Earth Sciences Commons^™

Geochemical Assessment Of Sediment Flux In A Sediment Core From A Tidal Flat In A Tropical Estuary, Olumide Ajulo

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Sediment flux in estuaries is influenced by both natural processes and anthropogenic activities. Understanding the historical and current trends in sediment flux inputs and geochemical composition are essential for evaluating the estuary’s response to natural and human-induced changes and for developing effective environmental management strategies. The tropical Wouri Estuary in Cameroon receives water and sediment inputs from three main rivers draining urban, industrial, and agricultural areas, as well as different rock terrains. The complex inputs into the estuary can significantly affect sediment flux, consequently impacting the ecosystem. Thereby making an understanding of the temporal variations in sediment inputs in the …

The Signal Of Airplane Combustion In Soil At A Small Airport In Ohio, Rachel Engels

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Leaded gas has been banned for automobile use in the interest of public health since 1996. However, leaded gas is still used for small piston aircraft so the engine can run safely. To investigate potential environmental impacts of leaded gas, 90 soil samples were taken from around a small airport in Ohio. Soil elemental composition was measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), soil organic content determined by Loss-on-Ignition (LOI), and soil ferrimagnetic content measured by magnetic susceptibility. There is an unmistakable airplane fuel combustion signal in the soil at the ends of the runway, where aircraft wait to take off on …

Spatial Analysis Of Heavy Metal Enrichment In A Historic Appalachian Mining Stream, Eric M. Torres

Research and Creativity Symposium

This study examined the spatial distribution of heavy metals along the Levisa Fork and primary tributaries in Buchanan County, VA and Pike County, KY. Buchanan and Pike Counties have a long history of coal mining, a process known to release heavy metals into surrounding waterways. Exposure to certain heavy metals, such as arsenic and lead, has been known to cause health problems, such as cancer and organ damage. The study looked at concentrations in riverine sediments, surface water and groundwater for As, Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Sediment samples were collected, dried and digested …

Assessing Potential For Managed Aquifer Recharge On The Manastash Alluvial Fan: A Geochemical Analysis, Elif A. Myers

All Master's Theses

In south-central Washington, the Yakima River Basin spans 6,100 square miles, encompassing approximately 10% of the state. With a growing population and over 400,000 acres of irrigated cropland, reliable water availability is vital for supporting agricultural irrigation, municipal needs, and aquatic habitats. To ensure water for future use, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), the practice of applying surface water to aquifers for storage or hydrologic system benefit, has been proposed within the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan (YBIP). This research explores the Manastash alluvial fan–located west of Ellensburg, Washington as a potential region for two MAR methods: Shallow Aquifer Recharge (SAR) and …

Origins And Mechanisms Of Mobility Of Geogenic Arsenic Contamination In Toutle And Silver Lake, Wa, Usa, William A. Hays

All Master's Theses

Arsenic (As), a common contaminant in groundwater, is toxic to human health and has a maximum contaminant level of 10 ppb set by both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ATSDR, 2007). In Toutle, WA, USA (30 km west of Mount Saint Helens), a private well, labelled TOU1, was previously identified with ~670 ppb of As and was the impetus of this study. This study targeted private wells in the vicinity of TOU1 to identify the extent of the arsenic contamination, identify the aquifer(s) of concern, and identify the mechanism(s) of mobility.

The wells were screened …

Impacts Of Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus Frontalis Zimmerman) On Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda L.) Canopy And Water Use In The Homochitto National Forest, Mississippi, Usa, Sasha Goodnow, Yun Yang, Hui Liu, Ashley Schulz

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Abiotic and biotic forest disturbances can have many impacts to forest ecosystem services, including to forest water use. Studies on impacts to forest evapotranspiration have been conducted on the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in western North America, but not on the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), which is a native pest of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), in the southeastern United States. Stressed pine trees produce pheromones that attract southern pine beetles and, with enough stressed trees, beetle populations can quickly grow to epidemic levels and attack healthy trees, which results in widespread tree mortality. …

Integrated Valuation Of The Ecological, Social And Economic Benefits Provided By A Multifunctional Nature-Based Solution, Laura Costadone, Shan Zhang

ODU Articles

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer multifunctional approaches to address climate change and environmental challenges, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional gray infrastructure. Despite their promise, widespread adoption remains limited, in part due to an incomplete understanding of their full costs and benefits relative to conventional infrastructure. Traditional benefit–cost analyses often overlook non-monetized benefits and the interconnected ecosystem services provided by NbS. This study introduces a methodological approach to quantify both the physical and monetary value of ecosystem services and co-benefits delivered by an NbS project. We applied an integrated valuation framework to a case study in Virginia Beach, VA, USA, where …

