CoEnv Currents

Crystals can help predict volcanic eruptions – LA Times

Jen Davison — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:15:52 +0000

Scientists dissecting the remains of the disastrous 1980 explosion of Mt. St. Helens in Washington state say that crystal formations trapped in volcanic rocks hold important clues about when a magma-loaded mountain is about to blow — a discovery that could help volcanologists make more accurate predictions about future eruptions. ESS‘ Olivier Bachmann is quoted.

Continue reading Crystals can help predict volcanic eruptions – LA Times

NOAA releases new ocean floor viewer – EarthSky

Jen Davison — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:12:19 +0000

On April 16, 2012 NOAA released an online ocean floor viewer that allows anyone with internet access the ability to explore undersea features, including deep ocean canyons, sea mounts and coastal shelves. Check it out!

Newly discovered sense organ helps whales coordinate their giant mouthfuls – Discover Magazine

Jen Davison — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:28:52 +0000

It’s surprising that some of the largest mammals in the world would possess an organ of which humans are not aware. Well, now we are! Check out this neat blog post about how whales can handle those mouthfuls of water, and what new organ has been discovered that scientists think might help whales know when

Continue reading Newly discovered sense organ helps whales coordinate their giant mouthfuls – Discover Magazine

New video featuring UW grad students talking “Dimensions of Ocean Change”

jjmeyer — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:53:00 +0000

Check out this video and poster where UW graduate students explore the theme of ocean change from a multidisciplinary perspective, fulfilling one of the key goals of University of Washington’s IGERT Program on Ocean Change (IPOC). By helping students examine changes in the ocean from an interdisciplinary perspective, IPOC enables them to handle the complex

Continue reading New video featuring UW grad students talking “Dimensions of Ocean Change”

Blue Ribbon Panel warns of ocean acidification – KPLU

Jen Davison — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:43:48 +0000

Ocean acidification is affecting our state’s oyster industry, and has been for seven years. That’s why Governor Gregoire put together a Blue Ribbon Panel for Ocean Acidification, which met on Wednesday to discuss the nature and implications of ocean acidification in Washington. Many of our CoEnv scientists sit on the panel. Read more here.

Continue reading Blue Ribbon Panel warns of ocean acidification – KPLU

Cozy blanket turns slash piles into biochar – Discovery News

Jen Davison — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:35:31 +0000

Anyone who has spent time on Forest Service land is familiar with slash piles, big dunes of plant scraps gathered up as a side-effect of logging. Scientists at UW, including SEFS PhD canidate Jenny Knoth, have invented a blanket to wrap around slash piles, that serves as CO2 absorber, fertilizer and kiln. Read more here!

Continue reading Cozy blanket turns slash piles into biochar – Discovery News

ESS graduate student to discuss science behind SIFF film ‘Chasing Ice’ – UW News

Jen Davison — Wed, 23 May 2012 22:58:22 +0000

Earth and Space Sciences‘ Kristin Poinar, a graduate student studying glaciology, will join director Jeff Orlowski following two screenings of the movie “Chasing Ice” to talk about the science behind melting glaciers. Check out the film, and check out Kristin’s work too! Read more here.

Continue reading ESS graduate student to discuss science behind SIFF film ‘Chasing Ice’ – UW News

How algae and acidification relate, across Puget Sound – EarthFix/KUOW

Jen Davison — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:32:39 +0000

The increasing flow of nitrates from human and animal waste into Puget Sound are a boon to algae. And as the algae bloom, they set up the Sound for acidification beyond what global climate change is driving. Read more here.

Scientist shares expertise of Puget Sound pollution – HeraldNet

Jen Davison — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:28:44 +0000

One Mukilteo resident has been sharing his decades of marine science and policy expertise by volunteering with the Snohomish County Marine Resources Advisory Committee. His day job is an environmental compliance analyst, but in his free time UW alum Lincoln Loehr has helped analyze reams of data from mussels collected along the shoreline, contributing key

Continue reading Scientist shares expertise of Puget Sound pollution – HeraldNet

New studies show Navy activities in Puget Sound may be more harmful than thought – Kitsap Sun

Jen Davison — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:26:53 +0000

A new analysis by the Navy suggests that ongoing training and testing activities could cause greater harm to marine mammals than previously estimated. Read more here.

