Geology
300: CRC Physical Geology Lecture
Geology
300: ARC Physical Geology Lecture
Geology
301: CRC Physical Geology Lab
Geology
301: ARC Physical Geology Lab
Geology
305: ARC Earth Science Lecture
Geology
306: Earth Science Lab
Instructor: Arthur Reed
December 2019 Earth Sciences topics/events making news…
...with emphasis on California news
Remember
the principles of the scientific method when evaluating news stories!
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Why agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions are almost always underestimated
Agriculture’s contribution to the climate crisis is typically underestimated, according to experts, because of numerous emission sources that are routinely overlooked.
Forbes, 12-2-19
Carbon trading, warming urgency on tap for Madrid climate talks
The annual United Nations climate talks kick off Dec. 2 in Madrid, where for the next two weeks negotiators will hammer out details of how countries will put the Paris Agreement into action and attempt to prevent climate change from spiraling out of control.
Bloomberg, 12-2-19
UN Chief Warns of Point of No Return on Climate Change
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday that the world’s efforts to stop climate change have been “utterly inadequate” so far and there is a danger global warming could pass the “point of no return.”
Associated Press, 12-1-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
New Map Details Potential Storm Impacts Near Cave Fire Burn Area
There is a “heightened” risk of debris flows and flooding this rainy season in the fresh burns scars of the Cave Fire in the Santa Ynez Mountains above Santa Barbara, according to Santa Barbara County officials.
Major storms will be a “concern for several years” until revegetation removes the threat of debris flows, county spokeswoman Gina DePinto said in a news release Tuesday evening.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 12-3-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
As Bay Area natural gas bans spread, lawsuits mount
With bans on natural gas in new buildings poised to take effect starting in January, lawsuits are mounting from restaurants and developers who argue that they create safety risks or violate the law.
San Francisco Chronicle, 12-3-19
MINING
Nevada County confirms Kilham Mine Road property not source of South Yuba River plume
Nevada County has released the results of a state water board investigation into the mysterious yellow sediment plume that closed off the South Yuba River in September. A historic mine property on Kilham Mine Road, initially targeted as the suspected source of the discharge, was cleared by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board in late October. But according to Nevada County Environmental Health Director Amy Irani, the water board investigation is ongoing.
Grass Valley Union, 12-2-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change forces 1 person from their home every 2 seconds, report finds
Climate-fueled disasters have forced 20 million people -- or one person every two seconds -- from their homes every year for the last decade, according to a new global report.
ABC News, 12-2-19
Global greenhouse gas emissions will hit yet another record high this year, experts project
The world has lost another year in the quest to finally start reducing its carbon emissions, which scientists say is crucial to avoid the steadily worsening impacts of climate change. Instead of beginning a long-awaited decline, global greenhouse gas emissions are projected to grow slightly during 2019, reaching another record high, according to a new analysis published Tuesday.
Washington Post, 12-3-19
28 Years Ago, Big Oil Predicted It Would Take A High Price On Carbon To Stop Warming
As far back as 1991, the Canadian arm of Exxon Mobil Corp.’s empire anticipated that a high tax on carbon emissions would be necessary to maintain a stable climate, newly released documents show.
Huffington Post, 12-3-
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Panetta aims to block federal drilling plan
Rep. Jimmy Panetta is hoping to pump the brakes on a federal plan opening up more than 720,000 acres of Central Coast land to new oil and gas drilling. Legislation introduced Wednesday by Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, would block the Bureau of Land Management from leasing new oil and gas wells on California’s Central Coast until the agency completes an additional review that accounts for a wider range of environmental impacts. Called the California Central Coast Conservation Act, the bill would mandate additional scrutiny into how new drilling would impact air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, groundwater, surface water, seismicity, low-income communities, communities of color and indigenous communities.
Santa Cruz Sentinel, 12-4-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Two of the biggest US earthquake faults might be linked
Two of North America’s most fearsome earthquake zones could be linked. A controversial study argues that at least eight times in the past 3,000 years, quakes made a one–two punch off the west coast of the United States. A quake hit the Cascadia fault off the coast of northern California, triggering a second quake on the San Andreas fault just to the south. In some cases, the delay between the quakes may have been decades long.
Nature, 12-5-19
Earthquake near California’s Avenue of the Giants
A 3.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded Wednesday morning near Redway, in Humboldt County, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake, at 11:40 a.m., was centered two miles northwest of the community, which is near the southern end of the Avenue of the Giants scenic drive paralleling Highway 101.
