Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

U.S. Drought Monitor, December 27, 2016, Brad Rippey

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for December 27, 2016 (12/27/16) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

The Ribbed Drapery Of The Puerto Princesa Underground River (Palawan, Philippines): Morphology And Genesis, Paolo Forti, Giovanni Badino, Jose Maria Calaforra, Jo De Waele

International Journal of Speleology

During the 2011 speleological expedition to the Puerto Princesa Underground River (Palawan, Philippines) a drapery characterized by several close-to-horizontal ribs has been noticed. Even without sampling and analyzing its internal growth layers, a detailed morphological study allowed to present a possible genetic model. The presented model helps to explain its evolution, which is mainly controlled by variation in water flow as a consequence of the Palawan climate. When validated by further analyses, the same genetic mechanism could define also the evolution of the very common but still unexplained complex flowstones, which exhibit several close-to-horizontal steps, widenings and narrowings along their …

Greenland Subglacial Drainage Evolution Regulated By Weakly Connected Regions Of The Bed, Matthew J. Hoffman, Lauren C. Andrews, Stephen A. Price, Ginny A. Catania, Thomas A. Neumann, Martin P. Luthi, Jason Gulley, Claudia Ryser, Robert L. Hawley, Blaine Morris

Dartmouth Scholarship

Penetration of surface meltwater to the bed of the Greenland Ice Sheet each summer causes an initial increase in ice speed due to elevated basal water pressure, followed by slowdown in late summer that continues into fall and winter. While this seasonal pattern is commonly explained by an evolution of the subglacial drainage system from an inefficient distributed to efficient channelized configuration, mounting evidence indicates that subglacial channels are unable to explain important aspects of hydrodynamic coupling in late summer and fall. Here we use numerical models of subglacial drainage and ice flow to show that limited, gradual leakage of …

Effects Of Titanomagnetite Reordering Processes On Thermal Demagnetization And Paleointensity Experiments, Julie A. Bowles, Mike J. Jackson

Geosciences Faculty Articles

Titanomagnetite (Fe_3-xTi_xO₄, 0≤x≤1) is a common, naturally occurring magnetic mineral critical to many paleomagnetic studies. Underlying most interpretations is the assumption that, lacking chemical alteration, Curie temperature (T_c) remains constant. However, recent work has demonstrated that T_c of many natural titanomagnetites varies strongly as a function of thermal history, independent of chemical alteration. This is inferred to arise from reordering of cations and/or vacancies in the crystal structure, and changes occur at temperatures and times relevant to standard paleomagnetic thermal treatments. Because changes take place at Tc, …

Geologic And Geochemical Characterization Of Cross-Communication Potential Within The Northern Edwards Aquifer System, Texas, Ingrid J. Eckhoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Edwards Aquifer is a large, complex groundwater system located throughout Central Texas in association with the Balcones Fault Zone. The San Antonio and Barton Spring segments of the Edwards Aquifer have been extensively studied in the past because they provide groundwater resources to the largely urbanized areas of San Antonio and Austin, respectively, and smaller communities along the Interstate 35 corridor. Previous research has been conducted on these southern and central portions of the Edwards Aquifer system, which have characterized the structural, hydrogeological and geochemical variations within the highly karsted region. However, the Northern Segment of the Edwards Aquifer …

Assessing The Impact Of A Constructed Wetland Biome On The Ecosystem Health Of Cedar Run, Thomas Vasilopoulos, Casey Lee

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

A wetlands ecosystem is defined as “an area saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency or duration sufficient to support...a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions” (Batzer and Sharitz, 2007). Wetlands serve as biofilters and thus have been used to treat sewage and wastewater, as well as to restore the health of polluted water systems. Solly Walker and Lorinda Palin, owners of a certified natural and biodynamic farm called Avalon Acres located in Broadway, Virginia, constructed a wetland two years ago, using the stream, Cedar Run, that flows through their property. Pollution from agricultural …

