How much water on Earth? Exactly 1.33 bn cubic km

For the romantics, love is as deep as the ocean. And now, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have actually tried to quantify the age-old query— How deep is the ocean?

They’re also tackling an even more intriguing—if less romantic—question— What is the volume of the Earth’s oceans?

And the answer is 1.332 billion cubic kilometres, says Matthew Charette, an associate scientist in WHOI’s Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry who is part of a research effort to audit all the water on the planet.

“A lot of water values are taken for granted. If you want to know the water volume on the planet, you Google it and you get five different numbers, most of them 30- or 40-year-old values,” he said.

Using satellite measurements, the researchers have come with up the new ocean volume figure.

The researchers report that the world’s total ocean volume is less than the most recent estimates by a volume equivalent to about five times the Gulf of Mexico, or 500 times the Great Lakes.

While that might seem a lot at first glance, it is only about 0.3 percent lower than the estimates of 30 years ago.

Most recently, researchers have pioneered the use of satellites to calculate ocean volume.

The trend toward a progressive lowering of volume estimates is not because the world’s oceans are losing water.

Instead, it reflects a greater ability to locate undersea mountain ranges and other formations, which take up space that would otherwise be occupied by water.

Satellite measurements reveal that ocean bottoms “are bumpier and more mountainous than had been imagined,” said co-investigator Walter H.F. Smith.

He noted that as measurements improve, ocean-volume values are lowering, emphasizing that this does not reflect an actual lessening of water but a more accurate accounting of undersea formations.

Satellite-based radar cannot “see” the ocean bottom, he explains. Rather, it measures the ocean surface, which reflects what lies beneath.

The satellite project has covered virtually all the world’s oceans, except for some areas of the Arctic that are covered with ice, he said.

The result is a “new world map” of the oceans, he added.

“Matt and I are seeing a better picture of the shape and volume of oceans,” said Smith

But satellite measurements have their shortcomings.

“There is a problem of spatial resolution, like an out-of-focus camera. We’re measuring the sea surface that is affected by mountains, but we’re seeing only really big mountains, and in a blurry way. The resolution is 15 times worse than our maps of Mars and the moon,” he said.

Consequently, the researchers say, more ship-based measurements are needed to augment and “fine tune” the satellite data.

And so far, ship-based sonar and other instrumentation have mapped only 10 percent of the Earth’s seafloor. …

via How much water on Earth? Exactly 1.33 bn cubic km.

Pac Man 30th Anniversary: Insert Coin, Drive Cubicle Mates Nuts

It’s Pac Man’s 30th Anniversary and Google is celebrating by putting a free version of the console classic on their homepage.

PICTURES: Pac-Man’s 30th Anniversary

Instead of search, hit the “Insert Coin” button and drive everyone in the office nuts, with the clanging bells of 1980′s synth yore.

Pac Man was originally built by Japanese firm Namco and spawned the unauthorized spin off, Ms. Pac Man, a licensed television show and countless items of branded paraphernalia.

via Pac Man 30th Anniversary: Insert Coin, Drive Cubicle Mates Nuts – Celebrity Circuit – CBS News.

MoD blew up 119 live pigs in explosive tests

Animal rights campaigners expressed outrage last night after the Ministry of Defence admitted blowing up 119 live pigs in explosives tests.

The MoD defended the experiments, saying they had ‘saved many lives’ in Afghanistan and Iraq.

They have led to improvements in body armour and the medical treatment of soldiers injured by roadside bombs, it said.

But animal welfare activists criticised the ‘unethical’ practice of causing ‘massive mutilation and injury’ to the pigs.

The research took place at the Government’s secret military research laboratory Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, between 2006 and 2009.

Official figures reveal 25 pigs were used in improvised explosive device experiments in 2006, 19 in 2007, 40 in 2008, and 35 in 2009. The animals are anaesthetised before the explosions.

The breed of pigs used in the experiments have skin similar to humans.

Scientists say the tests allow them to see injuries consistent with those inflicted by the Taliban on the battlefield and devise more effective post-traumatic techniques.

The MoD also wraps pigs in materials used to make body armour, such as Kevlar, to determine how effective it is at reducing damage from IEDs.

