Effect of conservation practices on soil carbon and nitrogen accretion and crop yield in a corn production system in the southeastern coastal plain, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We implemented conservation farming practices (winter cover cropping plus strip tillage) for a non-irrigated corn production system in the southern coastal plain of Georgia, USA that had been previously been managed under a plow and harrow tillage regime. Total soil carbon and nitrogen were measure...

Analysis of High Plains Resource Risk and Economic Impacts

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

Tidwell, Vincent C.; Vargas, Vanessa N; Jones, Shannon M

2016-04-01

The importance of the High Plains Aquifer is broadly recognized as is its vulnerability to continued overuse. T his study e xplore s how continued depletions of the High Plains Aquifer might impact both critical infrastructure and the economy at the local, r egional , and national scale. This analysis is conducted at the county level over a broad geographic region within the states of Kansas and Nebraska. In total , 140 counties that overlie the High Plains Aquifer in these two states are analyzed. The analysis utilizes future climate projections to estimate crop production. Current water use and managementmore » practices are projected into the future to explore their related impact on the High Plains Aquifer , barring any changes in water management practices, regulat ion, or policy. Finally, the impact of declining water levels and even exhaustion of groundwater resources are projected for specific sectors of the economy as well as particular elements of the region's critical infrastructure.« less

Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer; predevelopment to 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGrath, T.J.; Dugan, J.T.

1993-01-01

Regional variability in water-level change in the High Plains aquifer underlying parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming results from large regional differences in climate, soils, land use, and ground-water withdrawals for irrigation. From the beginning of significant development of the High Plains aquifer for irrigation to 1980, substantial water-level declines have occurred in several areas. The estimated average area-weighted water-level decline from predevelopment to 1980 for the High Plains was 9.9 feet, an average annual decline of about 0.25 foot. These declines exceeded 100 feet in some parts of the Central and Southern High Plains. Declines were much smaller and less extensive in the Northern High Plains as a result of later irrigation development. Since 1980, water levels in those areas of large declines in the Central and Southern High Plains have continued to decline, but at a much slower annual rate. The estimated average area-weighted water-level decline from 1980 to 1991 for the entire High Plains was 1.41 feet, an average annual decline of about 0.13 foot. The relatively small decline since 1980, in relation to the declines prior to 1980, is associated with a decrease in ground-water application for irrigated agriculture and greater than normal precipitation. Water-conserving practices and technology, in addition to reductions in irrigated acreages, contributed to the decrease in ground-water withdrawals for irrigation.

High Plains regional ground-water study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennehy, Kevin F.

2000-01-01

Over the last 25 years, industry and government have made large financial investments aimed at improving water quality across the Nation. Significant progress has been made; however, many water-quality concerns remain. In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began implementing a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment Program to provide consistent and scientifically sound information for managing the Nation's water resources. The goals of the NAWQA Program are to (1) describe current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's freshwater streams and aquifers, (2) describe how water quality is changing over time, and (3) improve our understanding of the primary natural and human factors affecting water quality. Assessing the quality of water in every location in the Nation would not be practical; therefore, NAWQA Program studies are conducted within a set of areas called study units (fig. 1). These study units are composed of more than 50 important river and aquifer systems that represent the diverse geography, water resources, and land and water uses of the Nation. The High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study is one such study area, designed to address issues relevant to the High Plains Aquifer system while supplementing water-quality information collected in other study units across the Nation. Implementation of the NAWQA Program for the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study area began in 1998.

The High Plains: Land of Extremes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capron, Ranel Stephenson; And Others

1996-01-01

Provides rich background information about unique High Plains ecosystems. Focuses on water, plant, animal, and energy resources. Describes hands-on activities related to ground water movement and energy resources. Contains 18 references. (DDR)

Antifriction coating of Cu-Fe-Al-Pb system for plain bearings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotenkov, Pavel; Kontsevoi, Yurii; Mejlakh, Anna; Pastukhov, Eduard; Shubin, Alexey; Goyda, Eduard; Sipatov, Ivan

2017-09-01

Aluminium, copper and their compounds are used in common as basis for antifriction coatings of plain bearings. Antifriction testing of plain bearings (based on Al and Cu) made by leading automotive manufacturers from Germany, Japan, USA, United Kingdom and Russia were carried out to make judicious selection of basis for development of new antifriction material. Testing was carried out using friction machine. It was defined that materials based on Cu provide better durability and robustness of plain bearings in comparison with Al based ones. The new antifriction composite coatings based on copper were developed taking into account the requirements specified for plain bearings of internal-combustion engine. Pilot samples of plain bearings with antifriction coatings of Cu-Fe-Al-Pb system were produced. The antifriction composite having Cu-5Fe-5Al5Fe2-10Pb (mass %) composition has demonstrated low friction factor and high wear-resistance. Metallographic analysis of pilot samples was carried out by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy.

Shrub and tree establishment on coal spoils in northern High Plains - USA

Treesearch

Ardell J. Bjugstad

1984-01-01

Trickle irrigation, during establishment, increased survival two fold for seven species of shrubs and trees planted on coal mine spoil in the semiarid area of northeastern Wyoming, USA. Increased survival of irrigated plants persisted for five years after initiation of this study, which included two growing and winter seasons after cessation of irrigation. Species...

A multidisciplinary analysis of groundwater declines and agricultural production in the High Plains Aquifer of Kansas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steward, David R.; Bruss, Paul J.; Yang, Xiaoying; Staggenborg, Scott A.; Welch, Stephen M.; Apley, Michael D.

2014-05-01

The High Plains Aquifer provides groundwater for 30% of the irrigated agriculture in the USA. Within Kansas, groundwater supports the congressional district with highest market value of agriculture. And yet, over-pumping and associated groundwater declines threaten the long-term prospects. The groundwater portion of this study quantifies the availability of groundwater stores over the next 100 years. A water-use function is developed to quantify the historical and future impacts of irrigation on corn production. A relationship between corn consumption per head of cattle quantifies the herd size that can be supported by irrigated corn. Together, we project the impacts of changes in groundwater stores on corn and cattle production for the next century. Scenarios analyze the impacts of water savings today on current and future agriculture production. Reference: Steward, D. R., Bruss, P. J., Yang, X., Staggenborg, S. A., Welch, S. M. and M. D. Apley, Tapping unsustainable groundwater stores for agricultural production in the High Plains Aquifer of Kansas, projections to 2110, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(37) E3477-E3486, September 10, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1220351110

Using stable isotopes to understand hydrochemical processes in and around a Prairie Pothole wetland in the Northern Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mills, Christopher T.; Goldhaber, Martin B.; Stricker, Craig A.; Holloway, JoAnn M.; Morrison, Jean M.; Ellefsen, Karl J.; Rosenberry, Donald O.; Thurston, Roland S.

2011-01-01

Millions of internally drained wetland systems in the Prairie Potholes region of the northern Great Plains (USA and Canada) provide indispensable habitat for waterfowl and a host of other ecosystem services. The hydrochemistry of these systems is complex and a crucial control on wetland function, flora and fauna. Wetland waters can have high concentrations of SO2-4 due to the oxidation of large amounts of pyrite in glacial till that is in part derived from the Pierre shale. Water chemistry including δ18OH2O, δ2HH2O, and δ34SSO4 values, was determined for groundwater, soil pore water, and wetland surface water in and around a discharge wetland in North Dakota. The isotopic data for the first time trace the interaction of processes that affect wetland chemistry, including open water evaporation, plant transpiration, and microbial SO4 reduction.

'Prosper': A high-yielding hard red spring wheat cultivar adapted to the North Central Plains of the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Providing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growers and industry with adapted wheat cultivars with high-quality attributes is essential for maintaining wheat as a competitive crop in the spring-wheat growing region of the USA. Therefore, our breeding program aims to develop modern wheat cultivars using b...

Toxicity of a glufosinate- and several glyphosate-based herbicides to juvenile amphibians from the Southern High Plains, USA.

PubMed

Dinehart, Simon K; Smith, Loren M; McMurry, Scott T; Anderson, Todd A; Smith, Philip N; Haukos, David A

2009-01-15

Pesticide toxicity is often proposed as a contributing factor to the world-wide decline of amphibian populations. We assessed acute toxicity (48 h) of a glufosinate-based herbicide (Ignite 280 SL) and several glyphosate-based herbicide formulations (Roundup WeatherMAX, Roundup Weed and Grass Killer Super Concentrate, Roundup Weed and Grass Killer Ready-To-Use Plus on two species of amphibians housed on soil or moist paper towels. Survival of juvenile Great Plains toads (Bufo cognatus) and New Mexico spadefoots (Spea multiplicata) was reduced by exposure to Roundup Weed and Grass Killer Ready-To-Use Plus on both substrates. Great Plains toad survival was also reduced by exposure to Roundup Weed and Grass Killer Super Concentrate on paper towels. New Mexico spadefoot and Great Plains toad survival was not affected by exposure to the two agricultural herbicides (Roundup WeatherMAX and Ignite 280 SL) on either substrate, suggesting that these herbicides likely do not pose an immediate risk to these species under field conditions.

Comparison of Cottonwood Dendrochronology and Optically Stimulated Luminescence Geochronometers Along a High Plains Meandering River, Powder River, Montana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasse, T. R.; Schook, D. M.

2017-12-01

Geochronometers at centennial scales can aid our understanding of process rates in fluvial geomorphology. Plains cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides ssp. Monilifera) in the high plains of the United States are known to germinate on freshly created deposits such as point bars adjacent to rivers. As the trees mature they may be partially buried (up to a few meters) by additional flood deposits. Cottonwood age gives a minimum age estimate of the stratigraphic surface where the tree germinated and a maximum age estimate for overlying sediments, providing quantitative data on rates of river migration and sediment accumulation. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) of sand grains can be used to estimate the time since the sand grains were last exposed to sunlight, also giving a minimum age estimate of sediment burial. Both methods have disadvantages: Browsing, partial burial, and other damage to young cottonwoods can increase the time required for the tree to reach a height where it can be sampled with a tree corer, making the germination point a few years to a few decades older than the measured tree age; fluvial OSL samples can have inherited age (when the OSL age is older than the burial age) if the sediment was not completely bleached prior to burial. We collected OSL samples at 8 eroding banks of the Powder River Montana, and tree cores at breast height (±1.2 m) from cottonwood trees growing on the floodplain adjacent to the OSL sample locations. Using the Minimum Age Model (MAM) we found that OSL ages appear to be 500 to 1,000 years older than the adjacent cottonwood trees which range in age (at breast height) from 60 to 185 years. Three explanations for this apparent anomaly in ages are explored. Samples for OSL could be below a stratigraphic unconformity relative to the cottonwood germination elevation. Shallow samples for OSL could be affected by anthropogenic mixing of sediments due to plowing and leveling of hay fields. The OSL samples could have

Comparison of Seasonal Terrestrial Water Storage Variations from GRACE with Groundwater-level Measurements from the High Plains Aquifer (USA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strassberg, Gil; Scanlon, Bridget R.; Rodell, Matthew

2007-01-01

This study presents the first direct comparison of variations in seasonal GWS derived from GRACE TWS and simulated SM with GW-level measurements in a semiarid region. Results showed that variations in GWS and SM are the main sources controlling TWS changes over the High Plains, with negligible storage changes from surface water, snow, and biomass. Seasonal variations in GRACE TWS compare favorably with combined GWS from GW-level measurements (total 2,700 wells, average 1,050 GW-level measurements per season) and simulated SM from the Noah land surface model (R = 0.82, RMSD = 33 mm). Estimated uncertainty in seasonal GRACE-derived TWS is 8 mm, and estimated uncertainty in TWS changes is 11 mm. Estimated uncertainty in SM changes is 11 mm and combined uncertainty for TWS-SM changes is 15 mm. Seasonal TWS changes are detectable in 7 out of 9 monitored periods and maximum changes within a year (e.g. between winter and summer) are detectable in all 5 monitored periods. Grace-derived GWS calculated from TWS-SM generally agrees with estimates based on GW-level measurements (R = 0.58, RMSD = 33 mm). Seasonal TWS-SM changes are detectable in 5 out of the 9 monitored periods and maximum changes are detectable in all 5 monitored periods. Good correspondence between GRACE data and GW-level measurements from the intensively monitored High Plains aquifer validates the potential for using GRACE TWS and simulated SM to monitor GWS changes and aquifer depletion in semiarid regions subjected to intensive irrigation pumpage. This method can be used to monitor regions where large-scale aquifer depletion is ongoing, and in situ measurements are limited, such as the North China Plain or western India. This potential should be enhanced by future advances in GRACE processing, which will improve the spatial and temporal resolution of TWS changes, and will further increase applicability of GRACE data for monitoring GWS.

Water Flow in the High Plains Aquifer in Northwestern Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luckey, Richard R.; Osborn, Noel I.; Becker, Mark F.; Andrews, William J.

2000-01-01

The High Plains is a major agricultural area, supported primarily by water from the High Plains aquifer, which is used to irrigate wheat and corn and to raise cattle and swine. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) began a study of the High Plains aquifer in 1996. One purpose of the study was to develop a ground-water flow model that the OWRB could use to allocate the amount of water withdrawn from the a aquifer. The study area in Oklahoma covers all or parts of Beaver, Cimarron, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Texas, and Woodward Counties. To provide appropriate hydrologic boundaries for the ground-water flow model, the study area was expanded to include parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas.

Late Holocene evolution of a coupled, mud-dominated delta plain-chenier plain system, coastal Louisiana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hijma, Marc P.; Shen, Zhixiong; Törnqvist, Torbjörn E.; Mauz, Barbara

2017-11-01

Major deltas and their adjacent coastal plains are commonly linked by means of coast-parallel fluxes of water, sediment, and nutrients. Observations of the evolution of these interlinked systems over centennial to millennial timescales are essential to understand the interaction between point sources of sediment discharge (i.e. deltaic distributaries) and adjacent coastal plains across large spatial (i.e. hundreds of kilometres) scales. This information is needed to constrain future generations of numerical models to predict coastal evolution in relation to climate change and other human activities. Here we examine the coastal plain (Chenier Plain, CP) adjacent to the Mississippi River delta, one of the world's largest deltas. We use a refined chronology based on 22 new optically stimulated luminescence and 22 new radiocarbon ages to test the hypothesis that cyclic Mississippi subdelta shifting has influenced the evolution of the adjacent CP. We show that over the past 3 kyr, accumulation rates in the CP were generally 0-1 Mt yr-1. However, between 1.2 and 0.5 ka, when the Mississippi River shifted to a position more proximal to the CP, these rates increased to 2.9 ±1.1 Mt yr-1 or 0.5-1.5 % of the total sediment load of the Mississippi River. We conclude that CP evolution during the past 3 kyr was partly a direct consequence of shifting subdeltas, in addition to changing regional sediment sources and modest rates of relative sea-level (RSL) rise. The RSL history of the CP during this time period was constrained by new limiting data points from the base of overwash deposits associated with the cheniers. These findings have implications for Mississippi River sediment diversions that are currently being planned to restore portions of this vulnerable coast. Only if such diversions are located in the western portion of the Mississippi Delta plain could they potentially contribute to sustaining the CP shoreline. Our findings highlight the importance of a better

Dynamics of playa lakes in the Texas High Plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reeves, C. C., Jr. (Principal Investigator)

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Regional viewing of ERTS-1 imagery around the test sites shows that storm paths can be accurately traced and a count made of the number of intermittent lake basins filled by the storm. Therefore, during wet years ERTS-type imagery can be used to conduct a reliable count of the tens of thousands of natural lake basins on the southern High Plains which contain water. This type of regional overview of water filled basins in the normally arid southern High Plains is illustrated by bands 6 and 7, ERTS E-1078-16524.

Evidence for natural molecular hydrogen seepage associated with Carolina bays (surficial, ovoid depressions on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Province of the USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zgonnik, Viacheslav; Beaumont, Valérie; Deville, Eric; Larin, Nikolay; Pillot, Daniel; Farrell, Kathleen M.

2015-12-01

A study of soil gases was made in North Carolina (USA) in and around morphological depressions called "Carolina bays." This type of depression is observed over the Atlantic coastal plains of the USA, but their origin remains debated. Significant concentrations of molecular hydrogen (H2) were detected, notably around the bays. These measurements suggest that Carolina bays are the surficial expression of fluid flow pathways for hydrogen gas moving from depth to the surface. The potential mechanisms of H2 production and transport and the geological controls on the fluid migration pathways are discussed, with reference to the hypothesis that Carolina bays are the result of local collapses caused by the alteration of rock along the deep pathways of H2 migrating towards the surface. The present H2 seepages are comparable to those in similar structures previously observed in the East European craton.

Chemical evolution of groundwater in the Wilcox aquifer of the northern Gulf Coastal Plain, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haile, Estifanos; Fryar, Alan E.

2017-12-01

The Wilcox aquifer is a major groundwater resource in the northern Gulf Coastal Plain (lower Mississippi Valley) of the USA, yet the processes controlling water chemistry in this clastic aquifer have received relatively little attention. The current study combines analyses of solutes and stable isotopes in groundwater, petrography of core samples, and geochemical modeling to identify plausible reactions along a regional flow path ˜300 km long. The hydrochemical facies evolves from Ca-HCO3 upgradient to Na-HCO3 downgradient, with a sequential zonation of terminal electron-accepting processes from Fe(III) reduction through SO4 2- reduction to methanogenesis. In particular, decreasing SO4 2- and increasing δ34S of SO4 2- along the flow path, as well as observations of authigenic pyrite in core samples, provide evidence of SO4 2- reduction. Values of δ13C in groundwater suggest that dissolved inorganic carbon is contributed both by oxidation of sedimentary organic matter and calcite dissolution. Inverse modeling identified multiple plausible sets of reactions between sampled wells, which typically involved cation exchange, pyrite precipitation, CH2O oxidation, and dissolution of amorphous Fe(OH)3, calcite, or siderite. These reactions are consistent with processes identified in previous studies of Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifers. Contrasts in groundwater chemistry between the Wilcox and the underlying McNairy and overlying Claiborne aquifers indicate that confining units are relatively effective in limiting cross-formational flow, but localized cross-formational mixing could occur via fault zones. Consequently, increased pumping in the vicinity of fault zones could facilitate upward movement of saline water into the Wilcox.

Contemporary Deformation within the Snake River Plain and Northern Basin and Range Province, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, S. J.; McCaffrey, R.; King, R. W.

2007-05-01

GPS velocities, earthquakes, faults, and volcanic features are used to evaluate contemporary deformation within the Snake River Plain (SRP) and surrounding northern Basin and Range Province. The SRP is a prominent low- relief physiographic feature that extends from eastern Oregon through southern Idaho and into northwestern Wyoming, USA. The Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) is a 400-km long, NE-trending volcanic province that is characterized by bimodal volcanism, which represents the track of the Yellowstone Hotspot currently located in Wyoming. The Western Snake River Plain (WSRP) is a 300-km long, NW-trending graben that extends into eastern Oregon. The WSRP is an extensional basin that formed adjacent to an earlier position of the Yellowstone Hotspot in southern Idaho. Previous geodetic investigations suggest the ESRP and, perhaps the WSRP, have GPS velocities indicative of rigid block motion of the SRP along its physiographic boundaries. GPS data compiled for this study are used to test this hypothesis. Several institutions including the National Geodetic Survey, Idaho National Laboratory, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and University of Utah observed GPS stations from 1994 to 2006 within the SRP and surrounding region. Horizontal velocities show generally consistent N110°W orientations with an average rate of 1.5 ± 0.3 mm/yr (for 11 stations) along most of the ESRP and adjacent northwest Basin and Range, although some Basin and Range velocities are less and may be influenced by post viscoelastic relaxation following the 1983 Mw 6.9 normal-faulting Borah Peak, Idaho earthquake. GPS velocities with an average rate of 1.9 ± 0.3 mm/yr (for 5 stations) change orientation to N95°W at a distance of 190 km from the Yellowstone Hotspot within the southern region of the ESRP and adjacent Basin and Range. Within the WSRP, GPS velocities have an average rate of 2.0 ± 0.5 mm/yr (for 7 stations) and change orientation to N40°W. These GPS velocities are more

Wintering Sandhill Crane exposure to wind energy development in the central and southern Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearse, Aaron T.; Brandt, David; Krapu, Gary

2016-01-01

Numerous wind energy projects have been constructed in the central and southern Great Plains, USA, the main wintering area for midcontinental Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis). In an initial assessment of the potential risks of wind towers to cranes, we estimated spatial overlap, investigated potential avoidance behavior, and determined the habitat associations of cranes. We used data from cranes marked with platform transmitting terminals (PTTs) with and without global positioning system (GPS) capabilities. We estimated the wintering distributions of PTT-marked cranes prior to the construction of wind towers, which we compared with current tower locations. Based on this analysis, we found 7% spatial overlap between the distributions of cranes and towers. When we looked at individually marked cranes, we found that 52% would have occurred within 10 km of a tower at some point during winter. Using data from cranes marked after tower construction, we found a potential indication of avoidance behavior, whereby GPS-marked cranes generally used areas slightly more distant from existing wind towers than would be expected by chance. Results from a habitat selection model suggested that distances between crane locations and towers may have been driven more by habitat selection than by avoidance, as most wind towers were constructed in locations not often selected by wintering cranes. Our findings of modest regional overlap and that few towers have been placed in preferred crane habitat suggest that the current distribution of wind towers may be of low risk to the continued persistence of wintering midcontinental Sandhill Cranes in the central and southern Great Plains.

Flood plain and channel dynamics of the Quinault and Queets Rivers, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Connor, J. E.; Jones, M.A.; Haluska, T.L.

2003-01-01

Observations from this study and previous studies on the Queets River show that channel and flood-plain dynamics and morphology are affected by interactions between flow, sediment, and standing and entrained wood, some of which likely involve time frames similar to 200–500-year flood-plain half-lives. On the upper Quinault River and Queets River, log jams promote bar growth and consequent channel shifting, short-distance avulsions, and meander cutoffs, resulting in mobile and wide active channels. On the lower Quinault River, large portions of the channel are stable and flow within vegetated flood plains. However, locally, channel-spanning log jams have caused channel avulsions within reaches that have been subsequently mobile for several decades. In all three reaches, log jams appear to be areas of conifer germination and growth that may later further influence channel and flood-plain conditions on long time scales by forming flood-plain areas resistant to channel migration and by providing key members of future log jams. Appreciation of these processes and dynamics and associated temporal and spatial scales is necessary to formulate effective long-term approaches to managing fluvial ecosystems in forested environments.

Saturated thickness of the High Plains regional aquifer in 1980, northwestern Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Havens, John S.

1982-01-01

During 1978, the U.S. Geological Survey began a 5-year study of the High Plains regional aquifer system to provide hydrologic information for evaluation of the effects of long-term development of the aquifer and to develop computer models for prediction of aquifer response to alternative changes in ground-water management (Weeks, 1978). This report is one of a series presenting hydrologic information of the High Plains aquifer in Oklahoma. The 1980 saturated thickness of the High Plains regional aquifer in Oklahoma is shown for the eastern area (plate 1), consisting of Harper, Ellis, Woodward, Dewey, and Roger Mills Counties, and for the Panhandle area (plate 2), consisting of Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver Counties.

A New Boundary for the High Plains - Ogallala Aquifer Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haacker, E. M.; Nozari, S.; Kendall, A. D.

2017-12-01

In the semi-arid Great Plains, water is the key ingredient for crop growth: the difference between meager yields for many crops and an agricultural bonanza. The High Plains-Ogallala Aquifer complex (HPA) underlies 452,000 square kilometers of the region, and over 95% of water withdrawn from the aquifer is used for irrigation. Much of the HPA is being pumped unsustainably, and since the region is heavily reliant on this resource for its social and economic health, the High Plains has been a leader in groundwater management planning. However, the geographic boundary of the High Plains region fails to reflect the hydrogeological realities of the aquifer. The current boundary, recognizable from countless textbooks and news articles, is only slightly modified from a version from the 1980's, and largely follows the physiographic borders of the High Plains - defined by surface features such as escarpments and rivers - rather than the edges of water-bearing sediment sufficient for high-volume pumping. This is supported by three lines of evidence: hydrogeological observations from the original aquifer boundary determination; the extent of irrigated land, as estimated by MODIS-MIrAD data; and statistical estimates of saturated thickness, incorporating improved maps of the aquifer base and an additional 35 years of water table measurements. In this project, new maps of saturated thickness are used to create an updated aquifer boundary, which conforms with the standard definition of an aquifer as a package of sediment that yields enough water to be economically pumped. This has major implications for social and physical models, as well as water planning and estimates of sustainability for the HPA. Much of the area of the HPA that has been labeled `sustainable' based upon estimates of recharge relative to pumping estimates falls outside the updated aquifer boundary. In reality, the sustainably-pumped area of this updated aquifer boundary is far smaller—a fact that if more

SDI increases water use efficiency of grain crops in the Southern High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the semi-arid Southern High Plains, nearly all irrigation water is derived from the declining High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer. As well capacities likewise decline, one tactic for continued irrigation is to install subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems with zones sized to accommodate the limited...

Loess record of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition on the northern and central Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mason, J.A.; Miao, X.; Hanson, P.R.; Johnson, W.C.; Jacobs, P.M.; Goble, R.J.

2008-01-01

Various lines of evidence support conflicting interpretations of the timing, abruptness, and nature of climate change in the Great Plains during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Loess deposits and paleosols on both the central and northern Great Plains provide a valuable record that can help address these issues. A synthesis of new and previously reported optical and radiocarbon ages indicates that the Brady Soil, which marks the boundary between late Pleistocene Peoria Loess and Holocene Bignell Loess, began forming after a reduction in the rate of Peoria Loess accumulation that most likely occurred between 13.5 and 15 cal ka. Brady Soil formation spanned all or part of the B??lling-Aller??d episode (approximately 14.7-12.9 cal ka) and all of the Younger Dryas episode (12.9-11.5 cal ka) and extended at least 1000 years beyond the end of the Younger Dryas. The Brady Soil was buried by Bignell Loess sedimentation beginning around 10.5-9 cal ka, and continuing episodically through the Holocene. Evidence for a brief increase in loess influx during the Younger Dryas is noteworthy but very limited. Most late Quaternary loess accumulation in the central Great Plains was nonglacigenic and was under relatively direct climatic control. Thus, Brady Soil formation records climatic conditions that minimized eolian activity and allowed effective pedogenesis, probably through relatively high effective moisture. Optical dating of loess in North Dakota supports correlation of the Leonard Paleosol on the northern Great Plains with the Brady Soil. Thick loess in North Dakota was primarily derived from the Missouri River floodplain; thus, its stratigraphy may in part reflect glacial influence on the Missouri River. Nonetheless, the persistence of minimal loess accumulation and soil formation until 10 cal ka at our North Dakota study site is best explained by a prolonged interval of high effective moisture correlative with the conditions that favored Brady Soil formation. Burial

Comparative assessment of herbicide and fungicide runoff risk: a case study for peanut production in the Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain (USA).

PubMed

Potter, Thomas L; Bosch, David D; Strickland, Timothy C

2014-08-15

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is produced intensively in the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain of the eastern USA. To effectively protect the region's water quality data are needed which quantify runoff of pesticides used to protect these crops. Fungicides are used intensively yet there is little published data which describe their potential for loss in surface runoff. This study compared runoff of a fungicide, tebuconazole (α-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]-α-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol), and an herbicide, metolachlor (2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide) from 0.2 ha fields in strip (ST), a commonly used conservation-tillage practice, and conventional tillage (CT) near Tifton, GA (USA). Following their first application, metolachlor and tebuconazole were detected at high frequency in runoff. Concentrations and their annual losses increased with application frequency and runoff event timing and frequency with respect to applications, and when fields were positioned at the top of the slope and CT was practiced. Runoff one day after treatment (DAT) contributed to high tebuconazole runoff loss, up to 9.8% of the amount applied on an annual basis. In all cases, metolachlor loss was more than 10 times less even though total application was 45% higher. This was linked to the fact that the one metolachlor application to each crop was in May, one of the region's driest months. In sum, studies showed that fungicide runoff rates may be relatively high and emphasize the need to focus on these products in future studies on peanut and other crops. The study also showed that peanut farmers should be encouraged to use conservation tillage practices like ST which can substantially reduce pesticide runoff. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Spatial Distribution and Morphology of Sediments in Texas Southern High Plains Playa Wetlands

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Playas are depressional geomorphic features on the U.S. High Plains and about 20,000 Southern High Plains playa wetlands serve as runoff catchment basins, which are thought to be focal points of Ogallala aquifer recharge. Sediments in playas can alter biodiversity services, impede aquifer recharge,...

Groundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Faunt, Claudia; Longuevergne, Laurent; Reedy, Robert C.; Alley, William M.; McGuire, Virginia L.; McMahon, Peter B.

2012-01-01

Aquifer overexploitation could significantly impact crop production in the United States because 60% of irrigation relies on groundwater. Groundwater depletion in the irrigated High Plains and California Central Valley accounts for ∼50% of groundwater depletion in the United States since 1900. A newly developed High Plains recharge map shows that high recharge in the northern High Plains results in sustainable pumpage, whereas lower recharge in the central and southern High Plains has resulted in focused depletion of 330 km3 of fossil groundwater, mostly recharged during the past 13,000 y. Depletion is highly localized with about a third of depletion occurring in 4% of the High Plains land area. Extrapolation of the current depletion rate suggests that 35% of the southern High Plains will be unable to support irrigation within the next 30 y. Reducing irrigation withdrawals could extend the lifespan of the aquifer but would not result in sustainable management of this fossil groundwater. The Central Valley is a more dynamic, engineered system, with north/south diversions of surface water since the 1950s contributing to ∼7× higher recharge. However, these diversions are regulated because of impacts on endangered species. A newly developed Central Valley Hydrologic Model shows that groundwater depletion since the 1960s, totaling 80 km3, occurs mostly in the south (Tulare Basin) and primarily during droughts. Increasing water storage through artificial recharge of excess surface water in aquifers by up to 3 km3 shows promise for coping with droughts and improving sustainability of groundwater resources in the Central Valley.

Groundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Faunt, Claudia C.; Longuevergne, Laurent; Reedy, Robert C.; Alley, William M.; McGuire, Virginia L.; McMahon, Peter B.

2012-01-01

Aquifer overexploitation could significantly impact crop production in the United States because 60% of irrigation relies on groundwater. Groundwater depletion in the irrigated High Plains and California Central Valley accounts for ~50% of groundwater depletion in the United States since 1900. A newly developed High Plains recharge map shows that high recharge in the northern High Plains results in sustainable pumpage, whereas lower recharge in the central and southern High Plains has resulted in focused depletion of 330 km3 of fossil groundwater, mostly recharged during the past 13,000 y. Depletion is highly localized with about a third of depletion occurring in 4% of the High Plains land area. Extrapolation of the current depletion rate suggests that 35% of the southern High Plains will be unable to support irrigation within the next 30 y. Reducing irrigation withdrawals could extend the lifespan of the aquifer but would not result in sustainable management of this fossil groundwater. The Central Valley is a more dynamic, engineered system, with north/south diversions of surface water since the 1950s contributing to ~7× higher recharge. However, these diversions are regulated because of impacts on endangered species. A newly developed Central Valley Hydrologic Model shows that groundwater depletion since the 1960s, totaling 80 km3, occurs mostly in the south (Tulare Basin) and primarily during droughts. Increasing water storage through artificial recharge of excess surface water in aquifers by up to 3 km3 shows promise for coping with droughts and improving sustainability of groundwater resources in the Central Valley.

Groundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley

PubMed Central

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Faunt, Claudia C.; Longuevergne, Laurent; Reedy, Robert C.; Alley, William M.; McGuire, Virginia L.; McMahon, Peter B.

2012-01-01

Aquifer overexploitation could significantly impact crop production in the United States because 60% of irrigation relies on groundwater. Groundwater depletion in the irrigated High Plains and California Central Valley accounts for ∼50% of groundwater depletion in the United States since 1900. A newly developed High Plains recharge map shows that high recharge in the northern High Plains results in sustainable pumpage, whereas lower recharge in the central and southern High Plains has resulted in focused depletion of 330 km3 of fossil groundwater, mostly recharged during the past 13,000 y. Depletion is highly localized with about a third of depletion occurring in 4% of the High Plains land area. Extrapolation of the current depletion rate suggests that 35% of the southern High Plains will be unable to support irrigation within the next 30 y. Reducing irrigation withdrawals could extend the lifespan of the aquifer but would not result in sustainable management of this fossil groundwater. The Central Valley is a more dynamic, engineered system, with north/south diversions of surface water since the 1950s contributing to ∼7× higher recharge. However, these diversions are regulated because of impacts on endangered species. A newly developed Central Valley Hydrologic Model shows that groundwater depletion since the 1960s, totaling 80 km3, occurs mostly in the south (Tulare Basin) and primarily during droughts. Increasing water storage through artificial recharge of excess surface water in aquifers by up to 3 km3 shows promise for coping with droughts and improving sustainability of groundwater resources in the Central Valley. PMID:22645352

27 CFR 9.144 - Texas High Plains.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...” 1954, revised 1975. (6) “Big Spring, Texas” 1954, revised 1975. (c) Boundary. The Texas High Plains...; (2) The boundary follows U.S. Route 180 east through Seminole, Texas and onto the Big Spring, Texas... the U.S.G.S. maps of Big Spring and Lubbock, Texas; (4) The boundary continues along the 3,000 foot...

27 CFR 9.144 - Texas High Plains.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...” 1954, revised 1975. (6) “Big Spring, Texas” 1954, revised 1975. (c) Boundary. The Texas High Plains...; (2) The boundary follows U.S. Route 180 east through Seminole, Texas and onto the Big Spring, Texas... the U.S.G.S. maps of Big Spring and Lubbock, Texas; (4) The boundary continues along the 3,000 foot...

27 CFR 9.144 - Texas High Plains.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...” 1954, revised 1975. (6) “Big Spring, Texas” 1954, revised 1975. (c) Boundary. The Texas High Plains...; (2) The boundary follows U.S. Route 180 east through Seminole, Texas and onto the Big Spring, Texas... the U.S.G.S. maps of Big Spring and Lubbock, Texas; (4) The boundary continues along the 3,000 foot...

27 CFR 9.144 - Texas High Plains.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...” 1954, revised 1975. (6) “Big Spring, Texas” 1954, revised 1975. (c) Boundary. The Texas High Plains...; (2) The boundary follows U.S. Route 180 east through Seminole, Texas and onto the Big Spring, Texas... the U.S.G.S. maps of Big Spring and Lubbock, Texas; (4) The boundary continues along the 3,000 foot...

27 CFR 9.144 - Texas High Plains.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...” 1954, revised 1975. (6) “Big Spring, Texas” 1954, revised 1975. (c) Boundary. The Texas High Plains...; (2) The boundary follows U.S. Route 180 east through Seminole, Texas and onto the Big Spring, Texas... the U.S.G.S. maps of Big Spring and Lubbock, Texas; (4) The boundary continues along the 3,000 foot...

The future of irrigation on the High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The future of irrigation on the U.S. High Plains was examined through the lens of past changes in water supply and innovations in irrigation technology, management and agronomy. The innovations have greatly increased the efficiency of water application and use, and the agricultural productivity of t...

Changes in water levels and storage in the High Plains Aquifer, predevelopment to 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, V.L.

2011-01-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States - Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The area overlying the High Plains aquifer is one of the primary agricultural regions in the Nation. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the onset of substantial irrigation with groundwater from the aquifer (about 1950 and termed "predevelopment" in this fact sheet). By 1980, water levels in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas had declined more than 100 feet (ft) (Luckey and others, 1981). In 1987, in response to declining water levels, Congress directed the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with numerous Federal, State, and local water-resources entities, to assess and track water-level changes in the aquifer. This fact sheet summarizes changes in water levels and drainable water in storage in the High Plains aquifer from predevelopment to 2009. Drainable water in storage is the fraction of water in the aquifer that will drain by gravity and can be withdrawn by wells. The remaining water in the aquifer is held to the aquifer material by capillary forces and generally cannot be withdrawn by wells. Drainable water in storage is termed "water in storage" in this report. A companion USGS report presents more detailed and technical information about water-level and storage changes in the High Plains aquifer during this period (McGuire, 2011).

Geodatabase compilation of hydrogeologic, remote sensing, and water-budget-component data for the High Plains aquifer, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Houston, Natalie A.; Gonzales-Bradford, Sophia L.; Flynn, Amanda T.; Qi, Sharon L.; Peterson, Steven M.; Stanton, Jennifer S.; Ryter, Derek W.; Sohl, Terry L.; Senay, Gabriel B.

2013-01-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies almost 112 million acres in the central United States. It is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation in terms of annual groundwater withdrawals and provides drinking water for 2.3 million people. The High Plains aquifer has gained national and international attention as a highly stressed groundwater supply primarily because it has been appreciably depleted in some areas. The U.S. Geological Survey has an active program to monitor the changes in groundwater levels for the High Plains aquifer and has documented substantial water-level changes since predevelopment: the High Plains Groundwater Availability Study is part of a series of regional groundwater availability studies conducted to evaluate the availability and sustainability of major aquifers across the Nation. The goals of the regional groundwater studies are to quantify current groundwater resources in an aquifer system, evaluate how these resources have changed over time, and provide tools to better understand a systems response to future demands and environmental stresses. The purpose of this report is to present selected data developed and synthesized for the High Plains aquifer as part of the High Plains Groundwater Availability Study. The High Plains Groundwater Availability Study includes the development of a water-budget-component analysis for the High Plains completed in 2011 and development of a groundwater-flow model for the northern High Plains aquifer. Both of these tasks require large amounts of data about the High Plains aquifer. Data pertaining to the High Plains aquifer were collected, synthesized, and then organized into digital data containers called geodatabases. There are 8 geodatabases, 1 file geodatabase and 7 personal geodatabases, that have been grouped in three categories: hydrogeologic data, remote sensing data, and water-budget-component data. The hydrogeologic data pertaining to the northern High Plains aquifer is included in three separate

Ginning picker and stripper harvested high plains cotton - update

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Texas High Plains cotton has improved over the last ten years with regard to yield and High Volume Instrument (HVI) fiber quality. Harvesting and ginning practices are needed which preserve fiber quality and maximize return to the producer. The objective of this work is to investigate the influence ...

The distribution and composition of REE-bearing minerals in placers of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bern, Carleton R.; Shah, Anjana K.; Benzel, William M.; Lowers, Heather A.

2016-01-01

Rare earth element (REE) resources are currently of great interest because of their importance as raw materials for high-technology manufacturing. The REE-phosphates monazite (light REE enriched) and xenotime (heavy REE enriched) resist weathering and can accumulate in placer deposits as part of the heavy mineral assemblage. The Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the southeastern United States are known to host heavy mineral deposits with economic concentrations of zircon, ilmenite and rutile. This study provides a perspective on the distribution and composition of REE phosphate minerals in the region. The elemental chemistry and mineralogy of sands and associated heavy-mineral assemblages from new and archived sediment samples across the coastal plains are examined, along with phase-specific compositions of monazite, xenotime and zircon. Both monazite and xenotime are present across the coastal plains. The phase-specific compositions allow monazite content to be estimated using La as a geochemical proxy. Similarly, both Y and Yb are geochemical proxies for xenotime, but their additional presence in zircon and monazite require a correction to prevent overestimation of xenotime content. Applying this correction, maps of monazite and xenotime content across the coastal plains were generated using sample coverage from the National Geochemical Database (NGS) and National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE). The NGS and NURE approach of sampling stream sediments in small watersheds links samples to nearby lithologies. The results show an approximately 40 km-wide band of primarily Cretaceous, marine sediments bordering the Piedmont province from North Carolina to Alabama in which monazite and xenotime content are relatively high (up to 4.4 wt. % in < 150 μm bulk sediment). Strong correlations between concentrations of the two phases were found, with estimated monazite:xenotime ratios ranging approximately 6:1 to 12:1 depending upon the dataset analyzed. From a resource

Estimating irrigation water use and withdrawal of ground water on the High Plains, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wray, J.R.

1982-01-01

In four decades following the Dust Bowl days of the 1930's, extensive areas of dry farming and rangeland on the semi-arid U.S. High Plains were transformed into a vast region of irrigated oases, producing meat and grain for much of the world. The agricultural economy has experienced such rapid growth in part because of the availability of ground water and because of development of new irrigation technology to use that water for agriculture. However, more water is being used than is being replaced. To estimate both the volume of water withdrawn and the regional scope of the problem a technique has been developed that combines multispectral data from Earth-orbiting satellite with known pumpage data for the same growing season. The location and extent of irrigated cropland-some with different crops watered at different times-is inventoried using computer-assisted analysis of the data from Landsat. The amount of water used is estimated by multiplying and summing surface area of irrigated agriculture and the average measured pumpage from sampled sites. Published findings to date are cited in the Selected References. All suggest transferability of a promising technology to the study of land transformation processes elsewhere. ?? 1983.

Geochemistry, radiocarbon ages, and paleorecharge conditions along a transect in the central High Plains aquifer, southwestern Kansas, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, P.B.; Böhlke, J.K.; Christenson, S.C.

2004-01-01

Water samples from short-screen monitoring wells installed along a 90-km transect in southwestern Kansas were analyzed for major ions, trace elements, isotopes (H, B, C, N, O, S, Sr), and dissolved gases (He, Ne, N2, Ar, O2, CH4) to evaluate the geochemistry, radiocarbon ages, and paleorecharge conditions in the unconfined central High Plains aquifer. The primary reactions controlling water chemistry were dedolomitization, cation exchange, feldspar weathering, and O2 reduction and denitrification. Radiocarbon ages adjusted for C mass transfers ranged from <2.6 ka (14C) B.P. near the water table to 12.8 ± 0.9 ka (14C) B.P. at the base of the aquifer, indicating the unconfined central High Plains aquifer contained a stratified sequence of ground water spanning Holocene time. A cross-sectional model of steady-state ground-water flow, calibrated using radiocarbon ages, is consistent with recharge rates ranging from 0.8 mm/a in areas overlain by loess to 8 mm/a in areas overlain by dune sand. Paleorecharge temperatures ranged from an average of 15.2 ± 0.7 °C for the most recently recharged waters to 11.6 ± 0.4 °C for the oldest waters. The temperature difference between Early and Late Holocene recharge was estimated to be 2.4 ± 0.7 °C, after taking into account variable recharge elevations. Nitrogen isotope data indicate NO3 in paleorecharge (average concentration=193 μM) was derived from a relatively uniform source such as soil N, whereas NO3 in recent recharge (average concentration=885 μM) contained N from varying proportions of fertilizer, manure, and soil N. Deep water samples contained components of N2 derived from atmospheric, denitrification, and deep natural gas sources. Denitrification rates in the aquifer were slow (5 ± 2× 10−3 μmol N L−1 a−1), indicating this process would require >10 ka to reduce the average NO3 concentration in recent recharge to the Holocene background concentration.

Crustal thickness and composition beneath the High Lava Plains of Eastern Oregon from teleseismic receiver functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eagar, K. C.; Fouch, M. J.; James, D. E.; Carlson, R. W.

2009-12-01

The nature of the crust beneath the High Lava Plains of eastern Oregon is fundamental for understanding the origins of widespread Cenozoic volcanism in the region. Eruptions of flood basalts in the southern Cascadian back arc peaked ~17-15 Ma, and were followed by distributed bimodal volcanism along two perpendicular migrating tracks; the Snake River Plain and the High Lava Plains. The orientations of eruptive centers have led to several competing hypotheses about their cause, including a deep mantle plume, slab retreat and asthenospheric inflow, lithospheric delamination, and lithospheric extension. The goal of this project is to constrain the nature, geometry, and depth of the Moho across the High Lava Plains, which will shed light on questions regarding crustal influence on melt generation and differentiation and the degree of magmatic underplating. In this study, we analyze teleseismic receiver functions from 118 stations of the High Lava Plains temporary broadband array, 34 nearby EarthScope/USArray stations, and 5 other regional broadband stations to determine bulk crustal features of thickness (H) and Vp/Vs ratio (κ). Applying the H-κ stacking method, we search for the best-fitting solution of timing predictions for direct and multiple P-to-S conversions from the Moho interface. Converting Vp/Vs to Poisson ratio, which is dependent primarily upon rock composition, allows for comparison with other direct geological observations. Preliminary results show that the crust of the High Lava Plains is relatively thin (~31 km) with a very sharp gradient to thicker crust (~42 km) at the western edge of the Owyhee Plateau in southwestern Idaho. This gradient is co-located with the western margin of Precambrian North America and is in the vicinity of the Jordan Craters volcanic center. The sharp topography of the Moho might have been a factor in melt migration beneath this area. West of the High Lava Plains, the crust thickens to ~40 km into the Cascade volcanic arc

Buried paleoindian-age landscapes in stream valleys of the central plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mandel, R.D.

2008-01-01

A systematic study of late-Quaternary landscape evolution in the Central Plains documented widespread, deeply buried paleosols that represent Paleoindian-age landscapes in terrace fills of large streams (> 5th order), in alluvial fans, and in draws in areas of western Kansas with a thick loess mantle. Alluvial stratigraphic sections were investigated along a steep bio-climatic gradient extending from the moist-subhumid forest-prairie border of the east-central Plains to the dry-subhumid and semi-arid shortgrass prairie of the west-central Plains. Radiocarbon ages indicate that most large streams were characterized by slow aggradation accompanied by cumulic soil development from ca. 11,500 to 10,000??14C yr B.P. In the valleys of some large streams, such as the Ninnescah and Saline rivers, these processes continued into the early Holocene. The soil-stratigraphic record in the draws of western Kansas indicates slow aggradation punctuated by episodes of landscape stability and pedogenesis beginning as early as ca. 13,300??14C yr B.P. and spanning the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. The development record of alluvial fans in western Kansas is similar to the record in the draws; slow aggradation was punctuated by multiple episodes of soil development between ca. 13,000 and 9000??14C yr B.P. In eastern Kansas and Nebraska, development of alluvial fans was common during the early and middle Holocene, but evidence shows fan development as early as ca. 11,300??14C yr B.P. Buried soils dating between ca. 12,600 and 9000??14C yr B.P. were documented in fans throughout the region. In stream valleys across the Central Plains, rapid alluviation after ca. 9000??14C yr B.P. resulted in deeply buried soils that may harbor Paleoindian cultural deposits. Hence, the paucity of recorded stratified Paleoindian sites in the Central Plains is probably related to poor visibility (i.e., deep burial in alluvial deposits) instead of limited human occupation in the region during the terminal

Does climatic variability influence agricultural land prices under differing uses? The Texas High Plains case

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Texas High Plains faces projections of increasing temperature and declining precipitation in the future on account of its semi-arid climate. This research evaluated the impact of climatic variability on agricultural land prices under different land uses in the Texas High Plains, employing the Ri...

GRACE Hydrological estimates for small basins: Evaluating processing approaches on the High Plains Aquifer, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longuevergne, Laurent; Scanlon, Bridget R.; Wilson, Clark R.

2010-11-01

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites provide observations of water storage variation at regional scales. However, when focusing on a region of interest, limited spatial resolution and noise contamination can cause estimation bias and spatial leakage, problems that are exacerbated as the region of interest approaches the GRACE resolution limit of a few hundred km. Reliable estimates of water storage variations in small basins require compromises between competing needs for noise suppression and spatial resolution. The objective of this study was to quantitatively investigate processing methods and their impacts on bias, leakage, GRACE noise reduction, and estimated total error, allowing solution of the trade-offs. Among the methods tested is a recently developed concentration algorithm called spatiospectral localization, which optimizes the basin shape description, taking into account limited spatial resolution. This method is particularly suited to retrieval of basin-scale water storage variations and is effective for small basins. To increase confidence in derived methods, water storage variations were calculated for both CSR (Center for Space Research) and GRGS (Groupe de Recherche de Géodésie Spatiale) GRACE products, which employ different processing strategies. The processing techniques were tested on the intensively monitored High Plains Aquifer (450,000 km2 area), where application of the appropriate optimal processing method allowed retrieval of water storage variations over a portion of the aquifer as small as ˜200,000 km2.

Vascular flora of saline lakes in the southern high plains of Texas and eastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosen, David J.; Conway, Warren C.; Haukos, David A.; Caskey, Amber D.

2013-01-01

Saline lakes and freshwater playas form the principal surface hydrological feature of the High Plains of the Southern Great Plains. Saline lakes number less than 50 and historically functioned as discharge wetlands with relatively consistent water availability due to the presence of one or more springs. Currently, less than ten saline lakes contain functional springs. A survey of vascular plants at six saline lakes in the Southern High Plains of northwest Texas and one in eastern New Mexico during May and September 2009 resulted in a checklist of 49 species representing 16 families and 40 genera. The four families with the most species were Asteraceae (12), Amaranthaceae (8), Cyperaceae (5), and Poaceae (12). Non-native species (Bromus catharticus, Poa compressa, Polypogon monspeliensis, Sonchus oleraceus, Kochia scoparia, and Tamarix ramosissima) accounted for 10% of the total species recorded. Whereas nearly 350 species of vascular plants have been identified in playas in the Southern High Plains, saline lakes contain a fraction of this species richness. The Southern High Plains saline lake flora is regionally unique, containing taxa not found in playas, with species composition that is more similar to temperate desert wetlands of the Intermountain Region and Gulf Coastal Plain of North America.

Mapping the spatio-temporal evolution of irrigation in the Coastal Plain of Georgia, USA

Treesearch

Marcus D. Williams; Christie M.S. Hawley; Marguerite Madden; J. Marshall Shepherd

2017-01-01

This study maps the spatial and temporal evolution of acres irrigated in the Coastal Plain of Georgia over a 38 year period. The goal of this analysis is to create a time-series of irrigated areas in the Coastal Plain of Georgia at a sub-county level. From 1976 through 2013, Landsat images were obtained and sampled at four year intervals to manually...

Raptor community composition in the Texas Southern High Plains lesser prairie-chicken range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Behney, A.C.; Boal, Clint W.; Whitlaw, Heather A.; Lucia, D.R.

2012-01-01

Predation can be a factor in preventing prey population growth and sustainability when prey populations are small and fragmented, and when predator density is unrelated to the density of the single prey species. We conducted monthly raptor surveys from February 2007 to May 2009 in adjacent areas of the Texas Southern High Plains (USA) that do and do not support lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. During the summer period corresponding to prairie-chicken nesting and brood-rearing, Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni) were the most abundant raptor. During the lekking and overwintering period, the raptor community was diverse, with northern harriers (Circus cyaneus) being the most abundant species. Raptor abundance peaked during the early autumn and was lowest during the spring. Utility poles were a significant predictor of raptor density at survey points and Swainson's hawks and all raptors, pooled, were found in greater densities in non-prairie-chicken habitat dominated by mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). Avian predation risk on prairie-chickens, based on presence and abundance of raptors, appears to be greatest during winter when there is a more abundant and diverse raptor community, and in areas with utility poles.

Occurrence of nitrous oxide in the central High Plains aquifer, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, P.B.; Bruch, B.W.; Becker, M.F.; Pope, L.M.; Dennehy, K.F.

2000-01-01

Nitrogen-enriched groundwater has been proposed as an important anthropogenic source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O), yet few measurements of N2O in large aquifer systems have been made. Concentrations of N2O in water samples collected from the 124 000 km2 central High Plains aquifer in 1999 ranged from < 1 to 940 nM, with a median concentration of 29 nM (n = 123). Eighty percent of the N20 concentrations exceeded the aqueous concentration expected from equilibration with atmospheric N2O. Measurements of N2O, NO3-, and 3H in unsaturated-zone sediments, recently recharged groundwater, and older groundwater indicate that concentrations of N2O in groundwater increased over time and will likely continue to increase in the future as N-enriched water recharges the aquifer. Large concentrations of O2 and NO3- and small concentrations of NH4+ and dissolved organic carbon in the aquifer indicate that N2O in the central High Plains aquifer was produced primarily by nitrification. Calculations indicate that the flux of N2O from the central High Plains aquifer to the atmosphere from well pumping and groundwater discharge to streams was not a significant source of atmospheric N2O.Nitrogen-enriched groundwater has been proposed as an important anthropogenic source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O), yet few measurements of N2O in large aquifer systems have been made. Concentrations of N2O in water samples collected from the 124000 km2 central High Plains aquifer in 1999 ranged from < 1 to 940 nM, with a median concentration of 29 nM (n = 123). Eighty percent of the N2O concentrations exceeded the aqueous concentration expected from equilibration with atmospheric N2O. Measurements of N2O, NO3-, and 3H in unsaturated-zone sediments, recently recharged groundwater, and older groundwater indicate that concentrations of N2O in groundwater increased over time and will likely continue to increase in the future as N-enriched water recharges the aquifer. Large concentrations of O2 and

Geohydrology of the High Plains Aquifer, western Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stullken, L.E.; Watts, Kenneth R.; Lindgren, R.J.

1985-01-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies 174,050 sq mi of eight states (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming) and contains approximately 3.3 billion acre-ft of water in storage. Saturated thicknesses within the aquifer are as great as 600 ft near the southern border of southwest Kansas. The aquifer is replenished primarily by infiltration from precipitation. Average precipitation at the Garden City Experiment Station is 18.93 in/yr. Groundwater flow is generally from west to east under unconfined conditions. Hydraulic connection with subcropping consolidated aquifers allows ground water to flow vertically in minor quantities. The aquifer is depleted primarily by irrigation. Hydraulic conductivity estimates from 1,612 lithologic logs had an average value of 75 ft/day, with a standard deviation of 35 ft/day. Specific yields estimated from the same lithologic logs had a mean of 0.17 and a standard deviation of 0.047. Water from the High Plains aquifer in Kansas generally is suitable for human and animal consumption and irrigation of crops. Typically, it is a calcium bicarbonate type water, with concentrations of total dissolved solids ranging from 250 to 500 mg/L. The quality of water in the aquifer deteriorates toward the east due to mixing with recharge water containing dissolved minerals leached from the overlying soil and unsaturated zones and mineralized water from adjacent bedrock units. The simulated water budget for the steady state model of predevelopment (pre-1950) conditions in the High Plains aquifer in northwest Kansas showed that annual recharge to the aquifer from infiltration of precipitation was 87,000 acre-ft/yr and from boundary inflow, 21,000 acre-ft/yr. Annual discharge from the aquifer was 108,000 acre-ft/yr, including 81,000 acre-ft/yr from leakage to streams, 23,000 acre-ft from outflow at the boundaries of the aquifer, and 4,000 acre-ft from municipal and industrial pumpage. (Lantz-PTT)

ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK FOR MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN STREAMS USING BENTHIC MACRO INVERTEBRATES

EPA Science Inventory

A collaborative study among 6 states along the mid-Atlantic seaboard of the USA developed a consistent approach for collecting and interpreting macroinvertebrate data for low-gradient streams of the coastal plain. The study had 3 objectives: 1) to evaluate the validity of aggrega...

Effect of harvesting method on fiber and yarn quality from irrigated cotton on the High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In recent years, Texas cotton production has represented almost half of all the US cotton production, with most of that production coming from the High Plains. Due to the harsh weather conditions, most cotton on the High Plains is of more storm-proof varieties that are harvested using stripper harve...

Land and Land-use Change in the Climate Sensitive High Plains: An Automated Approach with Landsat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goetz, Alexander F.; Williams, D. L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The High Plains is an economically important and climatologically sensitive region of the United States and Canada. The High Plains contain 100,000 sq km of Holocene sand dunes and sand sheets that are currently stabilized by natural vegetation. Droughts and the larger threat of global warming are climate phenomena that could cause depletion of natural vegetation and make this region susceptible to sand dune reactivation. The original proposal was directed toward the use of Landsat TM data to establish the state and ongoing changes of the surface in the 1.2 million sq. km, semi-arid High Plains region of the central US, A key objective was to develop a model to predict the reactivation of the 100,000 sq. km of Holocene dunes found on the High Plains during an extended drought. At least one Landsat 5 image per year for 1985, 1988 and 1996 was obtained for 32 scenes on the High Plains to coincide with wet and dry years. Additional Landsat 7 data were acquired for 1999 and 2000 primarily for Colorado and Nebraska. As luck would have it, there was no severe drought during the study period 1985-2000. Attention was focused on developing methods for mapping dry vs. green vegetation on sparsely vegetated rangelands in sandy soils, since these were the areas most susceptible to surface reactivation during a drought.

A reconnaissance study of the effect of irrigated agriculture on water quality in the Ogallala Formation, Central High Plains Aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, Peter B.

2000-01-01

In 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program began a regional study of water quality in the High Plains aquifer. The High Plains aquifer underlies an area of about 174,000 square miles in parts of eight States. Because of its large size, the High Plains aquifer has been divided into three regions: the Southern High Plains, Central High Plains, and Northern High Plains. Although an assessment of water quality in each of the three regions is planned, the initial focus will be the Central High Plains aquifer. Anyone who has flown over the Central High Plains in the summer and has seen the large green circles associated with center pivot sprinklers knows that irrigated agriculture is a widespread land use. Pesticides and fertilizers applied on those irrigated fields will not degrade ground-water quality if they remain in or above the root zone. However, if those chemicals move downward through the unsaturated zone to the water table, they may degrade the quality of the ground water. Water is the principal agent for transporting chemicals from land surface to the water table, and in the semiarid Central High Plains, irrigation often represents the most abundant source of water during the growing season. One objective of NAWQA's High Plains Regional Ground-Water study is to evaluate the effect of irrigated agriculture on the quality of recently recharged water in the Ogallala Formation of the Central High Plains aquifer. The Ogallala Formation is the principal geologic unit in the Central High Plains aquifer, and it consists of poorly sorted clay, silt, sand, and gravel that generally is unconsolidated (Gutentag and others, 1984). Approximately 23 percent of the cropland overlying the Ogallala Formation is irrigated (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1999). The NAWQA Program generally defines recently recharged ground water to be water recharged in the last 50 years. The water table in the Ogallala Formation is separated from

Late Pleistocene dune activity in the central Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mason, J.A.; Swinehart, J.B.; Hanson, P.R.; Loope, D.B.; Goble, R.J.; Miao, X.; Schmeisser, R.L.

2011-01-01

Stabilized dunes of the central Great Plains, especially the megabarchans and large barchanoid ridges of the Nebraska Sand Hills, provide dramatic evidence of late Quaternary environmental change. Episodic Holocene dune activity in this region is now well-documented, but Late Pleistocene dune mobility has remained poorly documented, despite early interpretations of the Sand Hills dunes as Pleistocene relicts. New optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from drill cores and outcrops provide evidence of Late Pleistocene dune activity at sites distributed across the central Great Plains. In addition, Late Pleistocene eolian sands deposited at 20-25 ka are interbedded with loess south of the Sand Hills. Several of the large dunes sampled in the Sand Hills clearly contain a substantial core of Late Pleistocene sand; thus, they had developed by the Late Pleistocene and were fully mobile at that time, although substantial sand deposition and extensive longitudinal dune construction occurred during the Holocene. Many of the Late Pleistocene OSL ages fall between 17 and 14 ka, but it is likely that these ages represent only the later part of a longer period of dune construction and migration. At several sites, significant Late Pleistocene or Holocene large-dune migration also probably occurred after the time represented by the Pleistocene OSL ages. Sedimentary structures in Late Pleistocene eolian sand and the forms of large dunes potentially constructed in the Late Pleistocene both indicate sand transport dominated by northerly to westerly winds, consistent with Late Pleistocene loess transport directions. Numerical modeling of the climate of the Last Glacial Maximum has often yielded mean monthly surface winds southwest of the Laurentide Ice Sheet that are consistent with this geologic evidence, despite strengthened anticyclonic circulation over the ice sheet. Mobility of large dunes during the Late Pleistocene on the central Great Plains may have been the result of

Use of NMR logging to obtain estimates of hydraulic conductivity in the High Plains aquifer, Nebraska, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dlubac, Katherine; Knight, Rosemary; Song, Yi-Qiao; Bachman, Nate; Grau, Ben; Cannia, Jim; Williams, John

2013-01-01

Hydraulic conductivity (K) is one of the most important parameters of interest in groundwater applications because it quantifies the ease with which water can flow through an aquifer material. Hydraulic conductivity is typically measured by conducting aquifer tests or wellbore flow (WBF) logging. Of interest in our research is the use of proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging to obtain information about water-filled porosity and pore space geometry, the combination of which can be used to estimate K. In this study, we acquired a suite of advanced geophysical logs, aquifer tests, WBF logs, and sidewall cores at the field site in Lexington, Nebraska, which is underlain by the High Plains aquifer. We first used two empirical equations developed for petroleum applications to predict K from NMR logging data: the Schlumberger Doll Research equation (KSDR) and the Timur-Coates equation (KT-C), with the standard empirical constants determined for consolidated materials. We upscaled our NMR-derived K estimates to the scale of the WBF-logging K(KWBF-logging) estimates for comparison. All the upscaled KT-C estimates were within an order of magnitude of KWBF-logging and all of the upscaled KSDR estimates were within 2 orders of magnitude of KWBF-logging. We optimized the fit between the upscaled NMR-derived K and KWBF-logging estimates to determine a set of site-specific empirical constants for the unconsolidated materials at our field site. We conclude that reliable estimates of K can be obtained from NMR logging data, thus providing an alternate method for obtaining estimates of K at high levels of vertical resolution.

