Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Systems Ideas For The Scientific And Societal Imperatives Of The Coastal Ocean: Case Of The Bp Oil Gusher In The Gulf Of Mexico, Spring & Summer 2010, Christopher Mooers

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

In recent decades, great progress has been made in advancing the scientific understanding of the coastal ocean (i.e., the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)) across a broad set of disciplines. Simultaneously, the societal use of the coastal ocean has skyrocketed through, for example, increased shipping & boating, sports & commercial fishing, and exploitation of non-living resources, such as, oil & gas extraction and sand & gravel mining. International law and national policy assign coastal nations the responsibility for stewardship (i.e., wise management) of their respective EEZs. The scope of the stewardship and applications can be summarized as (1) …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of An Invasive Planktonic Predator On Pelagic Food Webs, Angela L. Strecker, Beatrix E. Beisner, Shelley E. Arnott, Andrew M. Paterson, Jennifer G. Winter, Ora E. Johannsson, Norman D. Yan

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The relative importance of top-down invader effects relative to environmental drivers was determined by sampling crustacean zooplankton, rotifer, and phytoplankton communities in a set of invaded and noninvaded reference lakes. The non-native invertebrate predator Bythotrephes had significant effects on zooplankton community size structure, rotifers, and phytoplankton taxonomic composition, but no significant effects on crustacean zooplankton taxonomic and functional group composition. Part of the variation in phytoplankton communities was explained by the presence of the invader. Because Bythotrephes is generally known to be a carnivore and to not consume phytoplankton, this effect is likely mediated by the zooplankton community’s response to …

The Integrated Wrf/Urban Modeling System: Development, Evaluation, And Applications To Urban Environmental Problems, Fei Chen, Hiroyuki Kusaka, Robert Bornstein, Jason Ching, C.S.B. Grimmond, Susanne Grossman-Clarke, Thomas Loridan, Kevin W. Manning, Alberto Martilli, Shiguang Miao, David J. Sailor, Francisco P. Salamanca, Haider Taha, Mukul Tewari, Xuemei Wang, Andrzej A. Wyszogrodzki, Chaolin Zhang

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

To bridge the gaps between traditional mesoscale modeling and microscale modeling, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), in collaboration with other agencies and research groups, has developed an integrated urban modeling system coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model as a community tool to address urban environmental issues. The core of this WRF/urban modeling system consists of: 1) three methods with different degrees of freedom to parameterize urban surface processes, ranging from a simple bulk parameterization to a sophisticated multi-layer urban canopy model with an indoor outdoor exchange sub-model that directly interacts with the atmospheric boundary layer, …

Prioritizing Zebra And Quagga Mussel Monitoring In The Columbia River Basin, Steve W. Wells, Timothy D. Counihan, Amy Puls, Mark Sytsma, Brian Adair

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this report is to provide a framework for the prioritization of water bodies in the Columbia River Basin and the Greater Northwest region (surrounding areas in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming) for early detection monitoring for dreissenid mussels. Our ability to assess the relative risk of establishment and introduction of dreissenid mussels was confounded by significant gaps in the data necessary to rigorously predict where dreissenid mussels will become introduced and subsequently established. Consequently, local jurisdictions should evaluate the prioritized lists provided critically and make adjustments where local knowledge and additional information dictates. Further, …

Extensive Aerosol Optical Properties And Aerosol Mass Related Measurements During Tramp/Texaqs 2006 – Implications For Pm Compliance And Planning, Monica Elizabeth Wright, Dean B. Atkinson, Luke Ziemba, Robert Griffin, Naruki Hiranuma, Sarah D. Brooks, James Flynn, Ryan Perna, Bernhard Rappenglück, Winston Luke, Paul Kelley

