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The Association Between Bubble Trails And Folia: A Morphological And Sedimentary Indicator Of Hypogenic Speleogenesis By Degassing, Example From Adaouste Cave (Provence, France), Philippe Audra, Ludovic Mocochain, Jean-Yves Bigot, Jean-Claude Nobécourt

International Journal of Speleology

Bubble trails are subaqueous features in carbonate caves, which are made by the corrosion of ascending carbon dioxide bubbles. Folia are calcite deposits resembling inverted rimstone dams in saturated pools. Based on morphological studies in Adaouste Cave (Provence, France) and on studies elsewhere in the world, we propose a new genetic model for folia, close to the model of Green (1991). The association of bubble trails and folia, occurring on overhanging walls, is interpreted to be an indicator of hypogenic degassing occurring just below the water table. The association is the result of juxtaposed processes composed of corrosion along bubble …

Cryogenic Cave Carbonates From The Cold Wind Cave, Nízke Tatry Mountains, Slovakia: Extending The Age Range Of Cryogenic Cave Carbonate Formation To The Saalian, Karel Žák, Helena Hercman, Monika Orvošová, Ivana Jačková

International Journal of Speleology

Cold Wind Cave, located at elevations ranging between 1,600 and 1,700 m a. s. l. in the main range of the Nízke Tatry Mountains (Slovakia), is linked in origin with the adjacent Dead Bats Cave. Together, these caves form a major cave system located within a narrow tectonic slice of Triassic sediments. Both caves have undergone complex multiphase development. A system of sub-horizontal cave levels characterized by large, tunnel-like corridors was formed during the Tertiary, when elevation differences surrounding the cave were less pronounced than today. The central part of the Nízke Tatry Mountains, together with the cave systems, was …

Observations On The Cave-Associated Beetles (Coleoptera) Of Nova Scotia, Canada, Max Moseley

International Journal of Speleology

The cave-associated invertebrates of Nova Scotia constitute a fauna at a very early stage of post-glacial recolonization. The Coleoptera are characterized by low species diversity. A staphylinid Quedius spelaeus spelaeus, a predator, is the only regularly encountered beetle. Ten other terrestrial species registered from cave environments in the province are collected infrequently. They include three other rove-beetles: Brathinus nitidus, Gennadota canadensis and Atheta annexa. The latter two together with Catops gratiosus (Leiodidae) constitute a small group of cave-associated beetles found in decompositional situations. Quedius s. spelaeus and a small suite of other guanophiles live in accumulations of …

Effects Of Plant Uptake And Micro-Topography On Chloride Transport In Arid Soils, Wenming Nie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chloride concentration profiles to depths of 1 m were evaluated on a young alluvial fan in Eldorado Valley, NV. It was found that chloride beneath plant canopies were 11 to 222 times higher than adjacent (1 - 2 m away) bare soil locations. Two-dimensional numerical simulations using HYDRUS 2D/3D model were used to further explore the impact of plants on chloride transport. The simulation results indicated that lateral flow driven by root uptake concentrated chloride toward root zones, leading to the accumulation of chloride under plant canopies. Results also suggest that locally micro-topography can have a substantial impact on chloride …

Relating Groundwater To Seasonal Wetlands In Southeastern Wisconsin, Usa, John D. Skalbeck, Donald M. Reed, Randall J. Hunt, Jamie D. Lambert

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Historically, drier types of wetlands have been difficult to characterize and are not well researched. Nonetheless, they are considered to reflect the precipitation history with little, if any, regard for possible relation to groundwater. Two seasonal coastal wetland types (wet prairie, sedge meadow) were investigated during three growing seasons at three sites in the Lake Michigan Basin, Wisconsin, USA. The six seasonal wetlands were characterized using standard soil and vegetation techniques and groundwater measurements from the shallow and deep systems. They all met wetland hydrology criteria (e.g., water within 30 cm of land surface for 5% of the growing season) …

Implications For The Dynamic Health Of A Glacier From Comparison Of Conventional And Reference-Surface Balances, W. D. Harrison, L. H. Cox, R. Hock, R. S. March, E. C. Pettit

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Conventional and reference-surface mass-balance data from Gulkana and Wolverine Glaciers, Alaska, USA, are used to address the questions of how rapidly these glaciers are adjusting (or ‘responding’) to climate, whether their responses are stable, and whether the glaciers are likely to survive in today’s climate. Instability means that a glacier will eventually vanish, or at least become greatly reduced in volume, if the climate stabilizes at its present state. A simple non-linear theory of response is presented for the analysis. The response of Gulkana Glacier is characterized by a timescale of several decades, but its stability and therefore its survival …

