Upcoming Scientific Travel Opportunities for Journalists

The Earth Institute COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDIA ADVISORY MAY 19, 2010 Upcoming Scientific Travel Opportunities for Journalists Journalists are encouraged to cover expeditions by Earth Institute researchers, who work on every continent and ocean Here are upcoming trips of potential interest, in rough chronological order (some dates approximate) A separate section highlights work around New York City Journalists may accompany scientists on a case-by-case basis; news organizations must pay for travel to sites Unless otherwise stated, projects originate with our Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory More info: Kevin Krajick kkrajick@ei.columbia.edu 212-854-9729; or Kim Martineau, kmartineau@ei.columbia.edu 845365-8708 Updated versions of this calendar are on our Media Advisory Pages U.S AND INTERNATIONAL ICE FROM OCEANIA’S HIGHEST PEAK Coring Glaciers to Understand the Asian Monsoon, Puncak Jaya, Indonesia MAY 20-JUNE 20, 2010 Indonesia’s Puncak Jaya, earth’s highest island peak and the highest between the Himalayas and the Andes, is topped by the last fast-dwindling bits of glacial ice in the tropical Pacific Made of hundreds or thousands of year-by-year layers of ice, such glaciers may contain unique isotopic records of past temperatures, rainfall and other information; in particular, Puncak Jaya is expected to yield a fineresolution of the seasonal monsoon rains, which feed crops for billions of people Scientists want to understand how the monsoon might react to changing climate, and thus are racing to retrieve samples before the ice is gone Glaciologist Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and oceanographer Dwi Susanto of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have joined with the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency to mount an expedition to drill out cores from near the 16,000foot summit, and an adjoining peak The trip involves slinging drill equipment up by helicopter, camping near the top for several weeks and working amid extreme conditions of high altitude, cold, fog and precipitation Meanwhile, other team members will gather detailed weather information on a transect from the lowlands to high elevation, and the frozen cores will be flown out to be analyzed at Ohio State (A later expedition may involve coring sediments from high-mountain lakes that could hold similar records.) To understand how weather on one side of the Pacific relates to the other side, the Puncak Jaya cores will be compared with ones taken from Peru’s Nevado Hualcan last year Dwi Susanto web page Science magazine profile of Lonnie Thompson FOREST DIVERSITY AND HUMANS IN CHINA Field Surveys, Guizhou Province MAY 20- JUNE 3, 2010 Researchers from the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC), New York Botanical Garden and Minzu University are starting a 3- to 5-year study in Qiandongnan Prefecture in the Guizhou province southern China, on how biodiversity reacts to disturbances in forests managed by the ethnic Miao minority, who subsist on small-scale agriculture and selling of forest products Study communities, one in a forest reserve and the other isolated from road access, consist of multiple patches, each exhibiting distinct and diverse properties Analysis focusing mainly on dominant tree species—will also include how socio-environmental factors shape management practices, and thus the forest The study will also explore how climate change and economic development may be affecting Miao practices The collaboration is also expected to strengthen scientific ties between the United States and China This initial trip will help provide planning for future field campaigns; next trip will be around November 2010 Researcher are: Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez, Charles Peters and Xue Dayuan Earth Institute article on the collaboration GREENLAND MELTING Surveying the Ice Sheet By Air ONGOING-MAY 28, 2010 The ice sheet covering Greenland appears to be undergoing rapid climate-induced melting, which has been the object of intense investigation, given its potential to drive huge rises in sea level NASA, in cooperation with Lamont-Doherty and other institutions, has started Operation ICE Bridge, a 6-year campaign to yearly measurements of ice levels with instruments flown in a big DC-8 aircraft at low level This year’s campaign, the second, focuses on mapping Greenland’s outlet glaciers, and surrounding sea ice Laser-ranging instruments will map surface topography of the ice to see how much has been lost, and ground-penetrating radar will map the shape of underlying bedrock—a critical factor in improving predictions of future ice loss and sea-level rise Lamont crew members include Nick Frearson and Jim Cochran NASA project page TRACKING ARCTIC ICE Studies of Sea Ice, Ocean Waters, Eastern Canada ONGOING-MAY-30, 2010 Arctic temperatures are rising two to three times faster than the global average, and summer sea ice is declining rapidly; it hit a record low in 2008 The multiyear Arctic Switchyard project is tracking the Arctic seascape, trying to distinguish the effects of natural climate variability from those of human-induced climate change Scientists flying from the Canadian military base at Alert, on far northerly Ellesmere Island, are landing on the ice by helicopter and ski plane to drill holes, deploy instruments and retrieve water samples They will measure the water’s temperature, salt content and levels of dissolved oxygen, and natural and manmade trace substances Among other things, this will tell them how much fresh water is entering the system, and eventually the north Atlantic Ocean Lamont staff include Ronny Friedrich and Dale Chayes Arctic Switchyard page Ronny