Earth Sciences Commons^™

Testing The Limits Of Provenance Analysis From Basaltic Fluvial Sediment Near Sandvatn, Iceland, As A Mars Analog, Audrey R. Putnam, Kirsten L. Siebach, Michael T. Thorpe, Valerie M. Tu, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Candice C. Bedford, Gelu Costin, Joseph J. Tamborski

OES Faculty Publications

Detrital sediments that accumulate downstream and are preserved in sedimentary rocks can allow characterization of geologic formations that are inaccessible for spatial or temporal reasons. However, mixing, sorting, and alteration of sediment during transport may complicate reconstruction of protolith characteristics. We test the preservation of three key provenance signals in coarse fluvial sand at a Mars analog watershed in Iceland to determine whether detrital sediments capture (a) watershed magmatic chemical variation, (b) textural indicators of lava-water interaction during eruption and cooling, and (c) hydrothermal alteration. Specifically, we tested whether diagnostic variations in rock mineralogy, chemistry, and texture can be recovered …

Microbial Mats In Dinosaur Ichnocoenoses, Nora Noffke, Paul C. Murphy, Roger C. Buntin, Martin G. Lockley

OES Faculty Publications

Until now, the significance of microbial mats in preservation of dinosaur tracks and in reconstructing the palaeoenvironment in which dinosaurs roamed was rarely studied. Dinosaur tracks are commonly found close to ancient aquatic bodies where moist sediment had once allowed footstep registration. At such sites, epibenthic or endobenthic microbial mats may have developed as well and may have led to exquisite track preservation. Microbial mats in coastal, lacustrine or flood plain environments cause 'microbially induced sedimentary structures—MISS', which are micobialites found in sandy or evaporitic settings. The microbial structures record environmental parameters including meteorological conditions that existed at the time …

Recirculated Submarine Groundwater Discharge Dominates Nutrient Inputs And Enhances Eutrophication Risk In A Coastal Lagoon, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Clara Ruiz-González, Marc Diego-Feliu, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Daniel Romano-Gude, Andrea G. Bravo, Júlia Dordal-Soriano, Javier Gilabert, Sophia Bergeler, Celine Lavergne, Gemma Casas, Marisol Manzano, Jordi Garcia-Orellana, Valentí Rodellas

OES Faculty Publications

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a widely recognized pathway for nutrient transport to coastal systems. Prior studies overlook the unique biogeochemical signatures of different SGD pathways, neglecting their differences in biogeochemical transformations and spatiotemporal factors. Here, we present an integrated assessment of nutrient delivery through three SGD pathways (fresh SGD, long‐scale recirculated SGD, and short‐scale porewater exchange), alongside surface water inputs, to evaluate their seasonality and impact on nutrient dynamics in a coastal lagoon. We conducted five field surveys in March, July, and November 2021, July 2024, and March 2025 in the Mar Menor lagoon, an ecosystem facing severe ecological …

Unintended Consequences Of Estuarine Management Within The Trajectory Of Recovery: Examples From The Chesapeake Bay, Jessica S. Turner, Fei Da, Molly M. Mitchell

OES Faculty Publications

Estuaries are vital ecosystems that support biodiversity, human populations, and economic activities such as fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. Managing estuarine systems often involves interventions to regulate sediment and nutrient inputs with the goal of improving water quality, and subsequently the economic values of the estuary. However, these management strategies can produce unintended consequences. The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary recovering from eutrophication which provides clear case studies for these patterns. In the Chesapeake Bay, decreased sediment inputs, resulting from shoreline stabilization and watershed modifications, can impair marsh resilience to sea level rise and disrupt sediment-light-algal interactions affecting water clarity. Likewise, …

Visualizing The Barely Detectable: Particle Characteristics Of The Elusive Aquatic Gel Phase In The Northeastern Subtropical Atlantic, Huanqing Huang, María Couret, Santiago Hernández-León, Alexander B. Bochdansky

