Digital Commons Network^™

Porosity Development Within Lobes To Downslope Ramp Deposits On A Prograding Carbonate Shelf Of The Kinderhookian To Osagean Series In Northwest Arkansas, Elizabeth Marchese

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Carbonate bodies with lobate geometries form a substantial part of the Osagean (early Mississippian) section in northwest Arkansas. The purpose of this study is to isolate and describe a single lobe from three-dimensional exposures in quarry walls to provide criteria by which lobe and lobe porosity can be recognized in the subsurface. Carbonate sediment generated on the Mississippian Burlington shelf moved southward by gravity flows from the shelf margin to positions on a prograding ramp in Arkansas where overlapping deposits with lobate geometries accumulated. These deposits are recognized in outcrops of the Boone Formation. Stratigraphic units within the Boone are …

Natural Radioactivity In Groundwater, Rocks And Sediments From Some Areas In The Uae: Distribution, Sources And Environmental Impact, Dalal Matar Al Shamsi

Dissertations

Groundwater contains a certain amount of natural radioactivity that generally results from the decay of uranium, thorium and ⁴⁰K isotopes. Knowledge of concentration levels, spatial distribution and sources of these isotopes in groundwater is crucial for environmentally safe and sustainable groundwater resources in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This dissertation focuses on investigating the distribution, environmental impact and sources of ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, as well as the activity of gross β and α in groundwater in some locations in the UAE. Additionally, groundwater samples from Oman and selected aquifer rocks and sediments from the UAE were …

The Cova Des Pas De Vallgornera (Llucmajor, Mallorca): A Singular Deposit Bearing An Exceptional Well Preserved Early Pleistocene Vertebrate Fauna, Pere Bover, Alex Valenzuela, Carmen Guerra, Juan Rofes, Josep A. Alcover, Joaquin Gines, Joan J. Fornos, Gloria Cuenca-Bescós, Antoni Merino

International Journal of Speleology

The Cova des Pas de Vallgornera is the longest cave of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean) and one of the 30 longest caves in the world. The exploration of one of the galleries allowed the discovery of a fossiliferous deposit of vertebrate remains in a remarkable preservation state. The fossil faunal complex found in this gallery is composed of up to 5 mammalian species (Myotragus aff. kopperi, Hypnomys onicensis, Nesiotites aff. ponsi, Rhinolophus aff. mehelyi and Pipistrellus sp.), at least 14 bird species (among them two Mallorcan endemic taxa: Pica mourerae and Athene vallgornerensis), one …

Body Size And Species Richness Changes In Glyptosaurinae (Squamata: Anguidae) Through Climatic Transitions Of The North American Cenozoic, Sara Elshafie

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Poikilothermic vertebrates offer excellent climate proxies based on relationships between environment and measurable variables such as body size and species richness. Relationships of these variables in lizards to environmental transitions over long time scales are poorly understood. Here I show that patterns of body size and species richness in a lizard clade, Glyptosaurinae (Squamata: Anguidae), correspond to known histories of paleotemperatures through the Cenozoic of North America. Glyptosaurines have the richest fossil record among North American Cenozoic lizards and exhibit a wide range of skull sizes. In order to estimate body size for glyptosaurines and other fossil anguids, I collected …

Fossil Crocodilians From The High Guajira Peninsula Of Colombia, And The History Of Neogene Crocodilian Diversity In Tropical South America, Jorge W. Moreno-Bernal

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The greatest diversity of Cenozoic crocodilians occurred during the Miocene in equatorial South America. However, the origin of this high diversity and its relationship to environmental factors are poorly understood. Most described species come from localities assigned to Laventan (13.8-11.8 Ma) and Huayquerian (9.0-6.8 Ma) South American land mammal ages (SALMAS), whereas the record is sparse in the early to middle Miocene and after the latest Miocene and Pliocene. Field research in the Castilletes (early Miocene-Pliocene) Formation in the High Guajira Peninsula of Colombia provides new fossil data on the origin of Neotropical crocodylian diversity. The Castilletes Formation crops out …

Quakemap, Richard Braxton

Collection of Engaged Learning

QuakeMap is a web application created with Javascript that allows users to track and view earthquakes in real-time. By using a system of linear scales, the application allows for quantitative data to be viewed qualitatively, and for information to be gathered at a glance.

Are You Getting What You Paid For? A Case Study In Forensic Geochemistry, Abdelmawgoud Mohammed, R. V . Krishnamurthy

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that differ in atomic mass due to different number of neutrons in the nucleus. Some isotopes are stable isotopes and others are unstable, or radioactive, isotopes. Stable isotopes maintain constant concentrations in the environment over time. Unstable isotopes continue to decay into daughter elements. Stable isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen are the most commonly used in environmental and ecological research.

