USGS News: March Science Picks - Treasures at the End of the Rainbow, Invasive Clovers, Sea Ice Thickness, Spring Changes, and More?

[Jessica K Robertson <jrobertson@xxxxxxxx>]

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

News Release
March 10, 2008

Jessica Robertson
703-648-6624
jrobertson@xxxxxxxx

USGS Office of Communications
Science Picks — Leads, Feeds
and Story Seeds 
March 2008 Edition

For Release: UPON RECEIPT

Spring is near and many are gearing
up to paint the town green for St. Patrick’s Day! Uncover the mystery
behind hidden treasures at the end of the rainbow, and find out how your
luck might change as invasive clovers spread throughout the world. In this
edition of Science Picks, you can also discover a new method to estimate
sea ice thickness, what the USGS has learned from the hurricanes of 2005,
and so much more! If you would like to receive Science Picks via e-mail,
would like to change the recipient, or no longer want to receive it, please
e-mail jrobertson@xxxxxxxx.

March Highlights Include: 

·        New
Method to Estimate Sea Ice Thickness
·        Past,
Current and Future Hurricane Response
·        You
Are What You Eat: Chemicals Found in Earthworms
·        Does
the United States Have Enough Water? 
·        Opening
a Dam to Improve Resources in the Grand Canyon
·        Panama's
Baru Volcano is Restless and Could Erupt Again
·        Wind
Energy Threatens Bats
·        On
Your Mark. Get Set. Grow! Cheatgrass Gets an Early Start, Endangering Spring
Plants
·        Spring
Predators Cause Lambs to Skedaddle
·        Some
Don’t Like it Hot
·        Working
Dogs Lend Their Noses to Find Threatened Tortoises
·        Oh,
Rats: Scientists Work with Walt Disney World to Breed Endangered Species
·        The
Insides of a 34-Million-Year-Old Supervolcano Exposed
·        Climate
Clues in Spring Flowers
·        Is
There Gold at the End of the Rainbow?
·        Four-Leaf
Clovers Are Not All Good Luck
·        Glacier
Retreat: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (Or Several Degrees)
·        Snowpack
Affects Wildlife Disease in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
·        Plans
for Coal-Bed Methane Drilling and Coal Mining in Precious Ecosystems
·        USGS
Science and Human Health

and more …


LEADS (top news, updates
and happenings in natural science)

New Method to Estimate Sea Ice
Thickness

Scientists recently developed a
new modeling approach to estimate sea ice thickness, and it’s the only
model entirely based on historical observations. The model was developed
by scientists with the USGS and the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
Using this new technique, the thickness of Arctic sea ice was estimated
from 1982 to 2003. Results showed that average ice thickness and total
ice volume fluctuated together during the early study period, peaking in
the late 1980s and then declining until the mid-1990s. Thereafter, ice
thickness slightly increased but the total volume of sea ice did not. Scientists
propose that the volume stayed constant during the study’s latter years
because while the ice was thickening in the high latitudes of the Arctic,
the surrounding sea ice was melting. Sea ice, however, can only become
so thick, and if Arctic sea ice continues to melt, the total volume of
sea ice in the Arctic will decrease. For additional information on this
research, visit http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/remote_sensing/sea_ice.html,
listen to a podcast interview at http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ID=62,
or contact David Douglas at (907) 364-1576 or ddouglas@xxxxxxxx.

Past, Current and Future Hurricane
Response

USGS scientists say that the lessons
learned and technology deployed before, during and after Hurricanes Dennis,
Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005 can be used to help the public, emergency
responders and policymakers prepare for and reduce losses from future hurricanes.
This and much more are detailed in the new USGS report “Science and the
Storms: the USGS Response to the Hurricanes of 2005.” The publication
includes information on the discovery of new storm surge modeling techniques;
the use of satellite imagery and airborne lidar (light detection and ranging)
to measure land loss and landscape change; and how science helps determine
water quality and flooding threats. For more information, visit http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1306/,
or contact Gaye Farris at (337) 266-8550 or farrisg@xxxxxxxx.

You Are What You Eat: Chemicals
Found in Earthworms

The saying "you are what you
eat" is proving true for earthworms, which eat soil for nourishment.
Earthworms studied in agricultural fields have been found to contain chemicals
from household products and manure, indicating that such substances are
entering the food chain. The chemicals investigated include a range of
active ingredients in common household products such as detergents, antibacterial
soaps, fragrances and pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/earthworms.html,
or contact Jennifer LaVista at (703) 648-4432 or jlavista@xxxxxxxx.


Does the United States Have
Enough Water? 

