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Hydrolgeologic Groundwater Sensitivity And Vulnerability Mapping In South Central Kentucky, Andrea Croskrey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Groundwater sensitivity (Ray and O'dell 1993 a) refers to the inherent ease with which groundwater can be contaminated based on hydrogeologic characteristics. We have developed digital methods for identifying areas of varying groundwater sensitivity for a ten county area of south-central Kentucky relevant to a scale of 1: 24,000. The study area includes extensive limestone karst sinkhole plains, with groundwater that is generally extremely sensitive to contamination. Digitally Vectorized Geologic Quadrangles (DVGQs) were combined with elevation data to both identify hydrogeologic groundwater sensitivity regions and to identify zones of "high risk runoff where contaminants could be transported in runoff from …

Spatial Characteristics Of Paleochannels In Association With The Mississippian/Pennsylvanian Systematic Boundary In Western And South-Central Kentucky, Scott Schoefernacker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The basal Pennsylvanian Caseyville Formation of south-central Kentucky includes an extensive network of paleochannels, which unconformably overlie various Mississippian (Chesterian Series) rocks. Questions have been raised about the extent and orientation of paleochannels and the systemic boundary in the region. The problematical systemic boundary is quite significant in cases where marker beds are lacking or where sandstone facies of Pennsylvanian age are juxtaposed on lithologically similar Mississippian-age strata. Discerning the systemic boundary may also be complicated by facies changes in Chesterian strata. This study employs various data to investigate the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian systemic boundary such as well logs, outcrops, and subsurface-to-outcrop …

Geochemistry Of Benthic Foraminifera As An Environmental Indicator: A Study From Multiple Hydrographic Regimes, Chandranath Basak

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The geochemistry (stable isotopes and Lracc clements) or living (sLaincd) calcareous benthic foraminifera was compared with ambient botlom water stable isotope values to provide modern analog conditions and calibrations for environmental and paleoenvironmental assessments. Stable isotope values of live (stained) bcnthic foraminifera were investigated from push core and multicorer samples from the North Pacific (on the Aleutian margin, water depth 1988m) and the South Australian Bight (water depth 2476m and 1634m). Living benthic foraminifera specimens collected from contaminated sites in the Venice Lagoon were analyzed for trace elements. Both the isotopic and the trace element study involved interpretation of modern …

The Influence Of North Pacific Atmospheric Blocking On Colorado Lee Cyclogenesis, Diana S. Dickey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North Pacific atmospheric blocking is an upper tropospheric phenomenon that occurs modally in the northwestern quadrant of the North American cyclogenetic region primarily during the winter season. In this study, Colorado lee cyclones, which develop to the east of the Rocky Mountains, are investigated to see if differing strengths of North Pacific atmospheric blocking influences cyclone frequency, intensity and tracks during the study period 1965-1995. Three blocking categories, strong blocking, anti-blocking and weak-index blocking were created based on indices provided by previously published research. Additionally, an analysis of upper tropospheric circulation during strong blocking and anti-blocking winter seasons was made …

Lower Paleozoic Sequence Stratigraphy, Deposystems And Paleogeography Of Northwestern Ordos Basin, North China, Benjamin J. Kessel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Ordos basin rests upon the North China Block and is one of the largest sedimentary basins in north China, with more than 15 km of Phanerozoic strata. Published estimates suggest that over 2000 m of carbonates and lesser amounts of siliciclastics were deposited on the North China Carbonate Platform (NCCP) from the Lower Can1brian through the Middle Ordovician. However, lower Paleozoic facies successions and deposystems of northwestern Ordos basin remain poorly represented in western literature. This paper constrains depositional environments, lithologies, facies relationships and sea-level history of the northwestern part of the North China block (NCB) in an effort …

