Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Other Earth Sciences Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type

Articles 1 - 30 of 811

Full-Text Articles in Other Earth Sciences

Review Of Harmful Algal Bloom Effects On Birds With Implications For Avian Wildlife In The Chesapeake Bay Region, Barnett A. Rattner, Catherine E. Wazniak, Julia S. Lankton, Peter C. Mcgowan, Serguei V. Drovetski, Todd A. Egerton Oct 2023

Review Of Harmful Algal Bloom Effects On Birds With Implications For Avian Wildlife In The Chesapeake Bay Region, Barnett A. Rattner, Catherine E. Wazniak, Julia S. Lankton, Peter C. Mcgowan, Serguei V. Drovetski, Todd A. Egerton

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The Chesapeake Bay, along the mid-Atlantic coast of North America, is the largest estuary in the United States and provides critical habitat for wildlife. In contrast to point and non-point source release of pesticides, metals, and industrial, personal care and household use chemicals on biota in this watershed, there has only been scant attention to potential exposure and effects of algal toxins on wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region. As background, we first review the scientific literature on algal toxins and harmful algal bloom (HAB) events in various regions of the world that principally affected birds, and to a lesser …

Go to article

How Is Flash Drought Understood?—Experts’ Definitions And Decision-Makers’ Perceptions, Caily Schwartz, Tonya Haigh, Mark D. Svoboda, Madeline Goebel Sep 2023

How Is Flash Drought Understood?—Experts’ Definitions And Decision-Makers’ Perceptions, Caily Schwartz, Tonya Haigh, Mark D. Svoboda, Madeline Goebel

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Because flash drought is a relatively new phenomenon in drought research, defining the concept is critical for scientists and decision-makers. Having detrimental impacts on many sectors, it is important to have a consistent definition and understanding of flash drought, between experts and stakeholders, to provide early warning to the community. This study focuses on onset and progression of conditions and demonstrates the difference in flash drought identification for 15 events across six quantitative definitions of flash drought that use the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). Five flash drought events have been studied in the literature while 10 additional events have been …

Go to article

The Patchwork Governance Of Ecologically Available Water: A Case Study In The Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States, Amanda E. Cravens, Julia B. Goolsby, Theresa Jedd, Deborah J. Bathke, Shelley Crausbay, Ashley E. Cooper, Jason Dunham, Tonya Haigh, Kimberly R. Hall, Michael J. Hayes, Jamie Mcevoy, Rebecca L. Nelson, Markéta Poděbradská, Aaron Ramirez, Elliot Wickham, Dionne Zoanni Aug 2023

The Patchwork Governance Of Ecologically Available Water: A Case Study In The Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States, Amanda E. Cravens, Julia B. Goolsby, Theresa Jedd, Deborah J. Bathke, Shelley Crausbay, Ashley E. Cooper, Jason Dunham, Tonya Haigh, Kimberly R. Hall, Michael J. Hayes, Jamie Mcevoy, Rebecca L. Nelson, Markéta Poděbradská, Aaron Ramirez, Elliot Wickham, Dionne Zoanni

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Institutional authority and responsibility for allocating water to ecosystems (“ecologically available water” [EAW]) is spread across local, state, and federal agencies, which operate under a range of statutes, mandates, and planning processes. We use a case study of the Upper Missouri Headwaters Basin in southwestern Montana, United States, to illustrate this fragmented institutional landscape. Our goals are to (a) describe the patchwork of agencies and institutional actors whose intersecting authorities and actions influence the EAW in the study basin; (b) describe the range of governance mechanisms these agencies use, including laws, policies, administrative programs, and planning processes; and (c) assess …

Go to article

Wildlife Ecological Risk Assessment In The 21st Century: Promising Technologies To Assess Toxicological Effects, Barnett A. Rattner, Thomas G. Bean, Val R. Beasley, Philippe Berny, Karen M. Eisenreich, John E. Elliott, Margaret L. Eng, Phyllis C. Fuchsman, Mason D. King, Rafael Mateo, Carolyn B. Meyer, Jason M. O'Brien, Christopher J. Salice Jun 2023

