Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods… just what kind of planet do we live on, anyway? October Science Picks look at living safely on a restless planet, celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with a water education site now available in Spanish, examine the science behind baseball bats in preparation for the World Series, and provide a host of other timely tips on earth and natural science research and investigations at USGS. Where available, photos and web links are provided to enhance your story. If you are not receiving Science Picks and would like to, would like to change the recipient, or no longer want to receive them, please visit the website at http://www.usgs.gov/public/list_server.html to update your subscription information.

LEADS
Mount St. Helens Wakes Up: Mount St. Helens, the most active volcano in the continental United States, is on alert for a strong eruption–currently at level 2, or aviation color code orange. Over the past two weeks, the volcano has awakened from a long slumber, spewing several spectacular bursts of steam and ash. As of 6:15 p.m. PDT on Oct. 7, seismicity has increased slightly from the low levels of Oct. 6. After the vigorous steam-and-ash emission of Tuesday morning, seismicity dropped with individual events becoming smaller. Information from scientific monitoring suggests that the ongoing intense earthquake activity has weakened the dome, increasing the likelihood of explosions from the lava dome, which could occur suddenly and without further warning. Explosions would be expected to produce ash clouds that rise several thousand feet above the crater rim and drift downwind. To view pictures of Mount St. Helens, go to http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Images/MSH04/; for updates on the volcanic activity, go to http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Cascades/CurrentActivity/current_updates.html. To arrange an interview, call the command center at 360-891-5180.

Shaking Up Central California: The magnitude 6.0 earthquake that ruptured the San Andreas fault in central California on Sept. 28 was probably the best documented earthquake in history. More than 100 USGS researchers and research partners have been working in the Parkfield area since the mid-1980s. Their efforts have led to a dense network of instruments that captured the anticipated earthquake and revealed the earthquake process in unprecedented detail. Scientists from the USGS and elsewhere are analyzing pre-earthquake data to look for possible signals of the eruption, which might in future be used to predict earthquakes, and searching for evidence of surface faulting and other earthquake effects in the field. Just to the north of the rupture, the National Science Foundation's EarthScope Program, in partnership with the USGS, is drilling a scientific borehole that will ultimately cross the San Andreas fault at depth with the hope of catching an earthquake as it begins deep underground. For more, see http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/nc51147892.htm and http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/physics/sanandreas/ or contact Susan Garcia at 650-329-4668 or garcia@usgs.gov.

Just in Time for Halloween…Skeletons from the Sea? The dawn of the Cambrian, more than half a billion years ago, was a time of unprecedented change on Earth. In the geological eyeblink (that lasted 30 million years or so), a major surge of calcium entered the global oceans from the spreading seafloor below, and an explosion of life followed. It included a diversity of species, creatures that were larger than anything before, and some of the first complex skeletons. Were these events related? The three-fold increase in available calcium in the oceans may explain the geologically sudden proliferation of fossils 4 billion years into the Earth’s history. For more, contact Sean Brennan at 703-648-6434 or sbrennan@usgs.gov.

How Do You Say… “Water Science For Schools” in Spanish? Go to http://water.usgs.gov/gotita/ and find out! The popular USGS Web site, “Water Science for Schools” (http://water.usgs.gov/droplet/), has been translated into Spanish by the USGS and Environmental Protection Agency. (And yes, “droplet” translated into Spanish is “gotita.”) The sites offer a wealth of information about water basics, including photos, quizzes, maps, and more. The new Spanish-version of the site is just in time to recognize National Hispanic Heritage month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15. Another feature on the Water Science for Schools site is a link to a new Web site all about the water cycle. It is the most comprehensive site about the water cycle, with a diagram available in 36 languages, including Spanish! For more, contact Heather Friesen at 703-648-4469 or hfriesen@usgs.gov.

FEEDS
Batting Some Scandium Around: Did you ever wonder about what materials are used to make all those metal bats used by college, high school, and youth baseball players? The first patent for a metal bat was issued in the 1920s, but such bats did not become common until 50 years later. Aluminum bats, developed in the 1980s, were stronger and more resilient than wooden bats. Scandium-aluminum bats were developed to improve upon the qualities of the aluminum bats. The United States is one of the world's largest producers and consumers of aluminum metal but is dependent on foreign sources for bauxite, the ore from which aluminum metal is derived. Learn more about minerals and sports including baseball at http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/general_interest/, or contact Gloria Ruggiero at 703-648-7790 or gruggier@usgs.gov.

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What’s So Bad About Volcanoes, Anyway? Volcanoes make great-looking postcards, but they produce a wide variety of hazards that can kill people and destroy property. Large explosive eruptions can endanger people and property hundreds of miles away and even affect global climate. Volcanic ash -- small, hard, sharp fragments of cooled magma -- can be carried hundreds of miles downwind, putting aircraft in danger of engine failure. During the past 15 years, about 80 commercial jets have been damaged by inadvertently flying into ash clouds, and several have nearly crashed because of engine failure. Some volcano hazards, such as landslides, can occur even when a volcano is not erupting. For more about volcanic hazards, visit http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/fact-sheet/fs002-97/; Spanish version at http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/fact-sheet/fs144-00/; for more about volcanic ash, see http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/fact-sheet/fs027-00/.

STORY SEEDS
Visit a Volcano--from a Safe Distance: News of St. Helens, Spurr, and Mauna Loa whetting your appetite? The United States has more than 50 active volcanoes, and some are pretty darn active lately. Check out images and background information on dozens of volcanoes at the USGS Web site http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VisitVolcano/framework.html. Note that family picnics on Mount St. Helens are not recommended at this time….

Standing Guard Over LA: USGS scientists and colleagues at the Southern California Earthquake Center are using Global Positioning System technology to track minute changes in the Earth’s surface around Los Angeles and assess the risk of future earthquakes. The PKRD station (see it at http://www.scec.org/scign/images/PKRD.jpg; USGS photo by John Galetzka), part of the Southern California Integrated GPS Network, watches over the city day and night. USGS is working with NSF and NASA to use GPS technology for monitoring earthquake hazards in urban areas like Los Angeles and along the San Andreas Fault System. For more, visit http://www.scign.org/ [project information and graphics] and http://earthbulletin.amnh.org/A/1/3/ [video], or contact Nancy King at 626-583-7815 or nking@usgs.gov.