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Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory The Earth Institute at Columbia UniversityThe Earth Institute at Columbia Univ

Biennial Report 2000–2002

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory • 61 Route 9W • P.O. Box 1000 • Palisades, NY 10964

T ) 845.359.2900 F ) 845.359.2931 • W) www.ldeo.columbia.edu

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When, late in 1948, Florence Corliss Lamont pro-When, late in 1948, Florence Corliss Lamont pro-vided Torrey Cliffs, the Lamont family estate, tovided Torrey Cliffs, the Lamont family estate, toColumbia University in her husband’s memoryColumbia University in her husband’s memoryshe could have been only vaguely aware of thenature of the person who would be the firstnature of the person who would be the firstleader of the Lamont Geological Observatory.leader of the Lamont Geological Observatory.The ink was barely dry on the documents ofThe ink was barely dry on the documents oftransmission before Maurice Ewing and a smalltransmission before Maurice Ewing and a smallgroup of colleagues decamped from Columbia’sgroup of colleagues decamped from Columbia’sMorningside campus to the bucolic sanctuary ofMorningside campus to the bucolic sanctuary ofher former home. Ewing transformed the kitchenher former home. Ewing transformed the kitcheninto a geochemistry lab, bedrooms into work-into a geochemistry lab, bedrooms into work-spaces, and living areas into classrooms to cre-spaces, and living areas into classrooms to cre-ate in a few short years one of the world’s lead-ate in a few short years one of the world’s lead-ing centers for research in the Earth sciences,ing centers for research in the Earth sciences,more than fulfilling the hopes she had in givingmore than fulfilling the hopes she had in givingthe estate to her alma mater.the estate to her alma mater.

And Ewing quickly purchased a ship thatbecame the R/V Vema on which he is seen inthis photo (left) that must surely have been takenvery shortly after the purchase. His legendarypassion (perhaps obsession) to investigate theworld’s oceans resulted in this vessel being thefirst ever to sail one million miles in the serviceof science.

A passion for leadership in advancing our under-standing of planet Earth has been the essentialcharacteristic of Lamont’s leaders ever sinceand is epitomized today by the current director,G. Michael Purdy.

Florence Lamont expressed a special desire inproviding her estate to Columbia in her hope that“students from near and far would grow richer inwisdom from studying with the scholars of TorreyCliff.” As one who came as a student from afarone who came as a student from afarand has had the privilege to serve in a leadershipposition at Lamont, I know that Florence Lamontposition at Lamont, I know that Florence Lamontand Maurice Ewing could look proudly on theirand Maurice Ewing could look proudly on theirObservatory as it sets sights on its second 50Observatory as it sets sights on its second 50years of achievement.years of achievement.

Letter from the Executive Deputy Director

John MutterExecutive Deputy Director

Lamont-Doher ty Ear th Observatory is renowned in the internationLamont-Doher ty Ear th Observatory is renowned in the international scientifical scientific community for its suc-community for its suc-cess and innovation in advancing understanding of Ear th, for itcess and innovation in advancing understanding of Ear th, for its unique geological and climatologicals unique geological and climatologicalarchives and state-of-the-art laboratory farchives and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, and for the outstanding achievement of its graduatesacilities, and for the outstanding achievement of its graduates..Observatory scientistsObservatory scientists observe Ear th on a global scale, from its deepest interior to tobserve Ear th on a global scale, from its deepest interior to the outer reacheshe outer reachesof its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean. They dof its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean. They decipher the long record of the past,ecipher the long record of the past,monitor the present, and seek to foresee Earth’s future. From glmonitor the present, and seek to foresee Earth’s future. From global cliobal climatemate change to ear thquakes, vol-change to ear thquakes, vol-canoes, nonrenewable resources, environmental hazards and beyoncanoes, nonrenewable resources, environmental hazards and beyond, the d, the Observatory’s fundamentalObservatory’s fundamentalchallenge is to provide a rational basis for thechallenge is to provide a rational basis for the difficult choices faced by humankind in the steward-difficult choices faced by humankind in the steward-ship of this fragile planet.ship of this fragile planet.

G. Michael PurdyG. Michael PurdyDirector, Lamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryDirector, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Photograph of Earth from the Apollo 17 missionPhotograph of Earth from the Apollo 17 mission

Satellite image of the Libyan DesertSatellite image of the Libyan Desert

Colorized scanning electron micrograph. © Dee BregerColorized scanning electron micrograph. © Dee BregerPollen grain fertilizing goldenrod flower through a pollenPollen grain fertilizing goldenrod flower through a pollentube grown after landing on the stigmatube grown after landing on the stigma

Color enhanced photograph of Earth from the Color enhanced photograph of Earth from the Apollo 17 mission provided by DigitalVision Apollo 17 mission provided by DigitalVision

Below: Two crew members Below: Two crew members aboard the R/V aboard the R/V EwingEwing look look out on glacier-derived icebergs out on glacier-derived icebergs near the Palmer Archipelago, near the Palmer Archipelago, west of the Antarctic Peninsula. west of the Antarctic Peninsula. Credit: John DieboldCredit: John Diebold

About the CoverAbout the Cover

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Table of ContentsTable of Contents

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Financial StatementFinancial Statement

AdministrationAdministration

Annual FundAnnual Fund

Lamont-Doherty Alumni AssociationLamont-Doherty Alumni Association

History of SupportHistory of Support

Special Events and Awards Special Events and Awards

Focused Initiatives: Hazards and Risk Focused Initiatives: Hazards and Risk

Focused Initiatives: The Hudson RiverFocused Initiatives: The Hudson River

Enhancing Public Understanding of Earth and the EnvironmentEnhancing Public Understanding of Earth and the Environment

Earth & Environmental Science Journalism Program Earth & Environmental Science Journalism Program

Opening the World of Research to Undergraduates Opening the World of Research to Undergraduates

Hands On — Sarah Brownlee, Student Profile Hands On — Sarah Brownlee, Student Profile

Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Seismology, Geology and TectonophysicsSeismology, Geology and Tectonophysics

Ocean and Climate Physics Ocean and Climate Physics

Marine Geology and GeophysicsMarine Geology and Geophysics

GeochemistryGeochemistry

Biology and Paleo EnvironmentBiology and Paleo Environment

Letter from the Director of The Earth InstituteLetter from the Director of The Earth Institute

Letter from the DirectorLetter from the Director

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Opening Minds — Dina Cappiello, Student Profile Opening Minds — Dina Cappiello, Student Profile

Office of Marine AffairsOffice of Marine Affairs 2626

Staff ListingsStaff Listings

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The six years since Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory last published a biennial reportin 1996 have been ones of dramatic change. This report—covering the period from July2000 through June 2002—marks the beginning of a renewed resolve to pursue ener-getic growth of the Observatory as a world leader in Earth and environmental researchand education.

I was privileged to take on the leadership of this great institution in December 2000.I have spent the last two years discovering the wealth of intellectual talent and thesubstantial diversity of research programs at the Observatory and learning how bestto steer this legendary center of scientific inquiry through the complex challenges ofmodern day research and education in the United States.

Unquestionably the most important changes at Lamont in the past six years relateto the establishment of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. This innovativeand ambitious construct, which for the first time enables effective interaction betweenthe research disciplines of fundamental Earth and environmental sciences and those ofeconomics, policy and engineering, will shape the future of the Observatory in manyimportant ways.

Two significant units of The Earth Institute are located, along with the Observatory, onthe Lamont campus: the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction and theCenter for International Earth Science Information Network. In addition, two new EarthInstitute centers—the Center for Hazards and Risk Research and the Center for Riversand Estuaries—are being established and will play a prominent role in shaping futureresearch agendas.

A number of extraordinary accomplishments have propelled the Observatory forward infulfillment of its mission of furthering our basic understanding of Earth. As the narrativethat follows demonstrates, the intellectual breadth of research endeavors, the diversityof research approaches, and the determination to maintain flexible, discovery-drivenresearch integrated with education activities all serve to build a uniquely powerful andhealthy institution.

I am confident that after reading this report you will be convinced that, over the past twoyears, the Observatory has contributed in substantial and important ways to our under-standing of Earth’s oceans, climate and deep structure and furthered our knowledge ofits complex coastal and estuarine environments and the processes shaping a widerange of natural hazards.

I would ask that you remember that what makes this progress possible is the quality anddedication of all the staff here at Lamont. Only their intellect, hard work and continueddetermination will allow the Observatory to maintain its worldwide reputation as a leaderin this crucially important, and increasingly urgent, business of understanding our Earth.

G. Michael PurdyDirector

Letter from the DirectorLetter from the Director

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Dear Friends of Lamont-Doherty:

The goal of The Earth Institute at Columbia University is the mobilization ofscience and public policy to address the problems of sustainable developmentin the 21st century.

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is the foundation of this important initiative.Established in 1949, when Columbia’s leading Earth scientists moved up theHudson to Thomas Lamont’s spectacular property, the Observatory is the first of TheEarth Institute’s research units, the most famous, the longest standing, and to date,the largest. It has played a significant role in the formation and leadership of TheEarth Institute, and will continue as a leader in the future.

The Observatory’s scientists have contributed substantially to our fundamentalunderstanding of Earth’s systems, whether climate, plate tectonics or the physicalenvironment in which human society lives. In their laboratories and in the field, theyhave been pioneers in addressing key problems that grow out of the interaction betweenhuman society and the physical environment. Long before others, Observatoryscientists were seeking solutions to large-scale problems for human betterment.

Under the leadership of Michael Purdy, the Observatory is at an exciting new juncture inits development as a leading center of scientific inquiry. In close collaboration with themajor science departments on Columbia’s Morningside campus and with the EarthInstitute, the Observatory is recruiting new scientific talent. These star scholars will bringnew leadership in areas as diverse as marine ecosystem modeling, coastal and estuarineprocesses, and geochemistry, building upon the Observatory’s expertise and leadership inthe understanding of Earth’s deep interior. The intellectual breadth of its researchers, andthe ability to study Earth’s marine, terrestrial and atmospheric systems in powerfullyintegrated ways, remain the Observatory’s greatest strengths. I look forward to workingwith Mike and his distinguished team to reach our shared goal of strengthening ColumbiaUniversity’s leadership role in Earth and environmental science research and education.

Education of future leaders in sustainable development is a critical challenge for TheEarth Institute. So that more students can be engaged both in science at the Observatoryand the intersection of science with public policy, Columbia is strengthening the linksbetween the Lamont and Morningside campuses. From more integration of teaching pro-grams to more frequent shuttle transportation between the two campuses, these links willenable us to take greater advantage of the wealth of educational opportunity at theObservatory—as well as at the other important units of the Institute, such as the Centerfor International Earth Science Information Network, the International Research Institutefor Climate Prediction, the Center for Hazards and Risk Research and the new Center forRivers and Estuaries, that make up the rest of the Lamont campus.

I have great hopes that, through the integrating work of The Earth Institute, science willplay an increasingly important role in our ability to respond to the most pressing chal-lenges of our time and improve the conditions in which the world’s most vulnerablecitizens live. With enhanced understanding of climate change, of the history of Earth’sphysical environment, and of the effects that humans have on Earth’s systems, the workof our esteemed Lamont colleagues will help us to secure a sustainable future for all.

Jeffrey D. SachsDirector, The Earth Institute at Columbia University

Letter from the Director of The Earth InstituteLetter from the Director of The Earth Institute

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Biology and Paleo EnvironmentBiology and Paleo Environment

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A seemingly disparate group of oceanographers, geo-chemists, biologists and environmental scientists,researchers in the Biology and Paleo EnvironmentDivision (B&PE) pursue two connected efforts: to uncov-er how biology helps to make sense of the paleo envi-ronment—or fossils as indicators of Earth’s past—and tounderstand how the environment, through its oceans,atmosphere and land, affects present-day biology.

The fossil remains of organisms from the geologic pastare but one of the resources researchers in B&PE useto uncover clues to Earth’s environmental history. Allorganisms record the environment in which they exist.Factors such as temperature, availability of water,nutrients, light and chemical or physical changes thatstress the system shape the organisms just as theseorganisms exert an influence on their surrounding envi-ronment. By studying these organisms, scientists canconstruct a clear picture of Earth’s past, shedding newlight on how the current climate system works andwhat can be expected in the future.

B&PE scientists turn to a number of other primarysources to conduct their research, notably theObservatory’s world-class collection of deep-sea sedi-ment columns, coral reefs and tree rings. These deep-sea sediment columns are like tape recordings andallow scientists to look at Earth’s history over the lastseveral million years. Coral-based climatic reconstruc-tions—using both living and drowned (fossil) reefs—provide an alternate, independent means of accuratelytesting the data collected by other means and extend-ing the record into pre-anthropogenic times. The widthof tree rings, formed as trees grow and lay down woodseasonally, reflects the temperature and precipitationexperienced during that growing season. By studyingtrees several hundred years old, scientists canestablish an accurate record of the climate for thatparticular location.

Calendar age in thousands of years

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John Marra, Doherty Senior ScholarAssociate Director, Biology and Paleo Environment

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While paleo-oceanographers and geologists sift theevidence of Earth’s past, others in B&PE monitor theconverse: they look at current-day effects of the envi-ronment on marine plankton and trees to understandhow these organisms respond to changing environ-mental conditions.

Understanding Earth’s Climate Variability

In a paper that appeared in Science, Gerard Bond andhis coauthors demonstrated that, on centennial timescales, every increase in drift ice volume in the NorthAtlantic during the last 12,000 years was related toreduced solar output. This research strongly suggeststhat recurring warm-cold oscillations of interglacial cli-

2. The black line represents the percentage of a distincttype of iron-coated sand grain that melted out of icebergsand sea ice in the eastern North Atlantic. The blue line rep-resents the change in the production of radiocarbon in theatmosphere; production rate increases are linked todecreases in the sun’s irradiance.The remarkably close match of the two records showsthat during the last 12,000 years every colder period in theNorth Atlantic is linked to a weaker sun. This stronglysuggests that cold events such as the recent Little Ice Age,when glaciers advanced in both hemispheres, are not ran-dom phenomena but are part of a cyclic sun-relatedprocess that will likely continue into the future. Credit:Gerard Bond3. For his advanced course, Plant Physiological Ecologytaught by Kevin Griffin, graduate student Rob Carson took a180-degree fish eye (hemispherical) photo of Black RockForest. This photo illustrates the openness of the canopyabove, which in large part determines how much light ulti-mately reaches the forest floor. Credit: Rob Carson4. Gordon Jacoby cores a Siberian pine in Mongolia toobtain paleoclimatic information from its annual rings. Byanalyzing tree rings, scientists can learn past climate con-ditions, earthquakes, volcanic activity or other environ-mental phenomena recorded by annual growth rings inold-age trees. Credit: LDEO Archives

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mates, such as those we are experiencing presently, havebeen partly or entirely linked to changes in solar irradi-ance.The most recent solar-induced climate cycle is com-posed of the Medieval Warming Period (MWP, ~A.D. 800to 1200) and the Little Ice Age (~A.D. 1300 to 1890), andit is highly likely that solar variability will continue to triggersimilar warm-cold oscillations in the future.

While some have argued that tree rings cannot providea reliable indicator of climate change for a period fartherback than the year 1200, Edward Cook of theObservatory’s Tree-Ring Laboratory and his coauthorshave demonstrated that tree rings can preserve multi-centennial temperature trends, if the proper methods ofanalysis are used. Their reconstruction indicates thatthe latest 20th-century warming is abrupt and truly

1. Lamont graduate student Allegra LeGrande (far right)and two graduate students from Woods HoleOceanographic Institution sectioning a sediment corefrom the Florida margin. Such cores, containing evidenceof changes in the strength of the Florida current over thepast 10,000 years, help researchers reconstruct the histo-ry of the water flow through the Florida straits. Credit:Dorinda Ostermann 2. A crane brings up the multicorer, a machine used byresearchers to collect sediment cores, in this instancefrom the Florida margin. Credit: Dorinda Ostermann

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exceptional compared to the temperature variations ofthe past 1,000 years. There is evidence, however, thatthe Medieval Warming Period was a large-scale phe-nomenon that appears to have approached, during cer-tain intervals, the magnitude of 20th-century warming,at least up to 1990. Further study should yield importantinsights into the current global warming trend.

While Cook has developed novel methods of analysis tolook further back, and with greater precision, into the cli-mate records of trees, Rosanne D’Arrigo has demon-strated that the warming period of the past does notmatch the dramatic, sustained warming trend of thepast one hundred years. Using tree rings to determinelong-term records of factors such as precipitation andwater allocation, Gordon Jacoby has also contributed tothe establishment of tree-ring laboratories in Mongoliaand Russia. Brendan Buckley has expanded climaterecords to include the tropical regions, particularly pineand teak trees in Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia. Hisstudy of cliff forests, which can remain undisturbed forcenturies even when in close proximity to cities, hasalso resulted in significant climate data.

Reconstructing Earth’s Past

Jean Lynch-Stieglitz has combined methods of geo-chemistry and oceanography to study sediment sam-ples and to reconstruct histories of the ocean climate

during, and since, the last ice age. In addition to inves-tigating glacial debris and iceberg movement to seehow these were steered by changes in the Larson IceShelf (Antarctic Peninsula), Lloyd Burckle, in collabora-tion with Cecilia McHugh and Steve Pekar, is evaluatingthe drought record of the Hudson Valley for the past6,000 years by studying salinity changes in HudsonRiver sediment cores. Richard Fairbanks has analyzedisotopes in coral skeletons to describe El Niño/La Niñacycles and the Asian Monsoon system, going backthousands of years. Tom Marchitto is working on sever-al projects that involve large-scale climate changes overthe past glacial-interglacial cycle, studying regions fromthe deep Pacific Ocean, coastal Baja California and theLabrador Sea to the North Atlantic.

Understanding Earth’s Present

Kevin Griffin studies the mechanics of plant function aspart of the forest system. Robert Vaillancourt looks forthe responses of phytoplankton in the sea to changesin temperature, sunlight and the availability of nutrients.O. Roger Anderson’s research on single-cell organ-isms, Protozoa, demonstrates the dependence of thelarger ecosystem on microbial organisms to maintainthe system’s fertility and energy flow.Chris Langdon hasbeen leading research at Biosphere 2 concerning themetabolism of corals and how it reacts to changes inlight availability and carbon levels.

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John Marra’s reevaluation of the data collected duringthe Joint Global Ocean Flux Study over the past tenyears has led to greater certainty in the measurementof ocean productivity. The most common way of meas-uring oceanic primary productivity is through the uptakeof radioisotopic carbon as bicarbonate—known as thecarbon-14 method. Although this method was first intro-duced over 50 years ago, there has been a longstand-ing question as to what it actually measured: gross ornet production. Marra’s research confirms that thecarbon-14 method measures net production, allowingscientists to describe more precisely and effectivelyocean trends and behavior.

1. Graduate student Will Bowman tracing the area of astem respiration cuvette he's removed from a podocarptree in an ancient New Zealand forest. His dissertationproject is designed to gain an understanding of the con-tribution woody tissue respiration makes to the carbonbalance of forest ecosystems. Credit: Kevin Griffin 2. Chris Langdon and colleagues use stony corals toresearch how the rising level of CO2 in the atmospheremay effect the skeletal growth of corals and other organ-isms that secrete calcium carbonate skeletons. Researchsuggests that fossil fuel CO2 emissions could causecorals to be less able to keep up with rising sea level or tocompete for space and light with faster growing algae. Theeventual result could be loss of coral reef habitat and themany species that make their homes in reefs. The stonycoral (Diplora strigosa) pictured here was collected in theCaribbean and has been living in the Biosphere 2 tank foralmost ten years. Credit: Raena Cota.

