Earth Sciences Commons^™

Droughtscape, Winter 2011, Kelly Smith

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Register for the U.S. Drought Monitor Forum

La Niña Brings Southeast, Southwest Drought

International Efforts

Drought Returns in 2010

Impacts Emerge “Before” Summer Drought in East

October-December Quarterly Impacts Summary

Climate Adaptation for Local Government

NDMC Elicits Missouri River Basin Recollections

Woudenberg Coordinates Educational Booklet

Changes In Water Levels And Storage In The High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment To 2009, Virginia L. Mcguire

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The area overlying the High Plains aquifer is one of the primary agricultural regions in the Nation. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the onset of substantial irrigation with groundwater from the aquifer (about 1950 and termed "predevelopment" in this fact sheet). By 1980, water levels in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas had declined more than 100 feet (ft) (Luckey and …

Hydrostratigraphic Interpretation Of Test-Hole And Geophysical Data, Upper Loup River Basin, Nebraska, 2008-10, Christopher M. Hobza, Theodore H. Asch, Paul A. Bedrosian

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Nebraska's Upper Loup Natural Resources District is currently (2011) participating in the Elkhorn-Loup Model to understand the effect of various groundwater-management scenarios on surface-water resources. During Phase 1 of the Elkhorn-Loup Model, a lack of subsurface geological information in the Upper Loup Natural Resources District, hereafter referred to as the upper Loup study area, was identified as a gap in current knowledge that needed to be addressed. To improve the understanding of the hydrogeology of the upper Loup study area, the United States Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Loup Natural Resources District and the University of Nebraska Conservation …

The Rise And Fall Of Lake Bonneville Between 45 And 10.5 Ka, L.V. Benson, S.P. Lund, J.P. Smoot, D.E. Rhode, R.J. Spencer, K.L. Verosub, L.A. Louderback, C.A. Johnson, R.O. Rye, R.M. Negrini

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A sediment core taken from the western edge of the Bonneville Basin has provided high-resolution proxy records of relative lake-size change for the period 45.1-10.5 calendar ka (hereafter ka). Age control was provided by a paleomagnetic secular variation (PSV)-based age model for Blue Lake core BL04-4. Continuous records of δ¹⁸O and total inorganic carbon (TIC) generally match an earlier lake-level envelope based on outcrops and geomorphic features, but with differences in the timing of some hydrologic events/states. The Stansbury Oscillation was found to consist of two oscillations centered on 25 and 24 ka. Lake Bonneville appears to have …

Predicting The Ancient Occurrence Of Evaporites Using Paleoclimate Modelling, Amiratu Yamusah

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Evaporites are climatic indicators that depend on two main variables: mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation. This study constructs a model that predicts the localities of ancient evaporites based on paleo- temperature and paleo- precipitation data. A climate envelope, a bivariate plot of temperature and precipitation, is constructed by intersecting the modern temperature and precipitation with climate data obtained from Fast Ocean Atmosphere Model (FOAM). Modern evaporites have a limited extent hence in this research, the yermosols- solonchak soil type was used as a proxy. The predictions were made for 16 time intervals. These were plotted on paleogeographic reconstructions …

Tapeworms Of Elasmobranchs, Part Iii: A Monograph On The Phyllobothriidae (Platyhelminthes, Cestoda), Timothy R. Ruhnke

Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum (1924–2023)

This monograph aims to provide information on the taxonomic status of all genera associated with the tetraphyllidean family Phyllobothriidae. Full treatments of the three valid species of the type genus, Phyllobothrium, in addition to the 47 valid species of Clistobothrium, Crossobothrium, Marsupiobothrium, Monorygma, Nandocestus, Orectolobicestus, Orygmatobothrium, Paraorygmatobothrium, Ruhnkecestus, and Scyphophyllidium are provided, as is a taxonomic history of the family. Of the valid genera historically associated with the family, only Phyllobothrium is considered to be an unambiguous member of the family. The genera Bibursibothrium, Calyptrobothrium, Cardiobothrium, Clistobothrium, Crossobothrium, Doliobothrium, Flexibothrium, Marsupiobothrium, Monorygma, Nandocestus, Orectolobicestus, Orygmatobothrium, Paraorygmatobothrium, Ruhnkecestus, Scyphophyllidium …

Greener Pastures 7 - A Fresh Look At Nutrient Losses From Intensively Managed Pastures, Don Bennett, Bill Russell, Martin Staines, Richard Morris, Mike Bolland, John Lucey

Bulletins 4000 -

Dairy farmers in Western Australia have a long history of being concerned for the environment in which they live and work, from early involvement with Landcare District Committees through to participating in the various programs run in DairyCatch.