Dynamics of cultural transmission in Native Americans of the high Great Plains.

PubMed

Lycett, Stephen J

2014-01-01

Culture is a phenomenon shared by all humans. Attempts to understand how dynamic factors affect the origin and distribution of cultural elements are, therefore, of interest to all humanity. As case studies go, understanding the distribution of cultural elements in Native American communities during the historical period of the Great Plains would seem a most challenging one. Famously, there is a mixture of powerful internal and external factors, creating-for a relatively brief period in time-a seemingly distinctive set of shared elements from a linguistically diverse set of peoples. This is known across the world as the "Great Plains culture." Here, quantitative analyses show how different processes operated on two sets of cultural traits among nine High Plains groups. Moccasin decorations exhibit a pattern consistent with geographically-mediated between-group interaction. However, group variations in the religious ceremony of the Sun Dance also reveal evidence of purifying cultural selection associated with historical biases, dividing down ancient linguistic lines. The latter shows that while the conglomeration of "Plains culture" may have been a product of merging new ideas with old, combined with cultural interchange between groups, the details of what was accepted, rejected or elaborated in each case reflected preexisting ideological biases. Although culture may sometimes be a "melting pot," the analyses show that even in highly fluid situations, cultural mosaics may be indirectly shaped by historical factors that are not always obvious.

Finger millet: An alternative crop for the Southern High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the Southern High Plains, dairies are expanding to take advantage of favorable climatic conditions. Currently, corn (Zea mays L.) and forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] are the two major crops grown in the region to meet silage demands for the expanding dairy industry, but they have rel...

Altitude and configuration of the 1980 water table in the High Plains regional aquifer, northwestern Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Havens, John S.

1982-01-01

The High Plains aquifer in Oklahoma is part of a regional aquifer system extending from South Dakota on the north through Wyoming, Colorado Nebraska Kansas, and Oklahoma to Texas and New Mexico on the south (index map) . The principal aquifer, the Ogallala Formation of Tertiary age, is hydraulically connected with other unconsolidated . deposits, principally of Quaternary age . Alluvium and terrace deposits in hydrologic continuity with the Qgallala are included in the High Plains aquifer in Oklahoma. Parts of the underlying bedrock also are hydraulically connected with the Ogallala. The High Plains aquifer in Oklahoma has been eroded on the west, exposing underlying rocks of Cretaceous age, and on the east, exposing rocks of Permian age.During 1978, the U.S. Geological Survey began a 5-year study of the High Plains regional aquifer system to provide hydrologic information for evaluation of the effects of long-term development of the aquifer and to develop computer models for prediction of aquifer response to alternative changes in ground-water management (Weeks, 1978). This report is one of a series presenting hydrologic information of the High Plains aquifer in Oklahoma. The altitude and configuration of the water table are shown for the eastern area, consisting of Harper, Ellis, Woodward, Dewey, and Roger Mills Counties (sheet 1), and for the Panhandle area, consisting of Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver Counties (sheet 2). Water levels were measured in January, February, and March 1980 by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

Generalized potentiometric surface, estimated depth to water, and estimated saturated thickness of the High Plains aquifer system, March–June 2009, Laramie County, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartos, Timothy T.; Hallberg, Laura L.

2011-01-01

The High Plains aquifer system, commonly called the High Plains aquifer in many publications, is a nationally important water resource that underlies a 111-million-acre area (173,000 square miles) in parts of eight States including Wyoming. Through irrigation of crops with groundwater from the High Plains aquifer system, the area that overlies the aquifer system has become one of the major agricultural regions in the world. In addition, the aquifer system also serves as the primary source of drinking water for most residents of the region. The High Plains aquifer system is one of the largest aquifers or aquifer systems in the world. The High Plains aquifer system underlies an area of 8,190 square miles in southeastern Wyoming. Including Laramie County, the High Plains aquifer system is present in parts of five counties in southeastern Wyoming. The High Plains aquifer system underlies 8 percent of Wyoming, and 5 percent of the aquifer system is located within the State. Based on withdrawals for irrigation, public supply, and industrial use in 2000, the High Plains aquifer system is the most utilized source of groundwater in Wyoming. With the exception of the Laramie Mountains in western Laramie County, the High Plains aquifer system is present throughout Laramie County. In Laramie County, the High Plains aquifer system is the predominant groundwater resource for agricultural (irrigation), municipal, industrial, and domestic uses. Withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation (primarily in the eastern part of the county) is the largest use of water from the High Plains aquifer system in Laramie County and southeastern Wyoming. Continued interest in groundwater levels in the High Plains aquifer system in Laramie County prompted a study by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Wyoming State Engineer's Office to update the potentiometric-surface map of the aquifer system in Laramie County. Groundwater levels were measured in wells completed in the High Plains

Ammonia losses from a southern high plains dairy during summer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Animal agriculture is a significant source of ammonia (NH3). Cattle excrete a large amount of nitrogen (N); most urinary N is converted to NH3, volatilized and lost to the atmosphere. Open lot dairies on the southern High Plains are a growing industry and face environmental challenges including repo...

Changing hydrology under a changing climate for a Coastal Plain Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Analysis of climate data from the Little River Experimental Watershed near Tifton, Georgia, in the South Atlantic Coastal Plain of the U.S.A. indicate air temperatures will increase (0.15 to 0.41°C decade-1) along with a slight increase in total annual precipitation in the 21st century. The greates...

Spatial interpolation of daily reference evapotranspiration in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (ET) Network collects meteorological data from 18 grass reference weather stations at hourly intervals and estimates hourly and daily reference ET using the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Standardized Reference ET equation. Producers in the Texas ...

Spatial interpolation of daily evapotranspiration data in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (ET) Network collects meteorological data from grass-referenced weather stations at hourly intervals and estimates hourly and daily reference ET using the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Standardized Reference ET equation. Producers in the Texas Hi...

Prairie dogs as ecosystem regulators on the northern High Plains

Treesearch

Daniel W. Uresk; Ardell J. Bjugstad

1983-01-01

The increase in prairie dog populations on the northern High Plains has emphasized the need for additional information on cattle-prairie dog forage relationships. To obtain information on cattle-prairie dog forage relationships, 4 treatments were evaluated over 4 growing seasons. These treatments were: 1) no grazing (prairie dogs eliminated and cattle excluded), 2)...

Changes in Water Levels and Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, V.L.

2007-01-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.4 million acres (174,000 square miles) in parts of eight States-Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The area overlying the High Plains aquifer is one of the major agricultural regions in the world. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of extensive ground-water irrigation. By 1980, water levels in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas had declined more than 100 feet (Luckey and others, 1981). In response to these water-level declines, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with numerous Federal, State, and local water-resources agencies, began monitoring more than 7,000 wells in 1988 to assess annual water-level change in the aquifer. A report by the USGS, 'Water-Level Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2005 and 2003 to 2005' (McGuire, 2007), shows the areas of substantial water-level changes in the aquifer from the time prior to substantial ground-water irrigation development (predevelopment or about 1950) to 2005 (fig. 1). In parts of the area, farmers began using ground water for irrigation extensively in the 1930s and 1940s. Estimated irrigated acreage in the area overlying the High Plains aquifer increased rapidly from 1940 to 1980 and changed slightly from 1980 to 2002: 1949-2.1 million acres, 1980-13.7 million acres, 1997-13.9 million acres, 2002-12.7 million acres. Irrigated acres in 2002 were 12 percent of the aquifer area, not including the areas with little or no saturated thickness (McGuire, 2007). Ground-water withdrawals for irrigation and other uses are compiled and reported by the USGS and agencies in each State about every 5 years. Ground-water withdrawals from the High Plains aquifer for irrigation increased from 4 to 19 million acre-feet from 1949 to 1974. Ground-water withdrawals for irrigation in 1980, 1985, 1990, and 1995 were from 4 to 18

Location of irrigated land classified from satellite imagery - High Plains Area, nominal date 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qi, Sharon L.; Konduris, Alexandria; Litke, David W.; Dupree, Jean

2002-01-01

Satellite imagery from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (nominal date 1992) was used to classify and map the location of irrigated land overlying the High Plains aquifer. The High Plains aquifer underlies 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a water-quality study of the High Plains aquifer as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. To help interpret data and select sites for the study, it is helpful to know the location of irrigated land within the study area. To date, the only information available for the entire area is 20 years old. To update the data on irrigated land, 40 summer and 40 spring images (nominal date 1992) were acquired from the National Land Cover Data set and processed using a band-ratio method (Landsat Thematic Mapper band 4 divided by band 3) to enhance the vegetation signatures. The study area was divided into nine subregions with similar environmental characteristics, and a band-ratio threshold was selected from imagery in each subregion that differentiated the cutoff between irrigated and nonirrigated land. The classified images for each subregion were mosaicked to produce an irrigated-land map for the study area. The total amount of irrigated land classified from the 1992 imagery was 13.1 million acres, or about 12 percent of the total land in the High Plains. This estimate is approximately 1.5 percent greater than the amount of irrigated land reported in the 1992 Census of Agriculture (12.8 millions acres).

Crop phenology and LANDSAT-based irrigated lands inventory in the high plains. [United States of America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinko, E. A. (Principal Investigator); Poracsky, J.; Kipp, E. R.; Krieger, H.

1980-01-01

The activity concentrated on identifying crop and irrigation data sources for the eight states within the High Plains Aquifer and making contacts concerning the nature of these data. A mail questionnaire was developed to gather specific data not routinely reported through standard data collection channels. Input/output routines were designed for High Plains crop and irrigation data and initial statistical data on crops were input to computer files.

Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, Republican River Basin in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, 2002 to 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, V.L.

2016-12-29

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. More than 95 percent of the water withdrawn from the High Plains aquifer is used for irrigation. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area (about 1950). The Republican River Basin is 15.9 million acres (about 25,000 square miles) and is located in northeast Colorado, northern Kansas, and southwest Nebraska. The Republican River Basin overlies the High Plains aquifer for 87 percent of the basin area. Water-level declines had begun in parts of the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin by 1964. In 2002, management practices were enacted in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District in Nebraska to comply with the Republican River Compact Final Settlement. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Middle Republican Natural Resources District, completed a study of water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin from 2002 to 2015 to enable the Middle Republican Natural Resources District to assess the effect of the management practices, which were specified by the Republican River Compact Final Settlement. Water-level changes determined from this study are presented in this report.Water-level changes from 2002 to 2015 in the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin, by well, ranged from a rise of 9.4 feet to a decline of 43.2 feet. The area-weighted, average water-level change from 2002 to 2015 in this part of the aquifer was a decline of 4.5 feet.

A summary of the occurrence and development of ground water in the southern High Plains of Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, J.G.; Myers, B.N.

1964-01-01

The Southern High Plains of Texas occupies an area of about 22,000 square miles in n'Orthwest Texas, extending fr'Om the Canadian River southward. about 250 miles and fr'Om the New Mexico line eastward an average distance of about 120 miles. The economy of the area is dependent largely upon irrigated agriculture, and in 1958 about 44,000 irrigation wells were in operation. The economy of the area is also dependent upon the oil industry either in the f'Orm of oil and gas production or in the form of industries based on the producti'On of petroleum. The Southern High Plains of Tems is characterized. 'by a nearly flat land surface sloping gently toward. the southeast at an average of 8 to 10 feet per mile. Shallow undrained depressions or playas are characteristic of the plains surface, and during periods of heavy rainfall, runoff collects in the depressions to form temporary ponds or lakes. Stream drainage 'On the plains surface is poorly developed; water discharges over the eastern escarpment off the plains only during periods of excessive rainfall. The climate of the area is semiarid; the average annual precipitation is about 20 inches. About 70 percent of the precipitation falls during the growing season from April to September. Rocks of Permian age underlie the entire area and consist chiefly of red sandstone and shale containing nUmerous beds of gypsum and dolomite. The Permian rocks are not a source of water in the Southern High Plains, and any water in these rocks would probably be saline. The Triassic rocks underlying the 'S'Outhern Hi'gh Plains consist of three formations of the Dockum group: the Tecovas formation, the Santa Rosa sandstone. and the Chinle formation equivalent. The Tecovas and Chinle formation equivalent both consist chiefly of shale and sandy shale; however, the Santa Rosa sandstone consists mainly of medium to coarse conglomeratic sandstone containing some shale. Tbe formations of the Dockum group are capable of yielding small to moderate

Recharge Rates and Chemistry Beneath Playas of the High Plains Aquifer - A Literature Review and Synthesis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gurdak, Jason J.; Roe, Cassia D.

2009-01-01

Playas are ephemeral, closed-basin wetlands that are important zones of recharge to the High Plains (or Ogallala) aquifer and critical habitat for birds and other wildlife in the otherwise semiarid, shortgrass prairie and agricultural landscape. The ephemeral nature of playas, low regional recharge rates, and a strong reliance on ground water from the High Plains aquifer has prompted many questions regarding the contribution of recharge from playas to the regional aquifer. To address these questions and concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Playa Lakes Joint Venture, present a review and synthesis of the more than 175 publications about recharge rates and chemistry beneath playas and interplaya settings. Although a number of questions remain regarding the controls on recharge rates and chemistry beneath playas, the results from most published studies indicate that recharge rates beneath playas are substantially (1 to 2 orders of magnitude) higher than recharge rates beneath interplaya settings. The synthesis presented here supports the conceptual model that playas are important zones of recharge to the High Plains aquifer and are not strictly evaporative pans. The major findings of this synthesis yield science-based implications for the protection and management of playas and ground-water resources of the High Plains aquifer and directions for future research.

Picker vs. stripper harvesting in the Texas High Plains: Agronomic implications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many changes have occurred during the last decade in the Texas High Plains which have resulted in increased cotton yields and improved fiber quality. The main factors associated with both higher lint yield and quality include a shift in varieties planted, with virtually no "storm-proof stripper type...

Slab-controlled Tectonomagmatism of the Pacific Northwest: A Holistic view of Columbia River, High Lava Plains, and Snake River Plain/Yellowstone Volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, D. E.; Fouch, M. J.; Long, M. D.; Druken, K. A.; Wagner, L. S.; Chen, C.; Carlson, R. W.

2012-12-01

We interpret post-20 Ma tectonomagmatism across the U.S. Pacific Northwest in the context of subduction related processes. While mantle plume models have long enjoyed favor as an explanation for the post 20-Ma magmatism in the region, conceptually their support has hinged almost entirely on two major features: (1) Steens/Columbia River flood basalt volcanism (plume head); and (2) The Snake River Plain/Yellowstone hotspot track (plume tail). Recent work, synthesized in this presentation, suggests that these features are more plausibly the result of mantle dynamical processes driven by southerly truncation of the Farallon/Juan de Fuca subduction zone and slab detachment along the evolving margin of western North America (Long et al., 2012; James et al., 2011). Plate reconstructions indicate that shortening of the subduction zone by the northward migration of the Mendocino triple junction resulted in a significant increase in the rate of trench retreat and slab rollback ca 20 Ma. Both numerical modeling and physical tank experiments in turn predict large-scale mantle upwelling and flow around the southern edge of the rapidly retreating slab, consistent both with the observed Steens/Columbia River flood volcanism and with the strong E-W mantle fabric observed beneath the region of the High Lava Plains of central and eastern Oregon. The High Lava Plains and Snake River Plain time-progressive volcanism began concurrently about 12 Ma, but along highly divergent tracks and characterized by strikingly different upper mantle structure. Crustal and upper mantle structure beneath the High Lava Plains exhibits evidence typical of regional extension; i.e. thin crust, flat and sharp Moho, and an uppermost mantle with low velocities but otherwise largely devoid of significant vertical structure. In contrast, the Snake River Plain exhibits ultra-low mantle velocities to depths of about 180 km along the length of the hotspot track. Seismic images of the upper mantle in the depth

Water-level changes in the high plains regional aquifer, northwestern Oklahoma, predevelopment to 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Havens, J.S.

1983-01-01

During 1978, the U.S. Geological Survey began a 5-year study of the High Plains regional aquifer system to provide hydrologic information for evaluation of the effects of long-term development of the aquifer and to develop computer models for prediction of aquifer response to alternative changes in ground-water management (Weeks, 1978). This report is one of a series presenting hydrologic information of the High Plains aquifer in Oklahoma. The predevelopment to 1980 water-level changes in the High Plains regional aquifer in Oklahoma are shown for Harper, Ellis, Woodward, Dewey, and Roger Mills Counties, on the east, and for the Oklahoma Panhandle, consist- ing of Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver Counties, on the west. About 1,470 water-level measurements in the Panhandle were used in compiling the predevelopment water-table map (Havens, 1982c). In the remaining area to the east about 150 water-level measurements from the 1950's to the 1970's are representative of predevelopment water levels. For the 1980 water-table map, about 330 measurements were made in the Panhandle and about 350 measurements in the eastern area by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Havens, 1982b).

Digital data sets that describe aquifer characteristics of the High Plains Aquifer in western Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becker, C.J.; Runkle, D.L.; Rea, Alan

1997-01-01

ARC/INFO export files This diskette contains digitized aquifer boundaries and maps of hydraulic conductivity, recharge, and ground-water level elevation contours for the High Plains aquifer in western Oklahoma. This area encompasses the panhandle counties of Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver, and the western counties of Harper, Ellis, Woodward, Dewey, and Roger Mills. The High Plains aquifer underlies approximately 7,000 square miles of Oklahoma and is used extensively for irrigation. The High Plains aquifer is a water-table aquifer and consists predominately of the Tertiary-age Ogallala Formation and overlying Quaternary-age alluvial and terrace deposits. In some areas the aquifer is absent and the underlying Triassic, Jurassic, or Cretaceous-age rocks are exposed at the surface. These rocks are hydraulically connected with the aquifer in some areas. The High Plains aquifer is composed of interbedded sand, siltstone, clay, gravel, thin limestones, and caliche. The proportion of various lithological materials changes rapidly from place to place, but poorly sorted sand and gravel predominate. The rocks are poorly to moderately well cemented by calcium carbonate. The aquifer boundaries, hydraulic conductivity, and recharge data sets were created by extracting geologic contact lines from published digital surficial geology maps based on a scale of 1:125,000 for the panhandle counties and 1:250,000 for the western counties. The water-level elevation contours and some boundary lines were digitized from maps in a published water-level elevation map for 1980 based on a scale of 1:250,000. The hydraulic conductivity and recharge values in this report were used as input to the ground-water flow model on the High Plains aquifer. Ground-water flow models are numerical representations that simplify and aggregate natural systems. Models are not unique; different combinations of aquifer characteristics may produce similar results. Therefore, values of hydraulic conductivity and

Geomorphic and sedimentary responses of the Bull Creek Valley (Southern High Plains, USA) to Pleistocene and Holocene environmental change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arauza, Hanna M.; Simms, Alexander R.; Bement, Leland C.; Carter, Brian J.; Conley, Travis; Woldergauy, Ammanuel; Johnson, William C.; Jaiswal, Priyank

2016-01-01

Fluvial geomorphology and stratigraphy often reflect past environmental and climate conditions. This study examines the response of Bull Creek, a small ephemeral creek in the Oklahoma panhandle, to environmental conditions through the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Fluvial terraces were mapped and their stratigraphy and sedimentology documented throughout the course of the main valley. Based on their elevations, terraces were broadly grouped into a late-Pleistocene fill terrace (T3) and two Holocene fill-cut terrace sets (T2 and T1). Terrace systems are marked by similar stratigraphies recording the general environmental conditions of the time. Sedimentary sequences preserved in terrace fills record the transition from a perennial fluvial system during the late glacial period and the Younger Dryas to a semiarid environment dominated by loess accumulation and punctuated by flood events during the middle to late Holocene. The highest rates of aeolian accumulation within the valley occurred during the early to middle Holocene. Our data provide significant new information regarding the late-Pleistocene and Holocene environmental history for this region, located between the well-studied Southern and Central High Plains of North America.

Quantifying Groundwater Fluctuations in the Southern High Plains with GIS and Geostatistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitehead, B.

2008-12-01

Groundwater as a dwindling non-renewable natural resource has been an important research theme in agricultural studies coupled with human-environment interaction. This research incorporated contemporary Geographic Information System (GIS) methodologies and a universal kriging interpolator (geostatistics) to develop depth to groundwater surfaces for the southern portion of the High Plains, or Ogallala, aquifer. The variations in the interpolated surfaces were used to calculate the volume of water mined from the aquifer from 1980 to 2005. The findings suggest a nearly inverse relationship to the water withdrawal scenarios derived by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) during the Regional Aquifer System Analysis (RASA) performed in the early 1980's. These results advocate further research into regional climate change, groundwater-surface water interaction, and recharge mechanisms in the region, and provide a substantial contribution to the continuing and contentious issue concerning the environmental sustainability of the High Plains.

The Plain Dealer High School Newspaper Workshop Program. John F. Kennedy and West Technical High Schools, 1994-1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleveland Public Schools, OH.

The Plain Dealer High School Newspaper Workshop was a pilot program created to introduce minority high school students (although not limited to minority students) to career opportunities in the newspaper business. Forty-four students from the Cleveland Public Schools' John F. Kennedy and West Technical High School participated in the 9-week…

Adaptability and performance of short-season maize hybrids in the southern high plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drought incidences change with year and location, and are prevalent in the Southern High Plains where annual rainfall is low and highly variable and most maize and other crops are irrigated. The low rainfall and groundwater overuse are leading to shortages of water for crop irrigation in this regio...

Optimizing preplant irrigation for maize under limited water in the high plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Due to inadequate irrigation capacity, some farmers in the United States High Plains apply preplant irrigation to buffer the crop between irrigation events during the cropping season. The purpose of the study was to determine preplant irrigation amount and irrigation capacity combinations that optim...

Causes of sinks near Tucson, Arizona, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffmann, J.P.; Pool, D.R.; Konieczki, A.D.; Carpenter, M.C.

1998-01-01

Land subsidence in the form of sinks has occurred on and near farmlands near Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, USA. The sinks occur in alluvial deposits along the flood plain of the Santa Cruz River, and have made farmlands dangerous and unsuitable for farming. More than 1700 sinks are confined to the flood plain of the Santa Cruz River and are grouped along two north-northwestward-trending bands that are approximately parallel to the river and other flood-plain drainages. An estimated 17,000 m3 of sediment have been removed in the formation of the sinks. Thirteen trenches were dug to depths of 4-6 m to characterize near-surface sediments in sink and nonsink areas. Sediments below about 2 m included a large percentage of dispersive clays in sink areas. Sediments in nonsink areas contain a large component of medium- to coarse-grained, moderately to well sorted sand that probably fills a paleochannel. Electromagnetic surveys support the association of silts and clays in sink areas that are highly electrically conductive relative to sand in nonsink areas. Sinks probably are caused by the near-surface process of subsurface erosion of dispersive sediments along pre-existing cracks in predominantly silt and clay sediments. The pre-existing cracks probably result from desiccation or tension that developed during periods of water-table decline and channel incision during the past 100 years or in earlier periods.

The Southern High Plains: A history of vegetation, 1540 to present

Treesearch

David B. Wester

2007-01-01

Considerable documentary evidence is available about the historic vegetation of the Southern High Plains (SHP). Accounts spanning about 350 years (from the earliest European explorers in the 1540s to scientists working in the later 19th and early 20th centuries), however, lead to vague and sometimes contradictory conclusions about the nature of this vegetation. The...

Seasonal water-level perturbations beneath the high plains of the Llano Estacado.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Llano Estacado of North America is a vast elevated plain favorably situated above a large portion of the Ogallala Aquifer.The Ogallala Aquifer provides an essential source of groundwater for a highly productive irrigated agricultural system. Each year, groundwater is pumped from the aquifer to i...

Seasonal water-level perturbations beneath the high plains of the Llano Estacado

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Llano Estacado of North America is a vast elevated plain favorably situated above a large portion of the Ogallala Aquifer. The Ogallala Aquifer provides an essential source of freshwater for a highly productive irrigated agricultural system. Each year, groundwater is pumped from the aquifer to ...

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus accumulation in floodplains of Atlantic Coastal Plain rivers, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noe, G.B.; Hupp, C.R.

2005-01-01

Net nutrient accumulation rates were measured in riverine floodplains of the Atlantic Coastal Plain in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, USA. The floodplains were located in watersheds with different land use and included two sites on the Chickahominy River (urban), one site on the Mattaponi River (forested), and five sites on the Pocomoke River (agricultural). The Pocomoke River floodplains lie along reaches with natural hydrogeomorphology and on reaches with restricted flooding due to channelization and levees. A network of feldspar clay marker horizons was placed on the sediment surface of each floodplain site 3-6 years prior to sampling. Sediment cores were collected from the material deposited over the feldspar clay pads. This overlying sediment was separated from the clay layer and then dried, weighed, and analyzed for its total carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) content. Mean C accumulation rates ranged from 61 to 212 g??m-2??yr-1, N accumulation rates ranged from 3.5 to 13.4 g??m -2??yr-1, and P accumulation rates ranged from 0.2 to 4.1 g??m-2??yr-1 among the eight floodplains. Patterns of intersite variation in mineral sediment and P accumulation rates were similar to each other, as was variation in organic sediment and C and N accumulation rates. The greatest sediment and C, N, and P accumulation rates were observed on Chickahominy River floodplains downstream from the growing metropolitan area of Richmond, Virginia. Nutrient accumulation rates were lowest on Pocomoke River floodplains that have been hydraulically disconnected from the main channel by channelization and levees. Sediment P concentrations and P accumulation rates were much greater on the hydraulically connected floodplain immediately downstream of the limit of channelization and dense chicken agriculture of the upper Pocomoke River watershed. These findings indicate that (1) watershed land use has a large effect on sediment and nutrient retention in floodplains, and (2) limiting

Performance of precision mobile drip irrigation in the Texas High Plains region

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mobile drip irrigation (MDI) technology adapts driplines to the drop hoses of moving sprinkler systems to apply water as the drip lines are pulled across the field. There is interest in this technology among farmers in the Texas High Plains region to help sustain irrigated agriculture. However, info...

Implications of water supply for indigenous Americans during Holocene ardity phases on the Southern High Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, W.W.; Stokes, S.; Rich, J.

2002-01-01

Springs in the 40 to 50 large lake basins (>15 km2) on the southern portion of the Southern High Plains (SHP) were active during periods of aridity in the Holocene when there may have been human habitation of the area. Eolian erosion of the lake floors and lunette accretion occurred as groundwater levels declined in response to decreased groundwater recharge. The declining lake floor associated with eolian erosion allowed groundwater evaporative discharge to continue, thus maintaining a groundwater gradient toward the lake. This hydrologic condition was favorable for a relatively continuous spring discharge to the lake, independent of the elevation of the lake floor. To evaluate the postulated dynamic equilibrium critical to this conclusion, 17 optically stimulated ages were determined from a 17.7-m deep core of a lunette adjacent to Double Lakes, Texas (33??13???15???N, 101??54???08???W). The core yielded sediment accumulation dates of 11,500 ?? 1100, 6500 ?? 700, and 4900 ?? 500 yr B.P., corresponding broadly with periods of aridity known from other evidence. Based on analysis of this lunette, it is concluded that springs in Double Lakes basin probably existed throughout the Holocene with discharges similar to those observed historically. We assumed that similar dynamic equilibrium existed in the other large lake basins in the SHP and that these springs could have provided a continuous source of water for indigenous peoples during periods of prolonged aridity. The dynamic equilibrium that is proposed in this study is applicable not only to other arid and semiarid geographic areas with wind-erodible material but also over different geologic times. ?? 2002 University of Washington.

Elevated naturally occurring arsenic in a semiarid oxidizing system, Southern High Plains aquifer, Texas, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Nicot, J.-P.; Reedy, R.C.; Kurtzman, D.; Mukherjee, A.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk

2009-01-01

High groundwater As concentrations in oxidizing systems are generally associated with As adsorption onto hydrous metal (Al, Fe or Mn) oxides and mobilization with increased pH. The objective of this study was to evaluate the distribution, sources and mobilization mechanisms of As in the Southern High Plains (SHP) aquifer, Texas, relative to those in other semiarid, oxidizing systems. Elevated groundwater As levels are widespread in the southern part of the SHP (SHP-S) aquifer, with 47% of wells exceeding the current EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 μg/L (range 0.3–164 μg/L), whereas As levels are much lower in the north (SHP-N: 9% ⩾ As MCL of 10 μg/L; range 0.2–43 μg/L). The sharp contrast in As levels between the north and south coincides with a change in total dissolved solids (TDS) from 395 mg/L (median north) to 885 mg/L (median south). Arsenic is present as arsenate (As V) in this oxidizing system and is correlated with groundwater TDS (Spearman’s ρ = 0.57). The most likely current source of As is sorbed As onto hydrous metal oxides based on correlations between As and other oxyanion-forming elements (V, ρ = 0.88; Se, ρ = 0.54; B, ρ = 0.51 and Mo, ρ = 0.46). This source is similar to that in other oxidizing systems and constitutes a secondary source; the most likely primary source being volcanic ashes in the SHP aquifer or original source rocks in the Rockies, based on co-occurrence of As and F (ρ = 0.56), oxyanion-forming elements and SiO2 (ρ = 0.41), which are found in volcanic ashes. High groundwater As concentrations in some semiarid oxidizing systems are related to high evaporation. Although correlation of As with TDS in the SHP aquifer may suggest evaporative concentration, unenriched stable isotopes (δ2H: −65 to −27; δ18O: −9.1 to −4.2) in the SHP aquifer do not support evaporation. High TDS in the SHP aquifer is most likely related to upward movement of saline water from the underlying

Chenier plain development: feedbacks between waves, mud and sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nardin, W.; Fagherazzi, S.

2015-12-01

Cheniers are sandy ridges parallel to the coast established by high energy waves. Here we discuss Chenier plains ontogeny through dimensional analysis and numerical results from the morphodynamic model Delft3D-SWAN. Our results show that wave energy and shelf slope play an important role in the formation of Chenier plains. In our numerical experiments waves affect Chenier plain development in three ways: by winnowing sediment from the mudflat, by eroding mud and accumulating sand over the beach during extreme wave events. We further show that different sediment characteristics and wave climates can lead to three alternative coastal landscapes: strand plains, mudflats, or the more complex Chenier plains. Low inner-shelf slopes are the most favorable for strand plain and Chenier plain formation, while high slopes decrease the likelihood of mudflat development and preservation.

How Rural and Nonrural Principals Differ in High Plains U.S. States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beesley, Andrea D.; Clark, Tedra F.

2015-01-01

This article discusses the characteristics of rural versus nonrural principals in the High Plains states. It is based on data from the Schools and Staffing Survey, examining the differences in preparation and experience and the extent to which characteristics of the rural principalship (perceptions of autonomy, workload, etc.) predicted retention.…

Assessing satellite-based start-of-season trends in the US High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To adequately assess the effects of global warming it is necessary to address trends and impacts at the local level. This study examines phenological changes in the start-of-season (SOS) derived from satellite observations from 1982–2008 in the US High Plains region. The surface climate-based SOS wa...

Classification of irrigated land using satellite imagery, the High Plains aquifer, nominal date 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qi, Sharon L.; Konduris, Alexandria; Litke, David W.; Dupree, Jean

2002-01-01

Satellite imagery from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (nominal date 1992) was used to classify and map the location of irrigated land across the High Plains aquifer. The High Plains aquifer underlies 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a waterquality study of the High Plains aquifer as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. To help interpret data and select sites for the study, it is helpful to know the location of irrigated land within the study area. To date, the only information available for the entire area is 20 years old. To update the data on irrigated land, 40 summer and 40 spring images (nominal date 1992) were acquired from the National Land Cover Data set and processed using a band-ratio method (Landsat Thematic Mapper band 4 divided by band 3) to enhance the vegetation signatures. The study area was divided into nine subregions with similar environmental characteristics, and a band-ratio threshold was selected from imagery in each subregion that differentiated the cutoff between irrigated and nonirrigated land. The classified images for each subregion were mosaicked to produce an irrigated land map for the study area. The total amount of irrigated land classified from the 1992 imagery was 13.1 million acres, or about 12 percent of the total land in the High Plains. This estimate is approximately 1.5 percent greater than the amount of irrigated land reported in the 1992 Census of Agriculture (12.8 millions acres). This information was also compared to a similar data set based on 1980 imagery. The 1980 data classified 13.7 million acres as irrigated. Although the change in the amount of irrigated land between the two times was not substantial, the location of the irrigated land did shift from areas where there were large ground-water-level declines to other areas where ground-water levels were static or rising.

Biomass and nitrogen-use efficiency of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) with nitrogen and supplemental irrigation in Coastal Plain Region, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poor rainfall distribution and soil conditions such as high soil strength, low water holding capacity of soils and poor soil fertility in the humid Coastal Plain region may affect production of grain crops. Nitrogen insufficiency and water stress can both reduce crop yield, but little information is...

Wastewater reuse and Ogallala Aquifer Recharge in the Southern High Plains of Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Municipalities in the Southern High Plains of TX use land application of treated wastewater extensively. For example, in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Region 2 counties (Lubbock and surrounding counties), there are ~ 7285 ha of agricultural land over lying the Ogallala Aquifer per...

Impact of agronomic practices on soil biological properties on the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Semiarid environments of the Texas High Plains decrease soil organic carbon and soil residue building resulting in difficult conditions for soil microbes. Current conservation practices such as conservation tillage, crop rotation, and cover cropping have not been quickly adopted in the area. In or...

Long-term patterns of air temperatures, daily temperature range, precipitation, grass-reference evapotranspiration and aridity index in the USA Great Plains: Part I. Spatial trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukal, M.; Irmak, S.

2016-11-01

Due to their substantial spatio-temporal behavior, long-term quantification and analyses of important hydrological variables are essential for practical applications in water resources planning, evaluating the water use of agricultural crop production and quantifying crop evapotranspiration patterns and irrigation management vs. hydrologic balance relationships. Observed data at over 800 sites across the Great Plains of USA, comprising of 9 states and 2,307,410 km2 of surface area, which is about 30% of the terrestrial area of the USA, were used to quantify and map large-scale and long-term (1968-2013) spatial trends of air temperatures, daily temperature range (DTR), precipitation, grass-reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and aridity index (AI) at monthly, growing season and annual time steps. Air temperatures had a strong north to south increasing trend, with annual average varying from -1 to 24 °C, and growing season average temperature varying from 8 to 30 °C. DTR gradually decreased from western to eastern parts of the region, with a regional annual and growing season averages of 14.25 °C and 14.79 °C, respectively. Precipitation had a gradual shift towards higher magnitudes from west to east, with the average annual and growing season (May-September) precipitation ranging from 163 to 1486 mm and from 98 to 746 mm, respectively. ETo had a southwest-northeast decreasing trend, with regional annual and growing season averages of 1297 mm and 823 mm, respectively. AI increased from west to east, indicating higher humidity (less arid) towards the east, with regional annual and growing season averages of 0.49 and 0.44, respectively. The spatial datasets and maps for these important climate variables can serve as valuable background for climate change and hydrologic studies in the Great Plains region. Through identification of priority areas from the developed maps, efforts of the concerned personnel and agencies and resources can be diverted towards development

High Rates of Staphylococcus aureus USA400 Infection, Northern Canada

PubMed Central

Golding, George R.; Levett, Paul N.; McDonald, Ryan R.; Irvine, James; Quinn, Brian; Nsungu, Mandiangu; Woods, Shirley; Khan, Mohammad; Ofner-Agostini, Marianna

2011-01-01

Surveillance of Staphylococcus aureus infections in 3 northern remote communities of Saskatchewan was undertaken. Rates of methicillin-resistant infections were extremely high (146–482/10,000 population), and most (98.2%) were caused by USA400 strains. Although USA400 prevalence has diminished in the United States, this strain is continuing to predominate throughout many northern communities in Canada. PMID:21470471

Early weaning in Northern Great Plains beef cattle production systems: III. Steer weaning, finishing and carcass characteristics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of weaning of steer calves on BW gain, feedlot performance, and carcass characteristics in two herds located in the Northern Great Plains, USA. Steer calves from predominantly Angus × Hereford dams were stratified within dam age and calving date (Fort K...

Subsidence driving forces in large Delta Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grall, C.; Steckler, M. S.

2017-12-01

Recent studies show large variability in subsidence rates among large delta plains that directly impact coastal management of these highly vulnerable environments. Observations show both significant spatial variation in subsidence across each delta, as well as large differences in magnitude between different deltas. This variability raises the question of what are the driving forces that control subsidence in large delta plains that this study aims to address. Subsidence and sediment compaction is studied in 4 end-member large Delta Plains: the Ganges-Brahmaputra, the Mekong, the Mississippi and the Nile. Those large delta plains drastically contrast in subsidence rates (from values to several mm/yr to several cm/yr), in the nature of the sediment (notably in clay and organic matter content), and in the volume of sediment supplied by the large rivers that feed those coastal environments. The volume of sediment deposited in each delta plain during the Holocene is estimated and the compaction of the underlying sedimentary column is computed by using a backstripping approach. Sediment compaction behaviors are defined accordingly to the observed clay, silt and organic contents, and the rate of subsidence associated with compaction is determined. Results suggest that about 2/3 of observed Holocene subsidence may be associated with the mechanical and chemical compaction of the underlying sedimentary column due to the load of sediment deposited. The compaction appears to be significantly higher in delta plains characterized by a high sediment input and a high organic matter and clay content. Thus, the observed subsidence rates in the (muddy) Mekong delta appear to be one order of magnitude higher than other delta plains. In contrast, subsidence rates are modest in the Ganges-Brahmaputra, the Mississippi and the Nile delta plains, except away from the major rivers where deposits are muddier.

A water resource assessment of the playa lakes of the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) staff are studying the water-resource potential of playa lakes in the Texas High Plains in partnership with the U. S. Department of Agriculture— Agricultural Research Service and Texas Tech University. Phase 1 of the research seeks to measure the volume of water ...

The Laurentian Fan: Sohm Abyssal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Piper, D.J.W.; Stow, D.A.V.; Normark, W.R.

1984-01-01

The 0.5- to 2-km thick Quaternary Laurentian Fan is built over Tertiary and Mesozoic sediments that rest on oceanic crust. Two 400-km long fan valleys, with asymmetric levees up to 700-m high, lead to an equally long, sandy, lobate basin plain (northern Sohm Abyssal Plain). The muddy distal Sohm Abyssal Plain is a further 400-km long. The sediment supplied to the fan is glacial in origin, and in part results from seismically triggered slumping on the upper continental slope. Sandy turbidity currents, such as the 1929 Grand Banks earthquake event, probably erode the fan-valley floors; but thick muddy turbidity currents build up the high levees. ?? 1984 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Identifying the interferences of irrigation on evapotranspiration variability over the Northern High Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, R.; Cai, X.

2016-12-01

Irrigation has considerably interfered with hydrological processes in arid and semi-arid areas with heavy irrigated agriculture. With the increasing demand for food production and evaporative demand due to climate change, irrigation water consumption is expected to increase, which would aggravate the interferences to hydrologic processes. Current studies focus on the impact of irrigation on the mean value of evapotranspiration (ET) at either local or regional scale, however, how irrigation changes the variability of ET has not been well understood. This study analyzes the impact of extensive irrigation on ET variability in the Northern High Plains. We apply an ET variance decomposition framework developed from our previous work to quantify the effects of both climate and irrigation on ET variance in the Northern High Plains watersheds. Based on climate and water table observations, we assess the monthly ET variance and its components for two periods: 1930s-1960s with less irrigation development 970s-2010s with more development. It is found that irrigation not only caused the well-recognized groundwater drawdown and stream depletion problems in the region, but also buffered ET variance from climatic fluctuations. In addition to increasing food productivity, irrigation also stabilizes crop yield by mitigating the impact of hydroclimatic variability. With complementary water supply from irrigation, ET often approaches to the potential ET, and thus the observed ET variance is more attributed to climatic variables especially temperature; meanwhile irrigation causes significant seasonal fluctuations to groundwater storage. For sustainable water resources management in the Northern High Plains, we argue that both the mean value and the variance of ET should be considered together for the regulation of irrigation in this region.

Megadroughts and late Holocene dune activation at the eastern margin of the Great Plains, north-central Kansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, P. R.; Arbogast, A. F.; Johnson, W. C.; Joeckel, R. M.; Young, A. R.

2010-01-01

Optical and radiocarbon dating indicates that alluvium underlying dunes near Abilene was deposited at or before ˜45 ka, and that the overlying dunes were active at ˜1.1-0.5 ka. Geochemical data indicate that the Abilene dune sand is immature and was derived from the underlying Pleistocene alluvium, and not from Holocene age Smoky Hill River deposits. These findings suggest that dune activation was a response to increased aridity and local reduction in vegetation cover as opposed to changes in sediment availability from nearby rivers. The time interval of dune activation at Abilene overlaps Medieval Warm Period megadroughts, similar to the larger and more westerly dune fields on the Great Plains, including the Nebraska Sand Hills and the Great Bend Sand Prairie. The activation of smaller dune fields such as the Abilene dunes near the more humid eastern margin of the Great Plains shows the geographic extent and severity of paleodrought events. Unlike the Duncan dunes, another plains-marginal dune field, however, the Abilene dunes show no evidence for multiple drought events during the Holocene. This difference in dune activity, if it is not a result of sampling or preservation bias, indicates variations in the extent and severity of older drought events at the eastern margin of the Great Plains.

Greenhouse gas emissions and denitrification within depressional wetlands of the southeastern US coastal plain in an agricultural landscape

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Carolina Bays are depressional wetlands on the Coastal Plain of the southeastern USA. These wetlands are often adjacent to agricultural land and may be the recipients of nutrient runoff. Because of their saturated conditions, nutrient cycling may be important for water quality. Three small bays in S...

Large-volume, low-δ18O rhyolites of the central Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boroughs, Scott; Wolff, John; Bonnichsen, Bill; Godchaux, Martha; Larson, Peter

2005-01-01

The Miocene Bruneau-Jarbidge and adjacent volcanic fields of the central Snake River Plain, southwest Idaho, are dominated by high-temperature rhyolitic tuffs and lavas having an aggregate volume estimated as 7000 km3. Samples from units representing at least 50% of this volume are strongly depleted in 18O, with magmatic feldspar δ18OVSMOW (Vienna standard mean ocean water) values between −1.4‰ and 3.8‰. The magnitude of the 18O depletion and the complete lack of any rhyolites with normal values (7‰–10‰) combine to suggest that assimilation or melting of a caldera block altered by near- contemporaneous hydrothermal activity is unlikely. Instead, we envisage generation of the high-temperature rhyolites by shallow melting of Idaho Batholith rocks, under the influence of the Yellowstone hotspot, affected by Eocene meteoric-hydrothermal events. The seeming worldwide scarcity of strongly 18O-depleted rhyolites may simply reflect a similar scarcity of suitable crustal protoliths.

Ammonia losses and nitrogen partitioning at the southern High Plains open lot dairy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Animal agriculture is a significant source of ammonia (NH3). Cattle excrete most ingested nitrogen (N); most urinary N is converted to NH3, volatilized and lost to the atmosphere. Open lot dairies on the southern High Plains are a growing industry and face environmental challenges as well as reporti...

Selected approaches to estimate water-budget components of the High Plains, 1940 through 1949 and 2000 through 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Jennifer S.; Qi, Sharon L.; Ryter, Derek W.; Falk, Sarah E.; Houston, Natalie A.; Peterson, Steven M.; Westenbroek, Stephen M.; Christenson, Scott C.

2011-01-01

The High Plains aquifer, underlying almost 112 million acres in the central United States, is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation. It is the primary water supply for drinking water, irrigation, animal production, and industry in the region. Expansion of irrigated agriculture throughout the past 60 years has helped make the High Plains one of the most productive agricultural regions in the Nation. Extensive withdrawals of groundwater for irrigation have caused water-level declines in many parts of the aquifer and increased concerns about the long-term sustainability of the aquifer. Quantification of water-budget components is a prerequisite for effective water-resources management. Components analyzed as part of this study were precipitation, evapotranspiration, recharge, surface runoff, groundwater discharge to streams, groundwater fluxes to and from adjacent geologic units, irrigation, and groundwater in storage. These components were assessed for 1940 through 1949 (representing conditions prior to substantial groundwater development and referred to as "pregroundwater development" throughout this report) and 2000 through 2009. Because no single method can perfectly quantify the magnitude of any part of a water budget at a regional scale, results from several methods and previously published work were compiled and compared for this study when feasible. Results varied among the several methods applied, as indicated by the range of average annual volumes given for each component listed in the following paragraphs. Precipitation was derived from three sources: the Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model, data developed using Next Generation Weather Radar and measured precipitation from weather stations by the Office of Hydrologic Development at the National Weather Service for the Sacramento-Soil Moisture Accounting model, and precipitation measured at weather stations and spatially distributed using an inverse-distance-weighted interpolation

The Middle to Late Devonian Eden-Comerong-Yalwal Volcanic Zone of Southeastern Australia: An ancient analogue of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain region of the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dadd, K. A.

1992-11-01

The Middle to Late Devonian Yalwal Volcanics, Comerong Volcanics, Boyd Volcanic Complex and associated gabbroic and A-type granitic plutons form part of a continental volcano-tectonic belt, the Eden-Comerong-Yalwal Volcanic Zone (EVZ), located parallel to the coast of southeastern Australia. The EVZ is characterised by an elongate outcrop pattern, bimodal basalt-rhyolite volcanism, and a paucity of sedimentary rocks. Volcanic centres were located along the length of the volcanic zone at positions indicated by subvolcanic plutons, dykes, rhyolite lavas and other proximal vent indicators including surge bedforms in tuff rings, and hydrothermal alteration. Previous interpretations that suggested the volcanic zone was a fault bounded rift are rejected in favour of a volcano-tectonic belt. The Yellowstone-Snake River Plain region (Y-SRP) in the USA is an appropriate analogue. Both regions have basalt lavas which range in composition from olivine tholeiite to ferrobasalt, alkalic rhyolitic rocks enriched in Y, Zr and Th, large rhyolite lava flows, plains-type basalt lava flows, and a paucity of sedimentary rocks. The Y-SRP is inferred to have developed by migration of the American plate over a fixed hot spot leading to a northeast temporal progression of the focus of volcanic activity. Application of a similar hot spot model to the EVZ (using a length of 300 km and a time range for volcanic activity of 5-10 Ma), suggests that during the Middle to Late Devonian the Australian plate was moving at a rate of between 3 and 6 cm/yr relative to the hot spot and that the northern extent of the volcanic zone at any time was a topographically high region with rhyolitic activity, similar to present day Yellowstone. As the focus of activity moved northward, the high region subsided and the depression was flooded by basalt. The EVZ was much wider (up to 70 km) and much longer than the belt defined by present-day outcrop and was of comparable scale to the Y-SRP. The main difference

Dendroclimatic potential of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) from the Northern Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edmonson, Jesse; Friedman, Jonathan; Meko, David; Touchan, Ramzi; Scott, Julian; Edmonson, Alan

2014-01-01

A new 368-year tree-ring chronology (A.D. 1643–2010) has been developed in western North Dakota using plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) growing on the relatively undisturbed floodplain of the Little Missouri River in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We document many slow-growing living trees between 150–370 years old that contradict the common understanding that cottonwoods grow fast and die young. In this northern location, cottonwood produces distinct annual rings with dramatic interannual variability that strongly crossdate. The detrended tree-ring chronology is significantly positively correlated with local growing season precipitation and soil moisture conditions (r  =  0.69). This time series shows periods of prolonged low radial tree growth during the known droughts of the instrumental record (e.g. 1931–1939 and 1980–1981) and also during prehistory (e.g. 1816–1823 and 1856–1865) when other paleoclimate studies have documented droughts in this region. Tree rings of cottonwood will be a useful tool to help reconstruct climate, streamflow, and the floodplain history of the Little Missouri River and other northern river systems.

Origin of lunar light plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, E. C. T.; Hodges, C. A.; Boyce, J. M.; Soderblom, L. A.

1975-01-01

In order to determine the origin of Cayley-type lunar light plains, their physical properties, distribution, and relative ages are examined from Apollo orbital and Lunar Orbiter photographs. The distribution and apparent age of the plains deposits and data on highly feldspathic breccias indicate that these superficial materials are neither locally derived nor part of the Imbrium ejecta. The existence of a planar facies of continuous ejecta at Orientale and in the ejecta blankets of small craters is demonstrated. The data and interpretation presented support the hypothesis that the surface and near-surface materials of some light plains, including those at the Apollo 16 site, are at least partly composed of ejecta from the Orientale basin and that the materials of many rugged areas, such as the Descartes highlands, are overlain by similar material. The possibility that some Cayley-type plains may have a different origin is not excluded.

Aminostratigraphy of surface and subsurface Quaternary sediments, North Carolina coastal plain, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wehmiller, John F.; Thieler, E. Robert; Miller, D.; Pellerito, V.; Bakeman, Keeney V.; Riggs, S.R.; Culver, S.; Mallinson, D.; Farrell, K.M.; York, L.L.; Pierson, J.; Parham, P.R.

2010-01-01

The Quaternary stratigraphy and geochronology of the Albemarle Embayment of the North Carolina (NC) Coastal Plain is examined using amino acid racemization (AAR) in marine mollusks, in combination with geophysical, lithologic, and biostratigraphic analysis of 28 rotasonic cores drilled between 2002 and 2006. The Albemarle Embayment is bounded by structural highs to the north and south, and Quaternary strata thin westward toward the Suffolk paleoshoreline, frequently referred to as the Suffolk Scarp. The Quaternary section is up to ∼90 m thick, consists of a variety of estuarine, shelf, back-barrier, and lagoonal deposits, and has been influenced by multiple sea-level cycles. The temporal resolution of the amino acid racemization method is tested statistically and with the stratigraphic control provided by this geologic framework, and it is then applied to the correlation and age estimation of subsurface units throughout the region. Over 500 specimens (primarily Mercenaria and Mulinia) from the subsurface section have been analyzed using either gas chromatographic (GC) or reverse-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) techniques. The subsurface stratigraphic data are compared with AAR results from numerous natural or excavated exposures from the surrounding region, as well as results from NC beach collections, to develop a comprehensive aminostratigraphic database for the entire Quaternary record within the NC coastal system. Age mixing, recognized in the beach collections, is also seen in subsurface sections, usually where major seismic reflections or core lithology indicate the presence of stratigraphic discontinuities. Kinetic models for racemization are tested within the regional stratigraphic framework, using either radiocarbon or U-series calibrations or comparison with regional biostratigraphy. Three major Pleistocene aminozones [AZ2, AZ3, and AZ4] are found throughout the region, all being found in superposition in several cores. Each can be subdivided

Bromus tectorum expansion and biodiversity loss on the Snake River Plain, southern Idaho, USA

Treesearch

N. L. Shaw; V. A. Saab; S. B. Monsen; T. D. Rich

1999-01-01

The Snake River Plain forms a 6 million ha arc-shaped depression across southern Idaho. Basalt flows, fresh water sediments, loess and volcanic deposits cover its surface. Elevation increases eastward from 650 to 2,150 m altitude. Climate is semi-arid with annual precipitation ranging from 150 to 400 mm, arriving primarily in winter and spring. Native shrub steppe...

Three-dimensional nonhydrostatic simulations of summer thunderstorms in the humid subtropics versus High Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hsin-mu; Wang, Pao K.; Schlesinger, Robert E.

2005-11-01

This article presents a detailed comparison of cloud microphysical evolution among six warm-season thunderstorm simulations using a time-dependent three-dimensional model WISCDYMM. The six thunderstorms chosen for this study consist of three apiece from two contrasting climate zones, the US High Plains (one supercell and two multicells) and the humid subtropics (two in Florida, US and one in Taipei, Taiwan, all multicells). The primary goal of this study is to investigate the differences among thunderstorms in different climate regimes in terms of their microphysical structures and how differently these structures evolve in time. A subtropical case is used as an example to illustrate the general contents of a simulated storm, and two examples of the simulated storms, one humid subtropical and one northern High Plains case, are used to describe in detail the microphysical histories. The simulation results are compared with the available observational data, and the agreement between the two is shown to be at least fairly close overall. The analysis, synthesis and implications of the simulation results are then presented. The microphysical histories of the six simulated storms in terms of the domain-integrated masses of all five hydrometeor classes (cloud water, cloud ice, rain, snow, graupel/hail), along with the individual sources (and sinks) of the three precipitating hydrometeor classes (rain, snow, graupel/hail) are analyzed in detail. These analyses encompass both the absolute magnitudes and their percentage contributions to the totals, for the condensate mass and their precipitation production (and depletion) rates, respectively. Comparisons between the hydrometeor mass partitionings for the High Plains versus subtropical thunderstorms show that, in a time-averaged sense, ice hydrometeors (cloud ice, snow, graupel/hail) account for ˜ 70-80% of the total hydrometeor mass for the High Plains storms but only ˜ 50% for the subtropical storms, after the systems

Quality of water for livestock in man-made impoundments in the northern High Plains

Treesearch

Mark A. Rumble

1985-01-01

Twenty-seven water quality parameters were measured in coal surface mine impoundments, bentonite surface mine impoundments, and livestock ponds in the Northern High Plains. Most impoundments were safe for use as a source for livestock drinking water. Eight water quality parameters were different (a

Understanding climate-hydrologic-human interactions to guide groundwater model development for Southern High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Ogallala aquifer is the only reliable source of water in the southern High Plains (SHP) region of Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Groundwater availability has fostered a strong agricultural economy that has a significant impact on global food security. Groundwater models that not only capture ...

High-Resolution Image of Europa's Ridged Plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This spectacular image taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft camera shows a region of ridged plains on Jupiter's moon Europa. The plains are comprised of many parallel and cross-cutting ridges, commonly in pairs. The majority of the region is of very bright, but darker material is seen primarily in valleys between ridges. Some of the most prominent ridges have dark deposits along their margins and in their central valleys. Some of this dark material probably moved down the flanks of the ridges and has piled up along their bases. The most prominent ridges are about a kilometer in width (less than a mile). In the top right hand corner of the image the end of a dark wide ridge (about 2 kilometers or 1.2 miles across) is visible. Several deep fractures cut through this ridge and continue into the plains. The brightness of the region suggests that frost covers much of Europa's surface. This image looks different from those obtained earlier in Galileo's mission, because this image was taken with the Sun higher in Europa's sky.

This image was taken on December 16, 1997 at a range of 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) by Galileo's solid state imaging system. North is to the top of the picture, and the Sun illuminates the surface from the upper left. This image, centered at approximately 14 degrees south latitude and 194 degrees west longitude, covers an area approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) on each side. The resolution is 26 meters (85 feet) per picture element.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ galileo.

Chenier plain genesis explained by feedbacks between waves, mud, and sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nardin, William; Fagherazzi, Sergio

2017-04-01

Cheniers are sandy ridges parallel to the coast established by high energy waves. Here we discuss ontogeny of chenier plains through dimensional analysis and numerical results from the morphodynamic model Delft3D-SWAN. Our results show that wave energy and inner-shelf slope play an important role in the formation of chenier plains. In our numerical experiments, waves affect chenier plain development in three ways: by winnowing coarse sediment from the mudflat, by eroding mud and accumulating sand over the beach during extreme wave events. We further show that different sediment characteristics and wave climates can lead to three alternative coastal landscapes: strand plains, mudflats, or the more complex chenier plains. Low inner-shelf slopes are the most favorable for strand plain and chenier plain formation, while high slopes decrease the likelihood of mudflat development and preservation.

Calibration and validation of CSM-CROPGRO-cotton model using lysimeter data in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Texas High Plains (THP) is one of the most important food and fiber producing regions in the Ogallala Aquifer Region, currently facing rapid decline of groundwater levels. Predicated climate extremes and high temporal variability in growing season precipitation in the future may demand growers t...

Review: groundwater management practices, challenges, and innovations in the High Plains aquifer, USA—lessons and recommended actions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sophocleous, Marios

2010-05-01

The US High Plains aquifer, one of the largest freshwater aquifer systems in the world, continues to decline, threatening the long-term viability of the region’s irrigation-based economy. The eight High Plains States take different approaches to the development and management of the aquifer based on each state’s body of water laws that abide by different legal doctrines, on which Federal laws are superposed, thus creating difficulties in integrated regional water-management efforts. Although accumulating hydrologic stresses and competing demands on groundwater resources are making groundwater management increasingly complex, they are also leading to innovative management approaches, which are highlighted in this paper as good examples for emulation in managing groundwater resources. It is concluded that the fragmented and piecemeal institutional arrangements for managing the supplies and quality of water are inadequate to meet the water challenges of the future. A number of recommendations for enhancing the sustainability of the aquifer are presented, including the formation of an interstate groundwater commission for the High Plains aquifer along the lines of the Delaware and Susquehanna River Basins Commissions in the US. Finally, some lessons on groundwater management that other countries can learn from the US experience are outlined.

Geologic history of the Cerberus Plains, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanagan, Peter Denham

This work examines the relative chronology of geologic units within the Cerberus Plains of Mars with an emphasis on lava flows emplaced after the last Marte Valles fluvial episode. High resolution images show the bulk of the Cerberus Plains is covered by platy-ridged and inflated lavas, which are interpreted as insulated sheet flows. Eastern Cerberus Plains lavas originate at Cerberus Fossae fissures and shields. Some flows extend for >2000 km through Marte Valles into Amazonis Planitia. Athabasca Valles are both incised into pristine lavas and embayed by pristine lavas, indicating that Athabascan fluvial events were contemporaneous with volcanic eruptions. Deposits of the Medusae Fossae Formation lie both over and under lavas, suggesting the deposition of the Medusae Fossae Formation was contemporaneous with volcanism. Statistics of small craters indicate lavas in the Western Cerberus Plains may be less than a million years old, but the model isochrons may be unreliable if the small crater population is dominated by secondary craters. Images showing no large craters with diameters >500 m superimposed on Western Cerberus Plains lavas indicate the same surface is younger than 49 Ma. High resolution Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images have revealed the existence of small cones in the Cerberus Plains, Marte Valles, and Amazonis Planitia. These cones are similar in both morphology and planar dimensions to the larger Icelandic rootless cones, which form due to explosive interactions between surficial lavas and near-surface groundwater. If martian cones form in the same manner as terrestrial rootless cones, then equatorial ground-ice or ground water must have been present near the surface in geologically recent times. Evidence for a shallow lake in the Western Cerberus Plains during the Late Amazonian is also presented. High-resolution images show features interpreted as flood-eroded scarps and fluvial spillways exiting the lake. Based on present-day topography, a lake

Drought on the North American High Plains: Modeling Effects of Vegetation, Temperature, and Rainfall Perturbations on Regional Hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, A. E.; Condon, L. E.; Maxwell, R. M.