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Researchers in the Geochemistry Division seek tounderstand Earth’s environments by studying its historyand the processes that govern Earth’s present and pastenvironments. Using advanced chemical and isotopeanalyses, Division scientists study samples of air,water, biological remains, rocks and meteorites in orderto elucidate a broad range of scientific issues. Researchtopics range from particulate and chemical pollutantsemitted by the collapse of the World Trade Center tow-ers on September 11, 2001, to the climate changes ofthe ice ages, which began some 2.6 million years ago,and the fundamental chemical processes involved inthe differentiation and formation of Earth’s mantle andcore. Observatory geochemists have also contributedgreatly to our understanding of socioeconomic issuesassociated with environmental changes, ranging fromcontaminated groundwater to the accumulation ofindustrial carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere,which may ultimately be responsible for present dayglobal warming.

Studying Earth’s Modern Environments

Industrial Carbon Dioxide and Future Climate:Wallace S. Broecker, one of the world’s leadingscientists in the field of climate change, suggeststhat if we continue with our current fossil fuelconsumption, we run the risk of triggering majorchanges in Earth’s climate in the late 21st century.Evidence uncovered from the Greenland ice sheet,continental margin ocean sediments and mountainmoraines shows that large and abrupt global climatechanges during the last Ice Age—as brief as a fewdecades—were likely associated with sudden reorgan-izations of the ocean’s thermohaline circulation (seenext page, Figure 1). Based on current fuel consump-tion, computer simulations carried out in coupledatmosphere-ocean models predict increased carbondioxide levels (~750 ppm) for the 21st century—approximately twice today’s level—that would cripplethe ocean’s circulation system.

Taro Takahashi, Doherty Senior Scholar Associate Director, Geochemistry

2. Wallace S. Broecker is Newberry Professor of Earth andEnvironmental Sciences. He has investigated circulationand material cycles in the global oceans and advanced the-ories of past and present climate changes. He is a memberof the National Academy of Sciences and was awarded theNational Science Medal by President Bill Clinton. Credit:LDEO Archives

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GeochemistryGeochemistry

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Uptake of Carbon Dioxide by the Global Oceans:About 50 percent of the industrial CO2 emitted into theatmosphere is being absorbed by the oceans and landbiosphere, in approximately equal proportions. Basedupon seasonal observations made at sea during thepast 35 years, Taro Takahashi and his associates havedetermined that warm tropical oceans emit CO2 intothe atmosphere, whereas cold high-latitude oceansabsorb CO2 from the atmosphere. In high-latitudeocean areas, spring blooms of photosynthetic plank-ton play an important role in CO2 uptake.Observations like these help scientists to understandthe physical, chemical and biological processes affect-ing oceanic uptake of atmospheric CO2 and whetherthe global oceans will continue to absorb increasinglevels of CO2 from the air in the future.

Water Circulation in New York Harbor: NewYork Harboris one of the busiest seaports in the United States, pro-

cessing nearly $100 billion in cargo each year. Most ofthe shipping facilities are located in Newark Bay and theadjoining Kills, which receive a large volume and varietyof contaminants, including petroleum, heavy metals,PCBs and dioxins. Peter Schlosser, Ted Caplow, DavidHo and associates injected a small quantity of non-toxic sulfur hexafluoride as a tracer into northernNewark Bay to investigate the circulation of waterthroughout the Bay, the Kills and the tidal portions ofthe Passaic and Hackensack Rivers. The dataobtained over a 12-day period suggest rapid initialdispersion, both laterally and vertically, driven by thetides. Such a study enables prediction of availableresponse time for certain contamination events at var-ious sites, as well as provides critical validation datafor computational fluid dynamic models for flow fieldsof the area. Examples of the Observatory’s HudsonRiver research projects follow on page 38, Rivers andEstuaries Research on the Hudson.

2. Net annual flux of carbon dioxide across the sea surfacein 1995. The map represents the mean non–El Niño condi-tions over a 35-year period (1967–2002) and has been con-structed based on about one million CO2 measurements insurface ocean waters made by Takahashi and his colleagues.The blue-purple areas indicate that the seawater is a sink foratmospheric CO2, and the yellow-red areas, a source of CO2to the atmosphere. Credit: Taro Takahashi

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1. The global ocean circulation conceptualized by WallaceBroecker as a “great ocean conveyor belt.” In the NorthAtlantic Ocean, cooled surface waters sink to form thesouthward flow of deep salty waters transporting and

distributing heat, salt and dissolved gases, such asCO2, to the global oceans. Thus, conditions in theNorth Atlantic may play a key role in regulating theglobal climate. Credit: Wallace Broecker

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High Arsenic in Groundwaters: Easily accessible sandyaquifers are a convenient source of microbially uncont-aminated drinking water for approximately 130 millionpeople in Bangladesh. Sadly, about half of the millionsof existing wells do not meet the World HealthOrganization’s guideline for arsenic levels. A team ofObservatory scientists that includes Lex van Geen, YanZheng, Martin Stute, Roelof Versteeg, Mike Steckler,Peter Schlosser, Jim Simpson and Steve Chillrud isevaluating potential solutions to this crisis by takinginto account a complex set of geological, hydrologicaland geochemical factors. The project was launched bymapping the arsenic content of groundwater pumpedby 6,000 hand pumps in a 25 km2 area of Bangladeshin collaboration with health scientists from Columbia’s

Mailman School of Public Health. With these studiesscientists hope to find ways to reduce existing arseniclevels and to prevent future contamination of ground-waters at risk worldwide.

Contaminants in Urban Air: Steven Chillrud, in collabo-ration with public health scientists from Mount SinaiMedical Center and Columbia, Harvard and JohnsHopkins Universities, is investigating airborne toxicexposures. He has developed various sampling equip-ment including portable, battery-driven sample collec-tors for fine airborne particles, and collected samplesin Los Angeles and in New York City—including lowerManhattan during the year following the collapse of theWorld Trade Center towers as part of an ongoing studyat the site. In a series of school-based studies in lowerManhattan, high school students were asked to carrythese collectors. These studies have shown that con-centrations of several metals from steel dust weremore than 100 times greater in the subway systemthan above ground. For those New York City highschool students who ride the subway, the normal dailycommute to school provides 70-90 percent or more oftheir total airborne exposure to iron, manganese andchromium. Work is currently planned to investigatewhether there is any potential for bad health effectsfrom these exposures.

Studying Earth’s Paleo Environments

Past Climate and Deep Ocean Circulation: Thestrength of the North Atlantic Deep Water circulation,which represents a starting point of the global oceanconveyer circulation, may have changed during andthrough the last deglaciation period. AlexanderPiotrowski, Steve Goldstein and Sidney Hemminginvestigated using neodymium isotope ratios in iron-manganese components found in deep ocean sedi-ments taken from the Cape Basin in the southeasternAtlantic Ocean. Their data indicate that the NorthAtlantic Deep Water circulation began to becomestronger 18,000 years ago—about 3,500 years prior tothe Bolling Warming Period recorded in Greenland icecores. The circulation weakened during the YoungerDryas period (~9 thousand years ago) and strength-ened to early Holocene maximum.These findings sug-gest that the major climatic changes of the past wereclosely coupled with changes in the global ocean con-veyor circulation (see page 11, Figure 1).

1. Martin Stute is Associate Professor of EnvironmentalSciences at Columbia’s Barnard College. Here, he oper-ates a mass-spectrometer specifically designed for thedetermination of rare gases such as He, Ne, Ar, and Krdissolved in groundwater samples.2. Peter Schlosser is Vinton Professor of Earth andEnvironmental Engineering at Columbia and Professorof Earth and Environmental Sciences. Here, he operatesa special sampling apparatus during a recent cruise inthe Hudson River and New York Harbor. Credit: CarlosRene Perez

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Documenting Climate Change 7 Million Years Ago:In the middle reaches of the Yellow River in northernChina, under the well-known Loess-soil sequences ofthe last 2.6 million years, is the Hipparion Red-EarthFormation, a major part of which is of wind-blown ori-gin. Since the eolian dust deposited in this region orig-inated from the Asian desert lands, Pierre Biscaye andhis Chinese associates believe that the Red-Earthmust contain a record of the aridification history of theAsian interior during late Miocene-Pliocene time. Theirstudies have revealed that intense eolian dustdeposits began ~6.2 million years ago at the centralLoess Plateau, indicating that sizable desert lands inthe interior of Asia were formed by that time. They alsonoted an intensification of eolian deposits at ~3.6 mil-lion years ago, at about the same time as a suggest-ed major uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Their generalaridification history is also consistent with the ongoinghigh-latitude cooling and consequent expansion ofArctic sea-ice/ice sheets during this interval. Thesefindings suggest that both Tibetan uplift and ice-build-ing processes in the northern hemisphere were promi-nent driving forces behind the long-term desertifica-tion in the interior of Asia.

Ground Waters and Past Climate of Continents:Martin Stute, Peter Schlosser and colleagues investi-gated the aquifer within the Aquia formation in south-ern Maryland and discovered that the ground temper-ature during the last glacial maximum 21,000 yearsago was about 9ºC colder than the postglacial period.Concentrations of dissolved atmospheric noble gasesgive a means for estimating average annual groundtemperatures at the time of infiltration. Since someaquifer waters were isolated from the air many thou-

sand years ago, the estimated ground temperaturesderived at these sites yield important informationabout climate and climate variability in the past.

Studying Earth’s Interior

Chemical Reactions between Earth’s Mantle andCore: Earth’s core-mantle boundary consists of ahighly heterogeneous metal-oxide interface subjectedto high temperatures, pressures and a varying electri-cal field generated by Earth’s outer core. Abby Kavnerand David Walker have developed a method for meas-uring the electrical behavior of metal-silicate interfacesat high pressures (15–25 kbar) and temperatures(1300–1400ºC). Their studies have revealed a richarray of electrical and electrically activated chemicalbehavior and have advanced our understanding of thechemical reactions important to the evolution ofEarth’s mantle and core.

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1. Core RC11-83, taken from the Cape Basin in the southeastAtlantic. Black arrows show the pathway of North AtlanticDeep Water (NADW). White arrows show the movement ofAntarctic Bottom Water underlying NADW. By studyingneodymium isotope ratios in the core, scientists Piotrowski,Goldstein and Hemming documented changes in NADW cir-culation during past ice ages. Credit: Steve Goldstein 2. The concentration of iron (Fe) (vertical axis) and man-ganese (Mn) (horizontal axis) in particulate samples col-lected in lower Manhattan. Long-term exposures to man-ganese pose potential risks for neurodegenerative disease.Short-term exposures to high iron and manganese concen-trations in the air might also be of concern for those withcardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. Credit: Steven Chillrud3. Division scientist Pierre Biscaye and one of several col-leagues who are studying the Hipparion Red-Earth Formationin northern China, looking for clues to climate changes thatoccurred millions of years ago.

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More than 50 years after Columbia University seis-mologist Maurice Ewing set out to explore the world’socean floors by studying the elastic waves from earth-quakes and man-made explosions, scientists in theMarine Geology and Geophysics (MG&G) Divisionhave charted more than 3 million miles in theObservatory’s three research vessels as they conductresearch in all of the world’s oceans.

Observatory scientists have always been in the van-guard of ocean research. New tools, such as Multi-channel Seismic Reflection techniques, now allowresearchers to probe more deeply into Earth, and multi-beam bathymetry mapping and side-looking sonarimaging instruments, some pioneered here at theObservatory, permit scientists to map larger areas ofthe seafloor, in ever greater detail. Using a “free swim-mer” or Autonomous Underwater Vehicle operating 20m above the seafloor in depths of 2,600 m, MG&G sci-entists Marie-Helene Cormier and Bill Ryan, and theircolleagues from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institutionand the University of Hawaii, were able to map freshlava flows along the East Pacific Rise in unprecedenteddetail (2.5 m “footprints”) (see page 15, Figure 1).

Over the years, the Observatory’s Borehole ResearchGroup (BRG) has made major contributions to scientificocean drilling, using down-hole geophysical measure-ments of the well-bore material to investigate the his-tory of global sea level variations, to measure the flowof fluids through fractured rock of the ocean crust, andto determine the thermal and mechanical properties ofthe ocean’s crust and upper mantle. Through the JointOceanographic Institutions Inc., BRG is currentlycharged by the National Science Foundation with pro-viding logging services to the foundation’s OceanDrilling Program (ODP), as well as with developing newtypes of borehole logging instruments, adapting oilfield logging tools and maintaining a data base of all

Marine Geology and GeophysicsMarine Geology and Geophysics

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Jeffrey K. Weissel, Doherty Senior ScholarAssociate Director, Marine Geology and Geophysics

2. Sally Odland, Division Administrator (left) andTania Drinnon, Administrative Assistant (right), theMG&G administrative staff.3. Multichannel seismic profiling produces enhancedimages of the crust by combining sound reflectionsrecorded by many receivers. The research vessel towsair guns and a long “streamer” containing a string ofhydrophones grouped into receiver channels. Eachchannel records sound reflected by the seafloor, as wellas sound refracted by the seafloor and then reflected byunderlying rock layers.

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logging measurements on behalf of the ocean drillingcommunity worldwide. In the transition from the ODP toa new, more integrated ocean drilling program, with itsmore complicated international partnerships and itsmultiple drilling platforms, MG&G is well-positioned toplay an even larger role in the ocean drilling science ofthe future.

Research Highlights

Methods are urgently required to control and/or mitigatethe increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2),which although a minor component of the atmosphere,is thought to be primarily responsible for global warming.In a two-year pilot project, David Goldberg, TaroTakahashi and others have been investigating methodsfor CO2 sequestration in underground aquifers. Bystudying the permeability and hydrogeological charac-teristics of the sedimentary and igneous rock layerspresent in a well drilled on the Lamont campus, and thechemical reactions between CO2 and the host rock,these researchers are aiming to develop ways of deter-mining the amount of CO2 that can be stored in landrock formations. Similar experiments are planned tostudy CO2 sequestration in the ocean crust, as well asat numerous land-based sites in conjunction with ongo-ing efforts by other U.S. labs.

The world’s mid-ocean ridges are not only places wherenew ocean crust is continuously created, but are sitesof unique biological communities sustained by heatenergy and nutrients brought to the seafloor inhydrothermal circulation systems. In July of 2002Suzanne Carbotte led an expedition aboard theObservatory’s R/V Maurice Ewing to image the crustalstructure of the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the northeastPacific Ocean. The Juan de Fuca Ridge has been stud-ied since the development of the theory of plate tecton-ics in the 1960s; however, prior to this expedition littlewas known about the magma chambers, which providethe heat source driving these hydrothermal systems, orabout the structure of the shallow crust through whichseawater and heat circulate. Using the multichannel

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1. This high-resolution micro-bathymetry map of the axisof a mid-ocean ridge in the southeast Pacific was pro-duced using the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle “ABE,”which operated only 5-10 m from the seafloor at a depthof 2600 m. The map highlights subtle volcanic features,including a narrow, 10 m deep eruptive fissure at the verysummit of the mid-ocean ridge (center) and numerouslava channels running down from that fissure. Red indi-cates a shallower seafloor. Credit: Dana Yoerger, WoodsHole Oceanographic Institution.

2. Bathymetry map of the Endeavour Ridge located off thecoast of Vancouver. Black lines show locations of multi-channel seismic tracks. Hydrothermal vents along the crestof the Endeavour Ridge are shown in green squares.Suzanne Carbotte and colleagues used seismic studies todetermine the internal structure of the crust at this mid-ocean ridge and found that magma chambers are closelyassociated with the hydrothermal vents along the axis(labeled sites). Credit: Suzanne Carbotte

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seismic system aboard the Ewing, Carbotte, JohnDiebold and their colleagues from Woods HoleOceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution ofOceanography found extensive magma chambers locat-ed 2.5 km below the seafloor along much of this ridge,including sections of the ridge where magma chamberswere previously believed to be absent. These new dataindicate that the potential for volcanic eruptions is highalong much of this ridge and that disruptions to thehydrothermal systems from magmatic events is expect-ed.The data collected will permit scientists to study howthe oceanic crust changes with percolation of seawaterthrough the crust and will provide important baselineinformation on the structure of the crust for a wide rangeof ongoing and new initiatives.

The ocean is full of acoustic energy generated notonly by earthquakes but by the tremors associatedwith volcanic activity as well. While studying thesedata for information about seafloor volcanism and tec-tonics, Maya Tolstoy and Del Bohnenstiehl discoveredthat seafloor earthquakes on a volcano off the coast ofOregon were being triggered by the tides. Tidal corre-lation of earthquakes on land has been hard to prove,but this seafloor experiment shows the strongest sta-tistical evidence to date for tidal forcing of volcanicactivity. In a related study, they revealed that themagma forming a large seafloor eruption under theArctic ice may have come directly from Earth’s mantle.The Arctic Ocean floor is known to have very thincrust, and seismicity associated with the eruption indi-cates that the magma originated from depths belowthe base of the crust.

Rapid response is key to saving lives and assessingproperty damage when natural disasters strike.

1. Ocean floor earthquakes (brown dots) detected by threeocean-bottom seismographs and the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration–Pacific Marine EnvironmentalLaboratory’s bottom-pressure recorder (BPR), whichrecorded the tides. Lower right figure shows outline of 1998flow compared with location of 1994 seismicity. Lower leftfigure shows the location of an axial volcano (AS=AxialSeamount) on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, off the coast of thenorthwestern United States. Credit: Maya Tolstoy2. Del Bohnenstiehl (left) and Maya Tolstoy (right ) at sea analyz-ing data from an Arctic volcanic eruption. Credit: D. K. Smith3. Acoustic image of the Tappan Zee Reach of the HudsonRiver based on data collected by Observatory scientists.East-west trending dark bands represent newly discov-ered oyster beds. The green dots mark locations of coresamples that provide researchers with insights into thechanging nature of the river.

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Darkness, clouds or smoke over devastated areascan delay urgent relief efforts. Radar is not ham-pered by these conditions and can provide theneeded information in a timely manner. In one of asuite of new programs conducted under the auspicesof the Center for Hazards and Risk Research,Jeffrey Weissel, Kristina Czuchlewski and col-leagues at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory aredeveloping radar-based approaches for rapidresponse to natural disasters. Hazards such asfloods, fires, volcanic eruptions and landslidesessentially “re-surface” parts of the terrain and, indoing so, alter the dominant radar scattering proper-ties of the areas affected. The overall goal is todevelop radar-based systems that can be deployedfor rapid assessment of the extent and severity ofmany different kinds of natural disasters. Examplesof the Hazard Center’s multifaceted research proj-ects follow on page 42 (Managing Risk in anUncertain World).

