Sample records for joaquin delta ca

  1. Master Contract: San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association/CTA/NEA and San Joaquin Delta Community College District, July 1987-June 1990.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    San Joaquin Delta Community Coll. District, CA.

    The collective bargaining agreement between the San Joaquin Delta Community College District Board of Trustees and the San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association/California Teachers Association/National Education Association is presented. This contract, covering the period from July 1987 through June 1990, deals with the following topics:…

  2. Modeling pesticide loadings from the San Joaquin watershed into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta using SWAT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, H.; Zhang, M.

    2016-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is an ecologically rich, hydrologically complex area that serves as the hub of California's water supply. However, pesticides have been routinely detected in the Delta waterways, with concentrations exceeding the benchmark for the protection of aquatic life. Pesticide loadings into the Delta are partially attributed to the San Joaquin watershed, a highly productive agricultural watershed located upstream. Therefore, this study aims to simulate pesticide loadings to the Delta by applying the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to the San Joaquin watershed, under the support of the USDA-ARS Delta Area-Wide Pest Management Program. Pesticide use patterns in the San Joaquin watershed were characterized by combining the California Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) database and GIS analysis. Sensitivity/uncertainty analyses and multi-site calibration were performed in the simulation of stream flow, sediment, and pesticide loads along the San Joaquin River. Model performance was evaluated using a combination of graphic and quantitative measures. Preliminary results indicated that stream flow was satisfactorily simulated along the San Joaquin River and the major eastern tributaries, whereas stream flow was less accurately simulated in the western tributaries, which are ephemeral small streams that peak during winter storm events and are mainly fed by irrigation return flow during the growing season. The most sensitive parameters to stream flow were CN2, SOL_AWC, HRU_SLP, SLSUBBSN, SLSOIL, GWQMN and GW_REVAP. Regionalization of parameters is important as the sensitivity of parameters vary significantly spatially. In terms of evaluation metric, NSE tended to overrate model performance when compared to PBIAS. Anticipated results will include (1) pesticide use pattern analysis, (2) calibration and validation of stream flow, sediment, and pesticide loads, and (3) characterization of spatial patterns and temporal trends of pesticide yield.

  3. Modeling pesticide diuron loading from the San Joaquin watershed into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta using SWAT

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Quantitative information on pesticide loading into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta waterways of northern California is critical for water resource management in the region, and potentially useful for biological weed control planning. The San Joaquin watershed, an agriculturally intensive area, is a...

  4. Use of Sediment Core Records to Understand Anthropogenic Impacts on Carbon Delivery to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Canuel, E. A.; Lerberg, E.; Kuehl, S. S.; Dickhut, R. M.; Bianchi, T. S.; Wakeham, S. G.; Smith, R.

    2008-12-01

    Anthropogenic activities, including climate change, will influence connections between the hydrologic and carbon cycles as well as the exchange of materials between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Altered precipitation will influence the delivery of water, suspended sediment and carbon, while construction of dams and reservoirs and changes in land use alter the flow paths and transport of sediment and associated materials to downstream ecosystems. We used the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta CA (Delta, hereafter) as a model system for understanding how human activities influenced the delivery and composition of organic carbon (OC) over the past 50-60 years. Sediment cores from the Delta were used to examine human impacts on carbon sources, amounts, and ages. Sediment and carbon accumulation rates were four to eight-fold higher pre-1972 relative to post-1972, coincident with completion of several large reservoirs and increased agriculture and urbanization in the Delta watershed. Several classes of biomarkers demonstrate that terrigenous OC has decreased since the 1940s. Radiocarbon isotopes of TOC and fatty acids in surface sediments indicate that much of the OC is highly reworked (900-1400 years BP) and vascular plant biomarkers have the oldest ages suggesting erosion of soils. Together, these data suggest that human activities have altered the amount, sources, and ages of carbon accumulating in the Delta. Projected increases in aridity and changes in the timing and amounts of freshwater delivery associated with anthropogenic climate change are likely to exacerbate these modifications to the delivery of carbon and sediment.

  5. Adaptive Management Methods to Protect the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Resource

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bubenheim, David

    2016-01-01

    The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub for California's water supply, conveying water from Northern to Southern California agriculture and communities while supporting important ecosystem services, agriculture, and communities in the Delta. Changes in climate, long-term drought, water quality changes, and expansion of invasive aquatic plants threatens ecosystems, impedes ecosystem restoration, and is economically, environmentally, and sociologically detrimental to the San Francisco Bay/California Delta complex. NASA Ames Research Center and the USDA-ARS partnered with the State of California and local governments to develop science-based, adaptive-management strategies for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The project combines science, operations, and economics related to integrated management scenarios for aquatic weeds to help land and waterway managers make science-informed decisions regarding management and outcomes. The team provides a comprehensive understanding of agricultural and urban land use in the Delta and the major water sheds (San Joaquin/Sacramento) supplying the Delta and interaction with drought and climate impacts on the environment, water quality, and weed growth. The team recommends conservation and modified land-use practices and aids local Delta stakeholders in developing management strategies. New remote sensing tools have been developed to enhance ability to assess conditions, inform decision support tools, and monitor management practices. Science gaps in understanding how native and invasive plants respond to altered environmental conditions are being filled and provide critical biological response parameters for Delta-SWAT simulation modeling. Operational agencies such as the California Department of Boating and Waterways provide testing and act as initial adopter of decision support tools. Methods developed by the project can become routine land and water management tools in complex river delta systems.

  6. Invasive aquatic vegetation management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta: status recommendations

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Widespread growth of invasive aquatic vegetation is a major stressor to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a region of significant agricultural, industrial, and ecological importance. Total invaded area in the Delta is increasing, with the risk of new invasions a continual threat. However, inva...

  7. Implications for future survival of delta smelt from four climate change scenarios for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, Larry R.; Bennett, William A.; Wagner, R. Wayne; Morgan-King, Tara; Knowles, Noah; Feyrer, Frederick; Schoellhamer, David H.; Stacey, Mark T.; Dettinger, Mike

    2013-01-01

    Changes in the position of the low salinity zone, a habitat suitability index, turbidity, and water temperature modeled from four 100-year scenarios of climate change were evaluated for possible effects on delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, which is endemic to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The persistence of delta smelt in much of its current habitat into the next century appears uncertain. By mid-century, the position of the low salinity zone in the fall and the habitat suitability index converged on values only observed during the worst droughts of the baseline period (1969–2000). Projected higher water temperatures would render waters historically inhabited by delta smelt near the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers largely uninhabitable. However, the scenarios of climate change are based on assumptions that require caution in the interpretation of the results. Projections like these provide managers with a useful tool for anticipating long-term challenges to managing fish populations and possibly adapting water management to ameliorate those challenges.

  8. Geologic logs of geotechnical cores from the subsurface Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Maier, Katherine L.; Ponti, Daniel J.; Tinsley, John C.; Gatti, Emma; Pagenkopp, Mark

    2014-01-01

    This report presents and summarizes descriptive geologic logs of geotechnical cores collected from 2009–12 in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, by the California Department of Water Resources. Graphic logs are presented for 1,785.7 ft of retained cores from 56 borehole sites throughout the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Most core sections are from a depth of ~100–200 feet. Cores primarily contain mud, silt, and sand lithologies. Tephra (volcanic ash and pumice), paleosols, and gravels are also documented in some core sections. Geologic observations contained in the core logs in this report provide stratigraphic context for subsequent sampling and data for future chronostratigraphic subsurface correlations.

  9. Geologic maps of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Atwater, Brian F.

    1982-01-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the arm of the San Francisco Bay estuary that reaches into the Central Valley of California, differs from typical coastal-plain deltas in three important respects.  First, rather than meeting the ocean individually and directly, all major waterways of this delta discharge via a single constricted outlet into a chain of estuarine bays and straits.  Second, in the most common vertical sequence of deposits, peat and mud deposited in tidal marshes and swamps (tidal wetlands) directly overlie alluvium or eolian sand, a sequence recording a landward spread of tidal environments rather than the seaward migration of fluvial environments that is typical of coastal-plain deltas (Cosby, 1941, p. 43; Thompson, 1957, p. 12; Shlemon and Begg, 1975, p. 259; Atwater and Belknap, 1980).  Finally, intensive human use has led to a peculiar set of conflicts involving rights to water and responsibilities for flood-control levees (Kockelman and other, 1982).

  10. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conflict: Strategic Insights for California's Policymakers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moazezi, M. R.

    2013-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - a major water supply source in California and a unique habitat for many native and invasive species--is on the verge of collapse due to a prolonged conflict over how to manage the Delta. There is an urgent need to expedite the resolution of this conflict because the continuation of the status quo would leave irreversible environmental consequences for the entire state. In this paper a systematic technique is proposed for providing strategic insights into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta conflict. Game theory framework is chosen to systematically analyze behavioral characteristics of decision makers as well as their options in the conflict with respect to their preferences using a formal mathematical language. The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR), a recent game-theoretic technique, is applied to model and analyze the Delta conflict in order to better understand the options, preferences, and behavioral characteristics of the major decision makers. GMCR II as a decision support system tool based on GMCR concept is used to facilitate the analysis of the problem through a range of non-cooperative game theoretic stability definitions. Furthermore, coalition analysis is conducted to analyze the potential for forming partial coalitions among decision makers, and to investigate how forming a coalition can influence the conflict resolution process. This contribution shows that involvement of the State of California is necessary for developing an environmental-friendly resolution for the Delta conflict. It also indicates that this resolution is only achievable through improving the fragile levee systems and constructing a new water export facility.

  11. 76 FR 9709 - Water Quality Challenges in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-22

    ... Bay Delta Estuary is the hub of California's water distribution system, supplying some or all of the... Water Quality Challenges in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary AGENCY... interested parties on possible EPA actions to address water quality conditions affecting aquatic resources in...

  12. Effects of flow diversions on water and habitat quality: Examples from California's highly manipulated Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Monsen, Nancy E.; Cloern, James E.; Burau, Jon R.

    2007-01-01

    We use selected monitoring data to illustrate how localized water diversions from seasonal barriers, gate operations, and export pumps alter water quality across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (California). Dynamics of water-quality variability are complex because the Delta is a mixing zone of water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, agricultural return water, and the San Francisco Estuary. Each source has distinct water-quality characteristics, and the contribution of each source varies in response to natural hydrologic variability and water diversions. We use simulations with a tidal hydrodynamic model to reveal how three diversion events, as case studies, influence water quality through their alteration of Delta-wide water circulation patterns and flushing time. Reduction of export pumping decreases the proportion of Sacramento- to San Joaquin-derived fresh water in the central Delta, leading to rapid increases in salinity. Delta Cross Channel gate operations control salinity in the western Delta and alter the freshwater source distribution in the central Delta. Removal of the head of Old River barrier, in autumn, increases the flushing time of the Stockton Ship Channel from days to weeks, contributing to a depletion of dissolved oxygen. Each shift in water quality has implications either for habitat quality or municipal drinking water, illustrating the importance of a systems view to anticipate the suite of changes induced by flow manipulations, and to minimize the conflicts inherent in allocations of scarce resources to meet multiple objectives.

  13. Mapping invasive aquatic vegetation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta using hyperspectral imagery.

    PubMed

    Underwood, E C; Mulitsch, M J; Greenberg, J A; Whiting, M L; Ustin, S L; Kefauver, S C

    2006-10-01

    The ecological and economic impacts associated with invasive species are of critical concern to land managers. The ability to map the extent and severity of invasions would be a valuable contribution to management decisions relating to control and monitoring efforts. We investigated the use of hyperspectral imagery for mapping invasive aquatic plant species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in the Central Valley of California, at two spatial scales. Sixty-four flightlines of HyMap hyperspectral imagery were acquired over the study region covering an area of 2,139 km(2) and field work was conducted to acquire GPS locations of target invasive species. We used spectral mixture analysis to classify two target invasive species; Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa), a submerged invasive, and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), a floating emergent invasive. At the relatively fine spatial scale for five sites within the Delta (average size 51 ha) average classification accuracies were 93% for Brazilian waterweed and 73% for water hyacinth. However, at the coarser, Delta-wide scale (177,000 ha) these accuracy results were 29% for Brazilian waterweed and 65% for water hyacinth. The difference in accuracy is likely accounted for by the broad range in water turbidity and tide heights encountered across the Delta. These findings illustrate that hyperspectral imagery is a promising tool for discriminating target invasive species within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta waterways although more work is needed to develop classification tools that function under changing environmental conditions.

  14. Conceptual model of sedimentation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schoellhamer, David H.; Wright, Scott A.; Drexler, Judith Z.

    2012-01-01

    Sedimentation in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta builds the Delta landscape, creates benthic and pelagic habitat, and transports sediment-associated contaminants. Here we present a conceptual model of sedimentation that includes submodels for river supply from the watershed to the Delta, regional transport within the Delta and seaward exchange, and local sedimentation in open water and marsh habitats. The model demonstrates feedback loops that affect the Delta ecosystem. Submerged and emergent marsh vegetation act as ecosystem engineers that can create a positive feedback loop by decreasing suspended sediment, increasing water column light, which in turn enables more vegetation. Sea-level rise in open water is partially countered by a negative feedback loop that increases deposition if there is a net decrease in hydrodynamic energy. Manipulation of regional sediment transport is probably the most feasible method to control suspended sediment and thus turbidity. The conceptual model is used to identify information gaps that need to be filled to develop an accurate sediment transport model.

  15. 33 CFR 162.205 - Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ..., Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA. 162.205 Section 162.205 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... NAVIGATION REGULATIONS § 162.205 Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA. (a) San Joaquin River Deep Water Channel between Suisun Bay and the easterly end of the channel at...

  16. 33 CFR 162.205 - Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ..., Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA. 162.205 Section 162.205 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... NAVIGATION REGULATIONS § 162.205 Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA. (a) San Joaquin River Deep Water Channel between Suisun Bay and the easterly end of the channel at...

  17. 33 CFR 162.205 - Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ..., Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA. 162.205 Section 162.205 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... NAVIGATION REGULATIONS § 162.205 Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA. (a) San Joaquin River Deep Water Channel between Suisun Bay and the easterly end of the channel at...

  18. The "Roar of Chatter" in the Library at San Joaquin Delta College. Research Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Richard B.

    Quiet signs and verbal cautioning by library staff do not decrease library noise levels as revealed by two tests using sound measuring equipment at San Joaquin Delta College. The levels in fact increased, confirming previous opinions that signs and staff intervention have little effect on patron behavior. Test methods, data, and five references…

  19. Spatial and temporal variation of biological control agents associated with Eichhornia crassipes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Invasive aquatic weeds, such as water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), severely limit the ecosystem services provided by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. As part of the biological control program in the Delta, two weevils, Neochetina bruchi and N. eichhorniae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and a...

  20. Measured flow and tracer-dye data showing the anthropogenic effects on the hydrodynamics of south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, spring 1996 and 1997

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oltmann, Richard N.

    1998-01-01

    Tidal flows were measured using acoustic Doppler current profilers and ultrasonic velocity meters during spring 1996 and 1997 in south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, when (1) a temporary barrier was installed at the head of Old River to prevent the entrance of migrating San Joaquin River salmon smolts, (2) the rate of water export from the south Delta was reduced for an extended period of time, and (3) a 30-day pulse flow was created on the San Joaquin River to move salmon smolts north away from the export facilities during spring 1997. Tracer-dye measurements also were made under these three conditions.

  1. Measured flow and tracer-dye data for spring 1996 and 1997 for the south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oltmann, Richard N.

    1999-01-01

    During the spring of years when the flow of the San Joaquin River is less than 7,000 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) a temporary rock barrier is installed by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) at the head of Old River (HOR) in the south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to prevent out migrating salmon in the San Joaquin River from entering Old River and being drawn to the State and federal pumping facilities (Figure 1). The export rate of the pumping facilities also is reduced during these migration periods to minimize the draw of fish to the export facilities through the other channels connected to the San Joaquin River north of the HOR such as Turner Cut, Columbia Cut, and Middle River.

  2. Distribution and Joint Fish-Tag Survival of Juvenile Chinook Salmon Migrating through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, 2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holbrook, Christopher M.; Perry, Russell W.; Adams, Noah S.

    2009-01-01

    Acoustic telemetry was used to obtain the movement histories of 915 juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) through the lower San Joaquin River and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, in 2008. Data were analyzed within a release-recapture framework to estimate survival, route distribution, and detection probabilities among three migration pathways through the Delta. The pathways included the primary route through the San Joaquin River and two less direct routes (Old River and Turner Cut). Strong inferences about survival were limited by premature tag failure, but estimates of fish distribution among migration routes should be unaffected by tag failure. Based on tag failure tests (N = 66 tags), we estimated that only 55-78 percent of the tags used in this study were still functioning when the last fish was detected exiting the study area 15 days after release. Due to premature tag failure, our 'survival' estimates represent the joint probability that both the tag and fish survived, not just survival of fish. Low estimates of fish-tag survival could have been caused by fish mortality or fish travel times that exceeded the life of the tag, but we were unable to differentiate between the two. Fish-tag survival through the Delta (from Durham Ferry to Chipps Island by all routes) ranged from 0.05 +or- 0.01 (SE) to 0.06 +or- 0.01 between the two weekly release groups. Among the three migration routes, fish that remained in the San Joaquin River exhibited the highest joint fish-tag survival (0.09 +or- 0.02) in both weeks, but only 22-33 percent of tagged fish used this route, depending on the week of release. Only 4-10 percent (depending on week) of tagged fish traveled through Turner Cut, but no tagged fish that used this route were detected exiting the Delta. Most fish (63-68 percent, depending on week of release) migrated through Old River, but fish-tag survival through this route (0.05 +or- 0.01) was only about one-half that of fish that

  3. Recommended Financial Plan for the Construction of a Permanent Campus for San Joaquin Delta College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bortolazzo, Julio L.

    The financial plan for the San Joaquin Delta College (California) permanent campus is presented in a table showing the gross square footage, the unit cost (including such fixed equipment as workbenches, laboratory tables, etc.), and the estimated total cost for each department. The unit costs per square foot vary from $18.00 for warehousing to…

  4. Levee Vertical Land Motion Changes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Telling, J. W.; Brooks, B. A.; Glennie, C. L.; Ericksen, T. L.; Knowles, N.

    2017-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is home to numerous islands that provide economically and agriculturally important land. However, the island interiors are sinking and most sit below sea level, making the levee roads that surround the islands vital for their continued health and productivity. Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data over the islands was collected in 2007 by the California Department of Water Resources and mobile LiDAR data was collected along the levee roads on Bacon, Bouldin, Jersey, and Brannan-Andrus Islands in 2015 and 2016 by the USGS. These datasets provide high resolution topographic models with 8 year separation that can be used to examine topographic change along the levees. A cross-section of each dataset was output along the approximate centerline of the levee road, so that profiles of the 2007 and 2015/2016 LiDAR observations could be compared. Regions of levee road subsidence and of levee road construction and reinforcement on the order of 0-3 centimeters per year were evident in locations around the islands. There is a high degree of spatial variability of these rates even for individual islands. These results were compared to the levee road maps published by the CA Delta Stewardship Council and it was found that the regions of reinforcement and subsidence did not always align between the published maps and the LiDAR data. Additionally, the levee road heights and rates of change, in regions of road subsidence, were compared to sea level rise projections to evaluate the risk that rising sea level may pose to the islands in the future.