Forensic geochemistry is a relatively new discipline that uses chemical and isotopic markers to solve problems of forensic interest. These include fingerprinting oil spills, food adulteration and forgery in …

A Satellite Data Driven Biophysical Modeling Approach For Estimating Northern Peatland And Tundra Co2 And Ch4 Fluxes, J. D. Watts, John S. Kimball, F. J. W. Parmentier, T. Sachs, J. Rinne, D. Zona, W. Oechel, T. Tagesson, M. Jackowicz-Korczynski, M. Aurela

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The northern terrestrial net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) is contingent on inputs from vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP) to offset the ecosystem respiration (Reco) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emissions, but an effective framework to monitor the regional Arctic NECB is lacking. We modified a terrestrial carbon flux (TCF) model developed for satellite remote sensing applications to evaluate wetland CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes over pan-Arctic eddy covariance (EC) flux tower sites. The TCF model estimates GPP, CO2 and CH4 emissions using in situ or remote sensing and reanalysis-based climate data as inputs. …

Plant Community Structure Over An Elevation Gradient In Manongarivo Special Reserve, Madagascar, Scott Sugden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how plant community structure changes across an elevation gradient in Manongarivo Special Reserve, Madagascar. Three vegetation surveys were conducted at each of six different elevations (300m, 500m, 700m, 850m, 1000m, 1150m) on the southern slope of Bekolosy Mountain, near the southwestern border of the reserve. Each of these surveys focused on the diameter, height, and crown position of trees in a 156.25m2 plot, as well as the presence or absence of mosses and vines. At each of the six survey elevations, point-quadrat vertical structure data was also collected for the underbrush, up to a maximum height of …

Droughtscape, Spring 2014, Kelly Smith

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Contents

Director’s report

Outlook . 2

Drought climate recap 3

Drought impacts .

DroughtAtlas

Missouri River Basin pilot 9

NASA Horn of Africa project 10

U2U tools and social science . 12

Consulting for Turkey 14

Czech drought monitoring 14

Earth News, V37, Spring 2014, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Earth Science.

Earth News

Inside this issue:

-- From the Department Head
-- News from the faculty and staff
-- Alumni Spotlight: Eve Halligan (Eve Lampson)
-- Sunday at the Quarry
-- Student Spotlight: Maddie Pike
-- News from emeritus
-- 2013 Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award Winners
-- IMPACT
-- A Trip To...Partanna, Sicily
-- 30 Years Ago at UNI: The Two-Hundred Pound Gorilla in the Sinkhole
-- Gamma Sigma Chapter: Sigma Gamma Epsilon
-- In Memoriam: Sam Wood and Jacob Wolter
-- Seminars
-- Internships
-- Student Research
-- Scholarships
-- Graduates
-- News from alumni
-- External Grant Activities in Hydrology …

Population Variation In Fossil Graptolites: A Quantitative Study Based On Single Species Assemblages, Elliott Matthias Mazur

Honors Theses

There are several different types of variation in populations of fossil organisms. These include intra-specific (population) variation, evolutionary variation (specimens on a slab accumulating over thousands of years), and preservational variation. An understanding of the extent and type of variation present in a population is fundamental to biological and paleontological studies. This study examines several populations of fossil graptolites from which population variation can be studied without the influence of the other types, and includes several types of morphometric analyses to examine population variation in several species of fossil graptolites. These analyses include isolating three dimensionally preserved specimens from limestone, …

Uncertainties In Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions From U.S. Beef Cattle, Quentin M. Dudley, Adam Liska, Andrea K. Watson, Galen E. Erickson

Adam Liska Papers

Beef cattle feedlots are estimated to contribute 26% of U.S. agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and future climate change policy could target reducing these emissions. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of GHG emissions from U.S. grain-fed beef cattle was conducted based on industry statistics and previous studies to identify the main sources of uncertainty in these estimations. Uncertainty associated with GHG emissions from indirect land use change, pasture soil emissions (e.g. soil carbon sequestration), enteric fermentation from cattle on pasture, and methane emissions from feedlot manure, respectively, contributed the most variability to life cycle GHG emissions from beef production. Feeding of …

Digital Dissection – Using Contrast‐Enhanced Computed Tomography Scanning To Elucidate Hard‐ And Soft‐Tissue Anatomy In The Common Buzzard Buteo Buteo, Stephan Lautenschlager, Jen A. Bright, Emily J. Rayfield

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Gross dissection has a long history as a tool for the study of human or animal soft‐ and hard‐tissue anatomy. However, apart from being a time‐consuming and invasive method, dissection is often unsuitable for very small specimens and often cannot capture spatial relationships of the individual soft‐tissue structures. The handful of comprehensive studies on avian anatomy using traditional dissection techniques focus nearly exclusively on domestic birds, whereas raptorial birds, and in particular their cranial soft tissues, are essentially absent from the literature. Here, we digitally dissect, identify, and document the soft‐tissue anatomy of the Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) …

Influence Of Diet On Element Incorporation In The Shells Of Two Bivalve Molluscs: Argopecten Irradians Concentricus And Mercenaria Mercenaria, William Noland Elsaesser

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recently, biogenic carbonates have received much attention as potential proxies of environmental change; however, a major pathway of elemental incorporation is often overlooked when making interpretations or designing experiments. This research experimentally examines the influence of diet on elemental composition in juvenile shells of the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians concentricus, and the northern quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria.

