Digital Commons Network^™

Breckenridge Shelter Geoarchaeology, Trevor John Seekamp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My graduate research mainly focuses on Breckenridge Shelter (3CR002), Carroll County, Arkansas. As a geoarchaeologist, my concerns are geomorphological and geological processes affecting the shelter and surrounding hill slope. Breckenridge is one of several similar, Pine Hollow bluff shelters, about Beaver Lake, an impoundment of the White River, in northwest Arkansas.

Southward Continuation Of The San Jacinto Fault Zone Through And Beneath The Extra And Elmore Ranch Left-Lateral Fault Arrays, Southern California, Steven Jesse Thornock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Clark fault is a significant fault within the southern San Andreas fault system. The Clark fault abruptly ends where it intersects a second, smaller fault that crosses it called the Extra fault zone. In this study we investigate the possibility of the Clark fault continuing beneath and beyond the Extra fault zone. Based on field mapping and other geological data that we present, we determine that the Clark fault continues below the Extra fault and is not evident on the surface. Over time, earthquake slip along the Clark fault has caused the Extra fault zone to rotate in a …

Groundcover Management System And Nutrient Source Impact Physical Soil Quality Indicators In An Organically Managed Apple Orchard, Neal Mays

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In March 2006, four groundcover management systems (GMS) and two nutrient sources (NS) were implemented for their ability to alter the soil physical condition of a newly established, organically managed apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) orchard. Annual applications of municipal green compost (GC), shredded office paper (SP), wood chips (WC), and mow-blow (MB) grass mulch were utilized as GMS, and NS supplied to trees were from composted poultry litter (PL), a commercial organic fertilizer (CF), or an untreated control (NF) in a 4x3 factorial study. An established, conventionally-managed orchard was located adjacent to the organic research orchard on the same …

Adaptation Of Regional Representative Soil Project And Soil Judging For Cameroon, Celestine Che

All Dissertations

Representative regional soils have agricultural, cultural, economic, environmental, and historical importance to Cameroon. Twenty seven regional representative soils have been identified in Cameroon. A set of laboratory exercises, assignments and exam questions have been developed utilizing the Regional Representative Soil Project (RRSP) that gives students an opportunity to practice interpretation of soil series descriptions, taxonomic classes, soil forming factors, and soil physical and chemical properties. The RRSP can be further enhanced and complemented with Soil Judging. Conventional soil judging as practiced in the United States has been adapted for Cameroon by a graduate student from that country using an undergraduate-level …

Cretaceous And Paelogene Stratigraphy Of Forrest County, Mississippi, Joel Kenneth Loeffler

Master's Theses

Extensive investigation has been done on the subsurface geology and structure of Maxie and Pistol Ridge fields of Forrest and Pearl River Counties, Mississippi. However, a comprehensive study has not been done on the whole of Forrest County as, aside from two minor fields, oil and gas plays do not exist elsewhere in the county. This thesis expands on the work done Vellora Foster (1941) to describe the subsurface geology of the county. Electrical logs from 289 wells drilled in Covington, Forrest, Jones, Lamar, Pearl River, Perry, and Stone counties were used to correlate stratigraphic horizons. Detailed Stratigraphic descriptions of …

The Evaluation Of Water Storage In Death Valley Using Grace Satellite Data, Maile Sweigart

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As drought conditions spread across the United States, concerns over water supplies, water use, and water management policies are growing and possible contributing environmental factors are continually being scrutinized. This thesis examines Death Valley as an analog for Southern Nevada and utilizes NASA EOS data, combined with ancillary climate data, to assess the effect of decadal climate variability on groundwater storage in the Death Valley area. Historical climate data, combined with satellite imagery observations, were compiled and calculated for analyses. Conclusions derived from statistical analyses infer trends between GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite data and fluctuating levels of …

A Magical Look At The Shore, Suzanne Zack

Wrack Lines

A free digital resource helps you sea Connecticut changing.

Climate Data Manipulation And The Use Of Water To Build Political Power In The Southwest United States, Conrad Moore, Professor Emeritus

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Models utilized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicate a striking trend toward increasing aridity in the Southwest United States. Two landmark articles published in Science magazine have emphasized the critical future consequences of this trend. Data from 59 National Weather Service stations distributed across the region west of the continental divide and south of the 41^stparallel (the northern border of Colorado and northeastern Utah), including 36 stations in the Upper Colorado River Basin and lower Southwest, show that annual and winter precipitation increased over the 60-year period 1950-2010, although the record is impoverished by the deletion …

Missouri National Recreational River Visitor Study, Summer 2012, Marc F. Manni, Yen Le, Steven J. Hollenhorst

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

This visitor study report profiles a systematic random sample of Missouri National Recreation River visitors during July 19 - 25, 2012. A total of 467 questionnaires were distributed to visitor groups. Of those, 256 questionnaires were returned, resulting in a 54.8% response rate.