Biloxi Marsh Platform Response Due To Meteorological Forcing, Rachelle Thomason

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Biloxi Marsh of the eastern Mississippi River delta plain is exposed to meteorological forces ranging from large-scale, mid-latitude cyclones to smaller scale storms and squalls. Each time that these marsh platforms are exposed to a storm event, the potential exists for either deposition or erosion to take place. This study examines the connection between wind speeds, stratigraphic composition, marsh edge morphology, and marsh edge erosion at 4 sites in the Biloxi Marsh. As much as 2.17 m of erosion were measured during the 9-month study with a maximum, averaged erosion rate of 0.03 m day^-1. Shell berm …

An Investigation Into The Origin, Composition, And Commercial Significance Of A Sedimentary Subsalt Formation: Keathley Canyon, Gulf Of Mexico, David Aaron Brassieur

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Sub-salt oil and gas formations in deep-water northern Gulf of Mexico are high priority targets. Advances in seismic processing allow for high-resolution, below-salt imaging. Understanding the modes of salt emplacement provide insight into sub-salt traps and potential drilling hazards.

A sub-salt sedimentary unit lies in the Keathley Canyon protraction. Autosutures created the transport-parallel lineaments of the upper surface of the unit. In addition, highly variable sediment aggradation rates created ramps, flats, and basal cutoffs along the base of the allochthon as salt and sediment competed for space. Seismic models identify modes of salt emplacement, salt/sediment interactions, and mechanisms responsible for …

A Computational Study On Sensor Localization For Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network In The East Sea Environmental Model, Jinyoung Choi, Kiseon Kim, Sung Chan Jun

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

An underwater acoustic sensor network (UASN) is a promising method for surveillance or monitoring underwater environments. This network may be most applicable as a disaster alarm system against tsunamis and red tides. Sensor measurement data and sensor location information from these networks are important elements for the UASN system. However, global positioning system (GPS) information is not yet available because the electromagnetic signal has high attenuation under the water. Thus, new methods for sensor localization are of great importance to UASN systems. In this paper, an event-driven localization scheme using the constant arrival time surface (ELSUCATS) is proposed to achieve …

Seaweed And Seagrass Mapping In Thailand Measured Using Landsat 8 Optical And Textural Image Properties, Satomi Kakuta, Wataru Takeuchi, Anchana Prathep

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Seaweed and seagrass beds are an important ecosystem in coastal zones. However, they are degrading because of various causes, such as the anthropogenic impacts of coastal development, aquaculture, overharvesting, and climate change. To contribute to the research related to coastal blue carbon and marine biodiversity as well as conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in coastal regions, the spatial distribution of benthic cover derived from satellite images can be the most practical tool for monitoring seaweed and seagrass beds. This study aimed at mapping the latest distribution of seaweed and seagrass in Thailand using Landsat 8 images. Thus, we …

Capability Of Geostationary Satellite Imagery For Sea Ice Monitoring In The Bohai And Yellow Seas, Hwa-Seon Lee, Kyu-Sung Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

On a regional scale, sea ice monitoring is important for marine transportation, fishery, harbor and offshore structures, and weather forecast. In this study, we attempt to analyze the potential of Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) images for regional-scale sea ice monitoring. GOCI images obtained from December 2011 to March 2012 were analyzed to evaluate the frequency that sea ice can be observed in the Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea. In this season, the sea ice distribution varies greatly both temporally and spatially. During the approximate 100-day ice period, GOCI provided relatively cloud-free daily images over sea ice 86% …

Underwater Linear Feature Extraction With Multispectral Band Images: An Evaluation With Level-Set Method In Dongsha Atoll And Zengmu Shoal, Peter Tian-Yuan Shih, Jian-Wei Lin, Cheng-Gi Wang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Optical remote sensing satellite images are a useful and convenient source to provide underwater features, particularly for shallow water areas because light, dependent on wavelength, has the capability to penetrate water. In this study, the information richness of underwater features is investigated for each spectral band of the optical images, and also several derived bands. This assessment is performed with the level-set method for segmentation. Two cases are analyzed in this study. The first study site is the Dongsha atoll, which is composed of Dongsha island, lagoon, and surrounding reefs. The water depth ranges from zero to less than 3 …

Classification Of Intertidal Sediment Using A Two-Step Principal Component Analysis (Pca) Of Optical Reflectance: A Case Study In Ganghwa Tidal Flats, Dong-Jae Kwon, Wook Park, Joong-Sun Won