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Extensive aerosol optical properties, particle size distributions, and Aerodyne quadrupole aerosol mass spectrometer measurements collected during TRAMP/TexAQS 2006 were examined in light of collocated meteorological and chemical measurements. Much of the evident variability in the observed aerosol-related air quality is due to changing synoptic meteorological situations that direct emissions from various sources to the TRAMP site near the center of the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) metropolitan area. In this study, five distinct long-term periods have been identified. During each of these periods, observed aerosol properties have implications that are of interest to environmental quality management agencies. During three of the periods, long …

Modeling Acoustic Scattering From The Seabed Using Transport Theory, Jorge Quijano, Lisa M. Zurk

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Radiative Transfer (RT) theory has established itself as an important tool for electromagnetic remote sensing in parallel plane geometries with random distributions of scatterers, and most recently it has also been proposed as a model for the propagation of elastic waves in layered ocean sediments. In this work the capabilities of this model are illustrated, as the RT method is used to predict backscattering strength from laboratory models of random media. The RT model is characterized by its flexibility on accommodating scatterers in a broad variety of sizes, shapes, and acoustic contrast relative to the background media. Additionally, this formulation …

Non-­Native Invasive Aquatic Plant And Mussel Survey Of Six Umpqua National Forest Area Lakes, Mark Sytsma, Rich Miller, Rupa Shrestha

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Six lakes and ponds located within or near the Umpqua National Forest were surveyed for non-­native aquatic plants and mussels during August, 2009. A diverse assemblage of native plants was identified along with one possible non-­native aquatic plant hybrid in Herberts Pond. The possible hybrid between the non-­native species Myriophyllum spicatum and the native species M. sibiricum requires genetic analysis for identification. Water chemistry is suitable for the establishment of invasive mussels in Buckeye Lake; however, no zebra or quagga mussel veligers were detected in any of the lakes.

Alaska Spartina Prevention, Detection And Response Plan, Vanessa Howard Morgan, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

This Alaska Spartina Prevention and Response Plan reviews the known impacts, biology, and invasion history of Spartina on the west coast. It outlines strategies for prevention, early detection and efficient organization of rapid response efforts following the confirmation of an infestation. The goal of the plan is to prevent the establishment of any Spartina populations and to eradicate established infestations if detected within the State’s estuaries or coastal wetlands. Five objectives and strategies are described and 31 specific tasks are outlined to achieve this goal. These include: • Prevention of establishment through vector and source population control. • Plan coordination …

Climate Change And Freshwater Resources In Oregon, Heejun Chang, Julie Jones

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

Climate change will affect various sectors of water resources in Oregon in the 21st century. The observed trends in streamflow show significant declines in September flow and, although not significant, increases in March flow in many transient rain-snow basins. These streamflow trends are associated with rising temperature and coincident declines in snowpack in spring in the latter half of the 20th century. While there are no distinct trends in high precipitation events, such events are associated with climate variability such as ENSO and PDO. Effects of ENSO and PDO are more pronounced at the beginning and end of the wet …

Comparison Of In Situ And Columnar Aerosol Spectral Measurements During Texaqs-Gomaccs 2006: Testing Parameterizations For Estimating Aerosol Fine Mode Properties, Dean B. Atkinson, Paola Massoli, Norman T. O'Neill, Patricia K. Quinn, Sarah D. Brooks, Barry Lefer

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

During the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study and Gulf of Mexico Atmospheric Composition and Climate Study (TexAQS-GoMACCS 2006), the optical, chemical and microphysical properties of atmospheric aerosols were measured on multiple mobile platforms and at ground based stations. In situ measurements of the aerosol light extinction coefficient (σep) were performed by two multi-wavelength cavity ring-down (CRD) instruments, one located on board the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown (RHB) and the other located at the University of Houston, Moody Tower (UHMT). An AERONET sunphotometer was also located at the UHMT to measure the columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD). The σep data …

Water As A Complex System: Understanding The Dynamics In A Changing Environment, Heejun Chang