  5. Characterizing Land Surface Change and Levee Stability in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Using UAVSAR Radar Imagery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Cathleen; Bawden, Gerald; Deverel, Steven; Dudas, Joel; Hensley, Scott

    2011-01-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is one of the primary water sources for the state of California and represents a complex geographical area comprised of tidal marshland, levee rimmed islands that are used primarily for agriculture, and urban encroachment. Land subsidence has dropped many of the Delta islands 3 to >7 meters below mean sea level and requires nearly 1700 km of levees to maintain the integrity of the islands and flow of water through the Delta. The current average subsidence rates for each island varies, with 1.23 cm/yr on Sherman Island and 2.2 cm/yr for Bacon Island, as determined by ground-based instruments located at isolated points in the Delta. The Delta's status as the most critical water resource for the state, an endangered ecosystem, and an area continuously threatened with levee breakage from hydrostatic pressure and the danger of earthquakes on several major faults in the San Francisco area make it a focus of monitoring efforts by both the state and national government. This activity is now almost entirely done by ground-based efforts, but the benefits of using remote sensing for wide scale spatial coverage and frequent temporal coverage is obvious. The UAVSAR airborne polarimetric and differential interferometric L-band synthetic aperture radar system has been used to collected monthly images of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and much of the adjacent Suisun Marsh since July 2009 to characterize levee stability, image spatially varied subsidence, and assess how well the UAVSAR performs in an area with widespread agriculture production.

  6. 234U/238U and δ87Sr in peat as tracers of paleosalinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drexler, Judith Z.; Paces, James B.; Alpers, Charles N.; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Neymark, Leonid; Bullen, Thomas D.; Taylor, Howard E.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the history of paleosalinity over the past 6000+ years in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta), which is the innermost part of the San Francisco Estuary. We used a combination of Sr and U concentrations, d87Sr values, and 234U/238U activity ratios (AR) in peat as proxies for tracking paleosalinity. Peat cores were collected in marshes on Browns Island, Franks Wetland, and Bacon Channel Island in the Delta. Cores were dated using 137Cs, the onset of Pb and Hg contamination from hydraulic gold mining, and 14C. A proof of concept study showed that the dominant emergent macrophyte and major component of peat in the Delta, Schoenoplectus spp., incorporates Sr and U and that the isotopic composition of these elements tracks the ambient water salinity across the Estuary. Concentrations and isotopic compositions of Sr and U in the three main water sources contributing to the Delta (seawater, Sacramento River water, and San Joaquin River water) were used to construct a three-end-member mixing model. Delta paleosalinity was determined by examining variations in the distribution of peat samples through time within the area delineated by the mixing model. The Delta has long been considered a tidal freshwater marsh region, but only peat samples from Franks Wetland and Bacon Channel Island have shown a consistently fresh signal (<0.5 ppt) through time. Therefore, the eastern Delta, which occurs upstream from Bacon Channel Island along the San Joaquin River and its tributaries, has also been fresh for this time period. Over the past 6000+ years, the salinity regime at the western boundary of the Delta (Browns Island) has alternated between fresh and oligohaline (0.5-5 ppt).

  7. Mercury in sport fish from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, California, USA.

    PubMed

    Davis, Jay A; Greenfield, Ben K; Ichikawa, Gary; Stephenson, Mark

    2008-02-25

    Total mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in fillet tissue of sport fish captured in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and surrounding tributaries, a region particularly impacted by historic gold and mercury mining activity. In 1999 and 2000, mercury concentrations were measured in 767 samples from ten fish species. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), the primary target species, exhibited a median Hg concentration of 0.53 mug g(-1) (N=406). Only 23 largemouth bass (6%) were below a 0.12 mug g(-1) threshold corresponding to a 4 meals per month safe consumption limit. Most of the largemouth bass (222 fish, or 55% of the sample) were above a 0.47 mug g(-1) threshold corresponding to a 1 meal per month consumption limit. Striped bass (Morone saxatilis), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), white catfish (Ameirus catus), and Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis) also had relatively high concentrations, with 31% or more of samples above 0.47 mug g(-1). Concentrations were lowest in redear (Lepomis microlophus) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) sunfish, with most samples below 0.12 mug g(-1), suggesting that targeting these species for sport and subsistence fishing may reduce human dietary exposure to Hg in the region. An improved method of analysis of covariance was performed to evaluate spatial variation in Hg in largemouth bass captured in 2000, while accounting for variability in fish length. Using this approach, Hg concentrations were significantly elevated in the Feather River, northern Delta, lower Cosumnes River, and San Joaquin River regions. In spite of elevated Hg concentrations on all of its tributaries, the central Delta had concentrations that were low both in comparison to safe consumption guidelines and to other locations.

  8. Potential exposure of larval and juvenile delta smelt to dissolved pesticides in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kuivila, K.M.; Moon, G.E.

    2004-01-01

    The San Francisco Estuary is critical habitat for delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, a fish whose abundance has declined greatly since 1983 and is now listed as threatened. In addition, the estuary receives drainage from the Central Valley, an urban and agricultural region with intense and diverse pesticide usage. One possible factor of the delta smelt population decline is pesticide toxicity during vulnerable larval and juvenile stages, but pesticide concentrations are not well characterized in delta smelt spawning and nursery habitat. The objective of this study was to estimate the potential exposure of delta smelt during their early life stages to dissolved pesticides. For 3 years (1998-2000), water samples from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta were collected during April-June in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Game's delta smelt early life stage monitoring program. Samples were analyzed for pesticides using solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Water samples contained multiple pesticides, ranging from 2 to 14 pesticides in each sample. In both 1999 and 2000, elevated concentrations of pesticides overlapped in time and space with peak densities of larval and juvenile delta smelt. In contrast, high spring outflows in 1998 transported delta smelt away from the pesticide sampling sites so that exposure could not be estimated. During 2 years, larval and juvenile delta smelt were potentially exposed to a complex mixture of pesticides for a minimum of 2-3 weeks. Although the measured concentrations were well below short-term (96-h) LC50 values for individual pesticides, the combination of multiple pesticides and lengthy exposure duration could potentially have lethal or sublethal effects on delta smelt, especially during early larval development.

  9. Methane Fluxes in a Composite Landscape in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guha, A.; Detto, M.; Baldocchi, D. D.; Goldstein, A. H.

    2009-12-01

    Much of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region post the Gold Rush era was reclaimed and drained for agriculture by building a network of ‘islands’ surrounded by levees. The exposure of organic peat soil to air has caused the peat soil to oxidize and soil to subside. Today, a combination of oxidation, subsidence, erosion, and compaction has caused many ‘islands’ to be 10 m below sea level. The continued oxidation/subsidence of the Delta peatlands is threatening long-term agricultural use of these lands by pushing the soil level further and further below sea-level. In an attempt to protect the Delta, State and Federal governmental institutions (e.g. CalFed) and local water districts are converting some of these agricultural lands back to wetlands. This is being accomplished by breaching levees, with the intent of sequestering carbon and building up the soils, by introducing flooded crops, like rice, or carbon farming by converting farm land to native tules and cattails. Knowing what the environmental trade-offs of such land conversion are on coupled carbon and water exchange is critical for proper environmental management, as there can be many unintended consequences such as the emission of greenhouse gases that promote global warming. Large greenhouse gas fluxes specially that of methane are expected from wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for a variety of reasons. This campaign aimed at measuring the methane fluxes over the complex and fragmented landscapes of the Delta where a piece of land can vary from being a slight sink of methane to a vast source depending upon land use, land cover and degree of saturation of soil. Los Gatos Research (LGR) designed and fabricated a mobile trailer which housed their latest closed-path infrared laser based absorption spectrometers for fast response in-situ measurements of methane at a frequency which permits eddy covariance technique to be applied to measure flux. The trailer was taken to selected landscapes

  10. Reconstructing paleosalinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California using major elements in peat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drexler, J. Z.; Alpers, C. N.; Taylor, H. E.; Windham-Myers, L.; Neymark, L. A.; Paces, J. B.

    2010-12-01

    Marshes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the most landward extent of the San Francisco Estuary, started forming around ~6,700 years ago. Currently, Delta marshes are classified as tidal freshwater, however it is unknown to what degree the salinity regime has varied between brackish and fresh conditions since marsh development. This information is important to managers considering major changes to the flow regime in the Delta, because such changes could impact the future sustainability of endangered species such as the Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), which live in or just upstream of the mixing zone between fresh and brackish water. The main goal of the Rates and Evolution of PEat Accretion through Time project (REPEAT II) is to reconstruct paleosalinity regimes in the Delta. We are using elemental concentrations of Na, Ca, K, and Mg (the major cations in ocean water) in peat profiles to develop a quantitative index of salinity for the past 6000+ years. We are normalizing the elemental concentrations to Ti (a proxy for inorganic sediment content because it is inversely correlated with loss on ignition, a measure of peat organic content) to correct for bias in elemental concentrations caused by variations in the inorganic sediment content of peat through time. Plots of Ti-normalized element concentration vs. peat depth (or age) indicate that Browns Island, a brackish marsh on the western edge of the Delta, has experienced significant variations in salinity through the millennia. Vertical peat profiles show a spatial trend of decreasing salinity from west (bay-side) to east (landward) (i.e., Browns Island > Sherman Island > Franks Wetland ≧ Bacon Channel Island). During the period from 2300 to 500 calibrated years before present, Na concentrations in peat at Browns Island indicate a particularly saline period, with peat containing up to 3 wt. % Na. In the last 100 years or so, salinity at Browns Island has apparently decreased and the Na content of peat

  11. Improving Aquatic Plant Management in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bubenheim, David L.; Potter, Chris

    2018-01-01

    Management of aquatic weeds in complex watersheds and river systems present many challenges to assessment, planning and implementation of management practices for floating and submerged aquatic invasive plants. The Delta Region Areawide Aquatic Weed Project (DRAAWP), a USDA sponsored area-wide project, is working to enhance planning, decision-making and operational efficiency in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Satellite and airborne remote sensing are used map (area coverage and biomass), direct operations, and assess management impacts on plant communities. Archived satellite records going are used to review results from previous climate and management events and aide in developing long-term strategies. Modeling at local and watershed scales provides insight into land-use effects on water quality. Plant growth models informed by remote sensing are being applied spatially across the Delta to balance location and type of aquatic plant, growth response to altered environments, phenology, environmental regulations, and economics in selection of management practices. Initial utilization of remote sensing tools developed for mapping of aquatic invasive weeds improved operational efficiency by focusing limited chemical use to strategic areas with high plant-control impact and incorporating mechanical harvesting when chemical use is restricted. These assessment methods provide a comprehensive and quantitative view of aquatic invasive plants communities in the California Delta, both spatial and temporal, informed by ecological understanding with the objective of improving management and assessment effectiveness.

  12. Pelagic nekton abundance and distribution in the northern Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Feyrer, Frederick; Slater, Steven B.; Portz, Donald E.; Odom, Darren; Morgan-King, Tara L.; Brown, Larry R.

    2017-01-01

    Knowledge of the habitats occupied by species is fundamental for the development of effective conservation and management actions. The collapse of pelagic fish species in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, has triggered a need to better understand factors that drive their distribution and abundance. A study was conducted in summer–fall 2014 in an attempt to identify physical and biological habitat conditions that drive the abundance and distribution of pelagic species in the northern region of the system. The study was conducted in the three largest channels in the northern Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta by dimension, volume, and flow capacity. The pelagic community was dominated by three nonnative species, Siberian prawn Exopalaemon modestus, which comprised 56% of the total number of organisms, and two fish species, Threadfin Shad Dorosoma petenense and Mississippi Silversides Menidia audens, which together comprised 43% of the total number of organisms. Total fish and total shrimp abundance were sensitive to the most extreme values of turbidity and temperature encountered and positively associated with total zooplankton biomass. The results suggested that habitat conditions in terminal channels, historically a common feature on the landscape, support higher abundances of pelagic species and zooplankton than open-ended channels. These results provide resource managers with useful information on the habitat associations of pelagic species and on how the future distribution and abundance of pelagic species will likely change in response to climate or other ecological factors.

  13. Statistical models of temperature in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta under climate-change scenarios and ecological implications

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wagner, R.W.; Stacey, M.; Brown, L.R.; Dettinger, M.

    2011-01-01

    Changes in water temperatures caused by climate change in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta will affect the ecosystem through physiological rates of fishes and invertebrates. This study presents statistical models that can be used to forecast water temperature within the Delta as a response to atmospheric conditions. The daily average model performed well (R2 values greater than 0.93 during verification periods) for all stations within the Delta and San Francisco Bay provided there was at least 1 year of calibration data. To provide long-term projections of Delta water temperature, we forced the model with downscaled data from climate scenarios. Based on these projections, the ecological implications for the delta smelt, a key species, were assessed based on temperature thresholds. The model forecasts increases in the number of days above temperatures causing high mortality (especially along the Sacramento River) and a shift in thermal conditions for spawning to earlier in the year. ?? 2011 The Author(s).

  14. Adaptive Management Using Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Modeling in Response to Climate Variability and Invasive Aquatic Plants for the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Resource

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bubenheim, D.; Potter, C. S.; Zhang, M.; Madsen, J.

    2017-12-01

    The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub for California's water supply and supports important ecosystem services, agriculture, and communities in Northern and Southern California. Expansion of invasive aquatic plants in the Delta coupled with impacts of changing climate and long-term drought is detrimental to the San Francisco Bay/California Delta complex. NASA Ames Research Center and the USDA-ARS partnered with the State of California to develop science-based, adaptive-management strategies for invasive aquatic plant management in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Specific mapping tools developed utilizing satellite and airborne platforms provide regular assessments of population dynamics on a landscape scale and support both strategic planning and operational decision making for resource managers. San Joaquin and Sacramento River watersheds water quality input to the Delta is modeled using the Soil-Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and a modified SWAT tool has been customized to account for unique landscape and management of agricultural water supply and drainage within the Delta. Environmental response models for growth of invasive aquatic weeds are being parameterized and coupled with spatial distribution/biomass density mapping and water quality to study ecosystem response to climate and aquatic plant management practices. On the water validation and operational utilization of these tools by management agencies and how they improve decision making, management effectiveness and efficiency will be discussed. The project combines science, operations, and economics related to integrated management scenarios for aquatic weeds to help land and water resource managers make science-informed decisions regarding management and outcomes.

  15. Adaptive Management Using Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Modeling in Response to Climate Variability and Invasive Aquatic Plants for the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Resource

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bubenheim, David; Potter, Christopher; Zhang, Minghua; Madsen, John

    2017-01-01

    The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub for California's water supply and supports important ecosystem services, agriculture, and communities in Northern to Southern California. Expansion of invasive aquatic plants in the Delta coupled with impacts of changing climate and long-term drought is detrimental to the San Francisco Bay/California Delta complex. NASA Ames Research Center and the USDA-ARS partnered with the State of California to develop science-based, adaptive-management strategies for invasive aquatic plant in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Specific mapping tools developed utilizing satellite and airborne platforms provide regular assessments of population dynamics on a landscape scale and support both strategic planning and operational decision making for resource managers. San Joaquin and Sacramento River watersheds water quality input to the Delta is modeled using the Soil-Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and a modified SWAT tool has been customized to account for unique landscape and management of agricultural water supply and drainage within the Delta. Environmental response models for growth of invasive aquatic weeds are being parameterized and coupled with spatial distribution/biomass density mapping and water quality to study ecosystem response to climate and aquatic plant management practices. On the water validation and operational utilization of these tools by management agencies and how they are improving decision making, management effectiveness and efficiency will be discussed. The project combines science, operations, and economics related to integrated management scenarios for aquatic weeds to help land and water resource managers make science-informed decisions regarding management and outcomes.

  16. Quaternary tephrochronology and deposition in the subsurface Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, U.S.A.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Maier, Katherine L.; Gatti, Emma; Wan, Elmira; Ponti, Daniel J.; Pagenkopp, Mark; Starratt, Scott W.; Olson, Holly A.; Tinsley, John

    2015-01-01

    We document characteristics of tephra, including facies and geochemistry, from 27 subsurface sites in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, to obtain stratigraphic constraints in a complex setting. Analyzed discrete tephra deposits are correlative with: 1) an unnamed tephra from the Carlotta Formation near Ferndale, California, herein informally named the ash of Wildcat Grade (<~1.450 - >~0.780 Ma), 2) the Rockland ash bed (~0.575 Ma), 3) the Loleta ash bed (~0.390 Ma), and 4) a middle Pleistocene tephra resembling volcanic ash deposits at Tulelake, California, and Pringle Falls, Bend, and Summer Lake, Oregon, herein informally named the dacitic ash of Hood (<~0.211 to >~0.180 Ma, correlated age). All four tephra are derived from Cascades volcanic sources. The Rockland ash bed erupted from the southern Cascades near Lassen Peak, California, and occurs in deposits up to >7 m thick as observed in core samples taken from ~40 m depth below land surface. Tephra facies and tephra age constraints suggest rapid tephra deposition within fluvial channel and overbank settings, likely related to flood events shortly following the volcanic eruption. Such rapidly deposited tephra are important chronostratigraphic markers that suggest varying sediment accumulation rates (~0.07-0.29 m/1000 yr) in Quaternary deposits below the modern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This study provides the first steps in developing a subsurface Quaternary stratigraphic framework necessary for future hazard assessment.

  17. Estimating sediment budgets at the interface between rivers and estuaries with application to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wright, S.A.; Schoellhamer, D.H.

    2005-01-01

    [1] Where rivers encounter estuaries, a transition zone develops where riverine and tidal processes both affect sediment transport processes. One such transition zone is the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a large, complex system where several rivers meet to form an estuary (San Francisco Bay). Herein we present the results of a detailed sediment budget for this river/estuary transitional system. The primary regional goal of the study was to measure sediment transport rates and pathways in the delta in support of ecosystem restoration efforts. In addition to achieving this regional goal, the study has produced general methods to collect, edit, and analyze (including error analysis) sediment transport data at the interface of rivers and estuaries. Estimating sediment budgets for these systems is difficult because of the mixed nature of riverine versus tidal transport processes, the different timescales of transport in fluvial and tidal environments, and the sheer complexity and size of systems such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Sediment budgets also require error estimates in order to assess whether differences in inflows and outflows, which could be small compared to overall fluxes, are indeed distinguishable from zero. Over the 4 year period of this study, water years 1999-2002, 6.6 ?? 0.9 Mt of sediment entered the delta and 2.2 ?? 0.7 Mt exited, resulting in 4.4 ?? 1.1 Mt (67 ?? 17%) of deposition. The estimated deposition rate corresponding to this mass of sediment compares favorably with measured inorganic sediment accumulation on vegetated wetlands in the delta.

  18. Ambient Noise Tomography In The Great Valley, California Near The Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fletcher, J. B.; Seats, K.; Lawrence, J. F.; Erdem, J.