Bay Area News Group, 12-4-19
3.8 quake near Ridgecrest, Calif.
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake was reported at 12:55 a.m. Thursday less than a mile from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred 29 miles from California City, 58 miles from Tehachapi, 61 miles from Rosamond and 61 miles from Barstow.
Los Angeles Times, 12-5-19
A magnitude 3.2 earthquake was reported Wednesday evening at 7:26 p.m. in Brea, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred one mile from Fullerton, one mile from Rowland Heights, one mile from Placentia and two miles from Yorba Linda.
Los Angeles Times, 12-4-19
3.8 quake near Fortuna, Calif.
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake was reported at 11:40 a.m. Wednesday 32 miles from Fortuna, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred 44 miles from Arcata, 45 miles from Eureka, 53 miles from McKinleyville and 74 miles from Ukiah.
Los Angeles Times, 12-4-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
California must act now to prepare for sea level rise, state lawmakers say
At a packed meeting catering to state lawmakers and top planning officials, Mark Merrifield played a video that he and his research team at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have seen many times before. The camera zooms in on the majestic sandy bluffs that make this stretch of the San Diego County coast so iconic: a close-up, everyone realizes, of that cliff crumbling in real time — ancient sand and soft, somewhat cemented rocks tumbling onto the beach below.
Los Angeles Times, 12-4-19
Making farms more climate resilient might protect California from wildfire damage
When you think about farms at the front lines of climate-related challenges, you may think of extreme weather, floods or drought. But did you know we’re also at the front lines of wildfire? Both of our farms — Full Belly Farm in the Capay Valley and Morris Grassfed in San Benito County — have felt the stress of climate change.
Sacramento Bee commentary, 12-5-19
As a way to fight climate change, not all soils are created equal
As the planet warms due to excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a solution for drawing down that carbon—or at least a major part of it—lies silently below us. Soil organic matter—made of decomposing plant, animal and microbial tissue—is what distinguishes healthy, vibrant soil from just plain dirt. Making up about 3% of productive agricultural soils, soil organic matter is an effective "carbon sink" that can store, in the ground, the carbon dioxide plants pull from the atmosphere.
Colorado State University, 12-4-19
COP25: 285 companies commit to science-based emissions targets
A group of 285 companies Wednesday committed to science-based emissions reduction targets, as representatives from almost 200 countries gather in Madrid for the annual United Nations COP25 climate talks.
The move will drive an estimated $18 billion in climate change mitigation and 90 TWh of annual renewable electricity generation, according to the group, called the "Science Based Targets Initiative."
S&P Global Platts, 12-4-19
Floods predicted to uproot 50 mln people a year as climate heats up
he number of people at risk of being forced from their homes by river flooding could surge to as many as 50 million a year by the end of the century if governments do not step up action to tackle climate change, researchers warned on Tuesday. That would be five times the average of 10 million displaced a year from the mid-1970s to 2005, and would happen as populations grow and as rainfall intensifies and ice melts on a warmer planet, causing more frequent and severe floods, said study author Justin Ginnetti.
Reuters, 12-3-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
SoCalGas Cited for 330 Violations at Aliso Natural Gas Storage Facility
California regulatory safety inspectors on Thursday accused Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) of safety violations that led to the catastrophic 2015 natural gas storage well leak at the Aliso Canyon underground field 40 miles north of Los Angeles. The Safety Enforcement Division (SED) of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) cited 330 violations since the 86 Bcf capacity, 3,200-acre facility was opened in 1972. More than 240 of them occurred between 2015 when the leak was identified and this year.
NGI Shale Gas Daily, 12-6-19
Battle lines are drawn over oil drilling in California
Two announcements with implications for California’s oil industry whizzed past each other in recent weeks, revealing starkly conflicting visions for energy development. After a five-year hiatus on auctions for oil-drilling rights on federal land, Washington finalized a plan to allow them on more than 700,000 acres in 11 Central California counties. A more significant proposal to include parcels on more than 1 million acres in the Bakersfield area is due in the next few months.
CalMatters, 12-5-19
Oil set for big weekly gains as OPEC+ agrees on deeper output cuts
The additional cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia - a grouping known as OPEC+ - will last throughout the first quarter. The group will meet again in early March for an extraordinary meeting to set its policy. Brent futures LCOc1 were up around 1.4% at $64.27 per barrel by 12:16 p.m. EDT (1716) GMT and were on track to rise nearly 3% on the week.
