Scientist to Gather Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Melting Permafrost

Goddard scientist Emily Wilson poses here with an early version or prototype of her recently miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer — an instrument for which she received a patent in 2014. Image Credit: NASA

A NASA scientist who has developed a novel suitcase-size instrument to measure column carbon dioxide and methane is taking her recently patented instrument on the road this summer to comprehensively measure emissions of these important greenhouse gases from Alaska’s melting permafrost. 

Emily Wilson, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will use her recently patented miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer (mini-LHR) to carry out a multi-disciplinary field campaign at three sites — each representing a different type of permafrost — near Fairbanks, Alaska, in June. Her team has designed a unique and comprehensive experiment that records permafrost depth and structure, meteorological data, and concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide during the seasonal ground melt.

Multi-Disciplinary Approach

“With the global mean temperature rising, the release of these gases could create an amplified effect,” she said. “These data will allow us to estimate fluctuation of emissions from the melting permafrost.”

Permafrost is permanently frozen soil. Comprising 24 percent of the Northern Hemisphere, permafrost contains old organic carbon deposits — some relicts from the last glaciation — that are locked up beneath the surface. Scientists have observed that more of the permafrost’s upper layer, or the active layer, is melting each summer, creating concern that the thawing could lead to the significant greenhouse-gas emissions.

Further exacerbating the situation is the fact that while methane doesn’t linger as long as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it is more potent and effective at absorbing heat, creating a positive feedback, where emissions leads to more warming, which in turn accelerates the thaw.

Highly portable, the mini-LDR is ideal for permafrost studies, Wilson said. Made up of commercially available components, the instrument literally can go anywhere to measure carbon dioxide and methane in the atmospheric column — that is, the levels of these gases in a vertical column extending from the ground to space. Currently, the only ground-based network that measures these two greenhouse gases in the atmospheric column is the Total Carbon Column Observing Network. However, the network has 22 operational sites globally, with limited coverage in the Arctic.

“We’re targeting areas where there is limited coverage,” she said.

To prepare for the campaign, Wilson made her instrument more rugged and more sensitive. She added a satellite communications port to remotely retrieve data, a thermally controlled instrument housing to protect the instrument from changing temperatures, and a solar grid and battery storage system for powering the instrument in remote locations.

Source: Nasa

The Cosmic radio burst caught red-handed

A schematic illustration of CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope receiving the polarised signal from the new ‘fast radio burst’. Credit: Swinburne Astronomy Productions.

Pasadena, CA— Fast radio bursts are quick, bright flashes of radio waves from an unknown source in space. They are a mysterious phenomenon that last only a few milliseconds, and until now they have not been observed in real time. An international team of astronomers, including three from the Carnegie Observatories, has for the first time observed a fast radio burst happening live. Their work is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

There is a great deal of scientific interest in fast radio bursts, particularly in uncovering their origin.

“These events are one of the biggest mysteries in the Universe” noted Carnegie Observatories' Acting Director John Mulchaey. “Until now, astronomers were not able to catch one of these events in the act.”

Only seven fast radio bursts have previously been discovered, since the first one found in 2007. All were found retroactively by combing through data from the Parkes radio telescope in eastern Australia and the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico.

“These bursts were generally discovered weeks or months or even more than a decade after they happened! We’re the first to catch one in real time,” said Emily Petroff, a PhD candidate from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia and lead author of the publication.
Swinburne is a member institution of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO).

In order to observe the fast radio burst in real time, the team mobilized 12 telescopes around the world and in space, including Carnegie’s Magellan and Swope telescopes. Each telescope followed-up on the original burst observation at different wavelengths.

Measurements of the interaction between previously detected fast radio burst’s flashes and the free electrons their signals encountered in space as they traveled to reach us had previously indicated that the bursts likely originated far outside of our galaxy. But the idea was controversial.

The team’s data indicates that the burst originated up to 5.5 billion light years away. This means that the sources of theses bursts are extremely bright and could perhaps be used as a cosmological tool for measuring and understanding our universe once we come to understand them better.

“Together, our observations allowed the team to rule out some of the previously proposed sources for the bursts, including nearby supernovae,” explained Carnegie’s Mansi Kasliwal who was on the team along with Mulchaey and colleague Yue Shen. “Short gamma-ray bursts are still a possibility, as are distant magnetic neutron stars called magnetars, but not long gamma ray bursts.”

Gamma ray bursts are high-energy explosions that form some of the brightest celestial events. Long bursts can signify energy released during a supernova and are followed by an afterglow, which emits lower wavelength radiation than the original explosion.

Another interesting piece of information the team was able to gather about the burst is its polarization. The orientation of the radio waves indicates that the burst likely originated near or passed through a magnetic field, information that can help narrow down potential sources going forward.