OES Faculty Publications

Marine gels constitute a large yet poorly explored ocean carbon pool. Shadow imaging was tuned to detect particles at two sensitivity levels: high–optical density particles (HODP), resembling the particles captured by most imaging systems, and low–optical density particles (LODP), representing a vastly more abundant and gel-dominated pool. This method enabled us to map and characterize a portion of oceanic gels without filtration and staining. In the subtropical northeast Atlantic, LODP outnumbered HODP of the same size by one or two orders of magnitude. Morphology and particle number spectra differed greatly between the two pools, with LODP showing greater morphological homogeneity …

The Effects Of A Microplate On Plume-Ridge Interactions: Constraints From Comparing Easter And Juan Fernandez Microplates In The Eastern Pacific Ocean, Katherine Ames, Jennifer Georgen

OES Faculty Publications

This study investigates the nature of plume-ridge interactions near a tectonic microplate using mantle Bouguer anomaly (MBA) gravity calculations. The focus of this investigation is a comparison of the Easter and Juan Fernandez microplates, which are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the Pacific, Nazca, and Antarctic plate boundaries. The microplates have several similar characteristics, including general size, time of formation, and clockwise rotation within the larger bounding mid-ocean ridge systems. Unlike the Juan Fernandez microplate, however, the Easter microplate is located near a mantle plume (Easter/Salas y Gomez). Previously published geochemical data suggest that material from this plume …

Changepoint Analyses Confirms Global Tropical Cyclone Frequency Decline, Michael Wehner, Thomas Fisher, Norou Diawara, Robert Lund

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Changes in tropical cyclone frequencies as the climate warms is a topic of significant current debate [1, 2]. There is no accepted theory of how tropical cyclogenesis might respond to a warmer ocean-atmosphere system as multiple controlling factors exist [3–7]. Anthropogenic warming of surface ocean temperatures due to increased greenhouse gas concentrations [8] increases the potential for tropical cyclogenesis [9–11]; however, realized cyclogenesis also requires an initial local disturbance [12–16] to develop. Most multi-decadal tropical cyclone permitting climate models (i.e. resolutions of 15-50km) exhibit frequency decreases in warmer climates, despite the increase in tropical cyclogenesis potential [17–25]. In this paper, …

The Adaptive Solution Of High-Frequency Helmholtz Equations Via Multi-Grade Deep Learning, Peiyao Zhao, Rui Wang, Tingting Wu, Yuesheng Xu

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The Helmholtz equation is fundamental for modeling wave propagation in acoustics, electromagnetics, and geophysics; however, high-frequency regimes remain notoriously difficult due to the severe numerical “pollution effect.” We propose FD-MGDL, an adaptive framework that synergizes finite difference discretizations with Multi-Grade Deep Learning (MGDL) to efficiently resolve high-frequency wavefields. Unlike standard physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), which frequently suffer from spectral bias and heavy automatic differentiation overhead, FD-MGDL employs a progressive, grade-wise training strategy that incrementally incorporates shallow sub-networks to refine residual errors. By leveraging ReLU activations in refinement grades, the framework reformulates the highly non-convex global optimization problem into a sequence …

Tracing The Journey Of Dissolved Organic Matter: From Leaf Litter Photodegradation To Microbial Processing In Tropical Streams, Samantha Nicole Sullivan

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a major reservoir of organic carbon in aquatic ecosystems and plays a central role in global carbon cycling through its transformation and remineralization to carbon dioxide (CO₂). As DOM moves from terrestrial environments into streams and rivers, its chemical composition is altered by a combination of microbial and photochemical oxidation processes that regulate both its reactivity and its persistence during transport. However, the molecular mechanisms governing these oxidative transitions, particularly in tropical ecosystems characterized by strong hydrologic seasonality and substantial inputs of plant-derived material, remain insufficiently resolved. This dissertation integrates ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry, optical characterization, …

Aluminum As A Tracer Of Dust Deposition To The Ocean: A Case Study From The Bermuda Region, Tara Elizabeth Williams

