Earth Sciences Commons^™

Growing A Water And Food Secure Future: Annual Report Fy2019 (July 1, 2018 To June 30, 2019), Robert B. Daugherty Water For Food Global Institute

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Administrative Materials

Ensuring water and food security for our growing world is an audacious goal – exactly what Bob Daugherty sought to achieve by creating the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska nearly 10 years ago. He, along with leaders and supporters within the University of Nebraska, the state and well beyond, understood that a collective and committed effort on wise water management was essential to producing enough food to feed the world while sustaining our valuable and limited water resources. For decades, many dedicated people around the world have striven to overcome the challenges of …

Vegetation And Environmental Changes In Tropical South America From The Last Glacial To The Holocene Documented By Multiple Cave Sediment Proxies, Valdir F. Novello, Francisco W. Cruz, Michael M. Mcglue, Corinne I. Wong, Brittany M. Ward, Mathias Vuille, Rudney A. Santos, Plinio Jaqueto, Luiz C. R. Pessenda, Tiago Atorre, Ligia M. A. L. Ribeiro, Ivo Karmann, Eline S. Barreto, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Marcos S. Paula, Denis Scholz

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

δ18 O values in speleothems have been utilized to document past changes in South American monsoon intensity. However, changes in regional vegetation and ecosystems have not been part of this discussion, and other cave proxies such as speleothem δ13 C values, a useful proxy for vegetation reconstruction, have been neglected due to interpretive complexities. Here we report δ13 C values and 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios in stalagmites, together with XRF-derived elemental chemistry, δ13 C org values and carbon content from a sedimentary profile from the same cave where the stalagmites were collected. In combination with a previously published δ18 O …

Floristic Quality Assessments Of Remnant Natural Areas In The Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan Region: Evaluating Botanical Change Since The 1890s, Alan W. Stockdale, Garrett Crow, David P. Warners

Faculty and Professional Research

In 1901, Emma J. Cole, a beloved high school teacher and distinguished botanist, published Grand Rapids Flora. Cole’s floristic inventory remains the most comprehensive botanical study of the greater Grand Rapids, Michigan region, even though this area has experienced significant land- scape alterations since her publication. To address this knowledge gap, in 2014 we embarked on a multiple-year project aimed to discover and reassess the sites Cole described, as well as to catalog other natural remnant locations within the Grand Rapids area. This paper reports botanical invento- ries that were completed at eight sites within Kent County during 2015 and …

Great South Bay, Long Island, New York Summer Phytoplankton Identification & Monitoring Program, Cercom, Molloy University, John Tanacredi Ph.D., Kyle F. Maurelli

CERCOM Reports

Phytoplankton Collection Methodologies: 80 micron Plankton Tow Net with sample bottle attachment

Phytoplankton Protocol: 1.Gather Samples 2.Make one slide per sample 3.View slides using microscope connected with computer 4. Record findings using “ Row # “ and “ Colum letter “ 5. Record using “ Tally’s “ per species found within sample 6. Capture anything interesting “ Take Picture “ 7.Duplicate pictures taken 8.Make sure measurement of species found is taken 9. Email Jennifer Maucher at [email protected] , include pictures, questions and names of the species you “guess” you found.

Mass Wasting Investigation And Assessment In The Midwest: Case Study Of The Minnesota River Valley, New Ulm To St. Peter, Minnesota, Usa, Melissa Kohout

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Many mass- wasting studies have been conducted worldwide, however, investigations have focused in mountainous or coastal regions. This has proven problematic in areas lacking those features yet are experiencing mass wasting. Several anthropogenic risks, economic loss, and environmental issues are associated with mass wasting such as destruction of property, loss of life, and sediment pollution. The midwestern USA, is generally considered a low relief region, therefore limited data exist for mass wasting occurrence. Within the last decade, however, several events have occurred across Minnesota with little understanding of the ongoing hillslope processes leading to failure. The Minnesota River valley is …

Sponge Spicule And Phytolith Evidence For Late Quaternary Environmental Changes In The Tropical Pantanal Wetlands Of Western Brazil, Giliane G. Rasbold, Michael M. Mcglue, José C. Stevaux, Mauro Parolin, Aguinaldo Silva, Ivan Bergier

