If the LHC discovers the Higgs boson or other theoretical particles, their existence could help explain inflation, one of the universe's great mysteries
?| June 29, 2012?|
Image: CERN
We?ve long understood black holes to be the points at which the universe as we know it comes to an end. Often billions of times more massive than the Sun, they...
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Within a sliver of a second after it was born, our universe expanded staggeringly in size, by a factor of at least 1026. That's what most cosmologists maintain, although it remains a mystery as to what might have begun and ended this wild expansion. Now scientists are increasingly wondering if the most powerful particle collider in history, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Europe, could shed light on this mysterious growth, called inflation, by catching a glimpse of the particle behind it. It could be that the main target of the collider's current experiments, the Higgs boson, which is thought to endow all matter with mass, could also be this inflationary agent.
During inflation, spacetime is thought to have swelled in volume at an accelerating rate, from about a quadrillionth the size of an atom to the size of a dime. This rapid expansion would help explain why the cosmos today is as extraordinarily uniform as it is, with only very tiny variations in the distribution of matter and energy. The expansion would also help explain why the universe on a large scale appears geometrically flat, meaning that the fabric of space is not curved in a way that bends the paths of light beams and objects traveling within it.
The particle or field behind inflation, referred to as the "inflaton," is thought to possess a very unusual property: it generates a repulsive gravitational field. To cause space to inflate as profoundly and temporarily as it did, the field's energy throughout space must have varied in strength over time, from very high to very low, with inflation ending once the energy sunk low enough, according to theoretical physicists.
Much remains unknown about inflation, and some prominent critics of the idea wonder if it happened at all. Scientists have looked at the cosmic microwave background radiation?the afterglow of the big bang?to rule out some inflationary scenarios. "But it cannot tell us much about the nature of the inflaton itself," says particle cosmologist Anupam Mazumdar at Lancaster University in England, such as its mass or the specific ways it might interact with other particles.
A number of research teams have suggested competing ideas about how the LHC might discover the inflaton. Skeptics think it highly unlikely that any earthly particle collider could shed light on inflation, because the uppermost energy densities one could imagine with inflation would be about 1050 times above the LHC's capabilities. However, because inflation varied with strength over time, scientists have argued the LHC may have at least enough energy to re-create inflation's final stages.
It could be that the principal particle ongoing collider runs aim to detect, the Higgs boson, could also underlie inflation.
"The idea of the Higgs driving inflation can only take place if the Higgs's mass lies within a particular interval, the kind which the LHC can see," says theoretical physicist Mikhail Shaposhnikov at the ?cole Polytechnique F?d?rale de Lausanne in Switzerland. Indeed, evidence of the Higgs boson was reported at the LHC in December at a mass of about 125 billion electron volts, roughly the mass of 125 hydrogen atoms.
Also intriguing: the Higgs as well as the inflaton are thought to have varied with strength over time. In fact, the inventor of inflation theory, cosmologist Alan Guth at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, originally assumed inflation was driven by the Higgs field of a conjectured grand unified theory.
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=8796290758656065e820795e7ef5902b
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Two police officers suspected of leaking photo showing pop star after Chris Brown assault will still face disciplinary committee.
By Jocelyn Vena
Rihanna
Photo: Jon Furniss/ WireImage
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1688743/rihanna-leaked-photo-charges.jhtml
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If there is a Murphy?s Law that applies to auto repair, it undoubtedly states that the moment you get a flat tire, the surrounding five miles will turn into a virtual ghost town. It doesn?t matter if you?ve passed ten mechanic shops in the last half mile. It doesn?t matter that you?re travelling down a fairly busy road. Everyone disappears. Those that don?t seemingly can?t see you or don?t consider your troubles their business. It?s official. You?re going to have to change your own tire and you?re going to have to do it alone. Hopefully you?re prepared. Here are the steps you?ll need.
