LEADER OF INTERNET PIRACY GROUP "IMAGINE" WILL SPEND 60 MONTHS IN PRISON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Leader of Internet Piracy Group "IMAGiNE" Sentenced in Virginia to 60 Months in Prison for Criminal Copyright Conspiracy

WASHINGTON – The leader of the Internet piracy group "IMAGiNE" was sentenced today to serve 60 months in prison, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride and Special Agent in Charge John P. Torres of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C.

Jeramiah B. Perkins, 40, of Portsmouth, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen in the Eastern District of Virginia. In addition to his prison term, Perkins was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution. On Aug. 29, 2012, Perkins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.

Perkins was indicted along with three other defendants on April 18, 2012, for their roles in the IMAGiNE Group, an organized online piracy ring that sought to become the premier group to first release Internet copies of movies only showing in theaters.

According to court documents, Perkins directed and participated in using receivers and recording devices in movie theaters to secretly capture the audio sound tracks of copyrighted movies and then synchronized the audio files with illegally recorded video files to create completed movie files suitable for sharing over the Internet among members of the IMAGiNE Group and others.

Perkins admitted he took the lead in renting computer servers in France and elsewhere for use by the IMAGiNE Group. He also admitted he registered domain names for use by the IMAGiNE Group, and opened e-mail and PayPal accounts to receive donations and payments from persons downloading or buying IMAGiNE Group releases of pirated copies of motion pictures and other copyrighted works.

According to testimony by a representative of the Motion Picture Association of America, the IMAGiNE Group constituted the most prolific motion picture piracy release group operating on the Internet from September 2009 through September 2011.

Co-defendants Sean M. Lovelady, Willie O. Lambert and Gregory A. Cherwonik each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on May 9, June 22 and July 11, 2012, respectively. Lambert and Lovelady were sentenced on Nov. 2, 2012, to 30 months and 23 months in prison, respectively. Cherwonik was sentenced on Nov. 29, 2012, to 40 months in prison. A fifth co-defendant, Javier E. Ferrer, was charged in an information on Sept. 13, 2012, for his role in the IMAGiNE Group, and he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on Nov. 29, 2012. Ferrer is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2013.

The investigation of the case and the arrests were conducted by agents with HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Krask of the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Counsel John H. Zacharia of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. Significant assistance was provided by the CCIPS Cyber Crime Lab and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

This case is part of efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force) to stop the theft of intellectual property. Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work. The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders.
This investigation was supported by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in Washington. The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government's key weapons in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy. Working in close coordination with the Department of Justice’s IP Task Force, the IPR Center uses the expertise of its 21-member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to IP theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and our war fighters.

U.S.-NIGERIA RELATIONS



Map:  Nigeria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The United States established diplomatic relations with Nigeria in 1960, following its independence from the United Kingdom. Post-independence, the country saw a mix of coups, military rule, assassinations, massacres, civil war, and elections. The 1999 inauguration of a civilian president ended 16 consecutive years of military rule. Following this, the U.S.-Nigerian relationship began to improve, as did cooperation on foreign policy goals such as regional peacekeeping.

Nigeria's economic growth has been largely fueled by oil revenues. Although the country conducted successful elections in 2011, it faces formidable challenges in consolidating democratic order, including terrorist activities, sectarian conflicts, and public mistrust of the government. Nigeria has yet to develop effective measures to address corruption, poverty, and ineffective social service systems, and mitigate the violence. Under the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission, the two countries hold bilateral talks on four key areas: good governance, transparency, and integrity; energy and investment; Niger Delta and regional security; and agriculture and food security.

U.S. Assistance to Nigeria

The United States seeks to help improve the economic stability, security, and well-being of Nigerians by strengthening democratic institutions, improving transparency and accountability, and professionalizing security forces. U.S. assistance also aims to reinforce local and national systems; build institutional capacity in the provision of health and education services; and support improvements in agricultural productivity, job expansion in the rural sector, and increased supplies of clean energy. A partnership among the U.S., the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and international organizations to focus on improved governance, non-oil economic growth, and human development ensures closer coordination of donor activities, more effective support, and greater impact for ordinary citizens.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Nigeria is the United States' largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly due to the high level of petroleum imports from Nigeria. The United States is the largest foreign investor in Nigeria, with U.S. foreign direct investment concentrated largely in the petroleum/mining and wholesale trade sectors. U.S. imports from Nigeria include oil, cocoa, rubber, returns, and food waste. U.S. exports to Nigeria include wheat, vehicles, machinery, oil, and plastic. Nigeria is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The United States and Nigeria have signed a bilateral trade and investment framework agreement.

Nigeria's Membership in International Organizations

Nigeria and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Nigeria also is an observer to the Organization of American States.

