INSTAAR Information Center

New books in the INSTAAR Library

2012-01-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

Global warming and political intimidation
by Raymond S. Bradley, 2011
Bradley gives the inside story of the tactics those in power used to intimidate him and his colleagues as part of a larger pattern of governmental suppression of scientific information, particularly about climate change. An excellent companion to Naomi Oreskes’ Merchants of Doubt.

Atmospheric science for environmental scientists
edited by C. N. Hewitt and A. V. Jackson, 2009
This book gives a broad and up-to-date account of our understanding of the processes that occur in the atmosphere, how these are changing as human use of natural resources continues, and what effects these changes are having on the Earth’s climate and the quality of the air we breathe.

Illuminating Earth’s past, present, and future: The International Ocean Discovery Program science plan for 2013-2023
The IODP’s collaborative science plan sets out challenging and diverse scientific questions that require drilling and associated capabilities deep below the ocean floor.

Glacial geology: Ice sheets and landforms
edited by Matthew Bennett and Neil Glasser, 2009
A new 2nd edition of the comprehensive summary of glacial geology and geomorphology, thoroughly revised and updated.

new books in the INSTAAR Library

2011-12-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

Paleoclimates: Understanding climate change past & present
by Thomas M. Cronin, 2010
A state-of-the-art synthesis of paleoclimate research on physical, chemical, and biological proxies preserved in natural archives, combined with computer model simulations, covering all geological timescales, emphasizing topics that shed light on modern trends in the earth's climate.

Chemical biomarkers in aquatic ecosystems
by Thomas S. Bianchi and Elizabeth A. Canuel, 2011
This book argues that understanding aquatic ecosystems using chemical biomarkers requires a biogeochemical approach that has been successful but underused. This book offers a wide-ranging guide to these biomarkers and is the first to be structured around the compounds themselves.

Assessment of glacier mass balances from small tropical glaciers to the ice sheet of Greenland
by Todd Albert, 2008
What is the best way to study recent rapid changes to ice cover? This book details several methods of gleaning information from the ice using case studies.

Botanical serigraphs: The Gene Bauer collection
by Gene Bauer, 2010
Art and text reproduced from handcrafted booklets about California arboreta and gardens. A find for plant enthusiasts.

Going to AGU or Antarctica? New resources in INSTAAR Library

2011-11-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

Taking a poster to AGU?

Read this detailed, snarky, exceptionally practical guide to doing it well by Colin Purrington, a biology prof at Swarthmore.

Headed to Antarctica?

Try one of these new books in the INSTAAR Library:

Wondrous cold: An Antarctic journey
by Joan Myers, 2006
Award-winning photographer Joan Myers set out to see for herself why people are drawn to the inhospitable and uncompromising environment of Antarctica. Myers traversed the continent by foot, plane, helicopter, snowmobile, and icebreaker and captured entrancing panoramas of Antarctica's beauty and scale and the daily lives of the scientists and support staff who work in this extreme environment. New York Times writer Sandra Blakeslee contributes sidebars on the science conducted at the world’s most remote frontier.

Creep and fracture of ice
by Erland M. Schulson and Paul Duval, 2009
The first complete account of the physics of the creep and fracture of ice and their interconnectivity investigates the deformation of low-pressure ice, ice structure and its defects, and the relationship between structure and mechanical properties. It reviews observations and measurements and interprets them in terms of physical mechanisms.

Health of Antarctic wildlife: A challenge for science and policy
edited by Knowles R. Kerry and Martin Riddle, 2009
Provides a broad assessment of the health of Antarctica’s birds and seals, set against a background of available scientific information and existing political frameworks.

Cold region hazards and risks
by C. A. Whiteman, 2011
Brings together information on hazards associated with ice and snow, from sea ice entrapment to blizzards.

Choosing a taxonomy for the INSTAAR web site

2011-11-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

Why a taxonomy?

On our new web site, we want to use a set of research themes--a taxonomy--to tag most of the content: publications, projects, labs, news items, the works. The goal of the taxonomy is to group similar content together, rather than to distinguish between particular content elements. The whole point is to help people find related content.

The right taxonomy will not only allow people to find content that interests them, but will work with our identity and showcase the way we form connections and cross disciplines. The taxonomy terms are metadata; we can use them to do several things:

Feature stories on the home page and various landing pages that represent the full spectrum of INSTAAR research—we want to make sure that we’re not covering some people and their research but skipping others entirely.
Browse web site content. Keyword searching is useful if you know what you’re looking for, but there are times when browsing works best. Of our primary audiences, we expect prospective students and potential donors to browse a lot. The taxonomy gives us a contextual, engaging, effective browsing aid that helps convey the interdisciplinary nature of our research.
Link people, labs, and previously written content to new content easily.
Help solve our identity problem, in which the INSTAAR name doesn’t match the full gamut of what we do. By showcasing research in both cold regions and not-cold regions, we can show people what we’re about.
As time goes on, we can use the taxonomy to create some really cool, interactive experiences on the site.

Requirements

What factors make a taxonomy appropriate for us?

Not too big – too many words create confusion, not clarity.
Not too small – the taxonomy should be able to adequately describe major facets of INSTAAR.
It should make sense to us –INSTAAR people need to be able to tag their own work without a lot of hassle or training. If it doesn’t make sense to us, it won’t do a good job of making sense of our work to other people.
It should make sense to the intelligent non-scientists who comprise some of our primary audiences (such as potential donors).
Consistent treatment of topics – cover topics evenhandedly, at the same level of detail.
Consistent treatment of terms – terms should use the same case and format across the entire vocabulary.
Room to grow – should allow us to add expertise and follow new research directions without re-doing the whole taxonomy.

Candidates

I evaluated several sets of terms using the above requirements.

Some failed immediately:

The three INSTAAR groups: Ecosystems, Geophysics, and Past Global Change.
Issues:    Too small, no room to grow (we’ve already got people who don’t fit in any category), doesn’t make sense to external groups. At the retreat we decided to do away with the three groups as a way show INSTAAR to outside world.

SPIN codes: the keywords used in FRPAs to describe research interests.
Issues:    It’s like someone threw 19 unrelated glossaries in a blender and hit frappe. Too big (thousands of terms, even when you cut out the ones not relevant to INSTAARs), not evenhanded, no equal treatment of terms, doesn’t make sense to anyone.

Others were good contenders that met some, though not all, criteria:

AGU Session Topics: the categories used at the AGU Fall Meeting to parse presentations at the AGU Fall Meetings. Two Directorate members at the retreat suggested looking at these.
Results:    The terms do quite well in their context at AGU, helping scientists parse which sessions they might want to attend. They seem to cover most INSTAAR topics. The terms did not test well, however, with non-scientists. There was frequent confusion over the meaning of terms (“What on earth is Nonlinear Geophysics?”). Many had difficulty matching a term with the topic the person had in mind (“Where is climate change?”).
    The taxonomy also does not have consistent treatment of terms. For example, some terms are the names of scientific disciplines (Atmospheric Sciences, Seismology) but others are environments (Cryosphere) or other categories (Natural Hazards, Public Affairs). The list of terms also seems to change from year to year and even between paper submissions and the final program, so I’d have a hard time selecting a final list.
    The geographic terms, being fairly general and evenhanded, could work for us.

CIESIN subject headings (Center for International Earth Science Information Network): terms used to categorize data, applications, and other information cataloged by CIESIN. Find it at http://www.ciesin.org/sub_guide.html
Results:    The taxonomy seems to be about the right size (14 terms). The terms are consistent in form and coverage.
But the terms don’t seem to be a good match for INSTAAR research. There are a lot of policy, health, and data-related terms that don’t really apply (Poverty, Economic Activity, Environmental Treaties) or that should be encapsulated in a broader term for us. And there are no geology-related terms for people involved in land surface processes, glaciology, volcanism, etc.

A cut-down version of the American Geological Institute (AGI) Thesaurus: major headings only.
Results:    I love the AGI Thesaurus, because it is a professionally developed, consistent, rigorously parsed, and above all thorough taxonomy. It is used to tag all the references in the GeoRef database. It has beautiful clarity and consistency.
    It is also, however, enormous. Even if we only use the highest level of terms, we’re talking hundreds, maybe thousands, of words.
    Furthermore, while the AGI Thesaurus has extensive coverage of all geological topics, it does not have enough terms to describe ecosystems or archeological research—they are out of scope for GeoRef. So we’d be stuck with uneven coverage for those groups at INSTAAR.

Custom taxonomy: developed in-house from our INSTAAR publications.
Results:    This is feasible. We can come up with terms that describe—at a general level:
field of study (paleoclimatology, alpine ecology)
environment (coastal environment, forests, tundra)
topic investigated (glaciers, water supply, climate change)
substance analyzed (lake sediments, foraminifera)
technique used (dO18, C-14)
I took a stab at this and got about 200 terms. On the plus side, I tried to follow AGI’s guidelines and I think they are fairly consistent. They are applicable to INSTAAR research and we can extend the taxonomy, using the guidelines, in the future.
But I worry about that many terms. I’m concerned that it’s overkill, and that no one but me will add all the finicky little tags to their work. Too complicated!

In the end, one taxonomy was left standing.

NASA Global Change Master Directory: like the CIESIN subject headings, these terms were developed as metadata for a data clearinghouse. Find them at http://gcmd.nasa.gov/.
Results:    The right size: 14 terms total; 12 apply to INSTAAR. Enough to cover our research topics, but not so many as to create confusion.
    They seem to make sense to the INSTAAR people and outside people I’ve showed the list to so far. (Of course we need to test that idea!)
    Evenhanded treatment of topics, and consistent treatment of terms.
    The terms were developed by scientists and information professionals and have been widely adopted. They are used by hundreds of organizations. The terms have been meticulously tested and updated ever since 1995, when they entered the public sphere. (There is also a fully developed, formal thesaurus that underlies these categories, which I swoon over, but which is overkill for us.)

I went through the INSTAAR publications lists from 2009-2010 and tagged them all with NASA terms. It worked pretty well. Every paper was connected with at least one category. Most connected with two; a few with three categories. That seems like about the right level for cross-web site browsing.

The terms:

Agriculture
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Biological Classification
Climate Indicators
Cryosphere
Human Dimensions
Land Surface
Oceans
Paleoclimate
Solid Earth
Terrestrial Hydrosphere

Recommendation

At this point, the NASA GCMD terms are the only set that meets our requirements for a taxonomy. It also has the advantage of existing now, so we can just pick it up.

I would like to take the next step of testing it with both INSTAAR and outside audiences. I want to make sure that the terms make sense to both groups, and that INSTAARs will feel comfortable having their research described using the terms. I especially want feedback from researchers who work with carbon and nitrogen cycles.

