Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluating The Relationship Between Methane Seeps And Seafloor Geomorphology On The Northern Us Atlantic Margin, Gabriel Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Methane seeps are a transport pathway for carbon from seafloor sediments to the marine environment with important implications for global biogeochemical cycling. Accordingly, there is substantial interest in better understanding the processes that control seep location and predicting the distribution of seeps with existing seafloor datasets. Visual evaluation of methane seeps, in multibeam sonar water column data, suggests a spatial relationship between seeps and specific seafloor morphologic features such as ridge crests. In this thesis, seafloor geomorphology at 1996 seep detection sites on the US Atlantic margin was quantitatively characterized by geomorphologic phonotype, bathymetric position index, slope, rugosity, and aspect …

Geological Structures And Crustal Architecture Of The Cascadia Subduction Zone From The Integration Of Multiple Geophysical Datasets, Asif Ashraf

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ) has a high potential for an inevitable and devastating megathrust earthquake. This margin is characterized by a complex seismicity pattern. Particularly in Oregon, there is a seismically quiescent zone bounded by high seismicity regions to the north and south. To comprehend these variations in seismicity, it is important to study the differences in crustal architectures and physical properties (densities and magnetic susceptibilities) along the CSZ. The primary objectives are to develop two plate-scale 2D integrated models through different seismicity zones and to map major tectonic structures from filtered potential fields. The Juan de Fuca oceanic …

An Overview Of Handheld Sun Photometer Measurements Of Atmospheric Aerosols In New Orleans, Louisiana: A Case Study Of The Xavier University Study Site., M. Bradley, B. Sevalia, M. Gasseller

Faculty and Staff Publications

Aerosol optical depth (AOT) was measured at Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA, 29.96ᵒ N, 90.11° W and 3m above sea level) using a GLOBE handheld sun photometer. The measurements were done at two different wavelengths, 505nm and 625nm. The measured values were used to extrapolate the AOT values for wavelengths 667nm, 551nm, 532nm and 490nm at the XULA site. The measured and calculated AOT values were then compared with values from the nearest AERONET station at Wave CIS site 6 (AERONET, 28.87ᵒ N, 90.48° W and 33m above sea level), which is 60 miles south of XULA. In this study …

Biodiversity And Distribution Of Benthic Foraminifera In Harrington Sound, Bermuda: The Effects Of Physical And Geochemical Factors On Dominant Taxa, Nam Le

Honors Theses

Harrington Sound, Bermuda, is a nearly enclosed lagoon acting as a subtropical/tropical, carbonate-rich basin in which carbonate sediments, reef patches, and carbonate-producing organisms accumulate. Here, one of the most important calcareous groups is the Foraminifera. Analyses of common benthic orders, including miliolids (Quinqueloculina and Triloculina spp.) and rotaliids (Homotrema rubrum, Elphidium spp., and Ammonia beccarii), are essential in understanding past and present environmental conditions affecting the island's coastal environment. These taxa have been studied previously; however, factors explaining their individual patterns of abundance in the Sound are not well detailed. The goal of this study is …

Florida Science: The Science That Makes Florida Different, Terence W. Cavanaugh

Secondary Level Resources

This book was created to assist students with their understanding of how science occurs in Florida. When teaching science or any subject it’s important to remember to begin with the concrete and then move to the abstract. I have found that it has helped my students when I begin by teaching science concepts in a concrete manner and expand from there. For example, when I taught about topographic maps, the students were much more successful in their learning when I started with local topographic maps that included the school and the surrounding area than with places that had mountains or …

Three-Dimensional Bedrock Channel Evolution With Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, Nick Richmond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bedrock channels are responsible for balancing and communicating tectonic and climatic signals across landscapes, but it is difficult and dangerous to observe and measure the flows responsible for removing weakly-attached blocks of bedrock from the channel boundary. Consequently, quantitative descriptions of the dynamics of bedrock removal are scarce. Detailed numerical simulation of violent flows in three dimensions has been historically challenging due to technological limitations, but advances in computational fluid dynamics aided by high-performance computing have made it practical to generate approximate solutions to the governing equations of fluid dynamics. From these numerical solutions we gain detailed knowledge of the …

