Digital Commons Network^™

Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Accumulation In A Forested Debris Flow Chronosequence, California, Judith K. Turk, Robert C. Graham

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The role of forest soils in the biogeochemical cycling of C and N is most dynamic during the early stages of soil development. To define C and N trends that occur with soil development in a mixed coniferous forest, a chronosequence formed by debris flows was studied. The accumulation rates of total organic C (TOC) and total N (TN) were evaluated in soils on 10 debris flow deposits, ranging from depth, since this was the depth of the shallowest debris flows. Carbon was found to accumulate in the organic horizons at a rate of 26.5 g m⁻² yr^{−1 …}

Paleolimnological Evidence Of The Effects On Lakes Of Energy And Mass Transfer From Climate And Humans, Peter R. Leavitt, Sherilyn C. Fritz, N. J. Anderson, P. A. Baker, T. Blenckner, L. Bunting, J. Catalan, D. J. Conley, W. O. Hobbs, E. Jeppesen, A. Korhola, S. Mcgowan, K. Rühland, J. A. Rusak, G. L. Simpson, N. Solovieva, J. Werne

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The premise of this article is that climate effects on lakes can be quantified most effectively by the integration of process-oriented limnological studies with paleolimnological research, particularly when both disciplines operate within a common conceptual framework. To this end, the energy (E)–mass (m) flux framework (Em flux) is developed and applied to selected retrospective studies to demonstrate that climate variability regulates lake structure and function over diverse temporal and spatial scales through four main pathways: rapid direct transfer of E to the lake surface by irradiance, heat, and wind; slow indirect effects of E via changes in …

Estimating Hydraulic Conductivity From Drainage Patterns Derived From Dem -- A Case Study In The Oregon Cascades, B. P. Grudzinski, W. Luo, Daryll Pederson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Hydraulic conductivity is an important parameter in hydrology which describes the ease with which water moves through porous media. This parameter is also important in understanding the hydrology of Mars. On Earth, this parameter can be measured by conducting controlled experiments in laboratories or conducting pumping tests in the field. This study introduces a new method of estimating hydraulic conductivity from drainage dissection pattern derived from digital elevation model (DEM). This method can be applied to Mars if it is robustly tested on Earth.

Estimating Hydraulic Conductivity From Drainage Patterns Derived From Dem-A Case Study In The Oregon Cascades, B. P. Grudzinski, W. Luo, Darryll T. Pederson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Hydraulic conductivity is an important parameter in hydrology which describes the ease with which water moves through porous media. This parameter is also important in understanding the hydrology of Mars. On Earth, this parameter can be measured by conducting controlled experiments in laboratories or conducting pumping tests in the field. This study introduces a new method of estimating hydraulic conductivity from drainage dissection pattern derived from digital elevation model (DEM). This method can be applied to Mars if it is robustly tested on Earth.

Obliquity-Paced Pliocene West Antarctic Ice Sheet Oscillations, T. Naish, R. D. Powell, R. Levy, G. Wilson, R. Scherer, F. Talarico, L. Krissek, F. Niessen, M. Pompilio, T. J. Wilson, L. Carter, R. Deconto, P. Huybers, R. Mckay, D. Pollard, J. Ross, D. Winter, P. Barrett, G. Browne, R. Cody, E. A. Cowan, J. Crampton, G. Dunbar, N. Dunbar, F. Florindo, C. Gebhardt, I. Graham, M. Hannah, D. Hansaraj, David M. Harwood, D. Helling, S. Henrys, L. Hinnov, G. Kuhn, P. Kyle, A. La¨Ufer, P. Maffioli, D. Magens, K. Mandernack, W. Mcintosh, C. Millan, R. Morin, C. Ohneiser, T. Paulsen, D. Persico, I. Raine, J. Reed, C. Riesselman, L. Sagnotti, D. Schmitt, C. Sjunneskog, P. Strong, M. Taviani, S. Vogel, T. Wilch, T. Williams

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Thirty years after oxygen isotope records frommicrofossils deposited in ocean sediments confirmed the hypothesis that variations in the Earth’s orbital geometry control the ice ages¹, fundamental questions remain over the response of the Antarctic ice sheets to orbital cycles². Furthermore, an understanding of the behaviour of the marinebased West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) during the ‘warmerthan- present’ early-Pliocene epoch ( ~5–3Myr ago) is needed to better constrain the possible range of ice-sheet behaviour in the context of future global warming³. Here we present a marine glacial record from the upper 600mof the AND-1B sediment …

