Earthquake and ambient vibration monitoring of the steel-frame UCLA factor building
M.D. Kohler, P.M. Davis, E. Safak
2005, Earthquake Spectra (21) 715-736
Dynamic property measurements of the moment-resisting steel-frame University of California, Los Angeles, Factor building are being made to assess how forces are distributed over the building. Fourier amplitude spectra have been calculated from several intervals of ambient vibrations, a 24-hour period of strong winds, and from the 28 March 2003...
A comparison of seismic event detection with IASPEI and earthworm acquisition systems at Alaskan volcanoes
James P. Dixon, John A. Power, Scott D. Stihler
2005, Seismological Research Letters (76) 168-176
Since 1988, Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) has been continually monitoring seismicity at active volcanoes in Alaska (Dixon et al., 2004). The AVO seismic network has grown from 27 stations on the Cook Inlet volcanoes (Augustine, Iliamna, Redoubt, and Spurr) to 160 stations on 27 volcanoes in...
A signal for independent coastal and continental histories among North American wolves
Byron V. Weckworth, Sandra L. Talbot, George K. Sage, David K. Person, Joseph Cook
2005, Molecular Ecology (14) 917-931
Relatively little genetic variation has been uncovered in surveys across North American wolf populations. Pacific Northwest coastal wolves, in particular, have never been analysed. With an emphasis on coastal Alaska wolf populations, variation at 11 microsatellite loci was assessed. Coastal wolf populations were distinctive from continental wolves and high levels...
Impact of millennial-scale Holocene climate variability on eastern North American terrestrial ecosystems: Pollen-based climatic reconstruction
Debra A. Willard, C.E. Bernhardt, D.A. Korejwo, S.R. Meyers
2005, Global and Planetary Change (47) 17-35
We present paleoclimatic evidence for a series of Holocene millennial-scale cool intervals in eastern North America that occurred every ???1400 years and lasted ???300-500 years, based on pollen data from Chesapeake Bay in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The cool events are indicated by significant decreases in pine...
Population status of Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris along the southern coast of the Alaska Peninsula
Thomas I. van Pelt, John F. Piatt
2005, Report
The Kittlitz's murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) is a rare seabird that nests in alpine terrain and generally forages near tidewater glaciers during the breeding season. An estimated 95% of the global population breeds in Alaska, with some unknown proportion breeding in the Russian Far East. A global population estimate using bestavailable...
Analysis of vegetation distribution in Interior Alaska and sensitivity to climate change using a logistic regression approach
M.P. Calef, A. D. McGuire, H.E. Epstein, T.S. Rupp, H.H. Shugart
2005, Journal of Biogeography (32) 863-878
Aim: To understand drivers of vegetation type distribution and sensitivity to climate change. Location: Interior Alaska. Methods: A logistic regression model was developed that predicts the potential equilibrium distribution of four major vegetation types: tundra, deciduous forest, black spruce forest and white spruce forest based on elevation, aspect, slope, drainage...
Role of reservoir engineering in the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska
M.K. Verma, K. J. Bird
2005, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin (89) 1091-1111
The geology and reservoir-engineering data were integrated in the 2002 U.S. Geological Survey assessment of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA). VVhereas geology defined the analog pools and fields and provided the basic information on sizes and numbers of hypothesized petroleum accumulations, reservoir engineering helped develop necessary equations and...
Stratigraphic and geochemical evolution of an oceanic arc upper crustal section: The Jurassic Talkeetna Volcanic Formation, south-central Alaska
P.D. Clift, A.E. Draut, P.B. Kelemen, J. Blusztajn, A. Greene
2005, Geological Society of America Bulletin (117) 902-925
The Early Jurassic Talkeetna Volcanic Formation forms the upper stratigraphic level of an oceanic volcanic arc complex within the Peninsular Terrane of south-central Alaska. The section comprises a series of lavas, tuffs, and volcaniclastic debris-How and flow turbidite deposits, showing significant lateral facies variability. There is a general trend toward...