Reuters, 12-5-19
People Who Want to Ban Fracking Immediately, Says Joe Biden, 'Oughta Vote for Someone Else'
If you want a candidate committed to banning fracking in the United States immediately, find another candidate than Joe Biden. That's the advice of Biden himself, given to an activist from the Sunrise Movement in a video posted online Thursday after the two discussed the former vice president's adviser Heather Zichal and Biden's plans for the future of fracking.
Common Dreams, 12-5-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Cities Around the Globe Are Eagerly Importing a Dutch Speciality—Flood Prevention
Norfolk, Virginia, was founded on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in the 17th century, but when the city needed new ideas to deal with sinking land and rising seas it turned to people with even more experience fighting flooding: the Dutch.
Smithsonian, 12-5-19
CSUF researchers look at how California’s history of rain and snow can help explain climate change
Stephanie Hernandez considers herself a steward of Earth. To do her part, she is studying California’s past climates to better understand current and future environmental concerns, including the fight against global climate change. To find out more about how major floods, fires and droughts played a role in past climates, Hernandez, an earth science major, and fellow Cal State Fullerton faculty and student researchers are working on a first-ever study focusing on California’s precipitation history and comparing it with the past 10,000 years.
Orange County Register, 12-5-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL
RESOURCES
Hard to make sense of Newsom’s energy policies in the real world
California is the fifth largest economy in the world, which requires a tremendous amount of energy to keep it running. In recent months, we have seen the consequences of the state’s poor energy decisions and policies that have led to our lights being shut off under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s watch. Now the governor wants to increase our state’s reliance on foreign oil by restricting in-state domestic production by California’s energy producers.
Bakersfield Californian, commentary 12-8-19
The U.S. Dominates New Oil And Gas Production
The American fracking for oil and natural gas boom will continue on through the 2020s. And why not? Since fracking took off in 2008, we have more than doubled our proven oil reserves to ~65 billion barrels. Natural gas reserves have surged over 80% to ~430 trillion cubic feet. Already the largest oil and gas producer, the U.S. is set to increase its share of ~17% of global oil production and ~23% of gas. In the 2020s, the U.S. is set to supply over 60% of new oil and gas (see Figure below).
Forbes commentary, 12-8-19
Offshore drilling creates these new dangers onshore, environmental report says
Devastating oil spills of the Deepwater Horizon variety aren’t the only risk posed by expanded offshore drilling in waters off the United States, a new environmental report says.
McClatchy News Service, 12-4-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.0 earthquake near Ukiah, Calif.
A magnitude 3.0 earthquake was reported at 11:03 a.m. Sunday 29 miles from Ukiah, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Northern California earthquake occurred 41 miles from Clearlake, 55 miles from Red Bluff, 57 miles from Chico, and 61 miles from Healdsburg.
Los Angeles Times, 12-8-19
3.2 quake shakes near Fortuna, Calif.
A magnitude 3.2 earthquake was reported Friday afternoon at 5:49 p.m. Pacific time 24 miles from Fortuna, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred 36 miles from Arcata, 37 miles from Eureka, 46 miles from McKinleyville and 76 miles from Redding.
Los Angeles Times, 12-6-19
3.0-magnitude earthquake strikes south of San Pedro, USGS says
A
3.0-magnitude earthquake hit the San Pedro area Friday afternoon, according to
the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS said the quake hit at approximately at 4:20 p.m. and was centered 13
miles south of San Pedro.
KABC (Los Angeles television), 12-6-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
'It Would Mean Total Annihilation' – Some Farmers Sell Off Fields Ahead Of Groundwater Law
Even with his eyes closed, Doug Martin can recognize the sound of every tractor on his Hanford ranch. There’s the big silver work horse, and the 40-year-old Oliver that can still run his backup generator, but the one he looks at with love is a tiny green thing from 1958. “The first time I plowed ground with it, I was seven years old,” he says, recalling how he mishandled the plow and feared he had ruined the fields. He hadn’t; his father simply re-plowed them. “This little tractor did a lot,” he says, laughing.
Valley Public Radio, 12-6-19
Pistachio giant Wonderful sues Fresno County over a rival’s project
A feud between two major players in California’s $2.6-billion pistachio business is embroiling the county of Fresno, which has now become the target of a lawsuit filed by one of the firms.
