Digital Commons Network^™

Reducing Nitrate Pollution By Redirecting Farm Runoff Into The Subsurface Of An Herbaceous Riparian Buffer Zone., Tamru Girma Taye

Theses and Dissertations

In areas dominated by agricultural land use, excess nitrate is one of the leading contributors to water pollution. Tile drains, installed to drain crop root zones for maximum yield, fast track the introduction of nitrate-laden water into a nearby stream. Due to the risks elevated levels of nitrate pose to an ecosystem and its inhabitants, the following project explores a method of reducing nitrate pollution. One that can do it as close to the source of the pollution as possible.

A tile draining a 60acre farm in central Illinois was redirected to discharge its contents through subsurface flow into an …

Natural Resource Condition Assessment For Mammoth Cave National Park, Cate Webb, Chris Groves, Katie Algeo

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Concepts About Sedimentology And Stratigraphy In Undergraduate Geoscience Courses, Bailey Z. Kreager

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

This two-part study examines sedimentologic and stratigraphic concepts in undergraduate geoscience courses. The first part seeks to identify the various types of interactive engagement strategies used in undergraduate science courses, how they are used and in what fields. It also looks at areas in which the geosciences have excelled in interactive engagement strategies. Published studies describing interactive engagement strategies in college-level courses were collected and coded, which identified six emergent types of interactive engagement strategies: (1) Polling, (2) Full-Class Discussion and Activities, (3) In-Class Group Work, (4) Out-Of-Class Group Work, (5) Online Work, and (6) Other types. Interactive engagement strategies …

Drainage To Mammoth Cave National Park, Chris Groves, Katie Algeo, Laura Myers

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

1852 Journey To Mammoth Cave Storymap, Katie Algeo

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Where Did They Go? An Analysis Of Out-Migration From Mammoth Cave National Park During Creation, Collins Eke

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

The Last Glacial Maximum In Central North Island, New Zealand: Palaeoclimate Inferences From Glacier Modelling, Shaun. R. Eaves, Andrew N. Mackintosh, Brian M. Anderson, Alice M. Doughty

Dartmouth Scholarship

Quantitative palaeoclimate reconstructions provide data for evaluating the mechanisms of past, natural climate variability. Geometries of former mountain glaciers constrained by moraine mapping afford the opportunity to reconstruct palaeoclimate, due to the close relationship between ice extent and local climate. In this study, we present results from a series of experiments using a 2D coupled energy-balance/ice-flow model that investigate the palaeoclimate significance of Last Glacial Maximum m

oraines within nine catchments in the central North Island, New Zealand. We find that the former ice limits can be simulated when present-day temperatures are reduced by between 4 and 7 ◦C, if …

Application Of Nasa Earth Observations To River Blindness Elimination Initiatives In The Amazon Rainforest, Sara Amirazodi, Kel Markert

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Apatite Helium Thermochronology Of The Blue Nile Canyon, Ethiopian Plateau, Nathaniel C. Blackburn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Ethiopian Plateau, situated in the northernmost part of the East African Rift System, has been uplifted and incised by the Blue Nile River, creating the 1.5 km-deep Blue Nile Canyon, the only extensive canyon within the Nile drainage basin. Much of this canyon incision is related to the Ethiopian Plateau uplift, which is due to a combined tectonic influence linked to the East African Rift System and the Afar Mantle Plumerelated upwelling since the Oligocene. The Blue Nile Canyon incision followed this plume-related upwelling, which resulted in extensive flood basalt emplacement around ~30 Ma. This study employs low-temperature apatite …

Petrographic Controls On Weathering Of The Haney Limestone, Steven M. Devine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Although karst processes in south central Kentucky have been studied extensively, the Haney Limestone Member of the Golconda Formation has not been studied in detail in contrast to limestones stratigraphically below it that are thicker. In addition, the relationship between petrographic features of the Haney Limestone and the formation of caves and karst features has not been studied extensively compared to lithographic, petrographic, or structural variables

Petrographic data were collected using core and surface exposures across the study area of south central Kentucky from northern Logan and Warren counties up toward the Rough Creek Graben region, and stratigraphic columns were …