A Collaborative Assessment Of Coastal Ocean Acidification Monitoring In Maine & Standard Operating Procedures And Best Practices For The Collection Of Continuous Ph Data In Coastal Marine Environments, Christopher W. Hunt, Curtis Bohlen, Mike Doan, Jeremy Miller

Faculty Publications

The ‘Sensor Squad’ of the Maine Ocean Climate Collaborative is the product of a 2023 Maine Coastal and Marine Climate Action Fund grant to conduct “A two-year pilot project designed to address and overcome technological barriers to ocean acidification data collection, develop protocols to elevate quality assurance and ensure comparable data, and meet regularly to discuss project results and data compilation”. The Squad consists of representatives from Friends of Casco Bay (FOCB), Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve (WNERR), and the University of New Hampshire (UNH). This report is a summary of their efforts to assess affordable, repeatable means of continuously …

Cover Crops Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions From No-Till Maize In Southern Brazil: Insights From A Long-Term Field Experiment, Guilherme Rosa Da Silva, Adam J. Liska, Cimélio Bayer

Adam Liska Papers

Brazil is one of the countries that has the most agricultural area under no-till (NT) management. This research study aims to evaluate life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from maize (M) grain production in agroecosystems that used different cover crops under NT management in southern Brazil. The data for this study were from a long-term 41-year field experiment in southern Brazil. The long-term experiment evaluated the effects of fallow (F) and cover crops (oat (O), vetch (V), cowpea (B), pigeon pea (P), and lablab (L)) on nitrous oxide and methane emissions and soil carbon (C) sequestration in maize agroecosystems. Five cropping …

Dataset On Indoor And Outdoor Pm2.5 Concentrations At Two Residences Using Low-Cost Sensors In The Rio Grande Valley Region Of South Texas, Kabir Bahadur Shah, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Mkhitar A. Hobosyan, Armando Montes, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is one of the criteria air pollutants associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. This dataset contains hourly and daily averaged measurements of PM2.5 concentrations (µg/m3) collected from two residential homes in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Region of South Texas, using PurpleAir-II-SD low-cost sensor. In addition, the dataset also includes temperature (ºC) and relative humidity (%) measured by the sensors. The data was collected for one month during the summer season from indoor (kitchen) and outdoor (front yard) environments at two locations: Home-1 in Weslaco City from June 16, 2024, to July 16, 2024, …

Examining The Presence And Effects Of Coherence And Fragmentation In The Gulf Of Maine Fishery Management Network, Derek A. Katznelson, Antonia Sohns, Dongkyu Kim, Evelyn Roozee, William Donner, Andrew M. Song, Jasper R. De Vries, Owen Temby, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Natural resource management networks cohere due to mutual dependencies and fragment, in part, due to the perceived risks of interaction. However, research on these networks has tended to accept coherence a priori rather than problematizing dependence, and few studies exist on interorganizational risk perception. This article presents the results of a study operationalizing these concepts and measuring the distribution of three types of dependence (capital, legitimacy, and regulatory) and two types of perceived risk (performance and sanction) among nearly fifty stakeholder groups and organizations participating in the management of fisheries in the binational Gulf of Maine. The analysis reveals an …

Carbon Sequestration Through Conservation Tillage In Sandy Soils Of Arid And Semi-Arid Climates: A Meta-Analysis, Samantha Lynn Colunga, Leila Wahab, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Highlights

• Under CST, SOC increased by 12.74 ± 1.46 % in sandy soils with 5 of the 6 practices contributing to this rise.
• SOC increased up to 15 years post-CST conversion, but more research is needed to assess long-term effects.
• SOC increased by 13% in soils with over 56% sand content under CST.
• SOC increased by 15% in the 0-20 cm depth under CST, with no significant increase at greater depths.
• SOC increased under CST when nitrogen was applied at rates up to 100 kg N ha⁻¹.