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

The water resources system is constantly evolving over space and time at a range of scales. Human-induced climate change and land development are probably two major driving forces of water resource system changes. However, the impacts of such changes are region specific, which depend on watershed characteristics such as topography and geology. Numerical simulation models are useful tools for understanding the system dynamics by allowing the multiple interactions of system components. I will introduce case studies of the Pacific Northwest that examine how changing climate and population growth affect regional water resources at multiple spatial and temporal scales and explain …

National Urban Database And Access Portal Tool, Nudapt, Jason Ching, Michael Brown, Steven Burian, Fei Chen, Ron Cionco, Adel Hanna, Torrin Hultgren, Timothy Mcpherson, David J. Sailor, Haider Taha, David Williams

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Based on the need for advanced treatments of high resolution urban morphological features (e.g., buildings, trees) in meteorological, dispersion, air quality and human exposure modeling systems for future urban applications, a new project was launched called the National Urban Database and Access Portal Tool (NUDAPT). NUDAPT is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and involves collaborations and contributions from many groups including federal and state agencies and from private and academic institutions here and in other countries. It is designed to produce and provide gridded fields of urban canopy parameters for various new and advanced descriptions of model …

Spokane River In Idaho And Washington Tmdl Water Quality And Hydrodynamic Modeling Quality Assurance Project Plan -- Draft, Scott A. Wells, Chris Berger

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The focus of this present study is to perform the following tasks:

• Converting the Upper Spokane River CE‐QUAL‐W2 models (Washington and Idaho) to version 3.6

• Combining the Washington and Idaho models

• Reviewing and updating model boundary conditions

• Check model calibration

• Meet with stakeholders

• Develop and Run Modeling Scenarios

• Create reports on calibration and scenario runs

Progress Toward Meeting The Challenges Of Our Coastal Urban Future, Juile Pullen, Jason Ching, David J. Sailor, William Thompson, Bob Bornstein, Darko Koracin

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The article provides information on the Seventh Conference on Coastal Atmospheric and Oceanic Prediction and Processes, and the Seventh Symposium on the Urban Environment in San Diego, California on September 9-13, 2008. Topics include the heterogeneity of urban areas, coastal vulnerabilities, urban planning, and emergency response modeling. The conference featured several speakers including Walter Dabberdt and James Voogt.

Dispersal Limitation And Climate-Related Environmental Gradients Structure Microcrustacean Composition In Freshwater Lakes, Ellesmere Island, Canada, Angela L. Strecker, Rebecca Milne, Shelley E. Arnott

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dramatic environmental change is expected in the Arctic, yet little is known about the occurrence and community composition of microcrustaceans in Arctic lakes and how this will be influenced by future environmental change. We sampled and calculated relative abundances of microcrustacean species in 54 lakes on Ellesmere Island, Canada. New species records on Ellesmere Island included Daphnia umbra, Tachidius discipes, and Artemeopsis stefanssoni. Daphnia middendorffiana/tenebrosa was the most common taxon and often dominated microcrustacean assemblages, likely a result of its pigmentation, which offers resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Species richness was positively associated with nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), temperature, calcium, …

Report On Nutria Management And Research In The Pacific Northwest, Trevor Sheffels, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The nutria (Myocastor coypus) is a large semi-aquatic mammal native to South America that has been introduced to numerous countries around the world, primarily for fur farming. Nutria were introduced in Oregon and Washington in the 1930s, and feral populations were documented in 1943. Populations are known to be expanding in both Oregon and Washington, and regional nutria damage and nuisance complaints have increased in recent years. Most of the extensive damage caused by nutria is a direct result of feeding and burrowing, but nutria are also capable of transporting parasites and pathogens transmittable to humans, livestock, and …

The Urban Heat Island Mitigation Impact Screening Tool (Mist), David J. Sailor, Nikolaas Dietsch

