Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Hydrogeologic Factors Affecting Aquifer Vulnerability In Southwestern Michigan, Steven E. Benton

Masters Theses

In southwestern Michigan aquifers are threatened by human activities. Parameter/factor weighting systems are used to rate aquifer vulnerability. Hydrogeologic factors affecting aquifer vulnerability were investigated in this study.

Well records, soil surveys, hydrogeologic reports, and partial chemical analyses were used to obtain data on the aquifers, soil types, glacial sediments, and types of contaminants. Data analysis included comparisons of means and medians, factor analysis, and Pearson and Spearman Correlation analysis.

The results indicate that the aquifers in Kalamazoo County are not protected. Depending on the type of glacial sediment, hydrogeologic factors that protect aquifers are clay thickness and the depth …

Federal Regulatory Interests In Water, Patricia Sanderson Port

Innovation in Western Water Law and Management (Summer Conference, June 5-7)

39 pages.

Contains references.

Negotiating An Indian Water Rights Settlement: The Colorado Ute Indian Experience, Lois G. Witte

Innovation in Western Water Law and Management (Summer Conference, June 5-7)

28 pages.

Agenda: Innovation In Western Water Law And Management, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Innovation in Western Water Law and Management (Summer Conference, June 5-7)

Conference organizers and/or faculty included University of Colorado School of Law professors Lawrence J. MacDonnell, David H. Getches, Charles F. Wilkinson and Richard B. Collins.

Pressures of population, drought, and changing water use have provided the impetus for numerous innovations in water law and management in recent years. The Center's annual conference June 5-7, 1991, will look at innovation and change in five areas--water planning, special water management areas, negotiated settlements of tribal water rights, conjunctive use of ground and surface water, and public values in water decision making. Each session will begin with talks by experts from several western …

The Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Of The White River National Wildlife Refuge, Steve W. Chordas Iii, George L. Harp

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The primary purpose of this study was to survey the diversity of the aquatic macroinvertebrates of the White River National Wildlife Refuge (WRNWR). Determining relative abundance and distributional and seasonal patterns were secondary objectives. No comprehensive investigations of the WRNWR aquatic macroinvertebrates had been conducted previously, and it was hypothesized that this relatively undisturbed area may serve as a refugium. Further, this study provides base line data by which management programs can be composed. Thirty sampling stations were established within the WRNWR. Samples were collected from north to south at a basic rate of five stations per month. Revisit collections …

Water Quality As Affected By Pesticides In Rice Production, W. G. Johnson, T. L. Lavy, J. D. Mattice, B. W. Skulman, R. E. Talbert, R. J. Smith

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Studies were conducted to determine the environmental persistence of the rice pesticides triclopyr, 2,4-D, benomyl and quinclorac. Triclopyr half-lives ranged from <7 d to >100 d depending on depth within the soil profile and clay content. Triclopyr persistence increased as depth within the profile increased and clay content increased. The benomyl metabolite MBC was present at greater than 50% of the initial amount after 9 months in the field. In simulated carryover field studies quinclorac exhibited the greatest potential for injury to subsequent rotational crops. Cotton and soybean growth was reduced when planted at four weeks after quinclorac application. The adsorption of triclopyr …

Determination Of The Abient Toxicity Of The Tailwater Of Nimrod Lake, John T. Knight

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The objective of this research was to determine if ambient toxicity exists in the receiving stream below a reservoir in which water from the hypolimnion is released. The Ceriodaphnia 7-day test was utilized to determine if toxicity existed. This test is routinely used in the monitoring of municipal and industrial effluent. It has also been utilized in determining if ambient toxicity exists within receiving streams. Nimrod Lake is a flood control impoundment on the Fourche LaFave River in west central Arkansas. The literature suggest that during stratification the hypolimnetic release contains high levels of iron, manganese, ammonia and sulfide during …

Effects Of The Conservation Reserve Program On Selected Wildlife Populations In Southeast Nebraska, Justin W. King

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Plate Tectonics, Space, Geologic Time, And The Great Plains: A Primer For Non-Geologists, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

For most Americans, "The Great Plains" evokes images of grasslands, dust storms, prairie fires, Native Americans on horseback, cowboys and wheat lands, and perhaps flat valleys crossed by braided rivers carrying a heavy load of sand and gravel, extremes of weather, and a climate typified by an alternation of droughts and wetter periods. Geologists picture such general images, too, but they also see radical changes in the landscape over periods expressed in millions rather than hundreds of years. Geologically speaking, human activities on the Great Plains are too recent to have much of a place in the broad geologic history …