2017-12-01

Large scale droughts can disrupt the water supply for agriculture, municipalities and industrial use worldwide. For example, the Dustbowl drought of the 1930s severely damaged agriculture on the North American High Plains. The Dustbowl is generally attributed to three major factors: increased temperature, decreased precipitation, and a change from native grasses that might have tolerated these climate perturbations to dryland wheat farming, which did not. This study explores the individual importance of each of these factors and the feedbacks between them. Previous modeling studies have explored how the High Plains system responds to changes in precipitation or temperature, but these models often depend on simplified or lumped parameter approaches. These approaches may not fully represent all the relevant physical processes, especially those related to energy balance changes due to increased temperature. For this study, we built a high-resolution model of the High Plains using ParFlow-CLM, an integrated hydrologic model that solves both energy and water balances from the subsurface to the top of vegetation. Model inputs including geology and climate forcing, together with representative precipitation and temperature changes for a major drought were assembled from public data. Numerical experiments were run to perturb vegetation, precipitation and temperature separately, as well as a baseline scenario with no changes and a worst-case scenario with all three simultaneously. The impact of each factor on High Plains hydrology and water resources was examined by comparing soil moisture, stream flow and water table levels between the runs. The one-factor experiments were used to show which of these outputs was the most sensitive and responded most quickly to each change. The worst-case scenario revealed interactions between the three factors.

Mercury and methylmercury dynamics in a coastal plain watershed, New Jersey, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barringer, J.L.; Riskin, M.L.; Szabo, Z.; Reilly, P.A.; Rosman, R.; Bonin, J.L.; Fischer, J.M.; Heckathorn, H.A.

2010-01-01

The upper Great Egg Harbor River watershed in New Jersey's Coastal Plain is urbanized but extensive freshwater wetlands are present downstream. In 2006-2007, studies to assess levels of total mercury (THg) found concentrations in unfiltered streamwater to range as high as 187 ng/L in urbanized areas. THg concentrations were <20 ng/L in streamwater in forested/wetlands areas where both THg and dissolved organic carbon concentrations tended to increase while pH and concentrations of dissolved oxygen and nitrate decreased with flushing of soils after rain. Most of the river's flow comes from groundwater seepage; unfiltered groundwater samples contained up to 177 ng/L of THg in urban areas where there is a history of well water with THg that exceeds the drinking water standard (2,000 ng/L). THg concentrations were lower (<25 ng/L) in unfiltered groundwater from downstream wetland areas. In addition to higher THg concentrations (mostly particulate), concentrations of chloride were higher in streamwater and groundwater from urban areas than in those from downstream wetland areas. Methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in unfiltered streamwater ranged from 0.17 ng/L at a forest/wetlands site to 2.94 ng/L at an urban site. The percentage of THg present as MeHg increased as the percentage of forest + wetlands increased, but also was high in some urban areas. MeHg was detected only in groundwater <1 m below the water/sediment interface. Atmospheric deposition is presumed to be the main source of Hg to the wetlands and also may be a source to groundwater, where wastewater inputs in urban areas are hypothesized to mobilize Hg deposited to soils. ?? 2010 US Government.

Early and late maturing grain sorghum under variable climatic conditions in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the Texas High Plains, variable climatic conditions prevail between and within growing seasons. As this area continues to experience drought conditions, and water resources for irrigation become more limited, sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production may become a more popular choice to sus...

Modeling long-term water use of cropping rotations in the Texas High Plains using SWAT

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Ogalalla Aquifer is used to supplement insufficient precipitation for agricultural production in the semi-arid Texas High Plains. However, decades of pumping combined with minimal recharge has resulted in decreased well capacity in most areas. The saturated thickness of the aquifer generally dec...

River flood plains: Some observations on their formation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolman, M. Gordon; Leopold, Luna Bergere

1957-01-01

On many small rivers and most great rivers, the flood plain consists of channel and overbank deposits. The proportion of the latter is generally very small.Frequency studies indicate that the flood plains of many streams of different sizes flowing in diverse physiographic and climatic regions are subject to flooding about once a year.The uniform frequency of flooding of the flood-plain surface and the small amount of deposition observed in great floods (average 0.07 foot) support the conclusion that overbank deposition contributes only a minor part of the material constituting the flood plain. The relatively high velocities (1 to 4 fps) which can occur in overbank flows and the reduction in sediment concentration which often accompanies large floods may also help account for this. Although lateral migration of channels is important in controlling the elevation of the flood plain, rates of migration are extremely variable and alone cannot account for the uniform relation the flood-plain surface bears to the channel.Detailed studies of flood plains in Maryland and in North Carolina indicate that it is difficult to differentiate between channel and overbank deposits in a stratigraphic section alone.Because deposition on the flood plain does not continue indefinitely, the flood-plain surface can only be transformed into a terrace surface by some tectonic or climatic change which alters the regimen of the river and causes it to entrench itself below its established bed and associated flood plain. A terrace, then, is distinguished from a flood plain by the frequency with which each is overflowed.

Simulating the 2012 High Plains Drought Using Three Single Column Models (SCM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina, I. D.; Baker, I. T.; Denning, S.; Dazlich, D. A.

2015-12-01

The impact of changes in the frequency and severity of drought on fresh water sustainability is a great concern for many regions of the world. One such location is the High Plains, where the local economy is primarily driven by fresh water withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer, which accounts for approximately 30% of total irrigation withdrawals from all U.S. aquifers combined. Modeling studies that focus on the feedback mechanisms that control the climate and eco-hydrology during times of drought are limited, and have used conventional General Circulation Models (GCMs) with grid length scales ranging from one hundred to several hundred kilometers. Additionally, these models utilize crude statistical parameterizations of cloud processes for estimating sub-grid fluxes of heat and moisture and have a poor representation of land surface heterogeneity. For this research, we focus on the 2012 High Plains drought and perform numerical simulations using three single column model (SCM) versions of BUGS5 (Colorado State University (CSU) GCM coupled to the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB3)). In the first version of BUGS5, the model is used in its standard bulk setting (single atmospheric column coupled to a single instance of SiB3), secondly, the Super-Parameterized Community Atmospheric Model (SP-CAM), a cloud resolving model (CRM) (CRM consists of 32 atmospheric columns), replaces the single CSU GCM atmospheric parameterization and is coupled to a single instance of SiB3, and for the third version of BUGS5, an instance of SiB3 is coupled to each CRM column of the SP-CAM (32 CRM columns coupled to 32 instances of SiB3). To assess the physical realism of the land-atmosphere feedbacks simulated by all three versions of BUGS5, differences in simulated energy and moisture fluxes are computed between the 2011 and 2012 period and are compared to those calculated using observational data from the AmeriFlux Tower Network for the same period at the ARM Site in Lamont, OK. This research

'Duster' wheat: A durable, dual-purpose cultivar adapted to the southern great plains of the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars which gain broad commercial acceptance in Oklahoma and surrounding states of the U.S. southern Great Plains must produce a definitive grain yield advantage, and they must demonstrate season-long dependability in dual purpose management systems, effective...

Expanding access to high-quality plain-language patient education information through context-specific hyperlinks

PubMed Central

Ancker, Jessica S.; Mauer, Elizabeth; Hauser, Diane; Calman, Neil

2016-01-01

Medical records, which are increasingly directly accessible to patients, contain highly technical terms unfamiliar to many patients. A federally qualified health center (FQHC) sought to help patients interpret their records by embedding context-specific hyperlinks to plain-language patient education materials in its portal. We assessed the impact of this innovation through a 3-year retrospective cohort study. A total of 12,877 (10% of all patients) in this safety net population had used the MPC links. Black patients, Latino patients comfortable using English, and patients covered by Medicaid were more likely to use the informational hyperlinks than other patients. The positive association with black race and Latino ethnicity remained statistically significant in multivariable models that controlled for insurance type. We conclude that many of the sociodemographic factors associated with the digital divide do not present barriers to accessing context-specific patient education information once in the portal. In fact, this type of highly convenient plain-language patient education may provide particular value to patients in traditionally disadvantaged groups. PMID:28269821

Vulnerability of grazing and confined livestock in the Northern Great Plains to projected mid- and late-twenty-first century climate

Treesearch

Justin Derner; David Briske; Matt Reeves; Tami Brown-Brandl; Miranda Meehan; Dana Blumenthal; William Travis; David Augustine; Hailey Wilmer; Derek Scasta; John Hendrickson; Jerry Volesky; Laura Edwards; Dannele Peck

2017-01-01

The Northern Great Plains (NGP) region of the USA - which comprises Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska - is a largely rural area that provides numerous ecosystem services, including livestock products, cultural services, and conservation of biological diversity. The region contains 25% of the Nation's beef cattle and approximately...

Mapping the Potential for Eolian Surface Activity in Grasslands of the High Plains using Landsat Images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gutmann, Ethan Dain

2002-01-01

There are over 100,000 square kilometers of eolian sand dunes and sand sheets in the High Plains of the central United States. These land-forms may be unstable and may reactivate again as a result of land-use, climate change, or natural climatic variability. The main goal of this thesis was to develop a model that could be used to map an estimate of future dune activity. Multi-temporal calibrated Landsats 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and 7 Enhanced Thematic Map per Plus (ETM+) NDVI imagery were used in conjunction with the CENTURY vegetation model to correlate vegetation cover to climatic variability. This allows the creation of a predicted vegetation map which, combined with current wind and soil data, was used to create a potential sand transport map for range land in the High Plains under drought conditions.

East China plains: a "basin" of ozone pollution.

PubMed

Zhao, Chun; Wang, Yuhang; Zeng, Tao

2009-03-15

Economic growth and associated pollution emissions in China are concentrated over three connected plains to the east In this work, we analyze an episode of highly elevated ozone over East China on June 9-14, 2004, using a 3-D chemical transport model. During this episode, the East China plains were under a high-pressure system, which suppressed the ventilation of pollutants from the boundary layer. Simulated ozone concentrations over a major fraction of East China reached high levels, all the way down to the Pearl River Delta region in the southern border. The convergence of pollutant emissions and population over the vast stretch of the geographically flat plains of East China makes the region susceptible to high-ozone exposure. During this episode, the high-03 region extended over an area >1 million km2, which hosts a population of >800 million people. Model results indicate that controlling anthropogenic NOx emissions effectively reduces the area with high-ozone exposure.

High prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in American Indian women of the Northern Plains

PubMed Central

Bell, Maria C.; Schmidt-Grimminger, Delf; Patrick, Sarah; Ryschon, Tim; Linz, Laurie; Chauhan, Subhash C.

2008-01-01

Objectives Cervical cancer is the leading gynecological malignancy worldwide, and the incidence of this disease is very high in American Indian women. Infection with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for more than 95% of cervical squamous carcinomas. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to analyze oncogenic HPV infections in American Indian women residing in the Northern Plains. Methods Cervical samples were collected from 287 women attending a Northern Plains American Indian reservation outpatient clinic. DNA was extracted from the cervical samples and HPV specific DNA were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the L1 consensus primer sets. The PCR products were hybridized with the Roche HPV Line Blot assay for HPV genotyping to detect 27 different low and high-risk HPV genotypes. The chi-square test was performed for statistical analysis of the HPV infection and cytology diagnosis data. Results Of the total 287 patients, 61 women (21.25%) tested positive for HPV infection. Among all HPV-positive women, 41 (67.2%) were infected with high-risk HPV types. Of the HPV infected women, 41% presented with multiple HPV genotypes. Additionally, of the women infected with oncogenic HPV types, 20 (48.7%) were infected with HPV 16 and 18 and the remaining 21 (51.3%) were infected with other oncogenic types (i.e., HPV59, 39, 73). Women infected with oncogenic HPV types had significantly higher (p=0.001) abnormal Papanicolaou smear tests (Pap test) compared to women who were either HPV negative or positive for non-oncogenic HPV types. The incidence of HPV infection was inversely correlated (p<0.05) with the age of the patients, but there was no correlation (p=0.33) with seasonal variation. Conclusions In this study, we observed a high prevalence of HPV infection in American Indian women residing on Northern Plains Reservations. In addition, a significant proportion of the oncogenic HPV infections were other than HPV16 and 18. PMID:17659767

Cadmium and associated metals in soils and sediments of wetlands across the Northern Plains, USA

PubMed Central

Jacob, Donna L.; Yellick, Alex H.; Kissoon, La Toya T.; Asgary, Aida; Wijeyaratne, Dimuthu N.; Saini-Eidukat, Bernhardt; Otte, Marinus L.

2018-01-01

Cadmium, present locally in naturally high concentrations in the Northern Plains of the United States, is of concern because of its toxicity, carcinogenic properties, and potential for trophic transfer. Reports of natural concentrations in soils are dominated by dryland soils with agricultural land uses, but much less is known about cadmium in wetlands. Four wetland categories – prairie potholes, shallow lakes, riparian wetlands, and river sediments – were sampled comprising more than 300 wetlands across four states, the majority in North Dakota. Cd, Zn, P, and other elements were analyzed by ICP-MS, in addition to pH and organic matter (as loss-on-ignition). The overall cadmium content was similar to the general concentrations in the area’s soils, but distinct patterns occurred within categories. Cd in wetland soils is associated with underlying geology and hydrology, but also strongly with concentrations of P and Zn, suggesting a link with agricultural land use surrounding the wetlands. PMID:23583941

Rescuing degrading aquifers in the Central Coastal Plain of North Carolina (USA): Just process, effective groundwater management policy, and sustainable aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manda, Alex K.; Klein, Wendy A.

2014-07-01

Strategic management of degrading coastal aquifers in eastern North Carolina (USA) became imperative after a severe imbalance occurred between withdrawal and recharge rates. To ameliorate this growing problem, an aggressive water policy was developed through public input by creating the Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area (CCPCUA) to maintain beneficial use of groundwater resources. Insights from social psychology, and socio-legal studies are used to evaluate how procedural justice and public participation played major roles to resolving groundwater resource management problems. A mixed methods approach uses archival data and interviews with various rule-making participants to assess the process of stakeholder involvement that led to creation of the policy. In addition, data analysis techniques are utilized to evaluate the effects of the policy on aquifer health (through water levels) over a ˜10 year period. Results suggest that not only did a stakeholder group participate in a process that was deemed fair, understandable, and relatively easy to administer for users and regulators, but public participation resulted in an effective plan that ensures the long-term sustainable use of groundwater. Declining groundwater withdrawals and recovering water levels suggest that the rule is achieving its intended goal of protecting the aquifers from depletion and degradation. This paper touches on global themes that are essential to water demand and consumption, water management techniques, and water resources protection.

Winter Activity of Coastal Plain Populations of Bat Species Affected by White-Nose Syndrome and Wind Energy Facilities.

PubMed

Grider, John F; Larsen, Angela L; Homyack, Jessica A; Kalcounis-Rueppell, Matina C

2016-01-01

Across the entire distribution of a species, populations may have variable responses to environmental perturbations. Many bat species experience mortality in large portions of their range during hibernation and along migratory paths to and from wintering grounds, from White-nose syndrome (WNS) and wind energy development, respectively. In some areas, warm temperatures may allow bats to remain active through winter, thus decreasing their susceptibility to WNS and/or mortality associated with migration to wintering grounds. These areas could act as a refugia and be important for the persistence of local populations. To determine if warmer temperatures affect bat activity, we compared year-round activity of bat populations in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont of North Carolina, USA, two regions that differ in winter temperature. We established six recording stations, four along a 295-kilometer north-south transect in the Coastal Plain, and two in the Piedmont of North Carolina. We recorded bat activity over two years. We supplemented our recordings with mist-net data. Although bat activity was lower during winter at all sites, the odds of recording a bat during winter were higher at Coastal Plain sites when compared with Piedmont sites. Further, bats in the Piedmont had a lower level of winter activity compared to summer activity than bats in the Coastal Plain that had more similar levels of activity in the winter and summer. We found high bat species richness on the Coastal Plain in winter, with winter-active species including those known to hibernate throughout most of their range and others known to be long distance migrants. In particular, two species impacted by WNS, the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) and tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), were present year round in the Coastal Plain. The tricolored bat was also present year-round in the Piedmont. In the Coastal Plain, the long distance migratory hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) was active in the

Influence of catchment-scale military land use on stream physical and organic matter variables in small Southeaster Plains Catchments (USA)

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

Maloney, Kelly

2005-01-01

We conducted a 3-year study designed to examine the relationship between disturbance from military land use and stream physical and organic matter variables within 12 small (<5.5 km2) Southeastern Plains catchments at the Fort Benning Military Installation, Georgia, USA. Primary land-use categories were based on percentages of bare ground and road cover and nonforested land (grasslands, sparse vegetation, shrublands, fields) in catchments and natural catchments features, including soils (% sandy soils) and catchment size (area). We quantified stream flashiness (determined by slope of recession limbs of storm hydrographs), streambed instability (measured by relative changes in bed height over time), organicmore » matter storage [coarse wood debris (CWD) relative abundance, benthic particulate organic matter (BPOM)] and stream-water dissolved organic carbon concentration (DOC). Stream flashiness was positively correlated with average storm magnitude and percent of the catchment with sandy soil, whereas streambed instability was related to percent of the catchment containing nonforested (disturbed) land. The proportions of in-stream CWD and sediment BPOM, and stream-water DOC were negatively related to the percent of bare ground and road cover in catchments. Collectively, our results suggest that the amount of catchment disturbance causing denuded vegetation and exposed, mobile soil is (1) a key terrestrial influence on stream geomorphology and hydrology and (2) a greater determinant of in-stream organic matter conditions than is natural geomorphic or topographic variation (catchment size, soil type) in these systems.« less

Global warming likely reduces crop yield and water availability of the dryland cropping systems in the U.S. central Great Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We investigated impacts of GCM-projected climate change on dryland crop rotations of wheat-fallow and wheat-corn-fallow in the Central Great Plains (Akron in Colorado, USA) using the CERES 4.0 crop modules in RZWQM2. The climate change scenarios for CO2, temperature, and precipitation were produced ...

Water-Quality Assessment of the High Plains Aquifer, 1999-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, Peter B.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; Bruce, Breton W.; Gurdak, Jason J.; Qi, Sharon L.

2007-01-01

Water quality of the High Plains aquifer was assessed for the period 1999-2004 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. This effort represents the first systematic regional assessment of water quality in this nationally important aquifer. A stratified, nested group of studies was designed to assess linkages between the quality of water recharging the aquifer, the effect of transport through the hydrologic system on water quality, and the quality of the resource used for human consumption and agricultural applications. The stratified, nested design facilitated upscaling of monitoring results to unmonitored areas of the aquifer as well as upscaling of process understanding from local to regional scales.

Effects of landuse and precipitation on pesticides and water quality in playa lakes of the southern high plains.

PubMed

Anderson, Todd A; Salice, Christopher J; Erickson, Richard A; McMurry, Scott T; Cox, Stephen B; Smith, Loren M

2013-06-01

The 25000 playa wetlands within the Southern High Plains (SHP) of the United States of America (USA) are the dominant hydrogeomorphic feature in the region, providing habitat for numerous plants and wildlife. The SHP are among the most intensively cultivated regions; there are concerns over the degradation and/or loss of playa wetland habitat. We examined water quality in playa wetlands surrounded by both grassland and agriculture and measured water concentrations of pesticides used on cotton (acephate, trifluralin, malathion, pendimethalin, tribufos, bifenthrin, λ-cyhalothrin, acetamiprid, and thiamethoxam), the dominant crop in the SHP. Pesticides used on cotton were detected in water samples collected from all playas. Precipitation events and the amount of cultivation were related to pesticide concentrations in sediment and water. Our results show that pesticide concentrations were related in some circumstances to time, precipitation, and tilled-index for some but not all pesticides. We further compared measured pesticide concentrations in playas to toxicity benchmarks used by the US EPA in pesticide ecological risk assessments to obtain some insight into the potential for ecological effects. For all pesticides in water, the maximum measured concentrations exceeded at least one toxicity benchmark, while median concentrations did not exceed any benchmarks. This analysis indicates that there is a potential for adverse effects of pesticides to aquatic organisms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lysimetric evaluation of simplified surface energy balance approach in the Texas high plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gowda, P.H.; Senay, G.B.; Howell, T.A.; Marek, T.H.

2009-01-01

Numerous energy balance (EB) algorithms have been developed to make use of remote sensing data to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) regionally. However, most EB models are complex to use and efforts are being made to simplify procedures mainly through the scaling of reference ET. The Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) is one such method. This approach has never been evaluated using measured ET data. In this study, the SSEB approach was applied to 14 Landsat TM images covering a major portion of the Southern High Plains that were acquired during 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons. Performance of the SSEB was evaluated by comparing estimated ET with measured daily ET from four large monolithic lysimeters at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, Texas. Statistical evaluation of results indicated that the SSEB accounted for 84% of the variability in the measured ET values with a slope and intercept of 0.75 and 1.1 mm d-1, respectively. Considering the minimal amount of ancillary data required and excellent performance in predicting daily ET, the SSEB approach is a promising tool for mapping ET in the semiarid Texas High Plains and in other parts of the world with similar hydro-climatic conditions.

Lysimetric Evaluation of Simplified Surface Energy Balance Approach in the Texas High Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senay, Gabriel B.; Gowda, P.H.; Howell, T.A.; Marek, T.H.

2009-01-01

Numerous energy balance (EB) algorithms have been developed to make use of remote sensing data to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) regionally. However, most EB models are complex to use and efforts are being made to simplify procedures mainly through the scaling of reference ET. The Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) is one such method. This approach has never been evaluated using measured ET data. In this study, the SSEB approach was applied to fourteen Landsat TM images covering a major portion of the Southern High Plains that were acquired during 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons. Performance of the SSEB was evaluated by comparing estimated ET with measured daily ET from four large monolithic lysimeters at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, Texas. Statistical evaluation of results indicated that the SSEB accounted for 84% of the variability in the measured ET values with a slope and intercept of 0.75 and 1.1 mm d-1, respectively. Considering the minimal amount of ancillary data required and excellent performance in predicting daily ET, the SSEB approach is a promising tool for mapping ET in the semiarid Texas High Plains and in other parts of the world with similar hydro-climatic conditions.

Upper Maastrichtian ammonite biostratigraphy of the Gulf Coastal Plain (Mississippi Embayment, southern USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larina, Ekaterina; Garb, Matthew P.; Landman, Neil H.; Dastas, Natalie; Thibault, Nicolas; Edwards, Lucy E.; Phillips, George; Rovelli, Remy; Myers, Corinne; Naujokaityte, Jone

2016-01-01

The Cretaceous outcrop belt of the Mississippi Embayment in the Gulf Coastal Plain (GCP) spans the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary. A detailed reconstruction of this time interval is critical for understanding the nature of biotic and environmental changes preceding the end-Cretaceous Mass Extinction event and for deciphering the likely extinction mechanism (i.e., bolide impact versus volcanism). Eight sections encompassing the K/Pg succession across the Mississippi Embayment were analyzed using biostratigraphic sampling of ammonites, dinoflagellates, and nannofossils. An upper Maastrichtian ammonite zonation is proposed as follows, from oldest to youngest:Discoscaphites conradi Zone, D. minardi Zone, and D. iris Zone. Our study documents that the ammonite zonation established in the Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP) extends to the GCP. This zonation is integrated with nannofossil and dinoflagellate biostratigraphy to provide a framework to more accurately determine the age relationships in this region. We demonstrate that ammonites and dinoflagellates are more reliable stratigraphic indicators in this area than nannofossils because age-diagnostic nannofossils are not consistently present within the upper Maastrichtian in the GCP. This biostratigraphic framework has the potential to become a useful tool for correlation of strata both within the GCP and between the GCP, Western Interior, and ACP. The presence of the uppermost Maastrichtian ammonite D. iris, calcareous nannofossil Micula prinsii, and dinoflagellates Palynodinium grallator and Disphaerogena carposphaeropsis suggests that the K/Pg succession in the GCP is nearly complete. Consequently, the GCP is an excellent setting for investigating fine scale temporal changes across the K/Pg boundary and ultimately elucidating the mechanisms causing extinction.

Water-level and storage changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2011 and 2009-11

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, Virginia L.

2013-01-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States--Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area. This report presents water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer from the time before substantial groundwater irrigation development began (generally before 1950, and termed "predevelopment" in this report) to 2011 and from 2009-11. The report also presents total water in storage, 2011, and change in water in storage in the aquifer from predevelopment to 2011. The methods to calculate area-weighted, average water-level changes; change in water in storage; and total water in storage for this report used geospatial data layers organized as rasters with a cell size of about 62 acres. These methods were modified from methods used in previous reports in an attempt to improve estimates of water-level changes and change in water in storage.Water-level changes from predevelopment to 2011, by well, ranged from a rise of 85 feet to a decline of 242 feet. The area-weighted, average water-level changes in the aquifer were an overall decline of 14.2 feet from predevelopment to 2011, and a decline of 0.1 foot from 2009-11. Total water in storage in the aquifer in 2011 was about 2.96 billion acre-feet, which was a decline of about 246 million acre-feet since predevelopment.

First report of Xyleborus glabratus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and laurel wilt in Louisiana, USA: The disease continues westward on sassafras

Treesearch

Stephen W. Fraedrich; C. Wood Johnson; Roger D. Menard; Thomas C. Harrington; Rabiu Olatinwo; G. Susan Best

2015-01-01

Laurel wilt, caused by Raffaelea lauricola Harrington, Fraedrich & Aghayeva (Ophiostomatales: Ophiostomataceae), has spread rapidly through the coastal plains forests of the southeastern United States (USA) with devastating effects on redbay (Persea borbonia [L.] Spreng.; Laurales: Lauraceae) populations (Fraedrich et...

The geomorphology of the Mississippi River chenier plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Penland, S.; Suter, J.R.

1989-01-01

The chenier plain of the Mississippi River is a shore-parallel zone of alternating transgressive clastic ridges separated by progradational mudflats. The term chenier is derived from the cajun term chene for oak, the tree species that colonizes the crests of the higher ridges. The Mississippi River chenier plain stretches 200 km from Sabine Pass, Texas, to Southwest Point, Louisiana and ranges between 20 and 30 km wide, with elevations of 2-6 m. The timing and the process of formation could be re-evaluated in the light of new chronostratigraphic findings in the Mississippi River delta plain. The stratigraphic relationship between the Teche and Lafourche delta complexes and Ship Shoal offshore indicates that these delta complexes belong to different delta plains that developed at different sealevels. It appears that the Teche delta complex is associated with the late Holocene delta plain which developed 7000 to 3000 yrs B.P. when sealevel stood 5-6 m lower than present. A regional transgression occurred between approximately 3000 BP and 2500 yrs B.P., leading to the transgressive submergence of the late Holocene delta plain, producing the regional Teche shoreline. The timing of this transgression conforms to the age of the most landward ridge in the chenier plain, the Little Chenier-Little Pecan Island trend, which dates at about 2500 yrs B.P. This ridge trend was originally interpreted as representing the Teche delta complex switching event with the landward Holocene/Pleistocene contact representing the high stand shoreline. The implication of this new interpretation is that the Little Chenier-Little Pecan Island trend represents the high stand shoreline, a continuation of the Teche shoreline separating the late Holocene and Recent delta plains, and that the Holocene/Pleistocene contact represents the leading edge of the marshes transgressing onto the Prairie Terrace. Significant mudflat progradation seems to require a westerly position of the Mississippi River

High-Resolution Topography and its Implications for the Formation of Europa's Ridged Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leonard, E. J.; Pappalardo, R. T.; Yin, A.; Patthoff, D. A.; Schenk, P.

2015-12-01

The Galileo Solid State Imager (SSI) recorded nine very high-resolution frames—eight at 12 m/pixel and one at 6 m/pixel—during the E12 flyby of Europa in Dec. 1997. To understand the implications for the small-scale structure and evolution of Europa, we mosaicked these frames (observations 12ESMOTTLE01 and 02, incidence ≈18°, emission ≈77°) into their regional context (part of observation 11ESREGMAP01, 220 m/pixel, incidence ≈74°, emission ≈23°). The topography data, which was created from the image mosaic overlaps, is sparse and segmented over the high-resolution images but connected by the underlying regional resolution topography. The high-resolution topography (24 m/pixel) is among the best for the current Europan dataset. From this dataset we ascertain the root mean square, or RMS, slope for some of the most common Europan surface features in a new region. We also employ a Fourier Transform method previously used on Ganymede and on other areas of Europa (Patel et al., 1999 JGR), to derive common wavelengths for the subunits of the ubiquitous ridged plains terrain. These results have important implications for differentiating between possible formation mechanisms—extensional tilt blocks (Pappalardo et al., 1995 JGR) or folds (Leonard et al., 2015 LPSC Abstract)—and for potential future missions. We continue this method for another high-resolution region taken in the E12 orbit, WEDGES01 and 02, with the specific goal of investigating how the variations in ridged plains morphologies relate across the surface of Europa.

The Plains of Venus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharpton, V. L.

2013-12-01

Volcanic plains units of various types comprise at least 80% of the surface of Venus. Though devoid of topographic splendor and, therefore often overlooked, these plains units house a spectacular array of volcanic, tectonic, and impact features. Here I propose that the plains hold the keys to understanding the resurfacing history of Venus and resolving the global stratigraphy debate. The quasi-random distribution of impact craters and the small number that have been conspicuously modified from the outside by plains-forming volcanism have led some to propose that Venus was catastrophically resurfaced around 725×375 Ma with little volcanism since. Challenges, however, hinge on interpretations of certain morphological characteristics of impact craters: For instance, Venusian impact craters exhibit either radar dark (smooth) floor deposits or bright, blocky floors. Bright floor craters (BFC) are typically 100-400 m deeper than dark floor craters (DFC). Furthermore, all 58 impact craters with ephemeral bright ejecta rays and/or distal parabolic ejecta patterns have bright floor deposits. This suggests that BFCs are younger, on average, than DFCs. These observations suggest that DFCs could be partially filled with lava during plains emplacement and, therefore, are not strictly younger than the plains units as widely held. Because the DFC group comprises ~80% of the total crater population on Venus the recalculated emplacement age of the plains would be ~145 Ma if DFCs are indeed volcanically modified during plains formation. Improved image and topographic data are required to measure stratigraphic and morphometric relationships and resolve this issue. Plains units are also home to an abundant and diverse set of volcanic features including steep-sided domes, shield fields, isolated volcanoes, collapse features and lava channels, some of which extend for 1000s of kilometers. The inferred viscosity range of plains-forming lavas, therefore, is immense, ranging from the

Quantifying Fractional Ground Cover on the Climate Sensitive High Plains Using AVIRIS and Landsat TM Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warner, Amanda Susan

2002-01-01

The High Plains is an economically important and climatologically sensitive region of the United States and Canada. The High Plains contain 100,000 sq km of Holocene sand dunes and sand sheets that are currently stabilized by natural vegetation. Droughts and the larger threat of global warming are climate phenomena that could cause depletion of natural vegetation and make this region susceptible to sand dune reactivation. This thesis is part of a larger study that is assessing the effect of climate variability on the natural vegetation that covers the High Plains using Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 data. The question this thesis addresses is how can fractional vegetation cover be mapped with the Landsat instruments using linear spectral mixture analysis and to what accuracy. The method discussed in this thesis made use of a high spatial and spectral resolution sensor called AVIRIS (Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer) and field measurements to test vegetation mapping in three Landsat 7 sub-scenes. Near-simultaneous AVIRIS images near Ft. Morgan, Colorado and near Logan, New Mexico were acquired on July 10, 1999 and September 30, 1999, respectively. The AVIRIS flights preceded Landsat 7 overpasses by approximately one hour. These data provided the opportunity to test spectral mixture algorithms with AVIRIS and to use these data to constrain the multispectral mixed pixels of Landsat 7. The comparisons of mixture analysis between the two instruments showed that AVIRIS endmembers can be used to unmix Landsat 7 data with good estimates of soil cover, and reasonable estimates of non-photosynthetic vegetation and green vegetation. Landsat 7 derived image endmembers correlate with AVIRIS fractions, but the error is relatively large and does not give a precise estimate of cover.

The value of wooded draws on the northern high plains for hunting, furs, and woodcutting

Treesearch

Ardell J. Bjugstad; Cindy F. Sorg

1985-01-01

Data from wildlife habitat use, wood production, and values of hunting, trapping, and firewood reflect the contribution to values of wooded draws on the northern High Plains. Values included expenditures and net willingness to pay. Approximate values per annum derived were: deer hunting $26 million; turkey hunting $1 million; fur trapping $4 million; and firewood $7...

Decreased runoff response to precipitation, Little Missouri River Basin, northern Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Eleanor R.; Friedman, Jonathan M.

2017-01-01

High variability in precipitation and streamflow in the semiarid northern Great Plains causes large uncertainty in water availability. This uncertainty is compounded by potential effects of future climate change. We examined historical variability in annual and growing season precipitation, temperature, and streamflow within the Little Missouri River Basin and identified differences in the runoff response to precipitation for the period 1976-2012 compared to 1939-1975 (n = 37 years in both cases). Computed mean values for the second half of the record showed little change (<5%) in annual or growing season precipitation, but average annual runoff at the basin outlet decreased by 22%, with 66% of the reduction in flow occurring during the growing season. Our results show a statistically significant (p < 0.10) 27% decrease in the annual runoff response to precipitation (runoff ratio). Surface-water withdrawals for various uses appear to account for <12% of the reduction in average annual flow volume, and we found no published or reported evidence of substantial flow reduction caused by groundwater pumping in this basin. Results of our analysis suggest that increases in monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures, including >1°C increases in January through March, are the dominant driver of the observed decrease in runoff response to precipitation in the Little Missouri River Basin.

Tapping unsustainable groundwater stores for agricultural production in the High Plains Aquifer of Kansas, projections to 2110

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Groundwater provides a reliable tap to sustain agricultural production, yet persistent aquifer depletion threatens future sustainability. The High Plains Aquifer supplies 30% of the nation’s irrigated groundwater, and the Kansas portion supports the congressional district with the highest market val...

Reproductive health of bass in the potomac, USA, drainage: Part 1. exploring the effects of proximity to wastewater treatment plant discharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iwanowicz, L.R.; Blazer, V.S.; Guy, C.P.; Pinkney, A.E.; Mullcan, J.E.; Alvarezw, D.A.

2009-01-01

Abstract-Intersex (specifically, testicular oocytes) has been observed in male smalimouth bass (SMB; Micropterus dolomieu) and other centrarchids in the South Branch of the Potomac River, USA, and forks of the Shenandoah River, USA. during the past five years. This condition often is associated with exposure to estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals in some fish species, but such chemicals and their sources have yet to be identified in the Potomac. In an attempt to better understand the plausible causes of this condition, we investigated the reproductive health of bass sampled up- and downstream of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent point sources on the Potomac River in Maryland, USA. Smallmouth bass were sampled from the Conococheague Creek and the Monocacy River, and largemouth bass (LMB; Micropterus salmoides) were collected near the Blue Plains WWTP on the mainstem of the Potomac River. Chemical analyses of compounds captured in passive samplers at these locations also were conducted. A high prevalence of intersex (82-l00%) was identified in male SMB at all sites regardless of collection area. A lower prevalence of intersex (23%) was identified in male LMB collected at the Blue Plains site. When up- and downstream fish were compared, significant differences were noted only in fish from the Conococheague. Differences included condition factor, gonadosomatic index, plasma vitellogenin concentration, and estrogen to testosterone ratio. In general, chemicals associated with wastewater effluent, storm-water runoff, and agriculture were more prevalent at the downstream sampling sites. An exception was atrazine and its associated metabolites, which were present in greater concentrations at the upstream sites. It appears that proximity to effluent from WWTPs may influence the reproductive health of bass in the Potomac watershed, but inputs from other sources likely contribute to the widespread, high incidence of testicular oocytes. ?? 2009 SETAC.

Ground water in the Cul-de-Sac Plain, Haiti

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, George C.; Lemoine, Rémy C.

1949-01-01

The Cul-de-Sac Plain is perhaps the most important agricultural area in Haiti because of its nearness and accessibility to Port-au-Prince, the nation's capital, metropolis, and principal seaport. Most of the agricultural produce consumed in Port-au-Prince as well as a considerable part of that exported from Haiti is grown in the plain.Because of variable and poorly distributed rainfall, high temperature, and high evaporation, semiarid climatic conditions prevail in the plain. Irrigation is, therefore, necessary for successful farming. There are no regulatory or storage facilities on the streams that enter the plain, but the mean and low-water stream flow and the discharge of springs are almost entirely appropriated for irrigation. Ground water has been utilized for irrigation to an increasing extent by the Haitian American Sugar Company, which has put down about 100 wells in the plain since 1919.Outside the existing irrigated areas of the plain are large tracts of potentially irrigable land that are uncultivated and agriculturally unproductive for lack of water. The object of the present study was to determine the possibilities of bringing these lands into cultivation by irrigation from wells. This study was part of a larger program of the Food Supply Division, Institute of Inter-American Affairs, to increase the production of food in Haiti.From September through November 1948 the senior author, a member of the U. S. Geological Survey, spent three months in the field in an investigation of the geology and ground-water resources of the Cul-de-Sac Plain. He was ably assisted by Mr. Rémy C. Lemoine, Haitian engineer-geologist, employed by the Food Supply Division. The field work included principally the geologic mapping of' the plain and the adjacent mountain borders, a ground-water inventory of existing wells and springs, and a general evaluation of significant geologic and hydrologic features.

Charon's Smooth Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, R. A.; Spencer, J. R.; Nimmo, F.; Beddingfield, C.; Grundy, W. M.; McKinnon, W. B.; Moore, J.; Robbins, S.; Runyon, K.; Schenk, P.; Singer, K.; Weaver, H.; Young, L. A.; Ennico, K.; Olkin, C.; Stern, S. A.; New Horizons Science Team

2018-06-01

We hypothesize that Charon's smooth plains result from its global extension that caused crustal blocks to founder. Then, a viscous cryoflow composed of ammonia-rich mantle material rose up, enveloped the sinking blocks, and produced the plains.

The Effectiveness at High Speeds of a 20-Percent-Chord Plain Trailing-Edge Flap on the NACA 65-210 Airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stivers, Louis S., Jr.

1947-01-01

An analysis has been made of the lift control effectiveness of a 20-percent-chord plain trailing-edge flap on the NACA 65-210 airfoil section from section lift-coefficient data obtained at Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.875. In addition, the effectiveness of the plain flap as a lift-control device has been compared with the corresponding effectiveness of both a spoiler and a dive-recovery flap on the NACA 65-210 airfoil section. The analysis indicates that the plain trailing-edge flap employed on the 10-percent-thick airfoil at Mach numbers as high as 0.875 retains at least 50-percent of its low-speed lift-control effectiveness, and is sufficiently effective in lateral control application, assuming a rigid wing, to provide adequate airplane rolling characteristics. The plain trailing-edge flap, as compared to the spoiler and the dive-recovery flap, appears to afford the most favorable characteristics as a device for controlling lift continuously throughout the range of Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.875. At Mach numbers above those for lift divergence of the wing, either a plain flap or a dive-recovery flap may be used on a thin airplane wing to provide auxiliary wing lift when the airplane is to be controlled in flight, other than in dives, at these Mach numbers. The choice of a lift-control device for this use, however, should include the consideration of other factors such as the increments of drag and pitching moment accompanying the use of the device, and the structural and high-speed aerodynamic characteristics of the airplane which is to employ the device.

Curve number derivation for watersheds draining two headwater streams in lower coastal plain South Carolina, USA

Treesearch

Thomas H. Epps; Daniel R. Hitchcock; Anand D. Jayakaran; Drake R. Loflin; Thomas M. Williams; Devendra M. Amatya

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess curve number (CN) values derived for two forested headwater catchments in the Lower Coastal Plain (LCP) of South Carolina using a three-year period of storm event rainfall and runoff data in comparison with results obtained from CN method calculations. Derived CNs from rainfall/runoff pairs ranged from 46 to 90 for the Upper...

Effect of harvesting methods on fiber and yarn quality from irrigated cotton on the High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Over a fourth of the cotton bales produced in the United States since 2002 have been produced in Texas, with most of that cotton coming from the stripper harvested High Plains region, and in recent years, Texas cotton production has represented almost half of all the US cotton production. As irrigat...

Perceptions of branded and plain cigarette packaging among Mexican youth.

PubMed

Mutti, Seema; Hammond, David; Reid, Jessica L; White, Christine M; Thrasher, James F

2017-08-01

Plain cigarette packaging, which seeks to remove all brand imagery and standardize the shape and size of cigarette packs, represents a novel policy measure to reduce the appeal of cigarettes. Plain packaging has been studied primarily in high-income countries like Australia and the UK. It is unknown whether the effects of plain packaging may differ in low-and-middle income countries with a shorter history of tobacco regulation, such as Mexico. An experimental study was conducted in Mexico City to examine perceptions of branded and plain cigarette packaging among smoking and non-smoking Mexican adolescents (n = 359). Respondents were randomly assigned to a branded or plain pack condition and rated 12 cigarette packages for appeal, taste, harm to health and smoker-image traits. As a behavioral measure of appeal, respondents were offered (although not given) four cigarette packs (either branded or plain) and asked to select one to keep. The findings indicated that branded packs were perceived to be more appealing (β = 3.40, p < 0.001) and to contain better tasting cigarettes (β = 3.53, p < 0.001), but were not perceived as less harmful than plain packs. Participants rated people who smoke the branded packs as having relatively more positive smoker-image traits overall (β = 2.10, p < 0.001), with particularly strong differences found among non-smokers for the traits 'glamorous', 'stylish', 'popular' and 'sophisticated' (p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference was found for the proportion of youth that accepted when offered branded compared with plain packs. These results suggest that plain packaging may reduce brand appeal among Mexican youth, consistent with findings in high-income countries. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Large wood debris recruitment on differing riparian landforms along a Gulf Coastal Plain (USA) stream: a comparison of large floods and average flows

Treesearch

Stephen W. Golladay; Juliann M. Battle; Brian J. Palik

2007-01-01

In southeastern Coastal Plain streams, wood debris can be very abundant and is recruited from extensive forested floodplains. Despite importance of wood debris, there have been few opportunities to examine recruitment and redistribution of wood in an undisturbed setting, particularly in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Following extensive flooding in 1994, measurements...

Comparison of Infiltration Flux in Playa Lakes in Grassland and Cropland Basins, Southern High Plains of Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Playas are the dominant wetland type on the Southern High Plains (SHP) of Texas and capture runoff during periods of heavy rainfall. Observing the hydrologic functions of playa wetlands is important to evaluate their ecological services, which include encouragement of species biodiversity and recha...

Soil water extraction, water use, and grain yield by drought tolerant maize on the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Anticipated water shortages pose a challenge to the sustainability of maize (Zea mays L.) production on the Texas High Plains. Adoption of drought tolerant (DT) hybrids is a critical management strategy for maize production under water limited conditions. However, limited information is available co...

New insights into the hydrostratigraphy of the High Plains aquifer from three-dimensional visualizations based on well records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Macfarlane, P.A.

2009-01-01

Regional aquifers in thick sequences of continentally derived heterolithic deposits, such as the High Plains of the North American Great Plains, are difficult to characterize hydrostratigraphically because of their framework complexity and the lack of high-quality subsurface information from drill cores and geophysical logs. However, using a database of carefully evaluated drillers' and sample logs and commercially available visualization software, it is possible to qualitatively characterize these complex frameworks based on the concept of relative permeability. Relative permeability is the permeable fraction of a deposit expressed as a percentage of its total thickness. In this methodology, uncemented coarse and fine sediments are arbitrarily set at relative permeabilities of 100% and 0%, respectively, with allowances made for log entries containing descriptions of mixed lithologies, heterolithic strata, and cementation. To better understand the arrangement of high- and low-permeability domains within the High Plains aquifer, a pilot study was undertaken in southwest Kansas to create three-dimensional visualizations of relative permeability using a database of >3000 logs. Aggregate relative permeability ranges up to 99% with a mean of 51%. Laterally traceable, thick domains of >80% relative permeability embedded within a lower relative permeability matrix strongly suggest that preferred pathways for lateral and vertical water transmission exist within the aquifer. Similarly, domains with relative permeabilities of <45% are traceable laterally over appreciable distances in the sub-surface and probably act as leaky confining layers. This study shows that the aquifer does not consist solely of local, randomly distributed, hydrostratigraphic units, as suggested by previous studies. ?? 2009 Geological Society of America.

Pathways for arsenic from sediments to groundwater to streams: Biogeochemical processes in the Inner Coastal Plain, New Jersey, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barringer, Julia L.; Mumford, Adam; Young, Lily Y.; Reilly, Pamela A.; Bonin, Jennifer L.; Rosman, Robert

2010-01-01

The Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments that underlie the Inner Coastal Plain of New Jersey contain the arsenic-rich mineral glauconite. Streambed sediments in two Inner Coastal Plain streams (Crosswicks and Raccoon Creeks) that traverse these glauconitic deposits are enriched in arsenic (15–25 mg/kg), and groundwater discharging to the streams contains elevated levels of arsenic (>80 μg/L at a site on Crosswicks Creek) with arsenite generally the dominant species. Low dissolved oxygen, low or undetectable levels of nitrate and sulfate, detectable sulfide concentrations, and high concentrations of iron and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the groundwater indicate that reducing environments are present beneath the streambeds and that microbial activity, fueled by the DOC, is involved in releasing arsenic and iron from the geologic materials. In groundwater with the highest arsenic concentrations at Crosswicks Creek, arsenic respiratory reductase gene (arrA) indicated the presence of arsenic-reducing microbes. From extracted DNA, 16s rRNA gene sequences indicate the microbial community may include arsenic-reducing bacteria that have not yet been described. Once in the stream, iron is oxidized and precipitates as hydroxide coatings on the sediments. Arsenite also is oxidized and co-precipitates with or is sorbed to the iron hydroxides. Consequently, dissolved arsenic concentrations are lower in streamwater than in the groundwater, but the arsenic contributed by groundwater becomes part of the arsenic load in the stream when sediments are suspended during high flow. A strong positive relation between concentrations of arsenic and DOC in the groundwater samples indicates that any process—natural or anthropogenic—that increases the organic carbon concentration in the groundwater could stimulate microbial activity and thus increase the amount of arsenic that is released from the geologic materials.

Observations of Intraspecific Interactions of Bobcats in the Southern High Plains of Texas

DOE PAGES

Ray, James D.; Thurmond, Lena M.; Matlack, Raymond S.; ...

2017-03-29

Bobcats are solitary felines, having minimal interaction between individuals except for mating or rearing of kittens by females. We report observations of non-aggressive interactions observed and photographed among bobcats in an impacted landscape of the Southern High Plains of Texas. Here, these included the temporary mixing of bobcat litters with at least one adult female present, interactions involving related females and a juvenile, a male bobcat in the presence of a nursing female and her kittens, and several adult bobcats accompanied by a juvenile.

Observations of Intraspecific Interactions of Bobcats in the Southern High Plains of Texas

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

Ray, James D.; Thurmond, Lena M.; Matlack, Raymond S.

Bobcats are solitary felines, having minimal interaction between individuals except for mating or rearing of kittens by females. We report observations of non-aggressive interactions observed and photographed among bobcats in an impacted landscape of the Southern High Plains of Texas. Here, these included the temporary mixing of bobcat litters with at least one adult female present, interactions involving related females and a juvenile, a male bobcat in the presence of a nursing female and her kittens, and several adult bobcats accompanied by a juvenile.

Water Quality in the High Plains Aquifer, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1999-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gurdak, Jason J.; McMahon, Peter B.; Dennehy, Kevin; Qi, Sharon L.

2009-01-01

This report contains the major findings of a 1999-2004 assessment of water quality in the High Plains aquifer. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings for principal and other aquifers and major river basins across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, regional, State, and national issues. Conditions in the aquifer system are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies, universities, public interest groups, or the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as drinking-water quality, the effects of agricultural practices on water quality, source-water protection, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report is also for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of ground water in areas near where they live and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the region and the Nation. The water-quality conditions in the High Plains aquifer summarized in this report are discussed in greater detail in other reports that can be accessed in Appendix 1 of http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1749/. Detailed technical information, data and analyses, collection and analytical methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report in addition to reports in this series from other basins can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa). This report accompanies the detailed and technical report of water-quality conditions in the High Plains aquifer 'Water-quality assessment of the High Plains aquifer, 1999-2004' (http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1749/)

Salmonella diversity and burden in cows on and culled from dairy farms in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to further characterize the epidemiology of Salmonella carried by dairy cows culled from herds in the Texas High Plains and marketed for human consumption. Feces were collected from 706 animals culled from a convenience sample of 9 dairies. In addition, individually...

Soil bacterial and fungal community responses across a conservation reserve program chronosequence in Texas high plains region

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We investigated changes in soil bacterial and fungal communities with increasing restoration time across a Conservation Reserve Program chronosequence (CRP) on fine sandy loam soils in the Texas high plains region. Soil samples (0-10cm) were collected in 2012 and 2014 from seven dryland croplands (0...

Rapid Recharge of Parts of the High Plains Aquifer Indicated by a Reconnaissance Study in Oklahoma, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, William J.; Osborn, Noel I.; Luckey, Richard R.

2000-01-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles in parts of eight states, including about 7,100 square miles in northwestern Oklahoma (fig. 1). This aquifer consists of the saturated part of the Ogallala Formation and saturated materials of Quaternary Age that are hydraulically connected to the Ogallala. The High Plains aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma is the primary source of water to an important agricultural region. Most water is withdrawn from the aquifer for irrigating wheat and other grain crops, with the remainder used for livestock (primarily cattle and swine), municipal, and domestic needs. Historically, water from precipitation was thought to take hundreds or thousands of years to reach the water table because the depth of the water table is greater than 100 feet over most of the aquifer and the low-permeability beds in the Ogallala would impede downward flow. It also was thought that land uses would take a similar period of time to affect water quality in the aquifer.

Plan of study for the High Plains regional aquifer-system analysis in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weeks, John B.

1978-01-01

The Ogallala Formation and associated Tertiary and Quarternary deposits form the principal aquifers supporting irrigation in the High Plains of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The volume of water in storage within the aquifers is declining in most of the High Plains because water is being withdrawn in excess of the rate of replenishment. The U.S. Geological Survey has initiated a 5-year study of the High Plains aquifer system to develop the geohydrologic data base and computer models of the ground-water flow system needed to evaluate the response of the aquifer,system to ground-water management alternatives. This report describes the objectives, plan, and organization of the study and outlines the work to be accomplished in each state in the study area.

Historical water-quality data for the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study Area in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1930-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Litke, David W.

2001-01-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies 174,000 square miles in parts of eight States and includes eight primary hydrogeologic units, including the well-known Ogallala Formation. The High Plains aquifer is an important resource, providing water for 27 percent of the Nation?s irrigated agricultural lands in an otherwise dry landscape. Since the 1980?s there has been concern over the sustainability of the aquifer due to water-level declines caused by substantial pumping. Water quality of the aquifer is a more recent concern. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water-Quality Assessment Program, historical water-quality data have been gathered for the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study Area into a retrospective data base, which can be used to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of water-quality constituents of concern.Data from the retrospective data base verify that nitrate, pesticides, and dissolved solids (salinity) are important water-quality concerns in the High Plains study area. Sixteen percent of all measured nitrate concentrations were larger than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standard of 10 milligrams per liter. In about 70 percent of the counties within the High Plains study area, nitrate concentrations for 1980-98 were significantly larger than for 1930-69. While nitrate concentrations are largest where depth to water is shallow, concentrations also have increased in the Ogallala Formation where depth to water is large. Pesticide data primarily are available only in the northern half of the study area. About 50 pesticides were detected in the High Plains study area, but only four pesticides (atrazine, alachlor, cyanazine, and simazine) had concentrations exceeding a drinking-water standard. The occasional detection of pesticides in deeper parts of the Ogallala Formation indicates that contamination pathways exist. Dissolved solids, which are a direct measure of salinity, had 29 percent of measured concentrations in

Reconnaissance of water quality in the High Plains Aquifer beneath agricultural lands, south-central Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stullken, L.E.; Stamer, J.K.; Carr, J.E.

1987-01-01

The High Plains of western Kansas was one of 14 areas selected for preliminary groundwater quality reconnaissance by the U.S. Geological Survey 's Toxic Waste--Groundwater Contamination Program. The specific objective was to evaluate the effects of land used for agriculture (irrigated cropland and non-irrigated rangeland) on the water in the High Plains aquifer. Conceptual inferences, based on the information available, would lead one to expect groundwater beneath irrigated cropland to contain larger concentrations of sodium, sulfate, chloride, nitrite plus nitrate, and some water soluble pesticides than water beneath non-irrigated land (range-land) The central part of the Great Bend Prairie, an area of about 1,800 sq mi overlying the High Plains aquifer in south-central Kansas, was selected for the study of agricultural land use because it has sand soils, a shallow water table, relatively large annual precipitation, and includes large areas that are exclusively irrigated cropland or non-irrigated rangeland. As determined by a two-tailed Wilcoxon rank-sum test, concentrations of sodium and alkalinity were significantly larger at the 95% confidence level for water samples from beneath irrigated cropland than from beneath rangeland. No statistically significant difference in concentrations of sulfate, chloride, nitrite plus nitrate, and ammonia, was detected. Concentrations of 2,4-D found in water samples from beneath the rangeland were larger at the 99% confidence level as compared to concentrations of 2,4-D in samples from beneath irrigated cropland. Larger concentrations of sodium and alkalinity were found in water beneath irrigated cropland, and the largest concentration of the pesticide atrazine (triazines were found in three samples) was found in water from the only irrigation well sampled. The sodium and atrazine concentrations found in water from the irrigation well support the premise that water-level drawdown develops under irrigated fields. This diverts

Reproductive health of bass in the Potomac, U.S.A., drainage: part 1. Exploring the effects of proximity to wastewater treatment plant discharge.

PubMed

Iwanowicz, Luke R; Blazer, Vicki S; Guy, Christopher P; Pinkney, Alfred E; Mullican, John E; Alvarez, David A

2009-05-01

Intersex (specifically, testicular oocytes) has been observed in male smallmouth bass (SMB; Micropterus dolomieu) and other centrarchids in the South Branch of the Potomac River, U.S.A., and forks of the Shenandoah River, U.S.A., during the past five years. This condition often is associated with exposure to estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals in some fish species, but such chemicals and their sources have yet to be identified in the Potomac. In an attempt to better understand the plausible causes of this condition, we investigated the reproductive health of bass sampled up- and downstream of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent point sources on the Potomac River in Maryland, U.S.A. Smallmouth bass were sampled from the Conococheague Creek and the Monocacy River, and largemouth bass (LMB; Micropterus salmoides) were collected near the Blue Plains WWTP on the mainstem of the Potomac River. Chemical analyses of compounds captured in passive samplers at these locations also were conducted. A high prevalence of intersex (82-100%) was identified in male SMB at all sites regardless of collection area. A lower prevalence of intersex (23%) was identified in male LMB collected at the Blue Plains site. When up- and downstream fish were compared, significant differences were noted only in fish from the Conococheague. Differences included condition factor, gonadosomatic index, plasma vitellogenin concentration, and estrogen to testosterone ratio. In general, chemicals associated with wastewater effluent, storm-water runoff, and agriculture were more prevalent at the downstream sampling sites. An exception was atrazine and its associated metabolites, which were present in greater concentrations at the upstream sites. It appears that proximity to effluent from WWTPs may influence the reproductive health of bass in the Potomac watershed, but inputs from other sources likely contribute to the widespread, high incidence of testicular oocytes.

Study on atomization features of a plain injector in high speed transverse air stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Jian; Gu, Shanjian; Yang, Maolin; Xiao, Weihui

1990-04-01

The atomization features of a plain injector in high-speed transverse air stream were investigated by Malvern. In this investigation, air velocity ranged from 50-150m/s, pressure drop of fuel injector, (1.1 - 4.2) x 10 to the 6th Pa, diameter of orifice, 0.5 - 0.9 mm, axial distance between the injector and the survey plane, 50 - 250 mm. Aviation kerosene was used in all experiments. It was found that the atomization features in high pressure drop of fuel injector were greatly differed from the low pressure drop of fuel injector.

Ground-water quality of the southern High Plains aquifer, Texas and New Mexico, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fahlquist, Lynne

2003-01-01

In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program collected water samples from 48 wells in the southern High Plains as part of a larger scientific effort to broadly characterize and understand factors affecting water quality of the High Plains aquifer across the entire High Plains. Water samples were collected primarily from domestic wells in Texas and eastern New Mexico. Depths of wells sampled ranged from 100 to 500 feet, with a median depth of 201 feet. Depths to water ranged from 34 to 445 feet below land surface, with a median depth of 134 feet. Of 240 properties or constituents measured or analyzed, 10 exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public drinking-water standards or guidelines in one or more samples - arsenic, boron, chloride, dissolved solids, fluoride, manganese, nitrate, radon, strontium, and sulfate. Measured dissolved solids concentrations in 29 samples were larger than the public drinking-water guideline of 500 milligrams per liter. Fluoride concentrations in 16 samples, mostly in the southern part of the study area, were larger than the public drinking-water standard of 4 milligrams per liter. Nitrate was detected in all samples, and concentrations in six samples were larger than the public drinking-water standard of 10 milligrams per liter. Arsenic concentrations in 14 samples in the southern part of the study area were larger than the new (2002) public drinking-water standard of 10 micrograms per liter. Radon concentrations in 36 samples were larger than a proposed public drinking-water standard of 300 picocuries per liter. Pesticides were detected at very small concentrations, less than 1 microgram per liter, in less than 20 percent of the samples. The most frequently detected compounds were atrazine and breakdown products of atrazine, a finding similar to those of National Water-Quality Assessment aquifer studies across the Nation. Four volatile organic compounds were detected at small concentrations in

Response surfaces of vulnerability to climate change: The Colorado River Basin, the High Plains, and California

Treesearch

Romano Foti; Jorge A. Ramirez; Thomas C. Brown

2014-01-01

We quantify the vulnerability of water supply to shortage for the Colorado River Basin and basins of the High Plains and California and assess the sensitivity of their water supply system to future changes in the statistical variability of supply and demand. We do so for current conditions and future socio-economic scenarios within a probabilistic framework that...

Integrated biostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic framework for Upper Cretaceous strata of the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mancini, E.A.; Puckett, T.M.; Tew, B.H.

1996-01-01

Upper Cretaceous (Santonian-Maastrichtian stages) strata of the eastern US Gulf Coastal Plain represent a relatively complete section of marine to nonmarine mixed siliciclastic and carbonate sediments. This section includes three depositional sequences which display characteristic systems tracts and distinct physical defining surfaces. The marine lithofacies are rich in calcareous nannoplankton and planktonic foraminifera which can be used for biostratigraphic zonation. Integration of this zonation with the lithostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy of these strata results in a framework that can be used for local and regional intrabasin correlation and potentially for global interbasin correlation. Only the synchronous maximum flooding surfaces of these depositional sequences, however, have chronostratigraphic significance. The sequence boundaries and initial flooding surfaces are diachronous, and their use for correlation can produce conflicting results. The availability of high resolution biostratigraphy is critical for global correlation of depositional sequences. ?? 1996 Academic Press Limited.

Executive summary - Geologic assessment of coal in the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

2011-01-01

The National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has assessed the quantity and quality of the nation's coal deposits that potentially could be mined during the next few decades. For eight years, geologic, geochemical, and resource information was collected and compiled for the five major coal-producing regions of the United States: the Appalachian Basin, Illinois Basin, Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, and the western part of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain (Gulf Coast) region (Figure 1). In particular, the NCRA assessed resource estimates, compiled coal-quality information, and characterized environmentally sensitive trace elements, such as arsenic and mercury, that are mentioned in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990). The results of the USGS coal assessment efforts may be found at: http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/coal/coal-assessments/index.html and a summary of the results from all assessment areas can be found in Ruppert et al. (2002) and Dennen (2009).Detailed assessments of the major coal-producing areas for the Gulf Coast region along with reviews of the stratigraphy, coal quality, resources, and coalbed methane potential of the Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene coal deposits are presented in this report (Chapters 5-10).

