Shallow groundwater mercury supply in a coastal plain stream
Paul M. Bradley, Celeste A. Journey, Mark A. Lowery, Mark E. Brigham, Douglas A. Burns, Daniel T. Button, Francis H. Chapelle, Michelle A. Lutz, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Karen Riva-Murray
2012, Environmental Science & Technology (46) 7503-7511
Fluvial methylmercury (MeHg) is attributed to methylation in up-gradient wetland areas. This hypothesis depends on efficient wetland-to-stream hydraulic transport under nonflood and flood conditions. Fluxes of water and dissolved (filtered) mercury (Hg) species (FMeHg and total Hg (FTHg)) were quantified in April and July of 2009 in a reach at...
Assessment of environments for Mars Science Laboratory entry, descent, and surface operations
Ashwin R. Vasavada, Allen Chen, Jeffrey R. Barnes, P. Daniel Burkhart, Bruce A. Cantor, Alicia M. Dwyer-Cianciolo, Robini L. Fergason, David P. Hinson, Hilary L. Justh, David M. Kass, Stephen R. Lewis, Michael A. Mischna, James R. Murphy, Scot C.R. Rafkin, Daniel Tyler, Paul G. Withers
2012, Space Science Reviews (170) 793-835
The Mars Science Laboratory mission aims to land a car-sized rover on Mars' surface and operate it for at least one Mars year in order to assess whether its field area was ever capable of supporting microbial life. Here we describe the approach used to identify, characterize, and assess environmental...
Evidence, models, conservation programs and limits to management
J.D. Nichols
2012, Animal Conservation (15) 331-333
Walsh et al. (2012) emphasized the importance of obtaining evidence to assess the effects of management actions on state variables relevant to objectives of conservation programs. They focused on malleefowl Leipoa ocellata, ground-dwelling Australian megapodes listed as vulnerable. They noted that although fox Vulpes vulpes baiting is the main management...
Geometric derivations of minimal sets of sufficient multiview constraints
Orrin H. Thomas, Edward R. Oshel
2012, Photogrammetric Record (27) 74-93
Geometric interpretations of four of the most common determinant formulations of multiview constraints are given, showing that they all enforce the same geometry and that all of the forms commonly in use in the machine vision community are a subset of a more general form. Generalising the work of Yi...
Fungal disease and the developing story of bat white-nose syndrome
David S. Blehert
2012, PLoS Pathogens (8)
Two recently emerged cutaneous fungal diseases of wildlife, bat white-nose syndrome (WNS) and amphibian chytridiomycosis, have devastated affected populations. Fungal diseases are gaining recognition as significant causes of morbidity and mortality to plants, animals, and humans, yet fewer than 10% of fungal species are known. Furthermore, limited antifungal therapeutic drugs...
Adult tree swallow survival on the polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated Hudson River, New York, USA, between 2006 and 2010
Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, James E. Hines
2012, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (31) 1788-1792
The upper Hudson River basin in east central New York, USA, is highly contaminated, primarily with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Reduced adult survival has been documented in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at a similarly PCB-contaminated river system in western Massachusetts. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether adult...
The importance of local and landscape-scale processes to the occupancy of wetlands by pond-breeding amphibians
Rick D. Scherer, Erin Muths, Barry R. Noon
2012, Population Ecology (54) 487-498
Variation in the distribution and abundance of species across landscapes has traditionally been attributed to processes operating at fine spatial scales (i.e., environmental conditions at the scale of the sampling unit), but processes that operate across larger spatial scales such as seasonal migration or dispersal are also important. To determine...
Transport of ARS-labeled hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in saturated granular media is influenced by surface charge variability even in the presence of humic acid
Dengjun Wang, Scott A. Bradford, Ronald W. Harvey, Xiuzhen Hao, Dongmei Zhou
2012, Journal of Hazardous Materials (229-230) 170-176
Hydroxyapatite nanoparticle (nHAP) is increasingly being used to remediate soils and water polluted by metals and radionuclides. The transport and retention of Alizarin red S (ARS)-labeled nHAP were investigated in water-saturated granular media. Experiments were carried out over a range of ionic strength (Ic, 0–50 mM NaCl) conditions in the presence...