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The environmental history of the central Pantanal wetlands of western Brazil is inferred for the last 19 kyrs based on a multi-indicator paleolimnological analysis of a sediment core from Lake Negra. The core, dated by 14 C and OSL, shows variations in the abundance, diversity, and preservation of sponge spicules and phytoliths through time, consistent with changing aquatic environments. In the late Pleistocene, Lake Negra was influenced by a strong monsoon and fluvial depositional processes, whereas in the Holocene, there was a drier interval where the lake was more isolated on the floodplain. Hiatuses in the stratigraphy resulted from both …

Sedimentary Processes And Facies On A High-Latitude Passive Continental Margin, Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, Sandra Passchier, Daniel J. Ciarletta, Victor Henao, Vicky Sekkas

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The impact of high-latitude physical processes on the sedimentary geology of a passive continental margin is addressed using a sediment record from the Wilkes Land margin of Antarctica. We present sequence stratigraphic models based on analytical data and genetic interpretations of sedimentary facies assemblages observed in drill cores collected by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. The examination of drill cores within a previously published seismostratigraphic context enhances the resolution of the sequence stratigraphic interpretations. Weaker tidal forcing, a stronger Coriolis effect and more pronounced seasonality are some of the physical processes that affect erosion and sedimentation at high latitudes, even …

Htgcd Well Evaluation: Dripping Springs Water Supply Co. Test Well 1 & Stratigraphic Evaluation Of The Trinity Aquifer Units In Wester Hays County And Implications For Hydrological Variations, Nicholas J. Soto-Kerans, A. Broun, J. Watson

School of Geosciences Student Publications

The Trinity Aquifer is a very important groundwater resource for the Dripping Springs area and Central Texas as a whole. Evidence in recent studies show increased levels of aquifer stress and pumping due to higher influx of population and demand for potable water in the area.

In addition to high levels of pumping, groundwater appears to be influenced by facies change. There is little information on how certain geological units affect the presence of groundwater in the Trinity Aquifer – this study is purposed to bring a better understanding of how groundwater resources are stored and moved through the subsurface …

Developing High Resolution Baseline Coast Resource Maps Using World View 2 Imagery For A Coastal Village In Fiji, Ashneel Ajay Singh, Anish Maharaj, Michelle Kumar, Priyatma Singh, Sanjay Singh, Frank Muller-Karger, Matthew James Mccarthy, Lionel Joseph, Herve Damlamian, Zulfikar Begg

Marine Science Faculty Publications

In Fiji, like most Pacific Island countries, there have been numerous reports of degradation of coastal resources, including adverse changes in abundance and stock distribution of numerous aquatic species associated with the coastal habitat. To develop effective management plans, assessment of existing coastal resources is pertinent. High spatial resolution satellite imagery, combined with geographic information systems allow for efficient and synoptic mapping of coastal resources to provide a baseline for developing effective and improved management plans. The purpose of this study was to develop a baseline habitat map of the intertidal benthic cover in Komave Village, Coral Coast, Sigatoka, Fiji. …

Scalar Transport Over A Forest Edge With Impact Of Vertical Distribution Of Foliage And Source Types, Yulong Ma, Heping Liu, Zhenqing Liu, Chuixiang Yi, Brian Lamb

Publications and Research

The dynamics of forest-boundary-layer interactions over a forest edge have been an interesting research topic in recent years. A better understanding of edge flow has implications for the siting and interpretation of flux measurements near a forest edge. In the present study, we use large-eddy simulations with the newly developed multi-layer canopy model MCANOPY to investigate canopy flows, or more specifically scalar transfer, over a forest edge. Two important impact factors for edge flows are considered: the vertical distribution of foliage and the scalar source/sink distribution. The simulations show that both factors have non-ignored impacts on the scalar transfer over …

Influence Of Land Cover And Soil Moisture Based Brown Ocean Effect On An Extreme Rainfall Event From A Louisiana Gulf Coast Tropical System, Udaysankar S. Nair, Eric Rappin, Emily Foshee, Warren Smith, Roger A. Pielke Sr., Rezaul Mahmood, Jonathan L. Case, Clay B. Blankenship, Marshall Shepherd, Joseph A. Santanello, Dev Niyogi

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Extreme flooding over southern Louisiana in mid-August of 2016 resulted from an unusual tropical low that formed and intensified over land. We used numerical experiments to highlight the role of the ‘Brown Ocean’ effect (where saturated soils function similar to a warm ocean surface) on intensification and it’s modulation by land cover change. A numerical modeling experiment that successfully captured the flood event (control) was modified to alter moisture availability by converting wetlands to open water, wet croplands, and dry croplands. Storm evolution in the control experiment with wet antecedent soils most resembles tropical lows that form and intensify over …

