Busy real lives and low Twitter activity led us to forgo last weeks link-fest, which means this week you’re all being treated to two weeks’ worth of interesting stuff which caught our eyes. But first…
DonorsChoose Update
We’ve finished out the month-long Science Bloggers for Students challenge and Highly Allochthonous readers generously contributed $1674. If you gave to our challenge or any of the Science Bloggers for Students challenges, you should have received an email from DonorsChoose with a $75 gift card from HP to put toward the project of your choice. Don’t let those dollars go unused, there are lots of great projects that still need our help. Thanks to everyone who participated by setting up their own challenge, donating to ours, or just spreading the word. We appreciate your help, but the students with new sets of rocks, books, GPS units, and other scientific tools appreciate your help even more. You’ve made a real difference in their lives. Thank you so much.
And now, on with the linking:
Volcanoes
- From @eruptionsblog: The 25th Anniversary of the Nevado del Ruiz tragedy
http://bigthink.com/ideas/24950 - Great photo: Mt Merapi golf course is a few holes shorter now:
http://www.flickr.com/photo.gne?short=8SUSuh
(via @ugrandite)
Earthquakes
- Comparison between Darfield, NZ quake and Haiti #earthquake effects –building type and quality makes huge difference
http://www.suite101.com/content/earthquake-unbelievable-outcome-of-the-christchurch-earthquake-a307318
(via @EricFielding) - Big fault cuts across Panama Canal; has ruptured 3x in past 1400 yrs, last in 1621. Increases hazard for Panama City.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19745-panama-canal-is-due-a-big-earthquake.html
Fossils
- Cambrian ‘Explosion’ more like a long, 20 million year burst?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101110091115.htm
(via @rivrchik) - Oldest known dinosaur embryos – of Jurassic sauropod ancestors – unearthed. Exceptional preservation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-11734616
(via @BBCscience) - Isotopic traces of bacterial metabolism in 1.2 Byr Scottish rocks suggest high(ish) atmospheric oxygen levels…
http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=861
Water
- Flooding in Pakistan, still: water can only be removed by evaporation, so could linger up to 6 more months.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=46983&src=twitter-nh
(via @NASA_EO) - [Proof govts have never listened to inconvenient experts] How the West Wasn’t Won – watershed-based US state boundaries.
http://bigthink.com/ideas/24964 - Flow in 90% of US streams & rivers has been ‘significantly altered’ by human activity, risking ecosystem damage.
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2631&from=rss - Great post: Is D.C.’s planned flood wall enough?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/11/dc_floodwall_enough.html
(via @columbiawater, @geographile) - For Leaky New York Aqueduct, Bypass Tunnel Is Planned. Currently, losing 15-35 million gallons/day and causing flooding.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/20/nyregion/20aqueduct.html
(via @watercrunch)
(Paleo)Climate
- From @theonion: "Report: Global Warming Issue from 2 or 3 Yrs. Ago May Still be Problem"
http://www.theonion.com/articles/report-global-warming-issue-from-2-or-3-years-ago,18431/
(via @afreedma) - Catastrophic Drought Looms for Capital City of Bolivia [Based on data about paleoclimate tipping points]
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=118047&WT.mc_id=USNSF_58&WT.mc_ev=click
(via @thirstygecko, @NSF_GEO) - Press release: Climate question & answer service ready for journalists’ questions
http://www.agu.org/news/press/pr_archives/2010/2010-38.shtml
(via @theAGU)
Environmental
- [Oooh, cunning!] : EPA recognizes CO2 as a water pollutant, due to ocean acidification.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/11/16/us/AP-US-EPA-Acid-Oceans.html
(via @edyong209, @newsbeagle) - IEA projects drastic cuts in fossil fuel use to meet a max 2C warming target. Wait, IEA more optimistic than I am?!