Using high-resolution sonar mapping tools developedfor ocean exploration, Robin Bell and colleagueshave surveyed the Hudson riverbed from the FederalDam at Troy to the Verrazano Bridge. This basic map-ping activity is essential to research on a wide rangeof river issues, including sediment and contaminanttransport, carbon and nutrient cycling, and the effectsof global climate change. Human impacts complicatenatural processes but must be well understood if sci-entists and local leaders are to institute wise stew-ardship of the Hudson in the face of mounting pres-sure from development and increasing population.Examples of the Observatory’s Hudson Riverresearch follow on page 38 (Rivers and EstuariesResearch on the Hudson).

1. Comparison of various types of remote sensing data overthe Tsaoling landslide within 18 mos. of the Sept. 1999 ChiChi earthquake (magnitude 7.6) in central Taiwan: A.Surface classification map made from radar scatteringmechanisms; B. Grayscale C-band image of vertically polar-ized backscatter SAR Intensity; C. False-color image ofLandsat 7 Thematic Mapper (TM) data; D. Indian ResearchSatellite visible band panchromatic data obtained six weeksafter the landslide. The landslide is the light colored areaand the vegetated slopes are dark. Credit: Jeff Weissel2. At-sea transfer of personnel onto the ODP drill shipJOIDES Resolution, at Hydrate Ridge off the coast ofOregon. The Observatory’s Borehole Research Group con-ducted extensive wire-line logging and Logging-While-Drilling operations to investigate the in situ properties ofnatural gas hydrates. Credit: Gilles Guerin3. Observatory scientist Michael Studinger (left) discussesthe airborne geophysical survey and other Observatoryresearch activities with the Russian station managerAlexander Kondratjev (middle) and the Russian physicianVassili Lutsiv (right) in a tent near Vostok Station.4. Signpost at Vostok Station, Antarctica. Antarcticsignposts are an old tradition and can be found atevery research base. The signs show direction and dis-tance to the hometowns of people who have spent awinter in Antarctica.

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Scientists in the Division of Ocean and Climate Physics(DOCP) delve into the mysteries of Earth’s climate in orderto document climate change and build an under-standing of its controlling forces. Climate change is acrucial factor that has influenced human history overthe ages. Reliable prediction is essential to human-kind’s future and to the well-being of the planet.

The Division’s main research objective is to gain betterunderstanding of the ocean and atmosphere and tohone predictive skills. DOCP researchers strive tounderstand the forces and processes that shape oceanand atmosphere structure and circulation, and oceanand atmosphere interactions and their effects on cli-mate and climate variability. Researchers particularlystress regional and global ocean and climate variabilityfrom interannual to centennial time scales, as well asthe underlying physics associated with abrupt climatechange indicated in paleoclimate records.

DOCP scientists conduct research through observa-tions, a hierarchy of numerical simulations and applica-tion of fundamental geophysical fluid dynamics. Theyderive their observations from a variety of sources:some obtained during seagoing investigations, othersfrom archived and satellite-derived data. Data generat-ed through a combination of observations and numeri-cal models are increasingly important in portraying thefull spectrum of spatial and temporal variability of theocean and atmosphere. Close collaboration betweenobservationalists and modelers, oceanographers andclimatologists, and with scientists from other divisions,notably those within Geochemistry, is a hallmark of theDivision and has led to significant advancements in thefield of ocean and climate science.

Climate Modeling

The Division includes a premier climate modeling group.Begun in the 1980s with a focus on predicting El Niñothrough a simple ocean/atmosphere model, the group’ssuccess ultimately led to the establishment of the world-renowned International Research Institute for ClimatePrediction. Today, DOCP modeling efforts have expand-ed and are producing increasingly realistic ocean andatmosphere models on a global scale. Recent researchby Dr. Richard Seager and colleagues has shown thatthe Gulf Stream actually has little effect on the contrast in

Ocean and Climate Physics Ocean and Climate Physics

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2. Computer model simulation of a bouyant (warm water) jet. Themodel runs were performed by Naomi Naik, Martin Visbeck andDick Ou as part of a project that investigated the formation ofocean eddies. The figure shows two snapshots of surface tem-perature (color) and ocean surface velocity (arrows) in a reenter-ing channel configuration 100 km in width and 300 km in length.Credit: Martin Visbeck

Arnold Gordon, Professor of Earth & Environmental SciencesAssociate Director, Division of Ocean and Climate Physics

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winter temperatures between Europe and eastern NorthAmerica. Dispelling a long-held assumption, theirresearch instead suggests that atmospheric circulation,augmented by the Rocky Mountains, plays a larger role.Analogous to an island in a stream, the Rockies set upa persistent wave in the winds downstream that bringscold winds from the north into eastern North Americaand warm winds from the south into western Europe.This pattern of heat movement by the winds accounts forhalf the total difference in winter temperatures betweenthe two regions, while much of the other half can be attrib-uted to the release of heat stored in the ocean.

Division researchers use atmosphere and oceanobservations to document the spatial and temporalscales of climate variability, such as those directlylinked to El Niño, the Arctic and Antarctic Oscillationsand the North Atlantic Oscillation, as well as to theslow changes of temperature that may be associatedwith man-made factors, such as increased levels ofgreenhouse gases. For example, Martin Visbeck andGerd Krahmann have advanced our understanding ofthe Atlantic Ocean and Arctic sea-ice response tochanges in surface winds associated with the NorthAtlantic Oscillation. Visbeck and Krahmann havefound a clear relationship between sea-ice drift andthickness distribution in the Arctic Ocean, but a more

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1. Panel (A) illustrates the movement of heat by ocean currents, whilePanel (B) simulates climate, when heat by ocean currents is set tozero. Note the similarities between the two. Research by RichardSeager and colleagues has revealed that differences in winter temper-atures between western Europe (warm) and eastern North America(cold) are not caused by heat transport by the Gulf Stream, dispellinga long-held assumption to the contrary. Credit: Richard Seager

2. Technicians tethered with safety lines brave high swells dur-ing a mooring recovery in the northwest Weddell Sea.Researchers, such as Division scientist Phil Mele, use an arrayof moorings to measure the circulation of the Weddell Sea.Credit: Stacey Robertson

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Deviation from Zonal Mean Values:Sea Surface Temperature (colors) Sea Level Air Pressure (contours)

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complex relationship of sea-ice in the Greenland/IcelandSeas, which may have possible implications for theglobal ocean’s thermohaline circulation.

In another study, Xiaojun Yuan and Douglas Martinsonrecently described the Antarctic Dipole—an interannualoscillation in the southern polar oceans that is charac-terized by a seesawing relationship in both ice volumeand temperature anomalies between the Pacific andAtlantic sectors of the Antarctic. Their research showsthat this high latitude climate mode of variability is close-ly associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)variability in the tropics through atmospheric connections.Such findings ultimately may help scientists to discernwhether ENSO, whose global impact on the climate sys-tem is well known, plays a governing role in the AntarcticDipole Oscillation or is instead governed by it.

Ocean Research

Ocean field research ranges from the Indonesianseas to the icebound polar regions of the SouthernOcean and Arctic Seas. Division researchers alsocarry out field activities in the less extreme environ-

ments of the South and North Atlantic and IndianOceans. Through this fieldwork, researchers aim tointegrate regional oceanography into a better under-standing of the global ocean system and the rela-tionship of the ocean to climate change. A challeng-ing field activity by Arnold Gordon, Martin Visbeckand Stan Jacobs is designed to study the processesthat control the escape of dense water from the con-tinental shelf of Antarctica—which ultimately chillsthe lower 2 km of the world’s ocean—and are poorlyrepresented by current global and regional models.Building robust model representation requires a firmgrasp of the physical dynamics, and Divisionoceanographers remain in the vanguard.

In a recent study, Arnold Gordon examined thetransfer of mass, heat and fresh water between themajor oceans. Interocean exchange provides path-ways for the transfer of heat and fresh water andassociated anomalies between oceans, which mayplay an important role in shaping global climate pat-terns and variability. The present focus of this work,carried out with R. Dwi Susanto and Amy Ffield, isthe study of the transfer of warm Pacific water to theIndian Ocean through the complex passages of theIndonesian seas, otherwise known as theIndonesian Throughflow. The Throughflow plays anintegral part in the global thermohaline circulationand is believed to be a key element in such climatephenomena as ENSO and the Asian Monsoon. Anambitious three-year program of measuring theThroughflow, in collaboration with Indonesia, TheNetherlands, France and Australia, is scheduled tobegin in early 2003.

2. Panel (a) shows the relationship of winter surface tem-peratures and surface air pressure with the phase of theNorth Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Cold (blue) colors markregions where winter mean temperatures are colder duringthe positive phase of the NAO, while warm colors (yellow-red) highlight regions with warmer temperatures; Panel (b)shows the value of the NAO index (defined as the sea level pres-sure difference between Iceland and the Azores) from 1850 to2002. Division scientists have been instrumental in docu-menting the impacts of the NAO on climate in the Atlanticsector, including its effects on the circulation of the ocean,snow cover over the eastern United States and energy usagein Scandinavia. Credit: Martin Visbeck

1. Deployment of a mooring in the northwest Weddell Sea.Division scientist Gerd Krahmann is seen here attaching aninstrument onto the mooring cable that will allowresearchers to take temperature and conductivity measure-ments, which are then used to calculate water salinity andpressure. Credit: Phil Mele

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NAO Impacts on North Atlantic Climate

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Local Coastal and Estuarine Waters

Researchers within DOCP are increasingly involved inlocal coastal and estuarine waters, such as theHudson River, Jamaica Bay and the neighboringcoastal ocean. Robert Houghton developed andapplied an innovative way to quantitatively measurethe circulation and mixing processes across theboundary that separates the shallow shelf waters fromthose of the open ocean. The objective is to under-stand the physical processes responsible for theenhanced biological productivity at the outer edge ofthe shelf. Skillfully tracking a cloud of a fluorescentdye tracer introduced at the edge of the continentalshelf south of Martha’s Vineyard as it swirled amid theenergetic tidal and regional currents, Houghton meas-ured the evolution of the dye cloud, exposing the sub-tleties of the mixing and circulation processes respon-sible for bringing nutrient-rich water needed to sustaincharacteristic high biological productivity.

In another study, Houghton and Martin Visbeckapplied these same techniques to determine thephysics of the Hudson’s salt wedge to better under-stand the forces that control the upstream intrusion ofocean salt into the Hudson River. Since the circulationof the river system influences the ecosystem as wellas the removal of contaminants from the Hudson,understanding of the river and estuary structure is crit-ical to improved management of the river’s resources.In a related project, Visbeck and Bruce Huber estab-lished a monitoring system of Hudson River proper-ties, such as salinity and velocity, at the end ofPiermont Pier. Sensors set at different points along theriver now record the continuously changing nature ofthe river. By collecting and analyzing this data,Division scientists hope to gain further insight into thenature of the river and its surroundings.

Division research also includes study of hydrologicalprocesses related to climate changes. Marc Stieglitzand his group are studying the complex interplay ofrivers and the biogeochemical processes that helpshape the surrounding landscape. His group’sresearch has led to a fundamentally new way of con-ceptualizing hydrologic processes within climate mod-els and to an enhanced understanding of the mecha-nisms responsible for the sudden initiation of a down-slope flow of fresh water into lower-lying valleys.

What is climate change?

To achieve a relatively steady climate, Earth’s oceanand atmosphere must transfer heat and freshwateraround the globe to compensate for varying radiationand regional differences between precipitation andevaporation. How these fluids work independentlyand as a team to accomplish their task over Earth’svaried land-ocean configuration sets the climate pat-tern on the planet. They do their job well for Earth hasa reasonably stable climate, but climate change doesoccur and civilization is increasingly vulnerable tosuch change.

Fluctuations in solar radiation and Earth’s volcanoactivity, as well as changes within the ocean andatmosphere, as they interact with one another, lead toan array of climate variations and adjustments overtime. A key feature of climate is the abundance ofwater, which acts to lessen climate extremes. Varyingamounts of greenhouse gases (such as water vapor,carbon dioxide, methane) also can significantly alterthe ability of the atmosphere to rid itself of heat.Understanding natural climate variability is compli-cated enough, but there is also the perplexing issue ofthe increasingly powerful effects of humankind super-imposed on this natural variability.

1. Off the New England coast, a harmless dye tracer wasinjected near the foot of the shelfbreak front, which sepa-rates cold, fresh shelf water from warm, salty slope water.Red shows where the dye’s concentration was highest,near the shelfbreak on the New England shelf, south ofMartha’s Vineyard. Arrows show the dye’s trajectoryacross the front as it disperses along constant densitysurfaces (solid lines) over seven days. White lines repre-sent the tracks of the towed instrumentation that collectedthe data. Credit: Robert Houghton

2. A snapshot of Earth. Land and sea surface tempera-tures as well as ice and existing clouds on November 8,2002. Credit: Space Science and Engineering Center,University of Wisconsin, Madison

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The more than 50 staff and students who comprisethe Seismology, Geology, and Tectonophysics (SG&T)Division are part of a long tradition in the solid Earthsciences at the Observatory. SG&T researchers havealways been in the forefront of theoretical and obser-vational seismology, rock mechanics, structural geol-ogy and tectonics, and sedimentary geology and havemade lasting contributions to the study of earth-quakes, the structure of Earth’s crust, mantle and coreand the large-scale motions and deformation of theplates. SG&T scientists also serve the nation andworld by pursuing applied research in two criticalareas: reducing the vulnerability of society to naturalhazards and verifying international treaties governingnuclear weapons testing.

This research and service ethic continues today withexpanding multidisciplinary investigations and anincreasing number of collaborations with governmentsand research institutions around the world.

The Lamont Cooperative Seismic Network

Technical innovation continues to be part of theresearch spectrum. SG&T operates the LamontCooperative Seismic Network (LCSN), which is part ofthe Advanced National Seismic System, a facility sup-ported by the U.S. Geological Survey that integratesregional earthquake monitoring into a national sys-tem. SG&T seismologists work directly with regionalpartners throughout the Northeast to monitorintraplate seismicity in order to assist in earthquakeresponse and hazard mitigation. In addition, the LCSNprovides fundamental data on ground motion thatallows earthquake engineers to design quake-resist-ant structures and infrastructure.

The LCSN was operating on 9/11. The impacts of theaircraft and the subsequent collapse of the World TradeCenter towers were sufficient to generate significantseismic energy in the crust, which was recorded by theseismograph on the Lamont campus.These recordingsprovided the most authoritative, independent measureof the disaster’s chronology; forensic engineers havebeen using them to determine the mechanics of theimpacts and the energy released during the collapse.The data were made freely available and the eventtimes estimated by LCSN analysis were cited byPresident George Bush as the time of record.

East-West component of motion at PAL, filtered 0.6 – 5 HzRecord start time: 09/11/2001 08:40 EDT, 12:40 UTC

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Art Lerner-Lam, Doherty Senior Research ScientistAssociate Director, Seismology, Geology and Tectonophysics

2. Two hours of seismographic information recorded by theLamont Cooperative Seismic Network on the morning ofSept. 11, 2001 show the airplane impacts and the subse-quent collapse of the World Trade Center’s two towers. Credit: Won Young-Kim

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More Accurate Earthquake Location Techniques

One of the most basic operations in seismology is locat-ing earthquakes and other seismic sources. While sim-ple in principle, in practice earthquake locations arecontaminated by uncertainties arising from unknownearth structure, inadequate distribution of seismome-ters, and low signal-to-noise ratios. However, with cleverselection of reference sources, the relative locations ofearthquakes can be determined with greater accuracy.In recent years, SG&T scientists have contributed to aclass of techniques that rely effectively on choosingmultiple reference measurements which can, undercertain circumstances, lead to more accurate maps ofseismicity. By applying these new techniques to mas-sive data sets from local and regional networks, SG&Tresearchers can better understand the fine-scale struc-ture of fault systems. Division scientists are also usingthese techniques to more effectively monitor compli-ance with nuclear test ban treaties worldwide.

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1. Pictured are three seismic events that occurred inManhattan in 2001: two earthquakes on Jan. 17 and Oct.27 (black dots) and the World Trade Center (WTC) col-lapse on Sept. 11 (red dot). These events were recordedat the seismographic station on the Lamont campus(LAM) approximately 34 km north on the west bank of the

Hudson. The dotted ellipses show areas of 95 percentcertainty for the locations of the earthquake epicen-ters. Won Young-Kim is currently working to increasethe accuracy of epicenter locations further by deploy-ing sensors at sites throughout upper Manhattan.Credit: Won Young-Kim

2. Observatory engineers Ted Koczynski (with umbrella)and Noel Barstow (now with the PASSCAL instrument cen-ter in New Mexico) prepare a site for the installation of aportable broadband sensor on Normanby Island off thecoast of Papua, New Guinea. An array of seismometerswere installed to detect the rifting of continental crust andto elucidate the structure of the crust and mantle under-neath. Credit: Art Lerner-Lam

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New Research Centers

The new Center for Nonlinear Earth Systems (CNES)is being led by Chris Scholz. This multidisciplinarygroup, funded by the Observatory and The EarthInstitute, combines the talents of scientists from theApplied Physics and Math program of The FuFoundation School of Engineering and AppliedSciences and the Observatory to address fundamen-tal problems in modeling complex Earth systems andphenomena. Differentiating the complexity of Earthprocesses from complexities in Earth’s structure isthe group’s primary challenge. For example, MarcSpiegelman and his coworkers have shown that muchof the variation observed in the chemical compositionof mid-ocean ridge basalts may be due to their move-ment through the crust rather than to variations in thesource magma. This understanding of mid-oceanridge systems can be appplied to volcanic plumbingsystems worldwide, improving the ability of volcanol-ogists to predict future eruptions.

The Center for Hazards and Risk Research is a newmultidisciplinary initiative inaugurated with seed fund-ing from the Observatory and The Earth Institute. TheHazards Center provides coordination for the manyactivities around Columbia focused on natural hazardsand their impacts and is developing strategies forbuilding resiliency in human society. Examples of itsmultifaceted research projects follow on page 42(Managing Risk in an Uncertain World).

Research Highlights

Using a new hyperaccurate earthquake location algo-rithm, Felix Waldhauser has mapped the complexinteractions of the Hayward and Calaveras faults onthe eastern flank of California’s San Francisco Bay.The San Andreas Fault, which elsewhere in Californiais the main plate boundary between North Americaand the Pacific, branches eastward into the Calaverasand Hayward systems beneath the heavily populated

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1. These illustrated calculations show that the flowof magma (molten rock) through Earth’s interior canlead to the spontaneous formation of a channelizedmelt plumbing system—similar to the way in whichsurface fluid flow localizes into rivers and streams.Subsequent calculations show that these plumbingsystems may have profound effects on the composi-tion and behavior of volcanic lavas. (A) is a 2-D cal-culation showing the structure of the corrodedchannels. Channelized regions are in blue where animportant mineral has been dissolved; (B) is a 3-Dcalculation showing the formation of tubular chan-nels in porosity. Brighter regions have more melt inthem. Credit: Marc Spiegelman

2. Sensitive seismographic stations around theworld are deployed to monitor nuclear weapon testsunder the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.Data from these stations are also used to decipherundersea explosions, like the ones that sank theRussian submarine Kursk on Aug. 14, 2000, in anemerging field called forensic seismology. A knownunderwater chemical explosion near Murmansk onOct. 23, 1997 (shown as a star on the map) wasused for comparison. Credit: Won Young-Kim

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Seismic Events in the Barents Sea

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and industrialized zones of the East Bay. Waldhauserand his colleagues at the U.S. Geological Survey havebeen able to show that the two major systems arelinked by the “Mission Trend,” which has no obviousexpression in the surface geology. Location algorithmsyield precise images of the active substructures with-in and just adjacent to the fault and allow scientists toidentify potential sites of future, large-magnitudeearthquakes.