Los Angeles Times, 12-6-19
UC team helps farmers with climate-smart ag
Scientists are developing climate-smart farming practices, California is offering financial incentives to implement them, and now a group of 10 UC Cooperative Extension climate-smart educators are taking the program to the next level.
Western Farm Press, 12-5-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Hit by fires and droughts, California voters call climate change their top priority
Pummeled by fires, drought and floods, California’s Democratic primary voters put fighting climate change at the top of their list of issues for the next president to tackle.
Los Angeles Times, 12-6-19
GENERAL
California needs to update its energy infrastructure and protect the environment in 2020
It wasn’t too long ago that any discussion of environmental and energy policy in California would have been dominated by the long-term impacts of climate change. But the last few years of devastating wildfires have dramatically altered that conversation in and around the State Capitol.
Sacramento Bee commentary, 12-8-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
New Zealand volcano eruption: Why were tourists on White Island after volcanic activity increased?
A police investigation is underway after an eruption on a volcanic island in New Zealand killed at least six people, left eight other presumed dead and injured many more. Police said Tuesday they were investigating the deaths on behalf of the coroner after questions were raised over why tourists were allowed on White Island after it had seen increased seismic activity in the weeks leading up to the eruption.
USA Today, 12-10-19
Efforts to study crumbling Del Mar cliffs advance as UCSD Scripps deploys state-of-the-art wave buoy
Scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography just received a major new tool in trying to decipher the patterns of erosion eating away at the crumbling Del Mar bluffs, atop which passenger trains regularly run up and down the coast.
San Diego Union Tribune, 12-9-19
California Threats Jump from Fires to Flooding in Wet Season
California’s climate threats could soon be jumping from wildfires and blackouts to floods, mudslides and huge coastal waves as the state’s wet season kicks into gear. About half the water that falls in California in any given year does so in the 90 days between Dec. 1 and the end of February. Too much rain has at times meant catastrophic floods and dangerous mudslides. Too little threatens agriculture with drought, and creates a tinderbox effect in the year ahead.
Bloomberg, 12-10-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
New Oil and Gas Drilling in California May Be Subject to Moratorium
"In a victory for critics of California’s oil drilling industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom on [Nov. 19] stopped the approval of new hydraulic fracturing in the state until the permits for those projects can be reviewed by an independent panel of scientists," reports Phil Willon for the Los Angeles Times.
Planetizen, 12-9-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
8,000 homes, new college campus may be coming to Placer County – but neighbors aren’t happy
At the center of the Placer Ranch area, part of the greater Sunset Area Plan development in unincorporated county land, is the promise of a new Sacramento State satellite campus that could bring in thousands of students and economic opportunity. More than 8,000 new homes are expected to be built in the area, which spans more than 13 square miles.
Sacramento Bee, 12-10-19
MINING
BLM: Cemex owes more than $25 million in annual payments
Cemex owes more than $25 million to the Bureau of Land Management and, if the payments are not made, the multinational company’s contracts for sand and gravel mining in Soledad Canyon would be void, bureau officials have ruled.
Santa Clarita Signal, 12-9-19
Illegal gold flowing through Miami is a ‘direct threat’ to U.S. national security, Rubio says
At a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday, Sen. Marco Rubio called illegal gold mining in Latin America a “direct threat” to U.S. national security that has become “far more lucrative than drug trafficking” — and noted that billions of dollars worth of the illicit precious metal is entering American consumer markets through Miami.
McClatchy News Service, 12-5-10
CLIMATE CHANGE
Caltrans Is Trying To Prepare California Highways For Climate Change
Nearly three miles of prime beach views from Highway 1 near San Luis Obispo were recently moved inland by Caltrans, and the state’s Department of Transportation is considering doing the same on other highways.
Capital Public Radio, 12-9-19
Americans broadly accept climate science, but many are fuzzy on the details
Americans remain shaky on the details of climate science even as they have grown increasingly concerned about human activity warming the Earth, according to a national poll by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) that probed the public’s understanding of climate change.
Washington Post, 12-9-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
County supervisors plan to counter governor's actions against California's oil industry
Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to shrink and possibly phase out California oil production won't go unchallenged by politicians in the state's petroleum capital, Kern County's Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday.
Bakersfield Californian, 12-10-19
Exxon prevails over New York in climate change lawsuit
Exxon Mobil won a closely watched securities-fraud trial that delved into its internal accounting for the financial risks of climate change, a striking rejection of New York state’s claim that the company misled investors for years.