Wildlife Ecological Risk Assessment In The 21st Century: Promising Technologies To Assess Toxicological Effects, Barnett A. Rattner, Thomas G. Bean, Val R. Beasley, Philippe Berny, Karen M. Eisenreich, John E. Elliott, Margaret L. Eng, Phyllis C. Fuchsman, Mason D. King, Rafael Mateo, Carolyn B. Meyer, Jason M. O'Brien, Christopher J. Salice

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Despite advances in toxicity testing and the development of new approach methodologies (NAMs) for hazard assessment, the ecological risk assessment (ERA) framework for terrestrial wildlife (i.e., air‐breathing amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) has remained unchanged for decades. While survival, growth, and reproductive endpoints derived from whole-animal toxicity tests are central to hazard assessment, nonstandard measures of biological effects at multiple levels of biological organization (e.g., molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, organism, population, community, ecosystem) have the potential to enhance the relevance of prospective and retrospective wildlife ERAs. Other factors (e.g., indirect effects of contaminants on food supplies and infectious disease processes) …

Go to article

Impact Of Land Use/Cover Change And Slope Gradient On Soil Organic Carbon Stock In Anjeni Watershed, Northwest Ethiopia, Bethel Geremew, Tsegaye Tadesse, Bobe Bedadi, Hero T. Gollany, Kindie Tesfaye, Abebe Aschalew Jun 2023

Impact Of Land Use/Cover Change And Slope Gradient On Soil Organic Carbon Stock In Anjeni Watershed, Northwest Ethiopia, Bethel Geremew, Tsegaye Tadesse, Bobe Bedadi, Hero T. Gollany, Kindie Tesfaye, Abebe Aschalew

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Today’s agri-food systems face the triple challenge of addressing food security, adapting to climate change, and reducing the climate footprint by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). In agri-food systems, changes in land use and land cover (LULC) could affect soil physicochemical properties, particularly soil organic carbon (SOC) stock. However, the impact varies depending on the physical, social, and economic conditions of a given region or watershed. Given this, a study was conducted to quantify the impact of LULC and slope gradient on SOC stock and C sequestration rate in the Anjeni watershed, which is a highly populated and …

Go to article

Toxicological Effects Assessment For Wildlife In The 21st Century: Review Of Current Methods And Recommendations For A Path Forward, Thomas G. Bean, Val R. Beasley, Philippe Berny, Karen M. Eisenreich, John E. Elliott, Margaret L. Eng, Phyllis C. Fuchsman, Mark S. Johnson, Mason D. King, Rafael Mateo, Carolyn B. Meyer, Christopher J. Salice, Barnett A. Rattner May 2023

Toxicological Effects Assessment For Wildlife In The 21st Century: Review Of Current Methods And Recommendations For A Path Forward, Thomas G. Bean, Val R. Beasley, Philippe Berny, Karen M. Eisenreich, John E. Elliott, Margaret L. Eng, Phyllis C. Fuchsman, Mark S. Johnson, Mason D. King, Rafael Mateo, Carolyn B. Meyer, Christopher J. Salice, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Model species (e.g., granivorous gamebirds, waterfowl, passerines, domesticated rodents) have been used for decades in guideline laboratory tests to generate survival, growth, and reproductive data for prospective ecological risk assessments (ERAs) for birds and mammals, while officially adopted risk assessment schemes for amphibians and reptiles do not exist. There are recognized shortcomings of current in vivo methods as well as uncertainty around the extent to which species with different life histories (e.g., terrestrial amphibians, reptiles, bats) than these commonly used models are protected by existing ERA frameworks. Approaches other than validating additional animal models for testing are being developed, but …

Go to article

A Complex Record Of Last Interglacial Sea-Level History And Paleozoogeography, Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California, Usa, Daniel R. Muhs, Lindsey T. Groves, Kathleen R. Simmons, R. Randall Schumann, Scott A. Minor Jan 2023

