The paleohydrology of unsaturated and saturated zones at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, and vicinity
James B. Paces, Joseph F. Whelan
John S. Stuckless, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, Hydrology and geochemistry of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Southern Nevada and California
Surface, unsaturated-zone, and saturated-zone hydrologic conditions at Yucca Mountain responded to past climate variations and are at least partly preserved by sediment, fossil, and mineral records. Characterizing past hydrologic conditions in surface and subsurface environments helps to constrain hydrologic responses expected under future climate conditions and improve predictions of repository...
Spatial analysis of geologic and hydrologic features relating to sinkhole occurrence in Jefferson County, West Virginia
Daniel H. Doctor, Katarina Z. Doctor
2012, Carbonates and Evaporites (27) 143-152
In this study the influence of geologic features related to sinkhole susceptibility was analyzed and the results were mapped for the region of Jefferson County, West Virginia. A model of sinkhole density was constructed using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) that estimated the relations among discrete geologic or hydrologic features and...
Wetlands of the Central Valley of California and Klamath Basin
Joseph P. Fleskes
Darold P. Batzer, Andrew H. Baldwin, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, Wetland habitats of North America: ecology and conservation concerns
No abstract available. ...
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force---Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Science Assessment and Needs
Shelby Walker, Alyssa M. Dausman, Dawn L. Lavoie, editor(s)
2012, Report
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force (GCERTF) was established by Executive Order 13554 as a result of recommendations from “America’s Gulf Coast: A Long-term Recovery Plan after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill” by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus (Mabus Report). The GCERTF consists of members from 11 Federal...
Have recent earthquakes exposed flaws in or misunderstandings of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis?
Thomas C. Hanks, Gregory C. Beroza, Shinji Toda
2012, Seismological Research Letters (83) 759-764
In a recent Opinion piece in these pages, Stein et al. (2011) offer a remarkable indictment of the methods, models, and results of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). The principal object of their concern is the PSHA map for Japan released by the Japan Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion (HERP),...
Use of occupancy models to evaluate expert knowledge-based species-habitat relationships
Monica N. Iglecia, Jaime A. Collazo, Alexa McKerrow
2012, Avian Conservation and Ecology (7) 1-13
Expert knowledge-based species-habitat relationships are used extensively to guide conservation planning, particularly when data are scarce. Purported relationships describe the initial state of knowledge, but are rarely tested. We assessed support in the data for suitability rankings of vegetation types based on expert knowledge for three terrestrial avian species in...
Functional ecology of saltglands in shorebirds: Flexible responses to variable environmental conditions
J.S. Gutierrez, M.W. Dietz, J.A. Masero, Robert E. Gill Jr., Anne Dekinga, Phil F. Battley, J. M. Sanchez-Guzman, Theunis Piersma
2012, Functional Ecology (26) 236-244
1. Birds of marine environments have specialized glands to excrete salt, the saltglands. Located on the skull between the eyes, the size of these organs is expected to reflect their demand, which will vary with water turnover rates as a function of environmental (heat load, salinity of prey and drinking...
Mercury speciation and transport via submarine groundwater discharge at a southern California coastal lagoon system
P.M. Ganguli, Christopher H. Conaway, Peter W. Swarzenski, J. A. Izbicki, A.R. Flegal
2012, Environmental Science & Technology (46) 1480-1488
We measured total mercury (HgT) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations in coastal groundwater and seawater over a range of tidal conditions near Malibu Lagoon, California, and used 222Rn-derived estimates of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to assess the flux of mercury species to nearshore seawater. We infer a groundwater-seawater mixing scenario based...
Deltamethrin flea-control preserves genetic variability of black-tailed prairie dogs during a plague outbreak
P.H. Jones, Dean E. Biggins, David Eads, S.L. Eads, H.B. Britten
2012, Conservation Genetics (13) 183-195
Genetic variability and structure of nine black-tailed prairie dog (BTPD, Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies were estimated with 15 unlinked microsatellite markers. A plague epizootic occurred between the first and second years of sampling and our study colonies were nearly extirpated with the exception of three colonies in which prairie dog burrows were...
