Underwater Antarctic volcanoes discovered in the Southern Ocean
2011-07-12
(Press-News.org) Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have discovered previously unknown volcanoes in the ocean waters around the remote South Sandwich Islands. Using ship-borne sea-floor mapping technology during research cruises onboard the RRS James Clark Ross, the scientists found 12 volcanoes beneath the sea surface – some up to 3km high. They found 5km diameter craters left by collapsing volcanoes and 7 active volcanoes visible above the sea as a chain of islands.
The research is important also for understanding what happens when volcanoes erupt or collapse underwater and their potential for creating serious hazards such as tsunamis. Also this sub-sea landscape, with its waters warmed by volcanic activity creates a rich habitat for many species of wildlife and adds valuable new insight about life on earth.
Speaking at the International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences in Edinburgh Dr Phil Leat from British Antarctic Survey said,
"There is so much that we don't understand about volcanic activity beneath the sea – it's likely that volcanoes are erupting or collapsing all the time. The technologies that scientists can now use from ships not only give us an opportunity to piece together the story of the evolution of our earth, but they also help shed new light on the development of natural events that pose hazards for people living in more populated regions on the planet."
INFORMATION:
Issued by the British Antarctic Survey Press Office:
Athena Dinar, tel. +44 (0) 1223 221414, mobile 07736 921693, email: amdi@bas.ac.uk
Linda Capper, tel +44 (0) 1223 221448, mobile 07714 233744, email: lmca@bas.ac.uk
Notes for editors
The volcanoes were mapped at high resolution using multi-beam sonar during two research cruises (2007 and 2010) on the British Antarctic Survey ship RRS James Clark Ross.
Photos are available from the British Antarctic Survey Press Office - details above.
The International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences 2011 will be held at the John McIntyre Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh from 11-15 July. See www.isaes2011.org.uk
A Press Centre will operate at the venue from Mon 11 – Wed 13 July. Contact Athena or Linda as above if you wish to attend. All sessions are open to journalists.
To view the conference sessions programme please see: http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/isaes2011/sessions_overview_v6.pdf
To view abstracts please see: http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/isaes2011/abstracts_v2.pdf
The Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is a world leader in research into global environmental issues. With an annual budget of around £45 million, five Antarctic Research Stations, two Royal Research Ships and five aircraft, BAS undertakes an interdisciplinary research programme and plays an active and influential role in Antarctic affairs. BAS has joint research projects with over 40 UK universities and has more than 120 national and international collaborations. It is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council. More information about the work of the Survey can be found at: www.antarctica.ac.uk
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2011-07-12
TeamSupport.com (http://www.TeamSupport.com) - an emerging leader in SaaS-based customer service and help desk tools - today announced an integration of the company's flagship TeamSupport product with social networking phenomenon Facebook.
"With some 150 million users in the United States alone, Facebook is the 'go to' destination for friends, families, and increasingly, businesses seeking to connect with their customers," noted Robert C. Johnson, CEO of TeamSupport. "Our corporate users are acutely aware of the impact that responsive customer communications ...
2011-07-12
According to the researchers from the University of Bologna (Italy) who designed the app, this automatic accident detection system could reduce the number of vehicles involved in pile-ups by up to 40 percent. For now, at least, that's what it does on paper and in computer simulations, as is described in an article published in the scientific journal Computer Networks. Road tests will be carried out this summer, on the streets and highways of Los Angeles, around the campus of the University of California. Here, together with engineers from Toyota, other scientists are also ...
2011-07-12
People who have a long term debilitating physical illness demonstrate mental resilience according to Understanding Society, the world's largest longitudinal household study. The first findings reveal that people diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, respiratory or cardiovascular disease report similar mental health scores to those without physical illness. The survey's findings suggest that those people who may not be able to function well physically because of an illness do not necessarily suffer problems with their mental health - for example with their concentration, confidence ...
2011-07-12
The Ohio residential correctional programs – halfway houses and community-based correctional facilities – that are most successful at reducing recidivism among offenders enjoy an impressive track record.
An offender participating in the state's most successful programs is 50 percent less likely to engage in criminal activity in the two-year period following release vs. offenders who receive no guidance or services. In contrast, the least successful of these programs actually increased the chances of criminal recidivism. The least successful programs increased recidivism ...
2011-07-12
DURHAM, N.H. – Rural workers have less access to sick leave, forcing them to choose between caring for themselves or family members, and losing pay or perhaps even their jobs when faced with an illness, according to new research from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.
"Paid sick days are a central component of job flexibility for rural and urban workers alike. Everyone gets sick, and the lack of paid sick days can place workers in a bind, especially given that workers who lack paid sick days are also more likely to lack other paid leave options, ...
2011-07-12
EAST LANSING, Mich. — By honing in on the mysterious potato genome and its tuber – its edible portion – researchers are unveiling the secrets of the world's most-important nongrain food crop.
Robin Buell, Michigan State University plant biologist, is part of an international research team that is mapping the genome of the potato. In the current issue of Nature, the team revealed that it accomplished its goal, thus quickly closing the gap on improving the food source's elusive genome.
The potato is a member of the Solanaceae, an economically important family that includes ...
2011-07-12
The Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium (PGSC), a team of scientists from institutions worldwide, including Virginia Tech, has published its findings in the Sunday July 10 online issue of the journal Nature.
The successful sequencing of the genome of the world's third most important crop began when Richard Veilleux, who is the Julian and Margaret Gary Professor of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, wondered if the then new applications of plant tissue culture could be used to develop parent lines for hybrid potatoes. The concept ...
2011-07-12
Becoming a Workamajig expert requires a replete understanding of the platform (Client Services, Project Management, Trafficking, CRM and Finance modules) and the rollout of the solution for a minimum of three agency clientele. We are extremely pleased, states Vanessa Edwards, President and Founder of CPI. "My journey with Workamajig began nearly five years ago, when I was searching for a solution to help improve my own agency's realization rates, drive efficiency and improve profitability. Post-adoption, our AGI went from 75% to 200% of the national average... providing ...
2011-07-12
BURGESS, the superyacht leader, joins OCEANA's prestigious group of corporate donors and becomes active sponsors of the group's major events and activities. Partly founded by actor Ted Danson and recently named a 4-star charity for sound fiscal management, Oceana is the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world's oceans.
The initial collaboration of the two organizations resulted in this year's highly successful "Bid To Save The Earth" Green Auction when heated bidding on a four day/three night BURGESS luxury yacht charter courtesy ...
2011-07-12
Saranac Lake, N.Y. – New research from the Trudeau Institute may help to explain why anticoagulant therapies have largely failed to extend the lives of patients with sepsis. The study was led by Deyan Luo, a postdoctoral fellow in Stephen Smiley's laboratory. It shows that fibrin, a key product of the blood clotting process, is critical for host defense against Yersinia enterocolitica, a gram-negative bacterium that causes sepsis in humans and experimental mice. The new data will be published in the August 15 issue of The Journal of Immunology and is available now online ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Underwater Antarctic volcanoes discovered in the Southern Ocean
