Digital Commons Network^™

Quantifying The Variability In Heavy Metal Concentrations In Produce Grown In Metals-Rich Soil, Harris Lowell Byers

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood Pb exposure is associated with a multitude of poor health outcomes. In food-insecure areas, growing fresh produce in residential backyard gardens is one option for parents; however, commonly grown crops are known to accumulate Pb in consumable tissues when grown in metals-rich soils. A variety of produce representing a continuum of consumable tissues were grown in soils collected from two residential vegetable gardens, a former metal foundry, and commercial topsoil purchased from a local hardware store. The concentrations of heavy metals in crop tissues were measured with custom wavelength dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WD-XRF) spectroscopy and portable energy dispersive X-ray …

The Dynamics And Speciation Of Arsenic In Drinking Water Wells In Eastern Wisconsin, Evvan Plank

Theses and Dissertations

Arsenic typically develops in Eastern Wisconsin groundwater as a result of oxidation of sulfide bearing minerals in the limestone bedrock (Schreiber et al. 2000). Naturally occurring arsenic exists in groundwater as oxyanions which have two oxidation states, As(III) and As(V). Under ambient pH conditions As(V) is primarily present as an anion (i.e., H2AsO4-) while As(III) tends to be uncharged (i.e., H3AsO3), making it much more difficult to remove through the existing treatment techniques such as adsorption and reverse osmosis (RO). Although many studies exist establishing arsenic concentrations across Wisconsin, there is a lack of investigations into the concentrations of each …

Enabling High Quality Oxygen Measurements During Robotic Based Studies Of Ocean Ecological And Biogeochemical Processes, Brianna A. Alanis

Theses and Dissertations

Dissolved oxygen is an essential parameter necessary for understanding marine ecological and biogeochemical processes. New robotic vehicles and autonomous platforms are being applied to an even wider range of ecological and biogeochemical studies. Thus, arises the opportunity for matching the best possible oxygen sensing techniques and methods to these new platforms. In so doing, we can enable both more targeted and higher resolution oxygen measurements than previously possible and potentially use oxygen measurements for a wider range of applications, including in situ incubation experiments and primary productivity measurements. This thesis tested three different oxygen sensors in a trade study for …

The Role Of Sediment Resuspension In Estuarine Inorganic Nutrient Cycling, Kirsten Jo Ayres

Theses and Dissertations

Time-scaling of estuarine inorganic nitrogen cycling contains many assumptions due to biogeochemical interactions. Nitrogen, often a limiting factor for primary production, is transformed and utilized by many estuarine organisms. Inorganic nitrogen is especially high in porewater. High nutrient pore water, contained within the interstitial spaces of sediment, has been assumed to influx high concentrations of inorganic nutrients into surface waters during resuspension events. These short-term resuspension events rapidly introducing high concentration of nutrients into the water column. In order to determine the internal time scale of inorganic nitrogen cycling, a box-model nutrient budget, horizontal in situ transects, and vertical nutrient …

Histological Evidence Of Annual And Lunar Reproductive Rhythms Of Atlantic Sea Urchin, Arbacia Punctulata In The Gulf Of Mexico: Changes In Nutritive Phagocytes In Relation To Gametogenesis, Eleazar Hernandez Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental phenomena such as temperature, photoperiod, tidal cycle, and lunar rhythm act as external cues that stimulate the reproductive activity of marine organisms. In this study, I report the annual and lunar reproductive cycles, and changes in nutritive phagocytes (NPs) in relation to gonadal maturation of Atlantic sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata, a primeval species). Monthly and weekly changes in gonadal development/maturation were observed histologically. In male, the testicular lobules were densely packed with sperm from June to August. In female, on the other hand, mature eggs first appeared in some ovaries in May, numerically increased from June to …

A Sinking Feeling: The Fate Of Concrete Pyramids Deployed In Artificial Reefs In The Texas Gulf Of Mexico, Cameron J. Moody

Theses and Dissertations

The deployment of 2,611 concrete pyramids in Texas gulf waters represents a significant undertaking. In collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife, bathymetric sidescan data was collected at three reefs hit by Hurricane Harvey from 2017 to 2019. All reefs lost significant pyramid height between 2017 and 2019. The pyramids demonstrated greater subsidence in the year when Harvey occurred and minimal subsidence the following year. Pyramids that moved outside the reefs were due to hurricane forces and shrimp trawl activity. Pyramids that remained inside the reef remained at their deployment location for two reefs. The pyramids remaining in the third reef …