Locator Map.  Nigeria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND NATIONAL SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MONTH

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DOD Heightens Training, Prevention to Target Human Trafficking

By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2013 - To spark awareness and vigilance against a growing global human rights crisis, President Barack Obama has proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Linda Dixon, the Defense Department's program manager for combating trafficking in persons, told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service in a recent interview that DOD has strengthened training modules and reporting avenues to combat trafficking in persons, a criminal enterprise that generates roughly $32 billion per year worldwide.

"That's the second-largest source of revenue for criminal enterprises, and it's growing," Dixon said. "Trafficking is a zero-tolerance policy; it's not only immoral, but it is illegal."

The United Nations International Labor organization estimates more than 12 million human trafficking victims worldwide, with an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 new victims each year.

Some victims are Americans, Dixon said, but most victims come from elsewhere. "Source countries are usually areas that are poverty-stricken," she said, "but trafficking is everywhere."

The Trafficking Victim Protection Act defines trafficking in persons as the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person to provide labor or services or commercial sex.

The crime, Dixon explained, can run the gamut of exploitation, and includes elements of recruiting, harboring, transportation, providing or obtaining a person for the purpose of exploitation.

State Department officials said the three most common forms of trafficking are labor trafficking, sex trafficking and child soldiering.

Child soldiering entails the unlawful recruitment of minors who, as young as age 7, are sexually and physically abused and forced to commit atrocities in more than 57 armed conflicts worldwide, according to State Department officials.

DOD's demand-reduction and prevention program is a mechanism to report violations and thwart offenses, Dixon said.

In addition to a general awareness training module, she added, the program also includes law enforcement, contractor and leadership-specific training modules.

"We have put together training modules ... [and] a clause in our contracts to prohibit contractors from being involved in trafficking," Dixon said. "All of the agencies have a [trafficking in persons] point of contact -- the services, the combatant commands [and] defense agencies."

Indicators include heavily guarded areas where workers appear intimidated or are being escorted from a facility to their home, or who lack personal documents such as passports or other identification, Dixon explained.

"You should report it to your local authorities; report it through your chain of command," Dixon said.

If DOD personnel are involved in trafficking offenses, she added, the inspector general investigates the type and scope of the offense to determine a course of action.

Noting that 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, Dixon said the year will feature summits, events and conferences to sharpen awareness and eradicate trafficking.

"In DOD, we're charged with making sure that we protect our country's security, and trafficking in persons is a threat to that security," she said.

Dixon said great strides have been made at the highest level to stop this modern-day slavery and restore human dignity.

"There's an education process that's taking place, not only with people in general, but with our law enforcement, to recognize it, understand and know that it is a chargeable offense," Dixon said. "It is a danger to our troops. It's a danger to national security."

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
130102-N-LR347-090 BALA BOLUK, Afghanistan (Jan. 2, 2013) Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Daniel Baudin, right, assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah, talks with an Afghan elder. PRT Farah's mission is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels in Farah province Afghanistan. Their civil military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup/Released)

130102-N-LR347-101 BALA BOLUK, Afghanistan (Jan. 2, 2013) An Afghan elder speaks with Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Daniel Baudin, assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah. PRT Farah's mission is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels in Farah province Afghanistan. Their civil military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup/Released)

 

1st HIPAA breach settlement involving less than 500 patients

1st HIPAA breach settlement involving less than 500 patients

Have a go bag, have a plan

Have a go bag, have a plan

ISS UPDATE FOR JANUARY 2, 2013

FROM:  NASA:

AN ALIEN'S LOOK AT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

FROM: NASA
　

Dust Models Paint Alien's View of Solar System
Dust in the Kuiper Belt, the cold-storage zone that includes Pluto, creates a faint infrared disk potentially visible to alien astronomers looking for planets around the sun. Neptune's gravitational imprint on the dust is detectable in new simulations of how this dust moves through the solar system. The simulations show how the distant view of the solar system might have changed over its history.

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - January 2, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - January 2, 2013

SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL

　

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Statement
Press Statement
Philippe Reines, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 2, 2013
Secretary Clinton was discharged from the hospital this evening. Her medical team advised her that she is making good progress on all fronts, and they are confident she will make a full recovery. She's eager to get back to the office, and we will keep you updated on her schedule as it becomes clearer in the coming days. Both she and her family would like to express their appreciation for the excellent care she received from the doctors, nurses, and staff at New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BIOGRAPHY OF HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON FROM THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

On January 21, 2009, Hillary Rodham Clinton was sworn in as the 67th Secretary of State of the United States. Secretary Clinton joined the State Department after nearly four decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, and Senator.