A Lacustrine Carbonate Record Of Holocene Seasonality And Climate, Chad A. Wittkop, Jane L. Teranes, Walter E. Dean, Thomas P. Guilderson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Annually laminated (varved) Holocene sediments from Derby Lake, Michigan, display variations in endogenic calcite abundance refl ecting a long-term (millennial-scale) decrease in burial punctuated with frequent short-term (decadal-scale) oscillations due to carbonate dissolution. Since 6000 cal yr B.P., sediment carbonate abundance has followed a decreasing trend while organic-carbon abundance has increased. The correlation between organic-carbon abundance and the sum of March-April-October-November insolation has an r² value of 0.58. We interpret these trends to represent a precession-driven lengthening of the Holocene growing season that has reduced calcite burial by enhancing net annual organic-matter production and associated calcite dissolution. Correlations with …

Prevalence Of West Nile Virus In Migratory Birds During Spring And Fall Migration, Robert J. Dusek, Robert G. Mclean, Laura D. Kramer, Sonya R. Ubico, Alan P. Dupuis Ii, Gregory D. Ebel, Stephen C. Guptill

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

To investigate the role of migratory birds in the dissemination of West Nile virus (WNV), we measured the prevalence of infectious WNV and specific WNV neutralizing antibodies in birds, principally Passeriformes, during spring and fall migrations in the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways from 2001–2003. Blood samples were obtained from 13,403 birds, representing 133 species. Specific WNV neutralizing antibody was detected in 254 resident and migratory birds, representing 39 species, and was most commonly detected in northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis ) (9.8%, N = 762) and gray catbirds ( Dumetella carolinensis ) (3.2%, N = 3188). West Nile virus viremias …

Paleoceanography Of The Gulf Of Alaska During The Past 15,000 Years: Results From Diatoms, Silicoflagellates, And Geochemistry, John A. Barron, David Bukry, Walter E. Dean, Jason A. Addison, Bruce Finney

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

High-resolution records of diatoms, silicoflagellates, and geochemistry covering the past 15,000 years were studied in three cores from the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Core EW0408-85JC in an oceanic setting on the Kayak Slope displays a paleoceanographic record similar to that at several locations on the California margin during deglaciation. Biologic productivity as reconstructed using geochemical and microfossil proxies increased abruptly during the Bølling–Alleröd (Bø–Al) warm interval (14.7–12.9 cal ka), declined during the Younger Dryas (YD) cold interval (12.9 to 11.7 cal kyr BP), and rose again during the earliest Holocene. At this site, the record after ~11 cal kyr BP …

Possible Sources Of Archaeological Maize Found In Chaco Canyon And Aztec Ruin, New Mexico, Larry Benson, J. R. Stein, H. E. Taylor

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Maize played a major role in Chaco’s interaction with outlying communities in the southern Colorado Plateau. This paper seeks to determine where archaeological corn cobs brought to Chaco Canyon were grown. Strontium-isotope and trace-metal ratios of 180 soil-water and 18 surface-water sites in the Southern Colorado Plateau have revealed possible source areas for some of 37 archaeological corn cobs from Chaco Canyon and 10 archaeological corn cobs from Aztec Ruin, New Mexico. The most probable source areas for cobs that predate the middle-12th-century drought include several Upper Rio Chaco sites (not including Chaco Canyon). There are many potential source areas …

A Robust, Multisite Holocene History Of Drift Ice Off Northern Iceland: Implications For North Atlantic Climate, John T. Andrews, Dennis Darby, Dennis Eberle, Anne E. Jennings, Matthias Moros, Astrid Ogilvie

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

An important indicator of Holocene climate change is provided by evidence for variations in the extent of drift ice. A proxy for drift ice in Iceland waters is provided by the presence of quartz. Quantitative xray diffraction analysis of the < 2 mm sediment fraction was undertaken on 16 cores from around Iceland. The quartz weight (wt.)% estimates from each core were integrated into 250-yr intervals between −0.05 and 11.7 cal. ka BP. Median quartz wt.% varied between 0.2 and 3.4 and maximum values ranged between 2.8 and 11.8 wt.%. High values were attained in the early Holocene and minimum values were reached 6–7 cal. ka BP. Quartz wt.% then rose steadily during the late Holocene. Our data exhibit no correlation with counts on haematite-stained quartz (HSQ) grains from VM129-191 west of Ireland casting doubt on the ice-transport origin. A pilot study on the provenance of Fe oxide grains in two cores that cover the last 1.3 and 6.1 cal. ka BP indicated a large fraction of the grains between 1 and 6 cal. ka BP were from either Icelandic or presently unsampled sources. However, there was a dramatic increase in Canadian and Russian sources from the Arctic Ocean ~1 cal. ka BP. These data may indicate the beginning of an Arctic Oscillation-like climate mode.