Secure the Vehicle
This is the most important and most overlooked step to changing your tire. It?s not okay to change a tire without completing this step (although many have). You?re taking a chance with your safety every time you do it. Buying some metal wheel chocks is inexpensive and is a sound investment. But some bricks of substantial size will do the trick as well. All you want to ensure is that your car isn?t going to go rolling in the middle of your work. Most auto repair experts will also advise putting the car in park, engaging the emergency brake, and ensuring the engine is off.
Jack Up the Vehicle
Hopefully you have a jack in the trunk. Otherwise, this procedure is DOA. Assuming you do, jack up the car in the appropriate spot and hold it secure with the jackstand (not the jack itself, as some make the mistake of doing!) Be very cautious and deliberate when performing this aspect of auto repair. It?s easy enough to have your hand slip and something could go wrong. Don?t take chances. If you don?t feel comfortable with the work, don?t do it. Call out a friend or a professional who can get you back on the road safely.
Change the Tire
You can either keep a spare tire in the trunk for these emergencies (which can save you from needing to stop by a tire store in the next couple of days) or you should have a ?donut? which will serve the same temporary purpose. Remove the hubcap, if applicable, and the lugnuts. The same tool you used to wind up the jack will often serve to do this part. Keep an eye on these lug nuts, as you don?t want to lose them. Remove the old wheel, put it in your trunk, and put the new wheel on. Secure the lug nuts and you?re all finished. Wind the car back down, put away your jack and wheel blocks, and you can be back on the road.
A Vancouver WA auto repair?specialist can help if you are having issues with your vehicle?s performance. Look no further than:?http://www.cottmanofvancouver.com.
Source: http://www.articlesrx.com/auto-repair-changing-your-tire/8103
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Sometime last week, it became apparent that Apple had tweaked its App Store search algorithm to display results in order of their user rankings and descriptions, rather than the names of the apps themselves. The change brought some confusion, not only to App Store customers, but also to developers, who found that their apps were no longer appearing under certain searches as they had been.
It now appears that Apple has backtracked on that change, however.
TechCrunch notes that App Store searches now seem to place a bigger emphasis on keywords and names again. As?Tomasz Kolinko, the developer behind Love Letter Writing and the founder of App Store analytics firm Appcode.es, discovered, searches appear to be working just as they did prior to Apple?s most recent changes.
Kolinko writes in a blog post:
[...] our app, ?Love Letter Writer?, had ?advice? in the keywords and the Apple?s search didn?t show it in the results.
Until today (Friday, 29th June)
We just checked, and this rule is no longer valid. ?Instagram Camera? shows up ?Instagram? again, and ?Writing Advice? shows up our ?Love Letter Writer? again. So do othersearches [sic] that we?ve tested.
Matth?us Krzykowski, cofounder of app search and data company?Xyologic, concurs.???The Appcod.es guys are right, things are back to ?normal,?? he told TechCrunch in an email.
It could be that Apple?s last change was simply a mistake, or that once the changes had rolled out, it felt they weren?t quite right. However,?Krzykowski believes that these frequent changes (there have been three within the past week) indicate that Apple is tweaking its App Store algorithm to improve search and discovery:
It?s hard to read Apple?s cards, of course. However we are not surprised to see Apple tweaking their algorithms. App Discovery on iOS, while still better than Google?s, continues to decrease. Less and less new apps and developers benefit from the current approach each month. They clearly know they need to tackle this and we are expecting them to continue to tweak their algorithm and test things out.
It could be that we see a lot more of the changes over the coming months, then, and that App Store searching continues to alter somewhat every so often as Apple irons out a better search and discovery system. While that may be somewhat inconvenient for App Store customers, it?s iOS developers who will feel the changes most.
As TechCrunch notes, these frequent changes to the search algorithm mean those developers who have relied on SEO to position their apps in the past can no longer be confident that they?ll show up where they used to. Of course, if that means they change from third position in a certain search to 30th position, it?s going to have a huge impact of revenues.
Kolinko told TechCrunch:
?In the past, you had a nice search position, and it was like a good real estate. You just profited from it. If Apple will now change the search more often, developers won?t feel as secure from now on.?
