[DIALOGnews] DIALOG and DISCCRS News 06/16/2006
Susan Bennett
bennetsk at whitman.edu
Fri Jun 16 12:57:54 CDT 2006
DIALOG and DISCCRS News
06/16/2006
************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESOURCES
Research and Teaching Funding - Opportunity at NCEAS: Distributed
Graduate Seminars
(see below)
Images Viewable Using Google Earth - National Snow and Ice Data Center
http://nsidc.org/data/google_earth/ (see below)
Radiosonde Data Products from NCDC
(see below)
SCIENCE NEWS
Report to the Unites States Senate: From Sea to Shining Sea,
Priorities for Ocean Policy Reform
http://www.jointoceancommission.org/press/press/
release0613_assets/Sea%20Report.pdf
Photographic Comparisons of Alaskan Glaciers National Snow and Ice
Data Center
http://nsidc.org/data/glacier_photo/special_collection.html (see
below)
(see below)
New satellite set to collect most-detailed data yet about atmospheric
particles
(see below)
Nighttime flights 'boost warming'
(see below)
How Melting Glaciers Alter Earth's Surface, Spur Quakes, Volcanoes
(see below)
Pollution From Chinese Coal Casts a Global Shadow
(see below)
Polar Bears Driven to Cannibalism because of Global Warming
(see below)
Alaska Coastal Villages Face Costly and Rapid Relocation
(see below)
Arctic Dips As Global Waters Rise
(see below)
Taking Evolution's Temperature: Researchers Pinpoint The Energy It
Takes To Make A Species
(see below)
Thawing Permafrost Could Unleash Tons Of Carbon
(see below)
SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS, OPPORTUNITIES
RAPID Climate Change International Conference - Arctic Frontiers
Conference in Tromsø, January 2007. Deadline for registration is July
15
http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/rapid//rapid2006/ic06prelimprog.php
2006-2007 INPE-IAI Research Internship Positions
(see below)
Earth Science, Logistics, and Outreach Terrainbases (EarthSLOT)– 1st
Annual Virtual Globes Scientific Users Converence
(see below)
Meeting Announcement - Shelf-Basin Exchange at the Margins of the
Arctic: IPY and Beyond
(see below)
Training Opportunity - IAI-NCAR Colloquium - “Policy planning and
Decision making involving Climate Change and Variability”
(see below)
JOBS
Director of Climate Change Science, The Nature Conservancy, any large
TNC office.
(see below)
Academic Coordinator, Institute of the Environment. University of
California at Los Angeles.
(see below)
Assistant Professor in Political Science - The Donald Bren School of
Environmental Science & Management - University of California, Santa
Barbara, California
(see below)
Marine Resource Management Instructor needed for Fall Semester 2006
- Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
(see below)
Research Position: Analytical Chemist - Ohio State University (USA)
(see below)
Post-Doc In Meso-Scale Air Quality Modeling - Western Kentucky
University (USA)
(see below)
Job Opportunity for Climate Researcher - PartnerRe New Solutions Inc.
(see below)
Earth System Modeling Support Position
(see below)
Postdoctoral Research Positions Available in Science, Technology and
Society
- University of Texas at Austin
(see below)
***************************************************
Resources
Research and Teaching Funding - Opportunity at NCEAS: Distributed
Graduate Seminars
The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, at the
University of California, Santa Barbara (NCEAS), invites PI’s to
submit proposals for a unique research and teaching opportunity.
Distributed Graduate Seminars involve faculty and students at
multiple universities, distributed nationally or globally. Initially
the scientific leaders of the seminar meet at NCEAS to
collaboratively plan seminar courses that will take place at their
own institutions, on the same topic, to address an overarching
research question. Students at the participating institutions are
then enrolled in these courses held simultaneously across sites, and
each seminar leader teaches the seminar course in-person at his or
her own institution. Each group works with local or regional data,
interacting with other groups through web-based collaborative spaces
(e.g., data entry portals). At the end of the seminar course
representatives from each group come to NCEAS to conduct a “grand
synthesis”. The seminar affords students the opportunity to use data-
sharing tools, and to participate in collaborative and synthetic
research. Seminar leaders benefit from the opportunity to collaborate
with their colleagues at widely distributed universities while
engaging in meaningful and creative pedagogy at their home
institutions. A relatively high level of participation (~25%) from
Minority-Serving Institutions is expected, and the participation of
undergraduates is encouraged. PIs may be faculty, professional
researchers, postdoctoral associates or graduate students. Proposals
may originate from and include undergraduate institutions.
Since 1995, NCEAS has hosted 3,500 individuals, 50-75% of whom
are typically new to NCEAS each year. Thus far NCEAS has supported
370 projects yielding more than 1,000 scientific articles. Proposal
deadlines are twice a year. The next deadline is July 24, 2006.
Prospective PIs are encouraged to contact the Deputy Director
Stephanie Hampton (hampton at nceas.ucsb.edu
<mailto:hampton at nceas.ucsb.edu>) or the Director Jim Reichman
(reichman at nceas.ucsb.edu <mailto:reichman at nceas.ucsb.edu>) during
proposal development. For additional information and application
instructions, go to:
http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/opportunity/rfp.html
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Images Viewable Using Google Earth - National Snow and Ice Data Center
http://nsidc.org/data/google_earth/
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (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.
********************
Radiosonde Data Products from NCDC
NOAA announces the availability of a new dataset consisting of
monthly time series of homogeneity-adjusted radiosonde temperatures.