Group size and type: Thirty-eight percent of visitor groups consisted of two or three people and 35% were in groups of six or more. Sixty-four percent of visitor groups consisted of family groups.

State or country of residence: United States visitors were from 29 states and comprised 99% of total visitation during the survey period, …

Shifting Sands, Clay Arnold, Joel Stocker, Juliana Barrett

Wrack Lines

Tells the story of Griswold Point and shoreline change.

Large Woody Debris Mobility Areas In A Coastal Old-Growth Forest Stream, Oregon, Beth Marie Bambrick

Dissertations and Theses

This study uses a spatial model to visualize LWD mobility areas in an approximate 1km reach of Cummins Creek, a fourth-order stream flowing through an old-growth Sitka spruce-western hemlock forest in the Oregon Coast Range. The model solves a LWD incipient motion equation for nine wood size combinations (0.1m, 0.4m, 1.7m diameters by 1.0m, 6.87m, 47.2m lengths) during the 2-year, 10-year, and 100-year discharge events. Model input variables were derived from a combination of field survey, remotely sensed, and modeled data collected or derived between June 2010 and July 2011. LWD mobility map results indicate the 2-year discharge mobilizes all …

Arsenic In The Soils Of Northwest Oregon, Tracy Ryan Ricker

Dissertations and Theses

One hundred and eighty-six soil samples from Northwest Oregon were tested for arsenic content. The highest values measured were 13.9 ppm in the A horizon (site C4) and 20.4 ppm in the B horizon (Site P4). Arsenic was not detected in 28 A horizon samples and 23 B horizon samples. Data are grouped based on the age and rock type of underlying bedrock. Lithologic groups with six or more data points were compared statistically to ascertain if groups are distinct. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) multiple comparison tests indicate that the arsenic content of the Marine Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks group …

The Making Of A Connection: Exploration/Survey In Whigpistle Cave System, Patricia Kambesis, Joel Despain, Chris Groves

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The current length of the Flint Ridge-Mammoth Cave System (to be called Mammoth Cave System for the rest of this paper) has been attained by a series of connections instigated by cave explorers/mappers of the Cave Research Foundation (CRF) and Central Kentucky Karst Coalition (CKKC). Between 1961 and 2011, connections have expanded the surveyed extent of the cave system to its current “official” length of 390 miles (650 km). Connections do not happen serendipitously; rather, systematic exploration is the key to successful connections. CRF and other groups working in the Mammoth Cave area have adopted a method of systematic exploration …

Archaeological Evidence Of Historic Mining At Forestville Saltpeter Cave (15ht94), Hart County, Kentucky, Darlene Applegate, Emily L. Duke

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Forestville Saltpeter Cave is 1.5 km east of Mammoth Cave National Park on the WKU Green River Preserve. Historically, miners removed sediment from the cave to extract saltpeter for the production of gunpowder. Though dozens of peter-mining sites are known in western Kentucky, Forestville Saltpeter Cave is only the third site investigated by archaeologists. Intensive surface survey documented evidence of mining activity in the cave: working bays, rock piles, tally and other marks, tool marks, inscriptions, and lighting material. The mining likely occurred during the early nineteenth century. The operations were extensive throughout all passages and extracted 856 cu m …

From Board Games To Tobacco Products: U.S. Patents Related To Mammoth Cave, Margaret M. Gripshover

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The archives of the U.S. Patent Office off er a unique window into the location, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit of millions of inventors. What might the Patent Office records tell us about Mammoth Cave? A search of patents issued since 1836 resulted in 34 inventions that mention Mammoth Cave in their descriptions. Of these 34 patents, four were for technical aspects of cave environments such as ventilation, six were games or educational products, and 23 were related to Mammoth Cave Twist, a brand of chewing tobacco. The first Mammoth Cave-related patent was granted in 1915 for a board game and …

Remote Sensing Of Forest Trends At Mammoth Cave National Park From 2000 To 2011, Sean Taylor Hutchinson, John All

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The influence of climate change and other environmental stressors on the health of midlatitude forests is an important, yet understudied topic for resource managers. Using vegetation indices derived from satellite remote sensing, slight changes in photosynthetic activity can be detected at the spatial scales needed for long-term forest monitoring. This study used remote sensing and geographic information systems to track the photosynthetic activity within Mammoth Cave National Park from 2000 to 2011. Relationships are examined between climate variables and the vegetation indices for the forest as a whole and at selected areas within the park.