The problem is, until Apple completes its tweaking ? and who knows when that will be ? there?s little developers can do to tackle the changes.
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Euro 2012: Italy beat Germany, 2-1, in the semifinals of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament. Mario Balotelli scored twice. Italy will face Spain on Sunday the European Championship finals.
Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Barzagli celebrate their victory against Germany after the Euro 2012 semi-final soccer match at the National stadium in Warsaw, June 28, 2012.
REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
Enlarge?Mario Balotelli finally showed some quality finishing, scoring twice Thursday to give Italy a 2-1 win over Germany and an unexpected spot in the European Championship final.
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Extending its winless streak against Italy in major tournaments to eight matches, Germany had no answer for Balotelli nor Antonio Cassano's creativity.
In the 20th minute, Balotelli had no trouble getting past Holger Badstuber to head in a pinpoint cross from Cassano. Then in the 36th, the 21-year-old striker received the ball behind the defense and blasted a long shot into the top right corner.
RECOMMENDED: Three things to watch for in Euro 2012
While he did score against Ireland, Balotelli was criticized for wasting numerous chances against Spain, Croatia and England.
Germany failed to trouble Italy for much of the match, but Mesut Oezil scored on a penalty kick in injury time after Federico Balzaretti was whistled for a handball.
Italy will face defending champion Spain in Sunday's final in Kiev, Ukraine ? a rematch of their 1-1 draw that opened Group C.
While Italy has won four World Cups, it's only European Championship came in 1968. Like when they won the 1982 and 2006 World Cups, the Azzurri have managed to maintain their focus despite a match-fixing and betting scandal at home.
On a pleasant evening at the National Stadium Warsaw, Cassano set up the opening goal by befuddling Germany defenders Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng to lift the ball in Balotelli's direction.
The second goal began with a long vertical pass from Riccardo Montolivo, whose mother is German. Balotelli collected the pass with his back to the goal, controlled the ball with his chest and then sprinted forward and unleashed a blazing shot from the edge of the area as Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer again stood immobile.
Balotelli took off his jersey after his second goal, which drew an automatic yellow card, although he will not miss the final.
Even before scoring, Italy controlled the pace of the match, although Germany did have several chances from Hummels, Toni Kroos and Oezil.
In the 35th, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon preserved the Azzurri lead by swatting away a long shot from Sami Khedira ? and Balotelli doubled the lead a minute later.
To start the second half, Germany coach Joachim Loew brought on Miroslav Klose for Mario Gomez at center forward and replaced Lukas Podolski with Marco Reus on the wing.
With Germany appearing slightly more organized, captain Philipp Lahm had a great look at the goal in the 49th but shot way over the bar.
Buffon made another impressive save in the 62nd, leaping to push a free kick from Reus off the bar.
While Italy largely sat back and protected its lead in the second half, the Azzurri did produce some dangerous counterattacks. Claudio Marchisio shot just wide in the 67th and 75th and substitute Antonio Di Natale missed another chance in the 82nd.
Di Natale came on in the 70th after Balotelli went down with a cramp to his left leg.
White-clad German fans greatly outnumbered Italian supporters, unveiling a huge banner before kickoff that featured a giant "G'' for Germany. However, most of the stadium was filled with Polish fans who supported Italy.
They had plenty to cheer about.
RECOMMENDED: Three things to watch for in Euro 2012
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
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BlueStacks is releasing the first public alpha of its Android App Player capable of running on OS X. The virtualization company's software is powered by its Layercake technology and includes a bundle of apps from its various partners. CEO Rosen Sharma hopes the move will encourage developers to build "retina-friendly" apps for Google's mobile OS that can then be sold to those on the other side of the technology divide. There's a sign-up sheet for developers itchy to get their hands on the goods on the company's website, but don't expect a response right away -- there's still a few more days of Google I/O to go first.
