Of course, not all the selections from this "Earth & Sky" recording session have such malevolent undertones. Block and Byrd go on to evoke images of meteor showers, Antarctic melt ponds and other fauna and natural phenomena. They explicate the plight of the Pantanal, a vast, threatened wetland in South America. They explain the threat of something called schistosomiasis, a water-borne parasitic disease that, as it turns out, is as nasty as it sounds. Stepping around occasional flubs and last-minute script revisions and clarifications ("Does anybody know if 'jaguar' is plural?"), Block and Byrd spend the morning exploring jungles and galaxies, turning over rocks and revealing what they find to a small group of co-producers and visitors assembled outside the sound-booth glass.

The above from http://www.austin360.com/statesman/editions/thursday/life_entertainment_1.html more... Joel Block and Deborah Byrd know a thing or two about alien frogs, and they want to fill you in. Their faces are obscured by oversized microphones in a small studio just east of downtown Austin, and in buttery, radio-friendly voices they explain why some Hawaiians attempt to counteract coqui (Puerto Rican tree frogs) infestations by giving the tiny amphibians heart attacks. Seriously.

And there's more . . . Their eventual audience, however, is anything but small. "Earth & Sky," the 90-second science radio program heard locally on KUT at 11:04 a.m. and 8:04 p.m. Monday through Friday, reaches 3.6 million listeners each week via the 690 stations that broadcast it domestically. The program also is carried daily by more than 200 short-wave transmitters as well as Voice of America, Radio for Peace International, American Forces Radio and other international outlets. This means the little Austin-based show, with a permanent staff of eight, is heard in nearly every corner of the planet it explores.

that's great!!

More power to them. There is a lot of world out there and this is a perfect place for such things as the following enticements. Altruistic punishment in humans E FEHR & S G�CHTER http://www.nature.com/nlink/v415/n6868/abs/415137a_fs.html

Do electric appliances and vehicles make miscarriages more likely? http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991769 Mad mutton could be as big a threat as mad cows http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991772 A "sound" approach to vasectomies http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991767 Bugs could travel to Earth in comfort aboard Martian meteorites http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991771 Replacing a car's accelerator and brake with one pedal may save lives http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991770 The world's first belly button lint (BBL) survey http://www.newscientist.com/opinion/opfeedback.jsp?id=ns232599#27 "Biological bandages" could save an arm and a leg http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991768 AND FINALLY... It's not love or affection. It's not even blatant self-interest that binds human societies together. It's anger. This week's New Scientist makes an unsettling discovery... http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991766

The latest from NASA's Earth Observatory ----------------------------------------------------------------- In the News: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/ * Latest Images: Smog Obscures Chinese Coast http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=6777 Dust Storm Hits Canary Islands http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=6775 Snow Storm Blankets Southeastern U.S. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=6774 Lake Sarez, Tajikistan http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=6773 Viedma Glacier and Mt. Fitzroy, Argentina http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=6772 Characteristics of Vegetation in Africa http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=6771 * Media Alerts http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/ - Primodial Air May Have Been 'Breathable' - Ancient Supernova May Have Triggered Eco-Catastrophe - Professor Develops Classification System for Eastern and Central U.S. Winter Storms * New Research Highlights http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/Research/ -------------------- New Data: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Observatory/ * Updated Data: TOMS Aerosol Index data for October - November 2001 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Observatory/Datasets/aerosol.toms.html Ozone data for October - November 2001 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Observatory/Datasets/ozone.toms.html Precipitation data for August 2001 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Observatory/Datasets/rainfall.gpcp.html UV Radiation Exposure data for October - November 2001 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Observatory/Datasets/uv.toms.html - Earth Observatory Announcements http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

IVF is now the fastest way to get pregnant http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991799 Foot and mouth could return as farmers restock http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991796 Burnt, drowned, hacked to bits? The virtual stunt artist always bounces back http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991798 There's no need to spend a fortune to find gravity waves http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991797 Exploding silicon chips get the better of mobile phone thieves http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991795 What's it like to be a top scientist in a country without a science policy? http://www.newscientist.com/opinion/opinterview.jsp?id=ns23265 AND FINALLY... Who's afraid of Anne Robinson? With the help of some of the world's leading mathematicians, this week's New Scientist reveals the best way to win on the hit TV quiz show "The Weakest Link"... http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991800

The wonders of the Internet were again demonstrated to me this evening. I was talking with John when he announced to me that the anticipated Greece Earthquake had just occurred - in the Crete area. he translated the news broadcast he was receiving because there had not been time to put it on the internet. I am still waiting for it to appear on the NEIC list.

