![]() Currently, in Big Basin State Park, the reservation-only parking lot is covered with a substance that looks like an oily sheen, and has a "sulfur-like" smell in some areas. Visitors have shared their thoughts about the smell, and many think it's a human-made event (like leakage from an old septic tank, etc.). What is it? What are its characteristics? What does it remind us of? Staff are currently gathering observations. Uncovering a mystery is always exciting, and challenges one's assumptions, and patience. Here's what we know:
According to Justine Dees, a PhD in microbiology, bacteria living in water or sediments can change the form of metals like iron, manganese, and copper. 1 Some bacteria can change iron from a solid to dissolved, and back to solid again. Crazy, right?! Some bacteria ferment while growing…thus the stink!" "Microbial diversity also responds to changes in environmental variables, such as sun, temperature, and location." 2
The image below shows the shiny rainbow colors. If this is biofilm, it meets the characteristics of floating on top and ‘shattering' like glass when disturbed. Stay tuned. The mystery of the post-fire, redwood forest, with a slimy parking lot, has yet to be uncovered!
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PG&E will decommission an old hydropower plant, remove its dam, and remove the Lake Pillsbury dam that sits on an active Fault Zone. Dams can disrupt natural water flow, leading to increased flooding in some areas and reduced water availability. Removing dams can help restore natural flow patterns, improving water management.
Winter in California has seen its share of extraordinary weather events and devastating losses from fire. In Santa Cruz County, there have been massive waves eroding the coastline and damaging seashore structures. There was even a tornado event that overturned cars in Scotts Valley. A related event occurred in Moss Landing when lithium-ion batteries burned at an energy storage plant, releasing clouds of microscopic particles of nickel, cobalt and manganese in the mudflats and tidal marshes at levels roughly 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal! Yikes!
Below are some soothing images from this winter. Mother Nature is indeed resilient, but we need to understand the messages she sends us, and work harder to protect what's left. |
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