Weekly Highlights for 06-18-2009
I. Departmental/Bureau News
A. Upcoming Events
No Upcoming Events highlights for this week
B. Current
An eruption of Sarychev Peak volcano on Russia's Matua Island, Central Kuriles occurred this week beginning on 12 June with eruption clouds to 54,000 feet above sea level. The eruption continues and significantly impacts flights in the western North Pacific. The Alaska Volcano Observatory is coordinating with the Russian Sakhalin Volcanic Eruptions Response Team (SVERT) during this response to aid in the dissemination of information regarding eruptive activity. AVO remote sensing staff are also using satellite data to track eruption clouds from this eruption to assist SVERT with the timely and proper distribution of these data to the aviation community so they can issue formal warnings through their own channels.
Contact:
Kristi Wallace
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7109
USGS Alaska Science Center scientists along with scientists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Alaska are initiating multidisciplinary studies this summer of Kasatochi Volcano in the Aleutian Islands. Kasatochi erupted on August 7-8, 2008, and scientists believe the flora and fauna of the island were completely destroyed. Research being conducted will begin to document geomorphologic changes since the eruption, document the short-term impacts of the eruption and establish transects, plots and baselines to document the long-term ecological response of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. During initiation of this work on the island, observations from field crews include sightings of upwards of 200,000 auklets in the air and water, some beetles, and a few sea lion pups. The island is currently barren and being actively eroded, resulting in large gullies in the newly deposited ash, although there is some exposed rock and some emergent vegetation previously covered during the volcanic event.
Contact:
Anthony (Tony) DeGange
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7046
Redoubt Volcano in Alaska's Cook Inlet continues to erupt slowly building a lava dome in the summit crater of this glacier-clad volcano. Sudden collapse or explosive destruction of the growing lava dome could occur at any time. USGS Alaska Science Center staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) and visiting staff from USGS Cascades Observatory, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute continue to staff the AVO operations room 24/7 tracking activity at the volcano and fielding media, public, and government inquiries. Staff is also conducting a variety of scientific studies in conjunction with monitoring and reporting duties to investigate processes of lava dome growth, degassing, volcano deformation, seismicity, ash fall, lahar generation, and many other topics. The Aviation Color Code remains at ORANGE with the Alert Level at WATCH. 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:
Kristi Wallace
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7109
USGS Alaska Science Center research biologist Jennifer Nielsen is coauthor of a publication appearing in the journal Conservation Genetics titled " Fine-scale population genetic structure in Alaskan Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis)." Pacific halibut are distributed across the North Pacific Ocean and are an important commercial, sport, and subsistence species. However, little is known about population structure throughout its geographic range. This study examined genetic population structure in adult Pacific halibut collected at three geographically distinct locations in Alaska - the Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, and Gulf of Alaska. Results demonstrated weak but significant east to west differentiation of halibut in Alaskan waters. Significant heterogeneity was detected between Aleutian Island Pacific halibut and fish from the other two regions. No significant genetic differences were found between the fish in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, leading to questions about factors contributing to the separation of Aleutian halibut. Aleutian Pacific halibut genetic structure may result from oceanographic transport mechanisms acting as partial barriers to gene flow with fish from other Alaskan waters. The abstract can be found online at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/r808654854817236/?p=a9fa66bf687a42a08cc9a02aedfbf537&pi=2.
Contact:
Jennifer Nielsen
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7062
A new study, coauthored by USGS Alaska Science Center research biologist Jennifer Nielsen appears in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management (29:680-701) titled "Steelhead Genetic Diversity at Multiple Spatial Scales in a Managed Basin: Snake River, Idaho." The researchers investigated the genetic diversity of Idaho's steelhead in 74 wild populations and 5 hatchery stocks in Idaho's Snake River basin and represents the largest genetic study completed to date for steelhead in Idaho. Unique genetic diversity was apparent in this system at three different spatial scales: population, watershed, and drainage. Snake River basin steelhead were listed as a threatened species in 1997, and these data will assist managers in prioritizing their efforts to conserve wild stocks, especially in light of observed genetic effects of declines at the population spatial scale. The abstract can be found online at: http://afsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1577/M08-105.1.
Contact:
Jennifer Nielsen
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7062
USGS is leading a walrus tracking study in the Chukchi Sea in collaboration with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose of the study is to better understand the distribution of walruses and their use of important foraging areas and sea ice habitats within the Chukchi Sea oil lease sale planning area. The lease sale area encompasses almost the entire U.S. summering grounds of female and young walruses. Results of the study will provide the public, subsistence users, and managers with a greater understanding of walrus habitat use patterns in the Chukchi Sea. In early June USGS deployed 34 satellite radio-tags on walruses as they migrated north into the Chukchi Sea. You may track the progress of these walrus on-line at http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/walrus.
Contact:
Chadwick Jay
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7414
II. Press Inquiries/Media
USGS scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory continued answering media inquiries, June 11 - June 17, about the current period of unrest at Redoubt Volcano, including CBS affiliate KTVA-TV (Channel 11) and KFQD Radio (AM750 Anchorage, AK).
Contact:
Kristi Wallace
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7109
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