Sample records for beaver valley-2 reactor

  1. Beaver assisted river valley formation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Westbrook, Cherie J.; Cooper, D.J.; Baker, B.W.

    2011-01-01

    We examined how beaver dams affect key ecosystem processes, including pattern and process of sediment deposition, the composition and spatial pattern of vegetation, and nutrient loading and processing. We provide new evidence for the formation of heterogeneous beaver meadows on riverine system floodplains and terraces where dynamic flows are capable of breaching in-channel beaver dams. Our data show a 1.7-m high beaver dam triggered overbank flooding that drowned vegetation in areas deeply flooded, deposited nutrient-rich sediment in a spatially heterogeneous pattern on the floodplain and terrace, and scoured soils in other areas. The site quickly de-watered following the dam breach by high stream flows, protecting the deposited sediment from future re-mobilization by overbank floods. Bare sediment either exposed by scouring or deposited by the beaver flood was quickly colonized by a spatially heterogeneous plant community, forming a beaver meadow. Many willow and some aspen seedlings established in the more heavily disturbed areas, suggesting the site may succeed to a willow carr plant community suitable for future beaver re-occupation. We expand existing theory beyond the beaver pond to include terraces within valleys. This more fully explains how beavers can help drive the formation of alluvial valleys and their complex vegetation patterns as was first postulated by Ruedemann and Schoonmaker in 1938. ?? 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Water resources of Beaver Valley, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lee, Willis Thomas

    1908-01-01

    Location and extent of area examined. Beaver Valley is located in Beaver County, in southwestern Utah, about 175 miles south of Salt Lake. It lies between the Tushar Mountains on the east and the Beaver Mountains on the west. The principal town of the valley is Beaver, which is most conveniently reached from Milford, a station on the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. The valley, together with its neighboring highlands, occupies the eastern third of Beaver County, an area of about 1,200 square miles. A large part of this area, however, is rocky upland and unproductive desert, the tillable land comprising a comparatively small area in the immediate vicinity of the streams.Purpose and scope of work. The purpose of this paper is to present information concerning the waters of Beaver Valley and to point out ways and means of increasing their usefulness. The presence of a large amount of water in Beaver Valley results from local topograhic conditions, the water being supplied by precipitation in the highland to the east. Its conservation and distribution result from geologic conditions, the water being held in loose gravel and sand, which are more or less confined between ridges of consolidated rocks. The rock basins were formed partly by erosion and partly by faulting and surface deformation. In order to accomplish the purpose in view it is therefore necessary to describe the geographic and geologic conditions in Beaver Valley and neighboring regions.The investigation included the determination of the flow of streams and springs, of the manner of occurrence and quantity of the underground waters as shown by the geologic and geographic conditions of the region and by the distribution of springs and wells, and of the chemical character of the waters with reference to their adaptability to domestic use and to irrigation. The chemical data were obtained (a) by field assays, which are approximately correct and probably of sufficient accuracy to be of value in

  3. Woody plants selected by beavers in the Appalacian Ridge and Valley Province

    Treesearch

    Hewlette S. Crawford; R. G. Hooper; R. F. Harlow

    1976-01-01

    The availability of woody plants and the selection of plants by beavers along mountain streams was studied in four areas of the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Province in Virginia. Beavers' choice of woody plants varied between areas. Many species of woody plants were cut by beavers. They climbed slopes with gradients up to 80 percent to cut trees. Large as well as...

  4. 77 FR 71189 - AES Beaver Valley, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER13-442-000] AES Beaver Valley, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market- Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding, of AES Beaver...

  5. Using Seismic Refraction and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to Characterize the Valley Fill in Beaver Meadows, Rocky Mountain National Park

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramer, N.; Harry, D. L.; Wohl, E. E.

    2010-12-01

    This study is one of the first to use near surface geophysical techniques to characterize the subsurface stratigraphy in a high alpine, low gradient valley with a past glacial history and to obtain a preliminary grasp on the impact of Holocene beaver activity. Approximately 1 km of seismic refraction data and 5 km of GPR data were collected in Beaver Meadows, Rocky Mountain National Park. An asymmetric wedge of sediment ranging in depth from 0-20 m transverse to the valley profile was identified using seismic refraction. Complementary analysis of the GPR data suggests that the valley fill can be subdivided into till deposited during the Pleistocene glaciations and alluvium deposited during the Holocene. Two main facies were identified in the GPR profiles through pattern recognition. Facie Fd, which consists of chaotic discontinuous reflectors with an abundance of diffractions, is interpreted to be glacial till. Facie Fc, which is a combination of packages of complex slightly continuous reflectors interfingered with continuous horizontal to subhorizontal reflectors, is interpreted to be post-glacial alluvium and includes overbank, pond and in-channel deposits. Fc consistently overlies Fd throughout the study area and is no more than 7 m thick in the middle of the valley. The thickness of Holocene sedimentation (<7 m) is much less than the total amount of valley fill identified in the seismic refraction survey (0-20 m). A subfacie of Fc, Fch, which has reflectors with long periods was identified within Fc and is interpreted to be ponded sediments. The spatial distribution of facie Fch, along with: slight topographical features resembling buried beaver dams, a high abundance of fine sediment including silts and clays, historical records of beavers, and the name "Beaver Meadows" all suggest that Holocene beaver activity played a large role in sediment accumulation at this site, despite the lack of surficial relict beaver dams containing wood.

  6. Practical aspects of registration the transformation of a river valley by beavers using terrestrial laser scanning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tyszkowski, Sebastian; Błaszkiewicz, Mirosław; Brykała, Dariusz; Gierszewski, Piotr; Kaczmarek, Halina; Kordowski, Jarosław; Słowiński, Michał

    2016-04-01

    Activity of beavers (Castor fiber) often significantly affects the environment in which they life. The most commonly observed effect of their being in environment is construction of beaver dams and formation a pond upstream. However, in case of a sudden break of a dam and beaver pond drainage, the valley below the dam may also undergo remodelling. The nature and magnitude of these changes depends on the quantity of water and its energy as well as on the geological structure of the valley. The effects of such events can be riverbank erosion, and the deposition of the displaced of erosion products in the form of sandbars or fans. The material can also be accumulated in local depressions or delivered to water bodies. Such events may occur multiple times in the same area. To assess their impact on the environment it is important to quantify the displaced material. The study of such transformations was performed within a small valley of the river of Struga Czechowska (Tuchola Pinewood Forest, Poland). The valley is mainly cut in sands and gravels. Its steep banks are overgrown with bushes and trees. The assessment of changes in morphology were based on the event of the beaver pond drainage of 2015. The study uses the measurements from the terrestrial laser scanning (scanner Riegl VZ-4000). The measurements were performed before and after the event. Each of the two models obtained for comparison was made up of more than 20 measurement stations. Point clouds were joined by Multi-Station Adjustment without placing in the terrain any objects of reference. During measurements attention was paid to the changes in morphology of both riverbed and valley surrounding. The paper presents the example of the recorded changes as well as the measurement procedure. Moreover, the aspects of fieldwork and issues related to post-processing, such as merging, filtering of point clouds and detection of changes, are also presented. This study is a contribution to the Virtual Institute of

  7. Beaver dams and channel sediment dynamics on Odell Creek, Centennial Valley, Montana, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levine, Rebekah; Meyer, Grant A.

    2014-01-01

    Beaver dams in streams are generally considered to increase bed elevation through in-channel sediment storage, thus, reintroductions of beaver are increasingly employed as a restoration tool to repair incised stream channels. Here we consider hydrologic and geomorphic characteristics of the study stream in relation to in-channel sediment storage promoted by beaver dams. We also document the persistence of sediment in the channel following breaching of dams. Nine reaches, containing 46 cross-sections, were investigated on Odell Creek at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Montana. Odell Creek has a snowmelt-dominated hydrograph and peak flows between 2 and 10 m3 s- 1. Odell Creek flows down a fluvial fan with a decreasing gradient (0.018-0.004), but is confined between terraces along most of its length, and displays a mostly single-thread, variably sinuous channel. The study reaches represent the overall downstream decrease in gradient and sediment size, and include three stages of beaver damming: (1) active; (2) built and breached in the last decade; and (3) undammed. In-channel sediment characteristics and storage were investigated using pebble counts, fine-sediment depth measurements, sediment mapping and surveys of dam breaches. Upstream of dams, deposition of fine (≤ 2 mm) sediment is promoted by reduced water surface slope, shear stress and velocity, with volumes ranging from 48 to 182 m3. High flows, however, can readily transport suspended sediment over active dams. Variations in bed-sediment texture and channel morphology associated with active dams create substantial discontinuities in downstream trends and add to overall channel heterogeneity. Observations of abandoned dam sites and dam breaches revealed that most sediment stored above beaver dams is quickly evacuated following a breach. Nonetheless, dam remnants trap some sediment, promote meandering and facilitate floodplain development. Persistence of beaver dam sediment

  8. Ground-water data: Beaver, Escalante, Cedar City, and Parowan Valleys; parts of Washington, Iron, Beaver, and Millard Counties, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sandberg, George W.

    1963-01-01

    This report is intended to serve two purposes: (1) to make available to the public basic ground-water data useful in planning and studying development of water resources, and (2) to supplement an interpretive report that will be published later.Records were collected during the period 1935-62 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah State Engineer as part of the investigation of ground-water conditions in the Beaver, Escalante, Cedar City, and Parowan Walleys. This report will include records collected subsequent to data published in earlier reports listed in the bibliography. The interpretive material will be published in a companion report by George W. Sandberg.This report is most useful in predicting conditions likely to be found in areas that are being considered as well sites. The person considering the new well can spot the proposed site on plate 1 and examine the records of nearby wells as shown in the tables and figure 2. From table 1 he can note such things as diameter, depth, water level, yield, use of water, and depth to aquifers in wells in the vicinity, and from the well logs in table 3 he can note the type of material that yields water to the wells. Table 2 gives several years record of yields and pumping levels of irrigation wells, and in table 4 are the chemical analyses of water from wells and springs. Figure 2 shows the historic fluctuations and trends of water levels in the four valleys. If the reader decides from his examination that conditions are favorable, he can place an application to drill a well with the State Engineer. During the past several years, however, the State Engineer has rejected new applications to appropriate water in major portions of Beaver Valley, Milford and Beryl-Enterprise districts in Escalante Valley, and Cedar City Valley. Anyone seeking to initiate a new ground-water right in any of these areas should obtain information from the State Engineer's Office in either Salt Lake City or Cedar City to

  9. Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Wah Wah Valley drainage basin, Millard and Beaver Counties, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stephens, Jerry C.

    1974-01-01

    The Wah Wah Valley drainage basin is an area of about 600 square miles (1,550 km2) in Millard and Beaver Counties in southwestern Utah. Surface-water supplies of the area are negligible--total runoff averages about 7,800 acre-feet (9.62 hm3) annually, all streams are ephemeral or intermittent, and surface storage is negligible. Evaporation and transpiration within the basin consume more than 97 percent of total annual precipitation. There is no surface outflow.

  10. Beaver ponds' impact on fluvial processes (Beskid Niski Mts., SE Poland).

    PubMed

    Giriat, Dorota; Gorczyca, Elżbieta; Sobucki, Mateusz

    2016-02-15

    Beaver (Castor sp.) can change the riverine environment through dam-building and other activities. The European beaver (Castor fiber) was extirpated in Poland by the nineteenth century, but populations are again present as a result of reintroductions that began in 1974. The goal of this paper is to assess the impact of beaver activity on montane fluvial system development by identifying and analysing changes in channel and valley morphology following expansion of beaver into a 7.5 km-long headwater reach of the upper Wisłoka River in southeast Poland. We document the distribution of beaver in the reach, the change in river profile, sedimentation type and storage in beaver ponds, and assess how beaver dams and ponds have altered channel and valley bottom morphology. The upper Wisłoka River fluvial system underwent a series of anthropogenic disturbances during the last few centuries. The rapid spread of C. fiber in the upper Wisłoka River valley was promoted by the valley's morphology, including a low-gradient channel and silty-sand deposits in the valley bottom. At the time of our survey (2011), beaver ponds occupied 17% of the length of the study reach channel. Two types of beaver dams were noted: in-channel dams and valley-wide dams. The primary effect of dams, investigated in an intensively studied 300-m long subreach (Radocyna Pond), was a change in the longitudinal profile from smooth to stepped, a local reduction of the water surface slope, and an increase in the variability of both the thalweg profile and surface water depths. We estimate the current rate of sedimentation in beaver ponds to be about 14 cm per year. A three-stage scheme of fluvial processes in the longitudinal and transverse profile of the river channel is proposed. C. fiber reintroduction may be considered as another important stage of the upper Wisłoka fluvial system development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. An 11 000-year-long record of fire and vegetation history at Beaver Lake, Oregon, central Willamette Valley

    Treesearch

    Megan K. Walsh; Christopher A. Pearl; Cathy Whitlock; Patrick J. Bartlein; Marc A. Worona

    2010-01-01

    High-resolution macroscopic charcoal and pollen analysis were used to reconstruct an 11 000-year-long record of fire and vegetation history from Beaver Lake, Oregon, the first complete Holocene paleoecological record from the floor of the Willamette Valley. In the early Holocene (ca 11 000-7500 calendar years before present [cal yr BP]), warmer, drier summers than at...

  12. An 11 000-year-long record of fire and vegetation history at Beaver Lake, Oregon, central Willamette Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walsh, Megan K.; Pearl, Christopher A.; Whitlock, Cathy; Bartlein, Patrick J.; Worona, Marc A.

    2010-01-01

    High-resolution macroscopic charcoal and pollen analysis were used to reconstruct an 11??000-year-long record of fire and vegetation history from Beaver Lake, Oregon, the first complete Holocene paleoecological record from the floor of the Willamette Valley. In the early Holocene (ca 11??000-7500 calendar years before present [cal??yr??BP]), warmer, drier summers than at present led to the establishment of xeric woodland of Quercus, Corylus, and Pseudotsuga near the site. Disturbances (i.e., floods, fires) were common at this time and as a result Alnus rubra grew nearby. High fire frequency occurred in the early Holocene from ca 11??200-9300??cal??yr??BP. Riparian forest and wet prairie developed in the middle Holocene (ca 7500??cal??yr??BP), likely the result of a decrease in the frequency of flooding and a shift to effectively cooler, wetter conditions than before. The vegetation at Beaver Lake remained generally unchanged into the late Holocene (from 4000??cal??yr??BP to present), with the exception of land clearance associated with Euro-American settlement of the valley (ca 160??cal??yr BP). Middle-to-late Holocene increases in fire frequency, coupled with abrupt shifts in fire-episode magnitude and charcoal composition, likely indicate the influence anthropogenic burning near the site. The paleoecological record from Beaver Lake, and in particular the general increase in fire frequency over the last 8500??years, differs significantly from other low-elevation sites in the Pacific Northwest, which suggests that local controls (e.g., shifts in vegetation structure, intensification of human land-use), rather than regional climatic controls, more strongly influenced its environmental history. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Beaver damming, fluvial geomorphology, and climate in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Persico, L.; Meyer, G.

    2008-12-01

    Beaver habitation is an important component of many fluvial landscapes that can impact a variety of hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecologic processes. Beaver damming, via long term valley aggradation, is thought to be important to the postglacial geomorphic evolution of many smaller mountain stream networks in the western United States. Loss of beaver dams can also cause rapid channel incision. Although several studies have documented rapid short-term aggradation of channels behind single beaver dams, there is little actual data on the long-term cumulative effect of beaver damming. In Yellowstone''s Northern Range, field surveys and stratigraphic section along six streams in the Northern Range reveal net thickness of mostly <2 m and patchy distribution of Holocene beaver-pond deposits. We estimate that reaches with clear morphologic and stratigraphic evidence for beaver-related aggradation constitute about 19% of the total stream network length. Reaches with probable and possible beaver-related aggradation make up an additional 8% and 2% of the network, respectively. The remaining 71% of the network has no clear evidence for beaver-related aggradation. Thirty-nine radiocarbon ages on beaver-pond deposits in northern Yellowstone fall primarily within the last 4000 yr, but gaps in dated beaver occupation from 2200-1800 and 950-750 cal yr BP correspond with severe and persistent droughts that likely caused low to ephemeral discharges in smaller streams. In the last two decades, severe drought has also caused streams that were occupied by beaver in the 1920s to become ephemeral. Beaver have been largely absent from the Northern Range since the mid-20th century, probably due to multiple ecological and climatic factors. This loss of beaver is thought to have led to widespread degradation of stream and riparian habitat via channel incision. Although 20th-century beaver loss has caused significant channel incision at some former dam sites, downcutting elsewhere in northern

  14. Beaver-mediated lateral hydrologic connectivity, fluvial carbon and nutrient flux, and aquatic ecosystem metabolism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wegener, Pam; Covino, Tim; Wohl, Ellen

    2017-06-01

    River networks that drain mountain landscapes alternate between narrow and wide valley segments. Within the wide segments, beaver activity can facilitate the development and maintenance of complex, multithread planform. Because the narrow segments have limited ability to retain water, carbon, and nutrients, the wide, multithread segments are likely important locations of retention. We evaluated hydrologic dynamics, nutrient flux, and aquatic ecosystem metabolism along two adjacent segments of a river network in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado: (1) a wide, multithread segment with beaver activity; and, (2) an adjacent (directly upstream) narrow, single-thread segment without beaver activity. We used a mass balance approach to determine the water, carbon, and nutrient source-sink behavior of each river segment across a range of flows. While the single-thread segment was consistently a source of water, carbon, and nitrogen, the beaver impacted multithread segment exhibited variable source-sink dynamics as a function of flow. Specifically, the multithread segment was a sink for water, carbon, and nutrients during high flows, and subsequently became a source as flows decreased. Shifts in river-floodplain hydrologic connectivity across flows related to higher and more variable aquatic ecosystem metabolism rates along the multithread relative to the single-thread segment. Our data suggest that beaver activity in wide valleys can create a physically complex hydrologic environment that can enhance hydrologic and biogeochemical buffering, and promote high rates of aquatic ecosystem metabolism. Given the widespread removal of beaver, determining the cumulative effects of these changes is a critical next step in restoring function in altered river networks.

  15. Beaver Activity, Holocene Climate and Riparian Landscape Change Across Stream Scales in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levine, R.; Meyer, G. A.

    2013-12-01

    Beaver (Castor canadensis) have been part of the fluvial and riparian landscape across much of North America since the Pleistocene, increasing channel habitat complexity and expanding riparian landscapes. The fur trade, however, decimated beaver populations by the 1840s, and other human activities have limited beaver in many areas, including parts of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Understanding fluctuations in beaver occupation through the Holocene will aid in understanding the natural range of variability in beaver activity as well as climatic and anthropogenic impacts to fluvial systems. We are developing a detailed chronology of beaver-assisted sedimentation and overall fluvial activity for Odell and Red Rock Creeks (basin areas 83 and 99 km2) in Centennial Valley (CV), Montana, to augment related studies on the long-term effects of beaver on smaller GYE fluvial systems (basin areas 0.1-50 km2). In developing the CV chronology, we use the presence of concentrations of beaver-chewed sticks as a proxy for beaver occupancy. Beaver-stick deposits are found in paleochannel and fluvial terrace exposures. The relative ages of exposures were determined by elevation data from airborne LiDAR and ground surveys. Numerical ages were obtained from 36 14C ages (~30 more are pending) of beaver-stick wood collected during investigation of the stratigraphy. Most beaver-stick deposits are associated with ~ 1 meter of fine-grained sediment, interpreted as overbank deposits, commonly overlying gravelly sand or pebble gravel channel deposits which is consistent with enhanced overbank sedimentation associated with active beaver dams in CV streams. The CV deposits differ from those on smaller GYE streams where beaver-stick deposits are associated with abandoned dams (berms), infilled ponds and laminated sediments. The lack of pond-related deposition associated with CV beaver-stick deposits is consistent with frequent dam breaching (≤ 5 years) in the modern channel of Odell

  16. Holocene Beaver Effects on Small Streams in Yellowstone and Implications for Stream Restoration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Persico, L. P.; Meyer, G.

    2005-12-01

    It has been asserted that beaver ( Castor canadensis) damming has sustained long-term aggradation and exerted a dominant control on the morphology of small streams over much of North America. However, data on the temporal and spatial dimensions of beaver influence are extremely limited. Using beaver pond deposits and berms (abandoned dams), we document geomorphic effects of beavers on first- to fourth-order streams in semiarid-subhumid northern Yellowstone National Park, USA. Beavers were ubiquitous in the early 20th century, but are currently rare. Some formerly dammed streams have become ephemeral in recent droughts, suggesting that climate may be a significant factor controlling beaver occupation. Radiocarbon dating of wood preserved in pond deposits and berms shows notable periods of beaver activity 3655-3855, 1555-955, and 455-150 cal yr BP, but a distinct lack of activity 950-700 cal yr BP during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, a time of severe multidecadal droughts in Yellowstone and the western USA. The spatial scale over which beavers incurred significant aggradation is controlled largely by geomorphic settings conducive to damming. Low-gradient (0.07 to 0.001) reaches with contributing areas of 4 to 70 km2 are typical for dam sites. Reaches with downstream valley constrictions are most susceptible to aggradation. Only a small fraction of the total stream length in the study area has experienced significant aggradation attributable to beaver damming, as shown by accumulations of sand and finer sediment of up to 3 m, thicker than typical overbank sediments. These sediments locally contain evidence of ponding in laminations, gleying, and high organic content. Many reaches show no evidence of any net aggradation since deglaciation. Many beaver-aggraded reaches are now incised, typically 1.5-2 m and up to 3 m. Some reaches have early Holocene (ca. 10150-8000 cal yr BP) terraces with treads ~2 m above current bankfull level, underlain by both gravelly and fine

  17. Beaver herbivory on aquatic plants.

    PubMed

    Parker, John D; Caudill, Christopher C; Hay, Mark E

    2007-04-01

    Herbivores have strong impacts on marine and terrestrial plant communities, but their impact is less well studied in benthic freshwater systems. For example, North American beavers (Castor canadensis) eat both woody and non-woody plants and focus almost exclusively on the latter in summer months, yet their impacts on non-woody plants are generally attributed to ecosystem engineering rather than herbivory. Here, we excluded beavers from areas of two beaver wetlands for over 2 years and demonstrated that beaver herbivory reduced aquatic plant biomass by 60%, plant litter by 75%, and dramatically shifted plant species composition. The perennial forb lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus) comprised less than 5% of plant biomass in areas open to beaver grazing but greater than 50% of plant biomass in beaver exclusions. This shift was likely due to direct herbivory, as beavers preferentially consumed lizard's tail over other plants in a field feeding assay. Beaver herbivory also reduced the abundance of the invasive aquatic plant Myriophyllum aquaticum by nearly 90%, consistent with recent evidence that native generalist herbivores provide biotic resistance against exotic plant invasions. Beaver herbivory also had indirect effects on plant interactions in this community. The palatable plant lizard's tail was 3 times more frequent and 10 times more abundant inside woolgrass (Scirpus cyperinus) tussocks than in spatially paired locations lacking tussocks. When the protective foliage of the woolgrass was removed without exclusion cages, beavers consumed nearly half of the lizard's tail leaves within 2 weeks. In contrast, leaf abundance increased by 73-93% in the treatments retaining woolgrass or protected by a cage. Thus, woolgrass tussocks were as effective as cages at excluding beaver foraging and provided lizard's tail plants an associational refuge from beaver herbivory. These results suggest that beaver herbivory has strong direct and indirect impacts on populations and

  18. Can beaver impact promote river renaturalization? The example of the Raba River, southern Poland.

    PubMed

    Gorczyca, Elżbieta; Krzemień, Kazimierz; Sobucki, Mateusz; Jarzyna, Krzysztof

    2018-02-15

    The European beaver (Castor fiber) was reintroduced in the Polish Carpathians in the 1980s after a few centuries of absence. It gradually colonized suitable habitats in the Raba River valley and elsewhere. The question arises as to whether beaver activity can play a role in the local improvement of hydromorphological conditions and spontaneous renaturalization of the Raba River channel. Field surveys were performed in morphodynamically and structurally homogeneous reaches of the river. Traces of beaver activity were identified and used to estimate the studied beaver population. Local beaver impact on the studied river channel was also determined. The Raba channel is trained along about 80% of its length and considerably incised. Traces of beavers activity were found in 16 out of 31 river reaches, mainly in the upper and lower river course. The study showed that relatively flat channel gradient, small maximum bed-material grain size, and high channel sinuosity favour beaver presence. The largest number of beaver habitats was identified in river reaches strongly altered by man and characterized by a uniform channel structure. Beaver impact on channel structure varies depending on differences of the river channel features in upper and lower reaches of the Raba River channel. In upper reaches, the impact of beaver activity (mostly dams) is reflected in increased lateral erosion, while slower water current reduces the tendency for bed degradation. In lower reaches, beaver impact is mostly limited to bank fragmentation (slides and burrows). Lateral erosion, accumulation of material at the toe of riverbanks, and wood debris accumulation all produce a local impact on river channel width. These beaver-initiated processes mostly alter artificially homogenized river reaches. Beavers may actually play a substantial role in future renaturalization of both upper and lower reaches of the Raba River. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Aquatic habitats of Canaan Valley, West Virginia: Diversity and environmental threats

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Snyder, C.D.; Young, J.A.; Stout, B. M.

    2006-01-01

    We conducted surveys of aquatic habitats during the spring and summer of 1995 in Canaan Valley, WV, to describe the diversity of aquatic habitats in the valley and identify issues that may threaten the viability of aquatic species. We assessed physical habitat and water chemistry of 126 ponds and 82 stream sites, and related habitat characteristics to landscape variables such as geology and terrain. Based on our analyses, we found two issues likely to affect the viability of aquatic populations in the valley. The first issue was acid rain and the extent to which it potentially limits the distribution of aquatic and semi-aquatic species, particularly in headwater portions of the watershed. We estimate that nearly 46%, or 56 kilometers of stream, had pH levels that would not support survival and reproduction of Salvelinuw fontinalis (brook trout), one of the most acid-tolerant fishes in the eastern US. The second issue was the influence of Castor canadensis (beaver) activity. In the Canaan Valley State Park portion of the valley, beaver have transformed 4.7 kilometers of stream (approximately 17% of the total) to pond habitat through their dam building. This has resulted in an increase in pond habitat, a decrease in stream habitat, and a fragmented stream network (i.e., beaver ponds dispersed among stream reaches). In addition, beaver have eliminated an undetermined amount of forested riparian area through their foraging activities. Depending on the perspective, beaver-mediated changes can be viewed as positive or negative. Increases in pond habitat may increase habitat heterogeneity with consequent increases in biological diversity. In contrast, flooding associated with beaver activity may eliminate lowland wetlands and associated species, create barriers to fish dispersal, and possibly contribute to low dissolved oxygen levels in the Blackwater River. We recommend that future management strategies for the wildlife refuge be viewed in the context of these two issues

  20. 75 FR 40034 - Northeastern Tributary Reservoirs Land Management Plan, Beaver Creek, Clear Creek, Boone, Fort...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-13

    ... shoreline along these reservoirs. Existing land uses around the reservoirs include TVA project operations... TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY Northeastern Tributary Reservoirs Land Management Plan, Beaver Creek, Clear Creek, Boone, Fort Patrick Henry, South Holston, Watauga, and Wilbur Reservoirs, Tennessee and...

  1. A Model of Beaver Meadow Complex Evolution in the Silvies River Basin, Oregon.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nash, C.; Grant, G.; Campbell, S. D.

    2014-12-01

    There is increasing evidence to suggest that the pervasive incision seen in the American West is due, in part, to the removal of beaver (Castor canadensis) in the first half of the 19th century. New restoration strategies for these systems focus on the reintroduction of beaver and construction of beaver dam analogs. Such dams locally raise streams beds and water tables, reconnect incised channels to their former floodplains, trap sediment, increase hydraulic diversity, and promote riparian vegetation. However, the geomorphic and hydrologic impacts of both the original beaver dams and their analogs are poorly understood. Observations in the Silvies River basin in Oregon, USA - an upland, semi-arid catchment with extremely high historic beaver populations and a presently recovering population, inform a conceptual model for valley floor evolution with beaver dams. The evolution of the beaver dam complex is characterized by eight stages of morphologic adjustment: water impoundment, sediment deposition, pond filling, multi-thread meadow creation, dam breaching, channel incision, channel widening, and floodplain development. Well-constructed beaver dams, given sufficient time and sediment flux, will evolve from a series of ponds to a multi-threaded channel flowing through a wet meadow complex. If a dam in the system fails, due to overtopping, undercutting, lack of maintenance, or abandonment, the upstream channel will concentrate into a single channel and incise, followed over time by widening once critical bank heights are exceeded. From stratigraphic, dendrochronologic, and geomorphic measurements, we are constraining average timescales associated with each stage's duration and transitional period. Measured sedimentation rates behind modern beaver dam analogs on five stream systems permit calculation of sediment flux over recent time periods, and aid in developing regional rates of sediment deposition over a range of drainage areas and gradients. Stratigraphic and

  2. Influence of beaver activity on summer growth and condition of age-2 Atlantic salmon parr

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sigourney, Douglas B.; Letcher, B.H.; Cunjak, R.A.

    2006-01-01

    The activity of beavers Castor canadensis in freshwater environments can have considerable localized impacts on the physical and biological components of riparian ecosystems. By changing the habitat of a stream, beaver dams can cause spatial variation in growth opportunity that may have direct consequences for the growth of resident fish. In a small stream in eastern Canada, we studied the effects of an ephemeral beaver pond on the growth and maturity of age-2 Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr tagged with passive integrated transponder tags. Water temperature remained relatively uniform throughout the study site. We found very little movement of recaptured fish in the study site. Fish that were recaptured in the beaver pond displayed faster summer growth rates in both length and mass than fish that were recaptured immediately above or below the pond. We also found that parr in the pond maintained relatively high condition factors, whereas fish above and below the pond appeared to decrease in condition factor throughout the summer. In addition to growth, the maturation rates of age-2 males were higher above the dam than below. This study demonstrates the effect a beaver dam can have on individual growth rates. By influencing growth during sensitive periods, the beaver pond may also influence individual life history pathways. This information could be an important component in ecosystem models that predict the effect of beaver population dynamics on the growth of individual salmonids at the landscape scale. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2006.

  3. Modeling intrinsic potential for beaver (Castor canadensis) habitat to inform restoration and climate change adaptation

    PubMed Central

    Pollock, Michael M.; Schilling, Jason W.; Olden, Julian D.; Lawler, Joshua J.; Torgersen, Christian E.

    2018-01-01

    Through their dam-building activities and subsequent water storage, beaver have the potential to restore riparian ecosystems and offset some of the predicted effects of climate change by modulating streamflow. Thus, it is not surprising that reintroducing beaver to watersheds from which they have been extirpated is an often-used restoration and climate-adaptation strategy. Identifying sites for reintroduction, however, requires detailed information about habitat factors—information that is not often available at broad spatial scales. Here we explore the potential for beaver relocation throughout the Snohomish River Basin in Washington, USA with a model that identifies some of the basic building blocks of beaver habitat suitability and does so by relying solely on remotely sensed data. More specifically, we developed a generalized intrinsic potential model that draws on remotely sensed measures of stream gradient, stream width, and valley width to identify where beaver could become established if suitable vegetation were to be present. Thus, the model serves as a preliminary screening tool that can be applied over relatively large extents. We applied the model to 5,019 stream km and assessed the ability of the model to correctly predict beaver habitat by surveying for beavers in 352 stream reaches. To further assess the potential for relocation, we assessed land ownership, use, and land cover in the landscape surrounding stream reaches with varying levels of intrinsic potential. Model results showed that 33% of streams had moderate or high intrinsic potential for beaver habitat. We found that no site that was classified as having low intrinsic potential had any sign of beavers and that beaver were absent from nearly three quarters of potentially suitable sites, indicating that there are factors preventing the local population from occupying these areas. Of the riparian areas around streams with high intrinsic potential for beaver, 38% are on public lands and 17

  4. Modeling intrinsic potential for beaver (Castor canadensis) habitat to inform restoration and climate change adaptation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dittbrenner, Benjamin J.; Pollack, Michael M.; Schilling, Jason W.; Olden, Julian D.; Lawler, Joshua J.; Torgersen, Christian E.

    2018-01-01

    Through their dam-building activities and subsequent water storage, beaver have the potential to restore riparian ecosystems and offset some of the predicted effects of climate change by modulating streamflow. Thus, it is not surprising that reintroducing beaver to watersheds from which they have been extirpated is an often-used restoration and climate-adaptation strategy. Identifying sites for reintroduction, however, requires detailed information about habitat factors—information that is not often available at broad spatial scales. Here we explore the potential for beaver relocation throughout the Snohomish River Basin in Washington, USA with a model that identifies some of the basic building blocks of beaver habitat suitability and does so by relying solely on remotely sensed data. More specifically, we developed a generalized intrinsic potential model that draws on remotely sensed measures of stream gradient, stream width, and valley width to identify where beaver could become established if suitable vegetation were to be present. Thus, the model serves as a preliminary screening tool that can be applied over relatively large extents. We applied the model to 5,019 stream km and assessed the ability of the model to correctly predict beaver habitat by surveying for beavers in 352 stream reaches. To further assess the potential for relocation, we assessed land ownership, use, and land cover in the landscape surrounding stream reaches with varying levels of intrinsic potential. Model results showed that 33% of streams had moderate or high intrinsic potential for beaver habitat. We found that no site that was classified as having low intrinsic potential had any sign of beavers and that beaver were absent from nearly three quarters of potentially suitable sites, indicating that there are factors preventing the local population from occupying these areas. Of the riparian areas around streams with high intrinsic potential for beaver, 38% are on public lands and 17

  5. Modeling intrinsic potential for beaver (Castor canadensis) habitat to inform restoration and climate change adaptation.

    PubMed

    Dittbrenner, Benjamin J; Pollock, Michael M; Schilling, Jason W; Olden, Julian D; Lawler, Joshua J; Torgersen, Christian E

    2018-01-01

    Through their dam-building activities and subsequent water storage, beaver have the potential to restore riparian ecosystems and offset some of the predicted effects of climate change by modulating streamflow. Thus, it is not surprising that reintroducing beaver to watersheds from which they have been extirpated is an often-used restoration and climate-adaptation strategy. Identifying sites for reintroduction, however, requires detailed information about habitat factors-information that is not often available at broad spatial scales. Here we explore the potential for beaver relocation throughout the Snohomish River Basin in Washington, USA with a model that identifies some of the basic building blocks of beaver habitat suitability and does so by relying solely on remotely sensed data. More specifically, we developed a generalized intrinsic potential model that draws on remotely sensed measures of stream gradient, stream width, and valley width to identify where beaver could become established if suitable vegetation were to be present. Thus, the model serves as a preliminary screening tool that can be applied over relatively large extents. We applied the model to 5,019 stream km and assessed the ability of the model to correctly predict beaver habitat by surveying for beavers in 352 stream reaches. To further assess the potential for relocation, we assessed land ownership, use, and land cover in the landscape surrounding stream reaches with varying levels of intrinsic potential. Model results showed that 33% of streams had moderate or high intrinsic potential for beaver habitat. We found that no site that was classified as having low intrinsic potential had any sign of beavers and that beaver were absent from nearly three quarters of potentially suitable sites, indicating that there are factors preventing the local population from occupying these areas. Of the riparian areas around streams with high intrinsic potential for beaver, 38% are on public lands and 17% are

  6. Impact of beaver ponds on river discharge and sediment deposition along the Chevral River, Ardennes, Belgium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nyssen, Jan; Frankl, Amaury; Pontzeele, Jolien; De Visscher, Maarten; Billi, Paolo

    2013-04-01

    With the recovery of the European beaver (Castor fiber) and their capacity to engineer fluvial landscapes, questions arise as to how they influence river discharge and sediment transport. The Chevral river (Ardennes, Belgium) contains two beaver dam sequences which appeared in 2004 and count now about 30 dams. Flow discharges and sediment fluxes were measured at the in- and outflow of each dam sequence. Volumes of sediment deposited behind the dams were measured. Between 2004 and 2011, peak flows were topped off, and the magnitude of extreme events decreased. 1710 m³ of sediment were deposited behind the beaver dams, with an average sediment thickness of 25 cm. The thickness of the sediment layer is related to the area of the beaver ponds. Along the stream, beaver pond sediment thickness displayed a sinusoidal deposition pattern, in which ponds with thick sediment layers were preceded by a series of ponds with thinner sediment layers. A downstream textural coarsening in the dam sequences was also observed, probably due to dam failures subsequent to surges. Differences in sediment flux between the in- and outflow at the beaver pond sequence were related to the river hydrograph, with deposition taking place during the rising limbs and slight erosion during the falling limbs. The seven-year-old sequences have filtered 190 tons of sediment out of the Chevral river, which is of the same order of magnitude as the 374 tons measured in pond deposits, with the difference between the values corresponding to beaver excavations (60 tons), inflow from small tributaries, and runoff from the valley flanks. Hydrogeomorphic effects of C. fiber and C. canadensis activity are similar in magnitude. The detailed analysis of changes to hydrology in beaver pond sequences confirms the potential of beavers to contribute to river and wetland restoration and catchment management.

  7. The geomorphic influences of beaver dams and failures of beaver dams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butler, David R.; Malanson, George P.

    2005-10-01

    Uncounted millions of beaver ponds and dams existed in North America prior to European contact and colonization. These ponds acted as sediment traps that contained tens to hundreds of billions of cubic meters of sediment that would otherwise have passed through the fluvial system. Removal of beavers by overtrapping in the 16th-19th centuries severely reduced their number and the number of ponds and dams. Dam removal altered the fluvial landscape of North America, inducing sediment evacuation and entrenchment in concert with widespread reduction in the wetlands environments. Partial recovery of beaver populations in the 20th century has allowed reoccupation of the entirety of the pre-contact range, but at densities of only one-tenth the numbers. Nevertheless, modern beaver ponds also trap large volumes of sediment in the high hundred millions to low billions of cubic meters range. Failure of beaver dams is a more common phenomenon than often assumed in the literature. During the past 20 years, numerous cases of dam failure have been documented that resulted in outburst floods. These floods have been responsible for 13 deaths and numerous injuries, including significant impacts on railway lines.

  8. Can Viral Videos Help Beaver Restore Streams?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castro, J. M.; Pollock, M. M.; Lewallen, G.; Jordan, C.; Woodruff, K.

    2015-12-01

    Have you watched YouTube lately? Did you notice the plethora of cute animal videos? Researchers, including members of our Beaver Restoration Research team, have been studying the restoration potential of beaver for decades, yet in the past few years, beaver have gained broad acclaim and some much deserved credit for restoration of aquatic systems in North America. Is it because people can now see these charismatic critters in action from the comfort of their laptops? While the newly released Beaver Restoration Guidebook attempts to answer many questions, sadly, this is not one of them. We do, however, address the use of beaver (Castor canadensis) in stream, wetland, and floodplain restoration and discuss the many positive effects of beaver on fluvial ecosystems. Our team, composed of researchers from NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and Portland State University, has developed a scientifically rigorous, yet accessible, practitioner's guide that provides a synthesis of the best available science for using beaver to improve ecosystem functions. Divided into two broad sections -- Beaver Ecology and Beaver Restoration and Management -- the guidebook focuses on the many ways in which beaver improve habitat, primarily through the construction of dams that impound water and retain sediment. In Beaver Ecology, we open with a discussion of the general effects that beaver dams have on physical and biological processes, and we close with "Frequently Asked Questions" and "Myth Busters". In Restoration and Management, we discuss common emerging restoration techniques and methods for mitigating unwanted beaver effects, followed by case studies from pioneering practitioners who have used many of these beaver restoration techniques in the field. The lessons they have learned will help guide future restoration efforts. We have also included a comprehensive beaver ecology library of over 1400 references from scientific journals

  9. Beaver (Castor canadensis) in heavily browsed environments

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Baker, Bruce W.

    2003-01-01

    Beaver (Castor canadensis) populations have declined or failed to recover in heavily browsed environments. I suggest that intense browsing by livestock or ungulates can disrupt beaver-willow (Salix spp.) mutualisms that likely evolved under relatively low herbivory in a more predator-rich environment, and that this interaction may explain beaver and willow declines. Field experiments in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA, found the interaction of beaver and elk (Cervus elaphus) herbivory suppressed compensatory growth in willow. Intense elk browsing of simulated beaver-cut willow produced plants which were small and hedged with a high percentage of dead stems, whereas protected plants were large and highly branched with a low percentage of dead stems. Evaluation of a winter food cache showed beaver had selected woody stems with a lower percentage of leaders browsed by elk. A lack of willow stems suitable as winter beaver food may cause beaver populations to decline, creating a negative feedback mechanism for beaver and willow. In contrast, if browsing by livestock or ungulates can be controlled, and beaver can disperse from a nearby source population, then beaver may build dams in marginal habitat which will benefit willow and cause a positive riparian response that restores proper function to degraded habitat. In a shrub-steppe riparian ecosystem of northwestern Colorado, USA, rest from overgrazing of livestock released herbaceous vegetation initiating restoration of a beaver-willow community. Thus, competition from livestock or ungulates can cause beaver and willow to decline and can prevent their restoration in heavily browsed riparian environments, but beaver and willow populations can recover under proper grazing management.

  10. Classification of the alterations of beaver dams to headwater streams in northeastern Connecticut, U.S.A.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burchsted, Denise; Daniels, Melinda D.

    2014-01-01

    Of the many types of barriers to water flow, beaver dams are among the smallest, typically lasting less than a decade and rarely exceeding 1.5 m in height. They are also among the most frequent and common obstructions in rivers, with a density often exceeding ten dams per km, a frequency of construction within a given network on a time scale of years, and a historic extent covering most of North America. Past quantification of the geomorphologic impact of beaver dams has primarily been limited to local impacts within individual impoundments and is of limited geographic scope. To assess the impact of beaver dams at larger scales, this study examines channel shape and sediment distribution in thirty river reaches in northeastern Connecticut, U.S.A. The study reaches fall within the broader categories of impounded and free-flowing segments, leaving a third segment class of beaver meadows requiring additional study. Each of the study reaches were classified at the reach scale as free-flowing, valley-wide beaver pond, in-channel beaver pond, and downstream of beaver dam. The bankfull channel width to depth ratios and channel widths normalized by watershed area vary significantly across the study reach classes. Additionally, reaches modified by beaver dams have finer sediment distributions. This paper provides the first quantitative geomorphic descriptions of the in-channel beaver pond and reaches downstream of beaver dams. Given the different channel shapes and sediment distributions, we infer that geomorphic processes are longitudinally decoupled by these frequent barriers that control local base level. These barriers generate heterogeneity within a river network by greatly increasing the range of channel morphology and by generating patches controlled by different processes. Therefore, in spite of the small size of individual beaver dams, the cumulative effect of multiple dams has the potential to modify processes at larger spatial scales. To improve assessment of the

  11. Competition favors elk over beaver in a riparian willow ecosystem

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Baker, B.W.; Peinetti, H.R.; Coughenour, M.C.; Johnson, T.L.

    2012-01-01

    Beaver (Castor spp.) conservation requires an understanding of their complex interactions with competing herbivores. Simulation modeling offers a controlled environment to examine long-term dynamics in ecosystems driven by uncontrollable variables. We used a new version of the SAVANNA ecosystem model to investigate beaver (C. Canadensis) and elk (Cervus elapses) competition for willow (Salix spp.). We initialized the model with field data from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA, to simulate a 4-ha riparian ecosystem containing beaver, elk, and willow. We found beaver persisted indefinitely when elk density was or = 30 elk km_2. The loss of tall willow preceded rapid beaver declines, thus willow condition may predict beaver population trajectory in natural environments. Beaver were able to persist with slightly higher elk densities if beaver alternated their use of foraging sites in a rest-rotation pattern rather than maintained continuous use. Thus, we found asymmetrical competition for willow strongly favored elk over beaver in a simulated montane ecosystem. Finally, we discuss application of the SAVANNA model and mechanisms of competition relative to beaver persistence as metapopulations, ecological resistance and alternative state models, and ecosystem regulation.

  12. Where and How Wolves (Canis lupus) Kill Beavers (Castor canadensis).

    PubMed

    Gable, Thomas D; Windels, Steve K; Bruggink, John G; Homkes, Austin T

    2016-01-01

    Beavers (Castor canadensis) can be a significant prey item for wolves (Canis lupus) in boreal ecosystems due to their abundance and vulnerability on land. How wolves hunt beavers in these systems is largely unknown, however, because observing predation is challenging. We inferred how wolves hunt beavers by identifying kill sites using clusters of locations from GPS-collared wolves in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. We identified 22 sites where wolves from 4 different packs killed beavers. We classified these kill sites into 8 categories based on the beaver-habitat type near which each kill occurred. Seasonal variation existed in types of kill sites as 7 of 12 (58%) kills in the spring occurred at sites below dams and on shorelines, and 8 of 10 (80%) kills in the fall occurred near feeding trails and canals. From these kill sites we deduced that the typical hunting strategy has 3 components: 1) waiting near areas of high beaver use (e.g., feeding trails) until a beaver comes near shore or ashore, 2) using vegetation, the dam, or other habitat features for concealment, and 3) immediately attacking the beaver, or ambushing the beaver by cutting off access to water. By identifying kill sites and inferring hunting behavior we have provided the most complete description available of how and where wolves hunt and kill beavers.

  13. Where and How Wolves (Canis lupus) Kill Beavers (Castor canadensis)

    PubMed Central

    Gable, Thomas D.; Windels, Steve K.; Bruggink, John G.; Homkes, Austin T.

    2016-01-01

    Beavers (Castor canadensis) can be a significant prey item for wolves (Canis lupus) in boreal ecosystems due to their abundance and vulnerability on land. How wolves hunt beavers in these systems is largely unknown, however, because observing predation is challenging. We inferred how wolves hunt beavers by identifying kill sites using clusters of locations from GPS-collared wolves in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. We identified 22 sites where wolves from 4 different packs killed beavers. We classified these kill sites into 8 categories based on the beaver-habitat type near which each kill occurred. Seasonal variation existed in types of kill sites as 7 of 12 (58%) kills in the spring occurred at sites below dams and on shorelines, and 8 of 10 (80%) kills in the fall occurred near feeding trails and canals. From these kill sites we deduced that the typical hunting strategy has 3 components: 1) waiting near areas of high beaver use (e.g., feeding trails) until a beaver comes near shore or ashore, 2) using vegetation, the dam, or other habitat features for concealment, and 3) immediately attacking the beaver, or ambushing the beaver by cutting off access to water. By identifying kill sites and inferring hunting behavior we have provided the most complete description available of how and where wolves hunt and kill beavers. PMID:27992441

  14. Quantifying the multiple, environmental benefits of reintroducing the Eurasian Beaver

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brazier, Richard; Puttock, Alan; Graham, Hugh; Anderson, Karen; Cunliffe, Andrew; Elliott, Mark

    2016-04-01

    . Secondly, the River Otter Beaver Trial will be discussed. In 2015 Natural England granted a five year licence to monitor beavers living wild upon the River Otter, Devon. The River Otter, ca. 280 km2, is a dynamic, spatey system with downstream areas exhibiting poor ecological status, primarily due to sediment and phosphorus loading, which both impact on fish numbers. The impacts of Eurasian Beaver upon English river systems are currently poorly understood, with the outcome of this pilot study having significant implications for river restoration and management. This project, the first of its kind in England, is monitoring the impacts of beavers upon the River Otter catchment with three main scientific objectives: (1) Characterise the existing structure of the River Otter riparian zone and quantify any changes during the 2015-2019 period; (2) Quantify the impact of beaver activity on water flow at a range of scales in the Otter catchment; (3) Evaluate the impact of beaver activity on water quality. Finally, lessons learnt from these monitoring programs will be discussed in light of the need for more natural solutions to flood and diffuse pollution management. We conclude that whilst our work demonstrates multiple positive benefits of Beaver reintroduction, considerably more, scale-appropriate monitoring is required before such results could be extrapolated to landscape scales.

  15. RESEARCH: Attitudes of Private- and Public-Land Managers in Wyoming, USA, Toward Beaver.

    PubMed

    McKINSTRY; ANDERSON

    1999-01-01

    / A mail survey concerning beaver (Castor canadensis) management in Wyoming, USA, was sent to 5265 private-land managers and 124 public-land managers during 1993. The survey was developed in response to increasing interest in beaver management and beaver reintroduction possibilities. Private-land managers responding to the survey supplied information on 62,859 km2 of land area and 20,037 km of streams. Primary concerns about beaver damage centered on (in decreasing order of importance) blocked irrigation ditches, girdled timber, blocked culverts, and flooded pastures, roads, crops, and timber. Primary benefits that landowners perceive that beaver give them were, in order of importance, elevated water tables, increased riparian vegetation, and increased stock-watering opportunities. Public-land managers also listed these benefits and detriments among their top concerns for beaver. Over 45% of landowners with beaver on their property and all of the public-land managers displayed an interest in a beaver reintroduction program and in more proactive beaver management. KEY WORDS: Beaver; Beaver management; Castor canadensis; Landowners; Mail surveys; Wildlife values; Wildlife damage

  16. Beaver Ponds Increase Methylmercury and Nutrients Concentrations in Canadian Shield Streams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, V.; Amyot, M.; Carignan, R.

    2007-12-01

    Beaver populations and the number of beaver dams are currently increasing in many Canadian regions. Since natural and anthropogenic impoundments have historically been identified as sources of the potent neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg), beaver dams could also increase MeHg levels in streams. During summer 2006, we collected water samples upstream and downstream from twenty beaver dams of the Laurentians, located on the Canadian Shield. Samples were analysed for total Hg, MeHg and other chemical variables including DOC, TP, TDP, TN, and major ions. Significant increases of nutrients (DOC, TP, TDP, TN) and ammonium concentrations and depletions of oxygen, nitrate and sulphate concentrations between inlet and outlet show that beaver ponds provide environmental conditions that can favour methylation of inorganic mercury. Heterogeneity of the ratio MeHg/THg at the outlet among our sites was well explained by the estimated age of the impoundment, with methylation capacity of beaver ponds decreasing with age. Further, the geographic location of beaver ponds influenced water chemistry at the outlet, as we observed a dichotomy between northern and southern sites; these differences were based mainly on forest composition. On average, beaver impoundments increased MeHg concentrations by 5.7 fold, total Hg concentrations by 1.6 fold and nutrients concentrations by 2-3 fold. Overall, our results suggest that beaver dams may considerably increase MeHg and nutrients levels in downstream ecosystems. The impact of beavers on the cycling of contaminants and nutrients in boreal watersheds should therefore be considered in the management of their populations.

  17. Behavior of beaver in lakes with varying water levels in Northern Minnesota

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Douglas W.; Peterson, Rolf O.

    1991-05-01

    We studied the effects of winter water drawdowns (2.3 m) on beavers in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA. Our study was designed to sample areas within the park that differed in water drawdown regime. Lodges were counted and beavers were livetrapped and radio-implanted to study behavior, movements, and mortality. Active beaver lodge density, determined by aerial survey in 1984 and 1986, was greatest along the shoreline of the drawdown reservoir. In winter beavers living on the drawdown reservoir spent less time inside their lodges than did beavers from stable water environments, foraged more above ice, and they were unable to fully use stored food. Only one case of starvation in the drawdown reservoir was documented, but beavers in reservoirs that were drawn down survived winter in poorer condition than did beavers living in areas in which water levels remained high. In spite of an increasing population and lack of widespread mortality, winter water drawdowns did alter beaver behavior. To reduce these impacts, total annual water fluctuation should not exceed 1.5 m, and winter drawdown should not exceed 0.7 m. Possible management alternatives and costs are discussed.

  18. Modeling the Capacity of Riverscapes to Support Dam-Building Beaver

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Macfarlane, W.; Wheaton, J. M.

    2012-12-01

    Beaver (Castor canadensis) dam-building activities lead to a cascade of aquatic and riparian effects that increase the complexity of streams. As a result, beaver are increasingly being used as a critical component of passive stream and riparian restoration strategies. We developed the spatially-explicit Beaver Assessment and Restoration Tool (BRAT) to assess the capacity of the landscape in and around streams and rivers to support dam-building activity for beaver. Capacity was assessed in terms of readily available nation-wide GIS datasets to assess key habitat capacity indicators: water availability, relative abundance of preferred food/building materials and stream power. Beaver capacity was further refined by: 1) ungulate grazing capacity 2) proximity to human conflicts (e.g., irrigation diversions, settlements) 3) conservation/management objectives (endangered fish habitat) and 4) projected benefits related to beaver re-introductions (e.g., repair incisions). Fuzzy inference systems were used to assess the relative importance of these inputs which allowed explicit incorporation of uncertainty resulting from categorical ambiguity of inputs into the capacity model. Results indicate that beaver capacity varies widely within the study area, but follows predictable spatial patterns that correspond to distinct River Styles and landscape units. We present a case study application and verification/validation data from the Escalante River Watershed in southern Utah, and show how the models can be used to help resource managers develop and implement restoration and conservation strategies employing beaver that will have the greatest potential to yield increases in biodiversity and ecosystem services.

  19. Cross-species transmission of Giardia spp.: inoculation of beavers and muskrats with cysts of human, beaver, mouse, and muskrat origin.

    PubMed Central

    Erlandsen, S L; Sherlock, L A; Januschka, M; Schupp, D G; Schaefer, F W; Jakubowski, W; Bemrick, W J

    1988-01-01

    Giardia cysts isolated from humans, beavers, mice, and muskrats were tested in cross-species transmission experiments for their ability to infect either beavers or muskrats. Giardia cysts, derived from multiple symptomatic human donors and used for inoculation of beavers or muskrats, were shown to be viable by incorporation of fluorogenic dyes, excystation, and their ability to produce infections in the Mongolian gerbil model. Inoculation of beavers with 5 x 10(5) Giardia lamblia cysts resulted in the infection of 75% of the animals (n = 8), as judged by the presence of fecal cysts or intestinal trophozoites at necropsy. The mean prepatent period was 13.1 days. An infective dose experiment, using 5 x 10(1) to 5 x 10(5) viable G. lamblia cysts collected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, demonstrated that doses of between, less than 50, and less than 500 viable cysts were required to produce infection in beavers. Scanning electron microscopy of beaver small intestine revealed that attachment of G. lamblia trophozoites produced lesions in the microvillous border. Inoculation of muskrats with G. lamblia cysts produced infections when the dose of cysts was equal to or greater than 1.25 x 10(5). The inoculation of beavers with Giardia ondatrae or Giardia muris cysts did not produce any infection; however, the administration to muskrats of Giardia cysts of beaver origin resulted in the infection of 62% of the animals (n = 8), with a prepatent period of 5 days. Our results demonstrated that beavers and muskrats could be infected with Giardia cysts derived from humans, but only by using large numbers of cysts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Images PMID:3063208

  20. Beaver Mediated Water Table Dynamics in Mountain Peatlands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karran, D. J.; Westbrook, C.; Bedard-Haughn, A.

    2016-12-01

    Water table dynamics play an important role in the ecological and biogeochemical processes that regulate carbon and water storage in peatlands. Beaver are common in these habitats and the dams they build have been shown to raise water tables in other environments. However, the impact of beaver dams in peatlands, where water tables rest close to the surface, has yet to be determined. We monitored a network of 50 shallow wells in a Canadian Rocky Mountain peatland for 6 years. During this period, a beaver colony was maintaining a number of beaver ponds for four years until a flood event removed the colony from the area and breached some of the dams. Two more years of data were collected after the flood event to assess whether the dams enhanced groundwater storage. Beaver dams raised water tables just as they do in other environments. Furthermore, water tables within 100 meters of beaver dams were more stable than those further away and water table stability overall was greater before the flood event. Our results suggest the presence/absence of beaver in peatlands has implications for groundwater water storage and overall system function.

  1. Protection of Levees against Beavers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kozłowski, Wojciech; Balawejder, Adam

    2017-10-01

    Beavers are a protected species, so the levees must be properly protected so as not to harm the beavers and protect the levees from the destruction caused by these animals. This protection requires the use of bentonite mats as shaft seals, and wire mesh. Recently, such new protection structures began to be used successfully.

  2. Modeling the capacity of riverscapes to support beaver dams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Macfarlane, William W.; Wheaton, Joseph M.; Bouwes, Nicolaas; Jensen, Martha L.; Gilbert, Jordan T.; Hough-Snee, Nate; Shivik, John A.

    2017-01-01

    The construction of beaver dams facilitates a suite of hydrologic, hydraulic, geomorphic, and ecological feedbacks that increase stream complexity and channel-floodplain connectivity that benefit aquatic and terrestrial biota. Depending on where beaver build dams within a drainage network, they impact lateral and longitudinal connectivity by introducing roughness elements that fundamentally change the timing, delivery, and storage of water, sediment, nutrients, and organic matter. While the local effects of beaver dams on streams are well understood, broader coverage network models that predict where beaver dams can be built and highlight their impacts on connectivity across diverse drainage networks are lacking. Here we present a capacity model to assess the limits of riverscapes to support dam-building activities by beaver across physiographically diverse landscapes. We estimated dam capacity with freely and nationally-available inputs to evaluate seven lines of evidence: (1) reliable water source, (2) riparian vegetation conducive to foraging and dam building, (3) vegetation within 100 m of edge of stream to support expansion of dam complexes and maintain large colonies, (4) likelihood that channel-spanning dams could be built during low flows, (5) the likelihood that a beaver dam is likely to withstand typical floods, (6) a suitable stream gradient that is neither too low to limit dam density nor too high to preclude the building or persistence of dams, and (7) a suitable river that is not too large to restrict dam building or persistence. Fuzzy inference systems were used to combine these controlling factors in a framework that explicitly also accounts for model uncertainty. The model was run for 40,561 km of streams in Utah, USA, and portions of surrounding states, predicting an overall network capacity of 356,294 dams at an average capacity of 8.8 dams/km. We validated model performance using 2852 observed dams across 1947 km of streams. The model showed

  3. Alteration of stream temperature by natural and artificial beaver dams.

    PubMed

    Weber, Nicholas; Bouwes, Nicolaas; Pollock, Michael M; Volk, Carol; Wheaton, Joseph M; Wathen, Gus; Wirtz, Jacob; Jordan, Chris E

    2017-01-01

    Beaver are an integral component of hydrologic, geomorphic, and biotic processes within North American stream systems, and their propensity to build dams alters stream and riparian structure and function to the benefit of many aquatic and terrestrial species. Recognizing this, beaver relocation efforts and/or application of structures designed to mimic the function of beaver dams are increasingly being utilized as effective and cost-efficient stream and riparian restoration approaches. Despite these verities, the notion that beaver dams negatively impact stream habitat remains common, specifically the assumption that beaver dams increase stream temperatures during summer to the detriment of sensitive biota such as salmonids. In this study, we tracked beaver dam distributions and monitored water temperature throughout 34 km of stream for an eight-year period between 2007 and 2014. During this time the number of natural beaver dams within the study area increased by an order of magnitude, and an additional 4 km of stream were subject to a restoration manipulation that included installing a high-density of Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) structures designed to mimic the function of natural beaver dams. Our observations reveal several mechanisms by which beaver dam development may influence stream temperature regimes; including longitudinal buffering of diel summer temperature extrema at the reach scale due to increased surface water storage, and creation of cool-water channel scale temperature refugia through enhanced groundwater-surface water connectivity. Our results suggest that creation of natural and/or artificial beaver dams could be used to mitigate the impact of human induced thermal degradation that may threaten sensitive species.

  4. Alteration of stream temperature by natural and artificial beaver dams

    PubMed Central

    Bouwes, Nicolaas; Pollock, Michael M.; Volk, Carol; Wheaton, Joseph M.; Wathen, Gus; Wirtz, Jacob; Jordan, Chris E.

    2017-01-01

    Beaver are an integral component of hydrologic, geomorphic, and biotic processes within North American stream systems, and their propensity to build dams alters stream and riparian structure and function to the benefit of many aquatic and terrestrial species. Recognizing this, beaver relocation efforts and/or application of structures designed to mimic the function of beaver dams are increasingly being utilized as effective and cost-efficient stream and riparian restoration approaches. Despite these verities, the notion that beaver dams negatively impact stream habitat remains common, specifically the assumption that beaver dams increase stream temperatures during summer to the detriment of sensitive biota such as salmonids. In this study, we tracked beaver dam distributions and monitored water temperature throughout 34 km of stream for an eight-year period between 2007 and 2014. During this time the number of natural beaver dams within the study area increased by an order of magnitude, and an additional 4 km of stream were subject to a restoration manipulation that included installing a high-density of Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) structures designed to mimic the function of natural beaver dams. Our observations reveal several mechanisms by which beaver dam development may influence stream temperature regimes; including longitudinal buffering of diel summer temperature extrema at the reach scale due to increased surface water storage, and creation of cool—water channel scale temperature refugia through enhanced groundwater—surface water connectivity. Our results suggest that creation of natural and/or artificial beaver dams could be used to mitigate the impact of human induced thermal degradation that may threaten sensitive species. PMID:28520714

  5. Restricted cross-scale habitat selection by American beavers.

    PubMed

    Francis, Robert A; Taylor, Jimmy D; Dibble, Eric; Strickland, Bronson; Petro, Vanessa M; Easterwood, Christine; Wang, Guiming

    2017-12-01

    Animal habitat selection, among other ecological phenomena, is spatially scale dependent. Habitat selection by American beavers Castor canadensis (hereafter, beaver) has been studied at singular spatial scales, but to date no research addresses multi-scale selection. Our objectives were to determine if beaver habitat selection was specialized to semiaquatic habitats and if variables explaining habitat selection are consistent between landscape and fine spatial scales. We built maximum entropy (MaxEnt) models to relate landscape-scale presence-only data to landscape variables, and used generalized linear mixed models to evaluate fine spatial scale habitat selection using global positioning system (GPS) relocation data. Explanatory variables between the landscape and fine spatial scale were compared for consistency. Our findings suggested that beaver habitat selection at coarse (study area) and fine (within home range) scales was congruent, and was influenced by increasing amounts of woody wetland edge density and shrub edge density, and decreasing amounts of open water edge density. Habitat suitability at the landscape scale also increased with decreasing amounts of grass frequency. As territorial, central-place foragers, beavers likely trade-off open water edge density (i.e., smaller non-forested wetlands or lodges closer to banks) for defense and shorter distances to forage and obtain construction material. Woody plants along edges and expanses of open water for predator avoidance may limit beaver fitness and subsequently determine beaver habitat selection.

  6. Restricted cross-scale habitat selection by American beavers

    PubMed Central

    Taylor, Jimmy D; Dibble, Eric; Strickland, Bronson; Petro, Vanessa M; Easterwood, Christine; Wang, Guiming

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Animal habitat selection, among other ecological phenomena, is spatially scale dependent. Habitat selection by American beavers Castor canadensis (hereafter, beaver) has been studied at singular spatial scales, but to date no research addresses multi-scale selection. Our objectives were to determine if beaver habitat selection was specialized to semiaquatic habitats and if variables explaining habitat selection are consistent between landscape and fine spatial scales. We built maximum entropy (MaxEnt) models to relate landscape-scale presence-only data to landscape variables, and used generalized linear mixed models to evaluate fine spatial scale habitat selection using global positioning system (GPS) relocation data. Explanatory variables between the landscape and fine spatial scale were compared for consistency. Our findings suggested that beaver habitat selection at coarse (study area) and fine (within home range) scales was congruent, and was influenced by increasing amounts of woody wetland edge density and shrub edge density, and decreasing amounts of open water edge density. Habitat suitability at the landscape scale also increased with decreasing amounts of grass frequency. As territorial, central-place foragers, beavers likely trade-off open water edge density (i.e., smaller non-forested wetlands or lodges closer to banks) for defense and shorter distances to forage and obtain construction material. Woody plants along edges and expanses of open water for predator avoidance may limit beaver fitness and subsequently determine beaver habitat selection. PMID:29492032

  7. Proximate composition and physicochemical properties of European beaver (Castor fiber L.) meat.

    PubMed

    Florek, Mariusz; Drozd, Leszek; Skałecki, Piotr; Domaradzki, Piotr; Litwińczuk, Anna; Tajchman, Katarzyna

    2017-01-01

    The proximate composition of meat from young and mature European beaver and physicochemical properties during storage were investigated. The young beaver meat contains 20.52g of protein and 1.86g of fat in 100g, while mature animals 22.16g and 0.73g. Index of nutritional quality for protein ranged from 2.03 to 2.24. Storage had a greater impact on the physicochemical properties of beaver meat than animal age and muscle type. The meat of mature beavers was significantly (P<0.05) darker (L*=28.51) in comparison with young animals (L*=30.79) and contained significantly (P<0.01) more total pigments. However, the negative b* values (between -2.05 and -2.19) indicated a bluish tint on the surface of beaver meat. The significantly (P<0.05) lower drip loss and cooking loss showed semimembranosus (0.65% and 17.89%) compared to longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle (0.84% and 19.58%). Significantly (P<0.01) lower values of TBARS, drip loss and cooking loss were determined in meat at 24h (0.15mgMDAkg -1 , 0.59% and 15.99%) in comparison with stored for 7days (0.46mgMDAkg -1 , 0.90% and 21.49%). Generally, storage for 7days improved meat water holding capacity and tenderness. W-B shear force and shear energy of beaver meat decreased from 51.4N and 0.21J at 24h to 33.2N and 0.11J at 7days. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Colonial Era Impoundment of the Northeastern United States: Beaver Trapping and Low- head Dam Construction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salant, N.; Bain, D.; Brandt, S.

