Watch a Lunar Shadow Trapse Across Africa

The Moon's shadow approaching Africa during the November 3 total solar eclipse

On November 3 of this year, a total solar eclipse was observed in areas of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and equatorial Africa. Dr. Maximillian Reuter posted a moving image of the moon's shadow going across the Earth's surface on that date. Let the image load here on the Earth Science Picture of the Day web site and watch the magic!

Did Snakes Help Build Our Brains?

Have you ever wondered why you sort of "sense" a snake before you actually "see" it on the trail? This article may explain it. Read it here.

Video of Mars Flyover

What would it be like to fly over the surface of Mars? Now, taking digital elevation data, a new video shows the Martian surface like never before. Watch it here.

The Grass Is Going Away at the EL Tovar Hotel Grand Canyon

NPS Continues Exotic Plant Management by Eliminating Lawns in the Historic District:   Area will be Re-landscaped with Native Vegetation in Keeping with Historic Landscape


Grand Canyon, Ariz. – The National Park Service will begin eliminating turfgrass (lawns) around the historic El Tovar Hotel and adjacent rim lodges as part of a long-term plan to re-landscape the area with native vegetation consistent with the historic Grand Canyon Village rim landscape. Weather permitting; the two-day project will begin on Tuesday, September 17.

The lawns, made up of Kentucky bluegrass, were planted in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when the Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges were constructed. Kentucky bluegrass is not native to the Grand Canyon and requires an unnatural amount of water to maintain. The park’s General Management Plan, Exotic Plant Management Plan, and Historic Village Cultural Landscape Report all call for the removal of non-native species, such as Kentucky bluegrass. Once the lawns have been eliminated, native plant landscaping will be implemented in phases beginning in 2014.

In recent years, the exotic Kentucky bluegrass lawns have become an attractant for non-native Rocky Mountain elk that are utilizing the irrigated lawns as a food and water source creating a more urgent need to remove the lawns. Rocky Mountain elk were introduced into the Flagstaff and Williams, Arizona areas between 1913 and 1929 and have migrated to the South Rim of Grand Canyon in search of easy access to food and water.

Parkwide, there has been a dramatic increase in the number and concentration of aggressive elk encounters requiring staff intervention, especially around the El Tovar and adjacent rim lodges where large numbers of elk are causing human health and safety concerns.

“Visitors are naturally attracted to elk, and often approach too closely or place themselves directly in the path of elk that are foraging on the lawns,” stated Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga. “Elk have become habituated to these lawns, making them dangerous and unpredictable. Although elk can give the impression of being tame, they can quickly become aggressive when protecting their food and water sources, their young, and during the fall rutting season.”

Aggravated and aggressive elk are in close proximity to thousands of people visiting the lodges, restaurants, gift shops, and viewing areas along the edge of the canyon rim. By eliminating the lawns and removing unnatural food and water sources, the elk will disperse away from the rim’s edge to other areas of the park where there is a less concentrated visitor presence.

The lawns will be eliminated using a glyphosate based herbicide, a product found in local stores. The herbicide will be applied by certified applicators early in the morning. Park staff will be in the area, and the area signed and flagged to keep people and animals off the lawn as it dries, normally for a period of two to four hours.

The herbicide cannot be applied during rainy conditions or once overnight temperatures fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In the event that the herbicide cannot be applied in the next few weeks, the project will resume in spring 2014.

For more information about this project, please contact Vicky Stinson, Grand Canyon Project Manager at 928-638-7364. For more information about elk or wildlife safety visit the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience/elk.htm.

The Rim Fire in Yosemite - A Time Lapse Journey

 The Rim Fire in Yosemite National Park has consumed a few hundred thousand acres of pine forest and scrub land.  It is a devastation that is all too common out west with over a century of fire suppression (causing forests to become too dense) and a decade of drought. My friend John P. sent along this YouTube link to a time lapse of some of the smoke columns from this fire. Look at it here.

Animal Crackers - A Review

My friend and Grand Canyon park ranger Scott Kraynak has just published his book with fantastic illustrations in it. Called "Animal Crackers" the book is reviewed here in one of the latest editions of High Country News. Congratulations Scott and good luck with this book.

You can visit the books web site at: animalcrackersbook.wix.com/animal-crackers.

From their web site:

'Animal Crackers' is a mix of poetry and art, a creative effort by the brothers Kraynak.  While Scott is primarily the artist and Jeffrey is primarily the writer, to say that one wrote while the other illustrated would be a gross generalization.  For our creativity has bridged the divide and neither half would be as good without the input from the other side.

The Blackhawk Landslide in Southern Caifornia

Now and then, friends send me items of interest that I find too interesting to pass up. This one is on a little known but stupendous landslide that occurred just south of Victorville California, about 17,400 years ago. You can read the geologic description of the events here. You are sure to be amazed! Other dating estimates and stories can be found here, here (this link will allow you to download Shreves dissertation and geologic map as pdf's), and here is especially good.

Next time I am on my way to SoCal, I will be doing a drive by.