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Hinrichs derecho article
Aug 27 2020

Derecho Out of Iowa

Posted on August 27, 2020August 27, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg

Hinrichs derecho articleOn Monday, August 10 many Iowans were left stunned by the ferocity and destruction left in the wake of a band of storms accompanied by straight-line winds that blew through the state with the force of a hurricane. But in the aftermath, media references to a “derecho” caused many of us to scramble to the Internet for a definition.

What many of us didn’t realize is that this term was coined at the University of Iowa by professor of physics and chemistry Gustavus Hinrichs in the late 19th century. The first formal use of the term derecho in publication occurred in an 1888 article authored by Hinrichs in the American Meteorological Association Journal entitled “Tornadoes and Derechos.” However, the term was not widely used until after its appearance in a 1987 article that appeared in the journal Weather and Forecasting.

In June 1998 when a similar storm hit the state, blowing freight train cars off a bridge in Iowa City and into the Iowa River, scarcely a mention could be found for “derecho” in the Iowa City Press Citizen, Cedar Rapids Gazette, or The Des Moines Register. The Daily Iowan, however, did make mention of a bow echo, which is typically associated with derechos. That storm system came to be known as the Corn Belt Derecho of 1998. Even as late as 2009 Jack Williams noted in The AMS Weather Book that “this term isn’t very well known.” That is now likely no longer the case.

The August 2020 Midwest derecho received considerable national media attention, and has been called an historic event. What made this derecho so noteworthy is that very high winds persisted for an unusually long period of time. Siouxland News reported that, “Winds in the Linn County and Cedar Rapids area were likely in excess of 100 mph for nearly an hour.” The maximum wind speeds of this storm, both measured and estimated, correspond to wind speeds of EF2 and EF3 tornadoes respectively.

Corn damaged near Adel. Courtesy of Lisa Schmitz
Corn damaged near Adel. Courtesy of Lisa Schmitz

According to Des Moines Office of the National Weather Service Overview, the derecho traveled 770 miles in 14 hours, corresponding to an average speed of 55 mph.

Derechos, a type of mesoscale convective system, are minimally defined as long-lived wind storms that produce a swath of wind damage over more than 240 miles with wind gusts of at least 58 mph along most of its length.

The National Weather Service offers a wealth of information on derechos, including a basic primer at its JetStream site, as well as an extensive Facts About Derechos article.

Additional Reading and Resources

Severe and hazardous weather : an introduction to high impact meteorology

Storm chaser : a photographer’s journey

Storm chasing : on the hunt for thunderstorms

Storm Events Database

Glossary of Weather Terms for Storm Spotters

Strong Wind Safety

Many thanks to Kai Weatherman for writing this informative post!

Posted in Environmental SciencesTagged derecho, Iowa, land hurricane
Image of monarch caterpillar
Jul 17 2020

The Adventures of a Monarch Butterfly: Milkweed, Metamorphosis, and Migration

Posted on July 17, 2020July 17, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg
Image of monarch caterpillar
Photo credit: Laurie Neuerburg.
Image of monarch caterpillar
Photo credit: Laurie Neuerburg.
Image of caterpillar in J shape
Photo credit: Laurie Neuerburg.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch a video showing a monarch caterpillar transforming into a chrysalis on the Sciences Library YouTube channel! In the chrysalis, the monarch caterpillar appears to be dormant on the outside, but changes inside are happening quickly, from the breakdown of tissues no longer needed to the growth of new wings, proboscis, and compound eyes that see a range of color that is larger than most other animals can see! Prior to making the chrysalis, after hatching from an egg, a monarch caterpillar will eat around 20 milkweed leaves and increase their weight by 2,700 times! Then, the crawling caterpillar will start the process of metamorphosis into an adult butterfly who can soar across the skies! This happens when a monarch caterpillar stops eating, creates a silk button from which to hang upside down in a j-shape, and does a final molt to reveal a new form as a chrysalis. The dramatic transformations of metamorphosis underlie an amazing journey from egg to butterfly, and it is not the only incredible journey that the monarch butterfly undertakes!

