Digital Commons Network^™

Dust Mediated Transfer Of Phosphorus To Alpine Lake Ecosystems Of The Wind River Range, Wyoming, Usa, Janice Brahney, Ashley P. Ballantyne, P. Kociolek, Sarah A. Spaulding, Megan Otu, T. Porwoll, Jason C. Neff

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Alpine lakes receive a large fraction of their nutrients from atmospheric sources and are consequently sensitive to variations in both the amount and chemistry of atmospheric deposition. In this study we explored the spatial changes in lake water chemistry and biology along a gradient of dust deposition in the Wind River Range, Wyoming. Regional differences were explored using the variation in bulk deposition, lake water, sediment, and bedrock geochemistry and catchment characteristics. Dust deposition rates in the Southwestern region averaged 3.34 g m−2 year−1, approximately three times higher than deposition rates in the Northwestern region (average 1.06 g m−2 year−1). …

Usability Testing: Open Geoportal 2.0, Rob Wolff, Kristin Parker

PLACE Project

The PLACE project team at the University of New Hampshire Library performed usability testing on May 9, 2014 with three participants with GIS experience. Tasks focused on use of Open GeoPortal 2.0 (beta).

Water Water Everywhere: Analyzing Long Island's Water Issues And Finding Solutions For A Sustainable Future, Anthony T. Becker

2014 Student Theses

Over three million people call Long Island their home. With access to beautiful landscapes, world-renowned beaches, and proximity to New York City, it is no wonder that so many proudly call this geographic stretch of glacial till their home. However, throughout the years our actions do not necessarily reflect this affection we have to our home. Years of sprawl and human infestation across the island have resulted in widespread environmental degradation. Specifically, the water we drink and the beaches we enjoy have become endangered. I plan on studying the urban ecology of how intensified population growth led to the eutrophication …

Addressing Water Resource Issues In Barbados Through An Isotopic And Atmospheric Characterization Of Precipitation Variability, Veronica Hall

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Numerous studies have analyzed isotopic variation of meteoric and dripwater in karst environments for paleoclimate reconstructions or aquifer recharge capacity. What is poorly understood is how the isotopic signal of δ¹⁸O and δ²H is transferred through the hydrologic cycle based upon storm type, frequency, intensity, and teleconnection activity in the tropical karst areas. At Harrison’s Cave, Barbados, a Hobo Onset event data logger was attached to a tipping bucket rain gauge to count the tips and record the total rainfall every 10 minutes. In the cave a Hobo data logger was used to record relative humidity …

Combining Quantitative Eye-Tracking And Gis Techniques With Qualitative Research Methods To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of 2d And Static, 3d Karst Visualizations: Seeing Through The Complexities Of Karst Environments, Elizabeth Katharyn Tyrie

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Karst environments are interconnected landscapes vulnerable to degradation. Many instances of anthropogenic karst disturbance are unintentional, and occur because of the public's lack of understanding or exposure to karst knowledge. When attempts are made to educate the general public about these landscapes, the concepts taught are often too abstract to be fully understood. Thus, karst educational pursuits must use only the most efficient and effective learning materials. A technique useful for assessing educational effectiveness of learning materials is eye-tracking, which allows scientists to quantitatively measure an individual's points of interest and eye movements when viewing a 2D or 3D visualization. …

Impacts Of Carbonate Mineral Weathering On Hydrochemistry Of The Upper Green River Basin, Kentucky, Laura Leigh Osterhoudt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Kentucky’s Upper Green River Basin has received significant attention due to the area’s high biodiversity and spectacular karst development. While carbonate bedrock is present throughout the watershed, it is more extensive and homogenous along the river between Greensburg and Munfordville than upstream from Greensburg where the geology is more heterogeneous. This research quantitatively evaluated how lithological differences between the two catchment areas impact hydrochemistry and inorganic carbon cycling. This first required correcting catchment boundaries on previous US Geological Survey Hydrologic Unit Maps to account for areas where the boundaries cross sinkhole plains. Basin boundaries using existing Kentucky Division of Water …

Geologic Factors Affecting Hydrocarbon Occurrence In Paleovalleys Of The Mississippian-Pennsylvanian Unconformity In The Illinois Basin, Jeremy Taylor London

