This is a long message! It contains new and revised information and replaces Media Advisory 2 (AGU Press Release 99-36) of November 19, which may be discarded. Please print this advisory and take it with you, if you are attending Fall Meeting.
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Contents:
I. Press Conferences
II. Events of Interest to the Media
III. Abstracts Sent
IV. Press Room Phones [415-905-1007]
V. Note to Public Information Officers on Press Releases
********** Note: This advisory supplements Media Advisory 1 (AGU Press Release 99-32) of October 14. If you do not have the earlier advisory, you should obtain it from the AGU web site: [http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/prrl/prrl9932.html]. Basic information in Advisory 1 is not repeated here, unless it has changed or is updated. It is no longer possible to preregister for the Press Room, but you may do so on site in the Press Room, 111 Moscone. Note the eligibility requirements in Media Advisory 1.
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I. Press Conferences
Below is the latest available information on press conferences. All information in this section is
subject to change, which will be posted in the Press Room at the Meeting. All press conferences are
held in the Briefing Room, 112 Moscone.
Overview
Monday, December 13, 8:00 AM.
If you have preregistered, pick up your badge and Program book (and Abstract book, if it was not sent
to you) outside Room 111. If you have not preregistered, you may do so inside Room 111. (The Press
Room opens at 7:30 AM today.) Enjoy breakfast in the Press Room, after which we will move into the
Briefing Room for a broad look at Fall Meeting. Prof. Robert Duce, chair of the Program Committee,
will point out themes, sessions and special events likely to be of interest to the media, in addition
to the press conferences.
Rapid Climate Change and the Oceans
Monday, December 13, 10:00 AM. BR>
Strong climate change has occurred rapidly in the past and will likely do so again in the future.
A key factor is apparently the dynamic effects of large ice sheets on deep ocean circulation.
Researchers consider our present "interglacial climate" to be fragile.
Panel:
Richard Peltier, Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nicholas J. Shackelton, Godwin Institute for Quartenary Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge,
United Kingdom
Wallace Smith Broecker, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York
Thomas F. Stocker, Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Berne, Berne,
Switzerland
(Sessions U12B, U21A)
The Day the Solar Wind (Almost) Disappeared
Monday, December 13, 11:00 AM.
The day was May 11 this year, and data suggest that the solar wind dropped to almost zero. This was
accompanied by a rare auroral phenomenon, in which Earth's entire polar cap, not just a ring, glowed.
The event has been described as a window to the corona's electrons.
Panel:
Keith W. Ogilvie, Project Scientist for WIND spacecraft, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,
Maryland
Jack D. Scudder, Principal Investigator for Hot Plasma Analyzer, Polar Spacecraft, University of Iowa,
Iowa City, Iowa
David L. Chenette, Principal Investigator for Polar Ionospheric X-Ray Imaging Experiment, Polar
Spacecraft, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, Palo Alto, California
(Session SM11A)
The Latest News From Mars
Monday, December 13, 12:15 PM.
Pick up lunch in the Press Room and head into the Briefing Room for a discussion of the latest
from Mars. As this advisory is sent, the fate of the Mars Polar Lander and the Deep Space 2 probe has
not been determined. We will present the latest available information at this press conference. New
Mars Global Surveyor results will also be highlighted.
Panel:
Richard Zurek, Project Scientist, Mars Polar Lander, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Suzanne Smrekar, Project Scientist, Deep Space 2 Mission, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,
California
David Paige, Principal Investigator, Mars Volatiles and Climate Surveyor (MVACS -- main science
payload of MPL), University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
David Smith, Principal Investigator, Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) experiment, Mars Global
Surveyor, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Phil Christensen, Principal Investigator, Thermal Emission Experiment (TES), Mars Global Surveyor,
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
(Sessions P12B, P21C, P22B, P31A, P32A)
The Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX)
Monday, December 13, 1:30 PM.
The Indian Ocean is a unique natural laboratory in which to observe the effects of manmade aerosols
(airborne particles) and other factors on climate. A multidisciplinary and multinational group of
scientists undertook intensive on site investigations early this year. This is the first comprehensive
public report of their findings. Noteworthy highlights include dramatic levels of manmade aerosol
and gaseous pollution emanating from the Indo-Asian land mass; high levels of soot from combustion,
causing a dark haze; aerosols extending south to the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and
across the Equator; and effects of these pollutants on current understanding of regional climate,
radiative forcing, cloud forcing, and near surface ozone levels.
