Debra Brooks
banner
geobrooksey.bsky.social
Debra Brooks
@geobrooksey.bsky.social
Retired cc geology prof and geology enthusiast. I remember when university science buildings were built w/o women’s restrooms. Opinions are mine. She/Her 🚫DM

San Onfre Breccia, Dana Point, CA and Sky Blue Limestone, Crestmore Quarry, Riverside, CA.
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Here is the graph showing yearly death rates for states grouped by political party for age group 65-74. I have also included the age group 55-64 graph and the one for the youngest . Go to ALT to read a few comments.🧪💡☠️. #Sociology
April 25, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Need some tips to prep for West Coast quakes? This piece by @debi-kilb.bsky.social, @inseismoland.bsky.social, John Rekoske and Duncan Agnew has some advice, as well as a great discussion of the April 14 M5.2 Julian earthquake. ⚒️🧪
April 25, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Excellent example of environmental-science communication using a simple video format & approachable delivery & messaging for my #ENVSCOMM25 students to consider as they make their own videos this week. 🧪
I remember the first time I posted a video like this a bunch of older scientists took to Twitter to make fun of me for being too informal. If only they realized it’s videos like this that actually reach young people and that science communication is meant for the public — not other scientists!
April 22, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
The European Space Agency welcomes the inauguration of its African counterpart.

#space #AfricanSpaceAgency #Africa #ASA #ESA 🧪
ESA welcomes inauguration of the African Space Agency
The European Space Agency has joined the world space community in congratulating the African Space Agency on its official inauguration. The African Space Agency (AfSA) is the second regional space age...
www.esa.int
April 22, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
🧪 Is a US science brain drain beginning? Nature data reveals a 32% jump in US scientists applying abroad (Q1 2025) amidst funding cuts. Interest in Canada, Europe, and Asia is up; interest in US jobs is down.
Exclusive: a Nature analysis signals the beginnings of a US science brain drain
A trawl of job views and application data suggests jobseekers are looking abroad as the Trump administration’s cuts to science take hold.
www.nature.com
April 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Made this thread into a URL for more portable sharing (e.g., your sponsored research office):

skywriter.blue/pages/did:pl...
🧪 Tip: You have the right to contest a grant termination, even though NSF says you don't. 🧵

On Friday, NSF terminated 402 grants (per Musk's DOGE).

The notification letters had one of the most egregious violations of fed regulations I've seen so far in these cases:

"not subject to appeal"
Here's a copy of an NSF grant termination notice that went out today. "NSF is issuing this termination to protect the interests of the government pursuant...on the basis that they no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities." Not subject to appeal. #HigherEd #AcademicSky
April 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Latest data on measles in the US. The total number of cases has already reached 800 in the first 4 months of 2025 with 85 hospitalizations and 3 deaths. There were 285 total cases last year. 🧪
www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/us-m...
US measles total climbs to 800 cases, 10 outbreaks
www.cidrap.umn.edu
April 21, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
I was proud to be a federal scientist at the USGS for 33 years. "Earth science in the public service" meant I could focus on creating and explaining science for public officials and providing public education, not just educating students at one university. theconversation.com/us-earthquak...
US earthquake safety relies on federal employees’ expertise
The US experiences violent earthquakes, but the damage and death toll is much lower than in many countries because of the work of federal seismologists and engineers.
theconversation.com
April 2, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
The USGS produces a nice quantification of the risk of aftershocks. 7% chance of another M5 and less than 1% chance of being followed by a M6.
April 14, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
The federal website sharing public health information about COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, and testing has been replaced with one dedicated to theories about “the true origins of Covid-19”.

The White House wouldn't say where the public should now go for information and recommendations on COVID-19.
www.huffpost.com
April 18, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
The funding cuts to science are obviously catastrophic, but this really illustrates how unfair research funding is in the first place 🧪
April 18, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Shiny thing

NASA Mars2020 Perseverance rover at Jezero crater, Mars
Sol-1461 (30-March-2025)
MastCamZ (Right) from ZCAM09536
Site 71, Drive 1018
📷 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Martian-Observer
April 11, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
🧪🔭☄️
The American Astronomical Society is gravely concerned by the deep cuts to NASA science funding reported to be in the draft President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2026. Read more here: aas.org/press/aas-st... and take action now: aas.org/urge-nasa-su...
April 11, 2025 at 8:55 PM
After all, why does children’s health matter? 😢
these alternative facts are killing people

🧪
3 days ago RFK Jr. told the CDC to stop recommending water fluoridation, claiming it was a neurotoxin (this is a lie).

Turns out he also just eliminated the CDC’s entire Lead Program, and now lead poisoned children in Milwaukee are just on their own. Lead IS a neurotoxin and harms brain development
April 11, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Continued destruction of our scientific enterprise and public safety that enrages and nauseates me in the worst possible way. We MUST keep fighting back! 🌊🧪#scipol
April 11, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Weekly Earthquake Stats: 30 Mar 2025 - 05 APR 2025. There were 208 events this week ranging from M 0.10 to 3.38. Check out our weekly playback map and visit www.scsn.org for detailed information. #earthquakes #seismology #SCSN #weeklystats @CaltechSeismo
April 6, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Two good laughs in one day; maybe I should have considered biology.
April 7, 2025 at 11:11 PM
I needed a good laugh today. The perils of biology and one of the many reasons I ended up in geology. 😂🤣😂
April 7, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
🧪⚒️

Two days after the M7.7 earthquake in Myanmar, what have we learned?

Rapid seismological analyses shared by scientists suggest that the rupture was both longer and faster than expected - two factors that could have increased damage.

Read more: earthquakeinsights.substack.com/p/updates-on...
Updates on the M7.7 Myanmar earthquake
An unusually long, possibly supershear rupture
earthquakeinsights.substack.com
March 30, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
@corybooker.com @booker.senate.gov
Thank you Corey Booker for standing up for the American people who really care about democracy.
April 2, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Thurmond's filibuster was performative. He read from the Encyclopedia. Cruz's filibuster was performative. He read from Dr. Seuss.

Cory Booker spoke issues and history and people's needs for over 24 hours. Nothing performative. He may have just started to pull us out of this mire.
April 2, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
April 2, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Reposted by Debra Brooks
Watch seismic waves from the M7.7 earthquake in Myanmar ripple across North America.

This animation, called a Ground Motion Visualization (GMV), shows how the ground moved as detected by seismometers across the continent.
March 28, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Debra Brooks