The Total Solar Eclipse Of 2017: Meteorological Observations From A Statewide Mesonet And Atmospheric Profiling Systems, Rezaul Mahmood, Megan Schargorodski, Eric Rappin, Melissa Griffin, Patrick Collins, Kevin Knupp, Andrew Quilligan, Ryan Wade, Kevin Cary, Stuart Foster

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

A total solar eclipse traversed 37 the continental United States on August 21, 2017. It 38 was the first such event in 99 years and provided a rare opportunity to observe the atmospheric response from a variety of instrumented observational platforms. This paper discusses the high quality observations collected by the Kentucky Mesonet (www.kymesonet.org), a research-grade meteorological and climatological observation network consisting of 72 stations and measuring air temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, and wind direction. The network samples the atmosphere, for most variables, every three seconds and then calculates and records observations every five minutes. During …

Irrigation Impacts On Minimum And Maximum Surface Moist Enthalpy In The Central Great Plains Of The Usa, Tianyi Zhang, Rezaul Mahmood, Xiaomao Lin, Roger A. Pielke Sr.

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Agricultural activities notably alter weather and climate including near-surface heat content. However, past research primarily focused on dry bulb temperature without considering the role of water vapor (dew point temperature) on surface air heat content. When using dry bulb temperature trends to assess these changes, for example, not including concurrent trends in absolute humidity can lead to errors in the actual rate of warming or cooling. Here we examined minimum and maximum surface moist enthalpy, which can be expressed as “equivalent temperature.” Using hourly climate data in the Central Great Plains (Nebraska and Kansas) from 1990 to 2014, the averages …

Enhancing Acis Maps: Increasing Usability Through A Gis Portal, Natalie Umphlett, Warren Pettee, Bill Sorensen, Crystal J. Stiles

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

The High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC) is one of six NOAA Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) in the United States that aims to provide timely climate data and information to the public for cost-effective decision-making. As part of a three-tiered approach to climate services, the RCCs address needs on the national, regional, state, and local scales for a variety of sectors including agriculture, energy, natural resource management, research, transportation, and water resources. Working together, the RCCs develop and disseminate a wide range of valueadded climate products and services.

One of the HPRCC’s most popular products is the Applied Climate Information …

Conducting A Drought-Specific Thira (Threat And Hazard Identification And Risk Assessment): A Powerful Tool For Integrating All-Hazard Mitigation And Drought Planning Efforts To Increase Drought Mitigation Quality, Elliot Wickham, Deborah J. Bathke, Tarik Abdel-Monem, Tonya K. Bernadt, Denise Bulling, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Crystal J. Stiles, Nicole Wall

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

In the United States, drought is the second costliest natural disaster, which leads to the need for increased drought mitigation efforts over time. However, drought planning has lagged behind other hazard mitigation efforts, which is likely due to the lack of a national drought planning policy. Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires all jurisdictions have a hazard mitigation plan (HMP) to receive pre-disaster mitigation funds, drought has only recently been a requirement in HMPs. In 2012, Nebraska witnessed its worse drought in recent history, which exposed the gaps in drought planning effectiveness at all jurisdictional levels. To address …

Applying Cloud-Based Computing And Emerging Remote Sensing Technologies To Inform Land Management Decisions, Monica Vermillion, Josh Enterkine, Lucas Spaete, Nancy Glenn

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Who: Boise State University and Mountain Home Air Force Base

What: Creating a species level classification map through the use of Google Earth Engine (GEE), a cloud-based computing platform, to map invasive species

When: In-situ data collected in Summer 2018, a continuation of data collected in Summer 2016. Classification was created in Fall 2018. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) flights in August 2018.

Where: Mountain Home Air Force Base (MHAFB) in southwest Idaho, ecosystem is in the Great Basin Range (GBR)

Why: The introduction of exotic species like cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) has drastically altered the fire cycle of the …

The Undeniable Attraction Of Lunar Swirls, Dany Waller

Posters-at-the-Capitol Presentations

Lunar swirls are complex patterns on the Moon with distinct brightness signatures and magnetic characteristics. Current research has suggested that the formation of lunar swirls relies on local magnetic fields to shield impinging solar wind, based on a shift in electromagnetic wavelength peaks related to solar radiation and space weathering. Our research combined recent models and methods to characterize these anomalies at the surface of the Moon, exploring the effects of field strength and position. We have produced a high resolution map of a famous swirl named Reiner Gamma using magnetic dipole modeling. These maps and models are considered when …

