Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Historical Changes In Mid-Water Stands Of Common Reed In The Winnebago Pool Lakes, Wisconsin, Anthony O. Gabriel, Leo R. Bodensteiner

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Despite the tolerance of common reed grass to environmental extremes, mid-water stands in the Winnebago pool lakes of central Wisconsin appear to be diminishing. Formerly occupying shoreline locations, water level manipulations subsequent to dam construction beginning in the 1850's have isolated reed stands off shore. These stands have persisted but casual observations indicate that stand size has been declining. To address this perception we obtained an approximately decadal series of aerial photographs dating back to 1937 for four stands in Lake Poygan. Annual records were available for 1986–94. Using image analysis software, we determined shape and size metrics. Changes in …

A 700-Year Record Of Atmospheric Circulation Developed From The Law Dome Ice Core, East Antarctica, Joseph M. Souney Jr, Paul A. Mayewski, Ian D. Goodwin, David Meeker, Vin Morgan, Mark Aj Curran, Tas D. Van Ommen, Anne S. Palmer

Earth Systems Research Center

A 700-year, high-resolution, multivariate ice core record from Dome Summit South (DSS) (66°46′S, 112°48′E; 1370 m), Law Dome, is used to investigate sea level pressure (SLP) variability in the region of East Antarctica. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis reveals that the first EOF (LDEOF1) of the combined glaciochemical, oxygen isotope ratio, and accumulation rate record from DSS represents most of the variability in sea salt seen in the record. LDEOF1 is positively correlated (at least 95% confidence level) to instrumental June mean SLP across most of East Antarctica. Over the last 700 years, LDEOF1 levels at Law Dome were the …

A New Ice Core From The Devon Ice Cap Canadian Arctic: Continued Development Of High-Resolution Proxy Records To Evaluate The Regionalization Of Climate In The Circum-Arctic, George A. Zielinski, Cameron Wake

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

The primary goal of this project was to collect an ice core from the Summit of the Devon Ice Cap, Devon Island, Canadian Arctic. A 302-m core was collected during the spring of 1998 with additional field work in 1999. Individuals supported by this grant participated in the field work, although the GSC did the actual drilling. Glacier flow models as well as physical characteristics of the ice and d18O records suggest that basal ice recovered is about 86,000 years old. The first 200 meters were collected under dry drilling conditions, whereas the final 52 meters were collected with a …

Examination Of The 500,000-Year Climate Record In Ice At Mt. Moulton, West Antarctica, Gregory A. Zielinski, Paul Andrew Mayewski

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This project was a pilot project to determine if the ice on Mt. Moulton provides a reliable record of past climatic conditions. The area of study is a several hundred-meter section of blue ice (Trench A) that spans the time period from approximately the early Holocene to over 492k years ago. Dating control is obtained through radiometrically-dated tephra layers (i.e., air fall deposits) within the section (Figure 1) originating from the adjacent Mt. Berlin. Fieldwork during the 1999-2000 field season included the trenching of the complete section with electric chain saws mounted on a wheeled frame. Blocks were extracted and …

(Esh) Holocene Climate Variability, Paul Andrew Mayewski, Loreen Meeker

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

With the successful completion of deep drilling at Summit Greenland there is now a well-dated, high resolution, multi-parameter record of climate change (response and forcing) for the Northern Hemisphere that covers the last glacial cycle. This record reveals evidence of rapid and dramatic change in climate. Recent examination of the Holocene portion (last 11,500 years) of the Greenland record has demonstrated that, while relatively stable by comparison with glacial age climate, the Holocene does contain subdued versions of glacial age millennial scale and rapid climate change events. The Holocene is also characterized by significant annual to centennial scale variability plus …

Beginning A New Era Of Drought Monitoring Across North America, Jay Lawrimore, Richard R. Heim Jr., Mark D. Svoboda, Val Swail, Phil J. Englehart

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Drought experts from the United States, Canada, and Mexico met at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, for a three-day workshop in late April 2002 to discuss the U.S. Drought Monitor program and to develop a plan for initiating a new program of drought monitoring for North America. Since its inception in 1999, the U.S. Drought Monitor (DM) has been extremely successful in assessing and communicating the state of drought in the United States on a weekly basis. This success, and the recognition that an ongoing comprehensive and integrated drought assessment was needed throughout all three countries, …

