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Reducing Cyanobacteria Risks VOL. 96 • NO. 23 • 15 DEC 2015 Earth & Space Science News Reducing Cyanobacteria Risks Solar Storm Hazards Better Forecasting of Volcanic Eruptions New Spin on Pluto’s Moons PSIPW 7th Ad 8_375x10_875 inch.indd 1 10/28/2015 12:56:27 PM Earth & Space Science News Contents 15 DECEMBER 2015 PROJECT UPDATE VOLUME 96, ISSUE 23 10 Better Forecasting for the Next Volcanic Eruption The Eruptive Precursors project in Campi Flegrei, Italy, seeks to understand conditions leading to caldera eruptions. NEWS 4 White House Plan Focuses on Hazards from Solar Storms The administration has issued a new strategy and action plan to increase protection from damaging solar emissions. 16 COVER OPINION Agencies Collaborate, Develop a Data for All: Using Satellite 7 Observations for Social Good Cyanobacteria Assessment Network The satellite and science communities must engage with stakeholders to identify An integrated, holistic approach to detecting and characterizing priorities and capabilities, enabling the cyanobacteria blooms could reduce human health risks and better most beneficial use of abundant satellite direct field resources. sensing data. 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 cohen@srl .caltech.edu .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 25 Michael N. Gooseff, Hydrology Eric M. Riggs, Education Brian C. Gunter, Geodesy Adrian Tuck, Nonlinear Geophysics Kristine C. Harper, History Sergio Vinciguerra, Mineral of Geophysics and Rock Physics 23–25 Research Spotlight Susan E. Hough, Natural Hazards Andrew C. Wilcox, Earth and Planetary Great Lakes Hold Sway over Water Emily R. Johnson, Volcanology, Surface Processes Geochemistry, and Petrology Earle Williams, Atmospheric and Carbon Cycling; Sea Level Keith D. Koper, Seismology and Space Electricity Rise Due to Warming, Weakening Robert E. Kopp, Geomagnetism Mary Lou Zoback, Societal Impacts of Greenland Glaciers; Hydraulic and Paleomagnetism and Policy Sciences Fracturing Water Use Is Tied to Staff Environmental Impact; New Clues Production: Faith A. Ishii, Production Manager; Melissa A. Tribur, Senior Production Specialist; Liz Castenson, Editor’s Assistant; Yael Fitzpatrick, Manager, Design and to Mysterious Hiss in Earth’s Branding; Valerie Bassett and Travis Frazier, Electronic Graphics Specialists Plasmasphere; Water Waves Editorial: Peter L. Weiss, Manager/Senior News Editor; Mohi Kumar, Scientific Provide Insight into Landslides and Content Editor; Randy Showstack, Senior News Writer; JoAnna Wendel, Writer; Avalanche Models. Shannon Kelleher and Cody Sullivan, Interns Marketing: Angelo Bouselli, Marketing Program Manager; Jamie R. Liu, Manager, 24 Marketing 26–31 Positions Available Advertising: Christy Hanson, Manager; Tel: +1-202-777-7536; Email: advertising@ agu.org Current job openings in the Earth and space sciences. ©2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Material in this issue may 3–6 News be photocopied by individual scientists for research or classroom use. Permission New Spin on Pluto’s Moons; White is also granted to use short quotes, figures, and tables for publication in scientific 32 Postcards from the Field books and journals. For permission for any other uses, contact the AGU Publications House Plan Focuses on Hazards Office. Researchers dig snow pits in the from Solar Storms; Students with Eos (ISSN 0096-3941) is published semi-monthly, on the 1st and 15th of the month Disabilities Not Just Welcome but Juneau Icefield to help calculate the except the 1st of January 2015 by the American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Expected. mass balance of the Taku Glacier. Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Periodical Class postage paid at Washington, D. C., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Member Service Center, 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. 7–8 Opinion On the Cover Member Service Center: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern time; Tel: +1-202-462-6900; Fax: +1-202-328-0566; Tel. orders in U.S.: 1-800-966-2481; Email: [email protected]. Satellite image of the July 2015 Data for All: Using Satellite Use AGU’s Geophysical Electronic Manuscript Submissions system to submit a cyanobacteria bloom in Lake Observations for Social Good. manuscript: http://eos-submit.agu.org. St. Clair. This bloom, which also Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official positions of the affected Lake Erie, was the second American Geophysical Union unless expressly stated. 