If the taxonomy works for most people, I propose we adopt it for the INSTAAR web site.

If it seems to work only partially, I suggest that we use the feedback we get from the tests to modify the NASA GCMD terms to better suit our purposes.

new books in the INSTAAR Library

2011-11-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

A survive and thrive guide for grad students and a massive botanical reference are among new materials in the INSTAAR Library. Drop by RL-1 281 to check out something, or email me for delivery to your mailbox.

The art of being a scientist: A guide for graduate students and their mentors
by Roel Snieder and Ken Larner, 2009
   Highly recommended for grad students and the researchers who mentor them. This practical guide is an outgrowth of a Colorado School of Mines course on the skills needed for a successful research career: choosing a research topic, department, and advisor; making workplans; managing time effectively; research ethics; using scientific literature; skillful communications; writing proposals; looking for a position at the end of the degree; and much more.

Arctic Ocean sediments: Processes, proxies, and paleoenvironment
by Ruediger Stein, 2008
   The short-and long-term geological history of the Arctic Ocean is less known than those of other ocean regions. During the last 20 years, however, multidisciplinary ship expeditions were carried out that have greatly advanced our knowledge on Arctic Ocean paleoenvironments.

Lipids in aquatic ecosystems
edited by Michael T. Arts, Michael T. Brett and Martin Kainz, 2009
   Evidence now suggests that the roles of essential fatty acids are fundamentally similar in freshwater and marine ecosystems. This book integrates the divergent literature into a coordinated, digestible form, following the flow of lipids from lower to higher trophic levels. Linkages between the production, distribution and pathways of lipids within the various levels of aquatic food webs, and their ultimate uptake by organisms, are highlighted throughout.

Flora Alpina
by David Aeschimann, Konrad Lauber, Daniel Martin Moser, and Jean-Paul Theurillat, 2004
   Lavishly photographed and mapped, 4500 vascular plant species of the Alps are cataloged in this thorough, multi-volume reference set. An English-language introduction and index make it easy to find the distribution of particular species.

New books for Banned Books Week

2011-09-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Mickey Glantz and Qian Ye's new book

It's Banned Books week, so perhaps a it's a good time to read something different and thought-provoking.

Or, read or give a frequently challenged book to a child you know (most challenges in the U.S. are to children's and young readers' books).

Heck, read something on the list yourself - who couldn't use a re-reading of In the Night Kitchen?

On our table today:

Usable thoughts: Climate, water and weather in the twenty-first century
by Michael Glantz and Qian Ye, 2009
Our own Mickey and Qian collaged pithy quotes from WMO-sponsored publication Climate: Into the 21st Century to encourage thought and discussion on the climate system; variability, extremes, and change; and climate’s tangled relations to society and the environment. The UN distributed this book at COP 15.

Why we disagree about climate change: Understanding controversy, inaction and opportunity
by Mike Hulme, 2009
From a scientist on the front lines, an argument that climate change, rather than being treated as a problem or a threat, can act as a catalyst to revise our perception of ourselves and our place in the world. An Economist Book of the Year, 2009.

The Superorganism: The beauty, elegance, and strangeness of insect societies
by Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson, 2008

John Hoffecker claims some inspiration during his writing of Landscape of the Mind from this book. An integrated look at social insects, from genetic to colony levels of analysis, alerts readers to the relentless environmental pressures on everything an insect is or does. The adaptive advantages of a species whose members exist as part of a social organization have led to a rare transition from an individual to a complex, communal life-cycle.

Arctic discourses
edited by Anka Ryall, Johan Schimanski, Henning Waerp, 2010
Pull apart explorer’s accounts, opera, and poetry for awhile instead of data. This volume of literary criticism traces how the Arctic is imagined and reimagined in literature and music, and how these representations confirm or counter prevailing images of identity, environment, and Arctic peoples.

New books in INSTAAR Information Center

2011-08-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

A new semester means new books - get some choice titles in the INSTAAR library:

The fate of Greenland: Lessons from abrupt climate change
by P. Conkling, R. Alley, W. Broecker, and G. Denton, 2011
    Don't take my word for this one; listen to John Hollin: “Authored by Quaternary regulars Richard Alley, Wallace Broecker and George Denton, this book memorializing Gary Comer includes many of his spectacular photographs. It puts a human face on the paleoclimatic research of the last half-century, but is also an authoritative review of the subject.
    On the subject of what to do about the global warming the book records—don’t forget Fixing Climate, by Wallace Broecker and Robert Kunzig (2008), already on the IC shelves.”

Soil and environmental chemistry
by William F. Bleam, 2010
    This book introduces pore water chemistry in sediments, surficial materials, and soil. Focusing on essential topics and practical problem-solving skills, it provides a thorough understanding of biogeochemistry for application in the field. Computer modeling, sample problems, and a companion web site featuring ChemEQL data sets and problem solutions flesh out the text.

Principles of snow hydrology
by David DeWalle and Albert Rango, 2008
    This book describes the factors that control the accumulation, melting, and runoff of water from seasonal snowpacks. The book addresses not only the basic principles governing snow in the hydrologic cycle, but also the latest applications of remote sensing and techniques for modeling streamflow from snowmelt across large mixed land-use river basins. Chapters are devoted to climate and distribution of snow, energy exchange, snow chemistry, ground-based measurements and remote sensing of snowpack characteristics, snowpack management, and modeling snowmelt runoff.

Getting to know ArcGIS Desktop
by Tim Ormsby, Eileen Napoleon, Rob Burke, et al., 2010
    The hands-on workbook for learning ArcGIS has been updated for Version 10.

Also check the Information Center for current course texts, reference sources (Hello, Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science), and help navigating CU library databases and collections.

New books in INSTAAR Information Center

2011-07-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

Air-ice-ocean interaction: Turbulent ocean boundary layer exchange processes
by Miles McPhee, 2008
Understanding exchanges of momentum, heat, and salt at the ice-ocean interface is critical for predicting the future state of sea ice. By offering a measurement platform largely unaffected by waves, drifting sea ice provides a unique laboratory for studying aspects of geophysical boundary layer flows difficult to measure elsewhere. This book concisely describes the impact of stress, rotation, and buoyancy on the turbulence scales that control exchanges between the atmosphere and underlying ocean when sea ice is present.

Global climate change impacts in the United States
by U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009
This state of knowledge report, written for Congress and the President, summarizes the science of climate change and its impacts on the United States, now and in the future.

Plows, plagues, and petroleum: How humans took control of climate
by William Ruddiman, 2010
Jim White wants you to read this book. Or at least that’s what he wrote in his review of the 2005 hardback edition in Science: “If you're not familiar with Ruddiman's hypothesis, you should be…excellent reading for scientist and nonscientist alike.”

Frozen in time: Permafrost and engineering problems
by Siemon Muller, 2008
This previously unpublished work by Siemon Muller (1900-1970) was set aside in the early 1960s, at about the time of the First International Conference on Permafrost. Rediscovered and revised, it offers an advanced and unusually comprehensive treatment of permafrost science and associated engineering problems.

New data source catalogs plant traits - useful for climate modeling

2011-07-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

The TRY database categorizes millions of plant traits for a significant portion of the world's species. Scientists from 106 institutions, led by DIVERSITAS, IGBP, and the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, put together the database, which can help researchers understand biodiversity and more accurately model the effects of climate change in different environments. TRY has compiled plant traits, including structural and physiological properties, for more than 69,000 of 300,000 known plant species.

Plant functional classifications were proposed in the 1990s as a tool to model vegetation dynamics and ecosystem functioning, especially biogeochemical cycles, in response to climate and carbon dioxide. The TRY project is a response to work that followed in that field. It has three main goals:

1) Constructing a global-scale database of vascular plant traits that gathers data available in different existing datasets that cover a variety of biomes, geographic areas, and traits in a single, easily accessible format.

2) Making the trait data available to the ecological community through sharing of data between TRY participants, while respecting the intellectual property rights of data contributors.

3) Supporting the design of a new generation of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) which take into account the greater biological complexity, necessary for a more robust representation of ecosystem response to global environmental change.

To become a TRY participant and obtain data from the database, you can either contribute plant trait records or present a proposal for a model or modeling development using online forms.

New books in INSTAAR Information Center

2011-06-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Time series analysis: Forecasting and control
by George Box, Gwilym Jenkins, and Gregory Reinsel, 2008
This updated new edition of one of the most trusted books on time series analysis provides a clearly written exploration of key methods for working with stochastic models and multivariate time series analysis.

Nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems
edited by Petra Marschner and Zdenko Rengel, 2007
A comprehensive overview of nutrient cycling processes and their importance for plant growth and ecosystem sustainability. Its coverage at a range of scales and multidisciplinary approach make the book a key resource for ecosystem researchers.

The changing Arctic landscape
by Ken Tape, 2010
Photographer Ken Tape sets landscape change in stark relief, pairing decades-old photos of Alaska with photos of the same scenes taken in the present. Divided into sections on vegetation, permafrost, and glaciers, the images show the startling effects of climate change. Short bios and interviews with scientists instrumental in advancing the study of arctic ecosystems and scientists who have spent decades working in Alaska for the USGS give the photos more context.

The climate crisis: An introductory guide to climate change
by David Archer and Stefan Rahmstorf, 2010
Key findings of the IPCC, written up in concise plain language, make this book an excellent tool for conveying essential scientific information to a broad audience.

Librarian kung-fu technique gets you to online papers fast

2011-06-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ever wish you could just go straight to a particular online paper without browsing through a database or three first? Your browser can’t read your mind yet (it’s working on it), but you can use this awesome shortcut for a simple, reliable path to most articles.

First, find the DOI. DOI stands for digital object identifier, which is a kind of serial number given to pieces of content in the digital environment. A paper’s URL may change over time, but the DOI will not change. Look for them in citations, or on the first page of a paper.

Now for the kung fu. In your browser bar, enter http://dx.doi.org/ followed by the DOI.

For instance, James Syvitski and Albert Kettner’s recent paper “Sediment flux and the Anthropocene” has the DOI 10.1098/rsta.2010.0329.

Paste http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0329 and hit enter

You go straight to the abstract on the website of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, and can just click the “full text PDF” link to get to the whole paper.

The beauty of the system is that you will see abstract whether or not you have access to the full-text article. If you’re on campus, or working from elsewhere using VPN, one click gets you to full text if the libraries have licensed it.

Go ahead, try another one: 10.1080/09583157.2010.534550

Hiiiii YA!

new books in the INSTAAR Information Center

2011-05-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Darkening peaks: Glacier retreat, science, and society
edited by Ben Orlove, Ellen Wiegandt, and Brian Luckman, 2008
A multidisciplinary, global exploration of the scientific, social, and economic dimensions of glacier retreat due to climate change. Contributors from five continents discuss ways that scientists have observed and modeled glaciers, how climate change is altering their size and distribution, and the effect on human life.

