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The Observation, Modeling, And Retrieval Of Bio-Optical Properties For Coastal Waters Of The Southern Chesapeake Bay, Xiaoju Pan

OES Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to develop an inverse method to retrieve the inherent optical properties (IOPs) and biogeochemical parameters (e.g. chlorophyll a concentration and salinity) appropriate to monitor the water quality and biogeochemical processes from remote sensing of the coastal waters in the southern Chesapeake Bay and coastal Mid-Atlantic Bight region (MAB) dominated by Case 2 waters. For this purpose, knowledge of the relationship between remote sensing reflectance (R_rs) and IOPs and the effect from bottom reflectance on R_rs, is required.

A substantial investigation of IOPs has been conducted for the coastal …

Seagrass-Mediated Carbonate Dissolution And Early Diagenesis In Bahamas Bank Sediments, Xinping Hu

OES Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the results of studies examining the role that seagrasses play in carbonate dissolution and early diagenesis of Bahamas Bank sediments. Three aspects of this problem are addressed: (1) stable carbon isotopes as an indicator of early diagenesis of carbonates, using results of a field study; (2) carbonate dissolution stoichiometry and carbonate reprecipitation, using the results from closed-system sediment incubation studies; (3) carbonate dissolution and reprecipitation across the broader Bahamas Bank. In Chapter II, I examined δ¹³C in the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of sediments with various degrees of seagrass densities. In low seagrass density and …

Geophysical Monitoring Probes And Their Applications To Some Hydrogeological Problems, Laura Smart

Dissertations

Geophysical monitoring probes were constructed to monitor the vertical changes of water content and ion concentration in the subsurface. These devices contain electrodes for resistivity measurements and thermistors for temperature measurements. They are designed to monitor the resistivity and temperature of the saturated zone, the transition zone, and the vadose zone near a groundwater/surface water interface. Additional installations at the site include four monitoring wells and four Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) access tubes, each paired with the geophysical probe installations. Pole-Pole resistivity measurements with an a-spacing of 5 cm are made using a CR1000 Campbell Scientific, Inc. datalogger. Automated data …

Identification And Catalog Of Holocene And Late Pleistocene Chiropteran Fossils From Hamilton County, Tn, Ashley Miller

Honors Theses

Caves play an essential role in our understanding of the Pleistocene Epoch. Caves represent the largest percentage of known North American Pleistocene faunas (Kurten and Anderson, 1980). These unique environments provide stable erosion free conditions that allow fossils to remain preserved for thousands, if not millions, of years (Corgan, 1996; Schubert et al., 2003). The fossil remains found in caves can help paleontologists document biogeographic and evolutionary patterns in a great variety of organisms (Schubert et al., 2003). Many fossils found in cave deposits only date to the Holocene (Schubert et al., 2003). These fossils localities are rarely studied by …

Frequency Of Sublethal Injury In A Deepwater Ophiuroid, Ophiacantha Bidentata, An Important Component Of Western Atlantic Lophelia Reef Communities, R. Allen Brooks, Martha S. Nizinski, Steve W. Ross, Kenneth J. Sulak

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The occurrence and relative abundance of tissue (arm) regeneration in the ophiuroid, Ophiacantha bidentata (Retzius), was examined in individuals collected primarily among colonies of the deep-water coral Lophelia pertusa off the southeastern United States. Seven deep-water coral sites (384–756 m), located between Cape Lookout, NC, and Cape Canaveral, FL, were sampled in June 2004 using a manned submersible. The presence of regenerative tissue was evaluated by visual inspection of each individual ophiuroid, and the proportion of regenerating arms per individual was examined relative to size of individual, geographic location, and depth of collection. Ophiacantha bidentata, the dominant brittle star collected, …

Particulate Organic Carbon Fluxes Along Upwelling‐Dominated Continental Margins: Rates And Mechanisms, Robert Thunell, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Ramon Varela, Yrene Astor, Frank Muller‐Karger

Faculty Publications

[1] Time series sediment trap samples were used to examine the rates and mechanisms of particulate organic carbon (POC) flux at three continental margin locations, Santa Barbara Basin, Cariaco Basin, and Guaymas Basin, marked by seasonal upwelling and high primary production. The mean POC flux in Santa Barbara Basin (0.096 g m−2 d−1) is nearly twice that of Cariaco Basin and 4 times higher than that in Guaymas Basin, with all three sites having POC fluxes significantly higher than the open ocean average (0.007 g m−2 d−1). In Cariaco Basin, the only site with available primary production numbers, there is …

