Earth Sciences Commons^™

Stream Temperature Responses To Summer Urban Rain Events Along The Savannah River, Joseph E. Wermter, Vivian L. Turner, Max K. Appelbaum, James M. Shepherd, Jacob Z. Lott

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

The hydrological urban heat island (HUHI) is a recent facet of the urban heat island (UHI), describing thermal enhancement of bodies of water in response to urbanization. Although the forefront of this work has been studied for large Metropolitan areas, this effect on developing cities is currently unknown. To locally measure and quantify HUHI effects in a developing city, we utilized Multi-Radar Multi Sensor (MRMS) radar-derived rainfall data to estimate rainfall in the Augusta Metropolitan Area (AMA) and the Savannah Metropolitan Area (SMA), two developing communities adjacent to the Savannah River. We analyzed mean temperature trends of two stream gauges …

Warming Induces Unexpectedly High Soil Respiration In A Wet Tropical Forest, Tana E. Wood, Colin Tucker, Aura M. Alonso-Rodríguez, M. Isabel Loza, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Molly A. Cavaleri, Christine S. O'Connell, Sasha C. Reed

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Tropical forests are a dominant regulator of the global carbon cycle, exchanging more carbon dioxide with the atmosphere than any other terrestrial biome. Climate models predict unprecedented climatic warming in tropical regions in the coming decades; however, in situ field warming studies are severely lacking in tropical forests. Here we present results from an in situ warming experiment in Puerto Rico, where soil respiration responses to ⁺4 ^oC warming were assessed half-hourly for a year. Soil respiration rates were 42-204% higher in warmed relative to ambient plots, representing some of the highest soil respiration rates reported for any …

Health On The Rocks: Geohealth In Kentucky, Rachel L. Washburn

Special Publication--KGS

Geohealth bridges the earth and life sciences, revealing how Kentucky’s unique geology directly shapes public health risks, clinical outcomes, and opportunities for innovation. This factsheet highlights the critical intersections between geologic processes and human health across the Commonwealth—from landslides, floods, and tornadoes to radon, mine drainage, and microbial contamination. It outlines how natural and anthropogenic forces influence respiratory illness, cancer, trauma, and infectious disease, and how bedrock and weather extremes define local exposure pathways. Beyond risk, it also showcases Kentucky’s leadership in developing geoscience-informed health solutions: bioremediation, microbial drug discovery, and geologic-health monitoring networks that strengthen preparedness and resilience. Understanding …

Mcl1 And Hexokinase 2 Form A Glucose Metabolic Regulatory Axis, Robert Lee

All ETDs from UAB

Hexokinase 2 (HK2) initiates glucose metabolism by catalyzing the conversion of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate providing the starting substrate for a vast array of metabolic pathways such as glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), amino acid biosynthesis and others. While HK2’s metabolic role in normal physiologic function (such as in cardiomyocytes) and cancers (through driving the Warburg Effect) are well established, there is emerging evidence that supports HK2 is also a critical mediator of protein-protein interactions that regulate cell survival. Through comprehensive review, we explore how HK2 contributes to cell survival through metabolic and protein scaffolding roles. We also investigate a novel …

Analysis Of Colorado River Basin Storage Suggests Need For Immediate Action, Jack Schmidt, Anne Castle, John Fleck, Eric Kuhn, Kathryn Sorensen, Katherine Tara

The Traveling Wilburys of the Colorado River

Consumptive water use in the Colorado River Basin continues to outpace natural flow. The dwindling reserve stored in reservoirs that has long sustained this shortfall might soon be exhausted. Immediate steps should be taken to reduce current consumptive uses in the Upper and Lower Basins.

Paleoseismic Evidence Of Directivity For The 1976 Mw 7.5 Motagua Earthquake, Guatemala, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Jeremy Maurer, Derek Gibson, Trenton Mcenaney, Andreas Eckert, William F. Kenney, Jeffrey Beeson, Nigel Wattrus, Quin Stangeland, Fatima Reyes

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

On 4 February 1976, a Mw 7.5 earthquake along the Motagua fault, Guatemala, ruptured ∼230 km of the North American and Caribbean plate boundary. Today, the plate boundary remains poorly monitored, and the 1976 earthquake is still not fully understood. Here, we present seismic reflection profiles and radiometrically dated sediment core data from six lakes around the Motagua fault, together with reports of destruction and a quasi-dynamic rupture model, which show that the 1976 earthquake experienced strong directivity that impacted the distribution of shaking. The earthquake left behind a detailed record of event deposits (EDs) in five of the six …