Exploratory trials were conducted using Argopecten irradians concentricus juveniles fed different algal diets: Isochrysis, Chaetoceros, Pavlova, Tetraselmis, or a mix of all four in a 2:1:2:2 ratio. No differences between the left and right valves were revealed, thus, subsequent analysis of the dietary influence …

Influence Of Introgression And Geological Processes On Phylogenetic Relationships Of Western North American Mountain Suckers (Pantosteus, Catostomidae), Peter J. Unmack, Thomas E. Dowling, Nina J. Laitinen, Carol L. Secor, Richard L. Mayden, Dennis K. Shiozawa, Gerald R. Smith

Biological Sciences Faculty Research Publications

Intense geological activity caused major topographic changes in Western North America over the past 15 million years. Major rivers here are composites of different ancient rivers, resulting in isolation and mixing episodes between river basins over time. This history influenced the diversification of most of the aquatic fauna. The genus Pantosteus is one of several clades centered in this tectonically active region. The eight recognized Pantosteus species are widespread and common across southwestern Canada, western USA and into northern Mexico. They are typically found in medium gradient, middle-elevation reaches of rivers over rocky substrates. This study (1) compares molecular data …

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Field Testing Heterodera Glycines From Metagenomic Dna Samples Isolated Directly From Soil Under Agronomic Production., Yan Li, Gary W. Lawrence, Shien Lu, Clarissa Balbalian, Vincent P. Klink

CALS Publications

A quantitative PCR procedure targeting the Heterodera glycines ortholog of the Caenorhabditis elegans uncoordinated-78 gene was developed. The procedure estimated the quantity of H. glycines from metagenomic DNA samples isolated directly from field soil under agronomic production. The estimation of H. glycines quantity was determined in soil samples having other soil dwelling plant parasitic nematodes including Hoplolaimus, predatory nematodes including Mononchus, free-living nematodes and biomass. The methodology provides a framework for molecular diagnostics of nematodes from metagenomic DNA isolated directly from field soil.

Alfalfa For Summer Grazing, Roy Burris, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is most commonly used as a hay crop in the United States. However, with proper management, it can be utilized as a grazing crop with very good results. Liveweight gains per acre are quite high for grazing beef cattle with total season grains of 500 to 800 pounds per acre being reasonable. The authors realized 732 lb/acre of gains on 16 acres of alfalfa in 1991, with beef steers at Princeton.

Lessons Learned In Australia--Uk Forages Study Tour, Traci Missun, S. Ray Smith, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

In September 2013, twenty Kentuckians traveled to Australia to tour farms and attend the International Grasslands Congress. The group included ten county agents, five farmers, four UK faculty/staff and a teacher. This study tour allowed participants to gain a new perspective of agriculture and how Australian farmers deal with adversity. Farmers there face many challenges each year with change in precipitation, ranging from severe drought to flooding. These challenges have forced them to incorporate different methods to be successful, including intensive grazing, use of overhead and drip irrigation for pasture and hay production, and fallow farming.

Alfalfa Baleage/Silage Preservatives: Do They Work? Are They Economical?, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

There are many variables with silage production including - type of silage operation (silo, bunk, tube, or wrapped bale), weather, packing or bale density, speed of covering. Therefore, no two silage crops are ever the same, which is why researchers are reluctant to give blanket statements regarding when and how to use silage inoculants. There has been a lot of good research though in recent years about the effect of silage inoculants under various management and conditions. What follows is an overview of this research and some general recommendations. Much of this overview was taken from a very good fact …

Vhub: A Knowledge Management System To Facilitate Online Collaborative Volcano Modeling And Research, José L. Palma, Leah Courtland, Sylvain J. Charbonnier, Riccardo Tortini, Greg A. Valentine

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Knowledge of volcanic systems and the hazards they produce is rapidly advancing as internet resources become more readily accessible, new and more sensitive field techniques are developed, and ever greater amounts of data are collected. Such rapid advances drive the need for an online collaborative knowledge management system that enables the sharing of volcanological information, and modeling and analysis tools. Vhub (http://vhub.org) is a community cyberinfrastructure platform designed for collaboration in volcanology research, education, outreach, and discovery that complements existing volcano databases and other cyberinfrastructure projects. Vhub is unique in its functionality as a nucleus for the creation …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2013, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Constant And Periodic Experimental Hypoxic Stress On Atlantic Croaker Otolith Chemistry, John Mohan, Md. Saydur Rahman, Peter Thomas, Benjamin Walther

