[DIALOGnews] DIALOG and DISCCRS News 06/09/2006
Susan Bennett
bennetsk at whitman.edu
Fri Jun 9 14:42:04 CDT 2006
DIALOG and DISCCRS News
06/09/2006
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESOURCES
NSIDC Images Viewable Using Google Earth
(see below)
SCIENCE NEWS
Earth's ozone layer appears to be on the road to recovery, but the
reasons why aren't fully understood. NASA Science News for May 26, 2006
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/26may_ozone.htm?list14093
Global warming has forced animals to evolve already
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article753745.ece
Beaver Dams Create Healthy Downstream Ecosystems
(see below)
Deserts "Need Better Management"
(see below)
German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)
(see below)
Lloyd's tells members climate change could destroy insurers (The
Guardian)
(see below)
Rocks May Hold Key to Oldest Life
(see below)
Same Species Responds Differently To Same Warming, Depending On Location
(see below)
Wet or dry? Sahel's uncertain future
(see below)
The ocean floor - can they dig it?
(see below)
SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS, OPPORTUNITIES
Acknowledge an Outstanding Junior Scientist in the Atmospheric
Sciences With a Nomination for the James R. Holton Award
(see below)
Transantarctic Mountains Workshop:
New Opportunities For Multi-Disciplinary Research
(see below)
JOBS
Online Listing of Paleoscience Jobs - Past Global Changes (PAGES)
All of the paleoscience jobs announced through the ArcticInfo,
CRYOLIST, PALEOCLIMATE, and PALEOLIM listservers can now be found on
the Past Global Changes (PAGES) website: http://www.pages-igbp.org/
services/jobs/index.html
Climate Program Specialist
(see below)
Program Officer, Americas Program, U.S.National Science Foundation
(see below)
Ice Sheet Modelling - Danish Climate Centre
(see below)
Program Officer, Conservation and Science Program - The David and
Lucile Packard Foundation (Apparently quite interested in candidates
with a social science or economics background - see below)
Two fellowships: Dept of Meteorology and Climatologyat Univ of Lodz
(Poland)
(see below)
Post-Doc, Theoretical Modelling of Social-Ecological Systems: Case
System Recreational Fisheries, The Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater
Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) of the Forschungsverbund Berlin
(see below)
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Resources
NSIDC Images Viewable Using Google Earth
NSIDC has made a select set of images viewable through the
popular interactive desktop application, Google Earth. Currently,
Google Earth users can view images showing permafrost, snow, sea ice
extent, and photographs of glaciers. Distribution of permafrost,
snow, and ice are displayed as overlays on the Google Earth base map.
Snow and ice information are updated daily.
For more information, please visit NSIDC's Google Earth Web page
at http://nsidc.org/data/google_earth/.
As virtual globes, such as Google Earth, are becoming
increasingly important, NSIDC is supporting the First Annual Virtual
Globes Scientific Users Conference, in Boulder, CO, July 10-12. See
http://www.earthslot.org/vgconference/index.php for more information
and to register.
If you have any questions about the images in Google Earth or any
of our data products, please contact us at nsidc at nsidc.org
***************************************************
Science News
Beaver Dams Create Healthy Downstream Ecosystems
AGU Release No. 06-19
WASHINGTON -- Beavers, long known for their beneficial effects on
the environment near their dams, are also critical to maintaining
healthy ecosystems downstream. Researchers have found that ponds
created by beaver dams raised downstream groundwater levels in the
Colorado River valley, keeping soil water levels high and providing
moisture to plants in the otherwise dry valley bottom. The results
will be published 8 June in Water Resources Research, a journal of
the American Geophysical Union.
Cherie Westbrook of Colorado State University and colleagues
there and at the U.S. Geological Survey in Fort Collins, Colorado,
conducted a three-year study in Rocky Mountain National Park,
examining valley ecosystems downstream in the Colorado River. They
noted that water diverted by beaver dams is forced out of the natural
stream channel and spreads across and down the valley for hundreds of
meters [yards]. In addition, dams built on the river changed the
direction of groundwater flow in the valley. The changes caused water
to infiltrate the river banks and flow underground toward the sides
of the valley, instead of down the center of the valley.
The researchers suggest that the elevated moisture levels found
in soil surrounding the dams would otherwise require water from a
very large natural flood, which they estimate as the 200-year flood,
to achieve the same expansive water availability to the valley
bottom. Additionally, beaver dams built away from natural river
channels further redirect water across the valley, enhancing the
depth, extent, and duration of inundation associated with smaller
floods; they also elevate the water table to sustain plant and animal
life during the dry summer season.
"This study broadens the view of the importance of beaver in the
valley bottoms beyond the upstream ponds," Westbrook said. "We found
that upstream ponds were not the main hydrologic effect of the dams
in the Colorado River valley. Instead, the beaver dams greatly
enhanced hydrologic processes during the peak flow and low flow
periods, suggesting that beaver can create and maintain environments
suitable for the formation and persistence of wetlands."