The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection said: ‘Not only are such experiments scientifically questionable… subjecting pigs to such massive mutilation and injury also raises profound ethical questions.’

Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, has written to ministers urging them to stop the practice.

An RSPCA spokesman said the MoD was required to carry out the tests under strict controls, but added: ‘For many, such a use of animals represents a distressing example of the price animals can end up paying as a result of humans’ inhumanity towards other humans.’

via MoD blew up 119 live pigs in explosive tests | Mail Online.

Top 10 Bizarre & Controversial Archeological Discoveries

Discovered: 1880s

(left) Sayre is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, 59 miles northwest of Scranton. The exact year is not clear, but during the 1880s a large burial mound was discovered in Sayre. It was reported that a group of Americans uncovered several strange human skulls and bones. The skeletons belonged to anatomically normal men with the exception of bony projections located about two inches above the eyebrows. It appeared that the skulls had horns. The bones were characterized as giant, as they were representative of people over seven feet tall. Scientists estimated that the bodies had been buried around A.D. 1200. The archeological discovery was made by a reputable group of antiquarians, including Dr. G.P. Donehoo, the Pennsylvania state dignitary of the Presbyterian Church; A.B. Skinner, of the American Investigating Museum; and W.K.Morehead, of Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts.

It was not the first time that gigantic horned skulls have been unearthed in North America. During the 19th century, similar skulls were discovered near Wellsville, New York and in a mining village close to El Paso, Texas. At one time in history, human horns were used as signs of kingship. Alexander the Great was depicted with horns on some of his coins. In Moses’ time, horns were a symbol of authority and power. Many gods, including Yahweh, have been depicted with horns. According to historical accounts, the Sayre bones were allegedly sent to the American Investigating Museum in Philadelphia. However, the artifacts were stolen and never seen again. Apparent pictures of the skulls do exist, but many people claim the discovery to be a hoax. Many websites suggest that the objects are of extraterrestrial origin.

via Top 10 Bizarre & Controversial Archeological Discoveries | Top 10 Lists | TopTenz.net.

(right) There are numerous accounts of human beings with horns.  Unfortunately, many of them are poorly documented and even worse, the possession of the artefacts has been mismanaged to the extent that the records become very questionable.  Still, there is definitively a powerful socio-genetic memory of human-like creatures with horns and they are usually depicted as evil or at the very least, powerful and destructive. Satan is the most obvious example but many demons, giants, biblical creatures, shamans, witch doctors, the Minotaur and (possibly) mythical creatures such as dragons all had horns.  The unicorn is the exception … although it is also said to have a fascination with young virgins which is a bit odd when you think about it.  The main source of the belief in real horned skulls comes from an entry in the book, Mysteries of the Unexplained published by Readers Digest in the 1990’s.  The section refers to the discovery of a number of skulls that clearly had horns projecting above their eyebrows.  Basically, the skulls were supposed to have been found by reputable people in a burial mound in Sayre, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, in 1880.  Unfortunately, the original story was exaggerated by the press who confused a statement about individuals that had been buried with deer horns.  It was 1916 after all.

via http://www.aquiziam.com/weird-skull.html

Contaminants in Groundwater Used for Public Supply

More than 20 percent of untreated water samples from 932 public wells across the nation contained at least one contaminant at levels of potential health concern, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.

About 105 million people — or more than one-third of the nation’s population — receive their drinking water from one of the 140,000 public water systems across the United States that rely on groundwater pumped from public wells

The USGS study focused primarily on source (untreated) water collected from public wells before treatment or blending rather than the finished (treated) drinking water that water utilities deliver to their customers.

“By focusing primarily on source-water quality, and by testing for many contaminants that are not regulated in drinking water, this USGS study complements the extensive monitoring of public water systems that is routinely conducted for regulatory and compliance purposes by federal, state and local drinking-water programs,” said Matthew C. Larsen, USGS Associate Director for Water. “Findings assist water utility managers and regulators in making decisions about future monitoring needs and drinking-water issues.”

Findings showed that naturally occurring contaminants, such as radon and arsenic, accounted for about three-quarters of contaminant concentrations greater than human-health benchmarks in untreated source water. Naturally occurring contaminants are mostly derived from the natural geologic materials that make up the aquifers from which well water is withdrawn.

