Resource selection by black-footed ferrets in South Dakota and Montana
D.S. Jachowski, J.J. Millspaugh, E. Biggins, T.M. Livieri, Marc R. Matchett, C.D. Rittenhouse
2011, Natural Areas Journal (31) 218-225
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), once extinct in the wild, remains one of the most critically endangered mammals in North America despite 18 years of reintroduction attempts. Because black-footed ferrets are specialized predators of prairie dogs (Cynomys sp.), a better understanding of how black-footed ferrets select resources might provide insight...
Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks
J. J. Beaulieu, J. L. Tank, S. K. Hamilton, W. M. Wollheim, R. O. Hall Jr., P. J. Mulholland, B. J. Peterson, L. R. Ashkenas, L. W. Cooper, Clifford N. Dahm, W. K. Dodds, N. B. Grimm, S. L. Johnson, W. H. McDowell, G. C. Poole, Valett H. Maurice, C. P. Arango, M. J. Bernot, A. J. Burgin, C. L. Crenshaw, A. M. Helton, L. T. Johnson, J. M. O’Brien, J. D. Potter, R.W. Sheibley, D. J. Sobota, S. M. Thomas
2011, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (108) 214-219
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading to river networks is a potentially important source of N2O via microbial denitrification that converts N to N2O and dinitrogen (N2). The...
Cold-climate slope deposits and landscape modifications of the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain, Eastern USA
Wayne L. Newell, B.D. Dejong
2011, Geological Society Special Publication (354) 259-276
The effects of Pleistocene cold-climate geomorphology are distributed across the weathered and eroded Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain uplands from the Wisconsinan terminal moraine south to Tidewater Virginia. Cold-climate deposits and landscape modifications are superimposed on antecedent landscapes of old, weathered Neogene upland gravels and Pleistocene marine terraces that had been built...
Mapping the distribution of materials in hyperspectral data using the USGS Material Identification and Characterization Algorithm (MICA)
Raymond F. Kokaly, T. V. V. King, Todd M. Hoefen
2011, Conference Paper, International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS)
Identifying materials by measuring and analyzing their reflectance spectra has been an important method in analytical chemistry for decades. Airborne and space-based imaging spectrometers allow scientists to detect materials and map their distributions across the landscape. With new satellite-borne hyperspectral sensors planned for the future, for example, HYSPIRI (HYPerspectral InfraRed...
The application of prototype point processes for the summary and description of California wildfires
K. Nichols, F.P. Schoenberg, Jon E. Keeley, A. Bray, D. Diez
2011, Journal of Time Series Analysis (32) 420-429
A method for summarizing repeated realizations of a space‐time marked point process, known as prototyping, is discussed and applied to catalogues of wildfires in California. Prototype summaries are constructed for varying time intervals using California wildfire data from 1990 to 2006. Previous work on prototypes for temporal and space‐time point...
Evaluation of a black-footed ferret resource utilization function model
D.A. Eads, J.J. Millspaugh, Dean E. Biggins, D.S. Jachowski, T.M. Livieri
2011, Journal of Wildlife Management (75) 1155-1163
Resource utilization function (RUF) models permit evaluation of potential habitat for endangered species; ideally such models should be evaluated before use in management decision‐making. We evaluated the predictive capabilities of a previously developed black‐footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) RUF. Using the population‐level RUF, generated from ferret observations at an adjacent yet...
Constraints on the long-period moment-dip tradeoff for the Tohoku earthquake
V.C. Tsai, Gavin P. Hayes, Z. Duputel
2011, Geophysical Research Letters (38)
Since the work of Kanamori and Given (1981), it has been recognized that shallow, pure dip‐slip earthquakes excite long‐period surface waves such that it is difficult to independently constrain the moment (M0) and the dip (δ) of the source mechanism, with only the product M0 sin(2δ) being well constrained. Because of this,...
Mapping permeability over the surface of the Earth
T. Gleeson, L. Smith, N. Moosdorf, J. Hartmann, H.H. Durr, Andrew H. Manning, L. P. H. Van Beek, A. Mark Jellinek
2011, Geophysical Research Letters (38)
Permeability, the ease of fluid flow through porous rocks and soils, is a fundamental but often poorly quantified component in the analysis of regional‐scale water fluxes. Permeability is difficult to quantify because it varies over more than 13 orders of magnitude and is heterogeneous and dependent on flow direction. Indeed,...
