Alexandria, VA - The world is diversifying its energy portfolio with renewable energy technology. However, one of the biggest hurdles renewable technologies need to overcome is inherent variability: humans can’t control when the sun shines or how much the wind blows. There’s also variability on the demand side, with people needing more energy during certain times of the day and certain months of the year. Thus, to truly make the most out of renewable energy resources, geoscientists are working with engineers to help translate natural energy fluxes into products that can be delivered to the grid on an as-needed basis. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - In the first study of its kind, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) Workforce Program has published the results of the National Geoscience Student Exit Survey. This report documents the experiences of graduating geosciences majors. Initial findings support that these new graduates, at all levels, shared some common traits such as the importance of field experiences and exposure to Earth science at the K-12 level. The need for continued growth in the geoscience workforce is well documented and supported by its continuance as one of the most lucrative majors at U. [Read More]

Superstorm Sandy slammed against the U.S. Eastern Seaboard in October 2012, inundating iconic communities. Those communities have been rebuilding since then and things are almost back to normal for most. But something else has had to be rebuilt as well: the structured procedures for issuing warnings. The goal is to help communities better comprehend what natural disasters will bring their doorsteps. In an October feature story, EARTH Magazine untangles the complexities scientists faced to motivate local residents to pack up and move. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce the first city-specific celebration of its Earth Science Week campaign, Earth Science Week Houston, which takes place October 13-19, 2013. AGI is collaborating with the Houston Geological Society (HGS) and the Houston Independent School District (HISD) to extend the reach of the successful Earth Science Week campaign throughout the Houston area with special events, educational materials, online resources, and activities in schools and other settings. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) has released two final reports on the results of an April 2012 workshop for a cohort made up of underrepresented minority individuals seeking careers in academia. The workshop was hosted by AGI and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to disseminate information about opportunities available to future geoscience faculty from member societies, the federal government and by developing campus leadership. Over a 13-month period participants were polled on questions related to how they engaged these entities and what impact the workshop had on their professional development. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - Celebrate the second annual Geologic Map Day! On October 18, as a part of the Earth Science Week 2013 activities, join leading geoscience organizations in promoting awareness of the importance of geologic mapping to society. Geologic maps are vital to education, science, business, and public policy concerns. Geologic Map Day will focus the attention of students, teachers, and the general public on the study, uses, and significance of these tools, by engaging audiences through educational activities, print materials, online resources, and public outreach. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — One tornado can be damaging enough; severe weather systems that spawn hundreds of deadly tornadoes in super-outbreaks pose special challenges to the scientific and emergency management communities. Now, scientists have identified certain conditions in the Pacific Ocean that may lead to super-outbreaks over the U.S.’ tornado alley. Researchers are trying to determine if Trans-Niño years, which mark the onset or ebbing of El Niño and La Niña, are the main culprits behind the deadly super-outbreaks. [Read More]

The American Geosciences Institute’s Workforce Program analyzed data on 18,000 precollege students who indicated an inclination towards a major in the physical sciences and scored well on the SAT in 2012 and 2013. The data is broken down further to identify race, gender, and intended STEM majors by state. Key Findings The population is predominantly white, with underrepresented minority test takers typically in the single digits. California was dominant in the number of students interested in pursuing a STEM career. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The world is buzzing with the hum of servers containing terabytes of the world’s collective datasets. And the geosciences are no different. Geoscientists are awash in data like never before. The challenge now for the geoscience community is how to best integrate disparate datasets for communal use and establish uniform standards for data entry. Communities of computer scientists and geoscientists are coming together to tackle the challenge of how best to integrate the wealth of data describing the earth system and to encourage geoscientists to dust off their personal collections for integration into the cumulative data cloud. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - AGI’s GeoSpectrum brings you the stories of the geoscience profession. In the 2013 summer edition just published at http://Avww.agiweb.org/geospectrum/. This issue includes: Safety and the geosciences by creating contamination maps of lead distribution in New Orleans, water in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Announcements about unique sessions at this year’s fall meeting circuit, such as those researching geoscience workforce, education and policy. The American Geosciences Workforce department currently has special opportunities for your department participating in the AGI “Exit Survey” Reviews of past meetings, like a summary of the American Geophysical Union “Science and Policy Conference” which introduces the geosciences community to major players shaping the geosciences through hazard management and energy and environmental legislation This edition of GeoSpectrum has special significance for students. [Read More]