A Complex Record Of Last Interglacial Sea-Level History And Paleozoogeography, Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California, Usa, Daniel R. Muhs, Lindsey T. Groves, Kathleen R. Simmons, R. Randall Schumann, Scott A. Minor

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Studies of marine terraces and their fossils can yield important information about sea level history, tectonic uplift rates, and paleozoogeography, but some aspects of terrace history, particularly with regard to their fossil record, are not clearly understood. Marine terraces are well preserved on Santa Rosa Island, California, and the island is situated near a major marine faunal boundary. Two prominent low-elevation terraces record the ~80 ka (marine isotope stage [MIS] 5a) and ~120 ka (MIS 5e) high-sea stands, based on U-series dating of fossil corals and aminostratigraphic correlation to dated localities elsewhere in California and Baja California. Low uplift rates …

Go to article

Effects Of Lead Exposure On Birds Breeding In The Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District, Rebecka Brasso, Danielle Cleveland, Frank R. Thompson Iii, David E. Mosby, Kathy Hixson, Melissa Roach, Barnett A. Rattner, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Julia S. Lankton Jan 2023

Effects Of Lead Exposure On Birds Breeding In The Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District, Rebecka Brasso, Danielle Cleveland, Frank R. Thompson Iii, David E. Mosby, Kathy Hixson, Melissa Roach, Barnett A. Rattner, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Julia S. Lankton

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Lead mining in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District began in the 1700s and continued for nearly 300 years; the waste piles associated with smelting, mining, and milling of lead ores have released metal residues that have contaminated soil and water in the region. Previous studies in the district have indicated potential harm to wildlife, including birds, because of elevated lead concentrations associated with mining. Exposure to soil-borne lead was correlated with elevated lead concentrations in tissues, inhibition of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δALAD), and renal lesions in birds foraging on ground-dwelling invertebrates at contaminated sites (compared to reference sites) in …

Go to article

A Workshop On Using Nasa Airs Data To Monitor Drought For The U.S. Drought Monitor, Alireza Farahmand,, Sharon Ray, Heidar Thrastarson, Stephen Licata, Stephanie Granger, Brian Fuchs Jan 2023

A Workshop On Using Nasa Airs Data To Monitor Drought For The U.S. Drought Monitor, Alireza Farahmand,, Sharon Ray, Heidar Thrastarson, Stephen Licata, Stephanie Granger, Brian Fuchs

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Recent studies indicate that drought indicators based on near-surface air relative humidity (RH), air temperature (T), and air vapor pressure deficit (VPD), derived from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite can detect the onset of drought earlier than other drought indicators, specifically standardized precipitation index (SPI), which is widely used for drought onset detection. A recent study showed that standardized relative humidity index (SRHI) can detect drought signals earlier than SPI (Farahmand et al. 2015). Relative humidity is a climate variable defined as the ratio of air vapor pressure to saturated vapor pressure. Precipitation and relative …

Go to article

Trust And Subjective Knowledge Influence Perceived Risk Of Lead Exposure, Madeline Goebel, Chloe B. Wardropper Jan 2023

Trust And Subjective Knowledge Influence Perceived Risk Of Lead Exposure, Madeline Goebel, Chloe B. Wardropper

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Lead exposure is a persistent environmental hazard that poses risks to human health. But motivating protective action is challenging with this low visibility hazard whose health effects are often subtle and chronic. Higher risk perception is generally associated with taking protective measures, so public health efforts prioritize risk messaging. Yet, little is known about perceptions of lead exposure risk among the U.S. public. Using cross-sectional data from a national survey of 1035 U.S. residents, we measured the role of trust in government management of lead and subjective knowledge about lead as predictors of perceived risk of lead exposure, controlling for …

Go to article

One Health In Action: Flea Control And Interpretative Education At Badlands National Park, David Eads, Lindsey Buehler, Anne Esbenshade, Jason Fly, Evan Miller, Holly Redmond, Emily Ritter, National Park Service, Sasha Wittmann, Paul Roghair, Eddie Childers Dec 2022