Surface properties of the Mars Science Laboratory candidate landing sites: characterization from orbit and predictions
R.L. Fergason, P. R. Christensen, M.P. Golombek, T. J. Parker
2012, Space Science Reviews (170) 739-773
This work describes the interpretation of THEMIS-derived thermal inertia data at the Eberswalde, Gale, Holden, and Mawrth Vallis Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) candidate landing sites and determines how thermophysical variations correspond to morphology and, when apparent, mineralogical diversity. At Eberswalde, the proportion of likely unconsolidated material relative to exposed bedrock...
Source rock contributions to the Lower Cretaceous heavy oil accumulations in Alberta: a basin modeling study
Luiyin Alejandro Berbesi, Rolando di Primio, Zahie Anka, Brian Horsfield, Debra K. Higley
2012, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin (96) 1211-1234
The origin of the immense oil sand deposits in Lower Cretaceous reservoirs of the Western Canada sedimentary basin is still a matter of debate, specifically with respect to the original in-place volumes and contributing source rocks. In this study, the contributions from the main source rocks were addressed using a...
Flood-inundation maps for the Driftwood River and Sugar Creek near Edinburgh, Indiana
Kathleen K. Fowler, Moon H. Kim, Chad D. Menke
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3210
Digital flood-inundation maps for an 11.2 mile reach of the Driftwood River and a 5.2 mile reach of Sugar Creek, both near Edinburgh, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Edinburgh, Indiana. The inundation maps, which can be...
Assessment of soil-gas contamination at the 17th Street landfill, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2011
W. Fred Falls, Andral W. Caldwell, Wladmir G. Guimaraes, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1127
Assessments of contaminants in soil gas were conducted in two study areas at Fort Gordon, Georgia, in July and August of 2011 to supplement environmental contaminant data for previous studies at the 17th Street landfill. The two study areas include northern and eastern parts of the 17th Street landfill and...
Assessment of soil-gas and groundwater contamination at the Gibson Road landfill, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2011
W. Fred Falls, Andral W. Caldwell, Wladmir G. Guimaraes, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1128
Soil-gas and groundwater assessments were conducted at the Gibson Road landfill in 201 to provide screening-level environmental contamination data to supplement the data collected during previous environmental studies at the landfill. Passive samplers were used in both assessments to detect volatile and semivolatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in...
Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow and land-surface subsidence in the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system, Texas, 1891-2009
Mark C. Kasmarek
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5154
In cooperation with the Harris–Galveston Subsidence District, Fort Bend Subsidence District, and Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, the U.S. Geological Survey developed and calibrated the Houston Area Groundwater Model (HAGM), which simulates groundwater flow and land-surface subsidence in the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system in Texas from...
Assessment of shallow landslide potential using 1-D and 3-D slope stability analysis
Rex L. Baum, Jonathan W. Godt, Jeffrey A. Coe, Mark E. Reid
Erik Eberhardt, Corey Froese, Keith Turner, S. Leroueil, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, Landslides and Engineered Slopes, Protecting Society Through Improved Understanding: Proceedings of the 11th International and 2nd North American Symposium on Landslides and Engineered Slopes, Banff, Canada, 3-8 June
Kinematics of the Slumgullion landslide revealed by ground-based InSAR surveys
W.H. Schulz, J. A. Coe, B.L. Shurtleff, J. Panosky, P. Farina, P.P. Ricci, G. Barsacchi
Erik Eberhardt, Corey Froese, Keith Turner, S. Leroueil, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, Landslides and Engineered Slopes, Protecting Society Through Improved Understanding: Proceedings of the 11th International and 2nd North American Symposium on Landslides and Engineered Slopes, Banff, Canada, 3-8 June
Sediment mobility and bed armoring in the St Clair River: insights from hydrodynamic modeling
Xiaofeng Liu, Gary Parker, Jonathan A. Czuba, Kevin Oberg, Jose M. Mier, James L. Best, Daniel R. Parsons, Peter Ashmore, Bommanna G. Krishnappan, Marcelo H. Garcia
2012, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (37) 957-970
The lake levels in Lake Michigan-Huron have recently fallen to near historical lows, as has the elevation difference between Lake Michigan-Huron compared to Lake Erie. This decline in lake levels has the potential to cause detrimental impacts on the lake ecosystems, together with social and economic impacts on communities in...
