Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Geologists 'resurrect' missing tectonic plate
Phys.org ^ | 10/20/2020 | Sara Tubbs, University of Houston

Posted on 10/20/2020 9:33:20 PM PDT by BenLurkin

A team of geologists at the University of Houston College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics believes they have found the lost plate in northern Canada by using existing mantle tomography images—similar to a CT scan of the earth's interior. The findings, published in Geological Society of America Bulletin, could help geologists better predict volcanic hazards as well as mineral and hydrocarbon deposits.

"Volcanoes form at plate boundaries, and the more plates you have, the more volcanoes you have," said Jonny Wu, assistant professor of geology in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. "Volcanoes also affect climate change. So, when you are trying to model the earth and understand how climate has changed since time, you really want to know how many volcanoes there have been on earth."

Wu and Spencer Fuston, a third-year geology doctoral student, applied a technique developed by the UH Center for Tectonics and Tomography called slab unfolding to reconstruct what tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean looked like during the early Cenozoic Era. The rigid outermost shell of Earth, or lithosphere, is broken into tectonic plates and geologists have always known there were two plates in the Pacific Ocean at that time called Kula and Farallon. But there has been discussion about a potential third plate, Resurrection, having formed a special type of volcanic belt along Alaska and Washington State.

Using 3-D mapping technology, Fuston applied the slab unfolding technique to the mantle tomography images to pull out the subducted plates before unfolding and stretching them to their original shapes.



(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: canada; catastrophism; cenozoic; continentaldrift; geology; globalwarminghoax; greennewdeal; koalaoil; mantletomography; molassesmiasma; molassessmiasma; platetectonics; reunitepangea; science; stolenplates; tomography; undeadthread; undeadthreadhere; unghandmoose; uofhouston
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 3,541-3,5603,561-3,5803,581-3,600 ... 6,141-6,159 next last
To: Monkey Face

Today’s special animal friend is the Black-footed Ferret, Mustela nigripes. This small, North American carnivore is native to the Great Plains, where, historically, their range coincided with the range of their main food source, the prairie dog. Prairie dogs made up over 90% of the diet of black-footed ferrets observed in their native environment. However, the fossil record suggests that this “obligate predator-prey relationship” emerged only after the early ferrets in the Americas had eradicated other ground-dwelling and burrowing small mammals. Other prey of extant ferrets includes a variety of small mammals and birds.

The ferret’s body is long and slender, slightly under 2 feet in length, with a tail about 5 inches long. Their weight is typically two pounds or so, which is about the same weight as a prairie dog. They have a long neck and short, stout legs. Their feet are completely covered with black fur on both the tops and the soles, covering their very sharp claws. Their body fur is pale brown, ticked with black on the neck and back. Their ears are small, and they have a black mask over their eyes. Their teeth are numerous, sharp, and strong.

They are a solitary, nocturnal animal, hunting prairie dogs asleep in their burrows and avoiding other animals except during mating. Adult females maintain a home range, based on a prairie dog colony, which may be traversed by several males. They deliver from one to five kits in May or June and care for them until September or October, when the family disperses. Population growth is slow.

The population of black-footed ferrets suffered a drastic decline, along with the population of prairie dogs, in the 19th and 20th centuries. Causes of mortality included hunting, exposure to poison in prairie dog burrows, habitat loss, and an outbreak of plague (Yersinia pestis, the Black Death). They are also susceptible to canine distemper, which is spread by a variety of small mammals. They were believed to be extinct in the wild during the mid- to late-20th century, before a wild population was found in Wyoming in 1981. A successful captive breeding and wild-population restoration effort over the succeeding forty years has resulted in a wild population estimated at 1,400 individuals.

In general, the ongoing threat to black-footed ferrets in the wild is their relationship with prairie dogs, which are a major pest in agricultural and ranching areas. The U.S. government has programs supporting ferret restoration, on the one hand, and prairie dog removal, on the other hand, which immediately conflict with one another. No doubt someone makes a fair bit of money off all of it. Oh, did I say that out loud?