OES Theses and Dissertations

Aluminum (Al), a major component of mineral aerosol (dust), partially dissolves in seawater and is widely used as a tracer for estimating time‐averaged dust fluxes to the ocean. Such estimates rely on dissolved Al (DAl) inventories in the surface mixed layer (SML), an assumed SML residence time of DAl (_TDAl), the fractional solubility of Al in dust (Al_S), and the mass fraction of Al in dust. In this study, dust flux estimated from seasonal, water-column DAl data from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) region are compared with direct dust flux estimated from contemporaneous measurements of …

Terrestrial And Lacustrine Organic Matter Biomolecular Transformations Via Thermal Maturation And Oxidative Degradation, Louis Connor Bondurant

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The most abundant source of fossil fuel-forming kerogen on Earth is classified as Type II kerogen, believed to originate from marine biomass. However, a significant amount of lacustrine and terrigenous carbon is transported to the ocean through fluvial discharge. Less than half of the exported organic carbon is observed in coastal regions and the open ocean. There is a great need for an explanation of what is happening to this organic carbon during transport and deposition. Traditionally, the marine organic matter in coastal regions accumulates to eventually be buried and transformed into petroleum over millions of years due to its …

A Kinematic, Data-Parameterized Approach To Constrain Subducted Seafloor During The Emplacement Of Shatsky Rise, Alexzandrya Katrina Shotorban

OES Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates ridge spreading rates and plate boundary geometry in interactions between large igneous provinces and mid ocean ridges, and their role in the kinematics of Shatsky Rise, an undersea volcanic plateau in the western Pacific Ocean that is roughly the size of the state of California. Shatsky Rise formed at a ridge-ridge-ridge (RRR) triple junction (TJ) (Hilde et al., 1976; Sager et al., 1988), at the intersection of the Pacific-Izanagi, Pacific-Farallon, and Izanagi-Farallon ridges, beginning at approximately 147 Ma. Investigations into Shatsky Rise’s formation are limited by the fact that two-thirds of the seafloor data has subducted with …

Using Radium Isotopes To Compare Nutrient Inputs Via Submarine Groundwater Discharge To Offshore Export On The West Florida Shelf, Andrew L. Lindgren

OES Theses and Dissertations

Radium isotopes have been used to trace submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and associated nutrient and metal inputs into the coastal ocean. They have also been used to estimate rates of diffusive mixing and export fluxes of dissolved constituents offshore. However, use of both approaches in tandem to determine the fate of groundwater inputs after they enter the coastal ocean is still relatively unexplored. Radium isotopes and nutrients were measured in two cross-shelf cruises on the West Florida Shelf in different seasons and in quarterly sampling of offshore wells. Through 226Ra mass balance and 223Ra-derived diffusive mixing rates, inputs of nutrients …

Evidence For Distal Bolide Impact And Tsunami Deposits In The Upper Atlantic Coastal Plain Of Moore County (North Carolina, Usa) Generated By The Eocene Chesapeake Bay Bolide Impact, G. Robert Ganis, Ralph H. Willoughby, David J. Cicimurri, G. Richard Whittecar, Steven J. Hageman

OES Faculty Publications

Beds interpreted as Eocene bolide-generated impact and tsunami deposits occur at Paint Hill in the Upper Atlantic Coastal Plain of Moore County, North Carolina, USA. These strata, herein named the Mount Helicon Formation, consist of four distinct beds comprising about one meter of total section. Bed 1 (the basal bed) is approximately 43 cm thick and consists of sandy carbonaceous clay with carbon glass and rock fragments and contains 14-18 parts per billion (ppb) iridium (interpreted as bolide impact ejecta). Bed 2 is approximately 9 cm thick and consists of non-cohesive silt-size particles and loosely bound sand-size accretionary lapilli-like masses …

36 - Investigation Of The Digital Footprint Of Scientific Research In Social Media – Preliminary Findings, Lee Logan, Dominik Soos, Sean Baker, Jian Wu

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Title: Investigation of The Digital Footprint of Scientific Research in Social Media – Preliminary Findings

