Environmental Sciences Commons^™

Do Mitigated Wetlands Support Similar Small Mammal Communities As Natural Wetlands?, Krista Noe, Mack Frantz, Christopher T. Rota, Jim Anderson

Presentations

Wetlands provide many ecosystem services and play an important ecological role in wildlife communities. Although wetland mitigation is a standard tool to combat losses to natural wetlands, it is essential to understand if mitigated wetlands are truly replacing natural wetlands in their full capacity. Because one important role of wetlands is to provide habitat for wildlife communities, it is important to determine if these created or restored wetlands can foster a wildlife community that is similar to natural wetlands. One understudied taxa in the realm of wetland mitigation research is small mammals. Our objectives are to examine community composition, occupancy, …

Relating Recharge Mechanisms To Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Dynamics In An Updip Appalachian Coal Mine Discharge, Matthew L. Bell

Presentations

Impaired drainage from active and abandoned mines degrades the water quality of receiving streams and aquifers. Coal mine drainage (CMD) has been studied for decades in Appalachia, but unknowns and uncertainties are still present, including the influence of mine hydrogeology on the outflow chemistry of above-drainage mines. To evaluate the influence of recharge type on above-drainage mine dissolved inorganic carbon chemistry, samples were collected every two weeks at a CMD outflow treatment system in Harrison County, West Virginia. Samples were collected to measure geochemical changes taking place in the mine workings and along the flowpath of the passive treatment system. …

Comparison Of Methods For Estimating Carbon Evasion And Export Associated With A Coal Mine Discharge, Kyle Lee, Dorothy J. Vesper

Presentations

The evasion of CO2 from terrestrial waters plays a role in the global cycling of carbon but there are few datasets that have an accurate accounting of the flux. It has been shown that discharges from coal mines can have elevated concentrations of CO2 due to sulfuric acid-driven dissolution of carbonate rock. In this study, we compared three methods for calculating the export dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and the evaluation of CO2 from an abandoned-mine discharge in West Virginia. In Method #1, the source flux is calculated from the discharge and the concentrations at the portal. In Method #2, the …

Quantifying The Contribution Of Solid Precipitates To The Total Alkalinity In A Coal-Mine Discharge, Lili Lei, Dorothy Vesper

Presentations

Flocculates and precipitates from coal mine drainage (CMD) are an integral part of the geochemical setting in mining-impacted streams. The precipitates may be very small, amorphous, and, depending on their chemistry, play a role in the storage and release of alkalinity. To evaluate the potential impact of CMD-solids on alkalinity, we conducted various tests using model and natural solids. Laboratory measurements of alkalinity are operationally defined by a titration to a fixed pH. When the solid-solution mixtures were tested using the standard alkalinity measurement method, no alkalinity could be detected; however, a possible reason for that was that the standard …

Development Of A Python Library To Facilitate Wqx Dataset Exchanges, Jonathan Musselwhite, Fernando Rojano

Presentations

The assistance of programming tools to speed up the exchange of water quality datasets are necessary. These tools reduce and simplify the steps currently needed to transfer datasets from water quality monitoring stations to public databases. Here it is presented a library developed in Python that programmatically covers the steps related to the upload of datasets following the framework of the Water Quality Exchange (WQX) of the US EPA. This library is mainly characterized by its ability to efficiently connect and transfer data formatted as CSV or XLSX files via the WQX to the National STORET Data Warehouse by mostly …

Functionalized Polycarbonate Commercial Filters For Water Purification, Jeremy Mccloud, Ashton Caruthers, Kennedy Shoults, Rick Sharpe, Sean P. Mcbride

Presentations

Can commerercially available filtration membranes be easily functionalized in such a way to enhence the removal the charged contaminants in the water treatment process? The literature demonstrates there have been two pioneering works that demonstrated that Ultrathin Self-Assembled Nanoparticle (USANP) membranes (composed of ~5 nm diameter metallic gold nanoparticles surrounded by organic ligands) when applied to commercial membranes displayed charge sensitive rejection to molecular dyes and also have the ability to charge modify the openings in commercial filters. The rejection mechanisms in these works are proposed to be either size dependent or charged based. Recent experimental results have demonstrated that …

Evaluating Impacts Of Anthropogenic Disturbance To Wetland Water Quality Functions, Sindupa De Silva, Jim Anderson, Jason A. Hubbart, Michael P. Strager, Elliott Kellner, Christopher T. Rota, Elizabeth A. Byers

Presentations

Wetland ecosystems play fundamental roles in regulating our freshwater resources, yet they are not comprehensively protected from degradation and loss. West Virginia, USA has wetlands across diverse landscapes and geography that feed into both the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico. The state is also comprised of diverse anthropogenic land-use practices. We are assessing 200 wetlands over 2 years to evaluate how anthropogenic disturbance impact wetland water quality functions. Select water quality parameters (20), and relative diversity and abundance of vegetation and macroinvertebrates will be used as bioindicators. They will be compared with GIS assessments of watershed land cover/ land-use …

'Catch The King' Tide Thank You And Review, Jon Derek Loftis

Presentations

"Catch the King" was a citizen science GPS data collection effort centered in Hampton Roads, VA, that mapped the King Tide's maximum inundation extents to validate and improve predictive models for future forecasting of increasingly pervasive "nuisance" flooding. GPS data points collected by volunteers effectively breadcrumbed/traced the high water line by pressing the 'Save Data' button in the Sea Level Rise App every few steps along the water's edge during the high tide on the morning of Nov. 5th, 2017.

