Earth Sciences Commons^™

Inventory Of Sub-Catchments Within The Albany Eastern Hinterland, B Radys

Resource management technical reports

The release of the "Salinity Action Plan for Western Australia' in December 996 highlighted the need for catchment scale planning and coordinated actions to reverse salinity trends.

A separate report has been produced for each major catchment area. Each report contains and inventory of all sub-catchments, with information on area, degradation risks and group activities with each catchment.

Estimation Of Groundwater Velocities From Yucca Flat To The Amargosa Desert Using Geochemistry And Environmental Isotopes, Ronald L. Hershey, Steve Y. Acheampong

Publications (WR)

Geochemical modeling techniques were applied to groundwater flowpaths from Yucca Flat on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) to the Amargosa Desert, south of the NTS to estimate groundwater flow velocities for independent comparison to velocities calculated by other methods. The groundwater flowpaths examined considered flow in the carbonate aquifer beneath Yucca and Frenchman flats mixing with flow from carbonate aquifers east and southeast of the NTS and discharging at wells south of the NTS border. The approach used the computer codes WATEQ4F and NETPATH to calculate chemical speciation, determine the saturation state of mineral phases, and simulate mixing and the …

Review Of The United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Technical Assistance Grant Program, Robert Leslie Annear, Scott A. Wells, Shuguang Li, Marvin Beeson, Michael L. Cummings, Richard Pratt

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The EPA Technical Assistance Grant Program has been around for several years, but there are not many examples of its use in the Pacific Northwest from which citizens can learn from when considering applying for a Technical Assistance Grant. The EPA program is designed to provide citizens with technical assistance in understanding the issues related to a Superfund site (or proposed Superfund site) in their community. This report provides an overview of the Technical Assistance Grant Program with information on applying for the grant, selecting a Technical Advisor and managing the grant. Additionally two case studies are reviewed in order …

The Columbia Slough, Scott A. Wells

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report was written in an attempt to provide the public and Bureau of Environmental Services Staff with a summary of work accomplished on the Columbia Slough system by Portland State University and other consultants working on the Slough over the last 6 years. An attempt was made to create an easy-to-read report with important overviews of the "big picture", glossary of definitions, index, and further details to assist in technology transfer.

Bulletin 4333 - Furrow Sowing On Water Repellent Soils, Paul Blackwell, Grant Morrow

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin discusses the benefits that furrow sowing brings to crop growth and production on water repellent sand, based on research and farm observations in Western Australian. By understanding the benefits and risks of several key processes, producers can better evaluate the potential role of furrow sowing in combating water repellency. This is true whether one is using direct drilling, no-till (narrow points or discs) or zero till (single, double or triple disc openers) methods.

Core-Log-Seismic Integration As A Framework For Determining The Basin-Wide Significance Of Regional Reflectors In The Eastern Equatorial Pacific, Stephen F. Bloomer, Larry A. Mayer

Affiliate Scholarship

ODP Leg 138 in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) provided a unique opportunity to understand the paleoceanographic significance of seismic reflectors in this climatically sensitive region. Carefully offset multiple cores were spliced into a complete stratigraphic section for the upper 250 m at each site and accurate, astronomically tuned time scales were generated from these composites. Well log data provided a means to correct composite depths to true depths as well as density and velocity data for the generation of synthetic seismograms. These synthetic seismograms were used to determine the paleoceanographic significance of regionally traceable reflectors by linking variations in …

Fresh-Water Aquifer In The Knox Group (Cambrian–Ordovician) Of Central Kentucky, James A. Kipp

Report of Investigations--KGS

Fresh water can be found in Cambrian and Ordovician carbonate rocks of the Knox Group in central Kentucky. The top of the aquifer is as much as 300 ft above mean sea level (m.s.l.) on the crest of the Cincinnati Arch, but descends off the flanks of the arch. Water is normally found in the upper 100 to 250 ft of the Knox, primarily in secondary porosity apparently associated with the unconformity at the top of the unit. Knox wells commonly exceed 750 ft in total depth, but because the aquifer is artesian, water rises to an elevation of about …

Ground Water, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

A geologic overview of the groundwater supply underlying Cheyenne County, Nebraska (1997).

