Chris has been on Twitter holiday this week, so you’ll be treated only to Anne’s Twitter obsessions in this week’s linkfest.
Volcanoes
- Activity on Kilauea is changing dramatically, making for some interesting video views.
- First there were awesome videos of Halema`uma`u Crater rim collapses
http://pacificislandparks.com/2011/03/05/awesome-video-shows-collapse-into-lava-lake/
(via @Tuff_Cookie, @PuukoholaNPS) - Then, last night, HVO reported a possible eruption at Napau Crater on Kilauea following the draining at Pu`u O`o and the summit, as reported by Erik of @eruptionsblog:
http://bigthink.com/ideas/31533 - Now, this morning, there’s a new fissure eruption going on, and once again, Erik has info and videos.
http://bigthink.com/ideas/31536 - Also, check out these stunning photos from the Boston Globe’s “Big Picture” on Nyiragongo’s lava lake.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/02/nyiragongo_crater_journey_to_t.html
(via @Tuff_Cookie)
Fossils
- Fascinating post by @laelaps on how ammonoids created pearls from parasites
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/ammonoids-trapped-parasites-in-pearls/
(Paleo)climate
- @KHayhoe tweets “The global warming “lull” during 1950s has long been attributed to combination of natural factors & dust/aerosols from fossil fuels. A new study suggests it was at least partially due to nuclear winter effects from all the bomb testing at that time!”
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2011.01.005
(via @KHayhoe)
In response to my retweet of this link, @volcanojw wondered whether anyone has seen a lay person’s explanation of this effect. Has anyone run across any good blogging on the subject? - 16,000 images compiled into one frame showing seasonal changes in Norway + a video. Wow.
http://eirikso.com/2011/01/05/one-year-in-2-minutes/ - NASA’s “Glory” climate satellite launch failed. @iansample has a nice write-up in the Guardian. I feel terrible for all the scientists and engineers who worked on the satellite, and for the scientists who were depending on getting data from it. Why does it always seem to be the earth-observing satellites that fail?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/04/taurus-rocket-glory-satellite-earth
(via @SAeditorinchief, @David_Dobbs)
Water
- Excellent overview of the myriad of water resources challenges facing Bolivia.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/flooded-bolivia-faces-long-term-water-woes/
(via @geographile, @AlertNet) - Totally cool Geopathology post by @drjerque on very muddy waterfalls on the Mekong River.
http://geopathology.posterous.com/sediment-laden-mekong-riverand-a-fall-line - A gorgeous, big spring in the Arizona desert.
http://entequilaesverdad.blogspot.com/2011/03/desert-karst-oasis.html
(via @Dhunterauthor) - Perfect use for historical imagery. Evaluating alluvial fan flood response and recovery with Google Earth
http://geologicfroth.com/evaluating-alluvial-fan-flood-response-and-re
(via @drjerque) - NASA image of early spring floods in Indiana
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=49524
(via @NASA_EO) - March 6 – 12, 2011 is National Ground Water Awareness Week. What will you be doing?
http://www.ngwa.org/public/awarenessweek/index.aspx
(via @argillic)
Environmental
- A must read: The New York Times exposes lax regulations of wastewater treatment from natural gas wells. Some of that water has high levels of radioactivity and is being treated at municipal wastewater plants (with no capabilities for radioactivity reduction) and then discharged to rivers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/us/27gas.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23
(via @RebeccaSkloot) - Two wastewater injection wells in Arkansas have been temporarily shutdown because of earthquake swarms in the surrounding area. The two wells are located close to a fault.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/us/05fracking.html?smid=tw-nytimesscience&seid=auto
(via @CPPGeophysics)
General Geology
- Nice Accidental Remediation post on the purpose & utility of the ubiquitous yellow logbook in the field
http://shortgeologist.blogspot.com/2011/03/yellow-logbook.html - Epic story of a con-man geologist as told by @drskyskull
http://skullsinthestars.com/2011/02/24/the-saga-of-the-scientific-swindler-1884-1891/
Interesting Miscellaney
- Alison Gopnik takes apart Tierney’s bad reporting of the PNAS paper on women in science
http://www.slate.com/id/2285355/
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