Mammoth Cave In Poetry: Davis Mccombs’ Ultima Thule, Judith Hatchett

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Davis McCombs, former Mammoth Cave park ranger, received the Yale Younger Poets Award for Ultima Thule, his collection of poems based on his experiences in and with Mammoth Cave, not only of his actual experiences as ranger and cave explorer, but also of the history of the cave, including poems in the voice of Stephen Bishop, cave explorer, cave guide, and also a slave. The detail of McCombs’ examination produces what poet W.S. Merwin called “a grave, attentive holding of a light.” In a sense, his poetry illuminates the cave the way ancient torches and modern lighting have done. This …

The History And Conservation Of Saltpeter Works In Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, George M. Crothers, Christina A. Pappas, Christian D. Mittendorf

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Remains of the saltpeter mining operation in Mammoth Cave are a significant feature of several cave tours and figure prominently in the history of cave use. We undertook a comprehensive review of existing historical descriptions and recent archaeological investigations to construct the most reasonable account of how the saltpeter operation worked and assess its current conditions. At least three types of saltpeter vats were constructed in the cave reflecting an increase in the size of the operation and efficiency of processing sediments over time. Remains of three pump towers are also found in the cave in various states of preservation. …

The Mammoth Cave Mushroom Company: A Brief History Of A Short-Lived Venture, Katie Algeo

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The Mammoth Cave Mushroom Company was formed in August 1881 during a particularly contentious period of family struggle for control of the cave, its resources, and tourism operations. This paper documents the history of the company from original company records and family letters. It places the Mammoth Cave operation within the larger historical context of mushroom production in caves as possibly the first such operation in the United States. It traces developments at the cave during the fall of 1881 as Anthony Muzarelli oversaw preparation of mushroom beds and supporting infrastructure and identifies sources of tension between the new mushroom …

Mammoth Cave National Park's 10th Research Symposium: Celebrating Diversity Of Research In The Mammoth Cave Region, Shannon Trimboli ,Editor

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Understanding Greenland Ice Sheet Hydrology Using An Integrated Multi-Scale Approach, A. K. Rennermalm, S. E. Moustafa, J. Mioduszewski, V. W. Chu, R. R. Forster, B. Hagedorn, Joel T. Harper, T. L. Mote, D. A. Robinson, C. A. Shuman, L. C. Smith, M. Tedesco

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Improved understanding of Greenland ice sheet hydrology is critically important for assessing its impact on current and future ice sheet dynamics and global sea level rise. This has motivated the collection and integration of in situ observations, model development, and remote sensing efforts to quantify meltwater production, as well as its phase changes, transport, and export. Particularly urgent is a better understanding of albedo feedbacks leading to enhanced surface melt, potential positive feedbacks between ice sheet hydrology and dynamics, and meltwater retention in firn. These processes are not isolated, but must be understood as part of a continuum of processes …

Orbitally Paced Shifts In The Particle Size Of Antarctic Continental Shelf Sediments In Response To Ice Dynamics During The Miocene Climatic Optimum, Sandra Passchier, Candice J. Falk, Fabio Florindo

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The AND-2A drill hole (ANDRILL [Antarctic Geological Drilling Program] Southern McMurdo Sound Project), ∼10 km from the East Antarctica coastline, records nearly 6 m.y. of sedimentation across the Miocene climatic optimum at a high-latitude site. Sedimentological studies of bedforms and particle size distributions indicate that the paleoenvironment was strongly affected by waves and currents, consistent with deposition in a glacially influenced neritic environment. We document abrupt shifts in mud percent within glacial-interglacial cycles ca. 17.8 Ma and between ca. 16.7 and 15.7 Ma that we attribute to the hydrodynamic effects of wave stirring tied to episodes of ice growth and …

Holocene Pedogenesis In Fluvial Deposits Of The Conejos River Valley, Southern Colorado, Anthony L. Layzell, Martha C. Eppes

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Relatively few geomorphic studies have examined Holocene-aged soils developed in alluvial deposits in the Rocky Mountains. Here, we present a soil morphological investigation from a suite of fluvial terraces in the glaciated portion of the Conejos River Valley, southern Colorado. The surficial geology of 25 km of the glacial valley was mapped in detail. Within three separate sub-reaches (Platoro, Lake Fork and South Fork) a total of thirteen soil pits and exposures were excavated and described on alluvial deposits. Soil samples were analyzed for particle size and extractable iron.