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The chemical composition of fish otoliths may provide information on the environmental exposure histories of fishes if ‘vital effects’ on element incorporation are minimal. In order to use redox-sensitive geochemical proxies, such as manganese, in otoliths to quantify sublethal exposure to hypoxia, the relative influence of endogenous and exogenous controls on otolith composition must first be validated. Controlled laboratory experiments were conducted on Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus to examine the response of otolith Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca, Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca, and Na:Ca ratios to either constant or periodic hypoxia treatments for 4 and 10 wk, respectively. Although fish somatic growth and condition were …

Warming, Soil Moisture, And Loss Of Snow Increase Bromus Tectorum’S Population Growth Rate, Aldo Compagnoni, Peter B. Adler

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Climate change threatens to exacerbate the impacts of invasive species. In temperate ecosystems, direct effects of warming may be compounded by dramatic reductions in winter snow cover. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is arguably the most destructive biological invader in basins of the North American Intermountain West, and warming could increase its performance through direct effects on demographic rates or through indirect effects mediated by loss of snow. We conducted a two-year experimental manipulation of temperature and snow pack to test whether 1) warming increases cheatgrass population growth rate and 2) reduced snow cover contributes to cheatgrass’ positive response to …

Afrontar El Cambio: Cuidar Del Agua, De La Agricultura Y De La Seguridad Alimentaria En Una Era De Incertidumbre Climática, Peter G. Mccornick, Vladimir Smakhtin, Luna Bharati, Robyn Johnston, Matthew Mccartney, Fraser Sugden, Floriane Clement, Beverly Mcintyre

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

En 1950, la población mundial era apenas superior a los 2500 millones de habitantes. En 2013, ronda los 7 mil millones. Aunque el crecimiento de la población se está ralentizando, se estima que en 2050 se alcanzarán los 9600 millones de habitantes. El aumento de la población será mayor en los países en desarrollo, donde los alimentos a menudo escasean, y la tierra y el agua están sometidas a presión. Para alimentar a la población mundial en 2050, tendrán que producirse más alimentos sin que haya un aumento significativo del terreno de cultivo y contando con un caudal menor de …

Fluoride Exposure From Groundwater As Reflected By Urinary Fluoride And Children’S Dental Fluorosis In The Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, Tewodros Rango, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Erika Weinthal, Julia Kravchenko, Christopher Paul, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are lifelong residents of 33 rural communities in which groundwater concentrations of F⁻ cover a wide range. A subset of 156 children was selected for urinary F⁻ measurements. Our results showed that the mean F⁻ concentrations in groundwater were 8.5 ± 4.1 mg/L (range: 1.1–18 mg/L), while those in urine …

The Effect Of Non-Fluoride Factors On Risk Of Dental Fluorosis: Evidence From Rural Populations Of The Main Ethiopian Rift, Julia Kravchenko, Tewodros Rango, Igor Akushevich, Behailu Atlaw, Peter G. Mccornick, R. Brittany Merola, Christopher Paul, Erika Weinthal, Courtney Harrison, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Elevated level of fluoride (F⁻) in drinking water is a well-recognized risk factor of dental fluorosis (DF). While considering optimization of region-specific standards for F⁻, it is reasonable, however, to consider how local diet, water sourcing practices, and non-F⁻ elements in water may be related to health outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that non-F⁻ elements in groundwater and lifestyle and demographic characteristics may be independent predictors or modifiers of the effects of F⁻ on teeth. Dental examinations were conducted among 1094 inhabitants from 399 randomly selected households of 20 rural communities of …

Fluoride Exposure From Groundwater As Reflected By Urinary Fluoride And Children’S Dental Fluorosis In The Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, Tewodros Rango, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Erika Weinthal, Julia Kravchenko, Christopher Paul, Paul Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are lifelong residents of 33 rural communities in which …

Shape Evolution And Sexual Dimorphism In The Mandible Of The Dire Wolf, Canis Dirus, At Rancho La Brea, Alexandria L. Brannick

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Rancho La Brea tar pits are a classic fossil lagerstätten, famous for the deposition of episodic accumulations of large numbers of fossils over short intervals in the late Pleistocene. I analyzed 157 Canis dirus (dire wolf) hemi-mandibles from Rancho La Brea through a 2D landmark-based morphometric analysis to test for size and shape changes through time. I scored 16 landmarks on each mandible gathered from four pits of different ages: 61/67 (~13-14 thousand years ago [ka]), 13 (~17-18 ka), 2051 (~26 ka), and 91 (~28 ka). Analyses indicate size does change through time, and shares a broad correlation with …