Response from the event's dedicated volunteers, fueled by the local media partners' coverage leading up to the event, and over …

Understanding Patterns In Chesapeake Bay Water Clarity: The Importance Of Measurement, Location, And Physical Versus Biological Controls, Carl T. Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Fractal Floc Properties In The Surface Waters Of A Partially-Mixed Estuary: Insights From Video Settling, Lisst, And Pump Sampling, Kelsey Fall, Carl T. Friedrichs, Grace M. Massey, David Bowers

Presentations

This study focuses on observations collected along the York River Estuary, major tidal tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. Although microtidal in terms of tidal range, the partially-mixed York River Estuary experiences near-surface tidal currents of up to 1 m/s at spring tide (Friedrichs, 2009). Observations of particle properties were collected using a profiling system that includes a Laser InSitu Scattering and Transmissometry (LISST) 100X Type C instrument, a high-definition Particle Imaging Camera System (PICS) incorporating a video settling tube, and a high-speed pump sampler. At each sampling station, the profiler was lowered to a depth of 1-3m below the …

Evidence Of Muddy Aggregates As Resilient Pellets In Suspension Throughout The Water Column Using Traps And A Particle Image Camera System (Pics) In A Tidal Estuary, Grace Massey, Kelsey Fall, Carl Friedrichs, S. Jarrell Smith

Presentations

Biogenic pelletization plays an important roll in the packaging of fine sediments to prevent their availability in contributing to the water clarity issues in coastal systems. On the order of 1000 5µm equivalent spherical diameter clay flocculi primary particles can be packaged in a single elliptical-inshape pellet, 100µm long and 30µm wide. This is a size consistent of those observed in our study area in the Clay Bank Area of the York River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, USA. If resuspended, this one pellet will have almost 25 times less surface area and thus have that much less …

Fractal Floc Properties In Estuarine Surface Waters: Insights From Video Settling, Lisst, And Pump Sampling, Kelsey Fall, Carl Friedrichs, Grace Massey, David Bowers

Presentations

The goal of this study is to gain insight into the fractal properties of flocs in estuarine surface waters under conditions of variable floc size, density, concentration, and organic content. The properties of flocculated particles in estuarine surface waters are especially important to the fate of incident light, with direct ramifications for primary production, water quality, and optical remote sensing. Observations of particle properties were collected using a profiling system that includes a Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissometry (LISST) 100X Type C instrument, a high-definition Particle Imaging Camera System (PICS) incorporating a video settling tube, and a high-speed pump sampler. …

Improving Modeled Light Attenuation (Kd) In A Land-Estuarine Ocean Biogeochemical Model For Chesapeake Bay, Jessica Turner, Carl T. Friedrichs, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Water Clarity Patterns And Trends In The Open-Water Regions Of Chesapeake Bay And Its Tidal Tributaries, Carl T. Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

'Catch The King' Tide With Stormsense On Nov. 5th: How You Can Help Crowd-Source Tidal Flood Event Calibrations For Hampton Roads' Newest Water Level Sensors, Jon Derek Loftis, Harry Wang, David R. Forrest

Presentations

Dr. Derek Loftis presented his recent research related to installing new water level sensors (and some of the early event data the network has captured during Hurricanes Jose and Maria) in many Hampton Roads municipalities with the StormSense Smart Cities project. This presentation also introduces information related VIMS efforts with the CCRFR and local news media in the organization of the 'Catch the King' Tide crowd-sourcing data event using the Sea Level Rise App.

Stac Review Panel For The Generalized Additive Model (Gam) Approach For Water Quality Trends In Tidal Waters, Carl T. Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Chesapeake Bay Hypoxia Coastal Ocean Modeling Testbed, M.A.M. Friedrichs, Carl T. Friedrichs, I.D. Irby, A.J. Bever

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Parameterized Process Models For Underwater Munitions Expert System, Carl Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Flocculation And Bed Consolidation In A Partially Mixed Estuary: An Idealized Numerical Sediment Transport Model, Courtney Harris, D. Tarpley, Carl Friedrichs, C. Sherwood