Thorium abundances of basalt ponds in South Pole-Aitken basin: Insights into the composition and evolution of the far side lunar mantle
Justin Hagerty, D. J. Lawrence, B. R. Hawke
2011, Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets (116) 1-23
Imbrian-aged basalt ponds, located on the floor of South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, are used to provide constraints on the composition and evolution of the far side lunar mantle. We use forward modeling of the Lunar Prospector Gamma Ray Spectrometer thorium data, to suggest that at least five different and distinct...
An occurrence of the protocetid whale "Eocetus" wardii in the middle Eocene Piney Point Formation of Virginia
Robert E. Weems, Lucy E. Edwards, Jason E. Osborne, A.A. Alford
2011, Journal of Paleontology (85) 271-278
Two protocetid whale vertebrae, here referred to “Eocetus” wardii, have been recovered from the riverbed of the Pamunkey River in east-central Virginia. Neither bone was found in situ, but both were found with lumps of lithified matrix cemented to their surfaces. Most of this matrix was removed and processed for...
Demonstration of a conceptual model for using LiDAR to improve the estimation of floodwater mitigation potential of Prairie Pothole Region wetlands
S. Huang, Caitlin Young, M. Feng, Hans Karl Heidemann, Matthew Cushing, D.M. Mushet, S. Liu
2011, Journal of Hydrology (405) 417-426
Recent flood events in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America have stimulated interest in modeling water storage capacities of wetlands and their surrounding catchments to facilitate flood mitigation efforts. Accurate estimates of basin storage capacities have been hampered by a lack of high-resolution elevation data. In this paper, we...
Horizontal movements of Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) in the Gulf of Mexico
Richard T. Kraus, R.J.D. Wells, J.R. Rooker
2011, Marine Biology (158) 699-713
We examined movements of Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) from the Gulf of Mexico based upon 42 pop-up archival transmitting (PAT) tags. Long deployments (including one 334-day track) revealed diverse movement patterns within the Gulf of Mexico. North–south seasonal changes in blue marlin distribution showed strong correspondence with established seasonal...
A novel approach for direct estimation of fresh groundwater discharge to an estuary
Neil K. Ganju
2011, Geophysical Research Letters (38)
Coastal groundwater discharge is an important source of freshwater and nutrients to coastal and estuarine systems. Directly quantifying the spatially integrated discharge of fresh groundwater over a coastline is difficult due to spatial variability and limited observational methods. In this study, I applied a novel approach to estimate net freshwater...
Tsunami inundation and sediment transport in a sediment-limited embayment on American Samoa
A. Apotsos, G. Gelfenbaum, B. Jaffe, Sebastian Watt, B. Peck, M. Buckley, A. Stevens
2011, Earth-Science Reviews (107) 1-11
Field observations and numerical simulations are used to explore tsunami inundation and sediment transport in an embayment (Fagafue Bay) on the north side of Tutuila, American Samoa during the 29 September 2009 South Pacific tsunami. Field observations of the nearshore bathymetry and topography, tsunami flow depth and sediment deposition, and...
Multiphase-flow numerical modeling of the 18 May 1980 lateral blast at Mount St. Helens, USA
T.E. Ongaro, C. Widiwijayanti, A.B. Clarke, Barry Voight, A. Neri
2011, Geology (39) 535-538
Volcanic lateral blasts are among the most spectacular and devastating of natural phenomena, but their dynamics are still poorly understood. Here we investigate the best documented and most controversial blast at Mount St. Helens (Washington State, United States), on 18 May 1980. By means of three-dimensional multiphase numerical simulations we...
Goldschmidt crater and the Moon's north polar region: Results from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)
L.C. Cheek, C.M. Pieters, J.W. Boardman, R. N. Clark, J. #NAME? Combe, J.W. Head, P.J. Isaacson, T. B. McCord, D. Moriarty, J.W. Nettles, N.E. Petro, J.M. Sunshine, L.A. Taylor
2011, Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets (116)
Soils within the impact crater Goldschmidt have been identified as spectrally distinct from the local highland material. High spatial and spectral resolution data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) on the Chandrayaan-1 orbiter are used to examine the character of Goldschmidt crater in detail. Spectral parameters applied to a north...