“As we continue to search for the source of fast radio bursts, Carnegie is well positioned to make big strides in the field,” Mulchaey said. “Quick access to big telescopes like Magellan may be the key to solving this mystery.”

Caption: A schematic illustration of CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope receiving the polarised signal from the new fast radio burst. Image is credited to Swinburne Astronomy Productions.

Other co-authors are: M. Bailes (Swinburne University of Technology and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics); E.D. Barr (Swinburne University of Technology and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics); B. R. Barsdell (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics); N. D. R. Bhat (ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics and Curtin University) ; F. Bian (Australian National University); S. Burke-Spolaor (Caltech); M. Caleb(Australian National University, Swinburne University of Technology, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics); D. Champion (Max Planck Institut für Radioastronomie); P. Chandra (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Pune University Campus); G. Da Costa (Australian National University); C. Delvaux (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik); C. Flynn (Swinburne University of Technology and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics); N. Gehrels (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center); J. Greiner (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik); A. Jameson (Swinburne University of Technology and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics); S. Johnston (CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science Australia Telescope National Facility); E. F. Keane (Swinburne University of Technology and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics); S. Keller (Australian National University); J. Kocz (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech); M. Kramer (Max Planck Institut für Radioastronomie and University of Manchester) G. Leloudas (University of Copenhagen and Weizmann Institute of Science); D. Malesani (University of Copenhagen); C. Ng (Max Planck Institut für Radioastronomie); E. O. Ofek (Weizmann Institute of Science); D. A. Perley (Caltech); A. Possenti (Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari); B. P. Schmidt (Australian National University and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics); B. Stappers (University of Manchester); P. Tisserand (Australian National University and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics); W. van Straten (Swinburne University of Technology and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics ); and C. Wolf (Australian National University and ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics).

The Parkes radio telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array are part of the Australia Telescope National Facility, which is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia for operation as a National Facility and managed by CSIRO. Parts of this research were conducted by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO). GMRT is run by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Research with the ANU SkyMapper telescope is supported in part through an ARC Discovery Grant. Part of the funding for GROND was granted from a Leibniz-Prize. The Dark Cosmology Centre is supported by the Danish National Research council. Other support came from Curtin Research Fellowship;, EXTraS, funded from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration; Hubble Fellowships; a Carnegie-Princeton Fellowship; the Arye Dissentshik career development; the Willner Family Leadership Institute Ilan Gluzman (Secaucus, N.J.), the Israeli Ministry of Science; Israel Science Foundation; Minerv;, Weizmann-UK; the I-CORE Program of the Planning and Budgeting Committee.

The Carnegie Institution for Science (carnegiescience.edu) is a private, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with six research departments throughout the U.S. Since its founding in 1902, the Carnegie Institution has been a pioneering force in basic scientific research. Carnegie scientists are leaders in plant biology, developmental biology, astronomy, materials science, global ecology, and Earth and planetary science.

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Source: Royal Astronomical Society

The business-minded veterinarian

Veterinarians are needed not only to treat our pets and livestock, but in a broader context, to help with zoonotic disease maintenance. Credit: Image courtesy of Kansas State University Research and Extension

Animals can teach us more about the human body than we might realize. Crack open New York Times bestseller "Zoobiquity," and you'll learn about a human cardiologist's experiences at the Los Angeles Zoo that allowed her to more closely connect human and animal medicine. Even in the first chapter -- Dr. House, Meet Doctor Dolittle -- author Barbara Natterson-Horowitz reveals how doctors and veterinarians could learn from each other to effectively diagnose and treat all species.

Indeed, veterinarians are needed not only to treat our pets and livestock, but in a broader context, to help with zoonotic disease maintenance. The interaction between animals and humans secures the continuous demand for the profession, and the fewer veterinarians we have, the larger potential for catastrophic disease, according to Michael Dicks, director of the economics division for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Although the profession is needed, Dicks said financial struggles do exist, especially for those beginning to practice. Many veterinarians who are just starting out find that they need to make enough money to pay off their high educational debt while trying to make a living, which can pose a major challenge.

According to Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, the average debt reported by its 2014 graduates was $170,380, and graduates in 2013 had similar debt at $170,919.

The average practice salary reported by 2014 K-State graduates was $64,678 and for 2013 graduates, $63,294. For those practicing outside of Kansas, the average starting salaries were a bit higher at $66,057 for 2014 graduates and $66,939 for those who graduated in 2013.

"The downturn of the economy impacted veterinary medicine and what graduates could earn in their first year," said Roger Fingland, executive associate dean for K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine and director of the Veterinary Health Center. "It is important to educate people who want to be veterinarians about the financial realities. But, I think the value of being a veterinarian has to always be in the discussion."