Authors: Lee Logan, Sean Baker, Dominik Soos, Jian Wu

The spread of scientific information and research beyond the confines of academic institutions plays a central role in how the public understands and trusts modern sciences. Social media has become an essential means of dissemination for scholarly news, papers, and other forms of engagement. This research aims to explore how scientific research is disseminated over social media to understand its role as a bridge between peer-reviewed research and the public's overall understanding. To support the research …

08 - Blue Carbon Sequestration And Sediment Storage In Seagrass Meadows Of South Bay, Luke C. Clements, Adriana Amrhein, Richard P. Hale

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Blue carbon is stored in coastal and marine ecosystems like seagrass meadows and salt marshes, which helps combat climate change by preventing greenhouse gas emissions. This study examines the role of seagrass in carbon storage by comparing sediment cores from a mud channel and a seagrass meadow in South Bay.

We collected a 100 cm core from the mud channel and a 55 cm core from the seagrass area, taking samples every 10 cm to analyze grain size and organic carbon content. Using a wet sieving method, we separated sand from mud and measured organic carbon through loss on ignition. …

Biogenic Modification Of Tidally Modified Substrates From The Micro- To Macroscopic Scale, Rogers Clark Caldwell Buntin Ii

OES Theses and Dissertations

Digital outcrop models generated by high-resolution photogrammetric imagery permit investigations into organism-substrate interactions at the centimeter to sub-millimeter scale. This dissertation uses this three-dimensional technology to study two sedimentary successions— the Archaean Dresser Formation and Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone— by capturing images via unmanned aircraft systems and single lens reflex cameras. The ~3.48 Ga Dresser Formation provides evidence for some of the earliest life on Earth in the form of stromatolites and microbially induced sedimentary structures. Aerial imagery of the 3.5 km2 Buick Geoheritage reserve capture the site’s geologic structures and close-range imagery documents stromatolites and several microbially induced sedimentary structures …

Empirical Vulnerability Function Development Based On The Damage Caused By The 2014 Chiang Rai Earthquake, Thailand, Patcharavadee Hong, Masashi Matsuoka

Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Publications

Seismic hazards in Thailand are frequently overlooked in disaster management planning, leading to insufficient research and significant economic losses during earthquake events. The 2014 Chiang Rai earthquake exposed critical vulnerabilities in Thailand's building practices due to widespread non-compliance with building codes and limited preparedness. This exposure prompted the development of empirical vulnerability functions using loss data from 15,031 damaged residences. The study analyzed government compensation records, which were standardized using replacement cost metrics. Three distinct models were developed through probabilistic and possibilistic modeling approaches. Residual analysis demonstrated the superior performance of the possibilistic approach, with the Possibilistic-based Vulnerability Function achieving …

Landslide At River's Edge: Alum Bluff, Apalachicola River, Florida, Joann Mossa, Yin-Hsuen Chen

Center for Geospatial Science, Education & Analytics Faculty Publications

When rivers impinge on the steep bluffs of valley walls, dynamic changes stem from a combination of fluvial and mass wasting processes. This study identifies the geomorphic changes, drivers, and timing of a landslide adjacent to the Apalachicola River at Alum Bluff, the tallest natural geological exposure in Florida at similar to 40 m, comprising horizontal sediments of mixed lithology. We used hydrographic surveys from 1960 and 2010, two sets of LiDAR from 2007 and 2018, historical aerial, drone, and ground photography, and satellite imagery to interpret changes at this bluff and river bottom. Evidence of slope failure includes a …

Topographic Forcing Of Submesoscale Instability In The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Laur Ferris, Donglai Gong, John Klinck

CCPO Publications

Subpolar frontal zones are characterized by energetic storms, intense seasonal cycles, and close connectivity with surrounding continental shelf topography. At the same time, predicting the ocean state depends on appropriate partition of resolved and parameterized dynamics, the latter of which requires understanding the dynamical processes generating diffusivity throughout the water column. While submesoscale frontal instabilities are shown to produce turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and mixing in the surface boundary layer (SBL) of the global ocean, their development in complex dynamical regimes (e.g., elevated preexisting turbulence, large ageostrophic shear, or in proximity to topographic boundaries) is less understood. This study investigates …