Biostratigraphy Of The Hunter Creek Sandstone, Verdi Basin, Washoe County, Nevada, Thomas S. Kelly, Ross Secord

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Hunter Creek Sandstone of the Verdi Basin, Nevada, yielded a succession of superposed continental faunal assemblages ranging in age from the late Clarendonian (late Miocene) through the late Blancan (late Pliocene) in the North American land mammal age framework, or ca. 10.5-2.5 Ma. We describe two new local faunas from the Hunter Creek Sandstone: the East Verdi local fauna, of late-medial to late Clarendonian age, which includes Dinohippus cf. D. leardi, Camelidae, ?Antilocapridae, and Mammutidae or Gomphotheriidae; and the Mogul local fauna, of Hemphillian age, which includes Dinohippus sp., Rhinocerotidae, Camelidae (at least two species), Mammut sp., and …

High-Resolution Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy For The Coniacian/Santonian Stage Boundary, Western Interior Basin, Stacie A. Blair, David K. Watkins

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Ten Mile Creek area (Dallas, Texas) is a proposed Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) candidate for the Coniacian/Santonian Stage boundary. The Santonian Working Group has designated the first appearance of Inoc¬eramus (Cladoceramus) undulatoplicatus as the diagnostic macrofossil bioevent for the base of the Santonian Stage. Cal¬careous nannofossils were examined from sediments of the Bruceville Marl at the proposed GSSP site and from well-preserved sediments of the coeval Smoky Hill Member-type area (northwestern Kansas) of the Niobrara Formation. Nannofossil bioevents were correlated with the lowest stratigraphic occurrence of I. undulatoplicatus to create a high resolution biostratigraphic framework and stratigraphic …

Paleohydrology Of Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord), West Greenland During The Last ~8,000 Years, Frank Aebly, Sherilyn C. Fritz

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Major fluctuations of hydroclimate in West Greenland are recorded in paleoshoreline terraces that encircle several lakes near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (67°01’N, 50°40’W). Geomorphic and stratigraphic analyses were used to construct a lake-level curve for Hunde Sø, a large closed-basin lake in this region. Changes in lake volume associated with lake-level fluctuations were calculated, and a water-balance model was used to determine the primary factors influencing lake volume and the changes in those factors necessary to affect reconstructed lake-level change. Sensitivity tests suggest that mean annual precipitation and the relative proportion of summer versus winter precipitation are the primary climate drivers of …

Long-Period Ground Motions In The Upper Mississippi Embayment From Finite-Fault, Finite-Difference Simulations, Kenneth A. Macpherson

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A 3D velocity model and 3D wave propagation code have been employed to simulate long-period ground motions in the upper Mississippi embayment. This region is exposed to seismic hazard in the form of large earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone and observational data are sparse, making simulation a valuable tool for predicting the effects of large events. These simulations were undertaken in order to estimate ground-motion characteristics and to investigate the influence of the 3D embayment structure and finite-fault mechanics. There are three primary fault zones in the New Madrid seismic zone, each of which was likely associated with …

Ultraviolet Radiation Sensitivity In Cave Bacteria: Evidence Of Adaptation To The Subsurface?, Jessica R. Snider, Caitlin Goin, Robert V. Miller, Penelope J. Boston, Diana E. Northup

International Journal of Speleology

We hypothesize that a reduced capacity to withstand or repair cellular damage from ultraviolet radiation may be present in cave-adapted microorganisms that never experience such conditions. However, a small number of previous studies have shown that some subsurface bacteria do not show greater sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) than surface bacteria. To estimate UVR sensitivity in cave bacteria, bacterial isolates were collected from Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico, U.S.A., and percent survival following exposure to various UVC and UVA radiation doses was determined. Cave bacteria from Left Hand Tunnel in Carlsbad Cavern and surface bacteria from soil and rocks above Carlsbad …

Matrix Geochemistry And Phytophthora Occurrence On Reforested Mine Lands In Appalachia, Kathryn M. Ward

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

At the Bent Mountain surface mine, Pike County, Kentucky, a study has been ongoing since 2005 to assess the influence of various types of loose-graded mine spoils on water quality and forest establishment. Six research plots consist of two replicates of brown weathered sandstone, gray unweathered sandstone, and mixed brown sandstone, gray sandstone, and shale that were emplaced according to Forestry Reclamation Approach criteria. A series of analyses was initiated in 2007 to examine influence of spoil matrix composition on sulfate and carbonate geochemistry of infiltrated waters, as well as to investigate the occurrence of Phytophthora, a group of …