Panel:
V. Ramanathan, Center for Clouds, Chemistry, and Climate, Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California
Paul J. Crutzen, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
Antony D. Clarke, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
(Sessions A21D, A22A, A31E)
Way Down Under: New Clues to Antarctica
Monday, December 13, 3:00 PM.
It is already established that Antarctica is a major factor in Earth's global climate. New tools and
technology are now providing researchers their first look at certain strange features and puzzling
behavior on the frozen continent that contribute to climate. These include icy tributaries that feed
large frozen streams that push icebergs into the sea; long, sinuous rows of snow dunes that are
subjected to fierce, constant winds, but hold their places for decades; and warped ice layers,
hundreds of meters below ice ridges, which record the history of ice streams, some dynamic and some
quite stable.
Panel:
Mark Fahnestock, glaciologist, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Robert Bindschadler, glaciologist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Nadine A. Nereson, glaciologist, Geophysics Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Kenneth C. Jezek, glaciologist, Byrd Polar Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
(Session H22G)
Solar Moss Discovered
Tuesday, 11:00 AM.
Moss discovered on the Sun! Well, not exactly, but scientists using the TRACE spacecraft have
discovered a mixture of coronal chromospheric gases at the base of the corona, and they have named
it "moss." Solar moss is anything but static, and its discovery changes our understanding of how the
base of the corona operates.
Panel:
Bart De Pontieu, Researcher, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysical Laboratory, Palo Alto, California
Tom Berger, Researcher, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysical Laboratory, Palo Alto, California
Lyndsay Fletcher, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysical Laboratory, Palo Alto, California
(Session SH12B)
Sudden Volcanic Collapses Threaten Growing Populations
Tuesday, December 14, 1:30 PM.
Stratovolcanoes are found near many highly populated areas. New findings will be reported on the risk
that they may suddenly collapse, even without an eruption, unleashing massive avalanches of rock and
mud that can devastate entire cities. Scientists are studying how to assess the risk factor for
catastrophic collapse of specific volcanoes in Japan, Latin America, Indonesia, and the United States
and are devising mitigation strategies.
Panel:
Robert J. Watters, Geological Science Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
James K. Crowley, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
Michael F. Sheridan, Geology Department, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
David R. Zimbelman, G.O. Logic, White Salmon, Washington
(Sessions V31D, V32B)
FAST: key to a new world of physics
Tuesday, December 14, 3:00 PM
The Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST) satellite has opened the door to a new world of physics with
unprecedented high time resolution measurements of energetic particles and fields in space. The
discovery of Earth's "inverse aurora," invisible upwardly accelerated electrons, provides the first
detailed picture of how the visible aurora and its companion form a giant electrical circuit. Another
FAST result is the best explanation yet on how auroras turn Earth into a powerful low frequency
radio transmitter, which also provides insight into the generation of natural radio transmissions
throughout the cosmos. FAST has also validated a controversial 50 year old hypothesis of Nobel
laureate Hans Alfvén of Sweden, concerning accelerated particles. This will be the first ever press
conference on science results from the FAST satellite.
Panel:
Dr. Charles W. Carlson, Principal Investigator, FAST Satellite, Space Sciences Laboratory,
University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California
Robert E. Ergun, Professor, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado
Robert F. Pfaff, Jr., Project Scientist, FAST Satellite, Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics,
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
(Sessions SM11C, SA32A, SM12C, others)
1999 Earthquakes in Izmit, Turkey; Taiwan; and Hector Mine, California
Wednesday, December 15, 9:00 AM.
These quakes all occurred too recently to have been included in advance planning for this meeting,
and special extra sessions were organized soon after each occurred. We will hear the latest results
from scientists who were on the scene.
Panel:
Taiwan: Kuo-Fong Ma, Institute of Geophysics, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan
Hector: Egill Hauksson, Seismology Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena,
California
Izmit: Robert Reilinger, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Digital Library to Serve Earth Science Education
Wednesday, December 15, 12:15 PM.
This initiative, unveiled at Fall Meeting, will fundamentally change the way students learn, the way
instructors teach, and researchers interact. It will provide rapid and high quality information in
digital formats on any aspect of the Earth system. The Digital Library will include new classroom-
oriented methods of searching the Internet for materials useful in instruction, new technologies
that will allow educators to create and share materials, and new mechanisms to evaluate teaching
materials.
