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Wildfire
CA Wildfire History in Sequoia Trees
March 19, 2010 | University of Arizona

Scientists can determine the occurrence of past events such as drought or wildfire by studying the rings of tree trunks. This has led to the compilation of a California climate record that spans thousands of years, thanks in part to the giant sequoia trees.

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NSF
New Data on San Andreas Carrizo Plain
March 18, 2010 | National Science Foundation

Researchers are gaining a new understanding of the San Andreas Fault. Stream channels on the Carrizo Plain in southern California were used to calculate the offset of past earthquakes – yielding some surprising results.

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Earthquake
Video: America’s Largest Shake Table
March 16, 2010 | Discovery News

America’s largest shake table is at the University of California, San Diego. This video shows different test structures being shaken about, and explains how more earthquake-resistant buildings are being designed.

Related stories.
Volcano
How Old Is Mammoth Mountain?
March 15, 2010 | San Francisco Chronicle

An article on the San Francisco Chronicle explores the age of Mammoth Mountain, an area with a volcanic history in California, and considers its future activity.

Related stories.
Volcano
Basaltic and Silicic Magma at Long Valley
March 8, 2010 | MSNBC

Beneath the Long Valley caldera in California, both basaltic and silicic magma can be found. When the volcano erupts next, the style of eruption will depend upon the magma’s composition.

Related stories.
Rockfalls Keep Yosemite Cabins Closed
February 23, 2010 | MercuryNews.com

Since 1857 over 500 rockfalls in Yosemite Valley have killed 14 people and injured 62. Now over 200 cabins are off limits to visitors because they are in an area with a high incidence of rockfalls.

Related: Spectacular Rockfall in Yosemite National Park

Related stories.
Benitoite: California’s State Gem
February 10, 2010 | The-Vug.com

A new issue of The-Vug.com quarterly magazine has an article titled: “Benitoite: California’s State Gem” by Rick Kennedy.

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California
The Disappearing Water of Napa Valley
February 8, 2010 | Stanford University

The water used to irrigate the vineyards in Napa Valley is disappearing through the parched, cracked soil. A study by Eve Hinckley examines why this is happening.

Related stories.
Video: Giant Squid in California Waters
February 2, 2010 | abc7.com

In the last few days, Humboldt squid have been invading California’s coastal waters by the hundreds. Fishermen are having a field day catching them and getting squirted with ink.

Related stories.
Liquefied natural gas
California Senate Approves LNG Bill
February 2, 2010 | Rigzone.com

Although California has an improved natural gas supply situation, the state senate is still considering bills that relate to new LNG facilities that might come to the state.

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NASA composite image
Can the Sun and Moon Trigger Faults?
January 28, 2010 | University of California Berkeley

UC Berkeley professors believe that minute stress changes caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon trigger deep tremors along the San Andreas fault.

Related stories.
Tree
Some City Parks Not Very “Green”
January 27, 2010 | UC Irvine

The trees, plants, and turfgrass in city parks naturally absorb carbon dioxide and cleanse the urban air; in this way, they are beneficial to people and the environment. However, the total amount of emissions from park maintenance – irrigation, fertilization, gas-powered lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and the like – can easily outweigh this benefit.

Related stories.
Cliff Erosion: Pacifica, California
January 23, 2010 | Sphere.com

Pacific Ocean waves are causing erosion that threatens buildings atop a cliff near Pacifica, California. Residents are evacuating because collapse appears certain.

Related stories.
Mudslide Hazard Below California Burn Areas
January 22, 2010 | Sphere.com

In parts of southern California residents on and at the base of steep slopes that were burned by recent wildfires are being warned about mudslide hazards and advised to evacuate.

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Oil barrel
California: New Oil and Gas Severance Tax
January 14, 2010 | The Sacramento Bee

Democrats in the California Assembly’s Revenue and Taxation Committee passed a bill by a party-line vote that will impose a new severance tax on oil and natural gas producers in that state.

Related stories.
Eureka California Earthquake Report
January 10, 2010 | CNN

In this CNN video, Gary Bird of the Eureka Fire Department describes the damage and problems resulting from Saturday’s M6.5 earthquake. Damage was light and there were no deaths or serious injuries reported at the time of his interview.

Related stories.
California Earthquake Intensity Map
January 10, 2010 | USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

Thousands of people have logged into the USGS website to report how they experienced the M6.5 earthquake that occurred yesterday. The map below was cropped from a USGS intensity map based upon input from about 8000 people as of Sunday morning.

Related stories.
USGS Map
M 6.5 Offshore California Earthquake
January 10, 2010 | USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

“This earthquake occurred approximately 35 km WNW of Ferndale, CA in a deformation zone of the southernmost Juan de Fuca plate that is commonly referred to as the Gorda plate. The earthquake’s epicenter is northwest of the Mendocino Triple Junction, which is formed by the intersection of the Mendocino fracture zone, the San Andreas fault and the Cascadia subduction zone.” Quoted from USGS.

Related stories.
Baja California
Astronaut Photo of Baja California
January 5, 2010 | Earth Observatory

This photo by the Atlantis STS-129 crew shows the astronauts’ view of the area surrounding Puerto San Carlos, Baja California. Visible in this image are the dune-covered beaches, deserts, mangroves, and a variety of water features.

Related stories.
M5.8 Baja California, Mexico Earthquake
December 30, 2009 | USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake is reported by USGS in Baja, Mexico, just south of the California border. Instrument intensity estimates are VI / VII near the epicenter.

Related stories.
Earthquake Early Warning System for California
December 23, 2009 | USGS Newsroom

“An earthquake early warning system for California is feasible in coming years…. Earthquake early warning systems, already successfully deployed in Mexico, Japan and Taiwan, can detect an earthquake in progress and provide notice of seconds to tens of seconds prior to actual ground shaking.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

Related stories.
Cliff Erosion: Pacifica, California
December 23, 2009 | CNN

CNN has a short video that shows an apartment complex near Pacifica, California where wave erosion at the base of a cliff has dangerously encroached upon the building. (Note: the video has no sound.)

Related stories.
Wind and Solar Projects in the Mojave Desert
December 22, 2009 | New York Times

The Mojave Desert of California seems like the perfect location for wind and solar energy power plants. A New York Times article presents some of the challenges they are now facing.

Related stories.
Forecasting Deadly Mudslides
December 22, 2009 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

USGS, NOAA and other organizations developed a prototype debris flow warning system using weather forecasts and precipitation measurements along with regional USGS rainfall rate thresholds to determine the probability of debris flows.

Related stories.
Oregon LNG Terminal and Pipeline Approved
December 21, 2009 | Jordan Cove Energy Project

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline and the Jordan Cove LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal. The terminal will receive about 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day and the pipeline will transport the gas from the Coos Bay terminal to Malin, Oregon. The project will supply natural gas to underserved markets in the Pacific Northwest, northern California and northern Nevada.

Related stories.
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