They have planted trees, organised soil testing programs, carried out salinity surveys and, more recently, have signed up for effluent, nutrient and irrigation water management programs. Many of these programs produce benefits both on and off the farm—they can improve the farm environment, increase farm productivity and reduce nutrient losses to surface and ground water. The wider community has supported farmers with …

Evolution Of The Northwestern Margin Of The Basin And Range: The Geology And Extensional History Of The Warner Range And Environs, Northeastern California, Anne E. Egger, Elizabeth L. Miller

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Along the northwestern margin of the Basin and Range province, mid-Miocene to Pliocene volcanic rocks cover and obscure much of the earlier history of the region. In northeastern California, however, slip on the Surprise Valley fault has resulted in the uplift of the Warner Range, exposing >4 km of volcaniclastic and volcanic rocks as old as late Eocene. New geologic mapping, combined with geochemistry and geochronology of rocks in the Warner Range and surrounding region, documents a history of volcanism and extension from the Eocene to the present that provides insight into the evolution of this margin. Our work reveals …

Communications And 'Forestructures' At The Geological Intersection Of Caves And Subsurface Water Flow: Hermeneutics And Parochialism, Lee J. Florea, H. L. Vacher

Geology Faculty Publications

The direction of cave and karst science throughout its history has been partly determined by communication—or, more commonly, the lack of communication—between non-scientist cavers and non-caving physical geologists writing about karst. Within each community, advancement of ‘cave awareness’ occurred through a hermeneutic circle in which ‘forestructures’ guided progress. One result was regionalism of speleo-genetic theories developed within karst science because of the weight of evidence placed upon local or regional observations. Many speleogenetic theories of the mid-1900s suffer from this parochialism, failing to take into account findings from karst of different geologic settings. During the past half-century, the accumulated worldwide …

Bismuth-Based Oxide Semiconductors: Mild Synthesis And Practical Applications, Hari Krishna Timmaji

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

In this dissertation study, bismuth based oxide semiconductors were prepared using 'mild' synthesis techniques - electrodepostion and solution combustion synthesis. Potential environmental remediation and solar energy applications of the prepared oxides were evaluated. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) was prepared by electrodeposition and solution combustion synthesis. A two step electrosynthesis strategy was developed and demonstrated for the first time. In the first step, a Bi film was first electrodeposited on a Pt substrate from an acidic BiCl₃ medium. Then, this film was anodically stripped in a medium containing hydrolyzed vanadium precursor, to generate Bi3+, and subsequent BiVO₄ formation by in situ precipitation. …

Air Emissions From Natural Gas Exploration And Mining In The Barnett Shale Geologic Reservoir, Alisa Larraine Rich

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

This study evaluates air emissions from natural gas mining and production in the Barnett Shale within the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Due to advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, natural gas production in the Barnett Shale increased from 3 wells in 2000 to almost 8,000 wells in six Metroplex counties by 2008. Currently, information regarding emissions from natural gas production, particularly regarding hazardous air pollutants, is lacking; this information is particularly important given that drilling and production is occurring in highly urbanized areas. The objectives of this study were thus:* To identify the `fingerprint' of chemicals associated with natural gas …

Predicting The Geographic Distribution Of Ancient Soils With Special Reference To The Cretaceous, Arghya Goswami

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

Different kinds of soils form in different climatic regimes. Soils closely match climatic conditions. Therefore, they are one of the best indicators of past climates. This study uses the "climate envelope" technique developed by Moore (2007) to build a "paleo-soil prediction program". Though factors controlling soil formation are complex (Retallack, 1990), the best fit between a given soil type (Zobler 1999) and the annual range of rainfall and temperature (Legates and Wilmott 1990) are thought to be the primary factors. Each modern soil type has a unique climatic "fingerprint" or "climate envelope" defined by the range of rainfall and temperature …

Identifying Possible Hydrologic Recharge Zones In The Sangre De Cristo Aquifer On The Milliken Ranch In Las Vegas, Nm, Ian Hamilton

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Groundwater at the periphery of mountain ranges in the desert southwest has its provenance in two possible sources: local or regional flow. This study sought to identify the source of deep groundwater from wells on ranches in the Hogback area west of Las Vegas, NM, an area under scrutiny as a possible source for municipal use. Surface and groundwater samples were taken in the area and analyzed for water chemistry and stable isotope ratios of deuterium and oxygen-18. Ratio values were plotted against the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL) and also plotted on an interpolated map of precipitation values for …