Margaret White Springs Recharge Study, Buffalo National River, North-Central Arkansas, Usa, Ashlon Elizabeth Leonard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Margaret White Springs (MWS) is one of the largest springs in the middle section of the Buffalo National River (BNR) and contributes several tens of cubic feet per second of flow to river discharge on average, yet the source of the water has not been fully studied or documented. The spring is located approximately 4 miles downstream from Robertson Hole, a losing reach of the river. At Robertson Hole the river loses a significant amount of flow to groundwater, which during the dry season (summer) can be as much as 100%. Flow in the main channel is re-established at MWS; …

Review Of Curbing Catastrophe: Natural Hazards And Risk Reduction In The Modern World, Kira H. Hamman

Numeracy

Timothy H. Dixon. 2017. Curbing Catastrophe: Natural Hazards and Risk Reduction in the Modern World. (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press) 300 pp. ISBN 978-1108113663.

In Curbing Catastrophe, Timothy H. Dixon explores commonalities among natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the meltdown at Fukushima. He identifies communication failure between scientists and policy makers as a major culprit in the devastation that results from such events and offers strategies for improving that communication. He includes optional in-depth scientific and quantitative examinations of the events and the resulting devastation, making the book appropriate for use …

Future Nuisance Flooding In Norfolk, Va, From Astronomical Tides And Annual To Decadal Internal Climate Variability, A. G. Burgos, B. D. Hamlington, P. R. Thompson, R. D. Ray

OES Faculty Publications

Increasing sea level rise will lead to more instances of nuisance flooding along the Virginia coastline in the coming decades, causing road closures and deteriorating infrastructure. These minor flood events can be caused by astronomical tides alone, in addition to internal climate variability on annual to decadal timescales. An assessment of nuisance flooding from these two effects is presented up until the year 2050 for Norfolk, Virginia. The analysis of water levels indicates that nuisance flooding from tides alone in conjunction with a medium-high sea level scenario will result in flooding beginning in 2030 with frequency increasing thereafter. The addition …

Using Foraminifera In Stemseas Site 1 To Understand The Recent Paleoceanographic And Paleoclimatic History Of Tanner Basin, California Borderland, Michael Stanley Stone

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In May of 2016, the STEMSEAS Educational Transit cruise OC1605-tranA collected the STEMSEAS Site 1 core from the Tanner Basin in the California Borderland. This research serves as the first formal survey of the foraminifera preserved within that core. The purpose of this research is to use foraminifera preserved within that core to understand the recent depositional and paleoenvironmental conditions at Site 1, and to place that information into a regional paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic context. In pursuing this purpose, this research aims to answer three questions: 1) Can biostratigraphic markers in the foraminiferal assemblages in STEMSEAS Site 1 core be …

Apathy And Concern Over The Future Habitability Of Earth: An Introductory College Assignment Of Forecasting Co2 In The Earth’S Atmosphere, Benjamin J. Burger

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Non-science, first year regional undergraduate students from rural Utah communities participated in an online introductory geology course and were asked to forecast the rise of CO₂ in the Earth’s atmosphere. The majority of students predicted catastrophic rise to 5,000-ppm sometime over the next 3,100 years, resulting in an atmosphere nearly uninhabitable to human life. However, the level of concern the students exhibited in their answers was not directly proportional with their timing in their forecasted rise of CO₂. This study showcases the importance of presenting students with actual data and using data to develop student forecasted models. …

Oceans And Shorelines, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

Until 1872 when H.M.S, Challenger, a British warship converted for research, made its historic voyage, relatively little was known about the oceans. The voyage, funded by the British government, was mandated to chart the depth of the ocean, measure the various ocean currents, amass data on the composition of the ocean's water and bottom sediments, and collect information on ocean life. At the time of the voyage, except for a few soundings, almost nothing was known about the ocean bottom. Most scientists of the day had considered the vast expanses of the deep ocean basins to be nothing more than …

Automated Image Interpretation For Science Autonomy In Robotic Planetary Exploration, Raymond Francis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Advances in the capabilities of robotic planetary exploration missions have increased the wealth of scientific data they produce, presenting challenges for mission science and operations imposed by the limits of interplanetary radio communications. These data budget pressures can be relieved by increased robotic autonomy, both for onboard operations tasks and for decision- making in response to science data.