The short answer is nobody really
knows. The National Ground Water Association has designated the week of
March 9-13 as Ground Water Awareness Week. The USGS is gearing up to assess
the availability and use of our Nation’s water resources, including groundwater.
The USGS is working to determine how much water we have now, how water
availability is changing over time, and how much water will be available
for America’s future. By better understanding groundwater resources now,
we can help to protect the quality and quantity of human and environmental
fresh water needs in the future. To learn more about the USGS’s plans
for water availability assessment, visit http://water.usgs.gov/wsi/,
or contact Jennifer LaVista at (703) 648-4432 or jlavista@xxxxxxxx.

Opening a Dam to Improve Resources
in the Grand Canyon

Glen Canyon Dam’s jet tubes were
opened on March 5 to release about 41,500 cubic feet of water per second
from the Colorado River in Arizona. At that rate, the water would fill
the Empire State Building within 20 minutes. The Department of the Interior
proposed this experiment using high flows from the dam to study and improve
Colorado River resources in Grand Canyon National Park. The goal of the
experiment is to better understand whether higher flows can be used to
rebuild eroded beaches downstream of the dam by moving sand accumulated
in the riverbed onto sandbars. Grand Canyon sandbars provide habitat for
wildlife, serve as camping beaches for recreationists and supply sand needed
to protect archaeological sites. High flows also create areas of low-velocity
flow, or backwaters, used by young native fishes, particularly endangered
humpback chub. For more information, visit http://www.doi.gov/news/08_News_Releases/080305.html
or www.gcmrc.gov/research/high_flow/2008/,
or contact Jennifer LaVista at (703) 648-4432.

Panama's Baru Volcano is Restless
and Could Erupt Again 

Earthquakes rumbling beneath Panama’s
Baru Volcano in May 2006 served as a reminder that the slumbering volcano
might one day reawaken. Since then, a network of seismic instruments has
been placed around Baru Volcano to help detect unusual activity and aid
in mitigating danger to surrounding communities. The Panamanian government
funded the instrumentation in response to a joint study of Baru by the
USGS and the University of Panama, with support from the U.S. Agency for
International Development, the Panamanian Ministry of Science, Technology
and Innovation, and the U.S. Embassy in Panama. "Future eruptions
will likely be similar to past eruptions — explosive and dangerous to
those living on the volcano’s flanks,” said the scientists in the report,
which is can be found at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1401.
More than 10,000 people live in areas adjacent to the volcano, and three
towns are located within a 10-mile radius of the mouth of the volcano.
For more information, contact Clarice Nassif Ransom at (703) 648-4299 or
cransom@xxxxxxxx.

FEEDS (USGS tools and resources)

Wind Energy Threatens Bats

Demand for electricity from wind
energy has been growing internationally. Large wind energy facilities have
sprung up around the world, composed of newer-generation turbines that
stand over 350 feet high with blades spanning more than 250 ft across.
Several wind farms, however, have killed unprecedented numbers of bats,
resulting in the need to understand animal movements and behavior, especially
as warmer weather approaches and species begin seasonal migration. To help
reduce conflicts between wind energy facilities and wildlife, USGS scientists
are studying the interactions between bats and wind turbines at several
sites across North America. For more information, visit http://www.fort.usgs.gov/BatsWindmills/,
or contact Paul Cryan at (970) 226-9389 or cryanp@xxxxxxxx.

On Your Mark. Get Set. Grow!
Cheatgrass Gets an Early Start, Endangering Spring Plants

Cheatgrass starts from seed in
the fall, and by the time native plants start their springtime growth on
Western rangelands, this highly competitive weed has already tied up water
and nutrients critical to native plants. To complicate matters, once established,
cheatgrass increases the chance of ignition and spread of rangeland wildfires.
The USGS is seeking management techniques to control the spread and dominance
of cheatgrass. USGS scientists have tested herbicides, soil additives and
even clipping methods that mimic livestock grazing. Results vary by techniques,
but overall, hope remains for cost-effective and ecologically and socially
acceptable control measures. For more information, visit http://fresc.usgs.gov/staff/profile_pubs.asp?Emp_ID=80,
or contact David Pyke at (541) 750-7334 or david_a_pyke@xxxxxxxx.

Spring Predators Cause Lambs
to Skedaddle

Desert bighorn sheep use escape
terrain, which consists of cliffs and steep, rocky slopes, to outdistance
and outmaneuver predators. As spring approaches, escape terrain becomes
increasingly important, especially for adult females with lambs. Analysis
of this terrain is important to understand both behavior and distribution
of these animals, other wildlife and vegetation. Although there have been
methods to measure slope, quantitative analysis of rugged terrain has been
elusive for biologists. Scientists at the USGS and the University of Nevada-Las
Vegas recently developed a tool to measure terrain. This tool was used
to examine bighorn sheep habitat use in three distinct mountain ranges
in the Mojave Desert. For more information, visit http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/longshorepbjan2008.html,
or contact Kathleen Longshore at (702) 564-4505 or longshore@xxxxxxxx.

