Density and success of bird nests relative to grazing on western Montana grasslands
Thomas F. Fondell, I.J. Ball
2004, Biological Conservation (117) 203-213
Grassland birds are declining at a faster rate than any other group of North American bird species. Livestock grazing is the primary economic use of grasslands in the western United States, but the effects of this use on distribution and productivity of grassland birds are unclear. We examined nest density...
Movements of flightless long-tailed ducks during wing molt
Paul L. Flint, Deborah L. Lacroix, John A. Reed, Richard B. Lanctot
2004, Waterbirds (27) 35-40
We examined the movements of flightless Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis) during the wing molt in the near-shore lagoons of the Beaufort Sea in Alaska. Estimates of site fidelity during the 21-day flightless period ranged from 1-100%, with considerable variation among locations and within locations among years. There was no effect...
Earthquake nucleation by transient deformations caused by the M = 7.9 Denali, Alaska, earthquake
J. Gomberg, P. Bodin, K. Larson, H. Dragert
2004, Nature (427) 621-624
The permanent and dynamic (transient) stress changes inferred to trigger earthquakes are usually orders of magnitude smaller than the stresses relaxed by the earthquakes themselves, implying that triggering occurs on critically stressed faults. Triggered seismicity rate increases may therefore be most likely to occur in areas where loading rates are...
Variation in the population structure of Yukon River chum and coho salmon: Evaluating the potential impact of localized habitat degradation
Jeffrey B. Olsen, William J. Spearman, George K. Sage, Steven J. Miller, Blair G. Flannery, J.K. Wenburg
2004, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (133) 476-483
We used microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA-restriction fragment length polymorphism (mtDNA-RFLP) analyses to test the hypothesis that chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta and coho salmon O. kisutch in the Yukon River, Alaska, exhibit population structure at differing spatial scales. If the hypothesis is true, then the risk of losing genetic diversity because...
Concentrations of metals and trace elements in blood of spectacled and king eiders in northern Alaska, USA
Heather M. Wilson, Margaret R. Petersen, Declan Troy
2004, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (23) 408-414
In 1996, we measured concentrations of arsenic, barium, cadmium, lead, mercury, and selenium in blood of adult king (Somateria spectabilis) and spectacled (Somateria fischeri) eiders and duckling spectacled eiders from northern Alaska, USA. Concentrations of selenium exceeded background levels in all adults sampled and 9 of 12 ducklings. Mercury was...
Contaminants in molting long-tailed ducks and nesting common eiders in the Beaufort Sea
J. C. Franson, Tuula E. Hollmén, Paul L. Flint, J.B. Grand, Richard B. Lanctot
2004, Marine Pollution Bulletin (48) 504-513
In 2000, we collected blood from long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) and blood and eggs from common eiders (Somateria mollissima) at near-shore islands in the vicinity of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and at a reference area east of Prudhoe Bay. Blood was analyzed for trace elements and egg contents were analyzed for...
A comparison of genetic ariation between an anadromous steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss, population and seven derived populations sequestered in freshwater for 70 years
Frank Thrower, Charles Guthrie III, Jennifer L. Nielsen, John Joyce
2004, Environmental Biology of Fishes (69) 111-125
In 1926 cannery workers from the Wakefield Fisheries Plant at Little Port Walter in Southeast Alaska captured small trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, from a portion of Sashin Creek populated with a wild steelhead (anadromous O. mykiss) run. They planted them into Sashin Lake which had been fishless...
High latitude meteoric δ18O compositions: Paleosol siderite in the Middle Cretaceous Nanushuk Formation, North Slope, Alaska
David F. Ufnar, Greg A. Ludvigson, Luis A. Gonzalez, Richard L. Brenner, Brian J. Witzke
2004, Geological Society of America Bulletin (116) 463-473
Siderite-bearing pedogenic horizons of the Nanushuk Formation of the North Slope, Alaska, provide a critical high paleolatitude oxygen isotopic proxy record of paleoprecipitation, supplying important empirical data needed for paleoclimatic reconstructions and models of "greenhouse-world" precipitation rates. Siderite ??18O values were determined from four paleosol horizons in the National Petroleum...
Sequence stratigraphy of the Kingak Shale (Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous), National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska
D.W. Houseknecht, K. J. Bird
2004, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin (88) 279-302
Beaufortian strata (Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) are a focus of exploration since the 1994 discovery of the nearby Alpine oil field (>400 MMBO). These strata include the Kingak Shale, a succession of depositional sequences influenced by rift opening of the Arctic Ocean Basin. Interpretation...
