Lamont Weekly Report – April 2, 2004

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
P.O. Box 1000, 61 Route 9W Palisades, New York 10964

<> REPORT SUMMARY <>

– Recent Grant Awards –
– Recent Publications –
– Current B & G Projects –
– Letter from the Director –
____________________________________

<> RECENT GRANT AWARDS

Cane, M., Collaborative Research: Westerly Wind Bursts: Enso's Driver or Slave? NSF

Iturrino, G., Passow, M., Earth2class: Linking Research Scientists and Classroom Teachers. NSF

Tolstoy, M., Seismicity and Airgun Sources As Tools For Hydroacoustic Calibration in the Indian Ocean Basin. CTBTO

Karner, G., NSF Researchers - Eqyptian Negotiations and Collaborations: Opening the Door for RCL Margins Proposals. NSF

Hemming, S., Brueckner, H. Collaborative Research: Petrogenesis of Jadeitite and other High-Pressure Rocks in Serpentitites, Motagua Fault Zone, Guatemala. NSF

Bonatti, E., Cipriani, A., SR, ND and PB Isotopic Composition of a Diverse Suite of Oceanic Rocks Drilled From the Mid-Atlantic Ridge During ODP Leg 209: Mantle Signature Versus Hydrothermal Alteration. JOI

Webb, S., Collaborative Research: A Real-Time Nearshore Seafloor Seismic Station. NSF

Xie, J., Source Spectral Shape, Scaling Stress Drop and Radiated Energy of Earthquakes in the Continental U.S., and Implications on Seismic Hazard Maps. USGS

Shaw, B., Elastodynamic Event Sequences on Rough Faults. NSF

Chen, R., CIESIN: Millenium Development Goals Support. World Bank.

<> RECENT PUBLICATIONS
(The following list is derived from the Lamont Publications Database which identifies all publications that hold a Lamont contribution number, thereby qualifying the publications as a Lamont paper).

Aguilar, J.P., W.A. Berggren, M.P. Aubry, D.V. Kent, G. Clauzon, M. Benammi, and J. Michaux. Mid-Neogene Mediterranean marine-continental correlations: an alternative interpretation; Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 204, nos. 1-2, pp. 165-186 February 20, 2004.

Anderson, O.R. The effects of release from cold stress on the community composition of terrestrial gymnamoebae: A laboratory-based ecological study simulating transition from winter to spring; Acta Protozoologica, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 21-28, February, 2004.

Dery, S.J., W.T. Crow, M. Stieglitz, and E.F. Wood Modeling snow-cover heterogeneity over complex arctic terrain for regional and global climate models; Journal of Hydrometeorology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 33-48, February, 2004.

Eneroth, E. and O.M. Svenningsen. Equatorial Baltica in the Vendian: palaeomagnetic data from the Sarek Dyke Swarm, northern Swedish Caledonides; Precambrian Research, vol. 129, no. 1-2, pp. 23-45, February 12, 2004.

Haase-Schramm, A., S.L .Goldstein, and M. Stein. U-Th dating of Lake Lisan (late Pleistocene Dead Sea) aragonite and implications for glacial East Mediterranean climate change; Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 68, no. 5, pp. 985-1005, March, 2004.

Kaplan, A., M.A. Cane, D. Chen, D.L. Witter, and R.E. Cheney. Small-scale variability and model error in tropical Pacific sea level; Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, vol. 109, no. C2, Art. No. C02001, February 4, 2004.

Li, A.Y. and P.G. Richards. Using earthquake doublets to study inner core rotation and seismicity catalog precision; Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 4, Art. No. 1072 , September 9, 2003.

Liu, T.Z. Blind testing of rock varnish microstratigraphy as a chronometric indicator: results on late Quaternary lava flows in the Mojave Desert, California (vol 53, pg 209, 2003) Geomorphology, vol. 57, no. 3-4, pp. 445-446, February 10, 2004.

Seeber. L., J.G. Armbruster, W.Y. Kim. A fluid-injection-triggered earthquake sequence in Ashtabula, Ohio: Implications for seismogenesis in stable continental regions; Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, vol. 94, no. 1, pp. 76-87, February, 2004.

Spiegelman, M. Linear analysis of melt band formation by simple shear; Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 4: Art. No. 8615, September 12, 2003.

Sun, Y.F. Modeling seismic reflections from thin-bed dolomite layers in diatomite formation; Island Arc, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 227-241, March, 2004.

<> CURRENT B&G PROJECTS

• Oceanography Emergency Generator:
  Purchase order has been issued for general contractor/electrician. Acoustical study (planning board requirement) is underway. Additional information for the planning board appearance and approval being assembled for submittal. Job site meeting with contractor and engineer set for Tuesday, April 6th to review project and place equipment order.

• Greenhouse Project:
  Engineer from Wadsworth Controls checked out and calibrated environmental control system. Ludy Greenhouse Service technicians will now complete the punch list.