    2013-12-01

    We use ambient noise tomography to develop a shear-wave velocity model of the Great Valley centered on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, which is located just west of Stockton, CA. The 3-D model is needed for ground motion simulations resulting from Delta and Bay area earthquakes to better estimate the seismic hazard for sites in the Delta. We analyze ground motion data from a 24-station network consisting of up to 14 USGS stations, 5 Berkeley Digital Seismic Net (BDSN) stations, and 5 Transportable Array (TA) stations that were deployed in 2006 and 2007. Ground motions are measured using broadband seismometers with a broad frequency response from about 0.016 to 20 Hz or greater. Seismograms are Fourier transformed in 1 hour overlapping segments and coherencies (normalized cross correlations) between stations are computed. Coherencies are stacked for a minimum of 8 months in 2006 to over 17 months starting in January 2012. Time series, transformed from coherencies that are filtered in narrow bands centered at periods from about 4.5s to 20s are used to determine the group velocity dispersion curves between pairs of stations. A velocity model is imaged for each period. Smoothing is applied. We considered block sizes ranging from 0.05° to 0.10° and obtained the best resolution at 0.08° (8.9 km). Checkerboard tests show that the full set of stations yields adequate resolution throughout the Delta. We image an irregular low-velocity structure (-0.1 to -0.2 km/s below average of 1.55 km/s at 5.5s period) that is roughly coincident with the Delta, but extends about 40 km to the north at short periods (4s to 10s). At longer periods, the low-velocity structure shrinks in area as the periods increase (up to 18.5s) and the center shifts about 20 km to the north. Also, at longer periods, higher velocities form a 130 km wide band on the eastern margin of the study area presumably indicating basement velocities of the western edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the

  19. Initial Development of Riparian and Marsh Vegetation on Dredged-material Islands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California

    Treesearch

    A. Sidney England; Mark K. Sogge; Roy A. Woodward

    1989-01-01

    Natural vegetation establishment and development were monitored for 3 1/2 years on a new, dredged-material island located within the breached levees at Donlon Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Vegetation measurements and maps prepared annually indicate that marsh and riparian vegetation types have developed rapidly. Topographic data for the island has...

  20. Effects of human alterations on the hydrodynamics and sediment transport in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marineau, Mathieu D.; Wright, Scott A.

    2015-01-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, (Delta) has been significantly altered since the mid-nineteenth century. Many existing channels have been widened or deepened and new channels have been created for navigation and water conveyance. Tidal marshes have been drained and leveed to form islands that have subsided, some of which have permanently flooded. To understand how these alterations have affected hydrodynamics and sediment transport in the Delta, we analysed measurements from 27 sites, along with other spatial data, and previous literature. Results show that: (a) the permanent flooding of islands results in an increase in the shear velocity of channels downstream, (b) artificial widening and deepening of channels generally results in a decrease in shear velocity except when the channel is also located downstream of a flooded island, (c) 1.5 Mt/year of sediment was deposited in the Delta (1997–2010), and of this deposited sediment, 0.31 Mt/year (21%) was removed through dredging.

  1. Sources, bioavailability, and photoreactivity of dissolved organic carbon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stepanauskas, R.; Moran, M.A.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Hollibaugh, J.T.

    2005-01-01

    We analyzed bioavailability, photoreactivity, fluorescence, and isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) collected at 13 stations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta during various seasons to estimate the persistence of DOC from diverse shallow water habitat sources. Prospective large-scale wetland restorations in the Delta may change the amount of DOC available to the food web as well as change the quality of Delta water exported for municipal use. Our study indicates that DOC contributed by Delta sources is relatively refractory and likely mostly the dissolved remnants of vascular plant material from degrading soils and tidal marshes rather than phytoplankton production. Therefore, the prospective conversion of agricultural land into submerged, phytoplankton-dominated habitats may reduce the undesired export of DOC from the Delta to municipal users. A median of 10% of Delta DOC was rapidly utilizable by bacterioplankton. A moderate dose of simulated solar radiation (286 W m-2 for 4 h) decreased the DOC bioavailability by an average of 40%, with a larger relative decrease in samples with higher initial DOC bioavailability. Potentially, a DOC-based microbial food web could support ???0.6 ?? 109 g C of protist production in the Delta annually, compared to ???17 ?? 109 g C phytoplankton primary production. Thus, DOC utilization via the microbial food web is unlikely to play an important role in the nutrition of Delta zooplankton and fish, and the possible decrease in DOC concentration due to wetland restoration is unlikely to have a direct effect on Delta fish productivity. ?? Springer 2005.

  2. 78 FR 6814 - Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Sacramento-San Joaquin...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-31

    ... an Environmental Impact Statement for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Islands and Levees Feasibility... Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Islands and Levees Feasibility Study (Delta Study). The EIS will be prepared in... environmental analysis should be received at (see ADDRESSES) by March 15, 2013. ADDRESSES: Written comments...

  3. The nature of organic carbon in density-fractionated sediments in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (California)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wakeham, S. G.; Canuel, E. A.

    2015-10-01

    Rivers are the primary means by which sediments and carbon are transported from the terrestrial biosphere to the oceans but gaps remain in our understanding of carbon associations from source to sink. Bed sediments from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (CA) were fractionated according to density and analyzed for sediment mass distribution, elemental (C and N) composition, mineral surface area, and stable carbon and radiocarbon isotope compositions of organic carbon (OC) and fatty acids to evaluate the nature of organic carbon in river sediments. OC was unevenly distributed among density fractions. Mass and TOC were in general concentrated in mesodensity (1.6-2.0 and 2.0-2.5 g cm-3) fractions, comprising 84.0 ± 1.3 % of total sediment mass and 80.8 ± 13.3 % of total OC (TOC). Low density (< 1.6 g cm-3) material, although rich in OC (34.0 ± 2.0 % OC) due to woody debris, constituted only 17.3 ± 12.8 % of TOC. High density (> 2.5 g cm-3) organic-poor, mineral material made-up 13.7 ± 1.4 % of sediment mass and 2.0 ± 0.9 % of TOC. Stable carbon isotope compositions of sedimentary OC were relatively uniform across bulk and density fractions (δ13C -27.4 ± 0.5 ‰). Radiocarbon content varied from Δ14C values of -382 (radiocarbon age 3800 yr BP) to +94 ‰ (modern) indicating a~mix of young and pre-aged OC. Fatty acids were used to further constrain the origins of sedimentary OC. Short-chain n-C14-n-C18 fatty acids of algal origin were depleted in δ13C (δ13C -37.5 to -35.2 ‰) but were enriched in 14C (Δ14C > 0) compared to long-chain n-C24-n-C28 acids of vascular plant origins with higher δ13C (-33.0 to -31.0 ‰) but variable Δ14C values (-180 and 61 ‰). These data demonstrate the potentially complex source and age distributions found within river sediments and provide insights about sediment and organic matter supply to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

  4. Land subsidence along the Delta-Mendota Canal in the northern part of the San Joaquin Valley, California, 2003-10

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sneed, Michelle; Brandt, Justin; Solt, Mike

    2013-01-01

    Extensive groundwater withdrawal from the unconsolidated deposits in the San Joaquin Valley caused widespread aquifer-system compaction and resultant land subsidence from 1926 to 1970—locally exceeding 8.5 meters. The importation of surface water beginning in the early 1950s through the Delta-Mendota Canal and in the early 1970s through the California Aqueduct resulted in decreased pumping, initiation of water-level recovery, and a reduced rate of compaction in some areas of the San Joaquin Valley. However, drought conditions during 1976–77 and 1987–92, and drought conditions and regulatory reductions in surface-water deliveries during 2007–10, decreased surface-water availability, causing pumping to increase, water levels to decline, and renewed compaction. Land subsidence from this compaction has reduced freeboard and flow capacity of the Delta-Mendota Canal, the California Aqueduct, and other canals that deliver irrigation water and transport floodwater. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority, assessed land subsidence in the vicinity of the Delta-Mendota Canal as part of an effort to minimize future subsidence-related damages to the canal. The location, magnitude, and stress regime of land-surface deformation during 2003–10 were determined by using extensometer, Global Positioning System (GPS), Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), spirit leveling, and groundwater-level data. Comparison of continuous GPS, shallow extensometer, and groundwater-level data, combined with results from a one-dimensional model, indicated the vast majority of the compaction took place beneath the Corcoran Clay, the primary regional confining unit. Land-surface deformation measurements indicated that much of the northern portion of the Delta-Mendota Canal (Clifton Court Forebay to Check 14) was fairly stable or minimally subsiding on an annual basis; some areas showed

  5. An introduction to high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.

    2017-07-11

    Executive SummaryThis report is the first in a series of three reports that provide information about high-frequency (HF) nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of northern California (Delta). This first report provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind collecting HF measurements, and describes the benefits associated with a real-time, continuous, HF, multi-parameter water quality monitoring station network that is co-located with flow stations. It then provides examples of how HF nutrient measurements have improved our understating of nutrient sources and cycling in aquatic systems worldwide, followed by specific examples from the Delta. These examples describe the ways in which HF instrumentation may be used for both fixed-station and spatial assessments. The overall intent of this document is to describe how HF measurements currently (2017) are being used in the Delta to examine the relationship between nutrient concentrations, nutrient cycling, and aquatic habitat conditions.The second report in the series (Downing and others, 2017) summarizes information about HF nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring in the northern Delta. The report synthesizes data available from the nutrient and water quality monitoring network currently operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in this ecologically important region of the Delta. In the report, we present and discuss the available data at various timescales—first, at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales; and, second, for comparison, at the tidal and event (for example, storms, reservoir releases, phytoplankton blooms) timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate concentrations at short timescales within hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. This multi-scale, high variability affects calculation of fluxes and loads, indicating that HF

  6. Evidence of a Shift in the Littoral Fish Community of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

    PubMed

    Mahardja, Brian; Farruggia, Mary Jade; Schreier, Brian; Sommer, Ted

    2017-01-01

    Many estuarine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide have undergone substantial changes due to multiple anthropogenic stressors. Over the past two decades, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) in California, USA, saw a severe decline in pelagic fishes, a shift in zooplankton community composition, and a rapid expansion of invasive aquatic vegetation. To evaluate whether major changes have also occurred in the littoral fish community, we analyzed a beach seine survey dataset collected from 1995 to 2015 from 26 sites within the Delta. We examined changes in the Delta fish community at three different ecological scales (species, community, and biomass), using clustering analyses, trend tests, and change-point analyses. We found that the annual catch per effort for many introduced species and some native species have increased since 1995, while few experienced a decline. We also observed a steady pattern of change over time in annual fish community composition, driven primarily by a steady increase in non-native Centrarchid species. Lastly, we found that littoral fish biomass has essentially doubled over the 21-year study period, with Mississippi Silverside Menidia audens and fishes in the Centrarchidae family driving most of this increase. The changes in the catch per effort, fish community composition, and biomass per volume indicate that a shift has occurred in the Delta littoral fish community and that the same factors affecting the Delta's pelagic food web may have been a key driver of change.

  7. Water management controls net carbon exchange in drained and flooded agricultural peatlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatala, J.; Detto, M.; Sonnentag, O.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Baldocchi, D. D.

    2011-12-01

    Draining peatlands for agricultural cultivation creates an ecosystem shift with some of the fastest rates and largest magnitudes of carbon loss attributable to land-use change, yet peatland drainage is practiced around the world due to the high economic benefit of fertile soil. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California was drained at the end of the 19th century for agriculture and human settlement, and as a result, has lost 5-8m of peat soil due to oxidation. To reverse subsidence and capture carbon, there is increasing interest in converting drained agricultural land-uses back to flooded conditions to inhibit further peat oxidation. However, this method remains relatively untested at the landscape-scale. This study analyzed the short-term effects of drained to flooded land-use conversion on the balance of carbon, water, and energy over two years at two landscapes in the Delta. We used the eddy covariance method to compare CO2, CH4, H2O, and energy fluxes under the same meteorological conditions in two different land-use types: a drained pasture grazed by cattle, and a flooded newly-converted rice paddy. By analyzing differences in the fluxes from these two land-use types we determined that water management and differences in the plant canopy both play a fundamental role in governing the seasonal pattern and the annual budgets of CO2 and CH4 fluxes at these two sites. While the pasture was a source of carbon to the atmosphere in both years, the rice paddy captured carbon through NEE, even after considering losses from CH4. Especially during the fallow winter months, flooding the soil at the rice paddy inhibited loss of CO2 through ecosystem respiration when compared with the carbon exchange from the drained pasture.

  8. USGS science at work in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta estuary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shouse, Michelle K.; Cox, Dale A.

    2013-01-01

    The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta form one of the largest estuaries in the United States. The “Bay-Delta” system provides water to more than 25 million California residents and vast farmlands, as well as key habitat for birds, fish, and other wildlife. To help ensure the health of this crucial estuary, the U.S. Geological Survey, in close cooperation with partner agencies and organizations, is providing science essential to addressing societal issues associated with water quantity and quality, sediment transportation, environmental contamination, animal health and status, habitat restoration, hazards, ground subsidence, and climate change.

  9. Urban and agricultural sources of pyrethroid insecticides to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California.

    PubMed

    Weston, Donald P; Lydy, Michael J

    2010-03-01

    While studies have documented the presence of pyrethroid insecticides at acutely toxic concentrations in sediments, little quantitative data on sources exist. Urban runoff, municipal wastewater treatment plants and agricultural drains in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta were sampled to understand their importance as contributors of these pesticides to surface waters. Nearly all residential runoff samples were toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and contained pyrethroids at concentrations exceeding acutely toxic thresholds, in many cases by 10-fold. Toxicity identification evaluation data were consistent with pyrethroids, particularly bifenthrin and cyfluthrin, as the cause of toxicity. Pyrethroids passed through secondary treatment systems at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and were commonly found in the final effluent, usually near H. azteca 96-h EC(50) thresholds. Agricultural discharges in the study area only occasionally contained pyrethroids and were also occasional sources of toxicity related to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos. Discharge of the pyrethroid bifenthrin via urban stormwater runoff was sufficient to cause water column toxicity in two urban creeks, over at least a 30 km reach of the American River, and at one site in the San Joaquin River, though not in the Sacramento River.

  10. Evidence of a Shift in the Littoral Fish Community of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    PubMed Central

    Farruggia, Mary Jade; Schreier, Brian; Sommer, Ted

    2017-01-01

    Many estuarine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide have undergone substantial changes due to multiple anthropogenic stressors. Over the past two decades, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) in California, USA, saw a severe decline in pelagic fishes, a shift in zooplankton community composition, and a rapid expansion of invasive aquatic vegetation. To evaluate whether major changes have also occurred in the littoral fish community, we analyzed a beach seine survey dataset collected from 1995 to 2015 from 26 sites within the Delta. We examined changes in the Delta fish community at three different ecological scales (species, community, and biomass), using clustering analyses, trend tests, and change-point analyses. We found that the annual catch per effort for many introduced species and some native species have increased since 1995, while few experienced a decline. We also observed a steady pattern of change over time in annual fish community composition, driven primarily by a steady increase in non-native Centrarchid species. Lastly, we found that littoral fish biomass has essentially doubled over the 21-year study period, with Mississippi Silverside Menidia audens and fishes in the Centrarchidae family driving most of this increase. The changes in the catch per effort, fish community composition, and biomass per volume indicate that a shift has occurred in the Delta littoral fish community and that the same factors affecting the Delta’s pelagic food web may have been a key driver of change. PMID:28118393

  11. 1967-1968 Project Reports by Faculty Members of San Joaquin Delta College: A Project under Title III, Higher Education Act of 1965.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bullard, Richard F., Ed.

    These 17 curriculum studies by faculty members of San Joaquin Delta Junior College were funded under Title III of The Higher Education Act of 1965. They were intended to help initiate new courses, improve existing ones, or plan for future ones. Each project report gave its objective(s), the general methods for its development and completion, the…

  12. Age Determination of the Remaining Peat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drexler, Judith Z.; de Fontaine, Christian S.; Knifong, Donna L.

    2007-01-01

    Introduction The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California was once a 1,400 square kilometer (km2) tidal marsh, which contained a vast layer of peat ranging up to 15 meters (m) thick (Atwater and Belknap, 1980). Because of its favorable climate and highly fertile peat soils, the majority of the Delta was drained and reclaimed for agriculture during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Drainage of the peat soils changed the conditions in the surface layers of peat from anaerobic (having no free oxygen present) to aerobic (exposed to the atmosphere). This change in conditions greatly increased the decomposition rate of the peat, which consists largely of organic (plant) matter. Thus began the process of land-surface subsidence, which initially was a result of peat shrinkage and compaction, and later largely was a result of oxidation by which organic carbon in the peat essentially vaporized to carbon dioxide (Deverel and others, 1998; Ingebritsen and Ikehara, 1999). Because of subsidence, the land-surface elevation on farmed islands in the Delta has decreased from a few meters to as much as 8 m below local mean sea level (California Department of Water Resources, 1995; Steve Deverel, Hydrofocus, Inc., written commun., 2007). The USGS, in collaboration with the University of California at Davis, and Hydrofocus Inc. of Davis, California, has been studying the formation of the Delta and the impact of wetland reclamation on the peat column as part of a project called Rates and Evolution of Peat Accretion through Time (REPEAT). The purpose of this report is to provide results on the age of the remaining peat soils on four farmed islands in the Delta.

  13. Site Response and Basin Waves in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fletcher, Jon Peter B.; Boatwright, John

    2013-01-01

    The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is an inland delta at the western extent of the Central Valley. Levees were built around swampy islands starting after the Civil War to reclaim these lands for farming. Various studies show that these levees could fail in concert from shaking from a major local or regional earthquake resulting in salty water from the San Francisco Bay contaminating the water in the Delta. We installed seismographs around the Delta and on levees to assess the contribution of site response to the seismic hazard of the levees. Cone penetrometer testing shows that the upper 10 s of meters of soil in the Delta have shear‐wave velocities of about 200  m/s, which would give a strong site response. Seismographs were sited following two strategies: pairs of stations to compare the response of the levees to nearby sites, and a more regional deployment in the Delta. Site response was determined in two different ways: a traditional spectral ratio (TSR) approach of S waves using station BDM of the Berkeley Digital Seismic Net as a reference site, and using SH/SV ratios of noise (or Nakamura’s method). Both estimates usually agree in spectral character for stations whose response is dominated by a resonant peak, but the most obvious peaks in the SH/SV ratios usually are about two‐thirds as large as the main peaks in the TSRs. Levee sites typically have large narrow resonances in the site response function compared to sites in the farmland of the Delta. These resonances, at a frequency of about 1–3 Hz, have amplitudes of about 15 with TSR and 10–12 with Nakamura’s method. Sites on farmland in the Delta also have amplifications, but these are typically broader and not as resonant in appearance. Late (slow) Rayleigh waves were recorded at stations in the Delta, have a dominant period of about one second, and are highly monochromatic. Results from a three‐station array at the Holland Marina suggest that they have a phase velocity of about

  14. 78 FR 39597 - Safety Zone; Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks, San Joaquin River, Venice Island, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-02

    ... Zone; Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks, San Joaquin River, Venice Island, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... the Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks in the Captain of the Port, San Francisco area of responsibility...'' W (NAD83) for the Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks in 33 CFR 165.1191, Table 1, Item number 17. This...

  15. Continuous Water Quality Monitoring in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to support Ecosystem Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Downing, B. D.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Pellerin, B. A.; Saraceno, J.; Sauer, M.; Kraus, T. E.; Burau, J. R.; Fujii, R.