The study comes as the beaver population in Rocky Mountain
National Park is dwindling. Approximately 30 of the animals currently
live there, down from a high of nearly 600 estimated in 1940. The
authors caution that additional reductions in the population could
harm the current hydrologic balance in the river valley and affect
the area's water cycle and soil conditions, potentially changing
plant species and influencing the overall diversity of the ecosystem
in the future. They suggest that although there are multiple
explanations for the reduction in beaver population, such as
alterations in the flow along the Colorado River, similar hydrologic
effects downstream likely affect river systems worldwide.
The research was funded by grants from the U.S. Geological Survey
and Rocky Mountain National Park.
Notes for Journalists
Journalists (only) may obtain a pdf copy of this paper upon
request to Jonathan Lifland: jlifland at agu.org. Please provide your
name, name of publication, phone, and email address. The paper and
this press release are not under embargo.
Title: "Beaver dams and overbank floods influence groundwater-
surface water interactions of a Rocky Mountain riparian area"
Authors: Cherie J. Westbrook, David J. Cooper: Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA;
Bruce W. Baker: U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Citation: Westbrook, C.J., D.J. Cooper, B.W. Baker (2006), Beaver
dams and overbank floods influence groundwater-surface water
interactions of a Rocky Mountain riparian area, Water Resour. Res.,
42, [TBD], doi:10.1029/2005WR004560.
Contact information for author: Cherie Westbrook (now at the
University of Saskatchewan): cherie.westbrook at usask.ca or +1 (306)
966-1818
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Deserts "Need Better Management"
from BBC News Online
Climate change, high water demand and even tourism are putting
unprecedented pressures on the world's desert ecosystems, according
to a report.
The Global Deserts Outlook, produced by the UN's Environment
Programme, is described as the first comprehensive look at the
Earth's driest regions.
It highlights the problems - and also the potential - in arid areas.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5041988.stm
or
http://tinyurl.com/gztkr
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German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)
2006 Special Report: CARBON DIOXIDE POSES DOUBLE RISK TO OCEANS
AND COASTS
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Latest research findings show that failure to check mankind¹s
emissions of carbon dioxide will have severe consequences for the
world¹s oceans. The marine environment is doubly affected: continuing
warming and ongoing acidification both pose threats. In combination
with over-fishing, these two threats are further jeopardizing already
weakened fish stocks. Sea-level rise is exposing coastal regions to
mounting flood and hurricane risks. To keep the adverse effects on
human society and ecosystems within manageable limits, it will be
essential to adopt new coastal protection approaches, designate
marine protected areas and agree on ways to deal with refugees from
endangered coastal areas. All such measures, however, can only
succeed if global warming and ocean acidification are combated
vigorously. Ambitious climate protection is therefore a key
precondition to successful marine conservation and coastal protection.
Berlin, 31 May 2006. Today, the German Advisory Council on Global
Change (WBGU) submits to Parliamentary State Secretaries Michael
Müller (Environment) and Thomas Rachel (Research) its new special
report ³The Future Oceans: Warming Up, Rising High, Turning Sour².
In its report, WBGU shows that climate change is having severe
impacts on the state of the oceans. Human activities are unleashing
processes of change in the oceans that are without precedent in the
past several million years. Three processes are critical: ocean
warming, ocean acidification and sea-level rise. All three are a
direct outcome of the atmospheric enrichment of pollution with
greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. To minimize the risk to
the oceans and marine life it will thus be crucial to stem the
increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide in time. WBGU stresses the
need for a rapid response: because of the major time lags, human
action now will determine the state of the oceans for many centuries
to come.
Ocean acidification is advancing
The carbon dioxide released by human activities not only alters
the atmospheric radiation balance and thus drives climate change.
Carbon dioxide also dissolves directly in seawater. This causes rapid
acidification of the oceans, which is already measurable today. If no
action is taken, acidification could already reach a level within
this century that will be greater than has probably occurred at any
time for many millions of years. Furthermore, this process will be
irreversible for a very long period of time. Acidification presents
particular threats to calcifying marine organisms, such as corals,
that have a key function in marine food webs and global
biogeochemical cycles.
Oceans are warming, sea ice is melting
Warming seawater is threatening numerous marine ecosystems and
fish stocks. This development poses incalculable risks, especially to
human food security: about 15 per cent of the animal protein consumed
worldwide derives from fish. One of the most visible consequences of
warming is the retreat of Arctic sea ice. Over the past 30 years,
summertime ice cover has declined by about 20 per cent. Without
action to mitigate climate change, the Arctic Ocean is projected to
be practically ice-free in summer by the end of the 21st century.
This would have far-reaching consequences for climate worldwide.
The destructive force of cyclones is mounting
Observations and modelling results indicate that while climate
warming does not increase the total number of tropical cyclones, it
gives them greater destructive force. Tropical sea-surface
temperatures have warmed by only half a degree Celsius, while an
increase in the energy of hurricanes by 70% has been observed.
Sea-level rise is accelerating
Due to the melting of inland glaciers and continental ice sheets,
in combination with the expansion of seawater that is a direct result
of warming, sea levels are rising. The average global rate of rise
throughout the 20th century was 1.5 2 centimetres per decade.
Satellite measurements show that sea levels have risen by 3
centimetres in the past decade alone. Should the sea rise by more
than 1 metre from the pre-industrial level, WBGU fears that the
adaptive capacity of coastal societies will be overstretched.