Friedrich’s blog General background SOUTHERN ITALY’S ORIGINS Surveys of Volcanoes and Geologic Terranes MAY 25-JUNE 30, 2010 Southern Italy is a good place to study the violent tectonic upheavals that have taken place in and around the Mediterranean over the last 12 million years, and which continue to plague the region via earthquakes and volcanoes This includes the dramatic split of Calabria from what are today the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and collisions between Italy and Africa that formed the Apennine and the Maghrebide mountains As part of the international Calabrian Arc Project, Lamont-Doherty scientists Nano Seeber and Meg Reitz will traverse part of Calabria on foot, examining rocks and taking samples, to better understand the complex history They will also visit Mt Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano volcanoes to take lava samples from recent and old eruptions, to be used in isotope studies aimed at understanding how much deep-sea sediment ends up being dragged underground and ultimately erupting from the volcanoes Related: Lamont scientist Michael Steckler is organizing a conference in Erice, Sicily, Oct 3-8, 2010: “Non-Steady-State Subduction: Changes in the Calabrian Arc and its Mediterranean Setting.” Calabrian arc web page Regional earthquake study page Conference details available upon request (PDF document) TURKEY’S NEXT GREAT QUAKE? Seismic Research Cruise Off Istanbul JUNE 7-10, 2010 In 1999, an earthquake along the North Anatolian fault killed some 30,000 people in western Turkey— possibly precursor to a much worse event that could hit the densely populated metropolis of Istanbul along another segment of the fault Scientists from Lamont and Turkish colleagues are intensively studying the fault where it runs under the Marmara Sea, near Istanbul the only part of the 1,500kilometer-long structure that has not ruptured in the 20 th century, and thus considered likely next in line Departing from Istanbul, the team will take a small research vessel into the Sea of Marmara to image the sediments overlying the fault, and the fault itself, by sending sound signals to the bottom and reading the echoes Lamont scientists used this technique on a recent cruise off Haiti, and off Turkey in 2008; the upcoming cruise will complete the 2008 Turkey survey Researchers hope this will help city planners prepare Team includes Leonardo Seeber, Michael Steckler, Donna Shillington Project web page: Background from US Geological Survey PLANT RESPONSE TO CLIMATE, ALASKAN TUNDRA Study of Temperatures, CO2 JUNE 3-30, 2010 Current fast warming in the arctic will probably alter metabolisms of plants tundra plants, but exactly how, and whether this will result in increased or decreased net uptake of carbon is not well understood With Alaskan tundra warming degree C per decade—one of the world’s fastest rates—species compositions could shift, and trees might advance northward To unravel what might happen, plant physiologist Kevin Griffin has a continuing project to study various species’ response to different level of CO2, temperature and soil nutrients, using experimental plots He and colleagues have been using leaf samples, chambers that measure respiration in living plants, and other techniques to measure responses at plots around Toolik Lake research station, near the oil pipeline Haul Road on Alaska’s North Slope Related: work by Griffin and others on the dynamics of forests in New Zealand, Tasmania and Australia (October; see below) The rest of the year, Griffin studies New York’s Hudson Valley and Catskill mountains, where it appears ecosystems may already be changing Griffin talks: Is Climate Changing Our Forests and Plants? EFFECTS OF ALASKAN SEA ICE LOSS Ecosystem Changes in the Bering Sea JUNE 17-JULY 15, 2010 The Bering Sea is one of the world’s most productive fisheries, supplying at least half of the fish eaten in the United States But evidence suggests that ongoing loss of summer sea ice may be causing declines in phytoplankton, which support the food chain Is climate change to blame? The multiyear Bering Sea Ecosystem Study (BEST) is a collaboration involving several U.S agencies to try and determine to what extent global warming is changing the ecosystem here On this current leg, aboard the research ship Knorr, Lamont scientist Ray Sambrotto will look at how recent changes in sea ice extent have influenced plankton productivity BEST website The Bering Sea Ecosystem GREENLAND ‘ICEQUAKES’ Seismic Studies of Melting Glaciers JUNE 23-JULY and AUG 24 – SEPT New evidence from Greenland suggests that glaciers may be moving to the sea faster than previously thought; this could bring quick rises in sea level As part the effort to understand what is happening, Lamont scientist Meredith Nettles is studying earthquakes generated by lurching glaciers The research is showing that changing ocean circulation and temperature at the fronts of glaciers is helping erode them As large chunks of ice collapse into the sea, generating seismic signals, the entire ice mass surges, speeding the glaciers’ demise Measurements are being made on eastern Greenland’s Helheim and Kangerdlugssuaq glaciers, two of Greenland’s largest Landing on the ice surface by helicopter, the scientists drill deep holes to install seismometers and GPS equipment, which automatically take readings The equipment is retrieved at the end of the warm season This five-year project, in its final stage, is being done in conjunction with researchers from Denmark and Spain Project web page 2009 Popular Mechanics Interview with Meredith Nettles VOLCANISM OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Drilling the Juan de Fuca Ridge JULY 5-SEPT 4, 2010 Deep under the Pacific Ocean off Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, the