An Analysis Of Dissolved Organic Compounds And Their Contribution To Iron Complexation In The Shallow Leachate Plume Of The West Kl Landfill Kalamazoo, Michigan, Eric Fahle

Masters Theses

High concentrations of dissolved iron are present in downgradient groundwater samples adjacent to the western border of the West KL Landfill. Analysis by Rudder (1988) of groundwater samples indicates oversaturation of selected iron oxides, iron sulfides and siderite in monitoring wells TW-4 and M3.

Previous research suggests that pyrogallol, gallic acid, tannic acid and similar organic compounds may retard the oxidation of ferrous iron in the shallow leachate plume of the West KL landfill (Rudder, 1988). Present research utilizing solid phase extraction, reverse phase high performance chromatography, Fourier transform IR spectrophotometry, UV/Visible spectrophotometry, and gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy indicate that pyrogallol, …

The Effects Of Urbanization On A Portion Of The Portage Creek Watershed: A Case Study On Surface Water And Groundwater Quality, Susan E. Rezek

Masters Theses

The surface water and groundwater quality in the study area of the Portage Creek watershed was analyzed to determine the possible effects of urbanization. Dry weather and wet weather surface water and groundwater samples were collected from June 1986 to November 1986 at selected stations in the watershed.

Water samples were analyzed for 26 inorganic and organic parameters. Most concentrations were below analytic method detection limits. The analytical data indicate that sodium and chloride are the principal contaminants resulting from urbanization. The probable source of the contamination is deicing salt applied to the City of Portage, Michigan streets.

Overall, the …

A New Concept In Treating Wastewaters ... "Constructed Wetlands", Anastasios D. Karathanasis

Soil Science News and Views

During the last few years a new technology for treating municipal and industrial waste water has emerged, which also shows some potential for treatment of farm and home wastewaters. This technology involves the construction of "artificial wetlands" and establishing a dominant vegetation of Typha (cattails), Sphagnum (moss), certain algae, and other plant species which have the potential to beneficially affect small flows of waste water moving through them by biochemical processes. Interest in these systems has steadily increased because of their low cost (1/10 to 1/2 that of conventional treatment), efficiency, and near nonexistent maintenance. These "constructed wetland" biochemical-treatment systems …

U And Sr Isotopes In Ground Water And Calcite, Yucca Mountain, Nevada: Evidence Against Upwelling Water, J. S. Stuckless, Z. E. Peterman, Daniel R. Muhs

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Hydrogenic calcite and opaline silica deposits in fault zones at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, have created considerable public and scientific controversy because of the possible development of a high-level nuclear waste repository at this location. Strontium and uranium isotopic compositions of hydrogenic materials were used to test whether the veins could have formed by upwelling of deep-seated waters. The vein deposits are isotopically distinct from ground water in the two aquifers that underlie Yucca Mountain, indicating that the calcite could not have precipitated from ground water. The data are consistent with a surficial origin for the hydrogenic deposits.

Organic Geochemistry And Petrography Of Spanish Oil Shales, Michael A. Kruge, Isabel Suarez-Ruiz

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Four of the principal oil shale units of Spain were examined by organic geochemical and petrographic methods. The samples included three lacustrine shales (Carboniferous from Puertollano, Cretaceous from Llames and Miocene from Rubielos de Mora) and one marine shale (Lower Jurassic from Punta del Cuerno ). The petrographic observations show a dominance of liptodetrinite associated with bitumen-stained mineral matter and alginite, as well as a paucity of structured terrestrial organic matter. Geochemical work shows that the soluble organic matter is a mixture of terrestrially derived and aquatic, with the lacustrine samples having the strongest land plant signatures. Low values of …

Aspects Of Sporinite Chemistry, Michael A. Kruge, John C. Crelling, Edwin J. Hippo, Stephen R. Palmer