The Impact Of Buffer Zone Changes On The Architecture Of The Paleozic Lower Cutler Beds Of Utah, Siavash Rastaghi

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The Shafer basin fluvial units, as being part of the Paradox fold and fault belt basin, received sediments from alluvial fans through mixed braided-meandering river systems that eroded the clastic rocks of the Uncompahgre highlands to the northeast and flowed southwestward through aeolian dune fields to an open sea during Pennsylvanian to early Permian time. The best exposed rocks of the Lower Cutler beds were photographed and investigated along the Colorado River in the Shafer and Canyonland basins. The Architectural Element Analysis technique was used to categorize bounding surface orders, and to identify lithofacies and fluvial elements such as lateral …

Yellow-Fluorescing Calcite From Sterling Hill, James A. Van Fleet, E. R. Verbeek

Faculty Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Crustal Assimilation And Magma Recharge In The Recent Mt. Etna Magma Plumbing System: Evidence From In Situ Plagioclase Textural And Compositional Data, Brad Pitcher

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mt. Etna is Europe's largest and most active volcano, and as a result of its proximity to populated areas, understanding the structure of its magma plumbing system and the nature of its magmatic processes is essential for better predicting eruptive hazards. The aim of this study is to document core to rim textural, chemical, and isotopic variations in plagioclase, in order to investigate the structure of the subvolcanic magma system and the processes by which magmas change composition. Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast (NDIC) imaging was used to characterize the complex textures of plagioclase crystals in six trachybasaltic samples from eruption …

Variations In Concentrations And Compositions Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) In Coals Related To The Coal Rank And Origin, Susanne Laumann, Vesna Micic Batka, Michael A. Kruge, Christine Achten, Reinhard Sachsenhofer, Jan Schwarzbauer, Thilo Hofmann

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The release of unburnt coal particles and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may cause adverse impacts on the environment. This study assessed variations in the concentration and composition of PAHs in a set of fifty coal samples from eleven coal basins worldwide. The maximum PAH concentrations at high volatile bituminous rank were recorded in samples from a single basin. Considering the entire sample, the highest PAH concentrations were in fact found outside of this rank range, suggesting that the maceral composition and thus the coal's origin also influenced PAH concentrations. The examination of the PAH compositions revealed that alkylated 2-3 …

Hydraulics, Morphology, And Energy Dissipation In An Alpine Step-Pool Channel, Andrew C. Wilcox, Ellen E. Wohl, Francesco Comiti, Luca Mao

Geosciences Faculty Publications

To investigate the relationship between hydraulics and channel morphology in step‐pool channels, we combined three‐dimensional velocity measurements with an acoustic Doppler velocimeter and topographic surveys in a steep step‐pool channel, the Rio Cordon, Italy. Measurements were organized around step, pool, and tread units and occurred within a range of 36%–57% of bankfull discharges. As flow moved from steps to their downstream pools in our study reach, an average of approximately two thirds of the total energy was dissipated, as measured by relative head loss through step‐pool sequences. Much of this head loss was achieved by elevation (potential energy) loss rather …

Climate Reconstruction Using Trace Element And Stable Isotope Signatures Preserved In An Early Late Pleistocene Stalagmite From Buckeye Creek Cave, Appalachian Mountains, Southern West Virginia, Usa, Ashley Rachelle Wright

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

An early-Late Pleistocene stalagmite was recovered from Buckeye Creek Cave (37°58.57'N, 80°23.98'W), southeastern West Virginia, USA. The growth axis of stalagmite BCC-025 was sampled for δ18O, δ13C, and Sr/Ca of the calcite. A crude age model was developed using two Th-230 ages, from the top (~490 kyrBP) and bottom (~630 kyrBP) of the stalagmite. A more elaborate age model for stalagmite growth was developed using established marine isotope stage (MIS 13/14, 14/15, 15/16) boundaries. Overall, the MIS boundaries approximate the locations of major hiatuses along the axis of stalagmite growth. The proxy records developed from BCC-025 reveal less covariation and …

Chemostratigraphy And Paleoenvironment Of The Smithwick Formation, Fort Worth Basin, San Saba County, Texas, Elisha Nichole Hughes