WBGU recommends: Limit acidification and temperature rise
Adaptation measures can only succeed if sea-level rise, ocean
warming and ocean acidification are limited to tolerable levels. The
only way to do this is through aggressive climate protection
policies. WBGU has already recommended previously that the rise in
global mean temperature be limited to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius
above the pre-industrial level. Ocean conservation is a further
reason for imposing this limit. Furthermore, in order to restrain
acidification it is essential to reduce not only emissions of the
overall basket of greenhouse gases, but also to ensure that carbon
dioxide emissions in particular are sufficiently abated. It follows
in WBGU¹s view that global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions
will need to be approximately halved by 2050 from 1990 levels.
WBGU recommends: Strengthen the resilience of marine ecosystems
To strengthen the resilience of marine ecosystems to elevated
seawater temperatures and acidification, it is essential to manage
marine resources sustainably. In particular, over-fishing must be
stopped. In addition, WBGU recommends designating at least 20 30 per
cent of the global marine area as conservation zones. The
international community has already adopted goals in this regard, for
instance at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg. These must now be implemented, and the regulatory gap
for the high seas closed by adopting an appropriate international
agreement.
WBGU recommends: Develop new strategies for coastal protection
About every fifth person lives within 30 kilometres of the sea.
Many of these people are put at immediate risk by sea-level rise and
hurricanes. Coastal protection is thus becoming a key challenge for
society, not least in financial terms. National and international
strategies for mitigation and adaptation need to be further developed
and harmonized. This includes plans for a managed retreat from
endangered areas. In developing countries, financing needs to be
secured by means of both existing and innovative financing
instruments such as micro-insurance.
WBGU recommends: Give legal certainty to refugees from sea-level
rise
At present, international law neither establishes a commitment to
receive people who are forced to leave coastal areas or islands
because of climate change, nor is the cost question resolved. Over
the long term, a quota system is conceivable, under which states
would have to adopt responsibility for refugees in line with their
greenhouse gas emissions. This will require formal international
agreements and the establishment of dedicated funds for international
compensation payments.
WBGU recommends: Use carbon dioxide storage only as a
transitional solution
To mitigate emissions, carbon dioxide can be captured in energy-
generating facilities and then stored in geological formations on
land or under the sea floor. Direct injection into the deep sea is a
further option under debate, but this lacks permanence and harbours a
risk of ecological damage in the deep sea. WBGU therefore recommends
prohibiting the injection of carbon dioxide into seawater in general.
In contrast, storing carbon dioxide in geological formations under
the sea floor can present a transitional solution for climate
protection, complementing more sustainable approaches such as
enhancing energy efficiency and expanding renewable energies. Permits
should only be granted, however, if such storage is environmentally
sound and is secure for at least 10,000 years.
PLEASE NOTE: THE FULL ENGLISH TRANSLATION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN
AUGUST 2006.
Please direct your queries to the Secretariat of the German
Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), Tel. +49 30 263948 12.
The full German version can be downloaded under http://www.wbgu.de/
********************
Lloyd's tells members climate change could destroy insurers (The
Guardian)
Lloyd's of London, the oldest insurance market in the world,
yesterday urged its members to start taking global warming more
seriously, by increasing prices to avoid being "swept away" in a sea
of future financial claims. Premiums will have to rise and some
risks might even be classed as uninsurable due to greenhouse gases
and rising sea levels, warned Lloyd's in a report entitled Climate
Change, Adapt or Bust. ...In the short term the insurance industry
would have to invest more time and money in academic research as well
as convert scientific predictions into practical guidance for the
sector.
Lloyd's noted that high sea temperatures are a key ingredient in
wind storms, and that over the past century overall sea water
temperature had risen by between 0.2C and 0.6C. Increased hurricanes,
such as Katrina, which devastated New Orleans last year, should not
have been a surprise since academics had warned in 2001 of this kind
of weather pattern. "Recent temperatures are probably outside the
range of past oscillations and seem to suggest we will be caught in
an upward cycle for some time to come," Lloyd's predicted.
The market also noted the speculation about the polar ice cap
melting and warned that a four-metre rise in water levels worldwide
would inundate almost every coastal city. Rising sea levels should
encourage insurers to consider how much business they wanted to have
connected to vulnerable coastal areas. They might consider
withdrawing or restricting cover in flood-prone "hotspots", it
suggested.
The unstable climate could have an impact on global asset values,
reducing their value to insurers which have traditionally relied on
investment returns to boost profits, it warned. "Consequently it will
become even more important for insurers to price risk according to
exposure, and to underwrite for profit, without reliance on
investment income."
It was time for insurers to stop treating climate change as a
peripheral field of work and to put it at the centre of their
operations. "Understanding and responding to it must become 'business
as usual' for insurers and those they work with."
Full story: http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1791065,00.html
http://tinyurl.com/q9qxy
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Rocks May Hold Key to Oldest Life
from the Chicago Tribune
As microbes go, they're renegades, perfectly at home in the
world's hottest, coldest, saltiest or most sulfuric waters. They hang
out near hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor or in the hot springs
at Yellowstone, and happily colonize our digestive tracts and those
of cows, termites and marine organisms.