    2013-12-01

    Characterizing habitat quality and nutrient availability to food webs is an essential step for understanding and predicting the success of pelagic organisms in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta). The difficulty is that water quality and nutrient supply changes continuously as tidal and wind-driven currents move new water parcels to and from comparatively static geomorphic settings. Understanding interactions between nutrient cycling, suspended sediment, and plankton dynamics with flow and tidal range relative to position in the estuary is critical to predicting and managing bottom up effects on aquatic habitat in the Delta. Historically, quantifying concentrations and loads in the Delta has relied on water quality data collected at monthly intervals. Current in situ optical sensors for nutrients, dissolved organic matter (DOM) and algal pigments (chlorophyll-A, phycocyanin) allow for real-time, high-frequency measurements on time scales of seconds, and extending up to years. Such data is essential for characterizing changes in water quality over short and long term temporal scales as well as over broader spatial scales. High frequency water quality data have been collected at key stations in the Delta since 2012. Sensors that continuously measure nitrate, DOM, algal pigments and turbidity have been co-located at pre-existing Delta flow monitoring stations. Data from the stations are telemetered to USGS data servers and are designed to run autonomously with a monthly service interval, where sensors are cleaned and checked against calibration standards. The autonomous system is verified against discrete samples taken monthly and intensively over periodic ebb to flood tidal cycles. Here we present examples of how coupled optical and acoustic data from the sensor network to improve our understanding of nutrient and DOM dynamics and fluxes. The data offer robust quantitative estimates of concentrations and constituent fluxes needed to investigate biogeochemical

  16. Levee Seepage Detection in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Using Polarimetric SAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    An, K.; Jones, C. E.; Bekaert, D. P.

    2017-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta's extensive levee system protects over 2,800 km2 of reclaimed lands and serves as the main irrigation and domestic water supply for the state of California. However, ongoing subsidence and disaster threats from floods and earthquakes make the Delta levee system highly vulnerable, endangering water supplies for 23 million California residents and 2.5 million acres of agricultural land. Levee failure in the Delta can cause saltwater intrusion from San Francisco Bay, reducing water quality and curtailing water exports to residents, commercial users, and farmers. To protect the Delta levee system, it is essential to search for signs of seepage in which water is piping through or beneath levees, which can be associated with deformation of the levees themselves. Until now, in-situ monitoring has largely been applied, however, this is a time-consuming and expensive approach. We use data acquired with NASA's UAVSAR (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) airborne radar instrument to identify and characterize levee seepages and associated land subsidence through advanced remote sensing technologies. The high spatial resolution of UAVSAR can help to direct surveys to areas that are likely to be experiencing damage. UAVSAR is an L-band airborne sensor with high signal-to-noise ratio, repeat flight track accuracy, and spatial resolution of 7x7 m2 (for multi-looked products) that is necessary for detailed levee monitoring. The adaptability of radar instruments in their ability to see through smoke, haze, and clouds during the day or night, is especially relevant during disaster events, when cloud cover or lack of solar illumination inhibits traditional visual surveys of damage. We demonstrate the advantages of combining polarimetric radar imagery with geographic information systems (GIS) datasets in locating seepage features along critical levee infrastructure in the Delta for 2009-2016. The ability to efficiently locate potential

  17. Innovation in monitoring: The U.S. Geological Survey Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, California, flow-station network

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burau, Jon; Ruhl, Cathy; Work, Paul A.

    2016-01-29

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) installed the first gage to measure the flow of water into California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta from the Sacramento River in the late 1800s. Today, a network of 35 hydro-acoustic meters measure flow throughout the delta. This region is a critical part of California’s freshwater supply and conveyance system. With the data provided by this flow-station network—sampled every 15 minutes and updated to the web every hour—state and federal water managers make daily decisions about how much freshwater can be pumped for human use, at which locations, and when. Fish and wildlife scientists, working with water managers, also use this information to protect fish species affected by pumping and loss of habitat. The data are also used to help determine the success or failure of efforts to restore ecosystem processes in what has been called the “most managed and highly altered” watershed in the country.

  18. Determining Water Quality Trends in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed in the Face of Climate Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kynett, K.; Azimi-Gaylon, S.; Doidic, C.

    2014-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh (Delta) is the largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas and is a resource of local, State, and national significance. The Delta is simultaneously the most critical component of California's water supply, a primary focus of the state's ecological conservation measures, and a vital resource deeply imperiled by degraded water quality. Delta waterbodies are identified as impaired by salinity, excess nutrients, low dissolved oxygen, pathogens, pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants. Climate change is expected to exacerbate the impacts of existing stressors in the Delta and magnify the challenges of managing this natural resource. A clear understanding of the current state of the watershed is needed to better inform scientists, decision makers, and the public about potential impacts from climate change. The Delta Watershed Initiative Network (Delta WIN) leverages the ecological benefits of healthy watersheds, and enhances, expands and creates opportunities for greater watershed health by coordinating with agencies, established programs, and local organizations. At this critical junction, Delta WIN is coordinating data integration and analysis to develop better understanding of the existing and emerging water quality concerns. As first steps, Delta WIN is integrating existing water quality data, analyzing trends, and monitoring to fill data gaps and to evaluate indicators of climate change impacts. Available data will be used for trend analysis; Delta WIN will continue to monitor where data is incomplete and new questions arise. Understanding how climate change conditions may affect water quality will be used to inform efforts to build resilience and maintain water quality levels which sustain aquatic life and human needs. Assessments of historical and new data will aid in recognition of potential climate change impacts and in initiating implementation of best management practices in collaboration with

  19. Characterizing land surface change and levee stability in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta using UAVSAR radar imagery

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jones, C.; Bawden, G.; Deverel, S.; Dudas, J.; Hensley, S.

    2011-01-01

    The islands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have been subject to subsidence since they were first reclaimed from the estuary marshlands starting over 100 years ago, with most of the land currently lying below mean sea level. This area, which is the primary water resource of the state of California, is under constant threat of inundation from levee failure. Since July 2009, we have been imaging the area using the quad-polarimetric UAVSAR L-band radar, with eighteen data sets collected as of April 2011. Here we report results of our polarimetric and differential interferometric analysis of the data for levee deformation and land surface change. ?? 2011 IEEE.

  20. Dissolved pesticide concentrations entering the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, California, 2012-13

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Orlando, James L.; McWayne, Megan; Sanders, Corey; Hladik, Michelle

    2014-01-01

    Surface-water samples were collected from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers where they enter the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, and analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey for a suite of 99 current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates. Samples were collected twice per month from May 2012 through July 2013 and from May 2012 through April 2013 at the Sacramento River at Freeport, and the San Joaquin River near Vernalis, respectively. Samples were analyzed by two separate laboratory methods by using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Method detection limits ranged from 0.9 to 10.5 nanograms per liter (ng/L). A total of 37 pesticides and degradates were detected in water samples collected during the study (18 herbicides, 11 fungicides, 7 insecticides, and 1 synergist). The most frequently detected pesticides overall were the herbicide hexazinone (detected in 100 percent of the samples); 3,4-dichloroaniline (97 percent), which is a degradate of the herbicides diuron and propanil; the fungicide azoxystrobin (83 percent); and the herbicides diuron (72 percent), simazine (66 percent), and metolachlor (64 percent). Insecticides were rarely detected during the study. Pesticide concentrations varied from below the method detection limits to 984 ng/L (hexazinone). Twenty seven pesticides and (or) degradates were detected in Sacramento River samples, and the average number of pesticides per sample was six. The most frequently detected compounds in these samples were hexazinone (detected in 100 percent of samples), 3,4-dichloroaniline (97 percent), azoxystrobin (88 percent), diuron (56 percent), and simazine (50 percent). Pesticides with the highest detected maximum concentrations in Sacramento River samples included the herbicide clomazone (670 ng/L), azoxystrobin (368 ng/L), 3,4-dichloroaniline (364 ng/L), hexazinone (130 ng/L), and propanil (110 ng/L), and all but hexazinone are primarily associated with

  1. Organic matter sources and rehabilitation of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (California, USA)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jassby, A.D.; Cloern, J.E.

    2000-01-01

    1. The Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta, a complex mosaic of tidal freshwater habitats in California, is the focus of a major ecosystem rehabilitation effort because of significant long-term changes in critical ecosystem functions. One of these functions is the production, transport and transformation of organic matter that constitutes the primary food supply, which may be sub-optimal at trophic levels supporting fish recruitment. A long historical data set is used to define the most important organic matter sources, the factors underlying their variability, and the implications of ecosystem rehabilitation actions for these sources. 2. Tributary-borne loading is the largest organic carbon source on an average annual Delta-wide basis; phytoplankton production and agricultural drainage are secondary; wastewater treatment plant discharge, tidal marsh drainage and possibly aquatic macrophyte production are tertiary; and benthic microalgal production, urban run-off and other sources are negligible. 3. Allochthonous dissolved organic carbon must be converted to particulate form - with losses due to hydraulic flushing and to heterotroph growth inefficiency - before it becomes available to the metazoan food web. When these losses are accounted for, phytoplankton production plays a much larger role than is evident from a simple accounting of bulk organic carbon sources, especially in seasons critical for larval development and recruitment success. Phytoplankton-derived organic matter is also an important component of particulate loading to the Delta. 4. The Delta is a net producer of organic matter in critically dry years but, because of water diversion from the Delta, transport of organic matter from the Delta to important, downstream nursery areas in San Francisco Bay is always less than transport into the Delta from upstream sources. 5. Of proposed rehabilitation measures, increased use of floodplains probably offers the biggest increase in organic matter sources. 6

  2. Factors influencing the biogeochemistry of sedimentary carbon and phosphorus in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nilsen, E.B.; Delaney, M.L.

    2005-01-01

    This study characterizes organic carbon (Corganic) and phosphorus (P) geochemistry in surface sediments of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. Sediment cores were collected from five sites on a sample transect from the edge of the San Francisco Bay eastward to the freshwater Consumnes River. The top 8 cm of each core were analyzed (in 1-cm intervals) for Corganic, four P fractions, and redox-sensitive trace metals (uranium and manganese). Sedimentary Corganic concentrations and Corganic:P ratios decreased, while reactive P concentrations increased moving inland in the Delta. The fraction of total P represented by organic P increased inland, while that of authigenic P was higher bayward than inland reflecting increased diagenetic alteration of organic matter toward the bayward end of the transect. The redox indicator metals are consistent with decreasing sedimentary suboxia inland. The distribution of P fractions and C:P ratios reflect the presence of relatively labile organic matter in upstream surface sediments. Sediment C and P geochemistry is influenced by site-specific particulate organic matter sources, the sorptive power of the sedimentary material present, physical forcing, and early diagenetic transformations presumably driven by Corganic oxidation. ?? 2005 Estuarine Research Federation.

  3. Dispersion mechanisms of a tidal river junction in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

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

    Gleichauf, Karla T.; Wolfram, Philip J.; Monsen, Nancy E.

    In branching channel networks, such as in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, junction flow dynamics contribute to dispersion of ecologically important entities such as fish, pollutants, nutrients, salt, sediment, and phytoplankton. Flow transport through a junction largely arises from velocity phasing in the form of divergent flow between junction channels for a portion of the tidal cycle. Field observations in the Georgiana Slough junction, which is composed of the North and South Mokelumne rivers, Georgiana Slough, and the Mokelumne River, show that flow phasing differences between these rivers arise from operational, riverine, and tidal forcing. A combination of Acoustic Dopplermore » Current Profile (ADCP) boat transecting and moored ADCPs over a spring–neap tidal cycle (May to June 2012) monitored the variability of spatial and temporal velocity, respectively. Two complementary drifter studies enabled assessment of local transport through the junction to identify small-scale intrajunction dynamics. We supplemented field results with numerical simulations using the SUNTANS model to demonstrate the importance of phasing offsets for junction transport and dispersion. Different phasing of inflows to the junction resulted in scalar patchiness that is characteristic of MacVean and Stacey’s (2011) advective tidal trapping. Furthermore, we observed small-scale junction flow features including a recirculation zone and shear layer, which play an important role in intra-junction mixing over time scales shorter than the tidal cycle (i.e., super-tidal time scales). Thus, the study period spanned open- and closed-gate operations at the Delta Cross Channel. Synthesis of field observations and modeling efforts suggest that management operations related to the Delta Cross Channel can strongly affect transport in the Delta by modifying the relative contributions of tidal and riverine flows, thereby changing the junction flow phasing.« less

  4. Imaging P and S attenuation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, northern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eberhart-Phillips, Donna; Thurber, Clifford; Fletcher, Jon Peter B.

    2014-01-01

    We obtain 3-D Qp and Qs models for the Delta region of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, a large fluvial-agricultural portion of the Great Valley located between the Sierra Nevada batholith and the San Francisco Bay - Coast Ranges region of active faulting. Path attenuation t* values have been obtained for P and S data from 124 distributed earthquakes, with a longer variable window for S based on the energy integral. We use frequency dependence of 0.5 consistent with other studies, and weakly favored by the t* S data. A regional initial model was obtained by solving for Q as a function of velocity. In the final model, the Great Valley basin has low Q with very low Q (<50) for the shallowest portion of the Delta. There is an underlying strong Q contrast to the ophiolite basement which is thickest with highest Q under the Sacramento basin, and a change in structure is apparent across the Suisun Bay as a transition to thinner ophiolite. Moderately low Q is found in the upper crust west of the Delta region along the faults in the eastern North Bay Area, while, moderately high Q is found south of the Delta, implying potentially stronger ground motion for earthquake sources to the south. Very low Q values in the shallow crust along parts of the major fault zones may relate to sediment and abundant microfractures. In the lower crust below the San Andreas and Calaveras-Hayward-Rodgers Creek fault zones, the observed low Q is consistent with grain-size reduction in ductile shear zones and is lowest under the San Andreas which has large cumulative strain. Similarly moderately low Q in the ductile lower crust of the Bay Area block between the major fault zones implies a broad distributed shear zone.

  5. Dispersion mechanisms of a tidal river junction in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

    DOE PAGES

    Gleichauf, Karla T.; Wolfram, Philip J.; Monsen, Nancy E.; ...

    2014-12-17

    In branching channel networks, such as in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, junction flow dynamics contribute to dispersion of ecologically important entities such as fish, pollutants, nutrients, salt, sediment, and phytoplankton. Flow transport through a junction largely arises from velocity phasing in the form of divergent flow between junction channels for a portion of the tidal cycle. Field observations in the Georgiana Slough junction, which is composed of the North and South Mokelumne rivers, Georgiana Slough, and the Mokelumne River, show that flow phasing differences between these rivers arise from operational, riverine, and tidal forcing. A combination of Acoustic Dopplermore » Current Profile (ADCP) boat transecting and moored ADCPs over a spring–neap tidal cycle (May to June 2012) monitored the variability of spatial and temporal velocity, respectively. Two complementary drifter studies enabled assessment of local transport through the junction to identify small-scale intrajunction dynamics. We supplemented field results with numerical simulations using the SUNTANS model to demonstrate the importance of phasing offsets for junction transport and dispersion. Different phasing of inflows to the junction resulted in scalar patchiness that is characteristic of MacVean and Stacey’s (2011) advective tidal trapping. Furthermore, we observed small-scale junction flow features including a recirculation zone and shear layer, which play an important role in intra-junction mixing over time scales shorter than the tidal cycle (i.e., super-tidal time scales). Thus, the study period spanned open- and closed-gate operations at the Delta Cross Channel. Synthesis of field observations and modeling efforts suggest that management operations related to the Delta Cross Channel can strongly affect transport in the Delta by modifying the relative contributions of tidal and riverine flows, thereby changing the junction flow phasing.« less

  6. Large-scale time-series InSAR analysis of the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta subsidence using UAVSAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bekaert, D. P.; Jones, C. E.; An, K.; Huang, M. H.

    2016-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin delta (Delta) contains more than 1700 km of levees that protect various reclaimed lands from flooding. Most of the delta is experiencing subsidence at rates that can exceed 5 cm/yr locally, and which can affect the structural integrity of the levees. In-situ and airborne LIDAR monitoring of this extensive levee network is expensive, making Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) an attractive, cost-effective alternative that can provide uniform and consistent monitoring. InSAR has proven to be a powerful technique to study surface displacements at high accuracy (few mm/year), over large regions (up to 250 km wide swaths), and at a high spatial resolution (up to a meter). However widespread usage of InSAR, particularly within the application community, is challenged by several technical issues, the most significant of which are decorrelation noise introduced by a change of scattering properties (e.g., moisture and vegetation), and noise due to variation in atmospheric properties between different SAR acquisitions (i.e., tropospheric delay). These effects are particularly limiting in the rural/agricultural setting of the Delta. We demonstrate the usage of InSAR for spatially comprehensive subsidence monitoring both at the scale of the levees and at a scale that captures the intra-island variability. The study uses data collected over a period of six years (2009-2015) with NASA's Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) instrument, which is the prototype airborne instrument for the NISAR mission. We mitigate atmospheric noise by estimating a correction from state-of-the-art weather models, and reduce decorrelation noise by utilizing L-band SAR and using advanced time-series InSAR processing methods. Our analysis includes nine UAVSAR flight lines that cover altogether an area of approximately 8500 km2, including the Delta and the surrounding areas.

  7. Effect of Land Cover Type and Structure on Water Cycling Dynamics for Agricultural and Wetland Sites in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eichelmann, E.; Hemes, K. S.; Baldocchi, D. D.

    2016-12-01

    The Sacramento/San Joaquin river delta is an important source of fresh water for California. To reverse soil subsidence, which is linked to draining the natural wetlands for agriculture, parts of the Sacramento/San Joaquin river delta have been restored to managed wetlands. While these restored wetlands provide greenhouse gas benefits compared to agricultural use of the land, implications for the water balance of these ecosystems, specifically evapotranspiration, are not well known. Based on multiple years of eddy covariance measurements of water, CO2, and sensible energy fluxes we explored the water cycling dynamics for several sites under different land use covers in the Sacramento/San Joaquin river delta. We investigated four sites under agricultural use (rice, corn, and alfalfa crops and cow pasture) and three restored wetland sites of varying ages and structures to examine the influence of land cover type and structure on evapotranspiration, sensible energy flux, and water use efficiency. While the wetland and the rice sites are usually flooded for the majority of the year, the alfalfa, corn, and pasture sites have a water table that is maintained to be below ground level throughout the year. The three wetland sites also have different fractions of open water to vegetation, covering a gradient from very dense vegetation with no open water to a fairly open structure with large pools of open water. These differences in land cover (dry vs flooded and fraction of open water to vegetation) have an effect on the patterns of evapotranspiration on diurnal to annual timescales. Although the flooded sites (wetland sites and rice) tend to have larger annual evapotranspiration than the drained sites (cow pasture, alfalfa, and corn), the fraction of open water to vegetation affects the extend to which the flooded sites' evapotranspiration exceeds that of drained sites. On diurnal timescales, we found that flooded sites with a larger fraction of open water to vegetation

  8. Supporting Priority State Activities in the Bay Delta

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA written comments on the Bay Delta Strategic Workplan and EPA comments at SWRCB March 19, 2008 public workshop on development of San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Strategic Workplan.

  9. Drainage-return, surface-water withdrawal, and land-use data for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, with emphasis on Twitchell Island, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Templin, William E.; Cherry, Daniel E.