Mikhail Kogan and Chris Scholz have completed thefirst phase of their large-scale geodetic study of thecryptic plate boundary along Sakhalin Island in theSea of Okhotsk and in eastern Siberia. This majorplate boundary has resisted attempts at characteriza-tion using standard tectonic analysis and has onlyyielded its secrets after extensive fieldwork with highlyaccurate Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers.The boundary is complex, but is organized alongmajor thrust and strike-slip features that pose a sub-stantial threat to the burgeoning oil and gas industry inSakhalin. In fact, Kogan was able to serendipitouslyrecord the co-seismic displacements resulting from amajor earthquake in Uglegorsk, which provided thecritical evidence for thrust motion that the seismic data

alone were unable to resolve. This study was madepossible by Kogan’s continental-scale array of contin-uously reporting GPS receivers in Siberia and north-ern Russia, which provide the longest continuousbaselines and some of the most accurate geodeticmeasurements on Earth.

Geologists Steven Pekar and Nick Christie-Blick havedeveloped the first calibration curve for pre-Pleistocenesea level based on deep-sea oxygen isotope records.Isotope levels in deep-sea sediments depend on bothocean water temperatures and ice volumes at thepoles.They were able to remove the effect of ice volumefrom the isotopic record in order to measure the vari-ability of deep water temperature alone. Their resultssuggest that Southern ocean deep water temperaturevariations between glacial and interglacial periods atmillion-year time scales were smaller than those in trop-ical surface water or in mid- and low-latitude deepwater.These findings support the hypothesis that mois-ture transport to the poles may have been a moreimportant factor than previously thought in the initiationof large Antarctic ice sheets at the beginning of theOligocene period and may lead to further understandingof current climate variability.

1. Permanent GPS station Petropavlovsk is located in theKamchatka region of Russia, at the boundary of the NorthAmerican and Pacific lithospheric plates. The subductionof the Pacific plate is one reason for the abundant volcan-ism in this region. Two large volcanoes can be seen in thebackground: Avachinskiy (right) and Koryaksliy (left). TheGPS antenna is the shiny horizontal dish set up on thewhite pylon (center). Credit: Mikhail Kogan2. GPS velocities in the middle of Sakhalin Island (redarrows) clearly demonstrate the transpressional stressregime. Chris Scholz and Mikhail Kogan, who are con-ducting a large-scale geodetic study of the region, believethat the convergence of Eurasian and North Americanplates is responsible for the stress that causes frequentearthquakes along the whole length of Sakhalin Island.Credit: Mikhail Kogan

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GPS Velocities—Sakhalin Island, 2000–2002

Office of Marine AffairsOffice of Marine Affairs

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Over the past two years the R/V Maurice Ewing, theObservatory’s signature research ship, has circum-navigated the globe while continuing its role as anational facility for collection of marine seismic datausing Multichannel Seismic (MCS) reflection tech-niques. The Ewing is the only ship in the University–National Oceanographic Laboratory System that hasMCS capabilities.

No fewer than 11 of the 17 expeditions over the pasttwo years included a seismic component. Althoughresearch aboard the Ewing is conducted by scientistsfrom many institutions, 3 expeditions in the past twoyears were led by principal investigators from theObservatory.

One of these focused on the contrast in continental rift-ing styles between northwest Australia’s ExmouthPlateau and the area immediately to the south.Observatory scientist and Coprincipal InvestigatorGarry Karner supervised multichannel seismic profilingof the area and the acquisition of Ocean BottomHydrophone (OBH) refraction data. Other participatinginstitutions included the Hawaii Institute forGeophysics, the U.S. Geological Survey and theScripps Institute of Oceanography. Cruise dates for thisexpedition, which started and ended in Fremantle,Australia, were October 27 through December 2, 2001.

In December 2001 and January 2002, Observatoryscientists Jim Cochran and Jackie Floyd led a multi-faceted investigation of the southeast Indian Ridge,located in stormy seas between southeastern Australia,Kerguelen and the Antarctic. During this expedition MCSand OBH data were acquired. Multibeam (swath) bathy-metric sonar was also used to gather data. Long transittimes to the work area, located at 50 degrees south lat-itude, made for a long cruise.

Observatory scientist Suzanne Carbotte led a detailedsurvey of the Juan de Fuca Ridge off the coast ofWashington State and Vancouver, Canada, in thesummer of 2002. Although much was known aboutshallow hydrothermal activity on and around thismedium-spreading-rate oceanic ridge, the correlationbetween this activity and deeper structures was previ-

2. Observatory Director G. Michael Purdy (center)addresses representatives of the Greek Press inAthens, Aug. 2001, in front of R/V Ewing, with itswhimsically decorated marine seismic container.

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Dennis Hayes, Professor of Earth and Environmental SciencesAssociate Director, Office of Marine Affairs

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ously unknown. On this expedition, deeply penetratingMCS surveys for the first time provided images of theridge-feeding magma chambers, the interestingporous shallow layer feeding the hydrothermal fieldsand the surrounding Moho, which forms the base ofthe oceanic crust.

Another four legs of the Ewing’s journey accomplishedtasks related to physical oceanography and biology.Many of the seismic legs also included the taking ofsamples and measurements for other marine geologi-cal disciplines, including heat flow, coring and swathbathymetry.

Research expeditions during the last two years con-tinue a longstanding tradition of discovery and innova-tion aboard Observatory vessels. MCS work aboardObservatory ships began in 1974 on the R/V Conrad,which was outfitted with a seismic source of four air gunsand a 24-channel, 2,400 m long hydrophone array.

1. Technicians and crew of the Juan de Fuca MCS survey,during night operations, launch a hydrophone array’s tailbuoy, which communicates its position 6.2 km behind theR/V Ewing.2. R/V Ewing collecting MCS data in the Gulf of Corinth,Greece, July 2001. The ship’s 20 air guns are towed fromtwo booms on the fantail.

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2. Paul Ljunggren, Senior Staff AssociateMarine Superintendent3. John B. Diebold, Research ScientistMarine Science Coordinator

1. The global course followed by the R/V Ewing betweenJuly 2000 and July 2002.

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The Ewing’s original conversion in 1990 included theaddition of a 20–air gun seismic source array, and itsmost recent upgrade, funded by the National ScienceFoundation in 1998—which included installation of a480-channel, 6 km long hydrophone array and acqui-sition system—makes the Ewing the only ship in theU.S. academic fleet capable of performing MCS sur-veys around the world.

The Ewing is named after Maurice Ewing, theObservatory’s founder and first director, under whoseleadership the Observatory became the first institutionin the world to routinely collect precision depth record-ings of the seafloor, seismic reflections of the layersbelow the seafloor, gravity and magnetic measure-ments and probes of the heat flow through theseafloor, as well as seafloor sediment cores andocean bottom photographs.

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CRUISE DATES PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR PORTS INSTITUTION

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2000JULY 1 to TRANSIT Colon, PanamaJULY 11 St. John’s, NF, Canada–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––JULY 15 to Brian Tulcholke St. John’s, NF, CanadaAUGUST 16 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Newark, NJ–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––SEPTEMBER 2 to Steve Holbrook Newark, NJ OCTOBER 17 University of Wyoming Norfolk, VA–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2001FEBRUARY 9 to Margarita Trujillo Tampa, FLFEBRUARY 21 United States Navy Charleston, SC–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––MARCH 11 to Brian Tucholke Charleston, SC APRIL 5 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution San Juan, PR–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––APRIL 8 to TRANSIT San Juan, PRAPRIL 12 Colon, Panama–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––APRIL 14 to Andrew Fisher Colon, Panama MAY 19 University of California, Santa Cruz Colon, Panama –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––MAY 23 to TRANSIT/HYDROSWEEP UPGRADE Colon, PanamaMAY 29 San Juan, PR–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––MAY 31 to James Gaherty San Juan, PRJUNE 30 Georgia Institute of Technology Bermuda–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––JULY 3 to TRANSIT BermudaJULY 21 Patrai, Greece–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––JULY 23 to Brian Taylor Patrai, Greece AUGUST 1 School of Oceanographic and Earth Science Technology, Piraeus, Greece

University of Hawaii–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––AUGUST 4 to TRANSIT Piraeus, GreeceAUGUST 11 At sea–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––AUGUST 12 to William Johns At seaAUGUST 18 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Djibouti, Eritrea,

University of Miami Egypt, Yemen, Djibouti–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––AUGUST 21 to William Johns Djibouti, Eritrea,SEPTEMBER 12 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Yemen, Djibouti

University of Miami–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––SEPTEMBER 13 to TRANSIT DjiboutiSEPTEMBER 20 Seychelles –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––SEPTEMBER 24 to IN PORT SeychellesOCTOBER 4 Seychelles–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––OCTOBER 6 to TRANSIT SeychellesOCTOBER 19 At sea–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––OCTOBER 20 to Donna Blackman At sea OCTOBER 23 Scripps Institution of Oceanography Fremantle, Australia–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––OCTOBER 27 to Neil Driscoll Fremantle, AustraliaDECEMBER 2 Scripps Institution of Oceanography Fremantle, Australia

Garry Karner Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––DECEMBER 7 to James Cochran Fremantle, AustraliaJANUARY 26 Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Hobart, Australia –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2002JANUARY 31 to TRANSIT Hobart, AustraliaFEBRUARY 15 Agana, Guam–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––FEBRUARY 16 to IN PORT Agana, Guam FEBRUARY 21 Agana, Guam –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––FEBRUARY 24 to Brian Taylor Agana, GuamMARCH 26 School of Oceanographic and Earth Science Technology, Agana, Guam

University of Hawaii–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––APRIL 1 to Brian Taylor Agana, Guam APRIL 26 School of Oceanographic and Earth Science Technology, Agana, Guam

University of Hawaii–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––APRIL 27 to TRANSIT Agana, GuamMAY 8 Dutch Harbor, AK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––MAY 12 to Phyllis Stabeno Dutch Harbor, AK JUNE 10 Pacific Marine and Environmental Lab/NOAA Kodiak, AK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––JUNE 14 to Marie Eble Kodiak, AK JULY 3 Pacific Marine and Environmental Lab/NOAA Astoria, OR–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––JULY 8 to Suzanne Carbotte Astoria, ORAUGUST 7 Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Newport, OR

Schedule for the R/V Ewing: July 2000 – July 2002

Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences

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Located primarily on the Lamont campus in Palisades,New York, the Department of Earth and EnvironmentalSciences (DEES) occupies a unique position as thelead academic department for the research endeavors ofthe Observatory.This powerful partnership brings togeth-er a remarkably large and comprehensive collection ofpersonnel and facilities and makes them readily avail-able to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Through the Department, students at both theundergraduate and graduate levels develop the toolsof analysis and intellectual staying power they needto investigate complex, socially relevant, interdisci-plinary problems—problems that will necessarilydraw on all aspects of the Earth sciences for theirsolutions. Studies range from Earth’s origin and his-tory to the processes taking place within oceans andacross continents.

In addition to the Department’s 40 regular and adjunctfaculty members, another 70 Ph.D.-level research sci-entists at the Observatory play critical roles in advis-ing and supporting students, as well as in directing stu-dent research projects. The ratio of Ph.D. students toPh.D. scientists is roughly one-to-one.These collectivehuman resources define the intellectual firepower thatmakes our education and research programs so out-standing. Students are recognized as vital contributorsto the continuing intellectual renewal and discoveryprocess that define the Department, as well as theObservatory itself.

The level of excitement that the Department’s Ph.D.students generate is extraordinary. Not only do theybring back measurements and samples—and Fridayafternoon tales—from far-flung field sites, such as the

2. Graduate student Michael West, now a post-docat New Mexico State, stands with Professor BillMenke in Godofos, Iceland where he gained seismicexperience imaging subterranean magma shifts.3. Elizabeth Cottrell is a graduate student who works inone of the Observatory’s experimental labs studyingplanetary differentiation. Here, she is seen at the sum-mit in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia afterspending over two months at sea as a member of aresearch expedition jointly organized by the Observatoryand Brown University. Credit: David Stevenson

Professor and Department Chair Dennis Hayes reviews the intrica-cies of a topographical map of the ocean floor with graduate stu-dent Karen Ricciardi.

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Educating a New Generation of Earth Scientists

volcanoes of Mexico and the depths of the SouthernOcean, they break new ground developing analytictechniques and keep the Observatory’s mass spec-trometers, seismometers and computers humming.

The Department also has strong ties with other majorresearch institutions, such as the American Museumof Natural History, and with NASA’s Goddard Institutefor Space Studies at Columbia, and collaborates withmany other departments within Columbia in bothresearch and educational arenas. Two recently devel-oped programs include:

1. The Earth and Environmental Science JournalismProgram: a collaborative effort between the Departmentand Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism whosegoal is to produce graduates with a rare blend of scientif-ic knowledge and journalistic skills.

2. A new joint educational program in MathematicalGeosciences: a collaborative effort between theDepartment and Columbia’s Department of AppliedPhysics and Applied Mathematics (see Seismology,Geology and Tectonophysics, page 24) that hasrecently been awarded a major National ScienceFoundation grant,the Innovative Graduate Educationand Research Training Award. This new program willeducate graduate students in advanced mathematicalmethods that can be applied to a wide range of prob-lems in the geosciences.

Looking forward, the real challenge for theDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences liesin cultivating in students a heightened awareness ofhow research can positively affect global sustainability,mitigate threats of global warming and the loss of bio-diversity, and alleviate human suffering.

3. Elizabeth Cottrell is a graduate student who works inone of the Observatory’s experimental labs studyingplanetary differentiation. Here, she is seen at the summitin Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia afterspending over two months at sea as a member of aresearch expedition jointly organized by the Observatoryand Brown University. Credit: David Stevenson 4. Director Michael Purdy is joined by several members ofthe DEES faculty at one of the Department’s bimonthlyfaculty meetings. Clockwise from left to right: MarcSpiegelman, Mike Purdy, Bill Ryan, Stephanie Pfirman,Jim Hays, John Mutter, Dave Walker, Peter Schlosser andBob Anderson. Credit: Mark Inglis5. Here a student uses a hand lens to compare fossils andclimate conditions on a field trip. Credit: Department ofEarth and Environmental Sciences

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The Lamont campus is fertile ground for pioneeringresearch into the most complex interrelations of Earthand its environment. Beyond engineering state-of-the-art laboratories and groundbreaking dis-coveries, Observatory scientists are increasinglyinvolved in bringing scientific understanding toconstructive dialogue about the future of Earth.

A number of successful programs enable Observatoryscientists to interact with business and political leaders,educators, citizens and students who are not neces-sarily scientists. Leaders and citizens who havegreater awareness of Earth’s natural systems andenvironmental processes are likely to make betterinformed decisions and to support a more environ-mentally sound agenda. Conversely, investigators whounderstand the public’s concerns, priorities and fearsare more likely to consider those issues when decidingwhich questions to tackle and when articulating theimplications of their findings.

Working with journalists, professional societies, com-munity groups, teachers and museums, Observatoryresearchers have sought new strategies to make theirfindings more accessible and available to the public.

Columbia’s Earth & Environmental ScienceJournalism (E&ESJ) Program is a dual master’sdegree program, cosponsored by the Observatory, the

Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, andColumbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. The pro-gram trains graduates to report and write about dis-coveries, insights and controversies concerning Earthand environment in a way that is both accurate andinteresting. The program graduated its fifth class in2002. Collectively, E&ESJ graduates published some300 articles last year, reaching hundreds of thousandsof readers, in such media as the Albany Times Union,The New York Times, Discover, SciAm.com, ScientificAmerican, Geotimes, The Wall Street Journal, TheNews-Record (Gillette, Wyoming), BioMedNet, andNewsday. The program graduated its first internation-al students—from Canada and Japan—this year, andgraduate Dina Cappiello received the Associated Press’sNew York State Young Journalist of the Year Award.

Increasing Diversity In and ThroughEnvironmental Journalism

The Columbia Earth & Environmental ScienceJournalism Program, the Society of EnvironmentalJournalists (SEJ), the Native American JournalistsAssociation (NAJA), the National Association of BlackJournalists (NABJ), and the National Association ofHispanic Journalists (NAHJ) have begun a three-yearcollaboration on diversity in environmental journalism.The immediate goal is to increase the quality, visibilityand accuracy of environmental coverage in mediareaching Native American, black and Hispanic audi-ences, as well as the coverage of environmentalissues of concern to minority communities in themainstream press. A broader goal is to plant seeds ofinterest in Earth and environment among populationsseriously underrepresented in the Earth sciences.Funded by the National Science Foundation, the proj-ect provides trial memberships in SEJ and fellowshipsto attend SEJ meetings to journalists of color, andsponsors jointly organized panels, workshops andfield trips on environmental issues.

Opening Minds

Having put tremendous thought and planning into herfuture as a science teacher, Dina Cappiello paused onsively short time, her articles, with front-page head-

1. Graduates of the Earth and Environmental ScienceJournalism Program have gone on to cover science andenvironment topics in publications across the country.Credit: Linda Pistolesi

Earth & Environmental Science Journalism Program

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New York State Young Journalist of the Year Award in2001. That year, she also took first place in their cat-egory for best in-depth reporting and second place forbest continuing coverage. In 2001, Dina’s “Showdownon the Hudson” series made her a finalist for theLivingston Award for Young Journalists—the nation’slargest all-media, general reporting prize, and a majorachievement for a journalist just out of school.

Only three years into a very bright career as an envi-ronmental reporter, Dina has moved to a larger mar-ket, now writing for the more than half a million read-ers of The Houston Chronicle. “I want to delve intothe deeper issues of science and educate people, notjust present a sensationalistic approach,” remarksDina. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without the solidfoundation in science education that I received in theEarth and Environmental Science JournalismProgram.” Her long-term goals? “To be an environ-mental writer forever, and by the way, I’m also theteacher I started out to be.”

Having put tremendous thought and planning into herfuture as a science teacher, Dina Cappiello paused onher first day of class at Columbia’s Teachers Collegeto peruse a Columbia course booklet and chancedupon the Earth and Environmental ScienceJournalism program. “I had never thought of sciencewriting as a career—my neurons just weren’t firing thatway,” she says.

Exactly two years from her career epiphany, Dinaemerged as one of the first graduates from this inten-sive new dual master’s degree program. Dina’s first jobwas with the Albany Times Union. Within an impres-sively short time, her articles, with front-page head-lines like “Lakes Are Dying, Drop by Drop,” “Countingthe Forests’ Senior Citizens” and “Changing byDegrees,” were providing scientifically informed jour-nalism on acid rain, old-growth trees and climatechange. Inspired by plans for dredging and concernsover PCBs, Dina produced a series of articles on theHudson River that landed her the Associated Press’s

Dina Cappiello, a graduate of the Earth and EnvironmentalScience Journalism Program, reported extensively onPCBs in the Hudson River for the Albany Times Union.Her in-depth coverage won her several major journalismawards. Credit: Paul Buckowski, Albany Times Union.

