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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Assessing Eolian Dust Inputs To Soils In Dry Creek Experimental Watershed, Sw Idaho, Brian Jameson Stark Dec 2012

Assessing Eolian Dust Inputs To Soils In Dry Creek Experimental Watershed, Sw Idaho, Brian Jameson Stark

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

A geochemical investigation of upland soils in the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed (DCEW) near Boise, Idaho was conducted to assess the potential contributions of eolian dust. Major and trace element compositions of soils within the watershed, loess deposits in the adjacent Western Snake River Plain (WSRP), and underlying granodiorite bedrock were evaluated. Multiple lines of evidence suggest a significant contribution of dust in the soils. Plots of Co/Ti, V/Ti and Cr/Ti indicate that the loess and bedrock occupy distinctly different compositional spaces and that the soils are of intermediate composition, suggesting that the soils are a mixture of the loess …


The Impact Of Creosote Bush (Larrea Tridentata) And Biological Soil Crust On Ca Distribution In Arid Soils Of The Mojave Desert, Brittany Myers Dec 2012

The Impact Of Creosote Bush (Larrea Tridentata) And Biological Soil Crust On Ca Distribution In Arid Soils Of The Mojave Desert, Brittany Myers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Ca is an important nutrient that plays a role in membrane stability and cell repair in plant life. This study examines the impact of creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and biological soil crust on calcium cycling and distribution in desert soils in order to explore the use of Ca as a biosignature. Samples of creosote bush, biological soil crust and eolian dust were taken at two field sites in the Mojave Desert. The first site is located in Eldorado Valley, NV, a soil formed on a young (800-1200 years) alluvial fan deposit; the second site is located on a late Holocene-aged …


Trace Element Soil Contamination At Urban Community Gardens In Washington, Dc, Adam J. Long Aug 2012

Trace Element Soil Contamination At Urban Community Gardens In Washington, Dc, Adam J. Long

Environmental Analysis Program Mellon Student Summer Research Reports

In recent years, urban gardening has become a popular form of environmental, food, and social justice. Urban community gardens such as those in Washington, DC can reduce the environmental footprint of food production, provide access to healthy produce in “food deserts,” and provide other social, educational, and even financial benefits. However, the rising popularity of urban gardening has put many people in close contact with urban soils, which are likely to contain various contaminants due to concentrated human activity over extended periods of time. This study investigates heavy metal soil contaminants found in community gardens located in Washington, DC. 45 …


Sediment Geochemistry Of River Okura: Implication To Weathering And Transport, Y B. Gideon, F B. Fatoye Aug 2012

Sediment Geochemistry Of River Okura: Implication To Weathering And Transport, Y B. Gideon, F B. Fatoye

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Rocks, soils and bed sediments of River Okura catchment area in Anambra basin have been analysed for major oxides using minipal 4 ED version of XRF machine. A total number of five (5) rocks and twenty (20) samples of soil, river bed sediments for each were collected from the study area. These results have been used to characterize and deduce the effect of weathering and transport in the study area. Chemical composition and field studies assessment of the rock(s) in the study area indicated lithic arenite type of sandstone. Results of soils analyses shows a compositional enrichment of Fe2O3 (12.54%) …


A Study Of Enhanced De-Chlorination And Bio-Remediation: Molasses Injections Into Groundwater, Brent Anderson Jun 2012

A Study Of Enhanced De-Chlorination And Bio-Remediation: Molasses Injections Into Groundwater, Brent Anderson

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.


4th International Union Of Soil Sciences Soil Classification Conference Field Tour Guidebook Jun 2012

4th International Union Of Soil Sciences Soil Classification Conference Field Tour Guidebook

Conservation and Survey Division

No abstract provided.


North Central Region Soil Survey Conference Field Tour Jun 2012

North Central Region Soil Survey Conference Field Tour

Conservation and Survey Division

No abstract provided.


A Report On The Gascoyne River Catchment Following The 2010/11 Flood Events, P A. Waddell, P W.E Thomas, Paul A. Findlater May 2012

A Report On The Gascoyne River Catchment Following The 2010/11 Flood Events, P A. Waddell, P W.E Thomas, Paul A. Findlater

Resource management technical reports

In December 2010 an extreme tropical storm resulted in widespread flooding at Carnarvon and across the catchment. Another two flood events followed during the summer of 2010–11

The rationale for this assessment is to provide illustrative evidence on the role that perennial vegetation groundcover management has in influencing the risk of flooding and soil loss in the catchment. It may be possible that the impact of flooding associated with extreme storm events can be reduced. This report focuses on catchment condition and is not a review of the pastoral industry’s economic viability.