This microscopic branch of life--called archaea--likely has been
thriving for more than 3.4 billion years, according to new research
from a team of Australian scientists. Writing in the journal Nature,
they argue that miles of oddly shaped mounds of layered sedimentary
rock found in Western Australia are not geologic features but the
very earliest fossil evidence of life on Earth.
The rocks, they say, are remnants of thriving microbial
communities that dominated the world in the days when the young
planet roiled with boiling oceans and the atmosphere was rich in
ammonia and methane and probably sizzling hot. Those conditions,
while toxic to plants and animals, can nurture archaeans.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/
chi-0606080140jun08,1,933559.story
or
http://tinyurl.com/jckwb
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Same Species Responds Differently To Same Warming, Depending On Location
Pre-cooked mussels?
A "robomussel," actually an intertidal temperature data logger,
can mimic the thermal characteristics of an individual mussel and
record temperature data at 10-minute intervals for up to seven months.
Based on current trends for both air and water temperatures, by
2100 the body temperatures of California mussels -- found along
thousands of miles of coast in the northeast Pacific Ocean and not
just in California –- could increase between about 2 degrees F and
6.5 F depending on where they live.
For areas where mussels already are living close to the edge,
chances are that increases of 6.5 F will kill them, researchers say.
Unlike humans, the body temperature of marine animals such as
mussels is regulated by the temperature of the air and water around
them –- and it's not the simple 1-degree warmer and 1-degree rise in
body temperature that has been assumed, says Sarah Gilman, a
University of Washington postdoctoral researcher and lead author of a
paper appearing online June 5 through June 9 in the Early Edition of
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For the first time, Gilman and her co-authors show that even if
the weather warms the air and water the same amounts in one area as
another, the actual effect on mussel body temperatures can vary
because of local climate. For example, in Washington, air temperature
appears to be more important in driving mussel temperature while in
southern California, water temperature is the more important factor.
"This is an important consideration for conservation biologists
trying to understand how a species might handle global warming and to
those proposing reserves in marine environments," Gilman says.
"Protected areas will need to be in places where marine animals can
live in the face of climate change."
In work funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, data loggers –-
tiny computers with thermometers -– have been used to collect
information in mussel beds. The data loggers, nicknamed
"robomussels," record the temperatures being experienced by the
surrounding mussels every 10 minutes for months at a time.
A new computer model described in the paper relates the collected
data to meterological information researched by Gilman. Using the
model and applying a moderate air temperature warming of 2.25 F
across the California mussels' range resulted in mussel body
temperature increases ranging from just under 2 F to just over 2 F
depending on the habitat. Modeling a more extreme air warming of 7.5
F by 2100 across the mussels' geographic range resulted in body
temperature increases ranging from about 4 F to 6.5 F. "We have only
contributed 'step one,' the tie between climate and body
temperature," says co-author Brian Helmuth, associate professor of
biological sciences at the University of South Carolina. "With our
model we can predict temperatures based on satellites and computer
models of climate change. The next step is to work with physiologists
to see just what body temperatures California mussels can handle.
"Unfortunately, from what we can tell so far, California mussels
are likely already pretty close to the edge, at least at some places
along the West Coast. Our study suggests that climate change may
start to kill marine animals in some unanticipated places. However,
we can use modern technologies such as remote sensing to forecast
some of these impacts."
Intertidal habitats, places uncovered at low tide and flooded
with water at high tide, have long served as models for investigating
the effects of climate on species distribution and monitoring the
consequences of climate change for natural ecosystems, write Gilman,
Helmuth and another co-author David Wethey, professor of biological
sciences at South Carolina. In the course of some low tides,
intertidal organisms such as California mussels –- or Mytilus
californianus -– may already experience temperatures near the
maximum they can tolerate, so they are thought to be a good organism
to watch for responses to climate change.
"The bottom line is, as humans, we tend to have this very biased
view of the world and we forget that changes in air temperature,
which tend to have only very small direct effect on us, can have huge
effects on other species," Helmuth says. "This is especially true for
species that have temperatures driven by the sun, wind and air
temperature, much as the way your car heats up on a sunny day."
For more information, contact Sarah Gilman at 360-298-0971 or
gilmans at u.washington.edu, or Brian Helmuth at helmuth at biol.sc.edu.
For a copy of the paper, reporters can contact Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences at 202-334-1310; the paper appears in
the June 20 print edition.
********************
Wet or dry? Sahel's uncertain future
Climate change in Africa's Sahel region challenges researchers
and policymakers because the best models around predict opposite
outcomes, reports Catherine Brahic. Computer models of future
climate often disagree about the scale of likely change but
predictions for the Sahel are also contradictory about the direction
of change and give policymakers little help in preparing for the future.
http://www.scidev.net/content/features/eng/wet-or-dry-sahels-
uncertain-future.cfm
http://tinyurl.com/ea5gh
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The ocean floor - can they dig it?