Secretary Clinton was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 26, 1947 to Dorothy Rodham and the late Hugh Rodham.
She attended local public schools before graduating from Wellesley College and Yale Law School, where she met Bill Clinton. In 1974, Secretary Clinton moved to Arkansas, a year later then married Bill Clinton and became a successful attorney while also raising their daughter, Chelsea. She was an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law, and after working to strengthen the local legal aid office, she was appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 to serve on the board of the Legal Services Corporation, which she later chaired.

During her 12 years as First Lady of the State of Arkansas, she was Chairwoman of the Arkansas Education Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, and the Children's Defense Fund.

In 1992, Governor Clinton was elected President of the United States, and as First Lady, Hillary Clinton became an advocate of health care reform and worked on many issues relating to children and families. She led successful bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy, and provide health care to millions of children through the Children's Health Insurance Program. She also traveled to more than 80 countries as a representative of our country, winning respect as a champion of human rights, democracy and civil society. Her famous speech in Beijing in 1995 -- when she declared that "human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights" – inspired women worldwide and helped galvanize a global movement for women’s rights.

With Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Secretary Clinton worked to launch the government’s Vital Voices Democracy Initiative. Today, Vital Voices is a non-governmental organization that continues to train and organize women leaders across the globe.

In 2000, Hillary Clinton made history as the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate, and the first woman elected statewide in New York. In the Senate, she served on the Armed Services Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Budget Committee and the Select Committee on Aging. She was also a Commissioner on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

As a Senator, Clinton worked across party lines to build support for causes important to her constituents and the country, including the expansion of economic opportunity and access to quality, affordable health care. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, she was a strong advocate for funding the rebuilding of New York and the health concerns of the first responders who risked their lives working at Ground Zero. She also championed the cause of our nation's military and fought for better health care and benefits for wounded service members, veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserves. She was also the only Senate member of the Transformation Advisory Group to the Department of Defense's Joint Forces Command.
In 2006, Senator Clinton won reelection to the Senate, and in 2007 she began her historic campaign for President. In 2008, she campaigned for the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and in November, she was nominated by President-elect Obama to be Secretary of State.

Secretary Clinton is the author of best-selling books, including her memoir, Living History, and her groundbreaking book on children, It Takes A Village. She and President Clinton reside in New York.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC SECURITY DETERIORATION CAUSES U.S. CONCERN

 

Map:  Central African Republic.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Situation in the Central African Republic
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 31, 2012

We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). We call on the rebel alliance to cease hostilities and movements towards the capital. We also call on the rebels to ensure the safety of the civilian population.

We urgently call on the CAR government to ensure that its security forces respect the human rights of the Central African people and foreign populations within the CAR. We are particularly concerned by allegations of arrests and disappearances of hundreds of individuals who are members of ethnic groups with ties to the Séléka rebel alliance. Those guilty of violations and crimes under international law must be held to account.

The United States remains concerned about stability of the region and encourages all parties in the CAR to participate in the dialogue convoked by the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC in French). We urge the parties to seek a political resolution to this crisis that is comprehensive, inclusive, and consistent with the CAR constitution and the 2008 Global Peace Agreement.

Locator Map:  Central African Republic.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK


The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as severely flawed. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Militant group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well.

FEMA RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REBUILDING

Photo:  Hurricane Destruction.  Credit:  FEMA

FROM: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Resolve To Rebuild Stronger, Safer, Smarter

NEW YORK - Most of us make New Year’s resolutions to look better, feel better or reach a long-term goal.

This year resolve to rebuild stronger, safer and smarter after Hurricane Sandy to save lives and property when the next weather disaster strikes.

Hazard mitigation is building smart, strong and safe to prevent future damage from severe weather. Smart building includes mitigating damage against floods, strong winds and even tornadoes.

Always contact a local building official before undertaking rebuilding, renovating or retrofitting to be sure your plans meet local and state government requirements. You also need the proper permits from your local municipality to avoid future problems.

Such simple mitigation measures as elevating electrical and heating systems and anchoring fuel storage tanks can provide a windfall of protection against severe weather.

Mitigation can also include landscaping. For instance, sea oats and other grasses can provide soil stability against storm surge. Ask your landscaper what indigenous plants withstand severe weather and protect property. Professional tree pruning can save not only the tree but can minimize the damage caused by a tree in severe weather.

Flooding

Just an inch of water can cause costly damage to your property.

The average annual U.S. flood losses in the past 10 years (2002-2011) were more than $2.9 billion.

Rebuilding smartly in a flood-prone area means preventing future damages from flooding such as elevating your structure above the base flood elevation or higher. Flood hazard maps show different zones of hazard which determines policy premiums. The lower the degree of risk, the lower the flood insurance premium.