Soil biochemistry
by Konrad Haider and Andreas Schäffer, 2009
Soils play a central role in the conversion of organic matter and element fluxes because of the large number of microorganisms present. In this book processes driven by microbiological activity are discussed. Extended literature surveys in each chapter include important findings from early as well as the most recent investigations.

The GIS 20: Essential skills
by Gina Clemmer, 2010
Written for professionals with no time for classroom training, this no-nonsense workbook demonstrates how to perform twenty essential GIS skills using ESRI software.

Earth Environments: Past, present and future
by David Huddart and Tim Stott, 2010
A well-reviewed, comprehensive, interdisciplinary introduction to Earth’s four key interdependent systems: atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, focusing on interactions between them and environmental change.

Principles of stable isotope geochemistry
by Zachary Sharp, 2007
This book covers the basics of a wide range of stable isotope applications for those entering the field and offers sufficient detail to direct research for further inquiry.

new books in the Information Center

2011-03-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

Looking for a last-minute book to round out your spring break plans? Try one of these--all small, light, and easily portable.

Cosmogenic nuclides: Principles, concepts and applications in the earth surface sciences
by Tibor Dunai, 2010
A comprehensive introduction to the novel and fast-evolving topic of in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides. Theoretical and practical aspects are discussed, the full range of cosmogenic isotopes is covered, and a wide spectrum of in-situ applications are illustrated with specific and generic examples of exposure dating, burial dating, erosion and uplift rates and process model verification.

Coping with climate change: Considerations for adaptation and mitigation in agriculture
by Michael Glantz, Rene Gommes, and Selvaraju Ramasamy, 2009
This CCB work presents fundamental issues and concepts involved in increasing the resilience of present food production systems to challenges posed by climate change.

Glacier mass balance changes and meltwater discharge
edited by Patrick Ginot and Jean-Emmanuel Sicart, 2007
Proceedings of a workshop Andean Glaciology and a symposium Contributions from Glaciers and Snow Cover to Runoff from Mountains in Different Climates, convened by the IAHS in 2005.

The climate of Alaska
by Martha Shulski and Gerd Wendler, 2007
A detailed picture of what to expect from Alaska’s geographically varied and complex climate.

A practical guide to the study of glacial sediments
edited by David Evans and Douglas Benn, 2004
This guide to the standard techniques employed to read the sedimentary record of former glaciers and ice sheets demonstrates how they can provide detailed insights into former environments and climates for which no other evidence is available.

New books in INSTAAR Information Center

2011-02-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

Drop by the Information Center or email Shelly to grab one of these new books -

The Diatoms: Applications for the environmental and earth sciences

edited by John Smol and Eugene Stoermer, 2010

Revised and expanded edition provides detailed summary of the many uses of diatoms in environmental and earth sciences. Particular emphasis is placed on using diatoms to analyze problems in climate change, acidification, eutrophication, and other pollution issues. Sections cover indicators in various aquatic environments.

Biodiversity change and human health: From ecosystem services to spread of disease

edited by O. Sala, L. Meyerson, and C. Parmesan, 2009

This wide-ranging synthesis of interactions between human and ecosystem health includes a chapter by Alan Townsend on the global nitrogen cycle, biodiversity, and health.

On sea ice

by W. F. Weeks, 2010

A comprehensive and up-to-date account of our knowledge of the creation, change, and function of sea ice. Weeks delves into the micro-level characteristics and macro-level nature of sea ice, as well as mechanics of ice pack drift and recently observed changes in ice extent and thickness.

Beautiful evidence

by Edward Tufte, 2006

The latest by data visualization iconoclast Tufte is on presenting scientific evidence. “Science and art have in common intense seeing…that generates empirical information claims Tufte. This book is about how that seeing turns into showing. A good choice for reading after enjoying the NSF/AAAS Visualization Challenge winners featured in the 2/18 issue of Science http://bit.ly/g66tc6

Web GIS: Principles and applications

by Pinde Fu and Jiulin Sun, 2011

An overview of developments in the emerging platform of web-based GIS, this book covers ArcGIS Server, REST services, JavaScript API/Flex API, and ArcGIS Mobile.

New year, new semester, new books

2011-01-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

Don’t be such a scientist: Talking substance in an age of style
by Randy Olson, 2009
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Scientists need to tell better stories to address a growing backlash against science (climate change, evolution). “See audience, hurl facts at audience” is not a successful strategy. Olson gave up a tenured professorship to become a filmmaker and writer, and learned crucial lessons the hard way about reaching the public. Stinging, funny, and honest, this should be mandatory reading for anyone who thinks their science has relevance to anyone outside the lab.

Introduction to process geomorphology
by Vijay K. Sharma, 2010
Taking an integrative approach, this book highlights the physical and chemical laws governing the activity of earth-surface processes in specific environmental stress conditions, puts forward competing hypotheses on landform evolution, and discusses the bases of internal geologic processes for the explanation of tectogenic features of the earth.

Trends in Antarctic terrestrial and limnetic ecosystems: Antarctica as a global indicator
edited by Dana Bergstrom, Pete Convey, and H. L. Huiskes, 2006
The Antarctic provides a suite of scenarios useful for investigating the range of climate change effects on terrestrial and limnetic biota. The international SCAR program RiSCC investigated these scenarios to provide a synthesis of the likely effects of climate change on Antarctic terrestrial and limnetic ecosystems.

Arctic alpine ecosystems and people in a changing environment
edited by Jon Borre Orbaek, et al., 2007
This collection of papers from a 2003 conference in Tromso gives an overview of contemporary environmental changes in arctic and alpine regions, climate change and ecosystem response, long range transport of pollutants and ecotoxicology, UV radiation and biological effects, and socioeconomic effects of environmental change.

New books in the INSTAAR Information Center

2010-10-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

After the ice: Life, death, and geopolitics in the new Arctic
by Alun Anderson, 2009
READER RECOMMENDED. When an enormous area of Arctic ice suddenly melted in 2007, Anderson, former editor-in-chief of New Scientist, traveled extensively with scientists checking a hypothesis that the Oscillation had formed thinner surface layers, which melt more quickly. He also met Inuit who share “troubled stories” of forced relocations, efforts to preserve self-rule, and adapting to the realities of climate change. Inquisitive, cogent, and compelling, Anderson pieces together the most panoramic picture yet of this crucial region.

Quantitative modeling of earth surface processes
by Jon Pelletier, 2008
This text describes some of the most effective and straightforward techniques in numerical modeling, geochronology, and remote sensing that are transforming geomorphology. Computer code available online.

Biogeochemical controls on palaeoceanographic environmental proxies
edited W. Austin and R. James, 2008
Understanding the link between proxies and past environmental conditions is not straightforward. This book presents evidence from paleontology, paleoceanography, and geochemistry required to better constrain proxies. Topics include biomineralization processes, proxy validation, and links between modern and fossil organisms.

The impact of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on grasslands: species composition and biogeochemistry
by Carly Stevens, 2009
Atmospheric nitrogen deposition has the potential to alter species composition and richness in grasslands, but until recently its effects had not been demonstrated at a large scale. Using 68 grasslands in the UK, this book investigates damage caused by acidification and eutrophication along a nitrogen deposition gradient. We're the only library in the United States to have this (so far) so get it while it's hot!

New tee for your favorite climatologist

2010-10-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

A cute yet grim shirt from Threadless, the perfect gift for anyone headed to the Arctic.

New books in Information Center

2010-08-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

A world without ice

by Henry Pollack, 2010 (foreword by Al Gore)

A lyrical examination of snow and ice as the clockworks of our planet. IPCC geophysicist Pollack explains how the disappearance of ice will accelerate global warming using evidence from boreholes drilled in the earth's crust.

Cohesive sediments in open channels: Properties, transport, and applications

by Emmanuel Partheniades, 2009

One of the first works to approach the subject from an engineering perspective, this book provides a practical framework for understanding how cohesive sediments are transported, deposited, and eroded.

Stable isotopes and biosphere-atmosphere interactions: Processes and biological controls

edited by Lawrence Flanagan, James Ehleringer, and Diane Pataki, 2005

The relatively closed atmosphere-biosphere system allows the operation of enzymatic processes to be observed through measures of spatial and temporal gradients in the concentration and stable isotope composition of atmospheric C02, CH4, and N2O. This volume describes recent progress in understanding the mechanisms, processes, and applications of these new techniques.

Human impacts on weather and climate, 2nd edition

by William Cotton and Roger Pielke Sr., 2007

This new edition examines the scientific debates surrounding anthropogenic impacts on Earth's climate and presents recent theories, data, and modeling studies. The book discusses the concepts behind deliberate attempts to modify climate, like cloud seeding, as well as inadvertent modification of weather and climate on regional and global scales.

New books in INSTAAR Information Center

2010-05-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Isoscapes: Understanding movement, pattern, and process on Earth through isotope mapping
edited by Jason West et al., 2010
Bruce Vaughn, Candice Evans, Jim White, Jocelyn Turnbull, and colleagues Christopher Still and Ken Masarie authored the first chapter, “Global network measurements of atmospheric trace gas isotopes.” Isoscapes as a whole is concerned with the innovative theory, methods, and applications that are enabling disciplinary and cross-disciplinary advances through the study of isotopic landscapes. Highly recommended.

Nitrogen cycling in the Americas: Natural and anthropogenic influences and controls
edited by Luiz Martinelli and Robert Howarth, 2006
Reactive nitrogen in the environment has dramatically increased, especially in developed countries of the temperate zone such as the U.S. and Canada. Eutrophication of estuaries and coastal zones, acidification of lakes and streams, loss of biodiversity, and reduced forest productivity have become common problems associated with increased nitrogen loads. This book presents studies from across the Americas that highlight natural processes that control nitrogen cycling and discuss anthropogenic influences on the nitrogen cycle in tropical and temperate regions.

Climate change in prehistory: The end of the reign of chaos
by William J. Burroughs, 2005

Burroughs presents a compelling argument for the profound effect of the stabilization of climate into and through the Holocene on humanity using, in particular, ice-core proxy data as a measure of climate. Intended for a general readership.

Surface and Ground Water, Weathering, and Soils
edited by J. I. Drever, 2005
High-quality reviews on the current status of aquatic and soil geochemistry.

Satellite image atlas of glaciers: Alaska
U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386-K
edited by Williams and Ferrigno, 2008
A thorough report of changes in Alaskan glaciers in response to short- and long-term climate changes joins the other volumes in this unique and useful series.

Awesome chapter by INSTAAR authors in new Isoscapes book

2010-05-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Bruce Vaughn, Candice Evans, Jim White, and Jocelyn Turnbull, with colleagues Chris Still and Ken Masarie, have the first chapter in the new book Isoscapes: Understanding movement, pattern, and process on Earth through isotope mapping.

