SCIENCE TOPICS

ABOUT THE ALASKA
SCIENCE CENTER

Weekly Highlights for 02-12-2009

I. Departmental/Bureau News

A. Upcoming Events

USGS Hosting North Slope LiDAR Workshop
The USGS Alaska Science Center and the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Office - Santa Cruz are providing a workshop in Anchorage February 23 - 24 on upcoming LiDAR work being proposed along the North Slope of Alaska. The purpose of this workshop will be to provide an overview of scientific objectives, describe uses and limitations of the data to be collected, discuss the technical aspects and logistic considerations, and develop collaborations for the proposed summer '09 LiDAR surveys along the coasts of northern Alaska, from Icy Cape to the Canadian Border. In consultation with collaborators and partners, the workshop will also develop a prioritized list of study areas in the event that inclement weather or technical problems limit data collection. This is an opportunity to develop mutually beneficial collaborative studies and provide high visibility to USGS research efforts.
Contact: Carl Markon Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7023

USGS Presents Seabird Results at Annual Meeting of Pacific Seabird Group in Japan
USGS Alaska Science Center biologist Mayumi Arimitsu will be attending the annual meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group in Hakodate, Japan February 18-26. Arimitsu will provide two presentations on seabird foraging ecology titled "The influence of glacial features on oceanographic gradients in Kenai Fjords, Alaska: a closer look at Kittliz’s Murrelet foraging habitat" and "Measuring scale-dependent relationships between a marine bird, its prey and the physical environment in a glacial-marine ecosystem." The Pacific Seabird Group is a society of professional seabird researchers and managers dedicated to the study and conservation of seabirds.
Contact: Karen Oakley Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7076

B. Current

Unrest Continues at Redoubt Volcano, Alaska
USGS Alaska Science Center staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) continued to respond to increased volcanic unrest at Redoubt Volcano. During the week of February 9, AVO staff installed GPS equipment and collected infrared imagery and water samples. Data from real-time seismic networks, Web cams, radar and imagery from near-real time satellite sources are being monitored by AVO staff on a 24/7 basis. AVO is a partnership among the USGS, the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, and the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute. See daily updates and imagery at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php.
Contact: Thomas Murray Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7042

New Publication on "Bayesian Network Modeling Approach to Forecasting the Future Status of Polar Bears."
In 2007, the USGS conducted several modeling studies to inform the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision whether or not to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. One of the studies employed a Bayesian Network approach to forecast the 21st Century worldwide status of polar bears. This study was recently published in a new American Geophysical Union book “Arctic Sea Ice Decline: Observations, Projections, Mechanisms, and Implications” Geophysical Monograph 180, edited by E.T. DeWeaver and others. The modeling projected extirpation of polar bears from ecoregions that currently support ~2/3 of the world’s polar bears by mid-century due mainly to declines in their sea ice habitats. This finding was considered by the Secretary of the Interior in listing the polar bear as threatened in May 2008.
Contact: Steven Amstrup Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7111

New Surface Rupture Map Available of 2002 M7.9 Denali Fault Earthquake, Alaska
The November 3, 2002, Mw7.9 Denali Fault earthquake produced about 340 km of surface rupture along the Susitna Glacier Thrust Fault and the right-lateral, strike-slip Denali and Totschunda Faults. Digital photogrammetric methods were primarily used to create a 1:500-scale, three-dimensional surface rupture map. Earthquake-induced landslides and unruptured Holocene fault scarps on the eastern Denali Fault were also digitized where they lay within the limits of air photo coverage. This digital three-dimensional fault-trace map is superior to traditional maps in terms of relative and absolute accuracy, completeness, and detail and is used as a basis for three-dimensional visualization. The map is published as U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 422 and can be found at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/422/.
Contact: Peter Haeussler Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7447

II. Press Inquiries/Media

During the week of February 9, USGS staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory and visiting staff from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute answered phone inquiries and gave interviews to: Northern Native Broadcasting (Whitehorse, Canada), SRN News, Fox Radio, KFQD AM 750 Anchorage, Kenai/Soldotna Public Radio KDLL , the Peninsula Clarion, Bloomberg News, KCHU Public Radio Valdez, and the AP.
Contact: Jennifer Adleman Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7019

During the week of February 9, USGS staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory and visiting staff from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute answered phone inquiries and gave interviews to: NBC affiliate KTUU-TV (Ch 2, Anchorage, AK), and CBS affiliate KTVA-TV (Ch 11, Anchorage, AK).
Contact: Jennifer Adleman Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7019

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