Surface Currents In The Mid-Atlantic Bight: The Role Of The Gulf Stream Versus Wind, Tal Ezer

CCPO Publications

Surface currents of the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) were studied using high frequency radar (HFR) observations at 6 km resolution during a five-year period (2020-2024). The study's focus on the role of the Gulf Stream (GS) contrasts with most past studies that focused on the seasonal wind-driven currents. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analyses of the daily HFR currents were conducted with and without the GS, revealing modes of current variability linked to the seasonal wind pattern and storms versus modes linked to GS variability. The remote impact of the GS on coastal currents is complex, with different impacts seen on different …

Applying Transfer Learning For Street-Scale Nuisance Flood Forecasting In Coastal-Urban Cities, Binata Roy, Jonathan L. Goodall, Diana Mcspadden, Chetan Kumar, Steven Goldenberg, Yidi Wang, Malachi Schram

VMASC Publications

An important challenge with Machine Learning (ML) is its transferability; i.e., whether a ML model trained on one set of data can be applied to a second set of data without requiring full re-training of the model. Transfer Learning (TL) addresses this challenge by transferring knowledge learned in the source domain (the data it was trained on) to the target domain (a second set of data that is statistically different but related, which the model was not trained on). This study investigates the use of TL for street-scale nuisance flood forecasting by exploring whether a ML model trained for one …

Moderate Heating Renders 7.8-Million-Year-Old Sedimentary Organic Matter Bioavailable, Shuchai Gan, Verena B. Heuer, Frauke Schmidt, Lars Wormer, Faming Wang, Rishi R. Adhikari, Patrick Hatcher, Ann Pearson, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Marine sediments are a large reservoir of recalcitrant organic matter and host microbes at subsurface depths exceeding 2.4 kilometers and temperatures up to 120°C, yet the mechanisms supplying bioavailable substrates remain unclear. Here, we investigated 7.8-million-year-old sediment from IODP Site C0012 off the Nankai Trough, Japan, through incubations at 20°, 35°, 55°, and 85°C to simulate burial temperatures. Using 3D fluorescence spectroscopy and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry, we tracked changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM). At 35°C, humic-like DOM was released alongside metal ions, exhibiting low bioavailability. At 55°C, abiotic decomposition of humic compounds generated smaller, more bioavailable DOM, promoting fermentation. …

Molecular Characterization Of Humic And Fulvic Acids On Watterlogged And Well-Drained Amazonian Podzols, Amanda M. Tadini, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Stéphane Mounier, Débora M.B.P. Milori, Célia R. Montes, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world. Amazonian Podzol soils, characteristic of this region, are known to store substantial amounts of organic carbon in both their surface and deep horizons. Despite decades of research, the molecular-level composition of these soils remains uncharacterized. This study addresses this knowledge gap by employing ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry, namely, Fourier transform–ion cyclotron resonance–mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS), to determine the molecular composition of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) fractions from two Amazonian Podzol profiles of varying levels of groundwater exposure (waterlogged vs well-drained). In the waterlogged soil compounds containing nitrogen, …

Deciphering The Chemistry Of Condensed Aromatic "Black" Carbon And Nitrogen In Amazonian Anthrosols, João Vitor Dos Santos, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Laís G. Fregolente, Marcia C. Bisinoti, Zhenhuan Sun, Klaus Schmidt-Rohr, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Amazonian anthrosols are renowned for their high fertility and dark color, properties primarily attributed to the abundance of condensed aromatic carbon (ConAC) in the soil organic matter. ConAC, commonly referred to as black carbon, play a key role in the stability and nutrient retention of these soils. However, the processes governing the formation of ConAC and its transformation into oxygenated derivatives remain poorly understood. In this study, we used multiple analytical platforms to investigate the chemistry of ConAC-rich humic acids (HA) extracted from Terra Mulata de Indio, a type of Amazonian anthrosol. The results reveal that ConAC are predominantly …

