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Three of the most powerful hurricanes of 2005 were filled with mysterious lightning.
January 9, 2006: The boom of thunder and crackle of lightning generally mean one thing: a storm is coming. Curiously, though, the biggest storms of all, hurricanes, are notoriously lacking in lightning. Hurricanes blow, they rain, they flood, but seldom do they crackle.
Surprise:
During the record-setting hurricane season of 2005 three of the most powerful storms — Rita, Katrina, and Emily — did have lightning, lots of it. And researchers would like to know why.
Richard Blakeslee of the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) in Huntsville, Alabama, was one of a team of scientists who explored Hurricane Emily using NASA's ER-2 aircraft, a research version of the famous U-2 spy plane. Flying high above the storm, they noted frequent lightning in the cylindrical wall of clouds surrounding the hurricane's eye. Both cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning were present, "a few flashes per minute," says Blakeslee.
"Generally there's not a lot of lightning in the eye-wall region," he says. "So when people see lightning there, they perk up — they say, okay, something's happening."
Indeed, the electric fields above Emily were among the strongest ever measured by the aircraft's sensors over any storm. "We observed steady fields in excess of 8 kilovolts per meter," says Blakeslee. "That is huge — comparable to the strongest fields we would expect to find over a large land-based mesoscale' thunderstorm."
Tres de los huracanes más potentes de 2005 mostraron también una alta actividad de misteriosos relámpagos.
Enero 9, 2006: El sonido retumbante de los truenos y el crepitar de los relámpagos usualmente significan sólo una cosa: que se acerca una tormenta. Sin embargo, por extraño que parezca, las más intensas de todas las tormentas, los huracanes, carecen notablemente de relámpagos. Los huracanes producen ventarrones, lluvias e inundaciones pero en muy raras ocasiones crepitan con relámpagos.
Sorpresa: durante la temporada de huracanes de 2005, que no ha tenido precedente, tres de las tormentas más potentes —Rita, Katrina y Emily— sí presentaron una gran actividad de relampagueo. Y a los investigadores les gustaría saber porqué.
Richard Blakeslee del Centro Mundial de Hidrología y Clima (GHCC, por sus siglas en inglés) en Huntsville, Alabama, fue uno de los científicos del equipo dedicados a la exploración del Huracán Emily utilizando la aeronave ER-2 de la NASA, una versión modificada del famoso avión de espionaje U-2, con fines de investigación. Al volar a una altura superior a la de la tormenta, notaron un relampagueo frecuente en la pared cilíndrica de las nubes que rodeaban el ojo del huracán. Se presentaron las dos formas de relampagueo, de nube a nube y de nube a tierra con "unas cuantas fulguraciones por minuto", apunta Blakeslee.
"Usualmente no existe tanto relampagueo en la región de las paredes que rodean el ojo", admite. "Por esto, cuando la gente advierte que allí existe actividad de relámpagos, —dicen, bueno, algo raro está sucediendo".
En efecto, comparados con cualquier otra tormenta, los campos eléctricos por encima de Emily se encontraban entre los más poderosos que hayan evaluado los detectores de la aeronave. "Observamos campos constantes superiores a los 8 kilovoltios por metro", explica Blakeslee. "Eso es tremendo —es comparable a los campos eléctricos más poderosos que uno espera encontrar sobre una tormenta eléctrica terrestre de 'escala media'".
English to Spanish: Moonquakes Detailed field: Aerospace / Aviation / Space
March 15, 2006: NASA astronauts are going back to the moon and when they get there they may need quake-proof housing.
That's the surprising conclusion of Clive R. Neal, associate professor of civil engineering and geological sciences at the University of Notre Dame after he and a team of 15 other planetary scientists reexamined Apollo data from the 1970s. "The moon is seismically active," he told a gathering of scientists at NASA's Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) meeting in League City, Texas, last October.
Between 1969 and 1972, Apollo astronauts placed seismometers at their landing sites around the moon. The Apollo 12, 14, 15, and 16 instruments faithfully radioed data back to Earth until they were switched off in 1977.
And what did they reveal? There are at least four different kinds of moonquakes: (1) deep moonquakes about 700 km below the surface, probably caused by tides; (2) vibrations from the impact of meteorites; (3) thermal quakes caused by the expansion of the frigid crust when first illuminated by the morning sun after two weeks of deep-freeze lunar night; and (4) shallow moonquakes only 20 or 30 kilometers below the surface.
