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Weekly Highlights for 02-14-2008

I. Departmental/Bureau News

A. Upcoming Events

No Upcoming Events highlights for this week

B. Current

New USGS Message Formats for Volcanic Activity
The USGS Alaska Science Center Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) recently issued the first Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) and Volcano Activity Notice (VAN) for the general public to distribute information about current activity at Cleveland Volcano. These notices are used only when time-critical information needs to be distributed and possibly acted on by the recipients. The new messages are highly formatted to enable users to quickly scan to sections of most interest and concern. The VONA contains fields specific to information about ash clouds, with the format having been jointly developed by the USGS and the International Civil Aviation Organization for use by volcano observatories world-wide. Testing of these new formats is underway at AVO before they are put in use by other USGS observatories. See a VONA message at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/avoreport.php?view=vona.
Contact: Thomas Murray Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7042

New USGS Publication on Earthquake Hypocenters at Alaskan Volcanoes
The USGS has recently published the"Catalog of Earthquake Hypocenters at Alaskan Volcanoes: January 1 through December 31, 2006". Between January 1 and December 31, 2006, the Alaska Volcano Observatory located 8,666 earthquakes of which 7,783 occurred on or near the 33 volcanoes monitored within Alaska. The new publication is available at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/326/.
Contact: James Dixon Fairbanks, AK, (907) 474-7099

USGS Research on Walrus Movement Relative to Sea Ice Dynamics
USGS Alaska Science Center (ASC) scientists are currently conducting research to understand walrus movement relative to sea ice dynamics. As part of this research project funded by the North Pacific Research Board, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) recently completed analysis of sea ice movement in the central northern Bering Sea. The ASC scientists will merge the JPL sea ice data with 2006 walrus movement and behavior data to better understand whether walrus distribution is driven by ice movement or in search of benthic food sources.
Contact: David Douglas Juneau, AK, (907) 364-1576

II. Press Inquiries/Media

USGS Alaska Science Center biologist Steve Amstrup was contacted February 13 by USA Today for information about polar bears and USGS reports released in September.
Contact: Steven Amstrup Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7111

USGS Alaska Science Center biologist Steve Amstrup was interviewed during the week of February 4 by Science News regarding USGS polar bear research and publications. They are preparing a story on polar bears to be timed when the listing decision is announced.
Contact: Steven Amstrup Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7111

On Feb. 12, USGS biologist Steve Amstrup was interviewed by Reuters News Service and KTUU-TV News (Ch 2, Anchorage, AK) at the Alaska Forum on the Environment; Amstrup's presentation comments were recorded by NPR and KTUU-TV News.
Contact: Steven Amstrup Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7111

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