Geophysical Institute Director Bob McCoy announced the appointment of Richard Collins as a new GI Associate Director. Collins will assist the director with the development of new opportunities for GI, including the burgeoning unmanned aircraft program. This appointment will be quarter time, effective July 2012.

Geophysical Institute Aurora Forecaster Chuck Deehr has issued an Auroral Alert. The alert was spurred by a significant event located on the Sun facing Earth that took place on July 12.  The effects of the event will begin to reach Earth early on July 14 GMT.

Geophysical Institute Aurora Forecaster Chuck Deehr has issued an Auroral Alert for June 16-17, 2012. A solar event occurred on June 14 that will lead to increased auroral activity that may be visible in southern Canada and the northern United States. Unfortunately, the nights are too bright to see the aurora in northern Canada, Alaska, Russia and Scandinavia right now.

Physics Journal Club will be held this Friday, May 4, 2012, at 3:45 p.m. in the Globe Room of the Elvey Building.

Title: Snow Effects in Antarctic Infrasound

Speaker: David Withoff, Wilson Infrasound Observatory, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute

Abstract:

Physics Journal Club will be held today, Friday, April 27 at 3:45 p.m. in the Globe Room of the Elvey Building.

Title: Entropy and Nonadiabatic Heating in The Magnetic Reconnection

Speaker: Xuanye Ma, Physics Department and Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Abstract:

Physics Journal Club will be held this Friday, April 13, 2012, at 3:45 PM in the Globe Room of the Elvey Building.

Title: Magnetoplasma Rocket Exhaust Plume Measurements and Applications for Spaceflight

Speaker: Benjamin Longmier, Principal Research Scientist, Ad Astra Rocket Company and Adjunct Faculty, University of Houston

Abstract:

By nrozell [at] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu (Ned Rozell)

More than a century ago, Roald Amundsen and his crew were the first to sail through the Northwest Passage, along the way leaving footprints in Eagle, Nome, and Sitka. Pioneering that storied route was a dream of Amundsen’s since his boyhood in Norway, but he also performed enduring science on the three-year voyage of the Gjøa.

How the Amerasia Basin was created, the utility of infrasound and debris lobes on the move in northern Alaska -- all of these topics are covered in the latest edition of the Geophysical Institute Quarterly Report. You can access a pdf of Volume 24, Number 4 online here or retrieve hard copies from the Outreach Office in Elvey 611. Find out what your colleagues are up to!

Materials and video associated with the celebration of life held at the Geophysical Institute for Dr. Davis Sentman on January 27, 2012 is now available online. Click here to visit the online repository. Adobe Flash Player is needed to view the video.  

DVD copies of the Sentman memorial are available upon request. If you're interested in a DVD copy, email info [at] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu.