[DIALOGnews] DIALOG and DISCCRS News 9/24/04

Susan Weiler weilercs at whitman.edu
Fri Sep 24 16:38:54 CDT 2004


DIALOG and Disccrs News
9/24/04

US FEDERAL JOBS--USEFUL WEBSITES
HURRICANES
GLACIERS
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND ADVANCE (women) research/faculty position
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Assistant Professor position
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Resources

US FEDERAL JOBS--USEFUL WEBSITES
The following information is courtesy of John Wickham at NOAA:
      There is a Federal-wide system run by OPM 
called "USAJOBS", 
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/. NOAA jobs are 
listed on this site at 
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/a9noaa.asp There 
are a lot of positions outside the US as well as 
inside--you can search by location as well as key 
words and other variables. The Department of 
Commerce has a site called  "Commerce 
Opportunities On-Line or COOL" (soon to be 
replace by a new system called "QuickHire") 
http://www.jobs.doc.gov/.

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Science News
Check out this section both for news tidbits, and for
examples of how to communicate science to a non-scientist audience

FEELING HURRICANE FATIGUE? IT COULD BE ONLY THE 
BEGINNING, STORM FORECASTERS SAY
from Associated Press courtesy of Sigma Xi Science in the News
      Ivan, Frances and Charley delivered three staggering blows to the Gulf
Coast and Florida, as well as Caribbean island nations, all in just five
weeks.
      Now here comes Jeanne, which could be 
lashing north Florida and Georgia by Monday.
      Homeowners ritualistically re-hammering the 
same plywood over their windows figure it can't 
get much worse, right?
      Brace yourselves: Scientists say 65 million Americans living on the Gulf
and Atlantic coasts should expect weather like this for another 30 years.
Maybe more.
http://snipurl.com/94vy

SCIENTISTS: GLOBAL WARMING NOT LIKELY CAUSE FOR SURGE IN HURRICANES
from The Baltimore Sun (Registration Required) 
courtesy of Sigma Xi Science in the News
      As hurricane after hurricane strikes the 
U.S. Southeast, many people wonder whether the 
rash of storms is the result of global warming.
      The answer from scientists: Probably not.
      Although many experts think global warming 
could increase the number or the intensity of 
hurricanes 50 years from now, they say this 
year's storms were caused by natural changes in 
the ocean and atmosphere. These include a 
multi-decade cycle of warm water moving through 
the Atlantic Ocean, and the unusual mildness of 
the hurricane-suppressing patch of warm water in 
the
Pacific called El Niño.
http://snipurl.com/991g

GLACIERS SURGE WHEN ICE SHELF BREAKS UP
NASA PRESS RELEASE 04-302
      Since 2002, when the Larsen B ice shelf broke away from
the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, scientists have
witnessed profound increases in the flow of nearby glaciers
into the Weddell Sea. These observations were made possible
through NASA, Canadian and European satellite data.
      Two NASA-funded reports, appearing in the Geophysical
Research Letters journal, used different techniques to arrive
at similar results. Researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Md., and the National Snow
and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Boulder, Colo., said the
findings prove ice shelves act as "brakes" on the glaciers
that flow into them. The results also suggest climate warming
can rapidly lead to rises in sea level.
      Large ice shelves in the Antarctic Peninsula disintegrated in
1995 and 2002, as a result of climate warming. Almost
immediately after the 2002 Larsen B ice shelf collapse,
researchers observed nearby glaciers flowing up to eight
times faster than prior to the breakup. The speed-up also
caused glacier elevations to drop, lowering them by as much
as 38 meters (124 feet) in six months.
      "Glaciers in the Antarctic Peninsula accelerated in response
to the removal of the Larsen B ice shelf," said Eric Rignot,
a JPL researcher and lead author of one of the studies.
"These two papers clearly illustrate, for the first time, the
relationship between ice shelf collapses caused by climate
warming, and accelerated glacier flow," Rignot added.
     Rignot's study used data from European Space Agency Remote
Sensing Satellites (ERS) and Canadian Space Agency RADARSAT
satellite. The United States and Canada share a joint
agreement on RADARSAT, which NASA launched.
      "If anyone was waiting to find out whether Antarctica would
respond quickly to climate warming, I think the answer is
yes," said Ted Scambos, an NSIDC glaciologist and lead author
of the second study. "We've seen 150 miles of coastline
change drastically in just 15 years," he added. He used data
from ICESat, a NASA laser altimetry mission launched in 2003,
and Landsat 7, jointly run by NASA and the U. S. Geological
Survey.
      According to Rignot's study, the Hektoria, Green and Evans
glaciers flowed eight times faster in 2003 than in 2000. They
slowed moderately in late 2003. The Jorum and Crane glaciers
accelerated two-fold in early 2003 and three-fold by the end
of 2003. Adjacent glaciers, where the shelves remained
intact, showed no significant changes according to both
studies. The studies provide clear evidence ice shelves
restrain glaciers, and indicate present climate is more
closely linked to sea level rise than once thought, Scambos
added.
      For information and images of this research on the Internet,
visit:

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2004/0913larsen.html

STUDY: ANTARCTIC GLACIERS MELTING FASTER
from Reuters
http://snipurl.com/9b2b

HIGHEST ICEFIELDS WILL NOT LAST 100 YEARS, STUDY FINDS
from The Guardian (UK)

The world's highest ice fields are melting so quickly that they are on
course to disappear within 100 years, driving up sea levels, increasing
floods and turning verdant mountain slopes into deserts, Chinese scientists
warned yesterday.