Bloomberg News Service, 12-10-19
Kern Oil & Refining Co. to pay $500K for reporting violations in settlement with EPA, DOJ
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice have announced a settlement with Kern Oil & Refining Co. over alleged reporting violations. The EPA said Kern Oil will pay a $500,000 penalty for failures to comply with the Clean Air Act’s flare emissions monitoring and leak inspection reporting requirements, as well as toxic chemical release reporting requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
KGET (Bakersfield television), 12-10-19
Fracking Ban a Start, But Broader Actions Needed to Protect Communities, Experts Say
A halt on permit approvals for hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” in California has drawn widespread praise from environmental activists, but experts say much broader policies are needed to protect the health of communities located near oil fields.
California Health Report, 12-10-19
MINING
Rise Gold attempts to reopen once lucrative Idaho-Maryland Gold Mine
After two years of exploratory drilling at the flooded Idaho-Maryland Mine just east of the Grass Valley city limit, Rise Gold Corporation has submitted a permit application that would allow it to reopen what was once the second largest lode gold producer in the United States. The mine produced 129,000 ounces of gold per year before being shut down by the U.S. government in 1942 to focus resources on the war effort. Previous attempts to revive the gold mine in the 1950s, 1980s and most recently in 2010 have all failed due to varying combinations of financial distress and community pushback.
Grass Valley Union, 12-9-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.2 quake near Soledad, Calif.
A magnitude 3.2 earthquake was reported Monday at 4:46 a.m. 12 miles from Soledad, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Central California earthquake occurred 13 miles from Hollister, 17 miles from Salinas, , 20 miles from Prunedale, and 21 miles from Greenfield.
Los Angeles Times, 12-9-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
California Officials Urged to Move Faster on Sea-Level Rise
While the damaging side-effects of climate change have been exposed in California over recent years in the form of drought and deadly wildfires, another threat is looming off its shores.
Courthouse News Service, 12-10-19
Climate Change Is Ravaging the Arctic, Report Finds
Temperatures in the Arctic region remained near record highs this year, according to a report issued on Tuesday, leading to low summer sea ice, cascading impacts on the regional food web and growing concerns over sea level rise.
New York Times, 12-9-19
Large Southern California solar project gets green light
Officials have approved plans for a large solar energy facility in unincorporated desert communities of inland Southern California despite opposition from some residents.
Associated Press, 12-11-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Trump administration opens 1 million acres in California to fracking, drilling
The Trump administration signed off on an order Thursday that’s intended to open up more than 1 million acres of land in California, from the Central Coast to the San Joaquin Valley, to fracking and conventional oil drilling. The Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management, released the record of decision that ends a five-year moratorium on public land fracking and drilling.
Sacramento Bee, 12-12-19
Trump administration OKs leasing for new oil drilling in California — again
The Trump administration on Thursday gave the go-ahead to new oil-drilling leases on federal land in California, mostly around petroleum-rich Bakersfield but also in less-obvious spots in the Sierra foothills, such as near Yosemite National Park.
San Francisco Chronicle, 12-12-19
Trump administration opens up drilling on federal land in California
The Trump administration on Friday announced it would open up over 720,000 acres of federal land in California for oil and gas development, ending a five-year moratorium on leases in the state. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management approved a resource management plan for the oil-rich Central California coastal region, which would issue 14 previously litigated leases in Monterey and San Benito counties, which were suspended amid a legal challenge by two conservation groups six years ago, and open up new acres for leasing.
Reuters, 12-12-19
Feds to Open 1.2 Million Acres in California to Fracking Leases
The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will open 1.2 million acres in California to fracking, ending a five-year moratorium on the controversial method of oil and gas extraction in the Golden State.
Courthouse News, 12-12-19
BLM opens up land on Central, South Coasts for fracking, drilling
Drilling and fracking could soon resume on 1.2 million acres of land across California, including on the Central and South Coasts. On Thursday the Trump Administration signed off on ending a five-year moratorium on new oil drilling and fracking in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, eastern Fresno, western Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties. Previously, oil companies weren't able to lease federal public land in the state for oil drilling.
KEYT (Santa Barbara television), 12-12-19
State Condemns Trump Admin Decision to Impose Fracking
California Attorney General Becerra today issued a statement in response to the Trump Administration's decision to open up more than one million acres of public lands in Central California to oil and gas drilling, including hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
Orange County Patch, 12-12-19
California regulators clear way for natural gas bans to take effect
The California Energy Commission cleared the way Wednesday for six local governments to limit the use of natural gas in many new buildings. The policies, which encourage the installation of all-electric appliances, are scheduled to take effect in January.