Some Don’t Like it Hot

Temperature change has a dramatic
effect on the survival and ecology of amphibians. The USGS recently found
that cool temperatures in streams are vital to the survival of two Pacific
Northwest salamanders, and neither species can live in stream temperatures
above 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Southern torrent salamanders, one of the studied
species, were also found to be among the most heat sensitive of any amphibian.
In the Pacific Northwest, timber harvest and other disturbances may cause
stream temperatures to rise, affecting these amphibians and other biota,
such as salmon and trout, living in cold water. Management practices that
retain or promote the presence of trees, shrubs and large pieces of wood
along stream banks are important in maintaining favorable conditions for
cold water-associated species. For more information, visit http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/papers/1894_Bury.pdf,
or contact R. Bruce Bury at (541) 750-1010 or buryb@xxxxxxxx.

Working Dogs Lend Their Noses
to Find Threatened Tortoises

Our ability to study threatened
and endangered species depends on our ability to locate them. So, who is
better at finding threatened desert tortoises in the Mojave Desert — humans
or wildlife detector dogs? Statistically they’re about the same, according
to the first study making that comparison under natural conditions. But
USGS scientists and collaborators found that properly trained wildlife
detector dog teams offer a safe and quick alternative in conducting field
surveys for desert tortoises in the Mojave Desert. The dogs, which relied
on their keen sense of smell, finished surveys quicker than humans and
detected a greater proportion of tortoises hidden by vegetation, but at
a slightly higher monetary cost. For more information and photos, visit
http://www.herpconbio.org/Volume_3/Issue_1/V3_I1_Contents.htm,
or contact Ken Nussear at (702) 564-4515 or knussear@xxxxxxxx.

Oh, Rats: Scientists Work with
Walt Disney World to Breed Endangered Species

The population of Key Largo woodrats
(a small rodent) has dwindled because of habitat loss, free-roaming domestic
cats and other threats. In an effort to re-establish this species, a genetics-based
captive-breeding program was developed for this rodent by the USGS, Walt
Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. To help captive-bred animals have the best chance
of maintaining a diverse gene pool and to help prevent problems associated
with inbreeding, USGS scientists provided woodrat genotypes — think of
this as your identity and family tree expressed in genes instead of in
names — for more than 120 wild woodrats. The USGS also identified appropriately
paired mates for two captive colonies. The USGS will use each animal’s
unique genotype to monitor and optimize captive-bred woodrat introductions
to the wild gene pool. Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Park is also
hosting an exhibit with these animals. For more information, contact Timothy
King at (304) 724-4450 or tlking@xxxxxxxx.

The Insides of a 34-Million-Year-Old
Supervolcano Exposed 

Imagine what would happen to books
on a shelf without a bookend: They would topple over and open up. Now imagine
the 34 million year old Caetano caldera, remains of one of the world’s
largest volcanoes, similarly opening up and enabling scientists to examine
each page of its exposed volcanic history. The exposed internal structure
of this Nevada caldera is providing scientists with a rare opportunity
to inspect the internal record of ancient geologic history. USGS scientists
recently co-authored two papers describing how Nevada’s faulted, blocky
crust has slid and tilted so that the insides of Caetano caldera are clearly
visible on the surface. These papers were published in a recent edition
of Geosphere. For more information, visit http://geosphere.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/1/75
and http://geosphere.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/1/107,
or contact David John at (650) 329-5424.

STORY SEEDS (points to ponder
or investigate)

Climate Clues in Spring Flowers

If you thought flowers were mostly
for Valentine’s Day and other special occasions, think again! Plants and
flowers are also indicators for changes in climate. Through Project BudBurst,
volunteers are helping track climate change by observing and recording
the timing of flowers and other plants. U.S. students, gardeners and other
citizens are entering their observations into an online database that,
over time, will give researchers a more detailed picture of global climate
change. This project is operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research and a team of partners including the USA National Phenology Network,
to which the USGS provides substantial support. For more information, visit
www.budburst.org,
or contact Jake Weltzin at (520) 626-3821 or jweltzin@xxxxxxxx.

Is There Gold at the End of
the Rainbow?