Juan de Fuca and North American plates are slowly spreading apart, forming new ocean crust A volcanic mountain chain, the Juan de Fuca ridge, runs along this plate boundary for hundreds of miles, spewing super-heated water from vents that feed an exotic array of creatures Aboard the drill ship JOIDES Resolution, run by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, a large multi-disciplinary cast of scientists will investigate the plumbing of this volcanic system by drilling holes through the seafloor to study fluid circulation and the organisms that thrive in such extreme environments, Lamont scientist Stefan Mrozewski of the Lamont Borehole group will supervise the lowering of instruments into the freshly-cored drill holes to learn more about the rocks and sediment Cruise website FIRE AND SONGBIRDS, ALASKAN TUNDRA Bioacoustics/Plant Surveys JULY 19-26, 2010 Biologist Natalie Boelman has two projects in the Atigun Valley on the North Slope of Alaska relating to climate change: setting up a network of automated microphones that will record abundance of songbirds via their calls; and mapping the ecological effects of tundra wildfire As climate warms, shrubs are taking over areas previously covered by low-lying plants, and this may affect the success of migratory birds that breed here Boelman’s “bioacoustic network,” with microphones spread over 80 kilometers, will help get a handle on bird abundances over a 5-year period Microphones were first set out this May; on the coming trip, she will collect the first round of data Invasions of woody shrubs and climate-related drying of the tundra are also thought to increase fire hazard; in 2007, an extremely rare blaze that hit over 1,000 square kilometers, and Boelman is helping study this This involves collating satellite imagery with surveys on the ground to determine the ecological effects, and whether fire has turned the survey area into a net source or sink of carbon Q&A with Boelman CLIMATE CHANGE IN ALASKA’S BOREAL FOREST Tree Ring Sampling/Weather Studies JULY 2010 Northeastern Alaska is one of the fastest-warming places on the globe—about degree per decade, which could literally double the growing season and its forests appear to be already undergoing potentially drastic changes This includes disease and insect attacks on trees in southern reaches, and possible advance of the tree line in the north Tree-ring scientists Kevin Anchukaitis and Laia Andreu will travel the Alaska oil pipeline’s Haul Road north from Fairbanks to collect tree rings from the dominant white spruces, exploring the interior boreal forest, along the treeline, and just beyond Combined with weather data, satellite observations and rings collected by others, this should allow them to assess how trees are responding to recent warming-induced season changes; distinguish between manmade warming and natural warm events of the past; and how changes in tree growth might influence the arctic and global environments in the future Data is expected to span 1,000 years or more This is the first year of a multiyear study; in 2011, the team will fly into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Anchukaitis’s home page AMAZONIA BURNING Study of Wildfire, Changing Land Use and Climate AUGUST-SEPT 2010 Traditional small farmers in the Peruvian Amazon have used fire to clear land for centuries; but in recent years, escaped fires have become a major problem, destroying homes and farms over tens of thousands of hectares This has occurred as non-Amazon migrants flood the region, more people move to cities, and humid forests are cleared for large-scale plantations of biofuels This study combines intensive onthe-ground investigation with satellite data to understand the factors driving fires In the study area, in the region of Ucayali, at the foot of the Andes, researchers have been interviewing rural residents about their use of fire; in the next stage, during the August-September “burning season,” they will travel from fire to fire, seeking to understand why some stay under control, and why others escape They will also choose plots for long-term study Other members of the team are studying how changing climate, which could lead to drier conditions, might affect the problem Based at the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, team members include Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez; Ruth deFries; Katia Fernandez; Walter Baethgen; and Victor GuitierrezVelez This is the start of a multiyear project Fires in Western Amazon website ULTRA-DEEP ROCKS AND EARTHQUAKES, PAPUA NEW GUINEA Collection of Seismic Data AUGUST/SEPTEMBER, 2010, FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010, AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011 Southeastern Papua New Guinea contains some of the most unusual geology in the world, discovered recently: metamorphic rocks formed 100 kilometers or more below the surface, then brought intact to the surface, apparently as the earth rapidly rifts Rich in gold and other minerals, these rocks are geologically young (about million years) and seem to still be rapidly emerging The activity is bringing volcanism and small earthquakes, and the threat of much larger events In an effort to understand the deep-earth processes at work, and the practical risk, this spring seismologists set out 31 temporary seismometers under the sea, along the coasts, and on islands, designed to register small quakes in great detail The patterns they form should allow the scientists to “see” into the earth, and image active faults and boundaries between rock units The team will return periodically for about weeks each time to download data and maintenance, in August/September 2010; February/March 2011 (when the ocean-bottom instruments will be retrieved); and August/September 