Epicenter, tsunami, aftershocks, tectonic shifts roil economic markets

News reporters frequently use geologic terms as metaphors to describe economic and political turmoil. UA geology professor George Davis published an op-ed piece in today's Arizona Daily Star. George gives examples like Arizona being the "epicenter of America's real estate earthquake," and "once-in-a-century credit tsunami."

Big vote expected today

My wife, Ann, left at 5 a.m. this morning to work as an election clerk at our voting precinct. They're expecting record turnout. Setting up last night took 3 hours, much longer than usual, as they processed new updates on early voters and the list of newly registered voters. In our precinct (western Tucson) it appears that over 50% of registered voters already have voted.

I voted Friday since I wasn't sure if we would get back from Supai Village in Havasu Canyon in time to vote today. But the winds held yesterday and we got the last helicopter out of the village. Winds are expected to be strong today across northern Arizona as a front moves through, so our alternatives would have been to hike out the 9 miles or wait until the weather cleared. The last couple thousand feet of the trail are almost vertical, so I'm glad we caught the flight.

It's an important election for many reasons. I'll be commenting on the resulting impacts on science, minerals, energy, water, climate change, sustainability, innovation, and public policy in the coming months as the new administration organizes in DC and a new legislature deals with budget shortfalls and other issues in Arizona.

Havasu Canyon restoration estimated at $2 million+

AZGS geologist Brian Gootee and I are heading north in a few hours for a meeting tomorrow morning with Havasupai Tribal Council members in Supai village near the Grand Canyon, to brief them on the AZGS's geologic and hazards assessment of the flood that swept down Cataract and Havasu canyons during August 16-17. The Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, FEMA, and other agencies have been in the canyon to make evaluations of trails and other aspects.

A story in today's Flagstaff Daily Sun describes for the first time, the extent of damage and efforts to restore the Havasupai Tribe's infrastructure and tourist facilities. The article by former tribal employee and current forest service ranger Stephen Hirst, says the flood peaked at 6,000 cubic feet per second, well below the 20,000 cfs of the 1990 flood but argues that the 2008 flood lasted longer - 36 hours - so much more water roared down the canyon, making it perhaps the most devastating flood on record.

Work is underway to clear the famous Havasu Falls pools of silt and debris. The main trail reconstruction has been troubled by landslides and slumping.

The Tribe hopes to re-open the trail and campground to tourists in time for next spring's tourist season. Hirst says federal agencies estimate recovery costs will exceed $2 million. Other tribes in Arizona and California have contributed $1.045 million. Gov. Napolitano has requested assistance from FEMA under a disaster declaration. Meanwhile, the Daily Sun reports that the Havasupai Tribe has a relief account with Wells Fargo Bank where people may contribute (see havasupaitribe.com for information).

Epitaph contest for Phoenix Mars Lander

With the demise of the Phoenix Mars Lander expected soon, Wired magazine is holding a twitter epitaph contest. Click on the link to tweet your 140 character final comment. Deadline is 9 am PST, Monday, Nov. 3. Phoenix mission blogger Veronica McGregor (@MarsPhoenix) is offering official mission gear to the top 3 entries. [photo credit Wired.com]

The leading vote-getter at the moment is:

Veni, vidi, fodi. (I came, I saw, I dug)

There are some very clever ones at the Wired site.

Science advice to the next president

A group of 178 business, education, and scientific organizations, including Arizona State University and the American Geological Institute, sent letters to senators Obama and McCain with science and technology advice for the next administration. The letter say, in part, [we] "urge you, if you are elected President, to appoint your White House Science Advisor by January 20, so this individual can participate immediately in coordinating relevant policy and personnel decisions relating to science and technology. [the link above is to the letter sent to Sen. McCain since he's from Arizona. Both letters are identical.]

"We further urge that the next President give the science advisor the title of Assistant to the
President for Science and Technology and assign the position a cabinet rank, the same status
currently given to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator
of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Trade Representative."

Crews contain acid spill from Morenci mine

Clifton Town Manager Ray Pini is reported as saying "someone opened the wrong valve" that allowed thousands of gallons of a sulfuric acid solution to flow from the Morenci copper mine [right, my photo, May 2008] into the dry bed of Chase Creek. Freeport McMoRan crews were building earthen dams yesterday to stop the slow moving ooze from making it to the San Francisco river. The Eastern Arizona Courier has a photo of Freeport crews building one of the dams.

The Arizona Daily Star reports this morning that 168,000 gallons of the solution were involved and some got within 120 feet of the river before it was halted.

The acid solution is used as part of the solvent extraction/electrowinning plant to extract copper from low grade ore.

Geologists in politics II

Thanks to Kim and Ron for pointing out that Herbert Hoover did in fact, have a degree in geology, though his professional career was primarily as a mining engineer. Hoover was part of the inaugural class at Stanford and graduated in geology in 1895. He began his career working for the USGS.

So, here is part II of geologists who have been prominent in politics:

Herbert Hoover [left], President of the U.S. from 1929-1933. According to wikipedia, his lectures at Columbia and Stanford universities were published as Principles of Mining in 1909, which became a standard textbook. Hoover and his wife also published their English translation of the Renaissance mining classic De re metallica in 1912; their translation is the most important scholarly version of the work. It is still in print.

Harrison "Jack" Schmitt [center] is the only geologist to have walked on the moon. He has degrees in geology from CalTech (BS) and Harvard (PhD). After his career as an astronaut, he served as U.S. Senator from New Mexico, 1977-1983. [some bragging rights - I've gotten to know Jack from serving with him on the AAPG Astrogeology Committee]

Emil Constantinescu [right] served as the second president of post-Communist Romania from 1996-2000. He was a professor of geology at the University of Bucharest and elected president of the university in 1992. He currently serves as head of the geology faculty at the university.