By elevating your home above that potential flood elevation, you not only reduce the risk of flooding, you save on the cost of flood insurance. The FEMA’s NFIP policy can cover structures and personal property. You don’t have to live in a flood-prone area to buy FEMA’s flood insurance policy which is sold by most insurance agents.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JANUARY 2, 2013

Photo:  IED Detinations.  Credit:  U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate Mandy McClaur

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader, Seizes IED Materials
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in the Shah Wali Kot district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested Taliban leader provided weapons and ammunition to insurgent fighters in the central Arghandab and southwest Shah Wali Kot districts, officials said. He also planned and coordinated improvised explosive device attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces.

The security force also seized IED-making materials during the operation, officials said.

Also today, a combined force arrested a member of the Haqqani network in the Pul-e 'Alam district of Logar province. The arrested Haqqani insurgent planned and executed attacks against Afghan government officials as well as Afghan and coalition forces. He was also responsible for the movement of weapons and provided funds to Haqqani fighters operating in the Pul-e 'Alam district.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. The arrested Taliban leader directed IED operations in the Zharay and Panjwa'i districts. He also provided supplies, weapons and ammunition to insurgents for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Kandahar province.

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader in the Khanabad district of Kunduz province. The arrested Taliban leader organized insurgents and procured IEDs and other weapons for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In the Sabari district of Khost province, a combined force arrested a local Haqqani leader, detained several other suspects, and seized multiple weapons. The Haqqani leader planned and executed direct-fire and IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and oversaw IED emplacements in the district.

In Dec. 31, 2012, operations:

-- In the Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province, a combined force killed the Taliban leader, Nurullah Khan, and one other insurgent. Nurullah Khan, also known as Shaker, transported and distributed weapons for insurgents in Kunduz province. At the time of his death, Nurullah Khan was coordinating the movement of explosives for use in a future IED attack.

-- In the Arghandab district of Kandahar province, a combined force arrested a local Taliban leader and detained three other suspects. The arrested Taliban leader coordinated IED attacks and distributed IEDs and IED-making components to insurgents.

-- In the Khost district of Khost province, a combined force arrested a Haqqani leader and killed one other insurgent. The arrested Haqqani leader planned the Dec. 26, 2012, vehicle-borne IED suicide attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman.

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update: FIREWORKS FUN FACTS

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

Expectant stress

Expectant stress

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY

121227-N-BC134-372 SAN DIEGO (Dec. 27, 2012) Service members spread the American flag across the field at Qualcomm Stadium during the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl. The Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Flag is one of the largest ceremonial American flags in the United States. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John Grandin/Released)

121227-N-CD336-003 SAN DIEGO (Dec. 27, 2012) A member of the U.S. Navy parachute demonstration team, the Leap Frogs, lands at Qualcomm stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl. The Leap Frogs are based in San Diego and perform aerial precision parachute demonstrations across America in support of Special Warfare and Navy recruiting. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Oscar Espinoza./Released)

 

AUSTRAILIA BURNING AND GLOWING

NASA Earth Observatory images by Robert Simmon

FROM: NASA
Two weeks ago, we
published a new map of the Earth at night, built by Earth Observatory designers together with colleagues at the National Geophysical Data Center. That map—made possible by a new NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite—showed the footprint of human civilization on the planet, as revealed by the lights we use to brighten the darkness.

But it turns out the map showed something more. Astute readers noticed lights in areas that were thought to be uninhabited. Many of those readers pointed to Western Australia and asked: How can there be so much light there?

The top image above shows the night lights of Australia as observed by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012. The composite image includes manmade light sources and the light of wildfires. The data were acquired over nine days in April 2012 and thirteen days in October 2012, and it took the satellite 312 orbits and 2.5 terabytes of data to get a clear shot of every parcel of Earth’s land surface.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Robert Simmon

The second map is a mosaic showing the burned areas of the landscape (red) from October 11–24, 2012, combined with urban areas (black). The data were collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA’s Terra and HYPERLINK "http://aqua.nasa.gov/"Aqua satellites. In effect, the map shows where fires burned that month. Though many rural areas of interior Australia are dry and relatively barren by some standards, there is still enough vegetation to burn, as you can see by clicking on this view from the International Space Station and others from the MODIS instruments.

The extent of the lighting in the Outback and bush country is a function of composite imaging. Fires and other lights that were detected on one day were integrated into the composite, multi-day picture despite being temporary phenomena. Because different lands burned at different times that the satellite passed over, the cumulative result is the appearance of a massive blaze. But while the cities are fixed, the fires were temporary, moveable features. The night lights data set is a scientific work in progress, and the maps will be refined and improved over time.

Not every light in the night view matches up with a fire—partly because the fire map does not include fires from April and partly because not every fire leaves a scar that is detectable from space. Even simple cloud cover could prevent burn scars from being observed.

Aside from the fires, some of the night lights appearing in uninhabited areas can be attributed to natural gas flares, lightning, oil drilling or mining operations, and fishing boats—all of which can show up as points of light. One example is natural gas drilling in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota; another is the fishing boats plying the seas of Asia.