    1997-01-01

    Partial data on drainage returns and surface-water withdrawals are presented for areas of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, for March 1994 through February 1996. These areas cover most of the delta. Data are also presented for all drainage returns and some surface-water withdrawals for Twitchell Island, which is in the western part of the delta. Changes in land use between 1968 and 1991 are also presented for the delta. Measurements of monthly drainage returns and surface-water withdrawals were made using flowmeters installed in siphons and drain pipes on Twitchell Island. Estimates of monthly returns throughout the delta were made using electric power-consumption data with pump-efficiency-test data. For Twitchell Island, monthly measured drainage returns for the 1995 calendar year totaled about 11,200 acre-feet, whereas drainage returns estimated from power-consumption data totaled 5 percent less at about 10,600 acre-feet. Monthly surface-water withdrawals onto Twitchell Island through 12 of the 21 siphons totaled about 2,400 acre-feet for 1995. For most of the delta, the monthly estimated drainage returns for 1995 totaled about 430,000 acre-feet. The area consisting of Bouldin, Brannan, Staten, Tyler, and Venice Islands had the largest estimated drainage returns for calendar year 1995. Between 1968 and 1991, native vegetation in the delta decreased by 25 percent (about 40,000 acres), and grain and hay crops increased by 340 percent (about 71,000 acres). For Twitchell Island, native vegetation decreased about 77 percent (about 850 acres), while field crop acreage increased by about 44 percent (about 780 acres).

  10. Recent research on the hydrodynamics of the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta and north San Francisco Bay

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burau, J.R.; Monismith, S.G.; Stacey, M.T.; Oltmann, R.N.; Lacy, J.R.; Schoellhamer, D.H.

    1999-01-01

    This article presents an overview of recent findings from hydrodynamic research on circulation and mixing in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) (Figure 1) and North San Francisco Bay (North Bay) (Figure 2). For the purposes of this article, North Bay includes San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, and Suisun Bay. The findings presented are those gained from field studies carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part of the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP), and Stanford University beginning about 1993. The premise behind these studies was that a basic understanding of circulation and mixing patterns in the Bay and Delta is an essential part of understanding how biota and water quality are affected by natural hydrologic variability, water appropriation, and development activities. Data collected for the field studies described in this article have significantly improved our understanding of Bay and Delta hydrodynamics. Measured flows ,in the Delta have provided valuable information on how water moves through the Delta's network of channels and how export pumping affects flows. Studies of the shallows and shallow-channel exchange processes conducted in Honker Bay have shown that the water residence time in Honker Bay is much shorter than previously reported (on the order of hours to several tidal cycles instead ofweeks). Suisun Bay studies have provided data on hydrodynamic transport and accumulation mechanisms that operate primarily in the channels. The Suisun Bay studies have caused us to revise our understanding of residual circulation in the channels of North Bay and of "entrapment" mechanisms in the low salinity zone. Finally, detailed tidal and residual (tidally averaged) time-scale studies of the mechanisms that control gravitational circulation in the estuary show that density-driven transport in the channels is governed by turbulence time-scale (seconds) interactions between the mean flow and stratification. The hydrodynamic research

  11. A project summary: Water and energy budget assessment for a non-tidal wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anderson, Frank E.; Snyder, R.L.; Paw, U.K.T.; Drexler, Judith Z.

    2004-01-01

    The methods used to obtain universal cover coefficient (Kc) values for a non-tidal restored wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta, US, during the summer of the year 2002 and to investigate possible differences during changing wind patterns are described. A micrometeorological tower over the wetland was established to quantify actual evapotranspiration (ETa) rates and surface energy fluxes for water and energy budget analysis. The eddy-covariance (EC) system was used to measure the surface energy budget data in the period from May 23 to November 6, 2002. The results show that K c values should be lower during westerly than northerly wind events during the midseason period due to the reduced vapor pressure deficit.

  12. Trace elements in Corbicula fluminea from the San Joaquin River, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leland, H.V.; Scudder, B.C.

    1990-01-01

    Joaquin River which receives water directly from the Delta Mendota Canal. Concentrations of Ni in clams from the San Joaquin River decreased downstream of the Delta Mendota Pool. (v) Boron and Mo were not accumulated by Corbicula despite high solute concentrations (means as high as 2960 ??g B l-1 and 9 ??g Mo l-1) in riverwater during the primary irrigation season. This bivalve may not be an appropriate bioindicator of B and Mo enrichment. Concentrations of Cr, Pb, Ag, V and Zn in Corbicula exhibited little geographic variability in the drainage. (vi) Regression analysis revealed no clear evidence of synergistic or antagonistic interactions among As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni and Se in their uptake by Corbicula.

  13. The legacy of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drexler, Judith Z.; Christian S. de Fontaine,; Steven J. Deverel,

    2009-01-01

    Throughout the world, many extensive wetlands, such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California (hereafter, the Delta), have been drained for agriculture, resulting in land-surface subsidence of peat soils. The purpose of this project was to study the in situ effects of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Delta. Peat cores were retrieved from four drained, farmed islands and four relatively undisturbed, marsh islands. Core samples were analyzed for bulk density and percent organic carbon. Macrofossils in the peat were dated using radiocarbon age determination. The peat from the farmed islands is highly distinct from marsh island peat. Bulk density of peat from the farmed islands is generally greater than that of the marsh islands at a given organic carbon content. On the farmed islands, increased bulk density, which is an indication of compaction, decreases with depth within the unoxidized peat zone, whereas, on the marsh islands, bulk density is generally constant with depth except near the surface. Approximately 55–80% of the original peat layer on the farmed islands has been lost due to landsurface subsidence. For the center regions of the farmed islands, this translates into an estimated loss of between 2900-5700 metric tons of organic carbon/hectare. Most of the intact peat just below the currently farmed soil layer is over 4000 years old. Peat loss will continue as long as the artificial water table on the farmed islands is held below the land surface.

  14. A compilation of U.S. Geological Survey pesticide concentration data for water and sediment in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta region: 1990–2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Orlando, James L.

    2013-01-01

    Beginning around 2000, abundance indices of four pelagic fishes (delta smelt, striped bass, longfin smelt, and threadfin shad) within the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta began to decline sharply (Sommer and others, 2007). These declines collectively became known as the pelagic organism decline (POD). No single cause has been linked to this decline, and current theories suggest that combinations of multiple stressors are likely to blame. Contaminants (including current-use pesticides) are one potential stressor being investigated for its role in the POD (Anderson, 2007). Pesticide concentration data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at multiple sites in the delta region over the past two decades are critical to understanding the potential effects of current-use pesticides on species of concern as well as the overall health of the delta ecosystem. In April 2010, a compilation of contaminant data for the delta region was published by the State Water Resources Control Board (Johnson and others, 2010). Pesticide occurrence was the major focus of this report, which concluded that “there was insufficient high quality data available to make conclusions about the potential role of specific contaminants in the POD.” The report cited multiple sources; however, data collected by the USGS were not included in the publication even though these data met all criteria listed for inclusion in the report. What follows is a summary of publicly available USGS data for pesticide concentrations in surface water and sediments within the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta region from the years 1990 through 2010. Data were retrieved though the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database, a publicly available online-data repository (U.S. Geological Survey, 1998), and from published USGS reports (also available online at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/). The majority of the data were collected in support of two long term USGS monitoring programs

  15. Effect of tides, river flow, and gate operations on entrainment of juvenile salmon into the interior Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, Russell W.; Brandes, Patricia L.; Burau, Jon R.; Sandstrom, Philip T.; Skalski, John R.

    2015-01-01

    Juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha emigrating from natal tributaries of the Sacramento River, California, must negotiate the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (hereafter, the Delta), a complex network of natural and man-made channels linking the Sacramento River with San Francisco Bay. Fish that enter the interior and southern Delta—the region to the south of the Sacramento River where water pumping stations are located—survive at a lower rate than fish that use alternative migration routes. Consequently, total survival decreases as the fraction of the population entering the interior Delta increases, thus spurring management actions to reduce the proportion of fish that are entrained into the interior Delta. To better inform management actions, we modeled entrainment probability as a function of hydrodynamic variables. We fitted alternative entrainment models to telemetry data that identified when tagged fish in the Sacramento River entered two river channels leading to the interior Delta (Georgiana Slough and the gated Delta Cross Channel). We found that the probability of entrainment into the interior Delta through both channels depended strongly on the river flow and tidal stage at the time of fish arrival at the river junction. Fish that arrived during ebb tides had a low entrainment probability, whereas fish that arrived during flood tides (i.e., when the river's flow was reversed) had a high probability of entering the interior Delta. We coupled our entrainment model with a flow simulation model to evaluate the effect of nighttime closures of the Delta Cross Channel gates on the daily probability of fish entrainment into the interior Delta. Relative to 24-h gate closures, nighttime closures increased daily entrainment probability by 3 percentage points on average if fish arrived at the river junction uniformly throughout the day and by only 1.3 percentage points if 85% of fish arrived at night. We illustrate how our model can be used to

  16. Environmental setting of the San Joaquin-Tulare basins, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gronberg, JoAnn A.; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Kratzer, Charles R.; Domagalski, Joseph L.; Brown, Larry R.; Burow, Karen R.

    1998-01-01

    The National Water-Quality Assessment Program for the San Joaquin- Tulare Basins began in 1991 to study the effects of natural and anthropogenic influences on the quality of ground water, surface water, biology, and ecology. The San Joaquin-Tulare Basins study unit, which covers approximately 31,200 square miles in central California, is made up of the San Joaquin Valley, the eastern slope of the Coast Ranges to the west, and the western slope of the Sierra Nevada to the east. The sediments of the San Joaquin Valley can be divided into alluvial fans and basin deposits. The San Joaquin River receives water from tributaries draining the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, and except for streams discharging directly to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is the only surface- water outlet from the study unit. The surface-water hydrology of the San Joaquin-Tulare Basins study unit has been significantly modified by development of water resources. Almost every major river entering the valley from the Sierra Nevada has one or more reservoirs. Almost every tributary and drainage into the San Joaquin River has been altered by a network of canals, drains, and wasteways. The Sierra Nevada is predominantly forested, and the Coast Ranges and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are predominately rangeland. The San Joaquin Valley is dominated by agriculture, which utilized approximately 14.7 million acre-feet of water and 597 million pounds active ingredient of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers in 1990, and 88 million pounds active ingredient of pesticides in 1991. In addition, the livestock industry contributed 318 million pounds active ingredient of nitrogen and phosphorus from manure in 1987. This report provides the background information to assess the influence of these and other factors on water quality and to provide the foundation for the design and interpretation of all spatial data. These characterizations provide a basis for comparing the influences of human activities

  17. Tomographic Rayleigh-wave group velocities in the Central Valley, California centered on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fletcher, Jon Peter B.; Erdem, Jemile; Seats, Kevin; Lawrence, Jesse

    2016-01-01

    If shaking from a local or regional earthquake in the San Francisco Bay region were to rupture levees in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta then brackish water from San Francisco Bay would contaminate the water in the Delta: the source of fresh water for about half of California. As a prelude to a full shear-wave velocity model that can be used in computer simulations and further seismic hazard analysis, we report on the use of ambient noise tomography to build a fundamental-mode, Rayleigh-wave group velocity model for the region around the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta in the western Central Valley, California. Recordings from the vertical component of about 31 stations were processed to compute the spatial distribution of Rayleigh wave group velocities. Complex coherency between pairs of stations were stacked over 8 months to more than a year. Dispersion curves were determined from 4 to about 18 seconds. We calculated average group velocities for each period and inverted for deviations from the average for a matrix of cells that covered the study area. Smoothing using the first difference is applied. Cells of the model were about 5.6 km in either dimension. Checkerboard tests of resolution, which is dependent on station density, suggest that the resolving ability of the array is reasonably good within the middle of the array with resolution between 0.2 and 0.4 degrees. Overall, low velocities in the middle of each image reflect the deeper sedimentary syncline in the Central Valley. In detail, the model shows several centers of low velocity that may be associated with gross geologic features such as faulting along the western margin of the Central Valley, oil and gas reservoirs, and large cross cutting features like the Stockton arch. At shorter periods around 5.5s, the model’s western boundary between low and high velocities closely follows regional fault geometry and the edge of a residual isostatic gravity low. In the eastern part of the valley, the boundaries

  18. Tomographic Rayleigh wave group velocities in the Central Valley, California, centered on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fletcher, Jon B.; Erdem, Jemile; Seats, Kevin; Lawrence, Jesse

    2016-04-01

    If shaking from a local or regional earthquake in the San Francisco Bay region were to rupture levees in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, then brackish water from San Francisco Bay would contaminate the water in the Delta: the source of freshwater for about half of California. As a prelude to a full shear-wave velocity model that can be used in computer simulations and further seismic hazard analysis, we report on the use of ambient noise tomography to build a fundamental mode, Rayleigh wave group velocity model for the region around the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta in the western Central Valley, California. Recordings from the vertical component of about 31 stations were processed to compute the spatial distribution of Rayleigh wave group velocities. Complex coherency between pairs of stations was stacked over 8 months to more than a year. Dispersion curves were determined from 4 to about 18 s. We calculated average group velocities for each period and inverted for deviations from the average for a matrix of cells that covered the study area. Smoothing using the first difference is applied. Cells of the model were about 5.6 km in either dimension. Checkerboard tests of resolution, which are dependent on station density, suggest that the resolving ability of the array is reasonably good within the middle of the array with resolution between 0.2 and 0.4°. Overall, low velocities in the middle of each image reflect the deeper sedimentary syncline in the Central Valley. In detail, the model shows several centers of low velocity that may be associated with gross geologic features such as faulting along the western margin of the Central Valley, oil and gas reservoirs, and large crosscutting features like the Stockton arch. At shorter periods around 5.5 s, the model's western boundary between low and high velocities closely follows regional fault geometry and the edge of a residual isostatic gravity low. In the eastern part of the valley, the boundaries of the low

  19. The legacy of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drexler, J.Z.; De Fontaine, C. S.; Deverel, S.J.

    2009-01-01

    Throughout the world, many extensive wetlands, such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California (hereafter, the Delta), have been drained for agriculture, resulting in land-surface subsidence of peat soils. The purpose of this project was to study the in situ effects of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Delta. Peat cores were retrieved from four drained, farmed islands and four relatively undisturbed, marsh islands. Core samples were analyzed for bulk density and percent organic carbon. Macrofossils in the peat were dated using radiocarbon age determination. The peat from the farmed islands is highly distinct from marsh island peat. Bulk density of peat from the farmed islands is generally greater than that of the marsh islands at a given organic carbon content. On the farmed islands, increased bulk density, which is an indication of compaction, decreases with depth within the unoxidized peat zone, whereas, on the marsh islands, bulk density is generally constant with depth except near the surface. Approximately 5580 of the original peat layer on the farmed islands has been lost due to land-surface subsidence. For the center regions of the farmed islands, this translates into an estimated loss of between 29005700 metric tons of organic carbon/hectare. Most of the intact peat just below the currently farmed soil layer is over 4000 years old. Peat loss will continue as long as the artificial water table on the farmed islands is held below the land surface. ?? 2009 The Society of Wetland Scientists.

  20. Effect of distal Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta outflow on suspended-sediment flux in Lower South San Francisco Bay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Livsey, D. N.; Downing-Kunz, M.; Schoellhamer, D. H.; Shellenbarger, G.; Wright, S. A.

    2016-12-01

    Tidal marshes are an important component of estuarine ecosystems. Within the San Francisco Bay Estuary (SFB) tidal marshes play an important role in food web dynamics, are home to an array of endemic mammals, birds, and fishes, filter pollutants, and dampen coastal flooding. With 80% of SFB tidal marshes lost to human development, numerous restoration efforts are underway. The largest tidal marsh restoration project in SFB, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, is underway in Lower South San Francisco Bay to restore 60,000 ha of this critical habitat; however, rising sea levels, could jeopardize these gains without concomitant vertical accretion rates of the marsh surface via organic matter accumulation and sediment deposition. Recent work in Lower South Bay using continuously collected data from water years (WY) 2009-11 indicates that the direction of net springtime residual sediment flux is related to the amount of springtime Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) outflow. Large outflow freshens the Central Bay, causing a density gradient and inverse gravitational circulation that flushes Lower South Bay. In this study we extend the sediment budget for Lower South Bay from WY 2011 to present using 15-minute turbidity and velocity data paired with Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler cross-sectional measurements and in situ suspended-sediment concentration samples to: 1) further examine the mechanisms controlling net springtime residual sediment flux, and 2) further test the hypothesis that Delta outflow controls the direction of net sediment flux for Lower South Bay.

  1. Sources of High-Chloride Water to Wells, Eastern San Joaquin Ground-Water Subbasin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Izbicki, John A.; Metzger, Loren F.; McPherson, Kelly R.; Everett, Rhett; Bennett, George L.

    2006-01-01

    As a result of pumping and subsequent declines in water levels, chloride concentrations have increased in water from wells in the Eastern San Joaquin Ground-Water Subbasin, about 80 miles east of San Francisco (Montgomery Watson, Inc., 2000). Water from a number of public-supply, agricultural, and domestic wells in the western part of the subbasin adjacent to the San Joaquin Delta exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) for chloride of 250 milligrams per liter (mg/L) (fig. 1) (link to animation showing chloride concentrations in water from wells, 1984 to 2004). Some of these wells have been removed from service. High-chloride water from delta surface water, delta sediments, saline aquifers that underlie freshwater aquifers, and irrigation return are possible sources of high-chloride water to wells (fig. 2). It is possible that different sources contribute high-chloride water to wells in different parts of the subbasin or even to different depths within the same well.

  2. Adjusting survival estimates for premature transmitter failure: A case study from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holbrook, Christopher M.; Perry, Russell W.; Brandes, Patricia L.; Adams, Noah S.

    2013-01-01

    In telemetry studies, premature tag failure causes negative bias in fish survival estimates because tag failure is interpreted as fish mortality. We used mark-recapture modeling to adjust estimates of fish survival for a previous study where premature tag failure was documented. High rates of tag failure occurred during the Vernalis Adaptive Management Plan’s (VAMP) 2008 study to estimate survival of fall-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) during migration through the San Joaquin River and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. Due to a high rate of tag failure, the observed travel time distribution was likely negatively biased, resulting in an underestimate of tag survival probability in this study. Consequently, the bias-adjustment method resulted in only a small increase in estimated fish survival when the observed travel time distribution was used to estimate the probability of tag survival. Since the bias-adjustment failed to remove bias, we used historical travel time data and conducted a sensitivity analysis to examine how fish survival might have varied across a range of tag survival probabilities. Our analysis suggested that fish survival estimates were low (95% confidence bounds range from 0.052 to 0.227) over a wide range of plausible tag survival probabilities (0.48–1.00), and this finding is consistent with other studies in this system. When tags fail at a high rate, available methods to adjust for the bias may perform poorly. Our example highlights the importance of evaluating the tag life assumption during survival studies, and presents a simple framework for evaluating adjusted survival estimates when auxiliary travel time data are available.

  3. The nature of organic carbon in density-fractionated sediments in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (California)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wakeham, S. G.; Canuel, E. A.