Investigating An Apparent Structural High In Seismic Data In North Terre Haute, Indiana, Through First-Arrival Traveltime Tomography And Gravity Analysis, Daniel Grant Koehl

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on northern Terre Haute, Indiana, where seven 2D seismic reflection time sections were collected by CountryMark and donated to Wright State University. Geologically, the area is on the eastern margin of the Illinois Basin. Two of these seismic lines display significant relief along a continuous, high-amplitude horizon approximately 180 milliseconds in two-way traveltime depth. This horizon was previously interpreted by CountryMark to be a Silurian reef core of the type common in this region of the Illinois Basin; however, other seismic lines within the data set display no relief. Furthermore, borehole logs within the area show no …

Spatial Conservation Planning Under Uncertainty: Adapting To Climate Change Risks Using Modern Portfolio Theory, Mitchell J. Eaton, Simeon Yurek, Zulqarnain Haider, Julien Martin, Fred A. Johnson, Bradley J. Udell, Hadi Charkhgard, Changhyun Kwon

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Climate change and urban growth impact habitats, species, and ecosystem services. To buffer against global change, an established adaptation strategy is designing protected areas to increase representation and complementarity of biodiversity features. Uncertainty regarding the scale and magnitude of landscape change complicates reserve planning and exposes decision makers to the risk of failing to meet conservation goals. Conservation planning tends to treat risk as an absolute measure, ignoring the context of the management problem and risk preferences of stakeholders. Application of risk management theory to conservation emphasizes the diversification of a portfolio of assets, with the goal of reducing the …

Tubex Data, Sanaz Esmaeili

School of Geosciences Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Is Ghana Ready To Attain Sustainable Development Goal (Sdg) Number 7?—A Comprehensive Assessment Of Its Renewable Energy Potential And Pitfalls, Michael Acheampong, Qiuyan Yu, Funda C. Ertem, Lucy E.D. Enomah, Shakhawat H. Tanim, Michael Eduful, Mehrdad Vaziri, Erick Ananga

School of Geosciences Student Publications

Ghana has declared support for the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number seven which most importantly target ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. This target presents a formidable challenge to Ghana because the country still relies mainly on traditional biomass as its primary source of energy coupled with a chronically fragile hydropower sector. In this study, we assess Ghana’s potential in achieving sustainable goal number seven. Specifically, we comprehensively review the breakthroughs and impediments Ghana has experienced in its efforts towards improving its renewable energy potential. We note that while Ghana has made significant stride toward …

Decision Making Under Uncertainty With Applications To Geosciences And Finance, Laxman Bokati

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In many practical situations, we need to make a decision. In engineering, we need to decide on the best design of a system, and, for existing systems â?? on the best control strategy. In financial applications, we need to decide what is the best way to invest money. In geosciences, we need to decide whether we should explore a possible mineral deposit â?? or whether we should perform more experiments and measurements (and what exactly). In some cases, we can compute the exact consequences of each decision - e.g., if we are controlling a satellite. However, in many other cases, …

Cmas/Volcanic Ash Infiltration Performance Of Yttria Rich-Zirconia Thermal Barrier Coatings Produced By Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition, Juan Jose Gomez Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For many years the use of thermal barrier coatings (TBC) in gas turbine engines has allowed a significant increase in engine operating temperatures which are above the Ni-based super alloys' melting point. The base material for TBCs is the state of the art 7 wt % yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) which provides the thermal protection. Current industry demands for increased engine efficiency has pushed TBCs to the limits where significant technological constrains have been identified. One of the main ones represents the high temperature corrosion of the TBC material due to the ingestion of silicate based airborne particles commonly referred …

Volcanic Glass As A Proxy For Cenozoic Elevation And Climate In The Cascade Mountains, Oregon, Usa, John Bershaw, Elizabeth J. Cassell, Tessa Boe Carlson, Ashley R. Streig, Martin J. Streck

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

After deposition, volcanic glass hydrates with ambient water, recording the average hydrogen isotope ratio (δD or δ2H) of local meteoric water during the hydration period. Previous researchers have used ancient glass δD values to reconstruct paleotopography and paleoclimate, while others have questioned the long-term reliability of the proxy as a recorder of ancient meteoric water. In this study, we sampled volcanic glasses ranging in age ~33 Ma to(east) side of the Oregon Cascade Mountains. Our results strongly suggest that volcanic glass acquires and preserves δD values that are proportional to the stable isotopic composition of environmental water at the time …