Submarine Volcanic Morphology Of The Western Galapagos Based On Em300 Bathymetry And Mr1 Side-Scan Sonar, Jennifer B. Glass, D J. Fornari, Hillary F. Hall, Allison A. Cougan, Heidi A. Berkenbosch, Mark L. Holmes, Scott M. White, Giorgio De La Torre

Faculty Publications

A compilation of high-resolution EM300 multibeam bathymetric and existing MR1 side-scan sonar data was used to investigate the volcanic morphology of the flanks of the western Galapagos Islands. The data portray an assortment of constructional volcanic features on the shallow to deep submarine flanks of Fernandina, Isabela, and Santiago Islands, including rift zones and groups of cones that are considered to be the primary elements in constructing the archipelagic apron. Ten submarine rift zones were mapped, ranging in length from 5 to 20 km, comparable in length to western Canary Island rift zones but significantly shorter than Hawaiian submarine rift …

Leaks In The Pipeline: Why Do Women Remain Curiously Absent From The Ranks Of Academia?, Mary Anne Holmes

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Family issues can cause women to abandon academia at every rung of the career ladder. Policy-makers have addressed some ways to get more women on to the lower rungs of the ladder. But solutions at the higher steps—tenure and beyond—are proving a little more difficult.

Scoping Report For The Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental Plan Environmental Impact Statement, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

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

This report summarizes the issues raised during the initial scoping process for the Bureau of Reclamation's Long-term Experimental Plan for Glen Canyon Dam Operations and Other Management Actions Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This report describes the initial scoping process and presents the schedule, describes the scoping meetings, summarizes comments submitted by the public, and provides an overview of the relevant issues that Reclamation anticipates will be analyzed in the EIS.

Scoping is defined by the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as the process whereby lead agencies solicit input from the public on what the issues and alternatives …

Sedimentology Of Acid Saline Lakes In Southern Western Australia: Newly Described Processes And Products Of An Extreme Environment, Kathleen Counter Benison, Brenda Beitler Bowen, Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe, Elliot A. Jagniecki, Deidre A. Laclair, Stacy L. Story, Melanie R. Mormile, Boyoung Hong

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Naturally acid saline systems with pH values between 1.7 and 4 are common on the Yilgarn Craton of southern Western Australia. a combination of physical and chemical processes here yield a previously undescribed type of modern sedimentary environment. Flooding, evapoconcentration, desiccation, and eolian transport at the surface, as well as influx of acid saline groundwaters, strongly influence these lakes. Halite, gypsum, kaolinite, and iron oxides precipitate from acid hypersaline lake waters. Shallow acid saline groundwaters affect the sediments of the lakes and associated mudflats, sandflats, channels, and dunes by precipitating early diagenetic halite, gypsum, iron oxides, clays, jarosite, and alunite. …

Spatial Variation In Sea Urchins, Fish Predators, And Bioerosion Rates On Coral Reefs Of Belize, Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, Paulette Peckol, H. Allen Curran, Martha L. Robbart

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Although sea urchins are critical for controlling macroalgae on heavily fished coral reefs, high densities threaten reefs, as urchins are also prodigous bioeroders. This study examined urchin population characteristics, bioerosion rates, their fish predators (Labridae), and potential competitors (Scaridae) on unprotected reefs and a reef within a marine protected area (MPA) in the lagoonal regions off Belize. Urchin density (<1 >m-2) and bioerosion rates (∼0.2 kg CaCO3m-2year-1) were lowest and members of the Labridae were the highest (∼20 fish 200 m-3) within the MPA, while several unprotected reefs had higher (∼18-40 m-2) urchin densities, lower Labridae abundances (1-3 fish 200 …

The Evolution Of Zinjanthropus Boisei, Paul J. Constantino, Bernard A. Wood

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Many people assume that OH 5, the type specimen of Paranthropus boisei, collected in 1959, was the first evidence of that taxon to be found, but OH 3, recovered in 1955, predated the discovery of OH 5 by four years. Thus, Paranthropus boisei recently celebrated the equivalent of its fiftieth birthday. This review marks that milestone by examining the way our understanding of this taxon has changed during its fifty, or so, year history.