Impact Of Black Shale Weathering On Stream Water And Sediment Quality In Eastern Kentucky, Brett Hopt

Dissertations and Theses

Black shales contain high concentrations of trace elements in addition to their elevated organic carbon content. Once exposed at the surface, weathering processes release these elements into the environment, including many (e.g., As, Cu, Cd, Cr, U, Zn) that could pose threats to human and environmental health. Previous studies have focused on how these metals are incorporated into the soil column and their effects on crop nutrition. However, few studies have focused on the impact of natural weathering of black shales on local stream water chemistry and the transport and subsequent partitioning of these geogenic contaminants into stream environments.

This …

Major, Trace And Rare Earth Element Concentrations In Nist Standard Reference Material® 1646a Analyzed By Als Global Using Method Me-Ms61r, Jane L. Alexander

Publications and Research

This technical note compares analytical results obtained from ALS Global Method ME-MS61r with the certified and previously published results for NIST Standard Reference Material® 1646a, Estuarine Sediment. The results are grouped into major, trace and rare earth elements, and focus on elements used by sedimentary geochemists, for example in studies of sediment provenance. The results from ALS Global Method ME-MS61r are internally consistent and generally robust when compared with published analyses. However, acid digestion may not completely dissolve resistant minerals, leading to under-reporting of some elements such as Ti, Cr, Zr, heavy REE and Y.

Lead Exposure In The 21st Century: Modeling A Path From Crisis To Prevention, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Comparative Analysis Of Different Magnetic Anomaly Datasets Using Navigation Performance With Flight Test Data, Aaron P. Nielsen, Brandon M. Blakely, Patrick Duff

Faculty Publications

Magnetic Anomaly Navigation (MagNav) is a map-based method of navigation which relies on accurately obtaining the anomaly field to a high level of precision to achieve good navigation results. This requires utilizing high quality sensors, accurately modeling disturbance fields from the aircraft & other sources, and creating high-fidelity maps. Aeromagnetic survey data or marine track survey data must be processed into a product that can be used as a reference for a magnetic navigator and a variety of techniques can be utilized for this processing. The data collection for different survey types reflects choices typically made to study the underlying …

Miscanthus × Giganteus Increases Soil Maximum Water Holding Capacity Compared To Maize, Jessica T. Nelson, Maoz Dor, Andy D. Vanloocke, Jacob E. Studt, Perla K. Schrock, Marshall D. Mcdaniel

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil ecosystem services, like the ability to store water, have been depleted after a century of conventional, annual cropping, and perennial crops offer a solution to this and other agricultural environmental issues. We assessed the impact of Miscanthus × giganteus (miscanthus), a perennial biomass crop, on soil water holding capacity and structure compared to continuous maize (Zea mays L.) at two sites in Iowa. After three growing seasons, we measured the following: (1) maximum water holding capacity (MWHC) with and without soil structure, and (2) total porosity and pore size distribution (PSD) via micro-computed tomography (microCT). Miscanthus increased MWHC …

Maize Yield Stability Under Organic And Conventional Farming Systems In Sub-Humid Agro-Ecozones Of Central Kenya, Milka Kiboi, David Bautze, Felix Matheri, Amritbir Riar, Andreas Fliessbach

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the main staple crop and is important to the food security and livelihoods of people globally. We evaluated the effects of organic and conventional farming systems on maize grain yield and temporal yield stability under different external input levels in a long-term experiment (2007–2022) at two sites in Kenya. We implemented four farming systems: organic high (Org-High), conventional high (Conv-High), organic low (Org-Low), and conventional low (Conv-Low) in a randomized complete block design. Growth indicators for maize, height, stem diameter, and grain yield were higher in high input systems, but grain yield stability was not. …

Compound-Specific Isotope Records Of Dust Provenance And Hydroclimate In The North Pacific And Marginal Seas Of East Asia: Integrating N-Alkane Δ13c And Δd With Standardized Analytical Frameworks, Julian W. Traphagan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents advancements in compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) through methodological innovation and paleoclimate reconstruction in Central and East Asia. Utilizing plant wax n-alkanes from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) sediment cores, this research reconstructs atmospheric circulation shifts responding to tectonic evolution and climate transitions since the Late Miocene.