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

With the recent advent of the ability to separate coal into maceral concentrates of high purity, the individual constituents of coal can now be analyzed separately, without their mutual interference, giving a much better understanding of the macromolecular structure of coal. The sporinites from two Pennsylvanian age coal samples (Illinois Basin, U.S.A.) were studied, one from a vitrinite-rich high-volatile bituminous coal, the other from a liptinite-rich high-volatile bituminous coal of slightly higher rank. Sporinites were isolated from each coal by density gradient centrifugation. The sporinite of the vitrinite-rich coal was compared chemically and petrographically with the parent coal and with …

The Pangaean Megamonsoon- Evidence From The Upper Triassic Chinle Formation, Colorado Plateau, Russell F. Dubiel, Judith Totman Parrish, J. Michael Parrish, Steven C. Good

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The Upper Triassic Chinle Formation was deposited at an exceptional time in Earth's paleogeographic and paleoclimatic history. During the Triassic, the supercontinent Pangaea was at its greatest size, in terms of both aggregated continental crust and exposed land area. Moreover, the exposed land was divided symmetrically about the paleoequator between the northern and south- ern hemispheres. These conditions were ideal for maximizing monsoonal circulation, as predicted from paleoclimate models. The Chinle was deposited between about 5° to 15° N paleolatitude in the western equatorial region of Pangaea, a key area for documenting the effects of the monsoonal climate. This study …

Deep Tillage : Keep An Eye On Costs As Well As Yields, Amir Abadi, Andrew Bathgate

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Deep tillage overcomes compaction of sandy soils caused by movement of heavy machinery. Many experiments since 1981 have shown cereal yields improve as a result of deep tillage. However, the increased yield does not necessarily mean more profit when costs are taken into account. To determine the profitability of deep tillage farmers must consider its impact on other farm operations. A whole-farm analysis is needed to accurately determine the increase in profit resulting from deep tillage

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 19, 1990-1991, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

Groundwater Hydrology Of A Population Of Lindera Melissifolia In Arkansas, J. Dainette Priest, Robert D. Wright

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Groundwater hydrology was monitored from October through August in and around a bottomland forest pond containing Lindera melissifolia, pondberry. The study site exhibited a series of low ancient dunes and depressions, with seasonal ponds in the depressions. Ponds showed no surface inlets or outlets. Shallow wells were made and soil cores removed along a transect from the top of one dune across the pond to a lower dune. Piezometers were installed in the wells and groundwater levels monitored. Soil core samples were analyzed to determine particle size distribution at soil profile positions selected during field analysis. It was shown that …

Potential Effects Of Climate Change On Milk Production And Conception Rate In Dairy Cattle In The United States And Western Europe, Peggy Lea Klinedinst

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Ice-Wedge Casts Of Wisconsinan Age In Eastern Nebraska, William J. Wayne

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sand-filled, wedge-shaped structures beneath a thin layer of aeolian sand penetrate a preIllinoian till and gravel in northeastern Nebraska. Interpreted to be relic thermal contraction crack wedges, they provide the first definite evidence in this State of the former presence of permafrost. The wedges are 5- 7 m apart, 1.8-2.8 m deep and 0.6-0.9 m across at the top, taper downward to a crack and intersect to form polygons. They are filled with medium sand that contains mostly rounded and frosted grains. Vertical fabric is present in each wedge. Ventifacts lie along the top of the till, which is covered …

Reservoir Sedimentation Studies, D C. Boudurant, R H. Livesey

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

It must be recognized that, when a reservoir is constructed on a stream, all or most of the sediment transported into the reservoir by the stream will be deposited there. With few exceptions, there is no practical method for reducing or eliminating the sediment inflow; thus it is necessary to anticipate and to provide for resulting problems. The major problem is, of course, the accumulative loss of storage capacity. Other items of importance include the distribution of the sediment with respect to various storage increments, the effect on the chemical or physical quality of the water, ecological effects, and the …

Additional Fossil Evidence On The Differentiation Of The Earliest Euprimates, Kenneth D. Rose, Thomas M. Bown

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Several well-preserved jaws of the rare North American omomyid primate Steinius vespertinus, including the first known antemolar dentitions, have been discovered in 1989 and 1990 in the early Eocene Willwood Formation of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. They indicate that its dental formula is as primitive as those in early Eocene Donrussellia (Adapidae) and Teilhardina (Omomyidae) - widely considered to be the most primitive known euprimates - and that in various dental characters Steinius is as primitive or more so than Teilhardina. Therefore, despite its occurrence at least 2 million years later than Teilhardina, S. vespertinus is the …

