Snow cover surveys in Alaska from ERTS-1 data

September and October ERTS scenes have been analyzed to delineate snow cover patterns in northern Alaska's Brooks Range and on Mt. Wrangell, and active volcano in South Central Alaska. ERTS images demonstrate that the snow on the northern foothills of the Brooks Range are significantly more affected by katabatic wind action than are the southern foothills. Aufeis deposits along arctic rivers also can be identified in late summer. A survey of such aufeis deposits could identify additional summertime sources of fresh water supplies. Images of Mt. Wrangell permit monitoring of the interaction between volcanic heat and the mass balance of glaciers that exist on active volcanoes. Temporal changes in the areas of bare rock on the rim of the caldera on the summit reveal significant melting of new snow from an extensive storm on August 18. Digital analysis of data from subsequent passes over the summit on September 7, 23 and 24 revealed considerable bare rock exposed by melting, which is virtually impossible from solar heating at this altitude and date

Induced Innovation or a Paradox of Environmental Regulation?

In a seeming paradox, bluegrass seed production in the State of Washington increased following imposition of a statewide ban on stubble burning in 1996. Despite forecasts that alternative production practices would increase the cost of producing bluegrass seed so much that the industry would be driven from the state, production in the years 1997-2003 was higher than in any seven-year period in recorded history. This study seeks to explain why this occurred. Several hypotheses are put forward and systematically tested. The final hypothesis, induced innovation, cannot be formally tested because of data limitations, but it is examined by an assessment of innovations that occurred contemporaneously with the ban and by corroborative statistical evidence. The evidence is consistent with this hypothesis as a plausible explanation.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Teen Voice 2009: The Untapped Strengths of 15-Year-Olds

Based on a survey, explores how interests that give teenagers purpose, engagement with civic and social issues, and relationships and opportunities that encourage and guide them can shape their choices and potential. Recommends actions to support teens

Glaciological and volcanological studies in the Wrangell Mountains, Alaska

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Applications of ERTS-1 imagery to agricultural resource evaluation

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

The dust coma of Comet Austin (1989c1)

Thermal-infrared (10 and 20 micron) images of Comet Austin were obtained on UT 30.6 Apr., 1.8, 2.8, and 3.6 May 1990. The NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center 20 pixel bolometer array at the NASA 3 meter Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii was used. The 10.8 micron (FWHM = 5.3 microns) maps were obtained with maximum dimensions of 113 arcsec (57,500 km) in RA and 45 arcsec (23,000 km) in declination, with a pixel size of 4.2 x 4.2 arcsec. A smaller, 45 x 18 arcsec, map was obtained in the 19.2 micron (FWHM = 5.2 microns) bandpass. At the time of these observations Comet Austin's heliocentric and geocentric distances were 0.7 and 0.5 AU respectively. The peak flux density (within the brightest pixel) was 23 + or - 2 Janskys for the first three dates and only marginally lower the last day; i.e., within the observational uncertainties no evidence was found for day-to-day variability like that observed in Comet Halley. A dynamical analysis of the morphology of the extended dust emission is used to constrain the size distribution and production rate of the dust particles. The results of this analysis are compared with similar studies carried out on comets P/Giacobini-Zinner, P/Brorsen-Metcalf, P/Halley, P/Tempel 2, and Wilson (1987)