Hydrogeological And Hydrochemical Connection Between The Decatur City Spring And Crystal Lake, Benton County, Arkansas, Demetra O. Salisbury, Ralph K. Davis

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Arkansas is ranked nationally in the production of broilers, laying hens, turkey, swine and beef cattle. These animals produce large volumes of waste, which are spread on pasture land as a method of disposal, as well as a source of fertilizer, resulting in nonpoint source contamination of surface water and ground water. One area of concern includes the Decatur City Spring, which provides municipal water for the city of Decatur. A total of eight sites in the surrounding area were monitored routinely for water quality parameters, including pH, specific conductance, and nitrate-nitrogen. Water temperature and spring and lake stage were …

Correlation Of Late-Pleistocene Lake-Level Oscillations In Mono Lake, California, With North Atlantic Climate Events, Larry Benson, Steve P. Lund, James W. Burdett, Michaele Kashgarian, Timothy P. Rose, Joseph P. Smoot, Martha Schwartz

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Oxygen-18 (¹⁸O) values of sediment from the Wilson Creek Formation, Mono Basin, California, indicate three scales of temporal variation (Dansgaard-Oeschger, Heinrich, and Milankovitch) in the hydrologic balance of Mono Lake between 35,400 and 12,900 ¹⁴C yr B.P. During this interval, Mono Lake experienced four lowstands each lasting from 1000 to 2000 yr. The youngest low stand, which occurred between 15,500 and 14,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P., was nearly synchronous with a desiccation of Owens Lake, California. Paleomagnetic secular variation (PSV) data indicate that three of four persistent low stands occurred at the same times as Heinrich events …

Regulation Of Algal Blooms In Antarctic Shelf Waters By The Release Of Iron From Melting Sea Ice, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

During summer 1995-96, we measured iron in the water column and conducted iron-enrichment bottle-incubation experiments at a station in the central Ross Sea (76°30'S, 170°40'W), first, in the presence of melting sea ice, and 17 days later, in ice-free conditions. We observed a striking temporal change in mixed-layer dissolved iron concentrations at this station, from 0.72-2.3 nM with sea ice present, to 0.16-0.17 nM in ice-free conditions. These changes were accompanied doubling of algal (diatom) biomass. Our incubation experiments suggest that conditions were iron-replete in the presence of sea ice, and iron-deficient in the absence of sea ice. We surmise …

Fluxes Of Copper-Complexing Ligands From Estuarine Sediments, Stephen A. Skrabal, John R. Donat, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

Most studies of the organic complexation of Cu in natural waters have focused on distributions and processes in the water column, where a significant fraction of Cu-complexing ligands may be biologically produced. We present direct evidence for a flux of Cu-complexing ligands from estuarine sediments, demonstrating that sediments are a significant, yet previously unrecognized source of the ligands. Fluxes of Cu-complexing ligands from Chesapeake Bay sediments range from 300 to 1,200 nmol m^-2 d^-1, exceeding fluxes of total dissolved Cu by 3->40-fold, suggesting that any Cu fluxing from the sediments is likely to be organically complexed. …

Nearly Synchronous Climate Change In The Northern Hemisphere During The Last Glacial Termination, Larry V. Benson, James Burdett, Steve Lund, Michaele Kashgarian, Scott Mensing

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The climate of the North Atlantic region underwent a series of abrupt cold/warm oscillations when the ice sheets of the Northern Hemisphere retreated during the last glacial termination (17,700–11,500 years ago). Evidence for these oscillations, which are recorded in European terrestrial sediments as the Oldest Dryas/Bølling/ Older Dryas/Allerød/Younger Dryas vegetational sequence, has been found in Greenland ice cores. The geographical extent of many of these oscillations is not well known, but the last major cold event (the Younger Dryas) seems to have been global in extent. Here we present evidence of four major oscillations in the hydrological balance of the …

Western Australian Salinity Action Plan, Agriculture Western Australia, Department Of Conservation And Land Management, Department Of Environmental Protection, Water And Rivers Commission

Natural resources published reports

Salinity is one of the State's most critical environmental problems, threatening major economic and social consequences. It is preventable and, in the long term, reversible. Complete elimination is not realistic, but we can dramatically reduce its impact.

Salinity is caused by replacing deep-rooted native plants with shallow-rooted crops and pastures. More rainfall passed below the root zone and accumulates as groundwater so that watertables rise. The groundwater mobilises natural salts in the soil as it rises and carries them towards the surface, eventually degrading land and streams.

Simulation The Shift In Position Of Hinge Lines Between Two, Shallow, Flow-Through Lakes, Mohan J. Khisty

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

Groundwater flow between two hypothetical, shallow, flow-through lakes was numerically simulated in steady state and transient conditions for two cases. In the first case the lakes are at identical surface water elevations and in the second case there is a small difference in surface water elevations between them. Simulation results from both cases indicate a direct relation between movement of hinge lines, which indicate changes in the direction of groundwater-lake seepage components, and the seasonal persistence and decline of a groundwater mound that exists between the two lakes. A comparison between steady-state simulation results for both cases indicates that a …

Swath Mapping On The Continental Shelf And Slope: The Eel River Basin, Northern California, John A. Goff, Larry A. Mayer, John E. Hughes Clarke, Lincoln F. Pratson

Affiliate Scholarship

First Paragraph

The STRATAFORM program sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (Nittrouer and Kravitz, 1996, this issue) seeks to understand how sedimentary processes lead to the formation of the stratigraphic sequences on continental margins. A central challenge facing this effort is to understand the transport of sediments in shore-parallel as well as shore-perpendicular directions• Multidimensionality is necessary to describe, for example, the accumulation of sediments from river inputs, the distribution of gullies and canyons on the slope, the meandering of channels, and the structure of slumps and slides.