Reservoir Study And Facies Analysis Of The Big Clifty Sandstone In South Central Kentucky, Tyler S. Bodine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Big Clifty (Jackson) Sandstone Member of the Golconda Formation is the most important of the Mississippian (Chesterian) heavy-oil reservoirs in the southeastern Illinois Basin. Heavy oil reservoirs, or asphalt rock deposits, have been studied extensively in south central and western Kentucky, and ~2 billion barrels of original oil in place (OOIP) have been proposed to occur in the Big Clifty Sandstone. Despite high OOIP estimates, heterogeneities in the reservoir negatively impact the production of heavy oil deposits. Heterogeneities related to depositional facies changes are poorly understood in the Big Clifty Sandstone of Kentucky, where it has been mostly described …

One Year Later: The Politics And Stories Of Post-Earthquake Nepal, Boyer Andrew

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on April 25^th, 2015. This was followed by a second major earthquake of magnitude 7.3 on May 12^th , 2015. These disasters took the lives of thousands of Nepali people, destroyed hundreds of thousands of structures, and displaced an estimated two million people. Immediately following the disaster, there was an outpouring of humanitarian aid from around the world. This lead to a conference where $4.1 billion USD of reconstruction funds were pledged to Nepal by international donors. Five months later, a new constitution passed into law and an informal blockade of …

A History Of African And South American Basins, Rebecca A. Bobick

Open Access Theses

As hydrocarbon development in Africa and South America continues to expand, understanding the geologic evolution as well as the geologic symmetry of each of the continent's coastal basins grows increasingly important. Unfortunately, there's currently no comprehensive database that contains the stratigraphic record, depositional environments, and tectonic evolution available for either Africa or South America. Therefore, the goal of my research is to create an extensive datapack and guide booklet for Africa's major sedimentary basins, complete the South America datapack that's currently being constructed, and correlate the western African conjugate basins to the eastern South American conjugate basins. To accomplish this, …

Earth News, V39, Spring 2016, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Earth Science.

Earth News

Inside this issue:
--From the Department Head Siobahn Morgan
--News From the Faculty and Staff: Alan Czarnetzki, Paula Even, Kyle Gray, Chad Heinzel, Mohammad Iqbal, Lee Potter, Thomas Hockey, Nora Janssen, Aaron Spurr, Alexa Sedlacek, Xinhua Shen, Mike Stevens, Steve Smith
--News From Emeritus: Wayne Anderson
--Biggs Award 2015-Kyle Gray
--Hydrology News
--Impact
--Sunday at the Quarry
--Iowa Geological Summer Workshop
--Alumni Spotlight
--SGE
--Yellowstone Field Trip
--Big Bend Field Trip
--The Biogeochemical Evolution of the Atmosphere: The BETA Project
--Summer Undergraduate Research: Honors Thesis
--Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
--2015-16 EDMAP Project
--Graduates
--Internships
--Scholarships
--Student Research
--Seminars
--News From …

Antarctic Ice Sheet Sensitivity To Atmospheric Co 2 Variations In The Early To Mid-Miocene, Richard Levy, David Harwood, David Harwood, Fabio Florindo, Francesca Sangiorgi, Robert Tripati, Hilmar Von Eynatten, Edward Gasson, Gerhard Kuhn, Aradhna Tripati, Robert Deconto, Christopher Fielding, Brad Field, Nicholas Golledge, Robert Mckay, Timothy Naish, Matthew Olney, David Pollard, Stefan Schouten, Franco Talarico, Sophie Warny, Veronica Willmott, Gary Acton, Kurt Panter, Timothy Paulsen, Marco Taviani, Rosemary Askin, Clifford Atkins, Kari Bassett, Alan Beu, Brian Blackstone, Gregory Browne, Alessandro Ceregato

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Geological records from the Antarctic margin offer direct evidence of environmental variability at high southern latitudes and provide insight regarding ice sheet sensitivity to past climate change. The early to mid-Miocene (23-14 Mya) is a compelling interval to study as global temperatures and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations were similar to those projected for coming centuries. Importantly, this time interval includes the Miocene Climatic Optimum, a period of global warmth during which average surface temperatures were 3-4 °C higher than today. Miocene sediments in the ANDRILL-2A drill core from the Western Ross Sea, Antarctica, indicate that the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) …

