Is copper price rebound only temporary?

Brent Cook author of a The Gold Report on Mineweb.com, makes the case that the reasons for the current rebound in copper price are temporary:

• China and others are restocking strategic reserves at bargain prices
• Copper producers are holding back supplies from the market due to low prices or lack of buyers
• Asian buyers are converting US dollars into hard assets
• Short covering as the copper price stabilized
• Market arbitrage made it cheaper to import copper cathode into China
• Shortage of scrap supplies due to the lack of credit, low prices and slowing manufacturing activity

Copper closed at $2.02 a pound on Thursday, up from its recent low of $1.28.

Geologic controls on supergene enrichment

The right geochemisty, fluid mobility, and rock types are not enough to create viable economic mineral deposits on their own. There are critical mechanical and weathering factors that need to occur at specific time intervals, to pull it all together, says Dr. William Chavez, geology professor at New Mexico Tech [right. Credit, New Mexico Tech].

Bill spoke on Tuesday to a large crowd at the Arizona Geological Society monthly dinner meeting, laying out the multiple periods of tectonic uplift, exhumation, and enrichment that lead to supergene accumulation, if there are the right episodic to continuous intervals of weathering to preserve the enrichment profiles and geochemical stratigrapy. He said the best climates are those with temperate wet-dry cycles.

Groundwater-surface water subflow case in the Verde Valley

http://campverdebugleonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=22762

A suit by Salt River Project against three Verde Valley families over pumping water may be a preview of the debate over the use of river 'subflow' (legally treated as surface water) versus use of groundwater.

Reporter Steve Ayers of the Camp Verde Bugle, has done an admirable job of explaining a complex situation, in light of rulings about statewide adjudication of water rights. [right, Verde River in Verde Valley. Credit, Sedona-Verde Valley Tourism Council]

I thought his descriptions cut right to the key issues:

* Under state law, water in a stream's subflow zone, although flowing underground, beneath and beside the stream channel, is treated the same as surface water flowing in the channel. The rights to surface water are on a "first in use, first in right" basis.
* SRP has argued there is no definitive limit to the depth of the subflow if there is not a clearly defined, non-permeable layer separating the subflow from groundwater.
* In the case of the Verde wells, SRP argues they are drawing from the Verde Formation, a permeable layer of limestone rock beneath the river's subflow, which when drawn from has the effect of drawing down water above it, in the subflow.
* The previous judge in the statewide adjudication case had ruled that all wells located in the subflow of a stream, regardless of depth, were subject to having a surface water right, except those where the owner could prove the water coming from the well was coming from formations below an "impervious formation."

AZGS is currently mapping Holocene-aged units along the Verde River in support of the AZ Dept. of Water Resources for use in the statewide adjudication process. AZGS geologist Joe Cook has covered most of the areas accessible by foot. For the past week, he and fellow geologist Ann Youberg are working along the deeper sections of the river and more remote areas, by raft. We should have photos and details of this most recent work in the next weeks to share with you.

Arizona dust melting Colorado snow

Colorado has seen 9 dust storms already this year, darkening of the snowpack leading to early melting, a shortened spring ski season, and rapid, early snowmelt. Whew!

Most of the dust comes from Arizona, and it's worse this year than any in recent memory, probably due to years-long drought and higher than normal winds.

[right, April 3 dust storm in NE Arizona. NASA MODIS satellite image]

Drilling unit approved in St Johns area for CO2, helium

The Arizona State Land Dept. has approved the St. John's Gas Unit Agreement for the development and operation of a pools of carbon dioxide and helium. The unit agreement will include 109 state oil and gas leases covering almost 137 thousand acres of State Trust land. The leases are held by Enhanced Oil Resource's (EOR) subsidiary, Ridgeway Arizona Oil Corp. (112 thousand acres) and Hunt Oil USA (25 thousand acres). The unit includes more than 6 thousand acres of unleased federal land and 27 thousand acres of private land, most of which is leased.

[right, map of development area from Ridgeway Arizona Petroleum]

Nick Melcher

Nick Melcher, recently retired from the USGS Water Resources Division in Tucson, died on April 9, 2009 from complications related to a staph infection at the age of 58.

John Hoffman at USGS provided the following bio material: Nick retired in 2007 after 34 years with the USGS; 13 of those years were served as Director of the Arizona Water Science Center. He began his career as a staff hydrologist in Montana, later became subdistrict office chief in Kentucky and district chief in Iowa before coming to Arizona. In Arizona, Nick was lauded for having one of the strongest Data Programs in the country and for having developed one of the broadest and most innovative ground-water programs in the USGS.

Known fondly as "The Banker" by his Center Director peers, Nick managed his office as effectively and efficiently as any Water Science Center in the country. He took an Arizona office in deep financial trouble and turned it into a highly performing organization with soaring morale.