One Health In Action: Flea Control And Interpretative Education At Badlands National Park, David Eads, Lindsey Buehler, Anne Esbenshade, Jason Fly, Evan Miller, Holly Redmond, Emily Ritter, National Park Service, Sasha Wittmann, Paul Roghair, Eddie Childers

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Drought‑Stricken U.S. States Have More Comprehensive Water‑Related Hazard Planning, Theresa Jedd, Kelly Smith Nov 2022

Drought‑Stricken U.S. States Have More Comprehensive Water‑Related Hazard Planning, Theresa Jedd, Kelly Smith

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Despite the devastating impacts of droughts, the United States lacks a national drought plan. This leaves states to address droughts in water, hazard, and stand-alone plans which are designed to reduce drought vulnerability and to prepare government, industry, and society to cope with the impacts. Yet, there is limited empirical research that evaluates the comprehensiveness of these plans, specifically in terms of whether they include preparedness and mitigation measures or triggers for action and response. To fill this gap, this study’s first aim was to establish an evaluation framework based on principles from the drought mitigation literature. The study then …

Go to article

The Sensitivity Of Meteorological Dynamics To The Variability In Catchment Characteristics, Shimelash Molla Kassaye, Tsegaye Tadesse, Getachew Tegegne, Kindie Engdaw Tadesse Nov 2022

The Sensitivity Of Meteorological Dynamics To The Variability In Catchment Characteristics, Shimelash Molla Kassaye, Tsegaye Tadesse, Getachew Tegegne, Kindie Engdaw Tadesse

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Evaluating meteorological dynamics is a challenging task due to the variability in hydroclimatic settings. This study is designed to assess the sensitivity of precipitation and temperature dynamics to catchment variability. The effects of catchment size, land use/cover change, and elevation differences on precipitation and temperature variability were considered to achieve the study objective. The variability in meteorological parameters to the catchment characteristics was determined using the coefficient of variation on the climate data tool (CDT). A land use/cover change and terrain analysis was performed on Google Earth Engine (GEE) and ArcGIS. In addition, a correlation analysis was performed to identify …

Go to article

Do Pharmaceuticals In The Environment Pose A Risk To Wildlife?, Thomas G. Bean, Elizabeth A. Chadwick, Marta Herrero‐Villar, Rafael Mateo, Vinny Naidoo, Barnett A. Rattner Nov 2022

Do Pharmaceuticals In The Environment Pose A Risk To Wildlife?, Thomas G. Bean, Elizabeth A. Chadwick, Marta Herrero‐Villar, Rafael Mateo, Vinny Naidoo, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The vast majority of knowledge related to the question “To what extent do pharmaceuticals in the environment pose a risk to wildlife?” stems from the Asian vulture crisis (>99% decline of some species of Old World vultures on the Indian subcontinent related to the veterinary use of the nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug [NSAID] diclofenac). The hazard of diclofenac and other NSAIDs (carprofen, flunixin, ketoprofen, nimesulide, phenylbutazone) to vultures and other avian species has since been demonstrated; indeed, only meloxicam and tolfenamic acid have been found to be vulture‐safe. Since diclofenac was approved for veterinary use in Spain and Italy in …

Go to article

A 14,100 Cal B. P. Rocky Mountain Locust Cache From Winnemucca Lake, Pershing County, Nevada, Evan J. Pellegrini, Eugene M. Hattori, Larry Benson, John Southon, Hojun Song, Derek A. Woller Nov 2022

A 14,100 Cal B. P. Rocky Mountain Locust Cache From Winnemucca Lake, Pershing County, Nevada, Evan J. Pellegrini, Eugene M. Hattori, Larry Benson, John Southon, Hojun Song, Derek A. Woller

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The remains of approximately 1000 (MNI) Rocky Mountain locusts (Melanoplus spretus) from an archaeological cache pit in Crypt Cave, Winnemucca (dry) Lake, Nevada, date to between 14,305–14,067 calendar years before present (95.4 % confidence; 12,238 ± 18 14C yrs. B.P.). The age of this western Great Basin occupation along the shoreline of Lake Lahontan is consistent with occupation of several other Western North American terminal Pleistocene sites dating prior to 14,000 cal. B.P., including distinctive petroglyphs on the western shore of Winnemucca Lake dating as early as 14,800–13,200 cal. B.P.