Observer variability in pinniped counts: Ground-based enumeration of walruses at haul-out sites
Mark S. Udevitz, C.V. Jay, M.B. Cody
2005, Marine Mammal Science (21) 108-120
Pinnipeds are often monitored by counting individuals at haul-out sites, but the often large numbers of densely packed individuals at these sites are difficult to enumerate accurately. Errors in enumeration can induce bias and reduce precision in estimates of population size and trend. We used data from paired observers monitoring...
Transient rheology of the upper mantle beneath central Alaska inferred from the crustal velocity field following the 2002 Denali earthquake
F. F. Pollitz
2005, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (110) 1-16
The M7.9 2002 Denali earthquake, Alaska, is one of the largest strike-slip earthquakes ever recorded. The postseismic GPS velocity field around the 300-km-long rupture is characterized by very rapid horizontal velocity up to ???300 mm/yr for the first 0.1 years and slower but still elevated horizontal velocity up to ???100...
Seasonal marine growth of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in relation to competition with Asian pink salmon (O. gorbuscho) and the 1977 ocean regime shift
Gregory T. Ruggerone, Ed Farley, Jennifer L. Nielsen, Peter Hagen
2005, Fishery Bulletin (103) 355-370
Recent research demonstrated significantly lower growth and survival of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) during odd-numbered years of their second or third years at sea (1975, 1977, etc.), a trend that was opposite that of Asian pink salmon (O. gorbuscha) abundance. Here we evaluated seasonal growth trends of Kvichak...
Aniakchak sockeye salmon investigations
Troy R. Hamon, Scott A. Pavey, Joe L. Miller, Jennifer L. Nielsen
2005, Alaska Park Science (3) 35-39
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve provides unusual and dramatic landscapes shaped by numerous volcanic eruptions, a massive flood, enormous landslides, and ongoing geological change. The focal point of the monument is Aniakchak Caldera, a restless volcano that embodies the instability of the Alaska Peninsula. This geological instability creates a dynamic...
Physiological response of wild rainbow trout to angling: Impact of angling duration, fish size, body condition, and temperature
Julie M. Meka, S. D. McCormick
2005, Fisheries Research (72) 311-322
This study evaluated the immediate physiological response of wild rainbow trout to catch-and-release angling in the Alagnak River, southwest Alaska. Information was recorded on individual rainbow trout (n = 415) captured by angling including landing time and the time required to remove hooks (angling duration), the time to anesthetize fish...
Individual variation in staging and timing of spring migration of Pacific common eiders in Alaska
Margaret R. Petersen
2005, Conference Paper, Second North America Sea Duck Conference
Timing of migration and characterization of migration patterns of birds are usually based on dates of peak migration to and from staging, wintering, and breeding areas used by the bulk of a species. For Pacific common eiders (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum), as well as other species, the timing of migration into...
Parallel structure among environmental gradients and three trophic levels in a subarctic estuary
Suzann G. Speckman, John F. Piatt, C. V. Minte-Vera, Julia K. Parrish
2005, Progress in Oceanography (66) 25-65
We assessed spatial and temporal variability in the physical environment of a subarctic estuary, and examined concurrent patterns of chlorophyll α abundance (fluorescence), and zooplankton and forage fish community structure. Surveys were conducted in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, during late July and early August from 1997 through 1999. Principle components analysis...
Advantageous GOES IR results for ash mapping at high latitudes: Cleveland eruptions 2001
Yingxin Gu, William I. Rose Jr., D.J. Schneider, G.J.S. Bluth, I.M. Watson
2005, Geophysical Research Letters (32) 1-5
The February 2001 eruption of Cleveland Volcano, Alaska allowed for comparisons of volcanic ash detection using two‐band thermal infrared (10–12 μm) remote sensing from MODIS, AVHRR, and GOES 10. Results show that high latitude GOES volcanic cloud sensing the range of about 50 to 65°N is significantly enhanced. For the...
Effects of maternal characteristics and climatic variation on birth masses of Alaskan caribou
Layne G. Adams
2005, Journal of Mammalogy (86) 506-513
Understanding factors that influence birth mass of mammals provides insights to nutritional trade-offs made by females to optimize their reproduction, growth, and survival. I evaluated variation in birth mass of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in central Alaska relative to maternal characteristics (age, body mass, cohort, and nutritional condition as influenced by...