Using rocks to reveal the inner workings of magma chambers below volcanoes in Alaska’s National Parks
Michelle L. Coombs, Charles R. Bacon
2012, Alaska Park Science (11) 26-33
Alaska is one of the most vigorously volcanic regions on the planet, and Alaska’s national parks are home to many of the state’s most active volcanoes. These pose both local and more distant hazards in the form of lava and pyroclastic flows, lahars (mudflows), ash clouds, and ash fall. Alaska’s...
Near‐surface void detection using a seismic landstreamer and horizontal velocity and attenuation tomography
Sean F. Buckley, John W. Lane Jr.
2012, Conference Paper, Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems 2012
The detection and characterization of subsurface voids plays an important role in the study of karst formations and clandestine tunnels. Horizontal velocity and attenuation tomography (HVAT) using offset‐fan shooting and a towed seismic land streamer is a simple, rapid, minimally invasive method that shows promise for detecting near‐surface voids and...
Exploring mechanisms underlying sex-specific differences in mortality of Lake Michigan bloaters
D.B. Bunnell, C.P. Madenjian, M.W. Rogers, J.D. Holuszko, L.J. Begnoche
2012, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (141) 204-214
Sex-specific differences in mortality rates have been observed among freshwater and marine fish taxa, and underlying mechanisms can include sex-specific differences in (1) age at maturity, (2) growth rate, or (3) activity or behavior during the spawning period. We used a long-term (1973–2009) Lake Michigan data set to evaluate whether...
Automating calibration, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of complex models using the R package Flexible Modeling Environment (FME): SWAT as an example
Y. Wu, S. Liu
2012, Environmental Modelling and Software (31) 99-109
Parameter optimization and uncertainty issues are a great challenge for the application of large environmental models like the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which is a physically-based hydrological model for simulating water and nutrient cycles at the watershed scale. In this study, we present a comprehensive modeling environment for...
A riverscape perspective of Pacific salmonids and aquatic habitats prior to large-scale dam removal in the Elwha River, Washington, USA
S.J. Brenkman, J.J. Duda, C.E. Torgersen, E. Welty, G.R. Pess, R. Peters, M.L. McHenry
2012, Fisheries Management and Ecology (19) 36-53
Dam removal has been increasingly proposed as a river restoration technique. In 2011, two large hydroelectric dams will be removed from Washington State’s Elwha River. Ten anadromous fish populations are expected to recolonise historical habitats after dam removal. A key to understanding watershed recolonisation is the collection of spatially continuous...
Discovery and characterization of secretory IgD in rainbow trout: secretory IgD is produced through a novel splicing mechanism
F. Ramirez-Gomez, W. Greene, K. Rego, J.D. Hansen, G. Costa, P. Kataria, E.S. Bromage
2012, Journal of Immunology (188) 1341-1349
The gene encoding IgH δ has been found in all species of teleosts studied to date. However, catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is the only species of fish in which a secretory form of IgD has been characterized, and it occurs through the use of a dedicated δ-secretory exon, which is absent...
Ocean-atmosphere dynamics during Hurricane Ida and Nor'Ida: An application of the coupled ocean-atmosphere-wave-sediment transport (COAWST) modeling system
Maitane Olabarrieta, John C. Warner, Brandy N. Armstrong, Joseph B. Zambon, Ruoying He
2012, Ocean Modelling (43-44) 112-137
The coupled ocean–atmosphere–wave–sediment transport (COAWST) modeling system was used to investigate atmosphere–ocean–wave interactions in November 2009 during Hurricane Ida and its subsequent evolution to Nor’Ida, which was one of the most costly storm systems of the past two decades. One interesting aspect of this...
Empirical methods for detecting regional trends and other spatial expressions in antrim shale gas productivity, with implications for improving resource projections using local nonparametric estimation techniques
Timothy C. Coburn, Philip A. Freeman, Emil D. Attanasi
2012, Natural Resources Research (21) 1-21
The primary objectives of this research were to (1) investigate empirical methods for establishing regional trends in unconventional gas resources as exhibited by historical production data and (2) determine whether or not incorporating additional knowledge of a regional trend in a suite of previously established local nonparametric resource prediction algorithms...