These are more suitable for the study of longer-term climate
variability and change (e.g., interdecadal time-scales and trends)
than unadjusted data from more traditional data archives. Temporal
homogeneity may be compromised by artificial changes introduced via
historical changes in instruments and recording practices.
These new data, Radiosonde Atmospheric Temperature Products for
Assessing Climate (RATPAC), are now available online from the
National Climatic Data Center. Data coverage is near-global from a
limited network of 85 stations, beginning in 1958 and continuing to
present. Data are available on 13 pressure levels from the surface to
the stratosphere (up to 30 hPa).
RATPAC consists of two subsets of data:
(1) RATPAC-A contains averages over large regions (e.g., global,
hemispheric, tropical and extratropical domains). This set is
recommended for analysis of interannual and longer-term changes over
large areas.
(2) RATPAC-B contains data for individual stations. This set is
recommended for analysis of interannual and longer-term changes at
individual station locations or for regional means spatial scales
smaller than those provided by RATPAC-A.
The RATPAC datasets were created through a collaborative effort
involving NOAA scientists from the Air Resources Laboratory, the
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, and the National Climatic Data
Center. For more a complete explanation of the dataset construction
methodology and rationale, and to access these data visit: http://
www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/cab/ratpac/index.php
***************************************************
Science News
Photographic Comparisons of Alaskan Glaciers National Snow and Ice
Data Center
http://nsidc.org/data/glacier_photo/special_collection.html
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) announces the
release of a special photographic collection, featuring repeat
photography of Alaskan glaciers. This collection matches photos of
glaciers taken as early as the 1890s with recent photos taken at the
same physical location. The photos tell a captivating visual story of
the changes glaciers have experienced through time.
********************
New satellite set to collect most-detailed data yet about atmospheric
particles
A new satellite that last week began gathering data from the
Earth's atmosphere could be a key tool in unraveling just how much
effect the reflectivity of clouds and tiny particles called aerosols
are having on the planet's changing climate..."For the first time we
will have access to global data telling us the altitudinal location
of clouds and haze plumes in the atmosphere," said Anderson. "This is
going to greatly advance the space-based study of aerosol-and-cloud
interactions because we will have authoritative knowledge about
whether the aerosol layer and the cloud layer are really at the same
level in the atmosphere." http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/
2006-06/uow-nss061206.php
********************
Nighttime flights 'boost warming'
Night flights by aircraft are much more damaging to the
environment than air travel during the day, a study shows. The
reason, says a UK team, is that vapour trails from aircraft have a
greater warming effect during darkness. Writing in the journal
Nature, they say cutting night flights could help minimise the
climate impact of the aviation industry. Winter flights have a
bigger effect on global warming than flights during the rest of the
year, they add. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5082918.stm
********************
How Melting Glaciers Alter Earth's Surface, Spur Quakes, Volcanoes
Imagine the surface of Earth as a giant trampoline that
accumulated a slab of ice over the winter, and you can get a sense of
what a growing number of scientists say is in store for the planet as
glaciers keep melting....
"It's unavoidable that glacial retreat will induce tectonic
activity," says geoscientist Allen Glazner of the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill...
That link has reared its ugly head in the past, especially during
periods of rapid climate change such as the end of ice ages. When ice
sheets retreated 10,000 years ago, for instance, Iceland experienced
a surge in volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes in the Mediterranean,
Antarctica and eastern California also seem to have been awakened by
retreating ice...
The retreat of ice sheets 10,000 years ago also triggered a wave
of powerful earthquakes in Scandinavia. Since isostatic rebound
continues for thousands of years, it may still be contributing to
quakes in eastern Canada, says geoscientist Patrick Wu of the
University of Calgary.
Wall Street Journal: http://tinyurl.com/ltowk
********************
Pollution From Chinese Coal Casts a Global Shadow
One of China's lesser-known exports is a dangerous brew of soot,
toxic chemicals and climate-changing gases from the smokestacks of
coal-burning power plants. In early April, a dense cloud of
pollutants over Northern China sailed to nearby Seoul, sweeping along
dust and desert sand before wafting across the Pacific. An American
satellite spotted the cloud as it crossed the West Coast.
Researchers in California, Oregon and Washington noticed specks of
sulfur compounds, carbon and other byproducts of coal combustion
coating the silvery surfaces of their mountaintop detectors. These
microscopic particles can work their way deep into the lungs,
contributing to respiratory damage, heart disease and cancer.
China knows it has to do something about its dependence on coal.
The government has set one of the world's most ambitious targets for
energy conservation: to cut the average amount of energy needed to
produce each good or service by 20 percent over the next five years.
But with an economy growing 10 percent a year and with energy
consumption climbing even faster, a conservation target amounting to
3.7 percent a year does not keep pace.
All new cars, minivans and sport utility vehicles sold in China
starting July 1 will have to meet fuel-economy standards stricter
than those in the United States. New construction codes encourage the
use of double-glazed windows to reduce air-conditioning and heating
costs and high-tech light bulbs that produce more light with fewer
watts.
Meanwhile, other sources of energy have problems. Oil is at about
$70 a barrel. Natural gas is in short supply in most of China, and
prices for imports of liquefied natural gas have more than doubled in
the last three years. Environmental objections are slowing the
construction of hydroelectric dams on China's few untamed rivers.
Long construction times for nuclear power plants make them a poor
solution to addressing blackouts and other power shortages now.