The first three were generally mild and harmless. Shallow moonquakes on the other hand were doozies. Between 1972 and 1977, the Apollo seismic network saw twenty-eight of them; a few "registered up to 5.5 on the Richter scale," says Neal. A magnitude 5 quake on Earth is energetic enough to move heavy furniture and crack plaster.
Furthermore, shallow moonquakes lasted a remarkably long time. Once they got going, all continued more than 10 minutes. "The moon was ringing like a bell," Neal says.
Marzo 15, 2006: Los astronautas de la NASA regresarán a la Luna y cuando lleguen allí es posible que necesiten alojamiento a prueba de temblores.
Esta es la sorprendente conclusión de Clive R. Neal, catedrático asociado de ingeniería civil y ciencias geológicas en la Universidad de Notre Dame, después de que él y su equipo formado por otros 15 científicos planetarios reexaminaran información de la misión Apolo, que data de la década de los 70. "Existe actividad sísmica en la Luna", anunció en una reunión científica de la asamblea del Grupo de Análisis de Exploración Lunar de la NASA (Lunar Exploration Analysis Group ó LEAG, por sus siglas en inglés) en League City, Texas, el pasado octubre.
Entre 1969 y 1972, los astronautas de la misión Apolo colocaron sismómetros en sus sitios de alunizaje, en distintos lugares de nuestro satélite. Los instrumentos de las misiones Apolo 12, 14, 15 y 16 enviaron información por radio continuamente hacia la Tierra hasta que fueron desconectados en 1977.
¿Y qué revelaron los sismómetros?
Existen por lo menos cuatro tipos diferentes de sismos lunares: (1) trepidaciones profundas a una distancia aproximada de 700 kilómetros (435 millas) por debajo de la superficie, causadas probablemente por mareas; (2) vibraciones que provienen de impactos de meteoritos; (3) temblores termales causados por la expansión de la corteza glacial al ser iluminada por el Sol de la mañana por vez primera, después de una noche lunar de congelación extrema y con una duración de dos semanas; y (4) sismos de poca profundidad a sólo 20 ó 30 kilómetros (12-19 millas) por debajo de la superficie.
Los sismos de las tres primeras clases fueron por lo general ligeros y no causaron daños. Por otro lado, los sismos lunares de poca profundidad fueron únicos en su género. Entre 1972 y 1977, la red sísmica de la misión Apolo observó 28 en total; algunos "registraron hasta 5,5 grados en la escala de Richter", indica Neal. Un sismo de magnitud 5 en la Tierra tiene la suficiente energía como para mover muebles pesados y causar grietas en el yeso de las paredes.
Además, los sismos lunares de poca profundidad tuvieron una duración extraordinaria. Una vez que comenzaron, todos continuaron por más de 10 minutos. "La Luna resonaba como una campana", observa Neal.
English to Spanish: Lunar Dust Buster Detailed field: Astronomy & Space
April 19, 2006: Ever get a fragile item packed in a box filled with Styrofoam peanuts? Plunge your hands into the foam peanuts to search for the item, and when you pull it out foam peanuts are clinging to your arms. Try to brush them off, and they won't fall off—instead, they seem to hop away, only to cling to your legs or elsewhere. The smaller the peanuts, the more tenacious they seem. In fact, if you break a foam peanut into bits, the tiny lightweight bits are almost impossible to brush off.
This behavior is classic static cling.
It's also the behavior of lunar—and possibly also Martian—dust.
The dozen Apollo astronauts who landed on the Moon between 1969 and 1972 found moondust to be an unexpected challenge. Not only was it so abrasive that it wore partially through the outer gloves of their space suits, but also it stuck to everything. The more they tried to brush it away, the more it worked its way into the space suits' fabric.
Part of the dust's tenacious clinging was due to the sharp, irregular shapes of individual dust grains, formed by millions of years of meteorite impacts that repeatedly melted rocks into glass and then broke the glassy rocks into powdered glass. The particles' jagged edges were almost like claws that hooked into things like microscopic burrs.
But another reason was the dust's electrostatic charge. On the Moon, harsh, unshielded ultraviolet rays from the Sun have enough energy to kick electrons out of the upper layers of the regolith (soil), giving the surface of each dust particle a net positive charge. The smaller the particles, the less their mass and the greater their charged surface area, so the more they clung—just like Styrofoam peanuts broken into small bits.
A team led by Carlos I. Calle (lead scientist at NASA's Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center), however, has used a bit of intellectual judo to figure out a way to take advantage of the dust grains' electrostatic charge to repel them. In fact, they've come up with a new application of an old idea.