"Global network measurements of atmospheric trace gas isotopes" highlights several global programs that monitor the atmosphere with long-term direct measurements of GHGs and their isotopes in the lower troposphere. These programs provide critical observations that constrain global climate models. Current objectives and criteria for comparison and linking of atmospheric isotopic data sets from global measurement programs are discussed along with some recent data products and isotopic model results. The chapter is highly informative and (a definite plus) a pleasure to read.

Isoscapes as a whole is concerned with the innovative theory, methods, and applications that are enabling disciplinary and cross-disciplinary advances through the study of isotopic landscapes. Highly recommended.

Be the first to borrow this from the Information Center.

New study by Alan Townsend and Philip Taylor links nitrogen and carbon cycles

2010-04-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

CU News Services reports on a new study by INSTAARs Alan Townsend and Philip Taylor: "Link Discovered Between Carbon, Nitrogen May Provide New Ways to Mitigate Pollution Problems."

The study shows that ratios of nitrogen and carbon in soils, rivers and oceans are closely linked, a finding with potential implications for mitigating pollution and health problems. A paper by Alan will be published in the 22 April issue of Nature.

Mac software for managing papers on your hard drive

2010-04-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, if you weren't convinced by my last post that EndNote Web could help you make sense of the giant jumble of PDFs clogging your hard drive, you need another solution. If you have a Mac, try Papers software from Mekentosj.com. It organizes and groups your paper, iTunes style. You can search and download from Web of Science and other article databases without leaving Papers. Free trial for 30 days, then $42 (there is a student discount). There's an iPhone and iPad app as well.

EndNote and RefWorks tutorials

2010-04-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you're using EndNote Web or RefWorks to manage your references! If you don't have your hand up, set some time aside this afternoon to experiment with these bibliographic management software tools. Spend a couple hours learning their ins and outs, and save untold hours over the course of the next few years alone:

- Never lose another reference to an interesting paper, or to one you've used for a particular project.

- Never type another reference list or bibliography again, ever.

- Move your library with you if you move to another institution.

CU buys campus-wide licenses for both packages, so they are free for you to use.

Try using these tutorials to see which package you like better.

EndNote Web (has the advantage of directly connecting with Web of Science):

Tutorial from EndNote.

RefWorks:

Tutorial from RefWorks.

Tutorial from York University Libraries.

INSTAAR research in Greenland highlighted in podcast

2010-04-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

What's it like, doing research at the bottom, or the top, of the world? A new podcast on Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, an online magazine for K-5 teachers, gives a glimpse into the world of polar science. INSTAARs Detlev Helmig (research scientist), Jacques Hueber (professional scientist), and Brie Van Dam (graduate student) share their stories of working in subzero temperatures on the Greenland ice sheet to gather climate data in "Of Snow Forts and Frostbite: Learning to Work (and Play) at the Poles: Podcast Episode 11."

The podcast links to the Atmospheric Research Laboratory website, including pictures of the Greenland camp. More information about the project is available on its outreach web site, Ozone and Snow.

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is the project of an interdisciplinary team from Ohio State University, College of Education and Human Ecology; the Ohio Resource Center for Mathematics, Science, and Reading; Byrd Polar Research Center; COSI (Center for Science and Industry) Columbus; the Upper Arlington Public Library; and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Core Integration team at Cornell University and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). The podcast was created by science educator Stephanie Chasteen.

new books in Information Center

2010-04-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Am I making myself clear? A scientist’s guide to talking to the public
by Cornelia Dean, 2009
It is clear that in what some people call “Unscientific America,”* scientists need to take a more active role in making their work accessible. New York Times science editor Dean’s handbook offers useful strategies for handling the media, speaking in public, describing one’s work, and improving interactions with policy makers. Charming, authoritative, and (in a perfect world) mandatory reading.

Natural climate variability and global warming: A Holocene perspective
edited by Richard Battarbee and Heather Binney, 2008
This book is concerned with our current understanding of natural climate change, its variability on decadal to centennial time-scales, the extent to which climate models of different kinds simulate past variability, and the role of past climate variability in explaining changes to natural ecosystems and to human society over the later part of the Holocene.

Field techniques in glaciology and glacial geomorphology
by Bryn Hubbard and Neil Glasser, 2005
This book provides accepted and practical techniques for addressing research in the field, including aspects of preparing for fieldwork and logistical considerations.

Stable isotope ecology
by Brian Fry, 2006
This book approaches the use of isotopes from the perspective of ecological and biological research. It reviews tracer fractionation and mixing, then profiles isotope tracing in particular focus areas. A novel, spreadsheet modeling approach is presented for circulating tracers in any ecological system. A CD-ROM contains illustrations, spreadsheet models, appendices, and problems and answers.

The Great Ocean Conveyor: Discovering the trigger for abrupt climate change
by Wally Broecker, 2010
Written for a general audience, this book introduces readers to the science of abrupt climate change while providing a vivid firsthand account of the field's history and development.

* Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum. Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future. Basic Books, 2009.

Don't miss Richard Alley's lecture on Monday!

2010-03-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

Noted climate scientist Dr. Richard Alley will give the 45th George Gamow Memorial Lecture, "Learning While Burning: Peak (whale) Oil, Changing Climate and Our Future."

Monday, March 29, 2010 at 7:30 p.m., Macky Auditorium, free and open to the public.

This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Abstract: You, and Einstein, and Lincoln, each use or used about as much energy inside as a 100-watt light bulb, but your share of total energy use in the US is about 100 times that much, with almost all of that "outside" energy from fossil fuels that will run out. We have high scientific confidence that learning to use alternatives while burning will make life easier for our grandchildren, but that burning before learning will make their lives harder. Testing this science against the history of Earth's climate motivates faster learning. Fortunately, we are surrounded by more options than we'll ever need, and we already have our learner's permit.

Dr. Alley is Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences and Associate of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University; has been recognized by the Institute for Scientific Information as a highly cited researcher, and has garnered too many awards to list here.

DataONE clearinghouse changes the future of environmental science

2010-03-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Understanding the earth's living and nonliving systems requires access to long time series of data spanning environmental science disciplines. Data Observation Network for Earth (DataONE) will preserve and provide access to those data.

A collaboration between many partners, DataONE is funded by the NSF through a cooperative agreement. It is meant to provide open, persistent, robust, and secure access to well-described and easily discovered Earth observational data through a distributed cyberinfrastructure, becoming the foundation for innovative environmental science. DataONE will ensure preservation and access to multi-scale, multi-disciplinary, and multi-national science data. Transcending domain boundaries, it will make biological data available from the genome to the ecosystem; make environmental data available from atmospheric, ecological, hydrological, and oceanographic sources; and engage scientists, land-managers, policy makers, students, educators, and the public through logical access and intuitive visualizations. Most importantly, DataONE is not an end but a means to serve a broader range of science domains both directly and through interoperability with the DataONE distributed network.

LIBRARY TUTORIAL - Arctic & Antarctic Regions database

2010-03-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Arctic and Antarctic Regions (AAR) indexes 1 million items about cold regions, including polar, winter, and alpine environments. Coverage is multidisciplinary, including arts, engineering, exploration, geosciences (climate, geography, geology), health, natural sciences, and social sciences. It indexes not only journal articles and books, but newspapers, theses, consultants' reports and other "gray literature," government documents, and conference proceedings from 1800 through the present.

AAR is one of only two databases we purchase through INSTAAR, rather than using through Norlin. Highly recommended for anyone doing work in cold regions!

Q: How do I get to AAR?

A: It's a bit complicated, but worth the extra steps.

1. Go to Chinook and search for the title "Academic search premier."

2. When you get to the search interface you will see an "Ebsco Host" logo in the top left corner. To the right of that a few inches, click the "Choose databases" link. A new window will pop up. Check "Arctic and Antarctic Regions," about halfway down the right column. Click "ok."

3. You are ready to research your topic!

Q: What are some good search tips for AAR?

A: AAR uses thesaurus terms, which it calls "Subject Terms" in the search box options. Real humans index all AAR articles, and they assign terms from a controlled vocabulary to each one. So if you find an article that is relevant for you, and use its thesaurus terms to search for more information, you will have much better recall than by just using keywords.

Q: Does AAR link to full-text articles?

A: Not directly, but try clicking the "CU Boulder Catalog" link below each item. It will go to Chinook and look up that journal for you, so that you can see quickly whether its available to you or not.

Q: Can I send myself references from AAR?

A: Yes. In your list of search results, you'll see a link "Add to folder" below each entry. Click on this to throw it into a personal folder AAR saves for you during your session. At the end of your session, click on the Folder icon on the bar across the top of the user interface to save your items, send via email, or export them to RefWorks or EndNote Web. (You can do the same thing from each item: ave, email, print, or export.)

Q: Help! This database is confusing!

A: Drop by my office or email me, and we'll go through your research project in AAR together. You can also use the CU Libraries chat service embedded right in AAR to talk to a Norlin librarian online (good for days when I'm not here).

I hope that helps you get started using the slightly tricky but wonderfully meaty database that is Arctic and Antarctic Regions. - Shelly, INSTAAR Information Center

Communicating Science AAAS workshop to be held at UCAR April 29

2010-03-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Communicating Science: Tools for Scientists and Engineers will be held April 29, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Center Green Auditorium, UCAR, Boulder.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) invite faculty scientists, engineers, and Ph.D. students to learn more about communicating science to news media and the general public, as well as the broader impacts requirement for NSF-funded research.

Although traditional scientific training typically does not prepare scientists and engineers to be effective communicators outside academia, NSF is increasingly encouraging researchers to communicate their results directly to the public. Scientists and engineers who foster information-sharing and respect between science and the public are essential for the public communication of and engagement with science.

This interactive workshop will include why science communication is important; the defining of audience and message in communication with public audiences; media interviews; on-camera practice; public outreach opportunities; NSF's Broader Impacts requirement; and more. The workshop will include a joint session with communication officers from academic institutions, who will be meeting separately for most of the day.

This workshop includes a continental breakfast and lunch. There is no registration fee to attend; however, space is limited and pre-registration is required by Friday, April 16, 2010 using the online Registration Form.

Find further information, plus tools for communicating more broadly with the public, at the AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology web site.

IPY Publications Database doubles in size

2010-03-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

The International Polar Year Publications Database (IPYPD) has grown to 3,000 publications, of which 1,310 are from the fourth (2007-08) IPY.

The IPYPD is now being produced separately from the Arctic & Antarctic Regions (AAR) database. Last year, EBSCO Publishing began producing AAR in-house, rather than contracting the work to NISC Export Services. The IPYPD and other records produced since July 2009 by the polar libraries and databases that formerly supplied records to AAR will not appear in AAR until further notice.