Assembling an ignimbrite: Compositionally defined eruptive packages in the 1912 Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes ignimbrite, Alaska
J. Fierstein, C. J. N. Wilson
2005, Geological Society of America Bulletin (117) 1094-1107
The 1912 Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (VTTS) ignimbrite was constructed from 9 compositionally distinct, sequentially emplaced packages, each with distinct proportions of rhyolite (R), dacite (D), and andesite (A) pumices that permit us to map package boundaries and flow paths from vent to distal extents. Changing pumice proportions and...
Identifying spawning behavior in Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) using electronic tags
A.C. Seitz, Brenda L. Norcross, D. Wilson, J.L. Nielsen
2005, Environmental Biology of Fishes (73) 445-451
Identifying spawning behavior in Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis, is particularly challenging because they occupy a deep, remote environment during the spawning season. To identify spawning events, a method is needed in which direct observation by humans is not employed. Spawning behavior of seven other flatfish, species has been directly observed...
Repeating coupled earthquakes at Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska
J. Caplan-Auerbach, T. Petersen
2005, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (145) 151-172
Since it last erupted in 1999, Shishaldin Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, has produced hundreds to thousands of long-period (1-2 Hz; LP) earthquakes every day with no other sign of volcanic unrest. In 2002, the earthquakes also exhibited a short-period (4-7 Hz; SP) signal occurring between 3 and 15 s before...
Ongoing hydrothermal heat loss from the 1912 ash-flow sheet, Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Alaska
N. Hogeweg, T. E. C. Keith, E.M. Colvard, S. E. Ingebritsen
2005, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (143) 279-291
The June 1912 eruption of Novarupta filled nearby glacial valleys on the Alaska Peninsula with ash-flow tuff (ignimbrite), and post-eruption observations of thousands of steaming fumaroles led to the name ‘Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes’ (VTTS). By the late 1980s most fumarolic activity had ceased, but the discovery of thermal...
Comparing maps of mean monthly surface temperature and precipitation for Alaska and adjacent areas of Canada produced by two different methods
James J. Simpson, Gary L. Hufford, Christopher Daly, Jared S. Berg, Michael D. Fleming
2005, Arctic (58) 137-161
Maps of mean monthly surface temperature and precipitation for Alaska and adjacent areas of Canada, produced by Oregon State University's Spatial Climate Analysis Service (SCAS) and the Alaska Geospatial Data Clearinghouse (AGDC), were analyzed. Because both sets of maps are generally available and in use by the community, there is...
Spatial and temporal variations in the age structure of Arctic sea ice
G. I. Belchansky, David C. Douglas, Nikita G. Platonov
2005, Geophysical Research Letters (32)
Spatial and temporal variations in the age structure of Arctic sea ice are investigated using a new reverse chronology algorithm that tracks ice-covered pixels to their location and date of origin based on ice motion and concentration data. The Beaufort Gyre tends to harbor the oldest (>10 years old) sea...
Distribution and density of moose in relation to landscape characteristics: Effects of scale
J.A.K. Maier, J. M. Ver Hoef, A. D. McGuire, R.T. Bowyer, L. Saperstein, H.A. Maier
2005, Conference Paper, Canadian Journal of Forest Research
We analyzed the relation between early winter distribution and density of female moose (Alces alces L.) and habitat heterogeneity in interior Alaska. We tested for effects of vegetation type, topography, distance to rivers and towns, occurrence and timing of fire, and landscape metrics. A spatial linear model was used to...
Breeding ecology of Spectacled Eiders Somateria fischeri in Northern Alaska
J. Bart, S.L. Earnst
2005, Wildfowl (55) 83-98
Spectacled Eiders Somateria fischeri were studied on the Colville River delta during 1994-1999, prior to oil field development, to document aspects of breeding biology that are poorly known, especially for northern-nesting populations. Both sexes arrived June 6-12; many males remained for only about 10 days. Density on the 178-km2 study...