Holocene thermal maximum in the western Arctic (0-180°W)
D. S. Kaufman, T. A. Ager, N.J. Anderson, P. M. Anderson, John T. Andrews, P. J. Bartlein, L.B. Brubaker, Larry L. Coats, L.C. Cwynar, M.L. Duvall, A. S. Dyke, M. E. Edwards, Wendy R. Eisner, K. Gajewski, A. Geirsdottir, F.-S. Hu, A. E. Jennings, M.R. Kaplan, M.W. Kerwin, A.V. Lozhkin, G. M. MacDonald, G. H. Miller, Cary J. Mock, W.W. Oswald, B. L. Otto-Bliesner, David F. Porinchu, K. Ruhland, J. P. Smol, E.J. Steig, B.B. Wolfe
2004, Quaternary Science Reviews (23) 529-560
The spatio-temporal pattern of peak Holocene warmth (Holocene thermal maximum, HTM) is traced over 140 sites across the Western Hemisphere of the Arctic (0-180??W; north of ???60??N). Paleoclimate inferences based on a wide variety of proxy indicators provide clear evidence for warmer-than-present conditions at 120 of these sites. At the...
Evidence for dike emplacement beneath Iliamna Volcano, Alaska in 1996
D.C. Roman, J.A. Power, S.C. Moran, K. V. Cashman, M.P. Doukas, C.A. Neal, T.M. Gerlach
2004, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (130) 265-284
Two earthquake swarms, comprising 88 and 2833 locatable events, occurred beneath Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, in May and August of 1996. Swarm earthquakes ranged in magnitude from -0.9 to 3.3. Increases in SO2 and CO2 emissions detected during the fall of 1996 were coincident with the second swarm. No other physical...
Kinematic and dynamic rupture models of the November 3, 2002 Mw7.9 Denali, Alaska, earthquake
Douglas S. Dreger, D. D. Oglesby, R. Harris, N. Ratchkovski, R. Hansen
2004, Geophysical Research Letters (31)
Regional seismic waveforms, continuous and campaign-mode GPS data, and surface slip measurements were used to obtain a kinematic model of the rupture process of the November 3, 2002 Mw 7.9 Denali, Alaska, earthquake. The event initiated as a Mw 7.0 reverse slip event on the north-dipping Susitna Glacier fault with...
The role of red alder in riparian forest structure along headwater streams in southeastern Alaska
E.H. Orlikowska, R.L. Deal, P.E. Hennon, M.S. Wipfli
2004, Northwest Science (78) 111-123
We assessed the influence of red alder on tree species composition, stand density, tree size distribution, tree mortality, and potential for producing large conifers, in 38-42 yr old riparian forests along 13 headwater streams in the Maybeso and Harris watersheds on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. Red alder ranged from...
Local amplification of seismic waves from the Denali earthquake and damaging seiches in Lake Union, Seattle, Washington
A. Barberopoulou, A. Qamar, T. L. Pratt, K. C. Creager, W. P. Steele
2004, Geophysical Research Letters (31)
The Mw7.9 Denali, Alaska earthquake of 3 November, 2002, caused minor damage to at least 20 houseboats in Seattle, Washington by initiating water waves in Lake Union. These water waves were likely initiated during the large amplitude seismic surface waves from this earthquake. Maps of spectral amplification recorded during the...
Early environment and recruitment of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) into the breeding population
James S. Sedinger, Mark P. Herzog, David H. Ward
2004, The Auk (121) 68-73
In geese, growth regulates survival in the first year. We examined whether early growth, which is primarily governed by environmental conditions, also affects the probability that individuals that survive their first year enter the breeding population. We used logistic regression on a sample of Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) that...
Relatedness and nesting dispersion within breeding populations of Greater White-fronted Geese
A. C. Fowler, J.M. Eadie, Craig R. Ely
2004, Condor (106) 600-607
We studied patterns of relatedness and nesting dispersion in female Pacific Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) in Alaska. Female Greater White-fronted Geese are thought to be strongly philopatric and are often observed nesting in close association with other females. Analysis of the distribution of nests on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta...
Interactions of brown bears, Ursus arctos, and gray wolves, Canis lupus, at Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Tom S. Smith, Steven T. Partridge, John W. Schoen
2004, Canadian Field-Naturalist (118) 247-250
We describe several encounters between Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) and Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) that were observed at Katmai National Park and Preserve in southwest Alaska. Katmai Brown Bears and Gray Wolves were observed interacting in a variety of behavioral modes that ranged from agonistic to tolerant. These observations provide...