Image of a monarch chrysalis
Photo credit: Laurie Neuerburg.
Image of a monarch chrysalis
Photo credit: Laurie Neuerburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each year’s final generation of Eastern North American monarch butterflies delay reproduction and undertake a long journey from as far north as Canada to spend the winter in Mexico. This trip from Canada to Mexico can be as much as 3,000 miles! In the spring, the butterflies will migrate north again. Monarch butterfly populations have been in decline for decades due to pesticide use, climate change, and habitat destruction. In response, Iowa City has taken steps to help bolster monarch butterfly populations. There are several monarch waystations across the city and they have provided a “How to Grow Milkweed” guide, which is the only type of plant that monarch caterpillars will eat, so growing more milkweed helps monarchs sustain future generations. You can attend Iowa City’s 2020 Monarch Festival virtually on Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Aug. 16, and Aug. 23. Additionally, there is a “How To Raise Monarch Butterflies At Home” guide as well as suggested ways to help monarchs on saveourmonarchs.org. 

Image of a monarch butterfly
Photo credit: Starzshine on Pixabay.

Read more about caterpillars and butterflies with these ebooks from the UI Libraries!

The Butterflies of Iowa

Caterpillars in the Field and Garden a Field Guide to the Butterfly Caterpillars of North America

Garden Insects of North America The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs

The Lives of Lepidopterists

Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly

A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America

Posted in Biology, Environmental SciencesTagged milkweed, monarch butterflies, monarch caterpillars, monarchs
Image of Bald Eagle
Jun 15 2020

Countdown for Liftoff

Posted on June 15, 2020June 17, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg
Image of Bald Eagle
Photo credit: Kai Weatherman

While we humans below the branches of a tall cottonwood tree along the Iowa River at Coralville’s Iowa River Landing have been preoccupied with the effects of coronavirus on our communities, a pair of Bald Eagles has been raising a family of two young eagles in that tree as if nothing were more important!

According to the species account for Bald Eagles in Birds of the World (HawkID login required), juveniles may depart the nest at any time between 8 and 14 weeks. Based on observations of this nest in late February and early March, this pair of juveniles are now likely somewhere between 8 and 11 weeks old. So, first flight, also known as fledging, could take place most any time now!

This pair of juveniles has already begun branching, which means moving from the nest to other branches in the tree while stretching and flapping their wings, a prelude to first flight. This can be an exciting time to observe the young eagles if you happen to catch them in action.

However, please be as respectful of the birds as possible and observe good etiquette. The eagles’ choice of nest site with close proximity to human foot and bicycle traffic makes this a somewhat unusual challenge.

Although the nest is highly visible from the paved path, depending on the time of day, the juvenile eagles may or may not be visible in the nest.

Photo credit: Kai Weatherman

Sometimes they may be resting inside but below the rim of the nest, at other times feeding in the nest, and at others perched on a branch off to the side of the nest.

Juvenile Bald Eagles do not have the white head and white tail characteristic of an adult; it takes about 5 years to acquire adult plumage. It is not uncommon to see one of the adult eagles perched on a nearby tree.

For details of the nest location see the Sciences Library News post for April 13, 2020. For best viewing binoculars are recommended!

If you would like help locating additional information on Bald Eagles, don’t hesitate to contact us at the Sciences Library.

Many thanks to Kai Weatherman for authoring this uplifting post and sharing his beautiful photography with us!

Image of Bald Eagle in nest
Photo credit: Kai Weatherman
Posted in Biology, Environmental SciencesTagged Bald Eagles, Birds of the World, Juvenile Bald Eagles
Cover image of Making Black Scientists
Jun 12 2020

Antiracism Resources for the Sciences

Posted on June 12, 2020June 15, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg

After #ShutDownAcademia, #ShutDownSTEM, and #Strike4BlackLives on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, there is a need to continue education and action about anti-racism. The CEO of American Association for the Advancement of Science, publisher of the journal Science, said that “When we hold up a mirror to the scientific enterprise, we see that it’s not only politicians and law enforcement that need to be reminded that Black lives matter.” A forthcoming special issue of Nature will be dedicated to exploring systemic racism in research, research policy and publishing in support of the Black lives matter movement. The sciences have not been impervious to racism, and there are resources for anti-racism education specifically for the sciences that will help all of us to create a better and more just world.Cover image of Making Black Scientists

This past year Iowa City Darwin Day recorded two workshops about teaching biology without racial prejudice that have been recorded and are freely available for streaming online. The workshops are “Playing With Fire? How We Perpetuate Biological Beliefs About Race in the Classroom and How We Can Avoid It” and “Genomics Literacy Matters: Teaching Genomics to Prevent Racial Prejudice.” Additionally, there is an article in the New York Times about the curriculum taught by the workshop leaders called “Can Biology Class Reduce Racism?” which explains the necessity for classroom education that racial differences in achievement and other disparities are not due to genetics.