The Differing Biogeochemical And Microbial Signatures Of Glaciers And Rock Glaciers, Timothy S. Fegel, Jill S. Baron, Andrew G. Fountain, Gunnar F. Johnson, Ed K. Hall

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Glaciers and rock glaciers supply water and bioavailable nutrients to headwater mountain lakes and streams across all regions of the American West. Here we present a comparative study of the metal, nutrient, and microbial characteristics of glacial and rock glacial influence on headwater ecosystems in three mountain ranges of the contiguous U.S.: the Cascade Mountains, Rocky Mountains, and Sierra Nevada. Several meltwater characteristics (water temperature, conductivity, pH, metals, nutrients, complexity of dissolved organic matter (DOM), and bacterial richness and diversity) differed significantly between glacier and rock glacier meltwaters, while other characteristics (Ca²+, Fe³+, SiO₂ concentrations, …

Geology Of The Platte River Valley Near Kearney, Nebraska, Jeremy S. Dillon, Paul R. Hanson, Ashley Larsen, Jacob Bruihler, Carissa Raymond

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Agenda: A Celebration Of The Work Of Charles Wilkinson: Served With Tasty Stories And Some Slices Of Roast, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment

A Celebration of the Work of Charles Wilkinson (Martz Winter Symposium, March 10-11)

Conference held at the University of Colorado, Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom, Thursday, March 10th and Friday, March 11th, 2016.

Conference moderators, panelists and speakers included University of Colorado Law School professors Phil Weiser, Sarah Krakoff, William Boyd, Kristen Carpenter, Britt Banks, Harold Bruff, Richard Collins, Carla Fredericks, Mark Squillace, and Charles Wilkinson

"We celebrate the work of Distinguished Professor Charles Wilkinson, a prolific and passionate writer, teacher, and advocate for the people and places of the West. Charles's influence extends beyond place, yet his work has always originated in a deep love of and commitment to particular places. We …

Prediction Of The Export And Fate Of Global Ocean Net Primary Production: The Exports Science Plan, David A. Siegel, Ken O. Buesseler, Michael J. Behrenfeld, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Emmanuel Boss, Mark A. Brzezinski, Adrian Burd, Craig A. Carlson, Eric A. D'Asaro, Scott C. Doney, Mary J. Perry, Rachel H. R. Stanley, Deborah K. Steinberg

Faculty Publications

Ocean ecosystems play a critical role in the Earth's carbon cycle and the quantification of their impacts for both present conditions and for predictions into the future remains one of the greatest challenges in oceanography. The goal of the EXport Processes in the Ocean from Remote Sensing (EXPORTS) Science Plan is to develop a predictive understanding of the export and fate of global ocean net primary production (NPP) and its implications for present and future climates. The achievement of this goal requires a quantification of the mechanisms that control the export of carbon from the euphotic zone as well as …

Designing A Suite Of Measurements To Understand The Critical Zone, Susan L. Brantley, Roman A. Dibiase, Tess A. Russo, Yuning Shi, Henry Lin, Kenneth J. Davis, Margot Kaye, Lillian Hill, Jason Kaye, David M. Eissenstat, Beth Hoagland, Ashlee L.D. Dere, Andrew L. Neal, Kristen M. Brubaker, Dan K. Arthur

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

Many scientists have begun to refer to the earth surface environment from the upper canopy to the depths of bedrock as the critical zone (CZ). Identification of the CZ as an integral object worthy of study implicitly posits that the study of the whole earth surface will provide benefits that do not arise when studying the individual parts. To study the CZ, however, requires prioritizing among the measurements that can be made – and we do not generally agree on the priorities. Currently, the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHCZO) is expanding from a small original focus area (0.08 …

Stream Energy Impacting Sediment Transport Through Low-Gradient Agricultural Streams, Paula Jane Pryor

Theses and Dissertations

Water quality can be severely impacted by increased sediment transport, particularly agriculturally-dominated systems like those found in central Illinois. Many low-gradient sediment studies focus on the fine material transported in suspension. However, coarse-material transport can be equally important for understanding sediment loads to surficial reservoirs for local drinking water. To address a general gap in knowledge of coarse-sediment transport through agricultural streams, seasonal changes and watershed differences in sediment transport were examined in a low-gradient system. This was accomplished through the installation of bedload traps, scour-fill markers, and bank erosion pins at two streams, Six Mile Creek and Money Creek …