Lacustrine Evidence For Moisture Changes In The Nebraska Sand Hills During Marine Isotope Stage 3, Kimberly C. Jacobs, Sherilyn C. Fritz, James B. Swinehart

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

In the central Great Plains of North America, loess stratigraphy suggests that climate during the late Pleistocene was cold and dry. However, this record is discontinuous, and there are few other records of late-Pleistocene conditions. Cobb Basin, located on the northern edge of the Nebraska Sand Hills, contains lacustrine sediments deposited during Marine Isotope Stage 3, beginning approximately 45,000 cal yr BP and continuing for at least 10,000 yr. The lake was formed by a dune dam blockage on the ancient Niobrara River, and its deposits contain a diatom record that indicates changes through time in lake depth driven by …

Crop Updates 2007 - Farming Systems, David Jeffries, A. Loi, B. J. Nutt, Clinton K. Revell Dr, Yvette Oliver, Michael Robertson, Bill Bowden, Kit Leake, Ashley Bonser, Ian Maling, Bindi Isbister, Garren Knell, Alison Slade, David Stephens, Michael Meuleners, David Beard, Nicolyn Short, Rob Grima, Ingrid Richardson, Ruhi Ferdowsian, Geoff Bee, David Evans, Bob Gilkes, Senthold Asseng, Jim Dixon, Felicity Byrne, Mike Ewing, Dennis Van Gool, Louise Barton, Ralf Kiese, David Gatter, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Renee Buck, Christoph Hinz, Daniel Murphy, Cameron Weeks, Meredith Fairbanks, John Peirce, Brad Rayner, Sandy White, Paul Damon, Qifa Ma, Zed Rengel, Ed Barrett-Lennard, Meir Altman, Tracey M. Gianatti, Lindsay Bell, Ben Webb, Caroline Peek, Paul Sanford, Paul Blackwell, Glen Riethmuller, Darshan Sharma, Mike Collins, Frank D'Emden, David Hall, G. P. Manango, D. L. Steverson, Vanessa Stewart, Julie Roche, Peter Rutherford, Imma Farre, Ian Foster, Stephen Charles, Frances Hoyle, N. Milton, M. Osman, L. K. Abbott, W. R. Cookson, S. Darmawanto, Rob Sands, David Mccarthy, Paul Carmody, J. Russell, J. Eyres, G. Fosbery, A. Roe, Phil Nichols, Andrew Bathgate, Anne Wilkins

Crop Updates

This session covers forty papers from different authors:

1. Quality Assurance and industry stewardship, David Jeffries, Better Farm IQ Manager, Cooperative Bulk Handling

2. Sothis: Trifolium dasyurum (Eastern Star clover), A. Loi, B.J. Nutt and C.K. Revell, Department of Agriculture and Food

3. Poor performing patches of the paddock – to ameliorate or live with low yield? Yvette Oliver¹, Michael Robertson¹, Bill Bowden², Kit Leake³and Ashley Bonser³, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems¹, Department of Food and Agriculture², Kellerberrin Farmer³

4. What evidence is there that …

Water Quality Relative To Slope Toe Strip Type And Length, Brent G. Hallock, Lauren Corkins, Steve Rein, Michael Curto, Misty Scharff

Earth and Soil Sciences

Vegetation plays an important role in decreasing soil particle detachment and transport from sites following disturbance. Past rainfall simulator research (Caltrans 2004) using 2.5 m L x 0.6 m W soil test boxes with a 0.25 m sod strip (1 :10 slope proportion) at the slope toe found statistically significant reduction of total sediment loss to near zero. A principle limitation of the previous in house experiment is that a 1: 10 proportion of sod strip to slope length is not practical, nor equivalent with many industry specifications. Therefore, another rainfall simulator experiment was designed and conducted from October 2005 …

Biogeochemical Stoichiometry Of Antarctic Dry Valley Ecosystems, John E. Barrett, Ross A. Virginia, W. Berry Lyons, Diane M. Mcknight, John Charles Priscu, Peter T. Doran, Andrew G. Fountain, Diana H. Wall, D. L. Moorhead

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Among aquatic and terrestrial landscapes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, ecosystem stoichiometry ranges from values near the Redfield ratios for C:N:P to nutrient concentrations in proportions far above or below ratios necessary to support balanced microbial growth. This polar desert provides an opportunity to evaluate stoichiometric approaches to understand nutrient cycling in an ecosystem where biological diversity and activity are low, and controls over the movement and mass balances of nutrients operate over 10–10⁶ years. The simple organisms (microbial and metazoan) comprising dry valley foodwebs adhere to strict biochemical requirements in the composition of their biomass, and when activated …

The Art And Science Of Weed Mapping, David T. Barnett, Thomas J. Stohlgren, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Geneva W. Chong, Jenny A. Ericson, Tracy R. Davern, Sara E. Simonson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Land managers need cost-effective and informative tools for non-native plant species management. Many local, state, and federal agencies adopted mapping systems designed to collect comparable data for the early detection and monitoring of non-native species. We compared mapping information to statistically rigorous, plot-based methods to better understand the benefits and compatibility of the two techniques. Mapping non-native species locations provided a species list, associated species distributions, and infested area for subjectively selected survey sites. The value of this information may be compromised by crude estimates of cover and incomplete or biased estimations of species distributions. Incorporating plot-based assessments guided by …

Kerr-Mcgee's Bonanza Area Environmental Assessment And Biological Assessment, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Land Management

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

No abstract provided.