Dna Barcoding Reveals Unexpected Diversity In Octocorallia In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Chelsea L. Pavliska

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are an integral tier of marine ecosystems. They provide habitat and foraging opportunities for many ecologically and economically important fishes. Protection of coral reef biodiversity and connectivity is imperative to the continued health and sustainability of marine fisheries. Mesophotic reefs, such as those found in the northwest Gulf of Mexico, have unique coral communities because of the limited light penetration at mesophotic depths (30 – 150m). Because there is limited knowledge in regards to the biodiversity of coral reefs of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), particularly the South Texas Banks (STBs), thesis work presented here aims to …

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Lake Water Quality Indicators On Small Lakes, Lake Bloomington And Evergreen Lake In Central Illinois, Using Satellite Remote Sensing, Gare Ambrose-Igho

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the use of Sentinel-2 satellite to determine the spatiotemporal patterns of lake water quality indicators (e.g. chlorophyll a) in Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake. Lake water quality issues related to algal blooms is a serious problem in basins with abundant agricultural lands causing harmful effects to freshwater ecosystems such as pollution of beaches, taste and odor problems in drinking water, depletion of oxygen levels causing fish kills and the issue of water exceeding safe drinking water standards. Developing monitoring techniques using various water quality indicators of algal blooms is crucial. In this project, remote sensing and field …

Green Forest Businesses As A Method To Improve Communities In Unesco’S East Usambara Biosphere Reserve In Tanzania, Myoung Su Ko

Theses and Dissertations

A number of developing countries, especially those in Africa which have experienced former colonization, are still struggling with exploitation of their natural resources. Throughout the development of environmental management, the strategy of natural resource management has evolved from mistreating the environment for economic and social development, to separating human activities from the environment for extreme environmental protection, to ensuring the interaction between human life and environment for sustainable development. Although an abundance of natural resources, and particularly forests, exist in the protected areas, the residents in communities surrounding protected areas are usually economically and socially poor.

With this situation, the …

Sedimentological And Geochemical Analysis Of Deep-Water Deposits In The Mojón De Hierro Formation At Arroyo Garrido, Tepuel-Genoa Basin, Patagonia, Argentina, Natalie Beatrice Mcnall

Theses and Dissertations

The Earth has had multiple Phanerozoic glacial intervals but the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) was its longest and most extensive, lasting from the Late Devonian (~372 Ma) until the Late Permian (~254 Ma). The LPIA is the last complete climate shift from a greenhouse to icehouse and back to a greenhouse state and the only one to occur on a biologically complex Earth. Therefore, it provides perspectives on deep-time climatic transitions, the parameters controlling them, and the Earth’s physical, chemical and biological responses to such climate changes. Research on mid to high-latitude deposits in Gondwana provides evidence that the …

Evaluating Responses Of Benthic Macrofauna To Artificial Reef Presence In The Gulf Of Mexico, Douglas Faircloth

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial reef research has long concerned itself with the interactions of fishes and has tended to favor commercially valuable species. Because of this, a larger yet less known group that heavily benefits fishes have been overlooked; benthic macrofauna. Benthic macrofauna are marine invertebrates that live below the sediment-water interface and play many roles in the ecosystem. Macrofauna are important prey items, ecosystem engineers, and bioindicators, as well as being ubiquitous in the marine environment. Since macrofauna have been largely ignored in this field, not much is known regarding their interaction with the placement of artificial reefs. To try and fill …

Developing Multispectral Imaging Techniques To Determine Canopy Coverage And Carbon Storage Of Seagrasses In The Gulf Of Mexico, Ivy Michelle Hinson

Theses and Dissertations

Although seagrass beds provide global ecosystem services, coverage is in rapid decline, with the capacity of seagrasses to sequester carbon of special concern. Current seagrass monitoring methods are labor intensive and may not offer a complete picture of coverage. Remote sensing offers the ability to oversee landscapes but water in coastal environments presents challenges, as the commonly used near-infrared wavelength dissipates in water.