"In the 1970s, electrical engineering professor Senichi Masuda of the University of Tokyo—well-known as a pioneer in electrostatics—came up with the 'electric curtain'," Calle recalls.
Abril 19, 2006: ¿Alguna vez ha recibido usted un artículo frágil, empaquetado en una caja llena de esferas de espuma de poli estireno? Hunda sus manos dentro de ellas para buscar el artículo y cuando lo saque, las esferas se le habrán pegado en los brazos. Trate de quitárselas y no se caerán; por el contrario, pareciera que saltaran, sólo para pegarse en sus piernas o en cualquier otra parte. Cuanto más pequeñas las esferas, más tenaces parecen ser. De hecho, si rompe una esfera de este material en pequeños pedazos, es casi imposible sacudirse los minúsculos y livianos fragmentos.
Este es el clásico comportamiento de la atracción electrostática.
Es también el comportamiento del polvo lunar y posiblemente también del polvo marciano.
La docena de astronautas de las misiones Apolo que alunizaron en nuestro satélite entre 1969 y 1972 descubrieron que el polvo lunar era un reto inesperado. No solamente era tan abrasivo que desgastaba parcialmente la cubierta exterior de los guantes de sus trajes espaciales, sino que también se quedaba pegado en todos lados. Cuanto más trataban de sacudírselo, más se impregnaba en la tela de los trajes espaciales.
Parte de la adherencia insistente del polvo se debía a las formas irregulares y filosas de los granos de polvo individuales, formados a través de millones de años por impactos de meteoritos, que repetidas veces fusionaron los peñascos unos con otros, transformándolos en cristal, y posteriormente fracturaron estas vítreas rocas reduciéndolas a polvo de cristal. Los bordes angulosos de las partículas eran casi como garras que se prendían a los objetos, como abrojos microscópicos.
Pero otra razón era la carga electrostática del polvo. Los inclementes rayos ultravioleta del Sol que caen en una Luna desprotegida, tienen suficiente energía para expulsar los electrones de las capas superiores del regolito (suelo), dejando la superficie de cada partícula de polvo con una carga neta positiva. Cuanto más pequeñas eran las partículas, su masa era menor y la magnitud de su área superficial cargada era mayor; por consiguiente se adherían aún más, tal y como sucede con los minúsculos fragmentos de las esferas de espuma de poli estireno.
Sin embargo, un equipo dirigido por Carlos I. Calle (científico líder del Laboratorio de Física especializado en Electrostática y Superficie en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA) ha utilizado algo de judo intelectual para encontrar una solución y aprovecharse de la carga electrostática de los granos de polvo, para repelerlos. De hecho, han planteado una nueva aplicación con base en una antigua idea.
"En la década de los 70, Senichi Masuda, catedrático de ingeniería eléctrica de la Universidad de Tokio —y famoso por ser un pionero en la electrostática— ideó la 'cortina eléctrica'", recuerda Calle.
English to Spanish: Crash Landing on the Moon Detailed field: Astronomy & Space
July 28, 2006: In 1959, a spaceship fell out of the lunar sky and hit the ground near the Sea of Serenity. The ship itself was shattered, but its mission was a success. Luna 2 from the Soviet Union had became the first manmade object to "land" on the Moon.
This may seem hard to believe, but Luna 2 started a trend: Crash landing on the Moon, on purpose. Dozens of spaceships have done it.
NASA's first kamikazes were the Rangers, built and launched in the early 1960s. Five times, these car-sized spaceships plunged into the Moon, cameras clicking all the way down. They captured the first detailed images of lunar craters, then rocks and soil, then oblivion. Data beamed back to Earth about the Moon's surface were crucial to the success of later Apollo missions.
Even after NASA mastered soft landings, however, the crashing continued. In the late 1960s and early 70s, mission controllers routinely guided massive Saturn rocket boosters into the Moon to make the ground shake for Apollo seismometers.
Julio 28, 2006: En 1959, una nave espacial cayó del cielo lunar y golpeó el suelo cerca del Mar de la Serenidad. La nave espacial se hizo añicos, pero su misión fue un éxito. Luna 2 de la Unión Soviética se había convertido en el primer objeto hecho por el hombre en "alunizar" en la superficie de nuestro satélite.
Esto puede parecer difícil de creer, pero Luna 2 marcó la pauta a seguir: forzar choques contra la Luna intencionadamente. Docenas de naves espaciales lo han hecho.
