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Weekly Highlights for 03-05-2009

I. Departmental/Bureau News

A. Upcoming Events

USGS Geologic Research on Undocumented Volcanoes Presented at Alaska Anthropological Meeting
Research conducted by USGS Alaska Science Center geologist Sue Karl, along with US Forest Service colleague James Baichtal, will be presented at the 2009 meeting of the Alaska Anthropological Association in Juneau, AK March 11 - 14. The presentation, titled "Quaternary Volcanoes, Obsidian Sources, and Shell-bearing Raised Marine Deposit in Southern Southeast Alaska" will discuss undocumented volcanoes the researchers discovered in southern Southeast Alaska. The ages of some of these volcanoes have been determined by Argon isotopic dating, and also are bracketed by ages of shells and pollen. The volcanic flows overlie and underlie glacial deposits, and ages of the volcanic rocks provide new age constraints on the timing of Pleistocene and Holocene glacial advances in southeast Alaska. Also, newly discovered obsidian deposits may be previously unrecorded tool sources for early Alaskans.
Contact: Susan Karl Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7428

B. Current

New USGS Report on Yellow-billed Loons
USGS Alaska Science Center biologist Joel Schmutz is author of a new USGS Report available online titled "Model-based predictions of the effects of harvest mortality on population size and trend of Yellow-billed Loons." Yellow-billed loons breed in low densities in northern tundra habitats in Alaska, Canada, and Russia. They migrate to coastal marine habitats at mid to high latitudes where they spend their winters. Harvest may occur throughout the annual cycle, but of particular concern are recent reports of harvest from the Bering Strait region, which lies between Alaska and Russia and is an area used by yellow-billed loons during migration. The author developed a population model to assess the effect of this reported harvest on population size and trend. The model predicts a 4.6 percent rate of annual population decline, which would halve the populations in 15 years. The Yellow-billed Loon was petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act and the US Fish and Wildlife Service will publish a 12-month finding in the federal register later this month. The report can be found online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1040/ .
Contact: Joel Schmutz Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7186

Unrest Continues at Redoubt Volcano, New Monitoring Equipment Installed
USGS Alaska Science Center staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) and visiting staff from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys continue to respond to volcanic unrest at Redoubt Volcano. On February 27th AVO personnel visited the volcano to improve the monitoring network by installing temporary GPS receivers. On February 26 and 27, gas and observation flights were conducted. Data from real-time seismic networks, web cameras, ground-based radar, GPS stations, an infrasound instrument, and near-real imagery from satellites are monitored by AVO staff 24/7. AVO continues to post daily updates of Redoubts condition on the AVO website (http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php). AVO is a partnership among the USGS, the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, and The University of Alaska Geophysical Institute.
Contact: Thomas Murray Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7042

Tour of Alaska Volcano Observatory by Local Emergency Managers
Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Deputy Director Michael O'Hare, Manager of Planning, Analysis and Mitigation David Kang, and local Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Alaska Area Office Manager Robert Forgit visited the USGS Alaska Science Center on February 24 for a tour of the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) and discussion of AVO's operation and warning systems.
Contact: David Schneider Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7037

New Publication on Stream Hydrologic Modeling
USGS Alaska Science Center Research Ecologist, Chris Arp, helped co-author a new publication appearing in the journal Water Resources Research. This paper, titled "A Method for Estimating Surface Transient Storage Parameters for Streams with Concurrent Hyporheic Storage", builds on the USGS solute transport model, OTIS (One Dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage) and will help advance understanding water quality in streams. This type of model is used for predicting and managing nutrient and contaminant delivery from urban and agricultural watersheds, as well as characterizing aquatic habitat. This work was in collaboration with scientists at Colorado School of Mines, Pennsylvania State University, and Utah State University and is available at http:www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2008WR006959.shtml.
Contact: Christopher Arp Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7119

II. Press Inquiries/Media

During the period February 26-March 4, USGS Alaska Science Center staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory and visiting staff from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, the USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute answered phone inquiries from the media regarding current period of unrest of Redoubt Volcano. Media outlets who contacted AVO during this period include: CBS affiliate KTVA-TV (Channel 11, Anchorage, AK), NBC affiliate KTUU-TV (Ch 2, Anchorage, AK), CNN, Bloomberg News, and radio KFQD (AM 750, Anchorage, AK).
Contact: Thomas Murray Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7042

On March 4th USGS Alaska Science Center staff of the Alaska Volcano Observatory answered inquiries from radio KFQD (AM 750, Anchorage, AK) regarding Okmok Volcano.
Contact: Thomas Murray Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7042

USGS Alaska Science Center biologist Steven Amstrup was contacted February 27 by a writer for Science Update, a radio program produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, about the concept of "walking hibernation" in polar bears.
Contact: Steven Amstrup Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7111

On March 24th, the Public Broadcasting Service science program NOVA will air a 4-part documentary titled "On Thin Ice in the Bering Sea" on the northern Bering Sea integrated ecosystem research projects conducted aboard the US Coast Guard ice breaker Healy by the USGS Alaska Science Center walrus research project and National Science Foundation partners. Previews of the program are available online at: (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/thinice.html).
Contact: Chadwick Jay Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7414

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