Continue reading BlueStacks brings Android apps to OS X, wolves planning a rest with some lambs
BlueStacks brings Android apps to OS X, wolves planning a rest with some lambs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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WASHINGTON -- Georgetown's legendary Evermay mansion has become a 12,000 square foot, $22 million guest house for Sachiko Kuno and Ryuji Ueno, a pair of Japanese biotech tycoons who collect very expensive, very beautiful D.C. houses, including Halcyon House.
We can only dream about having a $22 million guest house. In the meantime, we can only look at real estate listings. Below is a smorgasbord of slightly more affordable Georgetown real estate courtesy of our friends at Realtor.com, including an $18 million 8-bedroom home that was itself part of the Evermay estate, a 2-bedroom condo priced just south of $500,000 and a whole lot of lovely places between them in one of D.C.'s most notable neighborhoods:
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Public release date: 26-Jun-2012
Share ] Contact: Samantha Schmidt
sschmidt@arrs.org
703-858-4316
American Roentgen Ray Society
An automated lung nodule matching program can improve radiologists' efficiency almost two-fold, a first of its kind study shows.
The study found that the time required for manual nodule matching ranged from 1 second to about 11.4 minutes, whereas automated nodule matching ranged from less than one second to about 6.6 minutes, said Chi Wan Koo, MD, the lead author of the study.
The study conducted at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York, included 57 patients, yielding a total of 325 pulmonary nodules identified on CT. Four thoracic radiologists manually identified and manually matched the pulmonary nodules on serial CT examinations while being timed. After six weeks, all four radiologists evaluated the same CT studies using the automated nodule matching software and were timed again.
"Pulmonary nodules may be benign or malignant so we follow these nodules over time with repeated CT scans to watch for changes in each nodule. When many nodules are present, it can be difficult to match nodules up for comparison purposes" said Dr. Koo.
The study found that "the greater the number of nodules needing to be matched, the greater the benefit in using the software," said Dr. Koo. Matching of nodules 6 mm or smaller was "particularly aided by use of the automated program," she said. The locations of the nodules and change in nodule size did not have a significant impact on matching efficiency, Dr. Koo added.
The study also found that accuracy was not sacrificed for efficiency. "The interpreting radiologists indicated that the automated program correctly matched nodules anywhere from 79% to 92% of the time," said Dr. Koo.
"Prior studies have evaluated automated nodule matching accuracy, however no study to our knowledge has assessed the impact of a nodule matching program use on CT interpretation efficiency, where efficiency entails both accuracy and speed," Dr. Koo added.
The study is included in the July, 2012 American Journal of Roentgenology, published by the American Roentgen Ray Society.
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Public release date: 26-Jun-2012 Share ] Contact: Samantha Schmidt
sschmidt@arrs.org
703-858-4316
American Roentgen Ray Society
An automated lung nodule matching program can improve radiologists' efficiency almost two-fold, a first of its kind study shows.
The study found that the time required for manual nodule matching ranged from 1 second to about 11.4 minutes, whereas automated nodule matching ranged from less than one second to about 6.6 minutes, said Chi Wan Koo, MD, the lead author of the study.
The study conducted at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York, included 57 patients, yielding a total of 325 pulmonary nodules identified on CT. Four thoracic radiologists manually identified and manually matched the pulmonary nodules on serial CT examinations while being timed. After six weeks, all four radiologists evaluated the same CT studies using the automated nodule matching software and were timed again.
"Pulmonary nodules may be benign or malignant so we follow these nodules over time with repeated CT scans to watch for changes in each nodule. When many nodules are present, it can be difficult to match nodules up for comparison purposes" said Dr. Koo.
The study found that "the greater the number of nodules needing to be matched, the greater the benefit in using the software," said Dr. Koo. Matching of nodules 6 mm or smaller was "particularly aided by use of the automated program," she said. The locations of the nodules and change in nodule size did not have a significant impact on matching efficiency, Dr. Koo added.
The study also found that accuracy was not sacrificed for efficiency. "The interpreting radiologists indicated that the automated program correctly matched nodules anywhere from 79% to 92% of the time," said Dr. Koo.