Have there been any earthquakes in the Congo since the eruption. I know they sometimes occur together.

good question! i was checking a world-wide geological site and didn't even think to check africa--went straight to greece instead. you're right marcia, these are the ones we were waiting for!

I heard in Greek TV that they had strong earthquakes in Congo since the eruption, Lucille. But these EQ�s was from the eruption and not from the conflict of plate tectonics. Earth is refreshing its cuticle by volcano activity. From the other hand, earthquakes and volcano eruptions are the two faces of the same coin because they are results of the same fact, which is the continual movement of the Earth�s crust. You read very well my updated graphs Wolfie. You have right. We had a big but gentle earthquake in Greece without damages. I have no words to thanks Marcia for her help. She has right too. I found in Geo a very good family.*Hugs* John

GEOLOGISTS FIND MOTION ACROSS DISAPPEARING PLATE BOUNDARY HOUSTON, March 3, 1999 -- For three decades, geologists have been mystified by one of the world's largest disappearing acts: How could the boundary between two immense continental plates be geologically detectable for a long stretch, then vanish from scientific view? The two plates in question border one another all the way from Arabia to the Antarctic plate. For years, scientists had been able to locate the northern portion of their boundary along the mountainous and earthquake-prone East African Rift Valley, but they could find no evidence of the plate boundary to the south of the valley. This 1,300-mile-long mystery has finally been solved. For the first time, geologists have been able to locate and detect motion along the southern portion of the boundary between the west African (Nubian) plate and the east African (Somalian) plate, where they meet up with the Southwest Indian Ridge, the midocean system which marks the edge of the Antarctic plate. "We have been able to determine where the plate boundary must be and how the plates are moving," says Rice University geologist Richard Gordon, who has been studying the region for 15 years. "Using geophysical data from the Indian Ocean south and southeast of Africa, we estimated the motion of both African plates relative to Antarctica. By subtracting these two estimates, we were able to indirectly estimate the motion between the two African plates." Gordon, the W.M. Keck Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Rice, made the discovery with Dezhi Chu, a former postdoctoral researcher in geology at Rice and currently at Exxon Production Research Company in Houston. Gordon and Chu report their findings in the March 4 issue of the journal Nature, in a paper titled "Evidence for motion between Nubia and Somalia along the Southwest Indian Ridge." Their findings help geologists understand how the East African rift fits in with plate tectonics. It will also allow improvements in the global models that help accurately predict the motion between India and Eurasia where they collide and raise the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas. For years, geologists have realized that the secret to solving the mystery was to identify movement caused by the interaction between the two plates. In many instances, it's easy to pick up such movement. It can be on a dramatically seismic scale: continental plates are subject to some of nature's most powerful forces, capable of creating mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes. South of the Rift Valley, however, geologists had no such helpful clues. Gordon and Chu were able to pick up slow movement of both African plates relative to Antarctica by using two types of observations made at sea. They looked for subtle variations in the strength of the magnetic field observed near the sea surface above the Southwest Indian Ridge by ships and airplanes. By comparisons to historical data, they were able to calculate how fast the African plates are moving away from Antarctica at different locations along the ridge. They also used sonar data collected by many different ships to estimate the direction of motion between Africa and Antarctica at numerous locations along the ridge. Gordon and Chu tested their data against two possible models of the region--how a single rigid plate is predicted to behave, and how two separate plates are predicted to behave. "The Nubian plate near the Southwest Indian Ridge moves faster than what we would expect and clockwise of what we would expect if it was a part of the same rigid plate as the Somalian plate," Gordon says. "Statistically, the motion we observed fits the model of two distinct plates much better than the model of a single, rigid plate." By analyzing and piecing together the data, they were able to construct a careful picture of where the boundary between the plates is located, where the plates are headed and how fast they are moving. The extremely slow motion Gordon and Chu found radiates from a pivot point located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of eastern South Africa. Just as with a pair of scissors, right around the pivot the motion is very small, and motion is greater at points farther away. North and northwest of the pivot point, the two plates are moving apart, where the East African rift is located. South and southeast of the point, the plates are moving toward each other. The place where the motion is the fastest, only about 6 millimeters a year, is in the northern end of the separating East African rift. To the southeast of the pivot point, the speed of the plates coming together is about 2 millimeters per year. In contrast, the separation rate across the world's slowest spreading mid-ocean ridge is about 12 millimeters per year, and the median spreading rate across all the world's ridges is 50 millimeters per year. Gordon and Chu believe the boundary between the Nubian and Somalian plates is very wide and diffused, rather than narrow and localized, as is the case across midocean ridges. This means any activity associated with the newly discovered boundary is spread over a wide area, and rumblings, however small or large, can occur over hundreds of miles away. The results may bear on the safety of a recently constructed dam in Lesotho, where controversy is ongoing about potential earthquake hazards if a plate boundary goes through it or near it. "This research indicates that there is a plate boundary that must pass through or near Lesotho and adjacent South Africa," Gordon says. "But on the other hand, because it is near to the point of rotation, it indicates that the deformation rates are relatively low." ### For an interview or more information contact: Richard Gordon, W.M. Keck Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Rice University, at (713) 285-5279, or by e-mail at rgg@rice.edu; or contact Lia Unrau, Science editor in the Rice Media Relations Office, at (713) 831-4793, unrau@rice.edu. http://riceinfo.rice.edu/projects/reno/Newsrel/1999/19990303_geologists.shtml

