USGS science picks(gcushing@usgs.gov or (928) 556- Thawi...)

One of the world's most important sinks of carbon could start to release its contents into the atmosphere. A new study by the USGS and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks shows that the Arctic has been responsible for up to 25 percent of the earth's carbon sink in recent decades. The carbon enters the Arctic from the atmosphere and is trapped in the permafrost, the frozen layer of soil underneath the land's surface. This layer is an effective carbon sink because the permafrost is too cold to for the carbon to decompose very quickly. However, global warming is causing the permafrost to thaw, exposing the previously frozen soil to decomposition and erosion, and could make the permafrost a source of atmospheric carbon, rather than a sink. For more information, check out http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2326 or contact Dave McGuire at ffadm@usgs.gov or (907) 474-6242.

Recently, homeowners in Florida began reporting respiratory tract infections, sinus problems and nosebleeds, as well as damage to electrical wiring in homes. Experts believe these conditions are caused by faulty wallboard. Wallboard is made out of the mineral gypsum. The USGS collects information from gypsum producers as well as gypsum production information from other countries. Based on these data, experts believe the faulty wallboard is manufactured in China. Gypsum is a byproduct of coal-burning powerplants, and many wallboard manufacturers use this source of gypsum in their manufacturing process. This production process in the United States is similar to that in China, and experts are trying to determine the chemical differences between the wallboard originating in the two different countries. For more in
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