"Prior studies have evaluated automated nodule matching accuracy, however no study to our knowledge has assessed the impact of a nodule matching program use on CT interpretation efficiency, where efficiency entails both accuracy and speed," Dr. Koo added.
The study is included in the July, 2012 American Journal of Roentgenology, published by the American Roentgen Ray Society.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
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[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
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yet in the U.S. Internet access speeds and costs have remained stagnant.
lolwut? These are just approximate dates and speeds from memory, so I may be off by a few years but the gist of it is about right:
25 years ago, I had 300 baud dialup. 20 yeas ago, I had 14.4Kb dialup 15 years ago, I had something like 56Kb dialup 12 years ago, I had 256 Kb DSL 10 years ago, I had 3 Mb cable 5 years ago, I had 6 Mb cable today, I have 15 Mb cable (and some people have stuff like FIOS)
The details will be different for everyone, but unless you're going to tell me everyone but me was using multiple Mb connections in the 1980's, I'm going to have to call bullshit on that claim. US access speeds have been steadily increasing every since I've been watching them, and they've continued to do so in the last few years. My connection went from 6 to 15 MB just a year or two ago.
Over here in Finland, just over the past few years my connection speed has gone from 10/1Mb/s to 200/15Mb/s (cable, uncapped) while the price has gone down from 49 euro/month to 14 euro/month. Have the prices dropped similarly in the US?
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Public release date: 25-Jun-2012 Share ] Contact: Mari N. Jensen
mnjensen@email.arizona.edu
520-626-9635
University of Arizona
Mexico's Cinega de Santa Clara has not changed since the 2010-11 pilot run of the Yuma Desalting Plant, according to a new report from a University of Arizona-led binational team of researchers.
The 15,000-acre cinega, the largest wetland in the Colorado River Delta, is home to several endangered species and is a major stopover for birds migrating north and south along the Pacific Flyway. It lies within Mexico's Biosphere Reserve for the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River delta.
The Mexican community of Ejido Johnson operates a small ecotourism business at the wetland. Birdwatchers are attracted by the birds found there, including the Yuma Clapper Rail, listed as an endangered species by the U.S. and as a threatened species in Mexico.
How running the desalting plant would affect the water quality, vegetation and birdlife of the cinega was not known. The cinega receives its water primarily from Arizona's Wellton-Mohawk irrigation district - water that is used by the desalting plant when it operates.
When the plant is running, the water it desalinates is returned to the Colorado River. The remainder, a smaller amount of saltier water, does flow to the cinega.
Some scientists predicted that having a smaller and saltier portion of water flow to the cinega would alter the ecosystem, said Karl W. Flessa, the UA geosciences professor who leads the U.S.-Mexico team of researchers that has been studying the cinega since 2006.
To ensure that the cinega would continue receiving the same amount and quality of water as before, U.S. and Mexican government agencies and non-governmental organizations from both sides of the border worked together to provide replacement water to the cinega during the May 2010 to March 2011 pilot run of the Yuma Desalting Plant.
The international agreement was added to the 1944 water treaty between the U.S. and Mexico and represents the first time that water was allocated across the border for environmental purposes.
Chuck Cullom, Colorado River Programs Manager for the Central Arizona Project, said, "This unique and fruitful collaboration exemplifies the new spirit of binational cooperation and collaboration in monitoring and evaluating different environmental resources in the Colorado River system."
As part of the agreement, the researchers monitored conditions in the cinega before, during and after the plant's pilot run.
"There was no significant change to the cinega's hydrology, water quality, vegetation and marsh birds," said Flessa. He and his colleagues reported the team's findings in a report released by the International Boundary and Water Commission on June 25.
Cullom said, "The report really represents the most comprehensive monitoring effort to date of the cienega wetland system. It's good work that adds to the body of knowledge about the cienega."
The replacement water was delivered to the cinega over the period of October 2009 through July 2011. The U.S. contribution was delivered before the pilot run started and another large portion of replacement water was delivered after the pilot run, said Cullom.