Opening Minds

Hudson River Project

Working with local high school advanced placementbiology, chemistry and research science classes, theObservatory conducts a water-monitoring program atthe Piermont Pier. Students compare the chemical,physical and biological environment of the HudsonRiver during a fall and spring visit. Students take partin hands-on chemical testing and a physical inventoryof the site, and end with a discussion of the process-es that they have witnessed and the interdependentrelationships of these processes. Graduate studentsvolunteer to assist these students and provide shorttalks on their own research.

In their role as the Hudson Basin River Watch localcoordinator, Observatory researchers coordinateseveral programs that train interested residentsand volunteer groups in stream monitoring tech-niques and provide direction, support and report-writing expertise for environmental groups inRockland County. The Observatory, in collaborationwith Westchester County and Save the Sound, alsohosts an annual land use symposium designed toeducate middle school students on the impactsthat local development and land use decisionshave on the environment, especially highly sensi-tive estuary areas.

Digital Library for Earth SystemEducation (DLESE)

The Digital Library for Earth System Education(DLESE) is a nationwide effort to improve Earth andenvironmental education by gathering, cataloguing,reviewing and disseminating excellent resources forteaching and learning about Earth, and by providingthe support that enables educators to use theseresources effectively. DLESE is part of a broader effort,the National STEM Education Digital Library, whichspans education in all of the sciences, engineering,math and technology.

Observatory scientists occupy key roles in theDLESE leadership: Jim Hays is part of the SteeringCommittee and Kim Kastens chairs the CollectionsStanding Committee. In addition, the DLESE Com-munity Review System is being developed at theLamont campus. This innovative effort will identifythe best educational resources in the DLESEBroad Collection to be included in a high-qualityReviewed Collection. The Reviewed Collection isbeing developed through community feedback via aweb-mediated recommendation engine and spe-cialist reviews mediated through an EditorialReview Board.

Earth2Class Workshops for Teachers

Earth2Class workshops for teachers provide monthlyprograms that bring together Observatory researchscientists and classroom educators. Each three-hourSaturday session includes background information ona theme, descriptions of cutting-edge research by thescientist(s) and discussion of classroom investigationsand/or educational technology applications. Themesrange from natural hazards, climate change andmarine geology to water resources and imaging ourplanet. Michael J. Passow, adjunct professor ofScience Education at Teachers College, and CristianaAssumpcao and Frederico Baggio of the E2C teamalso provide these programs, through teleconferenc-ing technologies, to teachers at remote locations.Graduate education credit for participation in E2C isavailable through the Teachers College Center forEducational Outreach and Innovation and through St.Thomas Aquinas College.

1. Rica Enriquez, an environmental engineeringintern, taking temperature, salinity, and depth pro-files of the Hudson River. Credit: Peter Schlosser

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Enhancing Public Understanding of Earth and the Environment

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Scanning Electron Microscopy Exhibits

Dee Breger is the author of two widely acclaimedbooks revealing the beauty, patterns and intricacy ofnature on the microscopic scale: Journeys in Microspace:The Art of the Scanning Electron Microscope, ColumbiaUniversity Press, 1995; and Through the ElectronicLooking Glass: 3-D Images from a Scanning ElectronMicroscope, Cygnus Graphic, 1995. She designed thepermanent SEM exhibit at the Liberty Science Centerin New Jersey. Images from Breger’s collection havebeen featured in exhibitions at Liberty Science Center,Rochester Institute of Technology, Ceske Budejovice(Czech Republic), the Victoria and Albert Museum(London), Martin Gropius Bau (Berlin), ManhattanChildren’s Museum and Petrosains Science Center(Kuala Lumpur) and have been widely reproduced inthe media and in several books on scientific imagery.

“Where Are We?” and Map Skills Project

The ability to use maps and other spatial representa-tions is essential in the geosciences and important ineveryday life for an increasingly mobile population. Incollaboration with colleagues at Columbia’s TeachersCollege, Kim Kastens has produced and published aneducational software application and associated instruc-tional materials entitled “Where Are We?” The materialshelp elementary school children learn to make the men-tal translation between what they see on a map andwhat they see in the terrain around them. Developmentof the software has led to a broader geoscience-education research project on children’s acquisition ofmap skills, and children’s and teachers’ misconcep-tions about maps. The Lamont campus itself has beenturned into a research instrument, as Kastens and col-leagues bring groups of students to campus andengage them in field-based map skills tasks.

1. Dee Breger, Manager of the SEM/EDX facility and amicrographic artist, magnified a fossil radiolarian from theRoss Sea off Antarctica 500 times. Radiolaria are single-celled free-floating protozoa found in all the world’soceans. Credit: © Dee Breger

2. Students using the “Where Are We?” software and asso-ciated curriculum learn how to recognize landmarks andspatial relationships, plan and follow routes, provide direc-tions to others, use compass directions, recognize sym-bols and analyze a complex visual environment. Credit:Kim Kastens3. Kim Kastens and Toru Ishikawa are researching stu-dents’ acquisition of spatial skills and the use of spatialthinking in the geosciences. Here, local elementary schoolstudents are engaged in a field-based map skills activityon the Lamont campus designed to test their ability totransfer information from the real world onto a map.Credit: Kevin Warner

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Sometimes, seeing is believing. For the past 25 years,the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, in collabora-tion with Columbia’s Department of Earth andEnvironmental Sciences, has hosted the SummerIntern Exchange Program, which aims to stimulateundergraduates from around the country to pursueocean and Earth science research. In the summer fol-lowing their junior year, promising students majoring inoceanography, geology, physics, chemistry, math,biology, environmental science or engineering aregiven the opportunity to work alongside senior scien-tists on one of the Observatory’s many excitingresearch projects.

Over nine weeks, students gain firsthand exposure toa specific research project, as well as a broader intro-duction—through a twice-weekly lecture series—tothe wide range of oceanographic and geologicalresearch undertaken at the Observatory. Invited lec-turers are not only senior, nationally recognizedresearchers, but also younger scientists and seniorgraduate students whom undergraduates view asmentors and role models.

To facilitate student-researcher interaction and tomaximize the research experience, students receiveone-on-one supervision, meeting daily with researchadvisers and weekly with the program coordinator.

In the seventh week of the program, several senior sci-entists host a panel discussion on ethics, highly ratedby the students. Having had a chance to experiencelife as research scientists, students next attend apanel discussion with selected senior researchers todiscuss careers in science. These discussions alsocover related areas of study, sources of employmentand graduate school programs, including non-research-oriented career tracks.

The intern program ends with a written summary andoral presentation. These oral presentations are a veryimportant part of the program and are attended bymany members of the Lamont community.

Some interns continue their summer projects as sen-ior theses, especially those from schools that giveacademic credit for work on a senior thesis. In somecases, projects lead to coauthorship on publishedpapers, with the number of student coauthored papersand abstracts continuing to increase.

More than 200 students have taken part in the pro-gram since its inception; last year, a total of 14 youngscientists completed the program. About 40 percentof our interns go on to become teachers at the highschool or college level, while about 20 percentgo on to obtain Ph.D. degrees.

Opening the World of Research to Undergraduates

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2. As part of her research, summer intern Stacey Keplercharacterized the strontium isotope composition of sedi-ments along the South American coast. By studying the nat-ural variation of these isotopes and their arrangement wheresurface ocean currents converge, scientists can explain pastchanges in surface ocean circulation. Credit: LDEO archives3. Summer intern Sarah Brownlee is a geosicience major atPrinceton University. Here, she examines geolocial eventsduring a field trip in California. Credit: Sara Carena

1. The Observatory has held a Summer InternExchange Program for undergraduate students for25 years. Over 200 interns from colleges and uni-versities across the country have participated in theprogram, many of them going on to careers in thesciences. Pictured are the interns from the summer2001 program. Credit: Department of Earth andEnvironmental Sciences

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A senior in geosciences at Princeton University, SarahBrownlee leaped at the opportunity to spend the sum-mer of 2002 at the Lamont-Doherty EarthObservatory. Sarah and 13 other undergraduates fromschools around the country descended upon the cam-pus as members of the Summer Intern ExchangeProgram, eager to work beside the Observatory’sesteemed scientific staff. “I wanted to know what it islike to do actual research, not just to read about it inthe geosciences textbooks I had been pouring over forthe last few years,” she says.

With nine research areas to choose from, Sarahzeroed in on sedimentology, marine geology andmarine micropaleontology, and spent the summerunder the guidance of Drs. Cecilia Gonzalez McHughand Lloyd Burckle. She studied sediment cores takenfrom the bottom of the Hudson River, using the pres-

ence of tiny single-celled plants called diatoms andthe physical structure of the sediments to demonstratehow the Hudson Estuary reacts to tidal processes.From six cores, Sarah counted diatoms and preparedthem for microscopy.

“What I like about Lamont’s intern program is that someof the interns don’t disappear at the end of summer,”comments Burckle. “Sarah has turned her summerinternship into her senior year thesis at PrincetonUniversity. She still comes to the lab once or twice a week.”

“The internship was an awesome experience,” saysSarah. “Graduate school is in the future, but first I wantto travel a bit and do a little sky diving. On a hot day at13,500 feet, you can see the pollution overPhiladelphia. It has me thinking about the atmos-phere—perhaps something I’ll study.”

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Sarah Brownlee has made nearly 500 jumps fromairplanes. Over the course of the 2002 SummerIntern Exchange Program, she convinced severalof her fellow interns to join her for a 13,500 footplunge. Credit: Dave Pancake

Hands On

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The quantity, quality and security of Earth’s freshwater supply, much of which rests in the world’s rivers,is an ongoing and critical concern. Because many ofthe world’s major cities lie along the banks of riversand estuaries, these enormous tracts of waterbecome extraordinarily vulnerable to the effects of pol-lution, shifts in ecology and innumerable other anthro-pogenic perils.

Researchers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatoryhave formed a Hudson River Research team to devel-op a systems approach to understanding the HudsonRiver and Estuary, the watershed that runs from theAdirondack Mountains of upstate New York through NewYork Harbor out to the shores of Long Island.

By studying the Hudson on multiple levels and scales,from its surface to its depths, from its mud to itsmarshes, these scientists hope to shed light on thecomplex relationships humans have to the rivers theylive near and use for recreation, transportation andcommerce and as drinking water supply sources.

In recent years, the Observatory has become a majorcontributor in New York State to the study of theHudson River and its dynamic environs, where rem-nants of a glacial past, invasive zebra mussels, under-water dunes reminiscent of the Sahara Desert, andthe presence of toxic waste come together.

Mapping the Hudson

Robin Bell and her colleagues have meticulouslyaccounted for every curve, crevice, ridge and valley ofover 90 miles of the river floor, from the VerrazanoBridge to the Federal Dam at Troy, including New YorkHarbor. Their map reveals a dynamic riverbed, withlarge dunes of sand and gravel, banks of oysters,archaeological artifacts and great swaths of the riverthat have been physically altered by centuries ofhuman activity. This map has also identified placeswhere recent mud has settled, since contaminants likePCBs tend to be found in recent mud.

In the spring of 2002, Michael Studinger and FrankNitsche conducted the first systematic measurementsof the magnetic field from just south of the Tappan ZeeBridge to 59th Street in Manhattan. The dramaticbends and folds in the map are produced by thebedrock in Westchester County driving beneath theriver to depths of several hundred feet. Atop this natu-ral backdrop, the map reflects the history of humanuse of the river, such as the crisscrossing of naturalgas pipelines that power the lights of New York andNew England, and long-collapsed piers.

1. Robin Bell talking with New York Times columnist BobBoyle, aboard the R/V Walford. Boyle reported on Bell’sbathymetric mapping of the Hudson River bottom. Credit: Richard Perry2. An illuminated bathymetry map of Diamond Reef, anunderwater marble cliff in the Hudson River. Credit:Roger Flood, Marine Sciences Research Center, StonyBrook, State University of New York2.

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Rivers and Estuaries Research on the Hudson

Focused Initiatives: The Hudson RiverFocused Initiatives: The Hudson River

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Understanding the Hudson and Its Surroundings

Arnold Gordon is leading a team of researchers in acomprehensive study of the physical, chemical, geo-logical and biological systems within Jamaica Bay—acomplex salt marsh environment that is seriouslythreatened by its urban surroundings. Members of theteam have already defined sediment terrains andcharacteristics of marsh loss and identified a numberof island salt marshes that may be eroding or drown-ing. Some researchers have amassed temperature,salinity and water current records, documenting thechanging nature of the bay, while others have calcu-lated a flushing time for contaminants that may beintroduced into the region. The team has also focusedon providing critical information on nutrient levels andthe bay’s biogeochemical responses to human activitywhile exploring the effects of urban development onthe bay’s wildlife habitats.

How Contaminants Movethrough the Hudson

In a recent series of experiments, a team ofresearchers, led by Peter Schlosser, David Ho andTed Caplow, injected trace amounts of a harmless,inert gas into the Hudson River to see how quickly itwould spread through the water. During one suchexperiment in the summer of 2001, scientists weresurprised to find that the highest concentration of gasdid not move significantly from Newburgh, where itwas first injected into the river, but that variousamounts of the gas had spread throughout a largestretch of the river. This experiment has shown thatthe decrease in the concentration of the gas wascaused not by the flow of the river but instead by themixing of the river, which is linked to tidal motion. Thisresult has tremendous implications for understandingthe way in which contaminants move through the riverand how best to follow them for cleaning.

These tracer field studies are augmented by numericalsimulations of the spreading of perturbations in the

Hudson River. The goal of these modeling studies is toput the measurements into a dynamic framework and tohelp with the interpretation of the evolution of the tracerdistributions over time. First results are promising andsuggest that the tidal forcing of the circulation in theHudson River has significant impact on primary andsecondary features of the observed tracer distributions.The modeling work is being performed in collaborationwith the Department of Earth and EnvironmentalEngineering and the Earth Engineering Center.

In a related study, Robert Houghton and colleagueshave shown that the modulation of the mixing in thestratified lower Hudson by the spring/neap tidal varia-

1. Map of a section of the Hudson River created with aGeographic Information System program using U.S.Geological Survey data. Credit: Frank Nitsche.2. A navigational chart showing the Piermont section ofthe Hudson River and Piermont Pier, the site of theRiverscope node used to capture the river’s rhythms inreal time. Credit: National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA)

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tion is significantly greater than had originally beenbelieved. As a consequence, the net up-river flownear the bottom is greater during neap (weak) tidesand nearly absent during spring (strong) tides. Usinga harmless dye tracer, scientists were able to meas-ure the tidally driven flow in the Hudson River, includ-ing the weak but significant cross-channel (east/west)flow. Within hours, the tracer, injected near the bottomof the deepest portion of the river, the navigationchannel on the east side, just north of Spuyten Duyvil,had moved across the river channel to shallow wateron the west side. Their research suggests that thisrapid movement contributes significantly to the mixingof pollutants introduced into the water.

The Environmental Geochemistry Group, a group ofObservatory scientists led by James Simpson, hasbeen analyzing components of Hudson geochemistrysince the early 1970s. These researchers continue tostudy the impact on nutrient species distributions with-in the estuary as a result of very large discharges ofsewage and other waste into the New York/NewJersey harbor complex. They have also measured dis-solved gases to improve our understanding of howcontaminants are influenced by microbial processes inriver sediments and the water column. Over the years,Steve Chillrud and others have collected a large num-ber of sediment cores from the Hudson River basinthroughout the system downstream of Glens Falls,New York, paying considerable attention to persistentcontaminants, such as heavy metals, polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and anthropogenic

radionuclides, which tend to accumulate in fine-grainedsediments and can continue to mix with the water formany decades. In collaboration with Mount SinaiSchool of Medicine, the group has also investigatedlevels of lead, mercury and chlorinated organics inpeople who have consumed appreciable amounts offish and shellfish from the Hudson.

Hudson History

The marshes are among the most crucial places in theHudson, as they form the base of the food chain, pro-tect young plants and animals, and protect the shore-line. Recently, Dorothy Peteet and her colleaguesexamined the vegetational and charcoal content of themarshes and found that over the last 4,000 years, thesemarshes have been strongly affected by drought. TheHudson’s marshes are repositories of historic informa-tion about the regional New York climate and are espe-cially valuable because they have a high sedimentationrate, which makes detailed sampling possible.

As part of a larger effort at the Observatory to under-stand the evolution of the Hudson Estuary and regionalclimate, Cecilia McHugh, Stephen Pekar and LloydBurckle are evaluating climate variability for theHudson Valley for the past 6,000 years. They are esti-mating past salinity changes and fluctuations in fresh-water discharge rates into the Hudson River usingthree proxies for salinity: diatom assemblages,foraminiferal biofacies and oxygen isotopes.

1. Observatory scientist Cecilia McHugh with two internsconducting gravity cores in the Hudson Highlands. Theywere collecting sediments to capture clues of ancientstorms and the accumulation of contaminants in theriverbed. Credit: Robin Bell2. A regional map of the lower Hudson Estuary markinglocations where wetland cores were taken. Fossils foundin the sediments are used by scientists to reconstruct his-toric climates and environments. Credit: Dorothy Peteet1.

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The abundance of marine diatomscorrelates to the mid-1960s drought

Calibration to historical precipitation records that goback to the late 1800s shows a correlation to the pro-nounced mid-1960s and early 1970s droughts in thenortheast United States. Documentation of historicaldroughts in the Hudson Valley will help scientists tounderstand future climate change and to evaluate theimpact of anthropogenic activities on the environment.

In the summer of 2001, Suzanne Carbotte and otherObservatory scientists sited and recovered deep sam-ples from the ancient glacial lake that once flooded theHudson Valley. Scientists identified the distinctive sig-nature of the glacial deposits in the seismic dataacquired in the spring. With assistance from a localutility company, samples from the glacial lake wererecovered and are now being analyzed at theObservatory’s Core Laboratory. Scientists are lookingfor evidence of climatic cycles and the river’s responseto changing climate.

Carbotte is also examining the evolution of oyster pop-ulations in the Hudson River. Although oysters are notpresent today, researchers have dated shell remainsfound in the Hudson from 600 to 2,500 years old andfrom 5,000 to 6,500 years old. Cores taken from theoyster beds reveal abrupt changes in sediments,resulting from sea level rise and climate change. Fromthese cores, researchers have determined that oystersdisappeared in the Tappan Zee region during cooler

times, possibly due to more severe winters with exten-sive freezing and ice rafting within the river. In moremodern times, the demise of oysters may be associatedwith the Little Ice Age, although pollution and over har-vesting appear to have contributed to the early-20th-century demise of oysters within New York Harbor.

The Pulse of the River — A Riverscope

In the fall of 2001, Martin Visbeck and Robin Bell,working with Observatory engineers, installed thefirst node of a riverwide monitoring station justsouth of the Tappan Zee Bridge. The initial installa-tion includes atmospheric observations, riverobservations and observations from sensorsbeneath the water surface. Real-time monitoring ofthe Hudson River may have widespread impactupon policy development and the prediction ofshort- and long-term impacts of environmentalchanges. Salt front movement and its relation tourban water supplies, PCB dredging in the upperHudson and its impact on the entire river and estu-ary, and the invasion of exotic species such aszebra mussels and the subsequent shifts in localand regional ecosystems will be some of the issuesstudied. Other studies will focus on land-useimpacts and the implications of climate change onthe Hudson River and its surroundings.