Not everyone is thrilled by a plan to mine the ocean floor for
the first time. It follows the discovery of significant mineral
deposits off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Nautilus Minerals, a
mining company in Vancouver, Canada, has been scouring the ocean
floor for dormant hydrothermal vents, which are known to contain
metal sulphides - rich sources of gold and copper. For mining to be
viable, such deposits must be at least 15 metres thick.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9266-the-ocean-floor--can-
they-dig-it.html
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Summer Programs, Courses, Internships, Meetings, Opportunities
Acknowledge an Outstanding Junior Scientist in the Atmospheric
Sciences With a Nomination for the James R. Holton Award
The James R. Holton Junior Scientist Award was established in
2004 by the AGU Atmospheric Sciences Section to recognize the
scientific accomplishments of a junior scientist to the field of
atmospheric science. Candidates must be a member of the AGU, and no
more than three years past the award of the Ph.D. degree. Nominations
should clearly state how the nominated individual's research
accomplishments are outstanding for one at his/her stage of career.
Nominations deadline July 17, 2006
The nomination should consist of four items, each no longer than
two pages in length: a nomination letter, the candidate's curriculum
vitae, and two letters of recommendation.
Send nomination packages to:
Dr. Joan Alexander, Chair
Holton Award Nominations, NWRA/CoRA, 3380 Mitchell Lane, Boulder,
CO, 80301, USA. Fax: 1-303-415-9702.
Please direct e-mail inquiries to Holly Hayes at holly at cora.nwra.com
Additional information available at http://atmospheres.agu.org/
********************
Transantarctic Mountains Workshop:
New Opportunities For Multi-Disciplinary Research
Byrd Polar Research Center, The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio; 6 - 9 September 2006
Since the International Geophysical Year, 1957-58, research in
the Transantarctic Mountains south of Darwin Glacier has focused on
bedrock geology and to a lesser extent glacial geology;
opportunities, however, include biology, geophysics, glaciology,
meteorology, surface processes and others. This workshop will
highlight these opportunities, bring in disciplines not usually
represented in Transantarctic Mountains research, and involve new
investigators, as well as providing opportunities to initiate new
inter-disciplinary research.
The objective is to develop a multi-year science plan for multi-
disciplinary research that can be accomplished with logistic support
that will include LC-130 Hercules and Twin Otter aircraft and
helicopter-supported remote field camps.
Those interested in attending should contact the conveners, and
submit a detailed letter of interest, along with an abstract (not
more than one page) for a short presentation. Contact: elliot.
1 at osu.edu or lyons.142 at osu.edu, with a copy to everett.2 at osu.edu.
The Workshop Conveners anticipate that partial support will be
provided for up to 35 participants by a grant from the Office of
Polar Programs, National Science Foundation
Workshop Web Address:
http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/workshops/tam_2006.php
Workshop Conveners:
Dr. David H. Elliot
Dr. W. Berry Lyons
Workshop Coordinator:
Ms. Lynn Everett (614-292-9909)
everett.2 at osu.edu
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Jobs
Planktonnet: Great listserv for aquatic-science jobs
To subscribe to the list, send an empty email to:
planktonnet-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
Or, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planktonnet/ and click on
'Join this group'
Climate Program Specialist
The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) Office in
Washington, DC -- under the auspices of the Joint Office for Science
Support (JOSS) with the University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research (UCAR) -- seeks an individual to help coordinate the CCSP
Synthesis and Assessment Product line, assisting lead agency points-
of-contact to manage document development and tracking/review
mechanisms for both the existing suite of products (through FY2008)
and future assessments, as defined by program leadership. This
individual will also assist the Office Director in planning and
preparation for CCSP Principals meetings and will serve as Executive
Secretary for drafting a record of the discussion, decisions, and
actions. The incumbent also will undertake budget analysis and other
special projects as assigned.
Requires B.S. degree in environmental science, public policy, or
other discipline relevant to the global and/or climate change
sciences (Master's desired), plus 3-5 years of experience in the
scientific field of specialization and up-to-date knowledge of
current scientific findings and controversies in the related
scientific literature. Must have skill in attending to detail and
effectively prioritizing and managing work in a multiple-project
environment. Project management experience desired but not required.
Initially a one-year term with the possibility of extension for
multiple years. Relocation Benefits Not Offered. Initial
consideration will be given to applications received prior to 7/7/06.
Thereafter, applications will be reviewed on an as-needed basis.
Apply online or send a scannable resume to 3065 Center Green Drive,
Boulder, CO 80301. (Reference job #6119). We value diversity. AA/EOE.
View the detailed job description at http://www.fin.ucar.edu/hr/
careers/uco.cfm?do=jobDetailExt&job_ID=672
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Program Officer, Americas Program, U.S.National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking a qualified
candidate for the position of Assistant/Associate Program Manager in
the Americas Program within the Office of International Science and
Engineering (OISE), Office of the Director, Arlington, VA. The
desired start date for this appointment is Spring 2006, subject to
negotiation/availability. Please find the job posting here http://
www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/e20060097/e20060097.pdf The Office of
International Science and Engineering serves as a focal point for
international science and engineering activities both inside and
outside NSF. OISE promotes the development of an integrated,
Foundation-wide international strategy, and manages international
programs that are innovative, catalytic, and responsive to a broad
range of NSF interests. OISE invests in programs that expand and
enhance leading-edge international research and education
opportunities for U.S. scientists and engineers, especially at the
early career stage. OISE supports international-related research in
any disciplinary field supported by NSF and in any global region. It
works to build and strengthen effective institutional partnerships
throughout the global science and engineering research and education
community, and it supports international collaborations in NSF's
priority research areas. OISE is in the Office of the NSF Director
and carries out its functions through close partnership with all NSF
Directorates and Offices. More information about OISE can be found at
http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OISE.
