The Forecast Interpretation Tool—a Monte Carlo technique for blending climatic distributions with probabilistic forecasts
Gregory J. Husak, Joel Michaelsen, P. Kyriakidis, James P. Verdin, Chris Funk, Gideon Galu
2011, International Journal of Climatology (31) 461-467
Probabilistic forecasts are produced from a variety of outlets to help predict rainfall, and other meteorological events, for periods of 1 month or more. Such forecasts are expressed as probabilities of a rainfall event, e.g. being in the upper, middle, or lower third of the relevant distribution of rainfall in...
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,...
Status and distribution of the Kittlitz's murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Kenai Fjords, Alaska
Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Marc D. Romano, Thomas I. van Pelt
2011, Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation (39) 13-22
The Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris is a candidate species for listing under the US Endangered Species Act because of its apparent declines within core population areas of coastal Alaska. During the summers of 2006-2008, we conducted surveys in marine waters adjacent to Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, to estimate the...
Relationship of external fish condition to pathogen prevalence and out-migration survival in juvenile steelhead
Nathan J. Hostetter, A.F. Evans, Daniel D. Roby, K. Collis, M. Hawbecker, B.P. Sandford, D.E. Thompson, F.J. Loge
2011, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (140) 1158-1171
Understanding how the external condition of juvenile salmonids is associated with internal measures of health and subsequent out‐migration survival can be valuable for population monitoring programs. This study investigated the use of a rapid, nonlethal, external examination to assess the condition of run‐of‐the‐river juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss migrating from the Snake River...
Scaling earthquake ground motions for performance-based assessment of buildings
Y.-N. Huang, A.S. Whittaker, N. Luco, R.O. Hamburger
2011, Journal of Structural Engineering (137) 311-321
The impact of alternate ground-motion scaling procedures on the distribution of displacement responses in simplified structural systems is investigated. Recommendations are provided for selecting and scaling ground motions for performance-based assessment of buildings. Four scaling methods are studied, namely, (1) geometric-mean scaling of pairs of ground motions, (2) spectrum...
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...
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...
In vitro antioxidant activity of polysaccharide from Gardenia jasminoides ellis
Y. Fan, Z. Ge, A. Luo
2011, Journal of Medicinal Plant Research (5) 2963-2968
A water-soluble polysaccharide, GP, was isolated from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis through hot water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation. The in vitro free radicals scavenging tests exhibited that GP has significant scavenging abilities especially for ABTS, DPPH, and hydroxyl radicals, which suggests that the polysaccharide GP is a novel antioxidant....
Infectious diseases: Surveillance, genetic modification and simulation
H. L. Koh, S.Y. Teh, D. L. De Angelis, J. Jiang
2011, Conference Paper, WIT Transactions on the Built Environment
Infectious diseases such as influenza and dengue have the potential of becoming a worldwide pandemic that may exert immense pressures on existing medical infrastructures. Careful surveillance of these diseases, supported by consistent model simulations, provides a means for tracking the disease evolution. The integrated surveillance and simulation program is essential...
Monoclinic tridymite in clast-rich impact melt rock from the Chesapeake Bay impact structure
John C. Jackson, J. Wright Horton Jr., I-Ming Chou, Harvey E. Belkin
2011, American Mineralogist (96) 81-88
X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirm a rare terrestrial occurrence of monoclinic tridymite in clast-rich impact melt rock from the Eyreville B drill core in the Chesapeake Bay impact structure. The monoclinic tridymite occurs with quartz paramorphs after tridymite and K-feldspar in a microcrystalline groundmass of devitrified glass and Fe-rich...
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...
Origin of a rhyolite that intruded a geothermal well while drilling at the Krafla volcano, Iceland
W.A. Elders, G.O. Fridleifsson, R.A. Zierenberg, E.C. Pope, A.K. Mortensen, A. Gudmundsson, Jacob B. Lowenstern, N.E. Marks, L. Owens, D.K. Bird, M. Reed, N.J. Olsen, Peter Schiffmant
2011, Geology (39) 231-234
Magma flowed into an exploratory geothermal well at 2.1 km depth being drilled in the Krafla central volcano in Iceland, creating a unique opportunity to study rhyolite magma in situ in a basaltic environment. The quenched magma is a partly vesicular, sparsely phyric, glass containing ∼1.8% of dissolved volatiles. Based...