Estimated predevelopment discharge to streams from the High Plains Aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas, and northwestern Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luckey, R.R.; Becker, M.F.

1998-01-01

A study of the High Plains aquifer in Okla homa was initiated in 1996 to: (1) provide the information needed by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to manage the quantity of water produced from the aquifer; and (2) provide base line water-chemistry data. The approach used to meet the first objective is to develop a digital ground-water flow model. The model will be cali brated, in part, by comparing simulated and esti mated predevelopment discharge from the aquifer to streams and cross-boundary flow. This report presents the estimated predevelopment discharge to streams from the High Plains aquifer. Streamflow data were the primary source of information used to estimate predevelopment dis charge from the High Plains aquifer. Data from 30 streamflow stations between the Arkansas and Canadian Rivers were considered in the analysis, and winter low-flow frequencies for 7-, 14-, and 30-day periods were determined for 25 stations. The 14-day low flow with a recurrence interval of 2 years was the primary value used to estimate pre development discharge from the aquifer. The streams that drain the eastern part of the High Plains aquifer in Kansas (generally east of 99.5 longitude) are estimated to have had large predevelopment discharge from the aquifer, and most of them received discharge from near their headwaters. For streams with more than one streamflow gage, the upper perennial reaches appeared to have gained more discharge from the aquifer than the lower reaches. The total predevel opment discharge from the aquifer in this area to several streams is estimated to have been about 312 cubic feet per second, not including discharge that probably went directly to the Arkansas River. The Cimarron River and its tributaries are estimated to have gained about 78 cubic feet per second, but nearly one-half that amount was lost in the lower reaches of the river. The cause of the loss in the lower reaches is unknown. The Beaver River and its tributaries are estimated to have

Spatial differences in hydrologic characteristics and water chemistry of a temperate coastal plain peatland: The Great Dismal Swamp, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Speiran, Gary K.; Wurster, Frederick C.

2016-01-01

Spatial differences in hydrologic processes and geochemistry across forested peatlands control the response of the wetland-community species and resiliency to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Knowing these controls is essential to effectively managing peatlands as resilient wetland habitats. The Great Dismal Swamp is a 45,325 hectare peatland in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of Virginia and North Carolina, USA, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The existing forest-species distribution is a product of timber harvesting, hydrologic alteration by canal and road construction, and wildfires. Since 2009, studies of hydrologic and geochemical controls have expanded knowledge of groundwater flow paths, water chemistry, response to precipitation events, and characteristics of the peat. Dominant hydrologic and geochemical controls include (1) the gradual slope in land surface, (2) vertical differences in the hydraulic characteristics of the peat, (3) the proximity of lateral groundwater and small stream inflows from uplands, (4) the presence of an extensive canal and road network, and (5) small, adjustable-height dams on the canals. Although upland sources provide some surface water and lateral groundwater inflow to western parts of the swamp, direct groundwater recharge by precipitation is the major source of water throughout the swamp and the only source in many areas. Additionally, the proximity and type of upland water sources affect water levels and nutrient concentrations in canal water and groundwater. Where streams are a dominant upland source, variations in groundwater levels and nutrient concentrations are greater than where recharge by precipitation is the primary water source. Where upland groundwater is a dominant source, water levels are more stable. Because the species distribution of forest communities in the Swamp is strongly influenced by these controls, swamp managers are beginning to incorporate this knowledge into forest, water, and fire

Old groundwater in parts of the upper Patapsco aquifer, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Maryland, USA: Evidence from radiocarbon, chlorine-36 and helium-4

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plummer, Niel; Eggleston, John R.; Raffensperger, Jeff P.; Hunt, Andrew G.; Casile, Gerolamo C.; Andreasen, D.C.

2012-01-01

Apparent groundwater ages along two flow paths in the upper Patapsco aquifer of the Maryland Atlantic Coastal Plain, USA, were estimated using 14C, 36Cl and 4He data. Most of the ages range from modern to about 500 ka, with one sample at 117 km downgradient from the recharge area dated by radiogenic 4He accumulation at more than one Ma. Last glacial maximum (LGM) water was located about 20 km downgradient on the northern flow path, where the radiocarbon age was 21.5 ka, paleorecharge temperatures were 0.5–1.5  °C (a maximum cooling of about 12 °C relative to the modern mean annual temperature of 13 °C), and Cl–, Cl/Br, and stable isotopes of water were minimum. Low recharge temperatures (typically 5–7 °C) indicate that recharge occurred predominantly during glacial periods when coastal heads were lowest due to low sea-level stand. Flow velocities averaged about 1.0 m a–1 in upgradient parts of the upper Patapsco aquifer and decreased from 0.13 to 0.04 m a–1 at 40 and 80 km further downgradient, respectively. This study demonstrates that most water in the upper Patapsco aquifer is non-renewable on human timescales under natural gradients, thus highlighting the importance of effective water-supply management to prolong the resource.

High-resolution 3-D S-wave Tomography of upper crust structures in Yilan Plain from Ambient Seismic Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kai-Xun; Chen, Po-Fei; Liang, Wen-Tzong; Chen, Li-Wei; Gung, YuanCheng

2015-04-01

The Yilan Plain (YP) in NE Taiwan locates on the western YP of the Okinawa Trough and displays high geothermal gradients with abundant hot springs, likely resulting from magmatism associated with the back-arc spreading as attested by the offshore volcanic island (Kueishantao). YP features NS distinctive characteristics that the South YP exhibits thin top sedimentary layer, high on-land seismicity and significant SE movements, relative those of the northern counterpart. A dense network (~2.5 km station interval) of 89 Texan instruments was deployed in Aug. 2014, covering most of the YP and its vicinity. The ray path coverage density of each 0.015 degree cells are greater than 150 km that could provide the robustness assessment of tomographic results. We analyze ambient noise signals to invert a high-resolution 3D S-wave model for shallow velocity structures in and around YP. The aim is to investigate the velocity anomalies corresponding to geothermal resources and the NS geological distinctions aforementioned. We apply the Welch's method to generate empirical Rayleigh wave Green's functions between two stations records of continuous vertical components. The group velocities of thus derived functions are then obtained by the multiple-filter analysis technique measured at the frequency range between 0.25 and 1 Hz. Finally, we implement a wavelet-based multi-scale parameterization technique to construct 3D model of S-wave velocity. Our first month results exhibit low velocity in the plain, corresponding existing sediments, those of whole YP show low velocity offshore YP and those of high-resolution south YP reveal stark velocity contrast across the Sanshin fault. Key words: ambient seismic noises, Welch's method, S-wave, Yilan Plain

Colorectal cancer survival in the USA and Europe: a CONCORD high-resolution study.

PubMed

Allemani, Claudia; Rachet, Bernard; Weir, Hannah K; Richardson, Lisa C; Lepage, Côme; Faivre, Jean; Gatta, Gemma; Capocaccia, Riccardo; Sant, Milena; Baili, Paolo; Lombardo, Claudio; Aareleid, Tiiu; Ardanaz, Eva; Bielska-Lasota, Magdalena; Bolick, Susan; Cress, Rosemary; Elferink, Marloes; Fulton, John P; Galceran, Jaume; Gózdz, Stanislaw; Hakulinen, Timo; Primic-Zakelj, Maja; Rachtan, Jadwiga; Diba, Chakameh Safaei; Sánchez, Maria-José; Schymura, Maria J; Shen, Tiefu; Tagliabue, Giovanna; Tumino, Rosario; Vercelli, Marina; Wolf, Holly J; Wu, Xiao-Cheng; Coleman, Michel P

2013-09-10

To assess the extent to which stage at diagnosis and adherence to treatment guidelines may explain the persistent differences in colorectal cancer survival between the USA and Europe. A high-resolution study using detailed clinical data on Dukes' stage, diagnostic procedures, treatment and follow-up, collected directly from medical records by trained abstractors under a single protocol, with standardised quality control and central statistical analysis. 21 population-based registries in seven US states and nine European countries provided data for random samples comprising 12 523 adults (15-99 years) diagnosed with colorectal cancer during 1996-1998. Logistic regression models were used to compare adherence to 'standard care' in the USA and Europe. Net survival and excess risk of death were estimated with flexible parametric models. The proportion of Dukes' A and B tumours was similar in the USA and Europe, while that of Dukes' C was more frequent in the USA (38% vs 21%) and of Dukes' D more frequent in Europe (22% vs 10%). Resection with curative intent was more frequent in the USA (85% vs 75%). Elderly patients (75-99 years) were 70-90% less likely to receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Age-standardised 5-year net survival was similar in the USA (58%) and Northern and Western Europe (54-56%) and lowest in Eastern Europe (42%). The mean excess hazard up to 5 years after diagnosis was highest in Eastern Europe, especially among elderly patients and those with Dukes' D tumours. The wide differences in colorectal cancer survival between Europe and the USA in the late 1990s are probably attributable to earlier stage and more extensive use of surgery and adjuvant treatment in the USA. Elderly patients with colorectal cancer received surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy less often than younger patients, despite evidence that they could also have benefited.

Drought tolerant (DT) and non-DT corn production under center pivot irrigation in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn (Zea mays L.) for feed is an important crop in the Texas High Plains region. However, it requires more water than the other major crops grown in the area to maximize grain yields. Pumping water for agriculture from the declining Ogallala Aquifer is of concern and improving irrigation water use ...

Digital map of aquifer boundary for the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qi, Sharon

2010-01-01

This digital data set represents the extent of the High Plains aquifer in the central United States. The extent of the High Plains aquifer covers 174,000 square miles in eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This data set represents a compilation of information from digital and paper sources and personal communication. This boundary is an update to the boundary published in U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1400-B, and this report supersedes Open-File Report 99-267. The purpose of this data set is to refine and update the extent of the High Plains aquifer based on currently available information. This data set represents a compilation of arcs from a variety of sources and scales that represent the 174,000 square-mile extent of the High Plains aquifer within the eight states. Where updated information was not available, the original boundary extent defined by OFR 99-267 was retained. The citations for the sources in each State are listed in the 00README.txt file. The boundary also contains internal polygons, or 'islands', that represent the areas within the aquifer boundary where the aquifer is not present due to erosion or non-deposition. The datasets that pertain to this report can be found on the U.S. Geological Survey's NSDI (National Spatial Data Infrastructure) Node, the links are provided on the sidebar.

Water-level records for the northern High Plains of Colorado, 1973-77

USGS Publications Warehouse

Major, Thomas J.; Borman, Ronald G.; Vaught, Kenneth D.

1977-01-01

Water-level measurements were made in more than 600 wells during January 1977 in the northern High Plains of Colorado which includes about 9,500 square miles. Most of these wells were irrigation wells, but several stock and government-owned wells were also measured, especially in areas where there is little irrigation. Changes in water levels from January 1976 to January 1977 ranged from a rise of about 12 feet (3.7 meters) to a decline of about 10 feet (3 meters), both of which occurred in Kit Carson County. Measurements for the four preceding winters also are included to serve as references illustrating declining or rising water levels. (Woodard-USGS)

Exploring geothermal structures in the Ilan Plain, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chien-Ying; Shih, Ruey-Chan; Chung, Chen-Tung; Huang, Ming-Zi; Kuo, Hsuan-Yu

2017-04-01

The Ilan Plain in northeast Taiwan is located at the southwestern tip of the Okinawa Trough, which extends westward into the Taiwan orogeny. The Ilan Plain covered by thick sediments is clipped by the Hsuehshan Range in the northern side and the Central Range in the southern side. High geothermal gradients with plenteous hot springs of this area may result from igneous intrusion associated with the back-arc spreading of the Okinawa Trough. In this study, we use reflection seismic survey to explore underground structures in the whole Ilan Plain, especially in SanShin, Wujie, and Lize area. We aim to find the relationship between underground structures and geothermal forming mechanism. The research uses reflection seismic survey to investigate the high geothermal gradient area with two mini-vibrators and 240-channel system. The total length of seismic lines is more than 30 kilometers. The results show that alluvial sediments covering the area about 400 600 meters thick and then thin out to the west in SanShin area. In SanShin , the Taiyaqiao anticline in Hsuehshan Range has entered the plain area and is bounded by the Zhuoshui fault (south) and the Zailian fault (north). In Wujie and Lize , Zhuoshui fault cut through a strong reflector which is the top of the gravel layer near the bottom of the alluvial layer, while the SanShin fault seems to cut near very shallow strata. These two faults are a strike-slip fault with a bit of normal fault component distributing over a range of 600 meters. In Ilan Plain, the geothermal forming mechanism is controlled by anticlines and faults. The hydrothermal solution which migrates upward along these anticline or fault zones to the shallow part causing high geothermal gradients in these areas.

Paleohydrologic record from lake brine on the southern High Plains, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanford, W.E.; Wood, W.W.

1995-01-01

The timing of changes in the stage and salinity of Double Lakes of Lynn County, Texas, was estimated using dissolved-chloride profiles across an underlying shale layer. Lake conditions over the past 30 to 50 ka can be inferred from the chloride profiles by using the advective velocity of the pore water through the shale and an appropriate coefficient of molecular diffusion. The profiles suggest that net-evaporative conditions existed over the southern High Plains for the past 50 ka; a period of increasing salinity in the lake began at ~20 ka and reached current levels at ~5 ka. In addition, deflationary conditions were present for at least 4 ka, and likely began or were accelerated during the most recent altithermal period at ~5 ka. -from Authors

Water-level and recoverable water in storage changes, High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2015 and 2013–15

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, Virginia L.

2017-06-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area (about 1950). This report presents water-level changes and change in recoverable water in storage in the High Plains aquifer from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2015 and from 2013 to 2015.The methods to calculate area-weighted, average water-level changes; change in recoverable water in storage; and total recoverable water in storage used geospatial data layers organized as rasters with a cell size of 500 meters by 500 meters, which is an area of about 62 acres. Raster datasets of water-level changes are provided for other uses.Water-level changes from predevelopment to 2015, by well, ranged from a rise of 84 feet to a decline of 234 feet. Water-level changes from 2013 to 2015, by well, ranged from a rise of 24 feet to a decline of 33 feet. The area-weighted, average water-level changes in the aquifer were an overall decline of 15.8 feet from predevelopment to 2015 and a decline of 0.6 feet from 2013 to 2015. Total recoverable water in storage in the aquifer in 2015 was about 2.91 billion acre-feet, which was a decline of about 273.2 million acre-feet since predevelopment and a decline of 10.7 million acre-feet from 2013 to 2015.

Estimated historical distribution of grassland communities of the Southern Great Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reese, Gordon C.; Manier, Daniel J.; Carr, Natasha B.; Callan, Ramana; Leinwand, Ian I.F.; Assal, Timothy J.; Burris, Lucy; Ignizio, Drew A.

2016-12-07

The purpose of this project was to map the estimated distribution of grassland communities of the Southern Great Plains prior to Euro-American settlement. The Southern Great Plains Rapid Ecoregional Assessment (REA), under the direction of the Bureau of Land Management and the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, includes four ecoregions: the High Plains, Central Great Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, and the Nebraska Sand Hills. The REA advisors and stakeholders determined that the mapping accuracy of available national land-cover maps was insufficient in many areas to adequately address management questions for the REA. Based on the recommendation of the REA stakeholders, we estimated the potential historical distribution of 10 grassland communities within the Southern Great Plains project area using data on soils, climate, and vegetation from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) including the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) and Ecological Site Information System (ESIS). The dominant grassland communities of the Southern Great Plains addressed as conservation elements for the REA area are shortgrass, mixed-grass, and sand prairies. We also mapped tall-grass, mid-grass, northwest mixed-grass, and cool season bunchgrass prairies, saline and foothill grasslands, and semi-desert grassland and steppe. Grassland communities were primarily defined using the annual productivity of dominant species in the ESIS data. The historical grassland community classification was linked to the SSURGO data using vegetation types associated with the predominant component of mapped soil units as defined in the ESIS data. We augmented NRCS data with Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools (LANDFIRE) Biophysical Settings classifications 1) where NRCS data were unavailable and 2) where fifth-level watersheds intersected the boundary of the High Plains ecoregion in Wyoming. Spatial data representing the estimated historical distribution of

Arsenic in sediments, groundwater, and streamwater of a glauconitic Coastal Plain terrain, New Jersey, USA-Chemical " fingerprints" for geogenic and anthropogenic sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barringer, J.L.; Reilly, P.A.; Eberl, D.D.; Blum, A.E.; Bonin, J.L.; Rosman, R.; Hirst, B.; Alebus, M.; Cenno, K.; Gorska, M.

2011-01-01

Glauconite-bearing deposits are found worldwide, but As levels have been determined for relatively few. The As content of glauconites in sediments of the Inner Coastal Plain of New Jersey can exceed 100mg/kg, and total As concentrations (up to 5.95??g/L) found historically and recently in streamwaters exceed the State standard. In a major watershed of the Inner Coastal Plain, chemical " fingerprints" were developed for streambed sediments and groundwater to identify contributions of As to the watershed from geologic and anthropogenic sources. The fingerprint for streambed sediments, which included Be, Cr, Fe and V, indicated that As was predominantly of geologic origin. High concentrations of dissolved organic C, nutrients (and Cl-) in shallow groundwater indicated anthropogenic inputs that provided an environment where microbial activity released As from minerals to groundwater discharging to the stream. Particulates in streamwater during high flow constituted most of the As load; the chemical patterns for these particulates resembled the geologic fingerprint of the streambed sediments. The As/Cr ratio of these suspended particles likely indicates they derived not only from runoff, but from groundwater inputs, because As contributed by groundwater is sequestered on streambed sediments. Agricultural inputs of As were not clearly identified, although chemical characteristics of some sediments indicated vehicle-related inputs of metals. Sediment sampling during dry and wet years showed that, under differing hydrologic conditions, local anthropogenic fingerprints could be obscured but the geologic fingerprint, indicating glauconitic sediments as an As source, was robust. ?? 2011.

Timing and development of the Heise volcanic field, Snake River Plain, Idaho, western USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, L.A.; McIntosh, W.C.

2005-01-01

The Snake River Plain (SRP) developed over the last 16 Ma as a bimodal volcanic province in response to the southwest movement of the North American plate over a fixed melting anomaly. Volcanism along the SRP is dominated by eruptions of explosive high-silica rhyolites and represents some of the largest eruptions known. Basaltic eruptions represent the final stages of volcanism, forming a thin cap above voluminous rhyolitic deposits. Volcanism progressed, generally from west to east, along the plain episodically in successive volcanic fields comprised of nested caldera complexes with major caldera-forming eruptions within a particular field separated by ca. 0.5-1 Ma, similar to, and in continuation with, the present-day Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field. Passage of the North American plate over the melting anomaly at a particular point in time and space was accompanied by uplift, regional tectonism, massive explosive eruptions, and caldera subsidence, and followed by basaltic volcanism and general subsidence. The Heise volcan ic field in the eastern SRP, Idaho, represents an adjacent and slightly older field immediately to the southwest of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field. Five large-volume (>0.5 km3) rhyolitic ignimbrites constitute a time-stratigraphic framework of late Miocene to early Pliocene volcanism for the study region. Field relations and high-precision 40Ar/39Ar age determinations establish that four of these regional ignimbrites were erupted from the Heise volcanic field and form the framework of the Heise Group. These are the Blacktail Creek Tuff (6.62 ?? 0.03 Ma), Walcott Tuff (6.27 ?? 0.04 Ma), Conant Creek Tuff (5.51 ?? 0.13 Ma), and Kilgore Tuff (4.45 ?? 0.05 Ma; all errors reported at ?? 2??). The fifth widespread ignimbrite in the regions is the Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation (10.21 ?? 0.03 Ma), which erupted from a caldera source outside of the Heise volcanic field. These results establish the Conant Creek Tuff as a

Backcasting the decline of a vulnerable Great Plains reproductive ecotype: identifying threats and conservation priorities.

PubMed

Worthington, Thomas A; Brewer, Shannon K; Grabowski, Timothy B; Mueller, Julia

2014-01-01

Conservation efforts for threatened or endangered species are challenging because the multi-scale factors that relate to their decline or inhibit their recovery are often unknown. To further exacerbate matters, the perceptions associated with the mechanisms of species decline are often viewed myopically rather than across the entire species range. We used over 80 years of fish presence data collected from the Great Plains and associated ecoregions of the United States, to investigate the relative influence of changing environmental factors on the historic and current truncated distributions of the Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi. Arkansas River shiner represent a threatened reproductive ecotype considered especially well adapted to the harsh environmental extremes of the Great Plains. Historic (n = 163 records) and current (n = 47 records) species distribution models were constructed using a vector-based approach in MaxEnt by splitting the available data at a time when Arkansas River shiner dramatically declined. Discharge and stream order were significant predictors in both models; however, the shape of the relationship between the predictors and species presence varied between time periods. Drift distance (river fragment length available for ichthyoplankton downstream drift before meeting a barrier) was a more important predictor in the current model and indicated river segments 375-780 km had the highest probability of species presence. Performance for the historic and current models was high (area under the curve; AUC > 0.95); however, forecasting and backcasting to alternative time periods suggested less predictive power. Our results identify fragments that could be considered refuges for endemic plains fish species and we highlight significant environmental factors (e.g., discharge) that could be manipulated to aid recovery. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.

A review of crust and upper mantle structure studies of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone volcanic system: A major lithospheric anomaly in the western U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iyer, H.M.

1984-01-01

The Snake River Plain-Yellowstone volcanic system is one of the largest, basaltic, volcanic field in the world. Here, there is clear evidence for northeasterly progression of rhyolitic volcanism with its present position in Yellowstone. Many theories have been advanced for the origin of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone system. Yellowstone and Eastern Snake River Plain have been studied intensively using various geophysical techniques. Some sparse geophysical data are available for the Western Snake River Plain as well. Teleseismic data show the presence of a large anomalous body with low P- and S-wave velocities in the crust and upper mantle under the Yellowstone caldera. A similar body in which compressional wave velocity is lower than in the surrounding rock is present under the Eastern Snake River Plain. No data on upper mantle anomalies are available for the Western Snake River Plain. Detailed seismic refraction data for the Eastern Snake River Plain show strong lateral heterogeneities and suggest thinning of the granitic crust from below by mafic intrusion. Available data for the Western Snake River Plain also show similar thinning of the upper crust and its replacement by mafic material. The seismic refraction results in Yellowstone show no evidence of the low-velocity anomalies in the lower crust suggested by teleseismic P-delay data and interpreted as due to extensive partial melting. However, the seismic refraction models indicate lower-than-normal velocities and strong lateral inhomogeneities in the upper crust. Particularly obvious in the refraction data are two regions of very low seismic velocities near the Mallard Eake and Sour Creek resurgent domes in the Yellowstone caldera. The low-velocity body near the Sour Creek resurgent dome is intepreted as partially molten rock. Together with other geophysical and thermal data, the seismic results indicate that a sub-lithospheric thermal anomaly is responsible for the time-progressive volcanism along the

The timing and nature of Late Quaternary vegetation changes in the northern Great Plains, USA and Canada: a re-assessment of the spruce phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yansa, Catherine H.

2006-02-01

This paper revises the chronology for the northward migration of Picea glauca (white spruce) across the northern Great Plains, following the recession of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, and reinterprets the species composition and structure of the late-glacial vegetation on the basis of pollen and plant-macrofossil analysis. The timing of spruce migration is based on 26 14C ages obtained from Picea macrofossils. The date for the appearance of white spruce in southern South Dakota, USA, remains unchanged, 12,600 14C yr BP (ca 15,000 cal yr BP), but its arrival in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, by 10,300 14C yr BP (ca 12,100 cal yr BP) is about 1500 years later than previously estimated based on an organic sediment date. Picea glauca thus migrated northwards at an average rate of 0.38 km/ 14C year (0.30 km/calendar year), significantly slower than the previously published rate of 2 km/ 14C year. White spruce trees probably inhabited lake shorelines, whereas prairie, parkland, and boreal plants occupied both lowlands and uplands, forming an open white spruce parkland. This interpretation differs from a previous reconstruction of a boreal-type spruce forest and thus offers another paleoclimatic interpretation. Precipitation was probably low and summer temperatures relatively mild, averaging about 19 °C.

Field and laboratory dissipation of the herbicide fomesafen in the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain (USA)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To control weeds with evolved resistance to glyphosate, cotton farmers in the Southeastern USA have rapidly increased fomesafen (5-(2-chloro-a, a, a-trifluoro-p-tolyloxy)-N-mesyl-2-nitrobenzamide) use. Its properties suggest potential for soil persistence, runoff, and leaching that may contribute to...

Colorectal cancer survival in the USA and Europe: a CONCORD high-resolution study

PubMed Central

Allemani, Claudia; Rachet, Bernard; Weir, Hannah K; Richardson, Lisa C; Lepage, Côme; Faivre, Jean; Gatta, Gemma; Capocaccia, Riccardo; Sant, Milena; Baili, Paolo; Lombardo, Claudio; Aareleid, Tiiu; Ardanaz, Eva; Bielska-Lasota, Magdalena; Bolick, Susan; Cress, Rosemary; Elferink, Marloes; Fulton, John P; Galceran, Jaume; Góźdź, Stanisław; Hakulinen, Timo; Primic-Žakelj, Maja; Rachtan, Jadwiga; Diba, Chakameh Safaei; Sánchez, Maria-José; Schymura, Maria J; Shen, Tiefu; Tagliabue, Giovanna; Tumino, Rosario; Vercelli, Marina; Wolf, Holly J; Wu, Xiao-Cheng; Coleman, Michel P

2013-01-01

Objectives To assess the extent to which stage at diagnosis and adherence to treatment guidelines may explain the persistent differences in colorectal cancer survival between the USA and Europe. Design A high-resolution study using detailed clinical data on Dukes’ stage, diagnostic procedures, treatment and follow-up, collected directly from medical records by trained abstractors under a single protocol, with standardised quality control and central statistical analysis. Setting and participants 21 population-based registries in seven US states and nine European countries provided data for random samples comprising 12 523 adults (15–99 years) diagnosed with colorectal cancer during 1996–1998. Outcome measures Logistic regression models were used to compare adherence to ‘standard care’ in the USA and Europe. Net survival and excess risk of death were estimated with flexible parametric models. Results The proportion of Dukes’ A and B tumours was similar in the USA and Europe, while that of Dukes’ C was more frequent in the USA (38% vs 21%) and of Dukes’ D more frequent in Europe (22% vs 10%). Resection with curative intent was more frequent in the USA (85% vs 75%). Elderly patients (75–99 years) were 70–90% less likely to receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Age-standardised 5-year net survival was similar in the USA (58%) and Northern and Western Europe (54–56%) and lowest in Eastern Europe (42%). The mean excess hazard up to 5 years after diagnosis was highest in Eastern Europe, especially among elderly patients and those with Dukes’ D tumours. Conclusions The wide differences in colorectal cancer survival between Europe and the USA in the late 1990s are probably attributable to earlier stage and more extensive use of surgery and adjuvant treatment in the USA. Elderly patients with colorectal cancer received surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy less often than younger patients, despite evidence that they could also have benefited

Current (2004-07) Conditions and Changes in Ground-Water Levels from Predevelopment to 2007, Southern High Plains Aquifer, East-Central New Mexico-Curry County, Portales, and Causey Lingo Underground Water Basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillery, Anne

2008-01-01

The Southern High Plains aquifer is the principal aquifer in Curry and Roosevelt Counties, N. Mex., and primary source of water in southeastern New Mexico. Successful water-supply planning for New Mexico's Southern High Plains requires knowledge of the current aquifer conditions and a context to estimate future trends given current aquifer-management policy. This report provides a summary of the current (2007) water-level status of the Southern High Plains aquifer in New Mexico, including a basis for estimating future trends by comparison with historical conditions. This report includes estimates of the extent of ground-water level declines in the Curry County, Portales, and Causey-Lingo Ground-water Management Area parts of the High Plains Aquifer in eastern New Mexico since predevelopment. Maps representing 2007 water levels, water-level declines, aquifer saturated thickness, and depth to water accompanied by hydrographs from representative wells for the Southern High Plains aquifer in the Curry County, Portales, and Causey Lingo Underground Water Basins were prepared in cooperation with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. The results of this mapping show the water level declined as much as 175 feet in the study area at rates as high as 1.76 feet per year.

Current (2004-07) Conditions and Changes in Ground-Water Levels from Predevelopment to 2007, Southern High Plains Aquifer, Southeast New Mexico-Lea County Underground Water Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillery, Anne

2008-01-01

The Southern High Plains aquifer is the principal aquifer and primary source of water in southeastern New Mexico. The Lea County portion of the aquifer covers approximately the northern two thirds of the 4,393-square-mile county. Successful water-supply planning for New Mexico's Southern High Plains requires knowledge of the current aquifer conditions and a context from which to estimate future trends given current aquifer-management policy. Maps representing water-level declines, current (2007) water levels, aquifer saturated thickness, and depth to water accompanied by hydrographs from representative wells for the Southern High Plains aquifer in the Lea County Underground Water Basin were prepared in cooperation with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. Results of this mapping effort show the water level has declined as much as 97 feet in the Lea County Underground Water Basin from predevelopment (1914-54) to 2007 with rates as high as 0.88 feet per year.

Magnetotelluric Imaging of Lower Crustal Melt and Lithospheric Hydration in the Rocky Mountain Front Transition Zone, Colorado, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feucht, D. W.; Sheehan, A. F.; Bedrosian, P. A.

2017-12-01

We present an electrical resistivity model of the crust and upper mantle from two-dimensional (2-D) anisotropic inversion of magnetotelluric data collected along a 450 km transect of the Rio Grande rift, southern Rocky Mountains, and High Plains in Colorado, USA. Our model provides a window into the modern-day lithosphere beneath the Rocky Mountain Front to depths in excess of 150 km. Two key features of the 2-D resistivity model are (1) a broad zone ( 200 km wide) of enhanced electrical conductivity (<20 Ωm) in the midcrust to lower crust that is centered beneath the highest elevations of the southern Rocky Mountains and (2) hydrated lithospheric mantle beneath the Great Plains with water content in excess of 100 ppm. We interpret the high conductivity region of the lower crust as a zone of partially molten basalt and associated deep-crustal fluids that is the result of recent (less than 10 Ma) tectonic activity in the region. The recent supply of volatiles and/or heat to the base of the crust in the late Cenozoic implies that modern-day tectonic activity in the western United States extends to at least the western margin of the Great Plains. The transition from conductive to resistive upper mantle is caused by a gradient in lithospheric modification, likely including hydration of nominally anhydrous minerals, with maximum hydration occurring beneath the Rocky Mountain Front. This lithospheric "hydration front" has implications for the tectonic evolution of the continental interior and the mechanisms by which water infiltrates the lithosphere.

Mountains, Craters and Plains

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-17

New Horizons views of the informally named Sputnik Planum on Pluto (top) and the informally named Vulcan Planum on Charon (bottom). Both scale bars measure 20 miles (32 kilometers) long; illumination is from the left in both instances. The Sputnik Planum view is centered at 11°N, 180°E, and covers the bright, icy, geologically cellular plains. Here, the cells are defined by a network of interconnected troughs that crisscross these nitrogen-ice plains. At right, in the upper image, the cellular plains yield to pitted plains of southern Sputnik Planum. This observation was obtained by the Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) at a resolution of 1,050 feet (320 meters) per pixel. The Vulcan Planum view in the bottom panel is centered at 4°S, 4°E, and includes the "moated mountain" Clarke Mons just above the center of the image. As well as featuring impact craters and sinuous troughs, the water ice-rich plains display a range of surface textures, from smooth and grooved at left, to pitted and hummocky at right. This observation was obtained by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) at a resolution of 525 feet (160 meters) per pixel. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20535

7 CFR 650.25 - Flood-plain management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flood-plain management. 650.25 Section 650.25... Flood-plain management. Through proper planning, flood plains can be managed to reduce the threat to... encourages sound flood-plain management decisions by land users. (a) Policy—(1) General. NRCS provides...

7 CFR 650.25 - Flood-plain management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Flood-plain management. 650.25 Section 650.25... Flood-plain management. Through proper planning, flood plains can be managed to reduce the threat to... encourages sound flood-plain management decisions by land users. (a) Policy—(1) General. NRCS provides...

Modeling Responses of Dryland Spring Triticale, Proso Millet and Foxtail Millet to Initial Soil Water in the High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dryland farming strategies in the High Plains must make efficient use of limited and variable precipitation and stored water in the soil profile for stable and sustainable farm productivity. Current research efforts focus on replacing summer fallow in the region with more profitable and environmenta...

A Stream Multimetric Macroinvertebrate Index (MMI) for the Sand Hills Ecoregion of the Southeastern Plains, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosnicki, Ely; Sefick, Stephen A.; Paller, Michael H.; Jerrell, Miller S.; Prusha, Blair A.; Sterrett, Sean C.; Tuberville, Tracey D.; Feminella, Jack W.

2016-10-01

A macroinvertebrate multimetric index is an effective tool for assessing the biological integrity of streams. However, data collected under a single protocol may not be available for an entire region. We sampled macroinvertebrates from the full extent of the Sand Hills ecoregion Level IV of the Southeastern Plains with a standard protocol during the summers of 2010-2012. We evaluated the performance of 94 metrics through a series of screening criteria and built 48 macroinvertebrate multimetric indexs with combinations of the best performing metrics, representing richness, habit, functional feeding guild, sensitivity, and community composition. A series of narrative-response tests for each macroinvertebrate multimetric index was used to find the best performing macroinvertebrate multimetric index which we called the Sand Hills macroinvertebrate multimetric index. The Sand Hills macroinvertebrate multimetric index consisted of the measures Biotic Index, % Shredder taxa, Clinger taxa2/total taxa, Plecoptera and Trichoptera richness, and Tanytarsini taxa2/Chironomidae taxa. Comparison of the Sand Hills macroinvertebrate multimetric index with existing assessment tools calculated with our data indicated that the Sand Hills macroinvertebrate multimetric index performs at a high level with regard to identifying degraded sites and in its response to stress gradients.

Assessing the impacts of sea-level rise and precipitation change on the surficial aquifer in the low-lying coastal alluvial plains and barrier islands, east-central Florida (USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Han; Wang, Dingbao; Hagen, Scott C.; Medeiros, Stephen C.; Hall, Carlton R.

2016-11-01

A three-dimensional variable-density groundwater flow and salinity transport model is implemented using the SEAWAT code to quantify the spatial variation of water-table depth and salinity of the surficial aquifer in Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral Island in east-central Florida (USA) under steady-state 2010 hydrologic and hydrogeologic conditions. The developed model is referred to as the `reference' model and calibrated against field-measured groundwater levels and a map of land use and land cover. Then, five prediction/projection models are developed based on modification of the boundary conditions of the calibrated `reference' model to quantify climate change impacts under various scenarios of sea-level rise and precipitation change projected to 2050. Model results indicate that west Merritt Island will encounter lowland inundation and saltwater intrusion due to its low elevation and flat topography, while climate change impacts on Cape Canaveral Island and east Merritt Island are not significant. The SEAWAT models developed for this study are useful and effective tools for water resources management, land use planning, and climate-change adaptation decision-making in these and other low-lying coastal alluvial plains and barrier island systems.

49 CFR 229.64 - Plain bearings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Plain bearings. 229.64 Section 229.64 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION....64 Plain bearings. A plain bearing box shall contain visible free oil and may not be cracked to the...

'Billings' wheat combines early maturity, disease resistance, and desirable grain quality for the Southern Great Plains of the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Selection pressure for earliness, resistance to multiple pathogens, and quality attributes consistent with the hard red winter (HRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) market class is tantamount to, or can obscure, selection for yield potential in lower elevations of the U.S. southern Great Plains. The de...

Comparison of Water and Nutrient Cycles in the North China Plain and U.S. High Plains related to Climate Forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, B. R.; Pei, H.; Shen, Y.

2014-12-01

The North China Plain (NCP) and U.S. High Plains play critical roles in food production, which relies heavily on groundwater resources for irrigation and nutrients. Here we evaluate food production in terms of resource availability (water and nutrients) and impacts on resources (groundwater quantity and quality) within the context of climate forcing. Double cropping of corn and wheat in the NCP under intensive irrigation (80 - 90% of cropland) and massive N fertilization (384 kg/ha) resulted in total corn plus wheat yields of 13.4 kg/ha (2002 - 2011). In contrast, single cropping of corn on the USHP under less intensive irrigation (40% of cropland) and N fertilization (90 kg/ha) resulted in only 15% lower yield in the USHP (11.7 kg/ha) than in the NCP. However, irrigation essentially decouples crop production from climate extremes. Average corn and wheat yield in the NCP over the past three decades is not correlated with precipitation. Irrigated corn yield in the north and central USHP was actually higher during the recent 2012 drought by up to ~ 30% relative to the 30 year long-term mean yield whereas rainfed corn yield decreased by ~50% during the drought. The main impact of climate extremes on the aquifers is indirect through increased irrigation pumpage for crop production rather than direct through changes in recharge. Effects of crop production on groundwater quality should be much greater in the NCP because of ~4 times higher fertilizer application relative to that in the USHP. Field research experiments in the NCP indicate that much of this fertilizer application (> 200 kg N/ha) does not impact yield and could potentially leach into underlying aquifers. Projected groundwater depletion in these aquifers should result in a shift from intensive irrigation to more rainfed crop production, increasing vulnerability of crop production to climate extremes.

The Plains are Not Plain

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-06-01

This image from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft covers some of the plains south of Capri Chasma in eastern Valles Marineris. Where the aeolian (wind-blown) sedimentary cover has been stripped away, we see diverse colors indicative of of a variety of altered minerals formed in Mars' wetter past. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20730

Genetic variation in Great Plains Juniperus

Treesearch

David F. Van Haverbeke; Rudy M. King

1990-01-01

Fifth-year analyses of Great Plains Juniperus seed sources indicate eastern redcedar should be collected in east-central Nebraska for use throughout the Great Plains; Rocky Mountain juniper seed should be collected from northwest Nebraska, or central Montana, for planting southward through the Great Plains into west-central Kansas west of the 100th meridian.

The Plains City Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Olphen, Marcela; Rios, Francisco; Berube, William; Dexter, Robin; McCarthy, Robert

2006-01-01

This case study portrays a contemporary phenomenon that affects many U.S. school districts. Specifically, the authors address the challenges that the superintendent of the Plains City school district faced as a result of a change in the demographic distribution of his district. The gradual development of the pig farming industry in Plains City…

Outwash plains and thermokarst on Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Costard, F.M.; Kargel, J.S.

1995-01-01

The spatial distribution of different types of rampart craters on Mars suggests a hemispheric asymmetry in the distribution of ground ice. The northern plains, especially major topographic depressions near the terminations of outflow channels, have high percentages of rampart craters. Two of these basins, Acidalia and Utopia Planitiae, received extraordinarily large amounts of water and sediment from the Chryse and Elysium outflow channels. In both regions, the analysis of high-resolution Viking pictures (12 m/pixel) indicates a concentration of kilometer-scale depressions that are similar in size and form to thermokarstic features in Yakutia (Siberia) and parts of the arctic coastal plain of North America. Accordingly, we infer that (1) Utopia Planitia and Acidalia Planitia may contain thick, laterally continuous, ice-rich sedimentary deposits related to outflow channel-forming floods, and (2) these areas of Mars may have experienced thermokarstic processes similar to modern thermokarstic processes in some periglacial regions of Earth.

Comparing the cost-effectiveness of water conservation policies in a depleting aquifer:A dynamic analysis of the Kansas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This research analyzes two groundwater conservation policies in the Kansas High Plains located within the Ogallala aquifer: 1) cost-share assistance to increase irrigation efficiency; and 2) incentive payments to convert irrigated crop production to dryland crop production. To compare the cost-effec...

Simulating future climate change impacts on seed cotton yield in the Texas High Plains using the CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Texas High Plains (THP) region contributes to about 25% of the US cotton production. Dwindling groundwater resources in the underlying Ogallala aquifer, future climate variability and frequent occurrences of droughts are major concerns for cotton production in this region. Assessing the impacts ...

Simulating future climate change impacts on seed cotton yield in the Texas high plains using the CSM-CROPGRO cotton model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Texas High Plains (THP) region contributes to about 25% of the US cotton production. Dwindling groundwater resources in the underlying Ogallala aquifer, future climate variability and frequent occurrences of droughts are major concerns for cotton production in this region. Assessing the impacts ...

Diagnosing diabetic foot osteomyelitis: is the combination of probe-to-bone test and plain radiography sufficient for high-risk inpatients?

PubMed

Aragón-Sánchez, J; Lipsky, Benjamin A; Lázaro-Martínez, J L

2011-02-01

To investigate the accuracy of the sequential combination of the probe-to-bone test and plain X-rays for diagnosing osteomyelitis in the foot of patients with diabetes. We prospectively compiled data on a series of 338 patients with diabetes with 356 episodes of foot infection who were hospitalized in the Diabetic Foot Unit of La Paloma Hospital from 1 October 2002 to 31 April 2010. For each patient we did a probe-to-bone test at the time of the initial evaluation and then obtained plain X-rays of the involved foot. All patients with positive results on either the probe-to-bone test or plain X-ray underwent an appropriate surgical procedure, which included obtaining a bone specimen that was processed for histology and culture. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios of the procedures, using the histopathological diagnosis of osteomyelitis as the criterion standard. Overall, 72.4% of patients had histologically proven osteomyelitis, 85.2% of whom had positive bone culture. The performance characteristics of both the probe-to-bone test and plain X-rays were excellent. The sequential diagnostic approach had a sensitivity of 0.97, specificity of 0.92, positive predictive value of 0.97, negative predictive value of 0.93, positive likelihood ratio of 12.8 and negative likelihood ratio of 0.02. Only 6.6% of patients with negative results on both diagnostic studies had osteomyelitis. Clinicians seeing patients in a setting similar to ours (specialized diabetic foot unit with a high prevalence of osteomyelitis) can confidently diagnose diabetic foot osteomyelitis when either the probe-to-bone test or a plain X-ray, or especially both, are positive. © 2011 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2011 Diabetes UK.

Modelling middle pliocene warm climates of the USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haywood, A.M.; Valdes, P.J.; Sellwood, B.W.; Kaplan, J.O.; Dowsett, H.J.

2001-01-01

The middle Pliocene warm period represents a unique time slice in which to model and understand climatic processes operating under a warm climatic regime. Palaeoclimatic model simulations, focussed on the United States of America (USA), for the middle Pliocene (ca 3 Ma) were generated using the USGS PRISM2 2?? ?? 2?? data set of boundary conditions and the UK Meteorological Office's HadAMS General Circulation Model (GCM). Model results suggest that conditions in the USA during the middle Pliocene can be characterised as annually warmer (by 2?? to 4??C), less seasonal, wetter (by a maximum of 4 to 8 mm/day) and with an absence of freezing winters over the central and southern Great Plains. A sensitivity experiment suggests that the main forcing mechanisms for surface temperature changes in near coastal areas are the imposed Pliocene sea surface temperatures (SST's). In interior regions, reduced Northern Hemisphere terrestrial ice, combined with less snow cover and a reduction in the elevation of the western cordillera of North America, generate atmospheric circulation changes and positive albedo feedbacks that raise surface temperatures. A complex set of climatic feedback mechanisms cause an enhancement of the hydrological cycle magnifying the moisture bearing westerly wind belt during the winter season (Dec., Jan., Feb.). Predictions produced by the model are in broad agreement with available geological evidence. However, the GCM appears to underestimate precipitation levels in the interior and central regions of the southern USA. Copyright: Palaeontological Association, 22 June 2001.

Great plains, Chapter 11

Treesearch

C.M. Clark

2011-01-01

The North American Great Plains are the largest contiguous ecoregion in North America, covering 3.5 million square km2, or 16 percent of the continental area (CEC 1997). In the United States, the Great Plains ecoregion encompasses a roughly triangular region (Figure 2.2), bordered on the west by the Rocky Mountains and the southwestern deserts in...

Effect of complete competition control and annual fertilization on stem growth and canopy relations for a chronosequence of loblolly pine plantations in the lower coastal plain of Georgia

Treesearch

B.E. Borders; R.E. Will; D. Marewitz; Alexander Clark; R. Hendrick; R.O. Teskey; Y. Zhang

2004-01-01

Stem growth, developmental patterns and canopy relations were measured in a chronosequence of intensively managed loblolly pine stands. The study was located on two distinct sites in the lower coastal plain of Georgia, USA and contained a factorial arrangement of complete control of interspecific competition (W) and annual nitrogen fertilization (F). The W treatment...

Yield determination and water-use effenciency of wheat under water-limited conditions in the U.S. southern high plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drought is the most important stress for reducing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield and water-use efficiency (WUE) on the U.S. Southern High Plains. Adoption of cultivars with higher yield and WUE under drought conditions is critical in the area. The objective of this study was to investigate the p...

Yield determination and water use efficiency of wheat under water-limited conditions in the U.S. Southern High Plains.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drought is the most important stress for reducing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in the U.S. Southern High Plains (SHP). Adoption of cultivars with higher yield and WUE under drought conditions in critical in the area. The objective of this study was to investiga...

Assessment of undiscovered resources in calcrete uranium deposits, Southern High Plains region of Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, Susan M.; Mihalasky, Mark J.; Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2017-11-14

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a mean of 40 million pounds of in-place uranium oxide (U3O8) remaining as potential undiscovered resources in the Southern High Plains region of Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. This estimate used a geology-based assessment method specific to calcrete uranium deposits.

High-Frequency X-ray Variability Detection in A Black Hole Transient with USA.

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

Shabad, Gayane

2000-10-16

Studies of high-frequency variability (above {approx}100 Hz) in X-ray binaries provide a unique opportunity to explore the fundamental physics of spacetime and matter, since the orbital timescale on the order of several milliseconds is a timescale of the motion of matter through the region located in close proximity to a compact stellar object. The detection of weak high-frequency signals in X-ray binaries depends on how well we understand the level of Poisson noise due to the photon counting statistics, i.e. how well we can understand and model the detector deadtime and other instrumental systematic effects. We describe the preflight timingmore » calibration work performed on the Unconventional Stellar Aspect (USA) X-ray detector to study deadtime and timing issues. We developed a Monte Carlo deadtime model and deadtime correction methods for the USA experiment. The instrumental noise power spectrum can be estimated within {approx}0.1% accuracy in the case when no energy-dependent instrumental effect is present. We also developed correction techniques to account for an energy-dependent instrumental effect. The developed methods were successfully tested on USA Cas A and Cygnus X-1 data. This work allowed us to make a detection of a weak signal in a black hole candidate (BHC) transient.« less

A hotspot analysis of the water footprint and groundwater depletion in the High Plains Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Multsch, Sebastian; Pahlow, Markus; Ellensohn, Judith; Michalik, Thomas; Frede, Hans-Georg; Breuer, Lutz

2015-04-01

The water footprint (WF) of irrigation agriculture sums up to 45.72 km3 yr-1(46% blue, 54% green) across the High Plains Aquifer (HPA) in the USA. Green WFs are dominating the north-east. Blue WFs are related to regions with intensive depletion of groundwater in the center and southern HPA, a situation further exacerbated by an increase of the blue water fraction of crop WF over the past (by 50% for 1990-1999; by 57% for 2000-2012). By means of a cluster analysis with the three parameter groundwater decline, blue and green WF, hotspots have been delineated spatially. Two sub-regions in the southern and central covering merely 20% of the HPA area have a share of one-third (7.92 km3 yr-1) of the total WF. This clearly shows that local strategies for sustainable allocation and use of freshwater resources are required. A likely impact of the sowing date (earliest vs. latest) on the WF has been studied, showing that blue WF increases by about 4% on average for all crops for the late sowing date, whereby the green and blue WF of cotton decreases totally about 0.9 km3 yr-1. Further evaluation criteria apart from water conservation considered are economic water productivity and nutritional value per volume of water consumed in agricultural production. Corn leads to the highest economic water productivity of 0.34 USD m-3, which in addition provides the highest nutritional value of 4362 kcal m-3. Favoring sorghum over corn was found advantageous in years with water shortage, because irrigation requirements and crop evapotranspiration of sorghum are lower by 20% and 25%, respectively, yet accompanied with nutritional losses of 28% compared to corn production. Such a trade-off is to be evaluated by farmers and policy makers, whereby the green and blue WFs, the impact of the sowing date as well as the economic and nutritional productivity presented here supports decision making.

Simulating the 2012 High Plains drought using three single column versions (SCM) of BUGS5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina, I. D.; Denning, S.

2013-12-01

The impact of changes in the frequency and severity of drought on fresh water sustainability is a great concern for many regions of the world. One such location is the High Plains, where the local economy is primarily driven by fresh water withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer, which accounts for approximately 30% of total irrigation withdrawals from all U.S. aquifers combined. Modeling studies that focus on the feedback mechanisms that control the climate and eco-hydrology during times of drought are limited, and have used conventional General Circulation Models (GCMs) with grid length scales ranging from one hundred to several hundred kilometers. Additionally, these models utilize crude statistical parameterizations of cloud processes for estimating sub-grid fluxes of heat and moisture and have a poor representation of land surface heterogeneity. For this research, we will focus on the 2012 High Plains drought and will perform numerical simulations using three single column versions (SCM) of BUGS5 (Colorado State University (CSU) GCM coupled to the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB3)) at multiple sites overlying the Ogallala Aquifer for the 2011-2012 periods. In the first version of BUGS5, the model will be used in its standard bulk setting (single atmospheric column coupled to a single instance of SiB3), secondly, the Super-Parameterized Community Atmospheric Model (SP-CAM), a cloud resolving model (CRM consists of 64 atmospheric columns), will replace the single CSU GCM atmospheric parameterization and will be coupled to a single instance of SiB3, and for the third version of BUGS5, an instance of SiB3 will be coupled to each CRM column of the SP-CAM (64 CRM columns coupled to 64 instances of SiB3). To assess the physical realism of the land-atmosphere feedbacks simulated at each site by all versions of BUGS5, differences in simulated energy and moisture fluxes will be computed between the 2011 and 2012 period and will be compared to differences calculated using

Response of Late Cretaceous migrating deltaic facies systems to sea level, tectonics, and sediment supply changes, New Jersey Coastal Plain, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kulpecz, A.A.; Miller, K.G.; Sugarman, P.J.; Browning, J.V.

2008-01-01

Paleogeographic, isopach, and deltaic lithofacies mapping of thirteen depositional sequences establish a 35 myr high resolution (> 1 Myr) record of Late Cretaceous wave- and tide-influenced deltaic sedimentation. We integrate sequences defined on the basis of lithologic, biostratigraphic, and Sr-isotope stratigraphy from cores with geophysical log data from 28 wells to further develop and extend methods and calibrations of well-log recognition of sequences and facies variations. This study reveals the northeastward migration of depocenters from the Cenomanian (ca. 98 Ma) through the earliest Danian (ca. 64 Ma) and documents five primary phases of paleodeltaic evolution in response to long-term eustatic changes, variations in sediment supply, the location of two long-lived fluvial axes, and thermoflexural basement subsidence: (1) Cenomanian-early Turonian deltaic facies exhibit marine and nonmarine facies and are concentrated in the central coastal plain; (2) high sediment rates, low sea level, and high accommodation rates in the northern coastal plain resulted in thick, marginal to nonmarine mixed-influenced deltaic facies during the Turonign-Coniacian; (3) comparatively low sediment rates and high long-term sea level in the Santonian resulted in a sediment-starved margin with low deltaic influence; (4) well-developed Campanian deltaic sequences expand to the north and exhibit wave reworking and longshore transport of sands, and (5) low sedimentation rates and high long-term sea level during the Maastrichtian resulted in the deposition of a sediment-starved glauconitic shelf. Our study illustrates the widely known variability of mixed-influence deltaic systems, but also documents the relative stability of deltaic facies systems on the 106-107 yr scale, with long periods of cyclically repeating systems tracts controlled by eustasy. Results from the Late Cretaceous further show that although eustasy provides the template for sequences globally, regional tectonics

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, Tennessee, USA, March 2017

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In March 2017, highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H7N9) was detected at 2 poultry farms in Tennessee, USA. Surveillance data and genetic analyses indicated multiple introductions of low pathogenicity avian influenza virus before mutation to high pathogenicity and interfarm transmission. Poultry sur...

Chemical weathering outputs from the flood plain of the Ganga

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bickle, Michael J.; Chapman, Hazel J.; Tipper, Edward; Galy, Albert; De La Rocha, Christina L.; Ahmad, Talat

2018-03-01

Transport of sediment across riverine flood plains contributes a significant but poorly constrained fraction of the total chemical weathering fluxes from rapidly eroding mountain belts which has important implications for chemical fluxes to the oceans and the impact of orogens on long term climate. We report water and bedload chemical analyses from the Ganges flood-plain, a major transit reservoir of sediment from the Himalayan orogen. Our data comprise six major southern tributaries to the Ganga, 31 additional analyses of major rivers from the Himalayan front in Nepal, 79 samples of the Ganga collected close to the mouth below the Farakka barrage every two weeks over three years and 67 water and 8 bedload samples from tributaries confined to the Ganga flood plain. The flood plain tributaries are characterised by a shallow δ18O - δD array, compared to the meteoric water line, with a low δDexcess from evaporative loss from the flood plain which is mirrored in the higher δDexcess of the mountain rivers in Nepal. The stable-isotope data confirms that the waters in the flood plain tributaries are dominantly derived from flood plain rainfall and not by redistribution of waters from the mountains. The flood plain tributaries are chemically distinct from the major Himalayan rivers. They can be divided into two groups. Tributaries from a small area around the Kosi river have 87Sr/86Sr ratios >0.75 and molar Na/Ca ratios as high as 6. Tributaries from the rest of the flood plain have 87Sr/86Sr ratios ≤0.74 and most have Na/Ca ratios <1. One sample of the Gomti river and seven small adjacent tributaries have elevated Na concentrations likely caused by dissolution of Na carbonate salts. The compositions of the carbonate and silicate components of the sediments were determined from sequential leaches of floodplain bedloads and these were used to partition the dissolved cation load between silicate and carbonate sources. The 87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca ratios of the carbonate

Geographic information systems and spatial analysis of adult Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Middle Atlantic region of the U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bunnell, J.E.; Price, S.D.; Das, A.; Shields, T.M.; Glass, G.E.

2003-01-01

In the Middle Atlantic region of the U.S.A., the vector of Lyme disease, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and other human and veterinary pathogens is the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say. In 1997 and 1998, 663 adult I. scapularis ticks were collected from 320 transects spanning 66,400 km2 in five states of the Middle Atlantic region. Tick abundance patterns were clustered, with relatively high numbers along the coastal plain of the Chesapeake Bay, decreasing to the west and south. There were significant associations between tick abundance and land cover, distance to water, distance to forest edge, elevation, and soil type.

Detailed Analysis of the Intra-Ejecta Dark Plains of Caloris Basin, Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buczkowski, D.; Seelos, K. D.

2010-12-01

The Caloris basin on Mercury is floored by light-toned plains and surrounded by an annulus of dark-toned material interpreted to be ejecta blocks and smooth, dark, ridged plains. Strangely, preliminary crater-counts indicate that these intra-ejecta dark plains are younger than the light-toned plains within the Caloris basin. This would imply a second, younger plains emplacement event, possibly involving lower albedo material volcanics, which resurfaced the original ejecta deposit. On the other hand, the dark plains may be pre-Caloris light plains covered by a thin layer of dark ejecta. Another alternative to the hypothesis of young, dark volcanism is the possibility that previous crater-counts have not thoroughly distinguished between superposed craters (fresh) and partly-buried craters (old) and therefore have not accurately determined the ages of the Caloris units. We here outline the tasks associated with a new mapping project of the Caloris basin, intended to improve our knowledge of the geology and geologic history of the basin, and thus facilitate an understanding of the thermal evolution of this region of Mercury. We will 1) classify craters based on geomorphology and infilling, 2) create a high-resolution map of the intra-ejecta dark plains, 3) perform crater counts of the intra-ejecta dark plains, the ejecta, and the Caloris floor light plains and 4) refine the stratigraphy of Caloris basin units. We will use new high resolution (200-300 m/p) imaging data from the MDIS instrument to create a new geomorphic map of the dark annulus around the Caloris basin. Known Caloris group formations will be mapped where identified and any new units will be defined and mapped as necessary. Specifically, we will delineate hummocks and smooth plains within the Odin formation and map them separately. We will look for unequivocal evidence of volcanic activity within the dark annulus and the Odin Formation, such as vents and flow lobes. The location of any filled craters will

44 CFR 10.14 - Flood plains and wetlands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Flood plains and wetlands. 10... Flood plains and wetlands. For any action taken by FEMA in a flood plain or wetland, the provisions of... Executive Order 11988, Flood Plain Management, and Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands (44 CFR...

12 CFR 611.1217 - Plain language requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Plain language requirements. 611.1217 Section 611.1217 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ORGANIZATION Termination of System Institution Status § 611.1217 Plain language requirements. (a) Plain language presentation. All...

12 CFR 611.1217 - Plain language requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Plain language requirements. 611.1217 Section 611.1217 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ORGANIZATION Termination of System Institution Status § 611.1217 Plain language requirements. (a) Plain language presentation. All...

High-resolution hydro- and geo-stratigraphy at Atlantic Coastal Plain drillhole CR-622 (Strat 8)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wrege, B.M.; Isely, J.J.

2009-01-01

We interpret borehole geophysical logs in conjunction with lithology developed from continuous core to produce high-resolution hydro- and geo-stratigraphic profiles for the drillhole CR-622 (Strat 8) in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina. The resulting hydrologic and stratigraphic columns show a generalized relation between hydrologic and geologic units. Fresh-water aquifers encountered are the surficial, Yorktown, Pungo River and Castle Hayne. Geologic units present are of the middle and upper Tertiary and Quaternary periods, these are the Castle Hayne (Eocene), Pungo River (Miocene), Yorktown (Pliocene), James City and Flanner Beach (Pleistocene), and the topsoil (Holocene). The River Bend Formation (Oligocene) is missing as a distinct unit between the Pungo River Formation and the Castle Hayne Formation. The confining unit underlying the Yorktown Aquifer corresponds to the Yorktown Geologic Unit. The remaining hydrologic units and geologic units are hydrologically transitional and non-coincident. The lower Pungo River Formation serves as the confining unit for the Castle Hayne Aquifer, rather than the River Bend Aquifer, and separates the Pungo River Aquifer from the upper Castle Hayne Aquifer. All geologic formations were bound by unconformities. All aquifers were confined by the anticipated hydrologic units. We conclude that CR-622 (Strat 8) represents a normal sequence in the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

27 CFR 9.207 - Outer Coastal Plain.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Outer Coastal Plain. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Outer...,000 scale. (c) Boundary. The Outer Coastal Plain viticultural area includes all of Cumberland, Cape... Counties in the State of New Jersey. The boundary of the Outer Coastal Plain viticultural area is as...

Depopulation of the Northern Plains Natives.

PubMed

Decker, J F

1991-01-01

Nine major epidemics of acute infectious diseases swept the Northern Plains of the Western Interior of Canada between 1774 and 1839. The Blackfeet, Plains Cree and Assiniboin, Atsina and Saulteaux who exploited the Plains were differentially exposed to these epidemics of smallpox, measles, whooping cough and influenza. Mortality estimates from these epidemics were used in assessing the degree to which a series of epidemics contributed to depopulation of the Plains Natives. A criteria was established to determine an epidemic from a depopulation epidemic, which involved among other factors, the determination of age-selective mortality. The analysis concludes that despite the fact several Native groups exploited, and in some cases co-resided in a similar ecological area, they suffered differential mortality and depopulation rates.

Skip-row Planting Patterns Stabilize Corn Grain Yields in the Central Great Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The highly variable climate of the Central Great Plains makes dryland corn (Zea mays) production a risky enterprise. Twenty-three field trials were conducted across the Central Great Plains from 2004 through 2006 to quantify the effect of various skip-row planting patterns and plant populations on g...

Socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers' ratings of plain and branded cigarette packaging: an experimental study.

PubMed

Guillaumier, Ashleigh; Bonevski, Billie; Paul, Chris; Durkin, Sarah; D'Este, Catherine

2014-02-06

This study aimed to test the potential impact of plain packaging for cigarettes on brand appeal among highly socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers using the new design for cigarettes implemented in Australia, which combines plain packaging with larger health warning labels. A 2×2 factorial design trial embedded within a cross-sectional computer touchscreen survey. Data were collected between March and December 2012. Socially disadvantaged welfare aid recipients were recruited through a large Social and Community Service Organisation in New South Wales, Australia. N=354 smokers. The majority of the sample had not completed high school (64%), earned less than $A300/week (55%) and received their income from Government payments (95%). Participants were randomised to one of the four different pack conditions determined by brand name: Winfield versus Benson & Hedges, and packaging type: branded versus plain. Participants were required to rate their assigned pack on measures of brand appeal and purchase intentions. Plain packaging was associated with significantly reduced smoker ratings of 'positive pack characteristics' (p<0.001), 'positive smoker characteristics' (p=0.003) and 'positive taste characteristics' (p=0.033) in the Winfield brand name condition only. Across the four pack conditions, no main differences were found for 'negative smoker characteristics' (p=0.427) or 'negative harm characteristics' (p=0.411). In comparison to plain packaging, the presentation of branded packaging was associated with higher odds of smokers' purchase intentions (OR=2.18, 95% CI 1.34 to 3.54; p=0.002). Plain packs stripped of branding elements, featuring larger health warning labels, were associated with reduced positive cigarette brand image and purchase intentions among highly socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers.

Regional dynamics of grassland change in the western Great Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drummond, M.A.

2007-01-01

This paper examines the contemporary land-cover changes in two western Great Plains ecoregions between 1973 and 2000. Agriculture and other land uses can have a substantial effect on grassland cover that varies regionally depending on the primary driving forces of change. In order to better understand change, the rates, types, and causes of land conversion were examined for 1973, 1980, 1986, 1992, and 2000 using Landsat satellite data and a statistical sampling strategy. The overall estimated rate of land-cover change between 1973 and 2000 was 7.4% in the Northwestern Great Plains and 11.5% in the Western High Plains. Trends in both ecoregions have similarities, although the dynamics of change differ temporally depending on driving forces. Between 1973 and 1986, grassland cover declined when economic opportunity drove an expansion of agriculture. Between 1986 and 2000, grassland expanded as public policy and a combination of socioeconomic factors drove a conversion from agriculture to grassland. ?? 2007 Copyright by the Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Precipitation induced stream flow: An event based chemical and isotopic study of a small stream in the Great Plains region of the USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Machavaram, M.V.; Whittemore, Donald O.; Conrad, M.E.; Miller, N.L.

2006-01-01

A small stream in the Great Plains of USA was sampled to understand the streamflow components following intense precipitation and the influence of water storage structures in the drainage basin. Precipitation, stream, ponds, ground-water and soil moisture were sampled for determination of isotopic (D, 18O) and chemical (Cl, SO4) composition before and after two intense rain events. Following the first storm event, flow at the downstream locations was generated primarily through shallow subsurface flow and runoff whereas in the headwaters region - where a pond is located in the stream channel - shallow ground-water and pond outflow contributed to the flow. The distinct isotopic signatures of precipitation and the evaporated pond water allowed separation of the event water from the other sources that contributed to the flow. Similarly, variations in the Cl and SO4 concentrations helped identify the relative contributions of ground-water and soil moisture to the streamflow. The relationship between deuterium excess and Cl or SO4 content reveals that the early contributions from a rain event to streamflow depend upon the antecedent climatic conditions and the position along the stream channel within the watershed. The design of this study, in which data from several locations within a watershed were collected, shows that in small streams changes in relative contributions from ground water and soil moisture complicate hydrograph separation, with surface-water bodies providing additional complexity. It also demonstrates the usefulness of combined chemical and isotopic methods in hydrologic investigations, especially the utility of the deuterium excess parameter in quantifying the relative contributions of various source components to the stream flow. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiocarbon ages on late pleistocene loess stratigraphy of Nebraska and Kansas, Central Great Plains, U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Charles W.

In the central Great Plains of the United States, radiocarbon dating of loess and buried soils is clarifying the late Quaternary loess chronology for the period 25,000 to 10,000 BP. Along Harland Lake, Nebraska, a soil developed in the Gilman Canyon Formation and overlain by Peoria Loess has radiocarbon ages on soil humates of 30,700 to 21,500 BP. At one site, two Picea charcoal bands in the lower meter of Peoria Loess have radiocarbon ages of 21,250 and 19,730 BP. Therefore, in the vicinity of Harlan Lake, deposition of Peoria Loess apparently began around 21,000 BP. Peoria Loess deposition appears to have been interrupted by an episode of river entrenchment prior to 12,600 BP. Spring activity shortly thereafter suggests that incision was coeval to an increase in effective moisture. The termination of Peoria Loess deposition is marked by the Brady Soil, which in the Harlan Lake area has radiocarbon ages on soil humates of 11,800 to 10,200 BP. Comparison of the Harlan Lake chronology with chronologies completed elsewhere in the central Great Plains reveals general synchrony among periods of pedogenesis and Peoria Loess deposition. Little is known, however, about vegetation conditions in the region when loess was accumulating. Charcoal has been noted chiefly in the basal Peoria Loess, suggesting that some trees were present during initial Peoria Loess deposition. The extent of this tree cover is unknown, however. Charcoal is rare in the middle and upper Peoria Loess.

Ogallala Aquifer Program: A catalysis for research and education to sustain the Ogallala Aquifer on the Southern High Plains (2003-2017)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Ogallala Aquifer Program (OAP) was created in 2003 with support from Congressmen from Kansas and Texas. OAP is a research-education consortium seeking solutions from problems arising from declining water availability from the Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas and the Texas High Plains. The cons...

Groundwater Discharge along a Channelized Coastal Plain Stream

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

LaSage, Danita M; Sexton, Joshua L; Mukherjee, Abhijit

In the Coastal Plain of the southeastern USA, streams have commonly been artificially channelized for flood control and agricultural drainage. However, groundwater discharge along such streams has received relatively little attention. Using a combination of stream- and spring-flow measurements, spring temperature measurements, temperature profiling along the stream-bed, and geologic mapping, we delineated zones of diffuse and focused discharge along Little Bayou Creek, a channelized, first-order perennial stream in western Kentucky. Seasonal variability in groundwater discharge mimics hydraulic-head fluctuations in a nearby monitoring well and spring-discharge fluctuations elsewhere in the region, and is likely to reflect seasonal variability in recharge. Diffusemore » discharge occurs where the stream is incised into the semi-confined regional gravel aquifer, which is comprised of the Mounds Gravel. Focused discharge occurs upstream where the channel appears to have intersected preferential pathways within the confining unit. Seasonal fluctuations in discharge from individual springs are repressed where piping results in bank collapse. Thereby, focused discharge can contribute to the morphological evolution of the stream channel.« less

The origin of high sodium bicarbonate waters in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, M.D.

1950-01-01

Some sodium bicarbonate waters at depth in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains have the same bicarbonate content as the shallower calcium bicarbonate waters in the same formation and appear to be the result of replacement of calcium by sodium through the action of base-exchange minerals. Others, however, contain several hundred parts per million more of bicarbonate than any of the calcium bicarbonate waters and much more bicarbonate than can be attributed to solution of calcium carbonate through the action of carbon dioxide derived from the air and soil. As the waters in the Potomac group (Cretaceous) are all low in sulphate and as the environmental conditions under which the sediments of the Potomac group were deposited do not indicate that large amounts of sulphate are available for solution, it does not seem probable that carbon dioxide generated by chemical or biochemical breakdown of sulphate is responsible for the high sodium bicarbonate waters in this area. Sulphate as a source of oxygen is not necessary for the generation of carbon dioxide by carbonaceous material. Oxygen is an important constituent of carbonaceous material and carbon dioxide is a characteristic decomposition product of such material-as, for example, peat and lignite. Experimental work showed that distilled water, calcium bicarbonate water, and sodium bicarbonate water, after contact with lignite, calcium carbonate, and permutite (a base-exchange material), had all increased greatly in sodium bicarbonate content and had become similar in chemical character and in mineral content to high sodium bicarbonate waters found in the Coastal Plain. The tests indicated that carbonaceous material can act as a source of carbon dioxide, which, when dissolved in water, enables it to take into solution more calcium carbonate. If base-exchange materials are also present to replace calcium with sodium, a still greater amount of bicarbonate can be held in solution. The presence of carbonaceous material

Recharge studies on the High Plains in northern Lea County, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Havens, John S.

1966-01-01

The area described in this report is that part of the southern High Plains principally within northern Lea County, N. Mex. ; it comprises about 1,400,000 acres. Hydrologic boundaries isolate the main aquifer of the area, the Ogallala Formation, from outside sources of natural recharge other than precipitation on the area. Natural recharge to this aquifer from the 15-inch average annual precipitation for the period 1949-60 is estimated to be about 95,000 acre-ft (acre-feet) which is between the 59,000 and 118,000 acre-ft a year obtained from the This estimate (1934) of ? to 1 inch a year. About one-sixth of the water pumped for irrigation, or an average of about 23,000 acre-ft a year in the period 1949-60, returns to the aquifer. The estimated long-term (1939-60) average annual recharge to the aquifer is about 77,000 acre-ft. Discharge from the aquifer is by pumping and underflow from the area. Gross pumpage averaged about 151,000 acre-ft a year in the period 1949-60. Underflow from the area is estimated to have been about 36,000 acre-ft a year. Thus, the estimated average annual discharge from the aquifer was about 187,000 acre-ft a year, and this exceeded recharge by about 69,000 acre-ft a year. This overdraft is reflected in a general net decline of the water table of 10 ft in the period 1950-60 and net declines of as much as 30 feet in local areas. Data obtained during this study indicate that about 100,000 acre-ft of water collects in closed depressions on the surface of the High Plains in years when precipitation is normal. Studies of water losses from ponds in selected depressions indicate that between 20 and 80 percent of this loss recharges the groundwater body and the balance is lost to evapotranspiration, principally evaporation. Artificial recharge facilities constructed in the depressions could put at least 50,000 acre-ft of water underground annually that otherwise would be lost to evaporation. Recharging through pits or spreading ponds would cost less

Socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers’ ratings of plain and branded cigarette packaging: an experimental study

PubMed Central

Guillaumier, Ashleigh; Bonevski, Billie; Paul, Chris; Durkin, Sarah; D'Este, Catherine

2014-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to test the potential impact of plain packaging for cigarettes on brand appeal among highly socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers using the new design for cigarettes implemented in Australia, which combines plain packaging with larger health warning labels. Design A 2×2 factorial design trial embedded within a cross-sectional computer touchscreen survey. Data were collected between March and December 2012. Setting Socially disadvantaged welfare aid recipients were recruited through a large Social and Community Service Organisation in New South Wales, Australia. Participants N=354 smokers. The majority of the sample had not completed high school (64%), earned less than $A300/week (55%) and received their income from Government payments (95%). Interventions Participants were randomised to one of the four different pack conditions determined by brand name: Winfield versus Benson & Hedges, and packaging type: branded versus plain. Participants were required to rate their assigned pack on measures of brand appeal and purchase intentions. Results Plain packaging was associated with significantly reduced smoker ratings of ‘positive pack characteristics’ (p<0.001), ‘positive smoker characteristics’ (p=0.003) and ‘positive taste characteristics’ (p=0.033) in the Winfield brand name condition only. Across the four pack conditions, no main differences were found for ‘negative smoker characteristics’ (p=0.427) or ‘negative harm characteristics’ (p=0.411). In comparison to plain packaging, the presentation of branded packaging was associated with higher odds of smokers’ purchase intentions (OR=2.18, 95% CI 1.34 to 3.54; p=0.002). Conclusions Plain packs stripped of branding elements, featuring larger health warning labels, were associated with reduced positive cigarette brand image and purchase intentions among highly socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers. PMID:24503299

Great Plains Drought in Simulations of Twentieth Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCrary, R. R.; Randall, D. A.

2008-12-01

The Great Plains region of the United States was influenced by a number of multi-year droughts during the twentieth century. Most notable were the "Dust Bowl" drought of the 1930s and the 1950s Great Plains drought. In this study we evaluate the ability of three of the Coupled Global Climate Models (CGCMs) used in the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the IPCC to simulate Great Plains drought with the same frequency and intensity as was observed during the twentieth century. The models chosen for this study are: GFDL CM 2.0, NCAR CCSM3, and UKMO HadCM3. We find that the models accurately capture the climatology of the hydrologic cycle of the Great Plains, but that they tend to overestimate the variability in Great Plains precipitation. We also find that in each model simulation at least one long-term drought occurs over the Great Plains region during their representations 20th Century Climate. The multi-year droughts produced by the models exhibit similar magnitudes and spatial scales as was observed during the twentieth century. This study also investigates the relative roles that external forcing from the tropical Pacific and local feedbacks between the land surface and the atmosphere have in the initiation and perpetuation of Great Plains drought in each model. We find that cool, La Nina-like conditions in the tropical pacific are often associated with long-term drought conditions over the Great Plains in GFDL CM 2.0 and UKMO HadCM3, but there appears to be no systematic relationship between tropical Pacific SST variability and Great Plains drought in CCSM3. It is possible the strong coupling between the land surface and the atmosphere in the NCAR model causes precipitation anomalies to lock into phase over the Great Plains thereby perpetuating drought conditions. Results from this study are intended to help assess whether or not these climate models are credible for use in the assessment of future drought over the Great Plains region of the United States.

Estimation of potential evapotranspiration from extraterrestrial radiation, air temperature and humidity to assess future climate change effects on the vegetation of the Northern Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, David A.; Bachelet, Dominique M.; Symstad, Amy J.; Ferschweiler, Ken; Hobbins, Michael

2014-01-01

The potential evapotranspiration (PET) that would occur with unlimited plant access to water is a central driver of simulated plant growth in many ecological models. PET is influenced by solar and longwave radiation, temperature, wind speed, and humidity, but it is often modeled as a function of temperature alone. This approach can cause biases in projections of future climate impacts in part because it confounds the effects of warming due to increased greenhouse gases with that which would be caused by increased radiation from the sun. We developed an algorithm for linking PET to extraterrestrial solar radiation (incoming top-of atmosphere solar radiation), as well as temperature and atmospheric water vapor pressure, and incorporated this algorithm into the dynamic global vegetation model MC1. We tested the new algorithm for the Northern Great Plains, USA, whose remaining grasslands are threatened by continuing woody encroachment. Both the new and the standard temperature-dependent MC1 algorithm adequately simulated current PET, as compared to the more rigorous PenPan model of Rotstayn et al. (2006). However, compared to the standard algorithm, the new algorithm projected a much more gradual increase in PET over the 21st century for three contrasting future climates. This difference led to lower simulated drought effects and hence greater woody encroachment with the new algorithm, illustrating the importance of more rigorous calculations of PET in ecological models dealing with climate change.

The Neogene Ogallala Formation in Southwestern Kansas and Northeastern New Mexico: Preliminary Magnetostratigraphic Analyses for the High Plains-Ogallala Drilling Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeigler, K. E.; Petronis, M. S.; Smith, J. J.; Ludvigson, G. A.; Doveton, J.

2012-12-01

A better understanding of the Ogallala Formation is critical in terms of refining groundwater flow models and management policies for communities relying on aquifers in heterolithic sequences around the globe. The High Plains aquifer remains under increasing stress with the growth of both urban and agricultural areas and therefore, developing the best groundwater management policies will depend on the most accurate characterization of the aquifer, the aquifer materials and their stratigraphic and geochronologic framework. Although mammalian faunal assemblages and volcanic ash bed tephrochronology provide a basic geochronologic framework for the Ogallala Formation, better precision in terms of correlation is needed in order to understand formative processes and depositional histories for the primary water-bearing units in the High Plains aquifer and confining strata. The High Plains-Ogallala Drilling Program (HPODP) was developed to advance understanding of sedimentary facies, stratigraphic framework, and chronostratigraphy of the Ogallala Formation and overlying units that comprise the central High Plains aquifer. The drilling program began in the early summer of 2011 in Haskell Co., western Kansas. By early fall 2011; the drill crew was at 92 m with about 32 m to go until they expect to hit bedrock. The final 32 meters of core was extracted during the summer 2012. Here we report the preliminary magnetostratigraphic and rock magnetic data from the first section of core. We scanned the entire 92 meters of core using an ASC Core Analysis System with a Bartington Instruments MS2C magnetic susceptibility coil allowing for bulk susceptibility measurements to be obtained along the length of the core. In addition, we collected 40 sub samples for paleomagnetic and rock magnetic. Bulk susceptibility data reveal depth dependent changes in rock magnetic properties that we interpret to reflect either climatic driven variations impacting the depositional system or a change in

Expansive Northern Volcanic Plains

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-16

Mercury northern region is dominated by expansive smooth plains, created by huge amounts of volcanic material flooding across Mercury surface in the past, as seen by NASA MESSENGER spacecraft. The volcanic lava flows buried craters, leaving only traces of their rims visible. Such craters are called ghost craters, and there are many visible in this image, including a large one near the center. Wrinkle ridges cross this scene and small troughs are visible regionally within ghost craters, formed as a result of the lava cooling. The northern plains are often described as smooth since their surface has fewer impact craters and thus has been less battered by such events. This indicates that these volcanic plains are younger than Mercury's rougher surfaces. Instrument: Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) Center Latitude: 60.31° N Center Longitude: 36.87° E Scale: The large ghost crater at the center of the image is approximately 103 kilometers (64 miles) in diameter http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19415

Groundwater-flow model of the northern High Plains aquifer in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, Steven M.; Flynn, Amanda T.; Traylor, Jonathan P.

2016-12-13

The High Plains aquifer is a nationally important water resource underlying about 175,000 square miles in parts of eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Droughts across much of the Northern High Plains from 2001 to 2007 have combined with recent (2004) legislative mandates to elevate concerns regarding future availability of groundwater and the need for additional information to support science-based water-resource management. To address these needs, the U.S. Geological Survey began the High Plains Groundwater Availability Study to provide a tool for water-resource managers and other stakeholders to assess the status and availability of groundwater resources.A transient groundwater-flow model was constructed using the U.S. Geological Survey modular three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater-flow model with Newton-Rhapson solver (MODFLOW–NWT). The model uses an orthogonal grid of 565 rows and 795 columns, and each grid cell measures 3,281 feet per side, with one variably thick vertical layer, simulated as unconfined. Groundwater flow was simulated for two distinct periods: (1) the period before substantial groundwater withdrawals, or before about 1940, and (2) the period of increasing groundwater withdrawals from May 1940 through April 2009. A soil-water-balance model was used to estimate recharge from precipitation and groundwater withdrawals for irrigation. The soil-water-balance model uses spatially distributed soil and landscape properties with daily weather data and estimated historical land-cover maps to calculate spatial and temporal variations in potential recharge. Mean annual recharge estimated for 1940–49, early in the history of groundwater development, and 2000–2009, late in the history of groundwater development, was 3.3 and 3.5 inches per year, respectively.Primary model calibration was completed using statistical techniques through parameter estimation using the parameter

Development of an Irrigation Scheduling Tool for the High Plains Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shulski, M.; Hubbard, K. G.; You, J.

2009-12-01

The High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC) at the University of Nebraska is one of NOAA’s six regional climate centers in the U.S. Primary objectives of the HPRCC are to conduct applied climate research, engage in climate education and outreach, and increase the use and availability of climate information by developing value-added products. Scientists at the center are engaged in utilizing regional weather data to develop tools that can be used directly by area stakeholders, particularly for agricultural sectors. A new study is proposed that will combine NOAA products (short-term forecasts and seasonal outlooks of temperature and precipitation) with existing capabilities to construct an irrigation scheduling tool that can be used by producers in the region. This tool will make use of weather observations from the regional mesonet (specifically the AWDN, Automated Weather Data Network) and the nation-wide relational database and web portal (ACIS, Applied Climate Information System). The primary benefit to stakeholders will be a more efficient use of water and energy resources owing to the reduction of uncertainty in the timing of irrigation.

High-speed reacting flow simulation using USA-series codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakravarthy, S. R.; Palaniswamy, S.

In this paper, the finite-rate chemistry (FRC) formulation for the USA-series of codes and three sets of validations are presented. USA-series computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes are based on Unified Solution Algorithms including explicity and implicit formulations, factorization and relaxation approaches, time marching and space marching methodolgies, etc., in order to be able to solve a very wide class of CDF problems using a single framework. Euler or Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a finite-volume treatment with upwind Total Variation Diminishing discretization for the inviscid terms. Perfect and real gas options are available including equilibrium and nonequilibrium chemistry. This capability has been widely used to study various problems including Space Shuttle exhaust plumes, National Aerospace Plane (NASP) designs, etc. (1) Numerical solutions are presented showing the full range of possible solutions to steady detonation wave problems. (2) Comparison between the solution obtained by the USA code and Generalized Kinetics Analysis Program (GKAP) is shown for supersonic combustion in a duct. (3) Simulation of combustion in a supersonic shear layer is shown to have reasonable agreement with experimental observations.

Vegetation, substrate and hydrology in floating marshes in the Mississippi river delta plain wetlands, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sasser, C.E.; Gosselink, J.G.; Swenson, E.M.; Swarzenski, C.M.; Leibowitz, N.C.

1996-01-01

In the 1940s extensive floating marshes (locally called 'flotant') were reported and mapped in coastal wetlands of the Mississippi River Delta Plain. These floating marshes included large areas of Panicum hemitomon-dominated freshwater marshes, and Spartina patens/Scirpus olneyi brackish marshes. Today these marshes appear to be quite different in extent and type. We describe five floating habitats and one non-floating, quaking habitat based on differences in buoyancy dynamics (timing and degree of floating), substrate characteristics, and dominant vegetation. All floating marshes have low bulk density, organic substrates. Nearly all are fresh marshes. Panicum hemitomon floating marshes presently occur within the general regions that were reported in the 1940's by O'Neil, but are reduced in extent. Some of the former Panicum hemitomon marshes have been replaced by seasonally or variably floating marshes dominated, or co-dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia or Eleocharis baldwinii. ?? 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Flood information for flood-plain planning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bue, Conrad D.

1967-01-01

Floods are natural and normal phenomena. They are catastrophic simply because man occupies the flood plain, the highwater channel of a river. Man occupies flood plains because it is convenient and profitable to do so, but he must purchase his occupancy at a price-either sustain flood damage, or provide flood-control facilities. Although large sums of money have been, and are being, spent for flood control, flood damage continues to mount. However, neither complete flood control nor abandonment of the flood plain is practicable. Flood plains are a valuable resource and will continue to be occupied, but the nature and degree of occupancy should be compatible with the risk involved and with the degree of protection that is practicable to provide. It is primarily to meet the needs for defining the risk that the flood-inundation maps of the U.S. Geological Survey are prepared.

Potentiometric surfaces, summer 2013 and winter 2015, and select hydrographs for the Southern High Plains aquifer, Cannon Air Force Base, Curry County, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collison, Jake

2016-04-07

Cannon Air Force Base (Cannon AFB) is located in the High Plains physiographic region of east-central New Mexico, about 5 miles west of Clovis, New Mexico. The area surrounding Cannon AFB is primarily used for agriculture, including irrigated cropland and dairies. The Southern High Plains aquifer is the principal source of water for Cannon AFB, for the nearby town of Clovis, and for local agriculture and dairies. The Southern High Plains aquifer in the vicinity of Cannon AFB consists of three subsurface geological formations: the Chinle Formation of Triassic age, the Ogallala Formation of Tertiary age, and the Blackwater Draw Formation of Quaternary age. The Ogallala Formation is the main water-yielding formation of the Southern High Plains aquifer. Groundwater-supplied, center-pivot irrigation dominates pumping from the Southern High Plains aquifer in the area surrounding Cannon AFB, where the irrigation season typically extends from early March through October. The U.S. Geological Survey has been monitoring groundwater levels in the vicinity of Cannon AFB since 1954 and has developed general potentiometric-surface maps that show groundwater flow from northwest to southeast in the study area. While previous potentiometric-surface maps show the general direction of groundwater flow, a denser well network is needed to show details of groundwater flow at a local scale. Groundwater levels were measured in 93 wells during summer 2013 and 100 wells during winter 2015.The summer and winter potentiometric-surface maps display the presence of what is interpreted to be a groundwater trough trending from the northwest to the southeast through the study area. This groundwater trough may be the hydraulic expression of a Tertiary-age paleochannel. Groundwater north of the trough flows in a southerly direction into the trough, and groundwater south of the trough flows in an easterly direction into the trough.During the 18-month period between summer 2013 and winter 2015, changes

Induced thermoluminescence as a method for dating recent volcanism: Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sears, Derek W. G.; Sears, Hazel; Sehlke, Alexander; Hughes, Scott S.

2017-02-01

The induced thermoluminescence properties of 24 samples of basalts from volcanoes in the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho, were measured as part of an investigation into the possibility of using this technique for dating purposes. The volcanic flows sampled ranged in age from 2200 years to 400,000 years. The thermoluminescence (TL) sensitivity values obtained, i.e., maximum induced TL normalized to that of the Dhajala meteorite (where Dhajala = 1000), ranged from 1.6 ± 0.3 to 226 ± 15 and showed a correlation between log TL and age with an r2 value of 0.47. Thus, TL sensitivity values correlate with age in the manner expected, although there is a high level of scatter. We discuss various mechanisms for the correlation and scatter, particularly (1) the role of primary (igneous processes) and secondary (solid state processes), (2) composition of the plagioclase feldspar, and (3) weathering. The induced TL signal from feldspars, the mineral responsible for the TL, is strongly dependent on their composition, and correcting for this improved the correlation (r2 = 0.7). Variations in primary feldspar are affecting the data, but we find no evidence that weathering of the samples is important. Further work is required to explore the remaining causes for the scatter and the TL-age trend. However, it is clear from the present study that induced TL has the potential for dating volcanism on the 2200 to 400,000 year time frame. This dating method, if successful, would be well-suited to spacecraft use since it requires low mass and low power instruments with a low data demand.

Statistical analysis of causes of death (2005-2010) in villages of Simav Plain, Turkey, with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies.

PubMed

Gunduz, Orhan; Bakar, Coskun; Simsek, Celalettin; Baba, Alper; Elci, Alper; Gurleyuk, Hakan; Mutlu, Merdiye; Cakir, Ayse

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research was to compare the causes of death in 5 villages situated in Simav Plain, Turkey, during 2005-2010 where different arsenic levels were detected in drinking water supplies. Since groundwater in Simav Plain had arsenic concentrations that ranged between 7.1 and 833.9 ppb, a two-phase research was formulated. In the first phase, public health surveys were conducted with 1,003 villagers to determine the distribution of diseases. In the second phase, verbal autopsy surveys and official death records were used to investigate the causes of death. In total, 402 death cases were found in the study area where cardiovascular system diseases (44%) and cancers (15.2%) were major causes. Cancers of lung (44.3%), prostate (9.8%), colon (9.8%), and stomach (8.2%) were comparably higher in villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies. Furthermore, the majority of cases of liver, bladder, and stomach cancers were observed in villages with high arsenic levels.

Multi-ethnic high school students' perceptions of nursing in the USA and Israel: a descriptive quantitative study.

PubMed

Degazon, Cynthia E; Ben Natan, Merav; Shaw, Holly K; Ehrenfeld, Mally

2015-01-01

In order to target new recruits or future generation of ethnic minority nurses about their potential fit in nursing, it is necessary to understand their perceptions of the profession. Successful recruitment of high school students into nursing in part requires congruency between perceptions of an ideal career and perceptions of nursing as a career. The purposes of this study were to compare ethnic minority high school students in the USA and in Israel on their perceptions of nursing as a career, and to understand how those perceptions compare to their perceptions of an ideal career. A descriptive quantitative design was employed to study a sample of 330 ethnic minority high school students from the USA and from Israel. The Mann-Whitney U procedure was used to compare the groups' perceptions; a two-sided Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test was used to determine the differences between their perceptions of an ideal career and of nursing as a career. The USA students had more positive perceptions of nursing as a career than did the Israeli students. Both groups of students did not perceive nursing as an ideal career: They perceived nurses as hard workers, performing arduous tasks and busy work, not academically challenged, with limited opportunity for leadership and autonomy, and earning less money than they would want in an ideal career. Caring for others was a highly valued attribute for an ideal career and for nursing as a career. A minority career development plan that underscores the positive attributes of nursing should be designed in both the USA and in Israel for ethnic minority high school students. The plan should effectively communicate nursing as a caring profession that is academically rigorous and intellectually challenging with available leadership opportunities in institutions and society. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic and grade and tonnage models for sandstone-hosted roll-type uranium deposits, Texas Coastal Plain, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, Susan M.; Mihalasky, Mark J.; Tureck, Kathleen; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Hannon, Mark

2017-01-01

The coincidence of a number of geologic and climatic factors combined to create conditions favorable for the development of mineable concentrations of uranium hosted by Eocene through Pliocene sandstones in the Texas Coastal Plain. Here 254 uranium occurrences, including 169 deposits, 73 prospects, 6 showings and 4 anomalies, have been identified. About 80 million pounds of U3O8 have been produced and about 60 million pounds of identified producible U3O8 remain in place. The development of economic roll-type uranium deposits requires a source, large-scale transport of uranium in groundwater, and deposition in reducing zones within a sedimentary sequence. The weight of the evidence supports a source from thick sequences of volcanic ash and volcaniclastic sediment derived mostly from the Trans-Pecos volcanic field and Sierra Madre Occidental that lie west of the region. The thickest accumulations of source material were deposited and preserved south and west of the San Marcos arch in the Catahoula Formation. By the early Oligocene, a formerly uniformly subtropical climate along the Gulf Coast transitioned to a zoned climate in which the southwestern portion of Texas Coastal Plain was dry, and the eastern portion humid. The more arid climate in the southwestern area supported weathering of volcanic ash source rocks during pedogenesis and early diagenesis, concentration of uranium in groundwater and movement through host sediments. During the middle Tertiary Era, abundant clastic sediments were deposited in thick sequences by bed-load dominated fluvial systems in long-lived channel complexes that provided transmissive conduits favoring transport of uranium-rich groundwater. Groundwater transported uranium through permeable sandstones that were hydrologically connected with source rocks, commonly across formation boundaries driven by isostatic loading and eustatic sea level changes. Uranium roll fronts formed as a result of the interaction of uranium-rich groundwater

Plains tectonism on Venus: The deformation belts of Lavinia Planitia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Squyres, Steven W.; Jankowski, David G.; Simons, Mark; Solomon, Sean C.; Hager, Bradford H.; Mcgill, George E.

1993-01-01

High-resolution radar images from the Magellan spacecraft have revealed the first details of the morphology of the Lavinia Planitia region of Venus. A number of geologic units can be distinguished, including volcanic plains units with a range of ages. Transecting these plains over much of the Lavinia region are two types of generally orthogonal features that we interpret to be compressional wrinkle ridges and extensional grooves. The dominant tectonic features of Lavinia are broad elevated belts of intense deformation that transect the plains with complex geometry. They are many tens to a few hundred kilometers wide, as much as 1000 km long, and elevated hundreds of meters above the surrounding plains. Two classes of deformation belts are seen in the Lavinia region. 'Ridge belts' are composed of parallel ridges, each a few hundred meters in elevation, that we interpret to be folds. Typical fold spacings are 5-10 km. 'Fracture belts' are dominated instead by intense faulting, with faults in some instances paired to form narrow grabens. There is also some evidence for modest amounts of horizontal shear distributed across both ridge and fracture belts. Crosscutting relationships among the belts show there to be a range in belt ages. In western Lavinia, in particular, many ridge and fracture belts appear to bear a relationship to the much smaller wrinkle ridges and grooves on the surrounding plains: ridge morphology tends to dominate belts that lie more nearly parallel to local plains wrinkle ridges, and fracture morphology tends to dominate belts that lie more nearly parallel to local plains grooves. We use simple models to explore the formation of ridge and fracture belts. We show that convective motions in the mantle can couple to the crust to cause horizontal stresses of a magnitude sufficient to induce the formation of deformation belts like those observed in Lavinia. We also use the small-scale wavelengths of deformation observed within individual ridge belts to

Upscaling carbon fluxes over the Great Plains grasslands: Sinks and sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhang, Li; Wylie, Bruce K.; Ji, Lei; Gilmanov, Tagir G.; Tieszen, Larry L.; Howar, Daniel M.

2011-01-01

Previous studies suggested that the grasslands may be carbon sinks or near equilibrium, and they often shift between carbon sources in drought years and carbon sinks in other years. It is important to understand the responses of net ecosystem production (NEP) to various climatic conditions across the U.S. Great Plains grasslands. Based on 15 grassland flux towers, we developed a piecewise regression model and mapped the grassland NEP at 250 m spatial resolution over the Great Plains from 2000 to 2008. The results showed that the Great Plains was a net sink with an averaged annual NEP of 24 ± 14 g C m−2 yr−1, ranging from a low value of 0.3 g C m−2 yr−1 in 2002 to a high value of 47.7 g C m−2 yr−1 in 2005. The regional averaged NEP for the entire Great Plains grasslands was estimated to be 336 Tg C yr−1 from 2000 to 2008. In the 9 year period including 4 dry years, the annual NEP was very variable in both space and time. It appeared that the carbon gains for the Great Plains were more sensitive to droughts in the west than the east. The droughts in 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2008 resulted in increased carbon losses over drought-affected areas, and the Great Plains grasslands turned into a relatively low sink with NEP values of 15.8, 0.3, 20.1, and 10.2 g C m−2 yr−1 for the 4 years, respectively.

[Secondary Full Title: Effects of high intensity interval training in plain and uphill regarding physical performance].

PubMed

Marterer, Natalie; Menz, Verena; Burtscher, Martin

2018-06-01

 As the number of HIITs is increasing in competitive and non-competitive sports, the risk of injuries and overload is increasing. There are no scientific data to support specific recommendations in regard to intensity, duration, number of intervals and gradient for HIIT that result in improved muscular parameters in athletes. Therefore the aim of this study was to compare HIIT in plain and uphill exercise, with respect to exercise tolerance and improvements in performance (VO 2max and 800 m running time in the plain and uphill).  17 well-trained sport students (10 females, 7 males; Ø VO 2max : 53.7 ml/min/kg) were randomly assigned to the plain group (plain; GE) (n = 8) or the uphill group (hill, GB) (n = 9). In the four weeks of training, all subjects completed 14 HIIT sessions. Each session consisted of 8 × 2 min running at 90 - 95 % of the maximal heart rate (HR max ), separated by 2 min recovery periods (work/rest ratio: 1:1). Before the intervention phase, subjects performed treadmill spirometry, a 800 m field test in the plain, as well as an 800 m uphill field test to determine baseline performance. One week after the intervention period, all subjects completed a retest of all measurements and tests. After the intervention, all subjects completed a questionnaire by giving their level of perceived exertion during training, using the BORG scale.  In GE, three subjects dropped out of the study because of overtraining. In GB, two subjects did not complete the study because of time constraints. The evaluation of the perceived exertion of the training in flat terrain showed a trend (p = 0.08; t = - 1.96) towards being perceived as more exhausting then in hilly terrain. A four week HIIT showed significant improvements in VO 2max by 5.2 % (p = 0.02; t = - 2.76), and a reduction in the running time in the plain by 4.6 % (p = 0.01; t = 3.48) and uphill by 6.3 % (p = 0.02; t = 2.77). No

MX Siting Investigation. Prime Characterization Sites Central High Plains Candidate Siting Province.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-02-15

information obtained from these studies , in combination with data obtained in the Screen- ing studies , has been used for geotechnical ranking (FN-TR-25). I...Plains Candi- date Siting Province (CSP), one of six provinces included in the geotechnical Characterization studies . The location of the sites within...remaining after Intermediate Screening were divided into CSPs based on similar geotechnical characteristics. Intermediate Screening studies (FN-TR-17

Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prekins, Joshuah S.; Gido, Keith B.; Falke, Jeffrey A.; Fausch, Kurt D.; Crockett, Harry; Johnson, Eric R.; Sanderson, John

2017-01-01

Groundwater pumping for agriculture is a major driver causing declines of global freshwater ecosystems, yet the ecological consequences for stream fish assemblages are rarely quantified. We combined retrospective (1950–2010) and prospective (2011–2060) modeling approaches within a multiscale framework to predict change in Great Plains stream fish assemblages associated with groundwater pumping from the United States High Plains Aquifer. We modeled the relationship between the length of stream receiving water from the High Plains Aquifer and the occurrence of fishes characteristic of small and large streams in the western Great Plains at a regional scale and for six subwatersheds nested within the region. Water development at the regional scale was associated with construction of 154 barriers that fragment stream habitats, increased depth to groundwater and loss of 558 km of stream, and transformation of fish assemblage structure from dominance by large-stream to small-stream fishes. Scaling down to subwatersheds revealed consistent transformations in fish assemblage structure among western subwatersheds with increasing depths to groundwater. Although transformations occurred in the absence of barriers, barriers along mainstem rivers isolate depauperate western fish assemblages from relatively intact eastern fish assemblages. Projections to 2060 indicate loss of an additional 286 km of stream across the region, as well as continued replacement of large-stream fishes by small-stream fishes where groundwater pumping has increased depth to groundwater. Our work illustrates the shrinking of streams and homogenization of Great Plains stream fish assemblages related to groundwater pumping, and we predict similar transformations worldwide where local and regional aquifer depletions occur.

Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages.

PubMed

Perkin, Joshuah S; Gido, Keith B; Falke, Jeffrey A; Fausch, Kurt D; Crockett, Harry; Johnson, Eric R; Sanderson, John

2017-07-11

Groundwater pumping for agriculture is a major driver causing declines of global freshwater ecosystems, yet the ecological consequences for stream fish assemblages are rarely quantified. We combined retrospective (1950-2010) and prospective (2011-2060) modeling approaches within a multiscale framework to predict change in Great Plains stream fish assemblages associated with groundwater pumping from the United States High Plains Aquifer. We modeled the relationship between the length of stream receiving water from the High Plains Aquifer and the occurrence of fishes characteristic of small and large streams in the western Great Plains at a regional scale and for six subwatersheds nested within the region. Water development at the regional scale was associated with construction of 154 barriers that fragment stream habitats, increased depth to groundwater and loss of 558 km of stream, and transformation of fish assemblage structure from dominance by large-stream to small-stream fishes. Scaling down to subwatersheds revealed consistent transformations in fish assemblage structure among western subwatersheds with increasing depths to groundwater. Although transformations occurred in the absence of barriers, barriers along mainstem rivers isolate depauperate western fish assemblages from relatively intact eastern fish assemblages. Projections to 2060 indicate loss of an additional 286 km of stream across the region, as well as continued replacement of large-stream fishes by small-stream fishes where groundwater pumping has increased depth to groundwater. Our work illustrates the shrinking of streams and homogenization of Great Plains stream fish assemblages related to groundwater pumping, and we predict similar transformations worldwide where local and regional aquifer depletions occur.

Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages

PubMed Central

Perkin, Joshuah S.; Gido, Keith B.; Falke, Jeffrey A.; Fausch, Kurt D.; Crockett, Harry; Johnson, Eric R.; Sanderson, John

2017-01-01

Groundwater pumping for agriculture is a major driver causing declines of global freshwater ecosystems, yet the ecological consequences for stream fish assemblages are rarely quantified. We combined retrospective (1950–2010) and prospective (2011–2060) modeling approaches within a multiscale framework to predict change in Great Plains stream fish assemblages associated with groundwater pumping from the United States High Plains Aquifer. We modeled the relationship between the length of stream receiving water from the High Plains Aquifer and the occurrence of fishes characteristic of small and large streams in the western Great Plains at a regional scale and for six subwatersheds nested within the region. Water development at the regional scale was associated with construction of 154 barriers that fragment stream habitats, increased depth to groundwater and loss of 558 km of stream, and transformation of fish assemblage structure from dominance by large-stream to small-stream fishes. Scaling down to subwatersheds revealed consistent transformations in fish assemblage structure among western subwatersheds with increasing depths to groundwater. Although transformations occurred in the absence of barriers, barriers along mainstem rivers isolate depauperate western fish assemblages from relatively intact eastern fish assemblages. Projections to 2060 indicate loss of an additional 286 km of stream across the region, as well as continued replacement of large-stream fishes by small-stream fishes where groundwater pumping has increased depth to groundwater. Our work illustrates the shrinking of streams and homogenization of Great Plains stream fish assemblages related to groundwater pumping, and we predict similar transformations worldwide where local and regional aquifer depletions occur. PMID:28652354

Long-term Agroecosystem Research in the Northern Great Plains.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmer, M.; Sanderson, M.; Liebig, M. A.; Wienhold, B.; Awada, T.; Papiernik, S.; Osborne, S.; Kemp, W.; Okalebo, J. A.; Riedall, W.

2015-12-01

The Northern Great Plains is the bread basket of the United States, accounting for a substantial portion of U.S. agricultural production. This region faces critical challenges regarding balancing food needs, resource conservation (e.g Ogallala aquifer), environmental concerns, and rural economy development. Developing transformative, multifunctional systems will require equally imaginative and efficient tools to help farmers manage complex agroecosystems in a rapidly changing climate. The Northern Plains long-term agroecosystem research (LTAR) site at Mandan, ND and the Platte River High Plains LTAR (ARS/University of Nebraska-Lincoln) at Lincoln, NE in collaboration with USDA-ARS research units in Brookings, SD and Fargo, ND are collaborating to address the grand challenge of providing and sustaining multiple service provisions from Northern Great Plains agroecosystems. We propose to attain these goals through sustainable intensification based on the adoption of conservation agriculture principles including reduced soil disturbance, livestock integration, and greater complexity and diversity in the cropping system. Here, we summarize new concepts these locations have pioneered in dynamic cropping systems, resource use efficiency, and agricultural management technologies. As part of the LTAR network, we will conduct long-term cross-site research to design and assess new agricultural practices and systems aimed at improving our understanding of decision making processes and outcomes across an array of agricultural systems.

Characterizing Storm Event Dynamics of a Forested Watershed in the Lower Atlantic Coastal Plain, South Carolina USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latorre Torres, I. B.; Amatya, D. M.; Callahan, T. J.; Levine, N. S.

2007-12-01

Hydrology research in the Southeast U.S. has primarily focused on upland mountainous areas; however, much less is known about hydrological processes in Lower Coastal Plain (LCP) watersheds. Such watersheds are difficult to characterize due to shallow water table conditions, low topographic gradient, complex surface- subsurface water interaction, and lack of detailed soil information. Although opportunities to conduct long term monitoring in relatively undeveloped watersheds are often limited, stream flow and rainfall in the Turkey Creek watershed (third-order watershed, about 7200 ha in the Francis Marion National Forest near Charleston, SC) have been monitored since 1964. In this study, event runoff-rainfall ratios have been determined for 51 storm events using historical data from 1964-1973. One of our objectives was to characterize relationships between seasonal event rainfall and storm outflow in this watershed. To this end, observed storm event data were compared with values predicted by established hydrological methods such as the Soil Conservation Service runoff curve number (SCS-CN) and the rational method integrated within a Geographical Information System (GIS), to estimate total event runoff and peak discharge, respectively. Available 1:15000 scale aerial images were digitized to obtain land uses, which were used with the SCS soil hydrologic groups to obtain the runoff coefficients (C) for the rational method and the CN values for the SCS-CN method. These methods are being tested with historical storm event responses in the Turkey Creek watershed scale, and then will be used to predict event runoff in Quinby Creek, an ungauged third-order watershed (8700 ha) adjacent to Turkey Creek. Successful testing with refinement of parameters in the rational method and SCS-CN method, both designed for small urban and agricultural dominated watersheds, may allow widespread application of these methods for studying the event rainfall-runoff dynamics for similar

Physiological time model for predicting adult emergence of western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Texas High Plains.

PubMed

Stevenson, Douglass E; Michels, Gerald J; Bible, John B; Jackman, John A; Harris, Marvin K

2008-10-01

Field observations at three locations in the Texas High Plains were used to develop and validate a degree-day phenology model to predict the onset and proportional emergence of adult Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) adults. Climatic data from the Texas High Plains Potential Evapotranspiration network were used with records of cumulative proportional adult emergence to determine the functional lower developmental temperature, optimum starting date, and the sum of degree-days for phenological events from onset to 99% adult emergence. The model base temperature, 10 degrees C (50 degrees F), corresponds closely to known physiological lower limits for development. The model uses a modified Gompertz equation, y = 96.5 x exp (-(exp(6.0 - 0.00404 x (x - 4.0), where x is cumulative heat (degree-days), to predict y, cumulative proportional emergence expressed as a percentage. The model starts degree-day accumulation on the date of corn, Zea mays L., emergence, and predictions correspond closely to corn phenological stages from tasseling to black layer development. Validation shows the model predicts cumulative proportional adult emergence within a satisfactory interval of 4.5 d. The model is flexible enough to accommodate early planting, late emergence, and the effects of drought and heat stress. The model provides corn producers ample lead time to anticipate and implement adult control practices.

Floodplain geomorphic processes and environmental impacts of human alteration along coastal plain rivers, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hupp, C.R.; Pierce, Aaron R.; Noe, G.B.

2009-01-01

Human alterations along stream channels and within catchments have affected fluvial geomorphic processes worldwide. Typically these alterations reduce the ecosystem services that functioning floodplains provide; in this paper we are concerned with the sediment and associated material trapping service. Similarly, these alterations may negatively impact the natural ecology of floodplains through reductions in suitable habitats, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling. Dams, stream channelization, and levee/canal construction are common human alterations along Coastal Plain fluvial systems. We use three case studies to illustrate these alterations and their impacts on floodplain geomorphic and ecological processes. They include: 1) dams along the lower Roanoke River, North Carolina, 2) stream channelization in west Tennessee, and 3) multiple impacts including canal and artificial levee construction in the central Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana. Human alterations typically shift affected streams away from natural dynamic equilibrium where net sediment deposition is, approximately, in balance with net erosion. Identification and understanding of critical fluvial parameters (e.g., stream gradient, grain-size, and hydrography) and spatial and temporal sediment deposition/erosion process trajectories should facilitate management efforts to retain and/or regain important ecosystem services. ?? 2009, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

The geologic story of the Great Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trimble, Donald E.

1980-01-01

For more than half a century after Lewis and Clark crossed the country in 1805-6, the Great Plains was the testing ground of frontier America here America grew to maturity (fig. 1). In 1805-7, explorer Zebulon Pike crossed the southcentral Great Plains, following the Arkansas River from near Great Bend, Kans., to the Rocky Mountains. In later years, Santa Fe traders, lured by the wealth of New Mexican trade, followed Pike's path as far as Bents Fort, Colo., where they turned southwestward away from the river route. Those pioneers who later crossed the plains on the Oregon Trail reached the Platte River near the place that would become Kearney, Nebr., by a nearly direct route from Independence, Mo., and followed the Platte across the central part of the Great Plains.

Net ecosystem exchange of CO2 and H2O fluxes from irrigated grain sorghum and maize in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) fluxes from irrigated grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) and maize (Zea mays L.) fields in the Texas High Plains were quantified using the eddy covariance (EC) technique during 2014-2016 growing seasons and examined in...

A two-dimensional, finite-difference model of the high plains aquifer in southern South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolm, K.E.; Case, H. L.

1983-01-01

The High Plains aquifer is the principal source of water for irrigation, industry, municipalities, and domestic use in south-central South Dakota. The aquifer, composed of upper sandstone units of the Arikaree Formation, and the overlying Ogallala and Sand Hills Formations, was simulated using a two-dimensional, finite-difference computer model. The maximum difference between simulated and measured potentiometric heads was less than 60 feet (1- to 4-percent error). Two-thirds of the simulated potentiometric heads were within 26 feet of the measured values (3-percent error). The estimated saturated thickness, computed from simulated potentiometric heads, was within 25-percent error of the known saturated thickness for 95 percent of the study area. (USGS)

Vertical gradients in water chemistry in the central High Plains aquifer, southwestern Kansas and Oklahoma panhandle, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, Peter B.

2001-01-01

The central High Plains aquifer is the primary source of water for domestic, industrial, and irrigation uses in parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Water-level declines of more than 100 feet in some areas of the aquifer have increased the demand for water deeper in the aquifer. The maximum saturated thickness of the aquifer ranged from 500 to 600 feet in 1999. As the demand for deeper water increases, it becomes increasingly important for resource managers to understand how the quality of water in the aquifer changes with depth. In 1998?99, 18 monitoring wells at nine sites in southwestern Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle were completed at various depths in the central High Plains aquifer, and one monitoring well was completed in sediments of Permian age underlying the aquifer. Water samples were collected once from each well in 1999 to measure vertical gradients in water chemistry in the aquifer. Tritium concentrations measured in ground water indicate that water samples collected in the upper 30 feet of the aquifer were generally recharged within the last 50 years, whereas all of the water samples collected at depths more than 30 feet below the water table were recharged more than 50 years ago. Dissolved oxygen was present throughout the aquifer, with concentrations ranging from 1.7 to 8.4 mg/L. Water in the central High Plains aquifer was predominantly a calcium-bicarbonate type that exhibited little variability in concentrations of dissolved solids with depth (290 to 642 mg/L). Exceptions occurred in some areas where there had been upward movement of mineralized water from underlying sediments of Permian age and areas where there had been downward movement of mineralized Arkansas River water to the aquifer. Calcium-sulfate and sodium-chloride waters dominated and concentrations of dissolved solids were elevated (862 to 4,030 mg/L) near the base of the aquifer in the areas of upward leakage. Dissolution of gypsum or anhydrite and halite

Relationships between maximum temperature and heat-related illness across North Carolina, USA.

PubMed

Sugg, Margaret M; Konrad, Charles E; Fuhrmann, Christopher M

2016-05-01

Heat kills more people than any other weather-related event in the USA, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. In North Carolina, heat-related illness accounts for over 2,000 yearly emergency department admissions. In this study, data on emergency department (ED) visits for heat-related illness (HRI) were obtained from the North Carolina Disease Event Tracking and Epidemiologic Collection Tool to identify spatiotemporal relationships between temperature and morbidity across six warm seasons (May-September) from 2007 to 2012. Spatiotemporal relationships are explored across different regions (e.g., coastal plain, rural) and demographics (e.g., gender, age) to determine the differential impact of heat stress on populations. This research reveals that most cases of HRI occur on days with climatologically normal temperatures (e.g., 31 to 35 °C); however, HRI rates increase substantially on days with abnormally high daily maximum temperatures (e.g., 31 to 38 °C). HRI ED visits decreased on days with extreme heat (e.g., greater than 38 °C), suggesting that populations are taking preventative measures during extreme heat and therefore mitigating heat-related illness.

Regional implications of heat flow of the Snake River Plain, Northwestern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackwell, D. D.

1989-08-01

The Snake River Plain is a major topographic feature of the Northwestern United States. It marks the track of an upper mantle and crustal melting event that propagated across the area from southwest to northeast at a velocity of about 3.5 cm/yr. The melting event has the same energetics as a large oceanic hotspot or plume and so the area is the continental analog of an oceanic hotspot track such as the Hawaiian Island-Emperor Seamount chain. Thus, the unique features of the area reflect the response of a continental lithosphere to a very energetic hotspot. The crust is extensively modified by basalt magma emplacement into the crust and by the resulting massive rhyolite volcanism from melted crustal material, presently occurring at Yellowstone National Park. The volcanism is associated with little crustal extension. Heat flow values are high along the margins of the Eastern and Western Snake River Plains and there is abundant evidence for low-grade geothermal resources associated with regional groundwater systems. The regional heat flow pattern in the Western Snake River Plains reflects the influence of crustal-scale thermal refraction associated with the large sedimentary basin that has formed there. Heat flow values in shallow holes in the Eastern Snake River Plains are low due to the Snake River Plains aquifer, an extensive basalt aquifer where water flow rates approach 1 km/yr. Below the aquifer, conductive heat flow values are about 100 mW m -2. Deep holes in the region suggest a systematic eastward increase in heat flow in the Snake River Plains from about 75-90 mW m -2 to 90-110 mW m -2. Temperatures in the upper crust do not behave similarly because the thermal conductivity of the Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary rocks in the west is lower than that in the volcanic rocks characteristic of the Eastern Snake River Plains. Extremely high heat loss values (averaging 2500 mW m -2) and upper crustal temperatures are characteristic of the Yellowstone caldera.

Ground-Water Quality of the Northern High Plains Aquifer, 1997, 2002-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Jennifer S.; Qi, Sharon L.

2007-01-01

An assessment of ground-water quality in the northern High Plains aquifer was completed during 1997 and 2002-04. Ground-water samples were collected at 192 low-capacity, primarily domestic wells in four major hydrogeologic units of the northern High Plains aquifer-Ogallala Formation, Eastern Nebraska, Sand Hills, and Platte River Valley. Each well was sampled once, and water samples were analyzed for physical properties and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, pesticides and pesticide degradates, dissolved solids, major ions, trace elements, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), radon, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Tritium and microbiology were analyzed at selected sites. The results of this assessment were used to determine the current water-quality conditions in this subregion of the High Plains aquifer and to relate ground-water quality to natural and human factors affecting water quality. Water-quality analyses indicated that water samples rarely exceeded established U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public drinking-water standards for those constituents sampled; 13 of the constituents measured or analyzed exceeded their respective standards in at least one sample. The constituents that most often failed to meet drinking-water standards were dissolved solids (13 percent of samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Secondary Drinking-Water Regulation) and arsenic (8 percent of samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level). Nitrate, uranium, iron, and manganese concentrations were larger than drinking-water standards in 6 percent of the samples. Ground-water chemistry varied among hydrogeologic units. Wells sampled in the Platte River Valley and Eastern Nebraska units exceeded water-quality standards more often than the Ogallala Formation and Sand Hills units. Thirty-one percent of the samples collected in the Platte River Valley unit had nitrate concentrations greater than the standard

Near-Real-Time Satellite Cloud Products for Icing Detection and Aviation Weather over the USA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minnis, Patrick; Smith, William L., Jr.; Nguyen, Louis; Murray, J. J.; Heck, Patrick W.; Khaiyer, Mandana M.

2003-01-01

A set of physically based retrieval algorithms has been developed to derive from multispectral satellite imagery a variety of cloud properties that can be used to diagnose icing conditions when upper-level clouds are absent. The algorithms are being applied in near-real time to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) data over Florida, the Southern Great Plains, and the midwestern USA. The products are available in image and digital formats on the world-wide web. The analysis system is being upgraded to analyze GOES data over the CONUS. Validation, 24-hour processing, and operational issues are discussed.

Linkages Between Terrestrial Carbon Uptake and Interannual Climate Variability over the Texas-northern Mexico High Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parazoo, N.; Barnes, E. A.; Worden, J.; Harper, A. B.; Bowman, K. W.; Frankenberg, C.

2014-12-01

The Texas-northern Mexico high plains experienced record drought conditions in 2011 during strong negative phases of ENSO and the NAO. Given predictions of increased frequency and severity of drought under projected climate change [e.g., Reichstein et al., 2013] and recent findings of CO2 growth rate sensitivity to interannual variability of carbon uptake in semi-arid ecosystems [Poulter et al., 2014], we investigate the response of carbon uptake in the Texas high plains to interannual climate variability with the goal of improved mechanistic understanding of climate-carbon cycle links. Specifically, we examine (1) observed tendencies in regional scale carbon uptake and soil moisture from 2010 to 2011 using satellite observations of gross primary production (GPP) (from plant fluorescence) from GOSAT and soil moisture from SMOS, and (2) the interannual relationship between GPP and ENSO & NAO variability using terrestrial biosphere simulations from 1950-2012. Observations reveal widespread decline of GPP in 2011 (0.42 +/- 0.04 Pg C yr-1) correlated with negative soil moisture tendencies (r = 0.85 +/- 0.21) which leads to corresponding declines in net carbon uptake and transpiration (according to model simulations). Further examination of model results over the period 1950-2012 indicates that negative GPP anomalies are linked systematically to winter and spring precipitation deficits associated with overlapping negative phases of winter NAO and ENSO, with increasing magnitude of negative anomalies in strong La Niña years. Furthermore, the strongest decline of GPP, carbon uptake, and transpiration on record occurred during the 2011 drought and were associated with extreme negative phases of ENSO and NAO, with 2011 being the only year since 1950 that both indices exceeded 1 σ standard deviation.

Deformation associated with ghost craters and basins in volcanic smooth plains on Mercury: Strain analysis and implications for plains evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimczak, Christian; Watters, Thomas R.; Ernst, Carolyn M.; Freed, Andrew M.; Byrne, Paul K.; Solomon, Sean C.; Blair, David M.; Head, James W.

2012-09-01

Since its insertion into orbit about Mercury in March 2011, the MESSENGER spacecraft has imaged most previously unseen regions of the planet in unprecedented detail, revealing extensive regions of contiguous smooth plains at high northern latitudes and surrounding the Caloris basin. These smooth plains, thought to be emplaced by flood volcanism, are populated with several hundred ghost craters and basins, nearly to completely buried impact features having rims for which the surface expressions are now primarily rings of deformational landforms. Associated with some ghost craters are interior groups of graben displaying mostly polygonal patterns. The origin of these graben is not yet fully understood, but comparison with numerical models suggests that the majority of such features are the result of stresses from local thermal contraction. In this paper, we highlight a previously unreported category of ghost craters, quantify extensional strains across graben-bearing ghost craters, and make use of graben geometries to gain insights into the subsurface geology of smooth plains areas. In particular, the style and mechanisms of graben development imply that flooding of impact craters and basins led to substantial pooling of lavas, to thicknesses of ˜1.5 km. In addition, surface strains derived from groups of graben are generally in agreement with theoretically and numerically derived strains for thermal contraction.

New Chronologies of Dune Activation Extracted from the Central Great Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, W. C.; Halfen, A. F.

2011-12-01

Recent investigations of dunefield activation histories in the Great Plains of North America have documented many long-duration, spatially-extensive, Holocene droughts. These "megadroughts" have been documented mostly in the larger dunefields of the Great Plains, e.g., the Nebraska Sand Hills, making it difficult for researchers to characterize these events region-wide. Several studies being conducted by the authors aim to extract a better spatial and temporal representation of megadroughts across the region by investigating smaller, less known dunefields of the Central Great Plains. Thus far, these studies have yielded new activation histories from three dunefields, the Kansas River, Hutchinson, and Arkansas Valley dunefields, which together span the precipitation gradient from eastern Kansas to eastern Colorado. While each of these dunefields have a unique history, collectively their activation chronologies yield new and important information on Holocene megadrought activity in the Great Plains, which may have been more spatially diverse and complex than previously thought. The Kansas River dunefield mantles a remnant high terrace of the lower Kansas River valley in the east-Central Great Plains and is one of the most easterly dunefields in the Great Plains. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages indicate dune activation last occurred ~36-31 ka, i.e., during MIS 3 between Heinrich Events 4 and 3 and was coincidental with loess deposition (Gillman Canyon Formation). The Kansas River dunefield also shows some evidence of minor activation during the middle Holocene, however this activity was likely limited to erosion of the dune surface and not full activation. About 200 km southwest of the Kansas River dunefield is the Hutchinson dunefield (HD), located immediately northeast of the Big Bend of the Arkansas River. OSL ages document dunefield-wide activity in the HD between ~1200 and 120 years ago, with peaks of activity centered after the Medieval Climatic

Water quality of the Ogallala Formation, central High Plains aquifer within the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District, Texas Panhandle, 2012-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldys, Stanley; Haynie, Monti M.; Beussink, Amy M.