********************
Ice Sheet Modelling - Danish Climate Centre
Application Deadline: Tuesday, 27 June 2006
For further information, please go to: http://www.dmi.dk/eng/
ice_sheet_modelling
The Danish Climate Centre has a vacant position available for a
climate scientist. The new employee will be occupied with modelling
of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
The main objective of the Danish Climate Centre is to analyze the
likely climate in the 21st century. The tasks include development and
application of complex climate models, mainly in wide international
cooperation. The Centre is also responsible for the development and
preparation of seasonal forecasts for Denmark and Greenland.
Furthermore, the Centre communicates its results and scientific
knowledge on climate in general to the public by publishing popular
articles, electronic media and newspapers, and providing public
lecture information via the web-pages of the Danish Meteorological
Institute (DMI). Scientific results are also published in relevant
international journals.
Given its importance in the global climate/change arena, it is
disconcerting that we still do not know the sign of mass balance of
the Greenland Ice Sheet. Although recent airborne laser surveys
suggest an overall negative balance, the question remains: how
representative is this kind of short-term (few years') measurement of
longer-term (multidecadal) state of balance and change?
Modeling of the Greenland Ice Sheet using atmospheric data from a
high resolution regional state-of-the-art climate model simulation of
the most recent decades (simulations of 1960-2005, using spectral
nudging at 10-20 km horizontal, and possibly even 5 km, resolution)
will be applied as input to a state-of-the-art ice sheet model in
order to assess recent variations. To assess the future state of the
Greenland Ice Sheet, simulations are expected to be made using
atmospheric conditions generated from the same regional model nested
within a coupled GCM covering a longer historical time frame and into
possible futures.
Qualifications of the applicant include:
- A scientific education
- Good knowledge of atmospheric physics and glaciology
- Qualifications and experience within numerical modelling of
physical systems, e.g., the atmosphere and ocean, icecaps, and glaciers
- Knowledge of statistical methods of analyses and experience in
programming using Fortran
- Capable of working as a team member, self-starting, and strong
written, and verbal communication skills
Further information can be obtained by contacting:
Senior Advisor Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen
Phone: +45 3915 7428
E-mail: jhc at dmi.dk
Director Anne Mette K. Jorgensen
Phone: +45 3915 7450
E-mail: amj at dmi.dk
Send applications (marked "06-041-79") including examination
results and CV, to:
The Director General
Danish Meteorological Institute
Lyngbyvej 100
DK-2100 Copenhagen
E-mail: job at dmi.dk
********************
Program Officer, Conservation and Science Program - The David and
Lucile Packard Foundation (Apparently quite interested in candidates
with a social science or economics background.)
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Foundation) is
recruiting for a person to serve as a Program Officer in the
Conservation and Science Program, responsible for the Science
subprogram.
About the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private family
foundation created in 1964 by David Packard (1912-1996), co-founder
of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard
(1914-1987). The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit
organizations in the following core program areas: Conservation and
Science; Population; and Children, Families, and Communities. The
Foundation makes grants at the state, national, and international
level, including grants for the Northern California counties of San
Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey, and is located in Los
Altos, California.
As of December 31, 2005, the Foundation's total investment
portfolio, including donor stock, totaled approximately $5.8 billion.
General program grant awards for 2005 totaled approximately $214
million. The Foundation has a grantmaking budget of approximately
$210 million for 2006. A Board of Trustees, which includes five
members of the founders' family, provides direction and sets the
priorities for the Foundation. A staff of 85 conducts the day-to-day
operations in a way that seeks to honor David and Lucile Packard's
core values: integrity, respect for all people, belief in individual
leadership, commitment to effectiveness, and the capacity to think big.
CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE PROGRAM
The Conservation and Science Program is focused on the challenge
of sustainability, finding development paths that meet human needs
while protecting and restoring the ecological systems upon which all
life depends. We invest in action and in ideas. The Packard
Foundation supports initiatives to secure public policy reforms and
changes in private sector practices, and scientific activities that
develop knowledge and tools critical for addressing current and
future priorities. The Conservation and Science Program supports work
in six areas:
* The Science subprogram (listed on the website as "Science for
Oceans and Coasts") supports scientific research, tools development,
communications, and processes to strengthen the input of science in
decision-making in support of the Conservation and Science Program's
agenda. The sub-program currently emphasizes science for coastal and
marine conservation.
* The long-term goals of the Marine Fisheries subprogram are
effective management of fisheries, an end to overfishing, and the
elimination of destructive fishing practices.
* The Coastal Systems grantmaking seeks to promote sustainability
in coastal systems in three specific geographic regions: the
California Coast, the Gulf of California, and the Western Pacific.
* Atmosphere grantmaking seeks to reduce the greenhouse gas
emissions that cause climate change through support for policy
reforms in the United States and China and efforts to reduce
deforestation in the Amazon.
* The Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering subprogram
supports promising university-based researchers early in their careers.