    2016-02-01

    Rivers are the primary means by which sediments and carbon are transported from the terrestrial biosphere to the oceans but gaps remain in our understanding of carbon associations from source to sink. Bed sediments from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (CA) were fractionated according to density and analyzed for sediment mass distribution, elemental (C and N) composition, mineral surface area, and stable carbon and radiocarbon isotope compositions of organic carbon (OC) and fatty acids to evaluate the nature of organic carbon in river sediments. OC was unevenly distributed among density fractions. Mass and OC were in general concentrated in mesodensity (1.6-2.0 and 2.0-2.5 g cm-3) fractions, comprising 84.0 ± 1.3 % of total sediment mass and 80.8 ± 13.3 % of total OC (TOC). Low-density (< 1.6 g cm-3) material, although rich in OC (34.0 ± 2.0 % OC) due to woody debris, constituted only 17.3 ± 12.8 % of TOC. High-density (> 2.5 g cm-3) organic-poor, mineral-rich material made-up 13.7 ± 1.4 % of sediment mass and 2.0 ± 0.9 % of TOC. Stable carbon isotope compositions of sedimentary OC were relatively uniform across bulk and density fractions (δ13C -27.4 ± 0.5 ‰). Radiocarbon content varied from Δ14C values of -382 (radiocarbon age 3800 yr BP) to +94 ‰ (modern) indicating a mix of young and old OC. Fatty acids were used to further constrain the origins of sedimentary OC. Short-chain n-C14-n-C18 fatty acids of algal origin were depleted in 13C (δ13C -37.5 to -35.2 ‰) but were enriched in 14C (Δ14C > 0) compared to long-chain n-C24-n-C28 acids of vascular plant origins with higher δ13C (-33.0 to -31.0 ‰) but variable Δ14C values (-180 and 61 ‰). These data demonstrate the potentially complex source and age distributions found within river sediments and provide insights about sediment and organic matter supply to the Delta.

  4. 33 CFR 110.224 - San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and connecting waters, CA. (a) General regulations. (1..., Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and connecting waters, CA. 110.224... notified to move by the Captain of the Port. (4) No vessel may anchor within a tunnel, cable, or pipeline...

  5. 33 CFR 110.224 - San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and connecting waters, CA. (a) General regulations. (1..., Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and connecting waters, CA. 110.224... notified to move by the Captain of the Port. (4) No vessel may anchor within a tunnel, cable, or pipeline...

  6. 33 CFR 110.224 - San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and connecting waters, CA. (a) General regulations. (1..., Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and connecting waters, CA. 110.224... notified to move by the Captain of the Port. (4) No vessel may anchor within a tunnel, cable, or pipeline...

  7. Functional variability of habitats within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: Restoration implications

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lucas, L.V.; Cloern, J.E.; Thompson, J.K.; Monsen, N.E.

    2002-01-01

    We have now entered an era of large-scale attempts to restore ecological functions and biological communities in impaired ecosystems. Our knowledge base of complex ecosystems and interrelated functions is limited, so the outcomes of specific restoration actions are highly uncertain. One approach for exploring that uncertainty and anticipating the range of possible restoration outcomes is comparative study of existing habitats similar to future habitats slated for construction. Here we compare two examples of one habitat type targeted for restoration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. We compare one critical ecological function provided by these shallow tidal habitats - production and distribution of phytoplankton biomass as the food supply to pelagic consumers. We measured spatial and short-term temporal variability of phytoplankton biomass and growth rate and quantified the hydrodynamic and biological processes governing that variability. Results show that the production and distribution of phytoplankton biomass can be highly variable within and between nearby habitats of the same type, due to variations in phytoplankton sources, sinks, and transport. Therefore, superficially similar, geographically proximate habitats can function very differently, and that functional variability introduces large uncertainties into the restoration process. Comparative study of existing habitats is one way ecosystem science can elucidate and potentially minimize restoration uncertainties, by identifying processes shaping habitat functionality, including those that can be controlled in the restoration design.

  8. Using remote sensing to monitor past changes and assess future scenarios for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta waterways, California USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santos, Maria J.; Hestir, Erin; Khanna, Shruti; Ustin, Susan L.

    2017-04-01

    Historically, deltas have been extensively affected both by natural processes and human intervention. Thus, understanding drivers, predicting impacts and optimizing solutions to delta problems requires a holistic approach spanning many sectors, disciplines and fields of expertise. Deltas are ideal model systems to understand the effects of the interaction between social and ecological domains, as they face unprecedented disturbances and threats to their biological and ecological sustainability. The challenge for deltas is to meet the goals of supporting biodiversity and ecosystem processes while also provisioning fresh water resources for human use. We provide an overview of the last 150 years of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta, where we illustrate the parallel process of an increase in disturbances, by particularly zooming in on the current cascading effects of invasive species on geophysical and biological processes. Using remote sensing data coupled with in situ measurements of water quality, turbidity, and species presence we show how the spread and persistence of aquatic invasive species affects sedimentation processes and ecosystem functioning. Our results show that the interactions between the biological and physical conditions in the Delta affect the trajectory of dominance by native and invasive aquatic plant species. Trends in growth and community characteristics associated with predicted impacts of climate change (sea level rise, warmer temperatures, changes in the hydrograph with high winter and low summer outflows) do not provide simple predictions. Individually, the impact of specific environmental changes on the biological components can be predicted, however it is the complex interactions of biological communities with the suite of physical changes that make predictions uncertain. Systematic monitoring is critical to provide the data needed to document and understand change of these delta systems, and to identify successful adaptation

  9. Linking selenium sources to ecosystems: San Francisco Bay-Delta Model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Presser, Theresa S.; Luoma, Samuel N.

    2004-01-01

    Marine sedimentary rocks of the Coast Ranges contribute selenium to soil, surface water, and ground water in the western San Joaquin Valley, California. Irrigation funnels selenium into a network of subsurface drains and canals. Proposals to build a master drain (i.e., San Luis Drain) to discharge into the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary remain as controversial today as they were in the 1950s, when drainage outside the San Joaquin Valley was first considered. An existing 85-mile portion of the San Luis Drain was closed in 1986 after fish mortality and deformities in ducks, grebes and coots were discovered at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, the temporary terminus of the drain. A 28-mile portion of the drain now conveys drainage from 100,000 acres into the San Joaquin River and eventually into the Bay-Delta. If the San Luis Drain is extended directly to the Bay-Delta, as is now being proposed as an alternative to sustain agriculture, it could receive drainage from an estimated one-million acres of farmland affected by rising water tables and increasing salinity. In addition to agricultural sources, oil refineries also discharge selenium to the Bay-Delta, although those discharges have declined in recent years. To understand the effects of changing selenium inputs, scientists have developed the Bay-Delta Selenium Model.

  10. Designing a high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring network for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Pellerin, Brian A.

    2017-07-11

    Executive SummaryThis report is the third in a series of three reports that provide information about how high-frequency (HF) nutrient monitoring may be used to assess nutrient inputs and dynamics in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to provide the background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with discussion of the high-priority management questions to be addressed, continues through discussion of the questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient-monitoring network designs for the Delta. For three example network designs, we assess how they would address high-priority questions that have been identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015).This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Kraus and others, 2017; Downing and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series (Kraus and others, 2017) provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind using HF monitoring measurements, including a brief summary of nutrient status and trends in the Delta and an extensive literature review showing how and where other research and monitoring programs have used HF monitoring to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling. The report covers the various technologies available for HF nutrient monitoring and presents the different ways HF monitoring instrumentation may be used for both fixed station and spatial

  11. High-Resolution Digital Terrain Models of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Region, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Coons, Tom; Soulard, Christopher E.; Knowles, Noah

    2008-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region Geographic Science Center, in conjunction with the USGS Water Resources Western Branch of Regional Research, has developed a high-resolution elevation dataset covering the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta region of California. The elevation data were compiled photogrammically from aerial photography (May 2002) with a scale of 1:15,000. The resulting dataset has a 10-meter horizontal resolution grid of elevation values. The vertical accuracy was determined to be 1 meter. Two versions of the elevation data are available: the first dataset has all water coded as zero, whereas the second dataset has bathymetry data merged with the elevation data. The projection of both datasets is set to UTM Zone 10, NAD 1983. The elevation data are clipped into files that spatially approximate 7.5-minute USGS quadrangles, with about 100 meters of overlap to facilitate combining the files into larger regions without data gaps. The files are named after the 7.5-minute USGS quadrangles that cover the same general spatial extent. File names that include a suffix (_b) indicate that the bathymetry data are included (for example, sac_east versus sac_east_b). These files are provided in ESRI Grid format.

  12. Bathymetric survey and digital elevation model of Little Holland Tract, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Snyder, Alexander G.; Lacy, Jessica R.; Stevens, Andrew W.; Carlson, Emily M.

    2016-06-10

    The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a bathymetric survey in Little Holland Tract, a flooded agricultural tract, in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the “Delta”) during the summer of 2015. The new bathymetric data were combined with existing data to generate a digital elevation model (DEM) at 1-meter resolution. Little Holland Tract (LHT) was historically diked off for agricultural uses and has been tidally inundated since an accidental levee breach in 1983. Shallow tidal regions such as LHT have the potential to improve habitat quality in the Delta. The DEM of LHT was developed to support ongoing studies of habitat quality in the area and to provide a baseline for evaluating future geomorphic change. The new data comprise 138,407 linear meters of real-time-kinematic (RTK) Global Positioning System (GPS) elevation data, including both bathymetric data collected from personal watercraft and topographic elevations collected on foot at low tide. A benchmark (LHT15_b1) was established for geodetic control of the survey. Data quality was evaluated both by comparing results among surveying platforms, which showed systematic offsets of 1.6 centimeters (cm) or less, and by error propagation, which yielded a mean vertical uncertainty of 6.7 cm. Based on the DEM and time-series measurements of water depth, the mean tidal prism of LHT was determined to be 2,826,000 cubic meters. The bathymetric data and DEM are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7RX9954. 

  13. Littoral fish assemblages of the alien-dominated Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, 1980-1983 and 2001-2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, L.R.; Michniuk, D.

    2007-01-01

    We analyzed monthly boat electrofishing data to characterize the littoral fish assemblages of five regions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (northern, southern, eastern, western, and central), California, during two sampling periods, 1980-1983 (1980s) and 2001-2003 (2000s), to provide information pertinent to the restoration of fish populations in this highly altered estuary. During the 1980s, almost 11,000 fish were captured, including 13 native species and 24 alien species. During the 2000s, just over 39,000 fish were captured, including 15 native species and 24 alien species. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) of total fish, alien fish, and centrarchid fish were greater in the 2000s compared with the 1980s, largely because of increased centrarchid fish CPUE. These differences in CPUE were associated with the spread of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), particularly an alien aquatic macrophyte Egeria densa. Native fish CPUE declined from the 1980s to the 2000s, but there was no single factor that could explain the decline. Native fish were most abundant in the northern region during both sampling periods. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling indicated similar patterns of fish assemblage composition during the two sampling periods, with the northern and western regions characterized by the presence of native species. The separation of the northern and western regions from the other regions was most distinct in the 2000s. Our results suggest that native fish restoration efforts will be most successful in the northern portion of the Delta. Management decisions on the Delta should include consideration of possible effects on SAV in littoral habitats and the associated fish assemblages and ecological processes. ?? 2007 Estuarine Research Federation.

  14. Seasonal changes in concentrations of dissolved pesticides and organic carbon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, California, 1994-1996

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Orlando, James L.; Kuivila, Kathryn

    2006-01-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) of California is an ecologically rich and hydrologically complex region that receives runoff from nearly one-quarter of the state. Water-quality studies of surface water in the region have found dissolved pesticides in winter storm runoff at concentrations toxic to some aquatic invertebrates. However, scientists have little information on pesticide concentrations in the Delta on a seasonal timescale or the importance of pesticide contributions from within-Delta sources. Consequently, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study from 1994 to 1996 during which water samples were collected seasonally from 31 sites located within the Delta and on major tributaries to the Delta. Water samples were analyzed for 20 current-use pesticides and dissolved organic carbon. During the study, 11 current-use pesticides were detected; maximum concentrations ranging from 17 ng/L (for trifluralin) to 1,160 ng/L (for metolachlor). The highest concentrations of five pesticides (carbaryl, carbofuran, metolachlor, molinate, and simazine) were greater than 900 ng/L. The greatest number of pesticides was detected in the summer of 1994, whereas the least number were detected in the winter of 1994. The herbicides metolachlor and simazine were the most frequently detected pesticides and were detected in five of the six sampling seasons. The herbicides molinate and EPTC were detected only during the three summer sampling seasons. A comparison of pesticides detected during the spring and summer of 1995 showed some seasonal variability. Comparison of the three summer seasons sampled showed that a larger number of pesticides were detected, and with generally higher maximum concentrations, in 1994 than in 1995 or 1996. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations ranged, over the course of the study, from 1.4 mg/L to 10.4 mg/L, and had a median concentration of 3.8 mg/L. On a seasonal basis, the lowest maximum DOC concentrations occurred during the summer

  15. Using Satellite Remote Sensing to Map Changes in Aquatic Invasive Plant Cover in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta of California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Potter, Christopher

    2017-01-01

    Waterways of the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta have recently become infested with invasive aquatic weeds such as floating water hyacinth (Eichhoria crassipes) and water primrose (Ludwigia peploides). These invasive plants cause many negative impacts, including, but not limited to: the blocking of waterways for commercial shipping and boating; clogging of irrigation screens, pumps and canals; and degradation of biological habitat through shading. Zhang et al. (1997, Ecological Applications, 7(3), 1039-1053) used NASA Landsat satellite imagery together with field calibration measurements to map physical and biological processes within marshlands of the San Francisco Bay. Live green biomass (LGB) and related variables were correlated with a simple vegetation index ratio of red and near infra-red bands from Landsat images. More recently, the percent (water area) cover of water hyacinth plotted against estimated LGB of emergent aquatic vegetation in the Delta from September 2014 Landsat imagery showed a 80% overall accuracy. For the past two years, we have partnered with the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis to conduct new validation surveys of water hyacinth and water primrose coverage and LGB in Delta waterways. A plan is underway to transfer decision support tools developed at NASA's Ames Research Center based on Landsat satellite images to improve Delta-wide integrated management of floating aquatic weeds, while reducing chemical control costs. The main end-user for this application project will be the Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, who has the responsibility for chemical control of water hyacinth in the Delta.

  16. Bed-material characteristics of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, 2010–13

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marineau, Mathieu D.; Wright, Scott A.

    2017-02-10

    The characteristics of bed material at selected sites within the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, during 2010–13 are described in a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation. During 2010‒13, six complete sets of samples were collected. Samples were initially collected at 30 sites; however, starting in 2012, samples were collected at 7 additional sites. These sites are generally collocated with an active streamgage. At all but one site, a separate bed-material sample was collected at three locations within the channel (left, right, and center). Bed-material samples were collected using either a US BMH–60 or a US BM–54 (for sites with higher stream velocity) cable-suspended, scoop sampler. Samples from each location were oven-dried and sieved. Bed material finer than 2 millimeters was subsampled using a sieving riffler and processed using a Beckman Coulter LS 13–320 laser diffraction particle-size analyzer. To determine the organic content of the bed material, the loss on ignition method was used for one subsample from each location. Particle-size distributions are presented as cumulative percent finer than a given size. Median and 90th-percentile particle size, and the percentage of subsample mass lost using the loss on ignition method for each sample are also presented in this report.

  17. Spongeplant Spreading in the Delta

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Invasive, exotic aquatic plants impact a range of important economic and ecological functions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, and the state now spends over $5 million to control water hyacinth and Brazilian waterweed. In 2007, a new exotic floating plant South American Spongeplan...

  18. 76 FR 45199 - Interim Final Determination To Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-28

    ... Determination To Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, CA AGENCY... limited approval and limited disapproval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution... section 307(b)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  19. Erosion characteristics and horizontal variability for small erosion depths in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schoellhamer, David H.; Manning, Andrew J.; Work, Paul A.

    2017-06-01

    Erodibility of cohesive sediment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) was investigated with an erosion microcosm. Erosion depths in the Delta and in the microcosm were estimated to be about one floc diameter over a range of shear stresses and times comparable to half of a typical tidal cycle. Using the conventional assumption of horizontally homogeneous bed sediment, data from 27 of 34 microcosm experiments indicate that the erosion rate coefficient increased as eroded mass increased, contrary to theory. We believe that small erosion depths, erosion rate coefficient deviation from theory, and visual observation of horizontally varying biota and texture at the sediment surface indicate that erosion cannot solely be a function of depth but must also vary horizontally. We test this hypothesis by developing a simple numerical model that includes horizontal heterogeneity, use it to develop an artificial time series of suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) in an erosion microcosm, then analyze that time series assuming horizontal homogeneity. A shear vane was used to estimate that the horizontal standard deviation of critical shear stress was about 30% of the mean value at a site in the Delta. The numerical model of the erosion microcosm included a normal distribution of initial critical shear stress, a linear increase in critical shear stress with eroded mass, an exponential decrease of erosion rate coefficient with eroded mass, and a stepped increase in applied shear stress. The maximum SSC for each step increased gradually, thus confounding identification of a single well-defined critical shear stress as encountered with the empirical data. Analysis of the artificial SSC time series with the assumption of a homogeneous bed reproduced the original profile of critical shear stress, but the erosion rate coefficient increased with eroded mass, similar to the empirical data. Thus, the numerical experiment confirms the small-depth erosion hypothesis. A linear

  20. Erosion characteristics and horizontal variability for small erosion depths in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schoellhamer, David H.; Manning, Andrew J.; Work, Paul A.

    2017-01-01

    Erodibility of cohesive sediment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) was investigated with an erosion microcosm. Erosion depths in the Delta and in the microcosm were estimated to be about one floc diameter over a range of shear stresses and times comparable to half of a typical tidal cycle. Using the conventional assumption of horizontally homogeneous bed sediment, data from 27 of 34 microcosm experiments indicate that the erosion rate coefficient increased as eroded mass increased, contrary to theory. We believe that small erosion depths, erosion rate coefficient deviation from theory, and visual observation of horizontally varying biota and texture at the sediment surface indicate that erosion cannot solely be a function of depth but must also vary horizontally. We test this hypothesis by developing a simple numerical model that includes horizontal heterogeneity, use it to develop an artificial time series of suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) in an erosion microcosm, then analyze that time series assuming horizontal homogeneity. A shear vane was used to estimate that the horizontal standard deviation of critical shear stress was about 30% of the mean value at a site in the Delta. The numerical model of the erosion microcosm included a normal distribution of initial critical shear stress, a linear increase in critical shear stress with eroded mass, an exponential decrease of erosion rate coefficient with eroded mass, and a stepped increase in applied shear stress. The maximum SSC for each step increased gradually, thus confounding identification of a single well-defined critical shear stress as encountered with the empirical data. Analysis of the artificial SSC time series with the assumption of a homogeneous bed reproduced the original profile of critical shear stress, but the erosion rate coefficient increased with eroded mass, similar to the empirical data. Thus, the numerical experiment confirms the small-depth erosion hypothesis. A linear

  1. Civilizing the Conversation? Using Surveys to Inform Water Management and Science in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanak, E.; Phillips Chappelle, C.