Michigan Geology: A Bibliography, March 2016, Peter Voice

MGRRE News

The Michigan Geological Survey produced a historic Index of Michigan Geology with an extensive bibliography in 1956. This current bibliography is an update of the bibliography in the Martin and Straight compilation. It is not comprehensive, but provides a starting place for anyone interested in Michigan Geology. The Michigan Geological Survey plans to update this bibliography periodically with newly published citations as well as other older citations we find.

A Uniform Database Of Teleseismic Shear-Wave Splitting Measurements For The Western And Central United States: December 2014 Update, Bin B. Yang, Kelly H. Liu, Haider H. Dahm, Stephen S. Gao

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present a new version of a shear-wave splitting (SWS) database for the western and central United States (WCUS) using broadband seismic data recorded up to the end of 2014 to update a previous version that used data recorded prior to the end of 2012, when the USArray Transportable Array stations were still recording in the easternmost region of theWCUS. A total of 7452 pairs of additional measurements recorded by 1202 digital broadband seismic stations are obtained, and all the measurements in the previous database are rechecked. The resulting uniform SWS database contains a total of 23,448 pairs of well-defined …

Three-Dimensional Geologic Model Of Glacial Outwash In Mclean County, Illinois, Based On Seismic Refraction Studies, Matthew Hartz, David H. Malone, Robert Nelson

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Seven two-dimensional (2-D) seismic refraction lines were used to determine the thickness and geometry of a valley train outwash deposit of the Quaternary Henry Formation near Heyworth in southern McLean County, Illinois. These refraction data were collected and processed in 2-D, then imported into a Petrel, a three-dimensional (3-D) geological modeling software package. The 3-D geologic model was built using the velocity attribute of the seismic refraction data. The 3-D velocity model was then verified manually by moving a cross-section through the velocity model at 20 m increments. These selected data points were used to create 3-D horizons, surfaces, and …

The Effects Of Tile-Drain Input On A Low-Gradient Agricultural Stream In Central Illinois: Using A Thermal End Member Mixing Model And A Statistical Analysis Approach, Zachary David Kisfalusi

Theses and Dissertations

Tile-drains remove excess water from agricultural fields and channel it directly to the nearest surface water body decoupling the system from the natural flow paths. One way to measure the effects tile drains have on streams is to monitor the thermal energy both upstream and downstream of the tile input. In the temperate climate, a stream’s thermal signature experiences large fluctuations seasonally along with small diurnal changes. In contrast, groundwater temperature does not show these small-scale changes, and the seasonal changes are often muted and lagged in comparison to surface water. This project aimed to quantify any thermal change to …

Water Balance Monitoring For Two Bioretention Gardens In Omaha, Nebraska, 2011–14, Kellan R. Strauch, David L. Rus, Kent E. Holm

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Document abstract

Bioretention gardens are used to help mitigate stormwater runoff in urban settings in an attempt to restore the hydrologic response of the developed land to a natural predevelopment response in which more water is infiltrated rather than routed directly to urban drainage networks. To better understand the performance of bioretention gardens in facilitating infiltration of stormwater in eastern Nebraska, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Douglas County Environmental Services and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, assessed the water balance of two bioretention gardens located in Omaha, Nebraska by monitoring the amount of stormwater entering and …

Soil Functional Zone Management: A Vehicle For Enhancing Production And Soil Ecosystem Services In Row-Crop Agroecosystems, Alwyn Williams, Daniel A. Kane, Patrick M. Ewing, Lesley W. Atwood, Andrea Jilling, Meng Li, Yi Lou, Adam S. Davis, A. Stuart Grandy, Sheri C. Huerd, Mitchell C. Hunter, Roger T. Koide, David A. Mortensen, Richard G. Smith, Sieglinde S. Snapp, Kurt A. Spokas, Anthony C. Yannarell, Nicholas R. Jordan

