical missions. bers, and publish scientific papers on ecology, ecohydrology, watershed novel technology evaluation the developed framework and results. hydrology (with a background in Multi-criteria optimization focus- HYDROLOGY Dr. Ali Behrangi in JPL’s Earth Sci- aquatic ecology, spatial analysis, and ing on challenges associated with ence Section will serve as the primary statistics), or a closely related field novel energy technologies including Postdoc Position in Hydrology advisor to the selected candidate. The within five years of the desired start- energy generation, land use, water Available at NASA/JPL appointee will also work with the ing date, or completion of all require- consumption, materials abundance, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory project team at JPL and external col- ments for the degree should be and scalability (JPL), California Institute of Technol- laborators. expected prior to the start date. Expe- Analysis of technological change, ogy (Caltech) seeks a recent Ph.D. Caltech’s Postdoctoral Scholar Pro- rience in watershed or statistical mod- including rigorous modeling of inno- graduate with a unique background in gram awards positions for a minimum eling and spatial analyses at broad vation, technology scale-up and hydrology, remote sensing, computer of one year, and may be renewed up to spatial scales and use of aquatic moni- deployment programming, Geographic Informa- a maximum of three years. Candidates toring data and GIS analyses is We will begin reviewing application Systems (GIS), and a demon- who have received their Ph.D. within desired. Note that the position is tions on September 1, 2016 and will strated record of multiple first-author the past five years since the date of funded through the Oakridge/ORISE continue until a suitable candidate is publications. The position will be part their application are eligible. Caltech program. The full project description identified. To apply, please submit the of the Caltech Postdoctoral Scholars and JPL are equal opportunity/affir- can be found at https://www.zintellect following application materials: cover Program at JPL in the Atmospheric mative action employees. Women, .com/Posting/Details%5C2219. letter, curriculum vitae with a com- Physics and Weather Group, Earth Sci- minorities, veterans, and disabled plete list of publications, a statement ence Section. persons are encouraged to apply. The PhD positions outlining research and teaching inter- The research will involve exploring position will remain open until filled, 12 PhD scholarships available ests, the names of three references almost all components of the water with a desired (but not required) start within the Research Training Group including e-mail addresses, and cop- cycle and using various datasets from date of September 2016. “The Ecology of Molecules” at the ies of up to five selected papers pub- satellite remote sensing, in situ, or Please send a letter clearly describing University of Oldenburg, Germany: lished in refereed journals over the reanalysis. The emphasis will be on how this project fits with your back- https://www.icbm.de/en/scientific past three years. Please apply online hydrology of cold regions including ground and interest, a CV, and a list of -projects/ecomol/phd-programme/

30 // Eos 1 August 2016 POSITIONS AVAILABLE

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32 // Eos 1 August 2016 Postcards from the Field

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I am a field assistant here at Mount Magruder in Nevada. This is not a pyra- mid but a Cambrian period reef that has become exposed. Also, as of right now it is 102°F. Help!

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