This project aimed to provide reliable methodology to assess seagrass coverage using multispectral imagery taken from an unmanned aerial vehicle and to provide evidence for the link between seagrass coverage and stored belowground carbon for common seagrasses …

Nature And Origin Of Fissure Ore At The Porphyry-Epithermal Transition Zone Of The Bingham Canyon Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Deposit, Utah, David Harris Tomlinson

Theses and Dissertations

Late-stage fissure-filling ore at the world class Bingham Canyon, Utah, porphyry copper deposit has long been recognized, but poorly studied. Physical and chemical characterization of the Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag-Au mineralized fissures in the porphyry-epithermal transition zone provides insight into the origin, timing, and controls of ore deposition. These sheared sulfide-rich fissures are dominated by pyrite and multiple generations of quartz, with lesser amounts of other sulfides and gangue minerals. Au (0.27 to 4.61 ppm) provides the most value to the ore in the transition zone. Host rocks include Eocene monzonite and Paleozoic limestone and quartzite"”all of which can contain economic ore bodies. …

Impacts Of Glacial Meltwater On Geochemistry And Discharge Of Alpine Proglacial Streams In The Wind River Range, Wyoming, Usa, Natalie Shepherd Barkdull

Theses and Dissertations

Shrinking alpine glaciers alter the geochemistry of sensitive mountain streams by exposing reactive freshly-weathered bedrock and releasing decades of atmospherically-deposited trace elements from glacier ice. Changes in the timing and quantity of glacial melt also affect discharge and temperature of alpine streams. To investigate the effects of glacier ice melt on the geochemistry and hydrology of proglacial streams in the arid Intermountain West, we sampled supraglacial meltwaters and proglacial streams in the Dinwoody Creek watershed in the Wind River Range, Wyoming during late summer 2015, when the contributions of glacier meltwater were highest. Supraglacial meltwater was enriched in 8 trace …

Multi-Stage Construction Of The Little Cottonwood Stock, Utah: Origin, Intrusion, Venting,Mineralization, And Mass Movement, Collin G. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The Little Cottonwood stock in central Utah, USA, is a composite granitic pluton that hosts the White Pine porphyry Mo-W deposit towards its northeast margin. The deposit is centered on the smaller White Pine intrusion, and associated igneous units include the Red Pine porphyry, phreatomagmatic pebble dikes, and rhyolite dikes. Twelve new U-Pb zircon LA-ICP-MS ages, for samples from this deposit and in pebble dikes from the nearby East Traverse Mountains, give peak ages of about 30 Ma and 27 Ma for the Little Cottonwood stock and White Pine intrusion, respectively, which correlate well with ages from previous studies. Ages …

Fluvial Architecture And Reservoir Modeling Along The Strike Direction Of The Trail Member Of The Ericson Sandstone, Mesaverde Group In Southwest Wyoming, April Anahi Trevino

Theses and Dissertations

The Trail Member of the upper Cretaceous Ericson Sandstone, part of the Mesaverde Group, is exposed along hundreds of square kilometers through Wyoming along the flanks of several Laramide structural uplifts. This presents a unique opportunity to study the detailed architecture based on bed-scale heterogeneity and better assess the reservoir potential of these strata in outcrop exposure on a regional-scale, and to then relate these observations to producing fields nearby. The fluvial-dominated Trail Member formed as sediments traveled from the active Sevier thrust belt to the Cretaceous Interior Seaway, forming a basinward progradational clastic wedge along a relatively high gradient. …

3-D Potential Field Inversion Camp Clubhouse Crossroads Mafic Intrusive Pluton, Coastal Plain, South Carolina, Kubra Sibel Albayrak

Theses and Dissertations

The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, is the largest known igneous province in the world. However, the geometry and volume of CAMP intrusives under the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States are poorly known. Under the Coastal Plain sediments of Georgia and South Carolina, the “J” seismic reflector was predicted to be produced by a CAMP lava flow. Recent studies of seismic and well data have shown that the “J” reflector is an unconformity and only locally a CAMP lava flow. In the Clubhouse Crossroads area of South Carolina, seismic reflection, seismic refraction, and well …

Mantle Heterogeneity From The Mantle Plume Perspective: Sources Vs. Processes, Paul Béguelin

Theses and Dissertations

Oceanic island basalts (OIB) which are derived from mantle plumes sample a compositionally heterogeneous mantle, as revealed by their radiogenic isotope systematics. Isotope compositions recurring in distinct hotspots have been used to characterize the composition and heterogeneity of the mantle as well as the thermochemical structure of upwelling plumes, with the assumption that the isotope composition of erupted lavas directly reflects that of their mantle source.