Panel:
David Mogk, Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
Cathryn A Manduca, Keck Geology Consortium, Carleton College, Northfield, Montana
Kim A. Kastens, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York
(Session EP31A)
Early Results From New Earth Observing Satellites
Wednesday, December 15, 1:30 PM
Project scientists from NASA's Landsat 7 and QuickScat and Denmark's Oersted will discuss major
breakthroughs offered by new remote sensing data and scientific advances made by combining long-term
records of satellite images. Landsat 7 has helped scientists study recently erupting volcanoes and
recent floods in North Carolina. QuickScat, covering nearly 90 percent of the world's oceans daily,
provides important information on hurricane formation. Oersted, Denmark's first satellite, maps the
Earth's magnetic field in order to explore the Earth's core and the interaction of the magnetosphere
with solar winds.
Panel:
Michael H. Freilich, QuikScat Project Scientist, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Darrel L. Williams, Landsat 7 Project Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Torsten Neubert, Oersted Project Scientist, Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
(Session U41B)
The Climatic Impact of Volcanic Eruptions
Wednesday, December 15, 3:00 PM.
The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo put more particles into the stratosphere than any other of the
20th century. By blocking solar radiation, they caused a drop in global average temperatures. Now,
scientists have determined that this cooling was not consistent worldwide. In midlatitude continents,
winters were actually warmer the first year after the eruption. The extensive studies of Pinatubo
have provided new information on regional and global climatic effects of volcanic eruptions. They
also permit researchers to deduce the climatic effect of great eruptions of past centuries and
predict the effects of future eruptions.
Panel:
Alan Robock, Department of Environmental Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Stephen Self, Hawaii Center for Volcanology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
Melissa P. Free, Air Resources Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver
Spring, Maryland
Larry W. Thomason, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia
(Sessions A41C, A42F)
Solar Max: New Thoughts on Why and When
Thursday, December 16, 8:30 AM.
Solar maximum is coming, with possible strong effects on Earth's communications and power systems. We
will hear the latest research on processes that cause the Sun's cyclical variations: the solar
interior, atmosphere, corona, and wind, and possible links between internal and external processes.
We will also learn the latest on modeling the cycle and more accurately predicting the time of the
maximum.
Panel:
Herschel Snodgrass, Professor of Physics, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon
David Hathaway, Researcher, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Victor Pizzo, Space Environment Center, NOAA, Boulder, Colorado
(SH42A, SH51B)
Astrobiology: Oxymoron No More
Thursday, December 16, 9:30 AM.
Seeking extraterrestrial life within our own solar system is no longer considered a quixotic pursuit.
On Jupiter's moon, Europa, for example, interaction between the presumed water ocean and the ice crust
that covers it provides conditions that are deemed essential for the generation of life.
Panel:
Richard Greenberg, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Rocco L. Mancinelli, SETI, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
Bruce Runnegar, Department of Earth and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary
Physics, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (invited)
(Sessions B31B, B32A, B42F)
The Tightening Polar Vortex and its Implications for Global Climate Change
Thursday, December 16, 3:00 PM.
Falling pressures over the Arctic, warmer winters over Scandinavia and Russia, shifting rainfall
patterns, and a thinning of the stratospheric ozone layer and Arctic pack ice may all be linked to the
tightening of the Northern Hemisphere wintertime polar vortex that has taken place since 1970. Similar
linkages are seen in connection with the random tightening and loosening of the polar vortex from one
month to-the next: a phenomenon known as the "Arctic Oscillation". The month-to-month changes are
well simulated in climate models, and recent experiments with several of these models suggest that
a gradual tightening of the polar vortex, similar to what has been observed over the past few
decades, could be an indirect effect of greenhouse warming. Both observations and models show
indications of an analogous tightening of the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex. Though less
predictable from one year to the next than El Nino, the Arctic Oscillation and its Southern
Hemisphere counterpart appear to be more important than ENSO in terms of their contribution to
recent global climate trends.
Panel:
David W.J. Thompson, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Mark P. Baldwin, Northwest Research Associates, Bellevue, Washington
John M. Wallace, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonBR>
(Sessions A42C, A51E, A52C)
Galileo at Io
Friday, December 17, 12:15 PM.
This session will report on spacecraft Galileo's closest ever fly-by of Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon.
It will focus on cooperative observations of volcanic eruptions on Io from various Galileo
instruments and from Earth. (This press conference will consist of new results and will not duplicate
the November 19 NASA Space Science Update on Io.)