And ultimately, the new images of Earth at night are ripe for new discoveries. It’s easy to say that lands are uninhabited or barren—that there’s nothing out there to make light. But the satellite says there is light, so we should probably go take a look at what we have been overlooking or simply could not see before.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Robert Simmon, using Suomi NPP VIIRS data provided by Chris Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center); MODIS Active Fire & Burned Area Products; and urban data from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. Suomi NPP is the result of a partnership between NASA, NOAA, and the Department of Defense. Caption by Michael Carlowicz.

President Obama Makes a Statement | The White House

President Obama Makes a Statement | The White House

U.S.-PAKISTAN RELATIONS

Map:  Pakistan. Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The United States has had diplomatic relations with Pakistan since the latter's 1947 independence from the United Kingdom. The two countries' common interest in peace and stability in South Asia has informed their relationship over the decades. In the context of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, the United States provided military aid to Pakistan to modernize its conventional defensive capability. However, the discovery of Pakistan’s program to develop nuclear weapons caused the United States to suspend military assistance in 1990.

The September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States by a terrorist organization based in Afghanistan known as al-Qaida led to closer coordination between Pakistan and the United States on security and stability in South Asia. Pakistan pledged cooperation with the United States in counterterrorism efforts, which included locating and shutting down terrorist training camps within Pakistan's borders, cracking down on extremist groups, and withdrawing support for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The United States resumed a close security partnership with the Pakistani military and law enforcement. In 2004, the United States recognized its closer bilateral ties with Pakistan by naming Pakistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally.

Since 2001, Pakistan has provided assistance in counterterrorism efforts by capturing more than 600 al-Qaida members and their allies. In May 2011, the leader of al-Qaida, Osama bin Ladin, was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan. A November 2011 cross-border incident involving the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) resulted in the accidental tragic death of 24 Pakistani soldiers. In response, Pakistan's parliament conducted a review of U.S.-Pakistan relations and in April 2012 approved policy recommendations for revised terms of engagement with the U.S. and ISAF. The United States continues to engage with Pakistan on shared interests and seeks a bilateral relationship that is enduring, strategic, and clearly defined.

U.S. Assistance to Pakistan

The U.S. Congress passed the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act (often referred to as "Kerry-Lugar-Berman," or "KLB," after its co-sponsors) in October 2009 in order to demonstrate the U.S.’ long-term commitment to cooperation with the Pakistani people and their civilian institutions. Between 2009 and August 2012, the U.S. disbursed approximately $2.9 billion in civilian assistance to Pakistan, including almost $1 billion of emergency humanitarian assistance following the 2010 and 2011 floods.

U.S. civilian assistance to Pakistan is focused on five priority areas: energy; economic growth, including agriculture; stabilization, mainly of the border areas; education, and health. These areas were determined in consultation with the Government of Pakistan. The U.S. implements programs with Pakistani partners, including the Government of Pakistan and private sector actors, when practical, to increase local capacity and sustainability of efforts.

Bilateral Economic Relations

In 2009, Pakistan's exports to all countries were estimated at $17.87 billion and its imports at $28.31 billion. In 2008, the U.S. accounted for 16% of the country's exports and almost 5% of its imports, making it Pakistan’s second largest trading partner. Pakistan has taken steps over the years to liberalize its trade and investment regimes, either unilaterally or in the context of commitments made with the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank. In FY 2010, major U.S. investments were concentrated in oil and gas exploration, power, trade, construction, food, food packaging, and chemicals and petroleum refining.

Pakistan's Membership in International Organizations

Pakistan and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, WTO, IMF, and World Bank. Pakistan is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

 

Locator Map:  Pakistan.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

the Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. In January 2012, Pakistan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.

THE MARS ROVER CELEBRATES THE NEW YEAR

FROM: NASA

From Mars Curiosity to Times Square - Happy New Year
New Year's Eve revelers watching giant screens in New York's Times Square saw a special Happy New Year greeting from Mars, currently 206 million miles away.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

SEC. OF DEFENSE PANETTA SAYS U.S. IN SECOND TO LAST STAGE IN AFGHANISTAN SECURITY TRANSITION

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta Praises Security Transition Progress in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta lauded Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s announcement that Afghanistan has entered the second to last stage of the transition of security responsibility from NATO’s International Security Assistance Force to Afghan security forces.

"It is another sign of steady progress that the Government of Afghanistan has announced the fourth tranche of the transition process," Panetta said in a statement issued today.

Afghanistan's security transition is designed to take place in five tranches, or stages. The transition is in line with the plan set forth at the Lisbon summit, ISAF officials said in a news release issued today.

"I congratulate President Karzai, his national security team, and the Afghan National Security Forces for their commitment to taking even more of a lead role for the security of the Afghan people," Panetta said.