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Sediment distribution within intertidal flats varies widely, ranging from mud-dominant to sand-dominant, with extensive seasonal changes. However, retrieving grain size information from remotely sensed data is difficult because the optical reflectance of intertidal sediment is not a function of a single parameter but varies according to water content, grain size, topography, surface water, benthic algae, and halophytes. Among these, grain size and water content are two important parameters. The fact that intertidal sediments are always affected by tide necessitates the development of a water-independent grain size retrieval model. Mud and sand sediment are known to be well distinguished under dry …

Interpretation Of Sar Image Modulation By The Interaction Of Current And Bottom Topography In Gyeonggi Bay With Microwave Scattering Models, Tae-Ho Kim, Chan-Su Yang, Kazuo Ouchi

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

The effect of the interaction between surface currents and bottom topography to the radar cross section (RCS) is investigated using theoretical and numerical scattering models and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. First, the ocean waveheight spectrum perturbed by a varying surface current is computed under the wind condition at the time of SAR data acquisition. The surface current data are extracted from the tidal current models. The RCS modulations are then computed using the small perturbation method (SPM) and the numerical scattering model based on the method of moments (MoM) with undulated surface height profiles simulated from the perturbed wave …

Global Surface And Subsurface Geostrophic Currents From Multi-Mission Satellite Altimetry And Hydrographic Data, 1996-2011, Chi-Hung Chang, Chung-Yen Kuo, C.K Shum, Yuchan Yi, Ashraf Rateb

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Climate indices have been shown to be correlated with changes of absolute ocean current velocities. Yet there has been a lack of available estimates of accurate surface and subsurface current velocities with adequate data span to afford a detailed study. Here, we combined multiple mission satellite altimetry alongtrack sea surface heights (SSHs), the Gravity field and steadystate Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) time-wise solution generated geoid model, and in situ hydrographic data, to estimate global surface and subsurface absolute geostrophic currents, 1996-2011. We used the profile approach to process satellite altimetry data, mitigating the negative impact of omission errors resulting from …

An Increased Remote Sensing Observation By Goci Daily Composite Image, Hyun Yang, Wonkook Kim, Kwangseok Kim, Young-Je Park, Hee-Jeong Han, Joo-Hyung Ryu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Opaque masses (e.g., cloud and haze) are the main obstacles interrupting remote observations of ocean color using optical sensors. We performed a statistical analysis for 1 year of ocean color data derived from the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), which performs eight observations per day. We discovered that the valid ranges of the data vary depending on the local times and the seasonal characteristics and are related to the pattern of solar altitudes to a certain degree. Here, it is shown that multiple ocean color scenes observed on a given day can be merged to recover the contaminated areas. However, …

Preliminary Study Of Internal Solitary Wave Amplitude Off The East Coast Of Korea Based On Synthetic Aperture Radar Data, Dan-Bee Hong, Chan-Su Yang, Kazuo Ouchi

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This paper presents a method of retrieving the amplitude of oceanic internal solitary wave (ISW), from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, and preliminary results obtained in the East/ Japan Sea off the east coast of Korean Peninsula. The retrieval algorithms include the small perturbation method (SPM) for microwave backscatter, the action balance equation (ABE) for describing the interaction between wind-generated ocean waves and varying surface current, and also the Korteweg-deVries (KdV) (non-linear partial differential) equation for describing the surface current variation induced by an internal soliton. The radar cross section (RCS) was computed, and the ISW amplitude was estimated by …

Instantaneous Shoreline Mapping From Worldview-2 Satellite Images By Using Shadow Analysis And Spectrum Matching Techniques, I-Chieh Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Shoreline mapping and monitoring are crucial in heavily eroding coastal areas. Frequently monitoring shoreline changes in eroding areas can help government agencies to understand the causes and formulate plans to protect the shoreline; however, the cost of data sources and human labor involved can be prohibitive. To address this problem, this research proposes a cost-effective and semiautomatic shoreline delineation procedure that uses WorldView-2 satellite images as the data source. The advantages of the proposed procedure are the use of shadow and spectrum information, as well as the application of objectoriented classification. The classification process incorporates new bands from WorldView-2 to …

