Geotimes

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What's in the print version of Geotimes this month ...
June 2004
vol. 49, no. 6

FEATURES

22 Petra: An Eroding Ancient City
Petra in southern Jordan is a testament to human ingenuity in managing water. But since the city's demise about 1,700 years ago, weathering has threatened the stability of this cultural icon.
Naomi Lubick
Plus: Preserving an Afghan landmark

28 Revisiting the Fall of the Old Man of the Mountain
In May 2003, New Hampshire's Old Man of the Mountain fell to its end, a victim of erosion. A year later, the state is still debating how to commemorate the structure.
David R. Wunsch and Brian Fowler

34 Memorials in Stone
In the 20th century, granite outcrops became an important medium for honoring people in U.S. history.
Geotimes Staff

NEWS & VIEWS
7 COMMENT
Space Exploration and Development: Why Humans?
Exploration of the Moon, planets and beyond should use the best combination of human and robotic techniques.
Harrison H. Schmitt

8 NEWS NOTES
Reworking the Cambrian explosion * Super-size quake * Tapping methane hydrates in the Gulf * Closing the dating gap * Making El Niño predictions * Why the wobble? * Shifting compass points * Early volcanic living * Big impact for a small Moon mineral

17 POLITICAL SCENE
Science Funding Left Behind
Funding of science programs in U.S. public schools may get short shrift with the new federal budget.
Emily Lehr Wallace

18 GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Touching the Stars
Geoscientists are using innovative approaches to teaching their subject matter to visually impaired students.
Naomi Lubick

42 GEOPHENOMENA
9/11 clears skies for climate studies * Dangerous dust storms on the rise

44 TECHNOLOGY
An Infrasound Renaissance
Measuring low-frequency sounds around the world can fuel research in everything from monitoring volcanic ash plumes to identifying the best waves for surfing.
Megan Sever

46 PROFILES
Larry Funkhouser: The “Midwestern” oil explorer

48 ENERGY & RESOURCES
At the pump, Part II * Mineral of the Month: Copper

50 GEOMEDIA
The Climate Waltz: A review of The Long Summer: How Climate Changed Civilization
New science museum in the nation’s capital
New maps from the U.S. Geological Survey
On the Web

52 GEOLOGIC COLUMN
Geologic Risk Assessment: Alan Greenspan or Pete Rose?
Managing geologic risks must go beyond simple cost-benefit analysis.
Fred Schwab

 DEPARTMENTS

 4 From the Editor
 6 Letters: Perspectives from readers
40 Where on Earth?
47 Benchmarks: Looking back in Geotimes
55 GeoMarketplace
56 Classified Ads: Career Opportunities
59 Contributors Page

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