"There was fluctuation in water quality and salinity during the pilot run," he said. "However over the course of the monitoring there were no lasting adverse impacts to the cinega."
Francisco Zamora, who managed the monitoring team, said the times when the plant was running and no replacement water was delivered, the vegetation seemed less healthy. However, it recovered once more water was delivered. He said it's not possible to tell from the monitoring program how long a dry spell the cinega can recover from.
"The fact the replacement water came at a different time than when the desalting plant ran allowed us to see these short-term changes and learn that the cienega is resilient," said Zamora, director of the Sonoran Institute's Colorado River Delta Legacy Program. "The fact that the cienega can handle these short-term changes is good."
Flessa, who is also director of UA's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said, "This tells us they can run the plant and little will happen -- so long as they find replacement water for the cinega."
However, he had expected changes from the April 4, 2010 earthquake, which occurred just before the pilot run started, and the three-day wildfire that burned about 80 percent of the cinega in late March 2011.
In both cases, he was wrong neither the earthquake nor the fire made harmful changes. If anything, the fire burned away accumulation of dead vegetation and returned nutrients to the soil, he said.
"It turned out to be a great way to find out the beneficial effects of fire. The bird populations this year were unaffected, productivity is up, and the cinega is greener than ever," he said.
The team's report said, "The Cinega de Santa Clara appears to be an ecosystem that is resilient in the face of short-term disturbances."
The agencies and organizations that forged the agreement to operate Yuma Desalting Plant's pilot run, provide replacement water and to support researchers to monitor the cinega are: the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the environmental organizations Pronatura, Sonoran Institute and Environmental Defense Fund, CONAGUA, Mexico's national water commission, SEMARNAT, Mexico's ministry of the environment, and the International Boundary and Water Commission.
To assess whether running the desalting plant affected the cinega, the scientists placed instruments to record water quality and water level every 30 minutes at 20 locations all over the cinega -- some in open water, some along the edges of the marsh, and others deep in cattail thickets.
Every month, the researchers used small boats to visit every instrument and download the information stored in it. The team also measured water flow into the cinega from its main sources of water.
The researchers also assessed the bird populations during the breeding season and during the spring and fall migrations. The team used satellite images to measure the extent and health of the vegetation.
The team found the biggest factors affecting the cinega's water budget are the inflow of water, the evaporation of water, and loss of water from the plants themselves, Flessa said.
During summer months, plants and evaporation consume more water than flows into the cinega, increasing its salinity. In the winter, about half the inflow water drains through the cinega to the lower basin. That flushing keeps salinity within the range tolerated by the plants.
During the plant's pilot run, salinity went up when water was diverted to the plant but no replacement water was being supplied. Salinity returned to normal levels when the replacement water was supplied and when the pilot run concluded, the report said. Other aspects of water quality were largely unaffected by the plant's operation.
"This story has a happy ending, and here's why," Flessa said. "It doesn't appear that there's been any lasting harm to the cinega, and it demonstrates that by working together we can find solutions to tough environmental problems even across international boundaries."
He credits the scientific success of the project to cross-border interactions among scientists that were fostered by the National Science Foundation-funded Lower Colorado River Delta Research Coordination Network that began in 2005.
"It would have been really hard to put this team together on short notice had we not already had a respectful and collaborative atmosphere among the scientists," he said.
###
Funding for the monitoring project was provided by Central Arizona Water Conservation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Southern Nevada Water Authority, with additional funding from Mexico's Comisin Nacional de reas Naturales Protegidas and the Instituto Nacional Ecologa.
The monitoring project was a collaborative effort among the University of Arizona, the Sonoran Institute (Tucson, Ariz.), Pronatura Noroeste (San Luis, R.C., Sonora), the Universidad Autnoma de Baja California (Mexicali campus), and Centro de Investigacin en Alimentacin y Desarrollo (Guaymas, Sonora) and the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Biosphere Reserve.