Las primeras naves espaciales suicidas de la NASA fueron los Rangers, construidos y lanzados a principios de la década de los 60. En cinco ocasiones, estas naves espaciales de tamaño comparable al de un automóvil, se precipitaron contra la Luna al tiempo que sus cámaras tomaban fotografías durante todo el trayecto de bajada. Estas cámaras capturaron las primeras imágenes detalladas de cráteres lunares, posteriormente de rocas y suelo, y después, la nada. La información transmitida de regreso a la Tierra acerca de la superficie lunar fue crucial para el éxito de posteriores misiones Apolo.
Sin embargo, aún después de que la NASA dominara los alunizajes suaves, los choques contra la Luna continuaron. Al final de la década de los 60 y principios de los 70, la oficina del centro de control guiaba regularmente los aceleradores del enorme cohete Saturno hacia la Luna, para hacer que el suelo vibrase y que los sismómetros de la nave Apolo lo percibieran.
English to Spanish: Mariner Meteor Mystery, Solved? Detailed field: Astronomy & Space
August 23, 2006: When Mariner 4 swooped over Mars on July 14, 1965, it was a moment of high drama. Six other probes had already tried to reach Mars and failed--most malfunctioning before they even left Earth. People had been hearing about life on Mars since the days of H.G. Wells (The War of the Worlds, 1898), and they were ready to see the canals and cities. But the wait was becoming excruciating.
The wait was over: With flawless precision, Mariner 4 dipped less than 10,000 km above the planet's surface and took 22 pictures. Mars was covered with desert sand and ancient craters. No cities. No canals. No Martians. No one would ever look at the red planet the same way again.
Most histories of the mission end right there, with Mariner 4 buzzing Mars—"the first spacecraft to visit the red planet"-- and throwing cold water on a lot of good science fiction. But there's more to the story. After the flyby, something strange happened to Mariner 4, setting the stage for a 40-year mystery:
Fast-forward to September 15, 1967. Mariner 4 was cruising the dark emptiness between Earth and Mars. Having shot past Mars in '65 without enough fuel to turn around and go back, there was nothing else to do. All was quiet. Fuel was running low. Soon, Mariner 4 would fade into history. That's when the meteor storm hit.
Agosto 23, 2006: En julio 14, 1965, la sonda Mariner 4 cayó en picada sobre Marte. Fue un momento de intenso drama. Ya otras seis sondas habían tratado de llegar a Marte sin éxito —la mayoría fallaba aun antes de abandonar la Tierra. Desde la época de H.G. Wells (La Guerra de los Mundos, 1898), la gente oía constantemente acerca de la vida en Marte y estaba preparada para ver los canales y las ciudades. Pero la espera se estaba volviendo insoportable.
La espera terminó: Con impecable precisión, la nave Mariner 4 descendió a menos de 10,000 km por encima de la superficie del planeta y tomó 22 fotografías. Marte estaba cubierto de arena desértica y antiguos cráteres. No había ciudades. No había canales. Los marcianos no existían. Nadie volvería a ver al planeta rojo con los mismos ojos.
La mayoría de las historias de la misión terminan justo ahí —con la Mariner 4 pasando cerca de Marte— "la primera nave espacial que visita el planeta rojo", truncando las ilusiones y expectativas por excitantes narraciones de ciencia-ficción. Pero la historia no acaba ahí. Después del sobrevuelo, algo extraño sucedió a la astronave que creó el marco para un misterio que había perdurado por 40 años:
Avancemos a septiembre 15, 1967: la sonda Mariner 4 se desplazaba en el oscuro vacío que existe entre la Tierra y Marte. Después de haber pasado Marte como bólido en 1965 sin el suficiente combustible para dar vuelta y regresar, no había nada más que hacer. Todo se encontraba tranquilo. El combustible se estaba agotando. Pronto, la Mariner 4 se desvanecería en la historia. Fue entonces cuando la tormenta de meteoritos la impactó.
English to Spanish: Astroseti/NASA Detailed field: Astronomy & Space
London-based Voice Talent and Qualified Translator by the Chartered Institute of Linguists offering years of experience in professional audio and video solutions as well as high-quality, accurate translations. A full set of skills ranging from audio, podcasts, translation and transcription to edition and proofreading of texts En<>Sp, and professional presentations, graphic design and DTP/typesetting.