With Chinese leaders under constant pressure to create jobs for
the millions of workers flooding from farms into cities each year, as
well as the rapidly growing ranks of college graduates, there has
been little enthusiasm for a change of strategy. Indeed, China is
using subsidies to make its energy even cheaper, a strategy that is
not unfamiliar to Americans, said Kenneth Lieberthal, a China
specialist at the University of Michigan. "They have done in many
ways," he said, "what we have done."
http://www.climateark.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=57264
********************
Polar Bears Driven to Cannibalism because of Global Warming
Several prominent polar bear biologists have published a stunning
paper in the journal Polar Biology in which they report, for the
first time, evidence of a male polar bear killing a mother in her
maternal den (two cubs also died) (PDF copy attached, including
graphic photos). They also describe two other bears who had been
victims of cannibalism: a mother (who was with a cub) having recently
emerged from her den, and also a yearling male (Amstrup et al.,
2006). All of these field observations took place within a mere 2 ½
month period in 2004.
The killings occurred adjacent to the Southern Beaufort Sea,
where global warming has caused significant ice retreats, and the
nutritional condition of the bears was compromised.
"During 24 years of research on polar bears in the southern
Beaufort Sea region of northern Alaska and 34 years in northwestern
Canada, we have not seen other incidents of polar bears stalking,
killing, and eating other polar bears," stated the researchers in
their paper.
"We hypothesize that nutritional stresses related to the longer
ice-free seasons that have occurred in the Beaufort Sea in recent
years may have led to the cannibalism incidents we observed",
concluded the scientists.
The Associated Press
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/
AR2006061201266.html>
article describing the report has appeared in over 125 newspapers
worldwide. http://tinyurl.com/q8l28
********************
Alaska Coastal Villages Face Costly and Rapid Relocation
In response to a Congressional request, the Army Corps of
Engineers has issued a report detailing relocation needs for seven
Alaska coastal communities.
Many communities on Alaska's western and northern coasts are
being seriously threatened by global warming, for four reasons: 1)
melting permafrost; 2) more intense storms; 3) less buffering from
sea ice; and 4) rising sea level.
The report estimates that Shishmaref, Kivalina and Newtok have
only 10 to 15 years left at their present storm-battered locations,
and predicts that it will cost as much as $355 million to move them.
Stanley Tom, tribal liaison for Newtok noted: "I'd like to tell
the Corps they're wrong about the timing. It's way off, 100 percent
off. We have only three to four more years here." (Anchorage Daily
News 6/11/06) (summarized by Deborah Lee Williams & Associates)
********************
Arctic Dips As Global Waters Rise
Arctic sea level has been falling by a little over 2mm a year - a
movement that sets the region against the global trend of rising
waters. "We have high confidence in the results; it's now down to the
geophysics community to explain them," said Dr Remko Scharroo, from
consultants Altimetrics LLC, who led the study. ...Next year has
been designated International Polar Year, and major oceanographic
expeditions are planned to take research vessels into the northern
region to sample its icy waters. "This may provide clues as to what
is causing the changes we're seeing," explained co-researcher Dr
Seymour Laxon, from University College London (UCL). "I think it's a
true statement to say the Arctic Ocean is the least well understood
body of water out there." The recent trend could be linked to
changes in the temperature and salinity (saltiness) of Arctic waters.
This would have to be investigated, he said.
Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5076322.stm
********************
Taking Evolution's Temperature: Researchers Pinpoint The Energy It
Takes To Make A Species
EurekAlert: GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Comfortable living is not why so
many different life forms seem to converge at the warmer areas of the
planet. Writing this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, scientists say higher temperatures near the equator
speed up the metabolisms of the inhabitants, fueling genetic changes
that actually lead to the creation of new species.
The finding - by researchers from the University of Florida, the
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Harvard
University and the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque - helps
explain why more living species seem to exist near the equator, a
scientific observation made even before naturalist Charles Darwin set
sail to South America on the H.M.S. Beagle nearly two centuries ago.
It may also have a bearing on concepts such as global warming and
efforts to preserve diversity of life on Earth. "We've shown that
there is indeed a higher rate of evolutionary change in the form and
structure of plankton in the tropics and that it increases
exponentially because of temperature," said James Gillooly, Ph.D., an
assistant professor of zoology with the UF Genetics Institute. "It
tells us something about the fundamental mechanisms that shape
biodiversity on the planet."
Speciation - when animals or plants actually evolve into a new
species - occurs when life forms with a common ancestor undergo
substantial genetic change. Using a mathematical model based on the
body size and temperature-dependence of individual metabolism, the
researchers made specific predictions on rates of speciation at the
global scale. Then, using fossils and genetic data, they looked at
rates of DNA evolution and speciation during a 30-million-year period
in foraminifera plankton, a single-celled animal that floats in the
ocean.
Researchers compared arrivals of new species of this type of
plankton with differences in ocean temperatures at different
latitudes ranging from the tropics to the arctic. The results agreed
closely with predictions of their model. "It takes more energy than
all the fossil fuel people burn on the planet in a year to form one
new species of plankton," said Andrew Allen, Ph.D., the study's lead
researcher at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and
Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "In terms
of conservation, this really highlights that biodiversity does have a
price, and the price is very high."