As part of the fourth tranche, 12 Afghan provinces entered the security transition process, ISAF officials said. Afghanistan now has 23 of its 34 provinces entirely in the transition process. The provinces added in tranche four are primarily in the north and interior of the country, said officials, noting that one district in Helmand province is also included in the announcement.

"This step demonstrates the success of our strategy and the progress that the men and women of ISAF, working closely with our Afghan partners, are achieving every day in Afghanistan," Panetta said.

"President Karzai's announcement of the fourth group of provinces to enter transition is another historic step for Afghanistan as it gets closer to taking full responsibility for security of the entire country," said Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of ISAF and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan.

"With the addition of these 12 full provinces to the transition process, Afghan National Security Forces are now taking the security lead in areas where 87 percent of the Afghan people live," Allen said.

This is a strong indicator that Afghanistan is on the path to full self-governance, Panetta said.

"Going forward, our efforts in Afghanistan will continue to ensure that the Afghan people can secure and govern themselves, and to deny safe haven to al-Qaida. Today's announcement marks another major advance toward those goals," he said.

It is expected that all parts of Afghanistan will have begun transition by the summer of 2013, ISAF officials said, putting the Afghan forces in the lead for security nationwide.

Ambassador Maurits R. Jochems, NATO’s senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, recognized that the progress made in professionalism and confidence by the Afghan National Security Forces has enabled the transition strategy to succeed.

Speaking about NATO and ISAF's commitment to Afghanistan, Jochems said, "ISAF will continue to support the Afghan National Security Forces until the end of 2014, and after that NATO and its partners remain committed to Afghanistan's future stability through a new mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces."

A BLACK WHOLE SHINNING BRIGHTLY

FROM: NASA

A Wanderer Dances the Dance of Stars and Space
The Hubble Space Telescope captured a spectacular image of the bright star-forming ring that surrounds the heart of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1097. In this image, the larger-scale structure of the galaxy is barely visible: its comparatively dim spiral arms, which surround its heart in a loose embrace, reach out beyond the edges of this frame.

This face-on galaxy, lying 45 million light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Fornax (The Furnace), is particularly attractive for astronomers. NGC 1097 is a Seyfert galaxy. Lurking at the very center of the galaxy, a supermassive black hole 100 million times the mass of our sun is gradually sucking in the matter around it. The area immediately around the black hole shines powerfully with radiation coming from the material falling in.

The distinctive ring around the black hole is bursting with new star formation due to an inflow of material toward the central bar of the galaxy. These star-forming regions are glowing brightly thanks to emission from clouds of ionized hydrogen. The ring is around 5000 light-years across, although the spiral arms of the galaxy extend tens of thousands of light-years beyond it.

Image Credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble

REPUBLIC OF SUDAN'S NATIONAL DAY

Map:  Republic Of Sudan.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

On the Occasion of the Republic of Sudan's National Day
Press Statement
Washington, DC
December 31, 2012
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Sudan as you celebrate 57 years of independence this January 1. We hope that all Sudanese will enjoy the benefits of peace, development and prosperity in the coming year. The United States is strongly committed to working with Sudan as it moves toward peace, both internally and with its neighbors.

Locator Map:  Republic Of Sudan.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972 but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than four million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than two million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords. The final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in January 2005, granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years followed by a referendum on independence for Southern Sudan. The referendum was held in January 2011 and indicated overwhelming support for independence. South Sudan became independent on 9 July 2011. Since southern independence Sudan has been combating rebels from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states. A separate conflict, which broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003, has displaced nearly two million people and caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths. The UN took command of the Darfur peacekeeping operation from the African Union in December 2007. Peacekeeping troops have struggled to stabilize the situation, which has become increasingly regional in scope and has brought instability to eastern Chad. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes from neighboring countries primarily Ethiopia and Chad. Armed conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.

HAITI'S INDEPENDENCE DAY

Map:  Haiti.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.  

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Haiti's Independence Day
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 31, 2012
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Haiti as you celebrate your 209th anniversary of independence this January 1.

As the second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti blazed a trail of independence that has inspired others seeking freedom and dignity. For more than two centuries Haitians have met and overcome challenges, even in the most difficult circumstances.

The United States is proud to be Haiti’s neighbor and partner today and in the years to come supporting Haiti's work to ensure that every Haitian is able to live up to his or her god-given potential. May this year, and many to come, bring peace, prosperity and stability.
　



Locator Map:  Haiti.  From:  CIA World Factbook.

 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
The native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola. In 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first black republic to declare independence in 1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the United Nations. Continued violence and technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti finally did inaugurate a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 2006. A massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 25 km (15 mi) west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Over 300,000 people were killed and some 1 milllion left homeless. The earthquake was assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years.