History Of Wildlife Toxicology, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The field of wildlife toxicology can be traced to

the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Initial

reports included unintentional poisoning of birds from

ingestion of spent lead shot and predator control agents,

alkali poisoning of waterbirds, and die-offs from maritime

oil spills. With the advent of synthetic pesticides in the

1930s and 1940s, effects of DDT and other pesticides were

investigated in free-ranging and captive wildlife. In

response to research findings in the US and UK, and the

publication of Silent Spring in 1962, public debate on the

hazards of pollutants arose and national contaminant

monitoring programs were initiated. …

Mineralogy Of Mine Waste At The Vermont Asbestos Group Mine, Belvidere Mountain, Vermont, Denise M. Levitan, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Mickey E. Gunter, Robert R. Seal Ii, I-Ming Chou, Nadine M. Piatak

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Samples from the surfaces of waste piles at the Vermont Asbestos Group mine in northern Vermont were studied to determine their mineralogy, particularly the presence and morphology of amphiboles. Analyses included powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and Raman spectroscopy. Minerals identified by XRD were serpentine-group minerals, magnetite, chlorite, quartz, olivine, pyroxene, and brucite; locally, mica and carbonates were also present. Raman spectroscopy distinguished antigorite and chrysotile, which could not be differentiated using XRD. Long-count, short-range XRD scans of the (110) amphibole peak showed trace amounts of amphibole in most samples. Examination …

Microseismicity At The North Anatolian Fault In The Sea Of Marmara Offshore Istanbul, Nw Turkey, Fatih Bulut, Marco Bohnhoff, William L. Ellsworth, Mustafa Aktar, Georg Dresen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) below the Sea of Marmara forms a ‘‘seismic gap’’ where a major earthquake is expected to occur in the near future. This segment of the fault lies between the 1912 Ganos and 1999 İzmit ruptures and is the only NAFZ segment that has not ruptured since 1766. To monitor the microseismic activity at the main fault branch offshore of Istanbul below the Çınarcık Basin, a permanent seismic array (PIRES) was installed on the two outermost Prince Islands, Yassiada and Sivriada, at a few kilometers distance to the fault. In addition, a temporary network of …

A One-Dimensional Heat-Transport Model For Conduit Flow In Karst Aquifers, Andrew J. Long, Patrick C. Gilcrease

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A one-dimensional heat-transport model for conduit flow in karst aquifers is presented as an alternative to two or three-dimensional distributed-parameter models, which are data intensive and require knowledge of conduit locations. This model can be applied for cases where water temperature in a well or spring receives all or part of its water from a phreatic conduit. Heat transport in the conduit is simulated by using a physically-based heat-transport equation that accounts for inflow of diffuse flow from smaller openings and fissures in the surrounding aquifer during periods of low recharge. Additional diffuse flow that is within the zone of …

Interbasin Flow In The Great Basin With Special Reference To The Southern Funeral Mountains And The Source Of Furnace Creek Springs, Death Valley, California, U.S., Wayne R. Belcher, M. S. Bedinger, Jennifer T. Back, Donald S. Sweetkind

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Interbasin flow in the Great Basin has been established by scientific studies during the past century. While not occurring uniformly between all basins, its occurrence is common and is a function of the hydraulic gradient between basins and hydraulic conductivity of the intervening rocks. The Furnace Creek springs in Death Valley, California are an example of large volume springs that are widely accepted as being the discharge points of regional interbasin flow. The flow path has been interpreted historically to be through consolidated Paleozoic carbonate rocks in the southern Funeral Mountains. This work reviews the preponderance of evidence supporting the …

Geochemical Evidence For African Dust And Volcanic Ash Inputs To Terra Rossa Soils On Carbonate Reef Terraces, Northern Jamaica, West Indies, Daniel R. Muhs, James R. Budahn

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The origin of red or reddish-brown, clay-rich, ‘‘terra rossa’’ soils on limestone has been debated for decades. A traditional qualitative explanation for their formation has been the accumulation of insoluble residues as the limestone is progressively dissolved over time. However, this mode of formation often requires unrealistic or impossible amounts of carbonated is solution. Therefore, where this mechanism is not viable and where local fluvial or colluvial inputs can be ruled out, an external source or sources must be involved in soil formation.