Please report your IPY publications to the IPY Publications Database. You can just email references to:
- coldregions [at] agiweb.org if their publications are about the Antarctic or non-living things,
- librarian [at] spri.cam.ac.uk if their publications are about living things (including humans), or
- astis [at] ucalgary.ca if their publications are about northern Canada.
If you email references to any one of these organizations they will be forwarded to the others as necessary. The IPYPD includes both peer-reviewed and grey literature, and in addition to research publications also includes education, outreach and communication publications. It is no problem if the same publication is reported more than once.

new INSTAAR brochure

2010-03-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

INSTAAR has a new brochure! Are you featured?

Print copies are available from Pam or Denise. Pick one up next time you're meeting someone from a funding agency, fellow institute, or outreach partner.

We're going to do this again, probably next year. So please take more wonderful, high-resolution photographs out there in the field or in the lab and give them to Shelly or David. Worth a thousand words, I hear.

new books in Information Center

2010-03-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

Advances in Quaternary Entomology
by Scott Elias, 2009
Scott’s new, comprehensive survey of the field recounts development of scholarship, reviews the fossil insect record from Quaternary deposits throughout the world, and points to rewarding areas for future research. It identifies principal characteristics of fossil insect groups of the Quaternary, ties Quaternary insect studies to the larger field of paleoecology, illustrates research methods, and offers unique insight into overlying trends and broader implications of Quaternary climate change based on insect life of the period.

Permafrost Soils
edited by Rosa Margesin, 2009
21 short essays summarize recent knowledge on various aspects of permafrost and permafrost-affected soils, including typical properties, distribution and biodiversity of microorganisms, examples of microbial activity in frozen soils, and genomic and proteomic insights into cold adaptation of permafrost bacteria. The impact of global warming on microbial communities, carbon dynamics, geomorphology and frozen-ground engineering are further discussed.

Air-ice-ocean interaction: Turbulent ocean boundary layer exchange processes
by Miles McPhee, 2008
As polar regions undergo unprecedented change, understanding exchanges of momentum, heat and salt at the ice-ocean interface is critical for predicting the future state of sea ice. Drifting sea ice provides a unique laboratory for studying aspects of geophysical boundary layer flows. This book describes the impact of stress, rotation, and buoyancy on the turbulence scales that control exchanges between air and ocean when sea ice is present. Observational data sets illustrate different aspects of ice-ocean interaction such as the impact of salt on melting in the Greenland Sea marginal ice zone and how nonlinearities in the equation of state for seawater affect mixing in the Weddell Sea.

A Roadside Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park
by Beatrice Willard and Susan Foster, 1990
An easy-to-use guide to the park’s geology, flora, fauna, ecology, history, and prehistory, organized by route.

INSTAAR fires up Twitter account

2010-02-25T13:55:00.000-08:00

Check out INSTAAR's new Twitter feed. It's all you need to keep up with events (meetings, speakers, parties); resources (databases, library news); and stories about INSTAAR science. Pam, David, Denise, and I all have the password, so tell us if you'd like something tweeted on your behalf.

Encyclopedia of Life - great free resource on biodiversity

2010-02-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

"Imagine an electronic page for each species of organism on Earth..." - Edward O. Wilson

Encyclopedia of Life is an online encyclopedia project that aims to capture information about all 1.8 million named plant, animal, and fungal species on Earth within ten years. They've made a good start, with more than 170,000 species described so far. The project combines a wiki/Web 2.0 approach of public contributions with expert curation by scientists. Searching is quite flexible, by either species name, tags, or full text or by drilling through taxonomy. Contents include species descriptions, distributions, images, comments, and metadata.

The Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, Marine Biological Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, Biodiversity Heritage Library, Missouri Botanical Garden, and Atlas of Living Australia are partners in the project. The project is funded through grants from the MacArthur Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The encyclopedia works as both a field guide and a "macroscope" that can help discover patterns in ecology and evolution otherwise too large or too complex to perceive.

great letter to the editor re: climate change and IPCC

2010-02-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

Feb. 9 letter to the editor of the New York Times by Paul R. Epstein is a concise response to climate change deniers' attempts to throw doubt on IPCC findings.

Melting ice report a call to action

2010-02-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

What does it matter if the ice caps melt? Read Melting Snow and Ice: A Call to Action, commissioned by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore and Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre, to find out and take action.

Thanks to the NSIDC Twitter feed for this one.

Ammonitida fabric

2010-02-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

I can't resist adding something for the DIYers among us: Spoonflower fabric in a dramatic Ammonitida print. Spoonflower prints fabric from your uploaded designs--so foram folks, I expect to see a new Iceland fabric next week!

NSF budget for 2010 includes 8% increase

2010-02-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

President Obama's 2010 FY budget for the National Science Foundation, sent to the Senate today, funds the National Science Foundation with an 8% increase over last year's budget. The proposed budget is consistent with the Administration's commitment to doubling funding for key research agencies. White House fact sheet.

Jim White interviewed on new CU outreach site

2010-01-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

Jim gave the first faculty interview on the new CU web site Learn More about Climate: Climate Change and Colorado's Future. Jim spoke on climate and education in the state Work by Vas and other INSTAARs is also featured.

The site is a good tool for teachers you know--you can use it to boost your own outreach efforts.

Nature opinion piece by INSTAAR PhD advocates a polar policy for Canada

2010-01-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

John England, INSTAAR PhD and professor at Edmonton, has an opinion piece in the new issue of Nature. "Canada needs a polar policy" argues that Canada needs to integrate and coordinate its research funding post IPY to ensure world-class research in the future.

John is a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Northern Research Chair: Environmental Change in Arctic Canada: Ice Age to Present.

How the federal government talks about climate change

2010-01-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

An interesting recent study by librarians Kari Kozak and Laura Sare looks at publications on climate change distributed by the Government Printing Office (GPO) Federal Depository Library Program over the past 40 years. Climate change coverage is analyzed by year, presidential administration, issuing agency, nature of the publication, topic, audience, and attitude toward climate change. The study also compared government documents with scientific journals accessed via Web of Science. The conclusions are in some cases expected but in others quite surprising.

Kozak and Sare, 2009. Researching climate change: Trends in US government publications distributed by the Government Printing Office. Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship, no. 58, Fall 2009.

I love a good application of bibliometrics.

Google tips

2010-01-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Sure, Google's great, but are you using some of its better tricks?

site: search

My personal favorite specifies that search results will come only from a particular web site or domain. This is key for searching complicated web sites, like usgs.gov or colorado.edu. Use the search operator "site:" like this [tule lake data site:usgs.gov]. Or restrict your search to only .edu or .gov domains: [arsenic groundwater site:.edu].

Unit conversion

For quick calculations, enter the conversion into Google's search box like this [11 in in cm].

Calculator

The unit conversion idea works for mathematical equations too [2+2=]

Track packages

Waiting for lab supplies? Enter the UPS, FedEx, or USPS tracking number directly into the Google search box. It will take you straight to the package tracking info.

Royal Society celebrates 350 years by putting original manuscripts online

2009-12-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

Think that moldering Science article is an old source? Try something by Newton, van Leeuwenhoek, or Maxwell. To celebrate their 350th year, the Royal Society has put 60 original manuscripts online via Trailblazing, a digital timeline. See an abbreviated version in a BBC audio slideshow.

new books in the Information Center

2009-12-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Off to AGU? Or the slopes? Pick up something to read on the way:

Heads Up! Early Warning Systems for Climate-, Water- and Weather-Related Hazards
by Michael Glantz, 2009
One of three CCB books being distributed this week at the COP-15 summit, Mickey’s new book from the United Nations reviews early warning systems in operation today and explores a range of natural hazards such as hurricanes and droughts. This practical handbook outlines the role early warning systems play in disaster avoidance and reduction.

Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Sciences
by Robert Michener and Kate Lajtha, 2007
This book highlights new and emerging uses of stable isotope analysis in a variety of ecological disciplines. Uses include tracing whole ecosystem element cycling, processes of soil organic matter formation, the movement of water in watersheds, the effects of pollution in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, extreme systems such as hydrothermal vents, and migrating organisms. In each case, the book explains the background to the methodology, looks at underlying principles and assumptions, and outlines potential limitations and pitfalls.

Diatoms of North America: The Freshwater Floras of Prince Patrick, Ellef Ringnes and Northern Ellesmere Islands from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
by Dermot Antoniades, et al., 2008
This comprehensive book covers the climate and limnology of study areas; methods; and diatom flora including taxonomy, occurrences, ecology, and descriptions.

Two Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing
by Roland Huntford, 2008
The ski is older than the wheel. Huntford’s history of the ski begins 20,000 years ago in the last ice age, and draws on original Old Norse and Russian sources as well as Greek, Roman, Arabic, and Chinese texts. It traces the evolution of skiing through social and political contexts (much more fun than it sounds) and notes where it changed the course of history in exploration, war, and peace.

Earth more sensitive to carbon dioxide than previously thought

2009-12-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

A top Science Daily story today reviews a study by University of Bristol researchers, published in Nature Geoscience, showing that the earth is 30-50 percent more sensitive to atmospheric carbon dioxide than previously thought. The authors demonstrate that the increased temperatures indicated by their reconstructions can be explained if factors that vary over long timescales, such as land-ice and vegetation, are included in models.

Happy anniversary, quad sheets

2009-12-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

The USGS today celebrated its 125th Anniversary for Topographic Mapping in the United States. As part of the celebration, USGS announced a new series of digital topographic maps, US TOPO, that will be produced on a 3-year cycle for the conterminous United States. See the press release for more information.

The USGS also released a new National Map viewer for access to its data layers and US TOPO products. Circular 1341, History of the Topographic Branch (Division), will satisfy those who wish for a detailed review of what remains the USGS' chief claim to fame in the public mind.

Extreme Ice Survey

2009-11-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

The most wide-ranging glacier study ever conducted using ground-based, real-time photography documents the rapid changes now occurring on the Earth's glacial ice. Led by photographer Jim Balog, the EIS team has installed 27 time-lapse cameras at 15 sites in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains. EIS supplements this ongoing record with annual repeat photography in Iceland, the Alps, and Bolivia.

Quick introductions to this influential confluence of art and science can be found in the Extreme Ice Survey in Google Earth or Jim Balog's TED talk.

Alpine lakes show effects of airborne nitrogen - Green Lakes in Science

2009-11-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

Scientists looking at the impact of airborne nitrogen released from fossil fuels and fertilizers on alpine and subalpine lakes in Colorado, Sweden, and Norway have a paper in the Nov. 6 issue of Science. They found the effects of airborne nitrogen to be much greater than previously recognized.

