SCIENCE TOPICS

ABOUT THE ALASKA
SCIENCE CENTER

Weekly Highlights for 01-22-2009

I. Departmental/Bureau News

A. Upcoming Events

USGS to Present Results on Teshekpuk Lake Climate Change Research at International Conference
USGS Alaska Science Center Research Ecologist Christopher Arp will be presenting the results of research conducted on the North Slope, Alaska at the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Nice, France January 25 - 30. Arp will be presenting a poster in a session titled "Impacts of Climate Warming on Polar Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems" which summarizes research from the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area (TLSA) on long-term lake hydrological and chemical changes. Modeling and observational data suggest that since 1973 lakes have responded slowly to year-to-year variation in summer rainfall and snowmelt, reaching their smallest size in 2000 and recovering by 2004 and then shrinking during the arid summer of 2007. Remote sensing analysis coupled with field measurements shows the salinization of 10 lakes since 1955 and the study projects at least five more will converted to saltwater by 2100.
Contact: Christopher Arp Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7119

USGS Participates in Natural Resource Career Fair
The USGS Alaska Science Center (ASC) will be participating in the Anchorage Natural Resource Career Fair on January 23. Over 1400 Anchorage high school science students are expected to attend. The Fair is an opportunity to inspire students to become interested in science, introduce them to professions in the natural resources, and provide information on education pathways to different careers. The USGS will be providing presentations on research conducted at ASC and will be staffing a booth. Participants include US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, US Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and many state and local organizations.
Contact: Durelle Smith Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7104

B. Current

New USGS Scientific Investigations Report on Alaska Lake Districts
A new USGS Report titled "Geography of Alaska Lake Districts: Identification, Description, and Analysis of Lake-Rich Regions of a Diverse and Dynamic State", authored by USGS Alaska Science Center scientists Christopher Arp and Benjamin Jones, is now available online. This study quantitatively identifies lake-rich regions (lake districts) over a large area and describes how Alaska lake districts are understood and managed. The report is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2008/5215/.
Contact: Christopher Arp Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7119

II. Press Inquiries/Media

On January 16 USGS Alaska Science Center hydrologist Chad Smith was interviewed by television affiliate Channel 2 in Anchorage and the Anchorage Daily News during a flood on Chester Creek in Anchorage, Alaska. USGS was measuring flood waters at the Chester Creek gaging station where the ice-filled channel was not capable of conveying runoff from recent rain and snowmelt. Several homes in the vicinity of the gage were flooded.
Contact: Chad Smith Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7103

On January 19 USGS Alaska Science Center scientist David Ward was contacted by John Deutzman, reporter for Fox-Channel 5 in New York City, about the past work on the sensitivity of geese to aircraft overflights. The reporter was researching an article about the US Airways plane crash into the Hudson River earlier this month and the possible reasons why Canada geese may be prone to aircraft strikes.
Contact: David Ward Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7097

Return to Highlights page

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://alaska.usgs.gov
Page Contact Information: ascweb@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified: June 17, 2009