* The Foundation supports cutting-edge research and development
at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, a world-class
oceanography research center.
A current emphasis of the Science subprogram is to support the
development and application of an ecosystem-based management (EBM)
framework for coastal-marine conservation and fisheries management.
The subprogram aims to advance decision-support tools for EBM
implementation, foster a community of scientists, practitioners,
stakeholders, and decision-makers engaged in EBM, and support science-
based conservation by effectively linking science to action and
supporting strategic science investments. The Foundation seeks to
invest in the implementation of EBM as an important means for
achieving conservation outcomes in its priority geographic areas and
to learn from these EBM projects in order to shape future grantmaking
and scientific research strategies. In addition to the EBM focus, the
Science subprogram also supports work aimed at strengthening the
contribution of science to public and private sector decision-making
concerning conservation and the environment.
In 2006, the grantmaking budget for the Conservation and Science
Program is $85.4 million, which includes $35.4 million designated for
the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and $10 million
designated for the Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering.
Program Officer for Science
The Program Officer for the Science subprogram is responsible for
the design and implementation of grantmaking strategies aimed at
strengthening the contribution of science to achieving the goals of
the Conservation and Science Program's agenda. A major emphasis of
this work will be on the further development and implementation of
the existing strategy focused on the application of EBM in coastal-
marine conservation. This work will include an important emphasis on
learning from the early experiences in this area and modifying the
strategy as needed. The Program Officer will also guide the further
evolution of the sub-program in such areas as additional work
addressing the emerging debate in the United States regarding science
and its role in setting critical public policy, or additional
grantmaking in the area of science related to climate and energy policy.
The Program Officer is responsible for facilitating and
maintaining a science culture within the Conservation and Science
Program that is dedicated to excellence and policy relevance. He or
she will ensure that Packard Foundation continues to apply sound and
innovative scientific analyses in its grantmaking activities. The
Program Officer for the Science subprogram will report to Dr. Walter
Reid, Program Director, Conservation and Science Program and will be
based in Los Altos, California. An Associate Program Officer and a
Program Associate will report to the Program Officer on issues
related to science. The Associate Program Officer also supports
specific special projects directed by the Program Director.
The Program Officer will be an integral member of the
Conservation and Science Program team working with Program staff to
identify and address science needs in all of the program's
initiatives. The position calls for a sophisticated understanding of
the use of science in policy or management decision-making, such as
might be gained, for example, through hands-on involvement in an
ecosystem-based management project or integrated coastal zone
management project. The role requires self-direction and decisiveness
combined with flexibility and a capacity to give and receive feedback
graciously. It is essential that the Program Officer be able to
communicate complex scientific principles and issues in simple,
straightforward language to many different types of audiences.
The Program Officer should possess excellent interpersonal
skills, including respectful attitude for the work of grantees. In
this strategic role, the Program Officer should thrive in a team-
based, collegial workplace culture.
Professional Experience and Personal Attributes
The Program Officer should ideally possess the following
professional experience and personal attributes:
Professional Qualifications
* Recognition in their field of science and possessing a proven
track record of success and accomplishment.
* Demonstrated experience and understanding in the role science
plays in policy development and conservation of natural resources.
* Experience with project management, such as with the management
of resource management or conservation projects.
* A proven record of success in working with different
stakeholder groups, including NGOs, government agencies at all
levels, and the private sector.
* Both domestic U.S. and international experience, in particular
experience with the role of science in policy or management issues in
the U.S.
* Intellectual agility and the ability to analyze, think
strategically, and relate scientific approaches that are directly
relevant to the Packard Foundation's priority program areas.
* An understanding of science funding and science policy issues.
* Knowledge of ecosystem-based management and critical
environmental and sustainability issues.
* Familiarity with key academic and NGOs and structures.
* Experience with interdisciplinary research or interdisciplinary
program development.
* Doctorate in a relevant natural or social science field, such
as ecology, economics, political sciences, oceanography, marine
science, atmospheric science, or sociology–the specific field of the
candidate's doctoral work is less important than his or her research
and professional experience.
Personal Attributes
* A deep commitment to science-based conservation and the mission
of the Conservation and Science Program and the Packard Foundation.
* Articulate, with proven ability to write effectively and speak
persuasively.
* Superlative interpersonal skills, including an ability to
listen to others and learn from their best ideas, intellectual
curiosity, approachability, and openness to input from all levels of
staff.
* High energy level, action-oriented, personable, good sense of
humor, trustworthy, diplomatic, and in possession of impeccable
integrity.
* Proven team player and leader able to motivate and inspire
staff as well as colleagues to work well as a team in a collaborative
environment.
* Ability to effectively manage time, handle pressure, manage
budgets, meet deadlines, manage projects, and supervise, evaluate,
and manage staff.
* Ability and willingness to participate and coordinate
administrative duties as required.
* Ability to travel within the U.S. and abroad.
* Experience with grantmaking desirable but not necessary.
Compensation
Compensation for the Program Officer for Science includes
excellent benefits and a salary commensurate with experience. The
salary range is $73,000 (minimum) - $99,000 (midpoint) - $125,000
(maximum). This is a full-time, exempt position.