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A web-based software tool has been developed to assist urban planners and air quality management officials in assessing the potential of urban heat island mitigation strategies to affect the urban climate, air quality, and energy consumption within their cities. The user of the tool can select from over 170 US cities for which to conduct the analysis, and can specify city-wide changes in surface reflectivity and/or vegetative cover. The Mitigation Impact Screening Tool (MIST) then extrapolates results from a suite of simulations for 20 cities to estimate air temperature changes associated with the specified changes in surface characteristics for the …

Hydrilla Verticillata - An Aquatic Invader!, Vanessa Howard

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Brochure on hydrilla

Invasive Cordgrasses - Spartina Species - Estuarine Invaders!, Vanessa Howard

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Brochure on invasive Spartina

North America. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation And Vulnerability, Christopher B. Fields, Linda D. Mortsch, Michael Brklacich, Donald L. Forbes, Paul Kovacs, Jonathan A. Patz, Steven W. Running, Michael J. Scott, Jean Andrey, Dan Cayan, Mike Demuth, Alan Hamlet, Gregory Jones, Evan Mills, Scott Mills, Charles K. Minns, David J. Sailor, Mark Saunders, Daniel Scott, William Solecki

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The United States (U.S.) and Canada will experience climate changes through direct effects of local changes (e.g., temperature, precipitation and extreme weather events), as well as through indirect effects, transmitted among regions by interconnected economies and migrations of humans and other species. Variations in wealth and geography, however, lead to an uneven distribution of likely impacts, vulnerabilities and capacities to adapt. This chapter reviews and synthesises the state of knowledge on direct and indirect impacts, vulnerability and adaptations for North America (comprising Canada and the U.S). Hawaii and other U.S. protectorates are discussed in Chapter 16 on Small Islands, and …

Middle Columbia River Aquatic Nuisance Species Survey, Robyn Draheim, Mark D. Sytsma, Rich Miller, Jeffery Cordell

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Aquatic nonindigenous species (ANS) in the middle Columbia and lower Snake rivers were surveyed during the summer of 2006. The project area included eight reservoirs and the free-flowing, Hanford Reach on the Columbia River. We also conducted a literature review to create a complete list of ANS for the study area.

Feral Swine Action Plan For Oregon, Mark Sytsma, Arick Christopher Rouhe

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Feral swine are defined as free roaming animals of the genus Sus that are not being held under domestic management or confinement. Swine have spread from Europe and Russia to habitats around the world via human introduction. Currently, feral swine populations are established on every continent except Antarctica. Unlike other large mammal invaders, swine have a high reproductive capacity and are omnivorous, which allows for a quick assimilation into most habitats. Once a breeding population is established in an area, the population can quickly increase and negatively impact the ecosystem. A successful invasion of feral swine is difficult, and sometimes …

Oregon Spartina Response Plan, Mary Pfauth, Mark Sytsma, Dennis Isaacson

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Four introduced, invasive species of Spartina (cordgrass) have been present in estuarine areas of the U.S. west coast for over a century. These Spartina species are ecological engineers- they cause severe alternations in the hydrology and food webs of invaded estuaries that are detrimental to native wildlife and commercial and recreational uses. Oregon has been relatively free of these weeds, with only two known infestations. One infestation was eradicated by Oregon Department of Agriculture and the other is currently under eradication by The Nature Conservancy.

Oregon Ballast Water Task Force Report On Ballast Water Management In Oregon, Christina Simkanin, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

This report provides information and analysis on the current ballast water regulations at international, federal, regional and state levels; ballast water discharge trends in Oregon; the shipping industry’s compliance with Oregon law; and current and emerging issues affecting Oregon’s ballast water legislation. The report also provides recommendations for strengthening Oregon’s management of shipping-related pathways of invasive species introduction.