Here I test how source transport, melting and hybridization in the upper mantle through space and time control the expression of deep mantle sources in erupted lavas. This work is focused on the Azores …

Glacial-Interglacial Changes In The Thermocline Structure Of The Makassar Strait: Implications For Changes In The Indonesian Throughflow, Michael Lis

Theses and Dissertations

The Indo-Pacific Warm Pool exerts a strong influence on the global climate system because it partially controls heat and moisture exchange (pressure gradient) between the atmosphere and ocean, and thus, the intensity of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF) via the Makassar Strait, the main passage of water connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The magnitude of ITF is reflected by the structure of the oceanic thermocline. Here, we use shell δ¹⁸O signatures and trace element composition of foraminifera (Globigerinoides ruber, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata, and Globigerinoides menardii) in two sediment records spanning the past 30 kya collected from …

Basinward Trends In Fluvial Architecture, Connectivity, And Reservoir Characterization Of The Trail Member, Ericson Sandstone, Mesaverde Group In Wyoming, Utah, And Colorado, Usa, Chelsea Anne Jolley

Theses and Dissertations

The Late Cretaceous Trail Member of the Ericson Sandstone represents a regionally extensive fluvial system that transported sediments from the Sevier fold and thrust belt and Uinta Mountain uplift to the Western Interior Seaway. The Trail Member is a petroleum reservoir target that has unpredictable production rates due to the unknown behavior and connectivity of channel sandstones. The abundant outcrop, wellbore, and core data available allows for a comprehensive analysis of how the fluvial architecture, connectivity, and reservoir quality change along 65 km of depositional dip. Observations made at Flaming Gorge and Clay Basin (most landward field locations) suggest a …

Using Satellite-Based Hydro-Climate Variables And Machine Learning For Streamflow Modeling At Various Scales In The Upper Mississippi River Basin, Dongjae Kwon

Theses and Dissertations

Streamflow data are essential to study the hydrologic cycle and to attain appropriate water resource management policies. However, the availability of gauge data is limited due to various reasons such as economic, political, instrumental malfunctioning, and poor spatial distribution. Although streamflow can be simulated by process-based and machine learning approaches, applicability is limited due to intensive modeling effort, or its black-box nature, respectively. Here, we introduce a machine learning (Boosted Regression Tree (BRT)) approach based on remote sensing data to simulate monthly streamflow for three of varying sizes watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB). By integrating spatial land …

Chloride Signature And Transport In An Urban-Agricultural Watershed, Andrew Oberhelman

Theses and Dissertations

Manual and high frequency observations (n = 535) of chloride (Cl-), bromide (Br-), nitrate (NO3-N), sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), and potassium (K+) of stream and tile-drain waters were conducted in an urban-agricultural watershed (8% urban, 87% agriculture) to investigate the importance of stormflow to Cl- transport and to explore potential differences in the signature of Cl- originating from an urban source as compared to an agricultural source. The study was conducted in Evergreen Lake Watershed (ELW) located in central Illinois. Manual samplings were conducted on a weekly interval from February 2018 to February 2019 at three station along Six Mile …

Testing The Late Paleozoic Ice Volume Paradox In The Southernmost Paraná Basin, Brazil, Nicholas David Fedorchuk

Theses and Dissertations

The late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA; ~372-259 Ma) was the last complete transition from icehouse to greenhouse conditions on a fully vegetated Earth, making it a relevant analog for modern Earth systems. High frequency glacioeustatic fluctuation of ~100-200 m during the late Paleozoic are described by some authors in low paleolatitude basins and attributed to the orbitally-driven, waxing and waning of a massive (~20-35 x 106 km2) hypothetical ice sheet. This massive ice sheet is traditionally interpreted to have covered much of southern Gondwana for >100 m.y. Meanwhile, recent studies of high-paleolatitude glacial deposits imply a much more complex pattern …

Anthropogenically Driven Changes To Shallow Groundwater In Southeastern Wisconsin And Its Effects On The Aquifer Microbial Communities, Madeline Jean Salo

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates if, and to what extent, the microbial community present in the shallow groundwater of southeastern Wisconsin is affected by the influx of treated municipal wastewater effluent. The primary study area consisted of three wells located in the shallow sand and gravel aquifer along the upper Fox River in Waukesha, Wisconsin. One well is located roughly 1500 feet from the river and pumps pristine groundwater. Two riverbank inducement wells are located within 200 feet of the river and pump a mixture of groundwater and river water that contains effluent from three upstream wastewater treatment plants. Water from all …