    2008-12-01

    Hydrologic systems of the northeastern United States were transformed by European settler activities. The colonial economy shifted engineered water structures from beaver dams to human dams built for power generation. While the geomorphic effects of human-constructed dams have recently garnered considerable attention, few studies have investigated how intensive trapping for the fur trade, the near extermination of the Northeast beaver population, and the consequent loss of beaver ponds altered the regional water balance. Although reconstructions of colonial beaver populations have been made, none link the decline in beavers to its hydrologic impact. Beaver population models based on pre-colonial population estimates, historic harvest rates, and current-day population dynamics were used to simulate the corresponding decrease in pond numbers over time. Beaver populations declined dramatically during the seventeenth century, with harvest rates estimated at 2,000-10,000 beavers per year, resulting in expatriation in some sub-regions by the early 1700s. Using contemporary estimates of beaver pond volumes, the calculated loss in pond storage between 1600 and 1840 was approximately 17 million cubic meters of water and sediment, considerably larger than estimated storage gains from dam construction in the same period, suggesting that beaver eradication was a major driver of hydrologic change during the colonial era.

  9. Simulation modeling to understand how selective foraging by beaver can drive the structure and function of a willow community

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peinetti, H.R.; Baker, B.W.; Coughenour, M.B.

    2009-01-01

    Beaver-willow (Castor-Salix) communities are a unique and vital component of healthy wetlands throughout the Holarctic region. Beaver selectively forage willow to provide fresh food, stored winter food, and construction material. The effects of this complex foraging behavior on the structure and function of willow communities is poorly understood. Simulation modeling may help ecologists understand these complex interactions. In this study, a modified version of the SAVANNA ecosystem model was developed to better understand how beaver foraging affects the structure and function of a willow community in a simulated riparian ecosystem in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado (RMNP). The model represents willow in terms of plant and stem dynamics and beaver foraging in terms of the quantity and quality of stems cut to meet the energetic and life history requirements of beaver. Given a site where all stems were equally available, the model suggested a simulated beaver family of 2 adults, 2 yearlings, and 2 kits required a minimum of 4 ha of willow (containing about10 stems m-2) to persist in a steady-state condition. Beaver created a willow community where the annual net primary productivity (ANPP) was 2 times higher and plant architecture was more diverse than the willow community without beaver. Beaver foraging created a plant architecture dominated by medium size willow plants, which likely explains how beaver can increase ANPP. Long-term simulations suggested that woody biomass stabilized at similar values even though availability differed greatly at initial condition. Simulations also suggested that willow ANPP increased across a range of beaver densities until beaver became food limited. Thus, selective foraging by beaver increased productivity, decreased biomass, and increased structural heterogeneity in a simulated willow community.

  10. Do beaver dams reduce habitat connectivity and salmon productivity in expansive river floodplains?

    PubMed

    Malison, Rachel L; Kuzishchin, Kirill V; Stanford, Jack A

    2016-01-01

    could produce 2× the biomass (between June-August, 1,174 vs. 667 kg) and rear 3× the number of salmon (370,000 vs. 140,000) compared to the existing condition with dams present. The highly productive Kol river produces an order of magnitude more salmon biomass and rears 40× the individuals compared to the Kwethluk. If beavers were introduced to the Kol River, we estimate that off-channel habitats would produce half as much biomass (2,705 vs. 5,404 kg) and 3× fewer individuals (1,482,346 vs. 4,856,956) owing to conversion of inter-connected, productive springbrooks into inaccessible pond complexes. We concluded that beaver dams may limit the total amount of floodplain habitat available for salmon rearing in the Kwethluk river and that the introduction of beavers to the Kol river could be detrimental to salmon populations. The introduction of beavers to other large alluvial rivers like those found in Kamchatka could have negative consequences for salmon production.

  11. Ground water in the Escalante Valley, Beaver, Iron, and Washington Counties, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fix, Philip F.; Nelson, W.B.; Lofgren, B.E.; Butler, R.G.

    1950-01-01

    Escalante Valley in southwestern Utah is one of the largest and most important ground-water areas of the State, with 1,300 square miles of arid land and an additional 1,500 square miles in its tributary drainage basin. Ground water is obtained from gravel and sand beds in the unconsolidated valley fill. In 1950 more irrigation wells were pumped than in any other basin of Utah, and their total pumpage exceeded 80,000 acre-feet. Farming is done chiefly in the Beryl-Enterprise district at the south (upper) end of the valley, where it depends almost entirely upon ground water, and in the Milford and Minersville districts in the northeast-central part of the valley. This progress report concerns chiefly the Beryl-Enterprise and Milford districts.

  12. Captive care and welfare considerations for beavers.

    PubMed

    Campbell-Palmer, Róisín; Rosell, Frank

    2015-01-01

    Beavers (Castor spp.) tend not to be a commonly held species and little published material exists relating to their captive care. We review published material and discuss husbandry issues taking into account the requirements of wild beavers. As social mammals with complex chemical communication systems and with such an ability to modify their environments, studies of wild counterparts suggest the captive requirements of beavers may actually be more sophisticated than generally perceived. Common field techniques may have practical application in the captive setting. Their widespread utilisation in conservation, including reintroductions, translocations and habitat management, also requires components of captive care. As welfare science advances there is increasing pressure on captive collections to improve standards and justify the keeping of animals. Conservation science is increasingly challenged to address individual welfare standards. Further research focusing on the captive care of beavers is required. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Interaction of beaver and elk herbivory reduces standing crop of willow

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Baker, B.W.; Mitchell, D.C.S.; Ducharme, H.C.; Stanley, T.R.; Peinetti, H.R.

    2005-01-01

    Populations of beaver and willow have not thrived in riparian environments that are heavily browsed by livestock or ungulates, such as elk. The interaction of beaver and elk herbivory may be an important mechanism underlying beaver and willow declines in this competitive environment. We conducted a field experiment that compared the standing crop of willow three years after simulated beaver cutting on paired plants with and without intense elk browsing (∼85% utilization rate). Simulated beaver cutting with intense elk browsing produced willow that was small (biomass and diameter) and short, with far fewer, but longer, shoots and a higher percentage of dead biomass. In contrast, simulated beaver cutting without elk browsing produced willow that was large, tall, and leafy, with many more, but shorter, shoots (highly branched) and a lower percentage of dead biomass. Total stem biomass after three years was 10 times greater on unbrowsed plants than on browsed plants. Unbrowsed plants recovered 84% of their pre-cut biomass after only two growing seasons, whereas browsed plants recovered only 6%. Thus, the interaction of beaver cutting and elk browsing strongly suppressed the standing crop of willow. We predict that a lack of willow suitable as winter food for beaver can cause beaver populations to decline, creating a feedback mechanism that reduces beaver and willow populations. Thus, intense herbivory by ungulates or livestock can disrupt beaver–willow mutualisms that naturally occur in less competitive environments.

  14. Fire effects on the Point Reyes Mountain Beaver at Point Reyes National Seashore, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fellers, Gary M.; Pratt, David; Griffin, Jennifer L.

    2004-01-01

    In October 1995, a wildlands fire burned 5,000 ha on the Point Reyes peninsula, California, USA. In most of the nonforested areas, the fire effectively cleared the ground of litter and vegetation and revealed thousands of Point Reyes mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa phaea) burrow openings. In the first 6 months after the fire, we surveyed burned coastal scrub and riparian habitat to (1) count the number of burrow openings that existed at the time of the fire, and (2) evaluate whether signs of post-fire mountain beaver activity were evident. We estimated that only 0.4–1.7% of mountain beavers within the burn area survived the fire and immediate post-fire period. We monitored mountain beaver activity for 5 years at 8 sites where mountain beavers survived, and found little or no recovery. We estimate that the mountain beaver population will take 15–20 years post-fire to recover.

  15. Do beaver dams reduce habitat connectivity and salmon productivity in expansive river floodplains?

    PubMed Central

    Kuzishchin, Kirill V.; Stanford, Jack A.

    2016-01-01

    could produce 2× the biomass (between June–August, 1,174 vs. 667 kg) and rear 3× the number of salmon (370,000 vs. 140,000) compared to the existing condition with dams present. The highly productive Kol river produces an order of magnitude more salmon biomass and rears 40× the individuals compared to the Kwethluk. If beavers were introduced to the Kol River, we estimate that off-channel habitats would produce half as much biomass (2,705 vs. 5,404 kg) and 3× fewer individuals (1,482,346 vs. 4,856,956) owing to conversion of inter-connected, productive springbrooks into inaccessible pond complexes. We concluded that beaver dams may limit the total amount of floodplain habitat available for salmon rearing in the Kwethluk river and that the introduction of beavers to the Kol river could be detrimental to salmon populations. The introduction of beavers to other large alluvial rivers like those found in Kamchatka could have negative consequences for salmon production. PMID:27635357

  16. 33 CFR 117.705 - Beaver Dam Creek.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Beaver Dam Creek. 117.705 Section 117.705 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements New Jersey § 117.705 Beaver Dam Creek. The draw of the...

  17. 33 CFR 117.705 - Beaver Dam Creek.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Beaver Dam Creek. 117.705 Section 117.705 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements New Jersey § 117.705 Beaver Dam Creek. The draw of the...

  18. Surface water of Beaver Creek Basin, in South-Central Oklahoma

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Laine, L.L.; Murphy, J.J.

    1962-01-01

    Annual discharge from Beaver Creek basin is estimated to have averaged 217,000 acre-feet during a 19-year base period, water years 1938-56, equivalent to an average annual runoff depth of 4.7 inches over the 857 square-mile drainage area. About 55,000 acre-feet per year comes from Little Beaver Creek basin, a tributary drainage of 195 square miles. Yearly streamflow is highly variable. The discharge of Little Beaver Creek near Duncan during 13-year period of record (water years 1949-61) has ranged from 86,530 acre-feet in calendar year 1957 to 4,880 acre-feet in 1956, a ratio of almost 18 to 1. Highest runoff within a year tends to occur in the spring months of May and June, a 2-month period that, on the average, accounts for more than half of the annual discharge of Little Beaver Creek near Duncan. The average monthly runoff during record was lowest in January. Variation in daily streamflow is such that while the average discharge for the 13-year period of record was 50.1 cfs (cubic feet per second), the daily discharge was more than 6 cfs only about half of the time. There was no flow at the site 19 percent of the time during the period. Some base runoff usually exists in the headwaters of Beaver and Little Beaver Creeks, and in the lower reaches of Beaver Creek. Low flow in Cow Creek tends to be sustained by waste water from Duncan, where water use in 1961 averaged 4 million gallons per day. In the remainder of the basin, periods of no flow occur in most years. The surface water of Beaver Creek basin is very hard but in general is usable for municipal, agricultural and industrial purposes. The chemical character of the water is predominantly a calcium, magnesium bicarbonate type of water in the lower three quarters of the basin, except in Cow Creek where oil-field brines induce a distinct sodium, calcium chloride characteristic at low and medium flows. A calcium sulfate type of water occurs in most of the northern part of the basin except in headwater areas

  19. Food processing by animals: do beavers leach tree bark to improve palatability?

    PubMed

    Müller-Schwarze, D; Brashear, H; Kinnel, R; Hintz, K A; Lioubomirov, A; Skibo, C

    2001-05-01

    Beavers store and consume tree parts in the bodies of water where they live. We examined whether such soaking renders food more palatable by leaching out undesirable compounds. In experiment 1, saplings of red maple, Acer rubrum (RM), were first soaked in a pond for periods of 2, 18, and 36 days, then offered to free-ranging beavers. Soaking for two days rendered RM slightly more acceptable to beavers. To further examine the time window around two days, RM sticks were soaked in distilled water in the laboratory for 1, 2, 4, and 6 days before presenting them to beavers (experiment 2). In experiment 3, twigs of three species were placed on land. Beavers placed RM in the water for 1 to 3 days before consuming the twigs. In experiment 4, sticks were provided in the water at Cranberry Lake Biological Station (CLBS). Most quaking aspen (QA) was consumed during the first night, and most witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana (WH), during the third night. At Allegany State Park (ASP), no such difference was found. Twigs were provided in the water in experiment 5. At ASP, WH was taken after three days in the water, and at CLBS little WH was consumed, and only during the third night. A meta-analysis of all experiments shows that relatively more WH is consumed after two days than any other species. Experiment 6 traced the time beavers left their own harvested branches in the water. Unlike other tree species, WH remained in the water for two to four days before being consumed. Experiment 7 measured the phenolics leached into water from RM twigs and small pieces of bark soaked for 10 and 8 days, respectively. Shredded bark lost 50-60% of leachable phenolics into the water, and twigs 70-80%. We conclude that beavers can use water to leach undesirable compounds from their food. Although this effect was not robust, our study is the first of its kind.

  20. Impact of Beaver Pond Colonization History on Methylmercury Concentrations in Surface Water.

    PubMed

    Levanoni, Oded; Bishop, Kevin; Mckie, Brendan G; Hartman, Göran; Eklöf, Karin; Ecke, Frauke

    2015-11-03

    Elevated concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg) in freshwater ecosystems are of major environmental concern in large parts of the northern hemisphere. Beaver ponds have been identified as a potentially important source of MeHg. The role of beavers might be especially pronounced in large parts of Europe, where beaver populations have expanded rapidly following near-extirpation. This study evaluates the role of the age and colonization history (encompassing patterns of use and reuse) of ponds constructed by the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber in regulating MeHg concentrations in Swedish streams. In 12 beaver systems located in three regions, we quantified MeHg concentrations together with other relevant parameters on five occasions per year in 2012-2013. Five were pioneer systems, inundated for the first time since beaver extirpation, and seven were recolonized, with dams reconstructed by newly recolonizing beavers. MeHg concentrations in pioneer but not in recolonized beaver systems were up to 3.5 fold higher downstream than upstream of the ponds, and varied between seasons and years. Our results show that pioneer inundation by beavers can increase MeHg concentrations in streams, but that this effect is negligible when dams are reconstructed on previously used ponds. We therefore expect that the recovery and expansion of beavers in the boreal system will only have a transitional effect on MeHg in the environment.

  1. Habitat Suitability Index Models: Beaver

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Allen, Arthur W.

    1982-01-01

    Habitat preferences of the beaver (Castor canadensis) are described in this publication, which is one of a series of Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models. Habitat use information is presented in a synthesis of the literature on the species-habitat requirements of the beaver, followed by the development of the HSI model. The model is designed to provide information for use in impact assessment and habitat management activities, and should be used in conjunction with habitat evaluation procedures previously developed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. This revised model updates the original publication dated September 1982.

  2. Geotagging Digital Collections: BeaverTracks Mobile Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griggs, Kim

    2011-01-01

    BeaverTracks Historical Locations and Walking Tour is a mobile project at Oregon State University (OSU), where the author serves as programmer/analyst. It connects the past to the present by linking historic images to current campus locations. The goal of BeaverTracks is to showcase and bring attention to OSU Libraries' digital collections as well…

  3. Survey of beaver-related restoration practices in rangeland streams of the western USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pilliod, David S.; Rohde, Ashley T.; Charnley, Susan; Davee, Rachael R; Dunham, Jason B.; Gosnell, Hannah; Grant, Gordon E.; Hausner, Mark B.; Huntington, Justin L.; Nash, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    Poor condition of many streams and concerns about future droughts in the arid and semi-arid western USA have motivated novel restoration strategies aimed at accelerating recovery and increasing water resources. Translocation of beavers into formerly occupied habitats, restoration activities encouraging beaver recolonization, and instream structures mimicking the effects of beaver dams are restoration alternatives that have recently gained popularity because of their potential socioeconomic and ecological benefits. However, beaver dams and dam-like structures also harbor a history of social conflict. Hence, we identified a need to assess the use of beaver-related restoration projects in western rangelands to increase awareness and accountability, and identify gaps in scientific knowledge. We inventoried 97 projects implemented by 32 organizations, most in the last 10 years. We found that beaver-related stream restoration projects undertaken mostly involved the relocation of nuisance beavers. The most common goal was to store water, either with beaver dams or artificial structures. Beavers were often moved without regard to genetics, disease, or potential conflicts with nearby landowners. Few projects included post-implementation monitoring or planned for longer term issues, such as what happens when beavers abandon a site or when beaver dams or structures breach. Human dimensions were rarely considered and water rights and other issues were mostly unresolved or addressed through ad-hoc agreements. We conclude that the practice and implementation of beaver-related restoration has outpaced research on its efficacy and best practices. Further scientific research is necessary, especially research that informs the establishment of clear guidelines for best practices.

  4. Survey of Beaver-related Restoration Practices in Rangeland Streams of the Western USA.

    PubMed

    Pilliod, David S; Rohde, Ashley T; Charnley, Susan; Davee, Rachael R; Dunham, Jason B; Gosnell, Hannah; Grant, Gordon E; Hausner, Mark B; Huntington, Justin L; Nash, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    Poor condition of many streams and concerns about future droughts in the arid and semi-arid western USA have motivated novel restoration strategies aimed at accelerating recovery and increasing water resources. Translocation of beavers into formerly occupied habitats, restoration activities encouraging beaver recolonization, and instream structures mimicking the effects of beaver dams are restoration alternatives that have recently gained popularity because of their potential socioeconomic and ecological benefits. However, beaver dams and dam-like structures also harbor a history of social conflict. Hence, we identified a need to assess the use of beaver-related restoration projects in western rangelands to increase awareness and accountability, and identify gaps in scientific knowledge. We inventoried 97 projects implemented by 32 organizations, most in the last 10 years. We found that beaver-related stream restoration projects undertaken mostly involved the relocation of nuisance beavers. The most common goal was to store water, either with beaver dams or artificial structures. Beavers were often moved without regard to genetics, disease, or potential conflicts with nearby landowners. Few projects included post-implementation monitoring or planned for longer term issues, such as what happens when beavers abandon a site or when beaver dams or structures breach. Human dimensions were rarely considered and water rights and other issues were mostly unresolved or addressed through ad-hoc agreements. We conclude that the practice and implementation of beaver-related restoration has outpaced research on its efficacy and best practices. Further scientific research is necessary, especially research that informs the establishment of clear guidelines for best practices.

  5. Survey of Beaver-related Restoration Practices in Rangeland Streams of the Western USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pilliod, David S.; Rohde, Ashley T.; Charnley, Susan; Davee, Rachael R.; Dunham, Jason B.; Gosnell, Hannah; Grant, Gordon E.; Hausner, Mark B.; Huntington, Justin L.; Nash, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    Poor condition of many streams and concerns about future droughts in the arid and semi-arid western USA have motivated novel restoration strategies aimed at accelerating recovery and increasing water resources. Translocation of beavers into formerly occupied habitats, restoration activities encouraging beaver recolonization, and instream structures mimicking the effects of beaver dams are restoration alternatives that have recently gained popularity because of their potential socioeconomic and ecological benefits. However, beaver dams and dam-like structures also harbor a history of social conflict. Hence, we identified a need to assess the use of beaver-related restoration projects in western rangelands to increase awareness and accountability, and identify gaps in scientific knowledge. We inventoried 97 projects implemented by 32 organizations, most in the last 10 years. We found that beaver-related stream restoration projects undertaken mostly involved the relocation of nuisance beavers. The most common goal was to store water, either with beaver dams or artificial structures. Beavers were often moved without regard to genetics, disease, or potential conflicts with nearby landowners. Few projects included post-implementation monitoring or planned for longer term issues, such as what happens when beavers abandon a site or when beaver dams or structures breach. Human dimensions were rarely considered and water rights and other issues were mostly unresolved or addressed through ad-hoc agreements. We conclude that the practice and implementation of beaver-related restoration has outpaced research on its efficacy and best practices. Further scientific research is necessary, especially research that informs the establishment of clear guidelines for best practices.

  6. CARBON TRACE GASES IN LAKE AND BEAVER POND ICE NEAR THOMPSON, MANITOBA, CANADA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Concentrations of CO2, CO, and CH4 were measured in beaver pond and lake ice in April 1996 near Thompson, Manitoba to derive information on possible impacts of ice melting on corresponding atmospheric trace gas concentrations. CH4 concentrations in beaver pond and lake ice ranged...

  7. 63. REACTOR CHAMBER (BASF) FROM NORTH SHOWING NEUTRON SHIELD TANK ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    63. REACTOR CHAMBER (BASF) FROM NORTH SHOWING NEUTRON SHIELD TANK AND REACTOR PIPING (LOCATION RRR) - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

  8. Landsat time series analysis documents beaver migration into permafrost landscapes of arctic Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, B. M.; Tape, K. D.; Nitze, I.; Arp, C. D.; Grosse, G.; Zimmerman, C. E.

    2017-12-01

    Landscape-scale impacts of climate change in the Arctic include increases in growing season length, shrubby vegetation, winter river discharge, snowfall, summer and winter water temperatures, and decreases in river and lake ice thickness. Combined, these changes may have created conditions that are suitable for beaver colonization of low Arctic tundra regions. We developed a semi-automated workflow that analyzes Landsat imagery time series to determine the extent to which beavers may have colonized permafrost landscapes in arctic Alaska since 1999. We tested this approach on the Lower Noatak, Wulik, and Kivalina river watersheds in northwest Alaska and identified 83 locations representing potential beaver activity. Seventy locations indicated wetting trends and 13 indicated drying trends. Verification of each site using high-resolution satellite imagery showed that 80 % of the wetting locations represented beaver activity (damming and pond formation), 11 % were unrelated to beavers, and 9 % could not readily be distinguished as being beaver related or not. For the drying locations, 31 % represented beaver activity (pond drying due to dam abandonment), 62 % were unrelated to beavers, and 7 % were undetermined. Comparison of the beaver activity database with historic aerial photography from ca. 1950 and ca. 1980 indicates that beavers have recently colonized or recolonized riparian corridors in northwest Alaska. Remote sensing time series observations associated with the migration of beavers in permafrost landscapes in arctic Alaska include thermokarst lake expansion and drainage, thaw slump initiation, ice wedge degradation, thermokarst shore fen development, and possibly development of lake and river taliks. Additionally, beaver colonization in the Arctic may alter channel courses, thermal regimes, hyporheic flow, riparian vegetation, and winter ice regimes that could impact ecosystem structure and function in this region. In particular, the combination of beaver

  9. A rare Uroglena bloom in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, spring 2015

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Green, William R.; Hufhines, Brad

    2017-01-01

    A combination of factors triggered a Uroglena volvox bloom and taste and odor event in Beaver Lake, a water-supply reservoir in northwest Arkansas, in late April 2015. Factors contributing to the bloom included increased rainfall and runoff containing increased concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, followed by a stable pool, low nutrient concentrations, and an expansion of lake surface area and littoral zone. This was the first time U. volvox was identified in Beaver Lake and the first time it was recognized as a source of taste and odor. Routine water quality samples happened to be collected by the US Geological Survey and the Beaver Water District throughout the reservoir during the bloom—. Higher than normal rainfall in March 2015 increased the pool elevation in Beaver Lake by 2.3 m (by early April), increased the surface area by 10%, and increased the littoral zone by 1214 ha; these conditions persisted for 38 days, resulting from flood water being retained behind the dam. Monitoring programs that cover a wide range of reservoir features, including dissolved organic carbon, zooplankton, and phytoplankton, are valuable in explaining unusual events such as this Uroglena bloom.

  10. Beaver Colony Density Trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 - 2013.

    PubMed

    Ribic, Christine A; Donner, Deahn M; Beck, Albert J; Rugg, David J; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

    2017-01-01

    The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987-2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997-2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs.

  11. 75 FR 6736 - FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation Corp., Ohio Edison Company...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-10

    ..., Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption, pursuant to... Operating Company (licensee), for operation of the Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (BVPS-1...

  12. Impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes in a mountain stream

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majerova, M.; Neilson, B. T.; Schmadel, N. M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Snow, C. J.

    2015-01-01

    Beaver dams affect hydrologic processes, channel complexity, and stream temperature by increasing inundated areas and influencing groundwater-surface water interactions. We explored the impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes at different spatial and temporal scales within a mountain stream in northern Utah over a three-year period spanning pre- and post-beaver colonization. Using continuous stream discharge, stream temperature, synoptic tracer experiments, and groundwater elevation measurements we documented pre-beaver conditions in the first year of the study. In the second year, we captured the initial effects of three beaver dams, while the third year included the effects of ten dams. After beaver colonization, reach scale discharge observations showed a shift from slightly losing to gaining. However, at the smaller sub-reach scale, the discharge gains and losses increased in variability due to more complex flow pathways with beaver dams forcing overland flow and increasing surface and subsurface storage. At the reach scale, temperatures were found to increase by 0.38 °C (3.8%), which in part is explained by a 230% increase in mean reach residence time. At the smallest, beaver dam scale, there were notable increases in the thermal heterogeneity where warmer and cooler niches were created. Through the quantification of hydrologic and thermal changes at different spatial and temporal scales, we document increased variability during post-beaver colonization and highlight the need to understand the impacts of beaver dams on stream ecosystems and their potential role in stream restoration.

  13. Impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes in a mountain stream

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majerova, M.; Neilson, B. T.; Schmadel, N. M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Snow, C. J.

    2015-08-01

    Beaver dams affect hydrologic processes, channel complexity, and stream temperature in part by inundating riparian areas, influencing groundwater-surface water interactions, and changing fluvial processes within stream systems. We explored the impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes at different spatial and temporal scales within a mountain stream in northern Utah over a 3-year period spanning pre- and post-beaver colonization. Using continuous stream discharge, stream temperature, synoptic tracer experiments, and groundwater elevation measurements, we documented pre-beaver conditions in the first year of the study. In the second year, we captured the initial effects of three beaver dams, while the third year included the effects of ten dams. After beaver colonization, reach-scale (~ 750 m in length) discharge observations showed a shift from slightly losing to gaining. However, at the smaller sub-reach scale (ranging from 56 to 185 m in length), the discharge gains and losses increased in variability due to more complex flow pathways with beaver dams forcing overland flow, increasing surface and subsurface storage, and increasing groundwater elevations. At the reach scale, temperatures were found to increase by 0.38 °C (3.8 %), which in part is explained by a 230 % increase in mean reach residence time. At the smallest, beaver dam scale (including upstream ponded area, beaver dam structure, and immediate downstream section), there were notable increases in the thermal heterogeneity where warmer and cooler niches were created. Through the quantification of hydrologic and thermal changes at different spatial and temporal scales, we document increased variability during post-beaver colonization and highlight the need to understand the impacts of beaver dams on stream ecosystems and their potential role in stream restoration.

  14. Genetic methods improve accuracy of gender determination in beaver

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, C.L.; Breck, S.W.; Baker, B.W.

    2004-01-01

    Gender identification of sexually monomorphic mammals can be difficult. We used analysis of zinc-finger protein (Zfx and Zfy) DNA regions to determine gender of 96 beavers (Castor canadensis) from 3 areas and used these results to verify gender determined in the field. Gender was correctly determined for 86 (89.6%) beavers. Incorrect assignments were not attributed to errors in any one age or sex class. Although methods that can be used in the field (such as morphological methods) can provide reasonably accurate gender assignments in beavers, the genetic method might be preferred in certain situations.

  15. Do beavers promote the invasion of non-native Tamarix in the Grand Canyon riparian zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mortenson, S.G.; Weisberg, P.J.; Ralston, B.E.

    2008-01-01

    Beavers (Castor canadensis Kuhl) can influence the competitive dynamics of plant species through selective foraging, collection of materials for dam creation, and alteration of hydrologic conditions. In the Grand Canyon National Park, the native Salix gooddingii C.R.Ball (Goodding's willow) and Salix exigua Nutt. (coyote willow) are a staple food of beavers. Because Salix competes with the invasive Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb., land mangers are concerned that beavers may cause an increase in Tamarix through selective foraging of Salix. A spatial analysis was conducted to assess whether the presence of beavers correlates with the relative abundance of Salix and Tamarix. These methods were designed to detect a system-wide effect of selective beaver foraging in this large study area (367 linear km of riparian habitat). Beavers, Salix, and Tamarix co-occurred at the broadest scales because they occupied similar riparian habitat, particularly geomorphic reaches of low and moderate resistivity. Once the affinity of Salix for particular reach types was accounted for, the presence of Salix was independent of beaver distribution. However, there was a weak positive association between beaver presence and Salix cover. Salix was limited to geomorphic settings with greater sinuosity and distinct terraces, while Tamarix occurred in sinuous and straighter sections of river channel (cliffs, channel margins) where it dominated the woody species composition. After accounting for covariates representing river geomorphology, the proportion of riparian surfaces covered by Tamarix was significantly greater for sites where beavers were present. This indicates that either Tamarix and beavers co-occur in similar habitats, beavers prefer habitats that have high Tamarix cover, or beavers contribute to Tamarix dominance through selective use of its native woody competitors. The hypothesis that beaver herbivory contributes to Tamarix dominance should be considered further through more

  16. De Novo Genome and Transcriptome Assembly of the Canadian Beaver (Castor canadensis)

    PubMed Central

    Lok, Si; Paton, Tara A.; Wang, Zhuozhi; Kaur, Gaganjot; Walker, Susan; Yuen, Ryan K. C.; Sung, Wilson W. L.; Whitney, Joseph; Buchanan, Janet A.; Trost, Brett; Singh, Naina; Apresto, Beverly; Chen, Nan; Coole, Matthew; Dawson, Travis J.; Ho, Karen; Hu, Zhizhou; Pullenayegum, Sanjeev; Samler, Kozue; Shipstone, Arun; Tsoi, Fiona; Wang, Ting; Pereira, Sergio L.; Rostami, Pirooz; Ryan, Carol Ann; Tong, Amy Hin Yan; Ng, Karen; Sundaravadanam, Yogi; Simpson, Jared T.; Lim, Burton K.; Engstrom, Mark D.; Dutton, Christopher J.; Kerr, Kevin C. R.; Franke, Maria; Rapley, William; Wintle, Richard F.; Scherer, Stephen W.

    2017-01-01

    The Canadian beaver (Castor canadensis) is the largest indigenous rodent in North America. We report a draft annotated assembly of the beaver genome, the first for a large rodent and the first mammalian genome assembled directly from uncorrected and moderate coverage (< 30 ×) long reads generated by single-molecule sequencing. The genome size is 2.7 Gb estimated by k-mer analysis. We assembled the beaver genome using the new Canu assembler optimized for noisy reads. The resulting assembly was refined using Pilon supported by short reads (80 ×) and checked for accuracy by congruency against an independent short read assembly. We scaffolded the assembly using the exon–gene models derived from 9805 full-length open reading frames (FL-ORFs) constructed from the beaver leukocyte and muscle transcriptomes. The final assembly comprised 22,515 contigs with an N50 of 278,680 bp and an N50-scaffold of 317,558 bp. Maximum contig and scaffold lengths were 3.3 and 4.2 Mb, respectively, with a combined scaffold length representing 92% of the estimated genome size. The completeness and accuracy of the scaffold assembly was demonstrated by the precise exon placement for 91.1% of the 9805 assembled FL-ORFs and 83.1% of the BUSCO (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs) gene set used to assess the quality of genome assemblies. Well-represented were genes involved in dentition and enamel deposition, defining characteristics of rodents with which the beaver is well-endowed. The study provides insights for genome assembly and an important genomics resource for Castoridae and rodent evolutionary biology. PMID:28087693

  17. Trends in Rocky Mountain amphibians and the role of beaver as a keystone species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hossack, Blake R.; Gould, William R.; Patla, Debra A.; Muths, Erin L.; Daley, Rob; Legg, Kristin; Corn, P. Stephen

    2015-01-01

    Despite prevalent awareness of global amphibian declines, there is still little information on trends for many widespread species. To inform land managers of trends on protected landscapes and identify potential conservation strategies, we collected occurrence data for five wetland-breeding amphibian species in four national parks in the U.S. Rocky Mountains during 2002–2011. We used explicit dynamics models to estimate variation in annual occupancy, extinction, and colonization of wetlands according to summer drought and several biophysical characteristics (e.g., wetland size, elevation), including the influence of North American beaver (Castor canadensis). We found more declines in occupancy than increases, especially in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks (NP), where three of four species declined since 2002. However, most species in Rocky Mountain NP were too rare to include in our analysis, which likely reflects significant historical declines. Although beaver were uncommon, their creation or modification of wetlands was associated with higher colonization rates for 4 of 5 amphibian species, producing a 34% increase in occupancy in beaver-influenced wetlands compared to wetlands without beaver influence. Also, colonization rates and occupancy of boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas) and Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) were ⩾2 times higher in beaver-influenced wetlands. These strong relationships suggest management for beaver that fosters amphibian recovery could counter declines in some areas. Our data reinforce reports of widespread declines of formerly and currently common species, even in areas assumed to be protected from most forms of human disturbance, and demonstrate the close ecological association between beaver and wetland-dependent species.

  18. Influence of Beaver Dams on Channel Complexity, Hydrology, and Temperature Regime in a Mountainous Stream

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majerova, M.; Neilson, B. T.; Schmadel, N. M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Snow, C. J.

    2013-12-01

    average 0.3°C when comparing the first to the third year of our study period. This warming trend was more pronounced in summer stream temperatures where differences were about 0.7°C. During winter months cooling was observed and temperatures decreased about -0.2°C over the reach. Annual tracer studies also captured an 81min (238%) increase in residence times due primarily to the increased channel complexity and storage over the three-year period. Our study provides reach scale understanding regarding the temporal influence of beavers to not only change physical template of the channel, but also influence the hydrology and temperature regime of streams.

  19. Responses of beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) to predator chemicals.

    PubMed

    Engelhart, A; Müller-Schwarze, D

    1995-09-01

    Free-ranging beaver (Castor canadensis) in two different beaver populations in New York State were exposed to predator chemicals to test feeding inhibition. Solvent extracts of feces were applied to stem sections of aspen, the preferred food tree of beavers, permitting smelling and tasting the samples. Predator odors were from wolf (Canis lupus), coyote (Canis latrans), dog (Canis familiaris), black bear (Ursus americanus), river otter (Lutra canadensis), lynx (Lynx canadensis), and African lion (Panthera leo). The experiment was repeated. The predator odors reduced feeding compared to untreated or solvent-treated controls. One population consumed 17.0% of the samples with predator odor and 27.0% of the controls in summer, and 48.4% and 60.0%, respectively, in autumn. The other population accepted 3.15% of the predator odor samples and 11.05% of the controls in summer. Coyote, lynx, and river otter odors had the strongest effects. Diesel oil and bitter-tasting neem extract had weaker effects. Predator odors are promising as feeding repellents for beaver.

  20. Research notes : beaver bafflers.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-05-01

    Historically, highway maintenance forces have had to remove beaver dams from roadside culverts each year. The dams can create significant pools, saturating and weakening the roadway structure. If not removed, the water behind the dam can cover the hi...

  1. Beaver Colony Density Trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 – 2013

    PubMed Central

    Ribic, Christine A.; Donner, Deahn M.; Beck, Albert J.; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

    2017-01-01

    The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987–2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997–2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs. PMID:28081271

  2. Beaver colony density trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 – 2013

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ribic, Christine; Donner, Deahn M.; Beck, Albert J.; Rugg, David J.; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

    2017-01-01

    The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987–2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997–2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs.

  3. Hydraulic characteristics and dynamics of beaver dams in a Midwestern U.S. agricultural waershed

    Treesearch

    M.C. McCullough; D.E. Eisenhauer; M.G. Dosskey; D.M. Admiraal

    2006-01-01

    Populations of Noth America beaver (castor canadensis) have increased in the past decades throughout the Midwestern U.S., leading to an increase in the frequency of beaver dams in small streams. Beaver dams form ponds and slow water velocity. Multiple dams create a stair-step effect on the water surface profile. The hydraulic and geomorphic influence of beaver dams on...

  4. Hydrology and simulation of ground-water flow in Kamas Valley, Summit County, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brooks, L.E.; Stolp, B.J.; Spangler, L.E.

    2003-01-01

    Kamas Valley, Utah, is located about 50 miles east of Salt Lake City and is undergoing residential development. The increasing number of wells and septic systems raised concerns of water managers and prompted this hydrologic study. About 350,000 acre-feet per year of surface water flows through Kamas Valley in the Weber River, Beaver Creek, and Provo River, which originate in the Uinta Mountains east of the study area. The ground-water system in this area consists of water in unconsolidated deposits and consolidated rock; water budgets indicate very little interaction between consolidated rock and unconsolidated deposits. Most recharge to consolidated rock occurs at higher altitudes in the mountains and discharges to streams and springs upgradient of Kamas Valley. About 38,000 acre-feet per year of water flows through the unconsolidated deposits in Kamas Valley. Most recharge is from irrigation and seepage from major streams; most discharge is to Beaver Creek in the middle part of the valley. Long-term water-level fluctuations range from about 3 to 17 feet. Seasonal fluctuations exceed 50 feet. Transmissivity varies over four orders of magnitude in both the unconsolidated deposits and consolidated rock and is typically 1,000 to 10,000 feet squared per day in unconsolidated deposits and 100 feet squared per day in consolidated rock as determined from specific capacity. Water samples collected from wells, streams, and springs had nitrate plus nitrite concentrations (as N) substantially less than 10 mg/L. Total and fecal coliform bacteria were detected in some surface-water samples and probably originate from livestock. Septic systems do not appear to be degrading water quality. A numerical ground-water flow model developed to test the conceptual understanding of the ground-water system adequately simulates water levels and flow in the unconsolidated deposits. Analyses of model fit and sensitivity were used to refine the conceptual and numerical models.

  5. Ecosystem engineering by invasive exotic beavers reduces in-stream diversity and enhances ecosystem function in Cape Horn, Chile.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Christopher B; Rosemond, Amy D

    2007-11-01

    Species invasions are of global significance, but predicting their impacts can be difficult. Introduced ecosystem engineers, however, provide an opportunity to test the underlying mechanisms that may be common to all invasive engineers and link relationships between changes in diversity and ecosystem function, thereby providing explanatory power for observed ecological patterns. Here we test specific predictions for an invasive ecosystem engineer by quantifying the impacts of habitat and resource modifications caused by North American beavers (Castor canadensis) on aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure and stream ecosystem function in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. We compared responses to beavers in three habitat types: (1) forested (unimpacted) stream reaches, (2) beaver ponds, and (3) sites immediately downstream of beaver dams in four streams. We found that beaver engineering in ponds created taxonomically simplified, but more productive, benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Specifically, macroinvertebrate richness, diversity and number of functional feeding groups were reduced by half, while abundance, biomass and secondary production increased three- to fivefold in beaver ponds compared to forested sites. Reaches downstream of beaver ponds were very similar to natural forested sections. Beaver invasion effects on both community and ecosystem parameters occurred predominantly via increased retention of fine particulate organic matter, which was associated with reduced macroinvertebrate richness and diversity (via homogenization of benthic microhabitat) and increased macroinvertebrate biomass and production (via greater food availability). Beaver modifications to macroinvertebrate community structure were largely confined to ponds, but increased benthic production in beaver-modified habitats adds to energy retention and flow for the entire stream ecosystem. Furthermore, the effects of beavers on taxa richness (negative) and measures of

  6. De Novo Genome and Transcriptome Assembly of the Canadian Beaver (Castor canadensis).

    PubMed

    Lok, Si; Paton, Tara A; Wang, Zhuozhi; Kaur, Gaganjot; Walker, Susan; Yuen, Ryan K C; Sung, Wilson W L; Whitney, Joseph; Buchanan, Janet A; Trost, Brett; Singh, Naina; Apresto, Beverly; Chen, Nan; Coole, Matthew; Dawson, Travis J; Ho, Karen; Hu, Zhizhou; Pullenayegum, Sanjeev; Samler, Kozue; Shipstone, Arun; Tsoi, Fiona; Wang, Ting; Pereira, Sergio L; Rostami, Pirooz; Ryan, Carol Ann; Tong, Amy Hin Yan; Ng, Karen; Sundaravadanam, Yogi; Simpson, Jared T; Lim, Burton K; Engstrom, Mark D; Dutton, Christopher J; Kerr, Kevin C R; Franke, Maria; Rapley, William; Wintle, Richard F; Scherer, Stephen W

    2017-02-09

    The Canadian beaver ( Castor canadensis ) is the largest indigenous rodent in North America. We report a draft annotated assembly of the beaver genome, the first for a large rodent and the first mammalian genome assembled directly from uncorrected and moderate coverage (< 30 ×) long reads generated by single-molecule sequencing. The genome size is 2.7 Gb estimated by k-mer analysis. We assembled the beaver genome using the new Canu assembler optimized for noisy reads. The resulting assembly was refined using Pilon supported by short reads (80 ×) and checked for accuracy by congruency against an independent short read assembly. We scaffolded the assembly using the exon-gene models derived from 9805 full-length open reading frames (FL-ORFs) constructed from the beaver leukocyte and muscle transcriptomes. The final assembly comprised 22,515 contigs with an N50 of 278,680 bp and an N50-scaffold of 317,558 bp. Maximum contig and scaffold lengths were 3.3 and 4.2 Mb, respectively, with a combined scaffold length representing 92% of the estimated genome size. The completeness and accuracy of the scaffold assembly was demonstrated by the precise exon placement for 91.1% of the 9805 assembled FL-ORFs and 83.1% of the BUSCO (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs) gene set used to assess the quality of genome assemblies. Well-represented were genes involved in dentition and enamel deposition, defining characteristics of rodents with which the beaver is well-endowed. The study provides insights for genome assembly and an important genomics resource for Castoridae and rodent evolutionary biology. Copyright © 2017 Lok et al.

  7. Beavers as Agents of Biogeomorphic Change: A Review and Suggestions for Teaching Exercises.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butler, David R.

    1991-01-01

    Discusses beavers and their geomorphic impacts on their environment. Considers dam building, bank burrowing, and canal building. Suggests using the beaver as a classroom and field trip example to illustrate animals' effects on the physical landscape. Provides a review of published works on beavers in their roles as geomorphic agents. (DK)

  8. Modeling a beaver population on the Prescott Peninsula, Massachusetts: Feasibility of LANDSAT as an input

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Finn, J. T.; Howard, R.

    1981-01-01

    A preliminary dynamic model of beaver spatial distribution and population growth was developed. The feasibility of locating beaver ponds on LANDSAT digital tapes, and of using this information to provide initial conditions of beaver spatial distribution for the model, and to validate model predictions is discussed. The techniques used to identify beaver ponds on LANDSAT are described.

  9. 75 FR 16728 - Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project, Ashland Ranger District, Custer National Forest...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project, Ashland Ranger... manner that increases resiliency of the Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project area ecosystem to... requirements to require. The Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project includes treatments previously proposed...

  10. 77 FR 73387 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania; Determinations of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-10

    ... Ozone Standard for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley Moderate Nonattainment Area AGENCY: Environmental... independent determinations regarding the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (the.... Among those nonattainment areas is the Pittsburgh Area, which includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver...

  11. Using occupancy models to accommodate uncertainty in the interpretation of aerial photograph data: status of beaver in Central Oregon, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pearl, Christopher A.; Adams, Michael J.; Haggerty, Patricia K.; Urban, Leslie

    2015-01-01

    Beavers (Castor canadensis) influence habitat for many species and pose challenges in developed landscapes. They are increasingly viewed as a cost-efficient means of riparian habitat restoration and water storage. Still, information on their status is rare, particularly in western North America. We used aerial photography to evaluate changes in beaver occupancy between 1942–1968 and 2009 in upper portions of 2 large watersheds in Oregon, USA. We used multiple observers and occupancy modeling to account for bias related to photo quality, observers, and imperfect detection of beaver impoundments. Our analysis suggested a slightly higher rate of beaver occupancy in the upper Deschutes than the upper Klamath basin. We found weak evidence for beaver increases in the west and declines in eastern parts of the study area. Our study presents a method for dealing with observer variation in photo interpretation and provides the first assessment of the extent of beaver influence in 2 basins with major water-use challenges. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  12. 76 FR 13344 - Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project, Ashland Ranger District, Custer National Forest...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project, Ashland Ranger... Impact Statement for the Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project was published in the Federal Register... Responsible Official for the Beaver Creek Landscape Management Project. DATES: The Final Environmental Impact...

  13. Resurgent beaver ponds in the northeastern United States: implications for greenhouse gas emissions.

    PubMed

    Lazar, Julia G; Addy, Kelly; Welsh, Molly K; Gold, Arthur J; Groffman, Peter M

    2014-11-01

    Beaver ponds, a wetland type of increasing density in the northeastern United States, vary spatially and temporally, creating high uncertainty in their impact to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We used floating static gas chambers to assess diffusive fluxes of methane (CH), carbon dioxide (CO), and nitrous oxide (NO) from the air-water interface of three beaver ponds (0.05-8 ha) in Rhode Island from fall 2012 to summer 2013. Gas flux was based on linear changes of gas concentrations in chambers over 1 h. Our results show that these beaver ponds generated considerable CH and CO emissions. Methane flux (18-556 mg m d) showed no significant seasonal differences, but the shallowest pond generated significantly higher CH flux than the other ponds. Carbon dioxide flux (0.5-22.0 g m d) was not significantly different between sites, but it was significantly higher in the fall, possibly due to the degradation of fresh leaves. Nitrous oxide flux was low (0-2.4 mg m d). Overall, CH and CO comprised most of the global warming potential, 61 and 38%, respectively. The shallowness of the beaver ponds may have limited the time needed for CH oxidation to CO before CH escaped to the atmosphere. Beaver dams also increase the aerial extent of hydric soils, which may transform riparian areas from upland GHG sinks to wetland GHG sources thereby changing the net global warming potential. Further studies tracking the pattern and conditions of beaver pond creation and abandonment will be essential to understanding their role as GHG sources. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  14. The Beaver Creek story

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Doyle, W.H.; Whitworth, B.G.; Smith, G.F.; Byl, T.D.

    1996-01-01

    Beaver Creek watershed in West Tennessee includes about 95,000 acres of the Nation's most productive farmland and most highly erodible soils. In 1989 the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, began a study to evaluate the effect of agricultural activities on water quality in the watershed and for best management practices designed to reduce agricultural nonpoint-source pollution. Agrichemical monitoring included testing the soils, ground water, and streams at four farm sites ranging from 27 to 420 acres. Monitoring stations were operated downstream to gain a better understanding of the water chemistry as runoff moved from small ditches into larger streams to the outlet of the Beaver Creek watershed. Prior to the implementation of best management practices at one of the farm study sites, some storms produced an average suspended-sediment concentration of 70,000 milligrams per liter. After the implementation of BMP's, however, the average value never exceeded 7,000 milligrams per liter. No-till crop production was the most effective best management practice for conserving soil on the farm fields tested. A natural bottomland hardwood wetland and a constructed wetland were evaluated as instream resource-management systems. The wetlands improved water quality downstream by acting as a filter and removing a significant amount of nonpoint-source pollution from the agricultural runoff. The constructed wetland reduced the sediment, pesticide, and nutrient load by approximately 50 percent over a 4-month period. The results of the Beaver Creek watershed study have increased the understanding of the effects of agriculture on water resources. Study results also demonstrated that BMP's do protect and improve water quality.

  15. A global review on the influence of beavers (Castor fiber, Castor canadensis) on river and floodplain dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larsen, Annegret; Lane, Stuart; Larsen, Joshua

    2017-04-01

    Beavers (Castor fiber, Castor canadensis) have the ability to actively engineer their habitat, which they can do most effectively in lower order streams and their floodplains. Hence, this engineering has the potential to alter the hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, and ecology of river systems and the feedbacks between them. Thus, the beaver is often referred to as an 'ecosystem engineer' and is reflected in their recognition as a key species when restoring ecosystems. This capacity to engineer low order streams also shapes a range of positive and negative perceptions on their influence. On the one hand they may be perceived as capable of undermining existing river engineering schemes and the land use of associated floodplains, and on the other hand beavers may provide an alternative to traditional 'hard' engineering, potentially improving river restoration success. The aim of this review is to summarize research to date on the impacts of beavers on stream and floodplain hydrology, geomorphology, water-quality and ecology, and the feedbacks between them. Our review shows that: (1) research has been focused heavily on North American streams, with far less research outside this North American context; (2) there is a tendency to investigate beaver impacts from the perspective of individual disciplines, to the detriment of considering broader process feedbacks, notably at the interface of hydro-geomorphology and riparian ecology; (3) it remains unclear to which extent beavers genuinely engineered streams prior to human impact, pointing to the need for longer term (millennium scale) studies on how beavers have changed river-floodplain systems. Crucially, we conclude that the investigation of the effects of beavers on streams and floodplains, especially in a longer-term, and their use for river restoration can only be understood through the thorough investigation of antecedent hydro-geomorphic conditions which takes account of the ways in which beavers and humans

  16. The Beaver: A Marine Education Infusion Unit. Northern New England Marine Education Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maine Univ., Orono. Coll. of Education.

    This interdisciplinary unit is intended for use with third grade classes. It examines the history and economics of man's relationships to the beaver. It investigates the natural history of the beaver, its anatomy, range, food sources, and the skills it employs to modify its environment by building dams. The structure of beaver dams is examined.…

  17. 76 FR 31237 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania; Determination of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-31

    ...-Beaver Valley 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is making a final determination that the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley 8-hour ozone..., Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties in Pennsylvania. EPA's determination is...

  18. Regional potentiometric-surface map of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system in Snake Valley and surrounding areas, Juab, Millard, and Beaver Counties, Utah, and White Pine and Lincoln Counties, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gardner, Philip M.; Masbruch, Melissa D.; Plume, Russell W.; Buto, Susan G.

    2011-01-01

    Water-level measurements from 190 wells were used to develop a potentiometric-surface map of the east-central portion of the regional Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system in and around Snake Valley, eastern Nevada and western Utah. The map area covers approximately 9,000 square miles in Juab, Millard, and Beaver Counties, Utah, and White Pine and Lincoln Counties, Nevada. Recent (2007-2010) drilling by the Utah Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey has provided new data for areas where water-level measurements were previously unavailable. New water-level data were used to refine mapping of the pathways of intrabasin and interbasin groundwater flow. At 20 of these locations, nested observation wells provide vertical hydraulic gradient data and information related to the degree of connection between basin-fill aquifers and consolidated-rock aquifers. Multiple-year water-level hydrographs are also presented for 32 wells to illustrate the aquifer system's response to interannual climate variations and well withdrawals.

  19. Prevalence of Microsporidia, Cryptosporidium spp., and Giardia spp. in beavers (Castor canadensis) in Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fayer, R.; Santin, M.; Trout, J.M.; DeStefano, S.; Koenen, K.; Kaur, T.

    2006-01-01

    Feces from 62 beavers (Castor canadensis) in Massachusetts were examined by fluorescence microscopy (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Microsporidia species, Cryptosporidium spp., and Giardia spp. between January 2002 and December 2004. PCR-positive specimens were further examined by gene sequencing. Protist parasites were detected in 6.4% of the beavers. All were subadults and kits. Microsporidia species were not detected. Giardia spp. was detected by IFA from four beavers; Cryptosporidium spp. was also detected by IFA from two of these beavers. However, gene sequence data for the ssrRNA gene from these two Cryptosporidium spp.-positive beavers were inconclusive in identifying the species. Nucleotide sequences of the TPI, ssrRNA, and ??-giardin genes for Giardia spp. (deposited in GenBank) indicated that the four beavers were excreting Giardia duodenalis Assemblage B, the zoonotic genotype representing a potential source of waterborne Giardia spp. cysts. Copyright 2006 by American Association of Zoo Veterinarians.

  20. Beaver lodge location on the upstream Loire River.

    PubMed

    Fustec, Joëlle; Cormier, Jean-Paul; Lodé, Thierry

    2003-08-01

    In the part of the Loire River recently colonized by Eurasian beavers, we compared habitat characteristics among sites with lodges, sites with cut trees and sites without beaver. The absence of sandbank and canopy cover (by 10-15-m tall trees, by tall Salicaceae, and by bushy Salicaceae) appeared as good predictors for lodge settling. Based on this model, the number of proper lodge sites was estimated for the next downstream 36 kilometers stretch. The number of favourable sites decreases as anthropization increases.

  1. Dam busy: beavers and their influence on the structure and function of river systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larsen, J.; Larsen, A.; Lane, S. N.

    2017-12-01

    Beavers (Castor fiber, Castor canadensis) are the most influential mammalian ecosystem engineer, heavily modifying rivers and floodplains and influencing the hydrology, geomorphology, carbon and nutrient cycling, and ecology. They do this by constructing dams, digging canals and burrows, felling trees and introducing wood into streams, which in turn impounds water, raises shallow water tables, and alters the partitioning of the water balance, sediment transport and channel patters, biogeochemical cycling, and aquatic and terrestrial habitats. However, largely in the absence of predators, beaver numbers have been rapidly increasing throughout Europe since the 1980s, but also in parts of the US and South America, prompting a need to comprehensively review the current state of knowledge on how beavers influence the structure and function of river systems. Here, we synthesize the overall impacts on hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. We then examine the key feedbacks and overlaps between these changes induced by beavers, finding that modifications to the longitudinal connectivity drive many key process feedbacks. However, the magnitude of these feedbacks is also heavily dependent on the landscape and climatic context, with the ability to promote lateral connectivity determining the extent of beaver impacts as stream order increases. Crucially, beavers shape a river corridor, introducing distinct processes and feedbacks that would have existed prior to the historical collapse of beaver populations. There is thus a need to adapt current river management and restoration practices such that they can accommodate and enhance the ecosystem engineering services provided by beavers. We summarize key knowledge gaps that remain in our understanding of beaver impacts, which help map an interdisciplinary future research agenda.

  2. Carbon trace gases in lake and beaver pond ice near Thompson, Manitoba, Canada

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuhlbusch, Thomas A. J.; Zepp, Richard G.

    1999-11-01

    Concentrations of CO2, CO, and CH4 were measured in beaver pond and lake ice in April 1996 near Thompson, Manitoba to derive information on possible impacts of ice melting on corresponding atmospheric trace gas concentrations. CH4 concentrations in beaver pond and lake ice ranged between 0.3-150 mmol m-3 and 3.1-56.2 μmol m-3, respectively. The corresponding CO concentrations showed no significant differences between the two lakes. They varied between 50 and 250 μmol m-3. These CO concentrations are some of the highest determined in any aquatic system. The differences in CH4 concentrations between lake and pond can be explained by the differences in production and microbial oxidation rates between the two systems. No explanation can be given for the similar CO concentrations. Supersaturation factors for CO were 660±130 and 630±330, and 65-35000 and 0.6-13 for CH4 in the ice of the beaver pond and Troy Lake, respectively. When digging into the beaver pond ice, a continuous flow of bubbles with 0.32±0.06 vol% CH4, 2.2±0.3 vol% CO2, and 482±98 ppb CO coming out of the slash ice for about 20-30 minutes was noticed. Wintertime flux estimates of CH4 and CO showed that they represent at minimum 6.4% and 2.2% of that of the summer. It has to be noted that these wintertime fluxes will mostly be released to the atmosphere during the time of snowmelt, thus a limited time period of weeks.

  3. The hydrological modeling in terms of determining the potential European beaver effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szostak, Marta; Jagodzińska, Jadwiga

    2017-06-01

    The objective of the paper was the hydrological analysis, in terms of categorizing main watercourses (based on coupled catchments) and marking areas covered by potential impact of the occurrence and activities of the European beaver Castor fiber. At the analysed area - the Forest District Głogów Małopolski there is a population of about 200 beavers in that Forest District. Damage inflicted by beavers was detected on 33.0 ha of the Forest District, while in the area of 13.9 ha the damage was small (below 10%). The monitoring of the beavers' behaviour and the analysis of their influence on hydrology of the area became an important element of using geoinformationtools in the management of forest areas. ArcHydro ArcGIS Esri module was applied, as an integrated set of tools for hydrographical analysis and modelling. Further steps of the procedure are hydrologic analyses such as: marking river networks on the DTM, filling holes, making maps of the flow direction, making the map of the accumulation flow, defining and segmentation of streams, marking elementary basins, marking coupled basins, making dams in the places, where beavers occur and localization of the area with a visible impact of damming. The result of the study includes maps prepared for the Forest District: the map of main rivers and their basins, categories of watercourses and compartments particularly threatened by beaver's foraging.

  4. 72. VISITOR'S CENTER, MODEL OF BOILER CHAMBER, AUXILIARY CHAMBER, REACTOR ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    72. VISITOR'S CENTER, MODEL OF BOILER CHAMBER, AUXILIARY CHAMBER, REACTOR AND CANAL (LOCATION T) - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

  5. Imperial Valley College 2+2+2 Project Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marquez, Ralph

    This handbook of the Imperial Valley College (IVC) 2+2+2 Project provides an overview of the development of an articulated education program for business and law enforcement careers, involving six local high schools and San Diego State University, Imperial Valley Campus. Following a brief introduction to the 2+2+2 project in section I, section II…

  6. Transition to independence by subadult beavers (Castor canadensis) in an unexploited, exponentially growing population

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DeStefano, S.; Koenen, Kiana K. G.; Henner, C.M.; Strules, J.

    2006-01-01

    We conducted a 4-year study of beavers Castor canadensis to compare the movements, survival and habitat of adults established in existing colonies to juveniles dispersing to new sites in a region with high beaver densities along a suburban-rural gradient. Estimates of annual survival were high for adult and juvenile beavers. Of nine known mortalities, seven (78%) were juveniles. Mortalities occurred during spring-summer, and none during fall-winter. There was a trend toward higher-to-lower survival along the suburban-rural gradient, respectively. Human-induced mortality (e.g. trapping and shooting) was higher in rural areas, whereas nonhuman-induced mortality (e.g. disease, accidents) was higher in suburban areas. Fifteen (14 subadults and one adult) beavers moved from natal colonies to other areas. The average dispersal distance for subadults was 4.5 km (SE = 1.0) along streams or rivers, or 3.5 km (SE = 0.7) straight-line point-to-point. Most dispersal movements were made in spring (April-June). In two cases, individual subadults made return movements from their dispersal sites back to their natal colonies. Dispersal sites tended to be in smaller, shallower wetlands or streams and in areas with higher overstorey canopy closure compared with natal colonies. Woody vegetation usually preferred by beavers for food tended to be less common at dispersal sites than at natal colonies. In regions with high densities of beaver, dispersing juveniles are likely to attempt to colonize lower quality sites. High densities of beavers also lead to more human-beaver conflicts and, in Massachusetts, the pest control management options in place during the past decade have been ineffectual at controlling population levels. Alternately, in regions with no beavers or very low densities and where reintroductions are being attempted, the landscape matrix surrounding release sites should include suitable sites for dispersing young to establish colonies.

  7. Habitat and conservation status of the beaver in the Sierra San Luis Sonora, Mexico

    Treesearch

    Karla Pelz Serrano; Eduardo Ponce Guevara; Carlos A. Lopez Gonzalez

    2005-01-01

    The status of beaver (Castor canadensis) in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, is uncertain. We surveyed the Cajon Bonito River to assess the beaver’s status and habitat and found five colonies. Limiting factors appear to be pollution due to animal waste, deforestation of riparian trees, and human exploitation. Beavers did not appear to require habitat...

  8. Do transmitters affect survival and body condition of American beavers Castor canadensis?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, Joshua B.; Windels, Steve K.; Wolf, Tiffany; Klaver, Robert W.; Belant, Jerrold L.

    2016-01-01

    One key assumption often inferred with using radio-equipped individuals is that the transmitter has no effect on the metric of interest. To evaluate this assumption, we used a known fate model to assess the effect of transmitter type (i.e. tail-mounted or peritoneal implant) on short-term (one year) survival and a joint live—dead recovery model and results from a mark—recapture study to compare long-term (eight years) survival and body condition of ear-tagged only American beavers Castor canadensis to those equipped with radio transmitters in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA. Short-term (1-year) survival was not influenced by transmitter type (wi = 0.64). Over the 8-year study period, annual survival was similar between transmitter-equipped beavers (tail-mounted and implant transmitters combined; 0.76; 95% CI = 0.45–0.91) versus ear-tagged only (0.78; 95% CI = 0.45–0.93). Additionally, we found no difference in weight gain (t9 = 0.25, p = 0.80) or tail area (t11 = 1.25, p = 0.24) from spring to summer between the two groups. In contrast, winter weight loss (t22 = - 2.03, p = 0.05) and tail area decrease (t30 = - 3.04, p = 0.01) was greater for transmitterequipped (weight = - 3.09 kg, SE = 0.55; tail area = - 33.71 cm2, SE = 4.80) than ear-tagged only (weight = - 1.80 kg, SE = 0.33; tail area = - 12.38 cm2, SE = 5.13) beavers. Our results generally support the continued use of transmitters on beavers for estimating demographic parameters, although we recommend additional assessments of transmitter effects under different environmental conditions.

  9. Beaver Ponds: Resurgent Nitrogen Sinks for Rural Watersheds in the Northeastern United States.

    PubMed

    Lazar, Julia G; Addy, Kelly; Gold, Arthur J; Groffman, Peter M; McKinney, Richard A; Kellogg, Dorothy Q

    2015-09-01

    Beaver-created ponds and dams, on the rise in the northeastern United States, reshape headwater stream networks from extensive, free-flowing reaches to complexes of ponds, wetlands, and connecting streams. We examined seasonal and annual rates of nitrate transformations in three beaver ponds in Rhode Island under enriched nitrate-nitrogen (N) conditions through the use of N mass balance techniques on soil core mesocosm incubations. We recovered approximately 93% of the nitrate N from our mesocosm incubations. Of the added nitrate N, 22 to 39% was transformed during the course of the incubation. Denitrification had the highest rates of transformation (97-236 mg N m d), followed by assimilation into the organic soil N pool (41-93 mg N m d) and ammonium generation (11-14 mg N m d). Our denitrification rates exceeded those in several studies of freshwater ponds and wetlands; however, rates in those ecosystems may have been limited by low concentrations of nitrate. Assuming a density of 0.7 beaver ponds km of catchment area, we estimated that in nitrate-enriched watersheds, beaver pond denitrification can remove approximately 50 to 450 kg nitrate N km catchment area. In rural watersheds of southern New England with high N loading (i.e., 1000 kg km), denitrification from beaver ponds may remove 5 to 45% of watershed nitrate N loading. Beaver ponds represent a relatively new and substantial sink for watershed N if current beaver populations persist. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  10. Modeling Potential Surface and Shallow Groundwater Storage Provided by Beaver Ponds Across Watersheds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hafen, K.; Wheaton, J. M.; Macfarlane, W.

    2016-12-01

    Damming of streams by North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) has been shown to provide a host of potentially desirable hydraulic and hydrologic impacts. Notably, increases in surface water storage and groundwater storage may alter the timing and delivery of water around individual dams and dam complexes. Anecdotal evidence suggests these changes may be important for increasing and maintaining baseflow and even helping some intermittent streams flow perennially. In the arid west, these impacts could be particularly salient in the face of climate change. However, few studies have examined the hydrologic impacts of beaver dams at scales large enough to provide insight for water management, in part because understanding or modeling these impacts at large spatial scales has been precluded by uncertainty concerning the number of beaver dams a drainage network can support. Using the recently developed Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT) to identify possible densities and spatial configurations of beaver dams, we developed a model that predicts the area and volume of surface water storage associated with dams of various sizes, and applied this model at different dam densities across multiple watersheds (HUC12) in northern Utah. We then used model results as inputs to the MODFLOW groundwater model to identify the subsequent changes to shallow groundwater storage. The spatially explicit water storage estimates produced by our approach will be useful in evaluating potential beaver restoration and conservation, and will also provide necessary information for developing hydrologic models to specifically identify the effects beaver dams may have on water delivery and timing.

  11. 4. VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST OF FUEL HANDLING BUILDING (CENTER), REACTOR ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    4. VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST OF FUEL HANDLING BUILDING (CENTER), REACTOR SERVICE BUILDING (RIGHT), MACHINE SHOP (LEFT) - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

  12. A Review of Techniques for Minimizing Beaver and White-Tailed Deer Damage in Southern Hardwoods

    Treesearch

    Edward P. Hill; Douglas N. Lasher; R. Blake Roper

    1978-01-01

    Methods of reducing beaver and deer damage to hardwood forest resources are reviewed. Beaver controls considered were poisons, chemosterilants, predators, and trapping. Population reduction through trapping with 330 conibear traps for two weeks during two successive years effectively eliminates beaver from small watersheds and shows greater promise for control than...

  13. The coal deposits of the Alkali Butte, the Big Sand Draw, and the Beaver Creek fields, Fremont County, Wyoming

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thompson, Raymond M.; White, Vincent L.

