Spectacular satellite images from NASA’s Earth Observatory show agricultural patterns and farming methods in various parts of the world. Scenes from Kansas, Bolivia, Minnesota, Thailand, Germany and Brazil.
The U.S. Global Change Research Program released a report that explains how climate change might impact Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. Changes in growing seasons, declining water resources, higher summer temperatures, human health issues, altered ecosystems and higher temperatures are a few of the featured problems.
The-Vug.com has a comprehensive listing of mineral and lapidary clubs from across the United States. It could be the most complete and up-to-date listing on the web. Included are hundreds of clubs and organizations located in all 50 states.
Another large meteorite has been dug up in Brenham Strewn Field in Kiowa County, Kansas. It is a bit short of Steve Arnold’s world record pallasite found in October, 2005.
In 2007, a tornado swept through Greensburg, Kansas, destroying many homes and buildings. The town is using the disaster as an opportunity to help the environment, by incorporating green technologies into their rebuilding plan.
An article at Kansas.com reports that the state set a new record for oil production in 2008. The total oil value for the year was $6.58 billion. Did you know that Kansas produced so much oil?
The EPA has ordered three U.S. oil refineries to clean up their act. They have been issued fines, and will need to pay a combined sum of $141 million for equipment improvements to decrease their air pollution.
The Kansas Geological Survey has placed online an interactive map with information about oil and gas wells for public use. You can look-up wells by field name, county name, well number or property description. A news article at Kansas.com says some geological service providers are not happy with KGS making the information available for free.
Lots of potential science teachers are taking jobs with industry instead of going into the classroom for $29,000 per year. The industry jobs often pay two to three times as much. There is a severe shortage of science teachers, but teachers in other subjects are also hard to get or keep in the classroom.
MSN has videos of some of Saturday’s tornadoes that occurred in Oklahoma and Kansas. They report that this has been the deadliest tornado season in decades with over 100 people killed.
More then 50% of the oil industry workforce is between 50 and 60 years old and jobs are hard to fill. The Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association is trying to stimulate student interest in the oil and gas industry by preparing an educational toolkit for teachers that features numerous oil and gas industry jobs.
The Kansas Geological Survey has a new geologic map. Drawn at a scale of 1:500,000 (one inch to eight miles) the map is 68″ x 39″ with graphic rock column and generalized cross section.
NOAA’s Seasonal Drought Outlook shows developing drought conditions continuing in the southern United States with areas of developing drought in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.
Every reservoir has a limited lifespan. Often the limiting factor is the rate of sedimentation in the reservoir. This sediment slowly fills the reservoir, limits its life, reduces its flood capacity, limits its water shortage potential, traps/releases contaminants and impacts aesthetics. This article describes some of the USGS reservoir sediment studies in Kansas.
The Kansas Geological Survey will measure more than 500 water wells in western and south-central Kansas during the first week of January. This is part of their annual program to detect changes in ground water levels of the High Plains Aquiifer. Lots of the wells show a long term decline.
Oil wells in eastern Kansas are often small producers, yielding only a barrel or two a day. However, over time they can make a little money for the owner. So far this year nearly 5000 intents to drill have been filed – about five times as many as ten years ago and a thousand more than last year. That’s what $100 oil prices can do.
University of Kansas researchers have found what is believed to be the oldest jellyfish fossil. This 500 million-year-old specimen was found in Utah. It is very rare to find fossils of this type of soft-bodied organism.
On October 28th, Bonhams auction house in New York will feature a sale devoted exclusively to meteorites. Included in the sale are two widely known specimens. One is a 1410 pound Brenham meteorite found near Greensburg Kansas and the other is a 30 pound section cut from the famous Willamette meteorite that is on display at the Museum of Natural History in New York.
An abandoned mine collapsed right across the street from the K-12 school campus in Galena, Kansas. Fortunately the sinkhole developed in a vacant lot and there were no injuries. Galena has a long history of subsidence problems. On the same day the city was awarded $250,000 to asses the subsidence problems.
USGS has released a fact sheet that contains interesting maps and data documenting water level declines in the High Plains Aquifer. This important aquifer underlies over 100 million acres in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Water levels in the aquifer have been in decline since it was first tapped for irrigating crops. Enormous declines – often over 150 feet (pre-development to 2005) – have been measured in many areas. This is a short report in .pdf format and worth a look just to see the maps. Reference: USGS Fact Sheet 2007-3029, Changes in Water Levels and Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2005.
A powerful tornado has devastated the town of Greensburg in southwest Kansas, killing nine people and causing many injuries. About 95 percent of the homes in the town of about 1400 people were destroyed. Other tornadoes were generated by the storm and they struck other communities in Kansas and Oklahoma. A state of emergency has been declared and many Greensburg residents are being evacuated to neighboring towns for housing and care.
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