Amazon fire season 'linked to ocean temperature'

Sean Hickey

Fires have been a serious problem in the Amazon for a long time and with a study conducted by US scientists they found a link between the fires and ocean temperatures. A team of US scientists have found that there is a correlation between El Nino patterns in the pacific and fires in the Amazon. Using whats called the ONI or the Oceanic Nino Index they developed a model which correlates inter-annual fire activity with El Nino ocean currents. Also using the AMO or the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation which performs a similar function in the Atlantic they developed a model which allows them to forecast regional fire severity. The model allows them to forecast the fires with a lead time of three to five months. Studies have been done showing that "high fire" years are associated with an extended dry season and the severe dry season has a direct correlation with warm Pacific and Atlantic temperatures.

These models will provide the scientists with forecasts of fire seasons which will allow angenices and relevant bodies to prepare accordingly. The fires can be managed to conserve biodiversity and carbon stocks in forests and also will provide long term harvesting plans that can be adjusted based on the fire season. These models are also being developed for fire seasons off the west coast of the United States and could be used to predict severe fires in the United States in the future. These models are important for every area of government and may be able to allow us to predict severe fires before they happen.

Source: Kinver, Mark. "Amazon fire season 'linked to ocean temperature'."BBC News 11 Nov 2011, n. pag. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. .

Large Asteroid Nearly Hits Earth

Ryan Hardy 11/10/11
Biggest
Asteroid In 35 Years Swings Close to Earth

The biggest asteroid in over three decades passed by Earth just barely
over this past week. On Tuesday, November 8th, the asteroid known to
scientists as 2005YU55, came within 202,000 miles of planet Earth at 6:28pm
eastern standard time. Asteroids are leftovers from the formation of the solar
system some 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists believe their growth was stunted
by Jupiter's gravitational pull and never had the chance to become full-fledged
planets. Pieces of asteroids periodically break off and make fiery plunges
through the atmosphere as meteorites.
This asteroid was considered as big as an aircraft carrier and was
estimated to be a quarter mile wide. This was so close to the Earth that it was
in between the moons orbit with Earth. The moons orbit is about 239,000 miles
from Earth.
Scientists from NASA’S Deep Space Network had been tracking the asteroid
since last week. According to the scientists it approached from the Sun at
29,000 miles per hour. This asteroid was so large that it even attracted astronomers
and amateur sky gazers.
If an asteroid that size would hit the planet, Purdue University
professor Jay Melosh calculated the consequences of 2005YU55. The impact would
create a crater four miles across and 1,700 feet deep. If the asteroid slammed
into the ocean, it would have triggered 70-foot-high tsunami waves. This would
have been catastrophic for the planet.
The Clay Center Observatory in Brookline, Mass., planned an all-night
viewing party so children and parents could observe through research-grade
telescopes and listen to lectures speak about asteroid and why they are in
space. The asteroid can't be detected with the naked eye. For those who did not
have a telescope, they could watch a streamed video of the flyby live on
Ustream which the observatory put on. This attracted several thousand viewers. The
asteroid appeared as a white dot against a backdrop of stars.
Don Yeomans, who heads NASA's Near
Earth Object Program, said 2005YU55 is the type of asteroid that humans may
want to visit because it contains carbon-based materials and possibly frozen
water. Unfortunately, the space shuttle program has been retired, but the Obama
administration wants astronauts to land on an asteroid as a stepping stone to
Mars.
In the future scientist are confident that asteroids of this size will
not hit the planet. Hopefully they do not because of the serious consequences.
For example, the giant craters that could form or the 70-foot-high tsunami
waves that could occur. This could lead to scarcity on resources and could affect
many countries especially those who are located near bodies of water. If the asteroid
hit and formed the giant crater it would lead to many deaths, injuries, and
loss of homes and shelter and resources. Anyway you look at it an asteroid would
not be good if it hit Earth because of the consequences.

All
information received from:
http://news.yahoo.com/biggest-asteroid-35-years-swings-close-earth-235108756.html
NASA's
Near-Earth Object Program: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov
Ustream:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/clay-center-observatory

A Seasoned Combatant of Tornadoes Now Finds the Earth Is Moving,Too

Vincent Citro

On Saturday night in Shawnee, Oklahoma, there was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake that severely damaged St. Gregory’s University. Benedictine Hall is the trademark of the school and is where the library is located and most classes are held through out the school day. The quake occurred along the Wilzetta fault, which is located on the west-central part of Oklahoma and has been the epicenter of numerous earthquakes over the past few years. Even though tremors are very common in the area in the past, it is a mystery why the jump in seismic activity took place over such a short period of time. The people of Oklahoma always say that they would much rather have to deal with a tornado as opposed to an earthquake because you can predict and prepare for a tornado while earthquakes are nearly impossible to predict.