    1952-01-01

    Large coal reserves are present in three areas located between 12 and 20 miles southeast of Riverton, Fremont County, central Wyoming. Coal in two of these areas, the Alkali Butte coal field and the Big Sand Draw coal field, is exposed on the surface and has been developed to some extent by underground mining. The Beaver Creek coal field is known only from drill cuttings and cores from wells drilled for oil and gas in the Beaver Creek oil and gas field.These three coal areas can be reached most readily from Riverton, Wyo. State Route 320 crosses Wind River about 1 mile south of Riverton. A few hundred yards south of the river a graveled road branches off the highway and extends south across the Popo Agie River toward Sand Draw oil and gas field. About 8 miles south of the highway along the Sand Draw road, a dirt road bears east and along this road it is about 12 miles to the Bell coal mine in the Alkali Butte coal field. Three miles southeast of the Alkali Butte turn-off, 3 miles of oiled road extends southwest into the Beaver Creek oil and gas field. About 6 miles southeast of the Beaver Creek turn-off, in the valley of Little Sand Draw Creek, a dirt road extends east 1. mile and then southeast 1 mile to the Downey mine in the Big Sand Draw coal field. Location of these coal fields is shown on figure 1 with their relationship to the Wind River basin and other coal fields, place localities, and wells mentioned in this report. The coal in the Alkali Butte coal field is exposed partly on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Tps. 1 and 2 S., R. 6 E., and partly on public land. Coal in the Beaver Creek and Big Sand Draw coal fields is mainly on public land. The region has a semiarid climate with rainfall averaging less than 10 in. per year. When rain does fall the sandy-bottomed stream channels fill rapidly and are frequently impassable for a few hours. Beaver Creek, Big Sand Draw, Little Sand Draw, and Kirby Draw and their smaller tributaries drain the area and flow

  14. Meta-analysis of environmental effects of beaver in relation to artificial dams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ecke, Frauke; Levanoni, Oded; Audet, Joachim; Carlson, Peter; Eklöf, Karin; Hartman, Göran; McKie, Brendan; Ledesma, José; Segersten, Joel; Truchy, Amélie; Futter, Martyn

    2017-11-01

    Globally, artificial river impoundment, nutrient enrichment and biodiversity loss impair freshwater ecosystem integrity. Concurrently, beavers, ecosystem engineers recognized for their ability to construct dams and create ponds, are colonizing sites across the Holarctic after widespread extirpation in the 19th century, including areas outside their historical range. This has the potential to profoundly alter hydrology, hydrochemistry and aquatic ecology in both newly colonized and recolonized areas. To further our knowledge of the effects of beaver dams on aquatic environments, we extracted 1366 effect sizes from 89 studies on the impoundment of streams and lakes. Effects were assessed for 16 factors related to hydrogeomorphology, biogeochemistry, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Beaver dams affected concentrations of organic carbon in water, mercury in water and biota, sediment conditions and hydrological properties. There were no overall adverse effects caused by beaver dams or ponds on salmonid fish. Age was an important determinant of effect magnitude. While young ponds were a source of phosphorus, there was a tendency for phosphorus retention in older systems. Young ponds were a source methylmercury in water, but old ponds were not. To provide additional context, we also evaluated similarities and differences between environmental effects of beaver-constructed and artificial dams (767 effect sizes from 75 studies). Both are comparable in terms of effects on, for example, biodiversity, but have contrasting effects on nutrient retention and mercury. These results are important for assessing the role of beavers in enhancing and/or degrading ecological integrity in changing Holarctic freshwater systems.

  15. Seasonal foraging responses of beavers to sodium-enhanced foods: An experimental assessment with field feeding trials

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Strules, Jennifer; DeStefano, Stephen

    2015-01-01

    Salt drive is a seasonal phenomenon common to several classes of wild herbivores. Coincident with shifts of nutrient quality when plants resume growth in the spring, sodium is secondarily lost as surplus potassium is excreted. The beaver (Castor canadensis) is an herbivore whose dietary niche closely follows that of other herbivores that are subject to salt drive, but no published studies to date have assessed the likelihood of its occurrence. To quantify if beavers experience seasonal salt drive, we designed a field experiment to measure the foraging responses of beavers to sodium-enhanced foods. We used sodium-treated (salted) and control (no salt) food items (aspen [Populus tremuloides] and pine [Pinus spp.] sticks) during monthly feeding trials at beaver-occupied wetlands. If conventional ontogeny of salt drive was operant, we expected to observe greater utility of sodium-treated food items by beavers in May and June. Further, if water lilies (Nymphaea spp. and Nuphar spp.) supply beavers with sodium to meet dietary requirements as is widely speculated, we expected foraging responses to sodium-treated food items at wetlands where water lilies were absent to be greater than at wetlands where water lily was present. Aspen was selected by beavers in significantly greater amounts than pine. There was no difference between the mean percent consumed of salted and control aspen sticks by beavers at lily and non-lily wetlands, and no differences in temporal consumption associated with salted or control pine sticks at either wetland type. Salted pine was consumed in greater amounts than unsalted pine. We propose that the gastrointestinal or renal physiology of beavers may preclude solute loss, thereby preventing salt drive.

  16. Impacts of beaver ponds on dissolved organic matter cycling in small temperate streams.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larsen, J.; Lambert, T.; Larsen, A.; Lane, S.

    2017-12-01

    Beavers are engineers that modify the structure of river reaches and their hydrological functioning. By building dams, they modify the travel time of running waters and can lead to the flooding of surrounding soils and terrestrial vegetation, with potentially significant impact on biogeochemical cycles. Contradictory effects of beaver ponds on dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration and composition have however been reported, and the underlying reasons are still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of the landscape morphology as an important driver determining how a beaver population can affect stream DOM cycling. Four streams localized in Switzerland and Germany were visited during different seasons (spring, summer, winter) and monitored at upstream and downstream locations of beaver ponds across a hydrological cycle. The sites differed in terms of river channel morphology, presence or absence of floodplain, and vegetation cover. DOM composition was investigated through absorbance and fluorescence measurements coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) along with stream water quality (nutrients, pH, dissolved oxygen and water temperature). The results show that the effects of beaver dams were variable, and emphasizes the importance of the geomorphological context.

  17. Histological Evaluation of Selected Organs of the Eurasian Beavers (Castor fiber) Inhabiting Poland.

    PubMed

    Dolka, I; Giżejewska, A; Giżejewski, Z; Kluciński, W; Kołodziejska, J

    2015-10-01

    There is a general scarcity of data on the histological structure of major organs in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). This study presents the histological characteristics of beaver organs such as the liver, spleen, cardiac muscle, lungs and kidneys. Tissue samples were collected from 21 beavers and analysed. Selected samples of tail tissue were additionally examined. Tissue samples were placed in neutral buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin. 4-μm-thick sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, and other staining techniques were also used. Scant amounts of inter-lobular connective tissue were found in the liver. Ion or copper deposition was not observed, but scattered cytoplasmic glycogen deposits were present in hepatocytes. Our results suggest that beavers have defensive rather than storage spleens. Interestingly, the presence of melanin in splenic red pulp was noted. The histological structure of the examined organs closely resembled that of other rodent species. According to our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the histological structure of beaver organs. Nevertheless, precise characterization of the evaluated organs requires further work with the involvement of accurate and reliable techniques, such as molecular biology or electron microscopy methods. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  18. Sedimentation rates and patterns in beaver ponds in a mountain environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butler, David R.; Malanson, George P.

    1995-09-01

    Sediment depth was measured at several sites within each of eight beaver ponds in Glacier National Park, Montana, and sediment samples wen; collected from five of these ponds. Accumulation rates of sediments far exceeded published rates from boreal forest landscapes in eastem and central North America. Pond area strongly predicts volume of sedimentation. Textural differences illustrated spatial variations associated with position in a pond and along a pond sequence. Organic matter content was significantly higher in older ponds, and has ramifications for the development of the benthos and the long-term storage of matter in ponds. The role of beavers as biogeomorphic agents is profound, but requires further elucidation to distinguish between fluvial sediment deposition in ponds and sediment deposition associated with beaver excavational activity.

  19. Analysis of ambient conditions and simulation of hydrodynamics and water-quality characteristics in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, 2001 through 2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Galloway, Joel M.; Green, W. Reed

    2006-01-01

    upstream portion of Beaver Lake to the downstream portion and generally were greater in the hypolimnion. Total ammonia plus organic nitrogen concentrations also decreased from the upstream end of Beaver Lake to the downstream end and were substantially greater in the hypolimnion of Beaver Lake. Phosphorus concentrations mostly were near or below laboratory detection limits in the epilimnion and metalimnion in Beaver Lake and were substantially greater in the hypolimnion in the upstream and middle parts of the reservoir. Measured total and dissolved organic carbon in Beaver Lake was relatively uniform spatially, longitudinally, and vertically in the reservoir from January 2001 through December 2003. Chlorophyll a concentrations measured at sites in the upstream portion of the lake were significantly greater than at the other sites in the downstream portion of Beaver Lake. During the study period, water clarity in Beaver Lake was significantly greater at the downstream end of the reservoir than at the upstream end. The greatest Secchi depths at the downstream end of the reservoir generally were observed in 2001 compared to 2002 and 2003, but did not have a seasonal pattern as observed at sites in the middle and upstream portion of the reservoir. Similar to Secchi depth results, turbidity results indicated greater water clarity in the downstream portion of Beaver Lake compared to the upstream portion. Turbidity also was greater in the hypolimnion than in the epilimnion in the reservoir during the stratification season. A two-dimensional, laterally averaged, hydrodynamic, and water-quality model using CE-QUAL-W2 Version 3.1 was developed for Beaver Lake and calibrated based on vertical profiles of temperature and dissolved oxygen, and water-quality constituent concentrations collected at various depths at four sites in the reservoir from April 2001 to April 2003. Simulated temperatures and dissolved-oxygen concentrations compared reasonably well with measured t

  20. Design to monitor trend in abundance and presence of American beaver (Castor canadensis) at the national forest scale.

    PubMed

    Beck, Jeffrey L; Dauwalter, Daniel C; Gerow, Kenneth G; Hayward, Gregory D

    2010-05-01

    Wildlife conservationists design monitoring programs to assess population dynamics, project future population states, and evaluate the impacts of management actions on populations. Because agency mandates and conservation laws call for monitoring data to elicit management responses, it is imperative to design programs that match the administrative scale for which management decisions are made. We describe a program to monitor population trends in American beaver (Castor canadensis) on the US Department of Agriculture, Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, USA. Beaver have been designated as a management indicator species on the BHNF because of their association with riparian and aquatic habitats and its status as a keystone species. We designed our program to monitor the density of beaver food caches (abundance) within sampling units with beaver and the proportion of sampling units with beavers present at the scale of a national forest. We designated watersheds as sampling units in a stratified random sampling design that we developed based on habitat modeling results. Habitat modeling indicated that the most suitable beaver habitat was near perennial water, near aspen (Populus tremuloides) and willow (Salix spp.), and in low gradient streams at lower elevations. Results from the initial monitoring period in October 2007 allowed us to assess costs and logistical considerations, validate our habitat model, and conduct power analyses to assess whether our sampling design could detect the level of declines in beaver stated in the monitoring objectives. Beaver food caches were located in 20 of 52 sampled watersheds. Monitoring 20 to 25 watersheds with beaver should provide sufficient power to detect 15-40% declines in the beaver food cache index as well as a twofold decline in the odds of beaver being present in watersheds. Indices of abundance, such as the beaver food cache index, provide a practical measure of

  1. Effect of beaver dams on the hydrology of small mountain streams: Example from the Chevral in the Ourthe Orientale basin, Ardennes, Belgium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nyssen, J.; Pontzeele, J.; Billi, P.

    2011-05-01

    SummaryThe European beaver ( Castor fiber) was recently reintroduced to Belgium, after an absence of more than 150 years; around 120 beaver dam systems have been established. In Europe, few studies consider the hydrological effects of those dams, and the spatial scale larger than that of one beaver pond system has not been addressed at all. This research focuses on the hydrological effects of a series of six beaver dams on the Chevral R., a second order tributary of the Ourthe Orientale R. in a forested area of the Ardennes. Thereby, also the Ourthe Orientale sub-basin itself was taken into account, being the area with probably the highest density of beaver dams in Belgium. The main research questions regarded: (1) the extent to which discharge peaks are reduced at the very location and well downstream of beaver dams and (2) the impact of the beaver dams on low flows. The first approach consisted of a temporal analysis of the Ourthe Orientale discharge and precipitation data for the periods 1978-2003 (before) and 2004-2009 (after the establishment of beaver dams in the sub-basin). The second study determined the in situ impact of the beaver dams: discharges were measured (September 2009-March 2010) upstream as well as downstream of the 0.52 ha beaver dam system on the Chevral river, and changes in water level within the system of six dams were monitored. Our findings indicate that there is a significant lowering of discharge peaks in the downstream river reaches due to the effect of the beaver dams. The temporal analysis of the Ourthe Orientale sub-basin shows an increase in the recurrence interval for major floods; for instance, the recurrence interval of a reference flood of 60 m 3 s -1 increased from 3.4 years to 5.6 years since the establishment of the beaver dams. At the scale of the Chevral beaver dams' site, we measured that the dams top off the peak flows, in addition delaying them by approximately 1 day. There are also increased low flows: Q355 (i.e. the

  2. Observation of ultralong valley lifetime in WSe 2/MoS 2 heterostructures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Jonghwan; Jin, Chenhao; Chen, Bin

    The valley degree of freedom in two-dimensional (2D) crystals recently emerged as a novel information carrier in addition to spin and charge. The intrinsic valley lifetime in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) is expected to be markedly long due to the unique spin-valley locking behavior, where the intervalley scattering of the electron simultaneously requires a large momentum transfer to the opposite valley and a flip of the electron spin. However, the experimentally observed valley lifetime in 2D TMDs has been limited to tens of nanoseconds thus far. We report efficient generation of microsecond-long-lived valley polarization in WSe 2/MoS 2 heterostructuresmore » by exploiting the ultrafast charge transfer processes in the heterostructure that efficiently creates resident holes in the WSe 2 layer. These valley-polarized holes exhibit near-unity valley polarization and ultralong valley lifetime: We observe a valley-polarized hole population lifetime of more than 1 μs and a valley depolarization lifetime (that is, intervalley scattering lifetime) of more than 40 μs at 10 K. The near-perfect generation of valley-polarized holes in TMD heterostructures, combined with ultralong valley lifetime, which is orders of magnitude longer than previous results, opens up new opportunities for novel valleytronics and spintronics applications.« less

  3. Observation of ultralong valley lifetime in WSe 2/MoS 2 heterostructures

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Jonghwan; Jin, Chenhao; Chen, Bin; ...

    2017-07-26

    The valley degree of freedom in two-dimensional (2D) crystals recently emerged as a novel information carrier in addition to spin and charge. The intrinsic valley lifetime in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) is expected to be markedly long due to the unique spin-valley locking behavior, where the intervalley scattering of the electron simultaneously requires a large momentum transfer to the opposite valley and a flip of the electron spin. However, the experimentally observed valley lifetime in 2D TMDs has been limited to tens of nanoseconds thus far. We report efficient generation of microsecond-long-lived valley polarization in WSe 2/MoS 2 heterostructuresmore » by exploiting the ultrafast charge transfer processes in the heterostructure that efficiently creates resident holes in the WSe 2 layer. These valley-polarized holes exhibit near-unity valley polarization and ultralong valley lifetime: We observe a valley-polarized hole population lifetime of more than 1 μs and a valley depolarization lifetime (that is, intervalley scattering lifetime) of more than 40 μs at 10 K. The near-perfect generation of valley-polarized holes in TMD heterostructures, combined with ultralong valley lifetime, which is orders of magnitude longer than previous results, opens up new opportunities for novel valleytronics and spintronics applications.« less

  4. Silvies Valley Ranch, OR: using artificial beaver dams to restore incised streams

    Treesearch

    Rachael Davee; Susan Charnley; Hannah Gosnell

    2017-01-01

    The Silvies Valley Ranch is an example of using local innovation to combat the global problem of incised streams on rangelands. Incised channels reduce the flow between water in the channel and water in the surrounding soils, which reduces the vegetation available for wildlife habitat and cattle forage. One of the ranch owners, Scott Campbell, a doctor of veterinary...

  5. Survey of beaver-related restoration practices in rangeland streams of the western USA

    Treesearch

    David S. Pilliod; Ashley T. Rohde; Susan Charnley; Rachael R. Davee; Jason B. Dunham; Hannah Gosnell; Gordon E. Grant; Mark B. Hausner; Justin L. Huntington; Caroline Nash

    2018-01-01

    Poor condition of many streams and concerns about future droughts in the arid and semi-arid western USA have motivated novel restoration strategies aimed at accelerating recovery and increasing water resources. Translocation of beavers into formerly occupied habitats, restoration activities encouraging beaver recolonization, and instream structures mimicking the...

  6. Biology Today: Of Wishbones, Beavers & Blinking.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flannery, Maura, Ed.

    1989-01-01

    Provided is a discussion of items covering a variety of fascinating biological topics which include: the elasticity of the furcula of starlings in flight, beavers increasing the greenhouse effect, effective invaders, traveling birds, the cuckoo deception, competitive sperm, hearing springs, heat and sight, blinking as punctuation, mutations, and…

  7. Coupled stream and population dynamics: Modeling the role beaver (Castor canadensis) play in generating juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) habitat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jordan, C.; Bouwes, N.; Wheaton, J. M.; Pollock, M.

    2013-12-01

    Over the past several centuries, the population of North American Beaver has been dramatically reduced through fur trapping. As a result, the geomorphic impacts long-term beaver occupancy and activity can have on fluvial systems have been lost, both from the landscape and from our collective memory such that physical and biological models of floodplain system function neither consider nor have the capacity to incorporate the role beaver can play in structuring the dynamics of streams. Concomitant with the decline in beaver populations was an increasing pressure on streams and floodplains through human activity, placing numerous species of stream rearing fishes in peril, most notably the ESA listing of trout and salmon populations across the entirety of the Western US. The rehabilitation of stream systems is seen as one of the primary means by which population and ecosystem recovery can be achieved, yet the methods of stream rehabilitation are applied almost exclusively with the expected outcome of a static idealized stream planform, occasionally with an acknowledgement of restoring processes rather than form and only rarely with the goal of a beaver dominated riverscape. We have constructed an individual based model of trout and beaver populations that allows the exploration of fish population dynamics as a function of stream habitat quality and quantity. We based the simulation tool on Bridge Creek (John Day River basin, Oregon) where we have implemented a large-scale restoration experiment using wooden posts to provide beavers with stable platforms for dam building and to simulate the dams themselves. Extensive monitoring captured geomorphic and riparian changes, as well as fish and beaver population responses; information we use to parameterize the model as to the geomorphic and fish response to dam building beavers. In the simulation environment, stream habitat quality and quantity can be manipulated directly through rehabilitation actions and indirectly

  8. Beaver herbivory and its effect on cottonwood trees: Influence of flooding along matched regulated and unregulated rivers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Breck, S.W.; Wilson, K.R.; Andersen, D.C.

    2003-01-01

    We compared beaver (Castor canadensis) foraging patterns on Fremont cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. wislizenii) saplings and the probability of saplings being cut on a 10 km reach of the flow-regulated Green River and a 8.6 km reach of the free-flowing Yampa River in northwestern Colorado. We measured the abundance and density of cottonwood on each reach and followed the fates of individually marked saplings in three patches of cottonwood on the Yampa River and two patches on the Green River. Two natural floods on the Yampa River and one controlled flood on the Green River between May 1998 and November 1999 allowed us to assess the effect of flooding on beaver herbivory. Independent of beaver herbivory, flow regulation on the Green River has caused a decrease in number of cottonwood patches per kilometre of river, area of patches per kilometre, and average stem density within cottonwood patches. The number of saplings cut per beaver colony was three times lower on the Green River than on the Yampa River but the probability of a sapling being cut by a beaver was still higher on the Green River because of lower sapling density there. Controlled flooding appeared to increase the rate of foraging on the Green River by inundating patches of cottonwood, which enhanced access by beaver. Our results suggest regulation can magnify the impact of beaver on cottonwood through interrelated effects on plant spatial distribution and cottonwood density, with the result that beaver herbivory will need to be considered in plans to enhance cottonwood populations along regulated rivers.

  9. 75 FR 77826 - White River National Forest; Eagle County, CO; Beaver Creek Mountain Improvements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-14

    ... and/or affected individuals, organizations and governmental agencies will be used to identify resource... upcoming 2015 World Alpine Championships. In order for Beaver Creek to continue to host international... located at Beaver Creek. Hosting the 2015 International Skiing Federation (FIS) World Alpine Ski...

  10. A SIMULINK environment for flight dynamics and control analysis: Application to the DHC-2 Beaver. Part 1: Implementation of a model library in SIMULINK. Part 2: Nonlinear analysis of the Beaver autopilot

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rauw, Marc O.

    1993-01-01

    The design of advanced Automatic Aircraft Control Systems (AACS's) can be improved upon considerably if the designer can access all models and tools required for control system design and analysis through a graphical user interface, from within one software environment. This MSc-thesis presents the first step in the development of such an environment, which is currently being done at the Section for Stability and Control of Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. The environment is implemented within the commercially available software package MATLAB/SIMULINK. The report consists of two parts. Part 1 gives a detailed description of the AACS design environment. The heart of this environment is formed by the SIMULINK implementation of a nonlinear aircraft model in block-diagram format. The model has been worked out for the old laboratory aircraft of the Faculty, the DeHavilland DHC-2 'Beaver', but due to its modular structure, it can easily be adapted for other aircraft. Part 1 also describes MATLAB programs which can be applied for finding steady-state trimmed-flight conditions and for linearization of the aircraft model, and it shows how the built-in simulation routines of SIMULINK have been used for open-loop analysis of the aircraft dynamics. Apart from the implementation of the models and tools, a thorough treatment of the theoretical backgrounds is presented. Part 2 of this report presents a part of an autopilot design process for the 'Beaver' aircraft, which clearly demonstrates the power and flexibility of the AACS design environment from part 1. Evaluations of all longitudinal and lateral control laws by means of nonlinear simulations are treated in detail. A floppy disk containing all relevant MATLAB programs and SIMULINK models is provided as a supplement.

  11. First year results from an experimental study of the ecohydrologic benefits of beaver and beaver dam analogue restoration techniques in Childs Meadow, CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yarnell, S. M.; Pope, K.; Podolak, K.; Wolf, E.; Burnett, R.

    2016-12-01

    Due to extensive livestock grazing and widespread removal of beaver and willows, headwater meadows have transformed from multi-thread channels with seasonally active floodplains into single thread, incised channels that store less carbon, retain less water, and are lower in habitat quality for a diverse suite of meadow-dependent wildlife. Meadow restoration techniques often include willow planting and cattle exclosures; however, few studies have rigorously tested the long-term efficacy of these methods or evaluated alternative restoration techniques such as reintroduction of beaver or installation of beaver dam analogues (BDAs). This project seeks to evaluate the installation of BDAs as a restoration technique in Childs Meadow, a heavily grazed meadow in the Cascade Range representative of low-gradient meadows across northern California. Using a before-after-control-impact study design, the study tests the impacts of two restoration techniques (willow planting with cattle exclusion and willow planting with cattle exclusion and BDAs) on hydrology, carbon sequestration, and sensitive species. Results will be compared with measurements in an unrestored section of the meadow that currently supports an active beaver population and two imperiled species (Cascades Frog and Willow Flycatcher). One specific project objective is to measure the response of hydrogeomorphic conditions (e.g. groundwater, surface water, temperature, habitat) and Cascades Frog and Willow Flycatcher to restorative actions. Pre-treatment data was collected in summer 2015, a cattle exclosure was established and willows were planted in fall 2015, and installation of the BDAs is planned for fall 2016. Three years of post-implementation monitoring will be completed to assess impacts of the treatments. Here, we will present our sampling design and first year results following initiation of the treatments.

  12. 78 FR 20244 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania; Determinations of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-04

    ... CFR 51.918), a final determination of attainment suspends the CAA requirements for the Pittsburgh Area... Ozone Standard for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley Moderate Nonattainment Area AGENCY: Environmental... determinations regarding the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (the Pittsburgh Area...

  13. Using ecosystem engineers as tools in habitat restoration and rewilding: beaver and wetlands.

    PubMed

    Law, Alan; Gaywood, Martin J; Jones, Kevin C; Ramsay, Paul; Willby, Nigel J

    2017-12-15

    Potential for habitat restoration is increasingly used as an argument for reintroducing ecosystem engineers. Beaver have well known effects on hydromorphology through dam construction, but their scope to restore wetland biodiversity in areas degraded by agriculture is largely inferred. Our study presents the first formal monitoring of a planned beaver-assisted restoration, focussing on changes in vegetation over 12years within an agriculturally-degraded fen following beaver release, based on repeated sampling of fixed plots. Effects are compared to ungrazed exclosures which allowed the wider influence of waterlogging to be separated from disturbance through tree felling and herbivory. After 12years of beaver presence mean plant species richness had increased on average by 46% per plot, whilst the cumulative number of species recorded increased on average by 148%. Heterogeneity, measured by dissimilarity of plot composition, increased on average by 71%. Plants associated with high moisture and light conditions increased significantly in coverage, whereas species indicative of high nitrogen decreased. Areas exposed to both grazing and waterlogging generally showed the most pronounced change in composition, with effects of grazing seemingly additive, but secondary, to those of waterlogging. Our study illustrates that a well-known ecosystem engineer, the beaver, can with time transform agricultural land into a comparatively species-rich and heterogeneous wetland environment, thus meeting common restoration objectives. This offers a passive but innovative solution to the problems of wetland habitat loss that complements the value of beavers for water or sediment storage and flow attenuation. The role of larger herbivores has been significantly overlooked in our understanding of freshwater ecosystem function; the use of such species may yet emerge as the missing ingredient in successful restoration. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights

  14. Beaver dams, hydrological thresholds, and controlled floods as a management tool in a desert riverine ecosystem, Bill Williams River, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Andersen, D.C.; Shafroth, P.B.

    2010-01-01

    Beaver convert lotic stream habitat to lentic through dam construction, and the process is reversed when a flood or other event causes dam failure. We investigated both processes on a regulated Sonoran Desert stream, using the criterion that average current velocity is < 0.2 m s-1 in a lentic reach. We estimated temporal change in the lotic:lentic stream length ratio by relating beaver pond length (determined by the upstream lentic-lotic boundary position) to dam size, and coupling that to the dam-size frequency distribution and repeated censuses of dams along the 58-km river. The ratio fell from 19:1 when no beaver dams were present to < 3:1 after 7 years of flows favourable for beaver. We investigated the dam failure-flood intensity relationship in three independent trials (experimental floods) featuring peak discharge ranging from 37 to 65 m3 s-1. Major damage (breach ??? 3-m wide) occurred at ??? 20% of monitored dams (n = 7-86) and a similar or higher proportion was moderately damaged. We detected neither a relationship between dam size and damage level nor a flood discharge threshold for initiating major damage. Dam constituent materials appeared to control the probability of major damage at low (attenuated) flood magnitude. We conclude that environmental flows prescribed to sustain desert riparian forest will also reduce beaver-created lentic habitat in a non-linear manner determined by both beaver dam and flood attributes. Consideration of both desirable and undesirable consequences of ecological engineering by beaver is important when optimizing environmental flows to meet ecological and socioeconomic goals. ?? 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Hydrologic analysis of the proposed Badger-Beaver Creeks Artificial-Recharge Project : Morgan County, Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burns, Alan W.

    1980-01-01

    A hydrologic analysis of the proposed Badger-Beaver Creeks artificial-recharge project in Morgan County, Colo., was made with the aid of three digital computer models: A canal-distribution model, a ground-water flow model, and a stream-aquifer model. Statistical summaries of probable diversions from the South Platte River based on a 27-year period of historical flows indicate that an average-annual diversion of 96,000 acre-feet and a median-annual diversion of 43,000 acre-feet would be available. Diversions would sustain water in ponds for waterfowl habitat for an average of about five months per year, with a miximum pond surface area of about 300 acres with the median diversions and a maximum pond surface area of about 1,250 acres at least one-half of the years with the historic diversions. If the annual diversion were 43,000 acre-feet, recharge to the two alluvial aquifers would raise water levels sufficiently to create flowing streams in the channels of Beaver and Badger Creeks while allowing an increase in current ground-water pumping. The only area of significant waterlogging would be along the proposed delivery canal on the west edge of Badger Creek valley. If the total water available were diverted, the aquifer system could not transmit the water fast enough to the irrigation areas to avoid considerable waterlogging in the recharge areas. The impact of the proposed project on the South Platte River basin would be minimal once the ground-water system attained steady-state conditions, but that may take decades with a uniform diversion of the 43,000 acre-feet annually. (USGS)

  16. The demographic response of bank-dwelling beavers to flow regulation: A comparison on the Green and Yampa rivers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Breck, S.W.; Wilson, K.R.; Andersen, D.C.

    2001-01-01

    We assessed the effects of flow regulation on the demography of beavers (Castor canadensis) by comparing the density, home-range size, and body size of bank-dwelling beavers on two sixth-order alluvial river systems, the flow-regulated Green River and the free-flowing Yampa River, from 1997 to 2000. Flow regulation on the Green River has altered fluvial geomorphic processes, influencing the availability of willow and cottonwood, which, in turn, has influenced the demography of beavers. Beaver density was higher on the Green River (0.5–0.6 colonies per kilometre of river) than on the Yampa River (0.35 colonies per kilometre of river). Adult and subadult beavers on the Green River were in better condition, as indicated by larger body mass and tail size. There was no detectable difference in home-range size, though there were areas on the Yampa River that no beavers used. We attribute the improved habitat quality on the Green River to a greater availability of willow. We suggest that the sandy flats and sandbars that form during base flows and the ice cover that forms over winter on the Yampa River increase the energy expended by the beavers to obtain food and increase predation risk and thus lowers the availability of woody forage.

  17. Impact of beaver dams on abundance and distribution of anadromous salmonids in two lowland streams in Lithuania.

    PubMed

    Virbickas, Tomas; Stakėnas, Saulius; Steponėnas, Andrius

    2015-01-01

    European beaver dams impeded movements of anadromous salmonids as it was established by fishing survey, fish tagging and redd counts in two lowland streams in Lithuania. Significant differences in abundancies of other litophilic fish species and evenness of representation by species in the community were detected upstream and downstream of the beaver dams. Sea trout parr marked with RFID tags passed through several successive beaver dams in upstream direction, but no tagged fish were detected above the uppermost dam. Increase in abundances of salmonid parr in the stream between the beaver dams and decrease below the dams were recorded in November, at the time of spawning of Atlantic salmon and sea trout, but no significant changes were detected in the sections upstream of the dams. After construction of several additional beaver dams in the downstream sections of the studied streams, abundance of Atlantic salmon parr downstream of the dams decreased considerably in comparison with that estimated before construction.

  18. Eurasian beaver activity increases water storage, attenuates flow and mitigates diffuse pollution from intensively-managed grasslands.

    PubMed

    Puttock, Alan; Graham, Hugh A; Cunliffe, Andrew M; Elliott, Mark; Brazier, Richard E

    2017-01-15

    Beavers are the archetypal keystone species, which can profoundly alter ecosystem structure and function through their ecosystem engineering activity, most notably the building of dams. This can have a major impact upon water resource management, flow regimes and water quality. Previous research has predominantly focused on the activities of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) located in very different environments, to the intensive lowland agricultural landscapes of the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. Two Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) were introduced to a wooded site, situated on a first order tributary, draining from intensively managed grassland. The site was monitored to understand impacts upon water storage, flow regimes and water quality. Results indicated that beaver activity, primarily via the creation of 13 dams, has increased water storage within the site (holding ca. 1000m 3 in beaver ponds) and beavers were likely to have had a significant flow attenuation impact, as determined from peak discharges (mean 30±19% reduction), total discharges (mean 34±9% reduction) and peak rainfall to peak discharge lag times (mean 29±21% increase) during storm events. Event monitoring of water entering and leaving the site showed lower concentrations of suspended sediment, nitrogen and phosphate leaving the site (e.g. for suspended sediment; average entering site: 112±72mgl -1 , average leaving site: 39±37mgl -1 ). Combined with attenuated flows, this resulted in lower diffuse pollutant loads in water downstream. Conversely, dissolved organic carbon concentrations and loads downstream were higher. These observed changes are argued to be directly attributable to beaver activity at the site which has created a diverse wetland environment, reducing downstream hydrological connectivity. Results have important implications for beaver reintroduction programs which may provide nature based solutions to the catchment-scale water resource management issues

  19. Habitat characteristics at den sites of the Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

    Treesearch

    William J. Zielinski; John E. Hunter; Robin Hamlin; Keith M. Slauson; M. J. Mazurek

    2010-01-01

    The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is a federally listed endangered species, but has been the subject of few studies. Mountain beavers use burrows that include a single subterranean den. Foremost among the information needs for this subspecies is a description of the above-ground habitat features associated with dens. Using...

  20. Managed flood effects on beaver pond habitat in a desert riverine ecosystem, bill williams river, Arizona USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Andersen, D.C.; Shafroth, P.B.; Pritekel, C.M.; O'Neill, M. W.

    2011-01-01

    The ecological effects of beaver in warm-desert streams are poorly documented, but potentially significant. For example, stream water and sediment budgets may be affected by increased evaporative losses and sediment retention in beaver ponds. We measured physical attributes of beaver pond and adjacent lotic habitats on a regulated Sonoran Desert stream, the Bill Williams River, after ???11 flood-free months in Spring 2007 and Spring 2008. Neither a predicted warming of surface water as it passed through a pond nor a reduction in dissolved oxygen in ponds was consistently observed, but bed sediment sorted to finest in ponds as expected. We observed a river segment-scale downstream rise in daily minimum stream temperature that may have been influenced by the series of ??100 beaver ponds present. Channel cross-sections surveyed before and after an experimental flood (peak flow 65 m3/s) showed net aggradation on nine of 13 cross-sections through ponds and three of seven through lotic reaches. Our results indicate that beaver affect riverine processes in warm deserts much as they do in other biomes. However, effects may be magnified in deserts through the potential for beaver to alter the stream thermal regime and water budget. ?? Society of Wetland Scientists 2011.

  1. Beaver herbivory of willow under two flow regimes: A comparative study on the Green and Yampa rivers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Breck, Stewart W.; Wilson, Kenneth R.; Andersen, Douglas C.

    2003-01-01

    The effect of flow regulation on plant-herbivore ecology has received very little attention, despite the fact that flow regulation can alter both plant and animal abundance and environmental factors that mediate interactions between them. To determine how regulated flows have impacted beaver (Castor canadensis) and sandbar willow (Salix exigua) ecology, we first quantified the abundance and mapped the spatial distribution of sandbar willow on alluvial sections of the flow-regulated Green River and free-flowing Yampa River in northwestern Colorado. We then established 16 and 15 plots (1 m × 2.7 m) in patches of willow on the Green and Yampa Rivers, respectively, to determine whether rates of beaver herbivory of willow differed between rivers (Green versus Yampa River), seasons (fall-winter versus spring-summer), and years (spring 1998-spring 1999 versus spring 1999-spring 2000). Areal extent of willow was similar on each river, but Green River willow patches were smaller and more numerous. Beavers cut more stems during fall and winter than spring and summer and cut over 6 times more stems (percentage basis) on the Green River than on the Yampa River. We attribute the between-river difference in herbivory to higher availability of willow, greater beaver density, and lower availability of young Fremont cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. wislizenii; an alternative food source) on the Green River. Flow regulation increased willow availability to beaver by promoting the formation of island patches that are continuously adjacent to water and feature a perimeter with a relatively high proportion of willow interfacing with water.

  2. Long-Term Hydrological Reconstruction From a Beaver Meadow Using Testate Amoebae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Von Ness, K.; Loisel, J.; Karran, D. J.; Westbrook, C.; Kohlmeyer, C.

    2016-12-01

    Beaver ponds contribute up to 0.8 Tg/yr of atmospheric methane (CH4) globally (Whitfield et al., 2014) and were found to be the largest CH4 emitters among all the wetland types in boreal environments (Roulet et al., 1992). However, the sources and underlying mechanisms of carbon emission and sequestration in beaver ponds requires further elucidation. Here we present the historical development of a beaver meadow located in the Sibbald Research Wetland in the Rocky Mountains of Kananaskis Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. We use a combination of testate amoebae, plant macrofossils, and other geochemical proxies to provide high-resolution reconstructions along three peat cores extracted in hydrologically distinct portions of the meadow. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at reconstructing long-term hydrological conditions in these systems. Testate amoebae (Protozoa: Rhizopoda) are single-celled organisms that inhabit moist substrates and produce a decay-resistant test. As each taxon generally occupies a discrete ecological niche related to soil moisture and pH, testate amoebae are good indicators of past and ongoing hydrological change. Preliminary analysis of testate amoebae assemblages downcore suggests that this proxy is suitable to reconstruct hydrological changes in meadows, with wetter and drier communities being in good agreement with wetter and drier plant macrofossil assemblages. The nitrogen isotopic signature of peat samples (ongoing) will be used as a proxy for changes in nutrient input; it could become a proxy for past beaver activity.

  3. The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is apparently not a host to blood parasites in Norway.

    PubMed

    Cross, Hannah B; Campbell-Palmer, Róisín; Girling, Simon; Rosell, Frank

    2012-11-23

    Parasites can alter the physiology and behaviour of host species and negatively impact on their fitness thus affecting population densities. This is the first investigation into the presence of blood parasites in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber); a species that has been the subject of many translocation and reintroduction programmes. Two hundred and seventy blood slides prepared from the blood of 27 beavers from southern Norway were microscopically analysed for the presence of blood parasites. This study reports an absence of blood parasites in the Norwegian Eurasian beavers sampled. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Channel aggradation by beaver dams on a small agricultural stream in Eastern Nebraska

    Treesearch

    M.C. McCullough; J.L. Harper; D.E. Eisenhauer; M.G. Dosskey

    2004-01-01

    We assessed the effect of beaver dams on channel gradation of an incised stream in an agricultural area of eastern Nebraska. A topographic survey was conducted of a reach of Little Muddy Creek where beaver are known to have been building dams for twelve years. Results indicating that over this time period the thalweg elevation has aggraded an average of 0.65 m by...

  5. Spatial and seasonal variability of base flow in the Verde Valley, central Arizona, 2007 and 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Garner, Bradley D.; Bills, Donald J.

    2012-01-01

    Synoptic base-flow surveys were conducted on streams in the Verde Valley, central Arizona, in June 2007 and February 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Verde River Basin Partnership, the Town of Clarkdale, and Yavapai County. These surveys, also known as seepage runs, measured streamflow under base-flow conditions at many locations over a short period of time. Surveys were conducted on a segment of the Verde River that flows through the Verde Valley, between USGS streamflow-gaging stations 09504000 and 09506000, a distance of 51 river miles. Data from the surveys were used to investigate the dominant controls on Verde River base flow, spatial variability in gaining and losing reaches, and the effects that human alterations have on base flow in the surface-water system. The most prominent human alterations in the Verde Valley are dozens of surface-water diversions from streams, including gravity-fed ditch diversions along the Verde River.Base flow that entered the Verde River from the tributary streams of Oak Creek, Beaver Creek, and West Clear Creek was found to be a major source of base flow in the Verde River. Groundwater discharge directly into the Verde River near these three confluences also was an important contributor of base flow to the Verde River, particularly near the confluence with Beaver Creek. An examination of individual reaches of the Verde River in the Verde Valley found three reaches (largely unaffected by ditch diversions) exhibiting a similar pattern: a small net groundwater discharge in February 2011 (12 cubic feet per second or less) and a small net streamflow loss in June 2007 (11 cubic feet per second or less). Two reaches heavily affected by ditch diversions were difficult to interpret because of the large number of confounding human factors. Possible lower and upper bounds of net groundwater flux were calculated for all reaches, including those heavily affected by ditches.

  6. Ambient conditions and fate and transport simulations of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, 2006--10

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Green, W. Reed

    2013-01-01

    Beaver Lake is a large, deep-storage reservoir located in the upper White River Basin in northwestern Arkansas, and was completed in 1963 for the purposes of flood control, hydroelectric power, and water supply. Beaver Lake is affected by point and nonpoint sources of minerals, nutrients, and sediments. The City of Fayetteville discharges about half of its sewage effluent into the White River immediately upstream from the backwater of the reservoir. The City of West Fork discharges its sewage effluent into the West Fork of the White River, and the City of Huntsville discharges its sewage effluent into a tributary of War Eagle Creek. A study was conducted to describe the ambient conditions and fate and transport of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate concentrations in Beaver Lake. Dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate are components of wastewater discharged into Beaver Lake and a major concern of the drinking water utilities that use Beaver Lake as their source. A two-dimensional model of hydrodynamics and water quality was calibrated to include simulations of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate for the period January 2006 through December 2010. Estimated daily dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate loads were increased in the White River and War Eagle Creek tributaries, individually and the two tributaries together, by 1.2, 1.5, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 times the baseline conditions to examine fate and transport of these constituents through time at seven locations (segments) in the reservoir, from upstream to downstream in Beaver Lake. Fifteen dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate fate and transport scenarios were compared to the baseline simulation at each of the seven downstream locations in the reservoir, both 2 meters (m) below the surface and 2 m above the bottom. Concentrations were greater in the reservoir at model segments closer to where the tributaries entered the reservoir. Concentrations resulting from the increase in loading became more diluted

  7. Ecosystem experiment reveals benefits of natural and simulated beaver dams to a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    PubMed Central

    Bouwes, Nicolaas; Weber, Nicholas; Jordan, Chris E.; Saunders, W. Carl; Tattam, Ian A.; Volk, Carol; Wheaton, Joseph M.; Pollock, Michael M.

    2016-01-01

    Beaver have been referred to as ecosystem engineers because of the large impacts their dam building activities have on the landscape; however, the benefits they may provide to fluvial fish species has been debated. We conducted a watershed-scale experiment to test how increasing beaver dam and colony persistence in a highly degraded incised stream affects the freshwater production of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Following the installation of beaver dam analogs (BDAs), we observed significant increases in the density, survival, and production of juvenile steelhead without impacting upstream and downstream migrations. The steelhead response occurred as the quantity and complexity of their habitat increased. This study is the first large-scale experiment to quantify the benefits of beavers and BDAs to a fish population and its habitat. Beaver mediated restoration may be a viable and efficient strategy to recover ecosystem function of previously incised streams and to increase the production of imperiled fish populations. PMID:27373190

  8. Effects of a beaver pond on runoff processes: comparison of two headwater catchments

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burns, Douglas A.; McDonnell, Jeffery J.

    1998-01-01

    Natural variations in concentrations of 18O, D, and H4SiO4 in two tributary catchments of Woods Lake in the west-central Adirondack Mountains of New York were measured during 1989–1991 to examine runoff processes and their implications for the neutralization of acidic precipitation by calcium carbonate treatment. The two catchments are similar except that one contained a 1.3 ha beaver pond. Evaporation from the beaver pond caused a seasonal decrease in the slope of the meteoric water line in stream water from the catchment with a beaver pond (WO2). No corresponding change in slope of the meteoric water line was evident in stream water from the other catchment (WO4), nor in ground water nor soil water from either catchment, indicating that evaporative fractionation was not significant. Application of a best-fit sine curve to δ18O data indicated that base flow in both catchments had a residence time of about 100 days. Ground water from a well finished in thick till had the longest residence time (160 days); soil water from the O-horizon and B-horizon had residence times of 63 and 80 days, respectively. Water previously stored within each catchment (pre-event water) was the predominant component of streamflow during spring snowmelt and during spring and autumn rainfall events, but the proportion of streamflow that consisted of pre-event water differed significantly in the two catchments. The proportion of event water (rain and snowmelt) in WO2 was smaller than at WO4 early in the spring snowmelt of March 13–17, 1990, but the proportions of source water components for the two catchments were almost indistinguishable by the peak flow on the third day of the melt. The event water was further separated into surface-water and subsurface-water components by utilizing measured changes in H4SiO4 concentrations in stream water during the snowmelt. Results indicated that subsurface flow was the dominant pathway by which event water reached the stream except during the

  9. Beaver lodge distributions and damage assessments in a forested wetland ecosystem in the southern United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    King, S.L.; Keeland, B.D.; Moore, J.L.

    1998-01-01

    Caddo Lake, USA, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, is a lacustrine wetland complex consisting of stands of flooded baldcypress intermixed with open water and emergent wetland habitats. Recently, concern has been expressed over a perceived increase in the beaver population and the impact of beaver on the long-term sustainability of the baldcypress ecosystem. We used intensive beaver lodge surveys to determine the distribution and relative abundance of beaver and the amount, type, and distribution of beaver damage to mature trees and seedlings at Caddo Lake. A total of 229 lodges were located with a combination of aerial and boat/ground surveys. Most lodges were located in open water and edge habitats. About 95% of the lodges were occupied by beaver or nutria. Some form of damage was exhibited by one or more trees near 85% of the lodges. Intensive damage assessments around 35 lodges indicated that most damage to trees, baldcypress in particular, was restricted to peeling or stripping of bark which is believed to have minimal effect on tree survival. Surveys of regeneration indicated that baldcypress seedlings were very abundant; however, over 99.9% were less than 30 cm tall. The lack of recruitment into the larger size classes appears to be a result of high stand densities and water management practices. At this time, the young age and density of the baldcypress forests suggest that recruitment is not a major concern and herbivore damage appears to be having a minimal effect on the forest.

  10. BOREAS TGB-5 Dissolved Organic Carbon Data from NSA Beaver Ponds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bourbonniere, Rick; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor)

    2000-01-01

    The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Trace Gas Biogeochemistry (BOREAS TGB-5) team collected several data sets related to carbon and trace gas fluxes and concentrations in the Northern Study Area (NSA). This data set contains concentrations of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon species from water samples collected at various NSA sites. In particular, this set covers the NSA Tower Beaver Pond Site and the NSA Gillam Road Beaver Pond Site, including data from all visits to open water sampling locations during the BOREAS field campaigns from April to September 1994. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

  11. Spatial variation in fish assemblages across a beaver-influenced successional landscape

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schlosser, I.J.; Kallemeyn, L.W.

    2000-01-01

    Beavers are increasingly viewed as “ecological engineers,” having broad effects on physical, chemical, and biological attributes of north-temperate landscapes. We examine the influence of both local successional processes associated with beaver activity and regional geomorphic boundaries on spatial variation in fish assemblages along the Kabetogama Peninsula in Voyageurs National Park, northern Minnesota, USA. Fish abundance and species richness exhibited considerable variation among drainages along the peninsula. Geological barriers to fish dispersal at outlets of some drainages has reduced fish abundance and species richness. Fish abundance and species richness also varied within drainages among local environments associated with beaver pond succession. Fish abundance was higher in upland ponds than in lowland ponds, collapsed ponds, or streams, whereas species richness was highest in collapsed ponds and streams. Cluster analyses based on fish abundance at sites classified according to successional environment indicated that four species (northern redbelly dace, Phoxinus eos; brook stickleback, Culaea inconstans; finescale dace, P. neogaeus; and fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas), were predominant in all successional environments. Several less abundant species were added in collapsed ponds and streams, with smaller size classes of large lake species (e.g., black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus; smallmouth bass, Micropertus dolomieui; yellow perch, Perca flavescens; and burbot, Lota lota) being a component of these less abundant species. The addition of smaller size classes of large lake species indicates that dispersal of early life-history stages from Kabetogama Lake played a role in determining the species richness and composition of less abundant species in successional environments on the peninsula. Furthermore, collapsed-pond and stream environments closer to Kabetogama Lake had higher species richness than similar successional sites located farther

  12. Estimates of underwater and aerial visual acuity in the European beaver Castor fiber L. based on morphological data.

    PubMed

    Mass, A M; Supin, A Ya

    2017-03-01

    The eye optics and topographic distribution of ganglion cells were studied using whole mount preparations from European beaver Castor fiber L. The beaver eye optics provides emmetropia in air and hypermetropia in water. The optometrical measurements predict retinal resolution of the beaver eye around 17' in air and 9' in water. In air, retinal resolution corresponds to the real visual acuity, whereas in water, visual acuity is below the retinal resolution because of the non-precise focusing.

  13. Reconnaissance investigation of high-calcium marble in the Beaver Creek area, St. Lawrence County, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, C. Ervin

    1978-01-01

    Three belts of marble of the Grenville Series were mapped in the Beaver Creek drainage basin, St. Lawrence County, N.Y. One of these, on the west side of Beaver Creek, consists of coarsely crystalline pure calcitic marble that occurs in a zone at least 10 by 0.8 km in extent. Samples of marble show CaCO3 content to be greater than 93 percent, and some samples contain greater than 96 percent, and only small amounts of MgO and Fe203 are present. Marble in two other belts to the east of Beaver Creek are variable in composition, but locally have high content of calcium carbonate material. The marble deposit west of Beaver Creek has a chemical composition favorable for specialized chemical, industrial, and metallurgical uses. Another favorable aspect of the deposit is its proximity to inexpensive water transportation on the St. Lawrence Seaway only 27.5 km away by road, at Ogdensburg, N.Y.

  14. Fluvial wood function downstream of beaver versus man-made dams in headwater streams in Massachusetts, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    David, G. C.; DeVito, L. F.; Munz, K. T.; Lisius, G.

    2014-12-01

    Fluvial wood is an essential component of stream ecosystems by providing habitat, increasing accumulation of organic matter, and increasing the processing of nutrients and other materials. However, years of channel alterations in Massachusetts have resulted in low wood loads despite the afforestation that has occurred since the early 1900s. Streams have also been impacted by a large density of dams, built during industrialization, and reduction of the beaver population. Beavers were reintroduced to Massachusetts in the 1940s and they have since migrated throughout the state. Beaver dams impound water, which traps sediment and results in the development of complex channel patterns and more ecologically productive and diverse habitats than those found adjacent to man-made dams. To develop better management practices for dam removal it is essential that we understand the geomorphic and ecologic function of wood in these channels and the interconnections with floodplain dynamics and stream water chemistry. We investigate the connections among fluvial wood, channel morphology, floodplain soil moisture dynamics, and stream water chemistry in six watersheds in Massachusetts that have been impacted by either beaver or man-made dams. We hypothesize that wood load will be significantly higher below beaver dams, subsequently altering channel morphology, water chemistry, and floodplain soil moisture. Reaches are surveyed up- and downstream of each type of dam to better understand the impact dams have on the fluvial system. Surveys include a longitudinal profile, paired with dissolved oxygen and ammonium measurements, cross-section and fluvial wood surveys, hydraulic measurements, and floodplain soil moisture mapping. We found that dissolved oxygen mirrored the channel morphology, but did not vary significantly between reaches. Wood loads were significantly larger downstream of beaver dams, which resulted in significant changes to the ammonium levels. Floodplain soil moisture

  15. The role of beaver in shaping steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) habitat complexity and thermal refugia in a central Oregon stream

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Consolati, F.; Wheaton, J. M.; Neilson, B. T.; Bouwes, N.; Pollock, M. M.

    2012-12-01

    The incised and degraded habitat of Bridge Creek, tributary to the John Day River in central Oregon, is thought to be limiting the local population of ESA-listed steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Restoration efforts for this watershed are aimed to improve their habitat through reconnecting the channel with portions of its former floodplain (now terraces) to increase stream habitat complexity and the extent of riparian vegetation. This is being done via the installation of over a hundred beaver dam support (BDS) structures that are designed to either mimic beaver dams or support existing beaver dams. The overall objective of this study is to determine if the BDS structures have had an effect on stream channel habitat complexity and thermal refugia in selected sections of Bridge Creek. Analysis of stream temperature data in restoration treatment and control areas will show the effects of beaver dams on stream temperature. Analysis of aerial imagery and high resolution topographic data will exhibit how the number and types of geomorphic units have changed after the construction of beaver dams. Combined, the results of this research are aimed to increase our understanding of how beaver dams impact fish habitat and stream temperature.

  16. Simulation of hydrodynamics, temperature, and dissolved oxygen in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, 1994-1995

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Haggard, Brian; Green, W. Reed

    2002-01-01

    The tailwaters of Beaver Lake and other White River reservoirs support a cold-water trout fishery of significant economic yield in northwestern Arkansas. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has requested an increase in existing minimum flows through the Beaver Lake dam to increase the amount of fishable waters downstream. Information is needed to assess the impact of additional minimum flows on temperature and dissolved-oxygen qualities of reservoir water above the dam and the release water. A two-dimensional, laterally averaged hydrodynamic, thermal and dissolved-oxygen model was developed and calibrated for Beaver Lake, Arkansas. The model simulates surface-water elevation, currents, heat transport and dissolved-oxygen dynamics. The model was developed to assess the impacts of proposed increases in minimum flows from 1.76 cubic meters per second (the existing minimum flow) to 3.85 cubic meters per second (the additional minimum flow). Simulations included assessing (1) the impact of additional minimum flows on tailwater temperature and dissolved-oxygen quality and (2) increasing initial water-surface elevation 0.5 meter and assessing the impact of additional minimum flow on tailwater temperatures and dissolved-oxygen concentrations. The additional minimum flow simulation (without increasing initial pool elevation) appeared to increase the water temperature (<0.9 degrees Celsius) and decrease dissolved oxygen concentration (<2.2 milligrams per liter) in the outflow discharge. Conversely, the additional minimum flow plus initial increase in pool elevation (0.5 meter) simulation appeared to decrease outflow water temperature (0.5 degrees Celsius) and increase dissolved oxygen concentration (<1.2 milligrams per liter) through time. However, results from both minimum flow scenarios for both water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration were within the boundaries or similar to the error between measured and simulated water column profile values.

  17. Optical manipulation of valley pseduospin in 2D semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Ziliang

    Valley polarization associated with the occupancy in the energy degenerate but quantum mechanically distinct valleys in the momentum space closely resembles spin polarization and has been proposed as a pseudospin carrier for future quantum information technologies. Monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) crystals, with broken inversion symmetry and large spin-orbital coupling, support robust valley polarization and therefore provide an important platform for studying valley-dependent physics. Besides optical excitation and photoluminescence detection, valley polarization has been electrically measured through the valley Hall effect and created through spin injection from ferromagnetic semiconductor contacts. Moreover, the energy degeneracy of the valley degree of freedom has been lifted by the optical Stark effect. Recently, we have demonstrated optical manipulation of valley coherence, i.e., of the valley pseudospin, by the optical Stark effect in monolayer WSe2. Using below-bandgap circularly polarized light, we rotated the valley pseudospin on the femtosecond time scale. Both the direction and speed of the rotation can be optically controlled by tuning the dynamic phase of excitons in opposite valleys. The pseudospin rotation was identified by changes in the polarization of the photoluminescence. In addition, by varying the time delay between the excitation and control pulses, we directly probed the lifetime of the intervalley coherence. Similar rotation levels have also been observed in static magneto-optic experiments. Our work presents an important step towards the full control of the valley degree of freedom in 2D semiconductors. The work was done in collaboration with Dr. Dezheng Sun and Prof. Tony F. Heinz.

  18. Imaging of pure spin-valley diffusion current in WS2-WSe2 heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Chenhao; Kim, Jonghwan; Utama, M. Iqbal Bakti; Regan, Emma C.; Kleemann, Hans; Cai, Hui; Shen, Yuxia; Shinner, Matthew James; Sengupta, Arjun; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Tongay, Sefaattin; Zettl, Alex; Wang, Feng

    2018-05-01

    Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials are promising for spintronic and valleytronic applications because valley-polarized excitations can be generated and manipulated with circularly polarized photons and the valley and spin degrees of freedom are locked by strong spin-orbital interactions. In this study we demonstrate efficient generation of a pure and locked spin-valley diffusion current in tungsten disulfide (WS2)–tungsten diselenide (WSe2) heterostructures without any driving electric field. We imaged the propagation of valley current in real time and space by pump-probe spectroscopy. The valley current in the heterostructures can live for more than 20 microseconds and propagate over 20 micrometers; both the lifetime and the diffusion length can be controlled through electrostatic gating. The high-efficiency and electric-field–free generation of a locked spin-valley current in TMDC heterostructures holds promise for applications in spin and valley devices.

  19. Superior Valley Polarization and Coherence of 2s Excitons in Monolayer WSe_{2}.

    PubMed

    Chen, Shao-Yu; Goldstein, Thomas; Tong, Jiayue; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Yan, Jun

    2018-01-26

    We report the experimental observation of 2s exciton radiative emission from monolayer tungsten diselenide, enabled by hexagonal boron nitride protected high-quality samples. The 2s luminescence is highly robust and persists up to 150 K, offering a new quantum entity for manipulating the valley degree of freedom. Remarkably, the 2s exciton displays superior valley polarization and coherence than 1s under similar experimental conditions. This observation provides evidence that the Coulomb-exchange-interaction-driven valley-depolarization process, the Maialle-Silva-Sham mechanism, plays an important role in valley excitons of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides.

  20. Superior Valley Polarization and Coherence of 2 s Excitons in Monolayer WSe2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Shao-Yu; Goldstein, Thomas; Tong, Jiayue; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Yan, Jun

    2018-01-01

    We report the experimental observation of 2 s exciton radiative emission from monolayer tungsten diselenide, enabled by hexagonal boron nitride protected high-quality samples. The 2 s luminescence is highly robust and persists up to 150 K, offering a new quantum entity for manipulating the valley degree of freedom. Remarkably, the 2 s exciton displays superior valley polarization and coherence than 1 s under similar experimental conditions. This observation provides evidence that the Coulomb-exchange-interaction-driven valley-depolarization process, the Maialle-Silva-Sham mechanism, plays an important role in valley excitons of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides.

  1. Magnetic control of valley pseudospin in monolayer WSe 2

    DOE PAGES

    Aivazian, G.; Gong, Zhirui; Jones, Aaron M.; ...

    2015-01-26

    Local energy extrema of the bands in momentum space, or valleys, can endow electrons in solids with pseudo-spin in addition to real spin 1-5. In transition metal dichalcogenides this valley pseudo-spin, like real spin, is associated with a magnetic moment1,6 which underlies the valley-dependent circular dichroism 6 that allows optical generation of valley polarization 7-9, intervalley quantum coherence 10, and the valley Hall effect 11. However, magnetic manipulation of valley pseudospin via this magnetic moment 12-13, analogous to what is possible with real spin, has not been shown before. Here we report observation of the valley Zeeman splitting and magneticmore » tuning of polarization and coherence of the excitonic valley pseudospin, by performing polarization-resolved magneto-photoluminescence on monolayer WSe 2. Our measurements reveal both the atomic orbital and lattice contributions to the valley orbital magnetic moment; demonstrate the deviation of the band edges in the valleys from an exact massive Dirac fermion model; and reveal a striking difference between the magnetic responses of neutral and charged valley excitons which is explained by renormalization of the excitonic spectrum due to strong exchange interactions.« less

  2. The Use of Acceleration to Code for Animal Behaviours; A Case Study in Free-Ranging Eurasian Beavers Castor fiber

    PubMed Central

    Graf, Patricia M.; Wilson, Rory P.; Qasem, Lama; Hackländer, Klaus; Rosell, Frank

    2015-01-01

    Recent technological innovations have led to the development of miniature, accelerometer-containing electronic loggers which can be attached to free-living animals. Accelerometers provide information on both body posture and dynamism which can be used as descriptors to define behaviour. We deployed tri-axial accelerometer loggers on 12 free-ranging Eurasian beavers Castor fiber in the county of Telemark, Norway, and on four captive beavers (two Eurasian beavers and two North American beavers C. canadensis) to corroborate acceleration signals with observed behaviours. By using random forests for classifying behavioural patterns of beavers from accelerometry data, we were able to distinguish seven behaviours; standing, walking, swimming, feeding, grooming, diving and sleeping. We show how to apply the use of acceleration to determine behaviour, and emphasise the ease with which this non-invasive method can be implemented. Furthermore, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this, and the implementation of accelerometry on animals, illustrating limitations, suggestions and solutions. Ultimately, this approach may also serve as a template facilitating studies on other animals with similar locomotor modes and deliver new insights into hitherto unknown aspects of behavioural ecology. PMID:26317623

  3. Imaging of pure spin-valley diffusion current in WS2-WSe2 heterostructures.

    PubMed

    Jin, Chenhao; Kim, Jonghwan; Utama, M Iqbal Bakti; Regan, Emma C; Kleemann, Hans; Cai, Hui; Shen, Yuxia; Shinner, Matthew James; Sengupta, Arjun; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Tongay, Sefaattin; Zettl, Alex; Wang, Feng

    2018-05-25

    Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials are promising for spintronic and valleytronic applications because valley-polarized excitations can be generated and manipulated with circularly polarized photons and the valley and spin degrees of freedom are locked by strong spin-orbital interactions. In this study we demonstrate efficient generation of a pure and locked spin-valley diffusion current in tungsten disulfide (WS 2 )-tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) heterostructures without any driving electric field. We imaged the propagation of valley current in real time and space by pump-probe spectroscopy. The valley current in the heterostructures can live for more than 20 microseconds and propagate over 20 micrometers; both the lifetime and the diffusion length can be controlled through electrostatic gating. The high-efficiency and electric-field-free generation of a locked spin-valley current in TMDC heterostructures holds promise for applications in spin and valley devices. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  4. Fire effects on the Point Reyes Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa phaea) at Point Reyes National Seashore, 10 years after the Vision Fire

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fellers, Gary M.; Osbourn, Michael

    2009-01-01

    The 1995 Vision Fire burned 5000 ha and destroyed 40% of the habitat of the Point Reyes Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa phaea). Surveys immediately post-fire and in 2000 showed that only 0.4 to 1.7% of Mountain Beavers within the burn area survived. In 2000, dense, ground-hugging Blue-blossom Ceanothus (Ceanothus thrysiflorus) appeared to make coastal scrub thickets much less suitable for Mountain Beavers even though the number of burrows at our 11 study sites had returned to 88% of pre-fire numbers. In 2005 (10 y post-fire), the habitat appeared to be better for Mountain Beavers; Blue-blossom Ceanothus had diminished and vegetation more typical of northern coastal scrub, such as Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) overstory with a lower layer of herbaceous vegetation, had greatly increased; but the number of Mountain Beaver burrows had declined to 52% of pre-fire numbers and there was little change in the number of sites occupied between our 2000 and 2005 surveys. With the expected successional changes in thicket structure, Mountain Beaver populations are likely to recover further, but there will probably be considerable variation in how each population stabilizes.

  5. Evidence for the importance of ductile shear in regional fabric development in Grenville-age gneisses of the Beaver Creek region, Northwest Lowlands, New York State

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tewksbury, B.; Culbertson, H.; Marcoline, J.

    1993-03-01

    In the Beaver Creek region of the Northwest Lowlands, Brown (1989) has described Grenville-age metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks as showing a prominent regional foliation, early southeastward emplacement of a nappe complex (the North Gouverneur Nappe), 2 subsequent generations of folds, and late regional faulting along the Beaver Creek, Pleasant Lake, and Hickory-Mud Lakes faults. The authors examined a variety of units across the Beaver Creek region, including a granitic augen gneiss immediately west of the Beaver Creek Fault Zone, an alaskitic gneiss immediately below Brown's (1989) North Gouverneur Nappe Sole Fault, a biotitic granitic gneiss within the body of Brown'smore » North Gouverneur Nappe, and hornblende augen gneisses and metasediments adjacent to the granitic gneisses. Each of the granitic units has moderately well-developed to extremely well-developed quartz ribbon lineations, and all show at least 2 ductile shear fabrics. Shear fabrics are present as well in the hornblende augen gneisses but are essentially absent in most of the metasedimentary lithologies, even those immediately adjacent to well-lineated, sheared granitic gneiss. The earliest shear fabrics exhibit spectacular quartz ribbon lineations, sigma grains, and, in the hornblende augen gneiss, shear bands. Granitic gneisses in the Beaver Creek Region show shear fabrics in addition to the main fabric in the rock. A second, variably-recovered shear fabric with quartz ribbons and well-developed sigma grains with core and mantle structure overprints the main shear fabric and shows largely the same sense of shear. The authors suggest further that a regional kinematic model for the Beaver Creek region must take into account significant, protracted regional shear, perhaps including formation of sheath folds, as in the Hyde School Gneiss at Payne Lake and Dobbs Creek.« less

  6. Mitochondrial Genomes Reveal Slow Rates of Molecular Evolution and the Timing of Speciation in Beavers (Castor), One of the Largest Rodent Species

    PubMed Central

    Horn, Susanne; Durka, Walter; Wolf, Ronny; Ermala, Aslak; Stubbe, Annegret; Stubbe, Michael; Hofreiter, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Background Beavers are one of the largest and ecologically most distinct rodent species. Little is known about their evolution and even their closest phylogenetic relatives have not yet been identified with certainty. Similarly, little is known about the timing of divergence events within the genus Castor. Methodology/Principal Findings We sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes from both extant beaver species and used these sequences to place beavers in the phylogenetic tree of rodents and date their divergence from other rodents as well as the divergence events within the genus Castor. Our analyses support the phylogenetic position of beavers as a sister lineage to the scaly tailed squirrel Anomalurus within the mouse related clade. Molecular dating places the divergence time of the lineages leading to beavers and Anomalurus as early as around 54 million years ago (mya). The living beaver species, Castor canadensis from North America and Castor fiber from Eurasia, although similar in appearance, appear to have diverged from a common ancestor more than seven mya. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that a migration of Castor from Eurasia to North America as early as 7.5 mya could have initiated their speciation. We date the common ancestor of the extant Eurasian beaver relict populations to around 210,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought. Finally, the substitution rate of Castor mitochondrial DNA is considerably lower than that of other rodents. We found evidence that this is correlated with the longer life span of beavers compared to other rodents. Conclusions/Significance A phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genome sequences suggests a sister-group relationship between Castor and Anomalurus, and allows molecular dating of species divergence in congruence with paleontological data. The implementation of a relaxed molecular clock enabled us to estimate mitochondrial substitution rates and to evaluate the effect of life history traits

  7. Valley-selective optical Stark effect in monolayer WS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gedik, Nuh

    Monolayer semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have a pair of valleys that, by time-reversal symmetry, are energetically degenerate. Lifting the valley degeneracy in these materials is of great interest because it would allow for valley specific band engineering and offer additional control in valleytronic applications. In this talk, I will show that circularly polarized light, which breaks time-reversal symmetry, can be used to lift the valley degeneracy by means of the optical Stark effect. We demonstrate that this effect is capable of raising the exciton level in monolayer TMD WS2 by as much as 18 meV in a controllable valley-selective manner. The resulting energy shift is extremely large, comparable to the shift that would be obtained using a very high magnetic field (approximately 100 Tesla). These results offer a novel way to control valley degree of freedom, and may provide a means to realize new valley-selective Floquet topological state of matter.

  8. Water quality and processes affecting dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Blackwater River, Canaan Valley, West Virginia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Waldron, M.C.; Wiley, J.B.