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Paleovalleys associated with the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity have been identified as potential targets for hydrocarbon exploration in the Illinois Basin. Though there is little literature addressing the geologic factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in sub-Pennsylvanian paleovalleys basin-wide, much work has been done to identify the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity, characterize the Chesterian and basal Pennsylvanian lithology, map the sub-Pennsylvanian paleogeology and delineate the pre-Pennsylvanian paleovalleys in the Illinois Basin. This study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to determine the geologic factors controlling the distribution of hydrocarbon-bearing sub-Pennsylvanian paleovalley fill in the Illinois Basin. A methodology was developed to identify densely-drilled areas without associated petroleum …

Are Droughts Becoming More Frequent Or Severe In China Based On The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index: 1951–2010?, Meixiu Yu, Qiongfang Li, Michael J. Hayes, Mark Svoboda, Richard R. Heim Jr.

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was computed based on the monthly precipitation and air temperature values at 609 locations over China during the period 1951–2010.Various characteristics of drought across China were examined including: long-term trends, percentage of area affected, intensity, duration, and drought frequency. The results revealed that severe and extreme droughts have become more serious since late 1990s for all of China (with dry area increasing by ∼3.72% per decade); and persistent multi-year severe droughts were more frequent in north China, northeast China, and western northwest China; significant drying trends occurred over north China, the southwest region of …

Investigating Telogenetic Karst Aquifer Processes And Evolution In South-Central Kentucky, U.S., Using High-Resolution Storm Hydrology And Geochemistry Monitoring, Nicholas Lawhon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Recent studies have investigated the hydrological and geochemical characteristics of karst aquifers in different settings; however, telogenetic karst aquifer processes remain poorly understood. In south-central Kentucky, the iconic Lost River Cave and Valley represents a large, complex telogenetic karst drainage basin with a series of discharge points along a collapsed section of the cave. Two Campbell Scientific® CR1000 automated dataloggers were installed at Blue Hole Four, a primary discharge point of the Lost River Karst Aquifer (LRKA). These dataloggers recorded spring discharge, water temperature, specific conductance (SpC), and pH at ten-minute intervals from January to November, 2013. During the year, …

Spreading The Char: The Importance Of Local Compatibility In The Diffusion Of Biochar Systems To The Smallholder Agriculture Community Context, Laura C. V. Munoz

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis enters the context of smallholder agriculture communities in the developing world. It explores the potentials of biochar and what biochar systems could bring to the smallholder communities while simultaneously bringing environmental benefits. It then acknowledges the challenges of diffusion –the spreading of an unfamiliar innovation. It seeks to answer the question of what will make diffusion of biochar systems more successful in the smallholder context, fixating on the characteristic of compatibility as well as the role local community members can play in making a new biochar system more visible to the rest of the communities.

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Of Marine Clay Nano- And Microstructure By Transmission Electron Microscopy: Analysis Of Fabric And Pore Network, Jessica Rae Gardner Douglas

Master's Theses

Three-dimensional reconstructions of marine fine-grained sediment open a new dimension for studying nano- and microscale organo-clay fabric important to improving and advancing organic matter (OM) sequestration and fluid flow dynamics modeling. I created 3-D reconstructions of clay fabric and pore pathways from serial sections and photographic mosaics obtained using transmission electron microscopy. These reconstructions show aggregations of clay domains, surrounding OM, and pore networks. I examined a Model sample (laboratory consolidated) with 1% OM and a Natural sample (polychaete fecal pellet) with high levels of OM. Three-dimensional reconstructions were segmented into 300 nm cube subsamples to make highly localized qualitative …

Non-Anguimorph Lizards Of The Late Oligocene And Early Miocene Of Florida And Implications For The Reorganization Of The North American Herpetofauna, Kevin Chovanec

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Paleokarst deposits from the Oligo-Miocene of northern Florida preserve undescribed herpetofaunal remains that fill important temporal and geographic gaps in our understanding of Cenozoic lizard evolution. Here I describe and discuss the non-anguimorph lizard diversity of the Brooksville 2 (Ar2) and Miller (He1) local faunas to test for patterns of regional and latitudinal provincialism in the contemporary North American record. Collectively, the sites are significant for documenting 1) extralimital occurrences of the tropical clades Anolis and Corytophaninae, 2) a substantial temporal range extension of the modern southeastern endemic Rhineuridae, 3) the earliest record of eublepharid gekkotans from North America, and …

