GI Press Releases
From the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh, to the biblical story of Noah and the flood, history is steeped in stories about an ancient, catastrophic flood that changed the world. Dr. Walter C. Pitman III, a geophysicist from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, has found
evidence of a gigantic flood that took place 7,600 years ago in the area where the Black Sea is located today. Pitman will describe his findings in a free public lecture. "Noah's Flood: Myth or Reality?" will take place Tuesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. in Schaible Auditorium on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. 
Two Improved-Orion sounding rockets were launched in succession from Poker Flat Research Range last night. The first rocket of the DUST project launched at 8:45 p.m. and the second rocket launched at 10:45 p.m. Both rockets flew through Earth's upper atmosphere, reaching altitudes of 62 vertical miles. Their flights lasted nearly 6 minutes each, before landing about 28 miles north of the rocket range.
Debris from the Black Brant XII sounding rocket that malfunctioned during flight on Sunday, March 6 were recovered and transported back to Poker Flat Research Range. Remnants of the rocket, CASCADES, will now be analyzed as part of an investigation to see what caused the failure of the rocket's third stage, which dropped hundreds of miles shy of its intended location. Once the snow melts, range staff will search again to see if there is any additional debris.
CASCADES, a rocket project of Dartmouth College scientist Kristina Lynch, launched at 1:37 a.m. this morning from Poker Flat Research Range. The four-stage Black Brant XII rocket reached an altitude of about 18 vertical miles, and flew for 5 minutes. Although the first two stages appeared to
function properly, normal ignition of the third stage did not occur. Range staff and NASA personnel believe the failure occurred during the rocket's third stage, but are unsure what exactly triggered the malfunction. The rocket debris will be retrieved and analyzed as part of an investigation.
Three rockets are scheduled to launch from Poker Flat Research Range this winter. The launch window officially opens at twilight, Sunday, Feb. 27, and will remain open until Tuesday, March 22. During this time, a total of three rockets will be launched. Two will gather data on Earth's mesospheric dust layer, and the third will fly through the aurora, probing the auroral curtain to learn more about its structure.
New information about the Martian terrain suggests the Red Planet's surface once had water. High levels of hematite, a mineral associated with liquid water on Earth, were discovered on Mars last year. This important find suggests the possibility of ancient lakebeds or seas on the planet's surface and increases the odds that Mars once harbored life.
Despite their bulk, Steller sea lions dive with grace and agility. They can stay submerged for up to eight minutes and dive to depths of 3,000 feet to maintain their diverse diet.
Despite their bulk, Steller sea lions dive with grace and agility. They can stay submerged for up to eight minutes and dive to depths of 3,000 feet to maintain their diverse diet.
Polar bears have adapted to living in a dynamic sea ice habitat, but a variety of new threats jeopardize the future of these bears. Industrialization of their habitat, over-harvesting, and climate change are impacting polar bear numbers and threatening their success as the Arctic's top carnivore.
More than six million acres of Alaska were burned in wildfires throughout the summer of 2004. Smoke from those fires created unhealthy breathing conditions for residents spending time outside. However, many people may not be aware that on some smoky days, indoor air conditions also were
hazardous.