Influence Of Rice Production On The Quality Of Water In Tailwater Collection Reservoirs, R. A. Dewell, T. L. Lavy

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Since maintaining high water quality standards in the state remains a high priority, monitoring for pesticides in water sources must continue. Determining the type, concentration, and characteristics of any pesticides present in water supplies are essential to the overall assessment of water quality. Five independent locations, implementing contained water management systems and recyclable water, were monitored in 1995 and 1996. Irrigation, runoff, and pond water samples were collected every 10 to 14 days between permanent flood establishment and draining. Water samples were transported to the laboratory and extracted for 16 pesticides using solid phase extraction (SPE) techniques. Quantification and confirmation …

Effects Of Zebra, Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha Infestation On Lake Dardanelle Water Quality, Charles J. Gagen, Joseph N. Stoeckel

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Zebra mussels recently invaded southern waterways including the Arkansas River. Large-scale filtration of suspended particulate matter by dense populations could alter reservoir ecosystem function. Furthermore, they attach to hard surfaces, thereby threatening normal operations of artificial structures. We designed this study to provide baseline data prior to establishment of high population levels of zebra mussels in Lake Dardanelle. The characterization of spatial and temporal variability in water quality, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and macrophytes will allow testing of several hypotheses. We sampled zebra mussel veliger and settling juvenile densities and zooplankton densities at four fixed sites and the key water quality variables …

Bioaccumulation Of Methyl Mercury Through A Food Chain, J. T. Knight

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The bioaccumulation of mercury through the food chain has received much attention in Arkansas during the last three years. The discovery of mercury contamination and subsequent fish consumption advisories in southwest Arkansas have increased public awareness of the potential for bioaccumulation of different toxic compounds. It is postulated that the mercury problem in Arkansas is a result of methylation and resulting bioaccumulation of mercury as methyl mercury. This study was designed to derive a Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF) for mercury in a simple food chain under controlled conditions. A BAF is calculated by dividing the concentration found in the organism by …

Trace Element Analysis Of Selected Springs In The Virgin River Basin, Mary A. Yelken

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Spring water from 23 springs in and near the Virgin River Basin (southwestern Utah, northwestern Arizona, and southeastern Nevada) was collected and analyzed for chemical concentrations. Trace elements and major ion chemistry was used to determine the potential for utilizing water chemistry to provide information on spring water source and flow pathways. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), rare earth element (REE) normalization patterns, and mineral equilibrium modeling (PHREEQE) techniques were used to analyze the data set. Four major spring water groups were displayed by the PCA, based on similarities in water chemistry. The analyses suggest that spring water chemistry is a …

Observation Of Shelfwater Overrunning The Southern Slope Sea, Ajoy Kumar

OES Theses and Dissertations

Analyses of two years (1992 and 1993) of high resolution (1.47 km²) sea surface temperature satellite images of the southern Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), showed that unusually extensive overhang of shelf water occurs episodically, and coherently over along shelf distances of several hundred kilometers. These episodes are dubbed overrunning of the Slope Sea by shelf water. The overrunning volume has a "face" and a "back" (southern and northern limit). It transports substantial quantities of shelf water southward, and does not retreat onto the shelf, but eventually joins the western edge of the Gulf Stream in the vicinity of Chesapeake …

A One-Dimensional Model For Storm Breaching Of Barrier Islands, Cheol Shik Shin

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A set of numerical models is developed for simulating the four stages of barrier breaching characterized by one horizontal spatial dimension.