Panel:
Laszlo Keszthelyi, Galileo imaging team, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona,
Tucson, Arizona
John R. Spencer, Galileo Photopolarimeter-Radiometer (PPR) team, Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff,
Arizona
Rosaly Lopes-Gautier or Ashley G. Davies, Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) team, Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
(Sessions P41A, P51C, P52A)
********** II. Events of interest to the media (in chronological order)
Field Trip for Press Room Registrants
Sunday, December 12, meet at 11:30 AM, Howard Street Entrance to Moscone Convention Center, between
3rd and 4th Streets.
This field trip will focus on water issues in San Francisco Bay and Northern California. See Media
Advisory 1 for general information. All who registered for the Press Room by December 6 and checked
that they wish to participate in the field trip on San Francisco Bay are hereby confirmed. A very few
openings may remain. If interested, please contact Harvey Leifert immediately. Both USGS and AGU incur
significant costs for this program, and it will be held rain or shine, so if you have signed up,
please don't be a no-show.
Due to the large response, there will be two cruises. (See itinerary below.)
AGU will provide a sandwich lunch on the bus.
Dinner plans: Following the conclusion of the field trip at USGS Menlo Park, our bus will take us to the same restaurant as last year, Chevy's in Redwood City (tex-mex), for an early dinner. As last year, we each order individually in advance, and the order will be phoned in to save time. The total check will be divided evenly, including food, beverages, tax, and tip. Harvey Leifert will pay the total bill to the restaurant and receive reimbursement from each participant (cash or check) at the restaurant. Please be sure to have a check or enough bills and coins to make exact change in the $20-25 range (estimate, based on last year's cost). Harvey will provide receipts to those who need them in the Press Room on Monday.
Itinerary:
11:30 AM. Check in at table outside Howard Street entrance to Moscone Convention Center. Receive badge and box lunch.
12:00 Noon sharp! Leave Moscone Center in chartered bus. Eat lunch on board. Geology talk along the way.
12:45 PM. Bus arrives at the Marine Facility. Participants are split into two groups.
1:00 PM. Polaris departs with Group A for 90 minute cruise.
Orientation for Group B at USGS Marine Facility. Participants split into 2 smaller groups.
1:05 - 1:40 Presentations in salon and upper lab.
1:40 - 1:55 Demonstrations of benthic and hydrographic data collections.
1:55 - 2:30 Presentations in salon and upper lab.
2:30 PM. Polaris returns, Group A debarks, Group B embarks.
2:45 PM. Polaris sails with Group B
Group A visits Marine Facility, as above.
4:15 PM. Polaris returns with Group B.
5:00 PM. Bus departs Marine Facility for USGS Menlo Park Campus.
5:15 PM. Visit USGS labs.
6:00 PM. Depart by bus for Chevy's Restaurant on El Camino Real in Redwood City.
8:30 PM. Return to Moscone Convention Center.
Address by Dr. Rita Colwell, Director, National Science Foundation
Monday, 5:15 PM, Room 134 Moscone.
Dr. Colwell will speak on "Complexity and Connectivity: A New Cartography for Science and Engineering." She will comment on the increasing links between biology and earth sciences (a theme of this meeting) and call for scientists to further expand their connections both within and beyond the scientific community.
Glennda Chui Highlights Holiday Dinner of Northern California Science Writers Association (NCSWA)
Monday, 6:30 PM, Gordon Biersch restaurant, 2 Harrison Street.
This message is from Sally Stephens, president of NCSWA:
"All AGU Press are invited (and encouraged) to join NCSWA at their holiday dinner on Monday, December 13. Good food and drink (unlimited beer, wine, and soda the first hour). Great schmoozing. NCSWA's own Glennda Chui, science writer for the San Jose Mercury News, will regale us with tales of her experiences covering last summer's earthquake in Turkey. And don't forget the door prizes! Dress: come as you are.
"Gordon Birsch restaurant and microbrewery is located at 2 Harrison Street (on the waterfront at the Embarcadero) in San Francisco. It is about a six block walk from Moscone Convention Center, with free parking under the building (enter from Folsom Street).
"To save a seat at the dinner, please send a check for $35 (payable to NCSWA) BEFORE December 9 to:
Robert Sanders
NCSWA Dinner
1512 Holly Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
[Do not make or send the check to AGU!]
"Unfortunately, the restaurant needs to know how many people are coming before the AGU meeting starts. So, be sure to let us know in advance if you're coming. Hope to see you there."