Metabolic Efficiency And Regulation Of Body Weight: A Comparison Between Life In Hypogean And Epigean Ecosystems, Jayant Biswas

International Journal of Speleology

In the present study metabolic efficiency in the epigean and hypogean populations of Nemacheilus evezardi (Day) was examined. Different experiments were conducted, in both populations, by keeping them either in restricted oxygen or restricted feeding conditions, including starvation. Results clearly show that the rate of oxygen consumption for the hypogean population was significantly less as compared to its epigean counterpart. Further, results also suggest that the hypogean population has a tremendous capacity to maintain its metabolic activity and regulate its body weight under severe conditions characterized by an absence or a limited supply of food.

Observations On The Biology Of Spelaelacris Tabulae Peringuey (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae), From The Wynberg Cave (Capetown, South Africa), Gianmaria Carchini, Claudio Di Russo, Mauro Rampini

International Journal of Speleology

Data on the age structure, fecundity, egg morphology and feeding habits of the Spelaeiacris tabulae population from Wynberg cave are reported and compared with other Rhaphidophoridae species. S. tabulae shows a certain degree of adaptation to cave life, as usual in the other temperate species of Rhaphidophoridae.

Revision Of The Genus Troglophilus (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae) In Crete, Greece, Dimitrios Kollaros, Kaloust Paragamian, Anastassios Legakis

International Journal of Speleology

The genus Troglophilus (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae) from Crete is revised using new data from specimens collected recently. The three previously reported species are considered to be only one, T. spinulosus, on the basis of morphological, ecological and distributional similarities. The species is more fully described and notes are given on its ecology.

Population Size Of Pyrenean Troglobiont Coleopters (Speonomus Species) In A Cave In Belgium, Raymond Tercafs, Christine Brouwir

International Journal of Speleology

The population size of three troglobitic species of Speonomus (Coleoptera Bathysciinae) from the Pyrenees, intentionally introduced in 1969-1970 into the “Grotte de Ramioul” cave (Province of Liège, Belgium) has been studied using the mark-recapture technique. It has been shown that the three cave levels possess large Speonomus populations (upper network: 12,718; middle network: 13,902; lower network: 18,249 individuals) and that the superficial underground environment is also colonized, including the schist area. The most abundant species is Speonomus longicornis (relative frequency between 0.73 to 0.89). The two other species are present in the relative frequency between 0.04 and 0.23 for S. …

Late Holocene Paleoseismicity Along The Northern Oregon Coast, Mark Edward Darienzo

Dissertations and Theses

Marsh paleoseismological studies were conducted in four bays (Necanicum, Nestucca, Siletz, and Yaquina) along the northern Oregon coast and compared with completed studies in two other bays (Netarts and Alsea). Coseismically buried peats were identified in all bays, based on 1) abrupt contacts, decreases in organic content, increases in sand content, increases in beach sand, and changes in diatom assemblages, all from the peat to the overlying sediments, 2) distinct sandy layers and key plant macrofossils, such as Triglochin, above the buried peat, and 3) widespread correlation of the buried peats within the bay. The stratigraphy and the ages and …

Radon Contamination Of Residences In A City Built Upon A Karst Landscape Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky, James William Webster

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 8 to 12% of U.S. homes have radon concentrations that equal or exceed 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l). A statewide screening of Kentucky by EPA resulted in an average residential radon concentration of 2.8 pCi/l with 17% of the homes at or above 4 pCi/l. EPA requires routine monitoring and maintenance or worker health records in mines and caves having radon daughter concentrations at or above 0.30 working levels (WL).

Bowling Green is a city located in a karst region of south central Kentucky. Residents of Bowling Green have been subjected …

A Report On Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs In Nebraska, Their Biology, Behavior, Ecology, Management, And Responses To A Visual Barrier Fence, Nancy S. Foster

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I examined the effects of a visual barrier fence, which had a see-through visibility of 600/0, on the foraging, vigilance, and aggressive behaviors of adult female black-tailed prairie dogs from June through August 1990 in central Nebraska. I also examined changes in their home ranges and use of an area in response to this fence. Prairie dogs prefer an open view of their surroundings. Therefore, I expected animals near a visual barrier to spend more time in vigilance and aggression, and less time foraging. Adult female prairie dogs exposed to the visual barrier devoted more time to foraging and less …