Estimating basin scale evapotranspiration (ET) by water balance and remote sensing methods
G.B. Senay, S. Leake, P.L. Nagler, G. Artan, J. Dickinson, J.T. Cordova, E. P. Glenn
2011, Hydrological Processes (25) 4037-4049
Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important hydrological process that can be studied and estimated at multiple spatial scales ranging from a leaf to a river basin. We present a review of methods in estimating basin scale ET and its applications in understanding basin water balance dynamics. The review focuses on two...
Field flume reveals aquatic vegetation's role in sediment and particulate phosphorus transport in a shallow aquatic ecosystem
J. W. Harvey, G.B. Noe, L. G. Larsen, D.J. Nowacki, L.E. McPhillips
2011, Geomorphology (126) 297-313
Flow interactions with aquatic vegetation and effects on sediment transport and nutrient redistribution are uncertain in shallow aquatic ecosystems. Here we quantified sediment transport in the Everglades by progressively increasing flow velocity in a field flume constructed around undisturbed bed sediment and emergent macrophytes. Suspended sediment < 100 μm was...
A data-driven approach for modeling post-fire debris-flow volumes and their uncertainty
Michael J. Friedel
2011, Environmental Modelling and Software (26) 1583-1598
This study demonstrates the novel application of genetic programming to evolve nonlinear post-fire debris-flow volume equations from variables associated with a data-driven conceptual model of the western United States. The search space is constrained using a multi-component objective function that simultaneously minimizes root-mean squared and unit errors for the evolution...
An index of reservoir habitat impairment
L.E. Miranda, K.M. Hunt
2011, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (172) 225-234
Fish habitat impairment resulting from natural and anthropogenic watershed and in-lake processes has in many cases reduced the ability of reservoirs to sustain native fish assemblages and fisheries quality. Rehabilitation of impaired reservoirs is hindered by the lack of a method suitable for scoring impairment status. To address this limitation,...
Stability of Mg-sulfates at-10C and the rates of dehydration/rehydration processes under conditions relevant to Mars
A. Wang, J.J. Freeman, I.-M. Chou, B.L. Jolliff
2011, Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets (116)
We report the results of low temperature (−10°C) experiments on the stability fields and phase transition pathways of five hydrous Mg-sulfates. A low temperature form of MgSO4·7H2O (LT-7w) was found to have a wide stability field that extends to low relative humidity (∼13% RH at −10°C). Using information on the...
Late Pleistocene dune activity in the central Great Plains, USA
J.A. Mason, J. B. Swinehart, P.R. Hanson, D.B. Loope, R.J. Goble, X. Miao, R.L. Schmeisser
2011, Quaternary Science Reviews (30) 3858-3870
Stabilized dunes of the central Great Plains, especially the megabarchans and large barchanoid ridges of the Nebraska Sand Hills, provide dramatic evidence of late Quaternary environmental change. Episodic Holocene dune activity in this region is now well-documented, but Late Pleistocene dune mobility has remained poorly documented, despite early interpretations of...
Earth observing data and methods for advancing water harvesting technologies in the semi-arid rain-fed environments of India
C. Sharma, P. Thenkabail, R. R. Sharma
2011, Conference Paper, Proceedings - 2011 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2011
The paper develops approaches and methods of modeling and mapping land and water productivity of rain-fed crops in semi-arid environments of India using hyperspectral, hyperspatial, and advanced multispectral remote sensing data and linking the same to field-plot data and climate station data. The overarching goal is to provide information to...
Episodic growth of a Late Cretaceous and Paleogene intrusive complex of pegmatitic leucogranite, Ruby Mountains core complex, Nevada, USA
Keith A. Howard, J. L. Wooden, C. G. Barnes, W. R. Premo, A.W. Snoke, S.-Y. Lee
2011, Geosphere (7) 1220-1248
Gneissic pegmatitic leucogranite forms a dominant component (>600 km3) of the midcrustal infrastructure of the Ruby Mountains–East Humboldt Range core complex (Nevada, USA), and was assembled and modified episodically into a batholithic volume by myriad small intrusions from ca. 92 to 29 Ma. This injection complex consists of deformed sheets...