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2. Peter Schlosser and David Ho measuring a trace gas in theHudson River used to study the movement and mixing ofwater and how dissolved contaminants might be transportedand dispersed. Credit: Carlos Rene Perez3. Lloyd Burckle, Cecilia McHugh and Steve Pekar are evalu-ating the long-term drought record of the Hudson Valley bystudying salinity changes in river sediments using diatomassemblages. Diatoms are minute planktonic algae whosepresence changes with changes in water salinity. The graphshows an increase in salt-water assemblages in correlationto historical droughts. Credit: Burckle, McHugh and Pekar

1. An image of a fossil oyster bed in the Hudson Rivertaken with a sediment profiling imager. Credit: NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services

Focused Initiatives: Hazards and Risk Focused Initiatives: Hazards and Risk

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Despite significant scientific and engineeringadvances, global losses from natural hazards continueto rise, in large part due to the limited access of plan-ners and policymakers to information and technolog-ical resources. With the establishment of the Centerfor Hazards and Risk Research, a diverse group ofscientists from the Observatory and Columbia aredesigning new methods for assessing natural hazardrisk and are helping communities around the worlddesign strategies for reducing their vulnerability. TheCenter is currently conducting a number of researchprograms and projects focused on risk assessment,reduction and management.

Global Natural Disaster Risk Hotspots

In partnership with the World Bank, the Center isdeveloping a global index of natural disaster hotspots.Led by Bob Chen of the Center for International EarthScience Information Network and Maxx Dilley of theInternational Research Institute for Climate Prediction,this project is establishing consistent methodologiesfor acquiring loss data and for quantifying physical vul-nerabilities and response capacities. These newmethodologies will help planners and policymakersdevelop a uniform approach for targeting the most vul-nerable places in the world and thus reduce risk withappropriate preventive measures.

Urban Planning Studios

Led by SG&T scientist Klaus Jacob and Sigurd Gravafrom Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture,Planning and Preservation, these studios join studentsand faculty from the Observatory with those fromColumbia’s graduate program in Urban Planning, whoare asked to incorporate natural hazard risk assess-ment into planning and development guidelines formajor urban areas around the world. Two studios inCaracas, Venezuela, and Istanbul, Turkey, have beencompleted, and both have led to continuing risk reduc-tion work in these two municipalities. Another studiofocusing on Accra, Ghana, in Africa is planned for 2003.

Managing Risk in an Uncertain World

1. The tremendous force of flood waters is evidenced bythe partial collapse of a hotel in downtown Caracas. Credit:Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation2. Students produced a number of hazard analyses in theCaracas Urban Planning studio, including how flood hazardmight affect transportation routes. This map illustrates thevlnerability of the city’s major transportation arteries tofloods. Credit: Graduate School of Architecture, Planningand Preservation3. Klaus Jacob (left) and Sigurd Grava (center) meet withan official of the Caracas municipality after presenting theplanning studio’s results. Credit: Graduate School ofArchitecture, Planning and Preservation

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Landslides

Colin Stark and Jeffrey Weissel from the geomorphol-ogy and remote sensing laboratories at theObservatory are developing advanced probabilitymodels for the natural mechanisms that affect the fre-quency, size and distribution of landslides triggered byextreme seismic and climate events in California, Taiwan,Italy and other locations worldwide. Collaboration withthese labs has resulted in a project to develop newapproaches for mapping natural disasters such aslandslides, volcanic eruptions and wild fires usingsynthetic aperture radar polarimetry. Ultimately,researchers hope to provide a radar-based systemthat will allow for better assessment of these types ofnatural disasters.

Istanbul Retrofit Study

The next earthquake near Istanbul is expected tooccur on a segment of the North Anatolian Fault justsouth of the city. Unfortunately, some of the most vul-nerable structures in Istanbul are the multistory resi-dential apartments built in the last few decades. Withseed funding from the Center, earthquake engineersGeorge Deodatis and Andrew Smyth from Columbia’sDepartment of Civil Engineering and EngineeringMechanics are currently working with Observatoryseismologists led by Nano Seeber, partners fromBosporous University and Kandilli Observatory inTurkey and the University of Pennsylvania’s WhartonSchool of Business to understand the benefits andcosts of retrofitting measures that could reduce thevulnerability of these buildings. Researchers are cur-rently using residential surveys to understand the atti-tudes of apartment dwellers and their willingness toadopt mitigation measures.

Marine Paleo Seismology on the North Anatolian Fault

Turkey endured a series of disastrous earthquakes in1999 that broke segments of the North AnatolianFault east of Istanbul. Seismologists have hypothe-sized that these earthquakes have loaded the nextsegment just west of the 1999 rupture, south ofIstanbul in the Sea of Marmara. Using new high-reso-lution sonar instruments, SG&T seismologist NanoSeeber worked with Milene Cormier and Bill Ryan inMG&G to demonstrate that high-resolution sonar sur-veys of the marine segment of the fault could detectdisruption in the sediments resulting from past earth-

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quakes. This initial survey demonstrated conclusivelywhich of the many strands of the North AnatolianFault under the Sea of Marmara have broken in thepast and may be likely to break in the future. Marinepaleo seismology promises to revolutionize the studyof continental borderlands and to allow scientists toestimate future earthquakes more accurately whenfaults lie offshore in shallow water.

Columbia-Wharton Roundtable

The Center was honored to have Howard Kunreutherfrom the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School ofBusiness as its first visiting researcher in 2001–2002.After the events of September 11, the Center’s missiontook on a special resonance. Kunreuther and ArtLerner-Lam, the Center’s interim director, organized aColumbia-Wharton Roundtable: “Risk ManagementStrategies in an Uncertain World.” Held in April 2002, theroundtable attracted a diverse group of experts from uni-versities and private companies from around the countryto help formulate a new, multi-institutional researchagenda for managing risk from extreme events.

1. The 1999 earthquake sequence in Turkey caused mas-sive loss of life and property. Observatory scientists ledthe aftershock survey, collecting the data that will helpTurkey reduce losses associated with future earthquakes.Credit: Nano Seeber and John Armbruster

Special Events and AwardsSpecial Events and Awards

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The public and Columbia University community alike were invited totour the Navy’s newest oceanographic survey ship, U.S.N.S. Bruce C.Heezen, in port at the Intrepid berth in New York City. The ship’snamesake, Bruce C. Heezen, a past member of the ColumbiaUniversity faculty and a researcher at the Observatory, was known forhis pioneering work in plate tectonics and the famous Heezen-Tharpphysiographic maps of all the major oceans of the world. At a specialreception held for the Lamont community, John C. Mutter, then inter-im director of the Observatory, accepts a memento from a Navy rep-resentative. Special tours of the ship were also arranged for participantsof the Bayside YMCA Summer Teen Camp and Lamont alumni.

The Observatory’s R/V Maurice Ewing made a rare visit to NewYork and was open for tours at New York City's Water Club.Technician Karl Hagel (left, at right) explains the bathymetricdata displayed on a flat bed recorder in the Instrument Lab to avisitor. Marine Science Coordinator John Diebold (center, at left)discusses the Ewing’s recent research endeavors with Lamontalumni. A reception at the Water Club followed.

U.S.N.S. Bruce C. Heezen Open House and Tour of the United States Navy’s newest oceanographic survey shipThe Intrepid Pier, August 4, 2000

Klaus Jacob, a research scientist at the Observatory, spokeabout climate change–induced sea-level rise and how it couldimpact the Metropolitan East Coast (MEC) region and the trans-portation infrastructure that serves the greater New York Citymetropolitan area. Here, he fields questions on the risks to theMEC’s transportation systems from coastal storm surges andthe impact on residents of coastal areas. The other speakers inthe 2001 Public Lecture series were Roger N. Anderson, DeeBreger, Richard Fairbanks and Wallace Broecker.

New York City Underwater? Storm Surge Risks in the Face of Rising Sea LevelKlaus JacobLDEO Public Lecture SeriesLamont Campus, April 1, 2001

R/V Maurice Ewing Open House and TourThe Water Club, August 23, 2000

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Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Annual Open HouseLamont CampusOctober 7, 2000

U.S.N.S. Bruce C. Heezen Open House and Tour of the United States Navy’s oceanographic survey shipThe Intrepid PierAugust 4, 2000

R/V Maurice Ewing Open House and TourThe Water Club August 23, 2000

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Annual Open HouseLamont CampusOctober 7, 2000

New York City Underwater? Storm Surge Risks in the Face of Rising Sea LevelKlaus JacobLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusApril 1, 2001

Out of Power, Out of TimeThe Energy Crisis of 2001: Its Origins and Future OutlookRoger N. AndersonLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusApril 22, 2001

From Oceans to Asteroids: Revelations from the Electron Microscope Dee BregerLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusMay 6, 2001

Coral Reefs: Archives of Earth’s HistoryRichard FairbanksLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusMay 20, 2001

Planetary Stewardship: What Do We Do about Fossil Fuels?Wallace BroeckerLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusJune 3, 2001

July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2001

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The public and the Columbia University community wereinvited to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s AnnualOpen House. A future scientist peaks through the Tree RingLab’s logo before going into the lab to learn about the storiesembedded in tree rings, corals and deep-sea sedimentcores. Below right, Marc Spiegelman elaborates on BathtubScience and below left, Sidney Hemming, Kyla Simons,Alberto Saal, Katie Donnelly and Steve Goldstein pose intheir Open House tee-shirts, which show a map of the12,000 worldwide locations and 42 miles of ocean-bottomcores that are stored on the Lamont campus in theObservatory’s Deep-Sea Sample Repository.

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Director Michael Purdy is pictured below left with MarieTharp as she is awarded the first Lamont-Doherty HeritageAward. Just a few weeks short of her 81st birthday, the moth-er of modern ocean floor cartography was honored byColumbia University for her life’s work. It was through Tharp’sastute observations (center, in Lamont Hall, c. 1961) that theAtlantic Rift Valley was first discovered, which paved the wayfor acceptance of the theories of plate tectonics and conti-nental drift. At right, Purdy talks to a Lamont alumnus aboutTharp’s major contribution: the first detailed maps of theocean floor around the globe based on sonar, which havesince become modern scientific icons.

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Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Heritage AwardMarie TharpLamont CampusJuly 17, 2001

The Lamont-Doherty Excellence in Mentoring Award wasestablished in 2001 to recognize the importance of qualitymentoring, which benefits the institution as a whole, itsyoung scientists and their mentors. Sidney Hemming (left),receiving her $2,000 cash prize from Director Michael Purdy,was the first recipient of the award. An assistant professor ofEarth and Environmental Sciences, Sidney Hemming wasselected for her work and devotion to advancing the careersof junior scientists. Credit: Doug Brusa

LDEO First Annual Excellence in Mentoring AwardSidney HemmingLamont CampusSeptember 26, 2001

The Second Annual Lamont-Doherty Excellence inMentoring Award ceremony was held in Monell Auditoriumon Friday, May 24, 2002. The recipient, Dr. Gordon Jacoby ofthe Tree Ring Laboratory, is pictured here (left), prize in handand with Nicole Davi and Rosanne D’Arrigo (center) at theawards ceremony. Personal observations about Gordon’slongstanding excellence in mentoring were given by NeilPedersen and Nicole Davi.

LDEO Second Annual Excellence in Mentoring AwardGordon JacobyLamont CampusMay 24, 2002

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The Hudson River and Estuary was the focus of the 2001 OpenHouse. The public also came to see how over 200 Observatoryearth scientists and researchers are working to understandearthquakes, climate, oceans, arctic volcanoes and other mys-teries of Earth. Exhibits were prepared by a host of Observatoryscientists including (top, left to right) Bruce Shaw and ChrisWalker who are seen demonstrating seismic monitoring equip-ment. Below clockwise: two young scientists displaying theirHudson River soil samples, Katie Donnelly of the Petrologydepartment discussing rock samples with an interested visitorand Doug Brusa leading a campus tour. Credit: Ronnie Anderson

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Annual Open HouseLamont CampusSeptember 26, 2001

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Heritage AwardMarie TharpLamont CampusJuly 17, 2001

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory First Annual Excellence in Mentoring AwardSidney HemmingLamont CampusSeptember 26, 2001

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Annual Open HouseLamont CampusOctober 6, 2001

A Sea of Change: Decade-scale Biogeochemical Variabilityin the North Pacific Subtropical GyreDavid Karl W.S. Jardetsky LectureLamont CampusFebruary 21, 2002

Is It Safe? Natural Disasters, Terrorism, Vulnerabilityand ResponsePanel moderated by Arthur Lerner-Lam, Interim Director of the Center for Hazards and Risk ResearchLDEO Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusApril 21, 2002

Arsenic Poisoning Mystery Revealed: University Team Proposes Solutions to Tragedy in BangladeshPanel discussion with: Alexander van Geen, Malgosia Madajewicz, Habibul AhsanLDEO Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusApril 28, 2002

How Old is Earth and How Do We Know?Steven GoldsteinLDEO Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusMay 5, 2002

What Can Biosphere 2 in Tucson, Arizona, Teach Us about the Forests of New York and New Zealand?Kevin GriffinLDEO Public Lecture SeriesLamont CampusMay 19, 2002

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Second Annual Excellence in Mentoring AwardGordon JacobyLamont CampusMay 24, 2002

July 1, 2001 – June 30, 2002

History of SupportHistory of Support

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In a letter dated December 20, 1948, Mrs. Thomas W.Lamont, widow of the former chairman of J.P. Morgan,confirmed to President of Columbia University DwightD. Eisenhower, that she intended to donate her week-end home “Torrey Cliff” to the University. She wrote, inpart, “I am giving this property in my husband’s memo-ry. My gift is unrestricted,” but she was pleased with theUniversity’s plans for the property as a center for geo-logical research, assured that “the world [would] bene-fit.” This was the first gift to what would soon becomethe Lamont Geological Observatory.

Although Thomas Lamont had gone to Harvard andwas famous in his time for his philanthropy to that insti-tution and others, Mrs. Lamont—born FlorenceCorliss—was a Columbia graduate. Thus, the mainhouse, outbuildings and a 155-acre estate atop thePalisades came to Columbia.

Paul Kerr, the chair of the Geology department at thetime, and Maurice “Doc” Ewing, soon to be the found-ing director of the Geological Observatory, were eagerto move the department’s research labs to a locationnear the Morningside Heights campus, but removedfrom the vibrations and interference there. While thenew site seemed ideal, both were well aware of thecost of running the facility.

After conferring with her family, Mrs. Lamont agreed tomake an additional gift of $200,000, as long as it wasmatched. President Eisenhower sought the support ofa few Trustees and friends of Columbia and raised thematching funds. With $400,000 in hand, enough tostart up the operation and help see it through its firstsix years, the Observatory was in business.

The Lamont family’s generosity did not stop there.Thomas Lamont’s second son, Corliss, had receivedhis Ph.D. from Columbia in 1932 and was a longtimemember of the Columbia faculty. He made innumerablegifts to many areas of the University, including theObservatory. In 1996, his will included a bequest for theLamont Nature Sanctuary, an area adjacent to the orig-inal estate that will remain forever undeveloped.

In the second most important contribution to theObservatory, the Henry L. and Grace DohertyCharitable Foundation made a $7 million gift in 1968.The gift was intended to increase the Observatory’sendowment, “primarily to increase the stability ofemployment of the staff of the Observatory, and to

enlarge the opportunities available to them.” Mr.Doherty had been the founder of Cities ServiceCompany, a large oil and gas company. The foundationstaff was well aware of the work of the Observatory’sresearch scientists, having supported ocean sciencesat several institutions. In recognition of the importanceof such a gift, Columbia renamed the facility theLamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, later to becalled Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

The Endowment Today

Today, the endowment has grown large enough tohelp support the salaries of 54 scientists at theObservatory, from associate research scientists tosenior scholars, much as the Doherty Foundationhad intended. With this support, scientists are freeto pursue their research with far less concern forthe restrictions often imposed by traditional fundingsources. Interdisciplinary research, in particular,becomes much more feasible.

Endowment of faculty and research positions is in factone of the most prominent ways to honor or memori-alize a donor while supporting the basic research thatis the essence of the Observatory. The academicdepartment—now called the Department of Earth &Environmental Sciences (DEES)—has five endowedpositions: the Arthur D. Storke Memorial (held by PaulOlsen), Vetlesen (held by Mark Cane), Newberry (heldby Wallace Broecker), Mellon (held by Paul Richards)and Higgins (held by Lynn Sykes) professorships.These endowments provide the same relief as the

1. A view familiar to Thomas and Florence Lamont and tothe generations of Observatory staff who have followed, thefront entrance to Lamont Hall.

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The Observatory’s Beginnings

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Doherty endowment; they help recruit and retain thefinest scientists in the field. By reducing the need togenerate grants in a specific field, groundbreaking,interdisciplinary work can be encouraged. Increasingthe number and size of these endowments remainsone of the Observatory’s highest priorities.

Additional support has come from other sources aswell over the years. Founded in 1970 by Lamont-Doherty researchers, the Palisades GeophysicalInstitute (PGI) has conducted important scientificresearch for the United States government and pro-vided important support to the Observatory. PGI hasendowed a senior research scientist, an associateresearch scientist, and a professorship in the Earthand Environmental Engineering department. TheInstitute has provided important programmatic supportfor many years as well.

Corporate and Foundation Support

For decades, through Lamont-Doherty’s industrialassociates program, oil companies across the globesupported the Observatory’s petrology and marineexploration initiatives, and provided critical unrestrict-ed support as well. With ongoing mergers and intensi-fied cost cutting, however, the oil companies’ researchoperations have been cut drastically, as has their sup-port of institutions like Lamont-Doherty. The Obser-vatory has been extremely fortunate to replace thatsupport through the generosity of the G. Unger VetlesenFoundation. Founded by a Norway-born shipbuilder,cruise ship operator and airline industry executive, theVetlesen Foundation is one of the largest funders ofoceanographic and environmental science institutionsof higher learning.

In addition to providing much-needed operating sup-port, the Vetlesen Foundation endowed an academicchair and has sponsored the Vetlesen Prize andDinner, which since 1959 has honored the world’smost renowned Earth scientists. In recent years, theObservatory has also enjoyed the support of theAmbrose Monell Foundation, for which theObservatory’s newest building was named in 1998, aswell as of the Ford Motor Company, ApacheCorporation and others.

Over the years, several efforts have been made toreach out to Lamont-Doherty alumni and neighbors. In

1995, the Observatory mounted a campaign to restorethe campus fountain. More than 200 gifts poured in, inresponse to a single letter, enabling the institution tomove forward on the restoration project. TheObservatory celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1999,with a series of events and the publishing of a com-memorative book. A number of donors made gifts tomark the occasion.

Looking to the Observatory’s Future

In 1996, Columbia University established The EarthInstitute, combining the Lamont-Doherty EarthObservatory with other Columbia centers and faculty inengineering and in earth, social and health sciences.The Earth Institute signals publicly the University’scommitment to the importance of Earth sciences andsustainable development. It has also made it clear thatsignificant new resources need to be developed if TheEarth Institute and its component units are to thrive.As the oldest and largest unit, the Observatory mustbuild on its record of philanthropic support. If theObservatory is to continue its role of providing theresearch and the science upon which strategies forsustainable development can be built, it will need newand renovated facilities, increased endowments andtargeted program support.