Oceanographic Observations In Chilean Coastal Waters Between Valdivia And Concepcion, Larry P. Atkinson, Arnoldo Valle-Levinson, Dante Figueroa, Ricardo De Pol-Holz, Victor A. Gallardo, Wolfgang Schneider, Jose L. Blanco, Mike Schmidt

CCPO Publications

The physical oceanography of the biologically productive coastal waters of central Chile (36 degrees to 40 degrees S) is relatively unknown. In December 1998 we made a short exploratory cruise between Valdivia (40 degrees S) and Concepcion (37.8 degrees S) taking temperature, salinity, oxygen, and current velocity profiles. Coincident sea surface temperature and color measurements were obtained by satellite. The results showed an area dominated by wind-induced coastal upwelling, river runoff, intrusion of offshore eddies, mixing, and heating. Upwelling centers were found over the shelf at three locations: inshore of Mocha Island, off Valdivia, and off Lavapie Point. At these …

Transport Out Of The Antarctic Polar Vortex From A Three-Dimensional Transport Model, Shuhua Li, Eugene Cordero, David J. Karoly

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

[1] A three-dimensional chemical transport model is utilized to study the transport out of the Antarctic polar vortex during the southern hemisphere spring. On average, over five consecutive years between 1993 and 1997, horizontal transport out of the vortex into the midlatitude stratosphere is smaller than vertical transport into the troposphere. However, there is significant interannual variability in the magnitude of mass exchange, which is related to year-to-year fluctuations in planetary wave activity. In 1994 the net loss of the vortex tracer mass in September is similar to that in October. However, the relative mass flux entering the midlatitude stratosphere …

Transport Out Of The Antarctic Polar Vortex From A Three-Dimensional Transport Model, Shuhua Li, Eugene Cordero, David J. Karoly

Eugene C. Cordero

[1] A three-dimensional chemical transport model is utilized to study the transport out of the Antarctic polar vortex during the southern hemisphere spring. On average, over five consecutive years between 1993 and 1997, horizontal transport out of the vortex into the midlatitude stratosphere is smaller than vertical transport into the troposphere. However, there is significant interannual variability in the magnitude of mass exchange, which is related to year-to-year fluctuations in planetary wave activity. In 1994 the net loss of the vortex tracer mass in September is similar to that in October. However, the relative mass flux entering the midlatitude stratosphere …

Humidity And Temperature Boundaries For Biofilm Formation In Yucca Mountain, Terry Ann Else, Penny S. Amy, James Jay, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

To determine the long-term success of the recommended Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository, studies of bacterial colonization and biofilm development are needed. Bacteria involved in microbially-influenced corrosion and degradation are known to form biofilms with the potential to impact the integrity of repository packaging and structural materials. Temperature and humidity are environmental factors that can greatly affect biofilm formation. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the temperature and humidity conditions that affect biofilm formation. Microcosms, which simulated the repository environment of Yucca Mountain, were placed at temperatures ranging from 30° C to 70° C and in relative humidities ranging …

Three Years And Counting: What’S New With The Drought Monitor, Mark D. Svoboda, Michael J. Hayes, Rich J. Tinker

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Operational since late summer 1999, the Drought Monitor (http://drought.unl.edu/monitor/) has refused to remain static. This unique weekly product attempts to make an assessment of current drought conditions in the contiguous United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. Four entities now share in authoring the map: the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), Climate Prediction Center (CPC), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
The Drought Monitor effort has led to the development of new products and has reinforced the need for improvement and support of existing climate networks critical to monitoring our nation’s climate. One of …

The Drought Monitor, Mark D. Svoboda, Doug Lecomte, Mike Hayes, Richard Heim, Karin Gleason, Jim Angel, Brad Rippey, Rich Tinker, Mike Palecki, David Stooksbury, David Miskus, Scott Stephens

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

There is a need for improved drought monitoring and assessment methods in the United States. Drought is the most costly natural disaster [Federal Emergency Management Agancy (FEMA 1995; Wilhite 2000)], but it is often neglected by developers of assessment and forecast products. Drought is more nebulous than other disasters and does not lend itself to traditional assessments or forecast methods. Its relatively slow onset and the complexity of its impacts are reasons for the new assessment methodology. Improvements in drought monitoring and forecasting techniques will allow for better preparation, lead to better management practices, and reduce the vulnerability of society …