Stratification Of Southern Georgia Streams For Rapid Bioassessment Focusing On Differences In Structure And Function Of Black Water And Clear Water Streams, Salini Pradeep Pillai

Theses and Dissertations

As part of a rapid bioassessment project for the state of Georgia, relatively unimpaired reference streams and impaired sites were sampled for biological, chemical and physical parameters, and macroinvertebrates were identified. The metrics, biological, physical and chemical metrics, were selected using Ecological Data Application System Version 3.3.2k (EDAS). Discrimination efficiency and correlations were performed to determine the best metrics that separated impaired streams from reference streams and later on to form the index of stream water quality. Principal components analysis of the selected metrics showed that some of the blackwater reference streams and clearwater reference streams are randomly placed over …

Evaluating Climatic And Non-Climatic Influences On Ion Chemistry In Natural And Man-Made Lakes Of Nebraska, Usa, D. M. Bennett, Sherilyn C. Fritz, John C. Holz, Aris A. Holz, Vitaly A. Zlotnik

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Conductivity and major ion chemistry data were analyzed for a suite of Nebraska (USA) natural lakes, reservoirs, sand pits, and barrow pits to evaluate the magnitude of climatic versus non-climatic influence on ionic concentration and composition. In both natural lakes and sand and barrow pits, conductivity is positively related to longitude and reflects decreasing effective moisture from east to west. Reservoirs showed no relationship between lake conductivity and location, probably because the reservoirs are very strongly influenced by groundwater and surface water inflow and have shorter residence times relative to the other lake types. At smaller spatial scales, conductivity among …

Basic Research Needs For Geosciences: Facilitating 21st Century Energy Systems, U.S. Department Of Energy, Office Of Basic Energy Sciences, Donald J. Depaolo, Franklin M. Orr Jr.

Publications (YM)

Executive Summary

Serious challenges must be faced in this century as the world seeks to meet global energy needs and at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Even with a growing energy supply from alternative sources, fossil carbon resources will remain in heavy use and will generate large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO₂). To reduce the atmospheric impact of this fossil energy use, it is necessary to capture and sequester a substantial fraction of the produced CO₂. Subsurface geologic formations offer a potential location for long-term storage of the requisite large …

Peptidomic Analysis Of Skin Secretions Supports Separate Species Status For The Tailed Frogs, Ascaphus Truei And Ascaphus Montanus, J. Michael Conlon, Catherine R. Bevier, Laurent Coquet, Jérôme Leprince, Thierry Jouenne, Hubert Vaudry, Blake R. Hossack

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The tailed frog Ascaphus truei Stejneger, 1899 is the most primitive extant anuran and the sister taxon to the clade of all other living frogs. The species occupies two disjunct ranges in the Northwest region of North America: the Cascade Mountains and coastal area from British Columbia to Northern California, and an inland range in the northern Rocky Mountains and the Blue andWallowa mountains. A previous study led to the isolation of eight peptides with antimicrobial activity (termed the ascaphins) from skin secretions of A. truei from the coastal range. The present study has used peptidomic analysis to identify the …

Electrochemical Oxidation For Landfill Leachate Treatment, Yang Deng, James D. Englehardt

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper aims at providing an overview of electrochemical oxidation processes used for treatment of landfill leachate. The typical characteristics of landfill leachate are briefly reviewed, and the reactor designs used for electro-oxidation of leachate are summarized. Electrochemical oxidation can significantly reduce concentrations of organic contaminants, ammonia, and color in leachate. Pretreatment methods, anode materials, pH, current density, chloride concentration, and other additional electrolytes can considerably influence performance. Although high energy consumption and potential chlorinated organics formation may limit its application, electrochemical oxidation is a promising and powerful technology for treatment of landfill leachate.