2011 (when the land instruments will be retrieved) Most travel will be by boat; several days of helicopter time will also be involved Scientists will also spend time in the capital, Port Moresby, giving talks and otherwise providing access to project data Chief scientist: Geoff Abers Also participating: Jim Gaherty, Roger Buck, Terry Plank, and colleagues from the University of Papua New Guinea and the national geological survey Project web page Project fact sheet WILL THE SOUTHWEST GET DRIER? Studies in Utah Caves SEPT/OCT 2010 or MARCH/APRIL 2011 During cooler times, western Utah was covered by a lake the size of present-day Lake Michigan—now mostly reduced to the arid Bonneville salt flats, where the water used to be What made this region dry up—and will warming climate make the American Southwest even drier, as climate models predict? To find out what has driven past lake levels, and what might happen as the world warms, researchers will sample deposits left on the walls of caves that long ago were flooded by the waters of Lake Bonneville, which can be precisely dated to show the ups and downs of water Researchers will also analyze fragments of stalagmites, which record past rainfall patterns precisely A half-dozen caves will be visited, including Lehman Cave in Great Basin National Park, and some lesser-known ones further north Originator of the project is leading climate scientist Wallace Broecker Field work will be carried out by David McGee, leading University of Arizona paleoclimatologist Jay Quade As some of the caves contain sties of ancient habitation, the state of Utah archeology office also will be involved Project web page CLIMATE CHANGE IN AUSTRALIAN FORESTS Studies of Tree Metabolism, Growth OCTOBER 2010 Trees and plants may influence, and be influenced by, climate in complex ways; they interact with temperature, moisture, CO2 level, nutrient availability and other factors Plant physiologist Kevin Griffin is trying to unravel various species’ potential response to changing climate Following summer work on the Alaskan tundra (see above), during the first week of October, he and colleagues travel to Australia to investigate growth patterns of mountain ash, a huge eucalyptus that rivals California’s redwoods Their primary tool will be sampling and analysis of isotopes During the third week of October, the team will go to northern Australia to study a tropical forest site, using techniques similar to those being used in Alaska The rest of the year, Griffin studies New York’s Hudson Valley and Catskill mountains, where it appears ecosystems may already be changing Griffin talks: Is Climate Changing Our Forests and Plants? LIFE UNDER THE SOUTH PACIFIC GYRE Deep Sea Drilling, Mid-Pacific Ocean OCT 6-DEC 7, 2010 Earth’s biggest system of ocean currents swirls below the equator, between South America and Australia Far removed from the continents, the South Pacific Gyre receives relatively few nutrients to sustain life, making the water exceptionally clear The region is relatively unexplored; this expedition aboard the JOIDES Resolution, run by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, will focus on seafloor drilling to understand the biota that are able to survive in the sediments What they eat, and how deep can they live? Scientists will also study the crust in this region, to learn more about the period when Earth had no magnetic pole reversals, called the Cretaceous Superchron, from about 120 million to 83 million years ago Lamont scientist Helen Evans of the Lamont Borehole group will supervise the lowering of instruments into the freshly-cored drill holes to learn more about the rocks and sediment Cruise website: http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/south_pacific_gyre_microbio.html METALS IN THE OCEANS Sampling Cruise, Portugal to Massachusetts OCT 15-DEC 5, 2010 Iron, zinc, cobalt and other trace metals found in the ocean are crucial for sustaining life there, and probably for regulating climate, yet very little is known about where they come from, and how they disperse into sediments and the food chain In GEOTRACES, a 10-year project, scientists from some 30 countries are sailing the world collecting water samples to map the elements’ global distribution This will aid in understanding how much carbon dioxide the ocean can absorb, and provide clues about how climate and ocean currents have varied in the past In this current leg, two Lamont scientists, Martin Fleisher and Eugene Gorman, will travel Lisbon to Woods Hole, and four Lamont scientists will work with the data collected Bill Smethie is studying how quickly newly formed deep water in the North Atlantic mixes with the rest of the ocean; Tim Kenna will study the distribution and movements of radionuclides from weapons testing and nuclear power processing; Steve Goldstein will study isotopes of neodymium and their uses in tracing past ocean circulation; and Bob Anderson is studying products of decayed uranium and other elements as a way of reconstructing past ocean currents, and understanding the role of ocean circulation in Earth’s past bouts of warming and cooling GEOTRACES website Nature article on the project BANGLADESH FLOODS AND QUAKES Drilling the Brahmaputra Delta NOV 2010 or MARCH 2011 The Himalayas, whose rivers drain through low-lying Bangladesh, are undergoing continuous tectonic uplift, presenting risk of earthquakes, as well as sending floods and vast loads of sediment to the delta region where hundreds of millions live With Bangladeshi colleagues, Lamont scientists will drill a series of wells along the Brahmaputra River to study layers of sediment going back some 60,000 years These are expected to record past floods, sediment buildup, rises and falls in sea level, and earthquakes, and how these events may relate