Seaside, Oregon, Tsunami Pilot Study : Modernization Of Fema Flood Hazard Maps, Frank I. González, Eric L. Geist, Costas Synolakis, Diego Rodriguez Arcas, Douglas Bellomo, David Carlton, Thomas Horning, Bruce Jaffe, Jeff Johnson, Utku Kânoğlu, Harold O. Mofjeld, Jean Newman, Thomas Parsons, Robert Peters, Curt D. Peterson, George Priest, Vasily V. Titov, Angie J. Venturato, Joseph Weber, Florence L. Wong, Ahmet Yalçıner

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) guidelines do not currently exist for conducting and incorporating tsunami hazard assessments that reflect the substantial advances in tsunami research achieved in the last two decades; this conclusion is the result of two FEMA-sponsored workshops and the associated Tsunami Focused Study (Chowdhury et al., 2005). Therefore, as part of FEMA's Map Modernization Program, a Tsunami Pilot Study was carried out in the Seaside/Gearhart, Oregon, area to develop an improved Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment (PTHA) methodology and to provide recommendations for improved tsunami hazard assessment guidelines. The Seaside area was chosen because it is typical …

2005 Diamond Lake Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Survey, Mark D. Sytsma, Mary Pfauth

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Diamond Lake is a large natural lake having a surface area of some 3214 acres (1300.7 hectares) and a maximum depth of 52 feet (15.8 meters). It is located within the Umpqua National Forest in the Southern Cascade Mountains of Oregon, at an elevation of over 5000 feet (>1524 meters). Diamond Lake is a high-use waterbody that supports angling, public campgrounds, recreational boating, swimming, and water skiing. The human activity associated with the lake has been a significant contributor to the economy of southern Oregon since the early part of the twentieth century.

Historically Diamond Lake was fishless but …

Impact Of Bythotrephes Invasion On Zooplankton Communities In Acid-Damaged And Recovered Lakes On The Boreal Shield, Angela L. Strecker, Shelley E. Arnott

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Invasive species introductions into freshwater ecosystems have had a multitude of effects on aquatic communities. Few studies, however, have directly compared the impact of an invader on communities with contrasting structure. Historically high levels and subsequent reductions of acid deposition have produced landscapes of lakes of varying acidity and zooplankton communitystructure. We conducted a 30-day enclosure experiment in Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, to test the effects ofBythotrephes longimanus, an invasive invertebrate predator, on two contrasting zooplankton communities at different stages of recovery from acidification: recovered and acid damaged. Bythotrephes significantly decreased zooplankton biomass and abundance in both communities but …

Alaska Aquatic Plant Survey Report 2005, Mary Pfauth, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Invasive, non-indigenous plants can degrade water quality and fish habitat when they invade lakes, ponds, and streams. Changes in plant community architecture in lakes due to invasion by canopy-forming invasive aquatic plants can result in loss of native plant biodiversity and reduction of the structural complexity of the underwater habitat.

Final Report Regional Lake Management Planning For Tmdl Development, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Since the mid-1900’s, invasive aquatic weeds have been a significant problem in many of the lakes of the Clatsop Plains on the northern Oregon Coast. Weeds interfere with beneficial uses, such as boating, fishing and swimming, and have dramatically altered the chemical and biological features of the lakes. In 1994, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) added three of the lakes, Cullaby, Smith and Sunset, to the 303 (d) list of water quality impaired waters, due to the presence of the invasive aquatic weeds. ODEQ contracted with the Center for Lakes and Reservoirs and the Geology Department at PSU …

Final Report: Evaluation Of The Morphoedaphic Index And Sediment Diatoms For Inference Of Pre-European Settlement Total Phosphorus Concentration In Epa Region 10 Lakes, Rich Miller, Aaron Hook, Richard Petersen, Mark D. Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Water quality in many Northwest lakes has declined over the past century due, in part, to increased anthropogenic nutrient loading (Edmonson and Lehman, 1981). Under the Clean Water Act, resource managers such as the Washington Department of Ecology, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and tribes are responsible for restoring and protecting the integrity of these waters. Targets for restoration or criteria for impairment are not well defined, however, and may naturally vary by geology, hydrology, morphometry, and climate.

One way to determine whether lakes are impaired and to identify restoration targets is to assess lake reference conditions (EPA 2000). Reference …