Earth Sciences Commons^™

The Probabilistic Characterization Of Severe Rainstorm Events: Applications Of Threshold Analysis To Climate Change Impacts, Barry A. Palynchuk Phd

Barry A. Palynchuk PhD

A summary of PhD thesis, with emphasis upon storm event definition, and climate change impacts upon rainfall depth, duration, and intensity.

Isotopes Of Carbon In A Karst Aquifer Of The Cumberland Platea Of Kentucky , Usa, Lee J. Florea

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

In this study, the concentration and isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) are measured in the karst groundwater of the Otter Creek watershed of the Cumberland Plateau of Kentucky, USA. Comparisons among these data and with the geochemistry of carbonate and gypsum equilibrium reactions reveal that DOC concentration is inversely related to discharge, multiple reaction pathways provide DIC with isotopic enrichment that may be directly related to mineral saturation, and oxidation of reduced sulfur is possible for dissolution. DOC is derived from C3 vegetation with an average δ13CDOC of ‒27‰. DIC in groundwater is …

Preliminary Summary Of Water Resource Investigations During 2012 At Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah, Lee J. Florea, Chelsie R. Dugan, Camille Mckinney

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

This manuscript considers the hydrology and geochemistry of water resources within Timpanogos Cave National Monument in American Fork, Utah. In particular, data are presented for five cave pools within the Monument and the American Fork River that flows through the Monument. Two independent dye trace attempts in this study have not established a connection between the surface near the canyon rim at the south border of the Monument and the cave pools or the river. Ion chemistry of the pools reveals elevated sulfate concentrations. Analysis of sulfate and other reaction products suggests the possibility of combined carbonic and sulfuric acids …

Climate Change And Hydrological Risks Related To Railway Infrastructure In Northern Regions, Barry A. Palynchuk Phd

Barry A. Palynchuk PhD

In this paper, the authors discuss the possible consequences of global warming on northern hydrology and their impacts on railway drainage infrastructure. How can we change actual design approaches, methods and standards to adapt, to reduce vulnerability and to improve resilience to climate change? Under current climate conditions, snow, ice and permafrost play a dominant role in the water balance in cold regions. Three areas can be distinguished: regions of continuous permafrost, regions of discontinuous permafrost and permafrost-free regions. To predict the potential climate change impacts on each region, the spatial analog and the climate variability analog approaches can be …

Individual And Combined Effects Of Land Use/Cover And Climate Change On Wolf Bay Watershed Streamflow In Southern Alabama, Ruoyu Wang

Ruoyu Wang

Investigations Into The Potential For Hypogene Speleogenesis In The Cumberland Plateau Of Southeast Kentucky, U.S.A., Lee J. Florea

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

This manuscript offers preliminary geochemical evidence that investigates the potential for hypogene speleogenesis in the Cumberland Plateau of southeastern Kentucky, U.S.A. The region was traditionally considered a classic example of epigenic karst, but new insights have uncovered tantalizing observations that suggest alternatives to simple carbonic acid speleogenesis. Such first-order observations have included natural petroleum seeps at the surface and in caves, occasional cave morphologies consistent with action of hypogene fluids, and prolific gypsum within cave passages. To this point, geochemical data from caves and springs verify carbonic acid as the primary dissolutional agent; however, these same analyses cannot rule out …

Climate Change Adaptation Chapter: Marshfield, Massachusetts, Joshua H. Chase, Jonathan G. Cooper, Rory Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Filipe Antunes Lima, Sally R. Miller, Toni Marie Pignatelli

Sally Miller

Climate change, understood as a statistically significant variation in the mean state of the climate or its variability, is the greatest environmental challenge of this generation (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001). Marshfield is already being affected by changes in the climate that will have a profound effect on the town’s economy, public health, coastal resources, natural features, water systems, and public and private infrastructure. Adaptation strategies have been widely recognized as playing an important role in improving a community’s ability to respond to climate stressors by resisting damage and recovering quickly. Based on review of climate projections for the …

The Shortcomings Of "Passive" Urban River Restoration After Low-Head Dam Removal, Ottawa River (Northwestern Ohio, U.S.A.): What The Sedimentary Record Can Teach Us, James E. Evans

James E. Evans

No abstract provided.

Variation Of Hyporheic Temperature Profiles In A Low Gradient Third-Order Agricultural Stream – A Statistical Approach, Vanessa Beach, Eric Wade Peterson

Eric Wade Peterson

Sediment size governs advection, controlling the hydraulic conductivity of the stratum, and conduction, influencing the amount of surface area in contact between the sediment particles. To understand the role of sediment particle size on thermal profiles within the hyporheic zone, a statistical approach, involving general summary statistics and time series cross-correlation, was employed. Data were collected along two riffles: Site 1: gravel (d50 = 3.9 mm) and Site 2: sand (d50 = 0.94 mm).Temperature probe grids collected 15-minute temperature data at 30, 60, 90, and 140 cm below the streambed surface over a 6-month period. Surface water and air temperature …

Approaching Cave Level Identification With Gis: A Case Study Of Carter Caves, Brianne Jacoby, Eric Wade Peterson, John C. Kostelnick, Toby J. Dogwiler

Eric Wade Peterson

Cave passages that are found at similar elevations are grouped together and called levels. The current understanding is that passages within a level are speleogenetically linked to a common static baselevel or stratigraphic control. Cave levels have provided an interpretive framework for deciphering cave development, landscape evolution, and climatic changes. Cosmogenic dating has been successfully used to interpret levels in Mammoth Cave and the Cumberland Plateau; however, this technique is expensive and there are limited funding resources available. Geographic information systems may be used as preliminary procedures to identify cave levels and constrain the timing of level development. A GIS …