Surficial Redistribution Of Fallout 131iodine In A Small Temperate Catchment, Joshua D. Landis, Nathan T. Hamm, Carl E. Renshaw, W. Brian Dade, Francis J. Magilligan, John D. Gartner Mar 2012

Surficial Redistribution Of Fallout 131iodine In A Small Temperate Catchment, Joshua D. Landis, Nathan T. Hamm, Carl E. Renshaw, W. Brian Dade, Francis J. Magilligan, John D. Gartner

Dartmouth Scholarship

Isotopes of iodine play significant environmental roles, including a limiting micronutrient (127I), an acute radiotoxin (131I), and a geochemical tracer (129I). But the cycling of iodine through terrestrial ecosystems is poorly understood, due to its complex environmental chemistry and low natural abundance. To better understand iodine transport and fate in a terrestrial ecosystem, we traced fallout 131iodine throughout a small temperate catchment following contamination by the 11 March 2011 failure of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility. We find that radioiodine fallout is actively and efficiently scavenged by the soil system, where it …


Study On The Diagenetic Calcareous Accumulations In A Soil Profile From Floresti (Cluj County, Romania), Horea Bedelean Mar 2012

Study On The Diagenetic Calcareous Accumulations In A Soil Profile From Floresti (Cluj County, Romania), Horea Bedelean

Studia UBB Geologia

The studied calcretes developed in two different levels (horizons) in the soil profile from Floreşti (Cluj County). The deposits outcropping in the area are represented by Bartonian-Priabonian sedimentary rocks (Ciuleni Member, Viştea Limestone) and the Quaternary horizon (terrace of Someşul Mic River, consisting of pebbles of different origin), which represent the parent rock of the soil. A detailed petrographical and mineralogical description of the calcretes is given below, based on macroscopic, microscopic and X-ray diffraction analysis. It led to the conclusion that the calcretes from the studied profile have a pedogenic origin. The calcretes consist of distinctive subhorizons within the …


Considerations On The Parent Material In The Soil Developed On The Evaporite Deposits From Stana (Cluj District), Horea Bedelean Mar 2012

Considerations On The Parent Material In The Soil Developed On The Evaporite Deposits From Stana (Cluj District), Horea Bedelean

Studia UBB Geologia

This research concerned three profiles developed on Eocene (Priabonian) gypsum parent material from Stana (Cluj district) in order to investigate their properties. The soil and parent material samples were collected from individual horizons in each profile. Both the mineralogical and structural-textural features of the parent material (evaporitic deposits) reflect the depositional context. From a mineralogical point of view, the deposits are represented by gypsum, and anhydrite. Typical sulfate facies are present: laminitic, nodular, gypscretic, and entherolitic. Physical and mineralogical properties of the soil layers were determined in the laboratory. The field observations and the results of the analyses allowed us …


Soil Mapping On A Swanton Pacific Ranch Rangeland, Thomas N. Witman Jan 2012

Soil Mapping On A Swanton Pacific Ranch Rangeland, Thomas N. Witman

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Knowledge of soils has become very important in most land based enterprises. The understanding of soils is necessary for all different types of land management projects. The USDA mapped all of the soils in the United States starting in the late 1950’s to provide the necessary information. However because the mappers often times had to map entire counties in short amounts of time ,did not have modern technology, and had rather a vague operating procedure, there was no way to be accurate on the small scaled. To solve this problem I evaluated Dr. Ron Taskey’s landscape hierarchy, a method that …


Relationship Between Carbon Dioxide In Balcarka Cave And Adjacent Soils In The Moravian Karst Region Of The Czech Republic, Jiří Faimon, Monika Ličbinská, Petr Zajíček Jan 2012

Relationship Between Carbon Dioxide In Balcarka Cave And Adjacent Soils In The Moravian Karst Region Of The Czech Republic, Jiří Faimon, Monika Ličbinská, Petr Zajíček

International Journal of Speleology

Carbon dioxide concentration, air temperature, and humidity were monitored at (1) two cave sites and (2) three adjacent karst soils. The data over a one-year period are supported by dripwater chemistry and cave visiting frequency. The results indicate that the sources of cave CO2 are anthropogenic and epikarstic ones in addition to ordinary soils. Epikarstic CO2 produced under almost stationary conditions probably control dripwater chemistry and cave’s CO2 maxima. Based on breathing and door opening, anthropogenic activity affects instantaneous cave CO2 levels, depending on site volume/position and visitor number. A conceptual model of the CO2 dynamics of the soil-cave system …