Presentations

Particle settling velocity and bed erodibility impact the transport of suspended sediment to the first order, but are especially difficult to parameterize for the muds that often dominate estuarine sediments. For example, fine grained silts and clays typically form loosely bound aggregates (flocs) whose settling velocity can vary widely. Properties of flocculated sediment such as settling velocity and particle density are difficult to prescribe because they change in response to several factors, including salinity, suspended sediment concentration, turbulent mixing, organic content, and mineral composition. Additionally, mud consolidates after deposition, so that its erodibility changes over timescales of days to weeks …

Parameterized Process Models For Underwater Munitions Expert System, Carl Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Hypoxia Forecasts As A Tool For Chesapeake Bay Fisheries, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, A. J. Bever, Carl T. Friedrichs, R.R. Hood

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Stormsense Project: Forecasting Flooding From Storm Surge, Rain, And Tide, Jon Derek Loftis, David R. Forrest, Kyle Spencer

Presentations

The objective of StormSense is to enhance the capability of communities to prepare and respond to the disastrous impacts of sea level rise and coastal flooding in ways that are replicable, scalable, measurable, and make a comparable difference worldwide. The StormSense Project is an inundation forecasting research initiative partially funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to advance the field of emergency preparedness for flooding resulting from storm surge, rain, and tides. The scope of the project encompasses the interests of coastal local governments wishing to enhance their emergency preparedness via a network of 'Internet of Things' (IoT)-enabled …

Hypoxia Forecasts As A Tool For Chesapeake Bay Fisheries, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, R.R. Hood, Carl T. Friedrichs, David R. Forrest

Presentations

The Estuarine Hypoxia component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) is evaluating existing hydrodynamic and water quality models used, or likely to be used, for operations in the Chesapeake Bay. As a proof-of-concept, an implementation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System in the Chesapeake Bay (ChesROMS) is linked to a simple respiration model for hypoxia (Hypoxia_SRM). The modeling system is presently being used to produce real-time nowcasts and short-term (3-day) hypoxia forecasts for the Chesapeake Bay, which are currently available on the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) website. Workshops with citizen stakeholders …

Synthesis: Understanding Of Chesapeake Bay Water Clarity Patterns, Carl Friedrichs

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Assessing Sustainability Literacy, Mary Ellen Mallia, Cassidy Drasser, Elizabet Genis

Presentations

Presented for the US Society for Ecological Economics

Suspended Sediment Size Distribution In A Numerical Sediment Transport Model For A Partially-Mixed Estaury, Danielle Tarpley, Courtney Harris, Carl Friedrichs

Presentations

Particle settling velocity impacts the transport of suspended sediment to the first order but fine-grained material like muds tend to form loosely bound aggregates (flocs) whose settling velocity can vary widely. Properties of flocculated sediment such as settling velocity and particle density are difficult to predict because they change in response to several factors including salinity, suspended sediment concentration, turbulent mixing, and organic content. Knowledge of the mechanisms governing flocculation of cohesive sediment is rapidly expanding; especially in response to recent technical advances. As the understanding of particle dynamics progresses, numerical models describing flocculation and break-up are being developed with …

Fractal Floc Size, Density, Settling Velocity, And Implications For Water Clarity In Partially Mixed-Estuaries: The Role Of Small, Organic-Rich Particles, Kelsey Fall, Carl Friedrichs, Grace M. Massey, Jessie Turner

Presentations

Typical near-surface estuarine particles are not single solid particles, but clusters of inorganic and organic particles and water, called flocs. Floc properties that influence water clarity (such as size, composition, density and settling velocity) are challenging to observe in-situ, so their influence on the optical properties of the system is not well understood. The preliminary results presented here are part of a larger effort utilizing a combination of particle imaging equipment, water sampling, and optical instrumentation to measure important floc properties, to investigate the influence of organic particles and local hydrodynamics on those properties, and to evaluate the influence of …

Street-Level Inundation Modeling Of Hurricanes Matthew And Hermine And Emerging Flood Monitoring Methods In Hampton Roads, Jon Derek Loftis, H. V. Wang, D R. Forrest

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Fractal Floc Size, Settling Velocity And Implications For Water Clarity In Partially Mixed-Estuaries: The Role Of Small, Organic-Rich Particles, Kelsey Fall, Carl Friedrichs, Grace M. Cartwright, D.G. Bowers

Presentations

Observations and analysis presented here suggest that properties of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the water column of partially mixed estuaries, including floc size and settling velocity, are strongly related to the relative concentrations of inorganic versus organic matter in suspension. In regions with high inorganic SPM concentrations, addition of organic matter tends to increase the median size and settling velocity of flocs, removing both organic and inorganic SPM from the water column and enhancing water clarity relative to that in the absence of organics. In contrast, in regions with lower inorganic SPM concentration, suspended organic matter appears to decrease …

In Situ Differentiation Among Suspended Primary Particles, Resilient Pellets And Flocs Of Similar Size Using A Particle Image Camera System (Pics) In A Muddy Estuary, Grace M. Massey, Kelsey Fall, Carl Friedrichs, S.J. Smith

Presentations

No abstract provided.