    2013-12-01

    Improving ecosystem outcomes in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a complex, high-stakes water resource management challenge. The Delta is a major hub for water supply conveyance and a valued ecological resource. Yet long-term declines in native fish populations have resulted in severe legal constraints on water exports and fueled growing public debates about the roles and responsibilities of flow modification and other sources of ecosystem stress. Meanwhile, scientific uncertainty, and the inability of the scientific community to effectively communicate what *is* known, has frustrated policymakers and encouraged 'combat science' - the commissioning and use of competing scientific opinions in the courtroom. This paper summarizes results from a study designed to inform the policy process through the use of confidential surveys of scientific researchers (those publishing in peer-reviewed journals, n=122) and engaged stakeholders and policymakers (n=240). The surveys, conducted in mid-2012, sought respondents' views on the sources of ecosystem stress and priority ecosystem management actions. The scientist survey is an example of the growing use of expert elicitation to address gaps in the scientific literature, particularly where there is uncertainty about priorities for decisionmaking (e.g., Cvitanovic et al. 2013, J. of Env. Mgmt; McDaniels et al. 2012, Risk Analysis). The stakeholder survey is a useful complement, enabling the identification of areas of consensus and divergence among stakeholder groups and between these groups and scientific experts. The results suggest such surveys are a promising tool for addressing complex water management problems. We found surprisingly high agreement among scientists on the relative roles of stressors and the most promising management actions; they emphasized restoring more natural processes through habitat and flow actions within the watershed, consistent with 'reconciliation ecology' approaches (Rosenzweig 2003

  2. Modulation of intracellular Ca(2+) via alpha(1B)-adrenoreceptor signaling molecules, G alpha(h) (transglutaminase II) and phospholipase C-delta 1.

    PubMed

    Kang, Sung Koo; Kim, Dae Kyong; Damron, Derek S; Baek, Kwang Jin; Im, Mie-Jae

    2002-04-26

    We characterized the alpha(1B)-adrenoreceptor (alpha(1B)-AR)-mediated intracellular Ca(2+) signaling involving G alpha(h) (transglutaminase II, TGII) and phospholipase C (PLC)-delta 1 using DDT1-MF2 cell. Expression of wild-type TGII and a TGII mutant lacking transglutaminase activity resulted in significant increases in a rapid peak and a sustained level of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in response to activation of the alpha(1B)-AR. Expression of a TGII mutant lacking the interaction with the receptor or PLC-delta 1 substantially reduced both the peak and sustained levels of [Ca(2+)](i). Expression of TGII mutants lacking the interaction with PLC-delta 1 resulted in a reduced capacitative Ca(2+) entry. Reduced expression of PLC-delta 1 displayed a transient elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) and a reduction in capacitative Ca(2+) entry. Expression of the C2-domain of PLC-delta 1, which contains the TGII interaction site, resulted in reduction of the alpha(1B)-AR-evoked peak increase in [Ca(2+)](i), while the sustained elevation in [Ca(2+)](i) and capacitative Ca(2+) entry remained unchanged. These findings demonstrate that stimulation of PLC-delta 1 via coupling of the alpha(1B)-AR with TGII evokes both Ca(2+) release and capacitative Ca(2+) entry and that capacitative Ca(2+) entry is mediated by the interaction of TGII with PLC-delta 1.

  3. Electronic Structure of TlBa2CaCu2O(7-Delta)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vasquez, R. P.; Novikov, D. L.; Freeman, A. J.; Siegal, M. P.

    1997-01-01

    The core levels of TlBa2CaCu2O(7-delta) (Tl-1212) epitaxial films have been measured with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The valence electronic structure has been determined using the full-potential linear muffin-tin-orbital band-structure method and measured with XPS. The calculations show that a van Hove singularity (VHS) lies above the Fermi level (E(sub F)) for the stoichiometric compound (delta = 0.5), while for 50% oxygen vacancies in the Tl-O layer (delta = 0.5) E(sub F) is in close proximity to the VHS. Samples annealed in nitrogen (to reduce the hole overdoping by the removal of oxygen) exhibit higher core-level binding energies and a higher T(sub c), consistent with a shift of E(sub F) closer to the VHS. Comparisons are made to the core levels and valence bands of Tl2Ba2CaCu2O(8 + delta)(Tl-2212) and HgBa2CaCu2O)6 + delta) (Hg- 1212). The similarity of the Cu 2p(sub 3/2) spectra for Tl-1212 and Tl-2212 indicates that the number of Tl-O layers has little effect on the Cu-O bonding. However, the Tl-1212 and Hg-1212 Cu 2p(sub 3/2) signals exhibit differences which suggest that the replacement of T(sup 3+) with Hg(sup 2+) results in a decrease in the O 2p right arrow Cu 3d charge-transfer energy and differences in the probabilities of planar vs apical oxygen charge transfer and/or Zhang-Rice singlet-state formation. Differences between the Tl-1212 and the Tl-2212 and Hg-1212 measured valence bands are consistent with the calculated Cu 3d and (Tl,Hg) 6s/5d partial densities of states.

  4. Understanding pesticides in California's Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kuivila, Kathryn; Orlando, James L.

    2012-01-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) is the hub of California’s water system and also an important habitat for imperiled fish and wildlife. Aquatic organisms are exposed to mixtures of pesticides that flow through the maze of Delta water channels from sources including agricultural, landscape, and urban pest-control applications. While we do not know all of the effects pesticides have on the ecosystem, there is evidence that they cause some damage to organisms in the Delta. Decades of USGS research have provided a good understanding of when, where, and how pesticides enter the Delta. However, pesticide use is continually changing. New field studies and methods are needed so that scientists can analyze which pesticides are present in the Delta, and at what concentrations, enabling them to estimate exposure and ultimate effects on organisms. Continuing research will provide resource managers and stakeholders with crucial information to manage the Delta wisely.

  5. The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-{beta}/{delta} in epidermal growth factor-induced HaCaT cell proliferation

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

    Liang Pengfei; Jiang Bimei; Yang Xinghua

    2008-10-15

    Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to be a potent mitogen for epidermal cells both in vitro and in vivo, thus contributing to the development of an organism. It has recently become clear that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-{beta}/{delta} (PPAR{beta}/{delta}) expression and activation is involved in the cell proliferation. However, little is known about the role of PPAR{beta}/{delta} in EGF-induced proliferation of HaCaT keratinocytes. In this study, HaCaT cells were cultured in the presence and absence of EGF and we identified that EGF induced an increase of PPAR{beta}/{delta} mRNA and protein level expression in time-dependent and dose-dependent manner, and AG1487, anmore » EGF receptor (EGFR) special inhibitor, caused attenuation of PPAR{beta}/{delta} protein expression. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) revealed that EGF significantly increased PPAR{beta}/{delta} binding activity in HaCaT keratinocytes. Antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (asODNs) against PPAR{beta}/{delta} caused selectively inhibition of PPAR{beta}/{delta} protein content induced by EGF and significantly attenuated EGF-mediated cell proliferation. Treatment of the cells with L165041, a specific synthetic ligand for PPAR{beta}/{delta}, significantly enhanced EGF-mediated cell proliferation. Finally, c-Jun ablation inhibited PPAR{beta}/{delta} up-regulation induced by EGF, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) showed that c-Jun bound to the PPAR{beta}/{delta} promoter and the binding increased in EGF-stimulated cells. These results demonstrate that EGF induces PPAR{beta}/{delta} expression in a c-Jun-dependent manner and PPAR{beta}/{delta} plays a vital role in EGF-stimulated proliferation of HaCaT cells.« less

  6. 75 FR 2541 - Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-15

    ..., 158th Fighter Wing Vermont Air National Guard Project, Proposed Realignment of National Guard Avenue and... the preparing agency. EIS No. 20090401, ERP No. F-IBR-K39118-CA, Delta-Mendota Canal/ California... Delta-Mendota Water Authority Project, Central Valley Project, Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, CA...

  7. Forecasting Selenium Discharges to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary: Ecological Effects of A Proposed San Luis Drain Extension

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Presser, Theresa S.; Luoma, Samuel N.

    2006-01-01

    Selenium discharges to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta) could change significantly if federal and state agencies (1) approve an extension of the San Luis Drain to convey agricultural drainage from the western San Joaquin Valley to the North Bay (Suisun Bay, Carquinez Strait, and San Pablo Bay); (2) allow changes in flow patterns of the lower San Joaquin River and Bay-Delta while using an existing portion of the San Luis Drain to convey agricultural drainage to a tributary of the San Joaquin River; or (3) revise selenium criteria for the protection of aquatic life or issue criteria for the protection of wildlife. Understanding the biotransfer of selenium is essential to evaluating effects of selenium on Bay-Delta ecosystems. Confusion about selenium threats to fish and wildlife stem from (1) monitoring programs that do not address specific protocols necessary for an element that bioaccumulates; and (2) failure to consider the full complexity of the processes that result in selenium toxicity. Past studies show that predators are more at risk from selenium contamination than their prey, making it difficult to use traditional methods to predict risk from environmental concentrations alone. This report presents an approach to conceptualize and model the fate and effects of selenium under various load scenarios from the San Joaquin Valley. For each potential load, progressive forecasts show resulting (1) water-column concentration; (2) speciation; (3) transformation to particulate form; (4) particulate concentration; (5) bioaccumulation by invertebrates; (6) trophic transfer to predators; and (7) effects on those predators. Enough is known to establish a first-order understanding of relevant conditions, biological response, and ecological risks should selenium be discharged directly into the North Bay through a conveyance such as a proposed extension of the San Luis Drain. The approach presented here, the Bay-Delta selenium model, determines the mass, fate

  8. 75 FR 20815 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and to Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-21

    ... Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and to Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook Salmon Scoping... of spring-run Chinook salmon to the mainstem of the San Joaquin River. DATES: NMFS will conduct a..., Sacramento, CA 95814. Comments may also be submitted electronically to SJRSpringSalmon@nooa.gov . Comments...

  9. Chinese mitten crab surveys of San Joaquin River basin and Suisun Marsh, California, 2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    May, Jason T.; Brown, Larry R.

    2001-01-01

    Juvenile Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) are known to use both brackish and freshwater habitats as rearing areas. The objectives of this study were to examine the habitat use and potential effects of mitten crabs in the freshwater habitats of the San Joaquin River drainage up-stream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. After several unsuccessful attempts to catch or observe mitten crabs by trapping, electrofishing, and visual observations, the study was redirected to determine the presence of crabs in the San Joaquin River (in the vicinity of Mossdale) and Suisun Marsh. Monthly surveys using baited traps in the San Joaquin River were done from June through November 2000 and in the Suisun Marsh from August through October 2000. No mitten crabs were caught in the San Joaquin River Basin and only one mitten crab was caught in Suisun Marsh. Surveys were conducted at 92 locations in the San Joaquin River Basin by deploying 352 traps for 10,752 hours of trapping effort; in Suisun Marsh, 34 locations were investigated by deploying 150 traps for 3,600 hours of trapping effort. The baited traps captured a variety of organisms, including catfishes (Ictularidae), yellowfin gobies (Acantho-gobius flavimanus), and crayfish (Decapoda). It is unclear whether the failure to capture mitten crabs in the San Joaquin River Basin and Suisun Marsh was due to ineffective trapping methods, or repre-sents a general downward trend in populations of juvenile mitten crabs in these potential rearing areas or a temporary decline related to year-class strength. Available data (since 1998) on the number of mitten crabs entrained at federal and state fish salvage facilities indicate a downward trend in the number of crabs, which may indicate a declining trend in use of the San Joaquin River Basin by juvenile mitten crabs. Continued monitoring for juvenile Chinese mitten crabs in brackish and freshwater portions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basins is needed to better assess the

  10. The effect of submerged aquatic vegetation expansion on a declining turbidity trend in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hestir, E.L.; Schoellhamer, David H.; Jonathan Greenberg,; Morgan-King, Tara L.; Ustin, S.L.

    2016-01-01

    Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has well-documented effects on water clarity. SAV beds can slow water movement and reduce bed shear stress, promoting sedimentation and reducing suspension. However, estuaries have multiple controls on turbidity that make it difficult to determine the effect of SAV on water clarity. In this study, we investigated the effect of primarily invasive SAV expansion on a concomitant decline in turbidity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The objective of this study was to separate the effects of decreasing sediment supply from the watershed from increasing SAV cover to determine the effect of SAV on the declining turbidity trend. SAV cover was determined by airborne hyperspectral remote sensing and turbidity data from long-term monitoring records. The turbidity trends were corrected for the declining sediment supply using suspended-sediment concentration data from a station immediately upstream of the Delta. We found a significant negative trend in turbidity from 1975 to 2008, and when we removed the sediment supply signal from the trend it was still significant and negative, indicating that a factor other than sediment supply was responsible for part of the turbidity decline. Turbidity monitoring stations with high rates of SAV expansion had steeper and more significant turbidity trends than those with low SAV cover. Our findings suggest that SAV is an important (but not sole) factor in the turbidity decline, and we estimate that 21–70 % of the total declining turbidity trend is due to SAV expansion.

  11. Synthesis of data from high-frequency nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Downing, Bryan D.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.

    2017-07-11

    Executive SummaryThis report is the second in a series of three reports that provide information about high-frequency (HF) nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of northern California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to synthesize the data available from a nutrient and water-quality HF (about every 15 minutes) monitoring network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in the northern Delta. In this report, we describe the network and focus on the purpose of each station. We then present and discuss the available data, at various timescales—first at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales, and second, for comparison, at the tidal and event timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate-N concentrations at short timescales within hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. Resolving this variability is made possible by the HF data, with the largest variability caused by storms, tides, and diel biological processes. Given this large temporal variability, calculations of cumulative nutrient fluxes (for example, daily, monthly, or annual loads) is difficult without HF data. For example, in the Cache Slough, calculation of the annual load without the tidal variability resulted in a 30 percent underestimation of the true annual load value. We conclude that HF measurements are important for accurate determination of fluxes and loads in tidal environments, but, more importantly, provide important insights into processes and rates of nutrient cycling.This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Bergamaschi and others, 2017; Kraus, Bergamaschi, and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series

  12. Assessing the contribution of wetlands and subsided islands to dissolved organic matter and disinfection byproduct precursors in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta: A geochemical approach

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kraus, T.E.C.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Hernes, P.J.; Spencer, R.G.M.; Stepanauskas, R.; Kendall, C.; Losee, R.F.; Fujii, R.

    2008-01-01

    This study assesses how rivers, wetlands, island drains and open water habitats within the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta affect dissolved organic matter (DOM) content and composition, and disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation. Eleven sites representative of these habitats were sampled on six dates to encompass seasonal variability. Using a suite of qualitative analyses, including specific DBP formation potential, absorbance, fluorescence, lignin content and composition, C and N stable isotopic compositions, and structural groupings determined using CPMAS (cross polarization, magic angle spinning) 13C NMR, we applied a geochemical fingerprinting approach to characterize the DOM from different Delta habitats, and infer DOM and DBP precursor sources and estimate the relative contribution from different sources. Although river input was the predominant source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), we observed that 13-49% of the DOC exported from the Delta originated from sources within the Delta, depending on season. Interaction with shallow wetlands and subsided islands significantly increased DOC and DBP precursor concentrations and affected DOM composition, while deep open water habitats had little discernable effect. Shallow wetlands contributed the greatest amounts of DOM and DBP precursors in the spring and summer, in contrast to island drains which appeared to be an important source during winter months. The DOM derived from wetlands and island drains had greater haloacetic acid precursor content relative to incoming river water, while two wetlands contributed DOM with greater propensity to form trihalomethanes. These results are pertinent to restoration of the Delta. Large scale introduction of shallow wetlands, a proposed restoration strategy, could alter existing DOC and DBP precursor concentrations, depending on their hydrologic connection to Delta channels. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Diel activity patterns of juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon with implications for operation of a gated water diversion in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Plumb, John M.; Adams, Noah S.; Perry, Russell W.; Holbrook, Christopher; Romine, Jason G.; Blake, Aaron R.; Burau, Jon R.

    2016-01-01

    In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, tidal forces that reverse river flows increase the proportion of water and juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon diverted into a network of channels that were constructed to support agriculture and human consumption. This area is known as the interior delta, and it has been associated with poor fish survival. Under the rationale that the fish will be diverted in proportion to the amount of water that is diverted, the Delta Cross Channel (DCC) has been prescriptively closed during the winter out-migration to reduce fish entrainment and mortality into the interior delta. The fish are thought to migrate mostly at night, and so daytime operation of the DCC may allow for water diversion that minimizes fish entrainment and mortality. To assess this, the DCC gate was experimentally opened and closed while we released 2983 of the fish with acoustic transmitters upstream of the DCC to monitor their arrival and entrainment into the DCC. We used logistic regression to model night-time arrival and entrainment probabilities with covariates that included the proportion of each diel period with upstream flow, flow, rate of change in flow and water temperature. The proportion of time with upstream flow was the most important driver of night-time arrival probability, yet river flow had the largest effect on fish entrainment into the DCC. Modelling results suggest opening the DCC during daytime while keeping the DCC closed during night-time may allow for water diversion that minimizes fish entrainment into the interior delta.

  14. Multi-year coupled biogeochemical and biophysical impacts of restoring drained agricultural peatlands to wetlands across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hemes, K. S.; Eichelmann, E.; Chamberlain, S.; Knox, S. H.; Oikawa, P.; Sturtevant, C.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Baldocchi, D. D.

    2017-12-01

    Globally, delta ecosystems are critical for human livelihoods, but are at increasingly greater risk of degradation. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (`Delta') has been subsiding dramatically, losing close to 100 Tg of carbon since the mid 19th century due in large part to agriculture-induced oxidation of the peat soils through drainage and cultivation. Efforts to re-wet the peat soils through wetland restoration are attractive as climate mitigation activities. While flooded wetland systems have the potential to sequester significant amounts of carbon as photosynthesis outpaces aerobic respiration, the highly-reduced conditions can result in significant methane emissions. This study will utilize three years (2014-2016) of continuous, gap-filled, CO2 and CH4 flux data from a mesonetwork of seven eddy covariance towers in the Delta to compute GHG budgets for the restored wetlands and agricultural baseline sites measured. Along with biogeochemical impacts of wetland restoration, biophysical impacts such as changes in reflectance, energy partitioning, and surface roughness, can have significant local to regional impacts on air temperature and heat fluxes. We hypothesize that despite flooded wetlands reducing albedo, wetland land cover will cool the near-surface air temperature due to increased net radiation being preferentially partitioned into latent heat flux and rougher canopy conditions allowing for more turbulent mixing with the atmosphere. This study will investigate the seasonal and diurnal patterns of turbulent energy fluxes and the surface properties that drive them. With nascent policy mechanisms set to compensate landowners and farmers for low emission land use practices beyond reforestation, it is essential that policy mechanisms take into consideration how the biophysical impacts of land use change could drive local to regional-scale climatic perturbations, enhancing or attenuating the biogeochemical impacts.

  15. A millennial-scale record of Pb and Hg contamination in peatlands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, USA.