After the most detailed study ever undertaken of China's glaciers, which
are said to account for 15% of the planet's ice, researchers from the
Academy of Science said that urgent measures were needed to prepare for the
impact of climate change at high altitude.

Their study, the Glacier Inventory, was approved for publication last week
after a quarter of a century of exploration in China and Tibet. It will
heighten alarm at global warming.
http://snipurl.com/9b26


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Jobs for PhDs


NSF ADVANCE FACULTY POSITION AT UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
I hope that you will post the job ad below to the 
DIALOG/DISCCRS group.  This is part of a larger 
NSF program at URI designed to increase the 
number of women faculty members in science and 
engineering.   It is not a typical ad so I 
encourage anyone interested to call for more 
information.
David C. Smith, PhD
Associate Professor
Graduate School of Oceanography
University of Rhode Island
Narragansett, RI 02882
dcsmith at gso.uri.edu
      Research Fellow, Oceanography
The Graduate School of Oceanography 
(http://www.gso.uri.edu/research_fellow) at the 
University of Rhode Island seeks applications for 
a Research Fellow in Oceanography.  The position 
is funded through an NSF ADVANCE Faculty Program 
for Women grant designed to enhance the careers 
of women in science and engineering.  This 
appointment will begin on or after January 1, 
2005.  The goal of the ADVANCE program is for the 
Research Fellow position to lead directly to a 
tenure-track faculty position with 8 months state 
support at the Assistant or Associate Professor 
level.  Time spent as a Research Fellow (1 to 3 
years) will count toward tenure, at the 
candidate's discretion.  During this time there 
are no formal teaching or service requirements, 
allowing the candidate to develop a strong 
research program. A doctoral degree in one of the 
following is required:  biological, chemical, or 
physical oceanography, marine geology and 
geophysics, or a related field; effective 
communication skills; demonstrated ability to 
develop an externally-funded research program. 
Visit our website at 
http://www.uri.edu/human_resources for additional 
information. Review of applications will begin on 
October 25 and continue until the position is 
filled.  Submit resume, cover letter, 
transcripts, names and telephone numbers of three 
references, and a statement of teaching and 
research interests to:  Edward Durbin, Search 
Chair, (Req # 010864), UNIVERSITY OF RHODE 
ISLAND, P.O. Box G, Kingston, RI  02881.  URI is 
an AA/EEO employer and values diversity.


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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Assistant Professor position
The Department of Biology at Texas A&M University 
(TAMU) is seeking applications for a faculty 
position at the ASSISTANT PROFESSOR level. The 
successful candidate will be expected to develop 
and maintain a vigorous externally funded 
research program focusing on microbial 
biodiversity in the deep sea environment. This 
position is part of a university effort to foster 
interdisciplinary research by linking the 
strengths of the Department of Biology 
(http://www.bio.tamu.edu) with the strategic 
research themes of the Integrated Ocean Drilling 
Program (http://www.iodp-usio.org). We are 
interested in a Ph.D. scientist who will interact 
with faculty colleagues in Biology and 
Geosciences (http://geosciences.tamu.edu) and who 
will contribute to the teaching of undergraduate 
and graduate students. We encourage applications 
from candidates who will increase the exposure of 
our students to a diverse culture.
>We offer a highly interactive research 
>environment, a strong modern infrastructure, and 
>a competitive startup package. Applicants should 
>send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, 
>statement of research and teaching interests, 
>and three letters of recommendation to:
>Biology Faculty Search Committee
>Department of Biology
>Texas A&M University
>3258 TAMU
>College Station, TX  77843-3258


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This newsletter has been developed by C. Susan 
Weiler for the purpose of distributing 
information of potential interest to recent PhDs 
engaged in interdisciplinary aquatic science or 
climate change research, and to build an 
international sense of community among recent 
grads. It provides an international forum for the 
exchange of information and opinions regarding 
research, professional and social issues.
The views and opinions expressed are strictly 
those of C.S. Weiler or of the individual who has 
submitted a particular item for distribution. The 
opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect 
those of the funding agencies or sponsoring 
societies. Dr. Weiler serves as producer and 
editor and reserves the right to edit or reject 
material submitted to the list.
Please submit announcements of interest to recent 
PhDs to phd at whitman.edu or weiler at whitman.edu.
For ease of transmission, please do not send 
attachments. Send a short message in the body of 
an e-mail message, and link to any appropriate 
websites.




-- 
C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.          
Biology Department                  Tel:   509-527-5948          
Whitman College                       Fax:  509-527-5961
Walla Walla, WA 99362
weiler at whitman.edu    
   Programs for Recent PhDs             http://aslo.org/phd.html
   Minorities in the Aquatic Sciences  http://www.aslo.org/mas.html
   DIALOG poster  http://www.aslo.org/phd/dialogposter.pdf
   DISCCRS poster       http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf
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