Go to article

Comparative Behavioral Ecotoxicology Of Inland Silverside Larvae Exposed To Pyrethroids Across A Salinity Gradient, Sara J. Hutton, Samreen Siddiqui, Emily I. Pedersen, Christopher Y. Markgraf, Amelie Segarra, Michelle L. Hladik, Richard E. Connon, Susanne M. Brander Oct 2022

Comparative Behavioral Ecotoxicology Of Inland Silverside Larvae Exposed To Pyrethroids Across A Salinity Gradient, Sara J. Hutton, Samreen Siddiqui, Emily I. Pedersen, Christopher Y. Markgraf, Amelie Segarra, Michelle L. Hladik, Richard E. Connon, Susanne M. Brander

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Pyrethroids, a class of commonly used insecticides, are frequently detected in aquatic environments, including estuaries. The influence that salinity has on organism physiology and the partitioning of hydrophobic chemicals, such as pyrethroids, has driven interest in how toxicity changes in saltwater compared to freshwater. Early life exposures in fish to pyrethroids cause toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations, which can alter behavior. Behavior is a highly sensitive endpoint that influences overall organism fitness and can be used to detect toxicity of environmentally relevant concentrations of aquatic pollutants. Inland Silversides (Menidia beryllina), a commonly used euryhaline model fish species, were exposed …

Go to article

Using Active Source Seismology To Image The Palos Verdes Fault Damage Zone As A Function Of Distance, Depth, And Geology, Travis Alongi, Emily E. Brodsky, Jared Kluesner, Daniel Brothers Oct 2022

Using Active Source Seismology To Image The Palos Verdes Fault Damage Zone As A Function Of Distance, Depth, And Geology, Travis Alongi, Emily E. Brodsky, Jared Kluesner, Daniel Brothers

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Fault damage zones provide a window into the non-elastic processes of an earthquake. Geological and seismic tomography methods have been unable to measure damage zones at depth with sufficient spatial sampling to evaluate the relative influence of depth, distance, and lithological variations. Here, we identify and analyze the damage zone of the Palos Verdes Fault offshore southern California using two 3D seismic reflection datasets. We apply a novel algorithm to identify discontinuities attributed to faults and fractures in large seismic volumes and examine the spatial distribution of fault damage in sedimentary rock surrounding the Palos Verdes Fault. Our results show …

Go to article

Coastal Wetland Area Change For Two Freshwater Diversions In The Mississippi River Delta, John R. White, Brady Couvillion, John W. Day Oct 2022

Coastal Wetland Area Change For Two Freshwater Diversions In The Mississippi River Delta, John R. White, Brady Couvillion, John W. Day

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Coastal systems around the globe are being re-integrated with adjacent river systems to restore the natural hydrologic connection to riparian wetlands. The Mississippi River sediment diversions or river reconnections are one such tool to combat high rates of wetland loss in coastal Louisiana, USA by providing freshwater, sediment, and nutrients. There has been some disagreement in the published literature whether re-establishing river reconnection is slowing or contributing to coastal wetland loss. This issue is due to the difficulties in the application of remote sensing in low-relief environments where water level changes could indicate either land loss or simply temporary submergence. …

Go to article

Evidence For The ~ 1.4 Ga Picuris Orogeny In The Central Colorado Front Range, Asha A. Mahatma, Yvette D. Kuiper, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma Oct 2022