Chapter 1 investigates hydrogen isotope compositions (δD_wax) from IODP U1430 (Sea of Japan), ODP 886, and ODP 1208 (North Pacific) to trace dust provenance and hydroclimate changes since ~13 Ma. Results reveal persistently segmented source-to-sink systems: the Sea of Japan dominated by westerly …

Effect Of Seasonal Variability In Methane Emissions And Iron Redox Chemistry At Terrestrial-Aquatic Interfaces, Hermes C. Ruiz

Master's Theses

Methane (CH₄) emissions at terrestrial–aquatic interfaces (TAIs) are significant contributors to the global carbon budget, yet the mechanisms driving methanogenesis remain poorly understood. Limited data exist on how seasonal variations and redox processes influence CH₄ fluxes in these dynamic ecosystems. This study addressed two questions: (1) How are CH₄ fluxes in riverine floodplains and adjacent hillslopes impacted by seasonal variations? (2) What roles do metal redox processes (e.g., iron (Fe)) play in regulating methanogenesis?

In-situ CH₄ flux and solid-phase Fe speciation were quantified in East River, CO, under flooded and drained conditions. Groundwater chemistry, gas flux, and soil physical properties …

Geol 64: Planetary Geology - Syllabus, Dara Laczniak

Open Educational Resources

This Open Educational Resources (OER) syllabus is for an introductory planetary geology course that utilizes results from space missions to expose students to the surface features, composition, geological activity, and probable history of the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets of the solar system. It also places space exploration into the context of larger societal issues such as global warming and natural resource availability and addresses topics such as the ethics of space exploration and hazards of space travel. This OER syllabus aims to foster student-centered learning, critical thinking, data analysis and communication skills, and creativity. Assigned readings are compiled into …

Mantle Flow And Fault Zone Related Seismic Anisotropy Revealed By A Dense Linear Broadband Array In Southeast Tibet, Jing Wu, Yinshuang Ai, Stephen S. Gao, Peixi Huang, Fansheng Kong, Deke Xu, Jianguo Song, Xinyu Gao, Mengyi Wei, Long Li, Jien Zhang, Yanbin Zhang, Yingying Zhang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Southeast Tibet, a key region for the southeastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau, remains debated in terms of its tectonic deformation in response to the ongoing collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. In this study, we applied shear-wave splitting analysis of core-refracted phases recorded by a newly deployed dense seismic array and six permanent stations to delineate crustal and mantle deformation processes. The observed fast polarization directions are predominantly aligned NNW–SSE, while the splitting delay times vary across four sub-blocks. The anisotropy pattern suggests a dominantly asthenospheric origin, consistent with southeastward-directed mantle flow associated with the extrusion of the …

Morphology And Distribution Of Lakes Under The Laurentide Ice Sheet: Implications For Ice Flow Dynamics, Sarah M. Principato, Carissa Mobley

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

This study examines the distribution and morphology of lakes under the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) to investigate relationships with ice flow velocity, bedrock and basal thermal regime. Palaeo-ice streams and lobes were important components of the LIS, and properties of lakes in those regions are quantified at high resolution. Lake polygon shapefiles obtained from the HydroLAKES database contain data including water depth, volume and elevation. ArcGIS Pro is used to measure lake area, length, width, elongation, orientation, parallel conformity, density and packing. Approximately 982 282 natural lakes were identified in the region of North America covered by the maximum extent …

Impact Of Mining Activities On Land Use Land Cover (Lulc) Using Geospatial Techniques In The Obuasi Municipality, Jonathan Arthur Quaye-Ballard, Samira Naa Yemoley Nsiah, Jephthah Marfo Nimoh, Titus Tienaah, Tina Dzigbordi Wemegah, Precious Adwoa Okyere

Publications

Introduction: Sustainable development, which balances economic, social, and environmental factors to meet the needs of the present and future generations, is a collective responsibility. Rapid population growth and intensification of socio-economic activities are causing significant changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC), directly impacting ecosystem services, biodiversity, and climate. The Obuasi community is already facing environmental degradation and health problems due to gold mining.