    1996-01-01

    The water quality and environmental processes affecting dissolved oxygen were determined for the Blackwater River in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. Canaan Valley is oval-shaped (14 miles by 5 miles) and is located in the Allegheny Mountains at an average elevation of 3,200 feet above sea level. Tourism, population, and real estate development have increased in the past two decades. Most streams in Canaan Valley are a dilute calcium magnesium bicarbonate-type water. Streamwater typicaly was soft and low in alkalinity and dissolved solids. Maximum values for specific conductance, hardness, alkalinity, and dissolved solids occurred during low-flow periods when streamflow was at or near baseflow. Dissolved oxygen concentrations are most sensitive to processes affecting the rate of reaeration. The reaeration is affected by solubility (atmospheric pressure, water temperature, humidity, and cloud cover) and processes that determine stream turbulence (stream depth, width, velocity, and roughness). In the headwaters, photosynthetic dissolved oxygen production by benthic algae can result in supersaturated dissolved oxygen concentrations. In beaver pools, dissolved oxygen consumption from sediment oxygen demand and carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand can result in dissolved oxygen deficits.

  9. Echinococcus multilocularis Detection in Live Eurasian Beavers (Castor fiber) Using a Combination of Laparoscopy and Abdominal Ultrasound under Field Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Gottstein, Bruno; Cracknell, John; Schwab, Gerhard; Rosell, Frank

    2015-01-01

    Echinococcus multilocularis is an important pathogenic zoonotic parasite of health concern, though absent in the United Kingdom. Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) may act as a rare intermediate host, and so unscreened wild caught individuals may pose a potential risk of introducing this parasite to disease-free countries through translocation programs. There is currently no single definitive ante-mortem diagnostic test in intermediate hosts. An effective non-lethal diagnostic, feasible under field condition would be helpful to minimise parasite establishment risk, where indiscriminate culling is to be avoided. This study screened live beavers (captive, n = 18 or wild-trapped in Scotland, n = 12) and beaver cadavers (wild Scotland, n = 4 or Bavaria, n = 11), for the presence of E. multilocularis. Ultrasonography in combination with minimally invasive surgical examination of the abdomen by laparoscopy was viable under field conditions for real-time evaluation in beavers. Laparoscopy alone does not allow the operator to visualize the parenchyma of organs such as the liver, or inside the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract, hence the advantage of its combination with abdominal ultrasonography. All live beavers and Scottish cadavers were largely unremarkable in their haematology and serum biochemistry with no values suspicious for liver pathology or potentially indicative of E. multilocularis infection. This correlated well with ultrasound, laparoscopy, and immunoblotting, which were unremarkable in these individuals. Two wild Bavarian individuals were suspected E. multilocularis positive at post-mortem, through the presence of hepatic cysts. Sensitivity and specificity of a combination of laparoscopy and abdominal ultrasonography in the detection of parasitic liver cyst lesions was 100% in the subset of cadavers (95%Confidence Intervals 34.24–100%, and 86.7–100% respectively). For abdominal ultrasonography alone sensitivity was only 50% (95%CI 9.5–90.6%), with

  10. Enhanced valley splitting in monolayer WSe2 due to magnetic exchange field.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Chuan; Norden, Tenzin; Zhang, Peiyao; Zhao, Puqin; Cheng, Yingchun; Sun, Fan; Parry, James P; Taheri, Payam; Wang, Jieqiong; Yang, Yihang; Scrace, Thomas; Kang, Kaifei; Yang, Sen; Miao, Guo-Xing; Sabirianov, Renat; Kioseoglou, George; Huang, Wei; Petrou, Athos; Zeng, Hao

    2017-08-01

    Exploiting the valley degree of freedom to store and manipulate information provides a novel paradigm for future electronics. A monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) with a broken inversion symmetry possesses two degenerate yet inequivalent valleys, which offers unique opportunities for valley control through the helicity of light. Lifting the valley degeneracy by Zeeman splitting has been demonstrated recently, which may enable valley control by a magnetic field. However, the realized valley splitting is modest (∼0.2 meV T -1 ). Here we show greatly enhanced valley spitting in monolayer WSe 2 , utilizing the interfacial magnetic exchange field (MEF) from a ferromagnetic EuS substrate. A valley splitting of 2.5 meV is demonstrated at 1 T by magnetoreflectance measurements and corresponds to an effective exchange field of ∼12 T. Moreover, the splitting follows the magnetization of EuS, a hallmark of the MEF. Utilizing the MEF of a magnetic insulator can induce magnetic order and valley and spin polarization in TMDCs, which may enable valleytronic and quantum-computing applications.

  11. Dynamics of valley pseudospin in single-layer WSe2. Inter-valley scattering mediated by electron-phonon interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molina-Sanchez, Alejandro; Sangalli, Davide; Wirtz, Ludger; Marini, Andrea

    In a time-dependent Kerr experiment a circularly polarized laser field is used to selectively populate the K+/- electronic valleys of single-layer WSe2. This carrier population corresponds to a finite pseudospin polarization that dictates the valleytronic properties of WSe2, but whose decay mechanism still remains largely debated. Time-dependent Kerr experiments provide an accurate way to visualize the pseudospin dynamics by measuring the rotation of a linearly polarized probe pulse applied after a circularly polarized and short pump pulse. We present here a clear, accurate and parameter-free description of the valley pseudospin dynamics in single-layer WSe2. By using an ab-initio approach we solve unambiguously the long standing debate about the dominant mechanism that drives the valley depolarization. Our results are in excellent agreement with recent time-dependent Kerr experiments. The decay dynamics and peculiar temperature dependence is explained in terms of electron phonon mediated processes that induce spin-flip inter-valley transitions.

  12. Measuring taste impairment in epidemiologic studies: the Beaver Dam Offspring Study.

    PubMed

    Cruickshanks, K J; Schubert, C R; Snyder, D J; Bartoshuk, L M; Huang, G H; Klein, B E K; Klein, R; Nieto, F J; Pankow, J S; Tweed, T S; Krantz, E M; Moy, G S

    2009-07-01

    Taste or gustatory function may play an important role in determining diet and nutritional status and therefore indirectly impact health. Yet there have been few attempts to study the spectrum of taste function and dysfunction in human populations. Epidemiologic studies are needed to understand the impact of taste function and dysfunction on public health, to identify modifiable risk factors, and to develop and test strategies to prevent clinically significant dysfunction. However, measuring taste function in epidemiologic studies is challenging and requires repeatable, efficient methods that can measure change over time. Insights gained from translating laboratory-based methods to a population-based study, the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (BOSS) will be shared. In this study, a generalized labeled magnitude scale (gLMS) method was used to measure taste intensity of filter paper disks saturated with salt, sucrose, citric acid, quinine, or 6-n-propylthiouracil, and a gLMS measure of taste preferences was administered. In addition, a portable, inexpensive camera system to capture digital images of fungiform papillae and a masked grading system to measure the density of fungiform papillae were developed. Adult children of participants in the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, are eligible for this ongoing study. The parents were residents of Beaver Dam and 43-84 years of age in 1987-1988; offspring ranged in age from 21-84 years in 2005-2008. Methods will be described in detail and preliminary results about the distributions of taste function in the BOSS cohort will be presented.

  13. Application of a Two-Dimensional Reservoir Water-Quality Model of Beaver Lake, Arkansas, for the Evaluation of Simulated Changes in Input Water Quality, 2001-2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Galloway, Joel M.; Green, W. Reed

    2007-01-01

    Beaver Lake is considered a primary watershed of concern in the State of Arkansas. As such, information is needed to assess water quality, especially nutrient enrichment, nutrient-algal relations, turbidity, and sediment issues within the system. A previously calibrated two-dimensional, laterally averaged model of hydrodynamics and water quality was used for the evaluation of changes in input nutrient and sediment concentrations on the water quality of the reservoir for the period of April 2001 to April 2003. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were increased and decreased and tested independently and simultaneously to examine the nutrient concentrations and algal response in the reservoir. Suspended-solids concentrations were increased and decreased to identify how solids are distributed in the reservoir, which can contribute to decreased water clarity. The Beaver Lake model also was evaluated using a conservative tracer. A conservative tracer was applied at various locations in the reservoir model to observe the fate and transport and how the reservoir might react to the introduction of a conservative substance, or a worst-case spill scenario. In particular, tracer concentrations were evaluated at the locations of the four public water-supply intakes in Beaver Lake. Nutrient concentrations in Beaver Lake increased proportionally with increases in loads from the three main tributaries. An increase of 10 times the calibrated daily input nitrogen and phosphorus in the three main tributaries resulted in daily mean total nitrogen concentrations in the epilimnion that were nearly 4 times greater than the calibration concentrations at site L2 and more than 2 times greater than the calibrated concentrations at site L5. Increases in daily input nitrogen in the three main tributaries independently did not correspond in substantial increases in concentrations of nitrogen in Beaver Lake. The greatest proportional increase in phosphorus occurred in the epilimnion at sites

  14. Geochemistry of stream-sediment samples from the Santa Renia Fields and Beaver Peak quadrangles, northern Carlin Trend, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Theodore, Ted G.; Kotlyar, Boris B.; Berger, Vladimir I.; Moring, Barry C.; Singer, Donald A.; Edstrom, Sven A.

    1999-01-01

    A broad west-to-east increase of many metal concentrations has been found in stream sediments during a reconnaissance investigation conducted in conjunction with geologic studies in the Santa Renia Fields and Beaver Peak 7–1/2 minute quadrangles near the northern end of the Carlin trend of gold deposits in the Tuscarora Mountains. This regional increase in metal concentrations coincides with a dramatic change in landform wherein high concentrations of metals in stream sediments appear to correlate directly with areas of high elevations and steep slopes in the Beaver Peak quadrangle. Robust erosion combined with high flow rates in streams from these higher elevations are envisaged to have contributed significantly to increased metal concentrations in the stream sediments by an enhanced presence of minerals with high specific gravities and a correspondingly diminished presence of minerals with low specific gravities. Minerals with low specific gravities probably have been preferentially flushed down stream because of high transporting capacities for sediment by streams in the Beaver Peak quadrangle. In addition, the Carlin trend, a generally northwest-alignment of gold deposits in the Santa Renia Fields quadrangle, is well outlined by arsenic concentrations that include a maximum of approximately 54 parts per million. Further, a weakly developed distal-to-proximal metal zonation towards these gold deposits appears to be defined respectively in plots showing distributions of thallium, arsenic, antimony, and zinc. A broad area of high metal concentrations—including sharply elevated abundances of Ag, As, Au, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, P, Sb, Sc, Te, V, and especially Zn—near the southeast corner of the Beaver Peak quadrangle primarily could be the result of stratiform mineralized rocks in the Ordovician Vinini Formation or Devonian Slaven Chert, or the result of a subsequent Mesozoic or Tertiary epigenetic overprint.

  15. Development of a reliable method for determining sex for a primitive rodent, the Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

    Treesearch

    Kristine L. Pilgrim; William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; Michael K. Schwartz

    2012-01-01

    The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is a primitive species of rodent, often considered a living fossil. The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is an endangered subspecies that occurs in a very restricted range in northern California. Efforts to recover this taxon have been limited by the lack of knowledge on their demography, particularly sex and age...

  16. The impacts of Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) invasion on wetland plant richness in the Oregon Coast Range, USA, depend on beavers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perkins, T.; Wilson, M.

    2005-01-01

    Invasive plants can threaten diversity and ecosystem function. We examined the relationship between the invasive Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) and species richness in beaver wetlands in Oregon, USA. Four basins (drainages) were chosen and three sites each of beaver impoundments, unimpounded areas and areas upstream of debris jams were randomly chosen in each basin for further study (n = 36). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that the relationship between Phalaris and species richness differed significantly (p = 0.01) by site type. Dam sites (beaver impoundments) exhibited a strong inverse relationship between Phalaris and species richness (bD = a??0.15), with one species lost for each 7% increase in Phalaris cover. In contrast, there was essentially no relationship between Phalaris cover and species richness in jam sites (debris jam impoundments formed by flooding; bJ = +0.01) and unimpounded sites (bU = a??0.03). The cycle of beaver impoundment and abandonment both disrupts the native community and provides an ideal environment for Phalaris, which once established tends to exclude development of herbaceous communities and limits species richness. Because beaver wetlands are a dominant wetland type in the Coast Range, Phalaris invasion presents a real threat to landscape heterogeneity and ecosystem function in the region.

  17. Constituent concentrations, loads, and yields to Beaver Lake, Arkansas, water years 1999-2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bolyard, Susan E.; De Lanois, Jeanne L.; Green, W. Reed

    2010-01-01

    Beaver Lake is a large, deep-storage reservoir used as a drinking-water supply and considered a primary watershed of concern in the State of Arkansas. As such, information is needed to assess water quality, especially nutrient enrichment, nutrient-algal relations, turbidity, and sediment issues within the reservoir system. Water-quality samples were collected at three main inflows to Beaver Lake: the White River near Fayetteville, Richland Creek at Goshen, and War Eagle Creek near Hindsville. Water-quality samples collected over the period represented different flow conditions (from low to high). Constituent concentrations, flow-weighted concentrations, loads, and yields from White River, Richland Creek, and War Eagle Creek to Beaver Lake for water years 1999-2008 were documented for this report. Constituents include total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, dissolved orthophosphorus (soluble reactive phosphorus), total phosphorus, total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, total organic carbon, and suspended sediment. Linear regression models developed by computer program S-LOADEST were used to estimate loads for each constituent for the 10-year period at each station. Constituent yields and flow-weighted concentrations for each of the three stations were calculated for the study. Constituent concentrations and loads and yields varied with time and varied among the three tributaries contributing to Beaver Lake. These differences can result from differences in precipitation, land use, contributions of nutrients from point sources, and variations in basin size. Load and yield estimates varied yearly during the study period, water years 1999-2008, with the least nutrient and sediment load and yields generally occurring in water year 2006, and the greatest occurring in water year 2008, during a year with record amounts of precipitation. Flow-weighted concentrations of most constituents were greatest at War Eagle Creek near Hindsville

  18. Trends in base flows and extreme flows in the Beaver Kill Basin, Catskill Mountains, New York, 1915-94

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Baldigo, Barry P.

    1999-01-01

    The increases in peak stormflows in the lower Beaver Kill basin through the period of record may have increased the rates of bed-sediment erosion (degradation) and deposition and accelerated changes in stream-channel morphology, however, these possible effects were not examined. Suggestions for further investigation of the effects of NY 17 and of other factors on hydrology, channel morphology, fish habitat, and fish populations in the Beaver Kill Basin include (1) addition of streamflow gages or a creststage gage network at critical locations, (2) a review of engineering records and other aerial photographs for indications of changes in channel morphology, (3) compilation of temperature data and modeling spatial extent and magnitude of stressful summer temperatures (to selected trout species), and (4) confirming the extent and severity of toxic thermal episodes using in-situ fish toxicity tests.

  19. Mechanisms and Magnitude of Cenozoic Crustal Extension in the Vicinity of Lake Mead, Nevada and the Beaver Dam Mountains, Utah: Geochemical, Geochronological,Thermochronological and Geophysical Constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Almeida, Rafael V.

    The central Basin and Range Province of Nevada and Utah was one of the first areas in which the existence of widespread low-angle normal faults or detachments was first recognized. The magnitude of associated crustal extension is estimated by some to be large, in places increasing original line lengths by as much as a factor of four. However, rock mechanics experiments and seismological data cast doubt on whether these structures slipped at low inclination in the manner generally assumed. In this dissertation, I review the evidence for the presence of detachment faults in the Lake Mead and Beaver Dam Mountains areas and place constraints on the amount of extension that has occurred there since the Miocene. Chapter 1 deals with the source-provenance relationship between Miocene breccias cropping out close to Las Vegas, Nevada and their interpreted source at Gold Butte, currently located 65 km to the east. Geochemical, geochronological and thermochronological data provide support for that long-accepted correlation, though with unexpected mismatches requiring modification of the original hypothesis. In Chapter 2, the same data are used to propose a refinement of the timing of ~1.45 Ga anorogenic magmatism, and the distribution of Proterozoic crustal boundaries. Chapter 3 uses geophysical methods to address the subsurface geometry of faults along the west flank of the Beaver Dam Mountains of southwestern Utah. The data suggest that the range is bounded by steeply inclined normal faults rather than a regional-scale detachment fault. Footwall folding formerly ascribed to Miocene deformation is reinterpreted as an expression of Cretaceous crustal shortening. Fission track data presented in Chapter 4 are consistent with mid-Miocene exhumation adjacent to high-angle normal faults. They also reveal a protracted history dating back to the Pennsylvanian-Permian time, with implications for the interpretation of other basement-cored uplifts in the region. A key finding of this

  20. 2D Semiconductors for Valley-Polarized LEDs and Photodetectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Ting

    The recently discovered two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as transitional-metal-dichalcogenide monolayers, have aroused great interest due to the underlying quantum physics and the appealing optoelectronic applications like atomically thin light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodetectors. On the one hand, valley-polarized electroluminescence and photocurrent from such monolayers have not caused enough attention but highly demanded as building blocks for the new generation valleytronic applications. On the other hand, most reports on these devices are based on the mechanically exfoliated small samples. Considering real applications, a strategy which could offer mass-product and high compatibility to the current planar processes is greatly demanded. Large-area samples prepared by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) are perfect candidates towards such a goal. Here, we report electrically tunable valley-polarized electroluminescence and the selective spin-valley-coupled photocurrent in optoelectronic devices based on monolayer WS2 and MoS2 grown by CVD, exhibiting large electroluminescence and photocurrent dichroisms of 81% and 60%, respectively. The controllable valley polarization and emission components of the electroluminescence have been realized by varying electrical injection of carriers. For the observed helicity-dependent photocurrent, the circular photogalvanic effect at resonant excitations has been found to take the dominant responsibility.

  1. Harvesting of males delays female breeding in a socially monogamous mammal; the beaver.

    PubMed

    Parker, Howard; Rosell, Frank; Mysterud, Atle

    2007-02-22

    Human exploitation may skew adult sex ratios in vertebrate populations to the extent that males become limiting for normal reproduction. In polygynous ungulates, females delay breeding in heavily harvested populations, but effects are often fairly small. We would expect a stronger effect of male harvesting in species with a monogamous mating system, but no such study has been performed. We analysed the effect of harvesting males on the timing of reproduction in the obligate monogamous beaver (Castor fiber). We found a negative impact of harvesting of adult males on the timing of parturition in female beavers. The proportion of normal breeders sank from over 80%, when no males had been shot in the territories of pregnant females, to under 20%, when three males had been shot. Harvesting of males in monogamous mammals can apparently affect their normal reproductive cycle.

  2. 2. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT DAM, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT DAM, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, PLAN, SHEET 5 OF 5, 1924 (on file at the Idaho State Office of Water Resources, Boise, Idaho) - Snake River Valley Irrigation District, East Side of Snake River (River Mile 796), Shelley, Bingham County, ID

  3. A range-wide occupancy estimate and habitat model for the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

    Treesearch

    William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; Jeffrey R. Dunk; Matthew J. Lau; James J. Graham

    2015-01-01

    The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is notably the most primitive North American rodent with a restricted distribution in the Pacific Northwest based on its physiological limits to heat stress and water needs. The Point Arena subspecies (A. r. nigra) is federally listed as endangered and is 1 of 2 subspecies that have extremely...

  4. Velocity barrier-controlled of spin-valley polarized transport in monolayer WSe2 junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiu, Xuejun; Lv, Qiang; Cao, Zhenzhou

    2018-05-01

    In this work, we have theoretically investigated the influence of velocity barrier on the spin-valley polarized transport in monolayer (ML) WSe2 junction with a large spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Both the spin-valley resolved transmission probabilities and conductance are strong dependent on the velocity barrier, as the velocity barrier decreases to 0.06, a spin-valley polarization of exceeding 90% is observed, which is distinct from the ML MoS2 owing to incommensurable SOC. In addition, the spin-valley polarization is further increased above 95% in a ML WSe2 superlattice, in particular, it's found many extraordinary velocity barrier-dependent transport gaps for multiple barrier due to evanescent tunneling. Our results may open an avenue for the velocity barrier-controlled high-efficiency spin and valley polarizations in ML WSe2-based electronic devices.

  5. Large, valley-exclusive Bloch-Siegert shift in monolayer WS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sie, Edbert J.; Lui, Chun Hung; Lee, Yi-Hsien; Fu, Liang; Kong, Jing; Gedik, Nuh

    2017-03-01

    Coherent interaction with off-resonance light can be used to shift the energy levels of atoms, molecules, and solids. The dominant effect is the optical Stark shift, but there is an additional contribution from the so-called Bloch-Siegert shift that has eluded direct and exclusive observation in solids. We observed an exceptionally large Bloch-Siegert shift in monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS2) under infrared optical driving. By controlling the light helicity, we could confine the Bloch-Siegert shift to occur only at one valley, and the optical Stark shift at the other valley, because the two effects obey opposite selection rules at different valleys. Such a large and valley-exclusive Bloch-Siegert shift allows for enhanced control over the valleytronic properties of two-dimensional materials.

  6. Reproductive characteristics of the Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

    Treesearch

    William Zielinski; M. J. Mazurek

    2016-01-01

    Little is known about the ecology and life history of the federally endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra). The distribution of this primitive burrowing rodent is disjunct from the balance of the species’ range and occurs in a unique maritime environment of coastal grasslands and forests. Fundamental to protecting this taxon...

  7. Conduction-band valley spin splitting in single-layer H-T l2O

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Yandong; Kou, Liangzhi; Du, Aijun; Huang, Baibiao; Dai, Ying; Heine, Thomas

    2018-02-01

    Despite numerous studies, coupled spin and valley physics is currently limited to two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). Here, we predict an exceptional 2D valleytronic material associated with the spin-valley coupling phenomena beyond 2D TMDCs—single-layer (SL) H-T l2O . It displays large valley spin splitting (VSS), significantly larger than that of 2D TMDCs, and a finite band gap, which are both critically attractive for the integration of valleytronics and spintronics. More importantly, in sharp contrast to all the experimentally confirmed 2D valleytronic materials, where the strong valence-band VSS (0.15-0.46 eV) supports the spin-valley coupling, the VSS in SL H-T l2O is pronounced in its conduction band (0.61 eV), but negligibly small in its valence band (21 meV), thus opening a way for manipulating the coupled spin and valley physics. Moreover, SL H-T l2O possesses extremely high carrier mobility, as large as 9.8 ×103c m2V-1s-1 .

  8. Transport anomalies of high-mobility Q-valley electrons in few-layer WS2 and MoS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ning

    Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have opened new avenues for exploring physical property anomalies due to their large band gaps, strong spin-orbit couplings, and rich valley degrees of freedom. Although novel optical phenomena such as valley selective circular dichroism, opto-valley Hall effect, and valley Zeeman effect have been extensively studied in TMDCs, investigation of quantum transport properties has encountered a number of obstacles primarily due to the low carrier mobility and strong impurity scattering. Recently, we successfully fabricated ultrahigh-mobility few-layer TMDC field-effect transistors based on the boron nitride encapsulation method and observed a number of interesting transport properties, such as even-odd layer-dependent magnetotransport of Q-valley electrons in WS2 and MoS2 and unconventional quantum Hall transport of Γ-valley hole carriers in WSe2. In few-layer samples of these TMDCs, the conduction bands along the ΓK directions shift downward energetically in the presence of interlayer interactions, forming six Q-valleys related by three-fold rotational symmetry and time reversal symmetry. In even-layers the extra inversion symmetry requires all states to be Kramers degenerate, whereas in odd-layers the intrinsic inversion asymmetry dictates the Q-valleys to be spin-valley coupled. In this talk, I'll demonstrate the prominent Shubnikov-de Hass (SdH) oscillations and the observation of the onset of quantum Hall plateaus for the Q-valley electrons. Universally in the SdH oscillations, we observe a valley Zeeman effect in all odd-layer TMDC devices and a spin Zeeman effect in all even-layer TMDC devices. In addition, we observe a series of quantum Hall states following an unconventional sequence predominated by odd-integer states under a moderate strength magnetic field in p-type few-layer TMDCs, indicating a large Zeeman energy associated with the carriers in the valence band at the Γ-valley. Financial supports

  9. Band-offset-induced lateral shift of valley electrons in ferromagnetic MoS2/WS2 planar heterojunctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghadiri, Hassan; Saffarzadeh, Alireza

    2018-03-01

    Low-energy coherent transport and a Goos-Hänchen (GH) lateral shift of valley electrons in planar heterojunctions composed of normal MoS2 and ferromagnetic WS2 monolayers are theoretically investigated. Two types of heterojunctions in the forms of WS2/MoS2/WS2 (type-A) and MoS2/WS2/MoS2 (type-B) with incident electrons in the MoS2 region are considered in which the lateral shift of electrons is induced by band alignments of the two constituent semiconductors. It is shown that the type-A heterojunction can act as an electron waveguide due to electron confinement between the two WS2/MoS2 interfaces which cause the incident electrons with an appropriate incidence angle to propagate along the interfaces. In this case, the spin- and valley-dependent GH shifts of totally reflected electrons from the interface lead to separated electrons with distinct spin-valley indexes after traveling a sufficiently long distance. In the type-B heterojunction, however, transmission resonances occur for incident electron beams passing through the structure, and large spin- and valley-dependent lateral shift values in propagating states can be achieved. Consequently, the transmitted electrons are spatially well-separated into electrons with distinct spin-valley indexes. Our findings reveal that the planar heterojunctions of transition metal dichalcogenides can be utilized as spin-valley beam filters and/or splitters without external gating.

  10. Beaver Brook, Keene, New Hampshire. Flood Damage Reduction Project. Detailed Project Report for Water Resources Development.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-02-01

    Project Report/ Environmental Assessment Beaver Brook, Keene, New Hampshire I ~ j~j~i iii ii.. A Flood Damage Reduction AD-A 14 3 376 I 𔃾, W " FEBRUARY...STATEMENT (of tme abestwee enteed to Sleok I0. Of dlfieme W booer IS. SUPPLEMENTARY MOTES 2 volume set: vol 1- Flood Damage Reduction - vol 2- Flood Damage...that are considered reasonably characteristic of the region, excluding extremely rare combinations. 2 ,4INN (0 ( w a 12 7’ PLATE * -..- ~ -- - 7 ’ k 47

  11. Observation of Exciton-Exciton Interaction Mediated Valley Depolarization in Monolayer MoSe2.

    PubMed

    Mahmood, Fahad; Alpichshev, Zhanybek; Lee, Yi-Hsien; Kong, Jing; Gedik, Nuh

    2018-01-10

    The valley pseudospin in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has been proposed as a new way to manipulate information in various optoelectronic devices. This relies on a large valley polarization that remains stable over long time scales (hundreds of nanoseconds). However, time-resolved measurements report valley lifetimes of only a few picoseconds. This has been attributed to mechanisms such as phonon-mediated intervalley scattering and a precession of the valley pseudospin through electron-hole exchange. Here we use transient spin grating to directly measure the valley depolarization lifetime in monolayer MoSe 2 . We find a fast valley decay rate that scales linearly with the excitation density at different temperatures. This establishes the presence of strong exciton-exciton Coulomb exchange interactions enhancing the valley depolarization. Our work highlights the microscopic processes inhibiting the efficient use of the exciton valley pseudospin in monolayer TMDs.

  12. Robust spin-valley polarization in commensurate Mo S2 /graphene heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Luojun; Zhang, Qian; Gong, Benchao; Liao, Mengzhou; Zhu, Jianqi; Yu, Hua; He, Rui; Liu, Kai; Yang, Rong; Shi, Dongxia; Gu, Lin; Yan, Feng; Zhang, Guangyu; Zhang, Qingming

    2018-03-01

    The investigation and control of quantum degrees of freedom (DoFs) of carriers lie at the heart of condensed-matter physics and next-generation electronics/optoelectronics. van der Waals heterostructures stacked from distinct two-dimensional (2D) crystals offer an unprecedented platform for combining the superior properties of individual 2D materials and manipulating spin, layer, and valley DoFs. Mo S2 /graphene heterostructures, harboring prominent spin-transport properties of graphene, giant spin-orbit coupling, and spin-valley polarization of Mo S2 , are predicted as a perfect venue for optospintronics. Here, we report the epitaxial growth of commensurate Mo S2 on graphene with high quality by chemical vapor deposition, and demonstrate robust temperature-independent spin-valley polarization at off-resonant excitation. We further show that the helicity of B exciton is larger than that of A exciton, allowing the manipulation of spin bits in the commensurate heterostructures by both optical helicity and wavelength. Our results open a window for controlling spin DoF by light and pave a way for taking spin qubits as information carriers in the next-generation valley-controlled optospintronics.

  13. Hydrogeology, water quality, and ground-water development alternatives in the Beaver-Pasquiset ground-water reservoir, Rhode Island

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dickerman, D.C.; Ozbilgin, M.M.

    1985-01-01

    In a 23 sq mi study area, the Beaver-Pasquiset groundwater reservoir within the Pawcatuck River basin in southern Rhode Island, stratified drift is the only principal geologic unit capable of producing yields > 350 gal/min. Transmissivity of the aquifer ranges from 7,200 to 24,300 sq ft/day. Water table conditions prevail in the aquifer, which is in good hydraulic connection with perennial streams and ponds. A digital model of two-dimensional groundwater flow was used to simulate the interaction between surface water and groundwater, and to evaluate the impact of alternative schemes of groundwater development on groundwater levels, pond levels, and streamflow in the Beaver-Pasquiset groundwater reservoir. Transient simulations of theoretical pumpage were made for a drought period (1963-66) and a wet period (1976-78). The areas most favorable for development of high-capacity wells (350 gal/min or more) are along the Beaver River and near Pasquiset Pond. The water is soft and generally contains < 100 mg/L dissolved solids. Locally, groundwater contains elevated concentrations of iron and manganese (7.5 and 3.7 mg/L, respectively), southeast of Pasquiset Pond, and will require treatment if used for public supply. The groundwater reservoir was simulated with a two-dimensional finite-difference model using a block-centered grid consisting of 33 rows and 75 columns. Differences between measured and simulated water table altitudes for the final steady state run for 21 selected observation wells averaged +0.07 ft. Combined pumping rates for simulation of groundwater development alternatives at eight sites ranged from 3.25 to 7.00 Mgal/d. Pumping rates for individual wells ranged from 0.25 to 1.50 Mgal/d. Transient simulations suggest that the Beaver-Pasquiset groundwater reservoir is capable of sustaining a pumping rate of 4.25 Mgal/d during years of average groundwater recharge with minimal impact on groundwater levels, pond levels, and streamflow. During extreme drought

  14. The Effect of Beaver Activity on the Ammonium Uptake and Water Residence Time Characteristics of a Third-Order Stream Reach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Briggs, M.; Gooseff, M. N.; Wollheim, W. M.; Peterson, B. J.; Morkeski, K.

    2009-12-01

    Increasing beaver populations within low gradient basins in the northeastern United States are fundamentally changing the way water and dissolved nutrients are exported through these stream networks to the coast. Beaver dams can increase water residence time and contact with organic material, promote anoxic conditions and enhance both surface and hyporheic transient storage; all of these may have an impact on biogeochemical reactivity and nutrient retention. To quantitatively assess some of these effects we co-injected NaCl and NH4+ into the same 3rd-order stream reach in Massachusetts, USA under pre- and post-dam conditions. These experiments were done at similar discharge rates to isolate the impacts of a large natural beaver dam (7 m X 1.3 m) on the low-gradient (0.002) system where variable discharge also imparts a strong control on residence time. During the post-dam experiment there was an estimated 2300 m3 of water impounded behind the structure, which influenced more than 300 m of the 650 m stream reach. Our results showed that median transport time through the reach increased by 160% after dam construction. Additionally the tracer tailing time normalized to the corresponding median transport time increased from 1.08 to 1.51, indicating a pronounced tailing of the tracer signal in the post-dam condition. Data collected within the beaver pond just upstream of the dam indicated poor mixing and the presence of preferential flow paths through the generally stagnant zone. The uptake length (Sw) for NH4+ was 1250 m under the pre-dam condition, and may have changed for the post-dam reach in part because of the observed changes in residence time. As beaver population growth continues within these basins the consequences may be a smoothing of the outlet hydrograph and increased nutrient and organic matter removal and storage along the stream network.

  15. Parameterization of the ACRU model for estimating biophysical and climatological change impacts, Beaver Creek, Alberta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Forbes, K. A.; Kienzle, S. W.; Coburn, C. A.; Byrne, J. M.

    2006-12-01

    Multiple threats, including intensification of agricultural production, non-renewable resource extraction and climate change, are threatening Southern Alberta's water supply. The objective of this research is to calibrate/evaluate the Agricultural Catchments Research Unit (ACRU) agrohydrological model; with the end goal of forecasting the impacts of a changing environment on water quantity. The strength of this model is the intensive multi-layered soil water budgeting routine that integrates water movement between the surface and atmosphere. The ACRU model was parameterized using data from Environment Canada's climate database for a twenty year period (1984-2004) and was used to simulate streamflow for Beaver Creek. The simulated streamflow was compared to Environment Canada's historical streamflow database to validate the model output. The Beaver Creek Watershed, located in the Porcupine Hills southwestern Alberta, Canada contains a heterogeneous cover of deciduous, coniferous, native prairie grasslands and forage crops. In a catchment with highly diversified land cover, canopy architecture cannot be overlooked in rainfall interception parameterization. Preliminary testing of ACRU suggests that streamflows were sensitive to varied levels of leaf area index (LAI), a representative fraction of canopy foliage. Further testing using remotely sensed LAI's will provide a more accurate representation of canopy foliage and ultimately best represent this important element of the hydrological cycle and the associated processes which govern the natural hydrology of the Beaver Creek watershed.

  16. Seasonal differences in the testicular transcriptome profile of free-living European beavers (Castor fiber L.) determined by the RNA-Seq method

    PubMed Central

    Paukszto, Łukasz; Jastrzębski, Jan P.; Czerwińska, Joanna; Chojnowska, Katarzyna; Kamińska, Barbara; Kurzyńska, Aleksandra; Smolińska, Nina; Giżejewski, Zygmunt; Kamiński, Tadeusz

    2017-01-01

    The European beaver (Castor fiber L.) is an important free-living rodent that inhabits Eurasian temperate forests. Beavers are often referred to as ecosystem engineers because they create or change existing habitats, enhance biodiversity and prepare the environment for diverse plant and animal species. Beavers are protected in most European Union countries, but their genomic background remains unknown. In this study, gene expression patterns in beaver testes and the variations in genetic expression in breeding and non-breeding seasons were determined by high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Paired-end sequencing in the Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencer produced a total of 373.06 million of high-quality reads. De novo assembly of contigs yielded 130,741 unigenes with an average length of 1,369.3 nt, N50 value of 1,734, and average GC content of 46.51%. A comprehensive analysis of the testicular transcriptome revealed more than 26,000 highly expressed unigenes which exhibited the highest homology with Rattus norvegicus and Ictidomys tridecemlineatus genomes. More than 8,000 highly expressed genes were found to be involved in fundamental biological processes, cellular components or molecular pathways. The study also revealed 42 genes whose regulation differed between breeding and non-breeding seasons. During the non-breeding period, the expression of 37 genes was up-regulated, and the expression of 5 genes was down-regulated relative to the breeding season. The identified genes encode molecules which are involved in signaling transduction, DNA repair, stress responses, inflammatory processes, metabolism and steroidogenesis. Our results pave the way for further research into season-dependent variations in beaver testes. PMID:28678806

  17. Generation and electric control of spin-valley-coupled circular photogalvanic current in WSe2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Hongtao; Hwang, Harold Y.; Cui, Yi

    2015-03-01

    Compared to the weak spin-orbit-interaction (SOI) in graphene, layered transitionmetal chalcogenides MX2 have heavy 4d/5d elements with strong atomic SOI, providing a unique way to extend functionalities of novel spintronics and valleytronics devices. Such a valley polarization achieved via valley-selective circular dichroism has been predicted theoretically and demonstrated with optical experiments in MX2 systems. Despite the exciting progresses, the generation of a valley/spin current by valley polarization in MX2 remains elusive and a great challenge. A spin/valley current in MX2 compounds caused by such a valley polarization has never been observed, nor its electric-field control. In this talk, we demonstrated, within an electric-double-layer transistor based on WSe2, the manipulation of a spin-coupled valley photocurrent whose direction and magnitude depend on the degree of circular polarization of the incident radiation and can be further greatly modulated with an external electric field. Such room temperature generation and electric control of valley/spin photocurrent provides a new property of electrons in MX2 systems, thereby enabling new degrees of control for quantum-confined spintronics devices. (In collaboration with S.C. Zhang, Y.L. Chen, Z.X. Shen, B Lian, H.J. Zhang, G Xu, Y Xu, B Zhou, X.Q. Wang, B Shen X.F. Fang) Acknowledge the support from DoE, BES, Division of MSE under contract DE-AC02-76SF00515. Acknowledge the support from DoE, BES, Division of MSE under contract DE-AC02-76SF00515.

  18. Recycling at Penn State's Beaver Stadium. "Recycle on the Go" Success Story

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Environmental Protection Agency, 2009

    2009-01-01

    With a 13-year-old recycling program, The Pennsylvania State University's (Penn State) Beaver Stadium in the past diverted nearly 30 tons of recyclables per year from local landfills. A new initiative to promote recycling in the stadium's tailgating area has helped Penn State more than triple its old recycling record, collecting 112 tons in 2008.…

  19. Revision of Hemiquedius Casey (Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) and a review of beetles dependent on beavers and muskrats in North America

    PubMed Central

    Brunke, Adam; Smetana, Aleš; Carruthers-Lay, Duncan; Buffam, Joel

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Based on newly discovered characters on the male genitalia, external morphology and an accumulation of ecological data, we revise the single member of the genus Hemiquedius. Two new species, H. infinitus Brunke & Smetana, sp. n. and H. castoris Brunke & Smetana, sp. n., from eastern North America are described, and H. ferox (LeConte), restricted to peninsular Florida, is re-described. Hemiquedius castoris is strongly associated with the microhabitats provided by nest materials of the North American beaver and muskrat. A key to the three species of Hemiquedius is provided and diagnostic characters are illustrated. We also review the beetles known to be obligate associates of beavers and muskrats, and discuss the potential role of these keystone vertebrates in beetle evolution and distribution. Based on nest-associated beetles and their closest living relatives, beaver and muskrat lodges may extend distributions northward by moderating winters, promote sympatric speciation and act as refugia against extinction of lineages on a broader timescale. Further research into these potential impacts by ecologists and evolutionary biologists is encouraged. PMID:29118599

  20. Revision of Hemiquedius Casey (Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) and a review of beetles dependent on beavers and muskrats in North America.

    PubMed

    Brunke, Adam; Smetana, Aleš; Carruthers-Lay, Duncan; Buffam, Joel

    2017-01-01

    Based on newly discovered characters on the male genitalia, external morphology and an accumulation of ecological data, we revise the single member of the genus Hemiquedius . Two new species, H. infinitus Brunke & Smetana, sp. n. and H. castoris Brunke & Smetana, sp. n. , from eastern North America are described, and H. ferox (LeConte), restricted to peninsular Florida, is re-described. Hemiquedius castoris is strongly associated with the microhabitats provided by nest materials of the North American beaver and muskrat. A key to the three species of Hemiquedius is provided and diagnostic characters are illustrated. We also review the beetles known to be obligate associates of beavers and muskrats, and discuss the potential role of these keystone vertebrates in beetle evolution and distribution. Based on nest-associated beetles and their closest living relatives, beaver and muskrat lodges may extend distributions northward by moderating winters, promote sympatric speciation and act as refugia against extinction of lineages on a broader timescale. Further research into these potential impacts by ecologists and evolutionary biologists is encouraged.

  1. Collection of short papers on Beaver Creek watershed studies in West Tennessee, 1989-94

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Doyle, W. Harry.; Baker, Eva G.

    1995-01-01

    In 1989, the U.S. Geological Survey began a scientific investigation to evaluate the effect of agricultural activities on water quality and the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices in the Beaver Creek watershed, West Tennessee. The project is being conducted jointly with other Federal, State, county agencies, the farming community, and academic institutions, in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Hydrologic Unit Area program. The Beaver Creek project has evolved into a long-term watershed assessment and monitoring program. In 1991, a grant was received to develop and evaluate sampling strategies for higher order streams. During the summer of 1992, a reconnaissance of water-quality conditions for the shallow aquifers in Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Haywood Counties was conducted and included 89 domestic wells in the Beaver Creek watershed. Results from this effort lead to the development of a 1-year program to evaluate cause- and-effect relations that can explain the observed water-quality conditions for the shallow aquifers in the watershed. In 1992 the USGS, in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service and the Shelby County Soil Conservation District, began an evaluation of in-stream processes and in-stream resource-management systems. In 1993, a biomonitoring program was established in the watershed. This collection of eight articles and abstracts was originally published in the American Water Resources Association National Symposium on Water Quality Proceedings for the national conference held in Chicago in 1994 and describes what has been learned in the study to date.

  2. Valley magnetoelectricity in single-layer MoS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jieun; Wang, Zefang; Xie, Hongchao; Mak, Kin Fai; Shan, Jie

    2017-09-01

    The magnetoelectric (ME) effect, the phenomenon of inducing magnetization by application of an electric field or vice versa, holds great promise for magnetic sensing and switching applications. Studies of the ME effect have so far focused on the control of the electron spin degree of freedom (DOF) in materials such as multiferroics and conventional semiconductors. Here, we report a new form of the ME effect based on the valley DOF in two-dimensional Dirac materials. By breaking the three-fold rotational symmetry in single-layer MoS 2 via a uniaxial stress, we have demonstrated the pure electrical generation of valley magnetization in this material, and its direct imaging by Kerr rotation microscopy. The observed out-of-plane magnetization is independent of in-plane magnetic field, linearly proportional to the in-plane current density, and optimized when the current is orthogonal to the strain-induced piezoelectric field. These results are fully consistent with a theoretical model of valley magnetoelectricity driven by Berry curvature effects. Furthermore, the effect persists at room temperature, opening possibilities for practical valleytronic devices.

  3. Valley magnetoelectricity in single-layer MoS2.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jieun; Wang, Zefang; Xie, Hongchao; Mak, Kin Fai; Shan, Jie

    2017-09-01

    The magnetoelectric (ME) effect, the phenomenon of inducing magnetization by application of an electric field or vice versa, holds great promise for magnetic sensing and switching applications. Studies of the ME effect have so far focused on the control of the electron spin degree of freedom (DOF) in materials such as multiferroics and conventional semiconductors. Here, we report a new form of the ME effect based on the valley DOF in two-dimensional Dirac materials. By breaking the three-fold rotational symmetry in single-layer MoS 2 via a uniaxial stress, we have demonstrated the pure electrical generation of valley magnetization in this material, and its direct imaging by Kerr rotation microscopy. The observed out-of-plane magnetization is independent of in-plane magnetic field, linearly proportional to the in-plane current density, and optimized when the current is orthogonal to the strain-induced piezoelectric field. These results are fully consistent with a theoretical model of valley magnetoelectricity driven by Berry curvature effects. Furthermore, the effect persists at room temperature, opening possibilities for practical valleytronic devices.

  4. Hydrology and numerical simulation of groundwater movement and heat transport in Snake Valley and surrounding areas, Juab, Miller, and Beaver Counties, Utah, and White Pine and Lincoln Counties, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Masbruch, Melissa D.; Gardner, Philip M.; Brooks, Lynette E.

    2014-01-01

    almost 2,000 meters (m); 98 percent of the simulated values of water-level altitudes in wells are within 30 m of observed water-level altitudes, and 58 percent of them are within 12 m. Nineteen of 20 simulated discharges are within 30 percent of observed discharge. Eighty-one percent of the simulated values of groundwater temperatures in wells are within 2 degrees Celsius (°C) of the observed values, and 55 percent of them are within 0.75 °C. The numerical model represents a more robust quantification of groundwater budget components than previous studies because the model integrates all components of the groundwater budget. The model also incorporates new data including (1) a detailed hydrogeologic framework, and (2) more observations, including several new water-level altitudes throughout the study area, several new measurements of spring discharge within Snake Valley which had not previously been monitored, and groundwater temperature data. Uncertainty in the estimates of subsurface flow are less than those of previous studies because the model balanced recharge and discharge across the entire simulated area, not just in each hydrographic area, and because of the large dataset of observations (water-level altitudes, discharge, and temperatures) used to calibrate the model and the resulting transmissivity distribution.Groundwater recharge from precipitation and unconsumed irrigation in Snake Valley is 160,000 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr), which is within the range of previous estimates. Subsurface inflow from southern Spring Valley to southern Snake Valley is 13,000 acre-ft/yr and is within the range of previous estimates; subsurface inflow from Spring Valley to Snake Valley north of the Snake Range, however, is only 2,200 acre-ft/yr, which is much less than has been previously estimated. Groundwater discharge from groundwater evapotranspiration and springs is 100,000 acre-ft/yr, and discharge to mountain streams is 3,300 acre-ft/yr; these are within the range of

  5. Beaver dams maintain fish biodiversity by increasing habitat heterogeneity throughout a low-gradient stream network

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, Joseph M.; Mather, Martha E.

    2013-01-01

    In summary, within a stream network, beaver dams maintained fish biodiversity by altering in-stream habitat and increasing habitat heterogeneity. Understanding the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity can advance basic freshwater ecology and provide science-based support for applied aquatic conservation

  6. Multiple resource evaluations on the Beaver Creek watershed: An Annotated Bibliography (1956-1996)

    Treesearch

    M. B. Baker; P. F. Ffolliott

    1998-01-01

    The Beaver Creek experimental watershed, located in north-central Arizona, was established in 1956 in response to public concerns that the flow of streams and the amount of livestock forage on watersheds in the Salt-Verde River Basins were being reduced by increasing densities of ponderosa pine saplings and pinyon-juniper trees. Natural resource responses to the...

  7. Tom Beaver, Creek Television Reporter. With Teacher's Guide. Native Americans of the Twentieth Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minneapolis Public Schools, MN.

    A biography for elementary school students presents an account of an American Indian television reporter, Tom Beaver (Creek), and includes a map of Oklahoma showing the location of Indian tribes. A teacher's guide following the biography contains information about the Creek tribe and the history of television, learning objectives and directions…

  8. Large valley splitting in monolayer WS2 by proximity coupling to an insulating antiferromagnetic substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Lei; Yang, Ming; Shen, Lei; Zhou, Jun; Zhu, Tao; Feng, Yuan Ping

    2018-01-01

    Lifting the valley degeneracy is an efficient way to achieve valley polarization for further valleytronics operations. In this Rapid Communication, we demonstrate that a large valley splitting can be obtained in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides by magnetic proximity coupling to an insulating antiferromagnetic substrate. As an example, we perform first-principles calculations to investigate the electronic structures of monolayer WS2 on the MnO(111) surface. Our calculation results suggest that a large valley splitting of 214 meV, which corresponds to a Zeeman magnetic field of 1516 T, is induced in the valence band of monolayer WS2. The magnitude of valley splitting relies on the strength of interfacial orbital hybridization and can be tuned continually by applying an external out-of-plane pressure and in-plane strain. More interestingly, we find that both spin and valley index will flip when the magnetic ordering of MnO is reversed. Besides, owing to the sizable Berry curvature and time-reversal symmetry breaking in the WS2/MnO heterostructure, a spin- and valley-polarized anomalous Hall current can be generated in the presence of an in-plane electric field, which allows one to detect valleys by the electrical approach. Our results shed light on the realization of valleytronic devices using the antiferromagnetic insulator as the substrate.

  9. High rates of energy expenditure and water flux in free-ranging Point Reyes mountain beavers Aplodontia rufa phaea

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Crocker, D.E.; Kofahl, N.; Fellers, G.D.; Gates, N.B.; Houser, D.S.

    2007-01-01

    We measured water flux and energy expenditure in free-ranging Point Reyes mountain beavers Aplodontia rufa phaea by using the doubly labeled water method. Previous laboratory investigations have suggested weak urinary concentrating ability, high rates of water flux, and low basal metabolic rates in this species. However, free-ranging measurements from hygric mammals are rare, and it is not known how these features interact in the environment. Rates of water flux (210 ?? 32 mL d-1) and field metabolic rates (1,488 ?? 486 kJ d-1) were 159% and 265%, respectively, of values predicted by allometric equations for similar-sized herbivores. Mountain beavers can likely meet their water needs through metabolic water production and preformed water in food and thus remain in water balance without access to free water. Arginine-vasopressin levels were strongly correlated with rates of water flux and plasma urea : creatinine ratios, suggesting an important role for this hormone in regulating urinary water loss in mountain beavers. High field metabolic rates may result from cool burrow temperatures that are well below lower critical temperatures measured in previous laboratory studies and suggest that thermoregulation costs may strongly influence field energetics and water flux in semifossorial mammals. ?? 2007 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

  10. Hydrologic Change during the Colonial Era of the United States: Beavers and the Energy Cost of Impoundments (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Green, M. B.; Bain, D. J.; Arrigo, J. S.; Duncan, J. M.; Kumar, S.; Parolari, A.; Salant, N.; Vorosmarty, C. J.; Aloysius, N. R.; Bray, E. N.; Ruffing, C. M.; Witherell, B. B.

    2009-12-01

    Europeans colonized North America in the early 17th century with intentions ranging between long-term inhabitation and quick extraction of resources for economic gain in Europe. Whatever the intentions, the colonists relied on the landscape for resources resulting in dramatic change to the forest and fur-bearing mammal population. We demonstrate that initial exploitation of North American forest and furs caused a substantial decrease in mean water residence time (τ) between 1600 and 1800 A.D. That loss, which regionally changed from 51 to 41 days, contrasts with conventional wisdom that humans tend to diminish variability in water resources by increasing storage capacity and thus increasing τ. The loss of τ resulted from over-hunted beaver for the hat market in Europe. Analysis suggests that colonial era demographics and economics did not allow human resource allocation to impoundment construction on a level matching the historic beaver effort. However, the τ appears to have regionally increased during the 19th century, suggesting that humans eventually began replacing the water storage lost with the beaver. The analysis highlights the energy cost of impounding water, which is likely to continue to be an important factor given the increasing need for stable water resources and finite energy resources.

  11. Many-body effects in valleytronics: direct measurement of valley lifetimes in single-layer MoS2.

    PubMed

    Mai, Cong; Barrette, Andrew; Yu, Yifei; Semenov, Yuriy G; Kim, Ki Wook; Cao, Linyou; Gundogdu, Kenan

    2014-01-08

    Single layer MoS2 is an ideal material for the emerging field of "valleytronics" in which charge carrier momentum can be finely controlled by optical excitation. This system is also known to exhibit strong many-body interactions as observed by tightly bound excitons and trions. Here we report direct measurements of valley relaxation dynamics in single layer MoS2, by using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. Our results show that strong Coulomb interactions significantly impact valley population dynamics. Initial excitation by circularly polarized light creates electron-hole pairs within the K-valley. These excitons coherently couple to dark intervalley excitonic states, which facilitate fast electron valley depolarization. Hole valley relaxation is delayed up to about 10 ps due to nondegeneracy of the valence band spin states. Intervalley biexciton formation reveals the hole valley relaxation dynamics. We observe that biexcitons form with more than an order of magnitude larger binding energy compared to conventional semiconductors. These measurements provide significant insight into valley specific processes in 2D semiconductors. Hence they could be used to suggest routes to design semiconducting materials that enable control of valley polarization.

  12. Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis) Statistics

    MedlinePlus

    ... Valley fever may be under-recognized. 2 , 3 Public health surveillance for Valley fever Valley fever is reportable ... MMWR) . Check with your local, state, or territorial public health department for more information about disease reporting requirements ...

  13. Influence of flooding, freezing, and American beaver herbivory on survival of planted oak seedlings

    Treesearch

    Johnathan T. Reeves; Andrew W. Ezell; John D. Hodges; Emily B. Schultz; Andrew B. Self

    2016-01-01

    Good seedlings, proper planting, and competition control normally result in successful hardwood planting. However, other factors can have serious impact on planting success, such as the impact of flooding, freezing, and the American beaver (Castor canadensis). In 2014, three planting stocks of Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii) and Shumard oak (

  14. Valley- and spin-filter in monolayer MoS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majidi, Leyla; Zare, Moslem; Asgari, Reza

    2014-12-01

    We propose a valley- and spin-filter based on a normal/ferromagnetic/normal molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) junction where the polarizations of the valley and the spin can be inverted by reversing the direction of the exchange field in the ferromagnetic region. By using a modified Dirac Hamiltonian and the scattering formalism, we find that the polarizations can be tuned by applying a gate voltage and changing the exchange field in the structure. We further demonstrate that the presence of a topological term (β) in the Hamiltonian results in an enhancement or a reduction of the charge conductance depending on the value of the exchange field.

  15. Presence of Antibodies to Leptospira spp. in Black-tailed Prairie Dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) and Beavers ( Castor canadensis ) in Northwestern Mexico.

    PubMed

    López-Pérez, Andrés M; Carreón-Arroyo, Gerardo; Atilano, Daniel; Vigueras-Galván, Ana L; Valdez, Carlos; Toyos, Daniel; Mendizabal, Daniel; López-Islas, Jonathan; Suzán, Gerardo

    2017-10-01

    Leptospires are widespread spirochete bacteria that infect mammals, including rodents and humans. We investigated the presence of Leptospira antibodies in two species of rodents from San Pedro River Basin (SPRB) in northwestern Mexico as part of the black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) monitoring plan and the North American beaver ( Castor canadensis ) reintroduction program. We sampled a total of 26 black-tailed prairie dogs and three beavers during October-November 2015. We detected antibodies against Leptospira spp. by microagglutination test in 12 (46%) prairie dogs and in two (67%) beavers. The antibody titers for seropositive rodents varied from 1:100 to 1:200, but none of the animals showed clinical signs of disease. We found seven Leptospira spp. serogroups (Autumnalis, Australis, Bataviae, Canicola, Celledoni, Grippotyphosa, and Sejroe) circulating in rodent species in SPRB. We did not find any differences between sex and age concerning Leptospira-positive rodents. Our findings suggest the presence of endemic cycles and potential risks of Leptospira infection in both species from SPRB. Although the impact of this infection on threatened species remains unclear, human activities and environmental stress might facilitate the emergence or reemergence of leptospirosis disease as has been reported elsewhere.

  16. Ultrafast Multi-Level Logic Gates with Spin-Valley Coupled Polarization Anisotropy in Monolayer MoS2

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yu-Ting; Luo, Chih-Wei; Yabushita, Atsushi; Wu, Kaung-Hsiung; Kobayashi, Takayoshi; Chen, Chang-Hsiao; Li, Lain-Jong

    2015-01-01

    The inherent valley-contrasting optical selection rules for interband transitions at the K and K′ valleys in monolayer MoS2 have attracted extensive interest. Carriers in these two valleys can be selectively excited by circularly polarized optical fields. The comprehensive dynamics of spin valley coupled polarization and polarized exciton are completely resolved in this work. Here, we present a systematic study of the ultrafast dynamics of monolayer MoS2 including spin randomization, exciton dissociation, free carrier relaxation, and electron-hole recombination by helicity- and photon energy-resolved transient spectroscopy. The time constants for these processes are 60 fs, 1 ps, 25 ps, and ~300 ps, respectively. The ultrafast dynamics of spin polarization, valley population, and exciton dissociation provides the desired information about the mechanism of radiationless transitions in various applications of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides. For example, spin valley coupled polarization provides a promising way to build optically selective-driven ultrafast valleytronics at room temperature. Therefore, a full understanding of the ultrafast dynamics in MoS2 is expected to provide important fundamental and technological perspectives. PMID:25656222

  17. Morphology of large valleys on Hawaii - Evidence for groundwater sapping and comparisons with Martian valleys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kochel, R. Craig; Piper, Jonathan F.

    1986-01-01

    Morphometric data on the runoff and sapping valleys on the slopes of Hawaii and Molokai in Hawaii are analyzed. The analysis reveals a clear distinction between the runoff valleys and sapping valleys. The Hawaiian sapping valleys are characterized by: (1) steep valley walls and flat floors, (2) amphitheater heads, (3) low drainage density, (4) paucity of downstream tributaries, (5) low frequency of up-dip tributaries, and (6) structural and stratigraphic control on valley patterns. The characteristics of the Hawaiian sapping valleys are compared to Martian valleys and experimental systems, and good correlation between the data is detected. Flume experiments were also conducted to study the evolution of sapping valleys in response to variable structure and stratigraphy.

  18. Epitaxial Single-Layer MoS2 on GaN with Enhanced Valley Helicity.

    PubMed

    Wan, Yi; Xiao, Jun; Li, Jingzhen; Fang, Xin; Zhang, Kun; Fu, Lei; Li, Pan; Song, Zhigang; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Yilun; Zhao, Mervin; Lu, Jing; Tang, Ning; Ran, Guangzhao; Zhang, Xiang; Ye, Yu; Dai, Lun

    2018-02-01

    Engineering the substrate of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides can couple the quasiparticle interaction between the 2D material and substrate, providing an additional route to realize conceptual quantum phenomena and novel device functionalities, such as realization of a 12-time increased valley spitting in single-layer WSe 2 through the interfacial magnetic exchange field from a ferromagnetic EuS substrate, and band-to-band tunnel field-effect transistors with a subthreshold swing below 60 mV dec -1 at room temperature based on bilayer n-MoS 2 and heavily doped p-germanium, etc. Here, it is demonstrated that epitaxially grown single-layer MoS 2 on a lattice-matched GaN substrate, possessing a type-I band alignment, exhibits strong substrate-induced interactions. The phonons in GaN quickly dissipate the energy of photogenerated carriers through electron-phonon interaction, resulting in a short exciton lifetime in the MoS 2 /GaN heterostructure. This interaction enables an enhanced valley helicity at room temperature (0.33 ± 0.05) observed in both steady-state and time-resolved circularly polarized photoluminescence measurements. The findings highlight the importance of substrate engineering for modulating the intrinsic valley carriers in ultrathin 2D materials and potentially open new paths for valleytronics and valley-optoelectronic device applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Development and characterization of microsatellite markers in the Point Arena mountain beaver Aplodontia rufa nigra

    Treesearch

    Kristine L. Pilgrim; William J. Zielinski; Mary J. Mazurek; Frederick V. Schlexer; Michael K. Schwartz

    2006-01-01

    The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is an endangered subspecies. Efforts to recover this sub-species will be aided by advances in molecular genetics, specifically the ability to estimate population size using noninvasive genetic sampling. Here we report on the development of nine polymorphic loci for the Point Arena mountain...

  20. Changes in flow in the Beaver-North Canadian River basin upstream from Canton Lake, western Oklahoma

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wahl, Kenneth L.; Tortorelli, Robert L.

    1997-01-01

    This report presents the results of an evaluation of hydrologic data for the Beaver-North Canadian River basin upstream from Canton Lake in western Oklahoma. It examines the climatic and hydrologic data for evidence of trends. The hydrologic data examined includes total annual flow, base flow, and annual peak discharges. This study was conducted to determine if there is evidence of trends present in hydrologic and climatic data. All available streamflow-gaging station data, with at least 10 or more years of record, were examined for trends. In addition, the data were divided into an 'early' period (ending in 1971), representing conditions before ground-water levels had declined appreciably, and a 'recent' period (1978-1994), reflecting the condition of declining ground-water levels, including the effects of storage reservoirs. Tests for trend, moving averages, and comparisons of median and average flows for an early period (ending in 1971) with those for the recent period (1978-1994) show that the total annual volume of flow and the magnitudes of instantaneous annual peak discharges measured at most gaging stations in the Beaver- North Canadian River basin have decreased in recent years. Precipitation records for the panhandle, however, show no corresponding changes. The changes in flow are most pronounced in the headwaters upstream from Woodward, but also are evident at Woodward and near Seiling, which represents the inflow to Canton Lake. The average annual discharge decreased between the early period and the recent period by the following amounts: near Guymon, 18,000 acre-feet; at Beaver, 68,000 acre-feet; at Woodward, 72,000 acre-feet; and near Seiling, 63,000 acre-feet. These decreases, expressed as a percentage of the average flows for the early period, were 91 percent near Guymon, 82 percent at Beaver, 49 percent at Woodward, and 37 percent near Seiling. The medians of the annual peak discharges decreased from the early period to the recent period by the

  1. Indian Creek uranium prospects, Beaver County, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wyant, Donald G.; Stugard, Frederick

    1951-01-01

    The secondary uranium minerals metatorbernite (?) and autunite (?) were discovered at Indian Creek in the spring of 1950. The deposits, in sec. 26, T. 27 S., R. 6 T., Beaver County, Utah, are 20 miles west of Marysvale, and about three-eighths of a mile east of a quartz monzonite stock. The uranium minerals are sparsely disseminated in argillized and silicified earlier Tertiary Bullion Canyon latite and related volcanic rock beneart, but close to, the contact of the overlying later Tertiary Mount Belknap gray rhyolite. The prospects are in a landslide area where exposures are scarce. Therefore, trend and possible continuity of the altered and the uraniferous zones cannot be established definitely. The occurrence of secondary uranium minerals in beidellite-montmorillonite rock, formed by alteration of earlier Tertiary rocks near a quartz monzonite stock, is similar to that in some of the deposits in the Marysvale uranium district.

  2. Estimating abundance and survival in the endangered Point Arena Mountain beaver using noninvasive genetic methods

    Treesearch

    William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; T. Luke George; Kristine L. Pilgrim; Michael K. Schwartz

    2013-01-01

    The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is federally listed as an endangered subspecies that is restricted to a small geographic range in coastal Mendocino County, California. Management of this imperiled taxon requires accurate information on its demography and vital rates. We developed noninvasive survey methods, using hair snares to sample DNA and to...

  3. Identifying source populations for the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber L. 1758, into Britain: evidence from ancient DNA.

    PubMed

    Marr, Melissa M; Brace, Selina; Schreve, Danielle C; Barnes, Ian

    2018-02-09

    Establishing true phylogenetic relationships between populations is a critical consideration when sourcing individuals for translocation. This presents huge difficulties with threatened and endangered species that have become extirpated from large areas of their former range. We utilise ancient DNA (aDNA) to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of a keystone species which has become extinct in Britain, the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber. We sequenced seventeen 492 bp partial tRNAPro and control region sequences from Late Pleistocene and Holocene age beavers and included these in network, demographic and genealogy analyses. The mode of postglacial population expansion from refugia was investigated by employing tests of neutrality and a pairwise mismatch distribution analysis. We found evidence of a pre-Late Glacial Maximum ancestor for the Western C. fiber clade which experienced a rapid demographic expansion during the terminal Pleistocene to early Holocene period. Ancient British beavers were found to originate from the Western phylogroup but showed no phylogenetic affinity to any one modern relict population over another. Instead, we find that they formed part of a large, continuous, pan-Western European clade that harbored little internal substructure. Our study highlights the utility of aDNA in reconstructing population histories of extirpated species which has real-world implications for conservation planning.

  4. Valley dynamics of intravalley and intervalley multiexcitonic states in monolayer WS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fu, Jiyong; Bezerra, Andre; Qu, Fanyao

    2018-03-01

    We present a comprehensive model comprising of a complete set of rate equations, which account for charge transfer among multiexcitonic channels including excitons, trions, and biexcitons, to investigate valley (locked with spin) dynamics in monolayer WS2. The steady-state photoluminescence (PL) spectra, underlying the laser power dependence of excitonic populations, are also determined. Our computed PL for all excitonic states agrees with the experimental data of Paradisanos et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 110, 193102 (2017), 10.1063/1.4983285]. We find that the relative weight of PL, stemmed from different excitonic channels, strongly depends on the laser power even under dynamical conditions. Remarkably, the biexciton channel, having the weakest PL intensity at low laser powers, tends to prevail in PL over other excitonic states as the power strengthens. In addition, by accounting for intervalley scatterings, which enable transfer of excitonic states from one valley to the other, we determine the valley polarization, which strongly depends on intervalley scatterings and the exciton generation rates in the two valleys. On the other hand, the valley polarization for all excitonic channels is found almost independent of the laser power, consistent with experimental measurements as well. Finally, the valley dynamics involving both intra- and intervalley trions is discussed. Our model and numerical outcome should be beneficial to experiments especially featuring the interplay of multiexcitonic channels in, e.g., elucidating experimental data, estimating central excitonic quantities including recombination times and transition rates, and in widening possible new experimental scopes.

  5. 3. Historic American Buildings Survey W. Gould White, Photographer March ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    3. Historic American Buildings Survey W. Gould White, Photographer March 30, 1936 DETAIL OF BRACED ARCH CONSTRUCTION - Smith's Covered Bridge, Beaver Valley, spanning Brandywine River, Granogue, New Castle County, DE

  6. Geochemical map of the Wet Beaver Roadless Area, Coconino and Yavapai counties, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gerstel, W.J.

    1985-01-01

    The geochemical survey of the Wet Beaver Roadless Area was conducted in May 1982 by the U.S. Geological Survey to aid in a mineral resource appraisal of the area. A total of 64 stream-sediment samples, 30 heavy-mineral concentrates from stream sediment, 7 rock samples, and 7 water samples was collected by S.C. Rose, D.E. Hendzel, and W.J. Gerstel, with helicopter support from Jack Ruby, pilot for Helicopters Unlimited.

  7. Nonlinear optical selection rule based on valley-exciton locking in monolayer ws 2

    DOE PAGES

    Xiao, Jun; Ye, Ziliang; Wang, Ying; ...