In the ebook Making Black Scientists: A Call to Action, Marybeth Gasman and Thai-Huy Nguyen offer ideas to help support and advance future black scientists based on their observations of successful outcomes at historically black colleges and universities. In Sisters in Science: Conversations with Black Women Scientists about Race, Gender, and Their Passion for Science and Notable Black American Scientists, learn the about stories of black scientists to amplify their voices and to inspire those who will follow in their footsteps. To find more in InfoHawk+, search on keywords such as Black scientists, African American scientists, minorities in science, or ask a librarian for assistance (lib-sciences@uiowa.edu).

The UI Libraries Antiracism guide provides information about understanding racism, resources for antiracist allies, support resources for people of color, and resources for parents and educators. This guide and the resources within it are meant to inspire reflection, education, and action for the University of Iowa community and beyond.

Posted in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geosciences, Math, Physics, Research Data, StaffTagged African American scientists, anti-racism, antiracism, Black lives matter, Black scientists
Cover image of We are everywhere
Jun 04 2020

Pride Month Virtual Book Display

Posted on June 4, 2020June 4, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg

Enjoy a book safely at home during the novel coronavirus pandemic to celebrate Pride Month! Also, UI Pride 2020 offers Pride at Home kits containing fun activities to do at home!

Cover image of KaramoCover image of We are everywhereCover image of Sister OutsiderCover image of Brown White Black

Students, staff, and faculty may request that a print book from the University of Iowa Libraries be mailed to their residence. To make the request, sign into InfoHawk+ using your HawkID, find the book, and choose “Request Physical Item.” You can find more books than shown in the Virtual Book Display in InfoHawk+ by searching on keywords in InfoHawk+ such as gays, lesbians, transgender, biography, fiction, essays, history, or literature. If you would like assistance, contact Laurie Neuerburg (laurie-neuerburg@uiowa.edu).

The UI Libraries supports anti-racism and amplifying the voices of marginalized people.

Explore more books on our Pride Month Virtual Book Display!

Posted in EventsTagged LGBTQIA, Pride Month, queer1 Comment
American Goldfinch
May 21 2020

Anyone can listen with a scientific ear!

Posted on May 21, 2020May 21, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch. Photo credit: Kai Weatherman.

In his newest book, Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist, Donald Kroodsma invites us to listen to bird sound not simply to make a quick species identification, but to listen “for deeper understanding of each singing bird,” encouraging us to think scientifically about birds through their songs by posing our own questions about the behavior we observe. He also invites us to listen the same way we would listen to a musical performance, for simple appreciation.

Listening with discrimination to all aspects of how birds are communicating can become an adventure as you learn to listen for variation. The use of sound spectrograms or sonograms as described in the previous post on bird sound can help immensely, as they provide high definition rendering of all parts of a bird song or call, including those that might otherwise be missed by the ear in real time. It’s like hearing with your eyes.

In his 2007 book, The Singing Life of Birds (e-book requires HawkID login), Kroodsma describes his own experience of many years listening to birds aided by spectrograms. Nathan Pieplow, author of Peterson Field Guide to Birds Sounds of Eastern North America (e-book requires HawkID login), describes how you can begin recording bird sounds and generate spectrograms with your cell phone.

It is possible to enjoy and begin thinking about birdsong without ever laying sight on the bird singing. But hearing a bird’s song is often the easiest way to locate it and then track its behavior.

One of the most delightful birds to listen to is Iowa’s state bird, the American Goldfinch. It is most identifiable by its flight call, but also has song consisting of highly variable series of high-pitched warbles. If you hear the flight call, look up to locate it weaving through the air or perched atop a tree ready to take off. Goldfinches are able to learn new songs as adults.

One of the most entertaining birds to listen to is the Gray Catbird. Although named for its “mewing” sound, the Gray Catbird is also a mimic, and is able to imitate the sounds of many other birds, often in what sounds like a chaotic mix tape of different species.

Two species frequently heard in wooded habitats are the Great crested Flycatcher, with its intermittent outbursts of “breet” or “weep” while lurking in the canopy, and the Red-eyed Vireo, whose song has a slow, rhythmic cadence.