An Examination Of Anomalously Low Column Ozone In The Southern Hemisphere Midlatitudes During 1997, Eugene C. Cordero, Terrence R. Nathan

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

[1] Observations from both ground-based and satellite instruments show record low column ozone abundance between 20°S and 40°S during 1997. The 1997 monthly averaged column ozone from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) is up to 25 Dobson units (DU) lower than the TOMS climatological mean (1979–1996) and up to 20 DU below the previous record low values. Observations from the Halogen Occultation Experiment show that below average ozone concentrations during 1997 were confined primarily to the lower stratosphere. Residual circulation statistics calculated from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office temperature analyses indicate that circulation anomalies during 1997 can account for …

An Examination Of Anomalously Low Column Ozone In The Southern Hemisphere Midlatitudes During 1997, Eugene C. Cordero, Terrence R. Nathan

Eugene C. Cordero

[1] Observations from both ground-based and satellite instruments show record low column ozone abundance between 20°S and 40°S during 1997. The 1997 monthly averaged column ozone from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) is up to 25 Dobson units (DU) lower than the TOMS climatological mean (1979–1996) and up to 20 DU below the previous record low values. Observations from the Halogen Occultation Experiment show that below average ozone concentrations during 1997 were confined primarily to the lower stratosphere. Residual circulation statistics calculated from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office temperature analyses indicate that circulation anomalies during 1997 can account for …

Fisheries Research Report No. 134, Vol 1 - Towards An Assessment Of The Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands, F J. Webster, C J. Dibden, C F. Chubb

Fisheries research reports

The State Territorial Waters surrounding the Abrolhos Islands are gazetted as a Fish Habitat Protection Area and vested with the Minister for Fisheries under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. Three Fisheries Management Papers have identified management priorities for the marine environment at the Abrolhos Islands:

• Management of the Houtman Abrolhos System
• Aquaculture Plan for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands
• Sustainable Tourism Plan for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.

These plans and other national and international obligations to examine the effect of extractive and non-extractive anthropogenic activities on marine habitats (eg. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) led to …

Remote Sensing Of The Ne Pacific: Retrospective And Concurrent Time Series Analysis Using Multiple Sensors On Multiple Scales, Andrew C. Thomas

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

A significant number of physical and biological variables covary within and between the boundary currents of the subarctic and subtropical gyres in the NE Pacific Ocean. These (summarized in US GLOBEC Reports 17, 11 and 7) include the strength of the transports, surface temperatures, zooplankton biomass and the catch of commercially important fishes. Time scales range from individual events to interdecadal regime shifts. The mechanisms by which these physical and biological fields covary are unknown, but it is postulated that the same mechanisms involved in interannual variability also affect long term climatic variability. Clarification and quantification of the mechanisms governing …

Crop Updates 2002 - Cereals, Peter Burgess, Gary Fawell, Dean Diepeveen, Tim Setter, Jeff Russell, Tony Seymour, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay, Robyn Mclean, Robert Loughman, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn, Peter Clarke, Mohammad Amjad, Wal Anderson, Raffael Del Cima, James Bee, Darshen Sharma, Sheena Lyon, Melaine Kupsch, Pam Burges, Veronika Reck, Brenda Shackley, Ray Tugwell, Bindi Webb, Steve Penny Jr, James Fisher, Bill Bowden, Craig Scanlan, Senthold Asseng, Michael Robertson, M. A. Hamza, G. Mcconnell, W. K. Anderson, Md Shahajahan Miyan, Darshan Sharma, Daya Patabendige, Patrick Gethin, Stephen Loss, Tim O'Dea, Ryan Guthrie, Lisa Leaver, Tyrone Henning, Lionel Martin, Narelle Hill, Simon Wallwork, Laurence Carslake, Darren Hughes, Glen Mcdonald, Nichole Burges, Dominie Wright, Jenny Hawkes, Roger Jones, Kith Jayasena, Kazue Tanaka, Vanessa Johnson, Robert Loughman, Josh Jury, Sean Kelly, Shashi Sharma, Robert Park, Phil Michael, Debbie Thackray, Christopher Newman, Garren Knell, Kevin Povey, David Stephens