Oxidation Camouflages Terrestrial Organic Matter To Appear Marine-Like, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Susan J. Carter, Ann Pearson, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The export of terrestrial organic matter (TOM) to the ocean has been traditionally viewed to be minimal or only of significance in near-coastal continental margins. The broadly accepted explanation for the widespread loss of terrestrial lignin biomarkers and apparent disappearance of the <-25‰ stable carbon isotopic signature (δ¹³C) of TOM is that TOM is almost fully degraded before reaching the open ocean. Oceanic carbon (δ¹³C value ≥ -22‰) is therefore thought to be derived primarily from algae. However, an alternative explanation for the different molecular and δ¹³C signatures in terrestrial and marine environments may be that oxidative processing transforms TOM to appear marine-like. To test this hypothesis, we subjected eight TOM samples to a strong oxidation gradient. At carbon losses typical of TOM degradation during transport and sedimentation (above 60%), the differentiators of provenance disappeared, leaving a residue that was marine-like both chemically (aliphatic- and nitrogen-rich) and isotopically (δ¹³C enrichment of 4 to 9‰). This challenges the validity of conventional two-endmember mixing models, suggesting that a much larger fraction than previously estimated of the organic matter found in the ocean may originate from terrestrial sources, impacting global models of carbon cycling and sequestration.

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 …

Agu's Scientific Legacy, Eileen E. Hofmann, Tissa Illangasekare, Francis A. Macdonald, Michael J. Mcphaden, Anne Meltzer, Imke De Pater, Susan J. Roberts, Anne M. Thompson

OES Faculty Publications

The AGU community is a resource for insights into how past research has influenced today's science and will continue to inform the Earth and Space sciences of the future. To capture the voices and opinions from this community, three interviews were held at the 2024 AGU Meeting and broadcast on AGUTV. The interviews with Richard Alley, Susan Lozier and Rana Fine aligned with the daily themes for the 2024 AGU Meeting. The interviewees shared insights from their experiences about the importance of science and how science has shaped their careers and society.

Impact Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge On Microbial Communities In A Highly Anthropized Coastal Lagoon (Mar Menor, Se Spain), Daniel Romano-Gude, Júlia Dordal-Soriano, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Andrea G. Bravo, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Marc Diego-Feliu, Cristina Romera-Castillo, Rebeca Mallenco-Fornies, Javier Gilabert, Jordi Garcia-Orellana, Valentí Rodellas, Clara Ruiz-González

OES Faculty Publications

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) supplies large quantities of nutrients and other terrestrial elements to coastal ecosystems, impacting marine biota and ecosystem functioning. Despite the relevance of prokaryotes for marine biogeochemistry, little is known about their responses to groundwater inputs. Here we explored the impact of SGD on the spatiotemporal patterns of prokaryotic communities from the Mar Menor (Murcia, Spain), a highly anthropized hypersaline coastal lagoon that receives large amounts of nutrient-polluted SGD. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, activity assays, and flow cytometry, we investigated the dynamics of prokaryotic communities across the lagoon and its connected environments (freshwater streams, groundwater, soils, …

Revealing Rainfall Partitioning Characteristics Of Shrubs In Semi-Arid Sandy Land: Based On In-Situ Measurement Data, Hu Liu, Limin Duan, Yongzhi Bao, Xin Tong, Huimin Lei, Zhiming Han, Wenrui Zhang, Xixi Wang, V. P. Singh, Tingxi Liu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Rainfall is partitioned by the vegetation canopy into three components: throughfall, stemflow, and canopy interception, which profoundly influence key hydrological processes, including vegetation growth, groundwater recharge, water cycling, and regional water balance. However, research comparing the applicability of throughfall measurement methods in semi-arid shrub communities remains scarce, and quantitative analyses of rainfall partitioning processes based on in-situ observations are still inadequate. This study focuses on the sand-fixing pioneer vegetation of semi-arid sandy land, Caragana microphylla, and conducts simultaneous throughfall measurements using the rain gauge method and the trough method to compare the differences between the two approaches. Based on …