Mineralogy And Micromorphology Of An Atacama Desert Soil, Chile: A Model For Hyperarid Pedogenesis, Michael S. Howell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Atacama Desert is the oldest and driest desert on Earth. Hyperarid soils in this desert are dominated by rare (or exclusive) salt minerals and assemblages. Previous research details salt origins and abundance, however pedogenic processes involved in salt distribution are not adequately explained. Therefore, the main goal of this investigation was to identify and document evidence for hyperarid pedogenesis (via salt mineralogy and soil micromorphology) at a field site, Oficina Ercilla, located ~80 km northeast of Antofagasta, Chile within the Central Depression and hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. This study presents an interpretational model for hyperarid pedogenesis, which …

Sequence And Chemostratigraphic Study Across The Basal Eureka Quartzite Unconformity In The Great Basin, Nevada: Implications For The Origin Of The Late Ordovician Carbon Isotope Excursion, Apostolos Paul Kosmidis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The positive carbon isotope (δ 13 C) excursion from the late Middle Ordovician Copenhagen Formation that underlies the Eureka Quartzite in central Nevada has been hypothesized to record a global cooling event ∼10 Myr prior to the well-recognized Late Ordovician Hirnantian glaciation (∼443 Ma). However, direct evidence for pre-Hirnantian continental glaciation remains scarce, raising uncertainties in the relationship between the inferred eustatic sea-level fall and the origin of the positive δ 13 C excursion. Additionally, previous stratigraphic studies from southern Nevada and California suggest relative sea-level fall in excess of ∼ 150 meters, which exceeds estimates for younger glacial periods …

Bending Of Woody Riparian Vegetation As A Function Of Hydraulic Flow Conditions, John O. Goreham

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Vegetation encroachment reduces channel conveyance capacity below design objectives and greatly increases the risk for loss of life and property damage in the case of large flood events. Given minimal knowledge of hydraulic roughness for shrubs and woody vegetation, accurate estimation of channel capacity and water surface elevation is difficult. The ability to predict a tree's bent, reduced height in the presence of flow permits more accurate prediction of hydraulic roughness and water surface elevation.

In this study, field tests were performed to elucidate tree bending properties, which in turn served as input parameters for a numerical algorithm designed to …

In Situ Element Quantification In The Hydrothermal Diamond Anvil Cell Using Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence With Applications Toward Subduction Zone Processes, Steven Joseph Maglio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Yttrium is used in geochemical investigations of arc volcanics and metamorphic geothermometers. The ability to use Y as a geochemical tool is predicated on an understanding of the mobility of Y during fluid-saturated conditions attending metamorphic and igneous processes. The goal of this work was to use the hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC) and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence to quantify, in situ, the concentration of Y in aqueous fluids at 2-5 GPa and 650 - 800 °C; conditions likely at the oceanic lithosphere - mantle wedge interface in subduction zones. Previous studies have used modified diamond anvils which limits their …

Geoelectrical Response Of Surfactant Solutions In A Quartzitic Sand Analog Aquifer, Meghan Therese Magill

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this project, the resistivity and phase shift of ten surfactant aqueous solutions in a sand matrix were measured using spectral induced polarization (SIP). In addition, specific conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and dielectric constant measurements of the solutions were also evaluated. The frequency range assessed was 0.091-12000Hz. The surfactants, which are typically used in the remediation of tetrachloroethylene, were Aerosol MA 80-I, Dowfax 8390, and Steol CS-330. The surfactants were mixed into solutions of both deionized and tap water at varying concentrations and injected into a closed system of silica sand. The surfactant treatments altered resistivity, specific conductivity, and pH …

High Pressure Phase Transistions In The Lanthanide Sesquioxides, Jason Patrick Mcclure

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Crystallizing into 5 known polymorphic forms, the rare-Earth sesquioxides RE 2 O 3 represent a family of 4-f electron compounds that have been the subject of study for many years. Aspects of the systematics in the structural phase transitions for RE 2 O 3 (RE=La, Sm, Eu, Gd, Y, Er, Yb, Lu) under pressure were studied using diamond anvil cells (DACs). As a part of this study, detailed equation of state (EOS) data for all these compounds were obtained through the use of angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction (XRD) where anomalies in compression data led to the detailed investigation into one particular …

Soil Moisture And Water Stage Estimation Using Precipitation Radar, Sumit Puri

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In south-western United States, soil moisture data is important for drought studies in the region which is experiencing a drought for many years, whereas in South Florida, water stage data is required by hydrologists to monitor the hydrological flow in wetlands. Soil moisture data and water stage data are not sufficiently available due to sparse monitoring stations. Installation of dense measuring stations over an extended area is costly and labor intensive. Therefore, there is a need to develop an alternative method of measuring soil moisture and water stage. Microwave remote sensing has proven to be a useful tool in the …

Provenance Of The Miocene-Pliocene Muddy Creek Formation Near Mesquite, Nevada, Steven Wayne Forrester

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The provenance, stratigraphy, and depositional history of the Miocene-Pliocene Muddy Creek Formation (MCF) in southern Nevada are poorly studied and poorly constrained. Previous studies of the MCF have concluded that the formation consists of lacustrine, eolian, and fluvial deposits. Currently the age of deposition is loosely constrained between 8.5 and 4.1 Ma. This study documents the evolution of one portion of the eastern extent of the MCF and determines its provenance and depositional history at Flat Top and Mormon Mesas in Nevada; and near Beaver Dam and Littlefield, Arizona.