Crop Updates

This session covers thirty one papers from different authors:

VARIETIES AND BREEDING

1. Agronomic evaluation of wheat and barley in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia, Peter Burgess¹and Gary Fawell², ¹Agritech and ²Farmanco Management

2. Evaluating stress tolerance to terminal drought by Western Australian wheats, Dean Diepeveen and Dr Tim Setter, Department of Agriculture

3. Broadscale wheat variety comparisons featuring Wyalkatchem, Jeff Russell, Department of Agriculture

4. Australian crop accreditation system variety selector, Tony Seymour, Australian Crop Accreditation System

5. Future wheat varieties, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay,Robyn McLean, Robert Loughman, …

Chemical Composition Of Fresh Snow On Xixabangma Peak, Central Himalaya, During The Summer Monsoon Season, Shichang Kang, Dahe Qin, Paul Andrew Mayewski, Sharon B. Sneed

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

The physical and chemical analysis of ice cores recovered from glaciers in the Himalaya provide some of the best records of past climate change in the region (e.g. Qin and others, 2000; Thompson and others, 2000; Kang and others, 2001, 2002). In order to better understand the climatic and environmental records preserved in snow and ice, studies have investigated the precipitation chemistry in the high Himalaya, notably that the northern slopes of the central Himalaya (Mayewski and others, 1986; Jenkins and others 1987) and the southern slopes of the central Himalaya (Shrestha and others, 1997; Marinoni and others, 2001).

Hydrographic Conditions Off Northern Chile During The 1996-1998 La Niña And El Niño Events, Jose Luis Blanco, Mary-Elena Carr, Andrew C. Thomas, P. Ted Strub

CCPO Publications

The evolution of oceanographic conditions in the upwelling region off northern Chile (18°-24°S) between 1996 and 1998 (including the 1997-1998 El Niño) is presented using hydrographic measurements acquired on quarterly cruises of the Chilean Fisheries Institute, with sea surface temperature (SST), sea level, and wind speeds from Arica (18.5°S), Iquique (20.5°S), and Antofagasta (23.5°S) and a time series of vertical temperature profiles off Iquique. Spatial patterns of sea surface temperature and salinity from May 1996 to March 1997 followed a normal seasonal progression, though conditions were anomalously cool and fresh. Starting in March 1997, positive anomalies in sea level and …

Is The Ozone Hole Over Your Classroom?, Eugene Cordero

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

First year university science students are surveyed about their understanding of the ozone layer, ozone depletion and the effect of ozone depletion on Australia. Although students seem to understand the basic function of the ozone layer, over 65% of students incorrectly believe that the ozone hole is over Australia, and over 90% of students incorrectly believe that the ozone hole is present during the summer. Together these ideas seem to explain why nearly 75% of students blame the ozone hole for Australia’s high rate of skin cancer. Survey results also indicate that students seem confused about global warming, and the …

The Northeast Pacific Globec Program: Coastal Gulf Of Alaska, Thomas J. Weingartner, Kenneth Coyle, Bruce Finney, Russell Hopcroft, Terry Whitledge, Richard Brodeur, Michael Dagg, Edward Farley, Dale Haidvogel, Thomas Royer

CCPO Publications

(First Paragraph) The Gulf of Alaska (GOA) continental shelf encompasses approximately 370,000 km², or about 13% of the U.S. continental shell and supports a rich and diverse marine ecosystem including some of the largest commercial fisheries in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Of particular economic importance is the salmon fishery, which was worth on the order of $170 million (landed value) in 2000 accrued from a catch of over 100 million fish. However, there is considerable variability on both interannual and longer time scales in harvest and recruitment success to this and other GOA fisheries. Of recent interest …

Spatial Representation Of Agroclimatology In A Study Of Agricultural Drought, Olga V. Wilhelmi, Kenneth Hubbard, Donald A. Wilhite

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Agricultural drought is the leading cause for crop failure throughout the world. In the USA, significant impacts of recent droughts on agricultural production indicate the continuing vulnerability of the country to drought. This paper presents a methodology for spatial representation of the agroclimatic component of agricultural drought vulnerability. This methodology was developed as a part of an integrated assessment of drought vulnerability. For the spatial analysis, the state of Nebraska was selected as a study area because of the considerable variation in climatology, soil characteristics, land use, and cropping patterns. The underlying approach assumes that the best spatial characterization of …