to one another Among other things, instruments previously deployed by the team show that during rainy season, flooding is so intense, and sediments so weak, the land surface is depressed as much as centimeters, and this could in turn affect earthquake risk Lamont seismologists Leonardo Seeber, Michael Steckler and Won-Young Kim have worked here for a decade, supplying instruments and expertise to Dhaka University By doing this assessment and related ones, the scientists hope to help the nation design more resilient infrastructure Dhaka University seismology pages EVOLUTION OF ANTARCTIC ICE Study of Rocks, Transantarctic Mountains DEC 2010-JAN 2011 With so much water locked up in frozen Antarctica, changes in the continent’s ice cover have major implications for sea levels; but it is unclear how the ice sheet has responded to natural cycles of warming and cooling that might shed light on how manmade warming might affect it To find out, a team of scientists including Lamont glacial geologist Mike Kaplan will spend six weeks in the harsh Transantarctic Mountains, collecting exposed glacial debris and chiseling rocks from outcrops poking through the ice Back in the lab at Lamont, scientists plan to analyze isotopes within the rocks generated by cosmogenic rays, to pinpoint glacial advances and recessions over the last 2.5 million years; this work will be led by geochemist Gisela Winckler The mountains divide low-lying West Antarctica from the higher eastern part of the continent, providing a unique vantage point to measure the ebb and flow of ice on the continent as a whole Lamont Cosmogenic Dating Group web pages THE ASIAN MONSOON AND CLIMATE CHANGE Tree Ring Sampling: Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Other Nations ONGOING Scientists in many disciplines are studying whether climate change could alter the cycles that drive the Asian monsoon, the seasonal rains that feed half the world’s population Because past cycles may be keys to the future, scientists at Lamont’s tree-ring lab are running a long-term project to unravel the workings of the monsoon via core samples of yearly growth rings from ancient trees They have tracked down specimens at scores of remote sites, from China and Japan to Indonesia and India They have also founded new tree-ring labs in several countries in cooperation with colleagues there, and have just started the Greater Mekong Basin project, a five-year initiative to study the human effects of changing climate in Southeast Asia Members of the tree-ring lab have recently published a series of papers indicating that past cessations in monsoon rains have contributed to the falls of civilizations Some upcoming field work: July 11-Sept 1, 2010 Brendan Buckley (based part-time in Chiangmai, Thailand) travels to Angkor Thom, Cambodia, once populated by the ancient Khmer civilization, to collect wood samples, assist archeologists with a dig and possibly study tree succession patterns in the small forest grown up around the abandoned city Buckley will also travel to the Bidoup Nui Ba National Park, in the south-central highlands of Vietnam, where he has previously collected cores from 1,000-year-old cypresses, to install instruments to record aspects of current tree growth for a more accurate sense of climate’s influence October 2010- January 2011 Buckley and colleagues make a major sampling trip to northern Vietnam’s Nge Anh province Possibly also a helicopter-assisted trip to the remote Cardamom mountains in southern Cambodia, to search for old conifers November-December 2010 Rosanne D’Arrigo and Kevin Anchukaitis will make a rare foray to take samples in northern Myanmar, normally closed to outsiders, and possibly into China This area is being heavily logged, and ancient trees are disappearing fast (some samples may be taken from stumps) January 2011 Kevin Anchukaitis and climate modeler Ben Cook head to the highlands of Laos to search for ancient cypresses in an effort to understand how climate in the last 1,000 years has shaped civilizations across Southeast Asia Jan 9-22, 2011 Scientific conference and field trips in and around Siem Reap, Cambodia the first compilation of social and physical science research tied to the Greater Mekong Basin project Researchers will present the results from tree rings, sediments, historical archives and archaeology, and unveil their social modeling results Members of the Mekong River Commission will be there, with representatives from all six border countries More details to come in June Tree Ring Lab web pages Audio slideshow on the work The Asian drought atlas Study on the fall of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat 100 MILLION YEARS OF CRISES ON EARTH Deep Coring of the Colorado Plateau SEPT/OCT 2010 The four corners area of the American West is a paradise for geologists and paleontologists, with its spectacular layered rock formations, mesas, canyons (including the Grand Canyon), and some of the world’s richest fossil beds However, many rock layers necessary for understanding pivotal events in earth’s history are inaccessible on sheer cliffs or deeply buried, and many past studies have been scattershot To finally get a comprehensive record, Lamont geologist Paul Olsen and colleagues are leading the Colorado Plateau Coring Project , to drill cores as much as 1.5 kilometers deep from a halfdozen sites The continuous geologic record they provide will enable scientists to assemble the big picture of the time 250 million to 145 million years ago, representing key crises in earth’s history: the ascent of dinosaurs, the origins of modern ecosystems, and several sudden, catastrophic extinctions of much life on earth Among other things, the cores should help scientists grasp the links between climate changes, extinctions and major evolutionary events