Abstract

This meta-analysis assessed soil organic carbon (SOC) percent changes in sandy soils, …

Evaluating Annual Precipitation Extremes In The Us Great Plains Using Prism Data, Sumiaya Amin Preota, Gaurav Talukdar, Sam Zipper

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding hydroclimatic extremes in the U.S. Great Plains (USGP) is crucial for effective water resource management, resiliency of agricultural systems, and mitigation of climate change impacts. This study examines changing hydroclimatic conditions in the USGP, with a focus on annual-resolution precipitation trends and extremes over the past 119 years (1904–2022) using precipitation data from the gridded PRISM climate dataset. We categorized annual-scale precipitation totals into six categories of hydroclimatic extremes: (1) isolated wet extremes, (2) isolated dry extremes, (3) dry-to-dry recurring extremes, (4) wet-to-wet recurring extremes, (5) dry-to-wet whiplash extremes, and (6) wet-to-dry whiplash extremes. “Recurring” and “whiplash” are both …

Nesting Population Trend Of The Leatherback Sea Turtle In Bocas Del Toro Province And Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama For The Period 2002–2022, Sonia Gutiérrez Parejo, Susan E. Piacenza, Raúl García, Cristina Ordóñez, Roldán A. Valverde

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Sea turtle biologists have made sustained efforts to understand the global status of leatherback sea turtle populations. However, despite progress in assessments, demographics, and ecology, key uncertainties persist in tracking leatherback population trends. Trend analyses have historically focused on nesting beaches, with nest counts providing a widely used index for population abundance. Here, we analysed 20 years of annual nest abundance at four main nesting beaches (Soropta, Bluff, Playa Larga and Chiriquí) in Bocas del Toro province and the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama, which constitute the largest nesting leatherback sea turtle population in Central America. We conducted daily nest counts during …

Assessing Inter-Organizational Collaboration Within The Transboundary Network Governing The Conservation Of Southern Resident Killer Whales, Dane Pedersen, Owen Temby, Antonia Sohns, Evelyn Roozee, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) is an endangered and charismatic species whose home range spans the Salish Sea, an ecosystem that extends across the Canada-US border. Conserving and recovering the SRKW represents a high-profile transboundary governance challenge that depends heavily on collaboration between a wide range of organizations. To better understand the factors affecting transboundary SRKW governance in the Salish Sea, this study applies a multi-dimensional trust, control, perceived risk framework to assess the inter-organizational architecture supporting collaboration. The analysis is based on key informant interviews (n=32) and surveys (n=35) conducted with policy actors working for different organizations involved …

The Role Of Floodplain Complexity In Wood Turtle Habitat Use, Laura S. Deming

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Wood turtles occupy cold, low-gradient riverine habitat throughout the northeastern United State and southeastern Canada. Stream alterations, such as dams, channel straightening, and floodplain development have diminished the natural hydrologic and sedimentation regimes that result in complex channel and floodplain geomorphology. Studies throughout the species’ range have quantified many aspects of their habitat, but none have quantified components of geomorphology of wood turtle sites. The goal of this study was to explore the role of stream channel and floodplain geomorphology in wood turtle habitat use, with specific objectives to (1) quantify components of stream channel and floodplain geomorphic complexity, (2) …

Spatiotemporal Evolution Of Surface Water Quality And Driving Factors Across Varying Levels Of Human Interference In A Major Subbasin Of The Yellow River Basin, China, Longmei Xie, Ruizhong Gao, Xixi Wang, Limin Duan, Lijing Fang, Hui Tong, Chang Yue, Tingxi Liu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Study region

The Dahei River Basin, a sub-basin of the Yellow River Basin, was selected for this study. Encompassing population centers and villages in Inner Mongolia, it supports vital ecosystems and underscores the need to address its unique challenges in water management and protection.

Study focus

This study examines surface water quality dynamics in the Dahei River Basin, a key aspect of sustainable water management. Predicting spatiotemporal variations and driving factors remains challenging. Using 2013–2023 datasets on water quality, hydrology, and meteorology, the composite pollution index (CPI), ANOVA, and generalized additive models were applied to provide insights for effective management. …

Seasonality Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge Pathways In A Coastal Lagoon Revealed By Radium Isotopes: The Importance Of Porewater Exchange In Summer, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Valentí Rodellas, Marc Diego-Feliu, Andres Alcolea, Joaquín Jiménez-Martínez, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Francisco Pereira, Marisol Manzano, Javier Gilabert, Jordi Garcia-Orellana

OES Faculty Publications

Chemical fluxes supplied by Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) can be relevant for coastal ecosystems, particularly lagoonal environments. An appropriate understanding of SGD requires constraining the magnitude and composition of its different pathways. However, the evaluation of SGD pathways is often limited to independent estimations, lacking a comprehensive understanding of the groundwater processes at play. In this study, we combined a Ra mass balance and hydrogeological modeling to simultaneously estimate different SGD pathways flowing into a coastal lagoon. We assessed water fluxes derived from fresh SGD, long-scale recirculation of seawater, and porewater exchange (PEX) into Mar Menor, a highly anthropized coastal …