Methodology: The study assessed the spatial extent and intensity of mining activities in the Obuasi Municipality on the LULC and predicted future LULC changes due to mining activities using geospatial techniques. The LULC changes were analysed …

Mechanisms Behind The Cross And Fusion Of Gas Migration And Storage Zones Under The Influence Of The Mining Height Of Fully Mechanized Mining Faces, Zhao Pengxiang, Guo Xu, Wang Chao, Li Shugang, Zhuo Risheng, Chang Zechen, Lei Wen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The mining height of coal seams along fully mechanized mining faces significantly influences the formation and evolution of fractures in the overburden, as well as the characteristics of gas migration and storage zones. Investigating the influential patterns under varying mining heights will provide guidance for the arrangement of gas extraction boreholes, thus enhancing gas extraction efficiency. Methods This study investigated mining face 203 in the Tianchi Coal Mine in Heshun County, Shanxi Province. By integrating methods such as physical simulation experiments with similar materials, theoretical analysis, and engineering verification, this study systematically examined the developmental characteristics of fractures in …

Fractures And Their Macro-Mesoscopic Mechanical Evolution Pattern In Coals In The Benxi Formation, Ordos Basin, Zhu Boxu, Yang Xu, Li Gaoren, Li Gao, Feng Jiaxin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective This study aims to determine the relationship between multi-scale fracture characteristics and the mechanical behavior of deep coals, thereby helping gain further insights into the mechanisms behind the macro-mesoscopic damage and failure of the coals and providing a scientific basis for the stability assessment and mechanical modeling of deep coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs. To this end, it is necessary to examine the differences in the coals’ mechanical properties under varying scales. Methods This study conducted uniaxial and triaxial mechanical tests, nanoindentation experiments, and CT scanning of the No. 8 coal seam in the Benxi Formation within the Ordos Basin. …

Mechanisms Underlying Responses Of Pore Structures In Continental Oil Shale To Microwave Pyrolysis, Lyu Pengrui, Yuan Shihao, Geng Jishi, Li Delu, Zhang Huiyuan, Ge Zhenlong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Microwave pyrolysis technology holds great potential to achieve clean energy conversion and efficient energy utilization of oil shale resources. This study investigated oil shale in the Triassic Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin. Through microwave pyrolysis experiments under different power values (600 W, 800 W, and 1000 W) conducted using a microwave equipment monitoring system, this study tested the gas products generated during pyrolysis. Using the nitrogen adsorption method, this study compared and analyzed the pore structure characteristics between the original oil shale and samples after microwave heating under different power values. Additionally, the mechanisms behind damage to oil …

Spatiotemporal Evolution Pattern Of The Inertial Horizontal Displacement Of Mining Overburden And A Surface Prediction Model Considering Inertial Horizontal Displacement, Chen Yuanfei, Wang Lei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Substantial measured data indicate that the along-strike horizontal displacement of the surface tends to be nonzero in the central part of the mining-affected zone. This phenomenon deviates from traditional understanding, leading to systematic deviations in the predicted results of the traditional prediction model for horizontal displacement. Methods This study investigated mining face 1414 of the Guqiao Coal Mine in the Huainan mining area, Anhui Province. Using measured data and numerical simulation methods, this study explored the spatiotemporal evolution of the horizontal displacement within the mining overburden and of the surface. Then, it analyzed the sources, patterns, and distribution characteristics …

Deterioration And Instability Mechanisms Of Water-Rich And Weakly Cemented Open-Pit Slopes, Wang Ming, Wu Zhang, Xu Changyou, Zhao Fu, Meng Xiangchun, Shi Bin, Liu Jingyu, Xu Yongchao, Wang Jingwei, Zhao Lichun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background During the mining of an open-pit mine, denudated layers contain loose Neogene and Quaternary aeolian, alluvial, and diluvial deposits, facilitating water storage and conduction. This is prone to cause slope degradation and instability, severely threatening mining safety. Methods Based on results from field surveys and laboratory experiments, this study systematically analyzed the impacts of groundwater on the weak layer along a slope of an open-pit mine in the Huolinhe Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, focusing on its softening effect on mudstones. By establishing a mechanical model for unconsolidated strata, this study derived an equation for calculating the seepage force in the …

A Design Method For Timeliness Optimization Of The Round-Trip Actuating Mechanisms Of Rescue Vehicle-Mounted Drilling Rigs, Cao Chao, Mao Bingquan, Zhang Zhonghai, Chang Renqi, Zhao Jiyun, Han Jing, Huang Di