Related field investigations will include work by experts from a wide variety of disciplines and other institutions Initial coring is planned for Petrified Forest National Park, Az., as early as fall 2010 At the same time, Olsen and others will extensive exploration by vehicle and on foot in the desert northeast of Petrified Forest to scope out the next drill site In all, five sites will be cored over about a five-year period Project website GUATEMALA: CLIMATE STUDIES USING TREE RINGS Tree-coring expedition NOVEMBER 2010 Similar to work being done in southeast Asia and elsewhere, researchers will look for conifer species in the Guatemala highlands whose annual rings may be used to measure rainfall of the past Research at Lamont has already shown that cyclical droughts hit North America as they in Asia, and it is believed that these cycles on both sides of the Pacific are connected to changes in sea-surface temperatures in the ocean Any data will be added to Lamont’s existing Drought Atlas of North America, which collates tree ring chronologies from Canada, the United States and Mexico Central America is a frontier in this work, and no such climate reconstructions have yet been made from Guatemala Researchers: Kevin Anchukaitis, Matthew Taylor of the University of Denver, and Edwin Castellanos, Universidad del Valle (Guatemala City) The research will include active outreach and participatory education in Maya communities Drought Atlas of North America OMAN: LOCKING CO2 INTO ROCK Geologic Fieldwork, Test Boring JANUARY 2011 Scientists are investigating certain kinds of rocks for their potential to artificially absorb large amounts of manmade CO2 The desert nation of Oman hosts an unusual concentration of one promising candidate: peridotite, a rock that forms deep in the earth, and which reacts rapidly with CO2 Geochemists Peter Kelemen and Juerg Matter have explored the desert, mapping peridotite exposed at the surface and just below They have shown that it reacts with CO2 in groundwater naturally on a faster scale than previously believed, forming veins and sheets of solid minerals seen at springs, road cuts, and in irrigation tunnels where the researchers have ventured In cooperation with Petroleum Development of Oman, they will next bore wells to test a proposed process that would mix CO2 with hot, pressurized water that would be pumped down, thus theoretically speeding the natural process a million times over Earth Institute article on the project Living on Earth podcast with Juerg Matter EVOLUTION OF THE GALAPAGOS MANTLE PLUME Geologic fieldwork, Costa Rica, Panama TBD 2010/2011 Like the deep “hotspot” that formed the Hawaiian islands, Yellowstone, and other well-known volcanic areas, the Galapagos Islands are made of lava erupting from a moveable region of upwelling magma from the mantle, in the deep earth Over millions of years, this hotspot has migrated westward—it is now under the Galapagos but other products of eruptions from millions of years ago are found in central and South America, where it has played a key role not only building parts of the continent, but in global biological evolution and climate Land formed by the plume made the first bridge between South and North America during the time of the dinosaurs, bringing about major changes in their evolution It once again joined the continents some 15 million years ago, deeply influencing the course of mammal evolution The land bridge has also changed global climate, by halting the equatorial circulation of water between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans Esteban Gazel, a petrologist, studies the plume, and among other things, has found that the plume is cooling—possibly part of a long-term life-and-death cycle of such phenomena He will continue doing geologic fieldwork—examining rock outcrops, taking samples and making other geologic studies—in parts of Costa Rica, Panama and Curacao formed by the plume Gazel paper in Nature AFRICA RIFTING Geology/ Seismology Fieldwork, Afar region, Ethiopia TBD 2010/2011 In 2005, a long section of the remote desert Afar region of Ethiopia began splitting open with a series of dramatic fissure openings, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions Scientists have been observing intensely ever since It is one of only two places on earth (the other is Iceland) where a mid-ocean ridge emerges on land, and this is the first time scientists can observe such an episode with modern instruments including GPS and satellites By directly watching processes normally hidden in the deep sea, they hope to unlock secrets of how earth’s crust forms This landscape is rugged and dominated by armed nomadic clans and smugglers—but scientists hope to install seismometers and other specialized instruments, designed to be buried These are currently being built at Lamont Team members also hope to inspect newly visible fault traces and active volcanic spots Trip will probably involve strenuous foot travel Lamont scientists, working with Ethiopian, American, British and French, colleagues, include Scott Nooner and Roger Buck Project page (University of Leeds) ALASKA EARTHQUAKE HAZARD Seismic Imaging a Major Undersea Fault JULY or AUGUST 2011 Alaska’s “Good Friday” earthquake in 1964 shook the ground for nearly five minutes, toppling buildings and triggering landslides and tsunamis that killed 128 people at a magnitude 9.2, the second-largest quake ever recorded Such earthquakes originate from a subduction zone stretching from Alaska to Russia, part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire In this project, seismologists will sail off the Alaska Peninsula aboard the seismic research ship Marcus G Langseth The ship sends sound signals, whose echoes form images of faults and other structures below the seafloor They will