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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™

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Hydrology

Selected Works

2011

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Effects Of Evapotranspiration Upon Recharge Using The Stable Isotopes Of Oxygen And Hydrogen In The Carbonate Aquifers Of The Cumberland Plateau In Southeast Kentucky, Lee J. Florea Nov 2011

The Effects Of Evapotranspiration Upon Recharge Using The Stable Isotopes Of Oxygen And Hydrogen In The Carbonate Aquifers Of The Cumberland Plateau In Southeast Kentucky, Lee J. Florea

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

In this brief manuscript, we consider the variation of the stable isotopes of oxygen, δ18O, and hydrogen, δ2H, in samples collected during 2010 and 2011 from precipitation and shallow groundwater along the Cumberland Plateau of southeast Kentucky. These data from the 1,900-ha Redmond Creek karst aquifer lend insight into the source and timing of recharge to shallow groundwater in the epigenic karst of the U.S midcontinent. Specifically, we find that only 43% of precipitation remains as potential recharge after accounting for evapotranspiration, and 85% of this potential recharge occurs during only four two-week sampling periods. The isotopic composition of precipitation …

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Determining Nutrient And Sediment Critical Source Areas With Swat: Effect Of Lumped Calibration, Ruoyu Wang Oct 2011

Determining Nutrient And Sediment Critical Source Areas With Swat: Effect Of Lumped Calibration, Ruoyu Wang

Ruoyu Wang

In many watershed modeling studies, due to limited data, model parameters for flow, sediment, and nutrients are calibrated and validated against observed data only at the watershed outlet. Model parameters are adjusted systematically for the entire watershed to obtain the closest match between the model-simulated and observed data at the watershed outlet (lumped calibration). It is hypothesized that the relative loadings of pollutants and/or sediments contributed by each computational unit are not affected by this calibration procedure. In other words, areas generating relatively higher pollutant loads with an uncalibrated model will still generate relatively higher loads after calibration. This study …

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Identifying The Stream Erosion Potential Of Cave Levels In Carter Cave State Resort Park, Kentucky, Usa, Eric Peterson, Brianne Jacoby, Toby Dogwiler Dec 2010

Identifying The Stream Erosion Potential Of Cave Levels In Carter Cave State Resort Park, Kentucky, Usa, Eric Peterson, Brianne Jacoby, Toby Dogwiler

Eric Wade Peterson

Cave levels, passages found at similar elevations and formed during the same constant stream base level event, reveal information about paleoclimates and karst geomorphology. The investigation presented here examines how Stream Power Index (SPI) relates to cave levels. The study area, Carter Caves State Resort Park (CCSRP), is a fluviokarst system in northeastern Kentucky containing multiple cave levels. SPI deter-mines the erosive power overland flow based on the assumption that flow accumulation and slope are proportional to potential for sediment entrainment. Part of this digital terrain analysis requires the creation of a flow accumulation raster from a digital elevation model …

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Estimating The Timing Of Cave Level Development With Gis, Brianne Jacoby, Eric Peterson, Toby Dogwiler, John Kostelnicj Dec 2010

Estimating The Timing Of Cave Level Development With Gis, Brianne Jacoby, Eric Peterson, Toby Dogwiler, John Kostelnicj

Eric Wade Peterson

Identifying cave levels provides insight into cave development and climatic changes that have affected a karst system over time. Cosmogenic dating has been used to interpret levels in Mammoth Cave and the Cumberland Plateau. This absolute dating technique has proven successful in determining cave paleoclimates and regional geomorphic history, but is expensive. The study presented here is a preliminary method to cosmogenic dating that can outline a region’s speleogenesis using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and published denudation rates. The Carter Cave system in northeastern Kentucky is within the karst landscape found along the western edge of the Appalachians and …

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Temporal Stability Of Cave Sediments, Kevin Hughes, Eric Wade Peterson Dec 2010

Temporal Stability Of Cave Sediments, Kevin Hughes, Eric Wade Peterson

Eric Wade Peterson

Sediments within cave systems have been examined concerning source, mineralogy, and transport potential. While sediments in the thalweg are very mobile, the entrainment potential of the sediment piles has not been examined. Over the course of nine months, sediment piles in a Missouri cave were sampled to determine the stability of the piles and of the sediment properties. Sediment cores were analyzed for dry bulk density (ρd), porosity (n), volumetric wetness (θ), organic content (O.C.), hydraulic conductivity (K), and sediment particle size distribution. Observational evidence, deposited sediment and deformation of previous …

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