Summer’s almost over, and kids are heading back to school… but hurricane season is still in full swing. September Science Picks take a look at Charley’s impact on Florida’s environment, update you on a restless volcano, and offer some tips for getting answers to science homework, along with 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 email kgohn@usgs.gov.

LEADS

Hurricane Charley Attacks North Captiva Island. Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm, came ashore on the southwest coast of Florida on August 13 and carved a 450-m breach in North Captiva Island. On August 15, scientists at the USGS photographed the new breach through North Captiva Island where the eye wall came ashore. Will Captiva Island be forever cut in two? With time, USGS oceanographer Abby Sallenger says, the island will likely heal itself. High-resolution before and after photos are available at http://stpfiles.er.usgs.gov/Hurricane_Charley_Images/and the USGS Extreme Storms Web site http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/charley/. For more, contact Asbury (Abby) H. Sallenger, Jr., at 727-803-8747 x3015 or asallenger@usgs.gov.

Hurricane Charley Opens The Door To Invaders. According to USGS botanist Colette Jacono, the high winds of Hurricane Charley caused massive plant disturbances, uprooting trees and toppling mature forests far inland. The result? Bare soil and open, sun-filled glades that offer a “welcome mat” for invasive plants. In the swath of disaster from Charlotte Harbor to Orlando left by Hurricane Charley, homeowners need to keep a vigilant eye on three culprits: the Australian-pine (Casuarina), Brazilian pepper (Schinus), and white bottle brush tree (Melaleuca). Jacono warns there is only a short period of time to pull seedling plants before they become too firmly settled. In addition, aquatic invaders like the floating fern Salvinia, submersed plants including hydrilla and Indian hygrophila, and streamside emergents like wild taro, Colocasia, will soon return with a vengeance. Maps, photos and additional information about aquatic plant invaders can be found at http://nas.er.usgs.gov/plants and http://salvinia.er.usgs.gov. For more, contact Colette Jacono at 352-264-3484 or Colette_Jacono@usgs.gov.

Hurricane Charley May Hurt Manatees. USGS scientists are assessing the impact of Hurricane Charley on the endangered Florida manatee. The hurricane came ashore with sustained wind speeds of 145 mph at Charlotte Harbor, a summer site for a large number of manatees. Past USGS manatee research after strong hurricanes and winter storms indicates that such storms affect adult survival rates. For additional information, please visit the USGS Manatee Sirenia Project Web sites at http://cars.er.usgs.gov/Manatees/manatees.html and http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2003/05/pubs.html. For more, contact Catherine A. Langtimm at 508-867-8346 or Cathy_Langtimm@usgs.gov.

The Ocean Is Their Classroom. Cavorting, splashing, rolling, diving, crunching and chomping their food – those charismatic furry sea otters delight children and adults alike with their form and behavior. Even scientists who study them find sea otters fascinating creatures. California’s threatened sea otters are the focus of collaborative ongoing studies by USGS scientists and their colleagues. Why aren’t California’s sea otters recovering more quickly? Why are they dying? This story is the subject of a new informative USGS video that can be viewed online on demand. Tune in to how scientists study sea otters and watch the natural antics of these small sea mammals by visiting http://online.wr.usgs.gov/outreach/index.html, and clicking on the appropriate video button for your computer. Be ready to learn many things about how sea otters live and die, as told by a dedicated group of researchers. For more, contact Gloria Maender at 520-670-5596 or gloria_maender@usgs.gov.

Spurr’s Face Is A Pit! Mount Spurr, an ice- and snow-covered volcano about 125 km (80 miles) west of Anchorage, has grown restless in recent months, and hundreds of small earthquakes have occurred deep beneath its summit. A circular melt pit in the summit ice cap has opened, suggesting the presence of volcanic heat. The increased seismicity, heat, and volcanic gas emissions most likely indicate that new magma has risen into Mount Spurr. But not all magmatic intrusions lead to eruptions. At Mount Spurr, scientists will race the onset of winter to add instrumentation over the next several weeks to increase their monitoring capabilities. The only two historical eruptions of Mount Spurr, in 1953 and 1992, were from Crater Peak vent on the south flank of the volcano. These eruptions were relatively small but violent. In 1992, volcanic ash blanketed south-central Alaska and forced the closure of Anchorage International Airport for 20 hours. The effects were felt well beyond Alaska as the ash cloud drifted across the continental United States and Canada, shutting down airports in the Northeast and Midwest two days after the eruption. The north Pacific air routes connecting Alaska to the Far East carry more than 10,000 people per day over one of the most active volcanic areas in the world. Alaska has over 100 volcanoes, and over 40 of these have been active in historic time. For updates and images see http://www.avo.alaska.edu/avo4/atlas/volc/spurr/spurr2004/index.html. For more, contact Carolyn Bell at 703-648-4463 or cbell@usgs.gov.

