Rain and snow falling in Indiana contains less mercury than it did in years past. Yet some of the state's major waterways have mercury levels that could be harmful to humans and wildlife.

According to a U.S. Geological Survey report about mercury in streams, nearly six percent of water samples collected from 2004 to 2006 had mercury levels that exceeded the Indiana water-quality standard protecting human health. Mercury concentrations in 73 percent of the samples exceeded the more restrictive state water-quality standard protecting wildlife. More than 80 percent of the water samples had detectable methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury that accumulates in fish, birds, and mammals at the top of food chains.

In a separate USGS report looking at mercury in precipitation, scientists found that mercury concentrations in more than 40 percent of the samples exceeded the Indiana water-quality standard for human health and nearly all concentrations exceeded the standard protecting wildlife. In contrast, they reported a three percent decrease in mercury concentrations in precipitation and an eight percent decrease in the mass of mercury deposited by precipitation at the five Indiana monitoring stations from 2001 to 2005. These decreases may be related to a 28 percent decrease from 2002 to 2005 in mercury emissions in Indiana.

"Our studies are showing that mercury can be found in the water everywhere we've looked in Indiana, but the mercury varies from place to place and changes both seasonally and year to year," said USGS scientist Martin Risch, an author on both papers.

For these studies, scientists from the USGS Indiana Water Science Center in Indianapolis operated five monitoring stations across the state that collected rain and snow samples and measured precipitation every week. The scientists also collected water samples each season from 25 stream sites in the major watersheds draining most of Indiana. They analyzed the samples for mercury with methods that could detect concentrations less than a part per trillion, using special techniques and equipment to assure the mercury concentrations measured were representative.

In Indiana, the mass of atmospheric mercury deposited in precipitation typically corresponds with the amount of precipitation. The scientists noted that episodes with the highest mercury deposition usually were associated with big rainfall events. Risch added, "The decrease in mercury deposited by precipitation from 2001 to 2005 is explained by the decrease in the mercury concentration, not by an accompanying decrease in precipitation during that time."

Mercury in precipitation is not decreasing everywhere in Indiana. By using a new mapping technique, the scientists identified an area in southeastern Indiana where high mercury concentrations in the rain had contributed to some of the highest mercury deposition in the U.S. The maps indicate that high annual mercury emissions in the area may be an important factor affecting mercury concentrations in precipitation.

Mercury in the state's waterways could be tied to land use and stream conditions. "The highest mercury concentrations we measured were downstream of urban and industrial discharges or, in one case, downstream from active and abandoned minelands," said USGS scientist Amanda Ulberg who led the study of stream samples. "High total mercury concentrations were associated with increased streamflow in winter and spring when large amounts of fine particulates were suspended in the water." In contrast, most of the methylmercury was detected when water temperatures were warm and streamflow was low.

Mercury is an environmental contaminant that poses a health risk to humans and wildlife, especially the young. Nervous system and mental development can be diminished by mercury exposure. Mercury concentrations in sport fish in Indiana have caused health officials to recommend restrictions or bans on consumption of some fish. These restrictions have a widespread effect because 1 out of every 6 Indiana residents participates in recreational fishing. Mercury levels build up in food chains so that wildlife can be exposed to concentrations that may impair their reproduction and survival.

Mercury in the atmosphere comes from human activities that include coal-fueled power generation, metals industries, and cement manufacturing. Mercury in streams comes from atmospheric deposition and discharges of municipal and industrial wastewater.

The USGS, in a partnership with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), continues to monitor mercury in precipitation every week at five stations in Indiana. These stations are part of a network of more than 110 stations in North America, coordinated through the National Atmospheric Deposition Program. Also with the IDEM, the USGS continues to investigate mercury in streams every season at 25 sites statewide. Future reports are planned to present the results of these ongoing studies in Indiana. Summaries of these two programs, along with other studies of mercury by the USGS in Indiana, are available on the USGS Indiana Web site.

Reporters:  "Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Indiana Streams, August 2004-September 2006," by Ulberg and Risch, is available online. "Mercury in Precipitation in Indiana, January 2004-December 2005," by Risch and Fowler is available online. Hardcopy of both reports is available from the USGS Indianapolis office 317-290-3333.  A previous USGS study of Mercury in Precipitation in Indiana, January 2001-2003, is available in print or online.

Now Planning for 2009 

Los Angeles - It's working! On November 13, 2008 more than 5.47 million people in southern California participated in The Great Southern California ShakeOut, now officially the largest earthquake drill in the Nation's history - and according to some community leaders, a success that should be practiced every year. 

"This is the best single effort in emergency preparedness in my nearly 20 years in the business," wrote Mike Martinet, Executive Director, South Bay Office of Disaster Management (Area G).  "I hope that we can continue to use this scenario or some variations thereof for years to come."

The Great Southern California ShakeOut was a week of events, including the drill, all based on the 7.8 Magnitude San Andreas Fault earthquake scenario. All the resources, tools and information are still readily available at http://www.shakeout.org/. Much of the concept and organization came out of the Earthquake Country Alliance, a public-private partnership, which includes the US Geological Survey, Southern California Earthquake Center, California Office of Emergency Services, Caltech, State Farm, City of Los Angeles, Art Center College of Design, and many other partners.

When organizers of The ShakeOut concluded the historic week of earthquake preparedness events, including millions taking part in the "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" drill, they convened a meeting of emergency managers and community leaders to examine value of the effort.   When asked what could be done better, the participants overwhelmingly supported the idea of turning it into an annual day or week of disaster preparedness activities. 

"We didn't know when we set out to do this, if anyone would participate," said Lucy Jones, Chief Scientist of the USGS Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project.  "They did, and we're now getting calls to do something annually." 

The requests to continue the effort have been so constant over the past month that the Earthquake Country Alliance has agreed to look into expanding into a statewide organization.  "We certainly have heard many ideas of how we can get more people involved - and we'd like to do just that!" said Mark Benthien, Executive Director of the Earthquake Country Alliance and Outreach Director for the Southern California Earthquake Center.   "We hope that an annual ShakeOut-like drill will be part of an expanded statewide earthquake awareness program for many years."

One month after the Great Southern California ShakeOut, people are still talking about what they did during the ShakeOut Drill.  Emergency managers and community leaders are talking about what worked and what could have been done better, and where to go next.  Among their suggestions: improved communications with citizens groups, neighborhood watch groups, and the public; getting more buy-in from the top-level in many organizations, businesses, and educational institutions; and giving people more time to get ready. 

When asked what worked in the ShakeOut, numerous participants told organizers how the effort was based on comprehensive and multidisciplinary science, coupled with materials that explained and visualized it so clearly, and led by established experts that gave ShakeOut credibility and made people take it seriously.  Despite the seriousness, many considered the experience to be fun. ShakeOut organizers received many photos from around the region showing people under tables and desks performing Drop, Cover, and Hold On - smiling. 

MORE SHAKEOUT FACTS AND QUOTES

How does more than 5 million people compare to other drills around the world?  The massive annual earthquake drills in seismically hyper-active Japan draw an estimated 800,000 participants, while a May 2008 drill in South Korea may have involved as many as 8.2 million people.  Organizers here hope to expand the level of participation and range of life-saving preparedness activities in 2009! 

ShakeOut Total Participants: 5.47 million

• Imperial: 44,407
• Kern: 107,734
• Los Angeles: 2.7 million
• Orange: 896,669
• Riverside: 590,677
• San Bernardino: 501,677
• San Diego: 468,878
• Ventura: 83,472
• Other: 59,369

Deputy Director Doyle Recognized as Distinguished Executive;
Scientists Betancourt, Goldhaber Win Meritorious Laurels

USGS Deputy Director Robert Doyle and scientists Dr. Julio L. Betancourt and Dr. Martin B. Goldhaber have been selected as recipients of the Presidential Rank Award, a prestigious award that commends outstanding leadership and long-term accomplishments.

The President annually recognizes a small group of career senior executives and senior career employees with the Presidential Rank Award. Recipients of this major award are strong leaders, professionals and scientists who achieve results and who consistently demonstrate strength, integrity and commitment to excellence in public service.

"Through extraordinary and sustained achievement in their respective fields, each awardee has contributed greatly to understanding the science of nature," said USGS Director Mark Myers. "By demonstrating the highest level of leadership and excellence, they strengthen our organization. They each richly deserve this honor."

Award winners are chosen through a rigorous selection process. They are nominated by their agency heads, evaluated by boards composed of private citizens, and approved by the President. There are two categories of rank awards: Distinguished and Meritorious.

Deputy Director Doyle was named a Distinguished Senior Executive representing the Department of the Interior. After beginning his federal career at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1974, Mr. Doyle has consistently demonstrated superb business skills and excelled as an effective change agent, risk taker and problem solver.

"Not only has Bob been a critical asset to the Survey, he is frequently called upon by senior officials throughout the Department for his leadership, strategic thinking and management expertise," said Myers. "Again and again, he displays sharp, experienced judgment in analyzing situations. Equally important, he has exercised a strong and unusually versatile ability to get things done."

Dr. Julio Betancourt received a meritorious Presidential Rank Award. Dr. Betancourt, who is also an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona, has spent the last 30 years investigating how climate variability affects terrestrial ecosystems, publishing one book and more than 130 scientific papers. These studies have been pivotal for establishing baselines to detect and forecast landscape changes and for developing science-based approaches to managing water and other natural resources under a changing climate.

"The rigorous, cross-disciplinary investigations that Julio conducts - and encourages through his colleagues and students - is in the best tradition of the Survey's focus on applying science to understand the complexity of Earth systems, " said Myers. "His work greatly benefits our organization and natural science in the broadest sense."

Dr. Martin B. Goldhaber, a senior scientist with the USGS Mineral Resources Program, also received a meritorious Presidential Rank Award. During his 33-year career, Dr. Goldhaber has played a pivotal role as a national and international scientific leader. His research has yielded numerous high impact contributions to the field of geochemistry.