concentrate on an area that last ruptured in 1938—now believed to be well along in the cycle of building up enough strain to cause another large event Lamont seismologists John Diebold, Donna Shillington and Spahr Webb will try to estimate the size of the fault and characterize its features The cruise will last several weeks Project web page HAITI REGENERATION INITIATIVE Agriculture, Water, Natural Hazards, Climate Studies ONGOING Well before the great 2010 earthquake, Haiti suffered severe environmental degradation due to deforestation, soil erosion, corruption and general poverty The Haiti Regeneration Initiative, a collaboration of the UN Environment Program, Earth Institute, other universities and nongovernmental organizations, was started before the quake to address these problems in a holistic way The Earth Institute is focusing on the Port-au-Piment watershed, southwest of Port-au-Prince Here, researchers are mapping soils and hydrologic characteristics across the watershed, and preparing to help communities organize themselves to restore degraded land and water systems Possible projects include flood-control structures, replanting of trees, and optimization of cropping systems, all aimed to improve the environment and local economy The effort is led by political scientist Marc Levy of the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) Other Earth Institute centers involved include the Tropical Agriculture and Rural Environment Program; Center for Research on Environmental Decisions; and the Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity Separately, a multiinstitutional task force of scientists led by seismologist Art Lerner-Lam of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is working to improve understanding of the continuing earthquake hazard Earth Institute Haiti blog CIESIN Haiti website Haiti Regeneration Initiative website NEW YORK CITY/HUDSON VALLEY AREA HUDSON RIVER POLLUTION SOURCES Water/Sediment Sampling by Boat MAY-OCTOBER 2010 In cooperation with the environmental group Riverkeeper, Lamont geochemists are mapping the sources and fates of pollution by sampling up and down the river from a small vessel The boat ranges from above Albany into New York harbor This year, the project expands from sampling surface water to deep water and sediments, to look for hidden pathogens The team will target tributaries with particular contamination problems, including Sparkill Creek, near Piermont, one of the river’s prime sources of sewage Other scientists are doing continuous sampling of water chemistry off the pier at Piermont, NY One early finding is that rainstorms often create plumes of dangerous sewage, as aging treatment plants overflow Planned sampling dates: May 21-22; June 15-18; July 21-22; Aug 17-20; Sept 11-12; Oct 1215 Investigators: Andrew Juhl, Greg O’Mullan, Raymond Sambrotto Article on the project Riverkeeper project pages ‘GREEN’ ROOFS IN NEW YORK CITY Planting/Studying Vegetated Roofs JUNE-AUGUST 2010 New York City has about 40 square miles of rooftops Covering their dark, impervious surfaces with plants may help cool the city in summer, insulate in winter, improve air quality and reduce runoff into sewers This summer Earth Institute ecologist Matt Palmer will lead a city parks project to plant 10 recreation center rooftops with native grasses designed to mimic native meadow habitat on Long Island and the Hudson River highlands This project grows out of similar work he has done on the roof of the Fieldston School in the Bronx Meanwhile, Earth Institute scientists Stuart Gaffin, Patricia Culligan and Wade McGillis will continue making measurements on a half-dozen existing experimental rooftops around the city, including the one at Fieldston and another atop a Con Edison building in Queens In another study, student Melanie Smith will collect insects from the green roof on the US Postal Service’s 9th Avenue sorting facility, the city’s largest, at 2.5 acres, to assess the effects on biodiversity that plantings may provide Earth Institute article on green roofs HEALTH OF THE HUDSON ESTUARY Research With Schoolteachers, Students JULY 12-AUG 20, 2010 Lamont scientist Bob Newton oversees a program designed to improve science education in New York City schools by bringing teachers and students into the field to work alongside Lamont-Doherty scientists This summer they will continue a long-term study of the Piermont Marsh ecosystem, about 10 miles north of Manhattan, by surveying fish and measuring the spread of an invasive marsh grass They will also assess water quality by measuring salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate They will measure the soil’s carbon content and how much sediment has accumulated, and assess whether the elevation of the marsh is changing The research will lead not only to new knowledge, but is designed to give teachers the tools to impart the fun and creativity of science to their students Piermont Marsh Research Project web page NEW YORK’S EVOLVING URBAN FORESTS AND GREEN SPACES Satellite, Ground Surveys AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010 Lamont scientist Chris Small, who specializes in mapping human relationships with the natural landscape, has two long-term New York City projects First, as part of a new National Science Foundation program to start long-term ecological studies in cities, he is part of a team investigating changes in the city’s forests and other green spaces—whether they are growing or declining, and the resulting impacts on the ecology, and parameters like temperatures, in the city Work will include visits to parks and neighborhoods to ground-truth satellite imagery, and work with a team led by Gareth Russell of the New Jersey Institute of Technology investigating the ecological aspects In collaboration with