Evidence For The ~ 1.4 Ga Picuris Orogeny In The Central Colorado Front Range, Asha A. Mahatma, Yvette D. Kuiper, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We present the first evidence for sedimentation and new evidence for penetrative deformation and metamorphism in the central Colorado Front Range associated with the ~ 1.48–1.35 Ga Picuris orogeny. This orogeny has recently been recognized in New Mexico, Arizona and southern Colorado and may be part of a larger active accretionary margin that includes the ~ 1.51–1.46 Ga Pinware and Baraboo events, in eastern Canada and central US respectively, that preceded the amalgamation of the Rodinian supercontinent. We demonstrate that in addition to ~ 1.4 Ga reactivation of northeast-trending Paleoproterozoic shear zones, regional folding occurred in an area south of …

Go to article

Level And Pattern Of Overstory Retention Shape The Abundance And Long-Term Dynamics Of Natural And Created Snags, Charles B. Halpern, Allison K. Rossman, Joan C. Hagar Oct 2022

Level And Pattern Of Overstory Retention Shape The Abundance And Long-Term Dynamics Of Natural And Created Snags, Charles B. Halpern, Allison K. Rossman, Joan C. Hagar

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Standing dead trees, or snags, serve myriad functions in natural forests, but are often scarce in forests managed for timber production. Variable retention (VR), the retention of live and dead trees through harvest, has been adopted globally as a less intensive form of regeneration harvest. In this study, we explore how two key elements of VR systems — level (amount) and spatial pattern of live-tree retention — affect the carryover and post-harvest dynamics of natural and artificially created snags. We present nearly two decades of data from the DEMO Study, a regional-scale experiment in VR harvests of Douglas-fir-dominated forests in …

Go to article

Hydrogen Isotope Behavior During Rhyolite Glass Hydration Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Michael R. Hudak, Ilya N. Bindeman, James M. Watkins, Jacob B. Lowenstern Oct 2022

Hydrogen Isotope Behavior During Rhyolite Glass Hydration Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Michael R. Hudak, Ilya N. Bindeman, James M. Watkins, Jacob B. Lowenstern

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The diffusion of molecular water (H2Om) from the environment into volcanic glass can hydrate the glass up to several wt% at low temperature over long timescales. During this process, the water imprints its hydrogen isotope composition (δDH2O) to the glass (δDgl) offset by a glass-H2O fractionation factor (ΔDgl-H2O = δDgl – δDH2O) which is approximately -33‰ at Earth surface temperatures. Glasses hydrate much more rapidly at higher, sub-magmatic temperatures as they interact with H2O during eruption, transport, and emplacement. To aid in the interpretation …

Go to article

Getting Ahead Of Flash Drought: From Early Warning To Early Action, Jason A. Otkin, Molly Woloszyn, Hailan Wang, Mark D. Svoboda, Marina Skumanich, Roger Pulwarty, Joel Lisonbee, Andrew Hoell, Mike Hobbins, Tonya Haigh, Amanda E. Cravens Oct 2022

Getting Ahead Of Flash Drought: From Early Warning To Early Action, Jason A. Otkin, Molly Woloszyn, Hailan Wang, Mark D. Svoboda, Marina Skumanich, Roger Pulwarty, Joel Lisonbee, Andrew Hoell, Mike Hobbins, Tonya Haigh, Amanda E. Cravens

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Flash droughts, characterized by their unusually rapid intensification, have garnered increasing attention within the weather, climate, agriculture, and ecological communities in recent years due to their large environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Because flash droughts intensify quickly, they require different early warning capabilities and management approaches than are typically used for slower-developing “conventional” droughts. In this essay, we describe an integrated research-and-applications agenda that emphasizes the need to reconceptualize our understanding of flash drought within existing drought early warning systems by focusing on opportunities to improve monitoring and prediction. We illustrate the need for engagement among physical scientists, social scientists, operational …

Go to article

Drivers Of Pb, Sb And As Release From Spent Gunshot In Wetlands: Enhancement By Organic Matter And Native Microorganisms, Anna Potysz, Łukasz J. Binkowski, Jakub Kierczak, Barnett A. Rattner Sep 2022

