Geotimes - May 2007

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The Plague: Could It Happen Again?
Plague ravaged Europe for nearly 500 years, brought about by climate change and the expansion of global travel. Given the extent of globalization today and the fact that the climate is changing, health officials and the public wonder if there is a risk of history repeating itself.
Megan Sever

Geologists Weigh in on Diet and Disease
Geoscientists are contributing to medical research, using the integrative systems-based approaches pervasive in earth science. One such approach applies stable isotope geochemistry to questions of blood sugar regulation within the human body.
Hope Jahren

On the Path of Bird Flu
To try to track the spread of avian flu and avoid a pandemic like the flu of 1918, geoscientists are using satellites and other new techniques to track the global migration of birds.
Kathryn Hansen

webnews

Chipping away at Kilauea posted 05/25/2007
Travels in Geology: Drangey Island posted 05/18/2007
IPCC says mitigation is affordable posted 05/04/2007
Sun cycle to flare back up in 2008 posted 04/30/2007
Travels in Geology: Guilin, China posted 04/20/2007
T. rex tissue yields proteins posted 04/16/2007
IPCC warns of climate change impacts posted 04/06/2007
Quake and tsunami devastate Solomons posted 04/02/2007
OneGeology: A site for all posted 03/28/2007
Travels in Geology: Joshua Tree Nat'l Park posted 03/20/2007
Peru's ancient solar observatory posted 03/13/2007
Deadly quake shakes Sumatra posted 03/06/2007

More WebExtras >>>
More Travels in Geology >>>

Kenyan erosion portends problems
“Clovis first” in doubt
Geology department to close at SUNY-Albany
Martian pole boasts icy detail
Peru's ancient solar observatory
Yellowstone fires leave microbes nitrogen-hungry
Birds evolve small genomes pre-flight
Deep Earth may hold an ocean
Lava cooks up carbon nanotubes
Slow earthquakes, tiny tremors

Available exclusively in print...
Volcanic eruptions spark dirty thunderstorms
A new eye on hurricanes
Supreme Court rules in landmark climate case
Alabamans await new gas
Mineral Resource of the Month: Phosphate Rock

departments DOWN TO EARTH WITH...
Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

GEOMEDIA
DVDs: Geo Families: A Tie That Binds
TV: A twisted vision of geology: Saul of the Mole Men
On the Web: Geologists create global Web site

GEOLOGIC HISTORY
May 10, 1978: Hurricanes named after men too Print Exclusive

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS
Geothermal Energy Still Hot Print Exclusive
Although geothermal energy is the latest victim in the federal budget squeeze, proponents want to remind everyone that the resource is still there, just needing to be developed — and the energy potential is significant.
Carolyn Gramling

EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Engineering a Lunar Challenge
In April, high school and college students from around the world descended on Huntsville, Ala., to participate in NASA’s annual Great Moonbuggy Race.
Cassandra Willyard

views A COMMENT ON ...
Volcanoes in a Changing Global Climate
Volcanologists need to stay involved in discussions about climate change, as volcanic eruptions can certainly impact the climate and people around them.
Jessica F. Larsen

A POLITICAL COMMENT ON...
Proposals to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the 110th Congress
Climate change discussion in Congress has included wide-ranging proposals, but just what will pass remains a key question.
Josh Trapani

GEOLOGIC COLUMN
The Beginning of the Trek
People who live near the Appalachian Trail often take it for granted — they can jump on anytime and hike for as long or short a trek as they’d like. For those who live near the trailhead, however, getting on the trail is a journey in itself.
Lisa Rossbacher

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cover

ON THE COVER
Bones of monks and plague victims in chapel cellar of Ossuary in Sedlec cloister. Researchers are now linking climate change to plague outbreaks both in the past and possibly in the future. Read more in this issue. Photo is copyright of Martin Moos/Lonely Planet Images.

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