To put a number on it, it takes about 10 to the 23rd power - that
is a 1 followed by 23 zeros - of energy units called joules to
generate a new species of foraminifera plankton. "From a scientific
perspective, we can now quantify biodiversity in terms of energy,"
Allen said. "This will help efforts to identify and model areas for
protection and conservation."
By observing changes in a unicellular animal whose body
temperature varies according to its surroundings, as opposed to a
mammal, which regulates a constant body temperature, scientists could
more precisely measure rates of speciation caused by the environment.
In the end, it is individual metabolic rate - how fast an organism
burns food relative to its body weight - that primarily determines
evolutionary rate. And higher environmental temperatures help
increase metabolism.
"Diversity is the hallmark of the living. Understanding the
principles underlying the generation and maintenance of diversity
will allow us to understand life, and also how to preserve it," said
Pablo Marquet, Ph.D., an associate professor and member of the Center
for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity at the Pontifical
Catholic University of Chile, who was not involved in the research.
"Changes in our environment, such as global warming, will not only
affect the way the ecosystem functions, but also how life will evolve
and hence how diversity is distributed across the planet."
One of the novel insights in the paper is the finding that the
energy required to produce a new species is a fixed quantity. "These
authors are changing evolutionary biology, ecology and biogeography,
putting them into a firm and quantitative foundation based on the
first principles underlying individual metabolism," Marquet said.
********************
Thawing Permafrost Could Unleash Tons Of Carbon
Ancient roots and bones locked in long-frozen soil in Siberia are
starting to thaw, and have the potential to unleash billions of tons
of carbon and accelerate global warming, scientists said on Thursday.
This vast carbon reservoir, contained in permafrost soil in
northeastern Siberia, contains about 75 times more carbon than the
amount released into the atmosphere each year by the burning of
fossil fuels, the researchers said in a statement. ..."There's a huge
pool of carbon, even more than people thought before, perhaps double
the amount of carbon that we thought," said Schuur, one of the
article's co-authors. "If you have twice as much carbon there,
essentially in the future twice as much could be released into the
atmosphere." http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060615/ts_nm/
environment_permafrost_dc
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Summer Programs, Courses, Internships, Meetings, Opportunities
2006-2007 INPE-IAI Research Internship Positions
A program for research internship positions in Climate
Variability in the Americas at Brazil’s Center for Weather Forecast
and Climate Studies (CPTEC).
Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) through
the Center for Weather Forecast and Climate Studies (CPTEC) and the
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) announce 6
internship positions.
CPTEC´s mission is to be a leading weather and climate forecast
center based on up to date scientific and technological capacity in
order to continuously improve the meteorological information for the
benefit of society. CPTEC started operations in 1994 and in addition
to operations, research and development in numerical weather and
climate forecasts, CPTEC represents a large investment in personnel
capacity building, including 57 scientists with Doctorate and 62 with
Master degrees of a total of almost 300 employees.
IAI is an inter-governmental organization supported by 19
countries in the Americas dedicated to understanding global
environmental change in the region. The Institute pursues the
principles of scientific excellence, international cooperation, and
the full and open exchange of scientific information relevant to
global change. The IAI mission is to develop the capacity to
understand the integrated impact of present and future global changes
on regional and continental environments in the Americas and to
promote collaborative research and informed action at all levels.
Internship Objectives:
To augment capacity building in global change research and to
foster partnership and multinational collaboration with Latin
American scientists. The internship program provides an opportunity
for Masters, PhDs and young scientists to continue to pursue their
research interest in global change and related sciences and to apply
their training to research.
Internship Positions:
One time internship positions of 6 months duration to be
developed at CPTEC in Cachoeira Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil.
Internships must be related to the following science themes of global
environmental change and must look at ways to promote multinational
collaboration among Latin American countries.
Understanding Climate Change and Variability in the Americas:
Tropical Atlantic Variability (TAV), El Niño-Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) and other forms of low-frequency climate variability.
Ocean variability, including sudden climate change, and its
influence on climate and weather of the surrounding continents.
Variability of the American Monsoon systems.
Ocean/Land/Atmosphere interactions and Hydrology, including
atmospheric mesoscale processes.
Global and regional changes in the water cycle.
Aerosol impact on climate change and variability.
Climate change at regional scales: scenarios, impacts,
vulnerability and adaptation.
Climate changes in the past.
Development of the Americas component for a Global Observing
System for climate.
Internships can be developed as a component of a Masters or a PhD
program (sandwich type).
Interns will have an appointed CPTEC adviser. CPTEC and IAI
expect to develop collaboration with individuals and their home
institutions based on the research developed during the internship
program.
Stipends and benefits:
A stipend of R$ 2000,00 /month during the 6 months of the
internship and low cost accommodation;
Travel support (round-trip airfare, travel insurance, visa fees,
vaccines);
Expert mentorship and the use of CPTEC research facilities
(computer time, office facilities, etc);
A notebook to provide access to CPTEC network and that interns
can take home after the internship program to continue developing
their research work.
Application requirements:
To have (or to be enrolled in) a Masters or PhD degree;
To be a citizen or permanent resident of an IAI member country in
Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela);
To have the consent of their direct supervisor, employer or
thesis adviser.
Application documents:
Curriculum Vitae;
2 letters of reference;
1 essay (3-5 pages maximum) describing research areas and
internship proposal to be developed at CPTEC;
Letter of agreement from supervisor/employer or academic advisor.
Applications may be submitted in English or Spanish.
Application deadline:
Applications and references must be submitted on line at the IAI
Website: http://www.iai.int/TrainingOpportunities by no later than
June 16, 2006. All applications will be reviewed by IAI and CPTEC.