If you happen to take a walk through Waterworks Park, Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, or South Sycamore Bottoms in Iowa City, or similar habitats elsewhere, during warm months you’ll likely encounter Indigo Bunting, a dark blue bird not much larger than a Goldfinch whose song consists of mostly doubled notes, and also Common Yellowthroat, a strikingly colored small bird with a black mask that lurks in tall grass, whose song is often denoted as “witch-i-ty, witch-i-ty.” Other birds you might encounter are Song Sparrow, Meadowlark, and Red-winged Blackbird.

American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch. Photo credit: Kai Weatherman.

If you live outside the Iowa City area and wish to locate good places to encounter birds, eBird is a useful website for locating so-called hotspots, as is the Iowa Ornithologists Union.

Authoritative information on any bird species, including in-depth treatment of sounds and vocal behavior, can be found in World of Birds (HawkID required for login). For free access to information on particular bird species, check out either Audubon Guide to North American Birds or All about Birds.

If you have questions about bird sounds, locating specific places to find birds of interest, or other questions about bird biology, don’t hesitate to contact us at the Sciences Library.

Thank you to Kai Weatherman for writing this wonderful post and taking the beautiful photos!

Posted in Biology, Environmental SciencesTagged bird song, bird sounds, birdsong
Sciences Library Trivia Night. Winner will receive a prize!
May 14 2020

All are invited to Sciences Library Trivia Night!

Posted on May 14, 2020June 8, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg

All are welcome to join the Sciences Library for Trivia Night at 5 PM central on Fridays through July 10th! We will use Zoom and Kahoot, so join Zoom on your computer to see the trivia questions and use the browser on your smartphone to input your answers. We will do two rounds of questions and give away two prizes per evening. All are eligible to win the prize and the winning person in each round will receive a prize in the mail! Winner must provide name and mailing address to receive the prize. Register at https://uiowa.libwizard.com/f/uiscilibtrivia to receive the Zoom link. The Zoom link will be the same from week to week, so you only need to register one time. This is a free event and open to the public.

There will be two rounds of trivia each evening. The first round of trivia will be general questions. The second round will have a theme: animals on June 12, myths on June 19, movies on June 26, food on July 3, and fantasy on July 10.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Laurie Neuerburg in advance at 319-467-0216 or laurie-neuerburg@uiowa.edu.

Sciences Library Trivia Night

Posted in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Events, Geosciences, Math, PhysicsTagged trivia, Trivia Night
White Throated Sparrow
May 07 2020

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Posted on May 7, 2020May 11, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg
White Throated Sparrow
Photography credit: Kai Weatherman.

The pandemic has found some of us out taking more walks than usual. In some places human noise has subsided and it’s possible to hear more nonhuman sound than usual. Perhaps you’re hearing more bird sounds and wonder what they are.

Donald Kroodsma, an authority on bird vocal behavior, believes that “seeing bird sounds” is key to comprehending them. He’s referring to sound spectrograms, which chart pitch against time, sort of like a musical score. Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides a fun tutorial on birdsong spectrograms in its new interactive learning game, Birdsong Hero.

Earbirding offers more detail on how to visualize sounds and how to describe them in words, based on the Peterson Field Guide to Birds Sounds of Eastern North America (e-book requires HawkID login). The Field Guide even has a visual index that can be used to look up bird sounds, once you’re firmly grounded in this method of bird sound description.

But if you’d just like to dive into bird sounds that you’re likely to hear in Iowa at this time of year, you can start below with links from bird species to audio recordings and spectrograms available from the massive multimedia collection of the Macaulay Library.

White Throated Sparrow

A simple tune we won’t hear much longer. Mnemonic: “Sweet, Canada, Canada, Canada.”

House Finch

A prominent sound in the heart of town.

House Wren

A complex, bubbly song from a bird found around shrubs and low branch trees.

Black-capped Chickadee

This bird is named for one of its songs, but is also easily recognized by this two note whistle.

Carolina Wren 

The distinctive song of this year-round resident is usually a series of whistled couplets or triplets repeated 3 to 5 times. The Carolina Wren also has another unique sound described as a liquid trill.

Tufted Titmouse 

Song consists of a series of single syllabled whistles or a whistled couplet, repeated one to several times. Mnemonic: “peer peer peer” or “peter peter peter.”