2014-01-01

In cooperation with the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District (NPGCD), the U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed water-quality samples at 30 groundwater monitor wells in the NPGCD in the Texas Panhandle. All of the wells were completed in the Ogallala Formation of the central High Plains aquifer. Samples from each well were collected during February–March 2012 and in March 2013. Depth to groundwater in feet below land surface was measured at each well before sampling to determine the water-quality sampling depths. Water-quality samples were analyzed for physical properties, major ions, nutrients, and trace metals, and 6 of the 30 samples were analyzed for pesticides. There was a strong relation between specific conductance and dissolved solids as evidenced by a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.98. The dissolved-solids concentration in water from five wells exceeded the secondary drinking-water standard of 500 milligrams per liter set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Water from 3 of these 5 wells was near the north central part of the NPGCD. Nitrate values exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 10 milligrams per liter in 2 of the 30 wells. A sodium-adsorption ratio of 23.4 was measured in the sample collected from well Da-3589 in Dallam County, with the next largest sodium-adsorption ratio measured in the sample collected from well Da-3588 (12.5), also in Dallum County. The sodium-adsorption ratios measured in all other samples were less than 10. The groundwater was generally a mixed cation-bicarbonate plus carbonate type. Twenty-three trace elements were analyzed, and no concentrations exceeded the secondary drinking-water standard or maximum contaminant level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for water supplies. In 2012, 6 of the 30 wells were sampled for commonly used pesticides. Atrazine and its degradate 2-Chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine were detected in

Geochemical signature of provenance, tectonics and chemical weathering in the Quaternary flood plain sediments of the Hindon River, Gangetic plain, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondal, M. E. A.; Wani, H.; Mondal, Bulbul

2012-09-01

The Ganga basin in the Himalayan foreland is a part of the world's largest area of modern alluvial sedimentation. Flood plain sediments of the Hindon River of the Gangetic plain have been analyzed for sediment texture, major and trace elements including rare earth elements (REEs). The results have been used to characterize the source rock composition and to understand the intensity of chemical weathering, tectonics and their interplay in the Hindon flood plain. The sediments of the Hindon flood plain dominantly consist of sand sized particles with little silt and clay. The geochemistry of the Hindon sediments has been compared to the Siwalik mudstone of the Siwalik Group (Siwaliks). The Siwalik sedimentary rocks like sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates are the known source rocks for the Hindon flood plain sediments. Mudstone geochemistry has been considered best to represent the source rock characteristics. The UCC (Upper Continental Crust) normalized major and trace elements of the Hindon flood plain sediments are very similar to the Siwalik mudstone except for Th and Cr. Furthermore, the average chondrite normalized REE pattern of the Hindon flood plain sediments is similar to the Siwalik mudstone. Textural immaturity, K/Rb ratios and the average CIA (Chemical Index of Alteration) and PIA (Plagioclase Index of Alteration) values of the Hindon flood plain sediments indicate that the sediments have not been affected by chemical weathering. Our study suggests that the active tectonics of the Himalayas and monsoon climate enhances only physical erosion of the source rocks (Siwaliks) rather than the chemical alteration. These factors help the Hindon sediments to retain their parental and tectonic signature even after recycling.

Long-term patterns of air temperatures, daily temperature range, precipitation, grass-reference evapotranspiration and aridity index in the USA great plains: Part II. Temporal trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukal, M.; Irmak, S.

2016-11-01

Detection of long-term changes in climate variables over large spatial scales is a very important prerequisite to the development of effective mitigation and adaptation measures for the future potential climate change and for developing strategies for future hydrologic balance analyses under changing climate. Moreover, there is a need for effective approaches of providing information about these changes to decision makers, water managers and stakeholders to aid in efficient implementation of the developed strategies. This study involves computation, mapping and analyses of long-term (1968-2013) county-specific trends in annual, growing-season (1st May-30th September) and monthly air temperatures [(maximum (Tmax), minimum (Tmin) and average (Tavg)], daily temperature range (DTR), precipitation, grass reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and aridity index (AI) over the USA Great Plains region using datasets from over 800 weather station sites. Positive trends in annual Tavg, Tmax and Tmin, DTR, precipitation, ETo and AI were observed in 71%, 89%, 85%, 31%, 61%, 38% and 66% of the counties in the region, respectively, whereas these proportions were 48%, 89%, 62%, 20%, 57%, 28%, and 63%, respectively, for the growing-season averages of the same variables. On a regional average basis, the positive trends in growing-season Tavg, Tmax and Tmin, DTR, precipitation, ETo and AI were 0.18 °C decade-1, 0.19 °C decade-1, 0.17 °C decade-1, 0.09 °C decade-1, 1.12 mm yr-1, 0.4 mm yr-1 and 0.02 decade-1, respectively, and the negative trends were 0.21 °C decade-1, 0.06 °C decade-1, 0.09 °C decade-1, 0.22 °C decade-1, 1.16 mm yr-1, 0.76 mm yr-1 and 0.02 decade-1, respectively. The temporal trends were highly variable in space and were appropriately represented using monthly, annual and growing-season maps developed using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. The long-term and spatial and temporal information and data for a large region provided in this study can be

Age determinations and Earth-based multispectral observations of lunar light plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koehler, U.; Jaumann, R.; Neukum, G.

1993-01-01

The history of light plains still remains doubtful, but there are good arguments - mainly obtained by age determinations and supported by multispectral observations - for an endogenic (magmatic) instead of an (exclusively) impact related origin. Light plains are characterized by smooth areas with an albedo lower than the surrounding highlands (12 - 13 percent), but significantly higher than maria (5 - 6 percent). Before Apollo 16 a volcanic source has been supposed, but analysis of returned samples (highly brecciated and metamorphosed rocks) favored an impact ejecta related origin. Among the currently discussed models are formation by ejecta sedimentation from multi-ringed basins, formation by secondary and tertiary cratering action of ballistically ejected material during the formation of multi-ringed basins, in situ formation by impact melt of large events, and premare (crypto-) volcanism basalts covered by a thin ejecta cover; younger impacts penetrated the ejecta surface to create the dark haloed craters. To find arguments in favor or against these ideas the chronology of light plains is of major importance. Obviously a genetic relationship between the evolution of light plains and the basin forming impacts can be possible only if the events of emplacement features happened simultaneously.

Personal Financial Literacy among High School Students in New Zealand, Japan and the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Michael P.; Calderwood, Richard; Cox, Ashleigh; Lim, Steven; Yamaoka, Michio

2013-01-01

Personal financial literacy is becoming increasingly important in the modern world, especially for young people. In this article, the authors compare the financial literacy of high school students in Hamilton, New Zealand, with samples from Japan and the USA. The authors compare not only overall financial literacy, but also literacy across five…

ANALYSIS AND REDUCTION OF LANDSAT DATA FOR USE IN A HIGH PLAINS GROUND-WATER FLOW MODEL.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thelin, Gail; Gaydas, Leonard; Donovan, Walter; Mladinich, Carol

1984-01-01

Data obtained from 59 Landsat scenes were used to estimate the areal extent of irrigated agriculture over the High Plains region of the United States for a ground-water flow model. This model provides information on current trends in the amount and distribution of water used for irrigation. The analysis and reduction process required that each Landsat scene be ratioed, interpreted, and aggregated. Data reduction by aggregation was an efficient technique for handling the volume of data analyzed. This process bypassed problems inherent in geometrically correcting and mosaicking the data at pixel resolution and combined the individual Landsat classification into one comprehensive data set.

Geochemistry of shallow ground water in coastal plain environments in the southeastern United States: Implications for aquifer susceptibility

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tesoriero, A.J.; Spruill, T.B.; Eimers, J.L.

2004-01-01

Ground-water chemistry data from coastal plain environments have been examined to determine the geochemical conditions and processes that occur in these areas and assess their implications for aquifer susceptibility. Two distinct geochemical environments were studied to represent a range of conditions: an inner coastal plain setting having more well-drained soils and lower organic carbon (C) content and an outer coastal plain environment that has more poorly drained soils and high organic C content. Higher concentrations of most major ions and dissolved inorganic and organic C in the outer coastal plain setting indicate a greater degree of mineral dissolution and organic matter oxidation. Accordingly, outer coastal plain waters are more reducing than inner coastal plain waters. Low dissolved oxygen (O2) and nitrate (NO 3-) concentrations and high iron (Fe) concentrations indicate that ferric iron (Fe (III)) is an important electron acceptor in this setting, while dissolved O2 is the most common terminal electron acceptor in the inner coastal plain setting. The presence of a wide range of redox conditions in the shallow aquifer system examined here underscores the importance of providing a detailed geochemical characterization of ground water when assessing the intrinsic susceptibility of coastal plain settings. The greater prevalence of aerobic conditions in the inner coastal plain setting makes this region more susceptible to contamination by constituents that are more stable under these conditions and is consistent with the significantly (p<0.05) higher concentrations of NO3- found in this setting. Herbicides and their transformation products were frequently detected (36% of wells sampled), however concentrations were typically low (<0.1 ??g/L). Shallow water table depths often found in coastal plain settings may result in an increased risk of the detection of pesticides (e.g., alachlor) that degrade rapidly in the unsaturated zone.

Genetic variation in ponderosa pine: A 15-year test of provenances in the Great Plains

Treesearch

David F. Van Haverbeke

1986-01-01

Survival was highest and height growth greatest in ponderosa pine provenances from northcentral Nebraska, southwest South Dakota, and the High Plains region. Genotype x environment interaction was minimal in central and northern Great Plains plantations. Age/age correlations indicate provenances expressing superior height growth can be identified after 5 or 10 years....

Coastal inundation risk assessment due to subsidence and sea level rise in a Mediterranean alluvial plain (Volturno coastal plain - southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciro Aucelli, Pietro Patrizio; Di Paola, Gianluigi; Incontri, Pietro; Rizzo, Angela; Vilardo, Giuseppe; Benassai, Guido; Buonocore, Berardino; Pappone, Gerardo

2017-11-01

Interdisciplinary studies of the last years highlight that the Italian coasts are significantly subject to retreat and to inundation by sea ingression due to natural and anthropic causes. In this study, the effects of future relative sea level have been evaluated for the Volturno River Plain, one of the widest coastal plain in southern Italy. The plain is characterized by high economical and ecological value, for the presence of farm activities, tourist structures and wetland protected zones. The study area is potentially prone to coastal flooding due to its very low topography and because it is affected by a severe subsidence, which emphasize the local effect of sea level rise due to the ongoing climate changes. In accordance with the guidelines of the MEDFLOOD project, the areas prone to inundation in the years 2065 and 2100 have been evaluated by comparing the future topographical information and expected relative sea level scenarios. The local Vertical Ground Displacements have been derived by PS-InSAR processing data whilst the mean values of the scenarios RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 provided by the IPCC (2014) have been used as future sea level projections in 2065 and 2100. The PS-InSar data elaboration shows that the area affected by subsidence corresponds to 35% of the Volturno plain and that the annual rate of the phenomenon ranges between -1 and -25 mm/yr. The inundation analysis, based on the classification of the areas in four hazard classes, indicates that in 2065 the zones located below the sea level will increase approximately of 50% respect to the present conditions, while between 2065 and 2100 the increase can be at least of 60% (IPCC, RCP 8.5 scenarios). Considering the socio-economical and ecological exposure, evaluated following the EUROSION project guidelines, the coastal flooding risk maps have been produced. Almost 8.2 km2 and 14.4 km2 of the investigated area has to be considered subject to very high marine inundation risk in 2065 and 2100

'Endurance' Goal Across the Plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This mosaic image from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera provides an overview of the rover's drive direction toward 'Endurance Crater,' which is in the upper right corner of image.

The plains appear to be uniform in character from the rovers current position all the way to Endurance Crater. Granules of various sizes blanket the plains. Spherical granules fancifully called blueberries are present some intact and some broken. Larger granules pave the surface, while smaller grains, including broken blueberries, form small dunes. Randomly distributed 1-centimeter (0.4 inch) sized pebbles (as seen just left of center in the foreground of the image) make up a third type of feature on the plains. The pebbles' composition remains to be determined. Scientists plan to examine these in the coming sols.

Examination of this part of Mars by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter revealed the presence of hematite, which led NASA to choose Meridiani Planum as Opportunity's landing site. The rover science conducted on the plains of Meridiani Planum serves to integrate what the rovers are seeing on the ground with what orbital data have shown.

Opportunity will make stop at a small crater called 'Fram' (seen in the upper left, with relatively large rocks nearby) before heading to the rim of Endurance Crater.

Occurrence of the megatoothed sharks (Lamniformes: Otodontidae) in Alabama, USA.

PubMed

Ehret, Dana J; Ebersole, Jun

2014-01-01

The Otodontidae include some of the largest sharks to ever live in the world's oceans (i.e., Carcharocles megalodon). Here we report on Paleocene and Eocene occurrences of Otodus obliquus and Carcharocles auriculatus from Alabama, USA. Teeth of Otodus are rarely encountered in the Gulf Coastal Plain and this report is one of the first records for Alabama. Carcharocles auriculatus is more common in the Eocene deposits of Alabama, but its occurrence has been largely overlooked in the literature. We also refute the occurrence of the Oligocene Carcharocles angustidens in the state. Raised awareness and increased collecting of under-sampled geologic formations in Alabama will likely increase sample sizes of O. obliquus and C. auriculatus and also might unearth other otodontids, such as C. megalodon and C. chubutensis.

Occurrence of the megatoothed sharks (Lamniformes: Otodontidae) in Alabama, USA

PubMed Central

Ebersole, Jun

2014-01-01

The Otodontidae include some of the largest sharks to ever live in the world’s oceans (i.e., Carcharocles megalodon). Here we report on Paleocene and Eocene occurrences of Otodus obliquus and Carcharocles auriculatus from Alabama, USA. Teeth of Otodus are rarely encountered in the Gulf Coastal Plain and this report is one of the first records for Alabama. Carcharocles auriculatus is more common in the Eocene deposits of Alabama, but its occurrence has been largely overlooked in the literature. We also refute the occurrence of the Oligocene Carcharocles angustidens in the state. Raised awareness and increased collecting of under-sampled geologic formations in Alabama will likely increase sample sizes of O. obliquus and C. auriculatus and also might unearth other otodontids, such as C. megalodon and C. chubutensis. PMID:25332848

Acanthosis Nigricans among Northern Plains American Indian Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Blakely; Noonan, Curtis; Bentley, Bonnie; Conway, Kathrene; Corcoran, Mary; FourStar, Kris; Gress, Shannon; Wagner, Sharon

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to present cross-sectional and prospective data on acanthosis nigricans (AN) prevalence in the context of other risk factors for diabetes including high body mass index (BMI), abnormal blood pressure (BP), physical inactivity and family history of diabetes among Northern Plains American Indian (AI) children.…

Groundwater availability in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of North and South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, Bruce G.; Coes, Alissa L.

2010-01-01

The Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifers and confining units of North and South Carolina are composed of crystalline carbonate rocks, sand, clay, silt, and gravel and contain large volumes of high-quality groundwater. The aquifers have a long history of use dating back to the earliest days of European settlement in the late 1600s. Although extensive areas of some of the aquifers have or currently (2009) are areas of groundwater level declines from large-scale, concentrated pumping centers, large areas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain contain substantial quantities of high-quality groundwater that currently (2009) are unused. Groundwater use from the Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifers in North Carolina and South Carolina has increased during the past 60 years as the population has increased along with demands for municipal, industrial, and agricultural water needs. While North Carolina and South Carolina work to increase development of water supplies in response to the rapid growth in these coastal populations, both States recognize that they are facing a number of unanswered questions regarding availability of groundwater supplies and the best methods to manage these important supplies. An in-depth assessment of groundwater availability of the Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifers of North and South Carolina has been completed by the U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resources Program. This assessment includes (1) a determination of the present status of the Atlantic Coastal Plain groundwater resources; (2) an explanation for how these resources have changed over time; and (3) development of tools to assess the system's response to stresses from potential future climate variability. Results from numerous previous investigations of the Atlantic Coastal Plain by Federal and State agencies have been incorporated into this effort. The primary products of this effort are (1) comprehensive hydrologic datasets such as groundwater levels, groundwater use, and aquifer properties; (2) a

Deformation Rates in the Snake River Plain and Adjacent Basin and Range Regions Based on GPS Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, S. J.; McCaffrey, R.; King, R. W.; Kattenhorn, S. A.

2012-12-01

We estimate horizontal velocities for 405 sites using Global Positioning System (GPS) phase data collected from 1994 to 2010 within the Northern Basin and Range Province, U.S.A. The velocities reveal a slowly-deforming region within the Snake River Plain in Idaho and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau in Oregon separated from the actively extending adjacent Basin and Range regions by shear. Our results show a NE-oriented extensional strain rate of 5.6 ± 0.7 nanostrain/yr in the Centennial Tectonic Belt and an ~E-oriented extensional strain rate of 3.5 ± 0.2 nanostrain/yr in the Great Basin. These extensional rates contrast with the very low strain rate within the 125 km x 650 km region of the Snake River Plain and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau which is not distinguishable from zero (-0.1 ± 0.4 x nanostrain/yr). Inversions of Snake River Plain velocities with dike-opening models indicate that rapid extension by dike intrusion in volcanic rift zones, as previously hypothesized, is not currently occurring. GPS data also disclose that rapid extension in the surrounding regions adjacent to the slowly-deforming region of the Snake River Plain drives shear between them. We estimate right-lateral shear with slip rates of 0.3-1.5 mm/yr along the northwestern boundary adjacent to the Centennial Tectonic Belt and left-lateral oblique extension with slip rates of 0.5-1.5 mm/yr along the southeastern boundary adjacent to the Intermountain Seismic Belt. The fastest lateral shearing evident in the GPS occurs near the Yellowstone Plateau where earthquakes with right-lateral strike-slip focal mechanisms are within a NE-trending zone of seismicity. The regional velocity gradients are best fit by nearby poles of rotation for the Centennial Tectonic Belt, Snake River Plain, Owyhee-Oregon Plateau, and eastern Oregon, indicating that clockwise rotation is not locally driven by Yellowstone hotspot volcanism, but instead by extension to the south across the Wasatch fault possibly due to gravitational

Surface-compositional Properties of Lava Plains in Syria-Thaumasia Block, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, J.; Xiao, L.; Kraft, M. D.; Christensen, P. R.; Edwards, C. S.; Ruff, S. W.; Dohm, J.

2012-12-01

Mars has a long and complex volcanic history (Greeley and Spudis, 1981; Carr, 2006). Among abundant plain-style volcanism and various edifices, Tharsis bulge is a prominent and long-lasting (Werner, 2009) volcanic province. However, there is little report about compositional variations before and after Tharsis uplift. The Syria- Thaumasia block (STB) is a complex tectono-volcanic province related to the Tharsis bulge. Understanding its formation is critical to characterizing the early history and planetary evolution of Mars. The STB lies at the southern edge of Tharsis bulge. It consists of lava plains (Syria, Solis, Sinai and Thaumasia Plana) bounded by an arcuate region of higher topography (Thaumasia Highlands, Melas Dorsa and Coprates Rise) and Valles Marineris to the north. Previous work on surface thermophysical properties (Christensen, 1988; Jakosky et al., 2000; Putzig and Mellon, 2007) and visible/near infrared and thermal infrared remote sensing spectroscopic compositional analysis (Bandfield, 2000; Bibring et al., 2006; Rogers and Christensen, 2007) had been done only in a global scale, but regional study of both surface thermophysical properties and compositions for each of the distinct lava plains in STB is lacking. In this study, we characterize a variety of volcanic features, including lava tubes, channels and their relationships with wrinkle ridges within lava plains using THEMIS infrared data (100 m/pixel: Christensen et al., 2004), CTX data (6 m/pixel: Malin et al., 2007) and HiRISE data (25 cm/pixel: McEwen et al., 2007). We assessed the surface thermophysical properties and compositions of lava plains using TES data (Christensen et al., 2001). The geomorphic features imply the lava emplacement mechanisms, while their relationships indicate the chronologic relationships between Tharsis uplift and lava emplacement. The compositional results show variations within the lava plains (Table 1), while the thermophysical results show the compositional

Abundance and diversity of methanogens: potential role in high arsenic groundwater in Hetao Plain of Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Wang, Y H; Li, P; Dai, X Y; Zhang, R; Jiang, Z; Jiang, D W; Wang, Y X

2015-05-15

To investigate the community diversity and abundance of methanogens and their potential role in high arsenic groundwater, 17 groundwater samples from Hetao Plain of Inner Mongolia were investigated with an integrated method including 16S rRNA gene clone library, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and geochemistry analyses. Total arsenic (AsTot) concentrations were 82.7-1088.7 μg/L and arsenite (AsIII) mostly dominated in these samples with percentages of 0.04-0.79. CH₄ concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 292 μg/L and distinctly elevated only when AsTot were relatively high and SO₄(2-) were distinctly low. Principal component analysis indicated that these samples were divided into three groups according to the variations of AsTot, CH₄ and SO₄(2-). AsTot concentrations were distinctly high in the group with high CH₄ and low SO₄(2-) comparing to the other two groups (one with high CH₄ and high SO₄(2-), the other with low CH₄ and SO₄(2-)). The mcrA gene (methyl coenzyme-M reductase gene) based phylogenetic analysis of methanogens population showed that methanogenic archaea was diverse but mainly composed of Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales, Methanobacteria and unidentified groups, with Methanomicrobiales being distinctly dominant (50.6%). The mcrA gene abundance in high arsenic groundwater ranged from 3.01 × 10(3) to 3.80 × 10(6)copies/L and accounted for 0-30.2% of total archaeal 16S rRNA genes. The abundance of mcrA genes was positively correlated with the concentrations of AsTot (R=0.59), AsIII (R=0.57) and FeII (R=0.79), while it was negatively correlated with oxidation-reduction potential (R=-0.66) and SO₄(2-) concentration (R=-0.64). These results implied that methanogenic archaea might accelerate As release in groundwater aquifers in Hetao Plain. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Bat use of a high-plains urban wildlife refuge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Everette, A.L.; O'Shea, T.J.; Ellison, L.E.; Stone, L.A.; McCance, J.L.

2001-01-01

Bats are significant components of mammalian diversity and in many areas are of management concern. However, little attention has been given to bats in urban or prairie landscapes. In 1997 and 1998, we determined species richness, relative abundance, roosting habits, and echolocation activity of bats at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (RMA), the largest urban unit in the United States refuge system, located on the high plains near Denver, Colorado. An inventory using mist nets revealed 3 species foraging at this site: big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans). Big brown bats comprised 86% of captures (n=176). This pattern was consistent with continental-scale predictions of bat species richness and evenness based on availability of potential roosts. Relative abundance based on captures was similar to that revealed by echolocation detector surveys, except that the latter revealed the likely presence of at least 2 additional species (Myotis spp. and red bats [Lasiurus borealis]). Echolocation activity was significantly greater (P=0.009) in areas with tree or water habitat edges than in open prairie, suggesting that maintaining such features is important for bats. Big brown bats commuted greater distances (9.2-18.8 km) from roosts in urban core areas to foraging sites on the refuge than typically reported for this species elsewhere, emphasizing the value of the site to these bats. Urban refuges can provide habitat of importance to bat populations, but may be characterized by abundant bats that roost in buildings if a variety of other kinds of roosting habitats are unavailable.

Land loss due to recent hurricanes in coastal Louisiana, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Monica; Kranenburg, Christine J.; Barras, John A.; Brock, John C.

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to improve estimates of wetland land loss in two study regions of coastal Louisiana, U.S.A., due to the extreme storms that impacted the region between 2004 and 2009. The estimates are based on change-detection-mapping analysis that incorporates pre and postlandfall (Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike) fractional-water classifications using a combination of high-resolution (<5 m) QuickBird, IKONOS, and GeoEye-1, and medium-resolution (30 m) Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite imagery. This process was applied in two study areas: the Hackberry area located in the southwestern part of chenier plain that was impacted by Hurricanes Rita (September 24, 2005) and Ike (September 13, 2008), and the Delacroix area located in the eastern delta plain that was impacted by Hurricanes Katrina (August 29, 2005) and Gustav (September 1, 2008). In both areas, effects of the hurricanes include enlargement of existing bodies of open water and erosion of fringing marsh areas. Surge-removed marsh was easily identified in stable marshes but was difficult to identify in degraded or flooded marshes. Persistent land loss in the Hackberry area due to Hurricane Rita was approximately 5.8% and increased by an additional 7.9% due to Hurricane Ike, although this additional area may yet recover. About 80% of the Hackberry study area remained unchanged since 2003. In the Delacroix area, persistent land loss due to Hurricane Katrina measured approximately 4.9% of the study area, while Hurricane Gustav caused minimal impact of 0.6% land loss by November 2009. Continued recovery in this area may further erase Hurricane Gustav's impact in the absence of new storm events.

49 CFR 230.102 - Tender plain bearing journal boxes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Tender plain bearing journal boxes. 230.102... Locomotives and Tenders Running Gear § 230.102 Tender plain bearing journal boxes. Plain bearing journal boxes... expected to damage the bearing; or have a detrimental effect on the lubrication of the journal and bearing...

49 CFR 230.102 - Tender plain bearing journal boxes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tender plain bearing journal boxes. 230.102... Locomotives and Tenders Running Gear § 230.102 Tender plain bearing journal boxes. Plain bearing journal boxes... expected to damage the bearing; or have a detrimental effect on the lubrication of the journal and bearing...

Improving life expectancy: how many years behind has the USA fallen? A cross-national comparison among high-income countries from 1958 to 2007.

PubMed

Verguet, Stéphane; Jamison, Dean T

2013-01-01

Many studies have documented higher mortality levels in the USA compared to other high-income nations. We add to this discussion by quantifying how many years behind comparison countries the USA has fallen and by identifying when US mortality rates began to diverge. We use full life tables, for men and women, for 17 high-income countries including the USA. We extract the life expectancy at birth and compute the mortality rates for each 5-year age group from birth up to age 80. Using the metric of how many 'years behind' a country has fallen, we compare US mortality levels with those in other high-income countries ('comparators'). We report life expectancy for 17 high-income countries, for the period 1958-2007. Up to the late 1970s, US men and especially women closely tracked comparators in life expectancy. In the late 1970s in the USA, most strikingly women began to diverge from comparators so that the US female life expectancy in 2007 corresponded to that of the comparators' average 10 years earlier. Mortality rates also began to diverge from the late 1970s, and the largest mortality gap was in the 15-49 age group, for both men and women, where the USA had fallen about 40 years behind the comparators by 2007. Some causes proposed for the relatively high US mortality today-racial differences, lack of universal health insurance, US exceptionalism-changed little while the mortality gap emerged and grew. This suggests that explanations for the growing gap lie elsewhere. Quantification of how many years behind the USA has fallen can help provide clues about where to look for potential causes and remedies.

Novel Eurasian highly pathogenic influenza A H5 viruses in wild birds, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ip, Hon S.; Kim Torchetti, Mia; Crespo, Rocio; Kohrs, Paul; DeBruyn, Paul; Mansfield, Kristin G.; Baszler, Timothy; Badcoe, Lyndon; Bodenstein, Barbara L.; Shearn-Bochsler, Valerie I.; Killian, Mary Lea; Pederson, Janice C.; Hines, Nichole; Gidlewski, Thomas; DeLiberto, Thomas; Sleeman, Jonathan M.

2015-01-01

Novel Eurasian lineage avian influenza A(H5N8) virus has spread rapidly and globally since January 2014. In December 2014, H5N8 and reassortant H5N2 viruses were detected in wild birds in Washington, USA, and subsequently in backyard birds. When they infect commercial poultry, these highly pathogenic viruses pose substantial trade issues.

Geologic map of the northern plains of Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tanaka, Kenneth L.; Skinner, James A.; Hare, Trent M.

2005-01-01

The northern plains of Mars cover nearly a third of the planet and constitute the planet's broadest region of lowlands. Apparently formed early in Mars' history, the northern lowlands served as a repository both for sediments shed from the adjacent ancient highlands and for volcanic flows and deposits from sources within and near the lowlands. Geomorphic evidence for extensive tectonic deformation and reworking of surface materials through release of volatiles occurs throughout the northern plains. In the polar region, Planum Boreum contains evidence for the accumulation of ice and dust, and surrounding dune fields suggest widespread aeolian transport and erosion. The most recent regional- and global-scale maps describing the geology of the northern plains are largely based on Viking Orbiter image data (Dial, 1984; Witbeck and Underwood, 1984; Scott and Tanaka, 1986; Greeley and Guest, 1987; Tanaka and Scott, 1987; Tanaka and others, 1992a; Rotto and Tanaka, 1995; Crumpler and others, 2001; McGill, 2002). These maps reveal highland, plains, volcanic, and polar units based on morphologic character, albedo, and relative ages using local stratigraphic relations and crater counts. This geologic map of the northern plains is the first published map that covers a significant part of Mars using topography and image data from both the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey missions. The new data provide a fresh perspective on the geology of the region that reveals many previously unrecognizable units, features, and temporal relations. In addition, we adapted and instituted terrestrial mapping methods and stratigraphic conventions that we think result in a clearer and more objective map. We focus on mapping with the intent of reconstructing the history of geologic activity within the northern plains, including deposition, volcanism, erosion, tectonism, impact cratering, and other processes with the aid of comprehensive crater-density determinations. Mapped areas include all

Anti-Brucella Antibodies in Moose (Alces alces gigas), Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), and Plains Bison (Bison bison bison) in Alaska, USA.

PubMed

Nymo, Ingebjørg Helena; Beckmen, Kimberlee; Godfroid, Jacques

2016-01-01

We used an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) and the rose bengal test (RBT) to test for anti-Brucella antibodies in moose (Alces alces gigas), muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), and plains bison (Bison bison bison) from various game management units (GMUs) in Alaska, US, sampled from 1982 to 2010. A portion of the sera had previously been tested with the standard plate test (SPT), the buffered Brucella antigen (BBA) card test, and the card test (CARD). No antibody-positive plains bison were identified. Anti-Brucella antibodies were detected in moose (iELISA, n=4/87; RBT, n=4/87; SPT, n=4/5; BBA, n=4/4) from GMU 23 captured in 1992, 1993, and 1995 and in muskoxen (iELISA, n=4/52; RBT, n=4/52; CARD, n=4/35) from GMUs 26A and 26B captured in 2004, 2006, and 2007. A negative effect of infection on the health of individuals of these species is probable. The presence of antibody-positive animals from 1992 to 2007 suggests presence of brucellae over time. The antibody-positive animals were found in northern Alaska, an area with a historically higher prevalence of Brucella-positive caribou, and a spillover of Brucella suis biovar 4 from caribou may have occurred. Brucella suis biovar 4 causes human brucellosis, and transmission from consumption of moose and muskoxen is possible.

Areas Contributing Recharge to Wells in the Tafuna-Leone Plain, Tutuila, American Samoa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izuka, Scot K.; Perreault, Jeff A.; Presley, Todd K.

2007-01-01

To address the concerns about the potential for contamination of drinking-water wells in the Tafuna-Leone Plain, Tutuila, American Samoa, a numerical ground-water flow model was developed and used to delineate areas contributing recharge to the wells (ACRWs). Surveys and analyses were conducted to obtain or compile certain essential hydrogeologic information needed for the model, such as groundwater production statistics, ground-water levels under current production, and an assessment of the distribution of groundwater recharge. The ground-water surveys indicate that total production from all wells in the Tafuna-Leone Plain between 1985 and 2005 averaged 6.1 Mgal/d and showed a gradual increase. A synoptic survey indicates that current water levels in the Tafuna-Leone Plain are highest near its inland boundary, decrease toward the coast, and are slightly depressed in high-production well fields. Ground-water levels showed little effect from the increased production because hydraulic conductivites are high and withdrawal is small relative to recharge. Analysis of ground-water recharge using a soil water-budget analysis indicates that the Tafuna-Leone Plain and adjacent areas receive about 280 Mgal/d of water from rainfall, of which 24 percent runs off to the ocean, 26 percent is removed by evapotranspiration, and 50 percent goes to ground-water recharge. Ground-water recharge per unit area is generally higher at the mountain crests than at the coast, but the highest recharge per unit area is in the mountain-front recharge zone at the juncture between the Tafuna-Leone Plain and the adjacent mountains. Surface water from the mountains also contributes to ground-water recharge in the eastern Tafuna-Leone Plain, in a process analogous to mountain-front recharge described in arid areas. Analysis of stream-gage data indicates that in the mountains of Tutuila, ground water discharges and contributes substantially to the total flow of the streams. In contrast, multiple

Preliminary Report of NRC Twin Otter Operations in the 1997 Southern Great Plains Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

MacPherson, J. Ian

1997-01-01

From June 18 to July 17, 1997, the NRC Twin Otter atmospheric research aircraft was operated from Oklahoma City, U.S.A., in the Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP97) Hydrology Experiment. The primary role of the aircraft was to measure the vertical fluxes of sensible and latent heat, CO2, ozone and momentum in the atmospheric boundary layer, along with supporting meteorological and radiometric data. Approximately 400 flux runs and 100 soundings were flown in 27 project flights over rural areas near Oklahoma City. This preliminary report documents the flight program, lists the instrumentation aboard the aircraft, and presents a summary of run-averaged data from each flux run. These data are from the in-field analysis and must be considered preliminary. A re-analysis incorporating updated calibrations is planned for the fall of 1997 followed by a more comprehensive technical report.

Knickzone propagation in the Black Hills and northern High Plains: a different perspective on the late Cenozoic exhumation of the Laramide Rocky Mountains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zaprowski, Brent J.; Evenson, Edward B.; Pazzaglia, Frank J.; Epstein, Jack B.

2001-01-01

Geomorphic research in the Black Hills and northern High Plains poses an intriguing hypothesis for the Cenozoic evolution of this salient of the Laramide Rockies. Most recently, geologists have appealed to late Cenozoic epeirogenic uplift or climate change to explain the post-Laramide unroofing of the Rockies. On the basis of field mapping and the interpretation of long-valley profiles, we conclude that the propagation of knickzones is the primary mechanism for exhumation in the Black Hills. Long profiles of major drainages show discrete breaks in the slope of the channel gradient that are not coincident with changes in rock type. We use the term knickzones to describe these features because their profiles are broadly convex over tens of kilometers. At and below the knickzone, the channel is incising into bedrock, abandoning a flood plain, and forming a terrace. Above the knickzone, the channel is much less incised, resulting in a broad valley bottom. Numerous examples of stream piracy are documented, and in each case, the capture is recorded in the same terrace level. These observations are consistent with migrating knickzones that have swept through Black Hills streams, rearranging drainages in their wake. We demonstrate there are two knickzone fronts associated with mapped terraces. Preliminary field evidence of soil development shows that these terraces are time transgressive in nature. Our data strongly suggest that knickzone propagation must be considered a viable mechanism driving late Cenozoic fluvial incision and exhumation of the northern High Plains and adjacent northern Rocky Mountains.

Aquifer geochemistry at potential aquifer storage and recovery sites in coastal plain aquifers in the New York city area, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, C.J.; Misut, P.E.

2010-01-01

The effects of injecting oxic water from the New York city (NYC) drinking-water supply and distribution system into a nearby anoxic coastal plain aquifer for later recovery during periods of water shortage (aquifer storage and recovery, or ASR) were simulated by a 3-dimensional, reactive-solute transport model. The Cretaceous aquifer system in the NYC area of New York and New Jersey, USA contains pyrite, goethite, locally occurring siderite, lignite, and locally varying amounts of dissolved Fe and salinity. Sediment from cores drilled on Staten Island and western Long Island had high extractable concentrations of Fe, Mn, and acid volatile sulfides (AVS) plus chromium-reducible sulfides (CRS) and low concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu and U. Similarly, water samples from the Lloyd aquifer (Cretaceous) in western Long Island generally contained high concentrations of Fe and Mn and low concentrations of other trace elements such as As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu and U, all of which were below US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and NY maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). In such aquifer settings, ASR operations can be complicated by the oxidative dissolution of pyrite, low pH, and high concentrations of dissolved Fe in extracted water.The simulated injection of buffered, oxic city water into a hypothetical ASR well increased the hydraulic head at the well, displaced the ambient groundwater, and formed a spheroid of injected water with lower concentrations of Fe, Mn and major ions in water surrounding the ASR well, than in ambient water. Both the dissolved O2 concentrations and the pH of water near the well generally increased in magnitude during the simulated 5-a injection phase. The resultant oxidation of Fe2+ and attendant precipitation of goethite during injection provided a substrate for sorption of dissolved Fe during the 8-a extraction phase. The baseline scenario with a low (0.001M) concentration of pyrite in aquifer sediments, indicated that nearly 190% more water

High youth access to movies that contain smoking in Europe compared with the USA.

PubMed

Hanewinkel, Reiner; Sargent, James D; Karlsdóttir, Sólveig; Jónsson, Stefán Hrafn; Mathis, Federica; Faggiano, Fabrizio; Poelen, Evelien A P; Scholte, Ron; Florek, Ewa; Sweeting, Helen; Hunt, Kate; Morgenstern, Matthis

2013-07-01

Based on evidence that exposure to smoking in movies is associated with adolescent smoking, the WHO has called on countries to assign a rating that restricts youth access to such movies. To evaluate youth access to movies that portray smoking in European countries and compare with that in the USA. The authors identified the most commercially successful movies screened in six European countries (Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and UK) and the USA between 2004 and 2009. The authors coded the 464 movies that were screened in both Europe and the USA according to whether or not they portrayed smoking. 87% of the movies were 'youth' rated in Europe (ratings board classification as suitable for those younger than 16 years) compared to only 67% in the USA (suitable for those younger than 17 years). Smoking was portrayed in 319 (69%) movies. 85% of the movies that portrayed smoking were 'youth' rated in Europe compared with only 59% in the USA (p<0.001). Tobacco imagery is still common in popular films shown in European countries and the USA. None of the seven countries examined followed the WHO recommendations on restricting youth access to movies that portray smoking. Compared to the USA, European youths have access to substantially more movies in general, and this gives them access to more movies that portray smoking in particular.

Improving life expectancy: how many years behind has the USA fallen? A cross-national comparison among high-income countries from 1958 to 2007

PubMed Central

Verguet, Stéphane; Jamison, Dean T

2013-01-01

Objective Many studies have documented higher mortality levels in the USA compared to other high-income nations. We add to this discussion by quantifying how many years behind comparison countries the USA has fallen and by identifying when US mortality rates began to diverge. Design We use full life tables, for men and women, for 17 high-income countries including the USA. We extract the life expectancy at birth and compute the mortality rates for each 5-year age group from birth up to age 80. Using the metric of how many ‘years behind’ a country has fallen, we compare US mortality levels with those in other high-income countries (‘comparators’). Results We report life expectancy for 17 high-income countries, for the period 1958–2007. Up to the late 1970s, US men and especially women closely tracked comparators in life expectancy. In the late 1970s in the USA, most strikingly women began to diverge from comparators so that the US female life expectancy in 2007 corresponded to that of the comparators’ average 10 years earlier. Mortality rates also began to diverge from the late 1970s, and the largest mortality gap was in the 15–49 age group, for both men and women, where the USA had fallen about 40 years behind the comparators by 2007. Conclusions Some causes proposed for the relatively high US mortality today—racial differences, lack of universal health insurance, US exceptionalism—changed little while the mortality gap emerged and grew. This suggests that explanations for the growing gap lie elsewhere. Quantification of how many years behind the USA has fallen can help provide clues about where to look for potential causes and remedies. PMID:23833143

The Main Factors of Uranium Accumulation in the Ishim Plain Saline Lakes (Western Siberia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vladimirov, A. G.; Krivonogov, S. K.; Karpov, A. V.; Nikolaeva, I. V.; Razvorotneva, L. I.; Kolpakova, M. N.; Moroz, E. N.

2018-04-01

Hydrochemical analysis of the high-salinity lakes in the Ishim Plain (>250-300 g/L) located at the border with the Northern Kazakhstan uranium ore province is performed. The studies have shown that the main factor of concentration and redistribution of uranium in the lake basins of the Ishim Plain are the processes of intense salt deflation causing sanding of lakes and uranium depletion in the near-surface layer of the bottom deposits. The correlation between the hydroxide forms of uranium binding in the bottom lacustrine deposits of the Ishim Plain and the coffinite composition of the Semizbai deposit makes it possible to consider this province to be promising for the discovery of hydromineral uranium deposits.

Corn yield and soil fertility with combined use of raw or composted beef manure and inorganic fertilizers on the texas northern high plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn is the biggest crop in the semiarid Texas Northern High Plains, with 350,000 ha harvested annually. About 7.1 million beef cattle are also raised annually in the region, producing more than 16 Mg of manure. Manure is typically removed directly from the open lot pens and land applied as raw ma...

Plain Language to Communicate Physical Activity Information: A Website Content Analysis.

PubMed

Paige, Samantha R; Black, David R; Mattson, Marifran; Coster, Daniel C; Stellefson, Michael

2018-04-01

Plain language techniques are health literacy universal precautions intended to enhance health care system navigation and health outcomes. Physical activity (PA) is a popular topic on the Internet, yet it is unknown if information is communicated in plain language. This study examined how plain language techniques are included in PA websites, and if the use of plain language techniques varies according to search procedures (keyword, search engine) and website host source (government, commercial, educational/organizational). Three keywords ("physical activity," "fitness," and "exercise") were independently entered into three search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo) to locate a nonprobability sample of websites ( N = 61). Fourteen plain language techniques were coded within each website to examine content formatting, clarity and conciseness, and multimedia use. Approximately half ( M = 6.59; SD = 1.68) of the plain language techniques were included in each website. Keyword physical activity resulted in websites with fewer clear and concise plain language techniques ( p < .05), whereas fitness resulted in websites with more clear and concise techniques ( p < .01). Plain language techniques did not vary by search engine or the website host source. Accessing PA information that is easy to understand and behaviorally oriented may remain a challenge for users. Transdisciplinary collaborations are needed to optimize plain language techniques while communicating online PA information.

Mountain-Plains Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mountain-Plains Education and Economic Development Program, Inc., Glasgow AFB, MT.

The document lists the Mountain-Plains curriculum by job title (where applicable), including support courses. The curriculum areas covered are mathematics skills, communication skills, office education, lodging services, food services, marketing and distribution, welding support, automotive, small engines, career guidance, World of Work, health…

Evapotranspiration of a Mid-Rotation Loblolly Pine Plantation and a Recently Harvested Stands on the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, U.S.A.

Treesearch

W. Cao; Ge Sun; Steve G. McNulty; J. Chen; A. Noormets; R. W. Skaggs; Devendra M. Amatya

2006-01-01

Evapotranspiration (ET) is the primary component of the forest hydrologic cycle, which includes plant transpiration, canopy rainfall interception, and soil evaporation. Quantifying ET processes and potential biophysical regulations is needed for assessing forest water management options. Loblolly pines are widely planted in the coastal plain of the Southeastern US, but...

Ground-water conditions in the Plaine de Moustiques, Haiti

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, George C.; Lemoine, Rémy C.

1949-01-01

The Plaine des Moustiques lies on the north coast of Haiti about 12 kilometers west-southwest of Port-de-Paix. During January 1949 the writers made a brief geologic study to determine the availability of ground water in the plain for irrigation. At present irrigation is practiced by diversions from the Rivière des Moustiques. However, the dry-season flow of this stream is generally inadequate for irrigation or is sufficient to cover only a small part of the Irrigable area of the plain. According to Lieurance1 there is a total of about 1,120 hectares of irrigable land in the plain.

Topographic Rise in the Northern Smooth Plains of Mercury: Characteristics from Messenger Image and Altimetry Data and Candidate Modes of Origin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickson, James L.; Head, James W.; Whitten, Jennifer L.; Fassett, Caleb I.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.; Phillips, Roger J.

2012-01-01

MESSENGER observations from orbit around Mercury have revealed that a large contiguous area of smooth plains occupies much of the high northern latitudes and covers an area in excess of approx.6% of the surface of the planet [1] (Fig. 1). Smooth surface morphology, embayment relationships, color data, candidate flow fronts, and a population of partly to wholly buried craters provide evidence for the volcanic origin of these plains and their emplacement in a flood lava mode to depths at least locally in excess of 1 km. The age of these plains is similar to that of plains associated with and postdating the Caloris impact basin, confirming that volcanism was a globally extensive process in the post-heavy bombardment history of Mercury [1]. No specific effusive vent structures, constructional volcanic edifices, or lava distributary features (leveed flow fronts or sinuous rilles) have been identified in the contiguous plains, although vent structures and evidence of high-effusion-rate flood eruptions are seen in adjacent areas [1]. Subsequent to the identification and mapping of the extensive north polar smooth plains, data from the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) on MESSENGER revealed the presence of a broad topographic rise in the northern smooth plains that is 1,000 km across and rises more than 1.5 km above the surrounding smooth plains [2] (Fig. 2). The purpose of this contribution is to characterize the northern plains rise and to outline a range of hypotheses for its origin.

Correlating GRACE with Standardized Precipitation Indices and Precipitation Gauges for the High Plains Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, K. A.; Clancy, K.

2016-12-01

The NASA and German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) detects monthly changes in the gravity of the earth assumed to be water storage using the distance between two satellites, GRACE A and GRACE B, as a phase change. We will use level 3 GRACE Tellus data from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC). The data have a resolution of 9 km2 and are available for 2002 to 2015. We examine GRACE data for the High Plains aquifer (Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and South Dakota) and compare changes to monthly averaged precipitation gauges, standardized precipitation indices for one, three, six, and twelve-months. We hypothesize that GRACE data will correlate best with 1) three-month standardized precipitation indices; 2) regions with natural land cover; 3) and in years where precipitation is at or above average.

Smooth plains on Mercury. A comparison with Vesta.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zambon, F.; Capaccioni, F.; Carli, C.; De Sanctis, M. C.; Filacchione, G.; Giacomini, L.

Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, has been visited by the MESSENGER spacecraft \\citet{solomon2007}. After 3 years of orbit around Mercury a global coverage of the surface has been done revealing that ∼27% of Mercury's surface is covered by smooth plains \\citet{denevi2013}. Large part of Mercury's smooth plain (SP) seems to have volcanic origin. Different composition has been observed, most of the SP have a magnesian alkali-basalt-like composition, while some of them have been interpreted as ultramafic. A further 2% of smooth plains have been identified as Odin-type plains and represent the knobby and hummocky plains surrounding the Caloris basin \\citet{denevi2013}. Application of classification methods \\citet{adams2006} applied to color image data of the MESSENGER wide angle camera (MDIS-WAC) \\citet{MDIS} and a spectral analysis of the spec- trometer data (MASCS-VIRS) \\citet{MASCS} are useful to highlight the differences in composition of the smooth planes. A compa rison between Mercury's SP and those of other solar system bodies, such as Vesta \\citet{desanctis2012}, reveals useful to obtain information on the origin and the evolution of this bodies.

From technical jargon to plain English for application.

PubMed Central

Lindsley, O R

1991-01-01

These examples of translating technical jargon into plain English application words, acronyms, letter codes, and simple tests were necessary as we developed Precision Teaching. I hope our experience is useful to others facing the problems of applying technology in practical settings. At the least, our experience should give you an idea of the work and time involved in making your own translations. Above all, be patient. Accurate plain English translations do not come easily. They cannot be made at your desk. A search often takes years to produce one new accurate plain English translation. Rapid publication pressures, journal editorial policies, and investments in materials, books, and computer programs all combine to hamper these translations. It's possible that you will find some of our plain English equivalents useful in your own applied behavior analysis applications. PMID:1752836

Study on ecological regulation of coastal plain sluice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Wengong; Geng, Bing; Yu, Huanfei; Yu, Hongbo

2018-02-01

Coastal plains are densely populated and economically developed, therefore their importance is self-evident. However, there are some problems related with water in coastal plains, such as low flood control capacity and severe water pollution. Due to complicated river network hydrodynamic force, changeable flow direction and uncertain flood concentration and propagation mechanism, it is rather difficult to use sluice scheduling to realize flood control and tackle water pollution. On the base of the measured hydrological data during once-in-a-century Fitow typhoon in 2013 in Yuyao city, by typical analysis, theoretical analysis and process simulation, some key technologies were researched systematically including plain river network sluice ecological scheduling, “one tide” flood control and drainage scheduling and ecological running water scheduling. In the end, single factor health diagnostic evaluation, unit hydrograph of plain water level and evening tide scheduling were put forward.

Pluto Majestic Mountains, Frozen Plains and Foggy Hazes

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-17

Just 15 minutes after its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft looked back toward the sun and captured this near-sunset view of the rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains extending to Pluto's horizon. The smooth expanse of the informally named icy plain Sputnik Planum (right) is flanked to the west (left) by rugged mountains up to 11,000 feet (3,500 meters) high, including the informally named Norgay Montes in the foreground and Hillary Montes on the skyline. To the right, east of Sputnik, rougher terrain is cut by apparent glaciers. The backlighting highlights more than a dozen layers of haze in Pluto's tenuous but distended atmosphere. The image was taken from a distance of 11,000 miles (18,000 kilometers) to Pluto; the scene is 780 miles (1,250 kilometers) wide. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19948

High youth access to movies that contain smoking in Europe compared with the USA

PubMed Central

Hanewinkel, Reiner; Sargent, James D; Karlsdóttir, Sólveig; Jónsson, Stefán Hrafn; Mathis, Federica; Faggiano, Fabrizio; Poelen, Evelien A P; Scholte, Ron; Florek, Ewa; Sweeting, Helen; Hunt, Kate; Morgenstern, Matthis

2013-01-01

Background Based on evidence that exposure to smoking in movies is associated with adolescent smoking, the WHO has called on countries to assign a rating that restricts youth access to such movies. Objective To evaluate youth access to movies that portray smoking in European countries and compare with that in the USA. Methods The authors identified the most commercially successful movies screened in six European countries (Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and UK) and the USA between 2004 and 2009. The authors coded the 464 movies that were screened in both Europe and the USA according to whether or not they portrayed smoking. Results 87% of the movies were ‘youth’ rated in Europe (ratings board classification as suitable for those younger than 16 years) compared to only 67% in the USA (suitable for those younger than 17 years). Smoking was portrayed in 319 (69%) movies. 85% of the movies that portrayed smoking were ‘youth’ rated in Europe compared with only 59% in the USA (p<0.001). Conclusions Tobacco imagery is still common in popular films shown in European countries and the USA. None of the seven countries examined followed the WHO recommendations on restricting youth access to movies that portray smoking. Compared to the USA, European youths have access to substantially more movies in general, and this gives them access to more movies that portray smoking in particular. PMID:22184208

Plain packaging of cigarettes: do we have sufficient evidence?

PubMed Central

Smith, Collin N; Kraemer, John D; Johnson, Andrea C; Mays, Darren

2015-01-01

Tobacco industry marketing is a primary factor influencing cigarette smoking behavior and the cigarette pack has become an important marketing vehicle for tobacco companies. Standardized “plain” cigarette packaging is advocated as a public health policy to prevent and reduce morbidity and mortality caused by smoking by reducing youth smoking initiation and promoting cessation among smokers. Plain packaging was implemented in Australia in December 2012, and several other countries are considering doing so, but each faces foreseeable legal resistance from opponents to such measures. Tobacco companies have challenged these public health policies, citing international trade agreements and intellectual property laws. Decision-making in these court cases will hinge in part on whether the evidence indicates the public health benefits of plain packaging outweigh any potential harm to tobacco manufacturers’ interests. We reviewed the available evidence in support of plain packaging, finding evidence from observational, experimental, and population-based studies. Results indicate that plain packaging can reduce positive perceptions of smoking and dissuade tobacco use. Governments deciding to implement plain cigarette packaging measures can rely on this evidence to help make a strong case that plain packaging plays an important role in the context of comprehensive smoking prevention efforts. PMID:25897269

Identification of possible recent water/lava source vents in the Cerberus plains: Stratigraphic andcrater count age constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Rebecca J.

2013-04-01

In order to investigate sources of lava and water to the Cerberus plains of Mars, geomorphological mapping on High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images was carried out to reveal the history of activity of fissures and pits which lie upstream of channels and deposits associated with a wrinkle ridge near Cerberus Fossae. The fissures and pits are superbly exposed and imaged, and flows and channels emanate directly from them, interpreted as clear evidence that these are vents. The mapping establishes stratigraphic relationships between the plains and the channels and deposits originating from the vents, establishing the vent history. For example, to the south of the wrinkle ridge, both incised channels and leveed flows extend onto the southern plain and are clearly the final phase of plains-forming activity. Conversely, to the north, vent-sourced channels only incise the plain close to the ridge—beyond that, they are overlain by large-scale regional flows that appear to have originated from the direction of Athabasca Valles. In the southeast, there is evidence of contemporaneity between vent-sourced activity and large-scale plains-forming flow that was not sourced from the vents, indicating that activity here was part of a broader process of Cerberus plains formation from multiple sources. Crater counts show all the activity to be Late Amazonian, with the latest activity tentatively dating to circa 11 Ma. Thus, this study implies that very recent outflows from these vents contributed to the formation of the Cerberus plains and constrains the timing and local flow direction of plains-forming deposits from other sources.

Tobacco plain packaging: Evidence based policy or public health advocacy?

PubMed

McKeganey, Neil; Russell, Christopher

2015-06-01

In December 2012, Australia became the first country to require all tobacco products be sold solely in standardised or 'plain' packaging, bereft of the manufacturers' trademarked branding and colours, although retaining large graphic and text health warnings. Following the publication of Sir Cyril Chantler's review of the evidence on the effects of plain tobacco packaging, the Ministers of the United Kingdom Parliament voted in March 2015 to implement similar legislation. Support for plain packaging derives from the belief that tobacco products sold in plain packs have reduced appeal and so are more likely to deter young people and non-smokers from starting tobacco use, and more likely to motivate smokers to quit and stay quit. This article considers why support for the plain packaging policy has grown among tobacco control researchers, public health advocates and government ministers, and reviews Australian survey data that speak to the possible introductory effect of plain packaging on smoking prevalence within Australia. The article concludes by emphasising the need for more detailed research to be undertaken before judging the capacity of the plain packaging policy to deliver the multitude of positive effects that have been claimed by its most ardent supporters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distribution of breeding shorebirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, J.A.; Lanctot, Richard B.; Andres, B.A.; Bart, J.R.; Brown, S.C.; Kendall, S.J.; Payer, David C.

2007-01-01

Available information on the distribution of breeding shorebirds across the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska is dated, fragmented, and limited in scope. Herein, we describe the distribution of 19 shorebird species from data gathered at 407 study plots between 1998 and 2004. This information was collected using a single-visit rapid area search technique during territory establishment and early incubation periods, a time when social displays and vocalizations make the birds highly detectable. We describe the presence or absence of each species, as well as overall numbers of species, providing a regional perspective on shorebird distribution. We compare and contrast our shorebird distribution maps to those of prior studies and describe prominent patterns of shorebird distribution. Our examination of how shorebird distribution and numbers of species varied both latitudinally and longitudinally across the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska indicated that most shorebird species occur more frequently in the Beaufort Coastal Plain ecoregion (i.e., closer to the coast) than in the Brooks Foothills ecoregion (i.e., farther inland). Furthermore, the occurrence of several species indicated substantial longitudinal directionality. Species richness at surveyed sites was highest in the western portion of the Beaufort Coastal Plain ecoregion. The broad-scale distribution information we present here is valuable for evaluating potential effects of human development and climate change on Arctic-breeding shorebird populations. ?? The Arctic Institute of North America.

Small volcanic edifices and volcanism in the plains of Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guest, John E.; Bulmer, Mark H.; Aubele, Jayne; Beratan, Kathi; Greeley, Ronald; Head, James W.; Michaels, Gregory; Weitz, Catherine; Wiles, Charles

1992-01-01

The different types of eruption that have occurred over time in the Venusian plains are considered. The most extensive volcanic units consist of flood lavas, the largest of which have volumes of the order of thousands of cubic kilometers. They are inferred to have erupted at high effusion rates, and they exhibit a range of radar backscatter characteristics indicating different surface textures and ages. Small edifices on the plains occur mainly in clusters associated with fracture belts. The majority are shield volcanos that may be up to a few tens of kilometers across but are generally 10 km or less in diameter. Volcanic domes have diameters up to several tens of kilometers and volumes of the order of 100 cu cm. These are interpreted as being constructed of lava erupted with a relatively high effective viscosity and thus possibly composed of more silicic lava. For many domes, the flanks were unstable during and after eruption and experienced gravity sliding that produced steep scalloped outer margins.

Linking groundwater use and stress to specific crops using the groundwater footprint in the Central Valley and High Plains aquifer systems, U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esnault, Laurent; Gleeson, Tom; Wada, Yoshihide; Heinke, Jens; Gerten, Dieter; Flanary, Elizabeth; Bierkens, Marc F. P.; van Beek, Ludovicus P. H.

2014-06-01

A number of aquifers worldwide are being depleted, mainly by agricultural activities, yet groundwater stress has not been explicitly linked to specific agricultural crops. Using the newly developed concept of the groundwater footprint (the area required to sustain groundwater use and groundwater-dependent ecosystem services), we develop a methodology to derive crop-specific groundwater footprints. We illustrate this method by calculating high-resolution groundwater footprint estimates of crops in two heavily used aquifer systems: the Central Valley and High Plains, U.S. In both aquifer systems, hay and haylage, corn, and cotton have the largest groundwater footprints, which highlights that most of the groundwater stress is induced by crops meant for cattle feed. Our results are coherent with other studies in the High Plains but suggest lower groundwater stress in the Central Valley, likely due to artificial recharge from surface water diversions which were not taken into account in previous estimates. Uncertainties of recharge and irrigation application efficiency contribute the most to the total relative uncertainty of the groundwater footprint to aquifer area ratios. Our results and methodology will be useful for hydrologists, water resource managers, and policy makers concerned with which crops are causing the well-documented groundwater stress in semiarid to arid agricultural regions around the world.

Linking Groundwater Use and Stress to Specific Crops Using the Groundwater Footprint in the Central Valley and High Plains Aquifer Systems, U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, Y.; Esnault, L.; Gleeson, T.; Heinke, J.; Gerten, D.; Flanary, E.; Bierkens, M. F.; Van Beek, L. P.

2014-12-01

A number of aquifers worldwide are being depleted, mainly by agricultural activities, yet groundwater stress has not been explicitly linked to specific agricultural crops. Using the newly-developed concept of the groundwater footprint (the area required to sustain groundwater use and groundwater-dependent ecosystem services), we develop a methodology to derive crop-specific groundwater footprints. We illustrate this method by calculating high resolution groundwater footprint estimates of crops in two heavily used aquifer systems: the Central Valley and High Plains, U.S. In both aquifer systems, hay and haylage, corn and cotton have the largest groundwater footprints, which highlights that most of the groundwater stress is induced by crops meant for cattle feed. Our results are coherent with other studies in the High Plains but suggest lower groundwater stress in the Central Valley, likely due to artificial recharge from surface water diversions which were not taken into account in previous estimates. Uncertainties of recharge and irrigation application efficiency contribute the most to the total relative uncertainty of the groundwater footprint to aquifer area ratios. Our results and methodology will be useful for hydrologists, water resource managers, and policy makers concerned with which crops are causing the well-documented groundwater stress in semiarid to arid agricultural regions around the world.

The evolution of the New Jersey Pine Plains.

PubMed

Ledig, F Thomas; Hom, John L; Smouse, Peter E

2013-04-01

Fire in the New Jersey Pine Plains has selectively maintained a dwarf growth form of pitch pine (Pinus rigida), which is distinct from the surrounding tall forest of the Pine Barrens and has several other inherited adaptations that enable it to survive in an environment dominated by fire. Pitch pine progeny from two Pine Plains sites, the West and East Pine Plains, were grown in common garden environments with progeny from two Pine Barrens stands, Batsto and Great Egg Harbor River. The tests were replicated in five locations: in New Jersey, Connecticut, two sites in Massachusetts, and Korea. One of the tests was monitored for up to 36 yr. Progeny of Pine Plains origin were, in general, shorter, more crooked, precocious, bore more cones, had a higher frequency of serotinous cones, and had a higher frequency of stem cones than did Pine Barrens progeny, wherever they were grown. The Pine Plains is an ecotype that has evolved in response to disturbance. The several characters that distinguish it from the surrounding tall forest of the Pine Barrens are inherited. The dwarf stature and crooked form not only enable the ecotype to persist in an environment of frequent fires but also increase its flammability.