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/CLIMATE-SPECTATOR-Coal-cash-coming-pd20101118-BAR7X?OpenDocument - Interesting article on aviation’s search for alternative fuels: bulk & energy costs rule hydrogen out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-11707135 - The Landslide Blog — Deforestation, erosion and Cholera in Haiti
http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2010/11/11/deforestation-erosion-and-cholera-in-haiti/
(via @theAGU) - Excellent post by @clasticdetritus on QUEST about Gold Rush era sediment from hydraulic mining in San Francisco Bay today
http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2010/11/18/gold-rush-sediment-in-the-san-francisco-bay/
(via @argillic, )
Planets
- Is this an angular unconformity on Mars? [I’d say yes, but depends on scale]
http://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2010/11/19/is-this-an-angular-unconformity-on-mars/
(via @callanbentley) - NASA annotated gallery of comet fly-by. Really amazing.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/epoxi/gallery-index.html
(via @pourmecoffee) - It’s official: Hayabusa sample return capsule contained about 1500 tiny extraterrestrial dust grains:
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002775/
(via @elakdawalla)
General Geology
- Beautiful thermal image of a sedimentary fan. So much detail!
http://geofroth.posterous.com/the-barbie-fan-in-thermal-emissivity-mode - Robert Krulwich on co-evolution of rocks & life [Very interesting: still need to read paper…]
http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2010/09/14/129858314/my-grandson-the-rock - Ooh, that has to be the prettiest shelfcrop I’ve seen in a while… : Mountain Beltway -Microfaults-a-million.
http://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2010/11/11/microfaults-a-million/
(via @theAGU) - Rare Earth Revelry [REEs not just important because they’re used to build iWhatsits]
http://lablemminglounge.blogspot.com/2010/11/rare-earth-revelry.html
(via @Geoblogfeed) - How Drumlins Form [subglacial erosion during surge events?]
http://my.opera.com/nielsol/blog/show.dml/22004962
(via @Geoblogfeed) - Hydrocarbon-munching bacteria found in gabbros 1 km deep in oceanic crust. Interesting, but note this is from a tectonically unusual region where gabbro is almost exposed on the sea bed. May not reflect ‘normal’ oceanic crust.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827874.800-life-is-found-in-deepest-layer-of-earths-crust.html
(via @newscientist) - This is big. Geology study rewrites evolutionary history of C4 grasses
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12462&id_region=&id_category=329&id_crop=Abstract: http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2010/10/05/G31117.1.abstract?sid=2b0b5465-1d37-4ed4-80b3-5dd4c9573210
(via @geosociety)
Careers and Diversity in Science
- Share your thoughts about your geoscience career path
http://network-yes.blogspot.com/2010/11/share-your-thoughts-about-your.html
(via @geosociety, @NetworkYES) - Subtle comments, big effects on your career: Stereotype Threat, Underperformance and Diversity by @AtheneDonald
http://athenedonald.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/stereotype-threat-underperformance-and-diversity/ - CareerWISE Web Resource Offers Ph.D. Guidance for Women in Science
http://diverseeducation.com/article/1436
(via @BrownADVANCE) - Do reference letters cost women jobs?
http://holykaw.alltop.com/do-reference-letters-cost-women-jobs
(via @KateClancy, @GuyKawasaki) - A list of Geoscience Internship programs:
http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/ugradprogram/geoscience_internships.htm
(via @CPPGeophysics)
Interesting Miscellaney
- Incredible story of the second woman explorer in the PNW – while pregnant, and with 2 young kids!
http://washingtonlandscape.blogspot.com/2010/11/marie-dorion-one-very-tough-woman.html - Why making dinner is a good thing – on the IKEA effect (this isn’t about meatballs)
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/11/why-making-dinner-is-a-good-idea/
(via @edyong209, @jonahlehrer) - Great post by @culturingsci on the difficulties of developing an (often counter-intuitive) scientific worldview
http://culturingscience.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/developing-a-scientific-worldview-why-its-hard-and-what-we-can-do/ - Mobius strip bagels: awesomely nerdy, and carry more cream cheese too! )
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/12/coolest-thing-weve-ever-seen-mobius-strip-bagel-cut-connected-halves.html
(via @larsjuhljensen, @edyong209, @lucasbrouwers) - Interesting account of a tour of Diamond – UK’s Largest Particle Accelerator”
http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2010/11/14/visiting-the-uks-largest-particle-accelerator/
Nice plan for content warnings on Mastodon and the Fediverse. Now you need a Mastodon/Fediverse button on this blog.