Read the paper in Science, or view a press release from NSF that includes a photo of Green Lake 4 on Niwot Ridge.

New books in the Information Center

2009-11-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

Ecology
by Michael L. Cain, William D. Bowman, and Sally D. Hacker, 2008
The dynamic, interdisciplinary nature of ecology, as well as its wealth of concepts, can make the subject difficult to grasp. This college-level text by Bill Bowman and colleagues balances subject matter emphasis, clearly presented concepts, and examples. The book reminds students of connections among levels of the ecological hierarchy and uses evolution as a unifying theme. Rumor has it that a local student raved, “the only ecology book that doesn’t suck!”

Antarctica: Secrets of the southern continent
by David McGonigal et al., 2008
McGonigal, a travel writer who has made more than 100 trips to polar regions, coordinated a team of writers and scientists to produce this large-format, sumptuously illustrated volume on Antarctic geography, ecology, wildlife, science, and exploration. An entry details the International Polar Year 2007-2008.

Communicating science: A primer for working with media
by Holly Menninger and Robert Gropp, 2008
This slim guide is the best (only?) book targeted at improving the way that scientists approach the media. This should be required reading for anyone talking to the public—especially those who feel that research results speak for themselves.

Compositional data analysis in the geosciences: From theory to practice
edited by A. Buccianti, et al., 2006
Statistics is expected to give sense to our perception of the natural scale of data, and this is made possible for compositional data using logratios. This book outlines the logratio approach, building on the idea of the “natural geometry” of the sample space.

Climate change impacts for the conterminous USA: An integrated assessment
edited by Norman Rosenberg and James Edmonds, 2005
A series of papers analyze current and future climate change impacts on agriculture, water resources, ecosystems, irrigation, and land use in the United States and the economic implications of these impacts using an integrated assessment methodology.

Welcome to my world

2009-11-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

"Never have so many people generated so much digital data or been able to lose so much of it so quickly." Wall Street Journal story on the data deluge facing scientists.

2009-10-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

The Inuvialuit Settlement Region Database, a subset of the Arctic Science and Technology Information System (ASTIS), now includes more than 10,000 on all aspects of life in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in Canada's Northwest Territories and Yukon. Many of the entries are grey literature, which can be difficult to find from other sources. 20% of the entries link to a DOI or PDF copy.

Yarrow in Boulder Camera today

2009-10-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yarrow Axford is featured in today's Daily Camera Local section (B1). The story describes her discovery that two species of midges that used to thrive in the cold environment of a Baffin Island lake have disappeared--evidence of rapid climate change.

The story is also appearing in other newspapers, like the UK's Independent, and in the blogosphere.

Giff Miller in Science

2009-10-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

Along with several colleagues, Giff Miller has a paper on climate change in the 4 September issue of Science. "Recent warming reverses long-term Arctic cooling" synthesizes temperature records from the past 2,000 years to show a consistent cooling trend, reversed during the 20th century after 1950.

Banned Books in Space!

2009-10-05T12:22:00.001-07:00

The American Library Association has a new Google Maps app that shows where books have been recently banned across the United States. Click the marker icons to see particulars: what book was banned, where, the rationale, and any other actions.

INSTAAR picnic today!

2009-09-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

2:00 mandatory INSTAAR-wide meeting, RL-1 rm 269.
3:00 picnic with dessert content, tasty grilled food, beverages and snacks.
Looks like we'll have beautiful weather for it, after all??

student survival guide added to INSTAAR web site

2009-09-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Bridget, grad students now have an up-to-the-minute survival guide to life at INSTAAR. Spend your questioning natures on your research, not on how to get a phone, find coffee, or take on a graduate research assistantship.

Greenland ice core work featured in Science Daily

2009-09-17T10:21:00.001-07:00

The news site Science Daily, a handy source for keeping up to date on peer-reviewed research in earth and environmental science, has a feature this morning on mapping the Greenland Ice Sheet through time. Another feature details research on changing ozone levels over Antarctica and the tropics by scientists at the University of Toronto.

Read the story, but bookmark the site--it's a good shortcut for busy researchers.

USGS reports the easy way

2009-09-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Ever been stuck on the USGS web site, looking for a digitized Professional Paper that you know is there but has been rendered invisible?

Next time try this fabulous index page in the Publications Warehouse. It's a complete listing of USGS report series, including numbers of print vs. digital issues. Full text is at your fingertips.

To find needles in other large sites that are organized like haystacks (everything randomly piled together), forget the site's cut-rate search technology and use Google. In Google, enter the term you want, then the command site: followed by the last part of the web site's URL. For example, [ "late quaternary diatom record" site:noaa.gov ]. Works like a charm.

Baffin Island ice caps shrink by 50% since 1950s, finds INSTAAR study

2009-09-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

A CU-Boulder research team led by Giff Miller and graduate student Rebecca Anderson is reporting more sobering news on Arctic ice loss in a study published this month in Geophysical Research Letters. The study indicates that ice caps on the northern plateau of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic have shrunk by half in the last 50 years years and will likely disappear by mid-century. The team also found tantalizing evidence that tropical volcanic eruptions triggered the "Little Ice Age," which cooled the climate of Europe for several centuries beginning about 1300 A.D. Listen to Miller describe the study, including the novel radiocarbon dating approach used on Baffin Island, in a CU News Center podcast.

new books in the Information Center

2009-09-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

New semester, new books! Stop by the Information Center in RL-1 281 to pick up one of these (or email me).

The Aral Sea encyclopedia
by Igor Zonn, Michael Glantz, A. Kostianoy, and A. Kosarev, 2009
The Aral Sea is the scene of one of the worst man-made
environmental crises of the past 100 years. This book
addresses the remarkable possibility of the Aral Sea’s
disappearance from Earth in a single human generation.
This comprehensive reference documents the sea before
it started drying out; key environmental issues; efforts
of Central Asian countries and international community
to mitigate socioeconomic and environmental hazards caused
by desiccation and increasing salinity; the history of
related research studies; the involvement of historical
figures; and three centuries of events in the economic
development of the Aral Sea and its subsequent diminution.

Geomorphometry: Concepts, software, applications
edited by Tomislav Hengl and Hannes Reuter, 2009
Geomorphometry draws on mathematical, statistical, and
image processing techniques to quantify land surface
analysis at various spatial scales. This practical text
covers preparing digital elevation models for analysis
and extracting land surface parameters and objects from
DEMs through a variety of software.

Frozen Oceans: The floating world of pack ice
by David Thomas, 2004
Much more than a layer of frozen seawater, pack ice is a
vast and complex habitat that supports an abundance of
life. This nontechnical book unlocks its extraordinary
secrets.

Impacts of climate change and climate variability on hydrological regimes
by Jan C. van Dam, 2003
This book examines the implications of possible climate
change and variability on global and regional water
resources. It initially follows the perspective of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, inferring
possible changes in hydrological regimes and water quality
based on various GCM scenarios. It then examines possible
effects on each continent.

Switching to the Mac Leopard edition: The missing manual
by David Pogue, 2008
Has Chad convinced you to chuck your PC for a new Mac?
This friendly manual will help the transition go swiftly and easily.

Jim White in the news - Greenland ice coring effort sets new record

2009-08-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

From the NSF Press Release: "A new international research effort on the Greenland ice sheet with the University of Colorado at Boulder as the lead U.S. institution set a record for single-season deep ice-core drilling this summer, recovering more than a mile of ice core that is expected to help scientists better assess the risks of abrupt climate change in the future."

new books in the Information Center

2009-08-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Climate, environment and society in the Pacific during the last millennium
by Patrick Nunn, 2007
The nature of global change in the Pacific basin is poorly known compared to other parts of the world. This book describes the climate changes that occurred in the Pacific during the last millennium and discusses how these changes controlled the broad evolution of human societies, typically filtered by the effects of sea level changes and storminess on food availability and interaction. Emphasis is given to the Medieval Warm Period, the Little Ice Age, and the AD 1300 event between them.

Principles of sequence stratigraphy
by O. Catuneanu, 2006
This comprehensive text provides balanced coverage of all current models in the field of sequence stratigraphy. It is notable for its clear prose, outstanding graphics, and philosophical approach to the topic.

The Atmosphere
edited by Ralph Keeling, 2006
This award-winning text, part of Elsevier’s Treatise on Geochemistry series, covers reactive atmospheric chemistry, pathways for material transport within the atmosphere, and exchanges with land, biota, oceans, and solid earth. The emphasis is on species of relevance to global climate and chemical budgets.

Unknown waters: A first-hand account of the historic under-ice survey of the Siberian continental shelf by
USS Queenfish (SSN-651)
by Alfred McLaren, 2008
A spellbinding account of the first hydrographic survey of the Soviet Union’s Siberian coastline by nuclear submarine, by a CU-Boulder grad.

new INSTAAR paper

2009-08-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

John Andrews, with coauthors S. Belt, S. Olafsdottir, G. Masse, and L.L. Vare, has a new paper in The Holocene: "Sea ice and marine climate variability for NW Iceland/Denmark Strait over the last 2000 cal. yr BP."

The article documents a multiproxy record of changes in the regional marine climate over the last 1,700 years from a box core collected from Djupall. Overall, the data suggest a simple two-fold division in climate conditions over the last 1700 yr, with the major change occurring c. AD 1200. In the last few decades, conditions have reverted towards those experienced prior to AD 1200.

OED, QED

2009-07-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

Free online dictionaries are incomplete; print dictionaries are allll the way over there. For great instant reference when you're online, try the Oxford English Dictionary's "Search OED Online" widget.

Drag the app to your browser toolbar. After that, highlight any word on a web page, click the button on your toolbar, and you'll see the OED definition. See not only the meaning of the word, but its earliest use and usage through time. Endless fun for bibliophiles.

The widget connects to Norlin's OED subscription, so it works on campus or from home if you're signed in through VPN.

arctic sea ice data released - 1 meter resolution

2009-07-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

In a lightning-fast move, the U.S. Department of the Interior released more than a thousand 1-m resolution images of arctic sea ice just hours after a recommendation by the National Academy of Sciences on Wednesday. The high-resolution images show swathes of sea ice from six sites in the Arctic Ocean. They were derived from classified images captured through the Medea program and are available through the USGS Global Fiducials Library.

The data will be useful for modeling the loss and transformation of arctic sea ice, showing meltwater puddles and other small-scale features that collectively have a large effect on climate change. Previous images, with a resolution of only 30 meters, were unable to show good detail on these features.

The release of the data the same day that the NAS released their recommendation is an unusually rapid example of governmental response to a request from the scientific community. More here from Reuters.

G8 countries accept warming limit, working toward emissions cuts

2009-07-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

A G8 summit is making some progress on addressing rising global temperatures.