Is The Ozone Hole Over Your Classroom?, Eugene Cordero

Eugene C. Cordero

First year university science students are surveyed about their understanding of the ozone layer, ozone depletion and the effect of ozone depletion on Australia. Although students seem to understand the basic function of the ozone layer, over 65% of students incorrectly believe that the ozone hole is over Australia, and over 90% of students incorrectly believe that the ozone hole is present during the summer. Together these ideas seem to explain why nearly 75% of students blame the ozone hole for Australia’s high rate of skin cancer. Survey results also indicate that students seem confused about global warming, and the …

Growth Increment Analysis Of Marine Bivalves From The North, Stephen D. Houk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aids in developing a sea surface temperature (SST) proxy with monthly temporal resolution using a combination of growth increment and stable isotope analyses of marine bivalves from the north coast of Peru. Faunal assemblages from the Siches and Ostra Base Camp archaeological sites contain shells of warm-tropical mollusks that currently live farther north in Ecuador. The presence of warm-tropical species in these sites and others as far south as 10"s latitude and dating prior to 5730 cal yr B.P. indicates a stable warm-water regime in the eastern tropical Pacific which subsequently changes to a modern temperate-water regime after …

Assessing Vulnerability To Agricultural Drought: A Nebraska Case Study, Olga V. Wilhelmi, Donald A. Wilhite

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Recent drought events in the United States and the magnitude of drought losses indicate the continuing vulnerability of the country to drought. Until recently, drought management in many states, including Nebraska, has been largely response oriented with little or no attention to mitigation and preparedness. In 1998, Nebraska began to revise its drought plan in order to place more emphasis on mitigation. One of the main aspects of drought mitigation and planning is the assessment of who and what is vulnerable and why. This paper presents a method for spatial, Geographic Information Systems-based assessment of agricultural drought vulnerability in Nebraska. …

Strontium Isotopic Signatures Of The Streams And Lakes Of Taylor Valley, Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica: Chemical Weathering In A Polar Climate, W. B. Lyons, Carmen A. Nezat, Larry V. Benson, Thomas D. Bullen, Elizabeth Y. Graham, Jesicca Kidd, Kathleen A. Welch, James M. Thomas

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We have collected and analyzed a series of water samples from three closed-basin lakes (Lakes Bonney, Fryxell, and Hoare) in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, and the streams that flow into them. In all three lakes, the hypolimnetic waters have different ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios than the surface waters, with the deep water of Lakes Fryxell and Hoare being less radiogenic than the surface waters. The opposite occurs in Lake Bonney. The Lake Fryxell isotopic ratios are lower than modern-day ocean water and most of the whole-rock ratios of the surrounding geologic materials. A conceivable source of Sr to the system …

Land Use Change And Modification Of Near-Surface Thermal Records In The Northern Great Plains, Rezaul Mahmood, Ken Hubbard, Christy Carlson

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Personnel Publications

The North American Great Plains have experienced a rapid overturning of natural grasslands to agricultural land use over the last century. Moreover, in some areas more than 80% of the land use has changed from dry land to irrigated agriculture during the second half of the twentieth century. It is speculated that these changes have modified near-surface atmospheric condition and our modeling study seems to support this. To identify changes in land surface- atmospheric modifications we have applied a soil moistureenergy balance model at three locations in Nebraska: Mead, York, and McCook. The model was applied for three land uses …

Surficial Geology And Geomorphology Of The Western Olympus Range, Antarctica: Implications For Ice-Sheet History, Brett Vandenheuvel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A widespread erosion surface passes across bedrock and sedimentary deposits in the western Dry Valleys sector of the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM), southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. The surface includes stoss-and-lee slopes, channels, potholes, scoured basins, and corrugated bedrock. These features have been taken to represent subglacial meltwater erosion beneath a greatly expanded East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) in the mid-Miocene (Denton et al. 1984, Marchant et al. 1993a). Sedimentary deposits that are typically associated with ice-sheet wastage, such as outwash, are not present on the erosion surface. The lack of these deposits indicates that the expanded ice-sheet postulated to be responsible …