Globally Detected Volcanic Lightning And Umbrella Dynamics During The 2014 Eruption Of Kelud, Indonesia, Kirstin A. Hargie, Alexa R. Van Eaton, L. G. Mastin, Robert H. Holzworth, John W. Ewert, Michael Pavolonis

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Volcanic lightning shows considerable promise as a monitoring and research tool to characterize explosive eruptions. Its key strengths are rapid and remote detection, because the radio signals produced by lightning can propagate thousands of km at the speed of light. Despite these tantalizing properties, the scientific work on volcanic lightning has only recently started gaining momentum. Much more is needed to understand what lightning reveals about the evolution of an eruption in near-real time. Here we examine the timing and energy release of lightning generated by the eruption of Kelud volcano in Indonesia on 13 February 2014, as detected by …

Modeling The Flow Of Hall Creek, Humboldt County, California Using Visualizing Ecosystem Land Management Assessments (Velma) And Calculating The Channel Forming Flow Using The Effective Discharge Calculation, Ethan A. Luckens

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Due to wide spread stream degradation across the globe, there is great potential for restoring stream and riverine habitat. Land managers often lack necessary information about the stream discharges of ungauged watersheds. This lack of data makes designing stream restoration projects in ungauged watersheds more difficult. This is especially true when trying to determine the channel-forming flow, the discharge that will support a stable channel geometry. In this study, the channel-forming flow was approximated using effective flow. Effective flow is the level of flow that transports to the greatest amount of sediments. One method for calculating effective flow is to …

An Analysis Of Fractures Around The Sevier Fault Zone Near Orderville, Utah, Charley H. Hankla

Senior Independent Study Theses

Structural discontinuities—such as opening mode joints, shear fractures, and faults— tend to occur in close geographic proximity to one another; however, the timing relationships between these structures is not always easy to discern in the field. In southwestern Utah, the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone is cut by large-scale normal faults associated with the Sevier Fault Zone, making it perfect for observing several fracture types. The aim of this study is to complete a dynamic and kinematic analyses of the fractures near a major fault and to determine the chronologic relationships between the fractures. Specifically, we observed a previously unnamed segment of …

Maps Showing The Physical Hydrogeology And Changes In Saturated Thickness (Predevelopment To Spring 2016 And Spring 2011 To Spring 2016) In The Middle Republican Natural Resources District, Southwestern Nebraska., Jesse T. Korus Dr., Leslie M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

This report accompanies fourteen new maps summarizing the hydrogeology and changes in saturated thickness in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District (MRNRD). The purpose of these maps is to assist the MRNRD in their groundwater management programs and in planning and installing an observation well network. Maps include:

• base of the principal aquifer;

• water table surfaces for predevelopment, Spring 2011, and Spring 2016;

• saturated thicknesses for predevelopment, Spring 2011, and Spring 2016;

• changes in saturated thickness (both in absolute magnitude and in percent) from predevelopment to Spring 2016 and from Spring 2011 to Spring 2016;

• …

Effects Of Water Level Fluctuation On Thermal Stratification In A Typical Tributary Bay Of Three Gorges Reservoir, China, Juxiang Jin, Scott Wells, Defu Liu, Guolu Yang, Senlin Zhu, Jun Ma, Zhengjian Yang

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Xiangxi River is a typical tributary of Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in China. Based on field observations in 2010, thermal stratification was significant in most months of the year. Through field data analysis and numerical simulations, the seasonal and spatial variation of thermal stratification as related to the impact of the operation of TGR were investigated. Thermal stratification was most pronounced from April to September in the Xiangxi River tributary. Air temperature (AT) and water level (WL) were the two dominant variables impacting thermal stratification. AT affected the surface water temperature promoting the formation of thermal stratification, and high WLs …

Isolation And Identification Of Potential Bioinoculants Based On Phosphate Solubilizing And Plant Growth Promoting Benefits, Rachel Raths

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conservative models have shown that as populations rise, food production needs to double by 2050. Population increase and the green revolution have caused fertilizer inputs to increase since the 1960’s, increasing environmental issues and production costs. These intensive practices have led to degraded arable land and there has been an increase in urbanization meaning we need to make best use of the farming land that is available and ensure it is sustainable for future food production. Due to this, there has been a higher demand for research on more environmentally and economically friendly approaches to food production. Plant growth promoting …