Response of a 14-story Anchorage, Alaska, building in 2002 to two close earthquakes and two distant Denali fault earthquakes
M. Çelebi
2004, Earthquake Spectra (20) 693-706
The recorded responses of an Anchorage, Alaska, building during four significant earthquakes that occurred in 2002 are studied. Two earthquakes, including the 3 November 2002 M7.9 Denali fault earthquake, with epicenters approximately 275 km from the building, generated long trains of long-period (>1 s) surface waves. The other two smaller...
U-Pb zircon and geochemical evidence for bimodal mid-Paleozoic magmatism and syngenetic base-metal mineralization in the Yukon-Tanana terrane, Alaska
Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, J. L. Wooden, M.J. Hopkins
2004, Geological Society of America Bulletin (116) 989-1015
New SHRIMP (sensitive, high-resolution ion microprobe) U-Pb zircon ages and trace element geochemical data for mafic and felsic metaigneous rocks of the pericratonic Yukon-Tanana terrane in east-central Alaska help define the tectonic setting of mid-Paleo-zoic magmatism and syngenetic hydrothermal Zn-Pb-Ag mineralization along the ancient Pacific margin of North America. We...
Landslides triggered by the 2002 Denali fault, Alaska, earthquake and the inferred nature of the strong shaking
R.W. Jibson, E. L. Harp, W. Schulz, D. K. Keefer
2004, Earthquake Spectra (20) 669-691
The 2002 M7.9 Denali fault, Alaska, earthquake triggered thousands of landslides, primarily rock falls and rock slides, that ranged in volume from rock falls of a few cubic meters to rock avalanches having volumes as great as 15 ?? 106 m3. The pattern of landsliding was unusual; the number of...
Ichthyophoniasis: An emerging disease of Chinook salmon in the Yukon River
R. Kocan, P. Hershberger, J. Winton
2004, Journal of Aquatic Animal Health (16) 58-72
Before 1985, Ichthyophonus was unreported among Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. from the Yukon River; now it infects more than 40% of returning adult Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha. Overall infection prevalence reached about 45% in the Yukon River and about 30% in the Tanana River between 1999 and 2003. Mean infection...
Comparing the November 2002 Denali and November 2001 Kunlun earthquakes
C. G. Bufe
2004, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (94) 1159-1165
Major strike-slip earthquakes recently occurred in Alaska on the central Denali fault (M 7.9) on 3 November 2002, and in Tibet on the central Kunlun fault (M 7.8) on 14 November 2001. Both earthquakes generated large surface waves with Ms [U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)] of 8.5 (Denali) and 8.0 (Kunlun)....
The late cretaceous Donlin Creek gold deposit, Southwestern Alaska: Controls on epizonal ore formation
Richard J. Goldfarb, Robert A. Ayuso, Marti L. Miller, Shane W. Ebert, Erin E. Marsh, Scott A. Petsel, Lance D. Miller, Dwight Bradley, Chad Johnson, William C. McClelland
2004, Economic Geology (99) 643-671
The Donlin Creek gold deposit, southwestern Alaska, has an indicated and inferred resource of approximately 25 million ounces (Moz) Au at a cutoff grade of 1.5 g/t. The ca. 70 Ma deposit is hosted in the Late Cretaceous Kuskokwim flysch basin, which developed in the back part of the arc...
Mapping recent lava flows at Westdahl Volcano, Alaska, using radar and optical satellite imagery
Z. Lu, Russ Rykhus, Timothy Masterlark, K.G. Dean
2004, Remote Sensing of Environment (91) 345-353
Field mapping of young lava flows at Aleutian volcanoes is logistically difficult, and the utility of optical images from aircraft or satellites for this purpose is greatly reduced by persistent cloud cover. These factors have hampered earlier estimates of the areas and volumes of three young lava flows at Westdahl...
Estimating Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) abundance: Crab pots and dive transects compared
S. James Taggart, Charles E. O’Clair, Thomas C. Shirley, Jennifer Mondragon
2004, Fishery Bulletin (102) 488-497
Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) were sampled with commercial pots and counted by scuba divers on benthic transects at eight sites near Glacier Bay, Alaska. Catch per unit of effort (CPUE) from pots was compared to the density estimates from dives to evaluate the bias and power of the two techniques....