Reconstruction And Analysis Of Surface Velocity From Drifters In The Kuroshio Region East Of Taiwan, Kai-Ho Cheng, Chen-Chih Lin, Po-Chun Hsu, Shih-Jen Huang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

In this study, sea surface velocities derived from drifters were gridded to 0.25 latitude by 0.25 longitude for analysis of the Kuroshio region east of Taiwan. The data for each grid that were originally missing were obtained using the Data Interpolating Empirical Orthogonal Functions (DINEOF) method, which can precisely reconstruct missing data. Compared with the original data, the error of the reconstructed Kuroshio velocity is 0.18  0.03 m/s. By analyzing the reconstructed data, we defined the Kuroshio axis at its maximum surface velocity in the zonal direction of 0.25 latitude along the east coast of Taiwan. The results indicate …

New Insights Into The Martian Crust And Angrite Parent Body Through Meteorites, Alison R. Santos

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Petrologic studies of two new, unique meteorites were conducted in order to characterize the samples and provide insights into their parent bodies. The first sample, Northwest Africa 7034, is the first martian meteorite breccia to be discovered. In an effort to understand the martian crustal materials sampled by the breccia, we developed a classification scheme for the breccia clasts based on their texture, mineralogy, and chemistry. We then further investigated two clast groups which contained trends in mineralogy and chemistry that suggested a possible genetic relationship between the two. Our findings suggest they are not related by a simple igneous …

Anomaly Detection From Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Imagery, Qiandong Guo, Ruiliang Pu, Jun Cheng

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Hyperspectral remote sensing imagery contains much more information in the spectral domain than does multispectral imagery. The consecutive and abundant spectral signals provide a great potential for classification and anomaly detection. In this study, two real hyperspectral data sets were used for anomaly detection. One data set was an Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data covering the post-attack World Trade Center (WTC) and anomalies are fire spots. The other data set called SpecTIR contained fabric panels as anomalies compared to their background. Existing anomaly detection algorithms including the Reed–Xiaoli detector (RXD), the blocked adaptive computation efficient outlier nominator (BACON), the …

Ironstone Gravel Types In Western Australia: Re-Purposing A Geological Survey To Improve Soil Management, Edward A. Griffin, Karen Holmes, Tim Overheu

Conference papers and presentations

The deeply laterised landscapes of Western Australia’s wheatbelt contain large amounts of ferruginous concretions or pisoliths, referred to locally as ironstone gravel. Soil surveys over the years have described ironstone gravel presence and abundance, and the state soil classification system recognises their importance in agriculture by designating ‘ironstone gravel soils’ at the highest level of the classification hierarchy. These gravels have generally been assumed inert in agricultural soils; however, farm trials and anecdotal experience suggest they may play a more active role in nutrient and water retention than previously recognised. Gravelly soil performance under dryland agriculture varies dramatically across the …

Watershed Modeling And Sediment Yield Prediction Of The Los Olmos Creek Watershed In South Texas, Rockford Miller, Jungseok Ho, Chu-Lin Cheng

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studying the sediment that accumulates in a stream is an important aspect in the study of water quality and resources. With respect to water quality, the main issue is the turbidity of the water. Increased losses of natural landscape increase the erosion process in turn raising the turbidity of the water and reducing the light that can penetrate to the water reducing the growth of aquatic life. With respect to water resources, sediment accumulates in the river ways, harbors, and in dams reducing the effectiveness of these resources. This study focused on determining the amount of sediment that is outputted …

An Evaluation Of The Lithologies And Geochemistry Of The Upper Beaver Deposit Of The Kirkland Lake Area, Katherine E. Feick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Upper Beaver Cu-Au deposit contains a unique style of mineralization in the Larder Lake and Kirkland Lake areas in terms of mineralization, alteration style, and age. This study aims to use company-provided data, supplemented with focused data collection, to evaluate what information can be attained from company-provided geochemical data. The evaluation uses a combination of hand sample, petrographic, geochemical, statistical, and microprobe analytical methods.