Successful Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Recruitment On Intertidal Artificial Substrates In Virginia, Usa, Rochelle D. Seitz, Kathleen E. Knick, Emily Suchonic, Amanda Pysher

OES Faculty Publications

Declines of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations and scarcity of natural oyster shell necessitate quantifying the effectiveness of artificial oyster reef substrates over varying environmental conditions. Oyster castles are often used in intertidal areas with moderate wave energy; however, new concrete, natural-looking substrates, GROW Reef Tiles, are now available. Eastern oyster recruitment and size on oyster castles (OC) and GROW Reef Tiles (GT), with 27% higher surface area on OC, were assessed three times over 25 months in locations with varying salinity. Four sites in the Chesapeake Bay region were examined: Cherrystone Inlet, Mockhorn Bay, Elizabeth River, and …

Unveiling Hidden Mercury And Methylmercury Sources: The Role Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge In Coastal Lagoons, Céline Lavergne, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Clara Ruiz-González, Maria Montero-Curiel, Gemma Casas, Daniel Romano-Gude, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Júlia Dordal-Soriano, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Marc Diego-Feliu, Javier Gilabert, Alex Campillo-De La Maza, Cristina Romera-Castillo, Natalia Torres-Rodriguez, Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida, Jordi Garcia-Orellana, Valenti Rodellas, Andrea G. Bravo

OES Faculty Publications

Mercury loads from Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) may represent an overlooked source of methylmercury (MeHg) to the ocean, affecting human and ecosystem health. The SGD process involves the flow of fresh, saline, or mixed groundwater from coastal aquifers into the oceans classified in different components. Existing studies rarely report the fluxes supplied by the different SGD components; therefore, the relevance of SGD as a source of mercury remains unclear. We aimed to quantify SGD-driven mercury/methylmercury fluxes to the coast, focusing on the largest coastal lagoon in the western Mediterranean. We measured total dissolved mercury and MeHg in surficial and porewaters …

Isolation And Molecular Identification Of Pathogens Causing Sea Turtle Egg Fusariosis In Key Nesting Beaches In Costa Rica, Keilor E. Cordero-Umaña, Ruth Hernando-Martínez, María Martínez-Ríos, Jaime Restrepo, Roldán A. Valverde, Laura Martín-Torrijos, Pilar Santidrián Tomillo, Javier Diéguez-Uribeondo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The global rise of fungal pathogens presents an emerging threat to biodiversity, with significant risks to species such as endangered sea turtles. The fungal disease known as sea turtle egg fusariosis (STEF) is associated with high embryo mortality rates and represents a substantial conservation challenge. This disease is caused by two fungal species, namely Fusarium falciforme (Ff) and Fusarium keratoplasticum (Fk), and their identification is essential for guiding future efforts to address potential fungal infections, particularly on important nesting beaches such as those in Costa Rica. In this study, we conducted fungal isolations from sea turtle eggshells …

Spatial Analysis Of American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata) Distribution And Ecology In Kentucky’S Federal Lands, Jacob Raymond Pease

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic factors have been the cause of the decline of tree species across the globe. From unsustainable logging and development to disease and improper management, threats to forests have taken their toll. The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once an integral basal tree species in Appalachian forests, but chestnut blight drove the species to functional extinction by the mid-1900s. The recent creation of genetically modified chestnuts gives hope for future restoration of the species throughout its historical range. Despite blight resistance, effective restoration will require optimal site selection for finding and planting chestnuts, which will maximize limited resources. …

Groundwater Pumping Impacts On Stream Depletion In Humboldt County, Ca: Integrating Analytical Models And Field Data, Andy Hans Heise

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study addresses the significant concern of stream depletion from groundwater pumping in Humboldt County, CA. The objective of this study is to develop an analytical model for estimating stream depletion and integrating field data into model parameters.