Seeking opportunities

Dicks, a veteran agricultural economist, said the objective of the AVMA's economics division is to find ways to enhance the lifelong value of a veterinary degree. Understanding the market for veterinary services and how individual veterinary practices make money are important components that add value.

The biggest area of demand in veterinary medicine is working with companion animals, or pets, which accounts for about six out of 10 practicing veterinarians, he said. Food animal veterinarians, those who work with cattle, sheep and pigs as examples, account for one out of 10. Other veterinarians might choose mixed animal practice or work in zoos, animal hospitals, the education field or other industries.

Scholarship opportunities are available for students in many interest areas, particularly for those who want to work in rural areas and seek mixed animal practice or large animal practice, including food animals and other livestock. Fingland said at K-State, rural scholarship recipients receive $25,000 a year if they intend to practice in a Kansas county that is declared rural. Most counties in Kansas have a rural designation.

If the students take the scholarship and don't practice in a rural area, however, they have to pay that money back, he said. To his knowledge, no students have had to pay the money back, but some graduates will find that some rural areas don't have enough animals to support a full-time veterinarian. Or, perhaps the environment will not allow the veterinarian to charge the going rate for various services.

"I believe there is a need for large animal and mixed animal practitioners in some rural areas," Fingland said. "Need means there are consumers in that area who perceive that they need veterinary services. Needing veterinary services and having an environment that financially supports veterinary services are two different things. Some communities can't financially support the service."

Certain aspects of veterinary medicine are different than others, and veterinarians can choose certain avenues of practice to potentially increase their salaries. Industry veterinarians typically have higher earning potential than mixed animal practitioners, Fingland said.

Like human doctors, veterinarians can specialize as cardiologists, surgeons, internists and radiologists, as examples. Veterinarian specialists tend to make higher salaries, Fingland said, but they also have to go through much more training than general practitioners. Practice ownership also lends itself to higher pay.

Combining business with a calling

Most people go into business, because that's what they want to do. Veterinarians, no matter what area of practice they prefer, are no different, Dicks said. He encourages veterinarians, like any other business-minded professionals, to plan ahead to maximize their opportunities.

"We know just like farmers and ranchers, we all weigh life in some ways with the amount of money we're making," Dicks said. "People must give up a little return to have the style of life they want. For veterinarians, that huge (college) debt can be a restraint. If I have debt when I get out of school, that means I may be driving a 10-year-old car, living with my roommate for another five years, and not going out or buying anything. I may be paying my debt and trying to make a life."

Fingland, who teaches veterinary business courses, said on the first day of orientation at K-State, he presents new students and their parents with numbers showing what the education will cost for the next four years of veterinary school to make them aware.

"There is no question that there is a financial problem at work, and I worry about it like other people in my position worry about it," Fingland said. "But, there is value in doing what is your calling. I understand as a veterinarian that I'm not going to make as much money as someone in another profession. I don't want to be in that other profession, so what difference does it make if that person makes more money than I do?"

"We can't tell young people who aspire to be veterinarians, 'You shouldn't do this, because you won't make as much money as you could doing something else,'" he continued. "Is that what we're going to tell people who want to teach? Imagine if somebody would have turned away the wonderful teachers that we had in grade school, high school and college. That would have been very unfortunate."

Fingland said preparing students to be business-minded veterinarians involves work in and out of the classroom. In addition to one required business and finance course, veterinary students at K-State are allowed to take elective business courses and join organizations such as the Veterinary Business Management Association. They also learn about planning and budgeting through K-State's Powercat Financial Counseling, available as a free resource for all students.

Involving the veterinarian

As a livestock producer, Dicks said he believes it is essential to have a veterinarian as part of your health team if you own animals. Sometimes the veterinarian might be considered a provider of last resort or someone whose job can be handled by salesmen or technicians for artificial insemination, embryo transfer, ultrasounding for carcass characteristics or pregnancy, hoof trimming and nutritional planning, as examples.

But, he said in the last 10 years the cattle industry has experienced diseases such as trichomoniasis and curly calf syndrome, among others, that may have surprised some producers. Having a close relationship with a veterinarian could help protect animals from diseases and producers from major financial losses.

"Maybe because a veterinarian wasn't part of our herd health program, we only found out about these diseases once they happened to us," Dicks said. "Some of those things cause 20 to 30 percent losses."

"What we focus on is teaching veterinary students to thrive in a competitive environment, not in an unrealistic environment where there's no competition," Fingland said. "There are many things veterinarians can do that others can't do who don't have the level of training. No one will ever replace the veterinarians' intellect, when they go to a farm to analyze the nutrition that the rancher or farmer is providing, and the environment and how that environment might lead to disease."

Source: Kansas State University Research and Extension