Speleothem Paleoclimatology for the Caribbean, Central America, and North America

Speleothem oxygen isotope records from the Caribbean, Central, and North America reveal climatic controls that include orbital variation, deglacial forcing related to ocean circulation and ice sheet retreat, and the influence of local and remote sea surface temperature variations. Here, we review these records and the global climate teleconnections they suggest following the recent publication of the Speleothem Isotopes Synthesis and Analysis (SISAL) database. We find that low-latitude records generally reflect changes in precipitation, whereas higher latitude records are sensitive to temperature and moisture source variability. Tropical records suggest precipitation variability is forced by orbital precession and North Atlantic Ocean circulation driven changes in atmospheric convection on long timescales, and tropical sea surface temperature variations on short timescales. On millennial timescales, precipitation seasonality in southwestern North America is related to North Atlantic climate variability. Great Basin speleothem records are closely linked with changes in Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. Although speleothems have revealed these critical global climate teleconnections, the paucity of continuous records precludes our ability to investigate climate drivers from the whole of Central and North America for the Pleistocene through modern. This underscores the need to improve spatial and temporal coverage of speleothem records across this climatically variable region

Spartan Daily, April 12, 2016

Volume 146, Issue 28https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2016/1026/thumbnail.jp

Spartan Daily, April 12, 2016

Volume 146, Issue 28https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2016/1026/thumbnail.jp

Classification and Protection Status of Remnant Natural Plant Communities in Arkansas

A classification and inventory of Arkansas\u27s remaining tracts of relatively undisturbed vegetation was initiated in 1979. Based on extensive literature surveys and field work, the classification includes five physiognomic classes, 17 cover classes, and 46 cover types, arranged hierarchically. High quality examples of ten of the cover types have been located in designated wilderness or state natural areas, where they are protected by law, while an additional three occur in research natural areas or Forest Service special interest areas. The remaining 33 cover types have no known long-term protection. Lands having wilderness, state natural area, research natural area, or special management area status total nearly 51,000 acres in the state. No more than one-tenth of this area, however, supports vegetation in relatively undisturbed condition

Risks and opportunities in adolescence: Understanding adolescent mental health difficulties

Widespread concerns about adolescent mental health difficulties have generated intense debate and resulted in adolescence being high on the policy agenda. Recent government investments aim to ameliorate widely criticised services for adolescence, and redress the negative images of young people. In order to explore the current state of knowledge regarding adolescent mental health, and relate this knowledge to practice, this paper explores three key questions: are adolescent mental health problems increasing, are adolescents dislocated by new and different contexts, and what are the levels of mental health difficulties in adolescence? The paper suggests that evidence that adolescents are 'getting worse' is not convincing, but it is clear that the contexts for adolescence have changed radically and this affects adolescent developmental processes. Adolescent mental health difficulties require a current, developmentally relevant and oriented approach to enhance effective understanding and intervention. Adults in general and professionals in particular need to be able to engage with and not take flight from the impact of adolescent emotionality

Kickshaws

A collection of linguistic kickshaws