IndieBound app opens independent bookstores

2009-05-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

Looking for the next great read or undiscovered gem? IndieBound, a free application for the iPod Touch and iPhone, puts independent bookstores in your pocket. The app includes a comprehensive book search; each book includes a link to purchase direct from the website of an indie bookstore near you. Recommendations, new titles, wish lists, and a bookstore finder are also included.

Kindling - the new flammable wireless reading device

2009-05-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

A handy-dandy device, with a description worth reading for the comments alone.

Vas has new paper in Science

2009-05-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Vasilii Petrenko is first author on a paper in the 24 April issue of Science, "14-CH-4 measurements in Greenland ice: Investigating last glacial termination CH-4 sources." (Science, 324(5926): 506-508. doi: 10.1126/science.1168909)

Vas' team mined Pakitsoq, Greenland, ice like a geological seam, obtaining enough ice to read the C-14 signal for atmospheric methane during the Younger Dryas-Preboreal abrupt climate transition. A related paper, "Shifting gear, quickly," on p. 477 of the same volume, explains why this is important: massive methane-driven climate change can occur very quickly--over the course of a few years.

Death of the Megabeasts on tonight

2009-04-27T12:52:00.001-07:00

Giff Miller has been working with National Geographic channel on a documentary, Death of the Megafauna, that airs for the first time tonight at 7:00 p.m. and again at 10:00. Giff writes, "The documentary was filmed in part in the amino lab here in Boulder and the production company spent three days filming us in the field in Australia last July."

New zero-emissions station opens in Antarctica

2009-03-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

The Belgian research station Princess Elisabeth opened February 15th on the Utsteinen nunatak in the Dronning Maud Land. The historic station was built over the austral summer as part of Belgium's commitment to IPY. It uses renewable energy, water recycling, computer-controlled resourced management, and eco-friendly construction materials to enable zero-emission operation.

USGS climate change documents given to Obama, Congress, feature INSTAAR authors

2009-03-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

John Andrews, Lesleigh Anderson, Anne Jennings, Giff Miller, Dan Muhs, and Jim White are among the authors of Synthesis and Assessment Products (SAP) about climate change, USGS publications delivered to Congress and the President.

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program is producing the SAP series to provide current assessments of climate change science to inform public debate, policy, and operational decisions. The reports are also intended to help the CCSP develop future program research priorities.

The CCSP’s guiding vision is to provide the Nation and the global community with the science-based knowledge needed to manage the risks and capture the opportunities associated with climate and related environmental changes. The SAPs are important steps toward achieving that vision and help to translate extensive observational and research data into informational tools that directly address key questions being asked of the research community.

Jim White speaks tomorrow at Boulder Public Library

2009-03-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

Jim White will present "Yes, the Climate is Still Changing: What the
Past Tells Us About Our Future" at the Boulder Public Library tomorrow,
Tues. March 10, at 7 p.m.

The talk is part of the CU @ the Library lecture series, and is free
and open to the public. The venue is the Library's Canyon Theater in
the main library.

Jim will discuss climate change, Greenland, and melting ice.

new GSA journal

2009-03-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Lithosphere, a new journal from the Geological Society of America, will be freely accessible for the next month. Journal content focuses on tectonic processes at all scales that affect the crust and upper mantle, from the surface to the base of the lithosphere, and highlights research addressing how the surface, crust, and mantle interact to shape the physical and chemical evolution of the lithosphere at all spatial and temporal scales.

new books in the Information Center

2009-02-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

Visit the world with one of our new books on cold regions, Norway, Asia, or Antarctica.

Applied geophysics in periglacial environments
edited by Christian Hauck and Christof Kneisel, 2008
Many problems in cryospheric science, such as permafrost degradation, require information about the subsurface, which can be imaged using geophysical methods. This book is a practical guide to the application of geophysical techniques in mountainous and polar terrain, where the harsh environment and nature of the subsurface pose particular challenges. It introduces the main geophysical methods, then demonstrates their application in periglacial environments through case studies. The book includes reference tables with typical values of geophysical parameters for periglacial environments.

The making of a land: Geology of Norway
edited by Ivar B. Ramberg et al., 2008
Thanks to donor John Andrews, we have this lushly illustrated, lavishly produced journey through geological time in Norway. Chapters cover time periods from the Precambrian to the present day. A bedrock map of Norway (1:2M scale) is included.

Climate change in Asia: Perspectives on the future climate regime
edited by Yasuko Kameyama et al., 2008
Looking beyond the Kyoto Protocol, an intense and growing international debate over future climate change has emerged. Asian countries have high stakes in these changes given their high population, increasing emissions, and vulnerability to climate change impacts. Limited capacity, however, has hampered the participation of many Asian countries. This book is the result of a two-year study of domestic institutional processes in Asia that address climate change issues, national circumstances that impede full participation in the debate, and elements of a plausible climate regime from an Asian perspective.

Antarctica: Contributions to global earth sciences
edited by Dieter K. Fütterer et al., 2004
Sixty articles arranged in eight thematic sections refer to most recent geological and geophysical results of Antarctic research. Topics include Precambrian of the East Antarctic shield and its geological history, sub-ice topography, geophysics and stratigraphy, and sedimentology and geophysics of the surrounding Southern Ocean. Particular emphasis is given to the connection of the Antarctic and the surrounding continents when forming part of Gondwana.

New paper by John Hoffecker

2009-02-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

"From the Bay of Naples to the River Don: The Campanian Ignimbrite eruption and the middle to upper Paleolithic transition in Eastern Europe" is a new article by John Hoffecker and co-authors in Journal of Human Evolution, 55(5): 858-870. From the abstract:

The Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) eruption, dated by argon isotope ratios and various stratigraphic methods to ca. 39,000 cal BP, generated a massive ash plume from its source in southern Italy across Southeastern and Eastern Europe. At the Kostenki-Borshchevo open-air sites on the Middle Don River in Russia, Upper Paleolithic artifact assemblages are buried below, within, and above the CI tephra (which is redeposited by slope action at most sites) on the second terrace. Luminescence and radiocarbon dating, paleomagnetism, and soil and pollen stratigraphy provide further basis for correlation with the Greenland and North Atlantic climate stratigraphy. The oldest Upper Paleolithic occupation layers at Kostenki-Borshchevo may be broadly correlated with warm intervals that preceded the CI event and Heinrich Event 4 dating to ca. 45,000–41,000 cal BP. These layers contain an industry not currently recognized in other parts of Europe. Early Upper Paleolithic layers above the CI tephra are correlated with HE4 and warm intervals that occurred during 38,000–30,000 cal BP (GI 8–GI 5), and include an assemblage that is assigned to the Aurigancian industry, associated with skeletal remains of modern humans.

Choose the most wanted federal government documents

2009-02-19T11:49:00.001-08:00

Okay, you only get three votes, which you cannot change once cast, so look down the list first.

The Sunlight Foundation, OpenTheGovernment.org, and the Center for Democracy and Technology recently launched a new Web site, Show Us the Data, to allow the public to decide what government information should be available on the Internet that isn't.

Share what documents you think should be made available and vote on the documents that others have submitted. The deadline to participate is March 9, 2009.

The project will result in a report that will recommend documents and data that the federal government should make more freely available to the public in usable formats.

New article by John Andrews, Anne Jennings, and Astrid Ogilvie

2009-02-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

John, Anne, and Astrid have a new article that relates, "An important indicator of Holocene climate change is providedby evidence for variations in the extent of drift ice. A proxyfor drift ice in Iceland waters is provided by the presenceof quartz. Quantitative x-ray diffraction analysis of the less than 2 mm sediment fraction was undertaken on 16 cores from aroundIceland."

Andrews, J. T., Darby, D., Eberle, D., Jennings, A. E., Moros, M., and Ogilvie, A., 2009: "A robust, multisite Holocene history of drift ice off northern Ireland: Implications for North Atlantic climate. The Holocene, 19(1): 71-77.

New paper by Vera Markgraf

2009-02-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

Markgraf, V., C. Whitlock, R. S. Anderson, and A. Garcia, 2009: Late Quaternary vegetation in the northernmost Nothofagus forest region: Mallin Vaca Lauquen, Neuquen Province, Argentina. Journal of Quaternary Science, 24(3): 248-258. The article describes the last 16,000 years of vegetation, fire, and limnological history from the steppe-forest ecotone in the region east of the Andes.

I will waive your lost book fees if your story is this good

2009-02-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

If you have a really, really good reason for leaving a book behind in the field, I won't take it out of your hide. For instance, this California library patron had a reason.

New article by Parker Calkin

2009-02-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

A new article by Parker Calkin, along with D. Barclay and G. Wiles, is in the new issue of Quaternary Research. The article uses tree-ring crossdates from glacially killed logs to show that Tebenkof Glacier advanced into a forefield forest in the 710s and 720s A.D. Recession from this advance occurred before the 950s, after which the ice margin readvanced in the 1280s to 1320s at the start of the Little Ice Age. A more extensive advance was underway from the 1640s to 1670s, and the terminus stayed at or near its Little Ice Age maximum until the 1890s. These are the first absolute tree-ring crossdates for a FMA glacier advance in North America and support growing evidence from northwestern North America and Europe for a significant cool interval in the centuries around AD 500.

Barclay, D. J., Wiles, G. C., and Calkin, P. E., 2009: Tree-ring crossdates for a First Millennium AD advance of Tebenkof Glacier, southern Alaska. Quaternary Research, 71(1): 22-26. doi: 10.1016/j.yqres.2008.09.005

Denver study improves driving habits and fuel efficiency

2009-02-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

A Denver experiment affixed accelerometers to 400 city and private vehicles, including Mayor Hickenlooper's limousine. Drivers, made conscious of their gas-wasting habits (idling, tailgating, fast starts) almost immediately modified their aggressive habits and saved 10% on gas mileage and 100 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per vehicle per month. Read the Los Angeles Times story.

Nature features a warming Antarctica

2009-01-29T09:41:00.000-08:00

The new issue of Nature (22 Jan. 2009) has as its cover story "Antarctic Warming: climate reconstruction gets to the heart of the continent." Read it online or in print in the Information Center.

The Greenhouse Effect and the Bathtub Effect

2009-01-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

Today's Dot Earth column, part of a series by Andrew Revkin in the New York Times, is an important comment on climate change. An excellent, scientifically accurate outreach tool, "The Greenhouse Effect and the Bathtub Effect" explains why emission cuts won't result in cooling temperatures. It also explains why we need to better educate the public about these issues.

"Terra Nova" features presentation by John Behrendt tonight

2009-01-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

The Longmont Theatre Company's production of Terra Nova, a 1977 play about Scott's famous and fatal last expedition to Antarctica, is playing through this Saturday. Tonight, at 6:00, John Behrendt will give a reading before the 7:30 show.