Keanakākoʻi Tephra produced by 300 years of explosive eruptions following collapse of Kīlauea's caldera in about 1500 CE
Donald A. Swanson, Timothy R. Rose, Richard S. Fiske, John P. McGeehin
2012, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (215-216) 8-25
The Keanakākoʻi Tephra at Kīlauea Volcano has previously been interpreted by some as the product of a caldera-forming eruption in 1790 CE. Our study, however, finds stratigraphic and 14C evidence that the tephra instead results from numerous eruptions throughout a 300-year period between about 1500 and 1800. The stratigraphic evidence includes:...
Evaluating Re-Os systematics in organic-rich sedimentary rocks in response to petroleum generation using hydrous pyrolysis experiments
A.D. Rooney, D. Selby, M. D. Lewan, P. G. Lillis, J.-P. Houzay
2012, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (77) 275-291
Successful application of the 187Re–187Os geochronometer has enabled the determination of accurate and precise depositional ages for organic-rich sedimentary rocks (ORS) as well as establishing timing constraints of petroleum generation. However, we do not fully understand the systematics and transfer behaviour of Re and Os between ORS and petroleum products...
Assessment of pingo distribution and morphometry using an IfSAR derived digital surface model, western Arctic Coastal Plain, Northern Alaska
Benjamin M. Jones, G. Grosse, Kenneth M. Hinkel, C.D. Arp, S. Walker, R.A. Beck, J. P. Galloway
2012, Geomorphology (138) 1-14
Pingos are circular to elongate ice-cored mounds that form by injection and freezing of pressurized water in near-surface permafrost. Here we use a digital surface model (DSM) derived from an airborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) system to assess the distribution and morphometry of pingos within a 40,000 km2 area on the...
Crop classification modelling using remote sensing and environmental data in the Greater Platte River Basin, USA
Daniel M. Howard, Bruce K. Wylie, Larry L. Tieszen
2012, International Journal of Remote Sensing (33) 6094-6108
With an ever expanding population, potential climate variability and an increasing demand for agriculture-based alternative fuels, accurate agricultural land-cover classification for specific crops and their spatial distributions are becoming critical to researchers, policymakers, land managers and farmers. It is important to ensure the sustainability of these and other land uses...
Surface heat flow and CO2 emissions within the Ohaaki hydrothermal field, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand
C. Rissmann, B. Christenson, Cynthia A. Werner, M. Leybourne, J. Cole, D. Gravley
2012, Applied Geochemistry (27) 223-239
Carbon dioxide emissions and heat flow have been determined from the Ohaaki hydrothermal field, Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), New Zealand following 20 a of production (116 MWe). Soil CO2 degassing was quantified with 2663 CO2 flux measurements using the accumulation chamber method, and 2563 soil temperatures were measured and converted to equivalent heat flow...
Illumination of rheological mantle heterogeneity by the M7.2 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake
Fred F. Pollitz, Roland Bürgmann, Wayne R. Thatcher
2012, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (13)
Major intracontinental strike-slip faults tend to mark boundaries between lithospheric blocks of contrasting mechanical properties along much of their length. Both crustal and mantle heterogeneities can form such boundaries, but the role of crustal versus mantle strength contrasts for localizing strain sufficiently to generate major faults remains unclear. Using the...
Bird productivity and nest predation in agricultural grasslands
Christine Ribic, Michael J. Guzy, Travis J. Anderson, David W. Sample, Jamie L. Nack
2012, Studies in Avian Biology (43) 119-134
Effective conservation strategies for grassland birds in agricultural landscapes require understanding how nesting success varies among different grassland habitats. A key component to this is identifying nest predators and how these predators vary by habitat. We quantified nesting activity of obligate grassland birds in three habitats [remnant prairie, cool-season grass...
Communicating science: from cuneiform to the contemporary and beyond
Cecil A. Jennings
Cecil A. Jennings, Thomas E. Lauer, Bruce C. Vondracek, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, Scientific Communication for Natural Resource Professionals
No abstract available....