Inbreeding following the species’ drastic decline leaves the black-footed ferret vulnerable to extinction even as the wild population increases. One new strain of disease, and splat. A cloning program at the San Diego Zoo is intended to address this risk. In December of 2020, a female ferret, “Elizabeth Ann,” was born through cloning from a female who died in the 1980s. Elizabeth Ann is adorable, but more importantly, her genome is three times as diverse – however they measure that - as that of a naturally-born individual.

Additional cloning efforts and the breeding of cloned individuals have the potential to substantially strengthen the black-footed ferret’s long-term prospects. On the other hand ... unintended consequences ... use your imagination ... ferret apocalypse ...

We will hope for the best.


3,561 posted on 02/24/2021 4:47:31 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Scarcity is real, and reality is not optional." ~ KDW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3558 | View Replies]

To: ArGee

Good morning, ArGee. I have quite a few stuffed animals, although some are on long-term loan to children.


3,562 posted on 02/24/2021 4:48:29 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Scarcity is real, and reality is not optional." ~ KDW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3560 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick
Today’s special animal friend is the Black-footed Ferret, Mustela nigripes. This small, North American carnivore is native to the Great Plains...

I first thought that said "Black-footed Parrot." My bad.

Now that that's out of the way, I can finish reading the article. ;o])

3,563 posted on 02/24/2021 5:00:55 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3561 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

We can go to the library here, and even use the computers if we want. But for some reason, the online request feature isn’t available, so I can’t order any DVDs. What a burn.


3,564 posted on 02/24/2021 5:08:27 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3558 | View Replies]

To: ArGee

Oh. Hai, they’re.

It is Odin’s Day, isn’t it? It’s a very cold Odin’s Day here, at least to me.

How’s puppy doing this week?


3,565 posted on 02/24/2021 6:14:43 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3560 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face; ArGee

Cold here, too, but it’s supposed to be warm later. Vlad said it was warm already, but that’s because the sun is shining on the dark-painted front door where the house blocks the wind.


3,566 posted on 02/24/2021 6:27:22 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Scarcity is real, and reality is not optional." ~ KDW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3565 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

The sun should be coming up over the mesa any minute now, and when it does, some of it will shine into my living room window.

Today’s S-L-O-Ws are brought to you courtesy of Gray Lint in the Brian. Maybe I’ll get something done, but the chances are good that I won’t.

I’m supposed to watch the wedding of one of my nieces online at 10:00, but I don’t know if I will. She’s from my Real Brother’s side of the family.


3,567 posted on 02/24/2021 6:44:36 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3566 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face; ArGee; Tax-chick; moose07; Darksheare

Oh, rats. I was going to try to refrain from the same ol’ refrain.

Sorry folks.


3,568 posted on 02/24/2021 7:08:34 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3567 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

James are getting some vaccines. Then we’ll be able to go home.


3,569 posted on 02/24/2021 9:09:37 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Scarcity is real, and reality is not optional." ~ KDW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3568 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

Back from the library. They were baffled by the problems I had with putting DVDs on hold. However, I’ll try again to see if I can do it.

I just watched a niece get married online. She’s from my Real Brother’s side of the family. ;o]


3,570 posted on 02/24/2021 9:28:31 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3569 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

Interesting how some of this software comes out.

Mrs. ArGee and I are not sure if we will get the COVID vaccine. It depends on a lot of factors, including whether it is even necessary once we are eligible. I’ve never gotten a flu shot and I’ve never gotten the flu so I’m considering taking my chance.

With that said, she has been camping out at local pharmacy Web sites trying to schedule her parents. Neither of them is sufficiently computer savvy to get their own. The number of problems she’s had with the sites boggles the mind - especially since these weren’t created by the gubmint.

She finally got them scheduled. In the amount of time she took to fill out the form for her dad, the appointments were almost all gone. But there was at least one left for her mom.