Return To The Wild: Translocation As A Tool In Conservation Of The Desert Tortoise (Gopherus Agassizii), Kimberleigh J. Field, C. Richard Tracy, Philip A. Medica, Ronald W. Marlow, Paul Stephen Corn

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Translocation could be used as a tool in conservation of the threatened Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) by moving individuals from harm’s way and into areas where they could contribute to conservation of the species. Numerous factors may affect the success of translocations, including the conditions experienced by tortoises in holding facilities while awaiting translocation. The tortoises available for our translocation study had been provided supplemental water during their years spent in a captive holding facility, potentially inducing carelessness in water conservation. In addition to generally investigating the efficacy of translocation, we compared the effects of continuing with …

Evolution Of The Southern Kenya Rift From Miocene To Present With A Focus On The Magadi Area, Alexandria L. Guth

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

The Kenya (a.k.a., Gregory) Rift is a geologically active area located within the eastern branch of the larger East African Rift System (EARS). The study area is located in the southern Kenya Rift between 1° South and the Kenya-Tanzania border (covering approximately 1.5 square degrees, semi-centered on Lake Magadi) and is predominantly filled with extrusive igneous rocks (mostly basalts, phonolites and trachytes) of Miocene age or younger. Sediments are thin, less than 1.5Ma, and are confined to small grabens. The EARS can serve both as an analogue for ancient continental rifting and as a modern laboratory to observe the geologic …

Pollution Status Of Tinishu Akaki River And Its Tributaries (Ethiopia) Evaluated Using Physicochemical Parameters, Major Ions, And Nutrients, Samuel Abegaz

Faculty Bibliography

The present investigation provides data on physico-chemical parameters, some major ions and nutrients on water samples of Tinishu Akaki River (TAR), Ethiopia. The pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3- , SO42-, NO3- , NO2- , PO43-, Cland NH3 have been determined to asses the chemical status and pollution levels of the TAR and its tributaries. The values of certain parameters have been evaluated with respect to the acceptable standard limits for drinking and surface water to indicate the pollution level of the TAR. Increasing …

Guide To Participation For The Andrill Southern Mcmurdo Sound Project, Andrill Science Management Office, Mcmurdo-Andrill Science Implementation Committee

ANDRILL Project Information

Purpose of This Document

This document is a guide to participation for Science Team members involved in the Southern McMurdo Sound (SMS) Project of the ANDRILL Program. The document provides the following information: 1) Overview of the ANtarctic geologic DRILLing (ANDRILL) Program; 2) Overview of expected individual involvement in and commitment to the SMS Project; and 3) Logistical information most relevant to onice participants. Information provided in this document will be supplemented by the publication of the SMS Science and Logistics Implementation Plan (SLIP).The SLIP will be available to all SMS ANDRILL participants prior to commencement of drilling.

The reader …

Satellite Image Processing For Biodiversity Conservation And Environmental Modeling In Kyrgyz Republic National Park, Galina N. Fet

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

There is a need for extensive surveys of living organisms at a global scale; digital data exchange and storage is an essential part of such studies. Biodiversity inventory of fungi, which play an essential role in the health of the mountainous conifer forests of a developing country – Kyrgyz Republic, was linked to the vegetation classification produced from the high-resolution satellite imagery. Terra ASTER and SRTM90 imagery was used as a base map for the ecosystem modeling of the species and habitat distribution and for the three-dimensional representation, especially valuable for the mountainous landscapes of the Ala Archa National Park. …

Spatial And Temporal Expression Of Vegetation And Atmospheric Variability From Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analysis Of Bat Guano In The Southern United States, Christopher M. Wurster, Donald A. Mcfarlane, Michael I. Bird

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Stable isotopes of faeces contain information related to the animals feeding ecology. The use of stable isotope values from subfossil faeces as a palaeoenvironmental indicator depends on how faithfully the animal records their local environment. Here we present insectivorous bat guano δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values from a precipitation gradient across the southern United States and northern Mexico to compare with local vegetation and climate. We find δ¹³C values to be an excellent predictor of expected C₄/CAM vegetation, indicating that the bats are non-selective in their diet. Moreover, we find bat guano δ …

Rock Glaciers In Central Colorado, U.S.A., As Indicators Of Holocene Climate Change, Kurt A. Refsnider, Keith A. Brugger

Geology Publications

We measured thalli diameters of the lichen Rhizocarpon subgenus Rhizocarpon on 48 individual lobes of 18 rock glaciers and rock glacier complexes in the Elk Mountains and Sawatch Range of central Colorado. Cumulative probability distribution and K-means clustering analyses were used to separate lichen thalli measurements into statistically-distinct groups, each interpreted as representing a discrete episode of rock glacier activity driven by an interval of cooler climate. Lichen ages for these episodes were assigned using a growth curve developed for Rhizocarpon geographicum in the nearby Front Range. An early Neoglacial episode, ca. 3080 yr BP, is correlative to other glacial …