FEEDS

Explore The Old West With New Maps. Big yellow buses and scooters? No way! Go back to the days when horses, stagecoaches and two feet were responsible for towing kids to school, via a new series of USGS maps. Limited Anniversary Edition of the Historic Trail Maps of Eastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico, published by USGS scientist emeritus Glenn Scott, features the historic trails that served as the primary pathways for pioneers to open the Western United States. The old-school cartography of these 11 maps tells an incredible tale of westward migration and development of the United States and is rich in the historic marks left on the land by Native Americans, trappers, prospectors, early road builders, and settlers from 1820 to 1900. Ghost towns and other historical factoids are also included in the unique layout and presentation. Copies will be available for sale toward the end of September. For more, contact Heidi Koontz at 303-202-4763 or hkoontz@usgs.gov.

Earth Science Week: October 10 - 16, 2004, marks this year's observation of Earth Science Week, when the American Geological Institute -- the week's sponsor -- its member societies, and other organizations including the USGS focus on the Earth, its resources, its processes, and its hazards. The theme for Earth Science Week 2004 is "Living on a Restless Earth." USGS is proud to be a major sponsor and material contributor to this event and is pleased to assist in the enhancement of national earth science literacy through the activities of Earth Science Week. Share your knowledge and enthusiasm about studying our dynamic Earth with others; get involved in Earth Science Week 2004. Keep your eye on http://www.usgs.gov to see where USGS will have events in your area. For more, contact Bob Ridky at 703-648-4713 or rridky@usgs.gov.

Common Ravens Go To School On Survival Tactics. What does it take to flourish in a desert, where food and water are in short supply? In the West Mojave Desert, common ravens have an answer--get a “free lunch” from us humans. A generalist diet allows ravens to take advantage of a smorgasbord of foods that are associated with different human developments, such as landfills, ponds, and roads, according to USGS researchers and colleagues investigating diet composition, nesting success, and juvenile survival. They found the highest raven fledging success to be associated with the evidence of trash in raven pellets--such as telltale paper, styrofoam, foil, upchucked indigestible items that ravens consumed with food. Additionally, juveniles of ravens nesting close to human subsidies and earlier in the season had higher survival rates both before and after departure from nests than those farther away. Nearness to these human-provided resources may reduce the effort of foraging and may allow adult ravens to increase both their food delivery rates to their nestlings and their vigilance against predators of their young. Ravens are both opportunistic foragers and predators. Their dramatic increases in numbers in the Mojave Desert over the past 30 years have become a concern to resource managers, because raven prey includes the threatened desert tortoise. For more, contact William I. Boarman at 858-637-6880, william_boarman@usgs.gov.

STORY SEEDS

Did You Know … that tsunamis and tidal waves are not the same thing? They are two different, unrelated phenomena. A tidal wave is a large sea wave produced by high winds, and a tsunami is a sea wave caused by an underwater earthquake or landslide (usually triggered by an earthquake) displacing the ocean water. See http://earthquake.usgs.gov/4kids/facts.html for more fun earthquake facts. For more, contact Carolyn Bell at 703-648-4463 or cbell@usgs.gov.

How Much Water Does It Take To Grow A Hamburger? Students can find out the answer to that question and many more at the USGS Water Science for Schools Web site http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/. The site offers information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, and maps. At the interactive center, students can test their water knowledge by figuring out how many bathtubs can be filled from a rainstorm, approximating how much water goes into a hamburger, and many other questions. Students can also find out about daily water use and where their drinking water comes from. For more, contact Heather Friesen at 703-648-4469 or hfriesen@usgs.gov.

Did You Know … there are more than 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world every year? 100,000 can be felt, and 100 of them cause damage. If you felt the earth move, you can help provide information about the extent of shaking and damage from earthquakes in the United States. Check out "Did you feel it?" at http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ and find out how your information helps the USGS and your community be more prepared for future earthquakes. Get ready the next time you feel the Earth move under your feet. Visit http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ for real-time information about earthquakes. For more, contact Carolyn Bell at 703-648-4463 or cbell@usgs.gov.

Is It Raining On Your Parade? Check Out The Streams Near You! Green for normal, blue for wet, and an ominous red for drought-parched streams -- you can see what's happening in real time with the rivers and streams around your neighborhood and around the Nation. Log on to the USGS Water Watch site at http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch, click on your state and then on the nearest stream, and get information that is only hours old. This information tells citizens and emergency managers when floodwaters threaten homes and critical community infrastructure. For more, contact Carolyn Bell at 703-648-4463 or cbell@usgs.gov.