NASA VIDEO: WHAT'S UP FOR JANUARY 2013

What's Up for January 2013
Spy Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mars as they make appearances next to the moon this month, making them easy and fun to spot in the sky.  Credit:  NASA.

NASA 2012 VIDEO'S: TRIBUTE TO FIRST MAN ON THE MOON

 

　 Neil Armstrong Tribute

Astronauts and other former colleagues remember Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander and first man to walk on the moon.

U.S. WORK IN AFGHANISTAN CONTINUES IN 2012

 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Engaging Greeting - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Julie Nicholson shakes hands with an Afghan child during a mission in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, July 8, 2012. Nicolson is a female engagement team leader assigned to Marine Headquarters Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. U.S. Marine Corps courtesy photo

　

Moving Higher - U.S. paratroopers serving as an over watch element move their observation post higher on a hill during combat operations in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, May 19, 2012. The paratroopers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

ANTARTIC SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS ON ICE

Antartic Lake.  Credit:  NASA.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Trio of Complex Antarctic Science Projects Reaches Significant Technological Milestones "on the Ice"

December 20, 2012

Three very large-scale, National Science Foundation-funded Antarctic science projects--investigating scientifically significant subjects as varied as life in extreme ecosystems, the fate of one of the world's largest ice sheets and the nature of abrupt global climate-change events--have recently each reached important technological milestones that will advance cutting-edge research.

In the past week, researchers with the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS) project, the Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project and the Pine Island Glacier (PIG) project each announced they had achieved these various milestones. In each case, the successes were based on innovative drilling technologies and promise to open new scientific vistas for Antarctic research.

All three projects are supported by the NSF-managed U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). Through the USAP, NSF coordinates all U.S. scientific research and related logistical support on the southernmost continent and in the surrounding Southern Ocean.

"Although additional challenges doubtless lie ahead for these projects in the harsh Antarctic environment, these successes are a testament to both scientific and engineering ingenuity and the logistical support needed to mount such ambitious and scientifically promising programs," said Scott Borg, who heads Antarctic Sciences in NSF's Office of Polar Programs.

Pine Island Glacier

On December 17, researchers with the PIG project announced that they had successfully drilled through the remote Pine Island Glacier ice shelf.

The successful drilling will help to reach the project's ultimate objective: to study the physical processes that are causing a rapid melting of the 60-kilometer-long (37 miles) ice shelf that extends into Pine Island Bay. One cause is suspected to be the circulation of relatively warmer ocean waters under the floating ice shelf that are undercutting the shelf.

Results from PIG will be used to improve the physics of numerical models that are used to predict future melt rates of the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Increased melting of the ice sheet could contribute significantly to global sea-level rise, with wide-ranging consequences for the Earth's temperate regions.

The stability of the polar ice sheets and their reaction to rising global temperatures remain one of the variables in the models used to predict climate trends. Analysis of satellite imagery and altimetry has shown that this part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has the highest thinning rates in Antarctica.

PIG is also funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and includes collaborating scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). High-resolution imagery analyzed by NASA Emeritus and project lead scientist Bob Bindschadler was used to locate a suitable site for the PIG camp on the ice.

The international PIG project is comprised of scientists and engineers with specialized expertise in analyzing satellite imagery deploying the hot-water drill; seismic and radar surveys of the ice shelf; and sea-bed structure and development and deployment of custom-built ocean instrumentation that will be left in the ocean cavity below the ice shelf to measure circulation and ocean-ice interactions over the coming years.

The PIG team faces the challenges of working not only in one of the most remote areas of the continent but also on a heavily crevassed region of the ice shelf where ice-sheet and weather conditions make it extremely difficult to deploy the personnel needed to conduct science, particularly for a large-scale project such as PIG. The project was initially launched as an initiative of the international Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2009 but has had to overcome numerous natural obstacles to deploy this season.

One of the primary tasks for the team has been to use a hot-water drill run by Martin Truffer, of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, to make two 500-meter-deep (1,600 feet), 20-centimeter-diameter (approximately 8 inches) "skinny holes" through the ice shelf at each measurement site.

Researcher Tim Stanton's group, at the Naval Postgraduate School, developed specialized long-term instrument systems to fit down the 20-centimeter holes. A surface-powered instrument package lowered through the first bore hole to hang two meters (6.5 feet) below the ice measures the boundary layer currents and rate of mixing of ocean water right below the ice, allowing the local ice-melt to be calculated.

Sridhar Anandakrishnan and Leo Peters, geophysicists with Penn State University, meanwhile, are creating tiny "earthquakes" to study the shape of the ocean cavity and the properties of the bedrock under the PIG ice shelf. Leo and Penn State student Kiya Wilson have been doing seismic measurements around the first and second drill camp sites, then, with helicopter support, they will sample about 40 locations across the ice shelf to determine the larger-scale sea-bed shape and ice-shelf structure.