Lucy, Believe John - he is the most remarkable man and honors us with his widsom. But, hang around here long enough and you will discover my adoration. I thought the quakes and volcanic activity were on teh Great Africal Rift, so I looked it up. Other than the above article, I also found a lot of fascinating sites to read. http://www.anzwers.org/free/geolor/East%20African%20Rift%20Valley.htm John, where are you?

New Features: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/ * Fiery Temperament http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/FieryTemperament/ Sufficient human pressure can transform tropical rainforest into savanna, and savanna into desert. Desertification now threatens more than a billion people worldwide, although its impacts are most severe in Africa. -------------------- Natural Hazards: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/ * Latest Events: Fire: Fires in Central America http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3640 Fire: Fires in Southeastern Russia http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3638 Fire: Fires in Southeastern Russia http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3638 Fire: Fires in Central and Southern Africa http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3637 Unique Imagery: Whiting of Lake Erie http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3632 Dust and Smoke: Dust Storm over Libya http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3633 Fire: Fires Near Lake Baikal, Russia http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3636 Fire: Fires in South Central Russia http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3631 Fire: Fires in Central America http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3640 Storm: Tornado Hits La Plata, Maryland http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3630 -------------------- In the News: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/ * Latest Images: Thunderstorms over the Amazon http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=9272 Vapor Trails http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=9271 The Balkans http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=9270 Paris in April http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=9269 Dasht-e Kevir (Great Salt Desert, Iran) http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=9268 Blackjack Complex Fire, Georgia http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=9267 Smoke from Fires in Southern Mexico http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=9266 Black Sea in Bloom http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=9265 * NASA News http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/ - NASA Study Leads to Better Understanding of Ozone Depletion * Media Alerts http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/ - In Midst of Drought, Scientists Hunt for Water Vapor * Headlines from the press, radio, and television: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/Headlines/ - Giant Iceberg Falls Into Ocean Near New Zealand - In the Midst of Drought, Scientists Hunt for Water Vapor - Experts Predict Weaker El Nino - Ocean Cores May Give Clues on Climate Change - El Nino Seen Hitting Southern Africa in Late 2002 - El Nino to Hit the Philippines in Late 2002 - Ozone Hole Causes Mixed Antarctic Message

Earth formed faster than thought: geologists MUENSTER, GERMANY - New calculations suggest the Earth made its final step to become a planet about 30 million years earlier than thought. To understand the birth of our solar system, scientists analyze meteorites for telltale clues of planetary formation, which they compare to planetary rocks. Specifically, scientists analyzed ratios of two radioactive elements, hafnium and tungsten, in meteorites. The meteorites from the large asteroid Vesta represent the age of the solar system, and were compared to rocks from Earth and Mars. Two independent teams of researchers at Harvard University and the University of Muenster in Germany concluded the Earth's metallic core formed about 30 million years after the birth of the solar system. Planetary scientists consider the time when the Earth's metallic core separated from its silicate-based mantle to be the last major event in the planet's formation. Geologist Thorsten Kleine of the University of Muenster led the German team. He said meteorites offer a baseline for determining the age of planetary bodies because they never formed a core. In 1995, another geologist estimated the Earth formed about 60 million years after the solar system's birth. His data may have included an error, and did not agree with computer models of the solar system formation. The two new dates match the models, and the fact that both groups reached the same results increases the weight of the findings. The results also push back the formation of the other planets and the moon. Attempts to estimate the age of the Earth and Mars are complicated by reprocessing in their cores, according to a commentary that accompanies the studies in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. Written by CBC News Online staff Source: CBC NEWS John

I am very curious to watch how this new theory develops. It might determine what the paleogeology was before Pangea. How different was the world? This sounds fascinating! Thank you , John! You are wonderful! *HUGS*