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The Early Pennsylvanian-Age Smithwick Formation was deposited in the tectonically active Fort Worth Basin in North Central Texas during a time of well-documented global climatic instability during the Late Paleozoic ice age. Geochemical and stable isotopic results from two cores recovered from the southwestern portion of the FWB provide paleoenvironmental insight into the conditions under which the Smithwick was deposited. Specifically, major element geochemistry and mineralogical results suggest a depositional setting grading from a carbonate-rich facies (Marble Falls and Big Saline) into a transgressive siliciclastic-dominated mudrock (Smithwick) that coarsens upward into a progradational mudrock and silt/sand sequence (Atoka and Strawn). …

Chemostratigraphy And The Paleoceanography Of The Bossier-Haynesville Formation, East Texas Basin, Texas And La, Usa, Pukar Mainali

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The fine-grained, dark, organic, calcareous Haynesville shale (Kimmeridgian), and the overlying carbonate-poor Bossier shale (Tithonian) was deposited during the warmer Jurassic period in the tectonically formed East Texas Basin. Thirteen drill cores recovered from six counties (Texas) and four parishes (Louisiana) have been studied for their geochemistry. Each core was analyzed at a 1-foot interval using a handheld x-ray fluorescence instrument, providing rapid, quantitative analysis of the following elemental concentrations: Mg, Al, S, Si, P, K, Ti, Ca, Mn, Fe, Mo, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Th, Rb, U, Sr, Zr, and V. In addition, XRD analyses (10 samples from T.W. …

Morphology Of The Lower Missouri River: The Processes Involving Development Of Highly Sinuous Gooseneck Loop Cutoffs Exposed In The Surficial Deposits Of The River Floodplain, Daniel Earl Carlin

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Mapping the surficial deposits of the Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa to Mondamin, Iowa brought to light a prominent set of landforms exposed in the floodplain and which are also easily visible via aerial photography. The landforms are segments of highly sinuous channel fills that exhibit the characteristic of turning up-dip against the natural southern gradient of the river valley. These prominent channel scars, of which there are only five exposed in the study area, take on a recognizable “gooseneck” shape. The allostratigraphy for the reach of the Missouri River floodplain from Sioux City to Mondamin was mapped during …

Reducing Lead Bioavalability In Soil By Adding Apatite Ii, Dhary Saad Alkandary

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

This study was an examination of phosphate-induced immobilization of lead (Pb) in soils through addition of apatite II (fish bone material). The sources of Pb minerals in the soils examined in this in situ remediation study included anglesite (PbSO4), litharge (PbO), and cerrusite (PbCO3). Phosphate-induced Pb immobilization occurs when Pb ions are exchanged with calcium ions to form insoluble lead-phosphate (pyromorphite (Pb5(PO4)3Cl). Commercially available A- horizon soil was spiked with ten different Pb paints that contained different forms of Pb (e.g. PbO, PbCO3, PbSO4) and then sieved through a <250 micron mesh. Two and three replicates were prepared for each Pb paint sample type for apatite and no apatite additions, respectively. A series of large syringe tubes were filled separately with each of the spiked test soils to create a series of soil columns. In all, a set to sixty seven soil columns amended nominally with 5% w/w of apatite, and 2% Pb paint were tested. The change in potential bioavailability of lead in each soil column was evaluated after each column was eluted with Milli-Q water for one year. Soil samples were taken from each column at times zero, six, and twelve months. An in vitro bioaccessibility assessment of each soil column sample was accomplished using a simulated gastric fluid (SGF) digestion to determine the amount of Pb that could potentially be released into solution in the acid conditions in the human stomach. The assay involved using a SGF solution of 100 mL of Milli-Q water, 3 grams of glycine, and hydrochloric acid (HCl) in sufficient quantity to adjust the pH to a value 2.5. To this solution was added 0.5 gram or 1 gram of soil collected at each of the selected time points. Each SGF and soil suspension was tumbled for one hour at 37 °C in a modified Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) system. A Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) spectrometer with a Back-Scattered Electron (BSE) detector and an Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (EDS) was used to obtain photomicrographs of soil samples and to determine the chemical nature of constituent Pb-bearing particles at time zero and at twelve months. A hand-held X-ray florescence (XRF) detector was used to determine the total Pb concentrations in soil samples at time zero. The study found that there was a general reduction in the amount of bioaccessible Pb in the soils at twelve months compared to time zero. This was supported by the identification of Pb-phosphate particle phases in the soils samples at twelve months. The effectiveness of using apatite II to remediate Pb-paint contaminated soil, through the immobilization of Pb through the formation of the sparingly soluble Pb-phosphate mineral pyromorphite (Pb5(PO4)3Cl) appears to be justified.