Results of selection process will be announced by July 31st, 2006.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Internships are supposed to start in second semester of 2006 and
in 2007.
For further information about the IAI, please visit the website
www.iai.int
For further information about CPTEC, please visit the website
www.cptec.inpe.br
********************
Earth Science, Logistics, and Outreach Terrainbases (EarthSLOT)– 1st
Annual Virtual Globes Scientific Users Converence
As virtual globes, such as Google Earth, are becoming increasingly
important, NSIDC is supporting the First Annual Virtual Globes
Scientific Users Conference in Boulder, Colorado, on 10-12 July 2006.
For more information and to register, please see: http://
www.earthslot.org/vgconference/index.php
If you have any questions, please contact NSIDC at nsidc at nsidc.org.
********************
Meeting Announcement - Shelf-Basin Exchange at the Margins of the
Arctic: IPY and Beyond
4th Shelf-Basin Interactions Pan-Arctic Meeting
26-29 September 2006 - Sopot, Poland
For further information, please contact:
Jackie Grebmeier, Director
SBI Project Office
E-mail: jgrebmei at utk.edu
The U.S. Western Arctic Shelf-Basin Interactions (SBI) Project
Office and the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of
Sciences (IOPAS) are pleased to co-sponsor the 4th Shelf-Basin
Interactions Pan-Arctic Meeting to be held in Sopot, Poland, on 26-29
September 2006. The meeting will be held at the Hotel Haffner with
special events at the nearby IOPAS facility.
The goal of the SBI Pan-Arctic meetings is to encourage open
discussion of arctic science in a forum that will foster
international collaboration on topics relevant "to providing a clear
understanding of the physical and biogeochemical connections between
the arctic shelves, slopes, and deep basin. That understanding will
in turn allow realistic assessment both of the potential responses of
the arctic system to global change, and of the role of these
interactive processes on the global system" (SBI Science Plan, 1998;
http://sbi.utk.edu).
The challenge to the 2006 meeting participants is to evaluate and
coordinate developing circum-arctic studies of Shelf-Basin Exchange
(SBE) for both the upcoming International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008
and development of longer-term collaborative international efforts as
planned under the umbrella of the International Study of Arctic
Change (ISAC), Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH), and the
International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP) II
Working Group 5 (Arctic margins and gateways) science plan. To this
end, the 4th SBI Pan-Arctic Meeting will focus on two sub-themes:
1. Evaluation of ongoing and planned circum-arctic shelf-basin
exchange and boundary current studies as part of the "ARCTIC
SNAPSHOT" approach developed for the IPY (see http://sbi.utk.edu/
InternationalPolarYear.htm), and
2. Coordination of short-term SBE IPY implementation planning
activities with proposed longer-term efforts to better evaluate pan-
arctic margin and gateways dynamics and environmental change ( see
http://www.iasc.se/).
The meeting format will include 10-15 invited plenary speakers
and 30-35 additional participants to a maximum of 50 participants.
There is a $100 USD (or EURO equivalent) registration fee to cover
coffee breaks, lunches, and partial meeting expenses. Limited
financial support may be available for young and/or emerging scientists.
For further information (meeting registration form, hotel
information), please visit the meeting website at: http://sbi.utk.edu/
meetingsites.htm
********************
Training Opportunity - IAI-NCAR Colloquium - “Policy planning and
Decision making involving Climate Change and Variability”
IAI-NCAR Colloquium. IAI and NCAR are pleased to announce their
joint Colloquium on “Policy planning and Decision making involving
Climate Change and Variability” (Sept. 11 – 22, 2006, National
Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder, Colorado USA). Applications
due July 10, 2006.
For more information, visit http://www.iai.int/files/
opportunities/iai/FinalAnnouncement_NCAR.pdf to visualize the
announcement
***************************************************
Jobs
Planktonnet: Great listserv for aquatic-science jobs
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Director of Climate Change Science, The Nature Conservancy, any
large TNC office.
JOB TITLE: Director Of Climate Change Science
JOB FAMILY: Applied Scientists
JOB NUMBER: 6027
FLSA STATUS: Exempt
RELATED JOB TITLES: Director, Research Program
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Director of Climate Change Science provides technical and
scientific leadership on climate change science and conservation
strategies. They are charged with incorporating science-based
assessments of climate-change impacts into all aspects of/
Conservation by Design./ She/he reports to the Director of the Global
Climate Change Initiative and advises senior management on complex
aspects of this broad and important program. The work encompasses the
following functions:
Lead a team that assesses risks and vulnerabilities of
conservation targets to climate change at global, regional, and local
scales.
Develop strategies for mitigating threats and facilitating
adaptation to change, and communicate tools to TNC management and
staff, to the global conservation community, TNC policy staff, and
other decision makers.
Lead development of a network of sites that will demonstrate
field-based climate-adaptation strategies, serve as sentinels of
climate-change effects, export best practices to other sites and
programs, reinforce climate policy goals, and catalyze marketing and
fundraising.
Work across global boundaries and collaborate with scientists/
science community around the world to enhance conservation practices
and establish TNC as a global leader in the integration of climate
change science into conservation.
With the support of a team, identify and secure public and
private funding for climate change science work at TNC.
Conduct original research; publish findings in scientific
journals to add to the body of conservation science knowledge and
support TNC conservation goals.