The SBEACH model is employed for the first stage of dune/beach erosion. The Lax-Wendroff two-step explicit scheme for Stage II is developed to simulate initiation of ocean flood propagation on initially dry barrier islands and the method of characteristics (MOC), is employed to compute additional boundary data. The development of the Preissmann implicit scheme for water motion and a forward time centered space explicit scheme for sediment motion in Stages III and IV provide a tool to study the …

Synthetic Organic Compounds: Las Vegas Wash And Lake Mead, National Water Quality Assessment Program (Nawqa): Nevada Basin And Range

Publications (WR)

The Nevada Basin and Range (NVBR) study unit of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program is investigating the status of, trends in, and factors affecting water quality in the Las Vegas area. A principal objective of the investigation is to assess the effects of urbanization on the quality of area water resources. Las Vegas Wash is the surface-water outlet for the Las Vegas area. The wash transports stormwater runoff, shallow ground-water discharge, and tertiary-treated sewage effluent from the Las Vegas area to Las Vegas Bay of Lake Mead on the Colorado River. Most of the flow—about 96 …

The Implications Of Turbidite-Driven Redox Changes In Sediments Of The Iberia Abyssal Plain, Timothy J. Shaw, P. A. Meyers

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Organic Matter Accumulation, Sulfate Reduction, And Methanogenesis In Pliocene–Pleistocene Turbidites On The Iberia Abyssal Plain, P. A. Meyers, Timothy J. Shaw

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reference Sediment Selection In The Lower Mississippi Delta, M. T. Moore, C. D. Milam, Jerry L. Farris

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Floodplain deposition has been a critical part in the evolution of Arkansas' Delta ecoregion, and because ofits high potential for such events, this region is highly enriched and extremely fertile. Historically, water quality in the area has been the subject ofscientific study, and as a result littlehas been published on the effects of underlying sediment with associated benthic communities. Sediment analysis is critical to many of the ongoing aquatic studies because ofits significance as both a habitat for benthic organisms and a sink for contaminants. Seven rivers and one creek within the Delta ecoregion were examined for water chemistry, sediment …

Climatic And Hydrologic Oscillations In The Owens Lake Basin And Adjacent Sierra Nevada, California, Larry Benson, James W. Burdett, Michaele Kashgarian, Steve Lund, Fred Phillips, Robert O. Rye

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Oxygen isotope and total inorganic carbon values of cored sediments from the Owens Lake basin, California, indicate that Owens Lake overflowed most of the time between 52,500 and 12,500 carbon-14 (¹⁴C) years before present (B.P.). Owens Lake desicated during or after Heinrich event H1 and was hydrologically closed during Heinrich event H2. The magnetic susceptibility and organiz carbon content of cored sediments indicate that about 19 Sierra Nevada glaciations occurred between 52,500 and 23,500 ¹⁴C years B.P.

A Coupled, Non-Linear, Steady State Model For Early Diagenetic Processes In Pelagic Sediments, Surya P. Dhakar, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

A steady state, coupled, non-linear model has been developed for early diagenetic processes in pelagic and hemi-pelagic marine sediments. Model results show that the occurrence of oxic and sub-oxic diagenetic processes is significantly affected by variations in parameters such as the sedimentation rate, bioturbation coefficient, sediment porosity, and organic matter flux to the sediments. Increases in the sedimentation rate or the bioturbation coefficient increase organic matter oxidation by sub-oxic processes, whereas an increase in sediment porosity decreases organic matter oxidation by sub-oxic processes. Sediment data from three contrasting MANOP sites are fit reasonably well with the model. The resulting best-fit …

Biogenic Matter Diagenesis On The Sea Floor: A Comparison Between Two Continental Margin Transects, William M. Berelson, Jim Mcmanus, Kenneth H. Coale, Kenneth S. Johnson, Tammy Kilgore, David J. Burdige, Cynthia Pilskaln

OES Faculty Publications

Benthic chamber measurements of the reactants and products involved with biogenic matter diagenesis (oxygen, ammonium, nitrate, silicate, phosphate, TCO₂, alkalinity) were used to define fluxes of these solutes into and out of the sediments off southern and central California. Onshore to offshore transects indicate many similarities in benthic fluxes between these regions. The pattern of benthic organic carbon oxidation as a function of water depth, combined with published sediment trap records, suggest that the supply of organic carbon from vertical rain can just meet the sedimentary carbon oxidation + burial demand for the central California region between the …

Origin Of The Late Quaternary Dune Fields Of Northeastern Colorado, Daniel R. Muhs, Thomas W. Stafford, Scott D. Cowherd, Shannon A. Mahan, Rolf Kihl, Paula B. Maat, Charles A. Bush, Jennifer Nehring

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Stabilized eolian deposits, mostly parabolic dunes and sand sheets, cover much of the landscape of northeastern Colorado and adjacent parts of southwestern Nebraska in four geographically distinct dune fields. Stratigraphic and soil-geomorphic relations and accelerator radiocarbon dating indicate that at least three episodes of eolian sand movement occurred between 27 ka and 11 ka. possibly between 11 ka and 4 ka. and within the past 1.5 ka. Thus, eolian sand deposition took place under both glacial and interglacial climatic conditions. In the youngest episodes of eolian sand movement. Holocene parabolic dunes partially buried Pleistocene sand sheet deposits.

Late Holocene sands …