Man-made contaminants were also found in untreated water sampled from the public wells, including herbicides, insecticides, solvents, disinfection by-products, nitrate, and gasoline chemicals. Man-made contaminants accounted for about one-quarter of contaminant concentrations greater than human-health benchmarks, but were detected in 64 percent of the samples, predominantly in samples from unconfined aquifers.

“Detections of contaminants do not necessarily indicate a concern for human health because USGS analytical methods can detect many contaminants at concentrations that are 100-fold to 1,000-fold lower than human-health benchmarks,” said lead scientist Patricia Toccalino. “Assessing contaminants in these small amounts helps to track emerging issues in our water resources and to identify contaminants that may warrant inclusion in future monitoring.”

Scientists tested water samples for 337 properties and chemical contaminants, including nutrients, radionuclides, trace elements, pesticides, solvents, gasoline hydrocarbons, disinfection by-products and manufacturing additives. This study did not assess pharmaceuticals or hormones.

Most (279) of the contaminants analyzed in this study are not federally regulated in finished drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The USGS also sampled paired source and finished (treated) water from a smaller subset of 94 public wells. Findings showed that many man-made organic contaminants detected in source water generally were detected in finished water at similar concentrations. Organic contaminants detected in both treated and source water typically were detected at concentrations well below human-health benchmarks, however.

Additionally, the study shows that contaminants found in public wells usually co-occurred with other contaminants as mixtures. Mixtures can be a concern because the total combined toxicity of contaminants in water may be greater than that of any single contaminant. Mixtures of contaminants with concentrations approaching benchmarks were found in 84 percent of wells, but mixtures of contaminants above health benchmarks were found less frequently, in 4 percent of wells.

This USGS study identifies which contaminant mixtures may be of most concern in groundwater used for public-water supply and can help human-health researchers to target and prioritize toxicity assessments of contaminant mixtures. The USGS report identifies the need for continued research because relatively little is known about the potential health effects of most mixtures of contaminants.

via USGS Release: Contaminants in Groundwater Used for Public Supply (5/21/2010 9:00:00 AM).

Australian scientists find Timor Sea meteorite crater

Australian scientists have discovered a crater deep beneath the Timor Sea made during a heavy meteor storm which may have altered the Earth’s climate, the lead researcher said Thursday.

Australian National University archaeologist Andrew Glikson said seismic activity led experts to the Mount Ashmore 1B site, and a study of fragments showed a large meteorite hit just before the Earth’s temperatures plunged.

“The identification of microstructural and chemical features in drill fragments taken from the Mount Ashmore drill hole revealed evidence of a significant impact,” Glikson said, adding it was at least 50 kilometres (31 miles) wide and about 35 million years old.

A meteorite 100 kilometres wide hit Siberia at the same time, along with an 85 km one in Chesapeake Bay, off the US coast of Virginia, followed by a large field of molten rock fragments over northeast America, he said.

“This defined a major impact cluster across the planet,” said Glikson.

Glikson said the findings, published in the latest issue of the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, could suggest a link between the impacts and a sharp fall in global temperatures which preceded the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet.

via Australian scientists find Timor Sea meteorite crater.

Metal leg doesn’t stop EL surfer

A BRAVE East London photographer defied odds by winning a major international surfing competition in the United States – barely a year after losing his leg in a motorbike smash.

Returning home yesterday, an elated Jean-Paul Veaudry said he was thrilled with his achievement at the prestigious WSA surfing contest, held in California over the weekend.

Veaudry – whose leg was amputated after a hit-and-run accident – won in the challenged athletes’ division.

“I am very happy. It was quite an achievement, especially because it’s been almost one year since I lost my leg,” he said.

The avid surfer had a prosthetic leg fitted soon after his May23 accident.

The invite to surf some of California’s most famous breaks came from Dana Cummings, who who runs Ampsurf, an NGO that caters for surfers with amputations.

Veaudry said he felt privileged to have been a guinea- pig for the California State University, which developed a prosthetic leg especially for surfers.

“The new leg has less parts, is lighter, more waterproof and more flexible,” he said.

“They want to keep in touch because there are minor adjustments that need to be made. The leg is mostly metal, which damaged my board.”