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective In the field of mine accident rescue, creating vertical rescue channels through surface drilling operations using a rescue vehicle-mounted drilling rig (RVMDR) proves the most effective. However, the limitation of the vehicle’s load capacity necessitates balancing the driving speeds and stability of the round-trip actuating mechanisms. Furthermore, establishing an optimization design and configuration system of parameters to maximize the operational capacities of these actuating mechanisms plays a key role in ensuring rescue efficiency. Methods By establishing a multiple spatiotemporal planning model for the round-trip actuating mechanisms of the RVMDR, this study determined the value ranges and design processes of …

Well Spacing Optimization Technology For Coalbed Methane Horizontal Wells, Wang Yuting, Yang Yanhui, Zhang Cong, Wang Xiuwei, Liu Zhong, Chen Jiale, Dong Qing, Sun Tao, Zhang Wuchang, Li Kexin, Wang Qi

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Well spacing design directly affects the resource utilization and exploitation benefits of blocks. Rational well spacing design plays a significant role in the commercial exploitation of coalbed methane (CBM) fields. Since the beginning of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, blocks for CBM production in the southern Qinshui Basin have experienced a gradual increase in burial depth, a progressive decline in permeability, and a constant update of primary exploitation technology. Consequently, traditional well spacings fail to meet the requirements for field CBM exploitation any longer. Methods This study investigated the western Qinnan – eastern Mabi block by combining numerical simulations with …

Advances In Research On The Activation And Recovery Of Strategic And Critical Valuable Metals From Coal Fly Ash, Wang Yuhao, Dong Zhongbing

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Coal fly ash, a bulk solid waste byproduct from coal-fired power generation, has a global annual output exceeding 0.75 billion tons. Its disordered piling poses severe environmental risks, such as the generation of heavy metal leachate and PM_2.5 emissions. However, coal fly ash is rich in aluminum (Al 100‒200 mg/g), gallium (Ga 10‒300 μg/g), lithium (Li 1 300‒3 700 μg/g), and rare earth elements (REEs 200‒800 μg/g), establishing it as a potential alternative resource of strategic metals. Methods By analyzing the current domestic and international technologies for metal recovery from coal fly ash, this study expatiates on the …

Methodology And Integration For Dynamic Safety Assessment And Early Warning Of Drilling Sites For Emergency Rescue After Underground Space Collapse, Xie Zhongzhi, Zhang Guohua, Wei Xingtong, Zhang Ning, Wang Xiaotian, Ni Xiaoyang, Zhou Zhengwen, Wang Xianze

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective IGiven the lack of methods for dynamic safety assessment related to disasters in drilling site environments for emergency rescue after underground space collapse, this study proposed a multisource data-driven methodology for dynamic safety assessment and real-time early warning. Methods By comprehensively considering the disaster-inducing environment and disaster-causing factors at drilling sites for emergency rescue, this study established the safety assessment indices of the environment and their grading system. By integrating multi-source data on surrounding rock deformation, gas concentration, and drilling rig vibration, this study developed a safety assessment method through combination weighting achieved using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) …

Digital Rock Modeling And Elastic Simulations Of Fractured-Vuggy Carbonate Reservoirs, Zhu Wei, Zhao Luanxiao, Wang Yirong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The Tarim Basin exhibits extensively distributed deep fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs. Therefore, determining the seismic and petrophysical characteristics of carbonate reservoirs with a fracture and vug system will provide significant guidance for the exploration, discovery, drilling, and exploitation of favorable reservoirs in the basin. Variations in the filling state of dissolution fractures and vugs will lead to significantly different elastic and attenuation characteristics of the reservoirs. Methods Based on geological insights into the geometric structural and filling characteristics of the dissolution fracture-vug system in the outcrop sections of carbonate strata in the Tarim Basin, this study proposed a digital rock …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Pseudo-2d Mt Inversion Technique For Small-Frame Tem And Its Application In Advance Geological Prediction, Han Ziqiang, Wanma Longzhi, Li Xiangfeng, Yang Yongqiang, Zhu Xiaoming, Luo Chengxian, Tang Li

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective To address the bottlenecks of low computational efficiency and impracticality of multi-dimensional inversion in the advance geological prediction based on the transient electromagnetic method (TEM), this study developed a pseudo-two-dimensional (2D) magnetotelluric (MT) inversion technique for small-frame TEM based on time-frequency transformation. Methods First, this study corroborated the significant similarity between the late-time apparent resistivity derived using small-frame TEM and the Cagniard apparent resistivity in the MT method under the parameters commonly used in advance geological prediction. Then, the optimal time-frequency transformation coefficient (C_TF) was introduced to achieve a rapid conversion from the late-time apparent resistivity …