Nick is survived by his wife, Paula, his two sons, Clifton and Henry, their wives, Barbara and Katherine, and four grand children. His family is having a memorial to honor Nick on April 17th, 2009 at 5:00 PM at Reid Park, in Tucson, Arizona.

Notes of condolences can be sent to:

Paula Melcher
6095 Black Bear Loop
Tucson, AZ 85750

note: I corrected the zip code this morning (4-11-09)

Copper dominos - Grupo Mexico could lose control of Southern Copper

Bloomberg.com reports that Grupo Mexico's share of Phoenix-based Southern Copper could drop from 80% to 49.4% after they meet a district court judge's ruling to return about 30% of that companies shares to Asarco. Grupo Mexico plans on appealing the court order. [right, Cuajone mine. Credit, Southern Copper]

Ok, Stephen Colbert, it's on!

Stephen Colbert dissed Tucson the other night, saying first that Gabrielle Giffords represented 'not even the good half' of Tucson but quickly quipping, "I'm kidding. There is no good half."

The local Tucson blogging community has covered the story with journalistic reserve. But where's the outrage! Where's the gratuitous chest-thumping defense of Tucson from our civic leaders? Where's the silly local response? Okay, that last one is right here.

Mr. Colbert took his cheap shot because our esteemed Congresswoman had the temerity to suggest that NASA naming a node after him on the International Space Station might not be the best idea. The node will house the urine recycling facility for the ISS. Stephen (what, he's too good to go by 'Steve', a good solid American name? And by the way, what's with the pronunciation of 'Colbert' with the silent 't'? Sounds French) lobbied his many millions of viewers to vote for naming the urine node for him.

Well, Tucson, let's line up to show Mr. Colbert just how well he's regarded here. I am willing to formally designate my home septic system as the "Stephen Colbert Septic Collector," or SC-squared. So, I call on my own few dozens of readers to counter the legions of Colbertistas and back me up. Let's make it official - "SC is full of it!"

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Space Module: Colbert - Urine Recycling Room
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

Resolution Copper #10 headframe completed

Resolution Copper announced a new, expanded website today, Secure Arizona's Future, for their proposed mine east of Superior. While checking it out, I learned that the #10 headframe was completed on March 20 at a cost of $4 million. This will be the base from which the main shaft will be sunk.

[right, drill core in the core shed. Credit, Resolution Copper]

Landsat shows drought impact on Lake Mead

Landsat satellite images of Lake Mead taken between 1990 (upper left), 1995 (upper right) and the present (lower left) show the dropping lake level.

The red color in the lower right image (difference between 1990 and 2009) shows where the water level has dropped. These false-color images use TM bands 7,4,2. [photo credit, NASA/USGS]

Virtual Stephen Hawking at ASU Origins Symposium

Physicist Stephen Hawking's daughter Lucy [right] stepped in for her ailing father at ASU's Origins Symposium on Monday night to play his pre-recorded lecture and accompanying slides.

The 40-minute lecture is posted online on vimeo.

Hawking discussed the benefits of building a human base on another planet and speculated on why alien life is not contacting the human race. For one thing, “The probably of life developing intelligence like ours may be very low,” he said.


ASU Origins Conference: Stephen Hawking Lecture from Keith Jennings on Vimeo.

Science cafes popping up across Arizona

Arizona now has at least five science cafes, three of which are registered at ScienceCafes.org.

The jont NOVA - Sigma Xi website describes science cafés as "live events that involve a face-to-face conversation with a scientist about current science topics. They are open to everyone, and take place in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses."

The East West Exchange in Chandler, a "combination bookstore-coffeehouse-yoga studio hosts the informal chat sessions the second Friday of each month" according to a story in the East Valley Tribune.

ASU's Center for Nanotechnology in Society holds one on the third Friday of each month at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix.

The Center for Desert Archaeology's Archaeology Café series is held on the first Tuesday of every month, starting at 6:00 PM at Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson, AZ. The café series is free and open to the community - all are welcome. Guests are encouraged to support our host, Casa Vicente, by buying their own food and drinks.

The University of Arizona Science Center recently moved its monthly science café discussion to a new and bigger location, the Cushing Street Bar & Restaurant in downtown Tucson.

'Place-based' climate change science needed in national parks

Thomas Swetnam, director of the Laboratory for Tree-Ring Research at the UA, told a U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands that scientists should expand the use of what he called "place-based" science models to understand how climate change may impact ecosystems and watersheds.

Place-based science involves locating scientists within national parks for long-terms, working at a specific locale to develop the kind of deep-rooted knowledge that allows them to become familiar with the natural rhythms and history of a region.

He said that currently, only a few dozen scientists are located in field stations in the western United States, and fewer in the east.

