Weekly Highlights for 05-07-2009
I. Departmental/Bureau News
A. Upcoming Events
No Upcoming Events highlights for this week
B. Current
The USGS Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) continues to monitor the ongoing eruption of Redoubt Volcano. The lava dome that has been growing in the summit crater since the April 4 explosion has now become roughly equivalent in size to the largest dome that was emplaced during the 1989-90 eruption of Redoubt. As the dome grows it becomes increasingly unstable. Since May 2nd shallow volcanic earthquake activity has increased markedly suggesting that the possibility for renewed explosive activity has increased. AVO continues to monitor the volcano with seismic instruments, GPS, webcams, airborne gas measurements, satellite imagery, and thermal and visual observations 24 hours a day. 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:
John Power
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7426
Ice jam flooding along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers in Alaska has destroyed two villages, Eagle and Fortymile Village, and inundated homes in Aniak and along the Tanana River. Record ice thickness in the Yukon, cool mid-April temperatures, and near record snowpack in the upper Yukon basin followed by a stationary high produced record warm temperatures in interior Alaska and western Yukon Territory, resulting in flooding. USGS Alaska Science Center crews have worked to keep streamgages operational as river ice begins to move along these major rivers. At least three gages on the Tanana and Yukon Rivers have been damaged during the initial stages of breakup. At Eagle, where the business district along Front Street was destroyed May 5 by an ice jam, a temporary gage was installed to measure the peak stage, which was more than 20 feet higher than the previous peak of record. USGS crews remain on standby to maintain gages downstream after the jam broke the evening of May 6. Elsewhere in Alaska, breakup flooding has been significant, but less damaging than at Eagle. The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for the river downstream of Eagle to Fort Yukon, for the Yukon River at Ruby, for the Kuskokwim River at Kalskag, and flood watches for most of the other towns and villages along these two rivers where ice is still in place.
Contact:
David Meyer
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7141
On May 15, 2008, then-Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne classified the polar bear as a threatened species under the U. S. Endangered Species Act. USGS reports forecasting strong declines in polar bear habitat and numbers were keys to that decision. In response, Armstrong et al. (Interfaces, 38(5):382-405, 2008.) questioned the General Circulation Models (GCMs) upon which USGS analyses relied; challenged the independence of USGS from the policy process; and criticized the methods used by the USGS to project the future status of polar bears. In a rebuttal to be published in the July-August Issue of Interfaces, USGS personnel and co-authors justify use of GCMs for forecasting future climate and show that every major point in Armstrong et al. (2008) was wrong or misleading. We reaffirm that global warming poses a serious threat to the future welfare of polar bears and show that publication of Armstrong et al. (2008) only served to distract from reasoned public policy debate. Our rebuttal is now available online at: http://interfaces.journal.informs.org/papbyrecent.dtl.
Contact:
Steven Amstrup
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7111
Former USGS geologist Florence Weber, who continued as an Emeritus Scientist until 2008, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alaska Geological Society. Awarded at the annual Technical Conference in Fairbanks on April 24th, the award honors Florence for more than 65 years of contributions to geologic studies in Alaska.
Contact:
Frederic Wilson
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7448
Two new USGS Scientific Investigations Maps are now available: Geologic map of the Yukon-Koyukuk basin, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2909, scale 1:500,000; and Geologic map of the Atlin quadrangle, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2929, scale 1:125,000.
Contact:
Frederic Wilson
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7448
USGS Alaska Science Center (ASC) wildlife biologist Yvette Gillies and geographer Greg Durocher presented four half-day short courses on sea otters to Alaska high school students from the Lake and Peninsula School District (LPSD) during the LPSD's science career days April 14 - 15. About 60 students, mostly Native-Alaskans, and teachers attended the classes. This annual event is held at the district's largest school building in Newhalen, Alaska. The courses included an overview of sea otters and their adaption to the marine environment, the history of human interaction with otters, and the importance of sea otters as a keystone species. The students also participated in hands on activities such as conducting radio tracking and beacon recovery using the equipment that researchers use to study wildlife.
Contact:
Yvette Gillies
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-3326
A three-day workshop was held in Anchorage on Apr. 30 - May 2 at the USGS Alaska Science Center (ASC) between 22 Alaskan and Canadian geologists. The purpose was to develop collaborations and share knowledge in connection with a major Canadian geologic mapping and mineral resource study called "Edges". Rock formations cross international borders and it behooves researchers on both sides to look across. The meeting was convened by ASC geologist Peter Haeussler and featured presentations by geologist Sue Karl on southeastern Alaska, and geologist Dwight Bradley on a statewide geochronology compilation. ASC staff also led a post-meeting field trip to the north.
Contact:
Peter Haeussler
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7447
II. Press Inquiries/Media
No Press Inquiries highlights for this week
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