ALEXANDRIA, VA. — The need to eliminate manganese from acidic discharge water poses a serious problem for many Appalachian coal companies. What better way to discover potential elimination methods than to study a wetland environment that acts as a natural filter of such substances? In the May issue of Geotimes, Eleanora Iberall Robbins, a U.S. Geological Survey biogeologist, studies a suburban wetland for clues on how to eliminate toxic substances and metals from through-flowing water. In an article titled "Ferromanganese Nodules Assist Mine Cleanup," Robbins describes her study of manganese fixation in the Huntley Meadows wetland in Alexandria, Va. — a wildlife refuge and outdoor laboratory surrounded by urban sprawl just miles outside of Washington, D.C.

Also in Geotimes, an environmental attorney shares some tips on how to explain advanced geoscience concepts to a judge and jury or to government officials who lack fundamental knowledge of science. In "Geoscience and Law," John M. Stafford explains that "the fundamental common denominator shared by all geologists and lawyers who practice in [environmental law, natural resources law, and intellectual property law] is the need to effectively communicate complex scientific and technical matters." Stafford, now with Holland & Hart LLP in Denver, formerly worked as a senior geologist with ARCO Oil & Gas Company.

In the third feature article of May's Geotimes, a geology professor from Kansas State University discusses cyclic rhythmites, the sedimentary phenomena scarcely recognized 10 years ago but seen today as an important tool in sedimentary geology. In "Implications of Carboniferous Cyclic Rhythmites," Allen W. Archer describes how these rhythmites are windows on seasonal cycles. They not only provide detailed information on ancient climatic variability but influence studies of the evolution of the earth-moon system. Carboniferous rhythmites have implications in the study of sequence stratigraphy. They can also help in the location of low-sulfur reserves of coal. Archer supplies more details about the diverse applications of cyclic rythmites in the May issue of Geotimes.