A Digital Hydrologic Network Supporting NAWQA MRB SPARROW Modeling--MRB_E2RF1WS
J. W. Brakebill, S.E. Terziotti
2011, Report
A digital hydrologic network was developed to support SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models within selected regions of the United States. These regions correspond with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program Major River Basin (MRB) study units 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 (Preston...
Predicting carnivore occurrence with noninvasive surveys and occupancy modeling
Robert A. Long, Therese M. Donovan, Paula MacKay, William J. Zielinski, Jeffrey S. Buzas
2011, Landscape Ecology (26) 327-340
Terrestrial carnivores typically have large home ranges and exist at low population densities, thus presenting challenges to wildlife researchers. We employed multiple, noninvasive survey methods—scat detection dogs, remote cameras, and hair snares—to collect detection–nondetection data for elusive American black bears (Ursus americanus), fishers (Martes pennanti), and bobcats (<i...
An analytical framework to assist decision makers in the use of forest ecosystem model predictions
Guy R. Larocque, Jagtar S. Bhatti, J.C. Ascough, J. Liu, N. Luckai, D. Mailly, L. Archambault, Andrew M. Gordon
2011, Environmental Modelling and Software (26) 280-288
The predictions from most forest ecosystem models originate from deterministic simulations. However, few evaluation exercises for model outputs are performed by either model developers or users. This issue has important consequences for decision makers using these models to develop natural resource management policies, as they cannot evaluate the extent to...
Potential misuse of avian density as a conservation metric
Susan K. Skagen, Amy A. Yackel Adams
2011, Conservation Biology (25) 48-55
: Effective conservation metrics are needed to evaluate the success of management in a rapidly changing world. Reproductive rates and densities of breeding birds (as a surrogate for reproductive rate) have been used to indicate the quality of avian breeding habitat, but the underlying assumptions of these metrics rarely have...
Geochemical analysis of Atlantic rim water, Carbon County, Wyoming: New applications for characterizing coalbed natural gas reservoirs
J.F. McLaughlin, C.D. Frost, Shruti Sharma
2011, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin (95) 191-217
Coalbed natural gas (CBNG) production typically requires the extraction of large volumes of water from target formations, thereby influencing any associated reservoir systems. We describe isotopic tracers that provide immediate data on the presence or absence of biogenic natural gas and the identify methane-containing reservoirs are hydrologically confined. Isotopes of...
Targeted surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl across the conterminous United States: chapter 12
Matthew L. Farnsworth, William L. Kendall, Paul F. Doherty Jr., Ryan S. Miller, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, Kenneth P. Burnham, Alan B. Franklin
S. Majumdar, F.J. Brenner, J.E. Huffman, R. G. McLean, A.I. Panah, P.J. Pietrobon, S.P. Keeler, S. Shive, editor(s)
2011, Book chapter, Pandemic influenza viruses: Science, surveillance and public health
Introduction of Asian strain H5N1 Highly Pathogenic avian influenca via waterfowl migration is one potential route of entry into the United States. In conjunction with state, tribe, and laboratory partners, the United States Department of Agriculture collected and tested 124,603 wild bird samples in 2006 as part of a national...
Thermal erosion of a permafrost coastline: Improving process-based models using time-lapse photography
C. Wobus, R. Anderson, I. Overeem, N. Matell, G. Clow, F. Urban
2011, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (43) 474-484
Coastal erosion rates locally exceeding 30 m y-1 have been documented along Alaska's Beaufort Sea coastline, and a number of studies suggest that these erosion rates have accelerated as a result of climate change. However, a lack of direct observational evidence has limited our progress in quantifying the specific processes...
The secret to successful solute-transport modeling
Leonard F. Konikow
2011, Ground Water (49) 144-159
Modeling subsurface solute transport is difficult—more so than modeling heads and flows. The classical governing equation does not always adequately represent what we see at the field scale. In such cases, commonly used numerical models are solving the wrong equation. Also, the transport equation is hyperbolic where advection is dominant,...