Drivers Of Pb, Sb And As Release From Spent Gunshot In Wetlands: Enhancement By Organic Matter And Native Microorganisms, Anna Potysz, Łukasz J. Binkowski, Jakub Kierczak, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

In many countries the use of lead-based ammunition is prevalent, and results in exposure and poisoning of waterfowl and other species of birds. In waterfowl hunting areas large quantities of spent shot may be deposited in wetland and terrestrial habitats. These pellets can undergo transformations, which are influenced by various abiotic and biotic factors. In addition to lead (Pb), other elements like antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) can be leached from Pb shot into the environment. In vitro simulations that included organic matter and microorganisms were utilized to examine elemental leaching from gunshot. We found that leaching efficiency was the …

Go to article

Limits To Coseismic Landslides Triggered By Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes, Alex R.R. Grant, William T. Struble, Sean R. Lahusen Sep 2022

Limits To Coseismic Landslides Triggered By Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes, Alex R.R. Grant, William T. Struble, Sean R. Lahusen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Landslides are a significant hazard and dominant feature throughout the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. However, the hazard and risk posed by coseismic landslides triggered by great Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquakes is highly uncertain due to a lack of local and global data. Despite a wealth of other geologic evidence for past earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, no landslides have been definitively linked to such earthquakes, even in areas otherwise highly susceptible to failure. While shallow landslides may not leave a lasting topographical signature in the landscape, there are thousands of deep-seated landslides in Cascadia, and these deposits …

Go to article

Neural Net Detection Of Seismic Features Related To Gas Hydrates And Free Gas Accumulations On The Northern U.S. Atlantic Margin, Urmi Majumdar, Nathaniel C. Miller, Carolyn D. Ruppel Sep 2022

Neural Net Detection Of Seismic Features Related To Gas Hydrates And Free Gas Accumulations On The Northern U.S. Atlantic Margin, Urmi Majumdar, Nathaniel C. Miller, Carolyn D. Ruppel

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Bottom-simulating reflections (BSRs) that sometimes mark the base of the gas hydrate stability zone in marine sediments are often identified based on the reverse polarity reflections that cut across stratigraphic layering in seismic amplitude data. On the northern U.S. Atlantic margin (USAM) between Cape Hatteras and Hudson Canyon, legacy seismic data have revealed pronounced BSRs south of the deepwater extension of Hudson Canyon and more subtle ones from offshore Delaware south to Cape Hatteras, where the reflections sometimes follow stratigraphic layering. Using high-resolution seismic data acquired during the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment and a supervised neural net, we identify …

Go to article

Establishment Of Invasive Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon Piceus) In The Mississippi River Basin: Identifying Sources And Year Classes Contributing To Recruitment, Gregory W. Whitledge, Patrick T. Kroboth, Duane C. Chapman, Quinton E. Phelps, Wes Sleeper, Jennifer Bailey, Jill A. Jenkins Sep 2022

Establishment Of Invasive Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon Piceus) In The Mississippi River Basin: Identifying Sources And Year Classes Contributing To Recruitment, Gregory W. Whitledge, Patrick T. Kroboth, Duane C. Chapman, Quinton E. Phelps, Wes Sleeper, Jennifer Bailey, Jill A. Jenkins

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) was imported to the USA to control aquaculture pond snails. This species has escaped captivity and occurs in parts of the Mississippi River, several tributaries, and floodplain lakes, which is concerning due to potential competition with native fishes and predation on native mussels, many of which are imperiled. However, Black Carp captures have primarily been incidental by commercial fishers, and evidence of reproduction in the wild is limited. The objectives of this study were to assess relative abundance of aquaculture- origin and wild Black Carp using ploidy and otolith stable isotope analysis, identify spatial …

Go to article

Very High Middle Miocene Surface Productivity On The U.S. Mid-Atlantic Shelf Amid Glacioeustatic Sea Level Variability, Marci M. Robinson, Harry J. Dowsett, Timothy D. Herbert Sep 2022