San Francisco Chronicle, 12-11-19
California faces a crossroads on the path to 100% clean energy
Bill Brand spent two decades fighting to get the waterfront power plant in Redondo Beach torn down and replaced with a public park. Until recently, he was sure he had won.
Los Angeles Times, 12-12-19
Local leaders say they'll fight back against California's anti-fossil fuel stance
As Governor Gavin Newsom continues to crack down on oil production in California, some in Kern County are sounding off about why they think that's a bad idea.
KERO (Bakersfield television), 12-11-19
Environmental justice activists want seat at table in Kern, state's oil debate
Local environmental justice advocates say they want their voices heard as Kern's Board of Supervisors looks to make the case in Sacramento that halting California oil production would devastate the county's economy.
Bakersfield Californian, 12-12-19
It May Have Just Gotten A Lot Easier To Sue Exxon And Shell For Climate Change Devastation
A major three-year human rights investigation into 47 of the biggest fossil fuel companies and their role in driving climate change has released its conclusions and legal experts are calling it a “watershed moment.”
Huffington Post, 12-12-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
USGS releases new earthquake risk map. San Jose and Walnut Creek take note.
The U.S. Geological Survey released new earthquake hazard maps for the nation on Thursday, boosting the risk of seismic damage in the South and East Bay — especially for tall buildings.
Bay Area News Group, 12-12-19
I went to New Zealand to understand what a huge California earthquake would look like
I went to New Zealand on a long-planned vacation to see the setting for “The Lord of the Rings” movies and the mountain scenery. But as the earthquake reporter for the Los Angeles Times, I had another goal. I wanted to visit Christchurch, a seaside city on the South Island. For people in the seismic community, there are many lessons California can learn from Christchurch, and I wanted to see it for myself.
Los Angeles Times, 12-12-19
When the Big One hits, emotional scars will last for years. Just ask New Zealand quake survivors
When a big earthquake strikes, the public’s attention immediately goes to the physically injured, the dead, or to collapsed buildings. But something else also starts: the toll on mental health.
Los Angeles Times, 12-12-19
Magnitude-3.1 Earthquake Rattles Lytle Creek
A minor earthquake struck the San Bernardino County mountain community of Lytle Creek early Thursday morning. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the magnitude-3.1 earthquake struck just before 2 a.m., about two and a half miles east-northeast of Lytle Creek.
KCAL (Los Angeles television), 12-12-19
3.1 quake reported near San Bernardino
A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported at 1:56 a.m. Thursday one mile from San Bernardino, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred four miles from Oak Hills, four miles from Hesperia, five miles from Rialto and five miles from Fontana.
Los Angeles Times, 12-12-19
MINING
County to form groundwater agency for CEMEX site
Calling it a move to resolve a dispute between agencies that could endanger local groundwater management efforts, the Board of Supervisors agreed Wednesday to form a groundwater sustainability agency for the Cemex sand mining plant site.
Monterey Herald, 12-11-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
EU leaders break stalemate over climate target, claim deal
EU leaders broke a deadlock early Friday and claimed a deal over a key climate target by committing to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, sidestepping the objections of Poland, one of the blocs biggest economies.
Associated Press, 12-12-19
GEMERAL
Threat of drought wiped off California map after soaking storms
What a difference a couple storms make. The recent onslaught of soaking rains and snowy days has wiped the threat of drought off the California map. The latest federal Drought Monitor Map, a way to measure drought that's mainly used in agriculture, shows only 3.5 percent of the state as "abnormally dry" with a tiny sliver of yellow on the California-Oregon border. Only a week ago, 85 percent of the state was yellow.
San Francisco Chronicle, 12-12-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
It's Official: Feds Open Up Central California to More Drilling
On Thursday, the Trump administration pushed forward a plan to open up more than a million acres of public lands to fracking and drilling in eight counties of Central California.
KQED (San Francisco TV-radio), 12/14/19
Why the state has invited environmental activists to join oil debate
Reader: I’d like to hear the environmental justice groups explain how their reckless actions and baseless comments have led to countless job losses that are devastating Kern ("Environmental justice activists want seat at table in Kern, state's oil debate," Dec. 13). Please come testify and tell us your make-believe facts. Please explain how we’ll replace this valuable resource and your plans for a better future.