Model of whooping crane energetics as foundation for development of a method to assess potential take during migration
Aaron T. Pearse, Sarena M. Selbo
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1156
A whooping crane energetic model was developed as a component of a larger effort to ascertain potential take, as defined by the Endangered Species Act, of whooping cranes from proposed development of wind-energy infrastructure in the Great Plains of North America. The primary objectives of this energetic model were to...
Topographic change detection at select archeological sites in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 2007-2010
Brian D. Collins, Skye C. Corbett, Helen C. Fairley, Diane L. Minasian, Robert Kayen, Timothy P. Dealy, David R. Bedford
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5133
Human occupation in Grand Canyon, Arizona, dates from at least 11,000 years before present to the modern era. For most of this period, the only evidence of human occupation in this iconic landscape is provided by archeological sites. Because of the dynamic nature of this environment, many archeological sites are...
Biological assessment and streambed-sediment chemistry of streams in the Indianapolis metropolitan area, Indiana, 2003–2008
David C. Voelker
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5096
During 2003–2008, the U.S. Geological Survey sampled 13 sites in the Indianapolis metropolitan area in Indiana for benthic invertebrates, fish communities, and streambed-sediment chemistry. Data from seven White River sites and six tributary sites complement surface-water chemistry data collected by the Indianapolis Department of Public Works. The information is being...
Isopach and isoresource maps for oil shale deposits in the Eocene Green River Formation for the combined Uinta and Piceance Basins, Utah and Colorado
Tracey J. Mercier, Ronald C. Johnson
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5076
The in-place oil shale resources in the Eocene Green River Formation of the Piceance Basin of western Colorado and the Uinta Basin of western Colorado and eastern Utah are estimated at 1.53 trillion barrels and 1.32 trillion barrels, respectively. The oil shale strata were deposited in a single large saline...
Radon-222 content of natural gas samples from Upper and Middle Devonian sandstone and shale reservoirs in Pennsylvania—preliminary data
E. L. Rowan, T. F. Kraemer
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1159
Samples of natural gas were collected as part of a study of formation water chemistry in oil and gas reservoirs in the Appalachian Basin. Nineteen samples (plus two duplicates) were collected from 11 wells producing gas from Upper Devonian sandstones and the Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. The samples...
Sea-level history of past interglacial periods: New evidence from uranium-series dating of corals from Curaçao, Leeward Antilles islands
Daniel R. Muhs, John M. Pandolfi, Kathleen R. Simmons, R. Randall Schumann
2012, Quaternary Research (78) 157-169
Curaçao has reef terraces with the potential to provide sea-level histories of interglacial periods. Ages of the Hato (upper) unit of the “Lower Terrace” indicate that this reef dates to the last interglacial period, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5.5. On Curaçao, this high sea stand lasted at least 8000 yr...
Severe mammal declines coincide with proliferation of invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park
Michael E. Dorcas, John D. Wilson, Robert N. Reed, Ray W. Snow, Michael R. Rochford, Melissa A. Miller, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Paul T. Andreadis, Frank J. Mazzotti, Christina M. Romagosa, Kristen M. Hart
2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (109) 2418-2422
Invasive species represent a significant threat to global biodiversity and a substantial economic burden. Burmese pythons, giant constricting snakes native to Asia, now are found throughout much of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park (ENP). Pythons have increased dramatically in both abundance and geographic range since 2000 and...
New AGU scientific integrity and professional ethics policy available for review
Linda C. Gundersen
2012, Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union (93) 377-377
The AGU Task Force on Scientific Ethics welcomes your review and comments on AGU's new Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Policy. The policy has at its heart a code of conduct adopted from the internationally accepted "Singapore Statement," originally created by the Second World Conference on Research Integrity (http://www.singaporestatement.org/), held...