Variation In C/P Ratios In Devonian-Mississippian Marine Shales: Testing The Productivity-Anoxia Feedback Model, Brian T. Scott

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Carbon/phosphorus ratios for late Devonian-early Mississippian marine black shales along a transect from the Illinois Basin, across the Cumberland Saddle, and into the Appalachian Basin were evaluated to assess the role of productivity in organic carbon accumulation. Phosphorus is a key limiting nutrient for biological productivity in marine environments and may be regenerated preferentially relative to organic carbon, the amount of regeneration possibly being related to bottom-water anoxia. A positive feed-back mechanism (more specifically, productivity-anoxia feedback or PAF) has been proposed between water-column anoxia, high benthic regeneration of phosphorus, and marine productivity. This regeneration of phosphorus under anoxic conditions and …

Use Of Surface Geophysical Techniques To Locate A Karst Conduit In The Cane Run - Royal Spring Basin, Kentucky, Ganesh N. Tripathi

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Groundwater flow in karst terrains is difficult to map because it can be concentrated through conduits that do not necessarily coincide with the surface features. We applied electrical resistivity (ER) and self-potential (SP) techniques at three sites to locate an inferred trunk conduit feeding a major spring in the Inner Bluegrass region of Kentucky. Royal Spring is the primary water supply for the city of Georgetown; the upper part of its basin coincides with the Cane Run watershed. ER and SP profiles were perpendicular to the inferred trunk conduit orientation. ER profiles (972 m total length) were measured using a …

Bedrock Mapping Of The Winchendon (1:25,000) Quadrangle (Ma-Nh): Evidence For Discontinous Deformation Along The Bronson Hill-Central Maine Boundary Zone, Timothy M. O'Brien

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Bedrock geology of the Winchendon quadrangle is divided into two zones based on structures and lithology. The eastern zone consists of tightly folded Silurian Rangeley and Paxton metasediments and pegmatites. Planar, NNE-SSW striking, W dipping foliations are characterized by alternating phyllosilicate-rich and leucosome layers. Fold axes of tight to isoclinal upright and recumbent folding are parallel to SSW-NNE shallowly plunging sillimanite, quartz and muscovite lineations. In the western zone Rangeley schists were intruded by Devonian Hardwick and Coys Hill and Fitzwilliam plutons. Planar NNE-SSW striking foliations dip shallowly to steeply west. Fold axes of tight-to-isoclinal asymmetric to recumbent folds plunge …

Structural Geology Of The Transylvania Fault Zone In Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Lauren Dodson

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Transverse zones cross strike of thrust-belt structures as large-scale alignments of cross-strike structures. The Transylvania fault zone is a set of discontinuous right-lateral transverse faults striking at about 270º across Appalachian thrust-belt structures along 40º N latitude in Pennsylvania. Near Everett, Pennsylvania, the Breezewood fault terminates with the Ashcom thrust fault. The Everett Gap fault terminates westward with the Hartley thrust fault. Farther west, the Bedford fault extends westward to terminate against the Wills Mountain thrust fault. The rocks, deformed during the Alleghanian orogeny, are semi-independently deformed on opposite sides of the transverse fault, indicating fault movement during folding and …

Biodegradation Of Fuel Oxygenates In Northeastern United States Aquifers With An Analysis Of Underground Storage Tank Leaks, Gordon Hinshalwood

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

During the past decade the application of monitored natural attenuation has become one of the predominant technologies used in the remediation of gasoline spills impacting subsurface soils and groundwater. The success of this method has depended, for the most part, on the biodegradation of those gasoline constituents that dissolve into groundwater and transport with the groundwater most readily.

One of the most mobile components of gasoline formulations during the past 20 years has been methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), which has traditionally been viewed in both the scientific and the regulatory communities as relatively recalcitrant to biodegradation. However, cases of …

Magma In A Beaker: Analog Experiments With Water And Various Salts Or Sugar For Teaching Igneous Petrology, John B. Brady

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Solutions of water and a salt or sugar make excellent experimental analog magmas for teaching concepts of igneous petrology because of the comparatively low temperatures involved, the simplicity of the apparatus needed, and the responsiveness of familiar chemical systems. Boiling of these aqueous solutions on a hot plate can be used to increase the concentration of a dissolved salt or sugar to levels that may be predicted by steam-saturation curves. Sufficiently concentrated solutions will crystallize, partially or completely, upon cooling to room temperature. Binary temperature–composition phase diagrams for H₂O and KCl, NaCl, MgCl₂, CaCl₂, …