Through the ages, people have cherished
gold, and many have had a compelling desire to collect great quantities
of it — in fact, the frantic need to seek and gather gold has been named
“gold fever.” From generation to generation, people have told the tale
of a pot of gold hidden at the end of rainbows. So, where is this sought-after
resource? The USGS provides information on where gold and other mineral
commodities are produced and suspected to be on Earth. For example, in
2006, South Africa was the leading gold producer among more than 80 gold-mining
nations, followed by the U.S., China, Australia and Peru. Mines in Nevada
accounted for almost 82 percent of U.S. production in 2006. The remaining
domestic production came from mines in Utah, Alaska, Colorado, Montana,
South Dakota, California, New Mexico, Arizona and Idaho, in descending
order of amount mined. To learn more, visit http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gold/,
or contact Micheal George at (703) 648-4962 or mgeorge@xxxxxxxx.

Four-Leaf Clovers Are Not All
Good Luck

Weedy clovers are spreading at
high rates throughout the world, and while this may increase four-leaf
clover sightings and bring you a streak of good luck, this invasive species
threatens its surrounding environment. USGS scientists are studying sweetclover
to understand its effects on soil fertility and native species and to develop
control methods for the species. In addition to clovers, America is facing
an abundance of other harmful non-native species, which threaten native
species, valued ecosystems, and human and wildlife health. The current
annual environmental, economic and health-related costs of invasive species
exceed those of all other natural disasters combined. USGS scientists are
studying new invaders, improving understanding of habitat resistance to
invasion and developing prevention, management and control methods. For
more information, visit http://biology.usgs.gov/invasive/
or contact Diane Larson at dlarson@xxxxxxxx.

Glacier Retreat: 
A Picture is Worth a Thousand
Words (Or Several Degrees)

USGS climate change research in
Glacier National Park, Mont., reveals that glaciers have receded rapidly
since the park’s establishment in 1910, primarily due to an increase in
daily minimum temperatures and persistent droughts. USGS climate models
predict that if the Earth’s current warming trend continues, the park’s
glaciers will completely melt by the year 2030. The USGS Repeat Photography
Project has captured striking images that illustrate the disappearance
of glaciers by pairing historic images with contemporary photos. As the
world’s glaciers respond to warming, these images from the Northern Rockies
give viewers tangible and easily interpreted evidence of the worldwide
phenomena of glacier recession. For more information on the Repeat Photography
Project and other natural indicators of climate change, visit the project’s
Web site at http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/repeatphoto,
visit the USGS Climate Change in Mountain Ecosystems Web site at http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/research/global.htm,
or contact Dan Fagre at (406) 888-7922 or dan_fagre@xxxxxxxx.
 

Snowpack Affects Wildlife Disease
in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

In the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem,
state and federal managers feed more than 6,000 metric tons of hay to elk
and bison every year. USGS researcher Paul Cross, in collaboration with
colleagues at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, recently found that
increased snowpack results in longer feeding seasons, and sites with longer
feeding periods had a greater presence of brucellosis — a bacterial disease
that infects elk, bison and cattle in the region. The results suggest that
reducing the feeding season by a month may reduce the prevalence of brucellosis
in elk by up to two-thirds. Cross is now using satellite imagery and GPS
collars to identify the locations and times when cattle are at the greatest
risk of infection from elk. For more information, visit http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/staff/cross.html,
or contact Paul Cross at (406) 994-6908 or pcross@xxxxxxxx.

Plans for Coal-Bed Methane Drilling
and Coal Mining in Precious Ecosystems 

The North Fork headwaters in British
Columbia, Canada, are being targeted for coal-bed methane (CBM) development
and open-pit coal mining. Research conducted by the USGS and collaborators
shows that this region hosts one of the most diverse and unique ecosystems
for terrestrial and aquatic species in North America. Potential open-pit
coal mining and CBM development could impact critical bull trout and westslope
cutthroat trout spawning habitat. To ensure decisions that could impact
the region are supported by sound science, congressional funding was recently
provided to the USGS and collaborators to collect data on fish and wildlife
populations, water quality, and the geologic and hydrologic characteristics
of the watershed in 2008. For more information, contact USGS scientist
Clint Muhlfeld at (406) 888-7926 or cmuhlfeld@xxxxxxxx.

USGS Science and Human Health

Human health is influenced in many
ways by our environment and the wildlife we share it with. Our health can
be affected by exposure to natural materials, such as asbestos, radon or
arsenic, and manufactured contaminants, such as pesticides and industrial
chemicals in drinking water. Other examples include pathogens in recreational
waters as well as diseases such as avian influenza or West Nile Virus,
which can be spread through mosquitoes. USGS science is helping public
health scientists better understand the factors that cause the spread of
disease in humans. Environmental and health scientists have been collaborating
to gain new insights on where, why and how some health issues occur and
how they can be addressed. For more information, visit http://health.usgs.gov/,
or contact Diane Noserale at (703) 648-4333 or dnoseral@xxxxxxxx.