Researcher Contacts
Karl Flessa
520-621-6000
kflessa@email.arizona.edu
Chuck Cullom
Colorado River Programs Manager
Central Arizona Project
623-869-2665
ccullom@cap-az.com
Francisco Zamora
Director, Colorado River Delta Legacy Program
Sonoran Institute
520-290-0828 x1137
fzamora@sonoraninstitute.org
Osvel Hinojosa (in Mexico)
Program Director, Pronatura Noreste
52-612-121-2800
ohinojosa@pronatura-noroeste.org
Jennifer Pitt
Director, Colorado River Project
303- 440-4901
jpitt@edf.org
Related websites:
Cinega de Santa Clara Monitoring Program
http://www.geo.arizona.edu/cienega/
International Boundary and Water Commission
http://www.ibwc.state.gov/
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 25-Jun-2012 Share ] Contact: Mari N. Jensen
mnjensen@email.arizona.edu
520-626-9635
University of Arizona
Mexico's Cinega de Santa Clara has not changed since the 2010-11 pilot run of the Yuma Desalting Plant, according to a new report from a University of Arizona-led binational team of researchers.
The 15,000-acre cinega, the largest wetland in the Colorado River Delta, is home to several endangered species and is a major stopover for birds migrating north and south along the Pacific Flyway. It lies within Mexico's Biosphere Reserve for the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River delta.
The Mexican community of Ejido Johnson operates a small ecotourism business at the wetland. Birdwatchers are attracted by the birds found there, including the Yuma Clapper Rail, listed as an endangered species by the U.S. and as a threatened species in Mexico.
How running the desalting plant would affect the water quality, vegetation and birdlife of the cinega was not known. The cinega receives its water primarily from Arizona's Wellton-Mohawk irrigation district - water that is used by the desalting plant when it operates.
When the plant is running, the water it desalinates is returned to the Colorado River. The remainder, a smaller amount of saltier water, does flow to the cinega.
Some scientists predicted that having a smaller and saltier portion of water flow to the cinega would alter the ecosystem, said Karl W. Flessa, the UA geosciences professor who leads the U.S.-Mexico team of researchers that has been studying the cinega since 2006.
To ensure that the cinega would continue receiving the same amount and quality of water as before, U.S. and Mexican government agencies and non-governmental organizations from both sides of the border worked together to provide replacement water to the cinega during the May 2010 to March 2011 pilot run of the Yuma Desalting Plant.
The international agreement was added to the 1944 water treaty between the U.S. and Mexico and represents the first time that water was allocated across the border for environmental purposes.
Chuck Cullom, Colorado River Programs Manager for the Central Arizona Project, said, "This unique and fruitful collaboration exemplifies the new spirit of binational cooperation and collaboration in monitoring and evaluating different environmental resources in the Colorado River system."
As part of the agreement, the researchers monitored conditions in the cinega before, during and after the plant's pilot run.
"There was no significant change to the cinega's hydrology, water quality, vegetation and marsh birds," said Flessa. He and his colleagues reported the team's findings in a report released by the International Boundary and Water Commission on June 25.
Cullom said, "The report really represents the most comprehensive monitoring effort to date of the cienega wetland system. It's good work that adds to the body of knowledge about the cienega."
The replacement water was delivered to the cinega over the period of October 2009 through July 2011. The U.S. contribution was delivered before the pilot run started and another large portion of replacement water was delivered after the pilot run, said Cullom.
"There was fluctuation in water quality and salinity during the pilot run," he said. "However over the course of the monitoring there were no lasting adverse impacts to the cinega."
Francisco Zamora, who managed the monitoring team, said the times when the plant was running and no replacement water was delivered, the vegetation seemed less healthy. However, it recovered once more water was delivered. He said it's not possible to tell from the monitoring program how long a dry spell the cinega can recover from.
"The fact the replacement water came at a different time than when the desalting plant ran allowed us to see these short-term changes and learn that the cienega is resilient," said Zamora, director of the Sonoran Institute's Colorado River Delta Legacy Program. "The fact that the cienega can handle these short-term changes is good."