This goes directly into the discussion we had in class about the earthquake that took place in Italy. Despite it being a location of constant seismic activity, the fact that scientists were not able to predict it got them on trial. The people that lived in the area were so outraged by the amount of destruction and devastation that the quake caused that they needed somebody to throw the blame on. The local scientists were took the brute of the attack, despite the fact that most of them were not even seismologists.

It also goes into the earthquake activity we did in class where we were able to triangulate the exact location of the epicenter of the earthquake. The people in Oklahoma were able to triangulate based on the aftershocks of the next day and found that the source of the quake came from the Wilzetta fault. Despite them already having a good idea of the location of the quake because of all the past activity it had caused the area, it is never a bad idea to find out for certain what the source of the problem was. Hopefully they can better prepare themselves for the next quake by making buildings more resistant to the shakes and tremors that the earthquake brings to the area.

Source

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/us/oklahoma-earthquakes-damage-st-gregorys-university.html?_r=1

Quarter-Mile-Wide Asteroid Coming Close To Earth

Kenny Jack

While searching for a topic I came across something that I found to be interesting that is set to happen this week on November 8, 2011. On NPR I read that a quarter-mile wide asteroid was scheduled to come between the earth and the moon at around 6:28 pm EST. According to this article the scientists of NASA are 100 percent confident that we have nothing to worry about when it comes to getting hit with this “aircraft sized” asteroid; it’s said that the last time this specific asteroid, 2005 YU55, has came into “shouting distance” was about 200 years ago. What is so interesting about this particular asteroid is we’ve been tracking it since scientists discovered it back in 2005. Unlike most asteroids that are basically just “whirling rocks” in space, the YU55 is one that contains water and carbon-based material that is thought to have “planted the seed for life” here on earth; this is classified as a C-type asteroid. Something like this can help astronomers further develop and support the theory that I have just previously stated Don Yeomans, the manager of NASA’s near earth program, says. Studies show that there are always small objects that come close to the earth but nothing of this magnitude will have came this close since 1976. It’s expected that this particular asteroid will come within 202,000 miles from the earth, which is closer then the estimated 240,000 miles we are from the moon. What I find to be interesting is that astronomers have predicted the next time an object of this magnitude will come this close again to the earth is in the year 2029 and are confident that we will not get struck by it, but with that said in the spring of 2036 we will have yet another space object of this magnitude come close and they think that there could be a remote chance it could hit the earth. Due to these more recent discoveries President Barrack Obama has ceased progress on the 30-year space shuttle program, so NASA would have enough money to get the ball rolling, and have astronauts focus on getting to these asteroids and then to Mars in the coming decades.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=142029144

Debris from Japan Tsunami is Floating Toward Hawaii -- Laura Frei

Remember the Japanese tsunami back in March? The magnitude 9.0 earthquake, and the devastating tsunami that followed left nearly 21,000 people dead or injured. Although it occurred across the Pacific Ocean, Americans on the West Coast may be seeing the aftermath of the disaster for years to come.
Jan Hafner, a scientific computer programmer and oceanographer Nikolai Maximenko, have been researching ocean currents since 2009. In the midst of the devastating earthquake and tsunami, they used their research to predict the path of the debris through the Pacific Ocean using computer modules. However, they had no first-hand observations of the field site. That changed last month thanks to the Russian ship STS Pallada. The STS Pallada was sailing from Honolulu when it spotted debris from Japan. The debris included refrigerators, appliances, electronics, and a Japanese fishing boat. The debris was all the evidence Hafner and Maximenko needed to prove that their research was heading in the right direction.
So what does this mean for the USA? According to predictions, this debris from the disaster could reach Hawaii by 2013, and could appear on the coast of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Canada by 2014. Although it is unlikely that the debris contains radioactive material from the Fukushima plant, it is important to remember the repercussions of debris in oceanic waters. Debris is on the same ground as pollution, which can cause injury or death to aquatic life, and can harm beach-goers. It can also cost money for cleanup efforts, as well as contribute to a decline in tourism of beaches.

This article relates to Earth Science because of its discussion of Earthquakes, tsunamis, and oceanic currents. All of these phenomena can be studied in the field of Earth Science, and extensive research can be done about these various topics. Hafner and Maximenko's hypothesis and research demonstrates the scientific method that we discussed in class.
I never considered the idea that the tsunami in Japan could ultimately impact the United States for years to come. When the disaster occurred, most people were thinking of ways to help the victims and survivors. Although the odds of radioactive material washing up on the shores of the United States is unlikely, pollution of beaches and the oceans is still a huge problem. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is doing all that it can to gather information about debris sightings. This is reassuring that the NOAA will work hard to ensure that the situation is handled properly to minimize the damaging effects of pollution in the oceans. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the next few years and to monitor the impact that the debris has on oceanic life and ecosystems.