Key skills
Vast experience producing voice-overs and podcasts as well as translation and transcription of audio and video
Mother tongue is Spanish, so I produce accurate and speedy translations especially in the scientific and technological areas (hold a Masters-level qualification on these fields, certified by the CioL). However, I have a broad experience translating in many other fields such as Literature (Transcreation)
Ability to generate glossaries for future use on any given translation using CAT tools
A wealth of technical skills and experience coupled with outstandingly creative flair for design and artwork. Extensive knowledge for creating templates from scratch for presentation work, both in Word and PowerPoint. Expert DTP/ typesetting and text edition operator with excellent attention to detail
Proofreading translations done by other linguists to guarantee the most accurate result. This can be done against the source text as well as from the translation itself for grammar, spelling, register and style
Career summary (work history in detail available upon request)
Currently freelancing in all of the above-mentioned fields as well as promoting my co-translated science-fiction novel Like the Phoenix by Félix Díaz and Alfredo Benítez (Es>En)
Latest voice-overs
* Video narration for one of the Leeds Animation Workshop projects
* Voice-over for six AIG Product Knowledge Training audiovisuals
* Tour narration for "The Corrie ten Boom Museum" (Netherlands) as well as for their website: Ten Boom Museum - Virtual Tour
* Flash video including voice-over produced for the SETI Institute's Spanish website
* Voice-over promo for the Las Vegas 2010 NABShow
* Voice-over for a film promo at PPC Productions
* Voice-over for a Baileys TV commercial broadcast over the entire Mexican network
Voice-over / translation highlights
Included in my freelancing are podcasts and translations for NASA, Astroseti.org and Radio Kosmos (a Mexican web-based radio station). As I am currently promoting the Mexican Space Agency or AEXA, I have written and translated documents in English and French on their behalf to distribute to other space organisations. I also produced and narrated a series of audio visuals for promoting this great national undertaking: Agencia Espacial Mexicana o AEXA
I am currently producing another promo presentation for them about Mexican Inventors in both Spanish and English that also includes narration.
Graphics / DTP
Worked in the Investment Banking sector at UBS AG, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and others for over 13 years in the graphics design, DTP/artwork, transcription and translation areas. My role was to deliver accurate and professional financial presentations to bankers within strict corporate guidelines to tight deadlines, whose covers were bespoke designed following a short brief. Their conceptualisation was my responsibility alone from start to end. Also designed and edit templates, artwork and graphics, logos, etc., either paper-based or for screenshows, and frequently in languages other than English
Work experience in Mexico
Editorial Trillas—Copy-Editor, Translator and Proofreader in the Editorial Department (En<>Sp)
Kumara SA de CV—partner of the company (chemistry sector)
Definición Integral en Sistemas and LEIS SA de CV— worked in both companies as a computer trainer
Mexicana Airlines—worked as a cabin crew member
Computer equipment
Software Voice-overs / translation: Sound Forge, Audacity, Wordfast, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Outlook
Hardware AMD Athlon dual-core CPU desktop computer with broadband connection, Shure microphone, M-Audio Audio Buddy preamplifier and scanner with OCR
Diplomas, awards and education
UK
Diploma in Translation by the Chartered Institute of Linguists (a Masters' level qualification)—specialist papers Science and Technology
Diploma in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop by CORPS Business
Diploma in the Silva Method Focused Thinking, UltraSeminar course
USA
NASA Certificate of Appreciation for translations of scientific articles into Spanish for their website, Ciencia@NASA.
Mexico
English Literature, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Certificate in English, Cambridge University, at the Instituto Anglo-Mexicano de Cultura
Diploma in the Silva Method Focused Thinking, basic course
High School No. 6, UNAM (overall: 9.15/10)
Secondary School No. 15 (overall: 9.8/10)
Primary School No. 121 (overall: 10/10)
Languages
Spanish—Mother tongue. Born and raised in Mexico City
English—Very fluent. I consider English as my second language since apart from my studies I have worked in the UK since 1995
Italian—Speak, read and write at an intermediate level
French—Working knowledge
Relevant websites (please click on icon)
Astronomy translations
(search for Rosie Shaddock)
Voice demos
Professional Networks
ProAEXA
(promotion of the Mexican Space Agency AEXA)
Graphics samples
Personal details
Dual Nationality: British and Mexican
Additional activities and interests
Writing both in prose and poetry (two books in progress), studying, reading and watching documentaries (mainly about scientific topics and current affairs), travelling to get acquainted with other cultures, keeping fit, yoga, meditation, alternative medicine, etc.
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