Columbia sociologist Dana Fisher, the team will also study how community dynamics have affected re-greening initiatives In a separate study, Small is mapping New York’s “pervious surfaces”—anything that has not been paved over—to help understand the flow of rainwater to the sewers, and how pervious surfaces may mitigate pressure on the system Currently he is studying the evolution of the city’s wetlands in cooperation with the Dept of Environmental Protection, and will ground-truth new satellite data NSF Urban Long Term Research Area page CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUDSON VALLEY FORESTS Studies of Tree Growth and Ecology ONGOING Plant physiologist Kevin Griffin is trying to unravel various species’ response to changing CO2 levels, temperature and availability of soil nutrients He and colleagues have been studying responses of tree in the Black Rock Forest, about 50 miles north of New York City The Hudson Valley region is a good place to study climate, since it hosts many trees and plants growing at both the northern and southern extremes of their ranges Regional temperatures have been steadily rising over the last century, and historical data suggest that forest compositions may already be changing, with northern trees such as paper birch moving out, as southern ones such as mulberry move in Also, carbon uptake is slowing down in some trees that are used to colder weather In the worst-case scenario, it is projected that by 2100, climate here could resemble that of the Carolinas, and the biota would be undergoing rapid changes The work involves measurements of plant physiology, tending of forest plots, and experiments in Lamont’s greenhouse See Griffin speak on his projects NEW YORK AREA EARTHQUAKES Seismic Installations and Monitoring ONGOING The Lamont Cooperative Seismographic Network is composed of dozens of strategically placed instruments monitoring earthquakes in the northeastern United States, in conjunction with the U.S Geological Survey There is a surprising number of small events; and a recent long-term compilation of readings suggests that the risk to the New York City area is more substantial than previously thought Most recently, a series of small tremors has shaken an area southwest of Albany, N.Y.; this now is under active investigation, via an array of temporary instruments set out to detect tiny local tremors, which in turn allows seismologists to image unseen faults The seismology team travels frequently to service instruments, collect data and occasionally to install new ones Current plans call for new permanent stations in Thacher State Park near Albany, and in the memorial arch at Washington Square Park in Manhattan Head of the network is Won-Young Kim Lamont Cooperative Seismographic Network web pages Study on New York City earthquake risk Articles in the New York Times and Albany Times- Union on the Albany tremors MORE RESEARCH: DETAILS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE Test injection of CO2 from a power plant into a deep well in basalt, to see if natural chemical reactions will turn the CO2 into a solid mineral, and lock it away Outside Reykjavik, Iceland, with geochemist Juerg Matter and/or Martin Stute Possibly July or August 2010 Adapting hydropower and farming to a drying climate in Sri Lanka Work with government water and electricity authorities Lareef Zubair, International Research Institute for Climate and Society, 2011 Planning for sea-level rise and bringing renewable energy including solar and tidal to a small island nation Consulting in the Maldives, Lareef Zubair, International Research Institute for Climate and Society, 2011 Mapping of disappearing sea ice north of Deadhorse, Alaska, by ship, with various Lamont staff in cooperation with Danish Technical University Spring 2011 Tree-ring sampling near the northern treeline to determine responses to climate change By charter flight to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska With tree-ring scientists Rosanne D’Arrigo and Kevin Anchukaitis, other July 2011 Boat, foot and instrument survey of Lake Cheko, in a remote Siberian site, and surrounding areas in search of possible meteorite fragments from 1909 Tunguska extraterrestrial impact Geologist Enrico Bonatti, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, in cooperation with Italian colleagues July 2011 Long-term projects with farmers, regional government and others to study and conserve water resources in India, Brazil and Mali: Ongoing, Columbia Water Center *** The Earth Institute, Columbia University mobilizes the sciences, education and public policy to achieve a sustainable earth Through interdisciplinary research among more than 500 scientists in diverse fields, the Institute is adding to the knowledge necessary for addressing the challenges of the 21st century and beyond With over two dozen associated degree curricula and a vibrant fellowship program, the Earth Institute is educating new leaders to become professionals and scholars in the growing field of sustainable development We work alongside governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals to devise innovative strategies to protect the future of our planet www.earth.columbia.edu ... highlands of Laos to search for ancient cypresses in an effort to understand how climate in the last 1,000 years has shaped civilizations across Southeast Asia Jan 9-22, 2011 Scientific conference... planned for Petrified Forest National Park, Az., as early as fall 2010 At the same time, Olsen and others will extensive exploration by vehicle and on foot in the desert northeast of Petrified Forest... to improve the environment and local economy The effort is led by political scientist Marc Levy of the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) Other Earth Institute