In an effort to communicate more directly with formerstudents, researchers and staff, the Observatory hasformed an Alumni Association. In November 2001,the Observatory made its first annual appeal andenjoyed a heartening response. The Observatory’sfuture as a superior research facility and the core ofThe Earth Institute’s mission depends on the contin-ued generous support of Lamont-Doherty alumni,friends and neighbors.

1. The driveway entrance to the former Lamont estate“Torrey Cliff” and new home of the Lamont GeologicalObservatory in 1949.

2. Looking beyond one of the two eagles that stand guardat the pathway entrance to the campus gardens in front ofLamont Hall.

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Lamont-Doherty Alumni AssociationLamont-Doherty Alumni Association

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From the time of its founding in 1949 as the LamontGeological Observatory, hundreds of students, scien-tists and staff have passed through the grounds, labo-ratories and research vessels of the Lamont-DohertyEarth Observatory. Some earned academic degreeshere. Others built instruments or operated them in thefield or at sea. Still others performed laboratoryresearch, computer programming or the countlessother tasks required to support the Observatory’s mis-sion and accomplishments.

What many of these people have in common is a deepand lasting affection for the place with the longhyphenated official name, which they simply call“Lamont.” They call themselves “Lamonters.”

As a result of the Observatory’s 50th anniversary cel-ebrations and events, a group of Lamonters createdthe Lamont-Doherty Alumni Association. Unlike thetypical alumni association model of limiting member-ship to academic degree recipients, the Lamont asso-ciation includes all who worked or studied here atsome point in the past and who wished to renew con-nections. It is an inclusive “big family” model, much likethe Observatory itself.

Shortly after the anniversary celebrations, a group ofLamonters including Terry Edgar, Joe Worzel, ArnoldFinck, Bill Ryan, George Sutton, Denny Hayes and the

Observatory’s interim director, John Mutter, circulatedsurveys, held meetings and worked with Universityadministrators to form the association. Their effortspaid off. In 2000, the Lamont-Doherty AlumniAssociation was established with Terry Edgar as itsfirst president.

The purpose of the Lamont-Doherty AlumniAssociation is to advance the interest and promote thewelfare of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, as wellas to foster communications and interactions amongits alumni. The membership includes past Lamont-Doherty graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, sci-entists, visiting scholars and former employees.

In its early years, the Alumni Association has fosteredcommunications through a regularly publishednewsletter and Web site, which includes alumniupdates and news from the association president andObservatory director. Feedback from the membershiphas been positive. The Association has hosted a verypopular reception at the annual meeting of theAmerican Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

Under its second president, P. Jeffrey Fox, theAssociation has expanded its efforts to includeinformative alumni meetings and State-of-the-Observatory presentations at both the Lamont OpenHouse and American Geophysical Union meetings.

1. P. Jeffrey Fox, Director of the Ocean Drilling Program atTexas A&M University and the second president of theLamont-Doherty Alumni Association.2. The Alumni Association Newsletter’s Summer 2002 edi-tion. The newsletter is published twice a year and ismailed to all known faculty, employee and student alumni,as well as to friends of the Observatory.

2.1.

57

At the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s 50thanniversary, many alumni and friends joined in cele-brating the Observatory’s distinguished record of sci-entific achievement. Time and again, visiting alumniexpressed interest in the current work and futurehealth of the Observatory and a willingness to renewtheir connections to Lamont.

In November 2001, the Observatory established its first-ever annual solicitation of financial support from alumni.Director Michael Purdy and Alumni AssociationPresident P. Jeffrey Fox sent their first annual appeal to1,250 alumni and friends in nearly all 50 states and 36foreign countries.The list drew on academic alumni lists,registration rosters from the 50th anniversary celebra-tions and inquiries made by alumni.

More than 100 alumni responded with contributions,an encouraging response. Some contributors tookadvantage of matching-gift programs offered by theiremployers. Some made their donations on line. Allprovided resources to the Observatory that would nothave been otherwise available.

In response to the recognition that the Observatoryneeded to reach out to neighbors and friends, as wellas alumni, the Lamont Public Lecture Series wasbegun in the spring of 1999. The series features talksby Lamont scientists on Earth science topics designedfor a general audience. Held on campus in the spring,generally on Sunday afternoons, these talks havebeen well received and well attended. When asked tosupport the cost of the lectures, many attendeesresponded generously with a contribution.

Alumni and friends who appreciate the great value ofthe work done at the Observatory—and who knowgovernment funds will not pay all the costs—play aninvaluable role in supporting promising initiatives thatconnect the Observatory to a wider audience.

Annual FundAnnual Fund

1. Director G. Michael Purdy (left) with Terry Edgar of theU.S. Geological Survey (center) and P. Jeffrey Fox (right).Edgar served as the first president of the Lamont-DohertyAlumni Association. Fox is the current president.2. W. Maurice “Doc” Ewing, (1906–1974), founder of theLamont Geological Observatory and its first director.3. One of the many lectures held in Lamont Hall, the LamontGeological Observatory’s first home, in the mid-1950s.

1.

3.

2.

51

A New Annual Alumni Fund

AdministrationAdministration

52

The administration of the Lamont-Doherty EarthObservatory takes pride in its mission to serve theoperating needs of the Observatory’s world-classresearchers. Located across the Hudson River northof the main campus in Morningside Heights, theObservatory requires a separate but coordinatedadministrative staff to maintain effective and efficientoperations. Though formally an extension of ColumbiaUniversity’s central operations, the Observatory’sadministration is able to offer direct, on-site services tothe research community on the Lamont campus.

The Observatory’s administration is organized arounda set of core functions including Grants & Contracts,Finance & Accounting, Human Resources, Procurement,Facilities Management, Shipping & Traffic, Securityand central management. Additional ancillary opera-tions encompass a copy center, housing, food serviceand a variety of related functions.

Within the various research divisions, division admin-istrators provide the vital link between scientific activi-ties and core administrative services necessary tosupport those operations. By familiarizing themselveswith the creative research environments unique toeach division, these administrators are able to offerthe appropriate support.

One of the primary responsibilities of administration isto maintain the financial and mandatory requirementsof any grant or contract without being overly burden-some or interfering with the institution’s primaryresearch activities. Our skilled and devoted sup-port staff make this possible and continue to con-tribute to the Observatory’s success in myriad ways.

Jeff Shapiro, Director of AdministrationAssistant Director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

The Observatory’s senior adminsitrative staff. Fromleft to right: Ray Long, Doug Brusa, Dick Greco,Mary Mokhtari, Tom Eberhard, Pam Stambaugh,George Papa and Jeff Shapiro.

53

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Staff ListingsStaff Listings

54

Purdy, G. Michael DirectorMutter, John C. Executive Deputy DirectorShaterian, Lyn Assistant to the DirectorWuerfel, Beverly CoordinatorColwell, Miriam G. Administrative Assistant

Marra, John F. Associate DirectorHoffer, Karen Division Administrator

Bond, Gerard C. Doherty Senior ScholarCook, Edward R. Doherty Senior ScholarD’Arrigo, Rosanne D. Doherty Senior Research ScientistdeMenocal, Peter B. Assistant ProfessorFairbanks, Richard G. ProfessorGriffin, Kevin L. Assistant ProfessorHays, James D. ProfessorLynch-Stieglitz, Jean Assistant ProfessorMarra, John F. Doherty Senior ScholarOlsen, Paul E. Arthur D. Storke Memorial ProfessorSambrotto, Raymond N. Doherty Research ScientistVanGeen, Alexander Doherty Senior Research Scientist

Buckley, Brendan M. Doherty Associate Research ScientistLangdon, Christopher Doherty Associate Research ScientistLiepert, Beate G. Doherty Associate Research Scientist

Marchitto, Thomas M. Postdoctoral Research ScientistPrieto-Galvez, Laura Postdoctoral Research FellowStickley, Catherine Postdoctoral Research FellowVaillancourt, Robert D. Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Almasi, Peter F.Chase, ZannaChiu, Tzu-chienCooney, KevinEngel, VictorFarmer, ChristaGeisler, JonathanGreen, Sara E.Greene, ArthurHwang, Sunny H.Ingram, Sarah J.Koutavas, AthanasiosLeGrande, Allegra N.Machlus, Malka L.Makovicky, PeterMalinconico, Mary AnnMihlbachler, Matthew C.Nagel, Jennifer M.Pederson, Dorothy C.Pederson, NeilPol, DiegoPotosnak, MarkRainforth, EmmaRothwell, TomSalkowski, NickShapiro, JosslynTakesue, ReneeWhiteside, JessicaXu, Chengyuan

GRADUATE STUDENTS

POSTDOCTORAL STAFF

RESEARCH STAFF

SENIOR SCIENTIFIC STAFF

BIOLOGY AND PALEO ENVIRONMENT

DIRECTOR'S OFFICE

Hunkins, Kenneth L.Jacoby, Gordon C.Kukla, George

Anderson, O. R. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistBurckle, Lloyd H. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistCarlut, Julie H. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistCherubini, Paolo Adjunct Research ScientistGarzoli, Silvia L. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistGastrich, Mary D. Adjunct Research ScientistGavrieli, Ittai Adjunct Associate Research ScientistHeusser, Linda E. Adjunct Research ScientistHolland, David M. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistKent, Dennis V. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistLeTourneau, Peter M. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistLohmann, Ulrike Adjunct Associate Research ScientistNachin, Baatarbileg Adjunct Associate Research ScientistOrwig, David A. Adjunct Research ScientistPeteet, Dorothy M. Adjunct Senior Research Scientist,

LecturerRay, Bonnie K. Adjunct Research ScientistReverdin, Gilles P. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistReynolds, David J. Adjunct Research ScientistRobinson, David A. Adjunct Research ScientistRose, Jerome Adjunct Associate Research ScientistRousseau, Denis-Didier Adjunct Associate Research ScientistSeemann, Jeffrey R. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistSmith, Stanley D. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistSues, Hans-Dieter Adjunct Senior Research ScientistTissue, David Adjunct Associate Research ScientistTurnbull, Matthew H. Adjunct Research ScientistUkita, Jinro Adjunct Associate Research ScientistVillalba, Ricardo Adjunct Associate Research ScientistWebster, James D. Adjunct Research ScientistWiles, Gregory C. Adjunct Associate Research Scientist

Cheng, Zhongqi Staff AssociateGavin, Joyce E. Staff Associate Lotti, Ramona Staff Associate Mortlock, Richard A. Senior Staff AssociateWernick, Iddo K. Staff Associate

Ho, Cheng-Chuan Systems Analyst/ProgrammerPistolesi, Linda I. Web Specialist

Anest, Nichole A. Senior Research Staff AssistantBaker, Linda D. Research Staff AssistantBitte, Ivars R. Research EngineerBracconeri, Christopher J. Research Staff AssistantBryan, Martha Senior Research Staff AssistantDavi, Nicole K. Senior Research Staff AssistantFrank, David C. Senior Research Staff AssistantGuilfoyle, Carolann R. Administrative AssistantKrusic, Paul J. Research Staff AssistantKurdyla, Dorothy K. Lab TechnicianLevine, Jamie S. Research Staff AssistantMalone, Patricia N. Senior Research Staff AssistantMashig, Erika J. Research Staff AssistantMayernik, Andrea N. Research Staff AssistantMoore, Thomas S. Senior Data TechnicianMuldowney, Susan A. Administrative AssistantThompson, Ardis M. Research Staff Assistant

SUPPORT STAFF

SYSTEMS ANALYSTS / PROGRAMMERS

STAFF OFFICERS OF RESEARCH

LDEO ADJUNCTS

SPECIAL RESEARCH SCIENTISTS

55

Takahashi, Taro Associate Director

Anderson, Robert F. Doherty Senior Scholar, Adjunct Professor

Broecker, Wallace S. Newberry ProfessorGoldstein, Steven L. Associate ProfessorHemming, Sidney R. Assistant ProfessorLonghi, John Doherty Senior Research ScientistSchlosser, Peter ProfessorSimpson, Harry J. ProfessorSmethie, William M. Doherty Senior Research ScientistTakahashi, Taro Doherty Senior Scholar,

Adjunct ProfessorWalker, David Professor

Chillrud, Steven N. Doherty Associate Research ScientistClass, Cornelia Doherty Associate Research ScientistSaal, Alberto E. Doherty Associate ResearchScientist, Storke Doherty Lecturer

Collon, Philippe A. Postdoctoral Research ScientistDonnelly, Kathleen E. Postdoctoral Research ScientistHo, David T. Postdoctoral Research ScientistKavner, Abby Postdoctoral Research FellowLeBel, Deborah Postdoctoral Research ScientistMatter, Jurg M. Postdoctoral Research ScientistNewton, Robert Postdoctoral Research ScientistSchaefer, Joerg M. Postdoctoral Research ScientistWinckler, Gisela Postdoctoral Research FellowZellmer, Georg F. Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Cai, YueCaniano, AnthonyCipriani, AnnaCottrell, ElizabethFrantz, TonyFranzese, Allison M.Gier, BethHiggins, SeanHimmel, Dana B.Keimowitz, Alison R.LaGatta, AlexandraLazar, CodiNichols, JuliePiotrowski, Alexander M.Santella, NicholasSimons, Kyla K.Soffer, GadTenthorey, EricThompson, William G.Wheeler, Kevin T.Zimmerman, Susan

Biscaye, PierreBonatti, Enrico

Bopp, Richard F. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistBory, Aloys J. Adjunct Associate Research Scientist

LDEO ADJUNCTS

SPECIAL RESEARCH SCIENTISTS

GRADUATE STUDENTS

POSTDOCTORAL STAFF

RESEARCH STAFF

SENIOR SCIENTIFIC STAFF

GEOCHEMISTRYBrueckner, Hannes K. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistDenton, George H. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistGrousset, Francis E. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistHales, Burke R. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistHarlow, George E. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistHemming, N. G. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistHenderson, Gideon M. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistHeussner, Serge E. Adjunct Research ScientistHohmann, Roland Adjunct Associate Research ScientistJohnson, Marie C. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistKinzler, Rosamond J. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistLangmuir, Charles H. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistLiu, Tanzhuo Adjunct Associate Research ScientistMandeville, Charles W. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistMathez, Edmond A. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistOrtiz, Joseph D. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistReynolds, Jennifer R. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistRutberg, Randye L. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistSchuster, William S. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistScott, Bruce A. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistShepherd, John G. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistStute, Martin Adjunct Associate Research ScientistSweeney, Colm Adjunct Associate Research ScientistTomascak, Paul B. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistTorgersen, Thomas L. Adjunct Research ScientistZheng, Yan Adjunct Associate Research Scientist

Breger, Dee L. Senior Staff AssociateFleisher, Martin Q. Senior Staff AssociateLehnert, Kerstin A. Senior Staff AssociateMendelson, Mieczyslawa Staff AssociateRoss, James M. Staff AssociateSu, Yongjun Staff AssociateTurrin, Brent D. Senior Staff Associate

Lee, Hoyle Systems Analyst/Programmer Intermediate

Catanzaro, Patricia H. Draftsman Clark, Elizabeth H. Senior Research Staff AssistantCriscione, Deborah C. Administrative AssistantDachille, Anthony Research Staff AssistantFalato, Kathleen N. Administrative AssistantGorman, Eugene P. Senior Research Staff AssistantMcNally, Charle W. Senior Lab TechnicianProtus, Thomas J. Senior Electronic TechnicianRenik, Byrdie Junior Lab TechnicianSt. Clair, Moanna Administrative AssistantSutherland, Stewart C. Research Staff ScientistTurnick, Catherine M. Administrative Assistant

Weissel, Jeffrey K. Associate DirectorOdland, Sarah K. Division AdministratorKennedy, Jean V. Administrative Coordinator

Anderson, Roger N. Doherty Senior Scholar, Adjunct Professor

Bell, Robin E. Doherty Senior Research ScientistBuck, W. Roger Doherty Senior Research Scientist,

Adjunct ProfessorCarbotte, Suzanne M. Doherty Associate Research Scientist

SENIOR SCIENTIFIC STAFF

MARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS

SUPPORT STAFF

SYSTEMS ANALYSTS / PROGRAMMERS

STAFF OFFICERS OF RESEARCH

56

Cochran, James R. Doherty Senior Research Scientist, Lecturer

Cormier, Marie-Helene Doherty Associate Research ScientistGoldberg, David S. Doherty Research ScientistHayes, Dennis E. ProfessorKarner, Garry D. Doherty Senior Research ScientistKastens, Kim A. Doherty Senior Research Scientist,

Adjunct ProfessorMutter, John C. ProfessorPurdy, G. Michael ProfessorRyan, William B. Doherty Senior Scholar,

Adjunct ProfessorSteckler, Michael S. Doherty Senior Research ScientistWeissel, Jeffrey K. Doherty Senior Scholar, Lecturer

Iturrino, Gerardo J. Associate Research ScientistSmall, Christopher Associate Research Scientist,

LecturerStark, Colin P. Doherty Associate Research ScientistStudinger, Michael Doherty Associate Research ScientistSun, Yuefeng Doherty Associate Research ScientistSvenningsen, Olaf M. Associate Research ScientistTolstoy, Maria Doherty Associate Research Scientist

Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R. Postdoctoral Research ScientistNitsche, Frank O. Postdoctoral Research ScientistTaramelli, Andrea Postdoctoral Research FellowTikku, Anahita A. Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Adkins, J. EdwinBaran, Janet M.Bronzan, JamesFiondella, FrancescoFloyd, Jacqueline S.Graham, SusanKaufman, VictoriaKostel, Kenneth D.Major, CandaceMatsudo, AkikoRankin, AdamRomano, John J.Shah, AnjiSlagle, Angela L.Tischer, MichaelWright, Laura M.Xu, Ke

Pitman, Walter C. Adjunct ProfessorStoll, Robert

Abbott, Dallas Adjunct Research ScientistCaress, David Adjunct Associate Research ScientistClarke, Garry K. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistCoakley, Bernard J. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistDriscoll, Neal W. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistEdgar, N.T. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistFlood, Roger D. Adjunct Research ScientistHaxby, William F. Adjunct Research ScientistHovius, Niels Adjunct Associate Research ScientistJenkins, Adrian Adjunct Associate Research ScientistKane, Kimberlee S. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistLouvel, Veronique Adjunct Associate Research ScientistMcHugh, Cecilia M. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistMello, Ulisses T. Adjunct Research ScientistMountain, Gregory S. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistO'Connell, Suzanne B. Adjunct Research Scientist

LDEO ADJUNCTS

SPECIAL RESEARCH SCIENTISTS

GRADUATE STUDENTS

POSTDOCTORAL STAFF

RESEARCH STAFF

Pezard, Philippe A. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistPfirman, Stephanie L. Adjunct Research ScientistRind, David H. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistSorlien, Christopher C. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistTanacredi, John Adjunct Senior Research Scientist

Baker, Ted N. Senior Staff AssociateBoulanger, Albert G. Senior Staff AssociateBrenner, Carl Senior Staff AssociateBroglia-Malinverno, Cristina Senior Staff AssociateChayes, Dale N. Senior Staff AssociateGuerin, Gilles Staff AssociateMyers, Gregory J. Senior Staff AssociatePerry, Richard S. Staff AssociateQuoidbach, Daniel L. Senior Staff AssociateReagan, Mary T. Senior Staff AssociateWilliams, Trevor J. Senior Staff Associate