Asked if the leg could have given him an advantage, Veaudry said it could, though he was very nervous because he had it fitted for the first time the day before the championships.

The contest wasn’t all smooth sailing. Veaudry kicked a rock with his good leg and it almost cost him a toe. Not being able to “feel” the board with his artificial leg was the hardest part. “As a surfer you have to have your feet on the board and I don’t feel my board as I used to.”

This won’t be his last visit to the States . Veaudry has been invited to enter another surfing contest there in July.

via Daily Dispatch Online.

Russian town to ban ‘satanic’ heavy metal

A Russian town famed for its crusades against swearing and easy morals is trying to ban heavy metal concerts arguing that they are “satanic” and “ideologically destructive.”

Officials in Belgorod, a town some 400 miles south of Moscow, have written to local café, club and restaurant owners asking them to refuse to host heavy metal concerts.

“I am not familiar with such music myself but we have been asked to head off any satanic activity,” a local official, Vladimir Shatilo, told the daily Kommersant newspaper.

“The parents of youngsters who attended such events would never forgive us for (allowing) the performances of people interested in satanic ideology,” added another official. He cited recommendations from an infamous Soviet-era psychiatric hospital that said heavy metal music had an “ideologically destructive” effect on young people.

Some local club owners appeared unlikely to comply. One of them, Oleg Proskokov, told the same newspaper that he planned to hold a number of rock events in the near future and that any officials who tried to interfere would get a “punch in the face.”

Alexander Naumenko, the lead singer in a local rock group, said the campaign reminded him of the “worst aspects of the Soviet system” when Communist party officials sought to tightly control the kind of music people could listen or dance to in public.

via Russian town to ban ‘satanic’ heavy metal – Telegraph.

‘Artificial life’ breakthrough announced by scientists

Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first living cell to be controlled entirely by synthetic DNA.

The researchers constructed a bacterium’s “genetic software” and transplanted it into a host cell.

The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species “dictated” by the synthetic DNA.

The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark, but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms.

Some also suggest that the potential benefits of the technology have been over-stated.

But the researchers hope eventually to design bacterial cells that will produce medicines and fuels and even absorb greenhouse gases.

The team was led by Dr Craig Venter of the J Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) in Maryland and California.

He and his colleagues had previously made a synthetic bacterial genome, and transplanted the genome of one bacterium into another.

Now, the scientists have put both methods together, to create what they call a “synthetic cell”, although only its genome is truly synthetic.

Dr Venter likened the advance to making new software for the cell.

The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. They sequenced its genetic code and then used “synthesis machines” to chemically construct a copy.

Dr Venter told BBC News: “We’ve now been able to take our synthetic chromosome and transplant it into a recipient cell – a different organism.

“As soon as this new software goes into the cell, the cell reads [it] and converts into the species specified in that genetic code.”

The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies that contained and were controlled by the constructed, synthetic DNA.

“This is the first time any synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a cell,” said Dr Venter. …

via BBC News – ‘Artificial life’ breakthrough announced by scientists.

British policeman wins UFO investigation award

A British policeman has won an international award for his database of UFO sightings by UK police officers.

Gary Heseltine’s fascination with the unexplained in British skies began at the age of 15, when he spotted a mysterious bright light while walking his first girlfriend home.

The 49-year-old father-of-two picked up the 2010 Disclosures Award in Washington for his website, prufospolicedatabase.co.uk, which he launched in 2002.

He said: “Winning the award was a total surprise, I didn’t know I was going to win until my name was read out.

“It’s also a terrific boost for my database as it puts me on an international platform and I have already been offered chances to give lectures in Brazil and Denmark.”

Mr Heseltine, from Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, has amassed a database including 330 cases and the witness statements of more than 750 police officers.

Despite investigating thousands of reports, He said he will always remember his first sighting over the skies of Scunthorpe in 1975.

He said: “I was with my first girlfriend heading towards the comprehensive school and suddenly became aware of a large bright light.

“Suddenly all the electricity on the housing estate we could see ahead cut out.

“We were terrified at the time but afterwards I decided to investigate and discovered that power cuts are extremely common during UFO sightings.”

via British policeman wins UFO investigation award – Telegraph.