This thesis presents new techniques in automated image interpretation for natural scenes of relevance to planetary science and exploration, and elaborates autonomy scenarios under which they could be used to extend the reach and performance of exploration missions on planetary surfaces.

Two …

Late Glacial-Holocene Climate Change Recorded In Proglacial Lake Sediment Cores From The Huaguruncho Massif, Central Peruvian Andes, Dane O'Neil

Honors Theses

Alpine glaciers respond rapidly to changes in climate and the growth and decay of alpine glaciers is recorded in sediment cores extracted from lakes immediately downvalley from the margins of former glaciers. These records provide continuous archives of glaciation and climate change that complement the inherently discontinuous records of glaciation preserved by moraines. The aim of this study is to generate a continuous record of glaciation in Jaico cirque from lake sediment cores, which is located on the southeastern side of the quartz-monzonite dominated Huaguruncho Massif (5789 masl) in the eastern Peruvian Andes. The lakes are Laguna Jaico (10.56° S, …

Slides: Master Development Plans (Mdps) / Geographic Area Plans (Gaps): Comprehensive Planning Tools For Oil And Gas Projects, Allen B. Crockett

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Mary Bloomstran, Edge Environmental

20 slides

Extent Of Gully Erosion In An Agricultural Field In Northeastern Nebraska At Section 35 Township 29 North Range 1 West In Cedar County, Crystal Starkel

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

My thesis project examined a gully within Section 35 Township 29 North Range 1 West. This gully has been noticed for five years and has grown substantially in those five years. The extent and causes of gully erosion were examined by considering the soil, the climate, the land management history, by measuring the gully physically, by using GIS, and by using an economic support tool was estimate soil loss. Appropriate recommendations were developed to reduce gully erosion.

Slides: Water And Development Of Unconventional Oil And Gas Resources, Judy Jordan

Shale Plays in the Intermountain West: Legal and Policy Issues (November 12)

Presenter: Judy Jordan, Oil & Gas Liaison, Garfield County, Rifle, CO

21 slides

Slides: Assessing Opportunities And Barriers To Reducing The Environmental Footprint Of Oil And Gas Development In Utah, Douglas Jackson-Smith, Lorien Belton, Brian Gentry, Gene Theodori

Opportunities and Obstacles to Reducing the Environmental Footprint of Natural Gas Development in Uintah Basin (October 14)

Presenter: Dr. Douglas Jackson-Smith, Utah State University--Logan Campus

37 slides

Wilson Inlet Catchment Appraisal 2007, Ron Master

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Soil Survey Of The Bettink Dairy Farm, Riverway Road, Northcliffe, Peter J. Tille, Tilwin Westrup

Resource management technical reports

This soil survey of the Bettink dairy farm in Northcliffe, Western Australia aimed to: provide detailed soil descriptions to add to information associated with the environment in which the dairy industry in Western Australia is located; collect soil samples at predetermined standard depths from documented farm locations for nutrient analysis; map soils with similar characteristics based on description and analysis.

Top Ten Geological Reason To Use The Library, Maxine G. Schmidt

Maxine G Schmidt

Geoscience researchers rely heavily on electronic resources. Unfortunately, they tend to access these resources through Google, or, sometimes, Google Scholar. The Library has provided resources which cannot be found or cannot be accessed using Google.

The Future Of Mineral Development On Federal Lands In The United States, John D. Leshy

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

11 pages.