Lithogeochemical analyses indicated that the altered igneous host rock is calc-alkaline in composition and is most likely part of the diorite-monzonite suite. Further, exploratory data analysis of Au and Cu mineralization identified that there are …

Lilliput Effect Dynamics Across The Cretaceous-Paleogene Mass Extinction: Approaches, Prevalence, And Mechanisms, Matthew Brett Jarrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An organism's body size entails both physiological and ecological costs. Furthermore, as a parameter in analyzing organisms, it represents a fundamental and essential morphometric character. Reductions in size following mass extinction is a commonly observed phenomenon in the fossil record. This study examines the evolutionary significance of this phenomenon termed the: 'Lilliput Effect' by proposing that it represents a rapid evolutionary response to altered selection pressures during a mass extinction. This primary hypothesis is evaluated against two additional hypotheses of size reduction: 1) stunted growth as a response to stressed ecosystems, and/or 2) mass extinctions are size selective.

These hypotheses …

Geothermometry Of Two Cascade Geothermal Systems, Donnel Alexander Malkemus

Dissertations and Theses

For this thesis I applied classical and multi-component geothermometry techniques to new water chemistry data from Breitenbush Hot Springs, Oregon and the Wind River Valley, Washington. A total of 20 well, spring, and stream samples from Breitenbush Hot Springs and 4 spring samples from the Wind River Valley were collected and analyzed for major, minor, and select trace anions and cations, as well as stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. I used two computer programs, GeoT and RTEst, to conduct multi-component geothermometry reservoir condition estimation on each water sample. Water chemistry data from Breitenbush Hot Springs indicates a range of thermal, …

Habitat Quality Modeling For Bird Species At Furman University, Emma Cook

Earth and Environmental Sciences Presentations

In rapidly urbanizing areas, such as Greenville County in Upstate South Carolina, it is important to study habitat use and quality across land cover types in order to maximize conservation. Habitat fragmentation is a threat to many species of birds in areas with increasing development, especially those species that utilize larger forest patches for nesting and foraging. While land cover type and patch size are extremely important factors in determining habitat quality for birds, recent research has shown that the matrix of surrounding landscape proves to be very important as well. The landscape matrix, sometimes called landscape mosaic, considers the …

Mapping The Impact Of Intensive Rotational Grazing On Soil Fertility Over Time On Greenbrier Farms In Pickens County, South Carolina, Emily Kirby

Earth and Environmental Sciences Presentations

Intensive rotational grazing (IRG) is a management technique that involves a more intentional management approach which includes increased paddock numbers, shorter grazing periods, larger livestock presence per acre, and longer periods of rest on pastures. Potential advantages of this management technique include improved forage quality, greater yield, decreased erosion, stable production during adverse growing condition, and improved soil fertility. This study collects and analyzes data to understand the impact of rotational grazing on soil fertility as measured by SOC (soil organic carbon) and SON (soil organic nitrogen) on Greenbrier Farms in Easley, South Carolina. This study analyzes the transition from …

Soundscape Mapping: Spatial Variability Of Sound At Furman University, Alec Schindler

Earth and Environmental Sciences Presentations

Looking at the entire soundscape and studying its spatial variability can often give us important information about the health of the ecosystem. However, most previous studies only measure sound intensity, and are therefore limited in their depiction of the soundscape. Another tool for mapping soundscapes is SPreAD-GIS. This tool models sound propagation in an area. However, previous studies have only used it to evaluate the effects of noise pollution, but not applied it towards depicting the soundscape as a whole. I mapped the soundscape of Furman University’s campus using sound intensity as well as many different soundscape indices in order …

The Impact Of Organic Farms: Biodiversity And Climate Change Resilience In The Southeast, Josie Newton

Earth and Environmental Sciences Presentations

Resilience to climate change serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of organic farming practices. Resilience means that an area is able to return to a stable state after a disturbance. In this context, it means that the area is able to function regularly even in the face of climate change, an instance that affects species health and biodiversity. By mapping the locations of organic farms across the southeastern United States along with the resilience scores of areas as evaluated by The Nature Conservancy and comparing this map to farm locations and biodiversity measures, we are able to determine the …