Strengthen use of science within TNC by ensuring that climate
change science is integral to conservation planning from the outset,
and considered as a component before pursuing large organizational
strategies.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
Master's degree in science-related field and 5-7 years experience
or PhD and 3-5 years related experience
Expert knowledge of current and evolving trends in relevant
discipline(s) and regions
Experience conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives.
Knowledge of advanced techniques to modify practices in area of
expertise
Advanced knowledge of species, natural communities, ecosystems,
ecosystem processes, and their conservation needs
Working knowledge of common software applications (e.g. Word,
Excel, Web browsers) and ability to use provided computer technology
to enhance the quality of work
Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in
English and other relevant languages
Successful experience in fundraising
Peer-reviewed publication record
COMPLEXITY/PROBLEM SOLVING:
As an individual researcher or specialist, creates and/or
improves techniques and procedures for complex projects independently
Directs major program of strategic importance to the Conservancy
through management of multi-disciplinary teams.
Diagnose complex problems and identify create solutions.
Cultivate the creative ideas of others to identify potential
solutions to complex and less-defined problems. Experiment to find
creative solutions - thinks out of the box.
Designs, implements, and directs complex and diverse projects,
encompassing multiple programs and coordinating the work of other
professionals inside and outside the organization. Incorporates cross-
disciplinary knowledge to support program objectives.
DISCRETION/LATITUDE/DECISION-MAKING:
Maximum opportunity to act independently.
Decisions may bind the organization financially or legally.
Work checked through consultation and agreement with others
rather than by directives of superiors.
RESPONSIBILITY/OVERSIGHT - FINANCIAL & SUPERVISORY:
Manage multi-disciplinary administrative and professional staff,
with responsibility for performance management, training and career
development. Establish clear directions and set stretch objectives.
In supervisory capacity, plans, organizes, and directs assigned
project programs. Supervises project staff of 2-5 Applied Scientists
I-III and Science Technicians I-II
Responsible for operating within budget guidelines to ensure
sound financial performance. Develop and administer departmental
budget and has authority to modify budget based on changing
circumstances.
Establish and maintain optimal standards of performance for the
department or program while controlling costs and administering budgets.
Responsible for ensuring that public and private funds are raised
to meet program needs.
COMMUNICATIONS/INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS:
Acts as a technical liaison to individuals within and outside TNC
with responsibility to act indendepently regarding technical matters
pertaining to his/her field
Ability to establish excellent working relationships with outside
partners, state/local/federal agencies, land managers, private
landowners and the academic community.
Leverages constructive and effective relationships inside and
outside TNC
Work effectively in high-tension situations and maintain
composure under pressure. Diffuses high-tension situations comfortably
Work and communicate effectively with a diverse group of people,
including scientists, preserve staff, and others, providing and
obtaining needed information
Collaborates with a wide range of conservation partners to
identify research needs, present technical concepts at national or
international conferences, and support fieldwork
Provides training for internal and external colleagues on
ecological and conservational scientific principles
Ability to simplify and explain complex scientific data to
general audiences
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:
The Director of Climate Change Science may work in variable
weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous
terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances. These
conditions may:
require physical exertion and/or muscular strain
present possibility of injury
require long hours in isolated settings
LOCATION:
The location of the position is negotiable, but ideally will be
in a TNC office of significant size. Strong relationships with
leading universities or other climate change research institutions
are encouraged. Location of the position may be influenced by this
consideration.
Please send CV and cover letter to:
Selma Garrido (sgarrido at tnc.org)
(703)841-7436
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer
********************
Academic Coordinator, Institute of the Environment. University of
California at Los Angeles.
The Institute of the Environment at The University of California
at Los Angeles is accepting applications from qualified applicants
for the newly-created position of Academic Coordinator. This position
plays a central role in planning and execution of the Institute's new
undergraduate major in Environmental Science, as well as in
environmental research, policy development and public outreach. This
individual will be heavily involved with curriculum design, program
coordination and promotion, establishment of student advising
services, faculty and departmental coordination. The Academic
Coordinator is the Institute liaison with campus departments, the
College of Letters and Science, and the Academic Senate regarding the
Interdepartmental Degree Program (IDP) in Environmental Science. The
Coordinator will work collaboratively with a wide range of UCLA
administrators, faculty, staff and students to assure effective
strategic planning and execution among all concerned parties.
Opportunities exist for teaching and engagement in personal research.
Candidates should possess a Ph.D. degree with an emphasis in
ecology and have knowledge and experience in the pedagogical issues
related to interdisciplinary education, preferably in the
Environmental Science area. Also required is a proven record of
achievement, including teaching, research experience and obtaining
funding through the competitive grant process.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA or University) is
an equal employment opportunity employer.
How to Apply:
Applications will be accepted through June 23, 2006. Interested
candidates may submit an application including cover letter,
Curriculum Vitae, and the names and contact information for three
references to: Ms. Bonnie Barclay, Assistant to the Director,
Institute of the Environment, University of California at Los
Angeles, P.O. Box 951496, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Los Angeles,
California 90095-1496. Electronic applications may be submitted to:_
bbarclay at ioe.ucla.edu_. No phone calls will be accepted.
********************
Assistant Professor in Political Science - The Donald Bren School of
Environmental Science & Management - University of California, Santa
Barbara, California
The Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
(www.bren.ucsb.edu) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant
Professor position, to start July 1, 2007. Applicants should possess
a PhD or have completed all requirements for the degree by the time
of appointment. Although the initial appointment will be without
tenure, we encourage candidates who are currently assistant
professors to apply.