Chemostratigraphy Of The Eagle Ford Formation, Timothy J. Kearns

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The Late Cretaceous Eagle Ford Formation contains the Cenomanian-Turonian Boundary (CTB). It crops out along the Red River and extends southward through the Dallas-Fort Worth Area of Texas, Waco, Austin and west towards Del Rio and Big Bend. The outcrops were not sampled. Sampling was conducted on cores located at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG). The cores were collected from Zavala, La Salle, Frio, Gonzalez, De Witt, and Bee Counties. The Austin Chalk Formation is located above the Eagle Ford Formation and the Buda Formation is located below it. Deposition of the Eagle Ford Formation occurred in the southern …

An Updated Gps Velocity Field For Puerto Rico And Virgin Islands: Constraints On Tectonic Setting And Internal Deformation, Desmond Kelvin Ihemedu

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Puerto Rico and the northern Virgin Islands define the eastern end of the Greater Antilles, while the Puerto Rico trench and the Muertos Trough define the northern and the southern limits of the North American - Caribbean plate boundary zone. Three microplates have been defined: (1) Gonave, to the west; (2) Hispaniola, at the center; and (3) Puerto Rico and the northern Virgin Islands (PRVI) at the eastern end. Global Positioning System (GPS) geodesy was previously conducted in this region from 1994 to 2003. It was concluded that the locus of the highest permissible on-surface deformation in Puerto Rico and …

Proceedings Of The 2011 International Conference On Karst Hydrogeology And Ecosystems, Jason Samuel Polk, Leslie A. North

Environmental Sustainability Books

Jointly sponsored by the Hoffman Environmental Research Institute, the National Cave & Karst Research Institute, and the International Association of Hydrogeologists, the 2011 International Conference on Karst Hydrogeology and Ecosystems was held at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucy on 8-10 June 2011. Topics include karst geomorphology, engineering and modeling, isotope geochemistry, and cultural and educational aspects of karst environments.

Influence Of Karst Landscape On Planetary Boundary Layer Atmosphere: A Weather Research And Forecasting (Wrf) Model–Based Investigation, Ronnie Leeper, Rezaul Mamood, Arturo I. Quintanar

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Karst hydrology provides a unique set of surface and subsurface hydrological components that affect soil moisture variability. Over karst topography, surface moisture moves rapidly below ground via sink holes, vertical shafts, and sinking streams, reducing surface runoff and moisture infiltration into the soil. In addition, subsurface cave blockage or rapid snowmelt over karst can lead to surface flooding. Moreover, regions dominated by karst may exhibit either drier or wetter soils when compared to nonkarst landscape. However, because of the lack of both observational soil moisture datasets to initialize simulations and regional land surface models (LSMs) that include explicit karst hydrological …

Heavy Metals In West Chester, Pa: An Open-Ended, Inquiry-Based Project By Students In Environmental Geochemistry, Cynthia Hall

Gordon Natural Area Soils Studies Documents

No abstract provided.

Patterns And Controls Of Erosion Along The Barrow Environmental Observatory Coastline, Northern Alaska, Adrian Aguirre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With pronounced arctic warming that is linked to loss of sea ice, sea level rise, and land cover change, over the coming decades arctic coastal regions are likely to undergo amongst the most dramatic changes of any ecosystem on Earth. This study used foot surveys and a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) to document at a high spatial (horizontal and vertical) resolution, the spatiotemporal dynamics of the eroding bluff along the coastline of the Barrow Environmental Observatory between 2003 and 2009. The coastline consists of an eroding bluff bordered by a shallow muddy lagoon. The coast is protected from strong …

Potential Fossil Endoliths In Vesicular Pillow Basalt, Coral Patch Seamount, Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, Barbara Cavalazzi, Frances Westall, Sherry L. Cady, Roberto Barbieri, Frédéric Foucher

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The chilled rinds of pillow basalt from the Ampere-Coral Patch Seamounts in the eastern North Atlantic were studied as a potential habitat of microbial life. A variety of putative biogenic structures, which include filamentous and spherical microfossil-like structures, were detected in K-phillipsite-filled amygdules within the chilled rinds. The filamentous structures (similar to 2.5 mu m in diameter) occur as K-phillipsite tubules surrounded by an Fe-oxyhydroxide (lepidocrocite) rich membranous structure, whereas the spherical structures (from 4 to 2 mu m in diameter) are associated with Ti oxide (anatase) and carbonaceous matter. Several lines of evidence indicate that the microfossil-like structures in …