Possible Link Between Irrigation in the U.S. High Plains and Increased Summer Streamflow in the Midwest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kustu, M. Deniz; Fan, Ying; Rodell, Matthew

2011-01-01

We have previously presented evidence that higher rates of evapotranspiration (ET) associated with irrigation in the U.S. High Plains has likely caused an increased downwind precipitation (P). July P over the Midwest increased by 20%-30% from the pre-irrigation period (1900-1950) to the post-irrigation (1950-2000) period. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the increased July P has had hydrologic consequences, possibly increasing groundwater storage and streamflow. Seasonal analyses of hydrologic variables over Illinois suggest that the water table and streamflow response lags P - ET by 1-2 months, indicating August and September as the months when the increased July P may be detected. We analyzed long-term observations of water table depth at 10 wells in Illinois and streamflow at 46 gauges in Illinois-Ohio basins. The Mann-Kendal test for trends suggests field significant increases in groundwater storage and streamflow in August-September over the period of irrigation expansion. Examination of soil moisture response to present-day above-normal July P suggests that the increased July P can reach the water table in normal to wet years. Mann-Kendall tests suggest that there has been no change in pan evaporation and atmospheric vapor pressure deficit. This implies that soil water availability is the driver of changes in ET, and the increased P may have possibly increased ET. Other studies in the literature give further evidence of increased ET due to increased P. By ruling out a reduction in ET, we suggest that the observed increase in groundwater storage and streamflow in the Midwest is linked to the increased July precipitation attributed to High Plains irrigation. We note that the increases in late summer streamflow are rather small when placed in the context of seasonal dynamics, but they are conceptually important in that they point to a different cause of change.

Sensitivity analysis of the DRAINWAT model applied to an agricultural watershed in the lower coastal plain, North Carolina, USA

Treesearch

Hyunwoo Kim; Devendra M. Amatya; Stephen W. Broome; Dean L. Hesterberg; Minha Choi

2011-01-01

The DRAINWAT, DRAINmod for WATershed model, was selected for hydrological modelling to obtain water table depths and drainage outflows at Open Grounds Farm in Carteret County, North Carolina, USA. Six simulated storm events from the study period were compared with the measured data and analysed. Simulation results from the whole study period and selected rainfall...

Stratigraphy of the Martian northern plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanaka, K. L.

1993-01-01

The northern plains of Mars are roughly defined as the large continuous region of lowlands that lies below Martian datum, plus higher areas within the region that were built up by volcanism, sedimentation, tectonism, and impacts. These northern lowlands span about 50 x 10(exp 6) km(sup 2) or 35 percent of the planet's surface. The age and origin of the lowlands continue to be debated by proponents of impact and tectonic explanations. Geologic mapping and topical studies indicate that volcanic, fluvial, and eolian deposition have played major roles in the infilling of this vast depression. Periglacial, glacial, fluvial, eolian, tectonic, and impact processes have locally modified the surface. Because of the northern plains' complex history of sedimentation and modification, much of their stratigraphy was obscured. Thus the stratigraphy developed is necessarily vague and provisional: it is based on various clues from within the lowlands as well as from highland areas within and bordering the plains. The results are summarized.

Use of chemical and isotopic tracers to assess nitrate contamination and ground-water age, Woodville Karst Plain, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, B.G.; Chelette, A.R.; Pratt, T.R.

2004-01-01

Concerns regarding ground-water contamination in the Woodville Karst Plain have arisen due to a steady increase in nitrate-N concentrations (0.25-0.90 mg/l) during the past 30 years in Wakulla Springs, a large regional discharge point for water (9.6 m3/s) from the Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA). Multiple isotopic and chemical tracers were used with geochemical and lumped-parameter models (exponential mixing (EM), dispersion, and combined exponential piston flow) to assess: (1) the sources and extent of nitrate contamination of ground water and springs, and (2) mean transit times (ages) of ground water. Delta 15N-NO3 values (1.7-13.8???) indicated that nitrate in ground water originated from localized sources of inorganic fertilizer and human/animal wastes. Nitrate in spring waters (??15N-NO3=5.3-8.9???) originated from both inorganic and organic N sources. Nitrate-N concentrations (1.0 mg/l) were associated with shallow wells (open intervals less than 15 m below land surface), elevated nitrate concentrations in deeper wells are consistent with mixtures of water from shallow and deep zones in the UFA as indicated from geochemical mixing models and the distribution of mean transit times (5-90 years) estimated using lumped-parameter flow models. Ground water with mean transit times of 10 years or less tended to have higher dissolved organic carbon concentrations, lower dissolved solids, and lower calcite saturation indices than older waters, indicating mixing with nearby surface water that directly recharges the aquifer through sinkholes. Significantly higher values of pH, magnesium, dolomite saturation index, and phosphate in springs and deep water (>45 m) relative to a shallow zone (<45 m) were associated with longer ground-water transit times (50-90 years). Chemical differences with depth in the aquifer result from deep regional flow of water recharged through low permeability sediments (clays and clayey sands of the Hawthorn Formation) that overlie the UFA

Cold-climate slope deposits and landscape modifications of the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain, Eastern USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newell, Wayne L.; Dejong, B.D.

2011-01-01

The effects of Pleistocene cold-climate geomorphology are distributed across the weathered and eroded Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain uplands from the Wisconsinan terminal moraine south to Tidewater Virginia. Cold-climate deposits and landscape modifications are superimposed on antecedent landscapes of old, weathered Neogene upland gravels and Pleistocene marine terraces that had been built during warm periods and sea-level highstands. In New Jersey, sequences of surficial deposits define a long history of repeating climate change events. To the south across the Delmarva Peninsula and southern Maryland, most antecedent topography has been obscured by Late Pleistocene surficial deposits. These are spatially variable and are collectively described as a cold-climate alloformation. The cold-climate alloformation includes time-transgressive details of climate deterioration from at least marine isotope stage (MIS) 4 through the end of MIS 2. Some deposits and landforms within the alloformation may be as young as the Younger Dryas. Southwards along the trend of the Potomac River, these deposits and their climatic affinities become diffused. In Virginia, a continuum of erosion and surficial deposits appears to be the product of ‘normal’ temperate, climate-forced processes. The cold-climate alloformation and more temperate deposits in Virginia are being partly covered by Holocene alluvium and bay mud.

Ground-water geology of the Gonaives Plain, Haiti

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, George C.; Lemoine, Rémy C.

1950-01-01

The Gonaives Plain lies in northern Haiti at the head of the Gulf of Gonaives. Ground water in the plain is used widely for domestic and stock purposes but only to limited extent for irrigation. The future agricultural development of the plain will depend in large measure on the proper utilization of available ground-water supplies for irrigation. The rocks in the region of the Gonaives Plain belong to the upper (?) Cretaceous series of the Cretaceous system, the Nocene and Oligovene series of the Tertiary system, and the Pleistocene and Recent series of the Quarternary system. The structural depression occupied by the Gonaives Plain was formed in post-Miocene time by the dislocation of Oligocene and older rocks along normal faults and by the tilting of the adjacent crustal blocks. The lower parts of the depression contain a Pleistocene and Recent alluvial fill deposited by streams tributary to the plain. The upper (?) Cretaceous rocks include aniesite and basalt lava flows locally intercalated with some beds of tuff and agglomerate. These rocks are generally dense and impervious but locally small springs rise from fractures and bedding planes or from weathered zones. The Nocene rocks are hard, thin-bedded, cherty limestones with some beds of massive chalky limestone. Considerable ground water circulates through joints, bedding planes, and solution passages in these rocks giving rise to important springs such as Sources Madame Charles. These springs discharge at the rate of about 110 liters per second. The Oligocene rocks include limestone, shely limestone, limy sandstone, marl, and shale. The limestone beds contain solution passages and other openings and these may afford capacity for the circulation of ground water. However, no wells or springs in Oligocene rocks were observed during the present study. The alluvial fill of the plain is composed of interbedded lenses of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. These deposits contain a zone of saturation whose upper limit is

Ocean-Bottom Topography: The Divide between the Sohm and Hatteras Abyssal Plains.

PubMed

Pratt, R M

1965-06-18

A compilation of precision echo soundings has delineated the complex topography between the Sohm and Hatteras abyssal plains off the Atlantic coast of the United States. At present the divide between the two plains is a broad, flat area about 4950 meters deep; however, the configuration of channels and depressions suggests spillage of turbidity currents from the Sohm Plain into the Hatteras Plain and a shifting of the divide toward the northeast. Hudson Canyon terminates in the divide area and has probably fed sediment into both plains.

Desert plains classification based on Geomorphometrical parameters (Case study: Aghda, Yazd)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tazeh, mahdi; Kalantari, Saeideh

2013-04-01

This research focuses on plains. There are several tremendous methods and classification which presented for plain classification. One of The natural resource based classification which is mostly using in Iran, classified plains into three types, Erosional Pediment, Denudation Pediment Aggradational Piedmont. The qualitative and quantitative factors to differentiate them from each other are also used appropriately. In this study effective Geomorphometrical parameters in differentiate landforms were applied for plain. Geomorphometrical parameters are calculable and can be extracted using mathematical equations and the corresponding relations on digital elevation model. Geomorphometrical parameters used in this study included Percent of Slope, Plan Curvature, Profile Curvature, Minimum Curvature, the Maximum Curvature, Cross sectional Curvature, Longitudinal Curvature and Gaussian Curvature. The results indicated that the most important affecting Geomorphometrical parameters for plain and desert classifications includes: Percent of Slope, Minimum Curvature, Profile Curvature, and Longitudinal Curvature. Key Words: Plain, Geomorphometry, Classification, Biophysical, Yazd Khezarabad.

The value of plain abdominal radiographs in management of abdominal emergencies in Luth.

PubMed

Ashindoitiang, J A; Atoyebi, A O; Arogundade, R A

2008-01-01

The plain abdominal x-ray is still the first imaging modality in diagnosis of acute abdomen. The aim of this study was to find the value of plain abdominal x-ray in the management of abdominal emergencies seen in Lagos university teaching hospital. The accurate diagnosis of the cause of acute abdominal pain is one of the most challenging undertakings in emergency medicine. This is due to overlapping of clinical presentation and non-specific findings of physical and even laboratory data of the multifarious causes. Plain abdominal radiography is one investigation that can be obtained readily and within a short period of time to help the physician arrive at a correct diagnosis The relevance of plain abdominal radiography was therefore evaluated in the management of abdominal emergencies seen in Lagos over a 12 month period (April 2002 to March 2003). A prospective study of 100 consecutively presenting patients with acute abdominal conditions treated by the general surgical unit of Lagos University Teaching Hospital was undertaken. All patients had supine and erect abdominal x-ray before any therapeutic intervention was undertaken. The diagnostic features of the plain films were compared with final diagnosis to determine the usefulness of the plain x-ray There were 54 males and 46 females (M:F 1.2:1). Twenty-four percent of the patients had intestinal obstruction, 20% perforated typhoid enteritis; gunshot injuries and generalized peritonitis each occurred in 13%, blunt abdominal trauma in 12%, while 8% and 10% had acute appendicitis and perforated peptic ulcer disease respectively. Of 100 patients studied, 54% had plain abdominal radiographs that showed positive diagnostic features. Plain abdominal radiograph showed high sensitivity in patients with intestinal obstruction 100% and perforated peptic ulcer 90% but was less sensitive in patients with perforated typhoid, acute appendicitis, and blunt abdominal trauma and generalized peritonitis. In conclusion, this study

Rainfall effects on inflow and infiltration in wastewater treatment systems in a coastal plain region.

PubMed

Cahoon, Lawrence B; Hanke, Marc H

2017-04-01

Aging wastewater collection and treatment systems have not received as much attention as other forms of infrastructure, even though they are vital to public health, economic growth, and environmental quality. Inflow and infiltration (I&I) are among potentially widespread problems facing central sewage collection and treatment systems, posing risks of sanitary system overflows (SSOs), system degradation, and water quality impairment, but remain poorly quantified. Whole-system analyses of I&I were conducted by regression analyses of system flow responses to rainfall and temperature for 93 wastewater treatment plants in 23 counties in eastern North Carolina, USA, a coastal plain region with high water tables and generally higher rainfalls than the continental interior. Statistically significant flow responses to rainfall were found in 92% of these systems, with 2-year average I&I values exceeding 10% of rainless system flow in over 40% of them. The effects of rainfall, which can be intense in this coastal region, have region-wide implications for sewer system performance and environmental management. The positive association between rainfall and excessive I&I parallels the effects of storm water runoff on water quality, in that excessive I&I can also drive SSOs, thus confounding water quality protection efforts.

Stratigraphic and hydrogeologic framework of the Alabama Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, M.E.

1988-01-01

Tertiary and Cretaceous sand aquifers of the Southeastern United States Coastal Plain comprise a major multlstate aquifer system informally defined as the Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system, which is being studied as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Regional Aquifer System Analysis (RASA) program. The major objectives of each RASA study are to identify, delineate, and map the distribution of permeable clastlc rock, to examine the pattern of ground-water flow within the regional aquifers, and to develop digital computer simulations to understand the flow system. The Coastal Plain aquifers in Alabama are being studied as a part of this system. This report describes the stratlgraphlc framework of the Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Quaternary Systems in Alabama to aid in delineating aquifers and confining units within the thick sequence of sediments that comprises the Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system in the State. Stratigraphlc units of Cretaceous and Tertiary age that make up most of the aquifer system in the Coastal Plain of Alabama consist of clastlc deposits of Early Cretaceous age; the Coker and Gordo Formations of the Tuscaloosa Group, Eutaw Formation, and Selma Group of Late Cretaceous age; and the Midway, Wilcox, and Clalborne Groups of Tertiary age. However, stratigraphlc units of late Eocene to Holocene age partially overlie and are hydraulically connected to clastic deposits in southern Alabama. These upper carbonate and clastlc stratlgraphic units also are part of the adjoining Florldan and Gulf Coastal Lowlands aquifer systems. The Coastal Plain aquifer system is underlain by pre-Cretaceous rocks consisting of low-permeabillty sedimentary rocks of Paleozolc, Triassic, and Jurassic age, and a complex of metamorphic and igneous rocks of Precambrian and Paleozolc age similar to those found near the surface in the Piedmont physiographic province. Twelve hydrogeologlc units in the Alabama Coastal Plain are defined--slx aquifers and six confining

49 CFR 215.107 - Defective plain bearing box: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... service a car, if the car has— (a) A plain bearing box that does not contain visible free oil; (b) A plain...

49 CFR 215.107 - Defective plain bearing box: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... service a car, if the car has— (a) A plain bearing box that does not contain visible free oil; (b) A plain...

49 CFR 215.107 - Defective plain bearing box: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... service a car, if the car has— (a) A plain bearing box that does not contain visible free oil; (b) A plain...

49 CFR 215.107 - Defective plain bearing box: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... service a car, if the car has— (a) A plain bearing box that does not contain visible free oil; (b) A plain...

49 CFR 215.107 - Defective plain bearing box: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... service a car, if the car has— (a) A plain bearing box that does not contain visible free oil; (b) A plain...

Contrasting soils and landscapes of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markewich, H.W.; Pavich, M.J.; Buell, G.R.

1990-01-01

sequences that can be correlated along valleys for tens of kilometers. Coastal Plain soils are typically as thick as 2 to 8 m, have high sand content throughout, and have sandy epipedons. These epipedons consist of both A and E horizons and are 1 to 4 m thick. In Coastal Plain soils, the boundaries are transitional between the solum and the underlying parent material and between weathered and unweathered parent material. Infiltration rates for Coastal Plain soils are typically higher at 13-28 cm/h, than are those for Piedmont soils. Indeed, for unconsolidated quartz sand, rates may exceed 50 cm/h. Water moves directly from the soil into the parent material through intergranularpores with only minor channelization along macropores, joints, and fractures. The comparatively high infiltration capacity results in relatively low surface runoff, and correspondingly less erosion than on the Piedmont uplands. Due to differences in Piedmont and Coastal Plain erosion rates, topographic inversion is common along the Fall Zone; surfaces on Cenozoic sedimentary deposits of the Coastal Plain are higher than erosional surfaces on regolith weathered from late Precambrian to early Paleozoic crystalline rocks of the Piedmont. Isotopic, paleontologic, and soil data indicate that Coastal Plain surficial deposits are post-middle Miocene to Holocene in age, but most are from 5 to 2 Ma. Thus, the relatively uneroded surfaces comprise a Pliocene landscape. In the eastern third of the Coastal Plain, deposits that are less than 3.5 Ma include alluvial terraces, marine terraces and barrier/back-barrier complexes as morphostratigraphic units that cover thousands of square kilometers. Isotopic and soil data indicate that eastern Piedmont soils range from late Pliocene to Pleistocene in age, but are predominantly less than 2 Ma old. Thus, the eroded uplands of the Piedmont "peneplain" comprise a Pleistocene landscape. ?? 1990.

SELECTING LEAST-DISTURBED SURVEY SITES FOR GREAT PLAINS STREAMS AND RIVERS

EPA Science Inventory

True reference condition probably does not exist for streams in highly utilized regions such as the Great Plains. Selecting least-disturbed sites for large regions is confounded by the association between human uses and natural gradients, and by multiple kinds of disturbance. U...

Ground-water hydrology and water quality of the southern high plains aquifer, Melrose Air Force Range, Cannon Air Force Base, Curry and Roosevelt Counties, New Mexico, 2002-03

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langman, Jeff B.; Gebhardt, Fredrick E.; Falk, Sarah E.

2004-01-01

In cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Geological Survey characterized the ground-water hydrology and water quality at Melrose Air Force Range in east-central New Mexico. The purpose of the study was to provide baseline data to Cannon Air Force Base resource managers to make informed decisions concerning actions that may affect the ground-water system. Five periods of water-level measurements and four periods of water-quality sample collection were completed at Melrose Air Force Range during 2002 and 2003. The water-level measurements and water-quality samples were collected from a 29-well monitoring network that included wells in the Impact Area and leased lands of Melrose Air Force Range managed by Cannon Air Force Base personnel. The purpose of this report is to provide a broad overview of ground-water flow and ground-water quality in the Southern High Plains aquifer in the Ogallala Formation at Melrose Air Force Range. Results of the ground-water characterization of the Southern High Plains aquifer indicated a local flow system in the unconfined aquifer flowing northeastward from a topographic high, the Mesa (located in the southwestern part of the Range), toward a regional flow system in the unconfined aquifer that flows southeastward through the Portales Valley. Ground water was less than 55 years old across the Range; ground water was younger (less than 25 years) near the Mesa and ephemeral channels and older (25 years to 55 years) in the Portales Valley. Results of water-quality analysis indicated three areas of different water types: near the Mesa and ephemeral channels, in the Impact Area of the Range, and in the Portales Valley. Within the Southern High Plains aquifer, a sodium/chloride-dominated ground water was found in the center of the Impact Area of the Range with water-quality characteristics similar to ground water from the underlying Chinle Formation. This sodium/chloride-dominated ground water of the unconfined aquifer in the Impact

Second chance for the plains bison

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freese, Curtis H.; Aune, K.; Boyd, D.; Derr, James N.; Forrest, Steven C.; Gates, C. Cormack; Gogan, Peter J.; Grassel, Shaun M.; Halbert, Natalie D.; Kunkel, Kyran; Redford, Kent

2007-01-01

Before European settlement the plains bison (Bison bison bison) numbered in the tens of millions across most of the temperate region of North America. Within the span of a few decades during the mid- to late-1800s its numbers were reduced by hunting and other factors to a few hundred. The plight of the plains bison led to one of the first major movements in North America to save an endangered species. A few individuals and the American Bison Society rescued the remaining animals. Attempts to hybridize cattle and bison when bison numbers were low resulted in extensive cattle gene introgression in bison. Today, though approximately 500,000 plains bison exist in North America, few are free of cattle gene introgression, 96% are subject to anthropogenic selection for commodity production, and only 4% are in herds managed primarily for conservation purposes. Small herd size, artificial selection, cattle-gene introgression, and other factors threaten the diversity and integrity of the bison genome. In addition, the bison is for all practical purposes ecologically extinct across its former range, with multiple consequences for grassland biodiversity. Urgent measures are needed to conserve the wild bison genome and to restore the ecological role of bison in grassland ecosystems. Socioeconomic trends in the Great Plains, combined with new information about bison conservation needs and new conservation initiatives by both the public and public sectors, have set the stage for significant progress in bison conservation over the next few years.

Sediment biomarker, bacterial community characterization of high arsenic aquifers in Jianghan Plain, China

PubMed Central

Ye, Hengpeng; Yang, Zeyu; Wu, Xiang; Wang, Jingwen; Du, Dongyun; Cai, Jian; Lv, Kangle; Chen, Huiyun; Mei, Jingkun; Chen, Mengqi; Du, Hong

2017-01-01

Representative biomarkers (e.g., n-alkanes), diversity and microbial community in the aquifers contaminated by high concentration of arsenic (As) in different sediment depth (0–30 m) in Jianghan Plain, Hubei, China, were analyzed to investigate the potential mechanism of As enrichment in groundwater. The concentration of As was abundant in top soil and sand, but not in clay. The analysis of the distribution of n-alkanes, CPI values, and wax to total n-alkane ratio (Wax(n)%) indicated that the organic matter (OM) from fresh terrestrial plants were abundant in the shallow sediment. However, n-alkanes have suffered from significant biodegradation from the depth of 16 m to 30 m. The deposition of fresh terrestrial derived organic matters may facilitate the release of As from sediment to groundwater in the sediment of 0–16 m. However, the petroleum derived organic matters may do the favor to the release of As in the deeper section of borehole (16 m to 30 m). The 16S rRNA gene sequences identification indicated that Acidobacteria, Actinomycetes and Hydrogenophaga are abundant in the sediments with high arsenic. Therefore, microbes and organic matters from different sources may play important roles in arsenic mobilization in the aquifers of the study area. PMID:28165031

Aquifer recharge from infiltration basins in a highly urbanized area: the river Po Plain (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masetti, M.; Nghiem, S. V.; Sorichetta, A.; Stevenazzi, S.; Santi, E. S.; Pettinato, S.; Bonfanti, M.; Pedretti, D.

2015-12-01

Due to the extensive urbanization in the Po Plain in northern Italy, rivers need to be managed to alleviate flooding problems while maintaining an appropriate aquifer recharge under an increasing percentage of impermeable surfaces. During the PO PLain Experiment field campaign in July 2015 (POPLEX 2015), both active and under-construction infiltration basins have been surveyed and analyzed to identify appropriate satellite observations that can be integrated to ground based monitoring techniques. A key strategy is to have continuous data time series on water presence and level within the basin, for which ground based monitoring can be costly and difficult to be obtained consistently.One of the major and old infiltration basin in the central Po Plain has been considered as pilot area. The basin is active from 2003 with ground based monitoring available since 2009 and supporting the development of a calibrated unsaturated-saturated two-dimensional numerical model simulating the infiltration dynamics through the basin.A procedure to use satellite data to detect surface water change is under development based on satellite radar backscatter data with an appropriate incidence angle and polarization combination. An advantage of satellite radar is that it can observe surface water regardless of cloud cover, which can be persistent during rainy seasons. Then, the surface water change is correlated to the reservoir water stage to determine water storage in the basin together with integrated ground data and to give quantitative estimates of variations in the local water cycle.We evaluated the evolution of the infiltration rate, to obtain useful insights about the general recharge behavior of basins that can be used for informed design and maintenance. Results clearly show when the basin becomes progressively clogged by biofilms that can reduce the infiltration capacity of the basin by as much as 50 times compared to when it properly works under clean conditions.

Scars of the Farallon Plate in the High Plains Revealed by 3D Wavefield Imaging with the Earthscope Transportable Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlis, G. L.; Yang, X.

2012-12-01

We used P to S conversion data from the Earthscope Automated Receiver function Survey (EARS) to image the upper mantle from the west coast to the Mississippi River. We used 178,300 radial and transverse receiver function estimates that survived automated editing procedures defined by EARS. Processing delays by EARS limited the data to the period through April 5, 2012. We processed these data with a three-component, fully three-dimensional, prestack, wavefield imaging procedure that we have referred to previously as plane-wave migration. Previous results with earlier generations of the EARS data and the same technique revealed the presence of a continuous, east-dipping horizon throughout the entire Cordillera between a depth of approximately 200-450 km with hints of penetration of this horizon through the 410 km discontinuity. This surface was interpreted as a marker on the top of the actively subducting Juan de Fuca/Farallon slab through cross-validation with all published body wave tomography models derived from USArray data. The new results reveal a surprisingly similar feature under the high plains. We observe a high-amplitude, east-dipping horizon that begins near the Rocky Mountain front and intersects the 410 km discontinuity at approximately the longitude of the Kansas-Missouri border. The lateral extent of this feature, however, is more limited. It disappears to the north around the Kansas-Nebraska border and to the south within central Texas. This region corresponds closely with the "big break" defined in tomography models of Sigloch (2011. She interpreted this feature as a residual signature of a westward jump of the Farallon slab at the close of the Laramide orogeny that is commonly viewed as a period of flat-slab subduction. We suggest the feature we image is equivalent to the east-dipping feature presently seen under the Cordillera. The feature imaged in the Cordillera can be directly linked to active processes. If a comparable process maintains what

Groundwater Pollution Sources Apportionment in the Ghaen Plain, Iran

PubMed Central

Berndtsson, Ronny; Adamowski, Jan; Sadatipour, Elaheh

2018-01-01

Although Iran’s Ghaen Plain provides saffron to much of the world, no regional groundwater quality (GQ) assessment has yet been undertaken. Given the region’s potential for saltwater intrusion and heavy metal contamination, it is important to assess the GQ and determine its main probable source of pollution (MPSP). Such knowledge would allow for informed mitigation or elimination of the potential adverse health effects of this groundwater through its use as drinking water, or indirectly as a result of the consumption of groundwater-irrigated crops. Total dissolved solids, sodium, and chloride in the water of the majority of 16 wells sampled within the region exceeded World Health Organization and Iranian permissible standards for drinking water. The groundwater proved to only be suitable for irrigating salt tolerant crops under good drainage conditions. Due to the precipitation of calcium carbonate in the water supply facilities, the water from all wells was deemed unsuitable for industrial purposes. Heavy metal pollution and contamination indices showed no groundwater contamination. Analysis of ionic ratios and the application of principal components analysis indicated the MPSP to be saltwater intrusion, with the geology subtending the plain, and to a lesser extent, anthropogenic activities. Reducing groundwater withdrawals, particularly those for agricultural production by using high performance irrigation methods could reduce saltwater intrusion and improve GQ in the Ghaen Plain. PMID:29361791

Groundwater Pollution Sources Apportionment in the Ghaen Plain, Iran.

PubMed

Vesali Naseh, Mohammad Reza; Noori, Roohollah; Berndtsson, Ronny; Adamowski, Jan; Sadatipour, Elaheh

2018-01-22

Although Iran's Ghaen Plain provides saffron to much of the world, no regional groundwater quality (GQ) assessment has yet been undertaken. Given the region's potential for saltwater intrusion and heavy metal contamination, it is important to assess the GQ and determine its main probable source of pollution (MPSP). Such knowledge would allow for informed mitigation or elimination of the potential adverse health effects of this groundwater through its use as drinking water, or indirectly as a result of the consumption of groundwater-irrigated crops. Total dissolved solids, sodium, and chloride in the water of the majority of 16 wells sampled within the region exceeded World Health Organization and Iranian permissible standards for drinking water. The groundwater proved to only be suitable for irrigating salt tolerant crops under good drainage conditions. Due to the precipitation of calcium carbonate in the water supply facilities, the water from all wells was deemed unsuitable for industrial purposes. Heavy metal pollution and contamination indices showed no groundwater contamination. Analysis of ionic ratios and the application of principal components analysis indicated the MPSP to be saltwater intrusion, with the geology subtending the plain, and to a lesser extent, anthropogenic activities. Reducing groundwater withdrawals, particularly those for agricultural production by using high performance irrigation methods could reduce saltwater intrusion and improve GQ in the Ghaen Plain.

Sources and fate of high levels of ammonium in surface water and shallow groundwater of the Jianghan Plain, Central China.

PubMed

Du, Yao; Ma, Teng; Deng, Yamin; Shen, Shuai; Lu, Zongjie

2017-02-22

High levels of ammonium from anthropogenic sources threaten the quality of surface waters and groundwaters in some areas worldwide, but elevated ammonium levels of natural sources also have been identified. High levels of ammonium have been detected in both surface water and shallow groundwater of the Jianghan Plain, an alluvial plain of the Yangtze River. This study used N isotopes coupled with ancillary chemistry to identify ammonium in this region. Ammonium in the Tongshun River (up to 10.25 mg L -1 ) showed a sharp accumulation in the upstream and gradual attenuation in the downstream. The δ 15 N values of ammonium in the TSR were high and ranged narrowly from +12.5 to +15.4‰, suggesting an anthropogenic source that was septic effluent from industrial waste discharge. Sorption and nitrification were likely to respectively serve as the principal processes contributing to ammonium attenuation in different reaches of the downstream TSR. In shallow groundwater, high levels of ammonium (up to 14.10 mg L -1 ) occurred in a reducing environment. The narrow δ 15 N variation with low values (+2.3 to +4.5‰) in the lower aquifer suggested a natural source that was organic N mineralization. The δ 15 N values in the shallow aquitard exhibited a wide range from -1.8 to +9.4‰, owing to various sources. Two types of water in the shallow aquitard could be identified: (1) type-1 water with relatively longer residence time was similar to those in the aquifer where ammonium was mainly sourced from organic N mineralization; (2) type-2 water with shorter residence time was jointly affected by surface input, chemical attenuation and mineralization of organic N. The aquitard prevents prompt ammonium exchange between the surface and aquifer, and the shallower part of the aquitard provides a sufficient reaction time and an active reaction rate for ammonium removal.

Ground-water quality in the Central High Plains Aquifer, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becker, Mark F.; Bruce, Breton W.; Pope, Larry M.; Andrews, William J.

2002-01-01

A network of 74 randomly distributed domestic water-supply wells completed in the central High Plains aquifer was sampled and analyzed from April to August 1999 as part of the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study conducted by the U. S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program to provide a broad-scale assessment of the ground-water-quality in this part of the High Plains aquifer. Water properties were relatively consistent across the aquifer, with water being alkaline and well oxidized. Water was mostly of the calcium and magnesium-bicarbonate type and very hard. Sulfate concentrations in water from three wells and chloride concentration in water from one well exceeded Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels. Fluoride concentration was equal to the Maximum Contaminant Level in one sample. Nitrate concentrations was relatively small in most samples, with the median concentration of 2.3 milligrams per liter. Dissolved organic carbon concentration was relatively low, with a median concentration of 0.5 milligram per liter. The Maximum Contaminant Level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for nitrate as nitrogen of 10 milligrams per liter was exceeded by water samples from three wells. Most samples contained detectable concentrations of the trace elements aluminum, arsenic, barium, chromium, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, and uranium. Only a few samples had trace element concentrations exceeding Maximum Contaminant Levels. Fifty-five of the samples had radon concentrations exceeding the proposed Maximum Contaminant Level of 300 picocuries per liter. The greatest radon concentrations were detected where the Ogallala Formation overlies sandstones, shales and limestones of Triassic, Jurassic, or Cretaceous age. Volatile organic compounds were detected in 9 of 74 samples. Toluene was detected in eight of those nine samples. All volatile organic compound concentrations were substantially less than Maximum Contaminant Levels. Detections of toluene

Nitrate leaching, water-use efficiency and yield of corn with different irrigation and nitrogen management systems in coastal plains, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Irrigation management for corn (Zea mays L.) production on the typical low water holding capacity soil of the southeastern USA needs to be improved to increase irrigation efficiency and reduce losses of nitrate from fields. A three-year (2012-2014) field study was conducted to compare the effects of...

Plain ABDO X-rays: a waste of time?

PubMed

2002-03-01

Plain abdominal radiographs are commonly requested for acute medical emergencies on patients with non-specific abdominal symptoms and signs. In this study, 131 plain abdominal radiographs performed on the day of admission were prospectively analysed by the research team. In only 16 cases (12 per cent) the reasons for requests conformed to the recommended guidelines by the Royal College of Radiologists. The reason for the request was stated in the case notes in only three cases. In 62 cases (47 per cent), there was no comment made on the film by the requesting clinician. There was a discrepancy in the interpretation of the radiograph between the clinician and the radiologist in 31 cases (24 per cent). The clinical management was influenced by plain abdominal radiographs in only nine cases (7 per cent). The researchers argue that most plain abdominal radiographs requested on acute medical emergencies are inappropriate. They suggest there is a need to ensure guidelines are followed to prevent unnecessary exposure of patients to radiation as well as preventing expenditure on irrelevant investigations.

The Sixth U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greitzer, Samuel L.

1978-01-01

One hundred and seven students of 365,000 students given the annual High School Mathematics Examination took part in the sixth U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiad. The top eight scores are listed along with comparative Exam and Olympiad scores for the group and individual problem scores. The problems proposed on the U.S.A. Olympiad on an International…

Taking the measure of a landscape: Comparing a simulated and natural landscape in the Virginia Coastal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Alan D.; Tierney, Heather E.

2012-01-01

A landform evolution model is used to investigate the historical evolution of a fluvial landscape along the Potomac River in Virginia, USA. The landscape has developed on three terraces whose ages span 3.5 Ma. The simulation model specifies the temporal evolution of base level control by the river as having a high-frequency component of the response of the Potomac River to sea level fluctuations superimposed on a long-term epeirogenic uplift. The wave-cut benches are assumed to form instantaneously during sea level highstands. The region is underlain by relatively soft coastal plain sediments with high intrinsic erodibility. The survival of portions of these terrace surfaces, up to 3.5 Ma, is attributable to a protective cover of vegetation. The vegetation influence is parameterized as a critical shear stress to fluvial erosion whose magnitude decreases with increasing contributing area. The simulation model replicates the general pattern of dissection of the natural landscape, with decreasing degrees of dissection of the younger terrace surfaces. Channel incision and relief increase in headwater areas are most pronounced during the relatively brief periods of river lowstands. Imposition of the wave-cut terraces onto the simulated landscape triggers a strong incisional response. By qualitative and quantitative measures the model replicates, in a general way, the landform evolution and present morphology of the target region.

Probabilistic health risk assessment for arsenic intake through drinking groundwater in Taiwan's Pingtung Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, C. P.; Chen, J. S.

2017-12-01

An abundant and inexpensive supply of groundwater is used to meet drinking, agriculture and aquaculture requirements of the residents in the Pingtung Plain. Long-term groundwater quality monitoring data indicate that the As content in groundwater in the Pingtung Plain exceeds the maximum level of 10 g/L recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The situation is further complicated by the fact that only 46.89% of population in the Pingtung Plain has been served with tap water, far below the national average of 92.93%. Considering there is a considerable variation in the measured concentrations, from below the detection limit (<0.1 g/L) to the maximum value of 544 g/L and the consumption rate and body weight of the individual, the conventional approach to conducting a human health risk assessment may be insufficient for health risk management. This study presents a probabilistic risk assessment for inorganic As intake through the consumption of the drinking groundwater by local residents in the Pingtung Plain. The probabilistic risk assessment for inorganic As intake through the consumption of the drinking groundwater is achieved using Monte Carlo simulation technique based on the hazard quotient (HQ) and target cancer risk (TR) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This study demonstrates the importance of the individual variability of inorganic As intake through drinking groundwater consumption when evaluating a high exposure sub-group of the population who drink high As content groundwater.

Plains Traveler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

10 April 2006 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a dust devil traveling across a plain west-southwest of Schiaparelli Crater, in far eastern Sinus Meridiani. The dust devil is casting a shadow toward the northeast, just south (below) of an egg-shaped crater.

Location near: 6.4oS, 349.3oW Image width: 3 km (1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Southern Summer

Novel Eurasian highly pathogenic avian influenza A H5 viruses in wild birds, Washington, USA, 2014.

PubMed

Ip, Hon S; Torchetti, Mia Kim; Crespo, Rocio; Kohrs, Paul; DeBruyn, Paul; Mansfield, Kristin G; Baszler, Timothy; Badcoe, Lyndon; Bodenstein, Barbara; Shearn-Bochsler, Valerie; Killian, Mary Lea; Pedersen, Janice C; Hines, Nichole; Gidlewski, Thomas; DeLiberto, Thomas; Sleeman, Jonathan M

2015-05-01

Novel Eurasian lineage avian influenza A(H5N8) virus has spread rapidly and globally since January 2014. In December 2014, H5N8 and reassortant H5N2 viruses were detected in wild birds in Washington, USA, and subsequently in backyard birds. When they infect commercial poultry, these highly pathogenic viruses pose substantial trade issues.

Detailed Analysis of the Intra-Ejecta Dark Plains of Caloris Basin, Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buczkowski, Debra L.; Seelos, K. S.

2010-01-01

The Caloris basin on Mercury is floored by light-toned plains and surrounded by an annulus of dark-toned material interpreted to be ejecta blocks and smooth, dark, ridged plains. Strangely, preliminary crater counts indicate that these intra-ejecta dark plains are younger than the light-toned plains within the Caloris basin. This would imply a second, younger plains emplacement event, possibly involving lower albedo material volcanics, which resurfaced the original ejecta deposit. On the other hand, the dark plains may be pre-Caloris light plains covered by a thin layer of dark ejecta. Another alternative to the hypothesis of young, dark volcanism is the possibility that previous crater counts have not thoroughly distinguished between superposed craters (fresh) and partly-buried craters (old) and therefore have not accurately determined the ages of the Caloris units. This abstract outlines the tasks associated with a new mapping project of the Caloris basin, intended to improve our knowledge of the geology and geologic history of the basin, and thus facilitate an understanding of the thermal evolution of this region of Mercury.

Unique Microbial Phylotypes in Namib Desert Dune and Gravel Plain Fairy Circle Soils.

PubMed

van der Walt, Andries J; Johnson, Riegardt M; Cowan, Don A; Seely, Mary; Ramond, Jean-Baptiste

2016-08-01

Fairy circles (FCs) are barren circular patches of soil surrounded by grass species. Their origin is poorly understood. FCs feature in both the gravel plains and the dune fields of the Namib Desert. While a substantial number of hypotheses to explain the origin and/or maintenance of fairy circles have been presented, none are completely consistent with either their properties or their distribution. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that FC formation in dunes and gravel plains is due to microbial phytopathogenesis. Surface soils from five gravel plain and five dune FCs, together with control soil samples, were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of bacterial/archaeal (16S rRNA gene) and fungal (internal transcribed spacer [ITS] region) phylogenetic markers. Our analyses showed that gravel plain and dune FC microbial communities are phylogenetically distinct and that FC communities differ from those of adjacent vegetated soils. Furthermore, various soil physicochemical properties, particularly the pH, the Ca, P, Na, and SO4 contents, the soil particle size, and the percentage of carbon, significantly influenced the compositions of dune and gravel plain FC microbial communities, but none were found to segregate FC and vegetated soil communities. Nevertheless, 9 bacterial, 1 archaeal, and 57 fungal phylotypes were identified as FC specific, since they were present within the gravel plain and dune FC soils only, not in the vegetated soils. Some of these FC-specific phylotypes were assigned to taxa known to harbor phytopathogenic microorganisms. This suggests that these FC-specific microbial taxa may be involved in the formation and/or maintenance of Namib Desert FCs. Fairy circles (FCs) are mysterious barren circular patches of soil found within a grass matrix in the dune fields and gravel plains of the Namib Desert. Various hypotheses attempting to explain this phenomenon have been proposed. To date, however, none have been successful in fully

The Maryland Coastal Plain Aquifer Information System: A GIS-based tool for assessing groundwater resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andreasen, David C.; Nardi, Mark R.; Staley, Andrew W.; Achmad, Grufron; Grace, John W.

2016-01-01

Groundwater is the source of drinking water for ∼1.4 million people in the Coastal Plain Province of Maryland (USA). In addition, groundwater is essential for commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses. Approximately 0.757 × 109 L d–1 (200 million gallons/d) were withdrawn in 2010. As a result of decades of withdrawals from the coastal plain confined aquifers, groundwater levels have declined by as much as 70 m (230 ft) from estimated prepumping levels. Other issues posing challenges to long-term groundwater sustainability include degraded water quality from both man-made and natural sources, reduced stream base flow, land subsidence, and changing recharge patterns (drought) caused by climate change. In Maryland, groundwater supply is managed primarily by the Maryland Department of the Environment, which seeks to balance reasonable use of the resource with long-term sustainability. The chief goal of groundwater management in Maryland is to ensure safe and adequate supplies for all current and future users through the implementation of appropriate usage, planning, and conservation policies. To assist in that effort, the geographic information system (GIS)–based Maryland Coastal Plain Aquifer Information System was developed as a tool to help water managers access and visualize groundwater data for use in the evaluation of groundwater allocation and use permits. The system, contained within an ESRI ArcMap desktop environment, includes both interpreted and basic data for 16 aquifers and 14 confining units. Data map layers include aquifer and ­confining unit layer surfaces, aquifer extents, borehole information, hydraulic properties, time-series groundwater-level data, well records, and geophysical and lithologic logs. The aquifer and confining unit layer surfaces were generated specifically for the GIS system. The system also contains select groundwater-quality data and map layers that quantify groundwater and surface-water withdrawals. The aquifer

Plain packaging policy: Preventing industry innovations.

PubMed

Al-Hamdani, Mohammed

2017-04-20

The pack is a marketing tool for the tobacco industry - its shape, colour, fonts, descriptors and logos attract and mislead smokers. Health warnings on cigarette packs serve as a knowledge reminder for smokers to quit smoking. Plain packaging eliminates brand imagery elements from cigarette packs and has many benefits, including the reduction of intention to smoke and the denormalization of smoking behaviour. The tobacco industry has devised pack and product marketing innovations that thwart the effectiveness of health warnings. Plain packaging policy needs to address these innovations by restricting their use and preventing them from undermining health warnings.

Young adult smokers' perceptions of plain packaging: a pilot naturalistic study.

PubMed

Moodie, Crawford; Mackintosh, Anne Marie; Hastings, Gerard; Ford, Allison

2011-09-01

To explore the impact, if any, that using plain (non-branded) cigarette packs in real-life settings has on young adult smokers. Naturalistic-type research was employed, where smokers used brown 'plain' packs for 2 weeks and their regular packs for 2 weeks, in real-life settings. Participants were recruited in Glasgow, Scotland. Of the 140 smokers aged 18-35 years who participated in the naturalistic study, 48 correctly completed and returned all questionnaires. Over the 4-week study period, participants completed a questionnaire twice a week assessing pack perceptions and feelings, feelings about smoking, salience of health warnings and smoking-related behaviours. A subsample of 18 participated in a post-study interview, which employed a semistructured topic guide to assess perceptions and experiences of using plain packs. Trends in the data show that in comparison with branded packaging, plain packaging increased negative perceptions and feelings about the pack and about smoking. Plain packaging also increased avoidant behaviour (hiding the pack, covering the pack), certain smoking cessation behaviours, such as smoking less around others and forgoing cigarettes, and thinking about quitting. Almost half (n=8) of those in the post-study interview, predominantly women (n=6), reported that the use of plain packs had either increased avoidant behaviour or reduced consumption. This pilot naturalistic study suggests that plain packaging could potentially help reduce tobacco consumption among some young adult smokers, and women in particular. Employing an innovative research methodology, the findings of this study are consistent with, and indeed support, past plain packaging research.

Rocky Martian Plain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The rocky Martian plain surrounding Viking 2 is seen in high resolution in this 85-degree panorama sweeping from north at the left to east at right during the Martian afternoon on September 5. Large blocks litter the surface. Some are porous, sponge-like rocks like the one at the left edge (size estimate: 1 1/2 to 2 feet); others are dense and fine-grained, such as the very bright rounded block (1 to 1 1/2 feet across) toward lower right. Pebbled surface between the rocks is covered in places by small drifts of very fine material similar to drifts seen at the Viking 1 landing site some 4600 miles to the southwest. The fine-grained material is banked up behind some rocks, but wind tails seen by Viking 1 are not well-developed here. On the right horizon, flat-topped ridges or hills are illuminated by the afternoon sun. Slope of the horizon is due to the 8-degree tilt of the spacecraft.

Causes and Predictability of the 2012 Great Plains Drought

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoerling, M.; Eischeid, J.; Kumar, A.; Leung, R.; Mariotti, A.; Mo, K.; Schubert, S.; Seager, R.

2013-01-01

Central Great Plains precipitation deficits during May-August 2012 were the most severe since at least 1895, eclipsing the Dust Bowl summers of 1934 and 1936. Drought developed suddenly in May, following near-normal precipitation during winter and early spring. Its proximate causes were a reduction in atmospheric moisture transport into the Great Plains from the Gulf of Mexico. Processes that generally provide air mass lift and condensation were mostly absent, including a lack of frontal cyclones in late spring followed by suppressed deep convection in summer owing to large-scale subsidence and atmospheric stabilization. Seasonal forecasts did not predict the summer 2012 central Great Plains drought development, which therefore arrived without early warning. Climate simulations and empirical analysis suggest that ocean surface temperatures together with changes in greenhouse gases did not induce a substantial reduction in summertime precipitation over the central Great Plains during 2012. Yet, diagnosis of the retrospective climate simulations also reveals a regime shift toward warmer and drier summertime Great Plains conditions during the recent decade, most probably due to natural decadal variability. As a consequence, the probability for severe summer Great Plains drought may have increased in the last decade compared to the 1980s and 1990s, and the so-called tail-risk for severe drought may have been heightened in summer 2012. Such an extreme drought event was nonetheless still found to be a rare occurrence within the spread of 2012 climate model simulations. Implications of this study's findings for U.S. seasonal drought forecasting are discussed.

Prioritizing watersheds for conservation actions in the southeastern coastal plain ecoregion.

PubMed

Jang, Taeil; Vellidis, George; Kurkalova, Lyubov A; Boll, Jan; Hyman, Jeffrey B

2015-03-01

The aim of this study was to apply and evaluate a recently developed prioritization model which uses the synoptic approach to geographically prioritize watersheds in which Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be implemented to reduce water quality problems resulting from erosion and sedimentation. The model uses a benefit-cost framework to rank candidate watersheds within an ecoregion or river basin so that BMP implementation within the highest ranked watersheds will result in the most water quality improvement per conservation dollar invested. The model was developed to prioritize BMP implementation efforts in ecoregions containing watersheds associated with the USDA-NRCS Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). We applied the model to HUC-8 watersheds within the southeastern Coastal Plain ecoregion (USA) because not only is it an important agricultural area but also because it contains a well-studied medium-sized CEAP watershed which is thought to be representative of the ecoregion. The results showed that the three HUC-8 watersheds with the highest rankings (most water quality improvement expected per conservation dollar invested) were located in the southern Alabama, northern Florida, and eastern Virginia. Within these watersheds, measures of community attitudes toward conservation practices were highly ranked, and these indicators seemed to push the watersheds to the top of the rankings above other similar watersheds. The results, visualized as maps, can be used to screen and reduce the number of watersheds that need further assessment by managers and decision-makers within the study area. We anticipate that this model will allow agencies like USDA-NRCS to geographically prioritize BMP implementation efforts.

Quantifying BRDF Effects in Comparing Landsat-7 and AVIRIS Near-Simultaneous Acquisitions for Studies of High Plains Vegetation Cover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goetz, A. F. H.; Heidebrecht, K. B.; Gutmann, E. D.; Warner, A. S.; Johnson, E. L.; Lestak, L. R.

1999-01-01

Approximately 100,000 sq. km of the High Plains of the central United States are covered by sand dunes and sand sheets deposited during the Holocene. Soil-dating evidence shows that there were at least four periods of dune reactivation during major droughts in the last 10,000 years. The dunes in this region are anchored by vegetation. We have undertaken a study of land-use change in the High Plains from 1985 to the present using Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ images to map variation in vegetation cover during wet and dry years. Mapping vegetation cover of less than 20% is important in modeling potential surface reactivation since at this level the vegetation no longer sufficiently shields sandy surfaces from movement by wind. Landsat TM data have both the spatial resolution and temporal coverage to facilitate vegetation cover analysis for model development and verification. However, there is still the question of how accurate TM data are for the measurement of both growing and senescent vegetation in and and semi-arid regions. AVIRIS provides both high spectral resolution as well as high signal-to-noise ratio and can be used to test the accuracy of Landsat TM and ETM+ data. We have analyzed data from AVIRIS flown nearly concurrently with a Landsat 7 overpass. The comparison between an AVIRIS image swath of 11 km width subtending a 30 deg. angle and the same area covered by a 0.8 deg. angle from Landsat required accounting for the BRDF. A normalization technique using the ratio of the reflectances from registered AVIRIS and Landsat data proved superior to the techniques of column averaging on AVIRIS data alone published previously by Kennedy et al. This technique can be applied to aircraft data covering a wider swath angle than AVIRIS to develop BRDF responses for a wide variety of surfaces more efficiently than from ground measurements.

Perceptions and impact of plain packaging of tobacco products in low and middle income countries, middle to upper income countries and low-income settings in high-income countries: a systematic review of the literature

PubMed Central

Hughes, Nicole; Arora, Monika; Grills, Nathan

2016-01-01

Objective To review the current literature around the potential impact, effectiveness and perceptions of plain packaging in low income settings. Method A systematic review of the literature. Data sources 9 databases (PubMed, Global Health, Social Policy and Practice, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), CINAHL, PsycINFO, British Library for Development Studies (BLDS), Global Health Library and Scopus) were searched. The terms used for searching combined terms for smoking and tobacco use with terms for plain packaging. Study selection Studies investigating the impact of plain packaging on the determinants of tobacco use, such as smoking behaviour, appeal, prominence, effectiveness of health warnings, response to plain packs, attitudes towards quitting or likelihood of smoking in low-income settings, were identified. Studies must have been published in English and be original research of any level of rigour. Data extraction Two independent reviewers assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data. Data synthesis The results were synthesised qualitatively, with themes grouped under four key headings: appeal and attractiveness; salience of health warnings and perceptions of harm; enjoyment and perceived taste ratings; and perceptions of the impact on tobacco usage behaviour. Results This review has identified four articles that met the inclusion criteria. Studies identified that tobacco products in plain packaging had less appeal than in branded packaging in low-income settings. Conclusions This review indicates that plain packaging appears to be successful in reducing appeal of smoking and packets, and supports the call for plain packaging to be widely implemented in conjunction with other tobacco control policies. However, there are considerable gaps in the amount of research conducted outside high-income countries. PMID:27000787

The Effectiveness at High Speeds of a 20-Percent-chord Plain Trailing-edge Flap on the NACA 65-210 Airfoil Section

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stivers, Louis S., Jr.

1947-01-01

An analysis has been made of the lift-control effectiveness of a 20-percent-chord plain trailing-edge flap on the NACA 65-210 airfoil section from section lift-coefficient data obtained at Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.875. In addition, the effectiveness of the plain flap as a lift-control device has been compared with the corresponding effectiveness of both a spoiler and a dive-recovery flag on the INCA 65-210 airfoil section.

Plasma cholinesterase levels of mountain plovers (Charadrius montanus) wintering in central California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iko, W.M.; Archuleta, A.S.; Knopf, F.L.

2003-01-01

Declines of over 60% in mountain plover (Charadrius montanus) populations over the past 30 years have made it a species of concern throughout its current range and a proposed species for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Wintering mountain plovers spend considerable time on freshly plowed agricultural fields where they may potentially be exposed to anticholinesterase pesticides. Because of the population status and wintering ecology of plovers, the objectives of our study were to use nondestructive methods to report baseline plasma cholinesterase (ChE) levels in free-ranging mountain plovers wintering in California, USA, and to assess whether sampled birds showed signs of ChE inhibition related to anticholinesterase chemical exposure. We compared plasma ChE activity for mountain plovers sampled from the Carrizo Plain (an area relatively free of anticholinesterase pesticide use) with similar measures for plovers from the Central Valley (where anticholinesterase pesticides are widely used). Analyses for ChE inhibition indicated that none of the plovers had been recently exposed to these chemicals. However, mean ChE levels of plovers from the Central Valley were significantly higher (32%) than levels reported for plovers from the Carrizo Plain. This result differs from our original assumption of higher exposure risk to mountain plovers in the Central Valley but does suggest that some effect is occurring in the ChE activity of mountain plovers wintering in California.

High arsenic groundwater: mobilization, metabolism and mitigation--an overview in the Bengal Delta Plain.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Rupa; Chatterjee, Debashis; Nath, Bibhash; Jana, Joydev; Jacks, Gunnar; Vahter, Marie

2003-11-01

The widespread occurrence of high inorganic arsenic in natural waters is attributed to human carcinogen and is identified as a major global public health issue. The scale of the problem in terms of population exposure (36 million) and geographical area coverage (173 x 10(3) Km2) to high arsenic contaminated groundwater (50-3200 microgL(-1)) compared to the National drinking water standard (50 microgL(-1)) and WHO recommended provisional limit (10 microgL(-1)) is greatest in the Holocene alluvium and deltaic aquifers of the Bengal Delta Plain (Bangladesh and West Bengal, India). This large-scale 'natural' high arsenic groundwater poses a great threat to human health via drinking water. Mobilization, metabolism and mitigation issues of high arsenic groundwater are complex and need holistic approach for sustainable development of the resource. Mobilization depends on the redox geochemistry of arsenic that plays a vital role in the release and subsequent transport of arsenic in groundwater. Metabolism narrates the biological response vis-à-vis clinical manifestations of arsenic due to various chemical and biological factors. Mitigation includes alternative source for safe drinking water supply. Drinking water quality regulatory standards as well as guidelines are yet to cover risk assessments for such metal toxicity. Lowering of the ingested inorganic arsenic level and introduction of newer treatment options (implementation of laterite, the natural material) to ensure safe water supply (arsenic free and/or low arsenic within permissible limit) are the urgent need to safe guard the mass arsenic poisoning and internal arsenic related health problems.

A Socioeconomic Profile of the Northern Great Plains Coal Region.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Paul R.; And Others

When historic (1940-70) and recent (1970-74) trends in population, income, and employment for the Northern Great Plains coal region are compared with that for the entire U.S. and all U.S. nonmetro counties, data reveal a minimal population increase from 1940 to 1970, a period of declining agricultural employment and high outmigration rates. In…

Young Craters on Smooth Plains

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-01-15

This image, from NASA Mariner 10 spacecraft which launched in 1974, shows young craters superposed on smooth plains. Larger young craters have central peaks, flat floors, terraced walls, and radial ejecta deposits.

Interactions of raptors and Lesser Prairie-Chickens at leks in the Texas Southern High Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Behney, Adam C.; Boal, Clint W.; Whitlaw, Heather A.; Lucia, Duane R.

2011-01-01

We examined behavioral interactions of raptors, Chihuahuan Ravens (Corvus cryptoleucus), and Lesser Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) at leks in the Texas Southern High Plains. Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus) and Swainson's Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) were the most common raptors observed at leks. Only 15 of 61 (25%) raptor encounters at leks (0.09/hr) resulted in a capture attempt (0.02/hr). Mean (± SD) time for Lesser Prairie-Chickens to return to lekking behavior following a raptor encounter was 4.2 ± 5.5 min suggesting the disturbance had little influence on lekking behaviors. Lesser Prairie-Chickens engaged in different escape behaviors depending on raptor species and, generally, did not respond to ravens suggesting they are able to assess different predation risks. The raptors in our study area posed little predation risk to lekking prairie-chickens. Behavioral disturbance at leks appears minimal due to the lack of successful predation events, low raptor encounter rates, and short time to return to lekking behavior.

Hyperbaric versus plain bupivacaine for spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery.

PubMed

Heng Sia, Alex Tiong; Tan, Kok Hian; Sng, Ban Leong; Lim, Yvonne; Chan, Edwin S Y; Siddiqui, Fahad Javaid

2015-01-01

Bupivacaine is an amide local anesthetic used in hyperbaric and plain forms administered as spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. In this systematic review, we summarized the effectiveness and safety of hyperbaric versus plain bupivacaine in providing anesthesia for cesarean delivery. We considered the adequacy of anesthesia for completion of cesarean delivery and the need for interventions to treat complications. We searched the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases. We imposed no language restriction. We included all randomized controlled trials involving patients undergoing spinal anesthesia for elective cesarean delivery that compared the use of hyperbaric bupivacaine with plain bupivacaine. We included 6 studies with a total of 394 patients in this review. These studies have small sample size, few observed events, differences in methodology, and insufficient information pertaining to assessment of risk of bias. This prevented us from calculating pooled estimates. Results show that there is no compelling evidence in favor of the use of intrathecal plain or hyperbaric bupivacaine for spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. There is a lack of clear evidence regarding the superiority of hyperbaric compared with plain bupivacaine for spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. The need for conversion to general anesthesia because of failed spinal anesthesia is an important clinical outcome, but current data are insufficient to compare spinal anesthesia induced with hyperbaric compared with plain bupivacaine for this outcome. Further research is required.

Stochastic Model of Fracture Frequency Heterogeneity in a Welded Tuff EGS reservoir, Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moody, A.; Fairley, J. P., Jr.

2014-12-01

In light of recent advancements in reservoir enhancement and injection tests at active geothermal fields, there is interest in investigating the geothermal potential of widespread subsurface welded tuffs related to caldera collapse on the Snake River Plain (SRP). Before considering stimulation strategies, simulating heat extraction from the reservoir under in-situ fracture geometries will give a first-order estimation of extractable heat. With only limited deep boreholes drilled on the SRP, few analyses of the bulk hydrologic properties of the tuffs exist. Acknowledging the importance of the spatial heterogeneity of fractures to the permeability and injectivity of reservoirs hosted in impermeable volcanic units, we present fracture distributions from ICDP hole 5036-2A drilled as a part of Project HOTSPOT. The core documents more than 1200 m of largely homogeneous densely welded tuff hosting an isothermal warm-water reservoir at ~60˚ C. Multiple realizations of a hypothetical reservoir are created using sequential indicator algorithms that honor the observed vertical fracture frequency statistics. Results help form criteria for producing geothermal energy from the SRP.

Novel Eurasian Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A H5 Viruses in Wild Birds, Washington, USA, 2014

PubMed Central

Ip, Hon S.; Crespo, Rocio; Kohrs, Paul; DeBruyn, Paul; Mansfield, Kristin G.; Baszler, Timothy; Badcoe, Lyndon; Bodenstein, Barbara; Shearn-Bochsler, Valerie; Killian, Mary Lea; Pedersen, Janice C.; Hines, Nichole; Gidlewski, Thomas; DeLiberto, Thomas; Sleeman, Jonathan M.

2015-01-01

Novel Eurasian lineage avian influenza A(H5N8) virus has spread rapidly and globally since January 2014. In December 2014, H5N8 and reassortant H5N2 viruses were detected in wild birds in Washington, USA, and subsequently in backyard birds. When they infect commercial poultry, these highly pathogenic viruses pose substantial trade issues. PMID:25898265

Effects of tornado damage, prescribed fire, and salvage logging on natural oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration in a xeric southern USA Coastal Plain oak/pine forest

Treesearch

Jeffery B. Cannon; J. Stephen Brewer

2013-01-01

Due in large part to fire exclusion, many oak-dominated (Quercus spp.) forests, woodlands, and savannas throughout eastern North America are being replaced by less diverse forest ecosystems. In the interior coastal plain of the southern United States, these forests are dominated in the mid- and understory by mesophytic species such as Acer...

Improvment of the Trapezoid Method Using Raw Landsat Image Digital Count Data for Soil Moisture Estimation in the Texas (usa) High Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafian, S.; Maas, S. J.

