Phoenix, Tucson have lots of mining claims in the region

The Environmental Working Group says the 5,131 mining claims within 5 miles of the Phoenix-Mesa metropolitan area are threatening those cities by encroaching on them. They list Tucson with 1,741 claims within 5 miles, making Phoenix and Tucson the #2 and #3 cities with the most claims nearby. Las Vegas is #1 with 5,822 claims. The report is titled "Mining Claims Threaten Western Cities."

Their report appears to be primarily a data base of mining claims posted on a Google-Earth map of populated areas.

It's interesting that the mining claims they describe are on federal lands that are not open to be developed by cities or towns. So, the bigger impact is more likely to be urban encroachment on mineral resources and the desire of expanding communities to push mining out of their backyards.

These are not your father's dinosaurs

There is a new exhibit on Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight, at the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa, from now through September 28, showcasing a collection of 35 fossils that are national treasures on loan from China.

What's amazing are the life-size recreations - according to the Museum webpage:

Deinonychus (right) had ancestors that were capable of flying so it is a bird that had lost the ability to fly.

Cryptovolans (left), a four winged bird. The flight feathers on the hind legs gives Cryptovolans the appearance of being a bird equipped with four wings.

Pharmaceuticals in water

Traces of pharmaceutical chemicals were found in Tucson water (carbamazepine, dehydronifedipine and sulfamethoxazole) in a survey by the Associated Press of tests done of 62 major water providers in the U.S.

The other Arizona cities surveyed, Phoenix and Mesa, had not tested their water for pharmaceuticals. [photo: Tim Collins]

AP reported that at least one pharmaceutical was found in drinking water supplies for 24 major metropolitan areas.

Seed magazine has posted an updated article on how trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in the water affect our bodies.

Dumbing down the monsoon

The National Weather Service figures we're too dumb to understand that the monsoon season runs through different dates from year to year. So now the monsoon season will start and stop on official dates every year. Of course, the actual monsoon may (and mostly likely will) extend before or after the official dates.

The rationale for this decision is so people will pay more attention and be prepared for the monsoon hazards if they know when it is coming officially rather than when it actually shows up.

You know, sunrise and sunset change every day. Maybe we should redefine sunrise as 6 am and sunset at 6 pm just to make it easier. All you would have to remember is that the sun rises at 6 am every day, except for those 363 days a year when it doesn't.

More photos from the Tucson gem & mineral show

There is a really nice set of annotated photos from last months gem and mineral shows in Tucson posted on PolmanMinerals.com.

A wave of the rock hammer to geology.com for pointing this out.

Hoodoo whodunit

Susan Miller, Tucson geologist and a classmate of mine from undergraduate days at UC Riverside, writes geology murder mysteries. Her 4th, entitled "Hoodoo," is just out and takes place in southern Arizona. The plot could be taken from today's headlines:

Southeastern Arizona is a tinderbox. Down Under Copper’s plans to explore for minerals have pitted landowners, worried about their water supply and property values, against those hoping to profit from the mining venture. Someone snaps.

In the traditional homeland of the Chiricahua Apaches an environmental lawyer’s body lies in the burned wreckage of his trailer.

Her last mystery, Quarry, was wonderful. I devoured it on a cross country plane flight.

Susan will be signing copies of Hoodoo at:

Clues Unlimited, 123 S. Eastbourne Ave, Tucson, at 2 pm, Saturday, March 15 (520) 326-8533.

Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, April 4, 6:30 pm (followed by a Nevada Barr signing)

AGI releases geoscience salary survey

AGI's 5th fact sheet in the Geoscience Currents series reports that geoscientists salaries shot up 10-23% in 2005 over 2004, depending on years of experience and degree level.

With 2 years of experience or less, geoscientists earned an average $74,000, 9.7% over 2004.

Twenty years or more got you an average of $139,000, which was more than a 23% increase over 2004 salaries.

I'm surprised that the most recent data they have is from 2005.