STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

Much of what we know about what is going on underneath the soil is shrouded in something more than a veil — it’s shrouded in tons of earth and rock.

Thus, unfortunately, a lot of what we know about geothermal activity must be inferred rather than observed directly. To see it directly would doubtless be a spectacular sight. Robbed of the sight, scientists must resort to less romantic and more technical approaches to determine what makes a geothermal field tick.

The crew of scientists tramping the Valley flatlands this summer are listening very hard for the ticking.

These scientists, from the University of California at Redlands, are taking a triple-pronged approach. Using the trio of approaches, temperature readings, soil-density measurements, and resistivity of the rock and soil, they hope to chart some likely hot spots.

Tsvi Meidav, a university geophycist, discussed one of the methods being employed this past week in the Heber area.

They are sending jolts of electricity through the Valley’s substratum to see how the ground conducts — or directly resists — the jolts. The electrical charges are shot into the ground through electrodes separated by several thousand feet.

40 years ago

Can the gourmet appetite of the larvae of a little black beetle bring all motorized activity to a screeching halt in the Imperial County sand dunes?

That is the question before thousands of campers and dune buggy fans, the federal Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and even re-liners of the Coachella Canal.

Andrew’s due scarab beetle, found only in the Imperial sand dunes, has been listed as one of 10 North American beetles proposed as endangered species by the Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service in the Aug. 10 federal register.

In 1977, an endangered species of plant closed the Glamis dunes north of Highway 78. The Endangered Species Act also stopped construction of the $116 million Telico Dam project in Tennessee because of the “endangered” snail darter, a three-inch fish.

30 years ago

A wild storm, packing strong winds, rain and lightning, thundered through Imperial Valley late Tuesday and early today causing flooding and knocking out power for many residents.

Ogilby Road was closed from Highway 78 south to Interstate 8 by flooding and debris in the roadway, the California Highway Patrol reported. All other roads in Imperial County are open, the CHP said.

In Calexico, a portion of Imperial Avenue near Hollie’s Fiesta Motel was flooded deep enough to stall a number of some cars. Frank Martinez, a mechanic with the Calexico Public Works Department, said the water on Imperial Avenue was draining well as the morning progressed and no longer posed a serious problem.