With 2004
now half over, Geotimes is taking stock of what the big ideas and activities
have been in all corners of the geosciences over the past twelve months. Almost
40 stories strong, this year’s Highlights issue includes more disciplines
than ever. Some stories cover new disciplines, while others pick up where they
left off last year. We hope that the diversity of topics will provide a reasonable
snapshot of the current research trends in the earth sciences.
Not surprisingly, Mars has captured both the imagination of the public and the
mindset of much of the geosciences. Our Highlights authors bring the reality
of martian field geology closer to home, with the red planet rising as a topic
in both the predictable arenas — meteorites and planetary geology —
and in some unexpected fields — geomorphology and economic geology. And
so it was fitting that we featured the launch of one of the twin martian rovers,
Spirit, on this year’s Highlights cover. Their successful launch and the
wealth of information they are returning to us on Earth arguably represent the
biggest earth science story of the year.
If you are itching for more details and information after reading this issue,
check out Geotimes online, www.geotimes.org. As has been a tradition for the
past two years, we are providing expanded coverage of the Highlights stories
on our Web site, including additional information on a number of the topics
covered and additional stories for which, regretfully, we could not find space
in the print issue.
Just because this is the Highlights issue does not mean that we are not covering
the latest news about our planet. As always, you can read the latest happenings
in the News Notes section, ranging from a report on homeland security and geospatial
data to the potential impact of piping natural gas through Caribbean reefs.
Also, be sure to read our new Trends column, which we added to our lineup in
May: This month, Staff Writer Megan Sever takes a look at changes in the field
of synthetic diamond making, both for the gem and technological industries.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2004, we believe you will find an exciting variety
of themes and stories. August promises to be a fun issue on geology and wine,
which we hope will suit the mood of those taking late summer vacations. September
is lining up with a hard look at the state of the geosciences in university-level
education, including a comparison of how different countries structure their
systems. And something that we are sure most of our U.S. readers will look forward
to with great interest is our planned October issue, which will have a strong
focus on the upcoming U.S. elections and how the geosciences stand to be affected
not only by the presidential race, but also by the myriad other political contests
that will be playing out across the country. Later this year will also bring
coverage of energy issues and a special 360-degree focus on the topic of methane
hydrates.
We hope you enjoy this month’s Highlights issue, and, as always, we enjoy
hearing from you, our readers.
| Christopher M. Keane Geotimes Editor |
Lisa M. Pinsker Geotimes Managing Editor |
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