Inaugural Conservation Remix aims to foster creative environmental thinking – UW News

Jen Davison — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:56:21 +0000

Conservation Remix, a daylong event June 2, offers an eclectic mix of topics for discussion – from designing superefficient buildings that generate their own energy to controlling invasive species by eating them. Read more about the event, which is co-sponsored by CoEnv and happens on June 2, here.

Sea lions inexplicably get upstream of Columbia’s Bonneville Dam – Columbia Basin Bulletin

Jen Davison — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:20:30 +0000

California sea lions love fish. And now, at least three, and maybe four, of the big marine mammals this year have managed to find their way above Bonneville Dam, the lowermost hydro project on the Columbia River (146 river miles from the Pacific). The animals are believed to have passed upstream through the dam’s navigation

Continue reading Sea lions inexplicably get upstream of Columbia’s Bonneville Dam – Columbia Basin Bulletin

Scientists learn about human nature from studying birdsongs – Phys.org

Jen Davison — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:15:50 +0000

The development and seasonal cycles of birds’ singing has a lot to teach us about the human brain. Check out this article about how they are related, and what’s being done at UW to understand these relationships.

Bacteria in the S Atlantic and Holocene climate in the SE Pacific – This week’s CoEnv published research

Jen Davison — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:52:46 +0000

Each week we share the latest publications coming from the College of the Environment. This week, four new articles co-authored by members of the College of the Environment were added to the Web of Science or published online.

1. Title: Basin-scale patterns in the abundance of SAR11 subclades, marine Actinobacteria (OM1), members of the Roseobacter

Continue reading Bacteria in the S Atlantic and Holocene climate in the SE Pacific – This week’s CoEnv published research

Science on display this weekend at FHL – San Juan Journal

Jen Davison — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:29:45 +0000

As this article puts it, it’s not every community that has a world-class research facility in its back yard — and, it’s not every day that you get to explore such a facility! Check out Friday Harbor Labs’ labs, vessels, and grounds on Saturday May 19th when the whole area will be open to the

Continue reading Science on display this weekend at FHL – San Juan Journal

Can wild salmon survive hatched salmon? – NYT

Jen Davison — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:32:53 +0000

Salmon hatcheries are an important part of the effort to gain sustainability in salmon populations. But just how much harm are hatched salmon doing to their wild cousins? This NYT Green blog post explores.

Cherry crops decimated by unusually warm winter, frequent frosts – Bakersfield.com

Jen Davison — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:13:04 +0000

The warmer than normal winter in California meant a longer flowering time for cherry trees. These flowers were then repeatedly damaged by frost, and the consequence to the cherry crops are just beginning. UW climate research is mentioned. Read more here.

Fly over the Elwha! … virtually – Peninsula Daily News

Jen Davison — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:05:23 +0000

Check out this super cool video of the lower Elwha River, as detected by LIDAR! Then, read more about the project here.

Climate change and weather: fundamentally related but fund-amentally segregated – Washington Post

Jen Davison — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:59:41 +0000

Some say that “climate is what we expect, weather is what we get”. But is the funding for climate hurting our ability to forecast weather? This Washington Post blog post is centered on this discussion, and cites ATMOS‘s Cliff Mass‘ blog heavily. Read more here.

Conservation Remix!

Jen Davison — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:07:21 +0000

Tickets are on sale now for an extraordinary environmental forum—one that will change the way you see green.

Presented by University of Washington’s College of the Environment, College of Arts and Sciences, and Conservation Magazine, Conservation Remix is a one-day event packed with revolutionary ideas for a greener future. You’ll hear from engineers, architects, entrepreneurs,

Continue reading Conservation Remix!