Interested candidates should reference job number 06-03-3700R and
send their cover letter and resume to:
Daniel Sherman, President
Explore Company
1054 31st Street NW, Suite 330
Washington, DC 20007
ExploreCompany at aol.com
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is an equal opportunity
employer and welcomes a diverse candidate pool.
********************
Two fellowships: Dept of Meteorology and Climatologyat Univ of Lodz
(Poland)
Two fellowships have just become available in the Department of
Meteorology and Climatology, University of Lodz, in Lodz, Poland
within the STATME project (within Marie Curie Host Fellowships for
Transfer of Knowledge (ToK) Development Host Scheme) see (http://
www.geo.uni.lodz.pl/~jwibig/STATME/index.html)
It is expected that the candidates has strong experience in at
least one of four areas:
1. statistical downscaling
2. dynamical downscaling
3. cluster analysis
4. eigen techniques
The researcher will join the research team and apply his/her own
experience to analyse the large scale fields of meteorological
variables in the Europe-North Atlantic area.
The first fellowship requires an individual with completed a PhD
degree or 4 years research experience in climatology, physics of
atmosphere or related areas. Salaries follow the Marie Curie TOK-DEV
guidelines for experienced researchers including mobility allowances.
Eligible candidate has to be member of the EU or associated-state
nationals, except Polish, in some cases the candidates from third
countries can apply also. It is a temporary contract (6 months with
possibility of extension for another 6 months)
The second fellowship requires an individual with completed a PhD
and 10 years research experience in climatology, physics of
atmosphere or related areas. Salaries will follow the Marie Curie TOK-
DEV guidelines for more experienced researchers with mobility
allowances (stipend version). Eligible candidates have to be a member
of the EU or associated-state national, except Polish, but members of
third countries are also possible. It is a temporary contract (2
months with possibility of extension for another 2 months)
Deadline for applications: June 30, 2006
Start date September 1, 2006 (approximately, negotiations possible)
Qualified candidates should email a cover letter, which includes
contact address, curriculum vitae, list of recent publications, and
the names and contact information of 3 references to Dr Joanna Wibig,
Dept. of Meteorology and Climatology, University of Lodz, Narutowicza
88, 90-139 Lodz, Poland, e-mail: zameteo at uni.lodz.pl
Review of the applications will begin 1th of July 2006 and will
continue until the fellowships are filled.
********************
Post-Doc, Theoretical Modelling of Social-Ecological Systems: Case
System Recreational Fisheries, The Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater
Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) of the Forschungsverbund Berlin
The Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
(IGB) of the Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Department Biology and
Ecology of Fishes, in cooperation with the International Institute
for Applied Systems Analyses (IIASA) in Laxenburg (Austria) (PD Dr
Ulf Dieckmann) immediately invites applications for the following
position within the framework project "Adaptive Dynamics and
Management of Coupled Social-Ecological Recreational Fisheries
(ADAPTFISH)" granted by the Pact for Research and Innovation of the
Leibniz-Society (WGL) (2006-2009).
Scientist (Post-Doc)
Topic: Developing pattern-oriented, quantitative models to
analyse the dynamic interactions between anglers and exploited fish
stocks. Strategic effects of management regulations on the coupled
social-ecological system of recreational fisheries (e.g.,
distribution of angling effort and structure of fish stocks) shall be
studied using inputs from agent-based modelling of the likely
reaction of different angler types (agents) to changing conditions of
the fish stocks including evolutionary changes and altered size and
age distributions. Expected results comprise illustrations of fish-
angler-interactions at the landscape level as well as management
recommendations for recreational fisheries.
Qualifications: PhD; knowledge of and experience in agent/
individual-based modelling and preferably in fisheries; above-average
skills in programming (e.g. C++) and data analysis; high publication
record; good working knowledge of English; above-average
communication skills and team spirit; ability to work independently;
high motivation; preparedness to spend part of the time abroad at
IIASA; familiarity with recreational angling would be a benefit.
The position is open until filled. It is limited to three years
with an option for a fourth year and will be paid according to TVöD
(service class wage agreement, roughly 40.000 € gross income p.a.
including health insurance). Applications by females are particularly
encouraged. Disabled persons with identical qualifications will be
favoured.
Please send your application, preferably by email, with the usual
material (expression of interest, CV, copies of certificates, list of
publications and copies of the five most important papers) including
a short statement of personal research aims, interests and
experiences, a short research program and the names of three referees
(including email-address) ideally not later than June 18, 2006 to:
Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Dr Christian Wolter
Müggelseedamm 310
12587 Berlin, Germany
wolter at igb-berlin.de
**************************************************
This newsletter has been developed by C. Susan Weiler to distribute
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 do not necessarily reflect those of the
funding agencies or sponsoring societies. Dr. Weiler 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. Send a short message in the body of an e-mail
message, and link to any appropriate websites. Do not send attachments.
Moving? Send address changes to dialog at whitman.edu or
disccrs at whitman.edu
**********
C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.
Office for Earth System Studies 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
DIALOG poster http://www.aslo.org/phd/dialogposter.pdf
DISCCRS poster http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf
Workshop Report, Meeting the Needs of
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Graduates in a
Changing Global Environment
http://marcus.whitman.edu/~weilercs/biocomplexity/
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