Physical And Chemical Predictors Of Diatom Dissolution In Freshwater And Saline Lake Sediments In North America And West Greenland, David B. Ryves, Richard W. Battarbee, Stephen Juggins, Sherilyn C. Fritz, N. John Anderson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Diatom dissolution in surface sediment samples from two regional lake datasets in the Northern Great Plains (NGP; n = 64) and West Greenland (n = 40) is assessed using a morphological approach categorizing valves during routine diatom analysis. Two dissolution indices are derived to parameterize diatom dissolution, and, when compared between two analysts in a blind test, show good correspondence and are closely correlated to diatom fragmentation. We explore the relationships between hydrochemical and physical lake parameters (including meromixis) on dissolution within both lake regions using multivariate methods and modeled with logistic regression. Salinity is the sole significant predictor …

Unlv Magazine, Carol C. Harter, Joe Cockrell, Tony Allen, Regina Bacolas, Lori Bachand, Jennifer Lawson, Bret C. Birdsong, Steve Parker, Erin O'Donnell, Jennifer Robison

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Lessons Learned From The St. Francis Dam Failure, J. David Rogers

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The St. Francis Dam (Fig. 1), a curved concrete gravity structure 209-feet high, located in the mountains about 35 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, failed catastrophically near midnight just before March 12, 1928. The failure released 36,180 acre-feet of water down San Francisquito Canyon on a turbulent 55-mile journey to the Pacifica Ocean near Ventura, killing 450 people. As the deadliest American civil engineering failure of the 20th century, the city of Los Angeles paid more than $7 million in restitution to the victims' families and affected landowners. The sudden failure of a new concrete dam constructed by a …

A Stable Isotopic Investigation Of A Polar Desert Hydrologic System, Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Michael N. Gooseff, W. Berry Lyons, Diane M. Mcknight, Bruce H. Vaughn, Andrew G. Fountain, Carolyn Dowling

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The hydrologic system of the coastal McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, is defined by snow accumulation, glacier melt, stream flow, and retention in closed-basin, ice-covered lakes. During the austral summers from 1993-1996 and 1999-2000 to 2002-2003, fresh snow, snow pits, glacier ice, stream water, and lake waters were sampled for the stable isotopes deuterium (D) and 18O in order to resolve sources of meltwater and the interactions among the various hydrologic reservoirs in the dry valleys. This data set provides a survey of the distribution of natural water isotope abundances within the well-defined dry valley hydrologic system in Taylor Valley, which …

An Examination Of External Influences Imbedded In The Historical Snow Data Of Utah, Randall P. Julander, Michael Bricco

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Snowpack data collection has a long and storied history in Utah as well as the western United States. Many researchers use historical snow course data for various applications ranging from water supply forecasting to climate change. These data are far from a perfect data set and data users should know the errors and limitations within them. In the current setting, only those collecting the data have access to the raw data and the site biographical information. In Utah, records extend back to at least 1912. Systematic measurements began in the mid 1920's with many long term snow courses established at …

The Sparrow Surface Water-Quality Model: Theory, Application And User Documentation, G. E. Schwarz, A. B. Hoos, R. B. Alexander, R. A. Smith

United States Geological Survey: Publications

SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) is a watershed modeling technique for relating water-quality measurements made at a network of monitoring stations to attributes of the watersheds containing the stations. The core of the model consists of a nonlinear regression equation describing the non-conservative transport of contaminants from point and diffuse sources on land to rivers and through the stream and river network. The model predicts contaminant flux, concentration, and yield in streams and has been used to evaluate alternative hypotheses about the important contaminant sources and watershed properties that control transport over large spatial scales.

This report provides …

Cougars In Kansas, Charles D. Lee, Alyssa E. Warneke, Mike Houts, Troy R. Livingston, Philip S. Gipson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The presence of the cougar (Puma concolor) in the state of Kansas is a controversial issue. Since 1999, 234 cougar sightings have been reported to the Extension Wildlife Specialist at Kansas State University. To those who have reported such sightings, the existence of cougars in Kansas is undeniable. Others, however, question the validity of such sightings as providing evidence of cougars. After surveying other governmental agencies and organizations, we discovered that acceptable identification criteria for rare or unusual felines included things beside sightings: voucher specimens, DNA from hair or scat, tracks, prey carcasses, and photographs or videos. The …

Taxonomic Considerations In Listing Subspecies Under The U.S. Endangered Species Act, Susan M. Haig, Erik A. Beever, Steven M. Chambers, Hope M. Draheim, Bruce D. Dugger, Susie M. Dunham, Elise Elliott-Smith, Joseph B. Fontaine, Dylan C. Kesler, Brian J. Knaus, Iara F. Lopes, Pete Loschl, Thomas D. Mullins, Lisa M. Sheffield

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) allows listing of subspecies and other groupings below the rank of species. This provides the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service with a means to target the most critical unit in need of conservation. Although roughly one-quarter of listed taxa are subspecies, these management agencies are hindered by uncertainties about taxonomic standards during listing or delisting activities. In a review of taxonomic publications and societies, we found few subspecies lists and none that stated standardized criteria for determining subspecific taxa. Lack of criteria is attributed to a centuries-old debate …

Isotope Sourcing Of Prehistoric Willow And Tule Textiles Recovered From Western Great Basin Rock Shelters And Caves: Proof Of Concept, Larry V. Benson, E. M. Hattori, H. E. Taylor, S. R. Poulson, E. A. Jolie

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Isotope and trace-metal analyses were used to determine the origin of plants used to manufacture prehistoric textiles (basketry and matting) from archaeological sites in the western Great Basin. Research focused on strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) and oxygen (¹⁸O/¹⁶O) isotope ratios of willow (Salix sp.) and tule (Schoenoplectus sp.), the dominant raw materials in Great Basin textiles. The oxygen-isotope data indicated that the willow and tule used to produce the textiles were harvested from the banks of rivers or in marshes characterized by flowing water and not from lakes or sinks. The strontium-isotope …

Implications Of Climate Change And Tephra Accumulation On The Lacustrine Environment In A Volcanic Caldera In Michoacan, Mexico, Tabitha Trosper

Undergraduate Honors Theses

La Alberca is a volcanic caldera in the Michoacan-Guanajuato volcanic field of central Mexico. The oldest known burial ( ~5000 yrs BP) in the state of Michoacan was discovered beneath prehispanic cliff paintings on the caldera wall. The stratigraphy of fluvial and lacustrine sediments exposed in trenches in the caldera floor record environmental changes that have implications for the type of human use of the site. La Alberca is a closed system with an alluvial fan that extends from the northeastern wall into the lowest southern comer of the caldera floor. Paricutin eruption in 1943-52 and other earlier eruptions deposited …

Nutrient Loads In An Urban Ozark Watershed: Jordan, Fassnight And Upper Wilson's Creeks, Springfield, Missouri, Ronald B. Miller

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The study watershed includes Jordan Creek, the primary stream draining the central downtown area of Springfield, Missouri, and also Fassnight and upper Wilson Creeks. Ten sample sites were established within the watershed and water samples and were collected during baseflow and storm runoff events between August 1, 2004 and July 31, 2005. Samples were tested for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and selected heavy metals (zinc, arsenic, lead, copper and cadmium) and the parameters pH, specific conductance, turbidity, temperature and dissolved oxygen. Rating curves were used to correlate discharge and water quality variables. Separate rating curves were developed for …

Historical Glacier And Climate Fluctuations At Mount Hood, Oregon, Karl Lillquist, Karen Walker

Geography Faculty Scholarship

Terminus fluctuations of five glaciers and the correspondence of these fluctuations to temperature and precipitation patterns were assessed at Oregon's Mount Hood over the period 1901–2001. Historical photographs, descriptions, and climate data, combined with contemporary GPS measurements and GIS analysis, revealed that each glacier experienced overall retreat, ranging from −62 m at the Newton Clark Glacier to −1102 m at the Ladd Glacier. Within this overall trend, Mount Hood's glaciers experienced two periods each of retreat and advance. Glaciers retreated between 1901 and 1946 in response to rising temperatures and declining precipitation. A mid-century cool, wet period led to glacier …

The Effects Of Land Use Changes On Soil Carbon In The Russian Steppe, Andrew M. Ratigliano

Geology Theses and Dissertations

Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels within the past few centuries have led to many studies about the global carbon cycle. An important aspect in balancing the modern global carbon budget revolves around a missing sink of carbon. It is thought that the carbon accumulation in soil may be a significant component in this loss. As changes in land use under natural conditions have increased over the years, it is not well understood how these changes may affect the soil carbon. A useful technique in determining these changes are with the use of archived samples. Within a Russian steppe preserve that has …

Complexity Trends In The Evolutionary History Of Dasycladalean Algae, Michael Stearns

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Dasycladalean algae are a group of marine algae that have an excellent fossil record extending back more than 500 million years. In our study, we investigated morphological complexity over the evolutionary history of this group. To determine complexity for each of more than 400 species, we assigned numerical values for six morphological features; the sum for each species forms a quantitative expression of complexity. We found that although maximum complexity increased over time, forms with minimum complexity persisted during most of the evolutionary history of the group.

Eolian Additions To Late Quaternary Alpine Soils, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, Colorado Front Range, Daniel R. Muhs, James B. Benedict

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Surface horizons of many alpine soils on Quaternary deposits in high-mountain settings are enriched in silt. The origin of these particles has been debated, particularly in the Rocky Mountain region of North America. The most common explanations are frost shattering of coarser particles and eolian additions from distant sources. We studied soil A horizons on alpine moraines of late-glacial (Satanta Peak) age in the Colorado Front Range. Surface horizons of soils on these moraines are enriched in silt and have a particle size distribution that resembles loess and dust deposits found elsewhere. The compositions of sand and silt fractions of …

Ice Sheets And Sea Level, Johannes Oerlemans, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Jonathan T. Overpeck, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, Gifford H. Miller, Richard B. Alley, Daniel R. Muhs, Shawn J. Marshall

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The estimate of the contribution of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) to the higher sea level stand in the Eemian interglacial (between 2.2 and 3.4 m) is based on the assumption that there was no ice at the location of the Dye-3 ice core in southern Greenland. However, Eemian ice has been found at the base of this ice core. The presence of Eemian ice in south and coastal Greenland implies that the GIS was essentially intact in a much warmer climate and could not have contributed more than 1 to 2 m to sea-level rise.

Fluvial Response To Intra-Canyon Lava Flows, Owyhee River, Southeastern Oregon, Cooper Cooke Brossy

All Master's Theses

At least six lava flows have entered the Owyhee River Canyon north of Rome, Oregon, since the Pliocene and directly impacted the Owyhee River. The effects on the river of the two youngest lava flows, the West Crater (60–80 ka) and Saddle Butte (> 60–90 ka), are readily apparent. These two lava flows entered a paleo-Owyhee Canyon several kilometers wide via three different tributary drainages. The flows dammed the Owyhee River, created lakes, and effectively confined the river to the opposite side of the valley from the flows’ entrance. Lava from these flows filled a paleo-Owyhee Canyon to depths of …

Soil Phosphorus Levels In Residential Lawns And Comparisons Among Four Land Uses In Springfield, Missouri, Timothy R. Davis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Eutrophication of surface waters due to high phosphorus (P) concentrations is an important water quality concern in Greene County, Missouri. Phosphorus enrichment has been linked to a variety of non-point sources including runoff from both agricultural and urban land uses. Soil P has been shown to be a source of P in runoff. The differences in soil P among different land uses may provide insight into which land use contributes more P in runoff. This study examines the soil composition, geochemistry and total P concentration of surface soil (0-5cm) in four land uses in Greene County, Missouri. The land uses …

Caves And Speleogenesis At Blomstrandsøya, Kongsfjord, W. Spitsbergen, Stein-Erik Lauritzen

International Journal of Speleology

Blomstrandsøya, at Kongsfjord (78° 57’N), Spitsbergen, is within the high arctic, a completely permafrozen zone. The bedrock consists of Paleozoic marbles and has yielded a surprising amount of karst features. Early phases of hydrothermal, possibly Caledonian, speleogenesis and subsequent Devonian karstification with redbed deposits is well documented. 62 active seacaves, and more than 30 relict karst caves were found in the coastal cliffs and in escarpment faces around the island. All caves have very limited extent; they are either quite short, like most of the active sea caves, or they are soon choked by frozen sediments and ground ice after …

The Distribution Of Diatom Flora In Ice Caves Of The Northern Yukon Territory, Canada: Relationship To Air Circulation And Freezing, Bernard Lauriol, Clément Prévost, Denis Lacelle

International Journal of Speleology

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, various media in karst environments in the Northern Yukon Territory were examined for their diatom content. Cryogenic cave calcite powders, grus and various ice formations (ice plugs, ice stalagmites and floor ice) were collected from three freezing caves and one slope cave to make an inventory of the diatom content, and to explain the spatial distribution of the diatoms within the caves. The results show that approximately 20% of diatoms in the caves originate from external biotopes and habitats (e.g., river, lake, stream), with the remaining 80% of local origin (i.e., from subaerial …

Seasonal And Spatial Patterns Of Metals At A Restored Copper Mine Site. I. Stream Copper And Zinc, Dustin G. Bambic, Charles N. Alpers, Peter G. Green, Eileen Fanelli, Wendy K. Silk

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Seasonal and spatial variations in metal concentrations and pH were found in a stream at a restored copper mine site located near a massive sulfide deposit in the Foothill copper-zinc belt of the Sierra Nevada, California. At the mouth of the stream, copper concentrations increased and pH decreased with increased streamflow after the onset of winter rain and, unexpectedly, reached extreme values 1 or 2 months after peaks in the seasonal hydrographs. In contrast, aqueous zinc and sulfate concentrations were highest during low-flow periods. Spatial variation was assessed in 400 m of reach encompassing an acidic, metal-laden seep. At this …

Introduction To "The Endangered Species Act At Thirty, Volume 1", J. Michael Scott, Dale D. Goble, Frank W. Davis

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

This book examines one legislative effoft to resolve the dilemma, the Endangered Speeies Aet of 1973 (ESA 1973). The ESA was an idealistic and perhaps naive attempt to preserve humanity by preserving other species in the ecological support system that makes life possible. In the words of the House report accompanying the bill:

A certain humility, and a sense of urgency seem indicated .... One might analogize the case to one in which one copy of all the books ever printed were gathered together in one huge building. The position in which we find ourselves today is that of custodians …

By The Numbers, J. Michael Scott, Dale D. Goble, Leona K. Svancara, Anna Pidgorna

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The current endangered species list has its administrative beginnings in 1964 when the Department of the Interior's Committee on Rare and Endangered Wildlife Species published a preliminary list of 62 species at risk of extinction (Goble, forthcoming). Following the enactment of the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 (ESPA), the secretary of the interior in 1967 published the first official list of 78 "native fish and wildlife threatened with extinction" (ESPA sec. l(c); U.S. Department of the Interior 1967; Wilcove and McMillan, this volume). By the time the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was adopted in 1973, there were 392 species …

Patterns Of Total Suspended Solids Concentration And The Influence Of Antecedent Conditions On Hydrograph Response To Precipitation Events On Beaver Creek, Ontario, Matthew Peter Roy Mittler

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explored relationships between suspended solids concentration and discharge, the influence of antecedent conditions on event hydrograhs and the state of dynamic equilibrium in a second-order stream (Beaver Creek), draining an agricultural basin in southern Ontario, near the City of Waterloo. Beaver creek was monitored for nineteen weeks from July to November of 2005. Thirteen precipitation events of various magnitude and duration were examined within the study period. Discharge and total suspended soils were sampled throughout the events. Cross sectional profiles of six transects were measured prior to and after each event. Base flow, antecedent conditions and event response …

Service-Learning In Watershed-Based Initiatives: Keys To Education For Sustainability In Geography?, James Eflin, Amy L. Sheaffer

Service Learning, General

A call for combining the strengths of geographic education with environmental education to produce an 'education for sustainability' addresses local problems for sustainable development. A place-based approach encourages civic responsibility among students. Using service-learning to extend education beyond the classroom in this case study connected students with local clients in a watershed-based initiative. Theoretical underpinnings of service-learning for geographic education are discussed, and the case study is viewed from instructor, student, and client perspectives to identify successful outcomes and provide suggestions for those who might adopt service-learning for the first time.