Sources:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/debris_from_japanese_tsunami_i.html
http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/marinedebris/factsheet_marinedebris_debris.cfm

Climate Change Affecting Body Size of Birds- Mickey Sutton

A study done by San Francisco State scientists has found that birds' wings have grown longer and birds are increasing in mass over the last 27 to 40 years. What exactly is making these birds larger? The researchers think it might have something to do with climate changes on Earth's surfaces. However, this finding seems to contradict modern thought on climate change's effect on body sizes in animals. A well-known ecological rule, called Bergmann's Rule, "states that animals tend to be larger at higher latitudes. One reason for this rule might be that larger animals conserve body heat better, allowing them to thrive in the generally colder climate of higher latitudes." Using this rule, scientists have come to believe that a rise in earth's temperature over the past 100 years would result in the reduction of size over time of animal species. However, Rae Goodman and her colleagues at SF State are thinking that the connection between temperature and body size might not be so direct. Their study showed that within the data collected from over 35,000 birds in two "banding stations" in California, that their size has actually increased in the past 40 years in both wing span and body mass. While they note that an increase in body size may be due to a change in diet and food storage in the birds, after testing and discarding numerous counter explanations, Goodman and her band of researchers are confident that climate change is behind this never before seen growth in the birds. They say that "the birds may be responding to climate-related changes in plant growth or increased climate variability in central California." These findings provide the scientific community a small glimpse at the effects of climate change over a variety of species due to the changes documented over such a short period of time. However, trying to understand her findings in an optimistic manner, Goddman said, "But in some ways, it gave me a little more hope that these birds are able to respond -- hopefully in time -- to changes in climate."
After reading about this study, I was immediately reminded of Jeff Amorello's previous post about global climate affecting species size in a negative way, that is, that they are becoming smaller. Whether or not one believes in the accuracy or validity is irrelevant to the actual study at hand. This article stood out at me for various reasons. Namely, it shows that scientific research can ultimately develop two totally contrasting ideas about why specific occurrences are happening. Throughout the year, we have conversed about the validity an reliability on certain scientific findings. We have asked the questions, "Is the source credible?" or "Are there any motives or biases that might not be seen that a driving these scientists to certain conclusions?"
In the case of this study, done by Goodman and her colleagues, I find it very intriguing that the first study done on climate change's effects on North American birds, yields a conclusion found to be opposite of other studies done in other areas on the globe. Were there perhaps any motives behind the agency to conclude at these results? Or are the effects on species in North America different than those found in studies in Asia and Europe? No matter the varying results, it is clear that scientific findings still provide us with a wide spectrum of debate. Fortunately, scientific thought does not stop after one attempt, and only if the researchers remain diligent in their studies and also their global correspondence, can the truth be found.




Sources: 1. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031154127.htm

2. Rae E. Goodman, Gretchen Lebuhn, Nathaniel E. Seavy, Thomas Gardali, Jill D. Bluso-Demers. Avian body size changes and climate change: warming or increasing variability? Global Change Biology, 2011

Obama administration announces desert "solar energy zones" - Hillary Fortin

On Thursday, the Obama Administration revealed plans for solar energy development in which “solar energy zones” are set up in California’s Mojave Desert and other areas in the West by the Bureau of Land Management. These large-scale industrial projects will be directed to 285,000 acres of desert in the Western U.S. as well as 20 million acres of the Mojave Desert.
These energy zones are meant to promote development in areas that do not have any cultural or environmental conflicts. They are also to make landscapes that are most sensitive in the desert “less desirable for solar prospecting.” They do this by identifying “sweet spots” that already comply with environmental requirements thus promising “expedited permitting,” says U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. 17 solar energy zones in six Western states have been found to not have any major cultural or environmental conflicts.
Both industrial and environmental groups say there is a lot at stake with the release of this plan. For billions of dollars in subsides, solar developers need to site projects ahead of deadlines. Meanwhile, conservationists claim that the desert is not able to handle such large scale industrial change. There is also concern about the amount of money spent on these projects. According to an analysis by the Interior Department’s inspector general, these projects have consumed nearly 80% of the Recovery Acts funding that was put aside for the bureau’s entire renewable program. Renewable energy is a main concern of Obama’s energy policy, but there are areas of much concern in terms of money spent on the development of solar operations.
I think that desert areas such as Mojave are appropriate places for solar energy projects. I think it is a good way to make use of the land because of the amount of light it receives. Plus the “sweet spots” they identified have already met environmental requirements and many solar energy zones do not have any major cultural or environmental conflicts. I think this is an important aspect and that they should continue to focus on such areas. These areas can assist in Obama’s energy policy which, as stated in the article, “aims to reduce American dependence on foreign oil while developing domestic clean energy that creates jobs.” I can understand how money is a significant concern, but if they could continue to launch more projects in other areas where there are no major conflicts it could help in creating jobs and more renewable solar energy zones.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solar-desert-20111028,0,7889585.story