Bakersfield Californian column, 12-14-19
Fuel-guzzling California threatens Trump administration over fracking plan
California leads the nation in the consumption of gasoline and jet fuel. The oil and gas industry provides more than 360,000 jobs and fracking helps the sector to pump annually into the state economy more than $55 billion in tax revenues. Yet, today, state officials are threatening legal action after the Trump administration opened 1.2 million acres of federal land to drilling after a six-year moratorium.
Fox News, 12-13-19
Feds to California: Open up lands to oil, gas drilling
The Trump administration is to opening up 1.2 million acres for oil and gas drilling across California from the Central Valley to the coast, targeting eight counties — Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obisbo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.
Capitol Weekly, 12-13-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
6-year-old girl among 3 killed as 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocks southern Philippines
A 6-year-old girl was among three people killed when a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines island of Mindanao on Sunday. The girl was inside her family's house when the building collapsed and killed her, the province's governor, Douglas Cagas, told CNN.
CNN, 10-15-19
New earthquake model shows 'significantly increased ground shaking' in 2 Bay Area locations
The United States Geological Survey released a new U.S. Seismic Hazard Model Thursday that incorporates the latest earthquake findings for the lower-48. In the Bay Area, it shows the potential for "significantly increased ground shaking" in San Jose and Walnut Creek at a higher level than previous studies.
San Francisco Chronicle, 12-13-19
Experts say West Hollywood property owners may struggle to afford mandated earthquake retrofits
Last year, West Hollywood officials released a list of 821 buildings that were determined to be at risk of damage during an earthquake. More than a year later, only about 50 of those buildings have been repaired for earthquake preparedness, city records show. The costs of retrofitting these buildings can be staggering, and present a significant challenge to property owners.
USC Annenberg Media, 12-13-19
Did you feel it? 3.0 magnitude earthquake shakes Mariposa area
A magnitude 3.0 earthquake took place about 7.5 miles south of Mariposa at 3:14 p.m. Friday, the United States Geological Survey reported.
Merced Sun-Star, 12-13-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
‘The water wars have begun.’ Some wonder how water plan will impact Merced County farms
Agricultural and urban groundwater users in Merced County may soon have to sacrifice for the future, if a new state-mandated sustainability plan that limits consumption moves forward.
Merced Sun-Star, 12-15-19
Lot line change on Williamson Act land goes to Solano Planning Commission
The Solano County Planning Commission is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Board of Supervisors chamber on the first floor of the government center in Fairfield. The only item on the agenda is a lot line adjustment application involving three parcels within 1,127.56 acres on the north side of Sievers Road and south of Campbell Road in rural Dixon.
Fairfield Daily Republic, 12-14-19
MINING
US Forest Service allows mining company to write its own environmental analysis: report
New documents reveal that the Trump administration has let a mining company take on a major role in writing the environmental report that is key to getting its Idaho gold mine project government approval, the Idaho Statesman reports.
The Hill, 12-13-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Report: California's sea-level rise threatens housing, economy
Despite years of urgent warnings, local governments are moving too slow to prevent the worst damage from sea-level rise caused by climate change, risking repercussions as severe as housing shortages or an injured state economy, according to a report released by the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
CalMatters, 12-15-19
Surge in Global Methane Emissions Traced Back to East African Wetland
Scientists believe they have found one of the key drivers behind a spike in global methane emissions in recent years. Satellite data captured a large influx of water entering the Sudd wetland in South Sudan, fueling plant growth and soil microbial activity and producing extra methane, BBC News reported.
Yale Environment 360, 12-12-19
GENERAL
As California thins forests to limit fire risk, some resist
Buzzing chainsaws are interrupted by the frequent crash of breaking branches as crews fell towering trees and clear tangled brush in the densely forested Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco.
Associated Press, 12-13-19
Solar power required for all new California homes starting Jan. 1
California already generates more electricity from solar power than any other state. But now a dramatic expansion is about to begin as new building codes take effect Jan. 1 requiring all newly constructed homes statewide to be powered by the sun.
Bay Area News Group, 12-15-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Fracking ban would be 'catastrophic' to U.S. economy, Chamber report warns
Most of the top Democratic presidential contenders have called for eliminating hydraulic fracturing, but such a ban would be “catastrophic” for the U.S. economy, according to a report released Thursday. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute found that a fracking ban would double gasoline prices, raise the average cost of living by $5,561 per person, and throw 19 million people out of work over a five-year period.