Analysis Of Environmental Influences On Dressed Stone Decay: A Case Study Of Tafoni Development On A Hewn Djinn Block In Petra, Jordan, Kaelin M. Groom

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Petra, Jordan captivates tourists and researchers with its dramatic sandstone cliffs, Nabatean, Roman, Byzantine and Roman architecture, and rich cultural heritage. However, increasing tourism in the valley is exacerbating stone degradation and complicating heritage management. This research analyzed environmental influences on dressed stone decay via tafoni development and evaluating cell evolution on an isolated hewn feature, known as Djinn Block X. Resembling other sandstone blocks found in the area, this irregular sandstone monument exhibits faces ranging in size from 2.5m by 3.5m to 3.9m to 4.2m (29m perimeter). Protruding features, incisions along the top, and a large platform attached to …

Methane Emissions And Ammonia Volatilization From Drill-Seeded, Delayed-Flood Rice On A Silt-Loam Soil In Arkansas, Christopher Wade Rogers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently uses a single methane (CH4) emissions factor of 160 kg CH4-C ha-1 for a primary rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop. The emissions factor is based on studies that do not adequately represent current management practices in Arkansas. Another concern is pre-flood fertilizer nitrogen (N) management, as the common N source, urea, is prone to loss via ammonia (NH3) volatilization. Thus, the objective of this research was to investigate trace gas emissions from rice on a silt-loam soil, including CH4 emissions as influenced by nitrogen (N) fertilization (i.e., optimal N and no N) in 2011, …

A 576-Year Weber River Streamflow Reconstruction From Tree Rings For Water Resource Risk Assessment In The Wasatch Front, Utah, Matthew F. Bekker, R. Justin Derose, Brendan Buckley, Roger Kjelgren, Nathan S. Gill

Wasatch Dendroclimatology Research

We present a 576-year tree-ring-based reconstruction of streamflow for northern Utah's Weber River that exhibits considerable interannual and decadal-scale variability. While the 20th Century instrumental period includes several extreme individual dry years, it was the century with the fewest such years of the entire reconstruction. Extended droughts were more severe in duration, magnitude, and intensity prior to the instrumental record, including the most protracted drought of the record, which spanned 16 years from 1703 to 1718. Extreme wet years and periods are also a regular feature of the reconstruction. A strong early 17th Century pluvial exceeds the early 20th Century …

Spatial Variability Of Erosion Patterns Along The Eastern Margin Of The Rio Grande Rift, Lauren Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

The actively spreading Rio Grande Rift influenced uplift and erosion in Southwest North America, however the timing and progression of these processes is not well constrained in some smaller mountain ranges of the region. The Guadalupe and Sacramento Mountains located along the eastern margin of the rift in southern New Mexico were studied to improve our understanding of landscape evolution related to rifting. To address landscape evolution and the influence of tectonics I analyzed spatial distributions of erosion for each mountains range. I identified knickpoints along five longitudinal stream profiles from five canyons (4 in the Guadalupe Mountains and 1 …

Integrating Gis And Hydrology For Flood Risk Analysis, Anas B. Rabie

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial analysis using GIS was evaluated for its ability to predict the potential hazard of a flood event in the Illinois River region in the State of Illinois. The data employed in the analysis are available to the public from trusted organizations such as Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), and the US Geological Survey (USGS). The purposes of this study are to 1) examine the applicability of GIS spatial analysis to determine flood inundation risk, and 2) to determine how to do so with the least amount of data possible, while still producing an accurate flood inundation risk map. This …

An Improved Temperature Index Model For Alpine Glaciers Using Derived Degree-Day Factors From Climatic Inputs, Durban G. Keeler, Dr. Summer Rupper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Glaciers represent one of the most climatically sensitive and dynamic systems under study, and therefore have diverse implications for nations around the world. For example, Switzerland generates 56% of its power from hydroelectric facilities, many of them fed by glacial meltwater (SFOE, 2012). Many nations in the Himalayas are at risk of catastrophic flooding as glacial melt rates increase (Rupper et al., 2012). Attempts to comprehend past glacial changes can help us better understand modern changes in climate. The study of glacial melt rates over time therefore has potential regional and global significance.