• Seismology, Room 13:
  On going lab work completed Thursday, March 26th, and renovation work restarted Friday, March 27th, with the installation of the fume hood, floor repairs, wall prep for paint and some sheet rock work. New A/C system scheduled for week of April 5th and floor tile Wednesday, April 14th.

• Seismology, Room 7:
  Three fume hoods delivered and placed in rooms on 3/26. Will restart project when mechanics working in room 13 become available and remaining equipment (exhaust blowers) arrives.

• Left Hand Turn Lane:
  Informational meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled for Thursday, April 22nd from 4 to 8pm in the Council Chambers of the Alpine Borough Municipal Building on Church Street in Alpine, New Jersey. Maps and plans will be made available.

• Geoscience Walk-In Freezer Replacement:
  Requisition for a purchase order sent to Columbia University Purchasing Office for the installation of a new walk-in freezer to replace the existing unit.

• Albin House:
  The house will be razed.

• Instrument Lab:
  Purchasing has scheduled a walk through of contractors for Friday, April 2nd for the renovation of three rooms for the use of The Borehole Research Group and others. In addition, new machinery will be purchased to replace some equipment that was moved there from the Old Machine Shop when the building was constructed in the mid-sixties

• Geochemistry Room 3:
  Lab renovation scheduled to start in May. Contractor has been selected.

• Miscellaneous:
  – Constructed 24 artificial "Outcroppings" as part of a research study being conducted by Kim Kastens and Toru Ishikawa.
  – Replaced boiler pump header and circ. pumps in staff residence.
  – Replaced defective boiler controls in the Nafe House.
  – Started spring clean up of grounds.

<> LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

I guess Bill Menke was out of town yesterday, so we unfortunately missed his annual April Fool's Day fusillade of subtle jokes - or at least I think I did.

I got back from Sapporo late Tuesday night so it was a short week in the office for me. The meetings on the huge campus of the 175 year-old Hokkaido University were very successful and blissfully short. The first meetings of the Members and the Board of Governors of IODP Management International (IODP - MI) were completed without difficulty. The newly appointed President, Manik Talwani, has a grand challenge ahead of him bringing this corporation from absolutely zero, to one capable of managing a multi-hundred million dollar science program in very short order.

This Sunday is the start of this season's public lectures - 3 pm in Monell. To kick off we have Bruce Shaw speaking on 'Earthquake prediction in the Shadow of Chaos’. I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you to all who participated in the briefing this afternoon about our plans for the new research vessel – although this initiative is not yet funded by NSF or approved by Columbia, we remain optimistic concerning its success. We welcome continued input from everyone about ways to make the new vessel as effective and efficient as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact the Marine Department with questions or ideas, and we will keep you posted as progress with this bold plan is achieved.

Speaking of bold plans - we also remain optimistic that we may get the left-turn lane on the southbound side of 9W by our main entrance in place this year. This is a critical safety issue that we have been working on for a long time! For those who are REALY interested in Route 9W then the New Jersey Department of Transportation cordially invites you to attend an informal Pre-Construction Public Information session regarding the reconstruction of U.S. Route 9W on Thursday, April 22, 2004 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Alpine Borough Municipal Building, Church Street, Alpine, New Jersey. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the Department's Resident Engineer as well as the contractor who will be doing the construction. Maps and plans will be made available.

We have organized a presentation by Columbia's Science and Technology Ventures operation on April 15th - a more detailed announcement is appended below - please note that if you wish to attend then you should register prior to April 9th.

The weather in Sapporo was almost precisely the same as that we are experiencing here - going a whole week without seeing the sun reminds me of days gone by in northern England. But now it is April, spring is surely ready to explode upon us.

Have a great weekend,

– Mike

WORKSHOP: 'Why and How to Patent Your Invention at Columbia University'
When: Thursday April 15, 3pm to 5pm
Where: Seismology Seminar Room, LDEO Campus

In order to register for the workshop, please send a brief message to Violeta Tomsa (vtomsa@ldeo.columbia.edu) that you would like to attend.
Dead-line is April 9, 2004.

Presenter: Sharon Ross, Technology Licensing Officer, Columbia University's Office of Technology Transfer, Science and Technology Ventures (STV) will present an overview of the:

• Benefits of patenting and licensing innovations
• Key guidelines for working with STV to patent inventions
• Advantages of patenting and publishing research
• Patent process and commercialization steps at Columbia University

Q & A: The presentation will include a Question & Answer session attended by Gary Walpert, Senior Intellectual Property Attorney, Hale & Dorr, and Beth Israel, Executive Director of Columbia's Office of Projects and Grants.

Get answers to:

• Understanding Intellectual Property clauses that can affect your research award
• Implications for co-inventors
• Identifying prior art, disclosures, and commercial value
• Keeping a lab notebook and other steps you can take to protect you creation.

STV's mission is to facilitate the transfer of scientific discovery and innovation from the university setting to the marketplace and to ensure that both the inventor and the University's research and educational activities benefit from that transfer.

Refreshments: Light refreshments will be served.

____________________________________

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