Soil horizonation (A/C to A/B/2C), structure (fine sub angular to medium …

Allometric Scaling And Resource Limitations Model Of Tree Heights: Part 1. Model Optimization And Testing Over Continental Usa, Yuli Shi, Sungho Choi, Xiliang Ni, Sangram Ganguly, Gong Zhang, Hieu V. Duong, Michael A. Lefsky, Marc Simard, Sassan S. Saatchi, Shihyan Lee, Wenge Ni-Meister, Shilong Piao, Chunxiang Cao, Ramakrishna R. Nemani, Ranga B. Myneni

Publications and Research

A methodology to generate spatially continuous fields of tree heights with an optimized Allometric Scaling and Resource Limitations (ASRL) model is reported in this first of a multi-part series of articles. Model optimization is performed with the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) waveform data. This methodology is demonstrated by mapping tree heights over forested lands in the continental USA (CONUS) at 1 km spatial resolution. The study area is divided into 841 eco-climatic zones based on three forest types, annual total precipitation classes (30 mm intervals) and annual average temperature classes (2 °C intervals). Three model parameters (area of single …

A Study Of So2 Emissions And Ground Surface Displacements At Lastarria Volcano, Antofagasta Region, Northern Chile, Lucie Guihem Krewcun

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Lastarria volcano (Chile) is located at the North-West margin of the `Lazufre' ground inflation signal (37x45 km²), constantly uplifting at a rate of ~2.5 cm/year since 1996 (Pritchard and Simons 2002; Froger et al. 2007). The Lastarria volcano has the double interest to be superimposed on a second, smaller-scale inflation signal and to be the only degassing area of the Lazufre signal. In this project, we compared daily SO2 burdens recorded by AURA's OMI mission for 2005-2010 with Ground Surface Displacements (GSD) calculated from the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) images for 2003-2010.

We found a constant maximum displacement rate …

Tandem-X High Resolution Dems And Their Applications To Flow Modeling, Kelly M. Wooten

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Lava flow modeling can be a powerful tool in hazard assessments; however, the ability to produce accurate models is usually limited by a lack of high resolution, up-to-date Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). This is especially obvious in places such as Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii), where active lava flows frequently alter the terrain. In this study, we use a new technique to create high resolution DEMs on Kilauea using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from the TanDEM-X (TDX) satellite. We convert raw TDX SAR data into a geocoded DEM using GAMMA software [Werner et al., 2000]. This process can be completed in …

Characterizing The First Historic Eruption Of Nabro, Eritrea: Insights From Thermal And Uv Remote Sensing, Christine Ruth Sealing

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

June 2011 saw the first historic eruption of Nabro volcano, one of an ongoing sequence of eruptions in the Afar-Red Sea region since 2005. It halted air travel in northern Africa, contaminated food and water sources, and displaced thousands from their homes. Due to its remote location, little was known about this event in terms of the quantity of erupted products and the timing and mechanisms of their emplacement. Geographic isolation, previous quiescence and regional civil unrest meant that this volcano was effectively unmonitored at the time of eruption, and opportunities for field study are limited. Using free, publicly available …

Delineation And Classification Of Karst Depressions Using Lidar: Fort Hood Military Installation, Texas, Melinda G. Shaw-Faulkner, Kevin W. Stafford, Aaron W. Bryant

Faculty Publications

The Fort Hood Military Installation is a karst landscape characterized by Cretaceous-age limestone plateaus and canyons in Bell and Coryell Counties, Texas. The area is located in the Lampasas Cut Plain region of the Edwards Plateau and is stratigraphically defined by exposures of the Fredericksburg Group. Spatial interpolation of 105 km2 of the Fort Hood Military Installation provided depression data that were delineated and classified using geoanalytical methods. Most of the karst features within the study area are predominantly surficial expressions of collapse features, creating windows into karst conduits with surficial exposures of epikarst spatially limited.

The increasing capabilities of …

Epistemology And Synthesis: Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis And The Caddo Tradition, Robert Z. Selden Jr.

CRHR: Archaeology

The statistical groupings illustrated herein represent the current iteration of Caddo INAA compositional groups based upon the chemical composition of archaeologically-recovered ceramics. For some time, a number of Caddo archaeologists have thought these results to be lacking. This poster symbolizes the first step toward a new interpretation of chemical composition groups, and the initial instancce within which GIS has been employed as an analytical tool.

Consilience: Radiocarbon, Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, And Litigation In The Ancestral Caddo Region, Robert Z. Selden Jr.

CRHR: Archaeology

Through the creation and analysis of databases for radiocarbon, instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), and law, macro-level trends are exposed that form the framework of a broader research program aimed at advancing ideas of craft specialization and archaeological theory in the ancestral Caddo region of Southwest Arkansas, Northwest Louisiana, Northeast Texas, and Southeast Oklahoma. The findings of this investigation illustrate the research potential that remains buried within the context of cultural resource management (CRM) reports and legal databases (Westlaw and LexisNexis) that is awaiting consumption within regional research designs aimed at exploring the nuances and trends that appear through synthetic …