Faculty Publications

There is increasing global demand for food, bioenergy feedstocks and a wide variety of bio-based products. In response, agriculture has advanced production, but is increasingly depleting soil regulating and supporting ecosystem services. New production systems have emerged, such as no-tillage, that can enhance soil services but may limit yields. Moving forward, agricultural systems must reduce trade-offs between production and soil services. Soil functional zone management (SFZM) is a novel strategy for developing sustainable production systems that attempts to integrate the benefits of conventional, intensive agriculture, and no-tillage. SFZM creates distinct functional zones within crop row and inter-row spaces. By incorporating …

Magnetic Properties Of Sediments Of The Red River: Effect Of Sorting On The Source-To-Sink Pathway And Its Implications For Environmental Reconstruction, Thi Thu Hien Nguyen, Weiguo Zhang, Zhen Li, Jie Li, Can Ge, Jinyan Liu, Xuexin Bai, Huan Feng, Lizhong Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We conducted a mineral magnetic study of river bank and subaqueous delta sediments from the Red River, in order to examine the role of sedimentary sorting on the variation of sedimentary magnetic properties from source to sink. The magnetic mineralogy mainly consists of magnetite and hematite. Bulk sediment particle-size variations have a strong influence on magnetic properties, with the frequently used magnetic parameters χ fd %, χ ARM , χ ARM /χ, and χ ARM /SIRM exhibiting positive correlations with the < 4 μm fraction, while S-ratios are negatively correlated with this fraction. Compared with river bank sediments and shallow shoreface (< 5 m water depth) sediments, sediments from the deeper (>5 m water depth) part of the subaqueous delta have lower χ and SIRM values, a finer ferrimagnetic grain-size …

Cone-In-Cone And Beef Mineralization Associated With Triassic Growth Basin Faulting And Shallow Shale Diagenesis, Edgeøya, Svalbard, Harmon D. Maher Jr., Kei Ogata, Alvar Braathen

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

Cone-in-cone (CIC) and beef (BF) carbonate lenses ornament detachment zone faults underlying Triassic growth basins on Edgeøya. Field relationships place CIC and BF growth as during early diagenesis and a transition from hydroplastic to a later brittle-style of faulting that is marked by coarser calcite veining. Deformation is constrained to have occurred at<300 mdepth. Multiple models exist for CIC formation. For the Edgeøya example, textural analysis of thin-sections suggests that small tensile fractures and carbonate shell fragments nucleated development of calcite aggregates with CIC and BF morphology within unconsolidated to poorly consolidated sediment to form asymmetric antitaxial tensile aggregates subparallel to bedding and fault surfaces. The conical forms result from differential growth on stepped, cleavage-parallel faces of fibres facing host sediment, with preferential inclusion incorporation at inner corners. The preferred directions of calcite growth are attributed to local stresses and seepage flow associated with pore pressure gradients. Substantial framboidal pyrite in the sediments represents an early phase of microbially driven sulphate reduction, which may have induced calcite mineralization. The transition to brittle-style faulting was marked by development of deformation twins in CIC/BF fibres, and a transition to coarse, blocky calcite growth in relay arrays of steeply oriented microveins. This indicates local fault-related stresses substantially changed during shallow diagenesis and lithification, an evolution attributed to changing pore pressures, seepage forces and material moduli. Calcite mineralizations at Edgeøya track the very significant changes in mechanical properties and stress states that occur during synlithification deformation at very shallow crustal levels.

Experimental Evidence For Drought Induced Alternative Stable States Of Soil Moisture, David A. Robinson, Scott B. Jones, Inma Lebron, Sabine Reinsch, Maria T. Dominguez, Andrew R. Smith, Davey L. Jones, Miles R. Marshall, Bridget A. Emmett

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Ecosystems may exhibit alternative stable states (ASS) in response to environmental change. Modelling and observational data broadly support the theory of ASS, however evidence from manipulation experiments supporting this theory is limited. Here, we provide long-term manipulation and observation data supporting the existence of drought induced alternative stable soil moisture states (irreversible soil wetting) in upland Atlantic heath, dominated by Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull. Manipulated repeated moderate summer drought, and intense natural summer drought both lowered resilience resulting in shifts in soil moisture dynamics. The repeated moderate summer drought decreased winter soil moisture retention by ∼10%. However, intense summer drought, …