We seek a scientist who is committed to research and teaching
that brings the models, methods, and data of political science to
bear on human-environment relations. The successful candidate will
become a major player in the Bren School's research cluster on
Governance for Sustainable Development and take an interest in
collaborating with colleagues working in the areas of Environmental
Economics and Corporate Environmental Management. Strong preference
will be given to candidates whose existing or emerging research
program engages with one or both of the School's research clusters
dealing with the Sustainable Management of Water Resources and
Ecological Sustainability. The successful candidate will have
demonstrated skill in identifying and using methods suitable for the
study of problems arising from human/environment interactions and is
likely to have a high level of competence in statistical and
quantitative methods.
The Bren School is a graduate school providing rigorous, multi-
disciplinary training in environmental science and management to
Master's and PhD students. The faculty is drawn from the natural
sciences, social sciences and management. Although this appointment
will be wholly within the Bren School, a 0% affiliation with the
Political Science Department is possible.
Send applications to: Political Science Search Committee, Donald
Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of
California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131; e-mail
polisci at bren.ucsb.edu; fax (805) 893-7612. Applications must include
a curriculum vitae, names of three references, a statement of
research interests and teaching experience, and copies of up to three
publications or research papers. Applicants should arrange to have
three letters of reference sent directly to the Search Committee.
For fullest consideration, all materials should be received no later
than September 1, 2006, although the position will remain open until
filled.
We encourage applicants who would like to discuss the position at
the 2006 APSA Conference to contact Professor Lorelei Moosbrugger
(moosbrugger at polsci.ucsb.edu) before August 1st to arrange for a
meeting.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative
Action Employer. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply,
including minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. The
school is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to
the diversity and excellence of the academic community through
research, teaching and service.
********************
Marine Resource Management Instructor needed for Fall Semester 2006
- Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) seeks an
Instructor for a Study Abroad Program in Bonaire, Netherlands
Antilles. The program offers students a comprehensive semester abroad
including four undergraduate courses and independent research. The
position is a semester-long appointment. Responsibilities include:
teaching Marine Resource Management, directing student research
projects, participation in scientific and cultural excursions,
providing diving support for the Coral Reef Ecology and Fundamentals
of Scientific Diving courses and participating in center activities
such as weekly cookouts. The course description can be found using
the following link: http://ciee.org/program_search/
program_detail.aspx?page=2&sec=1&program_id=1739&type=part.
Qualifications: PhD preferred (ABDs are welcome to apply),
scientific dive experience with a minimum of 50 dives, teaching
experience, and a commitment to undergraduate field education. A
stipend, travel expenses, housing and most meals are provided. Send
CV, teaching philosophy statement and cover letter to rpeachey at ciee.org.
CIEE is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated
to helping people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop
skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse
world.
********************
Research Position: Analytical Chemist - Ohio State University (USA)
The Ice Core Paleoclimatology Group at The Ohio State University
(OSU) is seeking a scientist to join our research team and take
responsibility for analyzing major, minor and trace chemical species
in ice cores collected from polar and low-latitude ice fields. The
group's goal is to reconstruct past atmospheric and climatic
conditions with particular emphasis on volcanic history, biomass
burning, and trace metal fluxes. Tasks include preparing samples
under cold room and clean room conditions and conducting anion and
cation analyses from ppm to ppt levels. Ion chromatography experience
is essential. Other duties will include assisting graduate students
in the laboratory on occasion, working with ice core group members on
the interpretation of the chemical data, and preparing scientific
manuscripts for publication, The potential exists for additional
methods development that supports of the objectives of OSU's ice core
paleoclimate reconstruction program.
Qualifications: Ph.D. in environmental chemistry, analytical
chemistry or geochemistry is preferred, but an M.S. degree with at
least three years of experience with ion chromatography may also be
acceptable. The successful candidate should have a demonstrated
ability and interest in contributing to scientific inquiry. To apply
for this position please send your letter of interest and curriculum
vitae to: Dr. Lonnie Thompson & Dr. Ellen Mosley-Thompson at The Ohio
State University, Byrd Polar Research Center, 108 Scott Hall, 1090
Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210.
********************
Post-Doc In Meso-Scale Air Quality Modeling - Western Kentucky
University (USA)
Western Kentucky University, Department of Geography and Geology
is seeking applicants for a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in
applications of meso-scale model in air quality simulation. This
position is funded by the USDA. The position is available August 1,
2006 and expected to continue for several years pending budgetary
approval and satisfactory performance evaluations.
Responsibilities:
Conducting research and writing papers for peer-reviewed journals.
Qualifications:
Must have a Doctoral Degree in Atmospheric Science, Science, Air
Pollution Meteorology, Agricultural Meteorology, Geography, or in
other related fields.
Must have strong oral and written communication skills.
Strong background in the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System
(RAMS) is preferred.
Strong background in MM5, Eta, or other meso-scale models will
also be considered.
Additional background in emission transport simulation will be a
plus.
Must be able to move computers, connect computers with relevant
accessories and upload software.
Must be able to think creatively and perform research duties.
Be able to couple a meso-scale model with other emission models.
Expected Salary Range: $35,000 - $39,000 annually.
Applications for employment will be accepted electronically only.