    2015-12-18

    Optical selection rules fundamentally determine the optical transitions between energy states in a variety of physical systems, from hydrogen atoms to bulk crystals such as gallium arsenide. These rules are important for optoelectronic applications such as lasers, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and quantum computation. Recently, single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides have been found to exhibit valleys in momentum space with nontrivial Berry curvature and excitons with large binding energy. However, there has been little study of how the unique valley degree of freedom combined with the strong excitonic effect influences the nonlinear optical excitation. Here in this paper, we report the discoverymore » of nonlinear optical selection rules in monolayer WS 2, an important candidate for visible 2D optoelectronics because of its high quantum yield and large direct bandgap. We experimentally demonstrated this principle for second-harmonic generation and two-photon luminescence (TPL). Moreover, the circularly polarized TPL and the study of its dynamics evince a sub-ps interexciton relaxation (2p → 1s). The discovery of this new optical selection rule in a valleytronic 2D system not only considerably enhances knowledge in this area but also establishes a foundation for the control of optical transitions that will be crucial for valley optoelectronic device applications such as 2D valley-polarized THz sources with 2p-1s transitions, optical switches, and coherent control for quantum computing.« less

  8. Nondegenerate valleys in the half-metallic ferromagnet Fe/WS 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Messaoudi, Omar; Ibañez-Azpiroz, Julen; Bouzar, Hamid; Lounis, Samir

    2018-01-01

    We present a first-principles investigation of the electronic properties of monolayer WS2 coated with an overlayer of Fe. Our ab initio calculations reveal that the system is a half-metallic ferromagnet with a gap of ˜1 eV for the majority spin channel. Furthermore, the combined effect of time-reversal symmetry breaking due to the magnetic Fe overlayer and the large spin-orbit coupling induced by W gives rise to nondegenerate K and K' valleys. This has a tremendous impact on the excited-state properties induced by externally applied circularly polarized light. Our analysis demonstrates that the latter induces a singular hot-spot structure of the transition probability around the K and K' valleys for right and left circular polarization, respectively. We trace back the emergence of this remarkable effect to the strong momentum dependent spin-noncollinearity of the valence band involved. As a main consequence, a strong valley-selective magnetic circular dichroism is obtained, making this system a prime candidate for spintronics and photonics applications.

  9. 2. View looking south from Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge showing ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. View looking south from Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge showing Neshanic Station Bridge in elevation. Jet Lowe, photographer, 1983 - Neshanic Station Lenticular Truss Bridge, State Route 567, spanning South Branch of Raritan River, Neshanic Station, Somerset County, NJ

  10. Beaver Fever: Whole-Genome Characterization of Waterborne Outbreak and Sporadic Isolates To Study the Zoonotic Transmission of Giardiasis.

    PubMed

    Tsui, Clement K-M; Miller, Ruth; Uyaguari-Diaz, Miguel; Tang, Patrick; Chauve, Cedric; Hsiao, William; Isaac-Renton, Judith; Prystajecky, Natalie

    2018-04-25

    Giardia causes the diarrheal disease known as giardiasis; transmission through contaminated surface water is common. The protozoan parasite's genetic diversity has major implications for human health and epidemiology. To determine the extent of transmission from wildlife through surface water, we performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize 89 Giardia duodenalis isolates from both outbreak and sporadic infections: 29 isolates from raw surface water, 38 from humans, and 22 from veterinary sources. Using single nucleotide variants (SNVs), combined with epidemiological data, relationships contributing to zoonotic transmission were described. Two assemblages, A and B, were identified in surface water, human, and veterinary isolates. Mixes of zoonotic assemblages A and B were seen in all the community waterborne outbreaks in British Columbia (BC), Canada, studied. Assemblage A was further subdivided into assemblages A1 and A2 based on the genetic variation observed. The A1 assemblage was highly clonal; isolates of surface water, human, and veterinary origins from Canada, United States, and New Zealand clustered together with minor variation, consistent with this being a panglobal zoonotic lineage. In contrast, assemblage B isolates were variable and consisted of several clonal lineages relating to waterborne outbreaks and geographic locations. Most human infection isolates in waterborne outbreaks clustered with isolates from surface water and beavers implicated to be outbreak sources by public health. In-depth outbreak analysis demonstrated that beavers can act as amplification hosts for human infections and can act as sources of surface water contamination. It is also known that other wild and domesticated animals, as well as humans, can be sources of waterborne giardiasis. This study demonstrates the utility of WGS in furthering our understanding of Giardia transmission dynamics at the water-human-animal interface. IMPORTANCE Giardia duodenalis causes large

  11. Sacramento Valley, CA, USA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1973-06-22

    SL2-04-179 (22 June 1973) --- The Sacramento Valley (40.5N, 121.5W) of California is the northern extension of the Central Valley, main agriculture region of the state. Hundreds of truck farms, vineyards and orchards can be seen throughout the length and breadth of the valley which was reclaimed from the desert by means of intensive and extensive irrigation projects. Photo credit: NASA

  12. The effect of beaver ponds on water quality in rural coastal plain streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bason, Christopher W.; Kroes, Daniel; Brinson, Mark M.

    2017-01-01

    We compared water-quality effects of 13 beaver ponds on adjacent free-flowing control reaches in the Coastal Plain of rural North Carolina. We measured concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and suspended sediment (SS) upstream and downstream of paired ponds and control reaches. Nitrate and SS concentrations decreased, ammonium concentrations increased, and SRP concentrations were unaffected downstream of the ponds and relative to the control reaches. The pond effect on nitrate concentration was a reduction of 112 ± 55 μg-N/L (19%) compared to a control-reach—influenced reduction of 28 ± 17 μg-N/L. The pond effect on ammonium concentration was an increase of 9.47 ± 10.9 μg-N/L (59%) compared to the control-reach—influenced reduction of 1.49 ± 1.37 μg-N/L. The pond effect on SS concentration was a decrease of 3.41 ± 1.68 mg/L (40%) compared to a control-reach—influenced increase of 0.56 ± 0.27 mg/L. Ponds on lower-order streams reduced nitrate concentrations by greater amounts compared to those in higher-order streams. Older ponds reduced SS concentrations by greater amounts compared to younger ponds. The findings of this study indicate that beaver ponds provide water-quality benefits to rural Coastal Plain streams by reducing concentrations of nitrate and suspended sediment.

  13. Valley Zeeman splitting of monolayer MoS2 probed by low-field magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy at room temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Y. J.; Shen, C.; Tan, Q. H.; Shi, J.; Liu, X. F.; Wu, Z. H.; Zhang, J.; Tan, P. H.; Zheng, H. Z.

    2018-04-01

    The valley Zeeman splitting of monolayer two-dimensional (2D) materials in the magnetic field plays an important role in the valley and spin manipulations. In general, a high magnetic field (6-65 T) and low temperature (2-30 K) were two key measurement conditions to observe the resolvable valley Zeeman splitting of monolayer 2D materials in current reported experiments. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate an effective measurement scheme by employing magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy, which enables us to distinguish the valley Zeeman splitting under a relatively low magnetic field of 1 T at room temperature. MCD peaks related to both A and B excitonic transitions in monolayer MoS2 can be clearly observed. Based on the MCD spectra under different magnetic fields (-3 to 3 T), we obtained the valley Zeeman splitting energy and the g-factors of A and B excitons, respectively. Our results show that MCD spectroscopy is a high-sensitive magneto-optical technique to explore the valley and spin manipulation in 2D materials.

  14. Grizzly Valley fault system, Sierra Valley, CA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gold, Ryan; Stephenson, William; Odum, Jack; Briggs, Rich; Crone, Anthony; Angster, Steve

    2012-01-01

    The Grizzly Valley fault system (GVFS) strikes northwestward across Sierra Valley, California and is part of a network of active, dextral strike-slip faults in the northern Walker Lane (Figure 1). To investigate Quaternary motion across the GVFS, we analyzed high-resolution (0.25 m) airborne LiDAR data (Figure 2) in combination with six, high-resolution, P-wave, seismic-reflection profiles [Gold and others, 2012]. The 0.5- to 2.0-km-long seismic-reflection profiles were sited orthogonal to suspected tectonic lineaments identified from previous mapping and our analysis of airborne LiDAR data. To image the upper 400–700 m of subsurface stratigraphy of Sierra Valley (Figure 3), we used a 230-kg accelerated weight drop source. Geophone spacing ranged from 2 to 5 m and shots were co-located with the geophones. The profiles reveal a highly reflective, deformed basal marker that we interpret to be the top of Tertiary volcanic rocks, overlain by a 120- to 300-m-thick suite of subhorizontal reflectors we interpret as Plio-Pleistocene lacustrine deposits. Three profiles image the principle active trace of the GVFS, which is a steeply dipping fault zone that offsets the volcanic rocks and the basin fill (Figures 4 & 5).

  15. Valley segments, stream reaches, and channel units [Chapter 2

    Treesearch

    Peter A. Bisson; David R. Montgomery; John M. Buffington

    2006-01-01

    Valley segments, stream reaches, and channel units are three hierarchically nested subdivisions of the drainage network (Frissell et al. 1986), falling in size between landscapes and watersheds (see Chapter 1) and individual point measurements made along the stream network (Table 2.1; also see Chapters 3 and 4). These three subdivisions compose the habitat for large,...

  16. Optical manipulation of valley pseudospin

    DOE PAGES

    Ye, Ziliang; Sun, Dezheng; Heinz, Tony F.

    2016-09-19

    The coherent manipulation of spin and pseudospin underlies existing and emerging quantum technologies, including quantum communication and quantum computation. Valley polarization, associated with the occupancy of degenerate, but quantum mechanically distinct valleys in momentum space, closely resembles spin polarization and has been proposed as a pseudospin carrier for the future quantum electronics. Valley exciton polarization has been created in the transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers using excitation by circularly polarized light and has been detected both optically and electrically. In addition, the existence of coherence in the valley pseudospin has been identified experimentally. The manipulation of such valley coherence has, however,more » remained out of reach. In this paper, we demonstrate all-optical control of the valley coherence by means of the pseudomagnetic field associated with the optical Stark effect. Using below-bandgap circularly polarized light, we rotate the valley exciton pseudospin in monolayer WSe 2 on the femtosecond timescale. Both the direction and speed of the rotation can be manipulated optically by tuning the dynamic phase of excitons in opposite valleys. Finally, this study unveils the possibility of generation, manipulation, and detection of the valley pseudospin by coupling to photons.« less

  17. Ductile shear in granitic gneisses adjacent to the Beaver Creek fault zone, northwest lowlands, New York State

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Marcoline, J.

    1993-03-01

    Greenville-age rocks are exposed in the Beaver Creek area in the Northwest Lowlands of New York State. The prominent structural grain in the area strikes approximately N40E and is defined by a series of metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks elongate parallel to the Beaver Creek Fault Zone. A series of 7 granitic augen gneiss bodies lies to the west of the fault. These bodies are elongate parallel to the Beaver Creek Fault Zone and are bordered by metasedimentary units. Structural analysis of the 7 granitic gneiss bodies shows that the bodies underwent several phases of ductile shear. These shearing events aremore » responsible for both fabric development and the overall shape of the bodies. The granitic gneiss is a well-foliated and lineated augen gneiss. The foliation is defined by biotite alignment, quartz ribbons, and feldspar augen. The foliation has a strike of N42E, with dips ranging from 85SE to vertical. Quartz ribbon lineations plunge 20--25 NE. The gneiss exhibits three distinct ductile shear fabrics showing oblique slip with a large strike-slip component. Fabric asymmetry indicates oblique slip with a large component of sinistral shear. The second shear fabric is somewhat recovered but not annealed. Quartz ribbons are dominantly monogranular and many show pronounced undulose extinction. Feldspar porphyroclasts form well-defined sigma grains showing a component of sinistral shear. The youngest ductile shear fabric is defined by quartz grain shape preferred orientation and mica fish. This third fabric exhibits a component of dextral shear, rather than sinistral shear. A late cataclastic texture crosscuts the earlier ductile fabrics. The elongate character of the 7 bodies and their NE/SE alignment is probably due to the regional shearing processes responsible for forming the fabric in the rocks.« less

  18. Trends and variability of atmospheric PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 concentration in the Po Valley, Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bigi, Alessandro; Ghermandi, Grazia

    2016-12-01

    The Po Valley is one of the largest European regions with a remarkably high concentration level of atmospheric pollutants, both for particulate and gaseous compounds. In the last decade stringent regulations on air quality standards and on anthropogenic emissions have been set by the European Commission, including also for PM2.5 and its main components since 2008. These regulations have led to an overall improvement in air quality across Europe, including the Po Valley and specifically PM10, as shown in a previous study by Bigi and Ghermandi (2014). In order to assess the trend and variability in PM2.5 in the Po Valley and its role in the decrease in PM10, we analysed daily gravimetric equivalent concentration of PM2.5 and of PM10-2.5 at 44 and 15 sites respectively across the Po Valley. The duration of the times series investigated in this work ranges from 7 to 10 years. For both PM sizes, the trend in deseasonalized monthly means, annual quantiles and in monthly frequency distribution was estimated: this showed a significant decreasing trend at several sites for both size fractions and mostly occurring in winter. All series were tested for a significant weekly periodicity (a proxy to estimate the impact of primary anthropogenic emissions), yielding positive results for summer PM2.5 and for summer and winter PM10-2.5. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed moderate variability in PM2.5 across the valley, with two to three main clusters, dividing the area in western, eastern and southern/Apennines foothill sectors. The trend in atmospheric concentration was compared with the time series of local emissions, vehicular fleet details and fuel sales, suggesting that the decrease in PM2.5 and in PM10 originates from a drop both in primary and in precursors of secondary inorganic aerosol emissions, largely ascribed to vehicular traffic. Potentially, the increase in biomass burning emissions in winter and the modest decrease in NH3 weaken an otherwise even larger drop in

  19. Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 9): San Fernando Valley Area 2, operable unit 2, Los Angeles County, CA, June 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-06-01

    This decision document presents the selected remedial action for the Glendale North Operable Unit, San Fernando Valley Area 2 Superfund site. The remedy involves groundwater extraction and treatment for the shallow aquifer system in the Glendale area of the San Fernando Valley.

  20. Seasonal Variability of PM2.5, BC, and PM2.5 Chemical Characteristics at Busy Roadways in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakya, K. M.; Rupakheti, M.; Peltier, R.

    2016-12-01

    Kathmandu valley located in the foothills of Himalaya in Nepal suffers from serious air pollution problems. Near-roadway PM2.5 and BC were measured at six sites in the Kathmandu valley using a portable scattering nephelometer (pDR-1500, Thermo Inc., US) and a microaethalometer (Aeth Labs, US), respectively. 37 mm polytetrafluoroethylene filter samples were analyzed by a laboratory-based X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer (QUANT'X, Thermo Inc., US) for elements, with subsequent filter extraction in deionized water followed by ion chromatography (ICS-1100, Thermo Inc., US) for water-soluble ions. PM2.5 concentrations at six different locations in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal showed distinct seasonal variability. There was a reduction of 57-74% in PM2.5 levels during the monsoonal period (July 20 - August 22, 2014) compared to the drier winter season (February 16 - April 4, 2014). Daily means of PM2.5 were 124.76 and 45.92 μg/m3 during winter and monsoon, respectively. BC concentrations, however, were marginally reduced during the monsoon (13.46 μgC/m3) compared to that in winter (16.74 μgC/m3). Four sites located along a busy commercial ring road had higher PM2.5 levels than the two sites located inside the ring road. Chemical analysis of 24 hour PM2.5 filter samples shows dust and traffic sources as the most important PM emission source at these locations. Silica, calcium, aluminum, and iron were the most abundant elements during both winter and monsoon, with the total concentrations of 12.13 and 8.85 μg/m3, respectively. Coefficient of divergence calculated from the four main sites resulted in more heterogeneity for chemical species compared to PM2.5 and BC. This suggests though PM2.5 and BC levels might be similar in the valley, their emission sources and production might differ across the valley. Our findings provide important insights on physical and chemical characteristics of particulate matter and its sources, which will be useful in designing

  1. The Inter-Valley Soil Comparative Survey: the ecology of Dry Valley edaphic microbial communities

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Charles K; Barbier, Béatrice A; Bottos, Eric M; McDonald, Ian R; Cary, Stephen Craig

    2012-01-01

    Recent applications of molecular genetics to edaphic microbial communities of the McMurdo Dry Valleys and elsewhere have rejected a long-held belief that Antarctic soils contain extremely limited microbial diversity. The Inter-Valley Soil Comparative Survey aims to elucidate the factors shaping these unique microbial communities and their biogeography by integrating molecular genetic approaches with biogeochemical analyses. Although the microbial communities of Dry Valley soils may be complex, there is little doubt that the ecosystem's food web is relatively simple, and evidence suggests that physicochemical conditions may have the dominant role in shaping microbial communities. To examine this hypothesis, bacterial communities from representative soil samples collected in four geographically disparate Dry Valleys were analyzed using molecular genetic tools, including pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene PCR amplicons. Results show that the four communities are structurally and phylogenetically distinct, and possess significantly different levels of diversity. Strikingly, only 2 of 214 phylotypes were found in all four valleys, challenging a widespread assumption that the microbiota of the Dry Valleys is composed of a few cosmopolitan species. Analysis of soil geochemical properties indicated that salt content, alongside altitude and Cu2+, was significantly correlated with differences in microbial communities. Our results indicate that the microbial ecology of Dry Valley soils is highly localized and that physicochemical factors potentially have major roles in shaping the microbiology of ice-free areas of Antarctica. These findings hint at links between Dry Valley glacial geomorphology and microbial ecology, and raise previously unrecognized issues related to environmental management of this unique ecosystem. PMID:22170424

  2. Nuclear and mitochondrial genetic structure in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) – implications for future reintroductions

    PubMed Central

    Senn, Helen; Ogden, Rob; Frosch, Christiane; Syrůčková, Alena; Campbell-Palmer, Roisin; Munclinger, Pavel; Durka, Walter; Kraus, Robert H S; Saveljev, Alexander P; Nowak, Carsten; Stubbe, Annegret; Stubbe, Michael; Michaux, Johan; Lavrov, Vladimir; Samiya, Ravchig; Ulevicius, Alius; Rosell, Frank

    2014-01-01

    Many reintroduction projects for conservation fail, and there are a large number of factors that may contribute to failure. Genetic analysis can be used to help stack the odds of a reintroduction in favour of success, by conducting assessment of source populations to evaluate the possibility of inbreeding and outbreeding depression and by conducting postrelease monitoring. In this study, we use a panel of 306 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) markers and 487–489 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA control region sequence data to examine 321 individuals from possible source populations of the Eurasian beaver for a reintroduction to Scotland. We use this information to reassess the phylogenetic history of the Eurasian beavers, to examine the genetic legacy of past reintroductions on the Eurasian landmass and to assess the future power of the genetic markers to conduct ongoing monitoring via parentage analysis and individual identification. We demonstrate the capacity of medium density genetic data (hundreds of SNPs) to provide information suitable for applied conservation and discuss the difficulty of balancing the need for high genetic diversity against phylogenetic best fit when choosing source population(s) for reintroduction. PMID:25067948

  3. 27 CFR 9.194 - San Antonio Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... significance. (b) Approved Maps. The appropriate maps for determining the boundary of the San Antonio Valley...) Hames Valley, California, 1949, photorevised 1978; (2) Tierra Redonda Mountain, California, 1949... southeast corner of section 14, T23S, R9E, on the Hames Valley map; (2) From the beginning point, proceed...

  4. The Relationship between Market and Accounting Determined Risk Measures: Reviewing and Updating the Beaver, Kettler, Scholes (1970) Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jarvela, Michael; Kozyra, James; Potter, Carla

    2009-01-01

    The association between market-determined risk measures and accounting-determined risk measures was originally explored in the 1970s by Beaver, Kettler, and Scholes (BKS). The results of the BKS (1970) study suggest that accounting information is usefulness in assessing firm specific risk. Since BKS, there have been few studies conducted to…

  5. Decoupling the Stationary Navier-Stokes-Darcy System with the Beavers-Joseph-Saffman Interface Condition

    DOE PAGES

    Cao, Yong; Chu, Yuchuan; He, Xiaoming; ...

    2013-01-01

    This paper proposes a domain decomposition method for the coupled stationary Navier-Stokes and Darcy equations with the Beavers-Joseph-Saffman interface condition in order to improve the efficiency of the finite element method. The physical interface conditions are directly utilized to construct the boundary conditions on the interface and then decouple the Navier-Stokes and Darcy equations. Newton iteration will be used to deal with the nonlinear systems. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the features of the proposed method.

  6. Effects of reintroduced beaver (Castor canadensis) on riparian bird community structure along the upper San Pedro River, southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Glenn E.; van Riper, Charles

    2014-01-01

    Chapter 1.—We measured bird abundance and richness along the upper San Pedro River in 2005 and 2006, in order to document how beavers (Castor canadensis) may act as ecosystem engineers after their reintroduction to a desert riparian area in the Southwestern United States. In areas where beavers colonized, we found higher bird abundance and richness of bird groups, such as all breeding birds, insectivorous birds, and riparian specialists, and higher relative abundance of many individual species—including several avian species of conservation concern. Chapter 2.—We conducted bird surveys in riparian areas along the upper San Pedro River in southeastern Arizona (United States) and northern Sonora (Mexico) in order to describe factors influencing bird community dynamics and the distribution and abundance of species, particularly those of conservation concern. These surveys were also used to document the effects of the ecosystem-altering activities of a recently reintroduced beavers (Castor canadensis). Chapter 3.—We reviewed Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) nest records and investigated the potential for future breeding along the upper San Pedro River in southeastern Arizona, where in July 2005 we encountered the southernmost verifiable nest attempt for the species. Continued conservation and management of the area’s riparian vegetation and surface water has potential to contribute additional breeding sites for this endangered Willow Flycatcher subspecies. Given the nest record along the upper San Pedro River and the presence of high-density breeding sites to the north, the native cottonwood-willow forests of the upper San Pedro River could become increasingly important to E. t. extimus recovery, especially considering the anticipated effect of the tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) on riparian habitat north of the region.

  7. Distributed Temperature Sensing of hyporheic flux patterns in varied space and time around beaver dams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Briggs, M.; Lautz, L. K.; McKenzie, J. M.

    2010-12-01

    Small dams enhance hyporheic interaction by creating punctuated head differentials along streams, thereby affecting redox conditions and nutrient cycling in the streambed. As beaver populations return, they create dams that alter hyporheic flowpaths locally, an effect which may integrate at the reach scale to produce a net hydrological and ecological functional change. Streambed heterogeneity around beaver dams combines with varied morphology, head differentials and stream velocities to create patterns of hyporheic seepage flux that vary in both space and time. Heat has been used as a groundwater tracer for many years, but it’s dependence on spatially disperse point measurements has only recently been resolved by the development of Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) fiber-optic technology. Modified applications of DTS include wrapping the fiber around a mandrel to increase spatial resolution dramatically. Wrapped configurations can be installed vertically in the streambed to provide data for heat transport modeling of vertical hyporheic flux. The vertically continuous dataset generated with DTS may be more informative regarding subsurface heterogeneity than more commonly used spatially discrete thermocouples. We installed a total of nine wrapped DTS rods with 1.4 cm vertical spatial resolution above two beaver dams in Cherry Creek, a tributary of the Little Popo Agie River in Lander, Wyoming, USA. Data was collected over 20 min periods in dual-ended mode continuously for one month (10-Jul to 10-Aug 2010) during baseflow recession, as discharge dropped from 384 Ls-1 to 211 Ls-1. The temperature rods were installed to at least 0.75 m depth within bed sediments at varied distances upstream of the dams in diverse stream morphological units, which ranged from gravel bars to clay lined pools. Diurnal fluctuations in stream temperature were generally between 4.5 and 5.5 oC in amplitude, imparting a strong potential signal for propagation into the bed due to advective

  8. Small geographic range but not panmictic: how forests structure the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

    Treesearch

    William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; Sean A. Parks; Kristine L. Pilgrim; Michael K. Schwartz

    2012-01-01

    The landscape genetics framework is typically applied to broad regions that occupy only small portions of a species' range. Rarely is the entire range of a taxon the subject of study. We examined the landscape genetic structure of the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra), whose isolated geographic range is found in a...

  9. Geologic history of the Yosemite Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Matthes, Francois E.

    1930-01-01

    Projection of the longitudinal profiles of these hanging valleys forward to the axis of the Merced Canyon shows that they are closely accordant in height. Their profiles indicate a series of points on a former profile of the Merced with respect to which the side streams had graded their courses prior to the last uplift. This old profile can be extended upward into the glaciated part of the Merced Canyon above El Portal and even into the profoundly glaciated Yosemite Valley, accordant points being furnished by a number of hanging side valleys (due allowance being made for glacial erosion suffered by those valleys). However, not all the hanging valleys of the Yosemite region are accordant with this set. Several of them, including the upland valley of Yosemite Creek, constitute a separate set indicating another old profile of the Merced at a level 600 to 1,000 feet higher than the first. Others, including the hanging gulch of lower Bridalveil Creek, point to an old profile of the Merced about 1,200 feet lower than the first. There are thus three distinct sets of hanging valleys produced in three cycles of stream erosion. The valleys of the upper set, like those of the middle set, were left hanging as a result of rapid trenching by the Merced induced by an uplift of the range, there having been two such uplifts. Only the valleys of the lower set hang because of glacial deepening and widening of the Yosemite Valley, the cycle in which they were cut having been interrupted by the advent of the Pleistocene glaciers. They consequently indicate the preglacial depth of the Yosemite Valley. That depth, measured from the brow of El Capitan, was about 2,400 feet; measured from the rim at Glacier Point it was about 2,000 feet.

  10. Topological Valley Currents in Gapped Dirac Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lensky, Yuri D.; Song, Justin C. W.; Samutpraphoot, Polnop; Levitov, Leonid S.

    2015-06-01

    Gapped 2D Dirac materials, in which inversion symmetry is broken by a gap-opening perturbation, feature a unique valley transport regime. Topological valley currents in such materials are dominated by bulk currents produced by electronic states just beneath the gap rather than by edge modes. The system ground state hosts dissipationless persistent valley currents existing even when topologically protected edge modes are absent. Valley currents induced by an external bias are characterized by a quantized half-integer valley Hall conductivity. The undergap currents dominate magnetization and the charge Hall effect in a light-induced valley-polarized state.

  11. 40 CFR 52.2027 - Approval status of Pennsylvania's Generic NOX and VOC RACT Rules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... through 129.95 (see § 52.2020 (c)(129)) as those regulations apply to the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley area... its approval of 25 PA Code of Regulations, Chapter 129.91 through 129.95 [see § 52.2020 (c)(129)] as...

  12. 40 CFR 52.2027 - Approval status of Pennsylvania's Generic NOX and VOC RACT Rules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... through 129.95 (see § 52.2020 (c)(129)) as those regulations apply to the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley area... its approval of 25 PA Code of Regulations, Chapter 129.91 through 129.95 [see § 52.2020 (c)(129)] as...

  13. Optical tuning of electronic valleys (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sie, Edbert J.; Gedik, Nuh

    2017-02-01

    Monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides such as MoS2 and WS2 are prime examples of atomically thin semiconducting crystals that exhibit remarkable electronic and optical properties. They have a pair of valleys that can serve as a new electronic degree of freedom, and these valleys obey optical selection rules with circularly polarized light. Here, we discuss how ultrafast laser pulses can be used to tune their energy levels in a controllable valley-selective manner. The energy tunability is extremely large, comparable to what would be obtained using a hundred Tesla of magnetic field. We will also show that such valley tunability can be performed while we effectively manipulate the valley selection rules. Finally, we will explore the prospect of using this technique through photoemission spectroscopy to create a new phase of matter called a valley Floquet topological insulator.

  14. Gate-Controlled Spin-Valley Locking of Resident Carriers in WSe2 Monolayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dey, P.; Yang, Luyi; Robert, C.; Wang, G.; Urbaszek, B.; Marie, X.; Crooker, S. A.

    2017-09-01

    Using time-resolved Kerr rotation, we measure the spin-valley dynamics of resident electrons and holes in single charge-tunable monolayers of the archetypal transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductor WSe2 . In the n -type regime, we observe long (˜130 ns ) polarization relaxation of electrons that is sensitive to in-plane magnetic fields By, indicating spin relaxation. In marked contrast, extraordinarily long (˜2 μ s ) polarization relaxation of holes is revealed in the p -type regime, which is unaffected by By, directly confirming long-standing expectations of strong spin-valley locking of holes in the valence band of monolayer TMDs. Supported by continuous-wave Kerr spectroscopy and Hanle measurements, these studies provide a unified picture of carrier polarization dynamics in monolayer TMDs, which can guide design principles for future valleytronic devices.

  15. Safety evaluation report on Tennessee Valley Authority: Browns Ferry nuclear performance plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1989-10-01

    This safety evaluation report (SER) on the information submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in its Nuclear Performance Plan, through Revision 2, for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant and in supporting documents has been prepared by the US Nuclear Regulatory commission staff. The Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant consists of three boiling-water reactors at a site in Limestone County, Alabama. The plan addresses the plant-specific concerns requiring resolution before the startup of Unit 2. The staff will inspect implementation of those TVA programs that address these concerns. Where systems are common to Units 1 and 2 or to Units 2more » and 3, the staff safety evaluations of those systems are included herein. 85 refs.« less

  16. 27 CFR 9.154 - Chiles Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... Chiles Valley. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Chiles Valley... viticultural area are four 1:24,000 Scale U.S.G.S. topography maps. They are titled: (1) St. Helena, CA 1960 photorevised 1980; (2) Rutherford, CA 1951 photorevised 1968; (3) Chiles Valley, CA 1958 photorevised 1980; (4...

  17. Ground-water conditions in southern Utah Valley and Goshen Valley, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cordova, R.M.

    1970-01-01

    The investigation of ground-water conditions in southern Utah Valley and Goshen Valley, Utah, was made by the U. S. Geological Survey as part of a cooperative program with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, to investigate the water resources of the State. The purposes of the investigation were to (1) determine the occurrence, recharge, discharge, movement, storage, chemical quality, and availability of ground water; (2) appraise the effects of increased withdrawal of water from wells; and (3) evaluate the effect of the Central Utah Project on the ground-water reservoir and the water supply of Utah Lake.This report presents a description of the aquifer system in the two valleys, a detailed description of the ground-water resources, and conclusions about potential development and its effect on the hydrologic conditions in the valleys. Two supplementary reports are products of the investigation. A basic-data release (Cordova, 1969) contains most of the basic data collected for the investigation, including well characteristics, drillers' logs, water levels, pumpage from wells, chemical analyses of ground and surface waters, and discharge of selected springs, drains, and streams. An interpretive report (Cordova and Mower, 1967) contains the results of a large-scale aquifer test in southern Utah Valley.

  18. Prevalence of agglutinating antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona in beavers (Castor canadensis) from Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jordan, C.N.; Kaur, T.; Koenen, K.; DeStefano, S.; Zajac, A.M.; Lindsay, D.S.

    2005-01-01

    The present study examined the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystls neurona in a population of beavers (Castor canadensis) from Massachusetts. Sixty-two blood samples were collected during the field seasons over 3 consecutive years from different animals. Blood was collected onto filter paper and shipped to the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, for parasite testing. The samples were tested at dilutions of 1:25, 1:50, and 1:100 against each parasite antigen by modified agglutination tests to determine whether antibodies to either parasite were present in the blood. Six of 62 samples (10%) were positive for T. gondii, with 2 samples having titers of 1:25 and 4 having titers of 1:50. Four of 62 samples (6%) were positive for S. neurona, with 2 samples having titers of 1:25 and 2 having titers of 1:50. ?? American Society of Pathologists 2005.

  19. River restoration strategies in channelized, low-gradient landscapes of West Tennessee, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, D.P.; Diehl, T.H.; Turrini-Smith, L. A.; Maas-Baldwin, J.; Croyle, Z.

    2009-01-01

    West Tennessee has a complex history of watershed disturbance, including agricultural erosion, channelization, accelerated valley sedimentation, and the removal and reestablishment of beaver. Watershed management has evolved from fl oodplain drainage via pervasive channelization to include local drainage canal maintenance and local river restoration. Many unmaintained canals are undergoing excessive aggradation and complex channel evolution driven by upland erosion and low valley gradient. The locus of aggradation in fully occluded canals (valley plugs) moves up-valley as sediment continues to accumulate in the backwater behind the plug. Valley plugs that cause canal avulsion can lead to redevelopment of meandering channels in less disturbed areas of the fl oodplain, in a process of passive self-restoration. Some valley plugs have brought restored fl oodplain function, reoccupation of extant historic river channels, and formation of a "sediment shadow" that protects downstream reaches from excess sedimentation. Despite the presence of numerous opportunities, there is presently no mechanism for including valley plugs in mitigation projects. In 1997 a survey of 14 reference reach cross sections documented relations between drainage area and bankfull geometry of relatively unmodified streams in West Tennessee. Reassessment of seven of those sites in 2007 showed that one had been dammed by beaver and that two sites could not be analyzed further because of signifi cant vertical or lateral instability. In contrast to other regions of North America, the results suggest that stream channels in this region fl ood more frequently than once each year, and can remain out of banks for several weeks each year. ?? 2009 Geological Society of America.

  20. Valley-dependent band structure and valley polarization in periodically modulated graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Wei-Tao

    2016-08-01

    The valley-dependent energy band and transport property of graphene under a periodic magnetic-strained field are studied, where the time-reversal symmetry is broken and the valley degeneracy is lifted. The considered superlattice is composed of two different barriers, providing more degrees of freedom for engineering the electronic structure. The electrons near the K and K' valleys are dominated by different effective superlattices. It is found that the energy bands for both valleys are symmetric with respect to ky=-(AM+ξ AS) /4 under the symmetric superlattices. More finite-energy Dirac points, more prominent collimation behavior, and new crossing points are found for K' valley. The degenerate miniband near the K valley splits into two subminibands and produces a new band gap under the asymmetric superlattices. The velocity for the K' valley is greatly renormalized compared with the K valley, and so we can achieve a finite velocity for the K valley while the velocity for the K' valley is zero. Especially, the miniband and band gap could be manipulated independently, leading to an increase of the conductance. The characteristics of the band structure are reflected in the transmission spectra. The Dirac points and the crossing points appear as pronounced peaks in transmission. A remarkable valley polarization is obtained which is robust to the disorder and can be controlled by the strain, the period, and the voltage.

  1. Valley Near Nilus Chaos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-504, 5 October 2003

    This August 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a valley near Nilus Chaos, around 25.2oN, 80.3oW. The scene has a uniform albedo, indicating that all of the landforms are probably mantled by fine, bright dust. Dark streaks on the valley walls indicate places where recent dust avalanches have occurred. The ripple-like dune features on the valley floor were formed by wind, but today they are inactive and covered with dust. A few craters, created by impacting debris, have formed on the dunes, again attesting to their inactivity in the modern martian environment. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide; it is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.

  2. Valley- and spin-polarized oscillatory magneto-optical absorption in monolayer MoS2 quantum rings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliveira, D.; Villegas-Lelovsky, L.; Soler, M. A. G.; Qu, Fanyao

    2018-03-01

    Besides optical valley selectivity, strong spin-orbit interaction along with Berry curvature effects also leads to unconventional valley- and spin-polarized Landau levels in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) under a perpendicular magnetic field. We find that these unique properties are inherited to the magneto-optical absorption spectrum of the TMDC quantum rings (QRs). In addition, it is robust against variation of the magnetic flux and of the QR geometry. In stark contrast to the monolayer bulk material, the MoS2 QRs manifest themselves in both the optical valley selectivity and unprecedented size tunability of the frequency of the light absorbed. We also find that when the magnetic field setup is changed, the phase transition from Aharonov-Bohm (AB) quantum interference to aperiodic oscillation of magneto-optical absorption spectrum takes place. The exciton spectrum in a realistic finite thickness MoS2 QR is also discussed.

  3. Suspended-sediment and turbidity responses to sediment and turbidity reduction projects in the Beaver Kill, Stony Clove Creek, and Warner Creek, Watersheds, New York, 2010–14

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Siemion, Jason; McHale, Michael R.; Davis, Wae Danyelle

    2016-12-05

    Suspended-sediment concentrations (SSCs) and turbidity were monitored within the Beaver Kill, Stony Clove Creek, and Warner Creek tributaries to the upper Esopus Creek in New York, the main source of water to the Ashokan Reservoir, from October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2014. The purpose of the monitoring was to determine the effects of suspended-sediment and turbidity reduction projects (STRPs) on SSC and turbidity in two of the three streams; no STRPs were constructed in the Beaver Kill watershed. During the study period, four STRPs were completed in the Stony Clove Creek and Warner Creek watersheds. Daily mean SSCs decreased significantly for a given streamflow after the STRPs were completed. The most substantial decreases in daily mean SSCs were measured at the highest streamflows. Background SSCs, as measured in water samples collected in upstream reference stream reaches, in all three streams in this study were less than 5 milligrams per liter during low and high streamflows. Longitudinal stream sampling identified stream reaches with failing hillslopes in contact with the stream channel as the primary sediment sources in the Beaver Kill and Stony Clove Creek watersheds.

  4. Mapping wetlands on beaver flowages with 35-mm photography

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kirby, R.E.

    1976-01-01

    Beaver flowages and associated wetlands on the Chippewa National Forest, north-central Minnesota, were photographed from the ground and from the open side window of a small high-wing monoplane. The 35-mm High Speed Ektachrome transparencies obtained were used to map the cover-type associations visible on the aerial photographs. Nearly vertical aerial photos were rectified by projecting the slides onto a base map consisting ofcontrol points located by plane-table survey. Maps were prepared by tracing the recognizable stands of vegetation in the rectified projection at the desired map scale. Final map scales ranging from 1:260 to 1:571 permitted identification and mapping of 26 cover-type associations on 10 study flowages in 1971. This cover-mapping technique was economical and substituted for detailed ground surveys. Comparative data from 10 flowages were collected serially throughout the entire open-water season. Although developed for analysis of waterfowl habitat, the technique has application to other areas of wildlife management and ecological investigation.

  5. [Succession caused by beaver (Castor fiber L.) life activity: II. A refined Markov model].

    PubMed

    Logofet; Evstigneev, O I; Aleinikov, A A; Morozova, A O

    2015-01-01

    The refined Markov model of cyclic zoogenic successions caused by beaver (Castor fiber L.) life activity represents a discrete chain of the following six states: flooded forest, swamped forest, pond, grassy swamp, shrubby swamp, and wet forest, which correspond to certain stages of succession. Those stages are defined, and a conceptual scheme of probable transitions between them for one time step is constructed from the knowledge of beaver behaviour in small river floodplains of "Bryanskii Les" Reserve. We calibrated the corresponding matrix of transition probabilities according to the optimization principle: minimizing differences between the model outcome and reality; the model generates a distribution of relative areas corresponding to the stages of succession, that has to be compared to those gained from case studies in the Reserve during 2002-2006. The time step is chosen to equal 2 years, and the first-step data in the sum of differences are given various weights, w (between 0 and 1). The value of w = 0.2 is selected due to its optimality and for some additional reasons. By the formulae of finite homogeneous Markov chain theory, we obtained the main results of the calibrated model, namely, a steady-state distribution of stage areas, indexes of cyclicity, and the mean durations (M(j)) of succession stages. The results of calibration give an objective quantitative nature to the expert knowledge of the course of succession and get a proper interpretation. The 2010 data, which are not involved in the calibration procedure, enabled assessing the quality of prediction by the homogeneous model in short-term (from the 2006 situation): the error of model area distribution relative to the distribution observed in 2010 falls into the range of 9-17%, the best prognosis being given by the least optimal matrices (rejected values of w). This indicates a formally heterogeneous nature of succession processes in time. Thus, the refined version of the homogeneous Markov chain

  6. Selected hydrologic data for the Beaver Dam Wash area, Washington County, Utah, Lincoln County, Nevada, and Mohave County, Arizona, 1991-95

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Enright, Michael

    1996-01-01

    The hydrologic data in this report were collected in Beaver Dam Wash and adjacent areas of Washington County, Utah, Lincoln County, Nevada, andMohave County, Arizona, from 1991 to 1995; some historical data from as far back as 1932 are included for comparative purposes. The data include records of about 100 wells, drillers' and geologic logs of selected wells, and results of chemical analyses of water from wells, springs, and surface-water sites. Discharge, water temperature, and specific-conductance measurements are reported for 33 surface-water and spring sites. Daily mean discharge data are reported for two U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations on Beaver Dam Wash (1992-95). The data were collected as part of a study done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources; the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

  7. Diurnal cycle of air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: 2. Modeling results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panday, Arnico K.; Prinn, Ronald G.; SchäR, Christoph

    2009-11-01

    After completing a 9-month field experiment studying air pollution and meteorology in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, we set up the mesoscale meteorological model MM5 to simulate the Kathmandu Valley's meteorology with a horizontal resolution of up to 1 km. After testing the model against available data, we used it to address specific questions to understand the factors that control the observed diurnal cycle of air pollution in this urban basin in the Himalayas. We studied the dynamics of the basin's nocturnal cold air pool, its dissipation in the morning, and the subsequent growth and decay of the mixed layer over the valley. During mornings, we found behavior common to large basins, with upslope flows and basin-center subsidence removing the nocturnal cold air pool. During afternoons the circulation in the Kathmandu Valley exhibited patterns common to plateaus, with cooler denser air originating over lower regions west of Kathmandu arriving through mountain passes and spreading across the basin floor, thereby reducing the mixed layer depth. We also examined the pathways of pollutant ventilation out of the valley. The bulk of the pollution ventilation takes place during the afternoon, when strong westerly winds blow in through the western passes of the valley, and the pollutants are rapidly carried out through passes on the east and south sides of the valley. In the evening, pollutants first accumulate near the surface, but then are lifted slightly when katabatic flows converge underneath. The elevated polluted layers are mixed back down in the morning, contributing to the morning pollution peak. Later in the morning a fraction of the valley's pollutants travels up the slopes of the valley rim mountains before the westerly winds begin.

  8. Optically dark excitonic states mediated exciton and biexciton valley dynamics in monolayer WSe2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Minghua; Fu, Jiyong; Dias, A. C.; Qu, Fanyao

    2018-07-01

    We present a theory to address the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and valley polarization (VP) dynamics in monolayer WSe2, under the impact of excitonic dark states of both excitons and biexcitons. We find that the PL intensity of all excitonic channels including intravalley exciton (Xb), intravalley biexciton (XXk,k) and intervalley biexciton (XX) in particular for the XXk,k PL is enhanced by laser excitation fluence. In addition, our results indicate the anomalous temperature dependence of PL, i.e. increasing with temperature, as a result of favored phonon assisted dark-to-bright scatterings at high temperatures. Moreover, we observe that the PL is almost immune to intervalley scatterings, which trigger the exchange of excitonic states between the two valleys. As far as the valley polarization is concerned, we find that the VP of Xb shrinks as temperature increases, exhibiting opposite temperature response to PL, while the intravalley XXk,k VP is found almost independent of temperature. In contrast to both Xb and XXk,k, the intervalley XX VP identically vanishes, because of equal populations of excitons in the K and valleys bounded to form intervalley biexcitons. Notably, it is found that the Xb VP much more strongly depends on bright–dark scattering than that of XXk,k, making dark state act as a robust reservoir for valley polarization against intervalley scatterings for Xb at strong bright–dark scatterings, but not for XXk,k. Dark excitonic states enabled enhancement of VP benefits quantum technology for information processing based on the valley degree of freedom in valleytronic devices. Furthermore, the VP has strong dependence on intervalley scattering but maintains essentially constant with excitation fluence. Finally, the dependence of time evolution of PL and VP on temperature and excitation fluence is discussed.

  9. Long-term rise of the Water Table in the Northeast US: Climate Variability, Land-Use Change, or Angry Beavers?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boutt, D. F.

    2011-12-01

    The scientific evidence that humans are directly influencing the Earth's natural climate is increasingly compelling. Numerous studies suggest that climate change will lead to changes in the seasonality of surface water availability thereby increasing the need for groundwater development to offset those shortages. Research suggests that the Northeast region of the U.S. is experiencing significant changes to its' natural climate and hydrologic systems. Previous analysis of a long-term regional compilation of the water table response to the last 60 years of climate variability in New England documented a wide range of variability. The investigation evaluated the physical mechanisms, natural variability and response of aquifers in New England using 100 long term groundwater monitoring stations with 20 or more years of data coupled with 67 stream gages, 75 precipitation stations, and 43 temperature stations. Groundwater trends were calculated as normalized anomalies and analyzed with respect to regional compiled precipitation, temperature, and streamflow anomalies to understand the sensitivity of the aquifer systems to change. Interestingly, a trend and regression analysis demonstrate that water level fluctuations are producing statistically significant results with increasing water levels over at least the past thirty years at most (80 out of 100) well sites. In this contribution we investigate the causal mechanisms behind the observed ground water level trends using site-by-site land-use change assessments, cluster analysis, and spatial analysis of beaver populations (a possible proxy for beaver activity). Regionally, average annual precipitation has been slightly increasing since 1900, with 95% of the stations having statistically significant positive trends. Despite this, no correlation is observed between the magnitude of the annual precipitation trends and the magnitude of the groundwater level changes. Land-use change throughout the region has primarily taken

  10. Ab Initio Calculations of Ultrashort Carrier Dynamics in Two-Dimensional Materials: Valley Depolarization in Single-Layer WSe2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molina-Sánchez, Alejandro; Sangalli, Davide; Wirtz, Ludger; Marini, Andrea

    2017-08-01

    In single-layer WSe$_2$, a paradigmatic semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide, a circularly polarized laser field can selectively excite electronic transitions in one of the inequivalent $K^{\\pm}$ valleys. Such selective valley population corresponds to a pseudospin polarization. This can be used as a degree of freedom in a valleytronic device provided that the time scale for its depolarization is sufficiently large. Yet, the mechanism behind the valley depolarization still remains heavily debated. Recent time-dependent Kerr experiments have provided an accurate way to visualize the valley dynamics by measuring the rotation of a linearly polarized probe pulse applied after a circularly polarized pump pulse. We present here a clear, accurate and parameter-free description of the valley dynamics. By using an atomistic, ab initio, approach we fully disclose the elemental mechanisms that dictate the depolarization effects. Our results are in excellent agreement with recent time-dependent Kerr experiments. We explain the Kerr dynamics and its temperature dependence in terms of electron-phonon mediated processes that induce spin-flip inter-valley transitions.

  11. Enabling valley selective exciton scattering in monolayer WSe2 through upconversion

    PubMed Central

    Manca, M.; Glazov, M. M.; Robert, C.; Cadiz, F.; Taniguchi, T.; Watanabe, K.; Courtade, E.; Amand, T.; Renucci, P.; Marie, X.; Wang, G.; Urbaszek, B.

    2017-01-01

    Excitons, Coulomb bound electron–hole pairs, are composite bosons and their interactions in traditional semiconductors lead to condensation and light amplification. The much stronger Coulomb interaction in transition metal dichalcogenides such as WSe2 monolayers combined with the presence of the valley degree of freedom is expected to provide new opportunities for controlling excitonic effects. But so far the bosonic character of exciton scattering processes remains largely unexplored in these two-dimensional materials. Here we show that scattering between B-excitons and A-excitons preferably happens within the same valley in momentum space. This leads to power dependent, negative polarization of the hot B-exciton emission. We use a selective upconversion technique for efficient generation of B-excitons in the presence of resonantly excited A-excitons at lower energy; we also observe the excited A-excitons state 2s. Detuning of the continuous wave, low-power laser excitation outside the A-exciton resonance (with a full width at half maximum of 4 meV) results in vanishing upconversion signal. PMID:28367962

  12. The Ohio River Valley CO2 Storage Project AEP Mountaineer Plan, West Virginia

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neeraj Gupta

    2009-01-07

    This report includes an evaluation of deep rock formations with the objective of providing practical maps, data, and some of the issues considered for carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) storage projects in the Ohio River Valley. Injection and storage of CO{sub 2} into deep rock formations represents a feasible option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-burning power plants concentrated along the Ohio River Valley area. This study is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), American Electric Power (AEP), BP, Ohio Coal Development Office, Schlumberger, and Battelle along with its Pacific Northwest Division. Anmore » extensive program of drilling, sampling, and testing of a deep well combined with a seismic survey was used to characterize the local and regional geologic features at AEP's 1300-megawatt (MW) Mountaineer Power Plant. Site characterization information has been used as part of a systematic design feasibility assessment for a first-of-a-kind integrated capture and storage facility at an existing coal-fired power plant in the Ohio River Valley region--an area with a large concentration of power plants and other emission sources. Subsurface characterization data have been used for reservoir simulations and to support the review of the issues relating to injection, monitoring, strategy, risk assessment, and regulatory permitting. The high-sulfur coal samples from the region have been tested in a capture test facility to evaluate and optimize basic design for a small-scale capture system and eventually to prepare a detailed design for a capture, local transport, and injection facility. The Ohio River Valley CO{sub 2} Storage Project was conducted in phases with the ultimate objectives of demonstrating both the technical aspects of CO{sub 2} storage and the testing, logistical, regulatory, and outreach issues related to conducting such a project at a large point source under realistic constraints. The

  13. NV PFA - Steptoe Valley

    DOE Data Explorer

    Jim Faulds

    2015-10-29

    All datasets and products specific to the Steptoe Valley model area. Includes a packed ArcMap project (.mpk), individually zipped shapefiles, and a file geodatabase for the northern Steptoe Valley area; a GeoSoft Oasis montaj project containing GM-SYS 2D gravity profiles along the trace of our seismic reflection lines; a 3D model in EarthVision; spreadsheet of links to published maps; and spreadsheets of well data.

  14. 27 CFR 9.90 - Willamette Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...) “Roseburg,” Location Diagram NL 10-2, 1958 (revised 1970). (c) Boundaries. The Willamette Valley... valleys of Little River, Mosby Creek, Sharps Creek and Lost Creek to the intersection of R1W/R1E and State...

  15. Geohydrology of the Unconsolidated Valley-Fill Aquifer in the Meads Creek Valley, Schuyler and Steuben Counties, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, Todd S.; Bugliosi, Edward F.; Reddy, James E.

    2008-01-01

    The Meads Creek valley encompasses 70 square miles of predominantly forested uplands in the upper Susquehanna River drainage basin. The valley, which was listed as a Priority Waterbody by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 2004, is prone to periodic flooding, mostly in its downstream end, where development is occurring most rapidly. Hydraulic characteristics of the unconsolidated valley-fill aquifer were evaluated, and seepage rates in losing and gaining tributaries were calculated or estimated, in an effort to delineate the aquifer geometry and identify the factors that contribute to flooding. Results indicated that (1) Meads Creek gained about 61 cubic feet of flow per second (about 6.0 cubic feet per second per mile of stream channel) from ground-water discharge and inflow from tributaries in its 10.2-mile reach between the northernmost and southernmost measurement sites; (2) major tributaries in the northern part of the valley are not significant sources of recharge to the aquifer; and (3) major tributaries in the central and southern part of the valley provide recharge to the aquifer. The ground-water portion of streamflow in Meads Creek (excluding tributary inflow) was 11.3 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) in the central part of the valley and 17.2 ft3/s in the southern part - a total of 28.5 ft3/s. Ground-water levels were measured in 29 wells finished in unconfined deposits for construction of a potentiometric-surface map to depict directions of ground-water flow within the valley. In general, ground water flows from the edges of the valley toward Meads Creek and ultimately discharges to it. The horizontal hydraulic gradient for the entire 12-mile-long aquifer averages about 30 feet per mile, whereas the gradient in the southern fourth of the valley averages about half that - about 17 feet per mile. A water budget for the aquifer indicated that 28 percent of recharge was derived from precipitation that falls on the aquifer, 32

  16. 77 FR 33237 - Saline Valley Warm Springs Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Death Valley National...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-05

    ... Valley Warm Springs Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Death Valley National Park, Inyo... an Environmental Impact Statement for the Saline Valley Warm Springs Management Plan, Death Valley... analysis process for the Saline Valley Warm Springs Management Plan for Death Valley [[Page 33238...

  17. The geochemistry of groundwater resources in the Jordan Valley: The impact of the Rift Valley brines

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Farber, E.; Vengosh, A.; Gavrieli, I.; Marie, Amarisa; Bullen, T.D.; Mayer, B.; Polak, A.; Shavit, U.

    2007-01-01

    The chemical composition of groundwater in the Jordan Valley, along the section between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, is investigated in order to evaluate the origin of the groundwater resources and, in particular, to elucidate the role of deep brines on the chemical composition of the regional groundwater resources in the Jordan Valley. Samples were collected from shallow groundwater in research boreholes on two sites in the northern and southern parts of the Jordan Valley, adjacent to the Jordan River. Data is also compiled from previous published studies. Geochemical data (e.g., Br/Cl, Na/Cl and SO4/Cl ratios) and B, O, Sr and S isotopic compositions are used to define groundwater groups, to map their distribution in the Jordan valley, and to evaluate their origin. The combined geochemical tools enabled the delineation of three major sources of solutes that differentially affect the quality of groundwater in the Jordan Valley: (1) flow and mixing with hypersaline brines with high Br/Cl (>2 ?? 10-3) and low Na/Cl (<0.8) ratios; (2) dissolution of highly soluble salts (e.g., halite, gypsum) in the host sediments resulting in typically lower Br/Cl signal (<2 ?? 10-3); and (3) recharge of anthropogenic effluents, primarily derived from evaporated agricultural return flow that has interacted (e.g., base-exchange reactions) with the overlying soil. It is shown that shallow saline groundwaters influenced by brine mixing exhibit a north-south variation in their Br/Cl and Na/Cl ratios. This chemical trend was observed also in hypersaline brines in the Jordan valley, which suggests a local mixing process between the water bodies. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  19. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  20. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  1. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  2. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  3. Topics on distance correlation, feature screening and lifetime expectancy with application to Beaver Dam eye study data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kong, Jing

    This thesis includes 4 pieces of work. In Chapter 1, we present the work with a method for examining mortality as it is seen to run in families, and lifestyle factors that are also seen to run in families, in a subpopulation of the Beaver Dam Eye Study that has died by 2011. We find significant distance correlations between death ages, lifestyle factors, and family relationships. Considering only sib pairs compared to unrelated persons, distance correlation between siblings and mortality is, not surprisingly, stronger than that between more distantly related family members and mortality. Chapter 2 introduces a feature screening procedure with the use of distance correlation and covariance. We demonstrate a property for distance covariance, which is incorporated in a novel feature screening procedure based on distance correlation as a stopping criterion. The approach is further implemented to two real examples, namely the famous small round blue cell tumors data and the Cancer Genome Atlas ovarian cancer data Chapter 3 pays attention to the right censored human longevity data and the estimation of lifetime expectancy. We propose a general framework of backward multiple imputation for estimating the conditional lifetime expectancy function and the variance of the estimator in the right censoring setting and prove the properties of the estimator. In addition, we apply the method to the Beaver Dam eye study data to study human longevity, where the expected human lifetime are modeled with smoothing spline ANOVA based on the covariates including baseline age, gender, lifestyle factors and disease variables. Chapter 4 compares two imputation methods for right censored data, namely the famous Buckley-James estimator and the backward imputation method proposed in Chapter 3 and shows that backward imputation method is less biased and more robust with heterogeneity.

  4. 76 FR 18542 - Copper Valley Electric Association; Notice of Scoping Document 2 and Soliciting Scoping Comments...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 13124-002] Copper Valley.... Applicant: Copper Valley Electric Association (Copper Valley) d. Name of Project: Allison Creek Project. e.... 791(a)-825(r). g. Applicant Contact: Robert A. Wilkinson, CEO, Copper Valley Electric Association, P.O...

  5. MX Siting Investigation. Gravity Survey - Sevier Desert Valley, Utah.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-01-24

    Cheyenne, Wyoming. DMAHTC reduces the data to Simple Bouguer Anomaly (see Section A1.4, Appendix Al.0). The Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center...Desert Valley, Utah ......... 2 2 Topographic Setting - Sevier Desert Valley, Utah . 3 LIST OF DRAWINGS Drawing Number 1 Complete Bouguer Anomaly...gravity stations were distributed throughout the valley at an approxi- mate interval of 1.4 miles (2.3 km). Drawing 1 is a Complete Bouguer Anomaly

  6. EPA Region 1 - Valley Depth in Meters

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Raster of the Depth in meters of EPA-delimited Valleys in Region 1.Valleys (areas that are lower than their neighbors) were extracted from a Digital Elevation Model (USGS, 30m) by finding the local average elevation, subtracting the actual elevation from the average, and selecting areas where the actual elevation was below the average. The landscape was sampled at seven scales (circles of 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, and 22 km radius) to take into account the diversity of valley shapes and sizes. Areas selected in at least four scales were designated as valleys.

  7. 27 CFR 9.191 - Ramona Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Ramona Valley. 9.191 Section 9.191 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT...) Borrego Valley, California, 1982 edition; and (2) El Cajon, California, 1979 edition. (c) Boundary. The...

  8. 27 CFR 9.191 - Ramona Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ramona Valley. 9.191 Section 9.191 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT...) Borrego Valley, California, 1982 edition; and (2) El Cajon, California, 1979 edition. (c) Boundary. The...

  9. Martian oceans, valleys and climate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carr, M.H.

    2000-01-01

    The new Mars Global Surveyor altimetry shows that the heavily cratered southern hemisphere of Mars is 5 km higher that the sparely cratered plains of the northern hemisphere. Previous suggestions that oceans formerly occupied that northern plains as evidenced by shorelines are partly supported by the new data. A previously identified outer boundary has a wide range of elevations and is unlikely to be a shoreline but an inner contact with a narrow range of elevations is a more likely candidate. No shorelines are visible in the newly acquired, 2.5 metre/pixel imaging. Newly imaged valleys provide strong support for sustained or episodic flow of water across the Martian surface. A major surprise, however, is the near absence of valleys less than 100 m across. Martian valleys seemingly do not divide into ever smaller valleys as terrestrial valleys commonly do. This could be due to lack of precipitation or lack of surface runoff because of high infiltration rates. High erosion rates and supports warm climates and presence of large bodies of water during heavy bombardment. The climate history and fate of the water after heavy bombardment remain cotroversial.

  10. Fretted Terrain Valley in Coloe Fossae Region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2006-01-01

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1 Click on image for larger version

    The image in figure 1 shows lineated valley fill in one of a series of enclosed, intersecting troughs known as Coloe (Choloe) Fossae. Lineated valley fill consists of rows of material in valley centers that are parallel to the valley walls. It is probably made of ice-rich material and boulders that are left behind when the ice-rich material sublimates. Very distinct rows can be seen near the south (bottom) wall of the valley. Lineated valley fill is thought to result from mass wasting (downslope movement) of ice-rich material from valley walls towards their centers. It is commonly found in valleys near the crustal dichotomy that separates the two hemispheres of Mars. The valley shown here joins four other valleys with lineated fill near the top left corner of this image. Their juncture is a topographic low, suggesting that the lineated valley fill from the different valleys may be flowing or creeping towards the low area (movement towards the upper left of the image). The valley walls appear smooth at first glance but are seen to be speckled with small craters several meters in diameter at HiRISE resolution (see contrast-enhanced subimage). This indicates that at least some of the wall material has been stable to mass wasting for some period of time. Also seen on the valley wall are elongated features shaped like teardrops. These are most likely slightly older craters that have been degraded due to potentially recent downhill creep. It is unknown whether the valley walls are shedding material today. The subimage is approximately 140 x 400 m (450 x 1280 ft).

    Image PSP_001372_2160 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 11, 2006. The complete image is centered at 35.5 degrees latitude, 56.8 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 290.3 km (181

  11. Geology and water resources of Owens Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hollett, Kenneth J.; Danskin, Wesley R.; McCaffrey, William F.; Walti, Caryl L.

    1991-01-01

    Owens Valley, a long, narrow valley located along the east flank of the Sierra Nevada in east-central California, is the main source of water for the city of Los Angeles. The city diverts most of the surface water in the valley into the Owens River-Los Angeles Aqueduct system, which transports the water more than 200 miles south to areas of distribution and use. Additionally, ground water is pumped or flows from wells to supplement the surface-water diversions to the river-aqueduct system. Pumpage from wells needed to supplement water export has increased since 1970, when a second aqueduct was put into service, and local concerns have been expressed that the increased pumpage may have had a detrimental effect on the environment and the indigenous alkaline scrub and meadow plant communities in the valley. The scrub and meadow communities depend on soil moisture derived from precipitation and the unconfined part of a multilayered aquifer system. This report, which describes the hydrogeology of the aquifer system and the water resources of the valley, is one in a series designed to (1) evaluate the effects that groundwater pumping has on scrub and meadow communities and (2) appraise alternative strategies to mitigate any adverse effects caused by, pumping. Two principal topographic features are the surface expression of the geologic framework--the high, prominent mountains on the east and west sides of the valley and the long, narrow intermountain valley floor. The mountains are composed of sedimentary, granitic, and metamorphic rocks, mantled in part by volcanic rocks as well as by glacial, talus, and fluvial deposits. The valley floor is underlain by valley fill that consists of unconsolidated to moderately consolidated alluvial fan, transition-zone, glacial and talus, and fluvial and lacustrine deposits. The valley fill also includes interlayered recent volcanic flows and pyroclastic rocks. The bedrock surface beneath the valley fill is a narrow, steep-sided graben

  12. 40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

  13. 40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

  14. 40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

  15. 40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

  16. 40 CFR 52.2038 - Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Rate of Progress Plans: Ozone. 52.2038... Progress Plans: Ozone. (a) EPA grants full approval to Pennsylvania's 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plan for the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania...

  17. Hydrogeologic framework and estimates of groundwater storage for the Hualapai Valley, Detrital Valley, and Sacramento Valley basins, Mohave County, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Truini, Margot; Beard, L. Sue; Kennedy, Jeffrey; Anning, Dave W.

    2013-01-01

    -grained clastic deposits; evaporite deposits in the northern Detrital subbasin include halite. The northern Detrital subbasin is estimated to be 600 m deep and the middle Detrital subbasin is estimated to be 700 m deep. The southern Detrital subbasin, which is estimated to be 1,500 m deep, is characterized by a mixture of fine- to coarse-grained basin fill deposits. Groundwater storage to 400 m bls in the Detrital Valley basin is estimated to be 9.8 km3. The basin geometry model for the Sacramento Valley basin consists of three subbasins: the Chloride, Golden Valley, and Dutch Flat subbasins. The Chloride subbasin, which is estimated to be 900 m deep, is characterized by fine- to coarse-grained basin fill deposits. In the Golden Valley subbasin, which is elongated north-south, and is estimated to be 1,300 m deep, basin fill includes fine-grained sedimentary deposits overlain by coarse-grained sedimentary deposits in much of the subbasin. The Dutch Flat subbasin is estimated to be 2,600 m deep, and well-log lithologic data suggest that the basin fill consists of interlayers of gravel, sand, and clay. Groundwater storage to 400 m bls in the Sacramento Valley basin is estimated to be 35.1 km3.

  18. Year-round record of Dry Valley soil CO2 flux provides insights into Antarctic soil dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Risk, D. A.; Lee, C.; Macintyre, C. M.; Cary, C.

    2012-12-01

    The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica host extreme soil microbial communities that have been extensively studied within the past decade. Activity of microbial communities is routinely measured via soil CO2 flux, and some useful Antarctic measurements have been made during short Austral summers. These studies are mostly spatial in nature, but temporal patterns are also valuable and may provide insights into critical thresholds and the interplay between various mechanisms that drive CO2 flux and its variation. New membrane-based Forced Diffusion (FD) soil efflux techniques offer promise for this application. The purpose of this study was to use a specially designed FD instrument in Hidden Valley of the Antarctic Dry Valleys to evaluate hardware performance in year-round deployments, and to identify features of interest with respect to soil CO2 flux variation. Overall, the deployment was successful. Small but sustained positive fluxes were present only twice during the year. The first such event was small but consistent and of long duration, occurring in the Austral winter. The second was more volatile and likely of microbial origin, and appeared for roughly a month at the end of the calendar year within the Austral summer. The observed patterns suggest that Hidden Valley soil CO2 fluxes are not solely biological in nature, but likely modulated by a combination of biological, geological, and physical processes, which will be discussed in this presentation. In future studies, additional measurement locations, and simultaneous subsurface and lower atmospheric gradient concentration measurements (power-permitting) would be extremely valuable for interpreting measured fluxes, to help identify advective depletion events, the depth source of fluxes, and changes in soil and atmospheric diffusivities.

  19. Groundwater availability of the Central Valley Aquifer, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Faunt, Claudia C.

    2009-01-01

    California's Central Valley covers about 20,000 square miles and is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. More than 250 different crops are grown in the Central Valley with an estimated value of $17 billion per year. This irrigated agriculture relies heavily on surface-water diversions and groundwater pumpage. Approximately one-sixth of the Nation's irrigated land is in the Central Valley, and about one-fifth of the Nation's groundwater demand is supplied from its aquifers. The Central Valley also is rapidly becoming an important area for California's expanding urban population. Since 1980, the population of the Central Valley has nearly doubled from 2 million to 3.8 million people. The Census Bureau projects that the Central Valley's population will increase to 6 million people by 2020. This surge in population has increased the competition for water resources within the Central Valley and statewide, which likely will be exacerbated by anticipated reductions in deliveries of Colorado River water to southern California. In response to this competition for water, a number of water-related issues have gained prominence: conservation of agricultural land, conjunctive use, artificial recharge, hydrologic implications of land-use change, and effects of climate variability. To provide information to stakeholders addressing these issues, the USGS Groundwater Resources Program made a detailed assessment of groundwater availability of the Central Valley aquifer system, that includes: (1) the present status of groundwater resources; (2) how these resources have changed over time; and (3) tools to assess system responses to stresses from future human uses and climate variability and change. This effort builds on previous investigations, such as the USGS Central Valley Regional Aquifer System and Analysis (CV-RASA) project and several other groundwater studies in the Valley completed by Federal, State and local agencies at differing scales. The

  20. Interannual and long-term changes in the trophic state of a multibasin lake: Effects of morphology, climate, winter aeration, and beaver activity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, William; Reneau, Paul C.