Investigating The Impact Of Microbial Interactions With Geologic Media On Geophysical Properties, Caroline A. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

"The goals of this study were to investigate the effect of: (1) microbial metabolic byproducts, microbial growth, and biofilm formation on the low frequency electrical properties of porous media, (2) biofilm formation on acoustic wave properties, and (3) the natural electrical (self-potential) signatures associated with an in-situ biological permeable reactive barrier (PRB). The results suggest: (1) increases in electrolytic conductivity are consistent with increased concentrations of organic acids and biosurfactants; (2) mineral weathering promoted by organic acids causes increases in electrolytic conductivity, concomitant with increases in major cation concentrations; (3) interfacial conductivity generally parallels microbial cell concentrations and biofilm formation; …

The Cretaceous-Paleogene Transition In The Northern Mississippi Embayment, S.E. Missouri: Palynology, Micropaleontology, And Evidence Of A Mega-Tsunami Deposit, Tambra L. Eifert

Doctoral Dissertations

"Upper Cretaceous to lower Paleogene sedimentary rocks in Southeastern Missouri record the northwest extension of the Mississippi Embayment, yet very little information exists about them due to lack of exposures. Access to borehole and trench material and well logs provided an opportunity to study the sedimentology, palynology and micropaleontology of the three formations spanning the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary interval: Owl Creek (Cretaceous) and Clayton and Porters Creek (Paleocene). Lithologic features, palynomorphs (mainly spores, pollen, dinoflagellate cysts), dispersed organic matter, and foraminifera were used to interpret biostratigraphy, paleovegetation, paleoclimatic and depositional conditions, thereby creating a framework upon which further questions involving …

Environmental Geochemistry Of Metal Contaminated Sediments From The Big River System Of Southeastern Missouri, Helen Carrie Bender

Masters Theses

"Geochemical analysis of stream sediments from the Big River Watershed of southeastern Missouri indicates that they contain elevated concentrations of contaminant metals such as Pb. Zn, Cu. Co, Ni and Cd. The elevated concentrations are derived from natural exposures of metal enriched strata and the numerous mine tailings piles and water seeps created as a result of about 300 years of lead-zinc mining in the “Old Lead Belt”. Galena (PbS), sphalerite (ZnS), and pyrite (FeS₂) are the primary sulfides found in the tailings piles and Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis of individual metallic sediment particles collected at intervals downstream …

Melting Of Major Glaciers In The Western Himalayas: Evidence Of Climatic Changes From Long Term Msu Derived Tropospheric Temperature Trend (1979-2008), Anup K. Prasad, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Hesham El-Askary, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Global warming or the increase of the surface and atmospheric temperatures of the Earth, is increasingly discernible in the polar, sub-polar and major land glacial areas. The Himalayan and Tibetan Plateau Glaciers, which are the largest glaciers outside of the Polar regions, are showing a large-scale decrease of snow cover and an extensive glacial retreat. These glaciers such as Siachen and Gangotri are a major water resource for Asia as they feed major rivers such as the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. Due to scarcity of ground measuring stations, the long-term observations of atmospheric temperatures acquired from the Microwave Sounding Unit …

Global Distribution Of Atmospheric Phosphorus Sources, Concentrations And Deposition Rates, And Anthropogenic Impacts, Natalie Mahowald, Timothy D. Jickells, Alex R. Baker, Paulo Artaxo, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Gilles Bergametti, Tami C. Bond, Ying Chen, David D. Cohen, Barak Herut, Nilgun Kubilay, Remi Losno, Chao Luo, Willy Maenhaut, Kenneth A. Mcgee, Gregory S. Okin, Ronald L. Siefert, Seigen Tsukuda

Faculty Publications

[1] A worldwide compilation of atmospheric total phosphorus (TP) and phosphate (PO4) concentration and deposition flux observations are combined with transport model simulations to derive the global distribution of concentrations and deposition fluxes of TP and PO4. Our results suggest that mineral aerosols are the dominant source of TP on a global scale (82%), with primary biogenic particles (12%) and combustion sources (5%) important in nondusty regions. Globally averaged anthropogenic inputs are estimated to be ∼5 and 15% for TP and PO4, respectively, and may contribute as much as 50% to the deposition over the oligotrophic ocean where productivity may …

Final Report: Task 22 — Extreme Ground Motion Studies, John G. Anderson, James N. Brune, Jaak J.K. Daemen, Matthew Purvance

Publications (YM)