[Please address any last minute queries to Robert Sanders <
ris@pa.urel.berkeley.edu or Sally Stephens <
How to Become a Congressional or Mass Media Fellow -- and Why!
Tuesday, 12:00 noon, Room 238 Moscone.
AGU participates in these AAAS Fellowship programs, having sponsored 23 Congressional and three Mass
Media Fellows. This seminar is designed to attract the interest of young scientists in participating
in these programs, which help bridge gaps between the scientific community and society as a whole.
Panelists are:
Congressional
Bryan Hannegan, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (1999-2000)
David Hunter, office of Sen. Jim Jeffords (1998-1999)
Mass Media
Victoria Bruce, The Oregonian (1997), now a science writer with NASA EOS Project Office
Roberta Hotinski, U.S. News & World Report (1999), currently finishing Ph.D. at Penn State
AGU Honors Ceremony and Reception
Wednesday, 5:30 PM, San Francisco Marriott, 55 4th Street, Salon 9.
AGU will present medals to outstanding scientists. (See back cover of Abstract book for list.) A
reception follows. The ceremony and reception are open to all (no charge). A few places may still be
available for the banquet that follows the reception. The cost for the banquet is $40. If interested,
please contact Harvey Leifert as soon as possible.
Launch of Terra, Live from Vandenberg AFB
Thursday, 11:30 AM, Room TBD, Moscone.
Terra, the first of NASA's new series of Earth Observing system (EOS) satellites, is due to be
launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at this time. Terra will cross the Equator
around 10:30 AM, local time, on each pass around the Earth, providing morning data on a wide range of
geophysical phenomena. Sasha Jones, the St. Louis high school student who coined the name, Terra, in
a contest sponsored by AGU and NASA, will attend the launch. The live broadcast of the launch will be
fed to a TV screen at Moscone.
Geophysical News on TV: Could it be Better? How You Can Help
Thursday, 5:30 PM, Room 132 Moscone.
Is health and medicine the only science that regularly makes it onto the network news? Do TV reporters
conduct hour long interviews and then use just 10 seconds, not even on the main point? Can scientists
explain their discoveries in plain English? Do some researchers avoid all media contact, while
others relentlessly seek publicity for minor advances? Our panel of journalists and scientists will
discuss the realities of TV science news and seek ways to improve the relationship between
researchers and reporters.
Panelists:
Juju Chang, ABC News
Rick Chappell, Vanderbilt University
Jim Hartz, PBS
Jay Ingram, Discovery Channel Canada
Gregory van der Vink, IRIS
The Music of Earthquakes: Waveforms of Sound and Seismology
Thursday, 7:30 PM, Room 134 Moscone.
[Note: Especially suitable for radio or TV coverage.]
Musicians and seismologists have much in common: musicians create waves to make beautiful music,
while seismologists study waves to analyze the Earth. When musicians are also seismologists, they can
explain both music and earthquakes in new ways. This is a public lecture, open to everyone who
wishes to attend.
Geologist-musicians:
Andrew Michael, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California (trombone)
Stephanie Ross, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California (soprano)
David Schaff, Stanford University, Stanford, California (cello)
With the assistance of Duckweed, the USGS Menlo Park old-time string music band
NPR Science Friday
Friday, 11:00 AM, Room 236.
The first hour of Science Friday will feature several scientists who are presenting new research at
Fall Meeting. They will participate from the studios of KQED-FM, and the program will be fed to
Moscone.
Participants: To be announced in Press Room
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III. Abstracts Sent
The Abstract books were mailed or FedExed on November 17 to Press Room registrants who had requested
that service by that day. Others will receive their copy in the Press Room, and all registrants will
receive the Program book at the Press Room.
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IV. Press Room Phones
The phone number for incoming calls to the Press Room (Room 111 Moscone) is
1-415-905-1007.
The number for incoming faxes to the Press room is
1-415-905-1008.
Please provide these numbers to anyone who might have to reach you at the Meeting.
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V. Note to Public Information Officers on Press Releases
Public Information Officers for universities and other research institutions are welcome to
distribute meeting-related press releases in the AGU Press Room. If you will not be present yourself,
you may send them by mail or express service. Please do not send them directly to Moscone; use this
address:
Harvey Leifert (Hold for December 10 arrival)
San Francisco Marriott Hotel
55 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103-3156
U.S.A.
Phone: 1-415-896-1600