Very High Middle Miocene Surface Productivity On The U.S. Mid-Atlantic Shelf Amid Glacioeustatic Sea Level Variability, Marci M. Robinson, Harry J. Dowsett, Timothy D. Herbert

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) provides important insights into how the climate system operates under elevated temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels. Few western North Atlantic paleotemperature or paleoecological records exist from the MCO, despite their importance for understanding both regional and global climate dynamics. Here we present quantitative MCO paleoecological data from the western North Atlantic, specifically from the Baltimore Gas & Electric (BG&E) marine sediment core from southern Maryland, USA. We examine alkenones and planktic foraminifera and document the first sea surface temperature (SST) and productivity estimates for the MCO and the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT) from …

Go to article

Discovering Hidden Geothermal Signatures Using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization With Customized K-Means Clustering, V. V. Vesselinov, B. Ahmmed, M. K. Mudunuru, J. D. Pepin, E. R. Burns, D. L. Siler, S. Karra, R. S. Middleton Sep 2022

Discovering Hidden Geothermal Signatures Using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization With Customized K-Means Clustering, V. V. Vesselinov, B. Ahmmed, M. K. Mudunuru, J. D. Pepin, E. R. Burns, D. L. Siler, S. Karra, R. S. Middleton

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Discovery of hidden geothermal resources is challenging. It requires the mining of large datasets with diverse data attributes representing subsurface hydrogeological and geothermal conditions. The commonly used play fairway analysis approach typically incorporates subject-matter expertise to analyze regional data to estimate geothermal characteristics and favorability. We demonstrate an alternative approach based on machine learning (ML) to process a geothermal dataset from southwest New Mexico (SWNM). The study region includes low- and medium-temperature hydrothermal systems. Several of these systems are not well characterized because of insufficient existing data and limited past explorative work. This study discovers hidden patterns and relations in …

Go to article

Multi-Omics Responses In Tree Swallow (Tachycineta Bicolor) Nestlings From The Maumee Area Of Concern, Maumee River, Ohio, Chi Yen Tseng, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul M. Dummer, Natalie Karouna-Renier, Cole W. Matson Sep 2022

Multi-Omics Responses In Tree Swallow (Tachycineta Bicolor) Nestlings From The Maumee Area Of Concern, Maumee River, Ohio, Chi Yen Tseng, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul M. Dummer, Natalie Karouna-Renier, Cole W. Matson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A multi-omics approach was utilized to identify altered biological responses and functions, and to prioritize contaminants to assess the risks of chemical mixtures in the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC), Maumee River, OH, USA. The Maumee AOC is designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as having significant beneficial use impairments, including degradation of fish and wildlife populations, bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat. Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings were collected at five sites along the Maumee River, which included wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and industrial land-use sites. Polychlorinated …

Go to article

Coastalimagelib: An Open- Source Python Package For Creating Common Coastal Image Products, Maile P. Mccann, Dylan L. Anderson, Christopher R. Sherwood, Brittany Bruder, A. Spicer Bak, Katherine L. Brodie Sep 2022

Coastalimagelib: An Open- Source Python Package For Creating Common Coastal Image Products, Maile P. Mccann, Dylan L. Anderson, Christopher R. Sherwood, Brittany Bruder, A. Spicer Bak, Katherine L. Brodie

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

CoastalImageLib is a Python library that produces common coastal image products intended for quantitative analysis of coastal environments. This library contains functions to georectify and merge multiple oblique camera views, produce statistical image products for a given set of images, and create subsampled pixel instruments for use in bathymetric inversion, surface current estimation, run-up calculations, and other quantitative analyses. This package intends to be an open-source broadly generalizable front end to future coastal imaging applications, ultimately expanding user accessibility to optical remote sensing of coastal environments. This package was developed and tested on data collected from the Argus Tower, a …

Go to article

Next Last