TASK 22 consisted of two separate investigations into extreme ground motions due to seismic events, Subtask 1 and Subtask 2. Subtask 1 included field studies of geological formations that should put an upper bound on extreme ground motions that have happened at the site of the formations. The locations are critically selected to provide the most effective constraints possible on the validity of the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for Yucca Mountain. Subtask 2 surveyed recorded ground motions from around the world, with the aim to draw general conclusions from these as to the conditions where extreme ground motions are observed. …

Surface Energy Balance And Melt Thresholds Over 11 Years At Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, Matthew James Hoffman, Andrew G. Fountain, Glen E. Liston

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Victoria Land, Antarctica, melting of glacial ice is the primary source of water to streams, lakes, and associated ecosystems. To understand geochemical fluxes and ecological responses to past and future climates requires a physically based energy balance model. We applied a one-dimensional model to one site on Taylor Glacier using 11 years of daily meteorological data and seasonal ablation measurements. Inclusion of transmission of solar radiation into the ice was necessary to accurately model summer ablation and ice temperatures. Results showed good correspondence between calculated and measured ablation and ice temperatures over the 11 years. …

Organic Chemostratigraphic Markers Characteristic Of The (Informally Designated) Anthropocene Epoch, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Recognizing the tremendous collective impact of humans on the environment in the industrial age, the proposed designation of the current time period as the Anthropocene Epoch has considerable merit. One of the signature activities during this time continues to be the intensive extraction, processing, and combustion of fossil fuels. While fossil fuels themselves are naturally-occurring, they are most often millions of years old and associated with deeply buried strata. They may be found at the surface, for example, as natural oil seeps or coal seam outcrops, but these are relatively rare occurrences. Fossil fuels and their myriad by-products become the …

The Tiffanian Land-Mammal Age (Middle And Late Paleocene) In The Northern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, Ross Secord

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Tiffanian North American land-mammal age is an informal biochronologic unit that spans 4.5 myr of the middle and late Paleocene. It is preceded and succeeded by the Torrejonian and Clarkforkian land-mammal ages, respectively. The Tiffanian was initially based on a small collection of mammals from southern Colorado, but faunas of Tiffanian age are now known throughout the Rocky Mountain region. The richest and most complete sequence of middle and late Tiffanian faunas known occurs in the northern Bighorn Basin. These faunas are the primary basis for regional Tiffanian biochronology. The Bighorn Basin sequence is also important because it preserves …

Motion On Upper-Plate Faults During Subduction Zone Earthquakes: Case Of The Atacama Fault System, Northern Chile, John P. Loveless, Matthew E. Pritchard

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Motion on the Atacama Fault System (AFS) in northern Chile is driven by Andean subduction zone processes. We use two approaches, observational and theoretical, to evaluate how the AFS and other forearc faults responded to coseismic stress induced by one well-studied megathrust earthquake, the 1995 Mw = 8.1 Antofagasta event. We use synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) to search for small-scale coseismic and postseismic deformation on individual faults. The InSAR data are ambiguous: some images show offset consistent with coseismic faulting on the Paposo segment of the AFS and others lack such signal. The fact that we do not …

Slides: Lower Arkansas Valley Super Ditch Company, Inc.: Water Leasing Program, Peter Nichols

Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers (December 11)

Presenter: Peter Nichols, General Counsel of the Lower Arkansas Valley “Super Ditch” Company, Trout, Raley, Montano, Witwer & Freeman PC, Colorado

33 slides

Slides: Idaho Rental Pool: Rules And Procedures, Idaho Water Resource Board, Jerry R. Rigby

Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers (December 11)

Presenter: Jerry Rigby, Counsel for Fremont‐Madison Irrigation District, Rigby, Thatcher, Andrus, Rigby & Moeller, Idaho

25 slides

Agenda: Evolving Regional Frameworks For Ag-To-Urban Water Transfers, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center, Western Water Policy Program, Western Water Assessment (Program), Red Lodge Clearinghouse

Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers (December 11)

The permanent transfer of water from agricultural users to municipalities has become a common feature of water management in several western states. In many cases, these voluntary market‐based transfers provide significant benefits to both the buyers and sellers, but many third parties—including remaining irrigators, rural businesses and communities dependent upon agricultural economies—have been negatively impacted. While some impacts of these so‐called “buy and dry” transfers are largely unavoidable, many can be lessened by temporary arrangements that only shift water to cities in years when municipal supplies are inadequate, such as drought and post‐drought storage recovery, and by consolidating individual farm‐to‐city …