"What is particularly impressive about Marty's career is that his excellence as a scientist is paralleled by extraordinary organizational leadership, "said Myers. "In helping to develop a vital, comprehensive science strategy to guide USGS planning for the next 10 years, Marty's inspiring leadership has been essential and invaluable."

The United States faces the potential for abrupt climate change in the 21st century that could pose clear risks to society in terms of our ability to adapt.

"Abrupt" changes can occur over decades or less, persist for decades more, and cause substantial disruptions to human and natural systems.

A new report, based on an assessment of published science literature, makes the following conclusions about the potential for abrupt climate changes from global warming during this century.

• Climate model simulations and observations suggest that rapid and sustained September arctic sea ice loss is likely in the 21^st century.
• The southwestern United States may be beginning an abrupt period of increased drought.
• It is very likely that the northward flow of warm water in the upper layers of the Atlantic Ocean, which has an important impact on the global climate system, will decrease by approximately 25-30 percent. However, it is very unlikely that this circulation will collapse or that the weakening will occur abruptly during the 21^st century and beyond.
• An abrupt change in sea level is possible, but predictions are highly uncertain due to shortcomings in existing climate models.
• There is unlikely to be an abrupt release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere from deposits in the earth. However, it is very likely that the pace of methane emissions will increase.

The U.S. Geological Survey led the new assessment, which was authored by a team of climate scientists from the federal government and academia. The report was commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program with contributions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation.

"This report was truly a collaborative effort between world renowned scientists who provided objective, unbiased information that is necessary to develop effective adaptation and mitigation strategies that protect our livelihood," said USGS Director Mark Myers. "It summarizes the scientific community's growing understanding regarding the potential for abrupt climate changes and identifies areas for additional research to further improve climate models."

Further research is needed to improve our understanding of the potential for abrupt changes in climate. For example, the report's scientists found that processes such as interaction of warm ocean waters with the periphery of ice sheets and ice shelves have a greater impact than previously known on the destabilization of ice sheets that might accelerate sea-level rise.

To view the full report, titled Synthesis and Assessment Product 3.4: Abrupt Climate Change, and a summary brochure on abrupt climate change, visit http://www.climatescience.gov/default.php.

The Willamette, a large river associated with 70 percent of the population of Oregon, is getting cleaner in regard to some persistent toxic pollutants that are a legacy of past management practices. A 257-mile portion of the Columbia River between Umatilla, Oregon, and Skamokawa, Washington, is also showing a similar trend. 

These findings are based on research by U.S. Geological Survey biologists. For 15 years, they have tracked environmental contaminants in the Pacific Northwest using ospreys and a variety of fish as environmental indicators. Ospreys are a good indicator species of aquatic ecosystem health because they eat almost exclusively large fish caught within a short distance of nest sites spaced at fairly regular intervals along large rivers. They often are directly exposed to pollutants that accumulate in aquatic food chains.

"Some species, like the osprey, can accommodate human-related changes reasonably well unless they are consistently exposed to toxic chemicals" said USGS lead scientist Chuck Henny. "It's gratifying to watch populations rebound when harmful compounds are managed in an environmentally responsible manner."

For the Willamette River, contaminant levels in fish and osprey eggs were sampled in 1993, 2001, and 2006. Levels of most contaminants declined, reproductive rates of osprey were above that required to offset natural mortality, and the osprey population increased dramatically. Declines in contaminant residues in fish paralleled decreases found in osprey eggs. During the study, only mercury concentrations increased in osprey eggs and in a predatory fish called the pikeminnow, a situation that merits continued monitoring because of the highly toxic properties of mercury.

For the Columbia River, the scientists compared population characteristics and contaminant residues in eggs of ospreys nesting along the river in one set of years, 1997 and 1998, with the same information from 2004. By 2004, the nesting osprey population had increased, reproductive rates were higher, and many contaminant concentrations in eggs were significantly lower than in the 1997 to 1998 samples. Again, mercury was the only contaminant evaluated that showed a significant increase in 2004. However, residue concentrations remained below levels known to affect nesting success of birds.

The contaminants that were analyzed include industrial pollutants, some banned pesticides and their byproducts, and many other compounds that are known to harm living organisms. Over 80 organic chemicals and total mercury were evaluated, including DDT, a banned pesticide in North America that causes thinning of egg shells. Also sampled were polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), industrial compounds linked to harmful health effects in humans.

The work continues. Additional osprey-egg samples were collected from nests along both rivers in 2007 and 2008 for similar contaminant residue analysis, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a new contaminant  used as a flame-retarding additive to many products. Levels of PBDEs have increased dramatically in aquatic environments in recent years. These compounds have toxic properties and have been detected in fish-eating wildlife. 

The details of the studies are published in the science journals Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/papers/1880_Henny.pdf) and Ecotoxicology. Additional information about the studies and related USGS osprey research is available on the web at:  http://fresc.usgs.gov/.