Swetnam said "Much of what we have learned about he effects of past and recent climate variations and change on ecosystems has come from studies conducted within the national parks and national forests. In the future, we need to continue and expand monitoring of climate and ecosystems within parks because these places offer some of the best landscapes to study climate-driven changes with the least amount of human land-use effects.

"The rationale for the parks was, and is, that these are the places we care the most about in terms of protecting and preserving these wonders, now and in the future," he said.

[this post is taken in part from a UA news release by Jeff Harrison]

Copper companies take hits

Two Arizona copper companies have taken some hits in the past few days.

The Arizona Daily Star reports that Asarco's Silver Bell mine was fined by the AZ. Dept of Environmental Quality for releases of wastewater, copper leach solution, and stormwater in 2006 that contained small amounts of sulfuric acid and heavy metals. The spills did not exceed groundwater standards but Asarco agreed to improve monitoring beyond requirements for its aquifer protection permit.

Second, Phoenix-based Southern Copper is closing its Cananea mine in Mexico, saying workers on strike since 2007 have damaged the mine. The mine has a century-long history of labor problems. The company is reportedly seeking permission from the government to fire the strikers.

Lots of parts to climate change bill

The Waxman-Markey discussion draft, “The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,” includes sections of particular interest to Earth scientists, including carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the creation of a National Climate Service. [photo credit US DOE]

The sections on limiting emissions looks to me to be the most controversial parts.

The legislation has four titles according to an announcement put out by the House Energy & Commerce Committee: (1) a “clean energy” title that promotes renewable sources of energy and carbon capture and sequestration technologies, low-carbon transportation fuels, clean electric vehicles, and the smart grid and electricity transmission; (2) an “energy efficiency” title that increases energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including buildings, appliances, transportation, and industry; (3) a “global warming” title that places limits on the emissions of heat-trapping pollutants; and (4) a “transitioning” title that protects U.S. consumers and industry and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy economy.

The National Climate Service proposal falls under title 4 as part of efforts for adapting to global warming.

AGS Honorary Award to Don Hammer

The Arizona Geological Society awarded Honorary Life Membership to Don Hammer last night in Tucson [right, AGS president Kevin Horstman presents certificate to Don at the AGS monthly dinner meeting]

Don was feted for a combination of his service to the Society, most recent of which was an extended role as Chair of the Financial Committee, and his contributions to understanding the geology of Arizona. One example is Don's highly regarded work on the Magma mine in the Superior district.

Don retired after 30 years with Newmont Mining and has been consulting since.

Freeport donation to help keep Mineral Museum doors open

At last night's AGS dinner meeting, president Kevin Horstman reported that Freeport McMoRan is donating $250,000 to help keep the Mineral Museum open and operating at the University Arizona. Budget cuts in January prompted the university to close the museum and Flandreau Science Center to the public.

[right, azurite - Copper Queen Mine, Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona. Photo by Sven Bailey]

Cyclicity in Cordilleran orogenic systems

Peter DeCelles and colleagues from the UA Geosciences Dept have a recent paper in Nature Geoscience on cyclicity in Cordilleran orogenic systems. As a former tectonics geek before becoming a full time paper pusher, I found this an intriguing explanation for some problematic issues.

A key element of their findings is that "the western American Cordilleras display a 25–50 million year cycle of linked upper-plate processes. In a typical cycle, as the two plates converge and a magmatic arc forms, most of the continental crust shortens by thrusting behind the arc, whereas the lowermost continental lithosphere is shoved beneath the arc — a process that fuels episodic high-flux magmatism in the arc and simultaneously generates dense melt residues. On reaching a critical mass, these residues sink into the mantle, creating space beneath the arc and setting the stage for renewal of the cycle. This alternative model explains key features of Cordilleran systems, such as cyclical trends in the flux and composition of magma supplied to the upper plate, and the foundering of arc roots."


Ref: Nature Geoscience 2, 251 - 257 (2009)
Published online: 15 March 2009 | doi:10.1038/ngeo469
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v2/n4/abs/ngeo469.html

Travel videos of Arizona outdoors

Arizona's travel and tourism web site has a wide collection of short videos showcasing the state, including a set of natural features, including Grand Canyon, Tonto Bridge, Lake Havasu, etc.

[right, historian Mike Anderson describes the geologic history and age of the Grand Canyon in one online video]

A billion year walk

There are two new blog posts about hiking the Grand Canyon that are well worth reading. Kim Hannula, at All My Faults Are Stress Related, took the familythrough a billion years of geologic history on spring break.


Wayne Ranney (Earthly Musings) and Helen Thompson led friends with preteen kids down to Phantom Ranch. [right, red and white switchbacks through the Redwall Limestone. Photo credit, Wayne Ranney]