Washington Times, 12-19-19
In 1998, a petroleum engineer named Nick Steinsberger pumped a slurry of sand, water, and chemicals under high pressure into a shale formation beneath a rural town just north of Fort Worth, Texas. A decade later, the petroleum industry discovered how to apply Steinsberger’s approach with directional drilling to free not just natural gas but the hydrocarbons that make up crude oil from subterranean rock formations.
Commentary Magazine, 12-20-19
Southern California city presses forward on climate lawsuit against fossil fuel companies
The state of New York may have suffered an emphatic defeat in a legal battle against ExxonMobil last week, but that has not deterred the city of Imperial Beach from pursuing its own lawsuit looking to force 18 energy companies in the oil and coal sectors to pay for damages associated with rising sea levels.
Phys.org, 12-19-19
Since 2018, crude oil production rose from 2,734,901 annual-thousand barrels to 4,011,521 annual-thousand barrels. Using 2018 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Stacker ranked the 25 states producing more than 1 million oil barrels a year. Each state is ranked by barrels of oil produced, and detailed by the history of the state’s oil industry, major industry players, notable oil basins, regulations and the presence of fracking or other unconventional production methods.
Microsoft News, 12-10-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
5 earthquakes in less than a day rattle secretive Navy base in Mojave Desert, USGS says
A cluster of earthquakes shook a secretive Navy base in the Mojave Desert on Thursday afternoon and before dawn Friday, geologists say. Numerous small quakes hit in and around the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
McClatchy News Service, 12-20-19
Earthquake: Magnitude 4.1 quake near Fortuna, Calif.
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake was reported Thursday at 7:30 a.m. 22 miles from Fortuna, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 12-19-19
Experts Evaluate Cave Fire Winter Storm Preparedness
More than half of the Cave Fire burn area occurred on private lands outside the Los Padres National Forest boundary, and the Cal Fire-led Watershed Emergency Response Team began evaluating post-fire risks this week.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk 12-19-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Californians care about climate change. Democrats vow to act on fires, floods at LA debate
Environmental issues took center stage at Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Los Angeles, with 2020 candidates highlighting the toll of California’s wildfires and debating the federal government’s role in relocating victims after natural disasters.
Sacramento Bee, 12-19-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Tsunamis tourism: By marketing disaster, a struggling California town hopes to recover economically
Crescent City is a land of wild beauty, where towering redwoods meet quiet, foggy beaches. It’s also a place of economic despair. But city leaders have not given up hope. The future of their isolated town lies not in fishing and the long-gone logging jobs that once defined it, they say, but in tourism — even of the dark variety. And so they have embraced their boogeyman: tsunamis.
Los Angeles Times, 12-23-19
Study picks up nearly 2 million tiny, undetected earthquakes in California
Southern California is no stranger to earthquakes, but research published last summer shows it’s home to far more than previously thought. Seismologists at Caltech and Los Alamos National Laboratory identified 1.81 million tiny tremors hidden in data from 2008 to 2017 — roughly one every three minutes. This newly detected seismic activity has already helped scientists take steps toward fully understanding how earthquakes start.
Discover, 12-21-19
New Zealand police call off search for two remaining victims of White Island eruption
New Zealand police have ended the search for two remaining victims still missing after a deadly volcanic eruption on New Zealand's White Island, also known as Whakaari. The decision was made after dive and helicopter teams had carried out "extensive shoreline and substantial aerial searches" but "sadly no further items of significance have been located," Bay of Plenty District Commander, Superintendent Andy McGregor said.
CNN, 12-24-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
SLO receives grant for open space protection
The California Strategic Growth Council has awarded the City of San Luis Obispo a $3 million grant that will go toward the acquisition of a 1,000-acre conservation easement for the Miossi Brothers La Cuesta Ranch.
KSBY, 12-23-19
Ferrini Ranch developer, Ag Land Trust reach conservation deal
Ferrini Ranch will not be developed after all, courtesy of a $10 million agricultural conservation easement agreement reached between Southern California developer Mark Kelton and the Ag Land Trust.
Monterey Herald, 12-23-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
State report: No evidence links contamination, fracking
No evidence links hydraulic fracturing to contaminated groundwater in central Wyoming, according to a Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality report. The contamination near Pavillion likely occurred naturally due to permeable geology in the gas-drilling area, the report released Monday found. However, absence of data from before drilling began in the mid-1900s limits scientists trying to determine the exact source of the contamination, the report stated.
Sacramento Bee, 12-23-19
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