New Volcanic Island Saving Marine Archives Climate Model Accuracy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VOL. 98 NO. 9 SEP 2017 New Volcanic Island Saving Marine Archives Climate Model Accuracy Students: Doing Research this Summer? Present it in the Fall Showcase! Abstract Submission Deadline: 30 September Learn more at virtualposter.agu.org Earth & Space Science News Contents SEPTEMBER 2017 PROJECT UPDATE VOLUME 98, ISSUE 9 18 New Volcanic Island Unveils Explosive Past A recent volcanic eruption near Tonga in the southwestern Pacific Ocean created a new island, giving scientists a rare opportunity to explore the volcanic record of this remote region. PROJECT UPDATE 32 Saving Our Marine Archives A concerted effort has begun to gather and preserve archives of marine samples and descriptive data, giving scientists ready access to insights on ancient 24 environments. COVER RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT A Portal to Saturn: Ten Notable Findings New Super computers 44 Allow Climate Models from Cassini-Huygens to Capture Convection Scientists evaluate the latest version of The soon-to-end NASA mission to Saturn changed the way we think a fine-scale climate model by simulating of habitability beyond Earth, opened our eyes to dynamics in the gas a decade of precipitation patterns across giant’s atmosphere, and more. Europe. 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., José D. Fuentes David Halpern USA; [email protected] Department of Meteorology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pennsylvania State Pasadena, Calif., USA; University, University davidhalpern29@gmail Park, Pa., USA; .com [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board Mark G. Flanner, Atmospheric Sciences John W. Lane, Near-Surface Nicola J. Fox, Space Physics GeophysicsJian Lin, Tectonophysics and Aeronomy Figen Mekik, Paleoceanography Peter Fox, Earth and Space Science and Paleoclimatology Informatics Jerry L. Miller, Ocean Sciences Steve Frolking, Biogeosciences Thomas H. Painter, Cryosphere Sciences 7 Edward J. Garnero, Study of the Philip J. Rasch, Global Environmental Earth’s Deep Interior Change Michael N. Gooseff, Hydrology Eric M. Riggs, Education 37–40 AGU News Brian C. Gunter, Geodesy Adrian Tuck, Nonlinear Geophysics Kristine C. Harper, History of Geophysics Sergio Vinciguerra, Mineral Unemployed? AGU Can Help; Japan- Sarah M. Hörst, Planetary Sciences and Rock Physics Susan E. Hough, Natural Hazards Andrew C. Wilcox, Earth and Planetary U.S. Joint Meeting: Geoscience for Emily R. Johnson, Volcanology, Surface Processes a Borderless World; Eos Receives Geochemistry, and Petrology Earle Williams, Atmospheric Two Publication Awards; 2017 AGU Keith D. Koper, Seismology and Space Electricity Robert E. Kopp, Geomagnetism Mary Lou Zoback, Societal Impacts Union Medal, Award, and Prize and Paleomagnetism and Policy Sciences Recipients Announced. Staff 16 Production and Design: Faith A. Ishii, Production Manager; Melissa A. Tribur, Senior 41–44 Research Spotlight Production Specialist; Beth Bagley, Manager, Design and Branding; Travis Frazier and Valerie Friedman, Senior Graphics Specialists 3–11 News Mysterious Particle Beams Found Editorial: Peter L. Weiss, Manager/Senior News Editor; Mohi Kumar, Scientific over Jupiter’s Poles; Curiosity Spies Content Editor; Randy Showstack, Senior News Writer; JoAnna Wendel, News Writer; USGS Library Cuts Would Harm Liz Castenson, Editorial and Production Coordinator; Kimberly M. S. Cartier, News Shifting Sands on Mars; Shedding Writing and Production Intern Research, Education, Say Scientists; Light on Intermittent Rainfall; Marketing: Jamie R. Liu, Manager, Marketing; Angelo Bouselli and Tyjen Conley, Tornado Precursor Foreseen Hours Can Ocean Tides Be Powerful Marketing Program Managers; Ashwini Yelamanchili, Digital Marketing Coordinator Before Twister Hit; Build Four U.S. Indicators of Climate Change?; New Advertising: Tracy LaMondue, Director, Development; Tel: +1-202-777-7372; Email: [email protected] Polar Icebreakers, Report Urges; Supercomputers Allow Climate Homemade Lava Flows Fuse Science Models to Capture Convection. ©2017. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Material in this issue may be photocopied by individual scientists for research or classroom use. Permission is with Art on Video; Climate Change also granted to use short quotes, figures, and tables for publication in scientific books Could Make Siberia an Attractive 45–48 Positions Available and journals. For permission for any other uses, contact the AGU Publications Office. Place to Live; Contrary Temperature Eos (ISSN 0096-3941) is published monthly by the American Geophysical Union, Trend Stalls Upgraded Climate Current job openings in the Earth 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Periodical Class postage paid at Washington, D. C., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address Model’s Debut; Gerald J. Wasserburg and space sciences. changes to Member Service Center, 2000 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, ( 1927– 2016). USA. Member Service Center: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern time; Tel: +1-202-462-6900; Inside Back Cover: Fax: +1-202-328-0566; Tel. orders in U.S.: 1-800-966-2481; Email: service@ 12 Meeting Report Postcards from the Field agu.org. Use AGU’s Geophysical Electronic Manuscript Submissions system to submit Protecting Water Resources Through Scientists use blue dye to study a a manuscript: http://eos-submit.agu.org. a Focus on Headwater Streams. rain-on-snow event in Switzerland. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official positions of the American Geophysical Union unless expressly stated. 13–17 Opinions On the Cover Christine W. McEntee, Executive Director/CEO Climate and Other Models May Artist’s concept of Cassini in one of Be More Accurate Than Reported; its final dives over Saturn. Credit: Avoiding Predators in Publishing. NASA/JPL-Caltech facebook.com/AmericanGeophysicalUnion @AGU_Eos linkedin.com/company/american-geophysical-union youtube.com/user/AGUvideos 2 // Eos September 2017 NEWS a resource, to get documents and informa- USGS Library Cuts Would Harm tion that they can’t get anywhere else,” said Maeve Boland, director of geoscience policy Research, Education, Say Scientists at the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) in Alexandria, Va. According to Lisa Long, the librarian at the Ohio Geological Survey, “In some cases, we tific asset,” wrote 23 science depend on the USGS collections to have organizations in a 16 June letter items or be able to explain the provenance of (http:// bit . ly/ June - 16 - Letter) to items that we may or may not have in our several members of Congress collections.” that urged continued library funding in 2018 at the level of Potential Education Impacts $5.8 million that USGS currently Beyond geological research, the USGS receives. (AGU, the publisher of Library has provided resources for geology Eos, is a signatory of the letter.) educators and the public for years. USGS estimated that 40% of visitors to the Denver Access to Collections branch and 80% of visitors to the Reston and Librarians May Cease branch were from outside USGS. With so few staff left after the College students studying geology would anticipated cuts, those who also be hit hard by the loss of access to the would remain would be expected USGS Library, according to Johnson. An to focus on “ inward-facing, tech- associate professor of geology at Northwest nical, and operational tasks, with Missouri State University for 9 years, John- minimal capacity for research son recalled that he relied on data from the support and digitization,” USGS Library to create course content for according to a statement that the undergraduate classes ranging from intro- Map of Washington, D. C., around Capitol Hill from 1920, in the Historical USGS Office of Communications ductory to senior level. Map Collection of the USGS Library in Reston, Va. Credit: AGU and Publishing (OCP) provided to “My students have found working with Eos. Branch closures would USGS data to be one of the most valuable restrict public, researcher, and parts of their preparation to be professional educator access to nondigitized geoscientists,” he added. “In my opinion, he U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collections and USGS librarians, the statement you can’t underestimate the impact on Library, home to one of the largest also noted. The library operates branches in undergraduate education in the geosci- T Earth and natural science collections in Reston, Va.; Denver, Colo.; Flagstaff, Ariz.; ences.” the world, faces a 52% funding decrease in the and Menlo Park, Calif. fiscal year (FY) 2018 federal budget proposed The most important information to which What’s Next? by President Donald Trump. geologists could lose access is “foundational” The requested cut to the USGS Library bud- The potential funding loss of $3 million materials—such as topographical maps, land get is part of a 15% reduction in overall USGS would close at least three of the library’s four use patterns, and historical records—that funding in President Trump’s FY 2018 budget branches, eliminate three quarters of the sup- serve as the starting points for geophysical request. On 18 July, the House Appropria- porting staff, and end public and researcher research