Successful integration efforts in water quality from the integrated Ocean Observing System Regional Associations and the National Water Quality Monitoring Network
R. Ragsdale, E. Vowinkel, D. Porter, P. Hamilton, R. Morrison, J. Kohut, B. Connell, H. Kelsey, P. Trowbridge
2011, Marine Technology Society Journal (45) 19-28
The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) Regional Associations and Interagency Partners hosted a water quality workshop in January 2010 to discuss issues of nutrient enrichment and dissolved oxygen depletion (hypoxia), harmful algal blooms (HABs), and beach water quality. In 2007, the National Water Quality Monitoring Council piloted demonstration projects as...
Using multi-source satellite data for lake level modelling in ungauged basins: A case study for Lake Turkana, East Africa
N.M. Velpuri, G.B. Senay, K.O. Asante
2011, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions (8) 4851-4890
Managing limited surface water resources is a great challenge in areas where ground-based data are either limited or unavailable. Direct or indirect measurements of surface water resources through remote sensing offer several advantages of monitoring in ungauged basins. A physical based hydrologic technique to monitor lake water levels in ungauged...
Problems with studying wolf predation on small prey in summer via global positioning system collars
V. Palacios, L.D. Mech
2011, European Journal of Wildlife Research (57) 149-156
We attempted to study predation on various-sized prey by a male and female wolf (Canis lupus) with global positioning system (GPS) collars programmed to acquire locations every 10 min in the Superior National Forest of Minnesota. During May to August 2007, we investigated 147 clusters of locations (31% of the...
Digital hydrologic networks supporting applications related to spatially referenced regression modeling
J. W. Brakebill, D.M. Wolock, S.E. Terziotti
2011, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (47) 916-932
Digital hydrologic networks depicting surface‐water pathways and their associated drainage catchments provide a key component to hydrologic analysis and modeling. Collectively, they form common spatial units that can be used to frame the descriptions of aquatic and watershed processes. In addition, they provide the ability to simulate and route the...
A model for seasonal changes in GPS positions and seismic wave speeds due to thermoelastic and hydrologic variations
V.C. Tsai
2011, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (116)
It is known that GPS time series contain a seasonal variation that is not due to tectonic motions, and it has recently been shown that crustal seismic velocities may also vary seasonally. In order to explain these changes, a number of hypotheses have been given, among which thermoelastic and hydrology-induced...
Evaluating gull diets: A comparison of conventional methods and stable isotope analysis
Emily L. Weiser, Abby N. Powell
2011, Journal of Field Ornithology (82) 297-310
Samples such as regurgitated pellets and food remains have traditionally been used in studies of bird diets, but these can produce biased estimates depending on the digestibility of different foods. Stable isotope analysis has been developed as a method for assessing bird diets that is not biased by digestibility. These...
Projected changes to growth and mortality of Hawaiian corals over the next 100 years
R.K. Hoeke, P. L. Jokiel, R. W. Buddemeier, R.E. Brainard
2011, PLoS ONE (6)
Background: Recent reviews suggest that the warming and acidification of ocean surface waters predicated by most accepted climate projections will lead to mass mortality and declining calcification rates of reef-building corals. This study investigates the use of modeling techniques to quantitatively examine rates of coral cover change due to these...
Response of spectral vegetation indices to soil moisture in grasslands and shrublands
Li Zhang, Lei Ji, Bruce K. Wylie
2011, International Journal of Remote Sensing (32) 5267-5286
The relationships between satellite-derived vegetation indices (VIs) and soil moisture are complicated because of the time lag of the vegetation response to soil moisture. In this study, we used a distributed lag regression model to evaluate the lag responses of VIs to soil moisture for grasslands and shrublands at Soil...
Revised correlation of Silurian Provincial Series of North America with global and regional chronostratigraphic units and δ13Ccarb chemostratigraphy
Bradley D. Cramer, Carlton E. Brett, Michael J. Melchin, Peep Mannik, Mark A. Kleffner, Patrick I. McLaughlin, David K. Loydell, Axel Munnecke, Lennart Jeppsson, Carlo Corradini, Frank R. Brunton, Matthew R. Saltzman
2011, Lethaia (44) 185-202
Recent revisions to the biostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic assignment of strata from the type area of the Niagaran Provincial Series (a regional chronostratigraphic unit) have demonstrated the need to revise the chronostratigraphic correlation of the Silurian System of North America. Recently, the working group to restudy the base of the Wenlock...