Chipping Sparrow

This song has been described as a dry, unmusical trill.

Audubon Guide to North American Birds also offers a nice selection of audio samples for each species.

Check back next week for another short list of common bird sounds.

Thank you to Kai Weatherman for writing this ear-opening post as well as sharing his beautiful bird photography with us!

 

 

Posted in Biology, Environmental SciencesTagged bird song, bird sounds, birds, spectrograms
Teal ribbon
Apr 29 2020

Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP) Virtual Library

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg

In honor of April representing Sexual Assault Activism Month, the University of Iowa Libraries and the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP) came together to offer you a virtual library. There you can find a reading list of ebooks pertaining to sexual assault on college campuses in addition to a list of publications targeted toward a professional audience. Many more books on sexual assault are available in InfoHawk+. Try searching on terms such as rape; intimate partner violence; sexual harassment of women; or, sexual abuse victims. Talk with a librarian by chat, email, phone, or through a virtual consultation if you would like help finding more materials.

RVAP provides free, confidential and trauma-informed services to anyone directly or indirectly impacted by sexual violence in Cedar, Des Moines, Henry, Iowa, Johnson, Lee, Washington, and Van Buren counties. Anyone includes but is not limited to individuals of any age, gender, identity, culture, etc. Sexual violence is any sexual act committed against someone without that person’s freely given consent. This includes but is not limited to rape, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, sexual exploitation, etc.

Though Sexual Assault Activism Month is coming to a close, RVAP‘s services and the RVAP virtual library will continue to be here for you.

More than a book. Check out the RVAP Virtual Library

Posted in EventsTagged free confidential help, rape, Rape Victim Advocacy Program, RVAP, sexual assault, virtual library
Apr 25 2020

National DNA Day

Posted on April 25, 2020May 4, 2020 by Laurie Neuerburg
English: A- and B- DNA X-ray diffraction patterns. Source: I.C. Baianu et al. “Physical Chemistry of Foods”, vol.2, van Nostrand Reinhold: New York, 1994.

Saturday, April 25 is National DNA Day, which commemorates the 1953 publication in the journal Nature of scientific papers by James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin, and colleagues that described the molecular structure of DNA. National DNA Day, which was first celebrated in 2003 by the National Human Genome Research Institute, also marked the virtual completion of the Human Genome Project in April of that year.

Understanding the molecular structure of DNA and how it functions in living cells has been central to pursuits in the biological and biomedical sciences ever since, paving the way for the development of such innovations as genome sequencing. Such methods subsequently developed in molecular biology play  a vital role in all four core areas of research and study in the UI Department of Biology. The Iowa Institute of Human Genetics and the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics are but two additional examples of how this expertise is advanced at the University of Iowa.

In recent years the use of commercial personal DNA testing for purposes of genealogy has become very popular. UI Department of Biology Associate Professor Bryant McAllister has leveraged the popularity of these tests to create a learning opportunity for both his students as well as the general public by establishing the Personal Genome Learning Center, which conducts public outreach through the DNA Interest Group – Iowa City to make the science behind these DNA tests, as well as the results of the tests themselves, more comprehensible.

The current coronavirus pandemic crisis underscores the significance of this landmark achievement. Without understanding the structure of DNA, which encodes genetic information key to the formation of all living organisms, it would not be possible to perform the genome sequencing necessary to unambiguously characterize the SARS-Co-V-2 virus nor allow the precision testing for its presence in infected individuals. (It should be noted that although viruses are not considered alive, they do replicate with either DNA or, in the case of the coronavirus, RNA.) COVID 19 presents a monumental challenge for societies around the globe. Imagine facing this challenge in the dark without the proper understanding and tools that have taken decades to develop since the structure of DNA was first established.

Learn More About DNA and Genomics

Dawn of the Modern Age of Genetics, part 1 of the new two-part Ken Burns documentary

“The Gene: An Intimate History” (available for free streaming until May 5)

The DNA Double Helix Discovery (HHMI BioInteractive Video)

DNA Sequencing Technologies Key to the Human Genome Project

Secret of Photo 51 (PBS documentary on the contributions of Rosalind Franklin to the structure of DNA)

Posted in BiologyTagged coronavirus, COVID-19, DNA, gene, genome, SARS-CO-V-2

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