Late Holocene slip rate of the San Andreas fault and its accommodation by creep and moderate-magnitude earthquakes at Parkfield, California
N.A. Toke, J.R. Arrowsmith, Michael J. Rymer, A. Landgraf, D.E. Haddad, M. Busch, J. Coyan, A. Hannah
2011, Geology (39) 243-246
Investigation of a right-laterally offset channel at the Miller's Field paleoseismic site yields a late Holocene slip rate of 26.2 +6.4/−4.3 mm/yr (1σ) for the main trace of the San Andreas fault at Parkfield, California. This is the first well-documented geologic slip rate between the Carrizo and creeping sections of...
No major stratigraphic gap exists near the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian-Missourian) boundary in North America
H. J. Falcon-Lang, P.H. Heckel, William A. DiMichele, B.M. Blake Jr., C.R. Easterday, C.F. Eble, S. Elrick, Robert A. Gastaldo, S.F. Greb, R.L. Martino, Nelson W. John, H.W. Pfefferkorn, T.L. Phillips, S.J. Rosscoe
2011, Palaios (26) 125-139
Interregional correlation of the marine zones of major cyclothems between North America and eastern Europe does not support assertions that a major stratigraphic gap exists between the traditional regional Desmoinesian and Missourian stages in North America. Such a gap was previously proposed to explain an abrupt change in megafloral assemblages...
Monitoring the dynamics of an invasive emergent macrophyte community using operational remote sensing data
Thomas P. Albright, D.J. Ode
2011, Hydrobiologia (661) 469-474
Potamogeton crispus L. (curly pondweed) is a cosmopolitan aquatic macrophyte considered invasive in North America and elsewhere. Its range is expanding and, on individual water bodies, its coverage can be dynamic both within and among years. In this study, we evaluate the use of free and low-cost satellite...
Defining conservation priorities for freshwater fishes according to taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity
A. L. Strecker, J. D. Olden, Joanna B. Whittier, Craig P. Paukert
2011, Ecological Applications (21) 3002-3013
To date, the predominant use of systematic conservation planning has been to evaluate and conserve areas of high terrestrial biodiversity. Although studies in freshwater ecosystems have received recent attention, research has rarely considered the potential trade-offs between protecting different dimensions of biodiversity and the ecological processes that maintain diversity. We...
Passage and behaviour of cultured Lake Sturgeon in a prototype side-baffle fish ladder: I. Ladder hydraulics and fish ascent
B. Kynard, D. Pugh, T. Parker
2011, Journal of Applied Ichthyology (27) 77-88
Research and development of a fish ladder for sturgeons requires understanding ladder hydraulics and sturgeon behaviour in the ladder to insure the ladder is safe and provides effective passage. After years of research and development, we designed and constructed a full‐scale prototype side‐baffle ladder inside a spiral flume (38.3 m long × 1 m...
Nonrandom patterns of roost emergence in big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus
E.H. Gillam, Thomas J. O’Shea, R.M. Brigham
2011, Journal of Mammalogy (92) 1253-1260
In most colonial species of bats individuals emerge en masse from day roosts each evening to begin foraging. Although some aspects of emergence behavior are understood, one previously unexplored area is the specific order in which individuals emerge. The goal of our research was to determine if big brown bats, Eptesicus...
When a habitat freezes solid: Microorganisms over-winter within the ice column of a coastal Antarctic lake
C.M. Foreman, M. Dieser, M. Greenwood, R.M. Cory, J. Laybourn-Parry, John T. Lisle, C. Jaros, P.L. Miller, Y.-P. Chin, Diane M. McKnight
2011, FEMS Microbiology Ecology (76) 401-412
A major impediment to understanding the biology of microorganisms inhabiting Antarctic environments is the logistical constraint of conducting field work primarily during the summer season. However, organisms that persist throughout the year encounter severe environmental changes between seasons. In an attempt to bridge this gap, we collected ice core samples...
Rainfall infiltration-induced landslides
Brian D. Collins, Dobroslav Znidarcic
2011, Geostrata
Unfavorable groundwater conditions are often the determining factor in triggering landslides. Whereas regional hydrogeology typically determines overall groundwater conditions, surficial rainfall infiltration into slopes also drives potential instability....
Chapter 3: Changes to the Wyoming Basins landscape from oil and natural gas development
Sean P. Finn, Steven T. Knick
2011, Book chapter, Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
Oil and natural gas have been produced in Wyoming since the late 1800s although the rate of extraction has increased substantially in the last two decades. Well pads, roads, and infrastructure built to support resource development alter native vegetation configuration; however, the rate and effect of land cover change resulting...