2015-12-01

Variations in soil moisture strongly affect surface energy balances, regional runoff, land erosion and vegetation productivity (i.e., potential crop yield). Hence, the estimation of soil moisture is very valuable in the social, economic, humanitarian (food security) and environmental segments of society. Extensive efforts to exploit the potential of remotely sensed observations to help quantify this complex variable are ongoing. This study aims at developing a new index, the Thermal Ground cover Moisture Index (TGMI), for estimating soil moisture content. This index is based on empirical parameterization of the relationship between raw image digital count (DC) data in the thermal infrared spectral band and ground cover (determined from raw image digital count data in the red and near-infrared spectral bands).The index uses satellite-derived information only, and the potential for its operational application is therefore great. This study was conducted in 18 commercial agricultural fields near Lubbock, TX (USA). Soil moisture was measured in these fields over two years and statistically compared to corresponding values of TGMI determined from Landsat image data. Results indicate statistically significant correlations between TGMI and field measurements of soil moisture (R2 = 0.73, RMSE = 0.05, MBE = 0.17 and AAE = 0.049), suggesting that soil moisture can be estimated using this index. It was further demonstrated that maps of TGMI developed from Landsat imagery could be constructed to show the relative spatial distribution of soil moisture across a region.

Bringing the "social" into sociohydrology: Conservation policy support in the Central Great Plains of Kansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanderson, Matthew R.; Bergtold, Jason S.; Heier Stamm, Jessica L.; Caldas, Marcellus M.; Ramsey, Steven M.

2017-08-01

Identifying means of empirically modeling the human component of a coupled, human-water system becomes critically important to further advances in sociohydrology. We develop a social-psychological model of environmental decision making that addresses four key challenges of incorporating social science into integrated models. We use the model to explain preferences for three conservation policies designed to conserve and protect water resources and aquatic ecosystems in the Smoky Hill River Basin, a semiarid agricultural region in the Central U.S. Great Plains. Further, we compare the model's capacity to explain policy preferences among members of two groups in the River Basin: agricultural producers and members of nonfarming communities. We find that financial obligation is the strongest and most consistent explanation of support for conservation policies among members of both groups. We also find that policy support is grounded in cultural values—deeply held ideas about right and wrong. Environmental values are particularly important explanations of policy support. The constellations of values invoked to make decisions about policies, and the social-psychological pathways linking values to policy support, can vary across policies and types of agents (farmers and nonfarmers). We discuss the implications of the results for future research in sociohydrology.

Wetland hydrology and tree distribution of the Apalachicola River flood plain, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leitman, Helen M.; Sohm, James E.; Franklin, Marvin A.

1984-01-01

The Apalachicola River in northwest Florida is part of a three-State drainage basin encompassing 50,800 km 2 in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The river is formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers at Jim Woodruff Dam from which it flows 171 km to Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. Its average annual discharge at Chattahoochee, Fla., is 690 m3/s (1958-80) with annual high flows averaging nearly 3,000 m3/s. Its flood plain supports 450 km 2 of bottom-land hardwood and tupelo-cypress forests. The Apalachicola River Quality Assessment focuses on the hydrology and productivity of the flood-plain forest. The purpose of this part of the assessment is to address river and flood-plain hydrology, flood-plain tree species and forest types, and water and tree relations. Seasonal stage fluctuations in the upper river are three times greater than in the lower river. Analysis of long-term streamflow record revealed that 1958-79 average annual and monthly flows and flow durations were significantly greater than those of 1929-57, probably because of climatic changes. However, stage durations for the later period were equal to or less than those of the earlier period. Height of natural riverbank levees and the size and distribution of breaks in the levees have a major controlling effect on flood-plain hydrology. Thirty-two kilometers upstream of the bay, a flood-plain stream called the Brothers River was commonly under tidal influence during times of low flow in the 1980 water year. At the same distance upstream of the bay, the Apalachicola River was not under tidal influence during the 1980 water year. Of the 47 species of trees sampled, the five most common were wet-site species constituting 62 percent of the total basal area. In order of abundance, they were water tupelo, Ogeechee tupelo, baldcypress, Carolina ash, and swamp tupelo. Other common species were sweetgum, overcup oak, planertree, green ash, water hickory, sugarberry, and diamond-leaf oak

Perceptions and impact of plain packaging of tobacco products in low and middle income countries, middle to upper income countries and low-income settings in high-income countries: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Hughes, Nicole; Arora, Monika; Grills, Nathan

2016-03-21

To review the current literature around the potential impact, effectiveness and perceptions of plain packaging in low income settings. A systematic review of the literature. 9 databases (PubMed, Global Health, Social Policy and Practice, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), CINAHL, PsycINFO, British Library for Development Studies (BLDS), Global Health Library and Scopus) were searched. The terms used for searching combined terms for smoking and tobacco use with terms for plain packaging. Studies investigating the impact of plain packaging on the determinants of tobacco use, such as smoking behaviour, appeal, prominence, effectiveness of health warnings, response to plain packs, attitudes towards quitting or likelihood of smoking in low-income settings, were identified. Studies must have been published in English and be original research of any level of rigour. Two independent reviewers assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data. The results were synthesised qualitatively, with themes grouped under four key headings: appeal and attractiveness; salience of health warnings and perceptions of harm; enjoyment and perceived taste ratings; and perceptions of the impact on tobacco usage behaviour. This review has identified four articles that met the inclusion criteria. Studies identified that tobacco products in plain packaging had less appeal than in branded packaging in low-income settings. This review indicates that plain packaging appears to be successful in reducing appeal of smoking and packets, and supports the call for plain packaging to be widely implemented in conjunction with other tobacco control policies. However, there are considerable gaps in the amount of research conducted outside high-income countries. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Plains Tectonics on Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banerdt, W. B.; McGill, G. E.; Zuber, M. T.

1996-01-01

Tectonic deformation in the plains of Venus is pervasive, with virtually every area of the planet showing evidence for faulting or fracturing. This deformation can be classified into three general categories, defined by the intensity and areal extent of the surface deformation: distributed deformation, concentrated deformation, and local fracture patterns.

Plateaus and sinuous ridges as the fingerprints of lava flow inflation in the Eastern Tharsis Plains of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bleacher, Jacob E.; Orr, Tim R.; de Wet, Andrew P.; Zimbelman, James R.; Hamilton, Christopher W.; Brent Garry, W.; Crumpler, Larry S.; Williams, David A.

2017-08-01

The Tharsis Montes rift aprons are composed of outpourings of lava from chaotic terrains to the northeast and southwest flank of each volcano. Sinuous and branching channel networks that are present on the rift aprons suggest the possibility of fluvial processes in their development, or erosion by rapidly emplaced lavas, but the style of lava flow emplacement throughout rift apron development is not clearly understood. To better characterize the style of lava emplacement and role of fluvial processes in rift apron development, we conducted morphological mapping of the Pavonis Mons southwest rift apron and the eastern Tharsis plains using images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), Context Camera (CTX), Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) along with the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Precision Experiment Data Records (PEDRs) and gridded data. Our approach was to: (1) search for depositional fans at the slope break between the rift apron and adjacent low slope plains; (2) determine if there is evidence that previously formed deposits might have been buried by plains units; (3) characterize the Tharsis plains morphologies east of Pavonis Mons; and (4) assess their relationship to the rift apron units. We have not identified topographically significant depositional fans, nor did we observe evidence to suggest that plains units have buried older rift apron units. Flow features associated with the rift apron are observed to continue across the slope break onto the plains. In this area, the plains are composed of a variety of small fissures and low shield vents around which broad channel-fed and tube-fed flows have been identified. We also find broad, flat-topped plateaus and sinuous ridges mixed among the channels, tubes and vents. Flat-topped plateaus and sinuous ridges are morphologies that are analogous to those observed on the coastal plain of Hawai'i, where lava

Plateaus and Sinuous Ridges as the Fingerprints of Lava Flow Inflation in the Eastern Tharsis Plains of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bleacher, Jacob E.; Orr, Tim R.; de Wet, Andrew P.; Zimbelman, James R.; Hamilton, Christopher W.; Garry, W. Brent; Crumpler, Larry S.; Williams, David A.

2017-01-01

The Tharsis Montes rift aprons are composed of outpourings of lava from chaotic terrains to the northeast and southwest flank of each volcano. Sinuous and branching channel networks that are present on the rift aprons suggest the possibility of fluvial processes in their development, or erosion by rapidly emplaced lavas, but the style of lava flow emplacement throughout rift apron development is not clearly understood. To better characterize the style of lava emplacement and role of fluvial processes in rift apron development, we conducted morphological mapping of the Pavonis Mons southwest rift apron and the eastern Tharsis plains using images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), Context Camera (CTX), Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) along with the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Precision Experiment Data Records (PEDRs) and gridded data. Our approach was to: (1) search for depositional fans at the slope break between the rift apron and adjacent low slope plains; (2) determine if there is evidence that previously formed deposits might have been buried by plains units; (3) characterize the Tharsis plains morphologies east of Pavonis Mons; and (4) assess their relationship to the rift apron units. We have not identified topographically significant depositional fans, nor did we observe evidence to suggest that plains units have buried older rift apron units. Flow features associated with the rift apron are observed to continue across the slope break onto the plains. In this area, the plains are composed of a variety of small fissures and low shield vents around which broad channel-fed and tube-fed flows have been identified. We also find broad, flat-topped plateaus and sinuous ridges mixed among the channels, tubes and vents. Flat-topped plateaus and sinuous ridges are morphologies that are analogous to those observed on the coastal plain of Hawai'i, where lava

Plateaus and sinuous ridges as the fingerprints of lava flow inflation in the Eastern Tharsis Plains of Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bleacher, Jacob E.; Orr, Tim R.; de Wet, Andrew P.; Zimbelman, James R.; Hamilton, Christopher W.; Garry, W. Brent; Crumpler, Larry S.; Williams, David A.

2017-01-01

The Tharsis Montes rift aprons are composed of outpourings of lava from chaotic terrains to the northeast and southwest flank of each volcano. Sinuous and branching channel networks that are present on the rift aprons suggest the possibility of fluvial processes in their development, or erosion by rapidly emplaced lavas, but the style of lava flow emplacement throughout rift apron development is not clearly understood. To better characterize the style of lava emplacement and role of fluvial processes in rift apron development, we conducted morphological mapping of the Pavonis Mons southwest rift apron and the eastern Tharsis plains using images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), Context Camera (CTX), Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) along with the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Precision Experiment Data Records (PEDRs) and gridded data. Our approach was to: (1) search for depositional fans at the slope break between the rift apron and adjacent low slope plains; (2) determine if there is evidence that previously formed deposits might have been buried by plains units; (3) characterize the Tharsis plains morphologies east of Pavonis Mons; and (4) assess their relationship to the rift apron units. We have not identified topographically significant depositional fans, nor did we observe evidence to suggest that plains units have buried older rift apron units. Flow features associated with the rift apron are observed to continue across the slope break onto the plains. In this area, the plains are composed of a variety of small fissures and low shield vents around which broad channel-fed and tube-fed flows have been identified. We also find broad, flat-topped plateaus and sinuous ridges mixed among the channels, tubes and vents. Flat-topped plateaus and sinuous ridges are morphologies that are analogous to those observed on the coastal plain of Hawai‘i, where lava

Microbial Community of High Arsenic Groundwater in Agricultural Irrigation Area of Hetao Plain, Inner Mongolia

PubMed Central

Wang, Yanhong; Li, Ping; Jiang, Zhou; Sinkkonen, Aki; Wang, Shi; Tu, Jin; Wei, Dazhun; Dong, Hailiang; Wang, Yanxin

2016-01-01

Microbial communities can play important role in arsenic release in groundwater aquifers. To investigate the microbial communities in high arsenic groundwater aquifers in agricultural irrigation area, 17 groundwater samples with different arsenic concentrations were collected along the agricultural drainage channels of Hangjinhouqi County, Inner Mongolia and examined by illumina MiSeq sequencing approach targeting the V4 region of the 16S rRNA genes. Both principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering results indicated that these samples were divided into two groups (high and low arsenic groups) according to the variation of geochemical characteristics. Arsenic concentrations showed strongly positive correlations with NH4+ and total organic carbon (TOC). Sequencing results revealed that a total of 329–2823 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were observed at the 97% OTU level. Microbial richness and diversity of high arsenic groundwater samples along the drainage channels were lower than those of low arsenic groundwater samples but higher than those of high arsenic groundwaters from strongly reducing areas. The microbial community structure in groundwater along the drainage channels was different from those in strongly reducing arsenic-rich aquifers of Hetao Plain and other high arsenic groundwater aquifers including Bangladesh, West Bengal, and Vietnam. Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas dominated with high percentages in both high and low arsenic groundwaters. Alishewanella, Psychrobacter, Methylotenera, and Crenothrix showed relatively high abundances in high arsenic groundwater, while Rheinheimera and the unidentified OP3 were predominant populations in low arsenic groundwater. Archaeal populations displayed a low occurrence and mainly dominated by methanogens such as Methanocorpusculum and Methanospirillum. Microbial community compositions were different between high and low arsenic groundwater samples based on the results of principal coordinate

Water table and overbank flow frequency changes due to suburbanization-induced channel incision, Virginia Coastal Plain, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hancock, G.; Mattell, N.; Christianson, E.; Wacksman, J.

2004-12-01

Channel incision is a widely observed response to increased flow in urbanized watersheds, but the effects of channel lowering on riparian water tables is not well documented. In a rapidly incising suburban stream in the Virginia Coastal Plain, we hypothesize that incision has lowered floodplain water tables and decreased the overbank flow frequency, and suggest these changes impact vegetation distribution in a diverse, protected riparian habitat. The monitored stream is a tributary to the James River draining 1.3 km2, of which 15% is impervious cover. Incision has occurred largely through upstream migration of a one m high knickpoint at a rate of 1-2 m/yr, primarily during high flow events. We installed 33 wells in six floodplain transects to assess water table elevations beneath the floodplain adjacent to the incising stream. To document the impacts of incision, two transects are located 30 and 50 m upstream of the knickpoint in unincised floodplain, and the remainder are 5, 30, 70, and 100 m downstream of the knickpoint in incised floodplain. In one transect above and two below, pressure transducers attached to dataloggers provide a high-resolution record of water table response to storm events. Significant differences have been observed in the water table above and below the knickpoint. Above the knickpoint, the water table is relatively flat and is 0.2-0.4 m below the floodplain surface. Water table response to precipitation events is nearly immediate, with the water table rising to the floodplain surface in significant rainfall events. In the transect immediately downstream of the knickpoint, the water table possesses a steep gradient, rising from ~1 m below the floodplain at the stream to 0.3 m below the surface within 20 m. In the most downstream transects, the water table is relatively flat, but is one m below the floodplain surface, equivalent to the depth of incision generated by knickpoint passage. Upstream of the knickpoint, overbank flooding occurs

O Wakaga. Activities for Learning about the Plains Indians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Linda Skinner

A companion to The Mamook Book (ED 214 720), the student activity book teaches about Plains Indian cultures (in particular about Lakota life) through a series of activities such as: coloring panoramas of a Plains tipi encampment and a contemporary reservation; depicting historical and contemporary children; making a mobile; constructing a tipi and…

A new interpretation of deformation rates in the Snake River Plain and adjacent basin and range regions based on GPS measurements

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

S.J. Payne; R. McCaffrey; R.W. King

2012-04-01

We evaluate horizontal Global Positioning System (GPS) velocities together with geologic, volcanic, and seismic data to interpret extension, shear, and contraction within the Snake River Plain and the Northern Basin and Range Province, U.S.A. We estimate horizontal surface velocities using GPS data collected at 385 sites from 1994 to 2009 and present an updated velocity field within the Stable North American Reference Frame (SNARF). Our results show an ENE-oriented extensional strain rate of 5.9 {+-} 0.7 x 10{sup -9} yr{sup -1} in the Centennial Tectonic belt and an E-oriented extensional strain rate of 6.2 {+-} 0.3 x 10{sup -9} yr{supmore » -1} in the Intermountain Seismic belt combined with the northern Great Basin. These extensional strain rates contrast with the regional north-south contraction of -2.6 {+-} 1.1 x 10{sup -9} yr{sup -1} calculated in the Snake River Plain and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau over a 125 x 650 km region. Tests that include dike-opening reveal that rapid extension by dike intrusion in volcanic rift zones does not occur in the Snake River Plain at present. This slow internal deformation in the Snake River Plain is in contrast to the rapidly-extending adjacent Basin and Range provinces and implies shear along boundaries of the Snake River Plain. We estimate right-lateral shear with slip rates of 0.5-1.5 mm/yr along the northwestern boundary adjacent to the Centennial Tectonic belt and left-lateral oblique extension with slip rates of <0.5 to 1.7 mm/yr along the southeastern boundary adjacent to the Intermountain Seismic belt. The fastest lateral shearing occurs near the Yellowstone Plateau where strike-slip focal mechanisms and faults with observed strike-slip components of motion are documented. The regional GPS velocity gradients are best fit by nearby poles of rotation for the Centennial Tectonic belt, Idaho batholith, Snake River Plain, Owyhee-Oregon Plateau, and central Oregon, indicating that clockwise rotation is driven by extension to

Health Needs Assessment of Plain Populations in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

PubMed

Miller, Kirk; Yost, Berwood; Abbott, Christina; Thompson, Scottie; Dlugi, Emily; Adams, Zachary; Schulman, Meryl; Strauss, Nicole

2017-02-01

We performed a health needs assessment for three Plain communities in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania from a random sample of households. Compared with the general population of adults, Plain respondents were more likely to be married, to have children, and they had large families; they were more likely to drink well water, to eat fruit and vegetables, to drink raw milk, and to live on a farm. Plain respondents had better physical and mental health and were less likely to have been diagnosed with various medical conditions compared with the general population of adults in Lancaster County but Old Order Mennonite respondents were more likely to have been diagnosed compared with Old Order Amish respondents. Plain respondents usually have a regular doctor and often receive preventive care but Old Order Mennonite respondents were more likely to have a regular doctor, to receive preventive care, to have had their children vaccinated, and to receive routine dental care compared with Old Order Amish respondents. Despite their relative geographic and genetic isolation, and despite the small, relative differences noted, the health of Plain communities in Lancaster County is similar to that of other adults in the County.

Agriculture on the Chaco Plain, Paraguay, South America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This view of extensive agriculture on the Chaco Plain, Paraguay, (22.5S, 60.5W) depicts the fertility of the soils between the Andes Mountains and the Paraguay - Parana Rivers in the northwestern Paraguay. The Gran Chaco Plain is flat landscape built up by sediments. Frontier settlements like Marsical Estigarribia, seen in the image, are dominated by agriculture along the stream courses that abound in the area.

Prolonged carbonate diagenesis under an evolving late cenozoic climate; Nullarbor Plain, southern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Cody R.; James, Noel P.; Bone, Yvonne

2012-06-01

The Nullarbor Plain in southern Australia, the largest areal karst on the globe, is a ~ 240,000 km2 uplifted succession of Cenozoic marine carbonates whose surface has been exposed for 14 to 15 m.y. The middle Miocene Nullarbor Limestone forms the upper surface of the plain and hosts a complex and prolonged record of meteoric diagenesis. Such a complete record offers unique insights into the effects of climate, tectonics, sea level, topography, and hydrology on the style and placement of numerous diagenetic events in flat low lying carbonate plains. Alteration took place during three broad phases comprising eight stages that are interpreted to have formed against a background of dramatic climate change. Middle Miocene phase one diagenesis took place under a humid climate and resulted in rapid mineral equilibration, calcite cementation, extensive karst development, and finally widespread lacustrine and palustrine sedimentation. Resultant palustrine sediments, especially terrestrial ooids, are now preserved at the surface and in underlying karst cavities. Latest middle Miocene to middle Pliocene phase two diagenesis occurred during a prolonged period (~ 8 m.y.) of temperate climate and resulted in initial deep cave dissolution during low sea levels and later shallow cave development in the course of a high sea level. Onset of a somewhat more arid climate in the latest Pliocene led to the development of the modern desolate landscape of the Plain. This final phase of diagenesis involved creation of solution pits filled with black limestone pebbles, open and closed dolines with associated colluvium fill, and pervasive pedogenic calcrete. The Nullarbor Plain demonstrates that low lying carbonate plains can have low surficial erosion rates, precisely record relative sea level positions, be able to have extensive caves with extended periods of arrested calcite precipitation, and finally host extensive terrestrial ooid deposits. The importance of this comprehensive

Surrounding land cover types as predictors of palustrine wetland vegetation quality in conterminous USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stapanian, Martin A.; Gara, Brian; Schumacher, William

2018-01-01

The loss of wetland habitats and their often-unique biological communities is a major environmental concern. We examined vegetation data obtained from 380 wetlands sampled in a statistical survey of wetlands in the USA. Our goal was to identify which surrounding land cover types best predict two indices of vegetation quality in wetlands at the regional scale. We considered palustrine wetlands in four regions (Coastal Plains, North Central East, Interior Plains, and West) in which the dominant vegetation was emergent, forested, or scrub-shrub. For each wetland, we calculated weighted proportions of eight land cover types surrounding the area in which vegetation was assessed, in four zones radiating from the edge of the assessment area to 2 km. Using Akaike's Information Criterion, we determined the best 1-, 2- and 3-predictor models of the two indices, using the weighted proportions of the land cover types as potential predictors. Mean values of the two indices were generally higher in the North Central East and Coastal Plains than the other regions for forested and emergent wetlands. In nearly all cases, the best predictors of the indices were not the dominant surrounding land cover types. Overall, proportions of forest (positive effect) and agriculture (negative effect) surrounding the assessment area were the best predictors of the two indices. One or both of these variables were included as predictors in 65 of the 72 models supported by the data. Wetlands surrounding the assessment area had a positive effect on the indices, and ranked third (33%) among the predictors included in supported models. Development had a negative effect on the indices and was included in only 28% of supported models. These results can be used to develop regional management plans for wetlands, such as creating forest buffers around wetlands, or to conserve zones between wetlands to increase habitat connectivity.

Types, harms and improvement of saline soil in Songnen Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhengjun; Zhuang, Jingjing; Zhao, Anping; Li, Xinxin

2018-03-01

Saline soil is an extremely difficult and modified soil, widely distributed around the world. According to UN-UNESCO and FAO, the world’s saline soil area is about 9.54×108hm2, and there is a growing trend, every year in 1.0×106-1.5×106hm2 speed growth, the effective utilization of land resources to the world is the most serious threat. The total area of saline-alkali land in China is about 9.91×107hm2, including the Songnen Plain, which is called one of the three major saline soil concentrations in the world. The Songnen plain is an important grain producing area in China, and the saline soil occupies most of the Songnen plain, so it is of great significance to study the saline soil and improvement in Songnen plain.

Identification of possible recent water/lava source fissures in the Cerberus Plains: stratigraphic and crater count age constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Rebecca J.

2013-04-01

The Cerberus plains are one of the youngest surfaces on Mars. They are thought to have been formed by lava and/or water flows, but there is considerable debate regarding the source of this material. Much of the material forming the western plains, including the Athabasca Valles outflow channels, appears to have flowed from the region of the Cerberus Fossae graben system [1,2,3] and limited areas forming the eastern plains may have been erupted by low shield volcanoes [4,5]. However, flow of material from west to east is obstructed by a ridge centred on 157°E, 7°N and, prior to this study, vents which might be the source of fluid of a low enough viscosity to form the majority of the flat eastern plains had not been identified. We studied new HiRISE (25cm/px, High Resolution Science Imaging Experiment) images of the ridge between the east and west plains and observed possible source vents for this material: the ridge is cut by a series of pits and fissures which lie at the heads of flows and channels extending towards the surrounding plains. In order to establish the stratigraphic relationships between the vents and plains, this study produced large scale geomorphological maps based on the HiRISE images. The mapping showed that both incised channels and leveed flows extend onto the plain to the south of the ridge and that these were the final phase of plains-forming activity in that region. Conversely, to the north, ridge-sourced deposits only form the plains surface close to the ridge - beyond that, they are overlain by large-scale regional flows that appear to have originated from the direction of Athabasca Valles. In the southeast, a large-scale flow which does not emanate from this ridge forms the plains surface, but there is evidence that the youngest outflow activity from the ridge was contemporaneous with emplacement of this unit. We also performed crater counts to age-date the surfaces and these indicate that plains-forming and ridge-sourced units are of a

Flemish adolescents’ perceptions of cigarette plain packaging: a qualitative study with focus group discussions

PubMed Central

Van Hal, Guido; Van Roosbroeck, Sofie; Vriesacker, Bart; Arts, Matheus; Hoeck, Sarah; Fraeyman, Jessica

2012-01-01

Objectives To find out whether there is a potential impact of the appearance of a plain cigarette package on the smoking perceptions and behavioural intentions of Flemish adolescents. Design We performed a cross-sectional study using the qualitative method of focus group discussions. Setting Flemish adolescents. Participants We performed eight focus group discussions, in which 55 adolescents took part, 32 female and 23 male. Inclusion criteria were: Flemish male and female 15-year-olds to 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds to 18-year-olds attending regular high-school education or vocational training who were current or had ever been smokers. Outcome measure (planned as well as measured) The opinions and perceptions of young Flemish smokers regarding the impact of cigarette packaging on their smoking behaviour. Results Plain packages are perceived as less attractive, cheap and unreliable for young people. Because of the unattractiveness of the plain packaging, the health warnings catch the eye much more strongly. Conclusions In this first scientific study in Flanders on this topic, it emerged that plain packaging could be a strong policy tool to reduce the number of adolescents starting smoking. Validation of these findings by conducting a quantitative survey in the same target group is recommended. PMID:23242481

Diagnosis of bowel infarction: a comparison of plain films and CT scans in 23 cases.

PubMed

Smerud, M J; Johnson, C D; Stephens, D H

1990-01-01

We retrospectively reviewed abdominal CT and plain film findings in 23 proved cases of mesenteric infarction to compare the value of the two techniques. Criteria considered specific for infarction on CT were identified in nine (39%) of 23 patients and comprised pneumatosis in seven patients (30%), mesenteric or portal venous gas in three patients (13%), and focally thick-walled bowel in two patients (9%). Criteria considered specific for bowel infarction on plain films were identified in seven (30%) of 23 patients and comprised focally edematous bowel in six patients (26%) and pneumatosis intestinalis in one patient (4%). Only one patient had specific changes on both CT and plain films, but 15 (65%) of the 23 showed specific changes on at least one study. The results indicate that plain films remain an important tool in patients suspected of mesenteric infarction and can provide information that is complementary to CT. Also, as both studies were nonspecific in eight (35%) of our patients, negative or nonspecific findings should not deter further diagnostic or interventional procedures in patients in whom the clinical suspicion of bowel infarction is high.

Vertical Gradients in Water Chemistry and Age in the Southern High Plains Aquifer, Texas, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, P.B.; Böhlke, J.K.; Lehman, T.M.

2004-01-01

The southern High Plains aquifer is the primary source of water used for domestic, industrial, and irrigation purposes in parts of New Mexico and Texas. Despite the aquifer's importance to the overall economy of the southern High Plains, fundamental ground-water characteristics, such as vertical gradients in water chemistry and age, remain poorly defined. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program, water samples from nested, short-screen monitoring wells installed in the southern High Plains aquifer at two locations (Castro and Hale Counties, Texas) were analyzed for field parameters, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, dissolved organic carbon, pesticides, stable and radioactive isotopes, and dissolved gases to evaluate vertical gradients in water chemistry and age in the aquifer. Tritium measurements indicate that recent (post-1953) recharge was present near the water table and that deeper water was recharged before 1953. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen were largest (2.6 to 5.6 milligrams per liter) at the water table and decreased with depth below the water table. The smallest concentrations were less than 0.5 milligram per liter. The largest major-ion concentrations generally were detected at the water table because of the effects of overlying agricultural activities, as indicated by postbomb tritium concentrations and elevated nitrate and pesticide concentrations at the water table. Below the zone of agricultural influence, major-ion concentrations exhibited small increases with depth and distance along flow paths because of rock/water interactions and mixing with water from the underlying aquifer in rocks of Cretaceous age. The concentration increases primarily were accounted for by dissolved sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations at the water table were 2.0 to 6.1 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, and concentrations substantially decreased with depth in the aquifer to a

Treating chronic arsenic toxicity with high selenium lentil diets.

PubMed

Sah, Shweta; Vandenberg, Albert; Smits, Judit

2013-10-01

Arsenic (As) toxicity causes serious health problems in humans, especially in the Indo-Gangetic plains and mountainous areas of China. Selenium (Se), an essential micronutrient is a potential mitigator of As toxicity due to its antioxidant and antagonistic properties. Selenium is seriously deficient in soils world-wide but is present at high, yet non-toxic levels in the great plains of North America. We evaluate the potential of dietary Se in counteracting chronic As toxicity in rats through serum biochemistry, blood glutathione levels, immunotoxicity (antibody response), liver peroxidative stress, thyroid response and As levels in tissues and excreta. To achieve this, we compare diets based on high-Se Saskatchewan (SK) lentils versus low-Se lentils from United States. Rats drank control (0ppm As) or As (40ppm As) water while consuming SK lentils (0.3ppm Se) or northwestern USA lentils (<0.01ppm Se) diets for 14weeks. Rats on high Se diets had higher glutathione levels regardless of As exposure, recovered antibody responses in As-exposed group, higher fecal and urinary As excretion and lower renal As residues. Selenium deficiency caused greater hepatic peroxidative damage in the As exposed animals. Thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), were not different. After 14weeks of As exposure, health indicators in rats improved in response to the high Se lentil diets. Our results indicate that high Se lentils have a potential to mitigate As toxicity in laboratory mammals, which we hope will translate into benefits for As exposed humans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistical analysis of the radon-222 potential of rocks in Virginia, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, C. Erwin; Mose, D.G.; Mushrush, G.W.; Chrosniak, C.E.

1992-01-01

More than 3,200 indoor radon-222 (222Rn) measurements were made seasonally in an area of about 1,000 square kilometers of the Coastal Plain and Piedmont physiographic provinces in Virginia, U.S.A. Results of these measurements indicate that some geological units are associated, on the average, with twice as much indoor222Rn as other geological units, and that indoor222Rn varies seasonally. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test whether indoor222Rn concentrations for data gathered over the winter and summer seasons differ significantly by rock unit. The tests concluded that indoor222Rn concentrations for different rock units were not equal at the 5-percent significance level. The rocks associated with the highest median indoor222Rn concentration are specific rocks in the Mesozoic Culpeper basin, including shale and siltstone units with Jurassic diabase intrusives, and mica schists in the Piedmont physiographic province. The pre-Triassic Peters Creek Schist has the highest ranking in terms of indoor222Rn concentration. The rocks associated with the lowest indoor222Rn concentrations include coastal plain sediments, the Occoquan Granite, Falls Church Tonalite, Piney Branch Mafic and Ultramafic complex, and unnamed mafic and ultramafic inclusions, respectively. The rocks have been ranked according to observed222Rn concentration by transforming the average rank of indoor222Rn concentrations to z scores. ?? 1992 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Hydrologic analysis of the High Plains aquifer system in Box Butte County, Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pettijohn, R.A.; Chen, Hsiu-Hsiung

1984-01-01

During the past 40 years, pumpage of ground water for irrigation from the High Plains aquifer system underlying Box Butte County, Nebraska, has resulted in a steady decline of water levels. Consequently, a digital model of the aquifer system was constructed to evaluate various water-management alternatives. The hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer system ranges from 6 to 60 feet per day; the specific yield ranges from 12 to 21 percent; and natural recharge ranges from 0.06 to 4.33 inches annually. Predevelopment saturated thickness (1938) ranged from 190 to 510 feet. Water pumped in 1980 was estimated at 104,000 acre-feet from an estimated recoverable volume of 34.4 million acre-feet in the aquifer system. Results from model simulation predict that the area of water-level declines of 10 feet or more will increase from 336 square miles (1981) to 630 square miles by 1991 if pumpage is increased at the maximum annual rate experienced for the period 1972-81. Maximum water-level declines would increase from 50 feet (1981) to 79 feet (1991). However, pumpage rates held at the 1981 level (no further development) would limit the decline area of 10 feet or more to 530 square miles by 1991 and the maximum decline to 63 feet. (USGS)

Geophysical detection of on-site wastewater plumes in the North Carolina Coastal Plain, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Matthew

Nonpoint source pollution (NPS) continues to be the leading cause of water quality degradation in the United States. On-site wastewater systems (OWS) contribute to NPS; however, due to the range of system designs and complexity of the subsurface, OWS contributions to groundwater pollution are not well understood. As the population of coastal North Carolina continues to increase, better methods to locate and characterize wastewater impacted groundwater are needed. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of non-intrusive geophysical methods to provide high resolution information on various contaminants in different geologic settings. The goals of this study were to evaluate the utility of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and capacitively coupled resistivity (CCR) for detecting OWS components, delineating associated wastewater plumes, and monitoring temporal variations in groundwater quality. Cross-sectional and three dimensional (3D) geophysical surveys were conducted periodically over a one year period (February 2011--January 2012) at two schools utilizing OWS in the lower Neuse River Basin (NRB) in the North Carolina Coastal Plain (NCCP). Cores were collected at both study sites; as well as monthly groundwater depth, temperature, and specific conductivity measurements to better constrain the geophysical interpretations. Additionally, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and Cl concentrations were monitored bi-monthly to assess nutrient transport at the sites. The 3D GPR surveys effectively located the wastewater drainage trenches at both sites, in close agreement with locations described in as-built OWS blueprints. Regression analysis of resistivity versus groundwater specific conductivity revealed an inverse relationship, suggesting resistivity ≤ 250 ohm.m was indicative of wastewater impacted groundwater at both sites. The 3D resistivity models identified regions of low resistivity beneath the drainfields relative to background values. Regression analysis of

Occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the Spring River flood plain and tributary flood plains, Cherokee County, Kansas, 2009--11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, Kyle E.

2013-01-01

Historical mining activity in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), located in parts of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma, has resulted in a substantial ongoing input of cadmium, lead, and zinc to the environment. To provide some of the information needed to support remediation efforts in the Cherokee County, Kansas, superfund site, a 4-year study was begun in 2009 by the U.S. Geological Survey that was requested and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A combination of surficial-soil sampling and coring was used to investigate the occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the flood plains of the Spring River and several tributaries within the superfund site. Lead- and zinc-contaminated flood plains are a concern, in part, because they represent a long-term source of contamination to the fluvial environment. Lead and zinc contamination was assessed with reference to probable-effect concentrations (PECs), which represent the concentrations above which adverse aquatic biological effects are likely to occur. The general PECs for lead and zinc were 128 and 459 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. The TSMD-specific PECs for lead and zinc were 150 and 2,083 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. Typically, surficial soils in the Spring River flood plain had lead and zinc concentrations that were less than the general PECs. Lead and zinc concentrations in the surficial-soil samples were variable with distance downstream and with distance from the Spring River channel, and the largest lead and zinc concentrations usually were located near the channel. Lead and zinc concentrations larger than the general or TSMD-specific PECs, or both, were infrequent at depth in the Spring River flood plain. When present, such contamination typically was confined to the upper 2 feet of the core and frequently was confined to the upper 6 inches. Tributaries with few or no lead- and zinc-mined areas in the basin—Brush Creek

Compound-Specific Hydrogen Isotope Evidence of Late Quaternary Paleohydrologic Change from the Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lane, C.; Taylor, A. K.; Spencer, J.; Jones, K.

2017-12-01

Reconstructions of late Quaternary paleohydrology are rare from the U.S. Atlantic coastal plain (ACP). Here we present compound-specific hydrogen isotope analyses of terrestrially-derived n-alkanes (δ2Halkane) from Jones Lake and Singletary Lake in eastern North Carolina spanning the last 50,000 years. Combined with prior pollen, charcoal, and bulk sediment geochemical analyses, the δ2Halkane data indicate arid conditions during the late-Pleistocene, but marked differences in edaphic conditions at the two sites likely due to differing water table depths. The Pleistocene-Holocene transition is marked by rapid fluctuations in δ2Halkane values that resemble the Bølling Allerød and Younger Dryas climatic events indicating potential sensitivity of regional hydrology to rapid climate change. The δ2Halkane data indicate a generally mesic Holocene that supported colonization by Quercus-dominated ecosystems during the early to middle Holocene. Evidence of increased aridity on the in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina contrasts with evidence of mesic conditions in eastern North Carolina during the middle to late Holocene, a geographic pattern similar to modern teleconnected precipitation responses to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. This pattern may be indicative of a stronger Pacific basin influence on regional paleoprecipitation patterns than the distally-closer Atlantic. A transition from Quercus-to Pinus-dominated ecosystems 5500 cal yr B.P. is accompanied by a large increase in charcoal abundance, but is not coincident with any high-amplitude changes in the δ2Halkane record, indicating that precipitation variability was not likely the mechanism responsible for this ecological transition. While further development of regional paleohydrological records is necessary, the lack of a clear change in middle Holocene precipitation dynamics and the temporally-heterogeneous nature of the Quercus-Pinus transition in the region indicate prehistoric anthropogenic

Circular buffer strips in center pivot irrigation for multiple benefits in the Southern Great Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Ogallala Aquifer has converted the Southern Great Plains from a dust bowl to a highly productive agricultural region in the US. However, over exploitation of the aquifer is threatening sustainability of irrigated agriculture in the region. Partial pivots, where high water using conventional crop...

Nest success of snowy plovers (Charadrius nivosus) in the Southern high plains of Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saalfeld, S.T.; Conway, Warren C.; Haukos, D.A.; Johnson, W.P.

2011-01-01

Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus) nesting on edges of saline lakes within the Southern High Plains (SHP) of Texas are threatened by habitat degradation due to reduced artesian spring flow, making many saline lakes unsuitable for nesting and migrating shorebirds. Factors influencing nest success were evaluated, current nest success estimates in the SHP of Texas were compared to estimates obtained ten years prior, and causes and timing of nest failures determined. Overall, 215 nests were monitored from three saline lakes in 20082009, with nest success estimates from Program MARK ranging from 7-33% ( x??= 22%). The leading causes of nest failures were attributed to predation (40%) and weather (36%). Nest success was negatively influenced by number of plants within 707-cm 2 plot, positively influenced by percent surface water availability, and at one saline lake, negatively influenced by day during the nesting season (i.e., nest success declined later in the nesting season). When compared to estimates ten years prior (19981999), mean nest success has declined by 31%. If nesting Snowy Plovers continue to experience increased predation rates, decreased hydrological integrity, and habitat alterations, populations will continue to decline throughout this region.

Alcohol Warning Label Perceptions: Do Warning Sizes and Plain Packaging Matter?

PubMed

Al-Hamdani, Mohammed; Smith, Steven M

2017-01-01

There is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of stringent alcohol warning labels. Our experiment tested whether increasing the size of an alcohol health warning lowers product-based ratings. We examined whether plain packaging lowers ratings of alcohol products and the consumers who use them, increases ratings of bottle "boringness," and enhances warning recognition compared with branded packaging. A total of 440 adults (51.7% female) viewed one of three warning sizes (50%, 75%, or 90% of label surface) on either a plain or branded bottle of distilled spirits, wine, and beer. Participants also rated alcohol bottles on product-based (assessing the product itself), consumer-based (assessing perceptions of consumers of the product), and bottle boringness ratings, and then attempted to recognize the correct warning out of four choices. As expected, the size of warning labels lowered product-based ratings. Similarly, plain packaging lowered product-based and consumer-based ratings and increased bottle boringness but only for wine bottles. Further, plain packaging increased the odds of warning recognition on bottles of distilled spirits. This study shows that plain packaging and warning size (similar to the graphic warnings on cigarette packages) affect perceptions about alcohol bottles. It also shows that plain packaging increases the likelihood for correct health warning recognition, which builds the case for alcohol warning and packaging research and policy.

Novel Insect Leaf-Mining after the End-Cretaceous Extinction and the Demise of Cretaceous Leaf Miners, Great Plains, USA

PubMed Central

Donovan, Michael P.; Wilf, Peter; Labandeira, Conrad C.; Johnson, Kirk R.; Peppe, Daniel J.

2014-01-01

Plant and associated insect-damage diversity in the western U.S.A. decreased significantly at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary and remained low until the late Paleocene. However, the Mexican Hat locality (ca. 65 Ma) in southeastern Montana, with a typical, low-diversity flora, uniquely exhibits high damage diversity on nearly all its host plants, when compared to all known local and regional early Paleocene sites. The same plant species show minimal damage elsewhere during the early Paleocene. We asked whether the high insect damage diversity at Mexican Hat was more likely related to the survival of Cretaceous insects from refugia or to an influx of novel Paleocene taxa. We compared damage on 1073 leaf fossils from Mexican Hat to over 9000 terminal Cretaceous leaf fossils from the Hell Creek Formation of nearby southwestern North Dakota and to over 9000 Paleocene leaf fossils from the Fort Union Formation in North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. We described the entire insect-feeding ichnofauna at Mexican Hat and focused our analysis on leaf mines because they are typically host-specialized and preserve a number of diagnostic morphological characters. Nine mine damage types attributable to three of the four orders of leaf-mining insects are found at Mexican Hat, six of them so far unique to the site. We found no evidence linking any of the diverse Hell Creek mines with those found at Mexican Hat, nor for the survival of any Cretaceous leaf miners over the K-Pg boundary regionally, even on well-sampled, surviving plant families. Overall, our results strongly relate the high damage diversity on the depauperate Mexican Hat flora to an influx of novel insect herbivores during the early Paleocene, possibly caused by a transient warming event and range expansion, and indicate drastic extinction rather than survivorship of Cretaceous insect taxa from refugia. PMID:25058404

Coastal geomorphology of the Martian northern plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Timothy J.; Gorsline, Donn S.; Saunders, Stephen R.; Pieri, David C.; Schneeberger, Dale M.

1993-01-01

The paper considers the question of the formation of the outflow channels and valley networks discovered on the Martian northern plains during the Mariner 9 mission. Parker and Saunders (1987) and Parker et al. (1987, 1989) data are used to describe key features common both in the lower reaches of the outflow channels and within and along the margins of the entire northern plains. It is suggested, that of the geological processes capable of producing similar morphologies on earth, lacustrine or marine deposition and subsequent periglacial modification offer the simplest and most consistent explanation for the suit of features found on Mars.

Plain abdominal radiographs in acute medical emergencies: an abused investigation?

PubMed

Feyler, S; Williamson, V; King, D

2002-02-01

Plain abdominal radiographs are commonly requested for acute medical emergencies on patients with non-specific abdominal symptoms and signs. In this study 131 plain abdominal radiographs performed on the day of admission were prospectively analysed. In only 16 cases (12%) the reasons for requests conformed to the recommended guidelines by the Royal College of Radiologists. The reason for the request was stated in the case notes in only three cases. In 62 cases (47%), there was no comment made on the film by the requesting clinician. There was a discrepancy in the interpretation of the radiograph between the clinician and the radiologist in 31 cases (24%). The clinical management was influenced by plain abdominal radiographs in only nine cases (7%). The majority of plain abdominal radiographs requested on acute medical emergencies is inappropriate. There is a need to ensure guidelines are followed to prevent unnecessary exposure of patients to radiation as well as preventing expenditure on irrelevant investigations.

Plain abdominal radiographs in acute medical emergencies: an abused investigation?

PubMed Central

Feyler, S; Williamson, V; King, D

2002-01-01

Plain abdominal radiographs are commonly requested for acute medical emergencies on patients with non-specific abdominal symptoms and signs. In this study 131 plain abdominal radiographs performed on the day of admission were prospectively analysed. In only 16 cases (12%) the reasons for requests conformed to the recommended guidelines by the Royal College of Radiologists. The reason for the request was stated in the case notes in only three cases. In 62 cases (47%), there was no comment made on the film by the requesting clinician. There was a discrepancy in the interpretation of the radiograph between the clinician and the radiologist in 31 cases (24%). The clinical management was influenced by plain abdominal radiographs in only nine cases (7%). The majority of plain abdominal radiographs requested on acute medical emergencies is inappropriate. There is a need to ensure guidelines are followed to prevent unnecessary exposure of patients to radiation as well as preventing expenditure on irrelevant investigations. PMID:11807192

Plain language: a strategic response to the health literacy challenge.

PubMed

Stableford, Sue; Mettger, Wendy

2007-01-01

Low health literacy is a major challenge confronting American and international health organizations. Research in the past decade has documented the prevalence of limited literacy and limited health literacy skills among adults worldwide. This creates a major policy challenge: how to create text-based health information - a common method of health communication - that is accessible to the public. Plain language is a logical, flexible response. While touted by American, Canadian, and European health policy makers, adoption and promotion of plain language standards and skills in health-focused organizations have lagged. Most text-based health information continues to be too hard for most adults to read. Barriers to more rapid diffusion of plain language are reflected in a set of myths perpetuated by critics. These myths are identified and refuted. While plain language is only one of many broad-based solutions needed to address low health literacy, the benefits to everyone demand increased use by health organizations.

Provenance of aeolian sands in the Hetao Plain, northwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xingchen; Cai, Maotang; Ye, Peisheng; Ye, Mengni; Li, Chenglu; Wu, Hang; Lu, Jing; Wang, Tao; Zhao, Zhirong; Luzhou, Yangfan; Liu, Chao

2018-06-01

Patches of aeolian sand are distributed throughout the Hetao Plain, which pose threats to farming and agriculture. Identification of the provenance of the aeolian sands may help with efforts to alleviate ecological stress in Inner Mongolia and in the paleoenvironmental interpretation of sandy sequences. This study uses geochemical data to determine the provenance of aeolian sands from the Hetao Plain. Provenance discrimination diagrams revealed that the aeolian sands were mainly derived from mixed source felsic granites and granodiorites, which have undergone weak sedimentary recycling. The chemical index of alteration and A-CN-K data indicated that the aeolian sediments were transported over a short distance. Comparison of trace element and rare earth element (REE) ratios of the aeolian sands with rock samples from potential source areas has revealed that aeolian sand deposits in the Hetao Plain were mainly derived from Sertengshan and Yellow River sediments. The Langshan and Ordos Plateau may represent additional sand sources for the Hetao Plain.

Workshop on the Martian Northern Plains: Sedimentological, Periglacial, and Paleoclimatic Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kargel, Jeffrey S. (Editor); Moore, Jeffrey (Editor); Parker, Timothy (Editor)

1993-01-01

Papers that have been accepted for presentation at the Workshop on the Martian Northern Plains: Sedimentological, Periglacial, and Paleoclimatic Evolution, on 12-14 Aug. 1993 in Fairbanks, Alaska are included. Topics covered include: hydrological consequences of ponded water on Mars; morphological and morphometric studies of impact craters in the Northern Plains of Mars; a wet-geology and cold-climate Mars model: punctuation of a slow dynamics approach to equilibrium; the distribution of ground ice on Mars; and stratigraphy of the Martian Northern Plains.

The intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon: Their nature, origin and role in terrestrial planet evolution. Cratering histories of the intercrater plains. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leake, M. A.

1982-01-01

The intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon are defined, in part, by their high densities of small craters. The crater size frequency statistics presented in this chapter may help constrain the relative ages and origins of these surfaces. To this end, the effects of common geologic processes on crater frequency statistics are compared with the diameter frequency distributions of the intercrater regions of the Moon and Mercury. Such analyses may determine whether secondary craters dominate the distribution at small diameters, and whether volcanic plains or ballistic deposits form the intercrater surface. Determining the mass frequency distribution and flux of the impacting population is a more difficult problem. The necessary information such as scaling relationships between projectile energy and crater diameter, the relative fluxes of solar system objects, and the absolute ages of surface units is model dependent and poorly constrained, especially for Mercury.

Genomic and transcriptomic differences in community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 and USA400 strains.

PubMed

Jones, Marcus B; Montgomery, Christopher P; Boyle-Vavra, Susan; Shatzkes, Kenneth; Maybank, Rosslyn; Frank, Bryan C; Peterson, Scott N; Daum, Robert S

2014-12-19

Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality through its ability to cause a number of human infections including bacteremia, pneumonia and soft tissue infections. Of great concern is the emergence and dissemination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains (MRSA) that are resistant to nearly all β-lactams. The emergence of the USA300 MRSA genetic background among community associated S. aureus infections (CA-MRSA) in the USA was followed by the disappearance of USA400 CA-MRSA isolates. To gain a greater understanding of the potential fitness advantages and virulence capacity of S. aureus USA300 clones, we performed whole genome sequencing of 15 USA300 and 4 USA400 clinical isolates. A comparison of representative genomes of the USA300 and USA400 pulsotypes indicates a number of differences in mobile genome elements. We examined the in vitro gene expression profiles by microarray hybridization and the in vivo transcriptomes during lung infection in mice of a USA300 and a USA400 MRSA strain by performing complete genome qRT-PCR analysis. The unique presence and increased expression of 6 exotoxins in USA300 (12- to 600-fold) compared to USA400 may contribute to the increased virulence of USA300 clones. Importantly, we also observed the up-regulation of prophage genes in USA300 (compared with USA400) during mouse lung infection (including genes encoded by both prophages ΦSa2usa and ΦSa3usa), suggesting that these prophages may play an important role in vivo by contributing to the elevated virulence characteristic of the USA300 clone. We observed differences in the genetic content of USA300 and USA400 strains, as well as significant differences of in vitro and in vivo gene expression of mobile elements in a lung pneumonia model. This is the first study to document the global transcription differences between USA300 and USA400 strains during both in vitro and in vivo growth.

Denitrification in soils of hydrologically restored wetlands relative to natural and converted wetlands in the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain of the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the last several decades, there has been considerable effort to protect and restore wetlands throughout the USA. These efforts have required significant investment of both private and public funds. Accordingly, it has become important to document the effectiveness of this protection and restora...

Use of OSL dating to establish the stratigraphic framework of Quaternary eolian sediments, Anton scarp upper trench, Northeastern Colorado High Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahan, S.A.; Noe, D.C.; McCalpin, J.P.

2009-01-01

This paper contains the results of the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating used to establish stratigraphic ages and relationships of eolian sediments in a trench in northeastern Colorado, USA. This trench was located in the upper face of the Anton scarp, a major topographic lineament trending NW-SE for a distance of 135 km, in anticipation of intersecting near-surface faulting. The trench was 180 m long, 4.5-6.0 m deep, and exposed 22 m of stratigraphic section, most of which dipped gently west and was truncated by gulley channeling at the face of the scarp. No direct evidence of faulting was found in the upper trench. The stratigraphy from the trench was described, mapped and dated using OSL on quartz and potassium feldspar, and 14C obtained from woody material. OSL dating identified two upper loess units as Peoria Loess and Gilman Canyon Loess, deposited between 16 and 30 ka ago. The bottom layers of the trench were substantially older, giving OSL ages in excess of 100 ka. These older ages are interpreted as underestimates, owing to saturation of the fast component of OSL. Using OSL and 14C dating, we can constrain the erosion and down cutting of the scarp face as occurring between 16 and 5.7 ka. As the trenching investigation continues in other parts of the scarp face, the results of this preliminary study will be of importance in relating the ages of the strata that underlie different parts of the scarp, and in determining whether Quaternary faulting was a mechanism that contributed to the formation of this regional geomorphic feature.

Seasonal weather-related decision making for cattle production in the Northern Great Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

High inter-annual variability of seasonal weather patterns can greatly affect forage and therefore livestock production in the Northern Great Plains. This variability can make it difficult for ranchers to set yearly stocking rates, particularly in advance of the grazing season. To better understand ...

Young people's perceptions of cigarette packaging and plain packaging: an online survey.

PubMed

Moodie, Crawford; Ford, Allison; Mackintosh, Anne Marie; Hastings, Gerard

2012-01-01

In the United Kingdom, with most marketing channels prohibited, packaging is one of the few remaining ways that tobacco companies can promote their products. An online survey with young people aged 10-17 years (N = 658) was used to explore why youth choose cigarettes, perceptions of pack color, and perceptions of plain (nonbranded) cigarette packaging. Young people were also shown an image of 3 plain packs, which differed by shape and method of opening, and asked which they liked most and thought others their age would smoke. Price and what significant others smoke were key factors for choosing cigarettes, with packaging also an important influence. More than a third of the sample associated lighter pack color with weak tasting and less harmful cigarettes. Plain packs were rated negatively as were perceptions of plain pack users. One in 3 showed a preference for either a narrow "perfume type" plain pack or a plain "slide" pack that opened from the side, and 1 in 3 also thought that young people would smoke these packs. Packaging appears to both attract young people and mislead them about product strength and relative harm. Innovative pack construction (novel pack shape and method of opening) and the use of color are instrumental in these effects. The findings therefore suggest that any move to plain packaging should not only consider the benefits of removing branding (including color) but also of standardizing pack construction in terms of shape and method of opening.

Nitrate and herbicide loading in two groundwater basins of Illinois' sinkhole plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Panno, S.V.; Kelly, W.R.

2004-01-01

This investigation was designed to estimate the mass loading of nitrate (NO3-) and herbicides in spring water discharging from groundwater basins in an agriculturally dominated, mantled karst terrain. The loading was normalized to land use and NO3- and herbicide losses were compared to estimated losses in other agricultural areas of the Midwestern USA. Our study area consisted of two large karst springs that drain two adjoining groundwater basins (total area of 37.7 km2) in southwestern Illinois' sinkhole plain, USA. The springs and stream that they form were monitored for almost 2 years. Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations at three monitoring sites were almost always above the background concentration (1.9 mg/l). NO3-N concentrations at the two springs ranged from 1.08 to 6.08 with a median concentration of 3.61 mg/l. Atrazine and alachlor concentrations ranged from <0.01 to 34 ??g/l and <0.01 to 0.98 ??g/l, respectively, with median concentrations of 0.48 and 0.12 ??g/l, respectively. Approximately 100,000 kg/yr of NO3-N, 39 kg/yr of atrazine, and 2.8 kg/yr of alachlor were discharged from the two springs. Slightly more than half of the discharged NO3- came from background sources and most of the remainder probably came from fertilizer. This represents a 21-31% loss of fertilizer N from the groundwater basins. The pesticide losses were 3.8-5.8% of the applied atrazine, and 0.05-0.08% of the applied alachlor. The loss of atrazine adsorbed to the suspended solid fraction was about 2 kg/yr, only about 5% of the total mass of atrazine discharged from the springs. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeologic Framework of the New Jersey Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zapecza, Otto S.

1989-01-01

This report presents the results of a water-resources, oriented subsurface mapping program within the Coastal Plain of New Jersey. The occurrence and configuration of 15 regional hydrogeologic units have been defined, primarily on the basis of an interpretation of borehole geophysical data. The nine aquifers and six confining beds are composed of unconsolidated clay, silt, sand, and gravel and range in age from Cretaceous to Quaternary. Electric and gamma-ray logs from more than 1,000 Coastal Plain wells were examined. Of these, interpretive data for 302 sites were selected, on the basis of logged depth, quality of data, and data distribution, to prepare structure contour and thickness maps for each aquifer and a thickness map for each confining bed. These maps, together with 14 hydrogeologic sections, show the geometry, lateral extent, and vertical and horizontal relationships among the 15 hydrogeologic units. The hydrogeologic maps and sections show that distinct lower, middle, and upper aquifers are present within the Potomac, Raritan-Magothy aquifer system near the Delaware River from Burlington County to Salem County. Although the lower aquifer is recognized only in this area, the middle aquifer extends into the northeastern Coastal Plain of New Jersey, where it is stratigraphically equivalent to the Farrington aquifer. The upper aquifer extends throughout most of the New Jersey Coastal Plain and is stratigraphically equivalent to the Old Bridge aquifer in the northeastern Coastal Plain. The overlying Merchantville-Woodbury confining bed is the most regionally extensive confining bed within the New Jersey Coastal Plain. Its thickness ranges from less than 100 feet near the outcrop to more than 450 feet along the coast. The Englishtown aquifer system acts as a single aquifer throughout most of its subsurface extent, but it contains two water-bearing sands in pars of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The overlying Marshalltown-Wenonah confining bed is a thin, leaky

The Australian experience following plain packaging: the impact on tobacco branding.

PubMed

Greenland, Steven J

2016-12-01

Brands are critical to tobacco marketing. Industry stakeholders predicted that plain packaging, by removing key tangible branding dimensions, would restrict new products and brand differentiation. However, manufacturers respond innovatively to limit regulatory impact. This study investigates brand strategy following plain packaging's introduction to Australia. Brand portfolios were determined using 2006-15 tobacco ingredient reports. These detail the brand and variant names sold and are provided annually as part of a voluntary agreement between the Australian Government and leading manufacturers. Post-plain packaging brand ranges were verified using retail price lists and a supermarket retail audit using a method used previously to verify a period of pre-plain packaging data. The verification process identified some data inaccuracies from one manufacturer which resulted in the issuing of corrected data. After plain packaging the leading manufacturers continued with extensive brand ranges differentiated by price. All launched new products. While total brand numbers fell from 29 to 24, the mean number of variants for the leading 12 brands grew from 8.9 to 9.7. Substantial variant name modifications occurred with 50 new or modified names in 2012-13. Among leading brands, the incidence of variant colour names increased from 49.5 to 79.3%. New brands and variants were not inhibited by the introduction of plain packaging in Australia. After plain packaging, leading brand variant numbers expanded by 9 to 116 and colour variant names increased by 73.6% and became the norm-lighter colours (blue, gold and silver) dominated, perpetuating notions of less harmful cigarettes. [Correction added on 09 September 2016, after first online publication: The figures in the last sentence of the Abstract are now corrected from 'expanded by 116' to 'expanded by 9 to 116'.]. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Are plain radiographs sufficient to exclude cervical spine injuries in low-risk adults?

PubMed

Hunter, Benton R; Keim, Samuel M; Seupaul, Rawle A; Hern, Gene

2014-02-01

The routine use of clinical decision rules and three-view plain radiography to clear the cervical spine in blunt trauma patients has been recently called into question. In low-risk adult blunt trauma patients, can plain radiographs adequately exclude cervical spine injury when clinical prediction rules cannot? Four observational studies investigating the performance of plain radiographs in detecting cervical spine injury in low-risk adult blunt trauma patients were reviewed. The consistently poor performance of plain radiographs to rule out cervical spine injury in adult blunt trauma victims is concerning. Large, rigorously performed prospective trials focusing on low- or low/moderate-risk patients will be needed to truly define the utility of plain radiographs of the cervical spine in blunt trauma. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implications of Biofuel-Induced Land Use Change and Management on Irrigated Agriculture in the Texas High Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ale, S.; Chen, Y.; Rajan, N.

2016-12-01

Texas High Plains (THP) is one of the important cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growing regions in the US. Agriculture in the THP faces several challenges from declining groundwater levels and deteriorating groundwater quality in the underlying Ogallala Aquifer, and recurring droughts and severe wind erosion. Groundwater conservation districts in the THP have started setting up limits on annual allowable groundwater pumping for irrigation. Introducing cover crops in to the cotton production systems in the THP and/or changing land use from cotton to perennial bioenergy crops could not only address the above challenges, but also assist in meeting the national biofuel target. The overall goal of this study is to assess the implications of biofuel-indced land use managemt (growing winter wheat as a cover crop along with cotton) and land use change (replacing cotton with Alamo switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and Miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus)) on hydrology, water quality, wind erosion and biofuel production potential in the Double Mountain Fork Brazos watershed in the THP using the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. Results showed that, in comparison to the baseline (cotton monoculture) scenario, the average annual wind erosion reduced by 59% and 37% in irrigated and dryland areas, respectively, when winter wheat was grown as a cover crop along with cotton under the current 18-inch groundwater pumping restriction set up by the High Plains Water District. In addition, winter wheat produced about 2.6 and 2.0 Mg ha-1 of biomass for biofuel purposes under the irrigated and dryland conditions, respectively. Furthermore, the total nitrogen (TN) load and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) leaching decreased by more than 43% and 73%, respectively, under the cover crop scenario. The land use change from cotton to switchgrass (in irrigated areas) and Miscanthus (in dryland areas) decreased the TN load, NO3-N leaching and wind erosion by more than 89% relative to