Incorporation, Morphology, And Extinction Of Framework-Building Metazoans In Early Cambrian Reef Ecosystems From The Western Usa And Mongolia And Their Effects On Reef Diversity, David Russell Cordie

Theses and Dissertations

The early Cambrian represents an important transition in the evolution of life, perhaps most vividly exemplified by reef ecosystems as they changed from microbial-supported to metazoan-supported framework reefs. Microbial reefs were initially composed of Renalcis- and Epiphyton-group calcifying microbes. Subsequent reefs began to incorporate archaeocyathan sponges within this framework. This represents a shift in the source of carbonate production, which can be quantified using thin section point counts. In archaeocyathan reefs from the western USA, carbonate contribution from metazoan framework builders increased from zero to 29.7%. Similar reefs from Mongolia increased from zero to 5.0%. Increases in Laurentian archaeocyath contributions …

Anthropogenically Driven Changes To Shallow Groundwater In Southeastern Wisconsin And Its Effects On The Aquifer Microbial Communities, Madeline Jean Salo

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates if, and to what extent, the microbial community present in the shallow groundwater of southeastern Wisconsin is affected by the influx of treated municipal wastewater effluent. The primary study area consisted of three wells located in the shallow sand and gravel aquifer along the upper Fox River in Waukesha, Wisconsin. One well is located roughly 1500 feet from the river and pumps pristine groundwater. Two riverbank inducement wells are located within 200 feet of the river and pump a mixture of groundwater and river water that contains effluent from three upstream wastewater treatment plants. Water from all …

A Conceptual Modeling Framework For Hydrological Ecosystem Services And Its Application To The Impacts Of Climate Change And Urban Expansion, Feng Pan

Theses and Dissertations

Ecosystem services (ESs) are used as intermediates for researchers, stakeholders, and the public to understand and deal with the current environmental situation and problems, and ESs-related studies have drawn increasing attention. The quantitative assessments of ESs to calculate how much the ecosystem can benefit human beings and society, are still under development. Hydrological ESs, a subset of ESs that is related to water bodies and the surrounding environment, carry several challenges and opportunities for both hydrological and ESs modeling. Specifically, new quantitative tools with the capability to simulate explicit spatial and temporal scales are desired, and such tools should be …

Effects Of Elevated Temperature On Gonadal Functions, Cellular Apoptosis, And Oxidative Stress In Atlantic Sea Urchin (Arbacia Punctulata), Jackson B. Johnstone

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing surface sea water temperatures effect on growth, reproduction and development in marine organisms. Sea urchins are excellent indicator species and ideal model organisms to focus on. In this study, I tested the effect of higher temperatures on reproductive functions, heat shock protein (HSP, a chaperone protein produced by cells in response to heat stress) and nitrotyrosine protein (NTP, an indicator of reactive nitrogen species, RNS) expressions, cellular apoptosis, and ceolomic fluid (CF, a body fluid which regulates important physiological processes) conditions in Atlantic sea urchin at three different temperatures. Ten sea urchins were placed in each of six aquariums …

A Snapshot Of The Age, Growth, And Reproductive Status Of Gray Triggerfish (Balistes Capriscus, Gmelin 1789) On Three Artificial Reefs In The Northwest Gulf Of Mexico, Adam M. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Age, growth, and reproductive status of gray triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) were identified from 2015-2016 on artificial reefs in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Individuals ranged from 232-432 mm fork length with and a mean fork length of 319 mm. Individuals from age 0.2 to 5.2 yrs were observed with a weight to length relationship of Wg = 1.1 x -104 x FL2.7 (r2 = 0.94, n = 112), where FL = fork length (mm) and Wg = weight (g). A von Bertalanffy growth equation of Lt = 326(1 - e - 0.9 (t + 1.71)) was calculated irrespective …

Effects Of Global Warming On Gonadal Functions, Cellular Apoptosis, And Oxidative Stress In The American Oyster, Sarah B. Nash

Theses and Dissertations

Global warming due to climate change is predicted to intensify the heat stress in marine and coastal organisms, affecting their development, growth and reproductive functions. In this study. I analyzed gonadal development, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP), dinitrophenyl (DNP) expressions, cellular apoptosis, and coelomic fluid (CF) conditions in American oyster. Oysters were placed in six aquariums and exposed to control (24°C), medium (28°C), and high (32°C) temperatures for one week. Higher temperature significantly decreased the number of eggs and sperm. CF protein concentrations also declined compared to control. In contrast, CF pH and HSP70 expression in gonad …