21–22 AGU News worst on recent record. Credit: Christine W. McEntee, Executive Director/CEO Water Resources Research at 50: Lasting Joshua Stevens, NASA Earth Impact Expected to Grow; How Your Observatory, using USGS Landsat Gift Can Keep On Giving. data. facebook.com/AmericanGeophysicalUnion @AGU_Eos linkedin.com/company/american-geophysical-union youtube.com/user/AGUvideos 2 // Eos 15 December 2015 NEWS Among the solar system’s panoply of so-called regular moons—those that form as the result of a collision between a planet and New Spin on Pluto’s Moons another body—Hydra ranks as the ninth fast- est rotator, Showalter said. First Take Revisited The Four Tops Prior to the flyby, Showalter and Douglas “These Pluto moons Hamilton of the University of Maryland, Col- are essentially spin- lege Park had come to a different understand- ning tops, and that ing about the motions of Pluto’s four small radically changes the moons. Using Hubble Space Telescope images way we understand of the moons, they had concluded that the the dynamics of how moons rotate chaotically, varying their spin they operate,” plan- rate and tumbling as they orbit Pluto and etary scientist Mark Charon. They published their moon motion Showalter of NASA’s study (http:// bit .ly/ moon -chaos) in the 4 June New Horizons mis- issue of Nature. sion and of the SETI After examining data recorded by the New Institute in Moun- Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager tain View, Calif., told camera, Showalter, Hamilton, and other col- Eos. leagues realized that the preflyby explanation “This is unlike was not quite right. anything we’ve seen The camera had observed variations in the elsewhere in the brightness of the four moons during a 100-day solar system,” he interval that ended early last July. The bright- added. “No one has ness variations showed clear signs of periodic- ever seen a moon ity, revealing that the moons were not so [like Hydra] that much tumbling as spinning in a regular fash- rotates 89 times ion, just much faster than anyone expected. during a single The images also reveal that Nix is rotating NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI/Mark Showalter NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI/Mark orbit.” backward compared to the rest of the Pluto A new analysis finds that the small moons of Pluto rotate remarkably quickly as they Last July, the New system, and on its side. orbit the dwarf planet. Watch an animation—from which the above image came—of Horizons mission these Pluto system motions at http:// bit .ly/ four -tops. The animation shows Pluto and its carried out the first Fast Times in the Kuiper Belt relatively large moon Charon at the center with the smaller moons (from center out- ever flyby of Pluto. Showalter noted that the spin rates of these ward) Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra spinning as they orbit the larger bodies. Analyses of images moons are similar to those of other objects in recorded by the mis- a vast reservoir of frozen bodies known as the sion’s spacecraft in Kuiper Belt, which lies beyond the orbit of ike disobedient children, Pluto’s four the weeks leading up to the flyby led to the Neptune and which includes the Pluto system. small outer moons are spinning at inex- discovery of the moon’s surprising speeds, Kuiper Belt objects are thought to have L plicably high rates, apparently defying unveiled Monday, 9 November, at the annual acquired their rapid rotation through colli- the steadying influence expected from Pluto meeting of the American Astronomical Soci- sions with other icy debris in the reservoir. and its large partner moon, Charon. ety’s Division for Planetary Sciences (http:// The same may be true of Pluto’s small moons, The small moons—Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and bit .ly/ AAS -DPS) in National Harbor, Md. Showalter suggested. Hydra, in order of proximity to Pluto—all Because the fast-spinning​­ Plutonian moons rotate much faster than the 20 to 38 Earth Surprising Spin Rates are tiny, ranging in diameter from 10 to a few days the moons take to orbit the Pluto-Charon​­ The fast spin rates are so surprising, said tens of kilometers across, a collision with a system, scientists reported last month. Ker- Showalter, because even if the moons formed large impactor could easily have imparted a lot beros spins the slowest, once every 5.33 Earth as rapid rotators, the push and pull of the of spin to the bodies, commented astronomer days, whereas Hydra is the whirling dervish of gravitational tides of Pluto and Charon ought Scott Tremaine of the Institute for Advanced the quartet, rotating once every 10 hours to have slowed down that motion.
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