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter with statement of
professional goals, and up-to-date CV including list of publications,
and names, addresses and daytime phone numbers of three professional
references. Please refer to the following website to apply: http://
acsweb1.wku.edu/wkujobs. For further assistance please call (270)
745-5934. Please reference requisition number S1224.
Additional questions can be forwarded to Dr. Rezaul Mahmood [e-
mail: rezaul.mahmood at wku.edu; phone# (270) 745-5979]. To ensure full
consideration please submit application materials by July 15, 2006.
Position will remain open until filled.
All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply including
women, minorities, persons with disabilities and disabled veterans.
Western Kentucky University is an Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity Employer.
********************
Job Opportunity for Climate Researcher - PartnerRe New Solutions Inc
I am responsible for the weather risk management unit of
PartnerRe, a leading international reinsurer. We are seeking to
expand our quantitative capabilities in the weather unit and are
searching for individuals for our climate research team. Our unit
underwrites weather risks around the world. Our clients include
energy companies, agribusinesses, construction companies, wind farms
and emerging market governments exposed to drought, excessive
precipitation, adverse temperatures, low annual wind speeds and
windstorms. The focus of our underwriting is to understand the
physical forcing mechanisms behind the historical outcomes of climate
with an ultimate objective of quantifying the distribution of
outcomes of a given weather peril. As such, we prefer researchers
with experience in the study of climatology over meteorologists with
an emphasis on forecasting.
The ideal candidate would have an advanced degree, strong
knowledge of the physical processes behind seasonal and extreme
weather outcomes in temperature, precipitation and wind, an excellent
background in weather time series analysis, experience in testing for
non-stationarity in weather time series, good programming skills, a
top performer and have a commercial mindset.
I would appreciate any recommendations you might be able to
make. My contact details are below. Thank you!
Brian Tobben, Vice President, Weather
PartnerRe New Solutions Inc.
One Greenwich Plaza, 4th Floor
Greenwich, CT 06830
phone: +1-203-485-4626
fax: +1-203-485-4627
mobile: +1-203-952-7759
email: brian.tobben at partnerre.com
web: http://www.partnerre.com
********************
Earth System Modeling Support Position
The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has an opening for a
Physical or Earth Scientist (Master's level or above is desired, at
least a Bachelor's is required) to provide computational and
scientific support for the development and use of GFDL's Earth System
Model (ESM). The starting salary will be between $38,378 and $67,202,
depending on education level and experience. This is a government
vacancy in the ZP Career Path and the 1301 Occupational Series. It
will be filled at Pay Band Two, the equivalent of government grades
GS-7-to GS-10, with known promotion potential to Pay Band Four, the
equivalent of government grades GS-13 to GS-14. The goal of the work
is to develop and use computer models that improve our understanding
of natural climate, biogeochemical and ecological variability and
anthropogenic interactions. The incumbent will serve in GFDL's
Biospheric Processes Group as a member of a team responsible for the
ongoing software support for the development, testing, and use of
such models, including the coupling of various component sub-models
(e.g., atmosphere, ocean, land, cryosphere, and biosphere) into an
integrated ESM. The incumbent will perform and analyze model
integrations to assess model suitability for scientific research and
climate and Earth System product generation. The incumbent will have
the opportunity to conduct research leading to the publication of
scientific papers and participate in the design and construction of
software for the efficient processing of model output for scientific
analysis and public dissemination. Desired areas of experience
include: background in one or more of the geosciences fields
including atmospheric and/or oceanic sciences, geology or applied
mathematics; diagnostic analysis, preferably using both model and
observational data; strong computational skills, preferably with
UNIX, Fortran 90, and parallel computer architectures; numerical
modeling, preferably using atmospheric and/or oceanic general
circulation models; ability to work in a team setting; good
communication skill. This is a full time permanent position, U.S.
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, located in Princeton, New
Jersey. It includes paid sick leave, vacation, health insurance, and
retirement. The Department of Commerce is an equal opportunity
employer and does not condone or tolerate discrimination based on
race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, physical or
mental disability, or sexual orientation. For more information and to
apply visit: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=44256293.
********************
Postdoctoral Research Positions Available in Science, Technology and
Society
- University of Texas at Austin
The Science, Technology & Society Program at the University of
Texas at Austin is pleased to announce two positions for postdoctoral
research in its growing program in societal impacts of science and
technology. The successful applicants will conduct research on some
aspect of the societal impacts of science and technology. As
postdoctoral fellows they will teach one seminar course per semester
and will work with faculty and graduate students in activities
designed to foster the understanding of social impacts of science and
technology. Major focus areas can include: impacts of nanoscience,
biotechnology, emerging communication technologies, digital gaming,
the environment, as well as other areas. Fellows will be expected to
participate in the STS Program's educational and outreach activities.
The University of Texas at Austin provides many opportunities for
collaboration, with leading programs in public policy, business,
engineering, the sciences, law, and liberal arts.
Applicants should be recent recipients of a PhD degree; areas of
specialization and disciplinary approach open. The positions are 12-
month positions with a flexible starting date. Salary $35,000, plus
benefits. Postdocs are expected to be in residence in Austin,Texas
for the time of the fellowship.
Please send a detailed cover letter, CV, and 1-page proposal for
research work during the postdoc period to Professor Elizabeth
Keating, Director, Science, Technology & Society Program at:
ekeating at mail.utexas.edu
Applications received by July 1 will be given first consideration.
For further information about the program, please see the website of
the STS program
www.sts.utexas.edu
**************************************************
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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