The methodology involved conducting a field study near three operating wells by a stream, installing stream gages upstream and downstream of the wells, and recording pumping rates and schedules for two of the wells. The third well’s pumping data was synthetically generated, for privacy concerns of the well owner. The StreamDepletR package was used for estimating depletion rates in a stream in …

Exploring Nitrate Reduction In A Saturated Riparian Buffer Through A Three-Dimensional Reactive Contaminant Transport Model In An Agricultural Area, Mcclean County Central Illinois, Franklin O. Ijigade

Theses and Dissertations

Saturated Riparian Buffers (SRBs) are engineered systems designed to remove nitrate and other pollutants from subsurface agricultural drainage water before it reaches a stream. This study utilizes a high-resolution coupled flow and reactive transport model to explore nitrate reduction and transformation in an SRB in glacial sediment. The influence of material heterogeneity on nitrate reduction and the effectiveness of the SRB was investigated. The study was conducted in an SRB located next to and receiving tile drainage water that ultimately drains into a 3^rd order stream (T3 stream) in central Illinois, USA. A three-dimensional steady groundwater flow model was …

Application Of Floating Wetlands To Improve Urban Stream Quality, Daniel Chukwunonso Chukwudi

Theses and Dissertations

Urban streams, impacted by urbanization, often exhibit degraded water quality due to elevated nutrient levels, a phenomenon known as urban stream syndrome. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a floating wetland (FW) system in reducing nitrate as nitrogen (NO₃-N) and phosphate (PO₄³⁻) concentrations in a side canal of the Chicago River’s North Branch, adjacent to Goose Island, Chicago, IL, from 2018 to 2023. Using a five-year dataset, including new sampling from May to December 2023, the research addresses two questions: (1) Do FWs lower NO₃-N and PO₄³⁻ concentrations in urban streams? and (2) Do FWs exhibit seasonal differences in nutrient …

Growth, Survival, And Herbivore Browsing Preferences Of Seedlings Planted In Black Ash Stands Of Northern Michigan And Wisconsin, Seth W. Davenport

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

To mitigate the cascading ecosystem impacts of widespread black ash (Fraxinus nigra) mortality due to the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), forested wetlands can be underplanted with seedlings of alternative species that later repopulate the vacated canopy. This study examined the survival and growth, factors influencing performance, and herbivore browsing preferences of seven non-ash species planted in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. The best performing species were river birch (Betula nigra), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), and swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor). The worst performing species was black spruce (Picea …

When Emotions Flare: Solar Rhythms, Emotions And Cycles Of Political Revolution, Andreas Hernandez, Carolina Zilli Vieira, Alexandra Smith, Rebecca Olson

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Revolutions are among the most transformative events in human history. Analyzing 395 revolutionary episodes from 1900 to 2014, we find that major waves cluster around solar maxima - periods of intensified geomagnetic activity. Drawing on biomedical research linking geomagnetic disturbances to cardiovascular and stress regulation, and thus to emotional states, we propose that solar cycles modulate the affective ecologies within which revolutions arise. Solar activity may accelerate, shape, and amplify revolutionary cycles by heightening emotional climates and tipping fragile systems toward mass mobilization. This reframes revolutions as planetary events - entanglements of political conflict, embodied emotion, and cosmic …

Investigating The Thermal Stratification Patterns Of A Shallow Polymictic Boreal Shield Lake And The Effectiveness Of Models In Predicting Shallow Lake Thermal Profiles, Matthew Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Thermal stratification is a core process of lakes which plays a critical role in shaping the ecological dynamics of lakes, influencing major processes like nutrient cycling and oxygen availability. For shallow polymictic lakes, thermal stratification patterns present some unique differences due to the complex and variable nature of these lakes. In this thesis, I examined thermal stratification in a shallow polymictic lake in northwestern Ontario during the ice-free season of 2019 to investigate the frequency, duration, and driving factors of thermal stratification. The lake underwent 146 separate stratification events, with a median duration of 2 hours per event, with a …

Unfolding Cascading Impacts Of Changing South Asia Monsoon On A Hindu Kush Himalayas Basin, Surendra Maharjan, Wenzhao Li, Shahryar Fazli, Arshad Ansari, Suraj Tiwari, Roma Thakurathi, Rejoice Thomas, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Study region

Study focus

New hydrological insights for the region

Coal Gasification Through Microbial Degradation In A Low-Pressure Co2 And H2 Environment: An Experimental Study, Jian Kuo, Fu Xuehai, Liu Mingjie, Liu Jian, Li Jin, Ru Zhongliang, Ji Xiaofeng, Wang Qiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods This study aims to investigate the characteristics of CO₂ biomethanation and coal gasification through microbial degradation in a low-pressure environment. With low-rank bituminous coals (R_max = 0.67%) as fermentable substrates, this study conducted a 96-day gas production experiment through microbial fermentation in a low-pressure CO₂ and H₂ environment. Using techniques including gas chromatography, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and low-temperature liquid nitrogen adsorption, this study delved into the intrinsic variation patterns of biogenic gas production, microbial communities, and coal structures. Results and Conclusions The results indicate that compared to conventional fermentation, the injection …