Alsop, Joyce M. Senior Systems Analyst/ProgrammerArko, Robert A. Lead Systems Analyst/ProgrammerFishman, Artem V. Systems & Network Analyst/

Programmer

Alvarez, Ana M. Draftsman Basher, Joan Administrative AssistantChapp, Emily L. Research Staff AssistantDrinnon, Tania L. Administrative AssistantGiarratano, Matilda M. Research Staff AssistantLuisi, Mary A. Administrative AssistantMasterson, Walter A. Senior Electronics TechnicianMeyer, Marsha E. SecretaryMurray, James T. Senior Research Staff AssistantNagao, Kazuko Draftsman Weiss, Daniel M. Lab Technician

Turrin, Margaret J. Education Coordinator

Gordon, Arnold L. Associate DirectorSobin-Smith, Gilbert M. Division Administrator

Cane, Mark A. Vetlesen Professor of Earth and Climate Science

Chen, Dake Doherty Senior Research ScientistGordon, Arnold L. ProfessorJacobs, Stanley S. Doherty Senior Research ScientistKushnir, Yochanan Doherty Senior Research ScientistMartinson, Douglas G. Doherty Senior Research Scientist,

Adjunct ProfessorOu, Hsien W. Doherty Senior Research Scientist,

Adjunct ProfessorSeager, Richard Doherty Senior Research ScientistVisbeck, Martin H. Associate Professor

Curchitser, Enrique N. Doherty Associate Research ScientistFfield, AmyL. Doherty Associate Research ScientistKaplan, Aleksey Doherty Associate Research ScientistKrahmann, Gerd Doherty Associate Research ScientistStieglitz, Marc Doherty Associate Research ScientistSusanto, Raden D. Doherty Associate Research ScientistTremblay, Bruno Doherty Associate ResearchScientist, Storke Doherty LecturerYuan, Xiaojun Doherty Associate Research Scientist

RESEARCH STAFF

SENIOR SCIENTIFIC STAFF

OCEAN AND CLIMATE PHYSICS

OFFICER OF ADMINISTRATION

SUPPORT STAFF

SYSTEMS ANALYSTS / PROGRAMMERS

STAFF OFFICERS OF RESEARCH

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Dery, Stephen J. Postdoctoral Research ScientistEvans, Michael N. Postdoctoral Research ScientistGildor, Hezi Postdoctoral Research FellowGoodman, Paul J. Postdoctoral Research ScientistGrieco, Luisa Postdoctoral Research FellowHarnik, Nili Postdoctoral Research ScientistKhatiwala, Samar P. Postdoctoral Research ScientistReichert, Bernhard K. Postdoctoral Research ScientistRobertson, Robin A. Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Boda, KennethBoelman, Natalie T.Cherry, Jessica E.Chiang, JohnDong, CharlesEmile-Geay, Julien B.Gaurin, Steven E.Giannini, AleGorodetskaia, Irina V.Grass, David S.Herweijer, CelineKarspeck, Alicia R.Liu, JipingMa, ShubinPeacock, SynteShaman, Jeffrey L.Song, QianStammerjohn, Sharon E.Stone, Erin C.Vranes, Kevin P.

Clement, Amy C. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistHall, Alexander D. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistHellmer, Hartmut H. Adjunct Research ScientistIlahude, Abdul G. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistKamenkovich, Vladimir M. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistTourre, Yves M. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistWitter, Donna L. Adjunct Research Scientist

Giulivi, Claudia F. Staff AssociateHoughton, Robert W. Senior Staff AssociateHuber, Bruce A. Senior Staff AssociateMiller, Jennifer A. Staff AssociateNaik, Naomi H. Senior Staff AssociateWang, Zhiren Staff Associate

Correa, Gustavo P. Lead Systems Analyst/ProgrammerIannuzzi, Richard A. Systems Analyst/Programmer

IntermediateLi, Cuihua Systems Analyst/ProgrammerMele, Philip A. Senior Systems Analyst/ProgrammerRosen, Lawrence S. Senior Systems Analyst/Programmer

DiBlasi-Morris, Virginia M. Senior SecretaryKerman, Benjamin D. Research Staff AssistantNewberger, Timothy A. Senior Marine Development

TechnicianTubiana, Felix A. Research Staff AssistantVelez, Edgar Lab Technician Went, Ellen G. Administrative Assistant

Lerner-Lam, Arthur L. Associate DirectorMayer, Bonnie J. Division Administrator

SEISMOLOGY, GEOLOGY AND TECTONOPHYSICS

SUPPORT STAFF

SYSTEMS ANALYSTS / PROGRAMMERS

STAFF OFFICERS OF RESEARCH

LDEO ADJUNCTS

GRADUATE STUDENTS

POSTDOCTORAL STAFF

Anders, Mark H. Associate ProfessorChristie-Blick, Nicholas ProfessorKim, Won-Young Doherty Research ScientistKogan, Mikhail G. Doherty Research ScientistLerner-Lam, Arthur L. Doherty Senior Research Scientist,

Adjunct ProfessorMenke, William H. ProfessorRichards, Paul G. Mellon Professor of Natural ScienceScholz, Christopher H. ProfessorSeeber, Leonardo Doherty Research ScientistShaw, Bruce E. Doherty Research ScientistSpiegelman, Marc W. Associate ProfessorSykes, Lynn R. Higgins Professor of Earth

and Environmental ScienceWebb, Spahr C. Palisades Geophysical Institute

Senior Research Scientist, Adjunct Professor

Xie, Jiakang Doherty Research Scientist

Gregory, Kathryn M. Doherty Associate Research ScientistVersteeg, Roelof J. Doherty Associate Research ScientistWaldhauser, Felix Associate Research Scientist

Aoki, Yosuke Postdoctoral Research FellowLi, Anyi Postdoctoral Research ScientistMilsch, Harald H. Postdoctoral Research FellowPekar, Stephen F. Postdoctoral Research ScientistSchaff, David P. Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Broyard, FenwickCzuchlewski, KristinaDu, Wen-xuanDuan, ChangGhosh, AttreyeeGranville, John P.Gupta, AnuJiang, GanqingKarcz, ZviKatz, RichardSaurborn, MelissaWalker, Christopher D.Wei, ShanWest, MikeZhang, Jiang

Jacob, Klaus H.

Abers, Geoffrey A. Adjunct Research ScientistAharonov, Einat Adjunct Associate Research ScientistLevin, Vadim L. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistSchreiber, Charlotte B. Adjunct Senior Research ScientistSohl, Linda E. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistSparks, David W. Adjunct Associate Research ScientistWu, Zhongliang Adjunct Research Scientist

Armbruster, John G. Staff AssociateArmitage, Jeremiah H. Staff AssociateBookbinder, Robert G. Senior Staff AssociateJonke, Patrick J. Senior Staff AssociateKhalturin, Vitaly I. Senior Staff AssociateLentrichia, David C. Senior Staff AssociateSarker, Golam M. Senior Staff AssociateShearer, Douglas W. Senior Staff Associate

STAFF OFFICERS OF RESEARCH

LDEO ADJUNCTS

SPECIAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST

GRADUATE STUDENTS

POSTDOCTORAL STAFF

RESEARCH STAFF

SENIOR SCIENTIFIC STAFF

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Parsi, Mahdad Senior Systems/Network Analyst Programmer

Vitelli, Michael J. Systems Analyst/Programmer Intermediate

Contino, John A. Senior Electronic TechnicianGander, Stacey L. Administrative AssistantKakascik, Robert Data Technician McKiernan, Bernard K. Junior Marine Development

TechnicianMorgiewicz, Kristie L. Administrative AssistantTomsa, Violeta A. Secretary

Boyer, Kathleen Manager

Graney, Jacqueline D. Division AdministratorBeck, Virginia A. Coordinator

Diebold, John B. Research Scientist

Gold, Ethan Systems Analyst/Programmer Intermediate

Oliver-Goodwin, Richard C. Systems & Network Analyst/Programmer

Koczynski, Theodore A. Staff AssociateLjunggren, Paul W. Senior Staff AssociateStennett, Joseph N. Senior Staff AssociateWalsh, Albert H. Senior Staff Associate

Garland, Mercy Administrative AideGutierrez, Carlos D. Senior Data Technician Hagel, Karl Senior Electronic TechnicianLeidhold, Christopher P. Senior Electronic Technician

Batchelor, John A. CookBraniff, Marcella Able-Bodied SeapersonBrannon, William M. Ordinary SeapersonByrne, John G. Air Gun Engineer – TemporaryDoughty, Daniel Ordinary SeapersonElls, Cheryl Cook – TemporaryEwing, Robert E. Able-Bodied SeapersonFlorendo, Rodolfo A. OilerFlores, Miguel A. Second Assistant EngineerGreenberg, Jacob Able – Bodied SeapersonGuevarra, Mervin Able-Bodied Seaperson – TemporaryHathorne, Robert OilerHickey, Thomas Third Assistant Engineer – TemporaryHontiveros, Felepe Able-Bodied Seaperson – TemporaryKarlyn, Albert D. Chief EngineerLandow, Mark C. MasterLee, DanielS. Oiler – TemporaryLogue, Gregory Third Assistant Engineer – TemporaryMaiwiriwiri, Ropate Q. Core BosunMatos, Francisco N. Chief Marine ElectricianMcGeough, Scott S. Second Mate – TemporaryMcNeal, Frederick L. Ordinary Seaperson

MARITIME

SUPPORT STAFF

STAFF OFFICERS OF RESEARCH

SYSTEMS ANALYSTS / PROGRAMMERS

SENIOR SCIENTIFIC STAFF

OFFICE OF MARINE AFFAIRS

OFFICER OF ADMINISTRATION

SUPPORT STAFF

SYSTEMS ANALYSTS / PROGRAMMERS Mecketsy, Meredith J. Third MateMoqo, Luke MesspersonNeill, Nicholas Second Assistant Engineer –

TemporaryNoonan, Megan Able-Bodied SeapersonO’Loughlin,James E. MasterPhilbrick, David L. BosunPica, Stephen M. Chief EngineerPotts, Alfred W. Oiler – TemporaryScanland, Elizabeth B. Able-Bodied Seaperson – TemporarySchwartz, John H. Chief Marine ElectricianSmith, John S. StewardSyferd, Jim Ordinary SeapersonSypongco, Arnold A. Ordinary SeapersonTaylor, Kelly L. CookThomas, Jay Chief Mate – TemporaryThomas, Richard N. Third MateTomas, Kelly F. BosunTucke, Matthew S. First Assistant EngineerUribe, Guillermo F. OilerWalker, Wakefield B. Able-Bodied SeapersonWilson, Scott Able-Bodied SeapersonWolford, David H. Second MateZeigler, Stanley P. Chief MateZiencik, Michael Oiler

Leo, J. Mia Department AdministratorHiscock, M. Elizabeth Administrative AideMountain, Carol S. Financial AssistantPinckert, Milicent E. Administrative AideSimpson, Robina E. Senior Lab Technician

Shapiro, Jeffrey A. Assistant Director LDEODirector of Administration

Ables, Michele L. Office AssistantMuir, Lesley C. Database AdministratorMurphy, Linda L. Administrative CoordinatorTemple, Patricia E. Office Assistant

Papa, George A. Director of FinanceCalungcagin, Maria A. AccountantDomingo, Ellie Office AssistantHicks, Linda D. Budget AssistantLamarque, Jessie Administrative AideMounier, Cyndi A. Administrative AideNazario, Victoria G. AccountantSheridan, Linda J. SupervisorTan, Pamela G. AccountantTavarone, Virginia P. Financial Services Assistant

Greco, Richard E. Manager Baez, Bruce A MechanicCasilli, Joseph A MechanicJones, Charles A MechanicMuench, Herbert A MechanicMurray, Jacqueline R. Administrative AideSoto, Eric B MechanicSullivan, Kevin A MechanicValenti, Joseph A MechanicVazquez, Hector A MechanicWent, Wayne Head Mechanic

Atkins, Ruby L. Food Services AssistantDillon, Dawn M. Food Services Assistant

CAFETERIA

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS

ACCOUNTING SERVICES

ADMINISTRATION

DEPT. OF EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

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Stambaugh, Pamela C. Senior Contracts OfficerLichtblau, Laura A. Project CoordinatorRespo, Maribel Contracts CoordinatorRuane, Patricia Administrative AideSosa, Lauren Project Coordinator

Mokhtari, Mary S. ManagerCarlsen, Kathleen J. Human Resources AssistantDomenick, Joanne E. Assistant Manager Human ResourcesMedina, Cynthia Human Resources Assistant

Sindt, John H. SupervisorDiBernardo, John G. Senior Mechanical TechnicianGallagher, Bernard D. Senior Electronic Technician

Brusa, Douglas P. ManagerDeutsch, Bonnie L. Assistant to ManagerAnderson, Ronnie H. Administrative AideClinton, Carol L. Administrative AideSchmidt, Ronald Technical Buyer

Long, Raymond T. ManagerTroutman, Cathy H. Administrative AideMonteaperto, Camille Telephone Operator

Eberhard, Thomas W. SupervisorAbles, Patricia E. Administrative AideMatos, Carlos R. Assistant Supervisor Baez, Carlos DriverChazen, Jonathan S. DriverCocker, Edward J. DriverDeLoatch, Antonio P. DriverMack, Maurice A. DriverTorres, Juan A. Driver

Bocsusis, Karen Travel ReservationistKolacia, Paula M. Travel Services Coordinator

TRAVEL

TRAFFIC

SECURITY

PURCHASING

MACHINE SHOP

HUMAN RESOURCES

CONTRACTS AND GRANTS 1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciencesadministrative staff. Clockwise from top left: BettyHiscock, Administrative Aide, Mia Leo, DepartmentAdministrator, Carol Mountain, Financial Assistant, andMissy Pinckert, Administrative Aide. 2. Left to right: Bob Bookbinder, Manager of ComputerActivities, and Doug Shearer, Senior Staff Associate.3. Left to right: Mary Ann Brueckner, Library Specialist,Lisa Fish, Librarian, and Miriam Colwell, Library Assistant.

1.

2.

3.

“Doc” Ewing (at the wheel) and crew aboard theR/V Vema, the Observatory’s first research vessel,circa 1954.

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When, late in 1948, Florence Corliss Lamont pro-When, late in 1948, Florence Corliss Lamont pro-vided Torrey Cliffs, the Lamont family estate, tovided Torrey Cliffs, the Lamont family estate, toColumbia University in her husband’s memoryColumbia University in her husband’s memoryshe could have been only vaguely aware of thenature of the person who would be the firstnature of the person who would be the firstleader of the Lamont Geological Observatory.leader of the Lamont Geological Observatory.The ink was barely dry on the documents ofThe ink was barely dry on the documents oftransmission before Maurice Ewing and a smalltransmission before Maurice Ewing and a smallgroup of colleagues decamped from Columbia’sgroup of colleagues decamped from Columbia’sMorningside campus to the bucolic sanctuary ofMorningside campus to the bucolic sanctuary ofher former home. Ewing transformed the kitchenher former home. Ewing transformed the kitcheninto a geochemistry lab, bedrooms into work-into a geochemistry lab, bedrooms into work-spaces, and living areas into classrooms to cre-spaces, and living areas into classrooms to cre-ate in a few short years one of the world’s lead-ate in a few short years one of the world’s lead-ing centers for research in the Earth sciences,ing centers for research in the Earth sciences,more than fulfilling the hopes she had in givingmore than fulfilling the hopes she had in givingthe estate to her alma mater.the estate to her alma mater.

And Ewing quickly purchased a ship thatbecame the R/V Vema on which he is seen inthis photo (left) that must surely have been takenvery shortly after the purchase. His legendarypassion (perhaps obsession) to investigate theworld’s oceans resulted in this vessel being thefirst ever to sail one million miles in the serviceof science.

A passion for leadership in advancing our under-standing of planet Earth has been the essentialcharacteristic of Lamont’s leaders ever sinceand is epitomized today by the current director,G. Michael Purdy.

Florence Lamont expressed a special desire inproviding her estate to Columbia in her hope that“students from near and far would grow richer inwisdom from studying with the scholars of TorreyCliff.” As one who came as a student from afarone who came as a student from afarand has had the privilege to serve in a leadershipposition at Lamont, I know that Florence Lamontposition at Lamont, I know that Florence Lamontand Maurice Ewing could look proudly on theirand Maurice Ewing could look proudly on theirObservatory as it sets sights on its second 50Observatory as it sets sights on its second 50years of achievement.years of achievement.

Letter from the Executive Deputy Director

John MutterExecutive Deputy Director

Lamont-Doher ty Ear th Observatory is renowned in the internationLamont-Doher ty Ear th Observatory is renowned in the international scientifical scientific community for its suc-community for its suc-cess and innovation in advancing understanding of Ear th, for itcess and innovation in advancing understanding of Ear th, for its unique geological and climatologicals unique geological and climatologicalarchives and state-of-the-art laboratory farchives and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, and for the outstanding achievement of its graduatesacilities, and for the outstanding achievement of its graduates..Observatory scientistsObservatory scientists observe Ear th on a global scale, from its deepest interior to tobserve Ear th on a global scale, from its deepest interior to the outer reacheshe outer reachesof its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean. They dof its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean. They decipher the long record of the past,ecipher the long record of the past,monitor the present, and seek to foresee Earth’s future. From glmonitor the present, and seek to foresee Earth’s future. From global cliobal climatemate change to ear thquakes, vol-change to ear thquakes, vol-canoes, nonrenewable resources, environmental hazards and beyoncanoes, nonrenewable resources, environmental hazards and beyond, the d, the Observatory’s fundamentalObservatory’s fundamentalchallenge is to provide a rational basis for thechallenge is to provide a rational basis for the difficult choices faced by humankind in the steward-difficult choices faced by humankind in the steward-ship of this fragile planet.ship of this fragile planet.

G. Michael PurdyG. Michael PurdyDirector, Lamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryDirector, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Photograph of Earth from the Apollo 17 missionPhotograph of Earth from the Apollo 17 mission

Satellite image of the Libyan DesertSatellite image of the Libyan Desert

Colorized scanning electron micrograph. © Dee BregerColorized scanning electron micrograph. © Dee BregerPollen grain fertilizing goldenrod flower through a pollenPollen grain fertilizing goldenrod flower through a pollentube grown after landing on the stigmatube grown after landing on the stigma

Color enhanced photograph of Earth from the Color enhanced photograph of Earth from the Apollo 17 mission provided by DigitalVision Apollo 17 mission provided by DigitalVision

Below: Two crew members Below: Two crew members aboard the R/V aboard the R/V EwingEwing look look out on glacier-derived icebergs out on glacier-derived icebergs near the Palmer Archipelago, near the Palmer Archipelago, west of the Antarctic Peninsula. west of the Antarctic Peninsula. Credit: John DieboldCredit: John Diebold

About the CoverAbout the Cover

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Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory The Earth Institute at Columbia UniversityThe Earth Institute at Columbia Univ

Biennial Report 2000–2002

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory • 61 Route 9W • P.O. Box 1000 • Palisades, NY 10964

T ) 845.359.2900 F ) 845.359.2931 • W) www.ldeo.columbia.edu

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