Geomorphic Mapping And In Situ Analysis Of Avalanches On Loafer Mountain, Kimball Hansen, Dr. Matthew Bekker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was continue the previous avalanche chronology of Loafer Mountain that my mentor professor started and had me finish in 2011. We wanted to incorporate using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which could help us find better results for our avalanche chronology. By using a GIS we can map our samples and thus provide a more in-depth analysis of the avalanche path by providing the width and magnitude.

Religious Balance In The Middle East: A Study On How Geography Influences Christian Tolerance In The Jordan State, Conor Fishback, Dr. Chad Emmett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recently three of Jordan’s neighboring states: Israel, Iraq, and Syria have experienced different types of large scale violence within their country. Jordan has remained relatively stable with no major violent conflicts. On October 21st 2012, the Jordanian Government announced that it had foiled a terrorist plot involving 11 Jordanians seeking to target Western interests in Amman. Even though Jordan is near the heart of the Muslim world, it has been targeted by terrorists, as if it was a Western state. This study analyzed the level of tolerance to the Christian faith inside a Muslim state according to the location of …

Determining The Source Of Anomalous Segments In A Karst Stream, Kathryn Emily Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

Southeastern Minnesota is characterized by an extensive karst network. In Kentucky, Carter Caves State Resort Park is a similar karst area that has exhibited karst anomalies, or `bumps,' in a longitudinal stream profile. This study aimed to determine if these same karst anomalies can be found in southeast Minnesota, where LiDAR data are available, and if these bumps are actually karst features. Profiles of carbonate and siliciclastic streams were observed to determine if the presence of anomalies in only carbonate streams, both lithologies, or neither. Another objective was to determine if GIS could be an effective method at generating these …

Response Of Benthic Foraminifera To Ocean Acidification And Impact On Florida's Carbonate Sediment Production, Paul O. Knorr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 are in dynamic equilibrium with the oceans. The absorption of CO2 by seawater causes a decrease in seawater pH and calcite saturation state (SS). This process, termed ocean acidification, exerts deleterious effects on marine calcifiers. Studies of symbiont-bearing large benthic foraminifera (LBF) have reported a generally unfavorable response to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide ([CO2]).

Experiments and analyses were undertaken to examine the effect of increased [CO2] on the growth rate, ultrastructure, stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen, as well as Mg/Ca of the high-Mg miliolid Archaias angulatus and the low-Mg rotalid Amphistegina gibbosa. A …

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. …

Relationships Between Environmental Governance And Water Quality In A Growing Metropolitan Area Of The Pacific Northwest, Usa, Heejun Chang, Paul R. Thiers, Noelwah R. Netusil, J. Alan Yeakley, Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Steve Bollens, Sonia Singh

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigate relationships between environmental governance and water quality in two adjacent growing metropolitan areas in the western US. While the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington metro areas share many common biophysical characteristics, they have different land development histories and water governance structures, providing a unique opportunity for examining how differences in governance might affect environmental quality. We conceptualize possible linkages in which water quality influences governance directly, using monitoring efforts as a metric, and indirectly by using the change in the sale price of single-family residential properties. Governance may then influence water quality directly through riparian restoration resulting from …

Floodplain Mapping Using Soil Survey Geographic (Ssurgo) Database, Nikhil Sangwan

Open Access Theses

Floods are the most damaging of all natural disasters, adversely affecting millions of lives and causing financial losses worth billions of dollars every year across the globe. Flood inundation maps play a key role in assessment and mitigation of the potential flood hazards. However, there are several communities in the United States for which the flood risk maps have not been published yet, as the current flood inundation mapping methods are typically very expensive and time consuming. The objective of this study is to develop and examine an economical alternative approach to floodplain mapping using widely available soil survey data. …

Organizing A Study Abroad Trip—A Faculty Perspective, Jennifer Collins

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Near-Surface Internal Melting: A Substantial Mass Loss On Antarctic Dry Valley Glaciers, Matthew J. Hoffman, Andrew G. Fountain, Glen E. Liston

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The McMurdo Dry Valleys, southern Victoria Land, East Antarctica, are a polar desert, and melt from glacial ice is the primary source of water to streams, lakes and associated ecosystems. Previous work found that to adequately model glacier ablation and subsurface ice temperatures with a surface energy-balance model required including the transmission of solar radiation into the ice. Here we investigate the contribution of subsurface melt to the mass balance of (and runoff from) Dry Valley glaciers by including a drainage process in the model and applying the model to three glacier sites using 13years of hourly meteorological data. Model …

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 …

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 …

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 …