A Busy Pacific Surf North of Point Reyes, California

Jim Scanlon (1933-2005)

Jim Scanlon was planning a series of articles for The Citizen Scientist about his many trips to the southernmost tip of Chile to measure the ozone layer. Unfortunately, he died before completing the project.

Jim was an excellent photographer, and he left behind some very nice photographs that he made in the spring of 2004 when he was collecting samples of Asian smoke for a joint study we were pursuing. The smoke originated in Southeast Asia and crossed the Pacific Ocean before arriving in California and points East.

This spectacular photograph shows Pacific Ocean surf under a blanket of salt water haze and air pollution from Asia as Jim observed it from Point Reyes, California. I have spent many hours staring at equally spectacular microscopic salt crystals captured by Jim from this point. A microphotograph of some of these salt crystals was published in a previous Gallery ("Salty air from the Pacific Ocean," The Citizen Scientist, 09 April 2004). That microphoto is also on my web site.

Forrest M. Mims III

Wanted: Gallery Contributions

Contributions to "Gallery" are welcomed. Please submit sharp JPEG photographs and a caption of from a few sentences to several paragraphs. Be sure to include the full name(s) of any people in your submission. To the best of your ability, provide both the common name and the genus and species of any plants or animals. Common names are lower case, as in the live oak tree. The genus is capitalized and the species is not, as in: The live oak (Quercus virginiana) keeps its leaves during winter. Also provide information about the camera that made the photograph.

Send your contribution as an e-mail to the Editor. Place "Gallery" in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name. Attach the photograph as a JPEG.

Thank you for considering The Citizen Scientist. Editor.