Includes bibliographical references

"Outline of presentation of John D. Leshy, Harry D. Sunderland Distinguished Professor, U.C. Hastings College of the Law, Natural Resources Law center, June 7, 2007" (pp. 3-5)

"Leshy draft 4.27.07 For Natural Resources Law Center" (pp. 6-13)

The Anatomy Of A Coastal Bay/Lake System, Michelle Greene

LSU Master's Theses

A comprehensive and integrated approach involving sedimentology, shallow surface geophysics and radio-chemistry was used to understand lakebed sediment dynamics in Little Lake. This methodology attempted to (1) define the morphology and origin of the lake, (2) understand the variability in lake-bottom sediments, (3) assess short-term and long-term sediment accumulation rates, and (4) image lakebed features. Subbottom chirp, single beam echo sounder, and side scan sonar data were collected to define hydrographic depths, lateral variability in seabed sediment type, lakebed features, and shallow subsurface structure. Sediment samples were taken at representative locations throughout the lake and particle size distributions were determined. …

Farm Water For The North-Eastern And Eastern Wheatbelt Of Western Australia (Zones 2 And 5), Susan Murphy-White

Resource management technical reports

Large proportions of Western Australia's dryland farms suffer from water supply problems in the form of shortages, poor quality or combinations of these two factors ... A regional study for the North-eastern and Eastern Wheatbelt of Western Australia was undertaken. The base data used to develop water supply areas included soil type, landscape units, geology, hydrogeology, native vegetation and existing far water resource infrastructure.

Boyup Brook - Upper Warren Area : Catchment Appraisal 2007/ Prepared By The South West Arm Region Appraisal Team., Henry Brockman

Resource management technical reports

The aim of this Resource Management Technical Report is to assess the current extent of salinity and other natural resource degradation issues in the Boyup Brook - Upper Warren area and provide landholders with the best current management options to address natural resource management issues and enhance sustainable agricultural production.

Oceanic Uptake And The Global Atmospheric Acetone Budget, Christa Marandino, Warren J. De Bruyn, Scott Miller, M. J. Prather, Eric S. Saltzman

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

In this study, direct measurements of the air/ sea flux of acetone were made over the North Pacific Ocean. The results demonstrate that the net flux of acetone is into, rather than out of the oceans. The extrapolated global ocean uptake of 48 Tg yr(-1) requires a major revision of the atmospheric acetone budget. This result is consistent with a recent reevaluation of acetone photodissociation quantum yields.

The Aqueous Phase Yield Of Alkyl Nitrates From Roo+No: Implications For Photochemical Production In Seawater, Elizabeth E. Dahl, Eric S. Saltzman, Warren J. De Bruyn

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Alkyl nitrates have been observed in remote oceanic regions of the troposphere and in the surface ocean. The mechanism for their production in the oceans is not known. A likely source is the reaction of ROO + NO (where R is an alkyl group). Steady-state laboratory experiments show that alkyl nitrates are produced in the aqueous phase via this reaction, with branching ratios of 0.23 +/- 0.04, 0.67 +/- 0.03, and 0.71 +/- 0.04 for methyl, ethyl, and propyl nitrate respectively. The branching ratios in aqueous solution are significantly higher than in the gas phase. Irradiation of surface seawaters yield …

Groundwater Study Of The Kellerberrin Townsite, T Cattlin

Resource management technical reports

A groundwater study of the townsite of Kellerberrin. It aimed to accelerate the implementation of effective salinity management options. The study consisted of drilling investation and installation of a piezometer network, a pumping test, groundwater flow modelling and a flood risk analysis.

Groundwater Study Of The Pingelly Townsite, Edward K. Crossley

Resource management technical reports

A groundwater study was carried out in the townsite of Pingelly, Western Australia. It aimed to accelerate the implementation of effective salinity management options. The study consisted of a drilling investigation, expansion of a piezometer network, groundwater flow modelling and a flood risk analysis.

Groundwater Study Of The Piawaning Townsite, Russell John Speed, Ali S. Mahtab

Resource management technical reports

A groundwater study was carried out in and around the townsite of Piawaning. It aimed to accelerate the implementation of effective salinity management options. The study consisted of a drilling investigation, expansion of a piezometer network, a pumping test and a flood risk analysis.