Flessa, who is also director of UA's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said, "This tells us they can run the plant and little will happen -- so long as they find replacement water for the cinega."
However, he had expected changes from the April 4, 2010 earthquake, which occurred just before the pilot run started, and the three-day wildfire that burned about 80 percent of the cinega in late March 2011.
In both cases, he was wrong neither the earthquake nor the fire made harmful changes. If anything, the fire burned away accumulation of dead vegetation and returned nutrients to the soil, he said.
"It turned out to be a great way to find out the beneficial effects of fire. The bird populations this year were unaffected, productivity is up, and the cinega is greener than ever," he said.
The team's report said, "The Cinega de Santa Clara appears to be an ecosystem that is resilient in the face of short-term disturbances."
The agencies and organizations that forged the agreement to operate Yuma Desalting Plant's pilot run, provide replacement water and to support researchers to monitor the cinega are: the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the environmental organizations Pronatura, Sonoran Institute and Environmental Defense Fund, CONAGUA, Mexico's national water commission, SEMARNAT, Mexico's ministry of the environment, and the International Boundary and Water Commission.
To assess whether running the desalting plant affected the cinega, the scientists placed instruments to record water quality and water level every 30 minutes at 20 locations all over the cinega -- some in open water, some along the edges of the marsh, and others deep in cattail thickets.
Every month, the researchers used small boats to visit every instrument and download the information stored in it. The team also measured water flow into the cinega from its main sources of water.
The researchers also assessed the bird populations during the breeding season and during the spring and fall migrations. The team used satellite images to measure the extent and health of the vegetation.
The team found the biggest factors affecting the cinega's water budget are the inflow of water, the evaporation of water, and loss of water from the plants themselves, Flessa said.
During summer months, plants and evaporation consume more water than flows into the cinega, increasing its salinity. In the winter, about half the inflow water drains through the cinega to the lower basin. That flushing keeps salinity within the range tolerated by the plants.
During the plant's pilot run, salinity went up when water was diverted to the plant but no replacement water was being supplied. Salinity returned to normal levels when the replacement water was supplied and when the pilot run concluded, the report said. Other aspects of water quality were largely unaffected by the plant's operation.
"This story has a happy ending, and here's why," Flessa said. "It doesn't appear that there's been any lasting harm to the cinega, and it demonstrates that by working together we can find solutions to tough environmental problems even across international boundaries."
He credits the scientific success of the project to cross-border interactions among scientists that were fostered by the National Science Foundation-funded Lower Colorado River Delta Research Coordination Network that began in 2005.
"It would have been really hard to put this team together on short notice had we not already had a respectful and collaborative atmosphere among the scientists," he said.
###
Funding for the monitoring project was provided by Central Arizona Water Conservation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Southern Nevada Water Authority, with additional funding from Mexico's Comisin Nacional de reas Naturales Protegidas and the Instituto Nacional Ecologa.
The monitoring project was a collaborative effort among the University of Arizona, the Sonoran Institute (Tucson, Ariz.), Pronatura Noroeste (San Luis, R.C., Sonora), the Universidad Autnoma de Baja California (Mexicali campus), and Centro de Investigacin en Alimentacin y Desarrollo (Guaymas, Sonora) and the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Biosphere Reserve.
Researcher Contacts
Karl Flessa
520-621-6000
kflessa@email.arizona.edu
Chuck Cullom
Colorado River Programs Manager
Central Arizona Project
623-869-2665
ccullom@cap-az.com
Francisco Zamora
Director, Colorado River Delta Legacy Program
Sonoran Institute
520-290-0828 x1137
fzamora@sonoraninstitute.org
Osvel Hinojosa (in Mexico)
Program Director, Pronatura Noreste
52-612-121-2800
ohinojosa@pronatura-noroeste.org
Jennifer Pitt
Director, Colorado River Project
303- 440-4901
jpitt@edf.org
Related websites:
Cinega de Santa Clara Monitoring Program
http://www.geo.arizona.edu/cienega/
International Boundary and Water Commission
http://www.ibwc.state.gov/
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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