Many people in Michigan do not like the wind turbines that have been installed there to produce electricity. Others enjoy the clean energy and the monthly checks from renting their land.
Geologists and other outdoor workers should know how to recognize ticks, avoid tick bites and recognize the early signs of Lyme disease. Early treatment with antibiotics can produce a rapid and complete recovery. If you miss the early symptoms Lyme disease can cause chronic neurological problems and joint pain that can persist for years.
Phosphorus from lawn fertilizers can eventually make its way into lakes and rivers, causing problems. Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that a reduction in the use of these fertilizers has had a positive impact on the waters of Ann Arbor.
Stormwater runoff and sewage contaminate many US beaches. A study done by the Natural Resources Defense Council sampled, tested and rated 200 of the most popular beaches in the United States – both ocean and freshwater beaches were included in the study. Some of them had consistently high water quality and some had consistently low. You can view the report and a listing of the beaches on their website.
Sinkholes formed by solution in the floor of the United States’ Great Lakes host unusual ecosystems different from other parts of the lake just a short distance away. The sinkholes are often locations where water that has been underground for millions of years discharges with extreme amounts of dissolved metals.
The U.S. Global Change Research Program released a report that explains how climate change might impact Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. More heavy downpours, higher evaporation, higher temperatures, insect problems, invasive species problems and the impact on human health 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.
President Obama signed legislation that will protect about 2 million acres in nine states (California, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia, New Mexico and Michigan) from oil and gas drilling and certain other activities.
“The solar jobs map was created through a collaboration between SEREF, Google, and Navigant Consulting Inc. The map was designed to serve as a tool to help users visualize and understand how current, supportive government policies for solar energy are expected to generate more than 440,000 green jobs and tens of thousands of megawatts of clean energy across the nation by the year 2016.” Quoted from SEREF’s website.
Earth Observatory has a pair of satellite images of Saginaw Bay, where strong winds drive ice onto the shore and piled it up against homes (video). One image was captured while the Bay was fully covered with ice and the other after the wind helped break up the ice cover.
Strong winds have pushed broken ice across the surface of Lake Huron and piled it up onto the shoreline. In one location near Linwood, Michigan the ice accumulation is 12 feet high and has damaged homes.
A number of new mining projects and active mineral exploration in several parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula could result in a surge of mining activity. Environmental groups are preparing to oppose the new mines.
Researchers at Michigan Technological University’s School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science have found that climate change and atmospheric pollution can sometimes be beneficial to forest productivity.
“Although Hurricane Ike is long gone, its impact lingers more than a thousand miles from where it made landfall. Runoff from tributaries dumped massive amounts of sediment into Lake Michigan, contaminating the water, compromising near-shore navigation and raising E coli bacteria to levels unsafe for swimming. ” Quoted from the USGS release.
Governors from eight Great Lakes states signed an interstate water compact to protect water levels and water quality of the Great Lakes. The House might act on the issue today. States involved are: Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Teachers often need a source of free printable state maps for use with their students. Here is a website that has a nice collection of county, city and state outline maps that you can download and use for free.
Governors from eight Great Lakes states signed an interstate water compact to protect water levels and water quality of the Great Lakes. President Bush says that he will sign the water management plan that will benefit Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Severe storms with high winds, hail, tornadoes and very heavy rain hit the US midwest this weekend. Up to 11 inches of rain caused flooding in Indiana, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and other states. Earth Observatory has more details and a rainfall intensity map.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has published a Fact Sheet titled “Preventing Groundwater Contamination”. It is a 10-page guide that explains sources of ground water contamination for a variety of types of businesses and how contamination problems can be eliminated or reduced.
David Karnosky, a professor at Michigan Technological University has exposed trees to elevated levels of carbon dioxide. They grow faster, keep their leaves longer into the fall and photosynthesize faster.
Michigan Technological University is now offering field courses in the East Africa Rift Valley, May 7- June 5. You can join them to study the geology of this exotic region; several course options are available.
Welcome! Every day you can find links to several earth science news topics right here.
Bookmark this page and visit often. You can also receive them for free by RSS feed or in a daily email message.
Hobart King
Advertising
Popular From Geology.com
The East Africa Rift System: Learn some basics about the East Africa Rift System from this article by James Wood and Alex Guth of Michigan Technological University.
What are Meteorites? Join meteorite hunter, Geoffrey Notkin, as he begins a series of monthly articles on the topic of meteorites.
Marcellus Shale: The most overlooked resource in the eastern United States!
Mineral Rights / Oil & Gas: Who owns the minerals under your land? Have they been sold? Can someone mine without your permission?