Inauguration Day - the view from space

2009-01-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

GIS users and those who love birds'-eye views might like this photo of yesterday's doings in D.C.

Web of Science workshop

2009-01-20T14:45:00.000-08:00

Ever found yourself using Web of Science and thinking, if I could just screen out the four-fifths of my search results that are from medical journals, this could be a really useful tool. Well grumble no more! Web of Science has revamped its clunky search interface to let you cut out whole categories of non-relevant results in a hurry. Come learn how at a workshop next week.

Web of Science is the behemoth of scientific article databases, indexing 10,000 journals, 120,000 conferences, and a whole universe of cited references. The WoS folks have recently
- revamped the search capabilities to allow more precise searching,
- made it possible to distinguish between authors with the same name,
- added citations to conference proceedings, and
- added cool new ways to parse information.

In this half-hour workshop, we will go over the new developments, focusing most closely on ways to effectively and rapidly refine your searches.

The workshop will be held Thursday, January 29, starting at 2:30, in the Information Center (RL-1 room 281). Space is limited to 8 people, so please reply if you would like to come.

New semester - new books

2009-01-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome back for the spring 2009 semester. A few new items to start you off right:

Fixing climate: What past climate changes reveal about the current threat—and how to counter it
by Wallace S. Broecker and Robert Kunzig, 2008
John Hollin recommends this history of the scientific enquiry that solidified global warming theory. Geoscientist Wally Broecker teams up with journalist Robert Kunzig to argue that the current crisis requires novel technology and leadership.

Encyclopedia of paleoclimatology and ancient environments
edited by Vivien Gornitz, 2009
Giff Miller, John Andrews, Lesleigh Anderson, Tom Marchitto, and David Muhs wrote sections of this fantastic new resource. 230 informative articles cover the interdisciplinary field of paleoclimatology, ranging from classical geological evidence to the latest research. The volume is abundantly illustrated and beautifully arranged, with extensive bibliographies, cross-references, and a remarkably good index. Thanks to John Andrews for donating this book to the Information Center.

Groundwater recharge in a desert environment: The Southwestern United States
edited by James Hogan, Fred Phillips, and Bridget Scanlon, 2004
Groundwater recharge is arguably the most difficult component of the hydrologic cycle to measure. In arid and semiarid regions the problem is exacerbated by extremely small recharge fluxes that are highly variable in space and time. The papers in this book speak to these issues, presenting new interpretations and research on developing environmental tracers, the critical role of vegetation, new geophysical methods in quantifying channel recharge, applying GIS models, coupling process-based vadose-zone to groundwater modeling, etc.

Snow over Denver

2008-12-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

...and snow predicted for Boulder this afternoon. Happy holidays, everyone, and welcome back from AGU.

Tiktaalik music video

2008-12-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Caught up in finals? Watch a music video by the Indoor Fins instead, which follows the adventures of a Tiktaalik specimen (a lobe-finned fish from the late Devonian period) at the University of Pennsylvania, after being transported from Ellesmere Island. Lyrics by Neil Shubin.

classic of Alaska shows Wednesday

2008-12-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

Chautauqua is showing Charlie Chaplin in Gold Rush (1925) along with the Laurel and Hardy film Big Business (1929) at 7:30 Wednesday. Hank Troy will accompany on piano. This event is part of Chautauqua's Silent Film Series. Tickets are $8.

Gold Rush features Chaplin as a prospector in Alaska, surviving fearsome storms, near-starvation, and burly competitors. Filmed mostly on location, the movie features a brief but memorable reenactment of the prospectors' single-file, crowding hike up Chilkoot Pass.

Google Books gobbles magazines

2008-12-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Google announced yesterday that they are starting a new initiative to digitize archives and current issues of magazines, including New York Magazine, Popular Mechanics, and Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

2008-11-19T13:56:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Google opened an online gallery with 2 million images from Life magazine's archives. Google plans to scan all 10 million photos from Life's library, 97% of which have not been seen by the public.

Life's archives include photos from the Civil War as well as some of the most memorable moments from the 20th century, including hundreds of photos from alpine and polar regions through several decades.

The images may be used freely for personal or research purposes. Those wishing to use them for commercial purposes may contact Time Warner Inc., Life's parent company, which plans to sell high-resolution prints through Qoop.com.

new books in the Information Center

2008-11-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

Headed to Antarctica (or just wish you were)? Pack one of these topical, lightweight numbers to keep you company in transit:

Antarctica: A Guide to the Wildlife
by Tony Soper with illustrations by Dafila Scott, 2006
This small but immensely practical guide covers Antarctica’s major land, sea and air species. Each mammal, bird or fish is illustrated with an original watercolor and paired with a description of its appearance, distribution, and habits.

On the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station, Antarctica
by Gretchen Legler, 2005
Legler spent months documenting the life of those at McMurdo Station. Her story emerges in a series of loosely episodic essays that portray sailing aboard an icebreaker, visiting the huts of Scott and Shackleton, and camping with friends at an isolated station. Her affair with an electrician provides further insight into a thoughtful study of the intense bonds and compartmentalized relationships that tend to form on the ice. Is it nature writing? Memoir? Popular science? Sociology? Try it and see.

Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue
by Andy Selters, 2006
A comprehensive guide to safe glacier travel, including understanding hazards, rescue techniques, team travel skills, knots and belay techniques, wayfinding, proper gear, camping, etc.

Terra Antarctica: Looking into the Emptiest Continent
by William Fox, 2005
Fox has traveled to the world’s harshest places to explore the process by which humans convert terrain into meaningful territory. In Terra Antarctica he travels to the “largest and most extreme desert on earth,” a landscape with a relatively brief human history. Interweaving artistic, scientific, and cartographic images with anecdotes from his journey, he creates an absorbing narrative of a place on the edge of the mapped world.

New books in the Information Center

2008-10-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

Those of you in David Lubinski’s grad talk last week know how useful these new books are. Those who weren’t may want to pick one up to help you make your talks more memorable, effective, even galvanizing. Just in time for AGU!

Slide:ology: The art and science of creating great presentations
by Nancy Duarte, 2008
The woman who turned Al Gore into a presenter convincing enough to win a Nobel Prize gives a practical treatment of effective visual expression. Attention is given to connecting with specific audiences, turning ideas into informative graphics, and using presentation technology to your advantage.

Presentation Zen: Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery
by Garr Reynolds, 2008
Reynolds’ design philosophy emphasizes simplicity and mindfulness. If you follow his principles, you will design offline, create interesting and storytelling slides, and may not give your presentation in PowerPoint at all. A breath of fresh air in the field and a wonderful introduction to communicating effectively.

And from the science side:

Plants and Climate Change
edited by Jelte Rozema, Rien Aerts, and Hans Cornelissen, 2006
This collection of papers focuses on how climate affects or is affected by the biosphere both in the present and the past. Many of the papers address arctic and Antarctic ecosystems. Other topics include plant responses to atmospheric carbon dioxide, global warming, and increased ultraviolet-B radiation.

Ice Age Southern Andes: A Chronicle of Paleoecological Events
by C.J. Heusser, 2003
Requestors of this book: you know who you are! This volume is part of Elsevier’s Developments in Quaternary Sciences series. The Southern Andes stretch over a broad latitudinal extent, making them an ideal site for paleoenvironmental research. This book synthesizes a vast body of research and includes many useful datasets.

Polar Seas Oceanography: An integrated case study of the Kara Sea
by Vladimir Volkov et al., 2002
This is the first comprehensive study of this polar sea. It presents a unique catalog of environmental and pollution data from joint Norwegian and Russian oceanographic expedition studies of the Kara Sea spanning three decades.

Drop by the Information Center, RL-1 room 281, to take one of these home.

Google settles book scanning suit: victory for readers, authors?

2008-10-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

The NY Times reported yesterday that Google has settled a legal battle with publishing companies and authors over its scanning of copyright material for Google Books. The settlement "clears the way for both sides to more easily profit from digital versions of printed books." Whether it is also a victory for readers is being debated now, but more content will be freely available online.

new paper by John Hoffecker

2008-10-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

The corrected proof of an article by Hoffecker et al. in the Journal of Human Evolution is now online. The article discusses how a volcanic eruption in southern Italy at ca. 39,000 cal BP provides an opportunity for better integration of the early upper Paleolithic record at the site in Kostenki with that of western and central Europe. The tephra from the eruption provides a key chronostratigraphic marker with finer resolution than that allowed by radiocarbon dating. Dating shows that upper Paleolithic occupation of the central plain began at least as early as in Western and Central Europe during the series of brief interstadials (GI 12–9) that preceded the CI eruption and HE4 (ca. 45,000–40,000 cal BP).

To read the full text: John F. Hoffecker et al., 2008: From the Bay of Naples to the River Don: the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption and the middle to upper Paleolithic transition in Eastern Europe. Journal of Human Evolution.

Tad has new paper in Science

2008-10-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

Tad Pfeffer, along with J. T. Harper and Shad O'Neel, has a new paper in the 5 September issue of Science. "Kinematic constraints on glacier contributions to 21st-century sea-level rise" sets constraints on sea level rise by 2100 using glaciological conditions.

Book lovers and Science readers, unite!

2008-10-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

The 12 September issue of Science features a lovely flotilla of vintage books on its cover. The story attached is about the digitization of documents published before the computer era. Faded ink and complex typefaces have stymied scanning activities, but now a repurposed security technology called CAPTCHA is helping transcribe millions of words. If you've ever edited a blog or wiki entry, made a profile on a social networking site, or signed up for Gmail by copying a slightly distorted text code, you may have also transcribed a word or two from a historic book.

Read the full story for a fascinating look at recycled high tech: "reCAPTCHA: Human-based character recognition via Web security measures," by L. von Ahn et al, or the companion story in ScienceNOW by Phil Berardelli, "Digitizing Old Text and Fighting Spam, Too."

Science and Google - conference next month

2008-10-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Assistant Director for Geosciences at NSF, Tim Killeen, will be a keynote speaker at a Google/U Mich event Scientific Applications for Google Earth Conference. Room is still available for students and researchers to sign up for the conference, which will be October 22-23 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The conference will explore science data visualization using Google Earth, Google Maps, and KML, enabling newer and richer data interaction experiences.

Fields of interest include demographics, epidemiology, archeology, and of course climate and geosciences. Participants are invited to bring posters and will have a forum to exchange their ideas and work with others with similar focus and interest. Google engineers will be on hand to work directly with students and scientists on ways to overcome technical problems and to provide training for those interested in advanced techniques with KML.

In addition, Google has a new contest to encourage educational content in Google Earth. The KML in Research Competition, open to students and scientists, will provide some publicity and prizes; winning entries will be showcased on the Google Earth website and at the Google booth at AGU 2008.