Antibiotic use during the intracoelomic implantation of electronic tags into fish
D.M. Mulcahy
2011, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (21) 83-96
The use of antibiotics, in particular, the use of a single dose of antibiotics during electronic tag implantation is of unproven value, and carries with it the potential for the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and the alteration of the immune response of the fish. Antibiotic use during electronic...
Effects of wind energy production on growth, demography, and survivorship of a Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) population in Southern California with comparisons to natural populations
J.E. Lovich, J.R. Ennen, S. Madrak, K. Meyer, C. Loughran, C. Bjurlin, T. Arundel, W. Turner, C. Jones, G.M. Groenendaal
2011, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (6) 161-174
We studied a Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) population at a large wind energy generation facility near Palm Springs, California over six field seasons from 1997 to 2010. We compared growth and demographic parameters to populations living in less disturbed areas; as well as populations of the closely-related and newly-described G....
Using multilevel spatial models to understand salamander site occupancy patterns after wildfire
Nathan Chelgren, M. J. Adams, Larissa L. Bailey, R. Bruce Bury
2011, Ecology (92) 408-421
Studies of the distribution of elusive forest wildlife have suffered from the confounding of true presence with the uncertainty of detection. Occupancy modeling, which incorporates probabilities of species detection conditional on presence, is an emerging approach for reducing observation bias. However, the current likelihood modeling framework is restrictive for handling...
Evaluation of groundwater discharge into small lakes based on the temporal distribution of radon-222
N. T. Dimova, W. C. Burnett
2011, Limnology and Oceanography (56) 486-494
In order to evaluate groundwater discharge into small lakes we constructed a model that is based on the budget of 222Rn (radon, t1/2=3.8 d) as a tracer. The main assumptions in our model are that the lake's waters are well‐mixed horizontally and vertically; the only significant 222Rn source is via groundwater discharge;...
Downhole well log and core montages from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope
Timothy S. Collett, R.E. Lewis, William J. Winters, Myung W. Lee, K.K. Rose, R.M. Boswell
2011, Marine and Petroleum Geology (28) 561-577
The BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well was an integral part of an ongoing project to determine the future energy resource potential of gas hydrates on the Alaska North Slope. As part of this effort, the Mount Elbert well included an advanced downhole geophysical logging program. Because gas...
Raman spectroscopic measurements of CO2 density: Experimental calibration with high-pressure optical cell (HPOC) and fused silica capillary capsule (FSCC) with application to fluid inclusion observations
X. Wang, I-Ming Chou, W. Hu, Robert Burruss, Q. Sun, Y. Song
2011, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (75) 4080-4093
Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method for the determination of CO2 densities in fluid inclusions, especially for those with small size and/or low fluid density. The relationship between CO2 Fermi diad split (Δ, cm−1) and CO2 density (ρ, g/cm3) has been documented by several previous studies. However, significant discrepancies exist among these...
King eider foraging effort during the pre-breeding period in Alaska
Steffen Oppel, Abby N. Powell, Malcolm G. Butler
2011, The Condor (113) 52-60
For reproduction, many arctic-nesting migratory birds rely on nutrients obtained on the breeding grounds, so they devote sufficient time to foraging immediately prior to nesting. However, little is known about the increase in foraging effort necessary to meet the energetic requirements of reproduction. In early June 2006 and 2008, we...
Sulfur in the South Florida ecosystem: Distribution, sources, biogeochemistry, impacts, and management for restoration
William H. Orem, C. Gilmour, D. Axelrad, David P. Krabbenhoft, D. Scheidt, P. Kalla, P. McCormick, M. Gabriel, George Aiken
2011, Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology (41) 249-288
Sulfur is broadly recognized as a water quality issue of significance for the freshwater Florida Everglades. Roughly 60% of the remnant Everglades has surface water sulfate concentrations above 1 mg l-1, a restoration performance measure based on present sulfate levels in unenriched areas. Highly enriched marshes in the northern Everglades...
Synthesis of isotopically modified ZnO nanoparticles and their potential as nanotoxicity tracers
A.D. Dybowska, Marie Noele Croteau, S.K. Misra, D. Berhanu, Samuel N. Luoma, P. Christian, P. O'Brien, E. Valsami-Jones
2011, Environmental Pollution (159) 266-273
Understanding the behavior of engineered nanoparticles in the environment and within organisms is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the safe development of nanotechnologies. Reliable tracing is a particular issue for nanoparticles such as ZnO, because Zn is an essential element and a common pollutant thus present at elevated background concentrations. We synthesized isotopically...