This study intended to determine whether the MCF was deposited by …

Fate Of Sulfamethoxazole, 4-Nonylphenol, And 17Β-Estradiol In Groundwater Contaminated By Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent, Larry Barber, Steffanie Keefe, Dennis Leblanc, Paul Bradley, Francis Chapelle, Michael Meyer, Keith Lofton, Dana Kolpin, Fernando Rubio

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs) were measured in samples collected from monitoring wells located along a 4.5- km transect of a plume of groundwater contaminated by 60 years of continuous rapid infiltration disposal of wastewater treatment plant effluent. Fifteen percent of the 212OWCs analyzed were detected, including the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SX), the nonionic surfactant degradation product 4-nonylphenol (NP), the solvent tetrachloroethene (PCE), and the disinfectant 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB). Comparison of the 2005 sampling results to data collected from the same wells in 1985 indicates that PCE and DCB are transported more rapidly in the aquifer than NP, consistent with predictions based on …

Biodegradation Of 17Β-Estradiol, Estrone And Testosterone In Stream Sediments, Paul Bradley, Larry Barber, Francis Chapelle, James Gray, Dana Kolpin, Peter B. Mcmahon

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Biodegradation of 17β-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and testosterone (T) was investigated in three wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) affected streams in the United States. Relative differences in the mineralization of [4-¹⁴C] substrates were assessed in oxic microcosms containing saturated sediment or water-only from locations upstream and downstream of the WWTP outfall in each system. Upstream sediment demonstrated significant mineralization of the “A” ring of E2, E1, and T, with biodegradation of T consistently greater than that of E2 and no systematic difference in E2 and E1 biodegradation. “A” ring mineralization also was observed in downstream sediment, with E1 and …

Response Of Sandhill Crane (Grus Canadensis Riverine Roosting Habitat To Changes In Stage And Sandbar Morphology, Paul Kinzel, Jonathan Nelson, Ashley Heckman

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Over the past century, flow regulation and vegetation encroachment have reduced active channel widths along the central Platte River, Nebraska. During the last two decades, an annual program of in-channel vegetation management has been implemented to stabilize or expand active channel widths. Vegetation management practices are intended to enhance riverine habitats which include nocturnal roosting habitat for sandhill cranes. Evaluating the success of other management treatments such as streamflow modification requires an understanding of how flow shapes the sandbars in the river and how sandbar morphology interacts with flow to create crane habitat. These linkages were investigated along a 1-km …

Does Sedimentary 231Pa/230Th From The Bermuda Rise Monitor Past Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation?, Jörg Lippold, Jens Grützner, Diane Winter, Yann Lahaye, Augusto Mangini, Marcus Christl

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Ocean circulation may have undergone reductions and reinvigorations in the past closely tied to regional climate changes. Measurements of ²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th ratios in a sediment core from the Bermuda Rise have been interpreted as evidence that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) was weakened or completely eliminated during a period of catastrophic iceberg discharges (Heinrich-Event 1, H1). Here we present new data from the Bermuda Rise that show further ²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th peaks during Heinrich-2 (H2) and Heinrich-3 (H3). Additionally, a tight correlation between diatom abundances (biogenic silica) and ²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th is discovered in this …

On The Role Of Groundwater And Soil Texture In The Regional Water Balance: An Investigation Of The Nebraska Sand Hills, Usa, Tiejun Wang, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, John D. Lenters, Durelle T. Scott

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Partitioning of precipitation between evapotranspiration and runoff at the basin scale is primarily controlled by climate and basin characteristics. Here we use the Budyko hypothesis to investigate the impacts of soil texture and groundwater (e.g., baseflow) on annual and long-term mean annual water balances of basins in a semiarid region located in and around the Sand Hills region of Nebraska, USA. Native grasslands are dominant across the study area with soil textures dramatically different for the Nebraska Sand Hills (primarily sand deposits) and the adjacent regions (mainly less permeable silt loam). For each basin, long-term hydrologic and meteorological data are …