    2016-01-01

    Little St. Germain Lake (LSG), a relatively pristine multibasin lake in Wisconsin, USA, was examined to determine how morphologic (internal), climatic (external), anthropogenic (winter aeration), and natural (beaver activity) factors affect the trophic state (phosphorus, P; chlorophyll, CHL; and Secchi depth, SD) of each of its basins. Basins intercepting the main flow and external P sources had highest P and CHL and shallowest SD. Internal loading in shallow, polymictic basins caused P and CHL to increase and SD to decrease as summer progressed. Winter aeration used to eliminate winterkill increased summer internal P loading and decreased water quality, while reductions in upstream beaver impoundments had little effect on water quality. Variations in air temperature and precipitation affected each basin differently. Warmer air temperatures increased productivity throughout the lake and decreased clarity in less eutrophic basins. Increased precipitation increased P in the basins intercepting the main flow but had little effect on the isolated deep West Bay. These relations are used to project effects of future climatic changes on LSG and other temperate lakes.

  1. Microscopic Identification of Prokaryotes in Modern and Ancient Halite, Saline Valley and Death Valley, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schubert, Brian A.; Lowenstein, Tim K.; Timofeeff, Michael N.

    2009-06-01

    Primary fluid inclusions in halite crystallized in Saline Valley, California, in 1980, 2004-2005, and 2007, contain rod- and coccoid-shaped microparticles the same size and morphology as archaea and bacteria living in modern brines. Primary fluid inclusions from a well-dated (0-100,000 years), 90 m long salt core from Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California, also contain microparticles, here interpreted as halophilic and halotolerant prokaryotes. Prokaryotes are distinguished from crystals on the basis of morphology, optical properties (birefringence), and uniformity of size. Electron micrographs of microparticles from filtered modern brine (Saline Valley), dissolved modern halite crystals (Saline Valley), and dissolved ancient halite crystals (Death Valley) support in situ microscopic observations that prokaryotes are present in fluid inclusions in ancient halite. In the Death Valley salt core, prokaryotes in fluid inclusions occur almost exclusively in halite precipitated in perennial saline lakes 10,000 to 35,000 years ago. This suggests that trapping and preservation of prokaryotes in fluid inclusions is influenced by the surface environment in which the halite originally precipitated. In all cases, prokaryotes in fluid inclusions in halite from the Death Valley salt core are miniaturized (<1 μm diameter cocci, <2.5 μm long, very rare rod shapes), which supports interpretations that the prokaryotes are indigenous to the halite and starvation survival may be the normal response of some prokaryotes to entrapment in fluid inclusions for millennia. These results reinforce the view that fluid inclusions in halite and possibly other evaporites are important repositories of microbial life and should be carefully examined in the search for ancient microorganisms on Earth, Mars, and elsewhere in the Solar System.

  2. 40 CFR 52.2027 - Approval status of Pennsylvania's Generic NOX and VOC RACT Rules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... through 129.95 (see § 52.2020 (c)(129)) as those regulations apply to the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley area... Generic NOX and VOC RACT Rules. 52.2027 Section 52.2027 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION...) Pennsylvania § 52.2027 Approval status of Pennsylvania's Generic NOX and VOC RACT Rules. (a) Effective November...

  3. 40 CFR 52.2027 - Approval status of Pennsylvania's Generic NOX and VOC RACT Rules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... through 129.95 (see § 52.2020 (c)(129)) as those regulations apply to the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley area... Generic NOX and VOC RACT Rules. 52.2027 Section 52.2027 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION...) Pennsylvania § 52.2027 Approval status of Pennsylvania's Generic NOX and VOC RACT Rules. (a) Effective November...

  4. Valley spin polarization of Tl/Si(111)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stolwijk, Sebastian D.; Schmidt, Anke B.; Sakamoto, Kazuyuki; Krüger, Peter; Donath, Markus

    2017-11-01

    The metal/semiconductor hybrid system Tl/Si(111)-(1 ×1 ) exhibits a unique Tl-derived surface state with remarkable properties. It lies within the silicon band gap and forms spin-momentum-locked valleys close to the Fermi energy at the K ¯ and K¯' points. These valleys are completely spin polarized with opposite spin orientation at K ¯ and K¯' and show a giant spin splitting of more than 0.5 eV. We present a detailed preparation study of the surface system and demonstrate that the electronic valleys are extremely robust, surviving exposure to 100 L hydrogen and 500 L oxygen. We investigate the influence of additional Tl atoms on the spin-polarized valleys. By combining photoemission and inverse photoemission, we prove the existence of fully spin-polarized valleys crossing the Fermi level. Moreover, these metallic valleys carry opposite Berry curvature at K ¯ and K¯', very similar to WSe2, promising a large spin Hall effect. Thus, Tl/Si(111)-(1 ×1 ) possesses all necessary key properties for spintronic applications.

  5. Electrical valley filtering in transition metal dichalcogenides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsieh, Tzu-Chi; Chou, Mei-Yin; Wu, Yu-Shu

    2018-03-01

    This work investigates the feasibility of electrical valley filtering for holes in transition metal dichalcogenides. We look specifically into the scheme that utilizes a potential barrier to produce valley-dependent tunneling rates, and perform the study with both a k .p -based analytic method and a recursive Green's function-based numerical method. The study yields the transmission coefficient as a function of incident energy and transverse wave vector, for holes going through lateral quantum barriers oriented in either armchair or zigzag directions, in both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. The main findings are the following: (1) The tunneling current valley polarization increases with increasing barrier width or height; (2) both the valley-orbit interaction and band structure warping contribute to valley-dependent tunneling, with the former contribution being manifest in structures with asymmetric potential barriers, and the latter being orientation dependent and reaching maximum for transmission in the armchair direction; and (3) for transmission ˜0.1 , a tunneling current valley polarization of the order of 10 % can be achieved.

  6. Nutrient, sediment, and pesticide data collected at four small agricultural basins in the Beaver Creek watershed, West Tennessee, 1990-1995

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, Shannon D.; Harris, Robin M.

    1996-01-01

    In 1989, the U.S. Geological Survey began a cooperative study with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to assess the impact of agricultural activities on water quality in the Beaver Creek watershed in West Tennessee. Quantification of the transport of nutrients, sediment, and pesticides from agricultural fields was one of the objectives of the study. This report presents nutrient, sediment, and pesticide data collected during selected storm events from 1990 through 1995 at four relatively small, agricultural basins (28 to 422 acres) in the Beaver Creek watershed. Approximately 3,000 water samples (500 to 1,000 at each site) were analyzed for nitrogen and phosphorus species. Total nitrogen (N) concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 41.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L). Median concentrations for samples from each site ranged from 2.0 to 2.7 mg/L for total nitrogen, 1.2 to 1.9 mg/L for organic nitrogen, 0.05 to 0.14 mg/L for ammonia (measured as N), and 0.2 to 0.8 mg/L for nitrate plus nitrite (measured as N). Total phosphorus (P) concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 16.0 mg/L. Median concentrations for samples from each site ranged from 0.80 to 1.2 mg/L for total phosphorus and 0.15 to 0.72 for orthophosphate (measured as P). Approximately 6,000 water samples (1,300 to 1,800 at each site) were analyzed for suspended sediment. Suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from 8.0 to 98,353 mg/L. Concentrations exceeded 1,000 mg/L in 33 percent of the samples collected and exceeded 10,000 mg/L in 6 percent of the samples. Median concentrations ranged from 347 to 713 mg/L at the four sites. Several herbicides and insecticides were detected in water samples. Maximum concentrations detected were 37 micrograms per liter for metolachlor, 3.2 for trifluralin, 150 for fluometuron, and 430 for aldicarb. Aldicarb metabolites were also detected in several samples. The maximum aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone concentrations detected were 68.4 and 14.3 micrograms per liter

  7. Valley polarization in bismuth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fauque, Benoit

    2013-03-01

    The electronic structure of certain crystal lattices can contain multiple degenerate valleys for their charge carriers to occupy. The principal challenge in the development of valleytronics is to lift the valley degeneracy of charge carriers in a controlled way. In bulk semi-metallic bismuth, the Fermi surface includes three cigar-shaped electron valleys lying almost perpendicular to the high symmetry axis known as the trigonal axis. The in-plane mass anisotropy of each valley exceeds 200 as a consequence of Dirac dispersion, which drastically reduces the effective mass along two out of the three orientations. According to our recent study of angle-dependent magnetoresistance in bismuth, a flow of Dirac electrons along the trigonal axis is extremely sensitive to the orientation of in-plane magnetic field. Thus, a rotatable magnetic field can be used as a valley valve to tune the contribution of each valley to the total conductivity. As a consequence of a unique combination of high mobility and extreme mass anisotropy in bismuth, the effect is visible even at room temperature in a magnetic field of 1 T. Thus, a modest magnetic field can be used as a valley valve in bismuth. The results of our recent investigation of angle-dependent magnetoresistance in other semi-metals and doped semiconductors suggest that a rotating magnetic field can behave as a valley valve in a multi-valley system with sizeable mass anisotropy.

  8. Valley-polarized quantum transport generated by gauge fields in graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Settnes, Mikkel; Garcia, Jose H.; Roche, Stephan

    2017-09-01

    We report on the possibility to simultaneously generate in graphene a bulk valley-polarized dissipative transport and a quantum valley Hall effect by combining strain-induced gauge fields and real magnetic fields. Such unique phenomenon results from a ‘resonance/anti-resonance’ effect driven by the superposition/cancellation of superimposed gauge fields which differently affect time reversal symmetry. The onset of a valley-polarized Hall current concomitant to a dissipative valley-polarized current flow in the opposite valley is revealed by a {{e}2}/h Hall conductivity plateau. We employ efficient linear scaling Kubo transport methods combined with a valley projection scheme to access valley-dependent conductivities and show that the results are robust against disorder.

  9. Role of Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Soil CO2 Dynamics in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Risk, D. A.; Macintyre, C. M.; Lee, C.; Cary, C.; Shanhun, F.; Almond, P. C.

    2016-12-01

    In the harsh conditions of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, microbial activity has been recorded via measurements of soil carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and surface efflux. However, high temporal resolution studies in the Dry Valleys have also shown that abiotic solubility-driven processes can strongly influence (and perhaps even dominate) the CO2 dynamics in these low flux environments and suggests that biological activity may be lower than previously thought. In this study, we aim to improve our understanding of CO2 dynamics (biotic and abiotic) in Antarctic Dry Valley soils using long-term automated measurements of soil CO2 surface flux and soil profile concentration at several sites, often at sub-diel frequency. We hypothesize that soil CO2 variations are driven primarily by environmental factors affecting CO2 solubility in soil solution, mainly temperature, and that these processes may even overprint biologic production in representative Dry Valley soils. Monitoring of all sites revealed only one likely biotic CO2 production event, lasting three weeks during the Austral summer and reaching fluxes of 0.4 µmol/m2/s. Under more typical low flux conditions (<0.10 µmol/m2/s) we observed a cyclical daily sink/source pattern consistent with CO2 solubility cycling that would not generally have been evident with normal synoptic afternoon sampling campaigns. Subsurface CO2 monitoring and a lab-controlled Antarctic soil simulation experiment confirmed that abiotic processes are capable of dominating soil CO2 variability. Diel temperature cycles crossing the freezing boundary revealed a dual abiotic cycle of solubility cycling and gas exclusion from ice formation observed only by high temporal frequency measurements (30 min). This work demonstrates a need for a numerical model to partition the dynamic abiotic processes underlying any biotic CO2 production in order to understand potential climate-change induced increases in microbial productivity in terrestrial Antarctica.

  10. The Northwestern Slope Valleys Region, Mars: A Prime Target for the Future Exploration of Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dohm, J. M.; Ferris, J. C.; Anderson, R. C.; Baker, V. R.; Hare, T. M.; Mahaney, W. C.

    2002-12-01

    Mars is a water-enriched planet theorized to have had Earth-like conditions during its embryonic stages of evolution (Early into Middle Noachian or > 3.8 GA). The Earth-like conditions include: (1) plate tectonism, (2) an active hydrosphere resulting in higher erosion rates and the presence of layered sedimentary deposits, and (3) a potential biosphere. Due to its smaller size and lower gravity, its thermal energy rapidly declined, sending the planet into a permanent monoplate regime. The Tharsis superplume, Elysium superplume, and structural discontinuities in the lithosphere are sites of long-lived energy releases and hydrothermal activity. Furthermore, as its atmosphere thinned and cooled, and water was lost to hydrodynamic escape, the Earth-like hydrological cycle transitioned into a persisting cold desert climate, approximating the present-day climate of the Dry Valleys in Antarctica. Stratigraphic, hydrogeomorphic, and paleotectonic information indicate an active Mars (e.g., late-stage superplume activity) that experienced punctuated periods of magmatic-driven hydrologic activity long after the Earth-like hydrologic regime had ended. Existing geologic, geomorphic, geophysical, topographic, impact cratering, spectral, and elemental information collectively point to a prime target site for future exploration that has the potential to yield significant geologic, paleoclimatic, paleohydrologic, and exobiologic information. The Northwestern Slope Valleys (NSVs) region archives traits similar to terrestrial field sites where the processes associated with: (1) fluvial, eolian, and hydrothermal activity, (2) modification due to landslides and glaciers, and (3) the formation of diverse rock assemblages (e.g., provenances include Noachian Thaumasia highlands mountain range and Europe-sized sedimentary basin and Noachian-Amazonian basaltic and possibly silica-enriched volcanoes and lava flow fields) are recorded. The region is especially remarkable since it encapsulates

  11. Directional interlayer spin-valley transfer in two-dimensional heterostructures

    DOE PAGES

    Schaibley, John R.; Rivera, Pasqual; Yu, Hongyi; ...

    2016-12-14

    Van der Waals heterostructures formed by two different monolayer semiconductors have emerged as a promising platform for new optoelectronic and spin/valleytronic applications. In addition to its atomically thin nature, a two-dimensional semiconductor heterostructure is distinct from its three-dimensional counterparts due to the unique coupled spin-valley physics of its constituent monolayers. In this paper, we report the direct observation that an optically generated spin-valley polarization in one monolayer can be transferred between layers of a two-dimensional MoSe 2–WSe 2 heterostructure. Using non-degenerate optical circular dichroism spectroscopy, we show that charge transfer between two monolayers conserves spin-valley polarization and is only weaklymore » dependent on the twist angle between layers. Finally, our work points to a new spin-valley pumping scheme in nanoscale devices, provides a fundamental understanding of spin-valley transfer across the two-dimensional interface, and shows the potential use of two-dimensional semiconductors as a spin-valley generator in two-dimensional spin/valleytronic devices for storing and processing information.« less

  12. Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 9): San Fernando Valley Area 2, operable unit 3, Los Angeles County, CA, June 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-06-01

    This decision document presents the selected remedial action for the Glendale South Operable Unit, San Fernando Valley Area 2 Superfund site. The remedy involves groundwater extraction and treatment for the shallow aquifer system in the Glendale area of the San Fernando Valley.

  13. CO2 Flux From Antarctic Dry Valley Soils: Determining the Source and Environmental Controls

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Risk, D. A.; Macintyre, C. M.; Shanhun, F.; Almond, P. C.; Lee, C.; Cary, C.

    2014-12-01

    Soils within the McMurdo Dry Valleys are known to respire carbon dioxide (CO2), but considerable debate surrounds the contributing sources and mechanisms that drive temporal variability. While some of the CO2 is of biological origin, other known contributors to variability include geochemical sources within, or beneath, the soil column. The relative contribution from each of these sources will depend on seasonal and environmental drivers such as temperature and wind that exert influence on temporal dynamics. To supplement a long term CO2­ surface flux monitoring station that has now recorded fluxes over three full annual cycles, in January 2014 an automated flux and depth concentration monitoring system was installed in the Spaulding Pond area of Taylor Valley, along with standard meteorological sensors, to assist in defining source contributions through time. During two weeks of data we observed marked diel variability in CO2 concentrations within the profile (~100 ppm CO2 above or below atmospheric), and of CO2 moving across the soil surface. The pattern at many depths suggested an alternating diel-scale transition from source to sink that seemed clearly correlated with temperature-driven changes in the solubility of CO2 in water films. This CO2 solution storage flux was very highly coupled to soil temperature. A small depth source of unknown origin also appeared to be present. A controlled laboratory soil experiment was conducted to confirm the magnitude of fluxes into and out of soil water films, and confirmed the field results and temperature dependence. Ultimately, this solution storage flux needs to be well understood if the small biological fluxes from these soils are to be properly quantified and monitored for change. Here, we present results from the 2013/2014 field season and these supplementary experiments, placed in the context of 3 year long term continuous measurement of soil CO2 flux within the Dry Valleys.

  14. 27 CFR 9.25 - San Pasqual Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    .... They are entitled: (1) “Escondido Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (2) “San Pasqual Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (3) “Valley Center Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series. (c) Boundaries. The San Pasqual Valley viticultural area is...

  15. 27 CFR 9.25 - San Pasqual Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    .... They are entitled: (1) “Escondido Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (2) “San Pasqual Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (3) “Valley Center Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series. (c) Boundaries. The San Pasqual Valley viticultural area is...

  16. 27 CFR 9.25 - San Pasqual Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    .... They are entitled: (1) “Escondido Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (2) “San Pasqual Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (3) “Valley Center Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series. (c) Boundaries. The San Pasqual Valley viticultural area is...

  17. 27 CFR 9.25 - San Pasqual Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    .... They are entitled: (1) “Escondido Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (2) “San Pasqual Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (3) “Valley Center Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series. (c) Boundaries. The San Pasqual Valley viticultural area is...

  18. 27 CFR 9.25 - San Pasqual Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    .... They are entitled: (1) “Escondido Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (2) “San Pasqual Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series; (3) “Valley Center Quadrangle, California—San Diego County”, 7.5 minute series. (c) Boundaries. The San Pasqual Valley viticultural area is...

  19. Acoustic valley edge states in a graphene-like resonator system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yahui; Yang, Zhaoju; Zhang, Baile

    2018-03-01

    The concept of valley physics, as inspired by the recent development in valleytronic materials, has been extended to acoustic crystals for manipulation of air-borne sound. Many valleytronic materials follow the model of a gapped graphene. Yet the previously demonstrated valley acoustic crystal adopted a mirror-symmetry-breaking mechanism, lacking a direct counterpart in condensed matter systems. In this paper, we investigate a two-dimensional (2D) periodic acoustic resonator system with inversion symmetry breaking, as an analogue of a gapped graphene monolayer. It demonstrates the quantum valley Hall topological phase for sound waves. Similar to a gapped graphene, gapless topological valley edge states can be found at a zigzag domain wall separating different domains with opposite valley Chern numbers, while an armchair domain wall hosts no gapless edge states. Our study offers a route to simulate novel valley phenomena predicted in gapped graphene and other 2D materials with classical acoustic waves.

  20. Valley-selective photon-dressed states in transition metal dichalcogenides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LaMountain, Trevor; Chen, Yen-Jung; Stanev, Teodor K.; Stern, Nathaniel P.

    2018-02-01

    When electronic excitations in a semiconductor interact with light, the relevant quasiparticles are hybrid lightmatter dressed states, or exciton-polaritons. In monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, a class of 2D direct bandgap semiconductors, optical excitations selectively populate distinct momentum valleys with correlated spin projection. The combination of this spin-valley locking with photon dressed states can lead to new optical phenomena in these materials. We present spectroscopic measurements of valley-specific exciton-polaritons in monolayer 2D materials in distinct regimes. When a monolayer is embedded in a dielectric microcavity, strong coupling exciton-polaritons are achieved. Cavity-modified dynamics of the dressed states are inferred from emission. Polarization persists up to room temperature in monolayer MoS2, in contrast with bare material. We also show that distinct regimes of valley-polarized exciton-polaritons can be accessed with microcavity engineering by tuning system parameters such as cavity decay rate and exciton-photon coupling strength. Further, we report results showing that polarization-sensitive ultrafast spectroscopy can enable sensitive measurements of the valley optical Stark shift, a light-induced dressed state energy shift, in monolayer semiconductors such as WSe2 and MoS2. These findings demonstrate distinct approaches to manipulating the picosecond dynamics of valleysensitive dressed states in monolayer semiconductors.

  1. Age-related changes in somatic condition and reproduction in the Eurasian beaver: Resource history influences onset of reproductive senescence

    PubMed Central

    Newman, Chris; Macdonald, David W.

    2017-01-01

    Using 15 years of data from a stable population of wild Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber), we examine how annual and lifetime access to food resources affect individual age-related changes in reproduction and somatic condition. We found an age-related decline in annual maternal reproductive output, after a peak at age 5–6. Rainfall, an established negative proxy of annual resource availability for beavers, was consistently associated with lower reproductive output for females of all ages. In contrast, breeding territory quality, as a measure of local resource history over reproductive lifetimes, caused differences in individual patterns of reproductive senescence; animals from lower quality territories senesced when younger. Litter size was unrelated to maternal age, although adult body weight increased with age. In terms of resource effects, in poorer years but not in better years, older mothers produced larger offspring than did younger mothers, giving support to the constraint theory. Overall, our findings exemplify state-dependent life-history strategies, supporting an effect of resources on reproductive senescence, where cumulative differences in resource access, and not just reproductive strategy, mediate long-term reproductive trade-offs, consistent with the disposable soma and reproductive restraint theories. We propose that flexible life-history schedules could play a role in the dynamics of populations exhibiting reproductive skew, with earlier breeding opportunities leading to an earlier senescence schedule through resource dependent mechanisms. PMID:29206840

  2. Preliminary hydrogeologic assessment near the boundary of the Antelope Valley and El Mirage Valley groundwater basins, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stamos, Christina L.; Christensen, Allen H.; Langenheim, Victoria

    2017-07-19

    The increasing demands on groundwater for water supply in desert areas in California and the western United States have resulted in the need to better understand groundwater sources, availability, and sustainability. This is true for a 650-square-mile area that encompasses the Antelope Valley, El Mirage Valley, and Upper Mojave River Valley groundwater basins, about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California, in the western part of the Mojave Desert. These basins have been adjudicated to ensure that groundwater rights are allocated according to legal judgments. In an effort to assess if the boundary between the Antelope Valley and El Mirage Valley groundwater basins could be better defined, the U.S. Geological Survey began a cooperative study in 2014 with the Mojave Water Agency to better understand the hydrogeology in the area and investigate potential controls on groundwater flow and availability, including basement topography.Recharge is sporadic and primarily from small ephemeral washes and streams that originate in the San Gabriel Mountains to the south; estimates range from about 400 to 1,940 acre-feet per year. Lateral underflow from adjacent basins has been considered minor in previous studies; underflow from the Antelope Valley to the El Mirage Valley groundwater basin has been estimated to be between 100 and 1,900 acre-feet per year. Groundwater discharge is primarily from pumping, mostly by municipal supply wells. Between October 2013 and September 2014, the municipal pumpage in the Antelope Valley and El Mirage Valley groundwater basins was reported to be about 800 and 2,080 acre-feet, respectively.This study was motivated by the results from a previously completed regional gravity study, which suggested a northeast-trending subsurface basement ridge and saddle approximately 3.5 miles west of the boundary between the Antelope Valley and El Mirage Valley groundwater basins that might influence groundwater flow. To better define potential basement

  3. Chuckwalla Valley multiple-well monitoring site, Chuckwalla Valley, Riverside County

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Everett, Rhett

    2013-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, is evaluating the geohydrology and water availability of the Chuckwalla Valley, California. As part of this evaluation, the USGS installed the Chuckwalla Valley multiple-well monitoring site (CWV1) in the southeastern portion of the Chuckwalla Basin. Data collected at this site provide information about the geology, hydrology, geophysics, and geochemistry of the local aquifer system, thus enhancing the understanding of the geohydrologic framework of the Chuckwalla Valley. This report presents construction information for the CWV1 multiple-well monitoring site and initial geohydrologic data collected from the site.

  4. Optically dark excitonic states mediated exciton and biexciton valley dynamics in monolayer WSe2.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Minghua; Fu, Jiyong; Dias, A C; Qu, Fanyao

    2018-05-18

    We present a theory to address the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and valley polarization (VP) dynamics in monolayer WSe$_2$, under the impact of excitonic dark states of both excitons and biexcitons. We find that the PL intensity of all excitonic channels including intravalley exciton (X$_{\\rm b}$), intravalley biexciton (XX$_{\\rm k,k}$) and intervalley biexciton (XX$_{\\rm k,k^\\prime}$) in particular for the {XX$_{\\rm k,k}$} PL is enhanced by laser excitation fluence. In addition, our results indicate the anomalous temperature dependence of PL, i.e., increasing with temperature, as a result of favored phonon assisted dark-to-bright scatterings at high temperatures. Moreover, we observe that the PL is almost immune to intervalley scatterings, which trigger the exchange of excitonic states between the two valleys. As far as the valley polarization is concerned, we find that the VP of X$_{\\rm b}$ shrinks as temperature increases, exhibiting opposite temperature response to PL, while the intravalley XX$_{\\rm k,k}$ VP is found almost independent of temperature. In contrast to both X$_{\\rm b}$ and XX$_{\\rm k,k}$, the intervalley XX$_{\\rm k,k^\\prime}$ VP identically vanishes, because of equal populations of excitons in the $K$ and $K^\\prime$ valleys bounded to form intervalley biexcitons. Notably, it is found that the X$_{\\rm b}$ VP much more strongly depends on bright-dark scattering than that of {XX$_{\\rm k,k}$}, making dark state act as a robust reservoir for valley polarization against intervalley scatterings for X$_{\\rm b}$ at strong bright-dark scatterings, but not for XX$_{\\rm k,k}$. Dark excitonic states enabled enhancement of VP benefits quantum technology for information processing based on the valley degree of freedom in valleytronic devices. Furthermore, the VP has strong dependence on intervalley scattering but maintains essentially constant with excitation fluence. Finally, the time evolution of PL and VP, depending on temperature and

  5. Sacramento Valley, CA, USA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1973-01-01

    The Sacramento Valley (40.5N, 121.5W) of California is the northern extension of the Central Valley, main agriculture region of the state. Hundreds of truck farms, vineyards and orchards can be seen throughout the length and breadth of the valley which was reclaimed from the desert by means of intensive and extensive irrigation projects.

  6. Lithologic controls on valley width and strath terrace formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schanz, Sarah A.; Montgomery, David R.

    2016-04-01

    Valley width and the degree of bedrock river terrace development vary with lithology in the Willapa and Nehalem river basins, Pacific Northwest, USA. Here, we present field-based evidence for the mechanisms by which lithology controls floodplain width and bedrock terrace formation in erosion-resistant and easily friable lithologies. We mapped valley surfaces in both basins, dated straths using radiocarbon, compared valley width versus drainage area for basalt and sedimentary bedrock valleys, and constructed slope-area plots. In the friable sedimentary bedrock, valleys are 2 to 3 times wider, host flights of strath terraces, and have concavity values near 1; whereas the erosion-resistant basalt bedrock forms narrow valleys with poorly developed, localized, or no bedrock terraces and a channel steepness index half that of the friable bedrock and an average channel concavity of about 0.5. The oldest dated strath terrace on the Willapa River, T2, was active for nearly 10,000 years, from 11,265 to 2862 calibrated years before present (cal YBP), whereas the youngest terrace, T1, is Anthropocene in age and recently abandoned. Incision rates derived from terrace ages average 0.32 mm y- 1 for T2 and 11.47 mm y- 1 for T1. Our results indicate bedrock weathering properties influence valley width through the creation of a dense fracture network in the friable bedrock that results in high rates of lateral erosion of exposed bedrock banks. Conversely, the erosion-resistant bedrock has concavity values more typical of detachment-limited streams, exhibits a sparse fracture network, and displays evidence for infrequent episodic block erosion and plucking. Lithology thereby plays a direct role on the rates of lateral erosion, influencing valley width and the potential for strath terrace planation and preservation.

  7. Control of Exciton Valley Coherence in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Gang

    Current research on Transition Metal Dichalcogenide (TMD) Monolayers is stimulated by their strong light-matter interaction and the possibility to use the valley index in addition to spin as an information carrier. The direct gap interband transitions in TMD monolayers are governed by chiral optical selection rules. Determined by laser helicity, optical transitions in either the K+ or K- valley in momentum space are induced. Very recently the optical generation of valley polarization and valley coherence (coherent superposition of valley states) have been reported. In this work we go a step further by discussing the coherent manipulation of valley states. Linearly polarized laser excitation prepares a coherent superposition of valley states. We demonstrate the control of the exciton valley coherence in monolayer WSe2 by tuning the applied magnetic field perpendicular to the monolayer plane. The induced valley Zeeman splitting between K+ and K- results in a change of the oscillation frequency of the superposition of the valley states, which corresponds to a rotation of the exciton valley pseudo-spin. We show rotation of this coherent superposition of valley states by angles as large as 30 degrees in applied fields up to 9T and discuss valley coherence in other TMD monolayer materials. This exciton valley coherence control on ps time scale could be an important step towards complete control of qubits based on the valley degree of freedom. In collaboration with X. Marie, T. Amand, C. Robert, F. Cadiz, P. Renucci, B. Urbaszek (Université de Toulouse, INSA-CNRS-UPS, LPCNO, France), B. L. Liu (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) and we acknowledge ERC Grant No. 306719.

  8. Valley-symmetric quasi-1D transport in ballistic graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Hu-Jong

    We present our recent studies on gate-defined valley-symmetric one-dimensional (1D) carrier guiding in ballistic monolayer graphene and valley-symmetry-protected topological 1D transport in ballistic bilayer graphene. Successful carrier guiding was realized in ballistic monolayer graphene even in the absence of a band gap by inducing a high distinction ( more than two orders of magnitude) in the carrier density between the region of a quasi-1D channel and the rest of the top-gated regions. Conductance of a channel shows quantized values in units of 4e2/ h, suggesting that the valley symmetry is preserved. For the latter, the topological 1D conduction was realized between two closely arranged insulating regions with inverted band gaps, induced under a pair of split dual gating with polarities opposite to each other. The maximum conductance along the boundary channel showed 4e2/ h, again with the preserved valley symmetry. The 1D topological carrier guiding demonstrated in this study affords a promising route to robust valleytronic applications and sophisticated valley-associated functionalities based on 2D materials. This work was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea.

  9. Synthetic River Valleys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, R.; Pasternack, G. B.

    2011-12-01

    The description of fluvial form has evolved from anecdotal descriptions to artistic renderings to 2D plots of cross section or longitudinal profiles and more recently 3D digital models. Synthetic river valleys, artificial 3D topographic models of river topography, have a plethora of potential applications in fluvial geomorphology, and the earth sciences in general, as well as in computer science and ecology. Synthetic river channels have existed implicitly since approximately the 1970s and can be simulated from a variety of approaches spanning the artistic and numerical. An objective method of synthesizing 3D stream topography based on reach scale attributes would be valuable for sizing 3D flumes in the physical and numerical realms, as initial input topography for morphodynamic models, stream restoration design, historical reconstruction, and mechanistic testing of interactions of channel geometric elements. Quite simply - simulation of synthetic channel geometry of prescribed conditions can allow systematic evaluation of the dominant relationships between river flow and geometry. A new model, the control curve method, is presented that uses hierarchically scaled parametric curves in over-lapping 2D planes to create synthetic river valleys. The approach is able to simulate 3D stream geometry from paired 2D descriptions and can allow experimental insight into form-process relationships in addition to visualizing past measurements of channel form that are limited to two dimension descriptions. Results are presented that illustrate the models ability to simulate fluvial topography representative of real world rivers as well as how channel geometric elements can be adjusted. The testing of synthetic river valleys would open up a wealth of knowledge as to why some 3D attributes of river channels are more prevalent than others as well as bridging the gap between the 2D descriptions that have dominated fluvial geomorphology the past century and modern, more complete, 3D

  10. Volume of Valley Networks on Mars and Its Hydrologic Implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, W.; Cang, X.; Howard, A. D.; Heo, J.

    2015-12-01

    Valley networks on Mars are river-like features that offer the best evidence for water activities in its geologic past. Previous studies have extracted valley network lines automatically from digital elevation model (DEM) data and manually from remotely sensed images. The volume of material removed by valley networks is an important parameter that could help us infer the amount of water needed to carve the valleys. A progressive black top hat (PBTH) transformation algorithm has been adapted from image processing to extract valley volume and successfully applied to simulated landform and Ma'adim Valles, Mars. However, the volume of valley network excavation on Mars has not been estimated on a global scale. In this study, the PBTH method was applied to the whole Mars to estimate this important parameter. The process was automated with Python in ArcGIS. Polygons delineating the valley associated depressions were generated by using a multi-flow direction growth method, which started with selected high point seeds on a depth grid (essentially an inverted valley) created by PBTH transformation and grew outward following multi-flow direction on the depth grid. Two published versions of valley network lines were integrated to automatically select depression polygons that represent the valleys. Some crater depressions that are connected with valleys and thus selected in the previous step were removed by using information from a crater database. Because of large distortion associated with global dataset in projected maps, the volume of each cell within a valley was calculated using the depth of the cell multiplied by the spherical area of the cell. The volumes of all the valley cells were then summed to produce the estimate of global valley excavation volume. Our initial result of this estimate was ~2.4×1014 m3. Assuming a sediment density of 2900 kg/m3, a porosity of 0.35, and a sediment load of 1.5 kg/m3, the global volume of water needed to carve the valleys was

  11. Observation of acoustic valley vortex states and valley-chirality locked beam splitting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Liping; Qiu, Chunyin; Lu, Jiuyang; Wen, Xinhua; Shen, Yuanyuan; Ke, Manzhu; Zhang, Fan; Liu, Zhengyou

    2017-05-01

    We report an experimental observation of the classical version of valley polarized states in a two-dimensional hexagonal sonic crystal. The acoustic valley states, which carry specific linear momenta and orbital angular momenta, were selectively excited by external Gaussian beams and conveniently confirmed by the pressure distribution outside the crystal, according to the criterion of momentum conservation. The vortex nature of such intriguing bulk crystal states was directly characterized by scanning the phase profile inside the crystal. In addition, we observed a peculiar beam-splitting phenomenon, in which the separated beams are constructed by different valleys and locked to the opposite vortex chirality. The exceptional sound transport, encoded with valley-chirality locked information, may serve as the basis of designing conceptually interesting acoustic devices with unconventional functions.

  12. Dry Valleys, Antarctica

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2009-11-02

    The McMurdo Dry Valleys are a row of valleys west of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. They are so named because of their extremely low humidity and lack of snow and ice cover. This image was acquired December 8, 2002 by NASA Terra spacecraft.

  13. Principal facts for gravity stations in the Elko, Steptoe Valley, Coyote Spring Valley, and Sheep Range areas, eastern and southern Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Berger, D.L.; Schaefer, D.H.; Frick, E.A.

    1990-01-01

    Principal facts for 537 gravity stations in the carbonate-rock province of eastern and southern Nevada are tabulated and presented. The gravity data were collected in support of groundwater studies in several valleys. The study areas include the Elko area, northern Steptoe Valley, Coyote Spring Valley, and the western Sheep Range area. The data for each site include values for latitude, longitude, altitude, observed gravity, free- air anomaly, terrain correction, and Bouguer anomaly (calculated at a bedrock density of 2.67 g/cu cm. (USGS)

  14. Geophysical reconnaissance of Lemmon Valley, Washoe County, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schaefer, Donald H.; Maurer, Douglas K.

    1981-01-01

    Rapid growth in the Lemmon Valley area, Nevada, during recent years has put increasing importance on knowledge of stored ground water for the valley. Data that would fill voids left by previous studies are depth to bedrock and depth to good-quality water beneath the two playas in the valley. Depths to bedrock calculated from a gravity survey in Lemmon Valley indicate that the western part of Lemmon Valley is considerably deeper than the eastern part. Maximum depth in the western part is about 2 ,600 feet below land surface. This depression approximately underlies the Silver Lake playa. A smaller, shallower depression with a maximum depth of about 1,500 feet below land surface exists about 2.5 miles north of the playa. The eastern area is considerably shallower. The maximum calculated depth to bedrock is about 1,000 feet below land surface, but the depth throughout most the eastern area is only about 400 feet below land surface. An electrical resistivity survey in Lemmon Valley consisting of 10 Schlumberger soundings was conducted around the playas. The maximum depth of poor-quality water (characterized by a resistivity less than 20 ohm-meters) differed considerably from place to place. Maximum depths of poor-quality water beneath the playa east of Stead varied from about 120 feet to almost 570 feet below land surface. At the Silver Lake playa, the maximum depths varied from about 40 feet in the west to 490 feet in the east. (USGS)

  15. Valley-chiral quantum Hall state in graphene superlattice structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, H. Y.; Tao, W. W.; Wang, J.; Cui, Y. H.; Xu, N.; Huang, B. B.; Luo, G. X.; Hao, Y. H.

    2016-05-01

    We theoretically investigate the quantum Hall effect in a graphene superlattice (GS) system, in which the two valleys of graphene are coupled together. In the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field, an ordinary quantum Hall effect is found with the sequence σxy=ν e^2/h(ν=0,+/-1,+/-2,\\cdots) . At the zeroth Hall platform, a valley-chiral Hall state stemming from the single K or K' valley is found and it is localized only on one sample boundary contributing to the longitudinal conductance but not to the Hall conductivity. Our findings may shed light on the graphene-based valleytronics applications.

  16. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brumbaugh, William D.; Cook, Kenneth L.

    During the summers of 1975 and 1976, a gravity survey was conducted in the Cove Fort - Sulphurdale KGRA and north Mineral Mountains area, Millard and Beaver counties, Utah. The survey consisted of 671 gravity stations covering an area of about 1300 km{sup 2}, and included two orthogonal gravity profiles traversing the area. The gravity data are presented as a terrain-corrected Bouguer gravity anomaly map with a contour interval of 1 mgal and as an isometric three-dimensional gravity anomaly surface. Selected anomaly separation techniques were applied to the hand-digitized gravity data (at 1-km intervals on the Universal Transverse Mercator grid)more » in both the frequency and space domains, including Fourier decomposition, second vertical derivative, strike-filter, and polynomial fitting analysis, respectively. Residual gravity gradients of 0.5 to 8.0 mgal/km across north-trending gravity contours observed through the Cove Fort area, the Sulphurdale area, and the areas east of the East Mineral Mountains, along the west flanks of the Tushar Mountains, and on both the east and west flanks of the north Mineral Mountains, were attributed to north-trending Basin and Range high-angle faults. Gravity highs exist over the community of Black Rock area, the north Mineral Mountains, the Paleozoic outcrops in the east Cove Creek-Dog Valley-White Sage Flats areas, the sedimentary thrust zone of the southern Payant Range, and the East Mineral Mountains. The gravity lows over north Milford Valley, southern Black Rock Desert, Cunningham Wash, and northern Beaver Valley are separated from the above gravity highs by steep gravity gradients attributed to a combination of crustal warping and faulting. A gravity low with a closure of 2 mgal corresponds with Sulphur Cove, a circular topographic features containing sulphur deposits.« less

  17. The Central Valley Hydrologic Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faunt, C.; Belitz, K.; Hanson, R. T.

    2009-12-01

    Historically, California’s Central Valley has been one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. The Central Valley also is rapidly becoming an important area for California’s expanding urban population. In response to this competition for water, a number of water-related issues have gained prominence: conjunctive use, artificial recharge, hydrologic implications of land-use change, subsidence, and effects of climate variability. To provide information to stakeholders addressing these issues, the USGS made a detailed assessment of the Central Valley aquifer system that includes the present status of water resources and how these resources have changed over time. The principal product of this assessment is a tool, referred to as the Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM), that simulates surface-water flows, groundwater flows, and land subsidence in response to stresses from human uses and from climate variability throughout the entire Central Valley. The CVHM utilizes MODFLOW combined with a new tool called “Farm Process” to simulate groundwater and surface-water flow, irrigated agriculture, land subsidence, and other key processes in the Central Valley on a monthly basis. This model was discretized horizontally into 20,000 1-mi2 cells and vertically into 10 layers ranging in thickness from 50 feet at the land surface to 750 feet at depth. A texture model constructed by using data from more than 8,500 drillers’ logs was used to estimate hydraulic properties. Unmetered pumpage and surface-water deliveries for 21 water-balance regions were simulated with the Farm Process. Model results indicate that human activities, predominately surface-water deliveries and groundwater pumping for irrigated agriculture, have dramatically influenced the hydrology of the Central Valley. These human activities have increased flow though the aquifer system by about a factor of six compared to pre-development conditions. The simulated hydrology reflects spatial

  18. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cunningham, C.G.; Steven, T.A.

    In studying the economic mineral potential of the Tushar Mountains and adjacent areas in west-central Utah, members of the US Geological Survey have delineated several geologic environments that seem favorable for the occurrence of uranium deposits. This report is concerned primarily with three areas: (1) the ring fracture zone of the Mount Belknap caldera, (2) the Beaver Valley, and (3) the Sevier River Valley near Marysvale. The data and interpretations presented are tentative and will be revised as work in the area continues. Other environments containing uranium exist, but are not discussed here. This report presents preliminary geologic data andmore » interpretations to assist in uranium resource evaluation by the US Department of Energy, and to aid in exploration programs by private industry.« less

  19. Influence of Valley Floor Landforms on Stream Ecosystems

    Treesearch

    Stanley V. Gregory; Gary A. Lamberti; Kelly M. S. Moore

    1989-01-01

    A hierarchical perspective of relationships between valley floor landforms, riparian plant communities, and aquatic ecosystems has been developed, based on studies of two fifth-order basins in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Retention of dissolved nitrogen and leaves were approximately 2-3 times greater in unconstrained reaches than in constrained reaches. Both valley...

  20. Analysis of Mining-induced Valley Closure Movements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, C.; Mitra, R.; Oh, J.; Hebblewhite, B.

    2016-05-01

    Valley closure movements have been observed for decades in Australia and overseas when underground mining occurred beneath or in close proximity to valleys and other forms of irregular topographies. Valley closure is defined as the inward movements of the valley sides towards the valley centreline. Due to the complexity of the local geology and the interplay between several geological, topographical and mining factors, the underlying mechanisms that actually cause this behaviour are not completely understood. A comprehensive programme of numerical modelling investigations has been carried out to further evaluate and quantify the influence of a number of these mining and geological factors and their inter-relationships. The factors investigated in this paper include longwall positional factors, horizontal stress, panel width, depth of cover and geological structures around the valley. It is found that mining in a series passing beneath the valley dramatically increases valley closure, and mining parallel to valley induces much more closure than other mining orientations. The redistribution of horizontal stress and influence of mining activity have also been recognised as important factors promoting valley closure, and the effect of geological structure around the valley is found to be relatively small. This paper provides further insight into both the valley closure mechanisms and how these mechanisms should be considered in valley closure prediction models.

  1. 27 CFR 9.132 - Rogue Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Rogue Valley. 9.132... Rogue Valley. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Rouge Valley.” (b) Approved map. The appropriate map for determining the boundaries of the Rogue Valley viticultural...

  2. 75 FR 5354 - Tennessee Valley Authority; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3 Environmental...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-02

    ... Valley Authority; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3 Environmental Assessment and Finding of..., Units 1, 2, and 3 (BFN), located in Limestone County, Alabama. In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC... considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the BFN dated September 1, 1972. Agencies and Persons...

  3. Sutter Buttes-the lone volcano in California's Great Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hausback, Brain P.; Muffler, L.J. Patrick; Clynne, Michael A.

    2011-01-01

    The volcanic spires of the Sutter Buttes tower 2,000 feet above the farms and fields of California's Great Valley, just 50 miles north-northwest of Sacramento and 11 miles northwest of Yuba City. The only volcano within the valley, the Buttes consist of a central core of volcanic domes surrounded by a large apron of fragmental volcanic debris. Eruptions at the Sutter Buttes occurred in early Pleistocene time, 1.6 to 1.4 million years ago. The Sutter Buttes are not part of the Cascade Range of volcanoes to the north, but instead are related to the volcanoes in the Coast Ranges to the west in the vicinity of Clear Lake, Napa Valley, and Sonoma Valley.

  4. Pumpernickel Valley Geothermal Project Thermal Gradient Wells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Z. Adam Szybinski

    2006-01-01

    , PVTG-1, -2, -3, and -4, and all four encountered geothermal fluids. The holes provided valuable water geochemistry, supporting the geothermometry results obtained from the hot springs and Magma well. The temperature data gathered from all the wells clearly indicates the presence of a major plume of thermal water centered on the Pumpernickel Valley fault, and suggests that the main plume is controlled, at least in part, by flow from this fault system. The temperature data also defines the geothermal resource with gradients >100oC/km, which covers an area a minimum of 8 km2. Structural blocks, down dropped with respect to the Pumpernickel Valley fault, may define an immediate reservoir. The geothermal system almost certainly continues beyond the recently drilled holes and might be open to the east and south, whereas the heat source responsible for the temperatures associated with this plume has not been intersected and must be at a depth greater than 920 meters (depth of the deepest well – Magma well). The geological and structural setting and other characteristics of the Pumpernickel Valley geothermal project area are markedly similar to the portions of the nearby Dixie Valley geothermal field. These similarities include, among others, the numerous, unexposed en echelon faults and large-scale pull-apart structure, which in Dixie Valley may host part of the geothermal field. The Pumpernickel Valley project area, for the majority of which Nevada Geothermal Power Company has geothermal rights, represents a geothermal site with a potential for the discovery of a relatively high temperature reservoir suitable for electric power production. Among locations not previously identified as having high geothermal potential, Pumpernickel Valley has been ranked as one of four sites with the highest potential for electrical power production in Nevada (Shevenell and Garside, 2003). Richards and Blackwell (2002) estimated the total heat loss and the preliminary production capacity for

  5. Fretted Terrain Valleys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    30 October 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows shallow tributary valleys in the Ismenius Lacus fretted terrain region of northern Arabia Terra. These valleys exhibit a variety of typical fretted terrain valley wall and floor textures, including a lineated, pitted material somewhat reminiscent of the surface of a brain. Origins for these features are still being debated within the Mars science community; there are no clear analogs to these landforms on Earth. This image is located near 39.9oN, 332.1oW. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.

  6. Rashba effect and enriched spin-valley coupling in Ga X /M X2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se, Te) heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Qingyun; Schwingenschlögl, Udo

    2018-04-01

    Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the electronic properties of the two-dimensional Ga X /MX 2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se, Te) heterostructures. Orbital hybridization between Ga X and MX 2 is found to result in Rashba splitting at the valence-band edge around the Γ point, which grows for increasing strength of the spin-orbit coupling in the p orbitals of the chalcogenide atoms. The location of the valence-band maximum in the Brillouin zone can be tuned by strain and application of an out-of-plane electric field. The coexistence of Rashba splitting (in-plane spin direction) and band splitting at the K and K' valleys (out-of-plane spin direction) makes Ga X /MX 2 heterostructures interesting for spintronics and valleytronics. They are promising candidates for two-dimensional spin-field-effect transistors and spin-valley Hall effect devices. Our findings shed light on the spin-valley coupling in van der Waals heterostructures.

  7. Electrical control of the anomalous valley Hall effect in antiferrovalley bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tong, Wen-Yi; Duan, Chun-Gang

    2017-08-01

    In analogy to all-electric spintronics, all-electric valleytronics, i.e., valley manipulation via electric means, becomes an exciting new frontier as it may bring revolutions in the field of data storage with ultra-high speed and ultra-low power consumption. The existence of the anomalous valley Hall effect in ferrovalley materials demonstrates the possibility of electrical detection for valley polarization. However, in previously proposed valley-polarized monolayers, the anomalous valley Hall effect is controlled by external magnetic fields. Here, through elaborate structural design, we propose the antiferrovally bilayer as an ideal candidate for realizing all-electric valleytronic devices. Using the minimal k.p model, we show that the energy degeneracy between valley indexes in such system can be lifted by electric approaches. Subsequently, the anomalous valley Hall effect strongly depends on the electric field as well. Taking the bilayer VSe2 as an example, all-electric tuning and detecting of anomalous valley Hall effect is confirmed by density-functional theory calculations, indicating that the valley information in such antiferrovalley bilayer can be reversed by an electric field perpendicular to the plane of the system and easily probed through the sign of the Hall voltage.

  8. The Role of Source Material in Basin Sedimentation, as Illustrated within Eureka Valley, Death Valley National Park, CA.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawson, M. J.; Yin, A.; Rhodes, E. J.

    2015-12-01

    Steep landscapes are known to provide sediment to sink regions, but often petrological factors can dominate basin sedimentation. Within Eureka Valley, in northwestern Death Valley National Park, normal faulting has exposed a steep cliff face on the western margin of the Last Chance range with four kilometers of vertical relief from the valley floor and an angle of repose of nearly 38 degrees. The cliff face is composed of Cambrian limestone and dolomite, including the Bonanza King, Carrara and Wood Canyon formations. Interacting with local normal faulting, these units preferentially break off the cliff face in coherent blocks, which result in landslide deposits rather than as finer grained material found within the basin. The valley is well known for a large sand dune, which derives its sediment from distal sources to the north, instead of from the adjacent Last Chance Range cliff face. During the Holocene, sediment is sourced primary from the northerly Willow Wash and Cucomungo canyon, a relatively small drainage (less than 80 km2) within the Sylvan Mountains. Within this drainage, the Jurassic quartz monzonite of Beer Creek is heavily fractured due to motion of the Fish Valley Lake - Death Valley fault zone. Thus, the quartz monzonite is more easily eroded than the well-consolidated limestone and dolomite that forms the Last Change Range cliff face. As well, the resultant eroded material is smaller grained, and thus more easily transported than the limestone. Consequently, this work highlights an excellent example of the strong influence that source material can have on basin sedimentation.

  9. Impurity-assisted electric control of spin-valley qubits in monolayer MoS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Széchenyi, G.; Chirolli, L.; Pályi, A.

    2018-07-01

    We theoretically study a single-electron spin-valley qubit in an electrostatically defined quantum dot in a transition metal dichalcogenide monolayer, focusing on the example of MoS2. Coupling of the qubit basis states for coherent control is challenging, as it requires a simultaneous flip of spin and valley. Here, we show that a tilted magnetic field together with a short-range impurity, such as a vacancy, a substitutional defect, or an adatom, can give rise to a coupling between the qubit basis states. This mechanism renders the in-plane g-factor nonzero, and allows to control the qubit with an in-plane ac electric field, akin to electrically driven spin resonance. We evaluate the dependence of the in-plane g-factor and the electrically induced qubit Rabi frequency on the type and position of the impurity. We reveal highly unconventional features of the coupling mechanism, arising from symmetry-forbidden intervalley scattering, in the case when the impurity is located at a S site. Our results provide design guidelines for electrically controllable qubits in two-dimensional semiconductors.

  10. Influence of southwest monsoons in the Kashmir Valley, western Himalayas.

    PubMed

    Jeelani, Ghulam; Deshpande, Rajendrakumar D; Shah, Rouf A; Hassan, Wasim

    2017-08-01

    The regional climate of the Himalayas is predominated by the southwest monsoons and the western disturbances. The uplift of the Pir Panjal to its present height is believed to restrict the southwest monsoons from entering into the Kashmir Valley in the western Himalayas. In the present study, monthly precipitation samples were collected across the Kashmir Valley from June 2013 to May 2014 for δ 18 O and δ 2 H analyses to constrain the influence of southwest monsoons in the valley. Except in August, the precipitation is enriched in 18 O and 2 H from June to September and depleted from October to May. The sharp depletion of 18 O in precipitation along with the decrease in d-excess in August confirm the maximum intrusion of southwest monsoons into the valley. A significant temperature - δ 18 O relationship was found during October and May (westerlies period) decreasing during June and September (southwest monsoon period). The local meteoric water line for the whole Kashmir Valley based on the precipitation-weighted monthly samples is [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. Higher intercept of the regression equation suggested dominant contribution of precipitation from western disturbances. The study suggested that the southwest monsoons enter the Kashmir Valley from southwest through the mountainous passes.

  11. Scaling relations for large Martian valleys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Som, Sanjoy M.; Montgomery, David R.; Greenberg, Harvey M.

    2009-02-01

    The dendritic morphology of Martian valley networks, particularly in the Noachian highlands, has long been argued to imply a warmer, wetter early Martian climate, but the character and extent of this period remains controversial. We analyzed scaling relations for the 10 large valley systems incised in terrain of various ages, resolvable using the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). Four of the valleys originate in point sources with negligible contributions from tributaries, three are very poorly dissected with a few large tributaries separated by long uninterrupted trunks, and three exhibit the dendritic, branching morphology typical of terrestrial channel networks. We generated width-area and slope-area relationships for each because these relations are identified as either theoretically predicted or robust terrestrial empiricisms for graded precipitation-fed, perennial channels. We also generated distance-area relationships (Hack's law) because they similarly represent robust characteristics of terrestrial channels (whether perennial or ephemeral). We find that the studied Martian valleys, even the dendritic ones, do not satisfy those empiricisms. On Mars, the width-area scaling exponent b of -0.7-4.7 contrasts with values of 0.3-0.6 typical of terrestrial channels; the slope-area scaling exponent $\\theta$ ranges from -25.6-5.5, whereas values of 0.3-0.5 are typical on Earth; the length-area, or Hack's exponent n ranges from 0.47 to 19.2, while values of 0.5-0.6 are found on Earth. None of the valleys analyzed satisfy all three relations typical of terrestrial perennial channels. As such, our analysis supports the hypotheses that ephemeral and/or immature channel morphologies provide the closest terrestrial analogs to the dendritic networks on Mars, and point source discharges provide terrestrial analogs best suited to describe the other large Martian valleys.

  12. 76 FR 22746 - Conecuh Valley Railway, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Conecuh Valley Railroad Co., Inc.

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-22

    ... Railway, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Conecuh Valley Railroad Co., Inc. Conecuh Valley Railway, LLC (CVR), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Conecuh Valley Railroad Co., Inc. (COEH), and to operate [[Page 22747

  13. Light and Electron Microscopy of the European Beaver (Castor fiber) Stomach Reveal Unique Morphological Features with Possible General Biological Significance

    PubMed Central

    Petryński, Wojciech; Palkowska, Katarzyna; Prusik, Magdalena; Targońska, Krystyna; Giżejewski, Zygmunt; Przybylska-Gornowicz, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    Anatomical, histological, and ultrastructural studies of the European beaver stomach revealed several unique morphological features. The prominent attribute of its gross morphology was the cardiogastric gland (CGG), located near the oesophageal entrance. Light microscopy showed that the CGG was formed by invaginations of the mucosa into the submucosa, which contained densely packed proper gastric glands comprised primarily of parietal and chief cells. Mucous neck cells represented <0.1% of cells in the CGG gastric glands and 22–32% of cells in the proper gastric glands of the mucosa lining the stomach lumen. These data suggest that chief cells in the CGG develop from undifferentiated cells that migrate through the gastric gland neck rather than from mucous neck cells. Classical chief cell formation (i.e., arising from mucous neck cells) occurred in the mucosa lining the stomach lumen, however. The muscularis around the CGG consisted primarily of skeletal muscle tissue. The cardiac region was rudimentary while the fundus/corpus and pyloric regions were equally developed. Another unusual feature of the beaver stomach was the presence of specific mucus with a thickness up to 950 µm (in frozen, unfixed sections) that coated the mucosa. Our observations suggest that the formation of this mucus is complex and includes the secretory granule accumulation in the cytoplasm of pit cells, the granule aggregation inside cells, and the incorporation of degenerating cells into the mucus. PMID:24727802

  14. The Wintertime Covariation of CO2 and Criteria Pollutants in an Urban Valley of the Western United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bares, Ryan; Lin, John C.; Hoch, Sebastian W.; Baasandorj, Munkhbayar; Mendoza, Daniel L.; Fasoli, Ben; Mitchell, Logan; Catharine, Douglas; Stephens, Britton B.

    2018-03-01

    Numerous mountain valleys experience wintertime particulate pollution events, when persistent cold air pools (PCAPs) develop and inhibit atmospheric mixing, leading to the accumulation of pollutants. Here we examine the relationships between trace gases and criteria pollutants during winter in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, in an effort to better understand the roles of transport versus chemical processes during differing meteorological conditions as well as insights into how targeted reductions in greenhouse gases will impact local air quality in varying meteorological conditions. CO2 is a chemically inert gas that is coemitted during fossil fuel combustion with pollutants. Many of these coemitted pollutants are precursors that react chemically to form secondary particulate matter. Thus, CO2 can serve as a stable tracer and potentially help distinguish transport versus chemical influences on pollutants. During the winter of 2015-2016, we isolated enhancements in CO2 over baseline levels due to urban emissions ("CO2ex"). CO2ex was paired with similar excesses in other pollutant concentrations. These relationships were examined during different wintertime conditions and stages of pollution episodes: (a) Non-PCAP, (b) beginning, and (c) latter stages of an episode. We found that CO2ex is a good indicator of the presence of gaseous criteria pollutants and a reasonable indicator of PM2.5. Additionally, the relationships between CO2ex and criteria pollutants differ during different phases of PCAP events which provide insight into meteorological and transport processes. Lastly, we found a slight overestimation of CO:CO2 emission ratios and a considerable overestimation of NOx:CO2 by existing inventories for the Salt Lake Valley.

  15. Water availability and subsidence in California's Central Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Faunt, Claudia C.; Sneed, Michelle

    2015-01-01

    California’s Central Valley covers about 52,000 square kilometers (km2) and is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. More than 250 different crops are grown in the broad alluvial filled structural trough, with an estimated value exceeding $20 billion per year (Faunt 2009) (Figure 1). Central Valley agriculture depends on state and federal water systems that divert surface water, predominantly originating from Sierra Nevada snowmelt, to agricultural fields. Because the valley is semi-arid and the availability of surface water varies substantially from year to year, season to season, and from north to south, agriculture, as it grew, developed a reliance on groundwater for irrigation.

  16. Valley photonic crystals for control of spin and topology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dong, Jian-Wen; Chen, Xiao-Dong; Zhu, Hanyu

    2016-11-28

    Photonic crystals offer unprecedented opportunity for light manipulation and applications in optical communication and sensing1,2,3,4. Exploration of topology in photonic crystals and metamaterials with non-zero gauge field has inspired a number of intriguing optical phenomena such as one-way transport and Weyl points5,6,7,8,9,10. Recently, a new degree of freedom, valley, has been demonstrated in two-dimensional materials11,12,13,14,15. Here, we propose a concept of valley photonic crystals with electromagnetic duality symmetry but broken inversion symmetry. We observe photonic valley Hall effect originating from valley-dependent spin-split bulk bands, even in topologically trivial photonic crystals. Valley–spin locking behaviour results in selective net spin flow insidemore » bulk valley photonic crystals. We also show the independent control of valley and topology in a single system that has been long pursued in electronic systems, resulting in topologically-protected flat edge states. Valley photonic crystals not only offer a route towards the observation of non-trivial states, but also open the way for device applications in integrated photonics and information processing using spin-dependent transportation.« less

  17. Field Surveys, IOC Valleys. Volume III, Part II. Cultural Resources Survey, Pine and Wah Wah Valleys, Utah.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-08-01

    valleys are typical of the Basin and Range Province, characterized by parallel, north-south trending mountain ranges, separated by hydrologically closed... basins . Pine and Wah Wah valleys each have hardpan-playas in their lowest areas. State Highway 21 runs roughly northwest-southeast through both val...have been important for prehis- toric and historic use of the area. Pine Valley: Pine and Wah Wah valleys are closed alluvial basins . The central part

  18. Geology and ground water in Russian River Valley areas and in Round, Laytonville, and Little Lake Valleys, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cardwell, G.T.

    1965-01-01

    This report describes the occurrence, availability, and quality of ground water in seven valley areas along the course of the Russian River in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, Calif., and in three valleys in the upper drainage reach of the Eel River in Mendocino County. Except for the westward-trending lower Russian River valley, the remaining valley areas along the Russian River (Healdsburg, Alexander, Cloverdale, Sanel, Ukiah, and Potter Valleys) lie in northwest-trending structurally controlled depressions formed in marine rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age. The principal aquifer in all the valleys is the alluvium of Recent age, which includes highly permeable channel deposits of gravel and sand. Water for domestic, irrigation, industrial, and other uses is developed by (1) direct diversion from the Russian River and its tributaries, (2) withdrawal of ground water and river water from shallow wells near the river, and (3) withdrawals of ground water from wells in alluvial deposits at varying distances from the river. Surface water in the Russian River and most tributaries is of good chemical quality. The water is a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type and contains 75,200 parts per million of dissolved solids. Ground water is also of good chemical quality throughout most of the drainage basin, but the concentration of dissolved solids (100-300 parts per million) is somewhat higher than that in the surface water. Round, Laytonville, and Little Lake Valleys are in central and northern Mendocino County in the drainage basin of the northwestward flowing Eel River. In Round Valley the alluvium of Recent age yields water of good chemical quality in large quantities. Yields are lower and the chemical quality poorer in Laytonville Valley. Ground water in Little Lake Valley is relatively undeveloped. Selected descriptions of wells, drillers' logs, chemical analyses, and hydrographs showing water-level fluctuations are included in the report. Accompanying maps show the

  19. The influence of fall-spawning coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) on growth and production of juvenile coho salmon rearing in beaver ponds on the Copper River Delta, Alaska.

    Treesearch

    Dirk W. Lang; Gordon H. Reeves; James D. Hall; Mark S. Wipfli

    2006-01-01

    This study examined the influence of fall-spawning coho salmon (Oncorhynchrcs kisutch) on the density, growth rate, body condition, and survival to outmigration of juvenile coho salmon on the Copper River Delta, Alaska, USA. During the fall of 1999 and 2000, fish rearing in beaver ponds that received spawning salmon were compared with fish from...

  20. Tinnitus and its risk factors in the Beaver Dam offspring study.

    PubMed

    Nondahl, David M; Cruickshanks, Karen J; Huang, Guan-Hua; Klein, Barbara E K; Klein, Ron; Nieto, F Javier; Tweed, Ted S

    2011-05-01

    To assess the prevalence of tinnitus along with factors potentially associated with having tinnitus. Data were from the Beaver Dam Offspring Study, an epidemiological cohort study of aging. After a personal interview and audiometric examination, participants (n = 3267, ages 21-84 years) were classified as having tinnitus if in the past year they reported having tinnitus of at least moderate severity or that caused difficulty in falling asleep. The prevalence of tinnitus was 10.6%. In a multivariable logistic regression model adjusting for age and sex, the following factors were associated with having tinnitus: hearing impairment (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.20), currently having a loud job (OR = 1.90), history of head injury (OR = 1.84), depressive symptoms (OR = 1.82), history of ear infection (men, OR = 1.75), history of target shooting (OR = 1.56), arthritis (OR = 1.46), and use of NSAID medications (OR = 1.33). For women, ever drinking alcohol in the past year was associated with a decreased risk of having tinnitus (OR = 0.56). These results suggest that tinnitus is a common symptom in this cohort and may be associated with some modifiable risk factors.

  1. A landscape scale valley confinement algorithm: Delineating unconfined valley bottoms for geomorphic, aquatic, and riparian applications

    Treesearch

    David E. Nagel; John M. Buffington; Sharon L. Parkes; Seth Wenger; Jaime R. Goode

    2014-01-01

    Valley confinement is an important landscape characteristic linked to aquatic habitat, riparian diversity, and geomorphic processes. This report describes a GIS program called the Valley Confinement Algorithm (VCA), which identifies unconfined valleys in montane landscapes. The algorithm uses nationally available digital elevation models (DEMs) at 10-30 m resolution to...

  2. Erosional valleys in the Thaumasia region of Mars: Hydrothermal and seismic origins

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tanaka, K.L.; Dohm, J.M.; Lias, J.H.; Hare, T.M.

    1998-01-01

    Analysis of erosional valleys, geologic materials and features, and topography through time in the Thaumasia region of Mars using co-registered digital spatial data sets reveals significant associations that relate to valley origin. Valleys tend to originate (1) on Noachian to Early Hesperian (stages 1 and 2) large volcanoes, (2) within 50-100 km of stages 1 and 2 rift systems, and (3) within 100 km of Noachian (stage 1) impact craters >50 km in diameter. These geologic preferences explain observations of higher valley-source densities (VSDs) in areas of higher elevations and regional slopes (>1??) because the volcanoes, rifts, and craters form high, steep topography or occur in terrain of high relief. Other stage 1 and stage 2 high, steep terrains, however, do not show high VSDs. The tendency for valleys to concentrate near geologic features and the overall low drainage densities in Thaumasia compared to terrestrial surfaces rule out widespread precipitation as a major factor in valley formation (as is proposed in wann, wet climate scenarios) except perhaps during the Early Noachian, for which much of the geologic record has been obliterated. Instead, volcanoes and rifts may indicate the presence of shallow crustal intrusions that could lead to local hydrothermal circulation, melting of ground ice and snow, and groundwater sapping. However, impact-crater melt would provide a heat source at the surface that might drive away water, forming valleys in the process. Post-stage 1 craters mostly have low nearby VSDs, which, for valleys incised in older rocks, suggests burial by e??jecta and, for . younger valleys, may indicate desiccation of near-surface water and deepening of the cryosphere. Later Hesperian and Amazonian (stages 3 and 4) valleys originate within 100-200 km of three young, large impact craters and near rifts systems at Warrego Valle??s and the southern part of Coprates rise. These valleys likely developed when the cryosphere was a couple kilometers or

  3. Graphene Nanobubbles as Valley Filters and Beam Splitters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Settnes, Mikkel; Power, Stephen R.; Brandbyge, Mads; Jauho, Antti-Pekka

    2016-12-01

    The energy band structure of graphene has two inequivalent valleys at the K and K' points of the Brillouin zone. The possibility to manipulate this valley degree of freedom defines the field of valleytronics, the valley analogue of spintronics. A key requirement for valleytronic devices is the ability to break the valley degeneracy by filtering and spatially splitting valleys to generate valley polarized currents. Here, we suggest a way to obtain valley polarization using strain-induced inhomogeneous pseudomagnetic fields (PMFs) that act oppositely on the two valleys. Notably, the suggested method does not involve external magnetic fields, or magnetic materials, unlike previous proposals. In our proposal the strain is due to experimentally feasible nanobubbles, whose associated PMFs lead to different real space trajectories for K and K' electrons, thus allowing the two valleys to be addressed individually. In this way, graphene nanobubbles can be exploited in both valley filtering and valley splitting devices, and our simulations reveal that a number of different functionalities are possible depending on the deformation field.