3,571 posted on 02/24/2021 10:41:18 AM PST by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3564 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

Is it bappy hirthday you too or something?


3,572 posted on 02/24/2021 10:41:54 AM PST by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3565 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

SSDD

That’s Same Song Different Day for those of you who insist on a filthier version.


3,573 posted on 02/24/2021 10:42:51 AM PST by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3568 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

I’m glad you decided to watch, and I hope they’ll be very happy.

We’re back from the doctor. Frank and Kathleen had not (understatement) completed the tasks they were given before I left, so I sent Kathleen to bed and changed the trip to the park to weeding the garden some more, under the snooty supervision of Shannon Herself. Maybe the sunshine will make her more pleasant.

I need to put on sunscreen and a shirt I don’t care about. And speaking of clothes, for the second time, someone at the hospital admired the flowered leggings!


3,574 posted on 02/24/2021 10:43:17 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Scarcity is real, and reality is not optional." ~ KDW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3570 | View Replies]

To: ArGee

The last vaccine I had (barring the pneumonia shots) was the Swine Flu vax, and I’m pretty sure it triggered the CFIDS, as the onset for the latter was a mere 18 months later. (I may not have gotten CFIDS except for the fact that I’m a Downwinder, so I’m twice cursed.)

I’ve had no vaccines since, but I did get the flu (whatever strain it was in 1980) but no flu since then.

I think the odds of me getting COVID are about the same as me getting the vaccine: Nil and next to nada. At my age, I’ve got more of my life behind me than I ever thought I’d have ahead of me.

In the meantime, I’ve heard some horrible things about the vaccine and the effects of it, from people I know.

Whatever else, I hope everything is OK with Mrs ArGee’s parents.


3,575 posted on 02/24/2021 11:20:21 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3571 | View Replies]

To: ArGee

Oh, no bappy hirthday. That’s still almost three months off.


3,576 posted on 02/24/2021 11:21:47 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3572 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

I was late, but just in time for the Important Parts, and The Bride looked very lovely, even in the cold outside, overcast up north! When the bishop had pronounced them Mr & Mrs, she said, “Good! I’m freezing!”

Wellden. Hopefully, that will sent a message to Frank and Kathleen that the Parental Unit means business when she says something about chores and rewards.

Did I ask you if you were going to plant anything this year? And if I did, did you answer me? I must have slept sometime since I thought I asked. ;o]

Well, the flowered leggings are things to be admired! They most certainly are bright, and if nothing else, they should cheer folks up!


3,577 posted on 02/24/2021 11:29:08 AM PST by Monkey Face (Be patient with yourself when you're becoming someone you haven't been before. ~~ Lenore ~~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3574 | View Replies]

To: ArGee

That is interesting that you have to apply for the vac/shot.
‘Ere you are summoned by letter, whether or not you turn up is your choice.

Personally I’m going to obstain until my immune system comes down from defcon one. The response to the second strain that is kicking about (B117) was to say the least a bit on the scary side.

Out of a building with about one hundred humans inside we have only lost one...statistical perfection. (Diabetic, A+ blood, needed both doors open to enter. But actually a nice chap.)


3,578 posted on 02/24/2021 1:35:40 PM PST by moose07 (The Internet. Nuggets of useful stuff between layers of Trolls and Pizdets.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3571 | View Replies]

To: moose07

America - Land of the free and home of the brave.

For now.


3,579 posted on 02/24/2021 1:46:38 PM PST by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3578 | View Replies]

To: moose07

Oh, say, can you see
By the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed
At Trump’s last day in of leading.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the government fright
O’er the White House we watched
As our dream started bleeding.

And the TV’s read glare
Dem words bursting in air
Took hope from the night
‘Though our flag was still there

Still we pray that the Star Spangled Banner yet waves
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

With apologies to Francis Scott Key.


3,580 posted on 02/24/2021 1:52:22 PM PST by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3579 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 3,541-3,5603,561-3,5803,581-3,600 ... 6,141-6,159 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson