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Effects Of Demineralization Protocols On Hydrogen And Oxygen Isotope Ratios In Fossil Bone Collagen, Linda M. Reynard

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

The effect of three commonly used preparation protocols on bone collagen δ2H and δ18O values was investigated, using six generally well-preserved faunal bones (cattle, bison, horse) ranging in age from the Holocene to Late Pleistocene. The treatments tested were ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid demineralization without gelatinization and hydrochloric acid demineralization with and without gelatinization. There are significant shifts in δ18O values among preparation methods. No systematic shifts in bone collagen δ2H values were noted among the three treatments, and most offsets were low (< 2–3 ‰) and smaller than typical measurement uncertainties. A few sample/treatment combinations yielded slightly higher inter-treatment δ2H differences (∼ 5–7 ‰). Lower mass fraction of hydrogen in …

Managing Collaboration Under Conservation Crisis: Trust, Risk, And Control In The Gulf Of Maine Fishery Management Network, Evelyn Roozee, Owen Temby, Dongkyu Kim, Antonia Sohns, Anthony Rocha Lima, Jasper R. De Vries, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Transboundary fishery management and the intertwined conservation of critically endangered species represent significant governance challenges that require ongoing inter-organizational communication, collaboration, and collective action to achieve shared objectives. Previous research suggests that inter-organizational collaborative performance depends heavily on different dimensions of trust and complementary control mechanisms to mitigate the perceived risks of collaborating and enable the reciprocal sharing of resources and the coordination of activities. However, it is unclear how proposed relationships between trust, risk, and control are shaped by disruptions to established transboundary management networks. This study presents the results of survey research conducted in the Gulf of Maine …

Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre_11_1, Mgrre

Thin Sections

No abstract provided.

The Colorado River Upper Initial Units Take Center Stage, Eric Kuhn, Anne Castle, Jack Schmidt, Kathryn Sorensen, Katherine Tara

The Traveling Wilburys of the Colorado River

In 1956, Congress authorized the Upper Initial Units—Flaming Gorge Reservoir,

Navajo Reservoir, and the Aspinall Unit (UIUs)—for a variety of water use

purposes in the Upper Colorado River Basin, including compliance with the

1922 Colorado River Compact (1922 Compact). The historical record is clear

that the primary reason these reservoirs exist is to satisfy the math of the 1922

Compact and the obligations it imposed on the Upper Division States

regarding flows at Lee Ferry.

Did Seismic Events Trigger The Growth Of Aragonitic Speleothems In Mawmluh Cave, North-East India?, Dildi Dildi, Dana Riechelmann Dr., Michael Weber Dr., Anne Jantschke Dr., Regina Mertz-Kraus Dr., Denis Scholz Dr.

International Journal of Speleology

Mawmluh Cave, north-east India, is located in a seismically very active region within the Himalayas with frequent earthquakes of varying magnitude. So far, speleothems from the cave have mainly been used to reconstruct past monsoon variability. The potential effect of seismic events on speleothem formation in Mawmluh Cave, however, has not been studied in detail yet. We investigated three stalagmites from Mawmluh Cave, each predominantly consisting of calcite overlain by substantially younger aragonite at the top (i.e., an aragonite ‘cap’). 230Th/U-dating shows that the initiation of aragonite growth occurred between 1859 and 1950 CE in agreement with previous studies. The …

A Tribute To Frank Delno Holland, Jr. (1924-2023), Sigma Gamma Epsilon National President (1970-1975), Paleontologist, And Friend, John M. Erickson

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Frank Delno Holland, Jr., was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, on March 6, 1924. All family and friends, including his students and professional acquaintances, knew him as Bud. His parents were Frank D. Holland and Francys Bell Holland. His paternal grandparents, O.B. and Laura Holland were North Dakotans who had homesteaded in Sargent County during the 1880s, but had relocated to Kansas in 1903. Bud had a rural upbringing on the outskirts of Leavenworth, graduating in 1942 from Leavenworth High school. It seemed natural that he would follow in his father’s footsteps by attending the University of Kansas (KU) so Bud …

The Compass - Volume 95 Issue 2 - Complete Issue, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Dr. Don C. Steinker (1936-2026), Paleobiologist, Teacher, Editor, And Mentor, Margaret M. Yacobucci, Susan T. Goldstein, Ronald E. Martin

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Dr. Don C. Steinker, Professor Emeritus of Geology and Paleobiology, died at the age of 89 in Bowling Green, Ohio, on February 5, 2026. During his remarkable 43-year career at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Don played a pivotal role in developing the Paleobiology specialization within the Geology undergraduate degree program, mentored generations of students, and served as advisor for the Beta Upsilon chapter of Sigma Gamma Epsilon (SGE) from 1969 until his retirement in 2010. In this brief memorial, we will highlight some of Don’s most important contributions to BGSU’s geology program, the field of foraminiferal paleobiology, geoscience education, …

Beyond The Poster Session: Turning A Scientific Poster Into A Publishable Manuscript, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Scientific posters are often treated as the final product of an undergraduate research project. After months of fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data processing, and interpretation, a student prepares a poster, presents the work at a departmental symposium or professional meeting, rolls up the poster, and moves on to the next stage of their career. The research, however, does not necessarily need to end with the poster session. A well-developed scientific poster already contains many of the fundamental elements of a scientific manuscript: a research question, scientific context, methods, results, figures, interpretation, discussion, and conclusions. Converting a poster into a manuscript therefore …

First Evaluation Of Contrast-Enhanced Micro-Xct As A Tool For Organismal And Reproductive Trait Observations In Corals Based On Scans Of Thesea Nivea Deichmann, 1936, Erin E. Easton

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Micro-X-ray computed tomography (micro-XCT) with contrast enhancement is considered a non-destructive tool that is increasingly being applied to explore the internal and external structures of vertebrates and invertebrates. Although micro-XCT has been applied to corals to study skeletal features, contrast enhancement has not been applied to evaluate the utility for visualization of soft tissue structures in corals. This study is the first to evaluate the utility of contrast enhancement to visualize internal and external features, including soft tissue features, of octocorals. Contrast staining of a Thesea nivea specimen with 2.5% Lugol's iodine permitted visualization of soft tissues with sufficient density …

Blue Carbon Ecosystems As Climate Solutions: Sequestration Across Coastal And Marine Environments, Allison K. White, Richard J. Kline, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses, sequester significant amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. These ecosystems capture and store carbon in biomass and sediments over long periods. Other marine ecosystems, including the open ocean, kelp forests, bivalve reefs, and coral reefs, have been excluded from the BCEs, but they have the potential to serve as crucial blue carbon sinks or to support adjacent BCEs. Climate change, however, poses severe threats to these ecosystems. Rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, and ocean acidification can lead to habitat loss, reduced biodiversity, and impaired carbon sequestration capacity. Consequently, anthropogenic …

Clustering Of Potable Water Sources In Rural Oyo State, Nigeria: Implications For Equitable Distribution And Sustainability, Adesola Adediran, Ibrahim O. Raufu

Tanzania Journal of Science

Adequate and equitable access to potable water remains a major challenge in rural communities of Oyo State, Nigeria, with uncoordinated provision leading to widespread shortages. This study employs geospatial techniques to assess the spatial distribution of water supply sources across five purposively selected rural communities in Olorunsogo Local Government Area (OLGA). Geographic coordinates of boreholes, hand-dug wells, and other potable water sources were collected using a handheld Garmin GPS 76S device. Spatial analysis was conducted using ArcGIS, and Nearest Neighbour Analysis (NNA) was applied to evaluate the pattern of distribution. Results indicate a strong tendency toward clustering, with a Nearest …

Distribution Of Diagenetic Alterations In Lower Cretaceous Strata Of The Tanzanian Coastal Sedimentary Basin, Justina James Saroni

Tanzania Journal of Science

The Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Coastal Sedimentary Basin of Tanzania crop out in the Wami and Mandawa basins and are stratigraphically similar to the reservoir rocks hosting gas at Songo Songo. This study examines the relationship between facies and diagenetic processes in outcrops from the study area. Outcrop description and petrographic analysis by using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to identify facies and diagenetic alterations. Sixteen facies were identified, including siliciclastic facies: conglomerate (Gm), sandstones (St, Sp, Sm, Sh, Sr), siltstone and mudstone (Fm, Fl); and carbonate facies are packstone (Lsp, Lspc, Lspg, Lspo), grainstone …

Evaluating Peak Metamorphic Conditions Of The Kyanite-Bearing Rocks At Willis Mountain, Virginia, Usa, Emma J. Hunt, Peter Horvath, Connor R. Gregory, Jade D. Sabillon, Ethan H. Watson

Earth and Environmental Sciences Publications

Willis Mountain, near Dillwyn in central Virginia, is the world’s largest kyanite deposit located in the Chopawamsic Fm. of the Piedmont province. However, little is known about the temperature and pressure conditions under which the kyanite deposit and its surrounding rocks formed, compared with similar-aged rocks in the Blue Ridge province to the southwest. Willis Mountain is composed of kyanite-bearing muscovite schists to kyanite quartzites which contain up to 55% kyanite. The following methods were used to evaluate the metamorphic conditions, with multiple calibrations for each: phase equilibrium modelling; trace element thermometry (titanium in quartz and zirconium in rutile); garnet-biotite …

Factors Influencing Non-Perennial Stream Initiation In The Mt. Hood National Forest, Allison Bast

Dissertations and Theses

Historically, non-perennial headwater streams have been overlooked due to their small size and infrequent flow regimes, often leading to them not being recognized as legitimate streams, despite scientific evidence that has shown these streams significantly affect the quality of downstream waters. To combat this issue, environmental managers need to be able to accurately identify and delineate the origins of these streams; however, despite decades of research, an accurate, universal method for predicting how and where these streams commence has yet to be developed. Early studies conducted in steep, humid environments, identified a strong inverse linear relationship between the size of …

The Fragmentation Of Helcar: A Paratethyan Model For Rhûn, Núrnen And The Dead Marshes, Federico Manzoni

Journal of Tolkien Research

This work proposes a conjectural paleogeographic model linking the Sea of Rhûn, Núrnen and the Dead Marshes to the former Sea of Helcar. Beginning from Christopher Tolkien's suggestion that Rhûn may represent Helcar ``vastly shrunken,'' the study combines textual evidence, the Ambarkanta, Fonstad's cartographic reconstructions, and terrestrial analogues drawn from the evolution of the Paratethys, the Messinian Salinity Crisis and other endorheic basins. Helcar is interpreted not merely as an isolated body of deep water but as the centre of a broader hydrological province subsequently partitioned by relief change, sedimentary infilling, basin isolation and drainage reorganization. Within this model, Rhûn …

Selective Citation: The Systematic Omission Of Established Regional Literature, İrem Eli̇tez

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

No abstract provided.

Integrated Assessment Of Groundwater Quality And Human Health Risks In A Semiarid Region Of Kemaliye (Türkiye), Veli̇ Keski̇n, Celaletti̇n Şi̇mşek

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

In this study, the hydrochemical characteristics, drinking water suitability, and potential human health risks of groundwater in the Karapınar region (Kemaliye, Erzincan, Türkiye), which has become a critical drinking water resource due to drought associated with climate change and the depletion of surface water resources, were investigated using an integrated multiparameter approach. Within the scope of the study, a total of 18 water samples, comprising 13 spring water samples and 5 groundwater samples obtained from wells, were collected during the dry season (October 2021) and analyzed for major ions, physicochemical parameters, nitrate, and trace elements. The suitability of the samples …

Signals In The Ionosphere Ahead Of Tsunami Arrival, Svetlana Riabova, Sergey Shalimov

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

We consider the impact of the tsunami propagating after the earthquake in Tohoku on the ionosphere according to measurements from the Hawaiian Islands, i.e., at a fairly large distance from the epicenter of the earthquake. These measurements, taken at a tidal tsunami monitoring station, at a magnetometric station, and by GPS, were used to record the arrival of the tsunami. We experimentally establish that the arrival of atmospheric waves generated by the tsunami significantly advanced the arrival of sea waves at the observation point, and this advance from one source was recorded in both the lower and upper ionosphere. Attention …

Editorial Note To The Article “Identification Of A Previously Unrecognized Listric Fault Beneath The Acıpayam Graben: Insights From Integrated Dinsar And Field Observations” [Turkish Journal Of Earth Sciences 35 (1) 2026 20-41], Orhan Tatar

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

No abstract provided.

Possible Fluid Contributions From Active Faults To Mercury Distribution In Surface Sediments Of The Gemlik Gulf And Health Risk Assessment, Erol Sari, M. Namik Çağatay, Tuğçe Nagi̇han Arslan Kaya, Zeynep Çeti̇n, Nuray Çağlar

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Gemlik Gulf, located in the eastern part of the Sea of Marmara (Türkiye), is recognized as a relatively contaminated marine environment, influenced by a variety of natural and anthropogenic inputs. A comprehensive geochemical study was performed to examine the distribution of total mercury (THg) in surface sediments and to elucidate the possible sources contributing to its accumulation. The analysis revealed that THg concentrations ranged from 485 to 6486 ng/g, with all measured values substantially exceeding the average shale background concentration of 400 ng/g, indicating significant enrichment. According to sediment quality guidelines, none of the samples exceeded the effects range …

Paleoecology Of Loftusia Species (Large Benthic Foraminifera) In The Zagros Basin, North Of The Neotethys, Hossein Ghanbarloo, Amrollah Safari

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Paleoecological analyses based on the wall structure of the genus Loftusia were carried out in the Maastrichtian deposits of seven outcrops of the Zagros Basin. Two types of particles are present within the wall structure: (1) tiny fossil grains and (2) detrital grains. Tiny fossil grains consist of smaller foraminifera and other small microorganism tests. Foraminiferal tests are associated with miliolid, textulariid, and rotaliid forms. Detrital grains include intraclasts and extraclasts. The presence of different particles in the test wall of this genus and the abundance of this genus in nutrient-rich conditions indicate that Loftusia are probably opportunistic foraminifera. This …

Neoproterozoic Uranium-Mineralized Sedimentary Rocks From The Kaladgi Basin, Dharwar Craton, Southwestern India: Source And Transport Mechanism Of Uranium, Ponnalagu Govindaraj, Arumugam Shanmugasundaram, Sooriamuthu Ramasamy, Muthusamy Ravichandran

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Kaladgi Basin of the Dharwar Craton, southeast India, hosts Proterozoic unconformity-related uranium (U) mineralization controlled by faulted contacts between Archean basement and Proterozoic cover sediments. To understand the ore-forming processes, 25 core samples from the Cave Temple Arenite were analyzed using whole-rock geochemistry and fluid inclusion microthermometry. U concentrations reach up to 0.13% U3O8 in the basal arenite and lower conglomerate, whereas the basement schist records only 0.0017% U. Whole-rock data reveal high SiO2 contents (72–97 wt.%), variable Al2O3 (0.4–12.9 wt.%), and enrichments in U (0.38–6.63 ppm), Th (1.5–13.7 ppm), and trace elements such as Cu, Pb, and Ni …

Citation Scope And Scientific Relevance In An Event-Based Seismotectonic Study: Reply To The Comment By Elitez On Eski (2026), Semi̇h Eski̇

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Fossil Pearls Of The Million-Pearls Flowstone, Fairgrounds Room, Fort Stanton Cave, New Mexico Usa, Victor J. Polyak, Paula P. Provencio, Yemane Asmerom

International Journal of Speleology

‘Fossil’ cave pearls in the Fairgrounds Room of Fort Stanton Cave form two distinct layers in a flowstone sample, FS-14-2. The flowstone in the Fairgrounds Room covers a mud-silt bank and the extinct streambed that extends across the room. Uranium-series dates of two pieces of flowstone from this room, one piece from the higher end of the flowstone (FS-14-1, devoid of pearls), and another piece from the lower end of the flowstone (FS-14-2, rich in pearls), show that the flowstone was deposited during the Last Glacial period (60,000 to 11,000 yr BP).  The two cave-pearl layers in FS-14-2 yielded U-series …

Collaborative Research: Influence Of Fault Frictional Healing And Realistic Tectonic Loading Rates On Shallow Subduction Megathrust Locking, Srisharan Shreedharan

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

"The Course Of The Tennessee River", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

The article describes the usual course of the Tennessee River and various geological theories for the direction of its course. In addition, it explores the specific geomorphology of the Muscle Shoals and its impact on North Alabama.

White Shark Occurrence In Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Revealed From Acoustic Telemetry In An Offshore Mpa, Michael A. Dance, Jay R. Rooker, R. J. David Wells, Megan V. Winton, Landes L. Randall, Marissa F. Nuttall, Brondum M. Krebs, Creed C. Branham, Brett B. Sweezey, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The outer continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) is characterized by unique bathymetric features that provide critical habitat for marine fauna. Here, we demonstrate the utility of large-scale acoustic telemetry for monitoring an oceanic marine protected area (MPA) and document the first known occurrences of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) within Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). White sharks were tagged with acoustic transmitters in the western North Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States and Canada. Nine white sharks were detected along the outer shelf ecosystem associated with FGBNMS over a three-year …

Automated And Quantitative Characterization Of Benthic Habitat And Associated Biological Communities Of An Unknown Southeast Pacific Seamount, Yakufu Niyazi, Denise J. B. Swanborn, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Javier Sellanes, Erin E. Easton, Germán Zapata-Hernández, Heather A. Stewart, Alan J. Jamieson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Seamounts are prominent seafloor features that strongly influence geological processes, ocean circulation, and benthic biodiversity. Despite their importance, most seamounts remain unmapped and poorly characterized, particularly in the southeast Pacific Ocean, a region recognized for high marine endemism and ecological isolation. In this study, we present a quantitative habitat characterization of a previously undocumented seamount, informally named Solito Seamount, located between the Nazca–Desventuradas Marine Park and the Juan Fernández Archipelago, within Chile’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The seamount is a conical volcanic edifice approximately 37 km wide, rising >3,500 m above the surrounding abyssal plain. High-resolution multibeam bathymetry and backscatter intensity …

A New Bubblegum Coral From The Nazca Ridge Reveals Chitin As The Structural Scaffold Of Skeleton-Less Paragorgia Colonies, Juan Armando Sánchez, Erin E. Easton, Nayeli Elizavet Garcia, Yony Román-Ochoa, Julia Kaled Cáceres, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Bubblegum corals (Paragorgia; Corallidae) form among the largest branching colonies in deep-sea environments despite lacking an axial skeleton. How these octocorals maintain structural cohesion using only sub-millimeter sclerites has remained unexplained. Here we describe Paragorgia quitinosa Sánchez & Easton n. sp., collected at 670 m depth on the Nazca Ridge (southeastern Pacific) during the Schmidt Ocean Institute RV Falkor (too) expedition FKt240708, and report the first evidence of visible chitin in octocoral tissues. The new species is diagnosed by autozoids and siphonozoids retracted on prominent, rounded mounds, large 8-derived radiate capstan sclerites (mean 0.095 mm), and canal walls …