  4. Valley floor climate observations from the McMurdo dry valleys, Antarctica, 1986-2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Doran, P.T.; McKay, C.P.; Clow, G.D.; Dana, G.L.; Fountain, A.G.; Nylen, T.; Lyons, W.B.

    2002-01-01

    Climate observations from the McMurdo dry valleys, East Antarctica are presented from a network of seven valley floor automatic meteorological stations during the period 1986 to 2000. Mean annual temperatures ranged from -14.8??C to -30.0??C, depending on the site and period of measurement. Mean annual relative humidity is generally highest near the coast. Mean annual wind speed increases with proximity to the polar plateau. Site-to-site variation in mean annual solar flux and PAR is due to exposure of each station and changes over time are likely related to changes in cloudiness. During the nonsummer months, strong katabatic winds are frequent at some sites and infrequent at others, creating large variation in mean annual temperature owing to the warming effect of the winds. Katabatic wind exposure appears to be controlled to a large degree by the presence of colder air in the region that collects at low points and keeps the warm less dense katabatic flow from the ground. The strong influence of katabatic winds makes prediction of relative mean annual temperature based on geographical position (elevation and distance from the coast) alone, not possible. During the summer months, onshore winds dominate and warm as they progress through the valleys creating a strong linear relationship (r2 = 0.992) of increasing potential temperature with distance from the coast (0.09??C km-1). In contrast to mean annual temperature, summer temperature lends itself quite well to model predictions, and is used to construct a statistical model for predicting summer dry valley temperatures at unmonitored sites. Copyright 2002 by the American Geophysical Union.

  5. The Long Valley Caldera GIS database

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Battaglia, Maurizio; Williams, M.J.; Venezky, D.Y.; Hill, D.P.; Langbein, J.O.; Farrar, C.D.; Howle, J.F.; Sneed, M.; Segall, P.

    2003-01-01

    This database provides an overview of the studies being conducted by the Long Valley Observatory in eastern California from 1975 to 2001. The database includes geologic, monitoring, and topographic datasets related to Long Valley caldera. The CD-ROM contains a scan of the original geologic map of the Long Valley region by R. Bailey. Real-time data of the current activity of the caldera (including earthquakes, ground deformation and the release of volcanic gas), information about volcanic hazards and the USGS response plan are available online at the Long Valley observatory web page (http://lvo.wr.usgs.gov). If you have any comments or questions about this database, please contact the Scientist in Charge of the Long Valley observatory.

  6. Water Resources Program. Volume II. Milford and Beryl Operational Bases, Escalante Valley, Utah.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-05-28

    12 3.2 Climate .......................................... 14 3.3 Vegetation....................................... 14 4.0...and clay toward the center of the valley. -Erta E-TR-51 -II5 14 I 3.2 CLIMATE The climate of Escalante Valley is semiarid and is character- ized by mild...the Escalante Valley, the natural vegetative associations are I characteristic of a semiarid climate and, in some cases, are i indicatots of the depth

  7. Resonant tunneling spectroscopy of valley eigenstates on a donor-quantum dot coupled system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kobayashi, T., E-mail: t.kobayashi@unsw.edu.au; Heijden, J. van der; House, M. G.

    We report on electronic transport measurements through a silicon double quantum dot consisting of a donor and a quantum dot. Transport spectra show resonant tunneling peaks involving different valley states, which illustrate the valley splitting in a quantum dot on a Si/SiO{sub 2} interface. The detailed gate bias dependence of double dot transport allows a first direct observation of the valley splitting in the quantum dot, which is controllable between 160 and 240 μeV with an electric field dependence 1.2 ± 0.2 meV/(MV/m). A large valley splitting is an essential requirement for implementing a physical electron spin qubit in a silicon quantum dot.

  8. 27 CFR 9.78 - Ohio River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ohio River Valley. 9.78... River Valley. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Ohio River Valley.” (b) Approved maps. The approved maps for determining the boundary of the Ohio River Valley...

  9. Valley dependent transport in graphene L junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, K. S.

    2018-05-01

    We studied the valley dependent transport in graphene L junctions connecting an armchair lead and a zigzag lead. The junction can be used in valleytronic devices and circuits. Electrons injected from the armchair lead into the junction is not valley polarized, but they can become valley polarized in the zigzag lead. There are Fermi energies, where the current in the zigzag lead is highly valley polarized and the junction is an efficient generator of valley polarized current. The features of the valley polarized current depend sensitively on the widths of the two leads, as well as the number of dimers in the armchair lead, because this number has a sensitive effect on the band structure of the armchair lead. When an external potential is applied to the junction, the energy range with high valley polarization is enlarged enhancing its function as a generator of highly valley polarized current. The scaling behavior found in other graphene devices is also found in L junctions, which means that the results presented here can be extended to junctions with larger dimensions after appropriate scaling of the energy.

  10. VALDRIFT 1.0: A valley atmospheric dispersion model with deposition

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Allwine, K.J.; Bian, X.; Whiteman, C.D.

    1995-05-01

    VALDRIFT version 1.0 is an atmospheric transport and diffusion model for use in well-defined mountain valleys. It is designed to determine the extent of ddft from aedal pesticide spraying activities, but can also be applied to estimate the transport and diffusion of various air pollutants in valleys. The model is phenomenological -- that is, the dominant meteorological processes goveming the behavior of the valley atmosphere are formulated explicitly in the model, albeit in a highly parameterized fashion. The key meteorological processes treated are: (1) nonsteady and nonhomogeneous along-valley winds and turbulent diffusivities, (2) convective boundary layer growth, (3) inversion descent,more » (4) noctumal temperature inversion breakup, and (5) subsidence. The model is applicable under relatively cloud-free, undisturbed synoptic conditions and is configured to operate through one diumal cycle for a single valley. The inputs required are the valley topographical characteristics, pesticide release rate as a function of time and space, along-valley wind speed as a function of time and space, temperature inversion characteristics at sunrise, and sensible heat flux as a function of time following sunrise. Default values are provided for certain inputs in the absence of detailed observations. The outputs are three-dimensional air concentration and ground-level deposition fields as a function of time.« less

  11. Benchmark tests of JENDL-3.2 for thermal and fast reactors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Takano, Hideki; Akie, Hiroshi; Kikuchi, Yasuyuki

    1994-12-31

    Benchmark calculations for a variety of thermal and fast reactors have been performed by using the newly evaluated JENDL-3 Version-2 (JENDL-3.2) file. In the thermal reactor calculations for the uranium and plutonium fueled cores of TRX and TCA, the k{sub eff} and lattice parameters were well predicted. The fast reactor calculations for ZPPR-9 and FCA assemblies showed that the k{sub eff} reactivity worths of Doppler, sodium void and control rod, and reaction rate distribution were in a very good agreement with the experiments.

  12. Down in the Valley.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salter, Linda Graef

    1999-01-01

    Describes the partnerships formed by West Valley Mission Community College District (California) with its surrounding Silicon Valley business community in an effort to benefit workforce development. Asserts that community colleges are uniquely positioned to provide a lifelong education that will yield a skilled workforce to meet the needs of…

  13. Topologically protected refraction of robust kink states in valley photonic crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Fei; Xue, Haoran; Yang, Zhaoju; Lai, Kueifu; Yu, Yang; Lin, Xiao; Chong, Yidong; Shvets, Gennady; Zhang, Baile

    2018-02-01

    Recently discovered valley photonic crystals (VPCs) mimic many of the unusual properties of two-dimensional (2D) gapped valleytronic materials. Of the utmost interest to optical communications is their ability to support topologically protected chiral edge (kink) states at the internal domain wall between two VPCs with opposite valley-Chern indices. Here we experimentally demonstrate valley-polarized kink states with polarization multiplexing in VPCs, designed from a spin-compatible four-band model. When the valley pseudospin is conserved, we show that the kink states exhibit nearly perfect out-coupling efficiency into directional beams, through the intersection between the internal domain wall and the external edge separating the VPCs from ambient space. The out-coupling behaviour remains topologically protected even when we break the spin-like polarization degree of freedom (DOF), by introducing an effective spin-orbit coupling in one of the VPC domains. This also constitutes the first realization of spin-valley locking for topological valley transport.

  14. Hazardous Waste Cleanup: West Valley Demonstration Project USDOE in West Valley, New York

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The U.S. Department of Energy's West Valley Demonstration Project is located at 10282 Rock Spring Road in West Valley, New York. This is a 167 acre, Department of Energy (DOE)-operated portion of a 3,300-acre site owned by the New York State Energy

  15. Instream investigations in the Beaver Creek Watershed in West Tennessee, 1991-95

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Byl, T.D.; Carney, K.A.

    1996-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, began a long-term scientific investigation in 1989 to evaluate the effect of agricultural activities on water quality and the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices in the Beaver Creek watershed, West Tennessee. In 1993 as a part of this study, the USGS, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Shelby County Soil Conservation District, and the Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board, began an evaluation of the physical, chemical, biological and hydrological factors that affect water quality in streams and wetlands, and instream resource-management systems to treat agricultural nonpoint-source runoff and improve water quality. The purpose of this report is to present the results of three studies of stream and wetland investigations and a study on the transport of aldicarb from an agricultural field in the Beaver Creek watershed. A natural bottomland hardwood wetland and an artificially constructed wetland were evaluated as instream resource-management systems. These two studies showed that wetlands are an effective way to improve the quality of agricultural nonpoint-source runoff. The wetlands reduced concentrations and loads of suspended sediments, nutrients, and pesticides in the streams. A third paper documents the influence of riparian vegetation on the biological structure and water quality of a small stream draining an agricultural field. A comparison of the upper reach lined with herbaceous plants and the lower reach with mature woody vegetation showed a more stable biological community structure and Water- quality characteristics in the woody reach than in the herbaceous reach. The water-quality characteristics monitored were pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance. The herbaceous reach had a greater diversity and abundance of organisms during spring and early summer, but the abundance dropped by approximately

  16. Where is PM gone? Trends and variability of atmospheric PM10, PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 in the Po valley over the last decade (and more).

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bigi, Alessandro; Ghermandi, Grazia

    2017-04-01

    The Po Valley is one of the largest European regions with a remarkably high concentration level of atmospheric pollutants, both for particulate and gaseous compounds. In the last decade stringent regulations on air quality standards and on anthropogenic emissions have been set by the European Commission, leading to an overall improvement in air quality across Europe. In order to assess the decadal pattern and variability in PM across the Po valley we thoroughly investigated the time series of PM10, PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 from 41, 44 and 15 sites respectively (Bigi & Ghermandi 2014, 2016). PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 (PM10) series with a 7 (10) year or longer record have been analysed for long term trend in deseasonalized monthly means, annual quantiles and in monthly frequency distribution by robust statistical methods. A widespread and significant decreasing trend was observed at several sites for all size fractions, with the drop, up to a few percent per year, occurring mainly in winter for PM2.5 and throughout the year for PM10. All series were tested for a significant weekly periodicity (a proxy to estimate the impact of primary anthropogenic emissions) by 3 different statistical methods, yielding positive results for summer PM2.5 and PM10, and for both summer and winter PM10-2.5. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed larger variability for PM10 than for PM2.5. The former was split in five clusters: two encompassing the metropolitan areas of Turin and Milan and their respective nearby sites and the other three clusters gathering northeast, northwest and central Po Valley sites respectively. PM2.5 clusters divide the valley in western, eastern and southern/Apennines foothill sectors. The trend in atmospheric concentration was compared with the time series of local primary and precursor emissions, vehicular fleet details and fuel sales. A significant basin-wide drop in emissions occurred for gaseous pollutants, contrarily to primary emissions of PM10 and PM2.5, whose drop was

  17. 96. SEED 1 FUEL ASSEMBLY FROM LOCATION L9 BEING REMOVED ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    96. SEED 1 FUEL ASSEMBLY FROM LOCATION L-9 BEING REMOVED FROM REACTOR VESSEL BY MEANS OF FUEL EXTRACTION CRANE, JANUARY 7, 1960 - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

  18. Rift Valley Fever Virus

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-transmitted virus or arbovirus that is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. In the last decade, Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks have resulted in loss of human and animal life, as well as had significant economic impact. The disease in livestock is primarily a...

  19. 78 FR 13384 - In the Matter of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. (Beaver Valley Units 1 and 2); Confirmatory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-27

    ... under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in accordance with NRC E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139; August 28, 2007). The E-Filing process requires participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the.... To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10 days prior to the filing deadline...

  20. Subglacial tunnel valleys dissecting the Alpine landscape - an example from Bern, Switzerland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dürst Stucki, Mirjam; Reber, Regina; Schlunegger, Fritz

    2010-05-01

    The morphology of the Alpine and adjacent landscapes is directly related to glacial erosion and associated sediment transport. Here we report the effects of glacio-hydrologic erosion on bedrock topography in the Swiss Mittelland. Specifically, we identify the presence of subsurface valleys beneath the city of Bern in Switzerland and discuss their genesis. Detailed stratigraphic investigations of more than 4000 borehole data within a 430 km2-large area reveal the presence of a network of >200 m-deep and 1000 m-wide valleys. They are flat floored with steep sided walls and are filled by Quaternary fluvio-glacial deposits. The main valley beneath Bern is straight and oriented towards the NNW, with valley flanks more than 20° steep. The valley bottom has an irregular undulating profile along the thalweg, with differences between sills and hollows higher than 50-100 m over a reach of 4 kilometers length. Approximately 200 m high bedrock uplands flank the valley network. The uplands are dissected by up to 80 m-deep and 500 m-broad hanging valleys that currently drain away from the axis of the main valley. We interpret the valleys beneath the city of Bern to be a tunnel valley network which originated from subglacial erosion by melt water. The upland valleys are hanging with respect to the trunk system, indicating that these incipient upland systems as well as the main gorge beneath Bern formed by glacial melt water under hydrostatic pressure. This explains the ascending flow of glacial water from the base towards the higher elevation hanging valleys where high water discharge resulted in the formation of broad valley geometries. Similarly, we relate efficient erosion, excavation of bedrock and the formation of the tunnel valley network with >20° steep shoulders to confined flow under pressure, caused by the overlying ice.

  1. Groundwater quality in Coachella Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dawson, Barbara J. Milby; Belitz, Kenneth

    2012-01-01

    Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Coachella Valley is one of the study areas being evaluated. The Coachella study area is approximately 820 square miles (2,124 square kilometers) and includes the Coachella Valley groundwater basin (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). Coachella Valley has an arid climate, with average annual rainfall of about 6 inches (15 centimeters). The runoff from the surrounding mountains drains to rivers that flow east and south out of the study area to the Salton Sea. Land use in the study area is approximately 67 percent (%) natural, 21% agricultural, and 12% urban. The primary natural land cover is shrubland. The largest urban areas are the cities of Indio and Palm Springs (2010 populations of 76,000 and 44,000, respectively). Groundwater in this basin is used for public and domestic water supply and for irrigation. The main water-bearing units are gravel, sand, silt, and clay derived from surrounding mountains. The primary aquifers in Coachella Valley are defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health database. Public-supply wells in Coachella Valley are completed to depths between 490 and 900 feet (149 to 274 meters), consist of solid casing from the land surface to a depth of 260 to 510 feet (79 to 155 meters), and are screened or perforated below the solid casing. Recharge to the groundwater system is primarily runoff from the surrounding mountains, and by direct infiltration of irrigation. The primary sources of discharge are pumping wells, evapotranspiration, and underflow to

  2. Hydrology of the San Luis Valley, south-central Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Emery, P.A.; Boettcher, A.J.; Snipes, R.J.; Mcintyre, H.J.

    1969-01-01

    An investigation of the water resources of the Colorado part of the San Luis Valley was begun in 1966 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board. (See index map, fig. 1). The purpose of the investigation is to provide information for planning and implementing improved water-development and management practices. The major water problems in the San Luis Valley include (1) waterlogging, (2) waste of water by nonbeneficial evapotranspiration, (3) deterioration of ground-water chemical quality, and (4) failure of Colorado to deliver water to New Mexico and Texas in accordance with the Rio Grande Compact. This report describes the hydrologic environment, extent of water-resource development, and some of the problems related to that development. Information presented is based on data collected from 1966 to 1968 and on previous studies. Subsequent reports are planned as the investigation progresses. The San Luis Valley extends about 100 miles from Poncha Pass near the northeast corner of Saguache County, Colo., to a point about 16 miles south of the Colorado-New Mexico State line. The total area is 3,125 square miles, of which about 3,000 are in Colorado. The valley is nearly flat except for the San Luis Hills and a few other small areas. The Colorado part of the San Luis Valley, which is described in this report, has an average altitude of about 7,700 feet. Bounding the valley on the west are the San Juan Mountains and on the east the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Most of the valley floor is bordered by alluvial fans deposited by streams originating in the mountains, the most extensive being the Rio Grande fan (see block diagram, fig. 2 in pocket). Most of the streamflow is derived from snowmelt from 4,700 square miles of watershed in the surrounding mountains. The northern half of the San Luis Valley is internally drained and is referred to as the closed basin. The lowest part of this area is known locally as the "sump." The

  3. Mississippi Alluvial Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reinecke, K.J.; Kaminski, R.M.; Moorhead, D.J.; Hodges, J.D.; Nasser, J.R.; Smith, L.M.; Pederson, R.L.; Kaminski, R.M.

    1989-01-01

    Available data are summarized according to the following major topics: (1) characteristics of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV); (2) waterfowl populations associated with the MAV; (3) habitat requirements of migrating and wintering waterfowl in the MAV; (4) current habitat management practices in the MAV, including croplands, moist-soil impoundments, and forested wetlands; (5) status and classification of winter habitat in the MAV; and (6) research and management information needs.

  4. An evaluation of Skylab (EREP) remote sensing techniques applied to investigation of crustal structure. [Death Valley and Greenwater Valley (CA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bechtold, I. C. (Principal Investigator)

    1974-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. A study of Greenwater Valley indicates that the valley is bounded on the north and east by faults, on the south by a basement high, and on the west by the dip slope of the black mountains, movement of ground water from the valley is thus Movement of ground water from the valley is thus restricted, indicating the valley is a potential water reservoir.

  5. Development of a reactor with carbon catalysts for modular-scale, low-cost electrochemical generation of H 2O 2

    DOE PAGES

    Chen, Zhihua; Chen, Shucheng; Siahrostami, Samira; ...

    2017-03-01

    The development of small-scale, decentralized reactors for H 2O 2 production that can couple to renewable energy sources would be of great benefit, particularly for water purification in the developing world. Herein, we describe our efforts to develop electrochemical reactors for H 2O 2 generation with high Faradaic efficiencies of >90%, requiring cell voltages of only ~1.6 V. The reactor employs a carbon-based catalyst that demonstrates excellent performance for H 2O 2 production under alkaline conditions, as demonstrated by fundamental studies involving rotating-ring disk electrode methods. Finally, the low-cost, membrane-free reactor design represents a step towards a continuous, modular-scale, de-centralizedmore » production of H 2O 2.« less

  6. 10 CFR 2.809 - Participation by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Participation by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. 2.809 Section 2.809 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION RULES OF PRACTICE FOR DOMESTIC LICENSING PROCEEDINGS AND ISSUANCE OF ORDERS Rulemaking § 2.809 Participation by the Advisory Committee on Reactor...

  7. South entrance, plan, section, & detail. San Bernardino Valley Union ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    South entrance, plan, section, & detail. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Science Building. Detailed drawings of tile work, wrought iron, and art stone, Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 6, job no. 311. Scale 1.2 inch to the foot. February 15, 1927. - San Bernardino Valley College, Life Science Building, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  8. Hydrogeology of a drift-filled bedrock valley near Lino Lakes, Anoka County, Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Winter, T.C.; Pfannkuch, H.O.

    1976-01-01

    The bedrock surface of east-central Minnesota is dissected by an intricate network of valleys. Outside the bedrock valley at site B, 3 mi (4. 8 km) from site A, 100 ft (30 m) of drift overlies the bedrock surface. Observation wells were installed at the two sites to determine the vertical ground-water movement between the various aquifer units and the lateral movement between the two sites. An aquifer test of the lowest valley-fill aquifer at site A showed that the observation well completed in the same aquifer as the pumping well responded immediately; whereas a lag of about 100 min occurred between the lower valley fill and uppermost body of sand and gravel. This indicates that the hydraulic connection between these two layers is poor at the immediate site. Test results show that the lower sand-and-gravel aquifer has a transmissivity between 14,000 and 27,000 ft2/d (1,300 and 2,500 m2/d). Although the hydraulic gradient is vertically downward in the valley, much of the drift fill is poorly permeable. This suggests that the quantity of downward-percolating water reaching the lowest valley-fill aquifer is relatively small at the test site. Because valley cut through a number of bedrock aquifers in the region, they could potentially be an important avenue of contamination from land-surface waste. In addition, the vast network of bedrock valleys in the Twin Cities area might cause contaminants to disseminate rather rapidly throughout a large area.

  9. Tower Shielding Reactor II design and operation report: Vol. 2. Safety Analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Holland, L. B.; Kolb, J. O.

    1970-01-01

    Information on the Tower Shielding Reactor II is contained in the TSR-II Design and Operation Report and in the Tower Shielding Facility Manual. The TSR-II Design and Operating Report consists of three volumes. Volume 1 is Descriptions of the Tower Shielding Reactor II and Facility; Volume 2 is Safety analysis of the Tower Shielding Reactor II; and Volume 3 is the Assembly and Testing of the Tower Shielding Reactor II Control Mechanism Housing.

  10. Meter-Scale Characteristics of Martian Channels and Valleys

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carr, M.H.; Malin, M.C.

    2000-01-01

    Mars Global Surveyor images, with resolutions as high as 1.5 m pixel, enable characterization of martian channels and valleys at resolutions one to two orders of magnitude better than was previously possible. A major surprise is the near-absence of valleys a few hundred meters wide and narrower. The almost complete absence of fine-scale valleys could be due to lack of precipitation, destruction of small valleys by erosion, or dominance of infiltration over surface runoff. V-shaped valleys with a central channel, such as Nanedi Vallis, provide compelling evidence for sustained or episodic flow of water across the surface. Larger valleys appear to have formed not by headward erosion as a consequence of groundwater sapping but by erosion from water sources upstream of the observed sections. The freshest appearing valleys have triangular cross sections, with talus from opposing walls meeting at the center of the valley. The relations suggest that the width of the valleys is controlled by the depth of incision and the angle of repose of the walls. The flat floors of less fresh-appearing valleys result primarily from later eolian fill. Several discontinuous valleys and lines of craters suggest massive subsurface solution or erosion. The climatic implications of the new images will remain obscure until the cause for the scarcity of fine-scale dissection is better understood. ?? 2000 Academic Press.

  11. Valley Vortex States in Sonic Crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Jiuyang; Qiu, Chunyin; Ke, Manzhu; Liu, Zhengyou

    2016-03-01

    Valleytronics is quickly emerging as an exciting field in fundamental and applied research. In this Letter, we study the acoustic version of valley states in sonic crystals and reveal a vortex nature of such states. In addition to the selection rules established for exciting valley polarized states, a mimicked valley Hall effect of sound is proposed further. The extraordinary chirality of valley vortex states, detectable in experiments, may open a new possibility in sound manipulations. This is appealing to scalar acoustics that lacks a spin degree of freedom inherently. In addition, the valley selection enables a handy way to create vortex matter in acoustics, in which the vortex chirality can be controlled flexibly. Potential applications can be anticipated with the exotic interaction of acoustic vortices with matter, such as to trigger the rotation of the trapped microparticles without contact.

  12. Topological Valley Transport in Two-dimensional Honeycomb Photonic Crystals.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yuting; Jiang, Hua; Hang, Zhi Hong

    2018-01-25

    Two-dimensional photonic crystals, in analogy to AB/BA stacking bilayer graphene in electronic system, are studied. Inequivalent valleys in the momentum space for photons can be manipulated by simply engineering diameters of cylinders in a honeycomb lattice. The inequivalent valleys in photonic crystal are selectively excited by a designed optical chiral source and bulk valley polarizations are visualized. Unidirectional valley interface states are proved to exist on a domain wall connecting two photonic crystals with different valley Chern numbers. With the similar optical vortex index, interface states can couple with bulk valley polarizations and thus valley filter and valley coupler can be designed. Our simple dielectric PC scheme can help to exploit the valley degree of freedom for future optical devices.

  13. The vertical structure of the circulation and dynamics in Hudson Shelf Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lentz, Steven J.; Butman, Bradford; Harris, Courtney K.

    2014-01-01

    Hudson Shelf Valley is a 20–30 m deep, 5–10 km wide v-shaped submarine valley that extends across the Middle Atlantic Bight continental shelf. The valley provides a conduit for cross-shelf exchange via along-valley currents of 0.5 m s−1 or more. Current profile, pressure, and density observations collected during the winter of 1999–2000 are used to examine the vertical structure and dynamics of the flow. Near-bottom along-valley currents having times scales of a few days are driven by cross-shelf pressure gradients setup by wind stresses, with eastward (westward) winds driving onshore (offshore) flow within the valley. The along-valley momentum balance in the bottom boundary layer is predominantly between the pressure gradient and bottom stress because the valley bathymetry limits current veering. Above the bottom boundary layer, the flow veers toward an along-shelf (cross-valley) orientation and a geostrophic balance with some contribution from the wind stress (surface Ekman layer). The vertical structure and strength of the along-valley current depends on the magnitude and direction of the wind stress. During offshore flows driven by westward winds, the near-bottom stratification within the valley increases resulting in a thinner bottom boundary layer and weaker offshore currents. Conversely, during onshore flows driven by eastward winds the near-bottom stratification decreases resulting in a thicker bottom boundary layer and stronger onshore currents. Consequently, for wind stress magnitudes exceeding 0.1 N m−2, onshore along-valley transport associated with eastward wind stress exceeds the offshore transport associated with westward wind stress of the same magnitude.

  14. Shelving plans, elevations, and sections. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Shelving plans, elevations, and sections. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Science Building. Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 9, job no. 311. Scale 1.2 inch to the foot. February 15, 1927. - San Bernardino Valley College, Life Science Building, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  15. Diversity of inland valleys and opportunities for agricultural development in Sierra Leone.

    PubMed

    Dossou-Yovo, Elliott Ronald; Baggie, Idriss; Djagba, Justin Fagnombo; Zwart, Sander Jaap

    2017-01-01

    Inland valleys are becoming increasingly important agricultural production areas for rural households in sub-Saharan Africa due to their relative high and secure water availability and soil fertility. In addition, inland valleys are important as water buffer and biodiversity hot spots and they provide local communities with forest, forage, and fishing resources. As different inland-valley ecosystem functions may conflict with agricultural objectives, indiscriminate development should be avoided. This study aims to analyze the diversity of inland valleys in Sierra Leone and to develop guidelines for more precise interventions. Land use, biophysical and socio-economic data were analyzed on 257 inland valleys using spatial and multivariate techniques. Five cluster groups of inland valleys were identified: (i) semi-permanently flooded with high soil organic carbon (4.2%) and moderate available phosphorus (10.2 ppm), mostly under natural vegetation; (ii) semi-permanently flooded with low soil organic carbon (1.5%) and very low available phosphorus (3.1 ppm), abandoned by farmers; (iii) seasonally flooded with moderate soil organic carbon (3.1%) and low available phosphorus (8.3 ppm), used for rainfed rice and off-season vegetables produced without fertilizer application for household consumption and market; (iv) well drained with moderate soil organic carbon (3.8%) and moderate available phosphorus (10.0 ppm), used for rainfed rice and off-season vegetables produced with fertilizer application for household consumption and market; and (v) well drained with moderate soil organic carbon (3.6%) and moderate available phosphorus (11 ppm), used for household consumption without fertilizer application. Soil organic carbon, available phosphorus, hydrological regime, physical accessibility and market opportunity were the major factors affecting agricultural intensification of inland valleys. Opening up the areas in which inland valleys occur through improved roads and markets

  16. Knickpoints and Hanging Valleys of Licus Vallis, Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goudge, T. A.; Fassett, C.

    2016-12-01

    Licus Vallis is a 350 km long valley system located along the dichotomy boundary on Mars. The main trunk of the valley is incised 200-700 m into the surrounding terrain. The valley heads at an outlet breach of a shallow, 30 km diameter impact crater, and is also fed by a system of tributaries incised into the plateau surrounding Licus Vallis. Many of the tributary valleys, as well as the main stem of the valley fed by the paleolake outlet, have profiles that are not smoothly graded, but rather have distinct reaches with concave downward topography. These sections are either knickpoints or hanging valleys that develop in response to changes in the effective local base level, changes in climate conditions during incision of the valley, or lithologic boundaries in the substrate. Here we present remote sensing observations from images and topography to test these competing hypotheses and further characterize the evolution of this large valley system. Slope-watershed area relationships for the tributaries and main trunk valley are used to distinguish between knickpoints and hanging valleys. Analysis of orbital images does not reveal any distinct layer above which knickpoints develop, and the elevation of knickpoints show no systematic trends that might be expected of a regional lithologic unit(s). Our preliminary results suggest that the distance of knickpoint retreat is correlated with the position of the tributary valley and not the watershed area. Downstream valleys have retreated the most, suggesting they have had the most time to adjust to lowering of the local base level associated with incision of the main valley. These results are most consistent with a wave of incision sweeping up the valley system as it adjusts to a low base level in the northern plains. This conclusion is also consistent with observations of the incision depth of Licus Vallis, which increases approximately linearly downstream. Understanding this signature of base level control on the incision

  17. Gravitational stresses in long symmetric ridges and valleys in anisotropic rock

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pan, E.; Amadei, B.; Savage, W.Z.

    1994-01-01

    The effect of topography and rock mass anisotropy on gravitational stresses in long isolated symmetric ridges and valleys is modeled using an analytical method proposed earlier by the first two authors. The rock mass deforms under a condition of plane strain. A parametric study is presented on the effect of (1) topography, (2) orientation of anisotropy and (3) degree of anisotropy on the magnitude and distribution of gravitational stresses in transversely isotropic rock masses with planes of anisotropy striking parallel to the ridge or valley axis. It is found that compressive stresses develop near ridge crests and that tensile stresses develop in valley bottoms and valley walls. The magnitude of the gravitational stresses is of the order of the characteristics stress ??{variant}g??b?? where ??{variant} is the rock density, g is the gravitational acceleration and ??b?? is the height of the ridge or depth of the valley. ?? 1994.

  18. Investigating the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and other rock magnetic properties of the Beaver River Diabase in northeastern Minnesota

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hariri, Samer H.

    The Beaver River Diabase (BRD) is a series of mafic dikes and sills within the Beaver Bay Complex (BBC) of northern Minnesota, which formed during the development of the ~1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift (MCR). The BRD is one of the youngest and most extensive intrusive phases of the BBC. The BRD dikes and sills were emplaced into the medial levels of the 6-10 kilometer-thick North Shore Volcanic Group and occur over an arcuate area extending 120 by 20 kilometers. The BRD is composed of fine- to medium-grained ophitic olivine gabbro and does not display obvious foliation or lineation features and rarely displays modal layering. Without obvious magmatic internal structures, it is difficult to determine emplacement properties such as flow direction using standard geologic mapping or petrographic techniques. For this reason, we measured the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), in conjunction with other rock magnetic properties, to better understand the BRD's emplacement and deformation history in the context of the MCR. AMS measures the directional dependence of low-field magnetic susceptibility, and is used to infer a shape-preferred orientation of magnetic minerals within a rock, which can be related to specific emplacement mechanisms (e.g. directional flow or settling). Preliminary analysis of AMS at 20 sites within the southern half of the BRD (with 4-7 samples per site) shows maximum susceptibility values between 4.48 x 10-6 and 2.22 x 10-4 m 3/kg (1165 and 65400 μSI). Most specimens display nearly isotropic AMS ellipsoids (Pj < 1.15) with minor degrees of prolateness and oblateness. However, about 20% of specimens have higher anisotropies (Pj between 1.15 and 1.67) and higher degrees of oblateness and prolateness. Variations in AMS properties may reflect differences in concentration and composition of magnetic minerals, as well as emplacement mechanisms. Measurements of susceptibility as a function of temperature yield Curie points between 470 and 570

  19. Titan's fluvial valleys: Morphology, distribution, and spectral properties

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Langhans, M.H.; Jaumann, R.; Stephan, K.; Brown, R.H.; Buratti, B.J.; Clark, R.N.; Baines, K.H.; Nicholson, P.D.; Lorenz, R.D.; Soderblom, L.A.; Soderblom, J.M.; Sotin, Christophe; Barnes, J.W.; Nelson, R.

    2012-01-01

    Titan's fluvial channels have been investigated based on data obtained by the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument and the Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard the Cassini spacecraft. In this paper, a database of fluvial features is created based on radar-SAR data aiming to unveil the distribution and the morphologic and spectral characteristics of valleys on Titan on a global scale. It will also study the spatial relations between fluvial valleys and Titan's geologic units and spectral surface units which have become accessible thanks to Cassini-VIMS data. Several distinct morphologic types of fluvial valleys can be discerned by SAR-images. Dendritic valley networks appear to have much in common with terrestrial dendritic systems owing to a hierarchical and tree-shaped arrangement of the tributaries which is indicative of an origin from precipitation. Dry valleys constitute another class of valleys resembling terrestrial wadis, an indication of episodic and strong flow events. Other valley types, such as putative canyons, cannot be correlated with rainfall based on their morphology alone, since it cannot be ruled out that they may have originated from volcanic/tectonic action or groundwater sapping. Highly developed and complex fluvial networks with channel lengths of up to 1200 km and widths of up to 10 km are concentrated only at a few locations whereas single valleys are scattered over all latitudes. Fluvial valleys are frequently found in mountainous areas. Some terrains, such as equatorial dune fields and undifferentiated plains at mid-latitudes, are almost entirely free of valleys. Spectrally, fluvial terrains are often characterized by a high reflectance in each of Titan's atmospheric windows, as most of them are located on Titan's bright 'continents'. Nevertheless, valleys are spatially associated with a surface unit appearing blue due to its higher reflection at 1.3??m in a VIMS false color RGB composite with R: 1.59/1.27??m, G: 2

  20. Spin and valley filter across line defect in silicene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Sake; Ren, Chongdan; Li, Yunfang; Tian, Hongyu; Lu, Weitao; Sun, Minglei

    2018-05-01

    We propose a new scheme to achieve an effective spin/valley filter in silicene with extended line defect on the basis of spin–valley coupling due to the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The transmission coefficient of the spin/valley states is seriously affected by the SOC. When a perpendicular magnetic field is applied on one side of the line defect, one valley state will experience backscattering, but the other valley will not; this leads to high valley polarization in all transmission directions. Moreover, the spin/valley polarization can be enhanced to 96% with the aid of a perpendicular electric field.

  1. Electrons to Reactors Multiscale Modeling: Catalytic CO Oxidation over RuO 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sutton, Jonathan E.; Lorenzi, Juan M.; Krogel, Jaron T.

    First-principles kinetic Monte Carlo (1p-kMC) simulations for CO oxidation on two RuO 2 facets, RuO 2(110) and RuO 2(111), were coupled to the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations package MFIX, and reactor-scale simulations were then performed. 1p-kMC coupled with CFD has recently been shown as a feasible method for translating molecular scale mechanistic knowledge to the reactor scale, enabling comparisons to in situ and online experimental measurements. Only a few studies with such coupling have been published. This work incorporates multiple catalytic surface facets into the scale-coupled simulation, and three possibilities were investigated: the two possibilities of each facet individuallymore » being the dominant phase in the reactor, and also the possibility that both facets were present on the catalyst particles in the ratio predicted by an ab initio thermodynamics-based Wulff construction. When lateral interactions between adsorbates were included in the 1p-kMC simulations, the two surfaces, RuO 2(110) and RuO 2(111), were found to be of similar order-of-magnitude in activity for the pressure range of 1 × 10 –4 bar to 1 bar, with the RuO 2(110) surface-termination showing more simulated activity than the RuO 2(111) surface-termination. Coupling between the 1p-kMC and CFD was achieved with a lookup table generated by the error-based modified Shepard interpolation scheme. Isothermal reactor scale simulations were performed and compared to two separate experimental studies, conducted with reactant partial pressures of ≤0.1 bar. Simulations without an isothermality restriction were also conducted and showed that the simulated temperature gradient across the catalytic reactor bed is <0.5 K, which validated the use of the isothermality restriction for investigating the reactor-scale phenomenological temperature dependences. The approach with the Wulff construction based reactor simulations reproduced a trend similar to one experimental data set

  2. Electrons to Reactors Multiscale Modeling: Catalytic CO Oxidation over RuO 2

    DOE PAGES

    Sutton, Jonathan E.; Lorenzi, Juan M.; Krogel, Jaron T.; ...

    2018-04-20

    First-principles kinetic Monte Carlo (1p-kMC) simulations for CO oxidation on two RuO 2 facets, RuO 2(110) and RuO 2(111), were coupled to the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations package MFIX, and reactor-scale simulations were then performed. 1p-kMC coupled with CFD has recently been shown as a feasible method for translating molecular scale mechanistic knowledge to the reactor scale, enabling comparisons to in situ and online experimental measurements. Only a few studies with such coupling have been published. This work incorporates multiple catalytic surface facets into the scale-coupled simulation, and three possibilities were investigated: the two possibilities of each facet individuallymore » being the dominant phase in the reactor, and also the possibility that both facets were present on the catalyst particles in the ratio predicted by an ab initio thermodynamics-based Wulff construction. When lateral interactions between adsorbates were included in the 1p-kMC simulations, the two surfaces, RuO 2(110) and RuO 2(111), were found to be of similar order-of-magnitude in activity for the pressure range of 1 × 10 –4 bar to 1 bar, with the RuO 2(110) surface-termination showing more simulated activity than the RuO 2(111) surface-termination. Coupling between the 1p-kMC and CFD was achieved with a lookup table generated by the error-based modified Shepard interpolation scheme. Isothermal reactor scale simulations were performed and compared to two separate experimental studies, conducted with reactant partial pressures of ≤0.1 bar. Simulations without an isothermality restriction were also conducted and showed that the simulated temperature gradient across the catalytic reactor bed is <0.5 K, which validated the use of the isothermality restriction for investigating the reactor-scale phenomenological temperature dependences. The approach with the Wulff construction based reactor simulations reproduced a trend similar to one experimental data set

  3. Structural superposition in fault systems bounding Santa Clara Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Graymer, Russell W.; Stanley, Richard G.; Ponce, David A.; Jachens, Robert C.; Simpson, Robert W.; Wentworth, Carl M.

    2015-01-01

    Santa Clara Valley is bounded on the southwest and northeast by active strike-slip and reverse-oblique faults of the San Andreas fault system. On both sides of the valley, these faults are superposed on older normal and/or right-lateral normal oblique faults. The older faults comprised early components of the San Andreas fault system as it formed in the wake of the northward passage of the Mendocino Triple Junction. On the east side of the valley, the great majority of fault displacement was accommodated by the older faults, which were almost entirely abandoned when the presently active faults became active after ca. 2.5 Ma. On the west side of the valley, the older faults were abandoned earlier, before ca. 8 Ma and probably accumulated only a small amount, if any, of the total right-lateral offset accommodated by the fault zone as a whole. Apparent contradictions in observations of fault offset and the relation of the gravity field to the distribution of dense rocks at the surface are explained by recognition of superposed structures in the Santa Clara Valley region.

  4. South elevation and main floor plan. San Bernardino Valley Union ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    South elevation and main floor plan. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Science Building. Includes chemistry and botany departments. Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 2, job no. 311. Scale 1/8 inch to the foot. February 15, 1927. - San Bernardino Valley College, Life Science Building, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  5. Proceedings of the 1992 topical meeting on advances in reactor physics. Volume 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1992-04-01

    This document, Volume 2, presents proceedings of the 1992 Topical Meeting on Advances in Reactor Physics on March 8--11, 1992 at Charleston, SC. Session topics were as follows: Transport Theory; Fast Reactors; Plant Analyzers; Integral Experiments/Measurements & Analysis; Core Computational Systems; Reactor Physics; Monte Carlo; Safety Aspects of Heavy Water Reactors; and Space-Time Core Kinetics. The individual reports have been cataloged separately. (FI)

  6. 61. BOILER CHAMBER No. 2, LOOKING SOUTHWEST BETWEEN CHAMBER AND ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    61. BOILER CHAMBER No. 2, LOOKING SOUTHWEST BETWEEN CHAMBER AND CONCRETE ENCLOSURE (LOCATION PPP) - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

  7. Intelligent electric vehicle charging: Rethinking the valley-fill

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valentine, Keenan; Temple, William G.; Zhang, K. Max

    This study proposes an intelligent PEV charging scheme that significantly reduces power system cost while maintaining reliability compared to the widely discussed valley-fill method of aggregated charging in the early morning. This study considers optimal PEV integration into the New York Independent System Operator's (NYISO) day-ahead and real-time wholesale energy markets for 21 days in June, July, and August of 2006, a record-setting summer for peak load. NYISO market and load data is used to develop a statistical Locational Marginal Price (LMP) and wholesale energy cost model. This model considers the high cost of ramping generators at peak-load and the traditional cost of steady-state operation, resulting in a framework with two competing cost objectives. Results show that intelligent charging assigns roughly 80% of PEV load to valley hours to take advantage of low steady-state cost, while placing the remaining 20% equally at shoulder and peak hours to reduce ramping cost. Compared to unregulated PEV charging, intelligent charging reduces system cost by 5-16%; a 4-9% improvement over the flat valley-fill approach. Moreover, a Charge Flexibility Constraint (CFC), independent of market modeling, is constructed from a vehicle-at-home profile and the mixture of Level 1 and Level 2 charging infrastructure. The CFC is found to severely restrict the ability to charge vehicles during the morning load valley. This study further shows that adding more Level 2 chargers without regulating PEV charging will significantly increase wholesale energy cost. Utilizing the proposed intelligent PEV charging method, there is a noticeable reduction in system cost if the penetration of Level 2 chargers is increased from 70/30 to 50/50 (Level 1/Level 2). However, the system benefit is drastically diminished for higher penetrations of Level 2 chargers.

  8. 27 CFR 9.36 - McDowell Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ....” (b) Approved maps. The appropriate map for determining the boundaries of the McDowell Valley... and the ridge line (highest elevation line) between the McDowell Creek Valley and the Dooley Creek Valley. (3) Then southeasterly along the ridge line (highest elevation line) to the intersection of the...

  9. 27 CFR 9.36 - McDowell Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ....” (b) Approved maps. The appropriate map for determining the boundaries of the McDowell Valley... and the ridge line (highest elevation line) between the McDowell Creek Valley and the Dooley Creek Valley. (3) Then southeasterly along the ridge line (highest elevation line) to the intersection of the...

  10. Transforming the "Valley of Death" into a "Valley of Opportunity"

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jedlovec, Gary J.; Merceret, Francis J.; O'Brien, T. P.; Roeder, William P.; Huddleston, Lisa L.; Bauman, William H., III

    2014-01-01

    Transitioning technology from research to operations (23 R2O) is difficult. The problem's importance is exemplified in the literature and in every failed attempt to do so. Although the R2O gap is often called the "valley of death", a recent a Space Weather editorial called it a "Valley of Opportunity". There are significant opportunities for space weather organizations to learn from the terrestrial experience. Dedicated R2O organizations like those of the various NOAA testbeds and collaborative "proving ground" projects take common approaches to improving terrestrial weather forecasting through the early transition of research capabilities into the operational environment. Here we present experience-proven principles for the establishment and operation of similar space weather organizations, public or private. These principles were developed and currently being demonstrated by NASA at the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) and the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center. The AMU was established in 1991 jointly by NASA, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the National Weather Service (NWS) to provide tools and techniques for improving weather support to the Space Shuttle Program (Madura et al., 2011). The primary customers were the USAF 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) and the NWS Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG who provided the weather observing and forecast support for Shuttle operations). SPoRT was established in 2002 to transition NASA satellite and remote-sensing technology to the NWS. The continuing success of these organizations suggests the common principles guiding them may be valuable for similar endeavors in the space weather arena.

  11. Synthesis of monthly and annual streamflow records (water years 1950-2003) for Big Sandy, Clear, Peoples, and Beaver Creeks in the Milk River basin, Montana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Parrett, Charles

    2006-01-01

    To address concerns expressed by the State of Montana about the apportionment of water in the St. Mary and Milk River basins between Canada and the United States, the International Joint Commission requested information from the United States government about water that originates in the United States but does not cross the border into Canada. In response to this request, the U.S. Geological Survey synthesized monthly and annual streamflow records for Big Sandy, Clear, Peoples, and Beaver Creeks, all of which are in the Milk River basin in Montana, for water years 1950-2003. This report presents the synthesized values of monthly and annual streamflow for Big Sandy, Clear, Peoples, and Beaver Creeks in Montana. Synthesized values were derived from recorded and estimated streamflows. Statistics, including long-term medians and averages and flows for various exceedance probabilities, were computed from the synthesized data. Beaver Creek had the largest median annual discharge (19,490 acre-feet), and Clear Creek had the smallest median annual discharge (6,680 acre-feet). Big Sandy Creek, the stream with the largest drainage area, had the second smallest median annual discharge (9,640 acre-feet), whereas Peoples Creek, the stream with the second smallest drainage area, had the second largest median annual discharge (11,700 acre-feet). The combined median annual discharge for the four streams was 45,400 acre-feet. The largest combined median monthly discharge for the four creeks was 6,930 acre-feet in March, and the smallest combined median monthly discharge was 48 acre-feet in January. The combined median monthly values were substantially smaller than the average monthly values. Overall, synthesized flow records for the four creeks are considered to be reasonable given the prevailing climatic conditions in the region during the 1950-2003 base period. Individual estimates of monthly streamflow may have large errors, however. Linear regression was used to relate

  12. Morning Transition Tracer Experiments in a Deep Narrow Valley.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whiteman, C. David

    1989-07-01

    Three sulfur hexafluoride atmospheric tracer experiments were conducted during the post-sunrise temperature inversion breakup period in the deep, narrow Brush Creek Valley of Colorado. Experiments were conducted under clear, undisturbed weather conditions.A continuous elevated tracer plume was produced along the axis of the valley before sunrise and the behavior of the plume during the inversion breakup period was detected down-valley from the release point using an array of radio-controlled sequential bag samplers, a vertical SF6 profiling system carried on a tethered balloon, two portable gas chromatographs operated on a sidewall of the valley, and a continuous real-time SF6 monitor operated from a research aircraft. Supporting meteorological data came primarily from tethered balloon profilers. The nocturnal elevated plume was carried and diffused in down-valley flows. After sunrise, convective boundary layers grew upward from the sunlit valley surfaces, fumigating the elevated plume onto the valley floor and sidewalls. Upslope flow developed in the growing convective boundary layers, carrying fumigated SF6 up the sidewalls and causing a compensating subsidence over the valley center. High post-sunrise SF6 concentrations were experienced on the northeast-facing sidewall of the northwest-southeast oriented valley as a result of cross-valley flow, which developed due to differential solar heating of the sidewalls. Reversal of the down-valley wind system brought air with lower SF6 concentrations into the lower valley.

  13. PoroTomo Subtask 3.2 Data files from the Distributed Acoustic Sensing experiment at Garner Valley, California

    DOE Data Explorer

    Chelsea Lancelle

    2013-09-11

    In September 2013, an experiment using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) was conducted at Garner Valley, a test site of the University of California Santa Barbara (Lancelle et al., 2014). This submission includes all DAS data recorded during the experiment. The sampling rate for all files is 1000 samples per second. Any files with the same filename but ending in _01, _02, etc. represent sequential files from the same test. Locations of the sources are plotted on the basemap in GDR submission 481, titled: "PoroTomo Subtask 3.2 Sample data from a Distributed Acoustic Sensing experiment at Garner Valley, California (PoroTomo Subtask 3.2)." Lancelle, C., N. Lord, H. Wang, D. Fratta, R. Nigbor, A. Chalari, R. Karaulanov, J. Baldwin, and E. Castongia (2014), Directivity and Sensitivity of Fiber-Optic Cable Measuring Ground Motion using a Distributed Acoustic Sensing Array (abstract # NS31C-3935), AGU Fall Meeting. 
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm1/meetingapp.cgi#Paper/19828 The e-poster is available at: https://agu.confex.com/data/handout/agu/fm14/Paper_19828_handout_696_0.pdf

  14. 27 CFR 9.27 - Lime Kiln Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Lime Kiln Valley. 9.27... OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.27 Lime Kiln Valley. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Lime Kiln Valley...

  15. Late Quaternary faulting along the Death Valley-Furnace Creek fault system, California and Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brogan, George E.; Kellogg, Karl; Slemmons, D. Burton; Terhune, Christina L.

    1991-01-01

    The Death Valley-Furnace Creek fault system, in California and Nevada, has a variety of impressive late Quaternary neotectonic features that record a long history of recurrent earthquake-induced faulting. Although no neotectonic features of unequivocal historical age are known, paleoseismic features from multiple late Quaternary events of surface faulting are well developed throughout the length of the system. Comparison of scarp heights to amount of horizontal offset of stream channels and the relationships of both scarps and channels to the ages of different geomorphic surfaces demonstrate that Quaternary faulting along the northwest-trending Furnace Creek fault zone is predominantly right lateral, whereas that along the north-trending Death Valley fault zone is predominantly normal. These observations are compatible with tectonic models of Death Valley as a northwest-trending pull-apart basin. The largest late Quaternary scarps along the Furnace Creek fault zone, with vertical separation of late Pleistocene surfaces of as much as 64 m (meters), are in Fish Lake Valley. Despite the predominance of normal faulting along the Death Valley fault zone, vertical offset of late Pleistocene surfaces along the Death Valley fault zone apparently does not exceed about 15 m. Evidence for four to six separate late Holocene faulting events along the Furnace Creek fault zone and three or more late Holocene events along the Death Valley fault zone are indicated by rupturing of Q1B (about 200-2,000 years old) geomorphic surfaces. Probably the youngest neotectonic feature observed along the Death Valley-Furnace Creek fault system, possibly historic in age, is vegetation lineaments in southernmost Fish Lake Valley. Near-historic faulting in Death Valley, within several kilometers south of Furnace Creek Ranch, is represented by (1) a 2,000-year-old lake shoreline that is cut by sinuous scarps, and (2) a system of young scarps with free-faceted faces (representing several faulting

  16. Valley Pearl’ table grape

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Valley Pearl’ is an early to mid-season, white seedless table grape (Vitis vinifera L.) suitable for commercial table grape production where V. vinifera can be grown. Significant characteristics of ‘Valley Pearl’ are its high and consistent fruit production on spur pruned vines and large round berr...

  17. Extraction of Martian valley networks from digital topography

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T. F.; Collier, M. L.

    2004-01-01

    We have developed a novel method for delineating valley networks on Mars. The valleys are inferred from digital topography by an autonomous computer algorithm as drainage networks, instead of being manually mapped from images. Individual drainage basins are precisely defined and reconstructed to restore flow continuity disrupted by craters. Drainage networks are extracted from their underlying basins using the contributing area threshold method. We demonstrate that such drainage networks coincide with mapped valley networks verifying that valley networks are indeed drainage systems. Our procedure is capable of delineating and analyzing valley networks with unparalleled speed and consistency. We have applied this method to 28 Noachian locations on Mars exhibiting prominent valley networks. All extracted networks have a planar morphology similar to that of terrestrial river networks. They are characterized by a drainage density of approx.0.1/km, low in comparison to the drainage density of terrestrial river networks. Slopes of "streams" in Martian valley networks decrease downstream at a slower rate than slopes of streams in terrestrial river networks. This analysis, based on a sizable data set of valley networks, reveals that although valley networks have some features pointing to their origin by precipitation-fed runoff erosion, their quantitative characteristics suggest that precipitation intensity and/or longevity of past pluvial climate were inadequate to develop mature drainage basins on Mars.

  18. Dynamics of Katabatic Winds in Colorado' Brush Creek Valley.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vergeiner, I.; Dreiseitl, E.; Whiteman, C. David

    1987-01-01

    A method is proposed to evaluate the coupled mass, momentum and thermal energy budget equations for a deep valley under two-dimensional, steady-state flow conditions. The method requires the temperature, down- valley wind and valley width fields to be approximated by simple analytical functions. The vertical velocity field is calculated using the mass continuity equation. Advection terms in the momentum and energy equations are then calculated using finite differences computed on a vertical two-dimensional grid that runs down the valley's axis. The pressure gradient term in the momentum equation is calculated from the temperature field by means of the hydrostatic equation. The friction term is then calculated as a residual in the xmomentum equation, and the diabatic cooling term is calculated as a residual in the thermal energy budget equation.The method is applied to data from an 8-km-long segment of Colorado's; Brush Creek Valley on the night of 30-31 July 1982. Pressure decreased with distance down the peak on horizontal surfaces, with peak horizontal pressure gradients of 0.04 hPa km1. The valley mass budget indicated that subsidence was required in the valley to support calculated mean along-valley mass flux divergence. Peak subsidence rates on the order of 0.10 m s1 were calculated. Subsiding motions in the valley produced negative vertical down-valley momentum fluxes in the upper valley atmosphere, but produced positive down-valley momentum fluxes below the level of the jet. Friction, calculated as a residual in the x momentum equation, was negative, as expected on physical grounds. and attained reasonable quantitative values.The strong subsidence field in the stable valley atmosphere produced subsidence warming that was only partly counteracted by down-valley cold air advection. Strong diabatic cooling was therefore required in order to account for the weak net cooling of the valley atmosphere during the nighttime period when tethered balloon observations

  19. Victor Valley College Agreement between the Victor Valley Community College District and the Victor Valley College California Teachers Association Chapter 1170. July 1989 - June 1992.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Victor Valley Community Coll. District, Victorville, CA.

    The collective bargaining agreement between the Victor Valley College Board of Trustees and the Victor Valley College California Teachers Association/National Education Association is presented. This contract, covering the period from July 1989 through June 1992, deals with the following topics: bargaining agent recognition; district and…

  20. Elk browsing increases aboveground growth of water-stressed willows by modifying plant architecture.

    PubMed

    Johnston, Danielle B; Cooper, David J; Hobbs, N Thompson

    2007-12-01

    In the northern elk wintering range of Yellowstone National Park, USA, wolf (Canis lupus) removal allowed elk (Cervus elaphus) to overbrowse riparian woody plants, leading to the exclusion of beaver (Castor canadensis) and a subsequent water table decline in many small stream valleys. Reduced elk browsing following wolf reintroduction may or may not facilitate willow (Salix sp.) recovery in these areas. To determine if the effect of elk browsing on willow interacts with that of beaver abandonment, we manipulated elk browsing and the water table in a factorial experiment. Under the condition of an ambient (low) water table, elk browsing increased shoot water potential (Psis), photosynthesis per unit leaf area (A), stomatal conductance per unit leaf area (gs), and aboveground current annual growth (CAG) by 50%. Elk browsing occurred entirely during dormancy and did not affect total plant leaf area (L). Improved water balance, photosynthetic rate, and annual aboveground productivity in browsed willows appeared to be due to morphological changes, such as increased shoot diameter and decreased branching, which typically increase plant hydraulic conductivity. An elevated water table increased Psis, A, gs, CAG, and L, and eliminated or lessened the positive effect of browsing on CAG for most species. Because low water tables create conditions whereby high willow productivity depends on the morphological effects of annual elk browsing, removing elk browsing in areas of water table decline is unlikely to result in vigorous willow stands. As large willow standing crops are required by beaver, a positive feedback between water-stressed willow and beaver absence may preclude the reestablishment of historical conditions. In areas with low water table, willow restoration may depend on actions to promote the re-establishment of beaver in addition to reducing elk browsing.

  1. Observation of valley-dependent beams in photonic graphene.

    PubMed

    Deng, Fusheng; Sun, Yong; Wang, Xiao; Xue, Rui; Li, Yuan; Jiang, Haitao; Shi, Yunlong; Chang, Kai; Chen, Hong

    2014-09-22

    Valley-dependent propagation of light in an artificial photonic hexagonal lattice, akin to electrons in graphene, is investigated in microwave regime. Both numerical and experimental results show that the valley degeneracy in the photonic graphene is broken when the frequency is away from the Dirac point. The peculiar anisotropic wave transport property due to distinct valleys is analyzed using the equifrequency contours. More interestingly, the valley-dependent self-collimation and beam splitting phenomena are experimentally demonstrated with the armchair and zigzag interfaces, respectively. Our results confirm that there are two inequivalent Dirac points that lead to two distinct valleys in photonic graphene, which could be used to control the flow of light and might be used to carry information in valley polarized beam splitter, collimator or guiding device.

  2. 27 CFR 9.58 - Carmel Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ....” (b) Approved maps. The approved maps for determining the boundary of the Carmel Valley viticultural... Ridge, Calif., dated 1956; and (5) Rana Creek, Calif., dated 1956. (c) Boundary. The Carmel Valley...

  3. 27 CFR 9.58 - Carmel Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ....” (b) Approved maps. The approved maps for determining the boundary of the Carmel Valley viticultural... Ridge, Calif., dated 1956; and (5) Rana Creek, Calif., dated 1956. (c) Boundary. The Carmel Valley...

  4. Water resources of Parowan Valley, Iron County, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marston, Thomas M.

    2017-08-29

    Parowan Valley, in Iron County, Utah, covers about 160 square miles west of the Red Cliffs and includes the towns of Parowan, Paragonah, and Summit. The valley is a structural depression formed by northwest-trending faults and is, essentially, a closed surface-water basin although a small part of the valley at the southwestern end drains into the adjacent Cedar Valley. Groundwater occurs in and has been developed mainly from the unconsolidated basin-fill aquifer. Long-term downward trends in groundwater levels have been documented by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since the mid-1950s. The water resources of Parowan Valley were assessed during 2012 to 2014 with an emphasis on refining the understanding of the groundwater and surface-water systems and updating the groundwater budget.Surface-water discharge of five perennial mountain streams that enter Parowan Valley was measured from 2013 to 2014. The total annual surface-water discharge of the five streams during 2013 to 2014 was about 18,000 acre-feet (acre-ft) compared to the average annual streamflow of about 22,000 acre-ft from USGS streamgages operated on the three largest of these streams from the 1940s to the 1980s. The largest stream, Parowan Creek, contributes more than 50 percent of the annual surface-water discharge to the valley, with smaller amounts contributed by Red, Summit, Little, and Cottonwood Creeks.Average annual recharge to the Parowan Valley groundwater system was estimated to be about 25,000 acre-ft from 1994 to 2013. Nearly all recharge occurs as direct infiltration of snowmelt and rainfall on the Markagunt Plateau east of the valley. Smaller amounts of recharge occur as infiltration of streamflow and unconsumed irrigation water near the east side of the valley on alluvial fans associated with mountain streams at the foot of the Red Cliffs. Subsurface flow from the mountain block to the east of the valley is a significant source of groundwater recharge to the basin-fill aquifer

  5. Decision analysis framing study; in-valley drainage management strategies for the western San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Presser, Theresa S.; Jenni, Karen E.; Nieman, Timothy; Coleman, James

    2010-01-01

    Constraints on drainage management in the western San Joaquin Valley and implications of proposed approaches to management were recently evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS found that a significant amount of data for relevant technical issues was available and that a structured, analytical decision support tool could help optimize combinations of specific in-valley drainage management strategies, address uncertainties, and document underlying data analysis for future use. To follow-up on USGS's technical analysis and to help define a scientific basis for decisionmaking in implementing in-valley drainage management strategies, this report describes the first step (that is, a framing study) in a Decision Analysis process. In general, a Decision Analysis process includes four steps: (1) problem framing to establish the scope of the decision problem(s) and a set of fundamental objectives to evaluate potential solutions, (2) generation of strategies to address identified decision problem(s), (3) identification of uncertainties and their relationships, and (4) construction of a decision support model. Participation in such a systematic approach can help to promote consensus and to build a record of qualified supporting data for planning and implementation. In December 2008, a Decision Analysis framing study was initiated with a series of meetings designed to obtain preliminary input from key stakeholder groups on the scope of decisions relevant to drainage management that were of interest to them, and on the fundamental objectives each group considered relevant to those decisions. Two key findings of this framing study are: (1) participating stakeholders have many drainage management objectives in common; and (2) understanding the links between drainage management and water management is necessary both for sound science-based decisionmaking and for resolving stakeholder differences about the value of proposed drainage management solutions. Citing

  6. Origin of the Valley Networks On Mars: A Hydrological Perspective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gulick, Virginia C.

    2000-01-01

    The geomorphology of the Martian valley networks is examined from a hydrological perspective for their compatibility with an origin by rainfall, globally higher heat flow, and localized hydrothermal systems. Comparison of morphology and spatial distribution of valleys on geologic surfaces with terrestrial fluvial valleys suggests that most Martian valleys are probably not indicative of a rainfall origin, nor are they indicative of formation by an early global uniformly higher heat flow. In general, valleys are not uniformly distributed within geologic surface units as are terrestrial fluvial valleys. Valleys tend to form either as isolated systems or in clusters on a geologic surface unit leaving large expanses of the unit virtually untouched by erosion. With the exception of fluvial valleys on some volcanoes, most Martian valleys exhibit a sapping morphology and do not appear to have formed along with those that exhibit a runoff morphology. In contrast, terrestrial sapping valleys form from and along with runoff valleys. The isolated or clustered distribution of valleys suggests localized water sources were important in drainage development. Persistent ground-water outflow driven by localized, but vigorous hydrothermal circulation associated with magmatism, volcanism, impacts, or tectonism is, however, consistent with valley morphology and distribution. Snowfall from sublimating ice-covered lakes or seas may have provided an atmospheric water source for the formation of some valleys in regions where the surface is easily eroded and where localized geothermal/hydrothermal activity is sufficient to melt accumulated snowpacks.

  7. Foundation plan. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Classics Building. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Foundation plan. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Classics Building. Also includes sections AA-KK (except DD). Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 1, job no. 312. Scales 1/8 inch to the foot (plan) and 1/2 inch to the foot (sections). February 15, 1927. - San Bernardino Valley College, Classics Building, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  8. Details of main entrance. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Details of main entrance. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Classics Building. Half elevation of exterior iron gates, half plan of interior with tiling, and section AA. Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 5, job no. 312. Scale 1/2 inch to the foot. February 15, 1927. - San Bernardino Valley College, Classics Building, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  9. 27 CFR 9.174 - Yadkin Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...”. (b) Approved maps. The appropriate maps for determining the boundaries of the Yadkin Valley...-Salem, N.C.; VA; Tenn. (1953, Limited Revision 1962), and, (2) Charlotte, North Carolina; South Carolina... North Carolina within Wilkes, Surry, Yadkin and portions of Stokes, Forsyth, Davidson, and Davie...

  10. 20. DETAILED OBLIQUE VIEW SOUTHWEST FURNACE 2, SHOWING STEEL FRAME ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    20. DETAILED OBLIQUE VIEW SOUTHWEST FURNACE 2, SHOWING STEEL FRAME BOXES FOR COUNTERWEIGHTS, AND FURNACE HEATING PIPES AT RIGHT. - Vulcan Crucible Steel Company, Building No. 3, 100 First Street, Aliquippa, Beaver County, PA

  11. Evaluation of the precipitation-runoff modeling system, Beaver Creek basin, Kentucky

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bower, D.E.

    1985-01-01

    The Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) was evaluated with data from Cane branch and Helton Branch in the Beaver Creek basin of Kentucky. Because of previous studies, 10.6 years of record were available to establish a data base for the basin including 60 storms for Cane Branch and 50 storms for Helton Branch. The model was calibrated initially using data from the 1956-58 water years. Runoff predicted by the model was 94.7% of the observed runoff at Cane Branch (mined area) and 96.9% at Helton Branch (unmined area). After the model and data base were modified, the model was refitted to the 1956-58 data for Helton Branch. It then predicted 98.6% of the runoff for the 10.6-year period. The model parameters from Helton Branch were then used to simulate the Cane Branch runoff and discharge. The model predicted 102.6% of the observed runoff at Cane Branch for the 10.6 years. The simulations produced reasonable storm volumes and peak discharges. Sensitivity analysis of model parameters indicated the parameters associated with soil moisture are the most sensitive. The model was used to predict sediment concentration and daily sediment load for selected storm periods. The sediment computations indicated the model can be used to predict sediment concentrations during storm events. (USGS)

  12. Asymmetric valley-resolved beam splitting and incident modes in slanted graphene junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hsieh, S. H.; Chu, C. S.