WISSARD

In the same week, meanwhile, researchers with WISSARD successfully tested a new hot-water drill that they will use to access a subglacial lake for clean microbiological sampling and glaciological measurements. This interdisciplinary project is set to explore a portion of a vast hydrological system that exists under the Antarctic ice.

The WISSARD team includes nearly 20 researchers and is divided into three scientific components: microbiology, led by John Priscu, of Montana State University; geology, led by Ross Powell, of Northern Illinois University; and glaciology, led by Slawek Tulaczyk, of the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The team announced earlier this week that a test hole was drilled through the Ross Ice Shelf, a geographical feature the size of the state of Texas, into the seawater cavity below, which is over 900 meters (3000 feet) deep.

Once testing of the hot-water drill and the integrated filtration systems is completed on the ice shelf, all of the drilling equipment--including the drill, specialized filters and electrical generating equipment--will be moved, by means of an over-ice traverse, to the actual research drill site overlying Subglacial Lake Whillans.

Over the last several decades, ground-penetrating radar and other remote-sensing have revealed a vast system of rivers and lakes beneath the miles-thick Antarctic ice sheets. Geothermal heat from below, coupled with the pressure of the ice from above and the insulation provided by the ice sheet, cause some areas at the base of the ice sheet to remain above the freezing point, even in the extreme cold of Antarctica.

In order to explore one of these hydrological systems at the edge of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet on the southeastern edge of the Ross Sea, WISSARD proposes to use a variety of tools and techniques to explore this unique subglacial environment.

WISSARD will lower a variety of sampling tools and sensors into the Subglacial Lake Whillans. These tools will cleanly sample subglacial lake water and sediments, provide video of lake bottom, and characterize chemical and physical properties of the lake and its environs.

The custom-built WISSARD hot-water drill, developed at University of Nebraska - Lincoln under the leadership of Frank Rack, is designed to melt a 30-centimeter (11-inch) hole through 800 meters (2,600 feet) of ice at the actual research site, providing clean access to Subglacial Lake Whillans.

A variety of sophisticated tools will be sent down the borehole to collect data and samples, supported by equipment and laboratories on the surface. All are designed not to contaminate this previously unexplored environment and to maintain the pristine nature of this part of Antarctica.

WAIS

Researchers with the WAIS Divide project, meanwhile, have announced that an innovative technique, called Replicate Coring, will allow them to retrieve additional ice cores from specific depths in an existing borehole, a development that researcher Charles Bentley, at the NSF-funded Ice Drilling Design and Operations (IDDO) group at the University of Wisconsin said opens "a new door for the future of ice-core drilling."

The replicate drilling technique is a key advance, because it allows scientists to take samples from specific levels of a main borehole without impeding the hole itself, leaving the main borehole open for future logging of information. Previously, it would have been necessary to physically block off the main borehole to sample along the sides.

NSF supports innovations in ice-core drilling through a cooperative partnership between the Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) led by Dartmouth College, in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire and IDDO.

The Replicate Coring technique, which was developed and tested by the IDDO engineers as part of the DISC drill, was put into service at WAIS Divide during the 2007-2008 Antarctic field season. The design of the DISC Drill was started by the Wisconsin group in 2002 in response to the desire of the U.S. researchers for a deep-coring drill that would incorporate the ability to retrieve additional cores from the sides of the main borehole. The DISC drill completed the main WAIS borehole during the 2011-2012 season, reaching a depth of 3,405 meters (more than 11,000 feet). Testing of the replicate coring system at WAIS began at the end of the 2011-2012 season.

Unlike the drilling at PIG and WISSARD, the drilling at WAIS is designed to obtain cores of ice. These cores, or cylinders of ice, contain, frozen within them, samples of gases from the atmosphere as it was, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Previously, ice cores have yielded unexpected scientific discoveries, including, for example, evidence that climate can change abruptly in less than ten years, far less time than previously suspected. Analysis of ice cores also indicates that the level of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere is presently higher than in the past 800,000 years.

At the WAIS Divide site--an extremely cold area of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, where the abundant snowfall rarely melts--the ice contains many tens of thousands of years of annual information about past climate. The cores obtained by replicate drilling will allow researchers to obtain samples from specific depths in the ice sheet, including from times of past abrupt climate change, allowing them to better understand how and why abrupt changes occur.

DOUBLE SOLAR ERUPTION IN 2012

FROM: NASA

Double Prominence Eruptions
The Sun erupted with two prominence eruptions, one after the other over a four-hour period on Nov. 16, 2012. The action was captured in the 304 Angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. It seems possible that the disruption to the Sun’s magnetic field might have triggered the second event since they were in relatively close proximity to each other. The expanding particle clouds heading into space do not appear to be Earth-directed.

Image Credit-NASA/-DO-Steele Hill