    2016-01-18

    Electron injection into a graphene sheet through a slanted armchair graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) is investigated. An incident mode, or subband, in the AGNR is valley-unpolarized. Our attention is on the valley-resolved nature of the injected electron beams and its connection to the incident mode. It is known for a normal injection that an incident mode will split symmetrically into two valley-resolved beams of equal intensity. We show, in contrast, that slanted injections result in asymmetric valley-resolved beam splitting. The most asymmetric beam splitting cases, when one of the valley-resolved beams has basically disappeared, are found and the condition derived. Thismore » is shown not due to trigonal warping because it holds even in the low incident energy regime, as long as collimation allows. These most asymmetric beam splitting cases occur at energies within an energy interval near and include the subband edge of an incident mode. The physical picture is best illustrated by a projection of the slanted AGNR subband states onto that of the 2D graphene sheet. It follows that the disappearing of a valley-resolved beam coincides with the situation that the group velocities of the projected states in the corresponding valley are in backward directions.« less

  13. Spin valley and giant quantum spin Hall gap of hydrofluorinated bismuth nanosheet.

    PubMed

    Gao, Heng; Wu, Wei; Hu, Tao; Stroppa, Alessandro; Wang, Xinran; Wang, Baigeng; Miao, Feng; Ren, Wei

    2018-05-09

    Spin-valley and electronic band topological properties have been extensively explored in quantum material science, yet their coexistence has rarely been realized in stoichiometric two-dimensional (2D) materials. We theoretically predict the quantum spin Hall effect (QSHE) in the hydrofluorinated bismuth (Bi 2 HF) nanosheet where the hydrogen (H) and fluorine (F) atoms are functionalized on opposite sides of bismuth (Bi) atomic monolayer. Such Bi 2 HF nanosheet is found to be a 2D topological insulator with a giant band gap of 0.97 eV which might host room temperature QSHE. The atomistic structure of Bi 2 HF nanosheet is noncentrosymmetric and the spontaneous polarization arises from the hydrofluorinated morphology. The phonon spectrum and ab initio molecular dynamic (AIMD) calculations reveal that the proposed Bi 2 HF nanosheet is dynamically and thermally stable. The inversion symmetry breaking together with spin-orbit coupling (SOC) leads to the coupling between spin and valley in Bi 2 HF nanosheet. The emerging valley-dependent properties and the interplay between intrinsic dipole and SOC are investigated using first-principles calculations combined with an effective Hamiltonian model. The topological invariant of the Bi 2 HF nanosheet is confirmed by using Wilson loop method and the calculated helical metallic edge states are shown to host QSHE. The Bi 2 HF nanosheet is therefore a promising platform to realize room temperature QSHE and valley spintronics.

  14. 27 CFR 9.218 - Sierra Pelona Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... line 0.15 mile, crossing over the Agua Dulce Road, to the line's intersection with the 2,400-foot... boundary line onto the Sleepy Valley map 0.6 mile to the line's intersection with the 2,800-foot elevation... the section 22 north boundary line 0.2 mile to the line's intersection with the 2,600-foot elevation...

  15. 27 CFR 9.218 - Sierra Pelona Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... line 0.15 mile, crossing over the Agua Dulce Road, to the line's intersection with the 2,400-foot... boundary line onto the Sleepy Valley map 0.6 mile to the line's intersection with the 2,800-foot elevation... the section 22 north boundary line 0.2 mile to the line's intersection with the 2,600-foot elevation...

  16. 27 CFR 9.218 - Sierra Pelona Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... line 0.15 mile, crossing over the Agua Dulce Road, to the line's intersection with the 2,400-foot... boundary line onto the Sleepy Valley map 0.6 mile to the line's intersection with the 2,800-foot elevation... the section 22 north boundary line 0.2 mile to the line's intersection with the 2,600-foot elevation...

  17. Source regions and water release mechanisms of Martian Valley Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaumann, R.; Reiss, D.; Sander, T.; Gwinner, K.; Roatsch, T.; Matz, K.-D.; Hauber, E.; Mertens, V.; Hoffmann, H.; Neukum, G.; HRSC Co-Investigator Team

    . Within this part of the valley a younger interior channel cuts the lava flow indicating at least two major flow events. Tributaries are rare, short and not dendritically arranged. Although we cannot exclude an early period of precipitation, most of the valley has been formed by retreating erosion caused by subsurface water release. The close correlation of val1 ley erosional structures and lave emplacement indicate a volcanically triggered water release mechanism either by hydrothermal driven expulsion of groundwater or more likely by melting and mobilizing ground ice due to lave induced heat. Carr, M. H., and M. C. Malin, Icarus, 146, 366-386, 2000; Jaumann, R., et al., GRL 32, L16203, 2005; Malin, M.C., and Edgett, K.S., JGR 106, E10, 23429-23570, 200; Neukum, G. et al, ESA Special Publications SP-1240, 2004. 2

  18. Valley s'Asymmetric Characteristics of the Loess Plateau in Northwestern Shanxi Based on DEM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duan, J.

    2016-12-01

    The valleys of the Loess Plateau in northwestern Shanxi show great asymmetry. This study using multi-scale DEMs, high-resolution satellite images and digital terrain analysis method, put forward a quantitative index to describe the asymmetric morphology. Several typical areas are selected to test and verify the spatial variability. Results show: (1) Considering the difference of spatial distribution, Pianguanhe basin, Xianchuanhe basin and Yangjiachuan basin are the areas where show most significant asymmetric characteristics . (2) Considering the difference of scale, the shape of large-scale valleys represents three characteristics: randomness, equilibrium and relative symmetry, while small-scale valleys show directionality and asymmetry. (3) Asymmetric morphology performs orientation, and the east-west valleys extremely obvious. Combined with field survey, its formation mechanism can be interpreted as follows :(1)Loess uneven distribution in the valleys. (2) The distribution diversities of vegetation, water , heat conditions and other factors, make a difference in water erosion capability which leads to asymmetric characteristics.

  19. Modelling the effect of buried valleys on groundwater flow: case study in Ventspils vicinity, Latvia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delina, Aija; Popovs, Konrads; Bikse, Janis; Retike, Inga; Babre, Alise; Kalvane, Gunta

    2015-04-01

    Buried subglacial valleys are widely distributed in glaciated regions and they can have great influence on groundwater flow and hence on groundwater resources. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the buried valleys on groundwater flow in a confined aquifer (Middle Devonian Eifelian stage Arukila aquifer, D2ar) applying numerical modelling. The study area is located at vicinity of Ventspils Town, near wellfield Ogsils where number of the buried valleys with different depth and filling material are present. Area is located close to the Baltic Sea at Piejūra lowland Rinda plain and regional groundwater flow is towards sea. Territory is covered by thin layer of Quaternary sediments in thicknesses of 10 to 20 meters although Prequaternary sediments are exposed at some places. Buried valleys are characterized as narrow, elongated and deep formations that is be filled with various, mainly Pleistocene glacigene sediments - either till loam of different ages or sand and gravel or interbedding of both above mentioned. The filling material of the valleys influences groundwater flow in the confined aquifers which is intercepted by the valleys. It is supposed that glacial till loam filled valleys serves as a barrier to groundwater flow and as a recharge conduit when filled with sand and gravel deposits. Numerical model was built within MOSYS modelling system (Virbulis et al. 2012) using finite element method in order to investigate buried valley influence on groundwater flow in the study area. Several conceptual models were tested in numerical model depending on buried valley filling material: sand and gravel, till loam or mixture of them. Groundwater flow paths and travel times were studied. Results suggested that valley filled with glacial till is acting as barrier and it causes sharp drop of piezometric head and downward flow. Valley filled with sand and gravel have almost no effect on piezometric head distribution, however it this case buried valleys

  20. Evolution of the Valley Position in Bulk Transition-Metal Chalcogenides and Their Monolayer Limit

    DOE PAGES

    Yuan, Hongtao; Liu, Zhongkai; Xu, Gang; ...

    2016-07-12

    Valley physics based on layered transition metal chalcogenides have recently sparked much interest due to their potential spintronics and valleytronics applications. However, most current understanding of the electronic structure near band valleys in momentum space is based on either theoretical investigations or optical measurements, leaving the detailed band structure elusive. For example, the exact position of the conduction band valley of bulk MoS 2 remains controversial. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with sub-micron spatial resolution (micro- ARPES), we systematically imaged the conduction/valence band structure evolution across representative chalcogenides MoS 2, WS 2 and WSe 2, as well as the thicknessmore » dependent electronic structure from bulk to the monolayer limit. These results establish a solid basis to understand the underlying valley physics of these materials, and also provide a link between chalcogenide electronic band structure and their physical properties for potential valleytronics applications.« less

  1. Observation of valley-selective microwave transport in photonic crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Liping; Yang, Yuting; Hong Hang, Zhi; Qiu, Chunyin; Liu, Zhengyou

    2017-12-01

    Recently, the discrete valley degree of freedom has attracted extensive attention in condensed matter physics. Here, we present an experimental observation of the intriguing valley transport for microwaves in photonic crystals, including the bulk valley transport and the valley-projected edge modes along the interface separating different photonic insulating phases. For both cases, valley-selective excitations are realized by a point-like chiral source located at proper locations inside the samples. Our results are promising for exploring unprecedented routes to manipulate microwaves.

  2. 3. OVERALL FRONTAL VIEW NORTH, SOUTH FACADES OF BUILDINGS 2 ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    3. OVERALL FRONTAL VIEW NORTH, SOUTH FACADES OF BUILDINGS 2 AND 3, RIGHT TO LEFT. NO. 2 HAS AN ALIQUIPPA FORGE SIGN. NO 3 IS THE DOUBLE BUILDING TO THE LEFT. - Vulcan Crucible Steel Company, 100 First Street, Aliquippa, Beaver County, PA

  3. Geology and hydrology of the Elk River, Minnesota, nuclear-reactor site

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Norvitch, Ralph F.; Schneider, Robert; Godfrey, Richard G.

    1963-01-01

    The Elk River, Minn., nuclear-reactor site is on the east bluff of the Mississippi River about 35 miles northwest of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The area is underlain by about 70 to 180 feet of glacial drift, including at the top as much as 120 feet of outwash deposits (valley train) of the glacial Mississippi River. The underlying Cambrian bedrock consists of marine sedimentary formations including artesian sandstone aquifers. A hypothetically spilled liquid at the reactor site could follow one or both of two courses, thus: (1) It could flow over the land surface and through an artificial drainage system to the river in a matter of minutes; (2) part or nearly all of it could seep downward to the water table and then move laterally to the river. The time required might range from a few weeks to a year, or perhaps more. The St. Paul and Minneapolis water-supply intakes, 21 and 25 miles downstream, respectively, are the most critical points to be considered in the event of an accidental spill. Based on streamflow and velocity data for the Mississippi River near Anoka, the time required for the maximum concentration of a contaminant to travel from the reactor site to the St. Paul intake was computed to be about 8 hours, at the median annual maximum daily discharge. For this discharge, the maximum concentration at the intake would be about 0.0026 microcurie per cubic foot for the release of 1 curie of activity into the river near the reactor site.

  4. Safety Evaluation Report on Tennessee Valley Authority: Browns Ferry Nuclear Performance Plan: Browns Ferry Unit 2 restart

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1989-04-01

    This safety evaluation report (SER) on the information submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in its Nuclear Performance Plan, through Revision 2, for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Station and in supporting documents has been prepared by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff. The plan addresses the plant-specific concerns requiring resolution before startup of Unit 2. The staff will inspect implementation of those programs. Where systems are common to Units 1 and 2 or to Units 2 and 3, the staff safety evaluations of those systems are included herein. 3 refs.

  5. California's Central Valley Groundwater Study: A Powerful New Tool to Assess Water Resources in California's Central Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Faunt, Claudia C.; Hanson, Randall T.; Belitz, Kenneth; Rogers, Laurel

    2009-01-01

    Competition for water resources is growing throughout California, particularly in the Central Valley. Since 1980, the Central Valley's population has nearly doubled to 3.8 million people. It is expected to increase to 6 million by 2020. Statewide population growth, anticipated reductions in Colorado River water deliveries, drought, and the ecological crisis in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have created an intense demand for water. Tools and information can be used to help manage the Central Valley aquifer system, an important State and national resource.

  6. Rock-fall potential in the Yosemite Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wieczorek, G.F.; Morrissey, M.M.; Iovine, Giulio; Godt, Jonathan

    1999-01-01

    We used two methods of estimating rock-fall potential in the Yosemite Valley, California based on (1) physical evidence of previous rock-fall travel, in which the potential extends to the base of the talus, and (2) theoretical potential energy considerations, in which the potential can extend beyond the base of the talus, herein referred to as the rock-fall shadow. Rock falls in the valley commonly range in size from individual boulders of less than 1 m3 to moderate-sized falls with volumes of about 100,000 m3. Larger rock falls exceeding 100,000 m3, referred to as rock avalanches, are considered to be much less likely to occur based on the relatively few prehistoric rock-fall avalanche deposits in the Yosemite Valley. Because the valley has steep walls and is relatively narrow, there are no areas that are absolutely safe from large rock avalanches. The map shows areas of rock-fall potential, but does not predict when or how frequently a rock fall will occur. Consequently, neither the hazard in terms of probability of a rock fall at any specific location, nor the risk to people or facilities to such events can be assessed from this map.

  7. Turbulence Characteristics in an Elevated Shear Layer over Owens Valley

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-02-14

    Arnéodo, G. Grasseau, Y. Gagne, E. J. Hopfinger, and U. Frisch, 1989: Wavelet analysis of turbulence reveals the multifractal nature of the Richardson...Helmholtz (KH) instability, the tur- bulence inertial subrange, turbulence intermittency, and cross -scale energy transfer over complex terrain. The...or cross -valley) and the normal (also referred to as along- valley) wind components, respectively. Figure 2 shows profiles derived from the 1800 UTC

  8. North elevation and second floor plan. San Bernardino Valley Union ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    North elevation and second floor plan. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Science Building. Includes physics, geology, and zoology departments shelving. Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 4, job no. 311. Scales 1/8 inch to the foot (elevations) and 1/2 inch to the foot (shelving). February 15, 1927. - San Bernardino Valley College, Life Science Building, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  9. East and west elevations. San Berardino Valley Union Junior College, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    East and west elevations. San Berardino Valley Union Junior College, Science Building. Also includes elevations and sections of chemistry department shelving. Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 4, Job no. 311. Scales 1/8 inch to the foot (elevations) and 1/2 inch t other foot (shelving). February 15, 1927. - San Bernardino Valley College, Life Science Building, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  10. Geological setting of chemosynthetic communities in the Monterey Fan Valley system

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Embley, R.W.; Eittreim, S.L.; McHugh, C.H.; Normark, W.R.; Rau, G.H.; Hecker, Barbara; DeBevoise, A.E.; Greene, H. Gary; Ryan, William B. F.; Harrold, C.; Baxter, C.

    1990-01-01

    Alvin dives and camera tows within the "meander area" of the Monterey and Ascension Fan Valleys have located nine chemosynthetic communities over depths ranging from 3000 to 3600 m over a distance of 55 km. Most of the observed communities consist largely of Calyptogena phaseoliformis, but Solemya (species unknown) and a pogonophoran (genus Polybrachia), have also been identified. The ??13C values (-35.0 to -33.6 per mil) and the presence of APS reductase and ATP sulfurylase in the C. phaseoliformis tissue is consistent with sulfur chemoautotrophy. Two reduced organic matter sources for the H2S are proposed: (1) older beds exposed by the deep erosion (up to 400 m) of the fan valleys and (2) concentrations of anaerobically decomposd organic matter buried in the valley floor. ?? 1990.

  11. Valley photonic crystals for control of spin and topology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Jian-Wen; Chen, Xiao-Dong; Zhu, Hanyu; Wang, Yuan; Zhang, Xiang

    2017-03-01

    Photonic crystals offer unprecedented opportunity for light manipulation and applications in optical communication and sensing. Exploration of topology in photonic crystals and metamaterials with non-zero gauge field has inspired a number of intriguing optical phenomena such as one-way transport and Weyl points. Recently, a new degree of freedom, valley, has been demonstrated in two-dimensional materials. Here, we propose a concept of valley photonic crystals with electromagnetic duality symmetry but broken inversion symmetry. We observe photonic valley Hall effect originating from valley-dependent spin-split bulk bands, even in topologically trivial photonic crystals. Valley-spin locking behaviour results in selective net spin flow inside bulk valley photonic crystals. We also show the independent control of valley and topology in a single system that has been long pursued in electronic systems, resulting in topologically-protected flat edge states. Valley photonic crystals not only offer a route towards the observation of non-trivial states, but also open the way for device applications in integrated photonics and information processing using spin-dependent transportation.

  12. A review of empirical evidence on different uncanny valley hypotheses: support for perceptual mismatch as one road to the valley of eeriness

    PubMed Central

    Kätsyri, Jari; Förger, Klaus; Mäkäräinen, Meeri; Takala, Tapio

    2015-01-01

    The uncanny valley hypothesis, proposed already in the 1970s, suggests that almost but not fully humanlike artificial characters will trigger a profound sense of unease. This hypothesis has become widely acknowledged both in the popular media and scientific research. Surprisingly, empirical evidence for the hypothesis has remained inconsistent. In the present article, we reinterpret the original uncanny valley hypothesis and review empirical evidence for different theoretically motivated uncanny valley hypotheses. The uncanny valley could be understood as the naïve claim that any kind of human-likeness manipulation will lead to experienced negative affinity at close-to-realistic levels. More recent hypotheses have suggested that the uncanny valley would be caused by artificial–human categorization difficulty or by a perceptual mismatch between artificial and human features. Original formulation also suggested that movement would modulate the uncanny valley. The reviewed empirical literature failed to provide consistent support for the naïve uncanny valley hypothesis or the modulatory effects of movement. Results on the categorization difficulty hypothesis were still too scarce to allow drawing firm conclusions. In contrast, good support was found for the perceptual mismatch hypothesis. Taken together, the present review findings suggest that the uncanny valley exists only under specific conditions. More research is still needed to pinpoint the exact conditions under which the uncanny valley phenomenon manifests itself. PMID:25914661

  13. 27 CFR 9.191 - Ramona Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ....25 miles to the 652-meter (2,140-foot) peak of Starvation Mountain, T13S, R1W (Borrego Valley map... approximately 4.4 miles to the 999-meter (3,278-foot) peak of Witch Creek Mountain, T13S, R2E, east of Ballena... miles to the 822-meter (2,697-foot) peak of Iron Mountain, T14S, R1W (El Cajon map); and (7) Proceed...

  14. 27 CFR 9.191 - Ramona Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ....25 miles to the 652-meter (2,140-foot) peak of Starvation Mountain, T13S, R1W (Borrego Valley map... approximately 4.4 miles to the 999-meter (3,278-foot) peak of Witch Creek Mountain, T13S, R2E, east of Ballena... miles to the 822-meter (2,697-foot) peak of Iron Mountain, T14S, R1W (El Cajon map); and (7) Proceed...

  15. 27 CFR 9.191 - Ramona Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ....25 miles to the 652-meter (2,140-foot) peak of Starvation Mountain, T13S, R1W (Borrego Valley map... approximately 4.4 miles to the 999-meter (3,278-foot) peak of Witch Creek Mountain, T13S, R2E, east of Ballena... miles to the 822-meter (2,697-foot) peak of Iron Mountain, T14S, R1W (El Cajon map); and (7) Proceed...

  16. Gravity survey of Dixie Valley, west-central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schaefer, Donald H.

    1983-01-01

    Dixie Valley, a northeast-trending structural trough typical of valleys in the Basin and Range Province, is filled with a maximum of about 10,000 feet of alluvial and lacustrine deposits , as estimated from residual-gravity measurements obtained in this study. On the basis of gravity measurements at 300 stations on nine east-west profiles, the gravity residuals reach a maximum of 30 milligals near the south-central part of the valley. Results from a three-dimensional inversion model indicate that the central depression of the valley is offset to the west of the geographic axis. This offset is probably due to major faulting along the west side of the valley adjacent to the Stillwater Range. Comparison of depths to bedrock obtained during this study and depths obtained from a previous seismic-refraction study indicates a reasonably good correlation. A heterogeneous distribution of densities within the valley-fill deposits would account for differing depths determined by the two methods. (USGS)

  17. Napa Valley Community College District and Napa Valley College Faculty Association/CTA/NEA 1988-89 Agreement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Napa Valley Community Coll. District, Napa, CA.

    The collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Trustees of the Napa Valley Community College District and the Napa Valley College Faculty Association/California Teachers Association/National Education Association is presented. This contract, in effect from June 1988 through July 1989, deals with the following topics: bargaining agent…

  18. Channels and valleys on Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baker, V. R.

    1983-01-01

    Tentative conclusions about the origins of channels and valleys on Mars based on the consensus of investigators who have studied the problem are presented. The morphology of outflow channels is described in detail, and the morphology, distribution, and genesis of Martian valleys are addressed. Secondary modification of channels and valleys by mass-wasting phenomena, eolian processes, cratering, and mantling by lava flows is discussed. The physics of the flows needed to account for the immense volumes of Martian outflow channels is considered in detail, including the possible influence of debris flows and mudflows, glaciers, and ice sheets. It is concluded that Mars once probably possessed an atmosphere with higher temperatures and pressures than at present which played an essential role in an active hydrological cycle.

  19. 36 CFR 7.26 - Death Valley National Monument.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Death Valley National... INTERIOR SPECIAL REGULATIONS, AREAS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 7.26 Death Valley National Monument. (a) Mining. Mining in Death Valley National Monument is subject to the following regulations, which are...

  20. Alumina+Silica+/-Germanium Alteration in Smectite-Bearing Marathon Valley, Endeavour Crater Rim, Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Gellert, R.; Van Bommel, S.; Arvidson, R. E.; Clark, B. C.; Ming, D. W.; Schroeder, C.; Yen, A. S.; Fox, V. K.; Farrand, W. H.; hide

    2016-01-01

    Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has been exploring Mars for 12+ years, and is presently investigating the geology of a western rim segment of 22 kilometers diameter, Noachian- aged Endeavour crater. The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer has determined the compositions of a pre-impact lithology, the Matijevic fm., and polymict impact breccias ejected from the crater, the Shoemaker fm. Opportunity is now investigating a region named Marathon Valley that cuts southwest-northeast through the central portion of the rim segment and provides a window into the lower stratigraphic record. (Geographic names used here are informal.) At the head of Marathon Valley, referred to here as Upper Marathon Valley, is a shallow, ovoid depression approximately 25×35 millimeters in size, named Spirit of Saint Louis. Layering inside Spirit of Saint Louis appears continuous with the Upper Marathon Valley rocks outside, indicating they are coeval. Spirit of Saint Louis is partly bounded by approximately 10-20 centimeters wide zone containing reddish altered rocks (red zone). Red zones also form prominent curvilinear features in Marathon Valley. Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) spectra provide evidence for a really extensive Fe-Mg smectite in the Marathon Valley region, indicating distinct styles of aqueous alteration. The CRISM detections of smectites are based on metal-OH absorptions at approximately 2.3 and 2.4 micron that are at least two times the background noise level.

  1. Groundwater quality in the Owens Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dawson, Barbara J. Milby; Belitz, Kenneth

    2012-01-01

    Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Owens Valley is one of the study areas being evaluated. The Owens study area is approximately 1,030 square miles (2,668 square kilometers) and includes the Owens Valley groundwater basin (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). Owens Valley has a semiarid to arid climate, with average annual rainfall of about 6 inches (15 centimeters). The study area has internal drainage, with runoff primarily from the Sierra Nevada draining east to the Owens River, which flows south to Owens Lake dry lakebed at the southern end of the valley. Beginning in the early 1900s, the City of Los Angeles began diverting the flow of the Owens River to the Los Angeles Aqueduct, resulting in the evaporation of Owens Lake and the formation of the current Owens Lake dry lakebed. Land use in the study area is approximately 94 percent (%) natural, 5% agricultural, and 1% urban. The primary natural land cover is shrubland. The largest urban area is the city of Bishop (2010 population of 4,000). Groundwater in this basin is used for public and domestic water supply and for irrigation. The main water-bearing units are gravel, sand, silt, and clay derived from surrounding mountains. Recharge to the groundwater system is primarily runoff from the Sierra Nevada, and by direct infiltration of irrigation. The primary sources of discharge are pumping wells, evapotranspiration, and underflow to the Owens Lake dry lakebed. The primary aquifers in Owens Valley are defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health database

  2. Total carbon and nitrogen in mineral soil after 26 years of prescribed fire: Long Valley and Fort Valley Experimental Forests

    Treesearch

    Daniel G. Neary; Sally M. Haase; Steven T. Overby

    2008-01-01

    Prescribed fire was introduced to high density ponderosa pine stands at Fort Valley and Long Valley Experimental Forests in 1976. This paper reports on mineral soil total carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) at Long Valley. Total soil C and N levels were highly variable and exhibited an increasing, but inconsistent, concentration trend related to burn interval. Total N ranged...

  3. Coachella Valley, CA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-10-22

    These band composites, acquired on June 4, 2000, cover a 11 by 13.5 km sub-scene in the Coachella Valley, CA. The area is shown by the yellow box on the full scene in the LOWER RIGHT corner, northwest of the Salton Sea. This is a major agricultural region of California, growing fruit and produce throughout the year. Different combinations of ASTER bands help identify the different crop types. UPPER LEFT: bands 3, 2, 1 as red, green, and blue (RGB); UPPER RIGHT: bands 4, 2, 1 as RGB; LOWER LEFT: bands 4, 3, 2 as RGB. The image is centered at 33.6 degrees north latitude, 116.1 degrees west longitude. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11161

  4. Investigating the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and other rock magnetic properties of the Beaver River Diabase in northeastern Minnesota

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hariri, S. H.; Brownlee, S. J.; Feinberg, J. M.; Jackson, M. J.; Miller, J. D.

    2013-12-01

    The Beaver River Diabase (BRD) is a series of mafic dikes and sills within the Beaver Bay Complex (BBC) of northern Minnesota, which formed during the development of the ~1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift (MCR). The BRD is one of the youngest and most extensive intrusive phases of the BBC. The BRD dikes and sills were emplaced into the medial levels of the 6-10 kilometer-thick North Shore Volcanic Group and occur over an arcuate area extending 120 by 20 kilometers. The BRD is composed of fine- to medium-grained ophitic olivine gabbro and does not display obvious foliation or lineation features and rarely displays modal layering. Without obvious magmatic internal structures, it is difficult to determine emplacement properties such as flow direction using standard geologic mapping or petrographic techniques. For this reason, we measured the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), in conjunction with other rock magnetic properties, to better understand the BRD's emplacement and deformation history in the context of the MCR. AMS measures the directional dependence of low-field magnetic susceptibility, and is used to infer a shape-preferred orientation of magnetic minerals within a rock, which can be related to specific emplacement mechanisms (e.g. directional flow or settling). Preliminary analysis of AMS at 20 sites within the southern half of the BRD (with 4-7 samples per site) shows maximum susceptibility values between 4.48 x 10-6 and 2.22 x 10-4 m3/kg (1165 and 65400 μSI). Most specimens display nearly isotropic AMS ellipsoids (Pj < 1.15) with minor degrees of prolateness and oblateness. However, about 20% of specimens have higher anisotropies (Pj between 1.15 and 1.67) and higher degrees of oblateness and prolateness. Variations in AMS properties may reflect differences in concentration and composition, as well as emplacement mechanisms. Measurements of susceptibility as a function of temperature yield Curie points between 470 and 570 °C, indicating a presence of

  5. Geomorphic response to tectonically-induced ground deformation in the Wabash Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fraser, G.S.; Thompson, T.A.; Olyphant, G.A.; Furer, L.; Bennett, S.W.

    1997-01-01

    Numerous low- to moderate-intensity earthquakes have been recorded in a zone of diffuse modern seismicity in southwest Indiana, southeast Illinois, and northernmost Kentucky. Structural elements within the zone include the Wabash Valley Fault System, the LaSalle Anticlinal Belt in western Illinois, and the Rough Creek-Shawneetown Fault System in northern Kentucky. The presence of seismically-induced liquefaction features in the near-surface alluvial sediments in the region indicates that strong ground motion has occurred in the recent geological past, but because the glacial and alluvial sediments in the Wabash Valley appear to be otherwise undisturbed, post-Paleozoic ground deformation resulting from movement on these structural elements has not yet been documented. Morphometric analysis of the land surface, detailed mapping of geomorphic elements in the valley, reconnaissance drilling of the Holocene and Pleistocene alluvium, and structural analysis of the bedrock underlying the valley were used to determine whether the geomorphology of the valley and the patterns of alluviation of the Wabash River were affected by surface deformation associated with the seismic zone during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Among the observed features in the valley that can be attributed to deformation are: (1) tilting of the modern land surface to the west, (2) preferred channel migration toward the west side of the valley, with concomitant impact on patterns of soil development and sedimentation rate, (3) a convex longitudinal profile of the Wabash River where it crosses the LaSalle Anticlinal Belt, and (4) increased incision of the river into its floodplain downstream from the anticlinal belt.

  6. Groundwater sapping valleys: Experimental studies, geological controls and implications to the interpretation of valley networks on Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kochel, R. Craig

    1988-01-01

    An integrated approach using experimental laboratory models, field studies of terrestrial analogs, and remote studies of terrestrial field sites were applied to the goals of understanding the nature and morphology of valley networks formed by groundwater sapping. In spite of problems with scaling, the experimental studies provide valuable insights into concepts relating to the initiation, development, and evolution of valleys by groundwater sapping. These investigations are also aimed at developing geomorphic criteria for distinguishing valleys formed by surface runoff from those formed by groundwater sapping processes. Channels that were field classified as sapping vs. runoff were successfully distinguished using statistical analysis of their respective morphologies; therefore, it may be possible to use similar techniques to interpret channel genesis on Mars. The terrestrial and flume studies provide the ground truth dataset which can be used (and will be during the present year) to help interpret the genesis of valley networks on Mars.

  7. Hydrologic effects of stress-relief fracturing in an Appalachian Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wyrick, Granville G.; Borchers, James W.

    1981-01-01

    A hydrologic study at Twin Falls State Park, Wyoming County, West Virginia, was made to determine how fracture systems affect the occurrence and movement of ground water in a typical valley of the Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province. Twin Falls was selected because it is generally unaffected by factors that would complicate an analysis of the data. The study area was the Black Fork Valley at Twin Falls. The valley is about 3 miles long and 400 to 600 feet wide and is cut into massive sandstone units interbedded with thin coal and shale beds. The study was made to determine how aquifer characteristics were related to fracture systems in this valley, so that the relation could be applied to studies of other valleys. Two sites were selected for test drilling, pumping tests, and geophysical studies. One site is in the upper part of the valley, and the second is near the lower central part. At both sites, ground water occurs mainly in horizontal bedding-plane fractures under the valley floor and in nearly vertical and horizontal slump fractures along the valley wall. The aquifer is under confined conditions under the valley floor and unconfined conditions along the valley wall. The fractures pinch out under the valley walls, which form impermeable barriers. Tests of wells near the valley center indicated a change in storage coefficient as the cone of depression caused by pumping reached the confined-unconfined boundaries; the tests also indicated barrier-image effects when the cone reached the impermeable boundaries. Drawdown from pumping near the center of the valley affected water levels at both sites, indicating a hydraulic connection from the upper to the lower end of the valley. Stream gain-and-loss studies show that ground water discharges to the stream from horizontal fractures beneath Black Fork Falls, near the mouth of Black Fork. The fracture systems that constitute most of the transmissive part of the aquifer at Twin Falls are like those described as

  8. Evaluation of the impact of 2 years of a dosing intervention on canine echinococcosis in the Alay Valley, Kyrgyzstan.

    PubMed

    VAN Kesteren, F; Mastin, A; Torgerson, P R; Mytynova, Bermet; Craig, P S

    2017-09-01

    Echinococcosis is a re-emerging zoonotic disease in Kyrgyzstan. In 2012, an echinococcosis control scheme was started that included dosing owned dogs in the Alay Valley, Kyrgyzstan with praziquantel. Control programmes require large investments of money and resources; as such it is important to evaluate how well these are meeting their targets. However, problems associated with echinococcosis control schemes include remoteness and semi-nomadic customs of affected communities, and lack of resources. These same problems apply to control scheme evaluations, and quick and easy assessment tools are highly desirable. Lot quality assurance sampling was used to assess the impact of approximately 2 years of echinococcosis control in the Alay valley. A pre-intervention coproELISA prevalence was established, and a 75% threshold for dosing compliance was set based on previous studies. Ten communities were visited in 2013 and 2014, with 18-21 dogs sampled per community, and questionnaires administered to dog owners. After 21 months of control efforts, 8/10 communities showed evidence of reaching the 75% praziquantel dosing target, although only 3/10 showed evidence of a reduction in coproELISA prevalence. This is understandable, since years of sustained control are required to effectively control echinococcosis, and efforts in the Alay valley should be and are being continued.

  9. Groundwater quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burton, Carmen A.; Landon, Matthew K.; Belitz, Kenneth

    2011-01-01

    The Santa Clara River Valley (SCRV) study unit is located in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, and is bounded by the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, Topatopa, and Santa Ynez Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. The 460-square-mile study unit includes eight groundwater basins: Ojai Valley, Upper Ojai Valley, Ventura River Valley, Santa Clara River Valley, Pleasant Valley, Arroyo Santa Rosa Valley, Las Posas Valley, and Simi Valley (California Department of Water Resources, 2003; Montrella and Belitz, 2009). The SCRV study unit has hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual rainfall ranges from 12 to 28 inches. The study unit is drained by the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers, and Calleguas Creek. The primary aquifer system in the Ventura River Valley, Ojai Valley, Upper Ojai Valley, and Simi Valley basins is largely unconfined alluvium. The primary aquifer system in the remaining groundwater basins mainly consists of unconfined sands and gravels in the upper portion and partially confined marine and nonmarine deposits in the lower portion. The primary aquifer system in the SCRV study unit is defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database. Public-supply wells typically are completed in the primary aquifer system to depths of 200 to 1,100 feet below land surface (bls). The wells contain solid casing reaching from the land surface to a depth of about 60-700 feet, and are perforated below the solid casing to allow water into the well. Water quality in the primary aquifer system may differ from the water in the shallower and deeper parts of the aquifer. Land use in the study unit is approximately 40 percent (%) natural (primarily shrubs, grassland, and wetlands), 37% agricultural, and 23% urban. The primary crops are citrus, avocados, alfalfa, pasture, strawberries, and dry beans. The largest urban areas in the study unit are the cities of

  10. Potential for a significant deep basin geothermal system in Tintic Valley, Utah

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hardwick, C.; Kirby, S.

    2014-12-01

    The combination of regionally high heat flow, deep basins, and permeable reservoir rocks in the eastern Great Basin may yield substantial new geothermal resources. We explore a deep sedimentary basin geothermal prospect beneath Tintic Valley in central Utah using new 2D and 3D models coupled with existing estimates of heat flow, geothermometry, and shallow hydrologic data. Tintic Valley is a sediment-filled basin bounded to the east and west by bedrock mountain ranges where heat-flow values vary from 85 to over 240 mW/m2. Based on modeling of new and existing gravity data, a prominent 30 mGal low indicates basin fill thickness may exceed 2 km. The insulating effect of relatively low thermal conductivity basin fill in Tintic Valley, combined with typical Great Basin heat flow, predict temperatures greater than 150 °C at 3 km depth. The potential reservoir beneath the basin fill is comprised of Paleozoic carbonate and clastic rocks. The hydrology of the Tintic Valley is characterized by a shallow, cool groundwater system that recharges along the upper reaches of the basin and discharges along the valley axis and to a series of wells. The east mountain block is warm and dry, with groundwater levels just above the basin floor and temperatures >50 °C at depth. The west mountain block contains a shallow, cool meteoric groundwater system. Fluid temperatures over 50 °C are sufficient for direct-use applications, such as greenhouses and aquaculture, while temperatures exceeding 140°C are suitable for binary geothermal power plants. The geologic setting and regionally high heat flow in Tintic Valley suggest a geothermal resource capable of supporting direct-use geothermal applications and binary power production could be present.

  11. Ground-water hydrology of the upper Sevier River Basin, south-central Utah, and simulation of ground-water flow in the valley-fill in Panguitch Valley.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thiros, Susan A.; Brothers, William C.

    1993-01-01

    The ground-water hydrology of the upper Sevier River basin, primarily of the unconsolidated valley-fill aquifers, was studied from 1988 to 1989. Recharge to the valley-fill aquifers is mostly by seepage from surface-water sources. Changes in soil-moisture content am water levels were measured in Panguitch Valley both at a flood-irrigated and at a sprinkler-irrigated alfalfa field to quantify seepage from unconsumed irrigation water. Lag time between irrigation and water-level response decreased from 6 to 2 days in the flood-irrigated field as the soil-moisture content increased. Water levels measured in the sprinkler-irrigated field did not respond to irrigation. Discharge from the valley-fill aquifer to the Sevier River in Panguitch Valley is about 53,570 acre-feet per year.Water levels measured in wells from 1951 to 1989 tend to fluctuate with the quantity of precipitation falling at higher elevations. Ground-water discharge to the Sevier River in Panguitch Valley causes a general increase in the specific conductance of the river in a downstream direction.A three-layered ground-water-flow model was used to simulate the effects of changes in irrigation practices am increased ground-water withdrawals in Panguitch Valley. The establishment of initial conditions consisted of comparing simulated water levels and simulated gains and losses from the Sevier River and selected canals with values measured during the 1988 irrigation season. The model was calibrated by comparing water-level changes measured from 1961 to 1963 to simulated changes. A simulated change from flood to sprinkler irrigation resulted in a maximum decline in water level of 0.9 feet after the first year of change. Simulating additional discharge from wells resulted in drawdowns of about 20 feet after the first year of pumping.

  12. Extracting valley-ridge lines from point-cloud-based 3D fingerprint models.

    PubMed

    Pang, Xufang; Song, Zhan; Xie, Wuyuan

    2013-01-01

    3D fingerprinting is an emerging technology with the distinct advantage of touchless operation. More important, 3D fingerprint models contain more biometric information than traditional 2D fingerprint images. However, current approaches to fingerprint feature detection usually must transform the 3D models to a 2D space through unwrapping or other methods, which might introduce distortions. A new approach directly extracts valley-ridge features from point-cloud-based 3D fingerprint models. It first applies the moving least-squares method to fit a local paraboloid surface and represent the local point cloud area. It then computes the local surface's curvatures and curvature tensors to facilitate detection of the potential valley and ridge points. The approach projects those points to the most likely valley-ridge lines, using statistical means such as covariance analysis and cross correlation. To finally extract the valley-ridge lines, it grows the polylines that approximate the projected feature points and removes the perturbations between the sampled points. Experiments with different 3D fingerprint models demonstrate this approach's feasibility and performance.

  13. Development of a Novel Catalytic Membrane Reactor for Heterogeneous Catalysis in Supercritical CO2

    PubMed Central

    Islam, Nazrul M.; Chatterjee, Maya; Ikushima, Yutaka; Yokoyama, Toshiro; Kawanami, Hajime

    2010-01-01

    A novel type of high-pressure membrane reactor has been developed for hydrogenation in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). The main objectives of the design of the reactor are the separate feeding of hydrogen and substrate in scCO2 for safe reactions in a continuous flow process, and to reduce the reaction time. By using this new reactor, hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde into hydrocinnamaldehyde has been successfully carried out with 100% selectivity at 50 °C in 10 MPa (H2: 1 MPa, CO2: 9 MPa) with a flow rate of substrate ranging from 0.05 to 1.0 mL/min. PMID:20162008

  14. Safety evaluation report on Tennessee Valley Authority: Browns Ferry Nuclear Performance Plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1991-01-01

    This safety evaluation report (SER) was prepared by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and represents the second and last supplement (SSER 2) to the staff's original SER published as Volume 3 of NUREG-1232 in April 1989. Supplement 1 of Volume 3 of NUREG-1232 (SSER 1) was published in October 1989. Like its predecessors, SSER 2 is composed of numerous safety evaluations by the staff regarding specific elements contained in the Browns Ferry Nuclear Performance Plan (BFNPP), Volume 3 (up to and including Revision 2), submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN).more » The Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant consists of three boiling-water reactors (BWRs) at a site in Limestone County, Alabama. The BFNPP describes the corrective action plans and commitments made by TVA to resolve deficiencies with its nuclear programs before the startup of Unit 2. The staff has inspected and will continue to inspect TVA's implementation of these BFNPP corrective action plans that address staff concerns about TVA's nuclear program. SSER 2 documents the NRC staff's safety evaluations and conclusions for those elements of the BFNPP that were not previously addressed by the staff or that remained open as a result of unresolved issues identified by the staff in previous SERs and inspections.« less

  15. California's restless giant: the Long Valley Caldera

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hill, David P.; Bailey, Roy A.; Hendley, James W.; Stauffer, Peter H.; Marcaida, Mae

    2014-01-01

    Scientists have monitored geologic unrest in the Long Valley, California, area since 1980. In that year, following a swarm of strong earthquakes, they discovered that the central part of the Long Valley Caldera had begun actively rising. Unrest in the area persists today. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) continues to provide the public and civil authorities with current information on the volcanic hazard at Long Valley and is prepared to give timely warnings of any impending eruption.

  16. Valley polarization in silicene induced by circularly-polarized resonance light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Jie; Qi, Fenghua

    2017-06-01

    In the presence of circularly-polarized resonance light, silicene develops dynamical band gaps in its quasi-energy band structure. Using numerical calculations, our results show that the gap appearing at ħω/2, where ħω is the photon energy. More importantly, we find that these gaps are non-symmetric for two inequivalent valleys. Therefore we can introduce light-controlled valley polarization in these dynamical band gaps. Different valleytronic devices can be realized using this technique.

  17. Elevation and plan of east side entrance. San Bernardino Valley ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Elevation and plan of east side entrance. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Library Building. Also includes sections II and SS of entrance hall; and a stress diagram of steel truss. Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 7, job no. 315. Scale 1/2 inch to the foot. No date given on sheet (probably March or April, 1927). - San Bernardino Valley College, Library, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  18. West elevation. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Science Building. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    West elevation. San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College, Science Building. Also includes plan of entrance, section EE showing tiling and typical transom design, and a full size detail of a door jamb for inside concrete walls. Howard E. Jones, Architect, San Bernardino, California. Sheet 7, job no. 311. Scale 1.2 inch to the foot. February 15, 1927. - San Bernardino Valley College, Life Science Building, 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA

  19. Geology of the Greenwater Range, and the dawn of Death Valley, California—Field guide for the Death Valley Natural History Conference, 2013

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Calzia, J.P.; Rämö, O.T.; Jachens, Robert; Smith, Eugene; Knott, Jeffrey

    2016-05-02

    Much has been written about the age and formation of Death Valley, but that is one—if not the last—chapter in the fascinating geologic history of this area. Igneous and sedimentary rocks in the Greenwater Range, one mountain range east of Death Valley, tell an earlier story that overlaps with the formation of Death Valley proper. This early story has been told by scientists who have studied these rocks for many years and continue to do so. This field guide was prepared for the first Death Valley Natural History Conference and provides an overview of the geology of the Greenwater Range and the early history (10–0 Ma) of Death Valley.

  20. A Quantitative Analysis of the Fretted Terrain Valleys, Arabia Terra, Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mason, Kelsey Anne

    Fretted terrain describes regions on Mars with low-lying, flat valleys separated by steep cliffs that often form polygonal-shaped mesas. The fretted terrain valleys have a morphology distinct from other valleys found on Mars, and their unknown origin may hold insights into critical questions about Mars' tectonic, magmatic, and hydrologic history. Current hypothesis for the formation of the fretted terrain include fracturing as well as hydrological flow processes such as fluvial or glacial erosion. The region for this study is located in eastern Arabia Terra and is the type-location for fretted terrain. By qualitatively and quantitatively documenting the planform, or map-view, valley geometries and orientations throughout the fretted terrain, this study better constrains the origin of the valleys. Valleys were mapped using automated routines in ArcGIS including the D8 flow direction algorithm. Valleys were then grouped geographically into basins and also by Strahler order. The valleys were then segmented every 50 km and the azimuth of each segment was calculated. The resulting valley azimuths were analyzed using rose diagrams to quantitatively describe the planform geometries of the valleys. Qualitatively, the majority of basins were found to have rectangular valley geometries. The downslope direction was calculated for each basin, and it was compared to the corresponding valley azimuths. The basins with rectangular valley geometries had valleys with an azimuth mode nearly parallel to the downslope direction and another azimuth mode perpendicular to the downslope direction. The valley azimuth mode parallel to the downslope direction is attributed to hydrological flow processes while the mode perpendicular to the downslope direction is attributed to fracturing related to the formation or existence of the Mars global dichotomy boundary.

  1. Solar Energy within the Central Valley, CA: Current Practices and Potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffacker, M. K.; Hernandez, R. R.; Allen, M. F.

    2015-12-01

    Utility-scale solar energy (USSE, ≥ 1 megawatt [MW]) systems are rapidly being deployed in the Central Valley of California, generating clean electricity and new job opportunities. Utility-scale solar energy systems require substantial quantities of land or space, often prompting an evaluation of environmental impacts and trade-offs when selecting their placement. Utilizing salt-contaminated agricultural land (as the sodium absorption and electrical conductivity values are unsuitably high), unsuitable for food production, and lands within the built environment (developed), can serve as a co-benefit opportunity when reclamation of these lands for USSE development is prioritized. In this study, we quantify the theoretical and generation-based solar energy potential for the Central Valley according to land-cover type, crop type, and for salt-contaminated lands. Further, we utilize the Carnegie Energy and Environmental Compatibility (CEEC) model to identify and prioritize solar energy, integrating environmental resource opportunities and constraints most relevant to the Central Valley. We use the CEEC model to generate a value-based environmental compatibility output for the Central Valley. The Central Valley extends across nearly 60,000 km2 of California with the potential of generating 21,800 - 30,300 TWh y-1 and 41,600 TWh y-1 of solar energy for photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP), respectively. Pasture, hay, and cultivated crops comprise over half of the Central Valley, much of which is considered prime agriculture or of statewide or local importance for farming (28,200 km2). Together, approximately one-third of this region is salt-contaminated (16%) or developed (11%). This confers a generation-based potential of 5713 - 7891 TWh y-1 and 2770 TWh y-1 for PV and CSP, respectively. As energy, food, and land are inextricably linked, our study shows how land favorable for renewable energy systems can be used more effectively in places where land is

  2. Prevalence and degree of hearing loss among males in Beaver Dam cohort: comparison of veterans and nonveterans.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Richard H; Noe, Colleen M; Cruickshanks, Karen J; Wiley, Terry L; Nondahl, David M

    2010-01-01

    The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS) conducted in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, was a population-based study that focused on the prevalence of hearing loss among 3,753 participants between 1993 and 1995. This article reports the results of several auditory measures from 999 veteran and 590 nonveteran males 48 to 92 years of age included in the EHLS. The auditory measures included pure tone thresholds, tympanometry and acoustic reflexes, word recognition in quiet and in competing message, and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening (HHIE-S) version. Hearing loss in the auditory domains of pure tone thresholds, word recognition in quiet, and word recognition in competing message increased with age but were not significantly different for the veterans and nonveterans. No significant differences were found between participant groups on the HHIE-S; however, regarding hearing aid usage, mixed differences were found.

  3. Ground water in Dale Valley, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Randall, Allan D.

    1979-01-01

    Dale Valley is a broad valley segment, enlarged by glacial erosion, at the headwaters of Little Tonawanda Creek near Warsaw , New York. A thin, shallow alluvial aquifer immediately underlies the valley floor but is little used. A deeper gravel aquifer, buried beneath many feet of lake deposits, is tapped by several industrial wells. A finite-difference digital model treated the deep aquifer as two-dimensional with recharge and discharge through a confining layer. It was calibrated by simulating (1) natural conditions, (2) an 18-day aquifer test, and (3) 91 days of well-field operation. Streamflow records and model simulations suggest that in moderately wet years such as 1974, a demand of 750 gallons per minute could be met by withdrawal from the creek and from the aquifer without excessive drawdown at production wells or existing domestic wells. With reasonable but unverified model adjustments to simulate an unusually dry year, the model predicts that a demand of 600 gallons per minute could be met from the same sources. Water high in chloride has migrated from bedrock into parts of the deep aquifer. Industrial pumpage, faults in the bedrock, and the natural flow system may be responsible. (Woodard-USGS)

  4. Near-road sampling of PM2. 5, BC, and fine-particle chemical components in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakya, Kabindra M.; Rupakheti, Maheswar; Shahi, Anima; Maskey, Rejina; Pradhan, Bidya; Panday, Arnico; Puppala, Siva P.; Lawrence, Mark; Peltier, Richard E.

    2017-06-01

    Semicontinuous PM2. 5 and black carbon (BC) concentrations, and 24 h integrated PM2. 5 filter samples were collected near roadways in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Instruments were carried by a group of volunteer traffic police officers in the vicinity of six major roadway intersections in the Kathmandu Valley across two sampling periods in 2014. Daily PM2. 5 filter samples were analyzed for water-soluble inorganic ions, elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC), and 24 elements. Mean PM2. 5 and BC concentrations were 124.76 µg m-3 and 16.74 µgC m-3 during the drier spring sampling period, and 45.92 µg m-3 and 13.46 µgC m-3 during monsoonal sampling. Despite the lower monsoonal PM2. 5 concentrations, BC and several elements were not significantly lower during the monsoon, which indicates an important contribution of vehicle-related emissions throughout both seasons in this region. During the monsoon, there was an enhanced contribution of chemical species (elements and water-soluble inorganic ions), except secondary inorganic ions, and BC to PM2. 5 (crustal elements: 19 %; heavy metals: 5 %; and BC: 39 %) compared to those in spring (crustal elements: 9 %; heavy metals: 1 %; and BC: 18 %). Silica, calcium, aluminum, and iron were the most abundant elements during both spring and the monsoon, with total concentrations of 12.13 and 8.85 µg m-3, respectively. PM2. 5 and BC showed less spatial variation compared to that for individual chemical species.

  5. Climatic and morphological controls on post-glacial lake and river valley evolution in the Weichselian belt - an example from the Wda valley, Northern Poland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramkowski, M. A.; Błaszkiewicz, M.; Piotrowski, J. A.; Brauer, A.; Gierszewski, P.; Kordowski, J.; Lamparski, P.; Lorenz, S.; Noryśkiewicz, A. M.; Ott, F.; Slowinski, M. M.; Tyszkowski, S.

    2014-12-01

    The River Wda valley is a classical example of a polygenetic valley, consisting of former lake basins joined by erosive gap sections. In its middle section, which was the subject of our research, a fragment of an abandoned Lateglacial river valley is preserved, which is unique for the Weichselian moraine belt in the Central European Lowlands. The analysis of the relationship between the lacustrine and fluvial sediments and landforms enabled the authors to report many evolutionary connections between the initial period of the river system formation and the emergence of lakes during the Weichselian Lateglacial. The surface drainage essentially determined the progress of melting of dead ice blocks buried in the glacial depressions, which finally led to lake formation there. Most of the lake basins in the study area were formed during the Bølling-Allerød period. However, one section of the subglacial channel was not exposed to the thermokarst conditions and was therefore preserved with dead ice blocks throughout the entire Lateglacial. The dead ice decay at the beginning of the Holocene, as well as the emergence of another lake, created a lower base level of erosion in the close vicinity of the abandoned valley and induced a change of the river's course. Both fluvial and lacustrine deposits and landforms distributed in the central section of the River Wda valley indicate two processes, which proceeded simultaneously: (1) emergence of fluvially joined lake basins within a glacial channel, (2) degradation of the river bed in the gap sections interfering between the lakes. The processes described for the central section of the River Wda channel indicate a very dynamic river valley development during the Weichselian Lateglacial and the early Holocene. The valley formation was tightly interwoven with the morphogenesis of the primary basins within the valley, mainly with the melting of the buried blocks of dead ice and the development of lakes. This study is a contribution

  6. Flow structure and turbulence characteristics of the daytime atmosphere in a steep and narrow Alpine valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weigel, Andreas P.; Rotach, Mathias W.

    2004-10-01

    Aircraft measurements, radio soundings and sonic data--obtained during the MAP-Riviera field campaign in autumn 1999 in southern Switzerland--are used to investigate the flow structure, temperature profiles and turbulence characteristics of the atmosphere in a steep and narrow Alpine valley under convective conditions. On all predominantly sunny days of the intensive observation periods, a pronounced valley-wind system develops. In the southern half of the valley, the daily up-valley winds have a jet-like structure and are shifted towards the eastern slope. These up-valley winds advect potentially colder air, a process which appears to be balanced by vertical warm air advection from above. The profiles of potential temperature show that, with the onset of up-valley winds, the mixed layer consistently stops growing or--on days with very strong up-valley winds--even stabilizes almost throughout the entire valley atmosphere. This is probably due to a pronounced secondary circulation in the southern part of the valley, which induces advection of warm air from above. The secondary circulation appears to be a consequence of sharp curvature in the along-valley topography. Turbulence variables are calculated from flight legs in the along-valley direction. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) scales surprisingly well (i) if a TKE criterion (TKE > 0.5 m2s-2) is employed as a definition of the boundary layer height and (ii) if the 'surface fluxes'--which exhibit a substantial spatial variability--from the slope sites are used rather than those from directly beneath the profile considered. Significant site-to-site differences in incoming solar radiation seem to be the reason for this characteristic behaviour. Profiles of momentum flux--scaled with a surface friction velocity--reveal more scatter than the TKE profiles, but still show a consistent behaviour. A surprisingly strong shear in the cross-valley direction can be observed and is probably a result of the secondary circulation.

  7. CO2 Photoreduction by Formate Dehydrogenase and a Ru-Complex in a Nanoporous Glass Reactor.

    PubMed

    Noji, Tomoyasu; Jin, Tetsuro; Nango, Mamoru; Kamiya, Nobuo; Amao, Yutaka

    2017-02-01

    In this study, we demonstrated the conversion of CO 2 to formic acid under ambient conditions in a photoreduction nanoporous reactor using a photosensitizer, methyl viologen (MV 2+ ), and formate dehydrogenase (FDH). The overall efficiency of this reactor was 14 times higher than that of the equivalent solution. The accumulation rate of formic acid in the nanopores of 50 nm is 83 times faster than that in the equivalent solution. Thus, this CO 2 photoreduction nanoporous glass reactor will be useful as an artificial photosynthesis system that converts CO 2 to fuel.

  8. The First Prediction of a Rift Valley Fever Outbreak

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anyamba, Assaf; Chretien, Jean-Paul; Small, Jennifer; Tucker, Compton J.; Formenty, Pierre; Richardson, Jason H.; Britch, Seth C.; Schnabel, David C.; Erickson, Ralph L.; Linthicum, Kenneth J.

    2009-01-01

    El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) related anomalies were analyzed using a combination of satellite measurements of elevated sea surface temperatures, and subsequent elevated rainfall and satellite derived normalized difference vegetation index data. A Rift Valley fever risk mapping model using these climate data predicted areas where outbreaks of Rift Valley fever in humans and animals were expected and occurred in the Horn of Africa from December 2006 to May 2007. The predictions were subsequently confirmed by entomological and epidemiological field investigations of virus activity in the areas identified as at risk. Accurate spatial and temporal predictions of disease activity, as it occurred first in southern Somalia and then through much of Kenya before affecting northern Tanzania, provided a 2 to 6 week period of warning for the Horn of Africa that facilitated disease outbreak response and mitigation activities. This is the first prospective prediction of a Rift Valley fever outbreak.

  9. Scaling relationships and concavity of small valley networks on Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Penido, Julita C.; Fassett, Caleb I.; Som, Sanjoy M.

    2013-01-01

    Valley networks are widely interpreted as the preserved erosional record of water flowing across the martian surface. The manner in which valley morphometric properties scale with drainage area has been widely examined on Earth. Earlier studies assessing these properties on Mars have suggested that martian valleys are morphometrically distinct from those on Earth. However, these earlier measurements were generally made on large valley systems because of the limited topographic data available. In this study, we determine the scaling properties of valley networks at smaller scales than have been previously assessed, using digital elevation models from the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). We find a Hack's law exponent of 0.74, larger than on Earth, and our measurements also reveal that individual small valleys have concave up, concave down, and quasi-linear longitudinal profiles, consistent with earlier studies of dissected terrain on Mars. However, for many valleys, widths are observed to increase downstream similarly to how they scale in terrestrial channels. The similarities and differences between valley networks on Mars and Earth are consistent with the idea that valleys on Mars are comparatively immature, and precipitation was a likely mechanism for delivering water to these networks.

  10. UO{sub 2} and PuO{sub 2} utilization in high temperature engineering test reactor with helium coolant

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Waris, Abdul, E-mail: awaris@fi.itb.ac.id; Novitrian,; Pramuditya, Syeilendra

    High temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR) is one of high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) types which has been developed by Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). The HTTR is a graphite moderator, helium gas coolant, 30 MW thermal output and 950 °C outlet coolant temperature for high temperature test operation. Original HTTR uses UO{sub 2} fuel. In this study, we have evaluated the use of UO{sub 2} and PuO{sub 2} in form of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in HTTR. The reactor cell calculation was performed by using SRAC 2002 code, with nuclear data library was derived from JENDL3.2. Themore » result shows that HTTR can obtain its criticality condition if the enrichment of {sup 235}U in loaded fuel is 18.0% or above.« less

  11. Data network, collection, and analysis in the Diamond Valley flow system, central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Knochenmus, Lari A.; Berger, David L.; Moreo, Michael T.; Smith, J. LaRue

    2011-01-01

    Future groundwater development and its effect on future municipal, irrigation, and alternative energy uses in the Diamond Valley flow system are of concern for officials in Eureka County, Nevada. To provide a better understanding of the groundwater resources, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Eureka County, commenced a multi-phase study of the Diamond Valley flow system in 2005. Groundwater development primarily in southern Diamond Valley has resulted in water-level declines since the 1960s ranging from less than 5 to 100 feet. Groundwater resources in the Diamond Valley flow system outside of southern Diamond Valley have been relatively undeveloped. Data collected during phase 2 of the study (2006-09) included micrometeorological data at 4 evapotranspiration stations, 3 located in natural vegetation and 1 located in an agricultural field; groundwater levels in 95 wells; water-quality constituents in aquifers and springs at 21 locations; lithologic information from 7 recently drilled wells; and geophysical logs from 3 well sites. This report describes what was accomplished during phase 2 of the study, provides the data collected, and presents the approaches to strengthen relations between evapotranspiration rates measured at micrometeorological stations and spatially distributed groundwater discharge. This report also presents the approach to improve delineation of areas of groundwater discharge and describes the current methodology used to improve the accuracy of spatially distributed groundwater discharge rates in the Diamond Valley flow system.

  12. Recharge of valley-fill aquifers in the glaciated northeast from upland runoff

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, J.H.; Morrissey, D.J.

    1996-01-01

    Channeled and unchanneled runoff from till-covered bedrock uplands is a major source of recharge to valley-fill aquifers in the glaciated northeastern United States. Streamflow measurements and model simulation of average steady-state conditions indicate that upland runoff accounted for more recharge to two valley-fill aquifers in moderately high topographic-relief settings than did direct infiltration of precipitation. Recharge from upland runoff to a modeled valley-fill aquifer in an area of lower relief was significant but less than that from direct infiltration of precipitation. The amount of upland runoff available for recharging valley-fill aquifers in the glaciated Northeast ranges from about 1.5 to 2.5 cubic feet per second per square mile of drainage area that borders the aquifer. Stream losses from tributaries that drain the uplands commonly range from 0.3 to 1.5 cubic feet per second per 1,000 feet of wetted channel where the tributaries cross alluvial fans in the main valleys. Recharge of valley-fill aquifers from channeled runoff was estimated from measured losses and average runoff rates and was represented in aquifer models as specified fluxes or simulated by head-dependent fluxes with streamflow routing in the model cells that represent the tributary streams. Unchanneled upland runoff, which includes overland and subsurface flow, recharges the valley-fill aquifers at the contact between the aquifer and uplands near the base of the bordering till-covered hillslopes. Recharge from unchanneled runoff was estimated from average runoff rates and the hillslope area that borders the aquifer and was represented as specified fluxes to model-boundary cells along the valley walls.

  13. 27 CFR 9.100 - Mesilla Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mesilla Valley. 9.100 Section 9.100 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT... Mesilla Valley viticultural area is located within Dona Ana County, New Mexico, and El Paso County, Texas...

  14. 27 CFR 9.100 - Mesilla Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mesilla Valley. 9.100 Section 9.100 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT... Mesilla Valley viticultural area is located within Dona Ana County, New Mexico, and El Paso County, Texas...

  15. 22. DETAIL OBLIQUE VIEW NORTHWEST OF FURNACE 2, SHOWING GENERAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    22. DETAIL OBLIQUE VIEW NORTHWEST OF FURNACE 2, SHOWING GENERAL CONSTRUCTION. CONCRETE PAD AT LEFT IS SITE OF FORMER FURNACE USED TO HEAT URANIUM BILLETS. - Vulcan Crucible Steel Company, Building No. 3, 100 First Street, Aliquippa, Beaver County, PA

  16. Irrigation channels of the Upper Rhone valley (Switzerland). Geomorphological analysis of a cultural heritage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reynard, Emmanuel

    2016-04-01

    The Upper Rhone valley (Canton of Valais, Switzerland) is characterised by dry climatic conditions that explain the presence of an important network (about 800 km) of irrigation channels - called Bisses in the French-speaking part of the canton or Suonen in the German-speaking area - dating back to the Middle Ages. This network constitutes a cultural heritage and during the last 30 years these agricultural infrastructures have sparked a renewed interest for tourist and cultural reasons. Indeed, the paths along the channels are used as tourist trails and several abandoned channels have been renovated for tourist use. Based on an inventory of the Bisses/Suonen of Valais, the proposed communication has three aims: (1) to analyse the geomorphological context (morphometric analysis, structural geomorphology, main processes) of various types of channels and to show the impact of the geomorphological context on the building techniques; (2) to identify particularly active processes along the channels; (3) to classify the Bisses/Suonen according to their geomorphological value and to their geomorphological sensitivity, and to propose managing measures. Structural and climatic conditions influence the geomorphological context of the channels. In a structural point of view, irrigation channels are developed in three main contexts: (1) in the Aar Massif crystalline basement; (2) in the limestone and marl cover nappes of the Helvetic Alps; (3) in the metamorphic cover nappes of the Penninic domain. The Rhone River valley is boarded by two high mountain ranges: the Penninic Alps in the South and the Bernese Alps in the North. Because of rain shadow effects, the climate is relatively dry and, between Brig and Martigny, annual rainfall is not more than 600 mm at 500 m ASL and 800 mm at 1600 m ASL. Nevertheless, due to important vertical precipitation gradients annual rainfall totals are high at high altitudes. On the southern facing tributary valleys, the dry climatic conditions

  17. Flood Plain Information Brandywine Creek, New Castle County, Delaware.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1973-07-01

    The Brandywine’s course through Delaware is fairly straight and cuts through a valley of rugged terrain. The adjacent land slopes that comprise its...varies sharply in 3 distinct reaches. The upper reach from the State Line to Rockland Road falls 15.5 feet at a slope of 4.9 feet per mile. The middle...Mileage Above Drainage Area Location Mouth Tributary Total sq. Mi. sq. mi. Pennsy lvania-Del aware State Line 10.55 ... 299.9 Confluence with Beaver

  18. 27 CFR 9.78 - Ohio River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... Valley.” (b) Approved maps. The approved maps for determining the boundary of the Ohio River Valley... boundary proceeds in a straight line westerly to the town of Dry Ridge in Grant County, Kentucky...

  19. Numerical Simulation of Nocturnal Drainage Flows in Idealized Valley-Tributary Systems.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Steen, Lance B.

    2000-11-01

    Numerical simulations of nocturnal drainage flow and transport in idealized valley-tributary systems are compared with the Atmospheric Science in Complex Terrain (ASCOT) meteorological field data and tracer studies from the Brush Creek valley of western Colorado. Much of the general valley-tributary flow behavior deduced from observations is qualitatively reproduced in the numerical results. The spatially complex, unsteady nature of the tributary flow found in the field data is also seen in the simulations. Oscillations in the simulated tributary flow are similar to some field observations. However, observed oscillations in the valley flow at the mouth of the tributary could not be reproduced in the numerical results. Thus, hypotheses of strongly coupled valley-tributary flow oscillations, based on field data, cannot be supported by these simulations. Along-valley mass flux calculations based on model results for the valley-tributary system indicate an increase of 5%-10% over a valley without a tributary. Enhanced valley mass fluxes were found from 8 km above the tributary to almost the valley mouth. However, the valley mass fluxes for topography with and without a tributary were nearly equal at the valley outflow. ASCOT field data suggested a tributary mass flow contribution of 5%-15% for a Brush Creek tributary of similar drainage area to the model tributary employed here. Numerical simulations of transport in the nocturnal valley-tributary flow strongly support ASCOT tracer studies in the Pack Canyon tributary of Brush Creek. These results suggest that the valley-tributary interaction can significantly increase plume dispersion under stable conditions. Overall, the simulation results presented here indicate that simple terrain geometries are able to capture many of the salient features of drainage flow in real valley-tributary systems.

  20. The Valley Networks on Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gulick, V. C.

    2002-12-01

    Despite three decades of exploration, the valley networks on Mars still seem to raise more questions than they answer. Valley systems have formed in the southern highlands, along some regions of the dichotomy boundary and the south rim of Valles Marineris, around the rim of some impact craters, and on the flanks of some volcanoes. They are found on some of the oldest and youngest terrains as well as on intermediate aged surfaces. There is surprisingly little consensus as to the formation and the paleoclimatic implications of the valley networks. Did the valleys require a persistent solar-driven atmospheric hydrological cycle involving precipitation, surface runoff, infiltration and groundwater outflow as they typically do on Earth? Or are they the result of magmatic or impact-driven thermal cycling of ground water involving persistent outflow and subsequent runoff? Are they the result of some other process(es)? Ground-water sapping, surface-water runoff, debris flows, wind erosion, and formation mechanisms involving other fluids have been proposed. Until such basic questions as these are definitively answered, their significance for understanding paleoclimatic change on Mars remains cloudy. I will review what is known about valley networks using data from both past and current missions. I will discuss what we have learned about their morphology, environments in which they formed, their spatial and temporal associations, possible formation mechanisms, relation to outflow channel and gully formation, as well as the possible implications for past climate change on Mars. Finally I will discuss how future, meter to submeter scale imaging and other remote sensing observations may shed new light on the debate over the origin of these enigmatic features.