    PubMed

    Drexler, Judith Z; Alpers, Charles N; Neymark, Leonid A; Paces, James B; Taylor, Howard E; Fuller, Christopher C

    2016-05-01

    In this paper, we provide the first record of millennial patterns of Pb and Hg concentrations on the west coast of the United States. Peat cores were collected from two micro-tidal marshes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California. Core samples were analyzed for Pb, Hg, and Ti concentrations and dated using radiocarbon and (210)Pb. Pre-anthropogenic concentrations of Pb and Hg in peat ranged from 0.60 to 13.0μgg(-1)and from 6.9 to 71ngg(-1), respectively. For much of the past 6000+ years, the Delta was free from anthropogenic pollution, however, beginning in ~1425CE, Hg and Pb concentrations, Pb/Ti ratios, Pb enrichment factors (EFs), and HgEFs all increased. Pb isotope compositions of the peat suggest that this uptick was likely caused by smelting activities originating in Asia. The next increases in Pb and Hg contamination occurred during the California Gold Rush (beginning ~1850CE), when concentrations reached their highest levels (74μgg(-1) Pb, 990ngg(-1) Hg; PbEF=12 and HgEF=28). Lead concentrations increased again beginning in the ~1920s with the incorporation of Pb additives in gasoline. The phase-out of lead additives in the late 1980s was reflected in changes in Pb isotope ratios and reductions in Pb concentrations in the surface layers of the peat. The rise and subsequent fall of Hg contamination was also tracked by the peat archive, with the highest Hg concentrations occurring just before 1963CE and then decreasing during the post-1963 period. Overall, the results show that the Delta was a pristine region for most of its ~6700-year existence; however, since ~1425CE, it has received Pb and Hg contamination from both global and regional sources. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. A millennial-scale record of Pb and Hg contamination in peatlands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drexler, Judith; Alpers, Charles N.; Neymark, Leonid; Paces, James B.; Taylor, Howard E.; Fuller, Christopher C.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we provide the first record of millennial patterns of Pb and Hg concentrations on the west coast of the United States. Peat cores were collected from two micro-tidal marshes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California. Core samples were analyzed for Pb, Hg, and Ti concentrations and dated using radiocarbon, 210Pb, and 137Cs. Pre-anthropogenic concentrations of Pb and Hg in peat ranged from 0.60 to 13.0 µg g-1and from 6.9 to 71 ng g-1, respectively. For much of the past 6000+ years, the Delta was free from anthropogenic pollution, however, beginning in ~1425 CE, Hg and Pb concentrations, Pb/Ti ratios, Pb enrichment factors (EFs), and HgEFs all increased. Pb isotope compositions of the peat suggest that this uptick was likely caused by smelting activities originating in Asia. The next increases in Pb and Hg contamination occurred during the California Gold Rush (beginning ~1850 CE), when concentrations reached their highest levels (74 µg g-1 Pb, 990 ng g-1 Hg; PbEF = 12 and HgEF = 28). Lead concentrations increased again beginning in the ~1920s with the incorporation of Pb additives in gasoline. The phase-out of lead additives in the late 1980s was reflected in Pb isotope ratios and reductions in Pb concentrations in the surface layers of the peat. The rise and fall of Hg contamination was also tracked by the peat archive, with the highest Hg concentrations occurring just before 1963 CE and then decreasing during the post-1963 period. Overall, the results show that the Delta was a pristine region for most of its ~6700-year existence; however, since ~1425 CE, it has received Pb and Hg contamination from both global and regional sources.

  17. Evapotranspiration rates and crop coefficients for a restored marsh in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drexler, Judith Z.; Anderson, Frank E.; Snyder, Richard L.

    2008-01-01

    The surface renewal method was used to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) for a restored marsh on Twitchell Island in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, USA. ET estimates for the marsh, together with reference ET measurements from a nearby climate station, were used to determine crop coefficients over a 3‐year period during the growing season. The mean ET rate for the study period was 6 mm day−1, which is high compared with other marshes with similar vegetation. High ET rates at the marsh may be due to the windy, semi‐arid Mediterranean climate of the region, and the permanently flooded nature of the marsh, which results in very low surface resistance of the vegetation. Crop coefficient (Kc) values for the marsh ranged from 0·73 to 1·18. The mean Kc value over the entire study period was 0·95. The daily Kc values for any given month varied from year to year, and the standard deviation of daily Kc values varied between months. Although several climate variables were undoubtedly responsible for this variation, our analysis revealed that wind direction and the temperature of standing water in the wetland were of particular importance in determining ET rates and Kc values. 

  18. Dissolved pesticide concentrations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Grizzly Bay, California, 2011-12

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Orlando, James L.; McWayne, Megan; Sanders, Corey; Hladik, Michelle

    2013-01-01

    Surface-water samples were collected from sites within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Grizzly Bay, California, during the spring in 2011 and 2012, and they were analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey for a suite of 99 current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates. Samples were collected and analyzed as part of a collaborative project studying the occurrence and characteristics of phytoplankton in the San Francisco Estuary. Samples were analyzed by two separate laboratory methods employing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Method detection limits ranged from 0.9 to 10.5 nanograms per liter (ng/L). Eighteen pesticides were detected in samples collected during 2011, and the most frequently detected compounds were the herbicides clomazone, diuron, hexazinone and metolachlor, and the diuron degradates 3,4-dichloroaniline and N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N’-methylurea (DCPMU). Concentrations for all compounds were less than 75 ng/L, except for the rice herbicide clomazone and the fungicide tetraconazole, which had maximum concentrations of 535 and 511 ng/L, respectively. In samples collected in 2012, a total of 16 pesticides were detected. The most frequently detected compounds were the fungicides azoxystrobin and boscalid and the herbicides diuron, hexazinone, metolachlor, and simazine. Maximum concentrations for all compounds detected in 2012 were less than 75 ng/L, except for the fungicide azoxystrobin and the herbicides hexazinone and simazine, which were detected at up to 188, 134, and 140 ng/L, respectively.

  19. Evaluation of a floating fish guidance structure at a hydrodynamically complex river junction in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Romine, Jason G.; Perry, Russell W.; Pope, Adam C.; Stumpner, Paul; Liedtke, Theresa L.; Kumagai, Kevin K; Reeves, Ryan L

    2016-01-01

    Survival of out-migrating juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River delta, California, USA, varies by migration route. Survival of salmonids that enter the interior and southern Delta can be as low as half that of salmonids that remain in the main-stem Sacramento River. Reducing entrainment into the higher-mortality routes, such as Georgiana Slough, should increase overall survival. In spring 2014, a floating fish-guidance structure (FFGS) designed to reduce entrainment into Georgiana Slough was deployed just upstream of the Georgiana Slough divergence. We used acoustic telemetry to evaluate the effect of the FFGS on Chinook entrainment to Georgiana Slough. At intermediate discharge (200–400 m3 s–1), entrainment into Georgiana Slough was five percentage points lower when the FFGS was in the on state (19.1% on; 23.9% off). At higher discharge (>400 m3 s–1), entrainment was higher when the FFGS was in the on state (19.3% on; 9.7% off), and at lower discharge (0–200 m3 s–1) entrainment was lower when the FFGS was in the on state (43.7% on; 47.3% off). We found that discharge, cross-stream fish position, time of day, and proportion of flow remaining in the Sacramento River contributed to the probability of being entrained to Georgiana Slough.

  20. Preliminary assessment of DOC and THM precursor loads from a freshwater restored wetland, an agricultural field, and a tidal wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fujii, R.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Ganju, N.K.; Fleck, J.A.; Burow-Fogg, K.R.; Schoellhamer, D.; Deverel, S.J.

    2003-01-01

    Water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta supplies drinking water to more than 22 million people in California. At certain times of the year, Delta waters contain relatively high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and bromide. During these times, chlorination of Delta water for drinking water disinfection will form disinfection byproducts, such as trihalomethanes (THMs), that can exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for THMs of 80 mg/L. Important sources of DOC and THM precursors (types of DOC that form THMs when chlorinated) to the Delta include rivers, drainage water from peat islands, water from wetlands and areas with extensive riparian vegetation, and in-channel growth of algae and macrophytes. Due to proposed ecosystem restoration and creation of wetlands in the Delta, there is an urgent need for information on the relative loads of DOC and THM precursors produced from three different land uses: restored wetlands constructed for subsidence mitigation, tidal wetlands, and agricultural operations. We have been conducting research in the Delta to provide this information. A restored wetland and agricultural field located on Twitchell Island, and a tidal wetland on Browns Island have been monitored for flow, DOC, and THM precursors. Initial results indicate that the loads of DOC and THM precursors are similar for the restored wetland (surface water only) and the agricultural field. These land uses produce DOC loads of about 14 and 11 g C/m2/yr, respectively, and THM precursor loads of about 1.7 and 1.0 g THM/m2/yr, respectively. Estimates of DOC and THM precursor loads for the tidal wetland site on Browns Island and seepage associated with the restored wetland are being developed.

  1. Watershed-Scale Modeling of Land-Use and Altered Environment Impacts on Aquatic Weed Growth in the Delta

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bubenheim, David; Potter, Christopher; Zhang, Minghua

    2016-01-01

    The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub for California's water supply, conveying water from Northern to Southern California agriculture and communities while supporting important ecosystem services, agriculture, and communities in the Delta. Changes in climate, long-term drought, and water quality have all been suspected as playing role in the dramatic expansion of invasive aquatic plants and their impact on ecosystems of the San Francisco Bay / California Delta complex. NASA Ames Research Center, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, the State of California, UC Davis, and local governments have partnered under a USDA sponsored project (DRAAWP) to develop science-based, adaptive-management strategies for invasive aquatic plants in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Critical to developing management strategies is to understand how the Delta is affected by both the magnitude of fluctuations in land-use and climate / drought induced altered environments and how the plants respond to these altered environments. We utilize the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a watershed-scale model developed to quantify the impact of land management practices in large and complex watersheds on water quality, as the backbone for a customized Delta model - Delta-SWAT. The model uses land-use, soils, elevation, and hydrologic routing to characterize pesticide and nutrient transport from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers watersheds and loading into the Delta. Land-use within the Delta, as well as water extraction to supply those functions, and the resulting return of water to Delta waterways are included in Delta-SWAT. Hydrologic transport within the Delta has required significant attention to address the lack of elevation driven transport processes. Delta-SWAT water quality trend estimates are compared with water quality monitoring conducted throughout the Delta. Aquatic plant response to water quality and other environmental factors is carried out using a customized

  2. Appendix A The influence of junction hydrodynamics on entrainment of juvenile salmon into the interior Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramón Casañas, Cintia; Burau, Jon; Blake, Aaron; Acosta, Mario; Rueda, Francisco

    2017-04-01

    River junctions where water may follow two or more alternative pathways (diffluences) could be critical points in river networks where aquatic migratory species select different migration routes. Federally listed Sacramento River Chinook salmon juveniles must survive passage through the tidal Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta in order to successfully out-migrate to the ocean. Two of the four main migration routes identified for salmon in the Sacramento River direct them to the interior of the delta, where salmon survival is known to decrease dramatically. Migration route selection is thought to be advection-dominated, but the combination of physical and biological processes that control route selection is still poorly understood. The reach in the Sacramento-River where the entrances of the two lower-survival migration routes are located is strongly influenced by the tides, with flows reversing twice daily, and the two diffluences are located in the outside of the same Sacramento River bend where secondary circulation occurs. Three dimensional simulations are conducted, both in the Eularian and Lagrangian frame, to understand tidal and secondary-circulation effects on the migration route selection of juveniles within this reach of the Sacramento River. Although salmon behavior is reduced to the simplest (passively-driven neutrally-buoyant particles), the preliminary results here presented are consistent with previous studies that show that during the flood tide almost all the flow, and thus, all the salmon, are directed to the interior delta through these two migration routes. Simulated fish entrainment rates into the interior of the delta tend to be larger than those expected from flow entrainment calculations alone, particularly during ebb tides. Several factors account for these tendencies. First, the fraction of the flow diverted to the side channel in the shallowest layers tend to be higher than in the deeper layers, as a result of the secondary circulation

  3. Organic Carbon Trends, Loads, and Yields to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, Water Years 1980 to 2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saleh, Dina K.; Domagalski, Joseph L.; Kratzer, Charles R.; Knifong, Donna L.

    2003-01-01

    Organic carbon, nutrient, and suspended sediment concentration data were analyzed for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins for the period 1980-2000. The data were retrieved from three sources: the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Storage and Retrieval System, and the California Interagency Ecological Program's relational database. Twenty sites were selected, all of which had complete records of daily streamflow data. These data met the minimal requirements of the statistical programs used to estimate trends, loads, and yields. The seasonal Kendall program was used to estimate trends in organic carbon, nutrient, and suspended sediment. At all 20 sites, analyses showed that in the 145 analyses for the seven constituents, 95 percent of the analyses had no significant trend. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were significant only for four sites: the American River at Sacramento, the Sacramento River sites near Freeport, Orestimba Creek at River Roads near Crows Landing, and the San Joaquin River near Vernalis. Loads were calculated using two programs, ESTIMATOR and LOADEST2. The 1998 water year was selected to describe loads in the Sacramento River Basin. Organic carbon, nutrient, and suspended sediment loads at the Sacramento River sites near Freeport included transported loads from two main upstream sites: the Sacramento River at Verona and the American River at Sacramento. Loads in the Sacramento River Basin were affected by the amount of water diverted to the Yolo Bypass (the amount varies annually, depending on the precipitation and streamflow). Loads at the Sacramento River sites near Freeport were analyzed for two hydrologic seasons: the irrigation season (April to September) and the nonirrigation season (October to March). DOC loads are lower during the irrigation season then they are during the nonirrigation season. During the irrigation season, water with low

  4. Erosion Characteristics and Horizontal Variability for Small Erosion Depths in the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schoellhamer, D. H.; Manning, A. J.; Work, P. A.

    2015-12-01

    Cohesive sediment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta affects pelagic fish habitat, contaminant transport, and marsh accretion. Observations of suspended-sediment concentration in the delta indicate that about 0.05 to 0.20 kg/m2 are eroded from the bed during a tidal cycle. If erosion is horizontally uniform, the erosion depth is about 30 to 150 microns, the typical range in diameter of suspended flocs. Application of an erosion microcosm produces similarly small erosion depths. In addition, core erodibility in the microcosm calculated with a horizontally homogeneous model increases with depth, contrary to expectations for a consolidating bed, possibly because the eroding surface area increases as applied shear stress increases. Thus, field observations and microcosm experiments, combined with visual observation of horizontally varying biota and texture at the surface of sediment cores, indicate that a conceptual model of erosion that includes horizontally varying properties may be more appropriate than assuming horizontally homogeneous erosive properties. To test this hypothesis, we collected five cores and measured the horizontal variability of shear strength within each core in the top 5.08 cm with a shear vane. Small tubes built by a freshwater worm and macroalgae were observed on the surface of all cores. The shear vane was inserted into the sediment until the top of the vane was at the top of the sediment, torque was applied to the vane until the sediment failed and the vane rotated, and the corresponding dial reading in Nm was recorded. The dial reading was assumed to be proportional to the surface strength. The horizontal standard deviation of the critical shear stress was about 30% of the mean. Results of the shear vane test provide empirical evidence that surface strength of the bed varies horizontally. A numerical simulation of erosion with an areally heterogeneous bed reproduced erosion characteristics observed in the microcosm.

  5. Late Cretaceous and Paleogene sedimentation along east side of San Joaquin basin, California

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

    Reid, S.A.

    1986-04-01

    Depositional systems of the Late Cretaceous contrast with those of the Paleogene in the subsurface along the east side of the San Joaquin basin between Bakersfield and Fresno, California. Upper Cretaceous deposits include thick fan-delta and submarine fan facies of the Moreno and Panoche Formations, whereas the paleogene contains extensive nearshore, shelf, slope, and submarine fan deposits of the Lodo, Domengine, and Kreyenhagen Formations. These sediments were deposited on a basement surface having several west-trending ridges and valleys. West-flowing streams draining an ancestral Sierra Nevada of moderate relief formed prograding fan deltas that filled the valleys with thick wedges ofmore » nonmarine channel deposits, creating a bajada along the shoreline. Detrital material moved rapidly from the shoreline through a narrow shelf, into a complex of submarine fans in the subduction trough. During the early Eocene, a low sea level stand plus an end of Sierra Nevada uplift resulted in the erosion of the range to a peneplain. Stream-fed fan deltas were replaced by a major river system, which flowed west on about the present course of the Kern River. Following a rapid sea level increase, sand from the river system was deposited on the now broad shelf along a wide belt roughly coincident with California Highway 99. The river was also the point source for sand in a submarine fan northwest of Bakersfield. Both Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene depositional systems probably continue north along the east edge of the Great Valley. This proposed scenario for the east side of the San Joaquin is analogous to forearc deposits in the San Diego area, including the Cretaceous Rosario fan-delta and submarine fan system and the Eocene La Jolla and Poway nearshore, shelf, and submarine fan systems.« less

  6. Electronic Structure of HgBa2CaCu2O(6+delta) Epitaxial films measured by x-ray Photoemission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vasquez, R. P.; Rupp, M.; Gupta, A.; Tsuei, C. C.

    1995-01-01

    The electronic structure and chemical states of HgBa2CaCu20(sub 6 + delta), epitaxial films have been studied with x-ray photelectron spectroscopy. Signals from the superconducting phase dominate all the core-level spectra, and a clear Fermi edge is observed in the valence-band region. The Ba, Ca, Cu, and O core levels are similar to those of Tl2Ba2CaCu208(+)O(sub 6 + delta), but distinct differences are observed in the valence bands which are consistent with differences in the calculated densities of states.

  7. GPM Captures Hurricane Joaquin

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT) midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda and has now formed into Hurricane Joaquin, the 3rd of the season--the difference is Joaquin could impact the US East Coast. NASA's GPM satellite captured Joaquin Tuesday, September 29th at 21:39 UTC (5:39 pm EDT). Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio Data provided by the joint NASA/JAXA GPM mission. Download/read more: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=4367 NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  8. Mapping Changes in the Distribution of Aquatic Plant Species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from Airborne AVIRIS-ng Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ustin, S.; Khanna, S.; Bellvert, J.; Ustin, J. D.; Shapiro, K.

    2016-12-01

    Starting in the late 1980s major invasive aquatic pests began to expand their distributions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA, an area of 2,219 Km2 with 1,800 Km waterways. The most aggressive are the floating weed, Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) and the submerged Egeria densa (Brazilian waterweed). The distribution of these species has reportedly expanded during the 2011-2015 drought. We mapped the distributions of invasive aquatic species using data from NASA's Airborne Visible InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer - Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG), which was flown over the Delta November 14, 15, 17, 24, 25, 2014 and September 17-21, 2015 by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). AVIRIS-NG measures 432 bands across the visible and reflected solar infrared, in wavelengths between 346 nm to 2505 nm. Sixty-one flightlines were flown at a nominal spatial resolution of 2.5 m x 2.5 m each year. Field data, identifying locations of aquatic species (1,036 points in 2014 and 1,375 in 2015) were collected by boat between October 20-30, 2014 and September 9-17, 2015 and were used for training and validation. The Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithm was used to classify the species locations each year. The resulting classification was highly consistent with the field data, and produced pixel-based overall accuracy from confusion matrices of 83.9% with kappa values > 0.8 (indicating excellent agreement) in 2014 and overall accuracy of 95.8 and kappa value > 0.9 in 2015. Species distributions were highly dynamic between years. Submerged macrophytes increased their extent and density in 2015 from 779.4 m2 in 2014 to 1170.6 m2. Floating macrophytes acreage decreased from 354.0 m2 in 2014 to 191.4 m2 in 2015. Water hyacinth cover decreased throughout the delta due to chemical control activities but much of the cleared area was replaced by water primrose or submerged species. Water primrose increased from 83.6 m2 in 2014 to 114.3 m2 in 2015.

  9. Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration potential in restored freshwater marshes in the Sacramento San-Joaquin Delta, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knox, S. H.; Sturtevant, C. S.; Oikawa, P. Y.; Matthes, J. H.; Dronova, I.; Anderson, F. E.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Baldocchi, D. D.

    2015-12-01

    Wetlands can be effective carbon sinks due to limited decomposition rates in anaerobic soil. As such there is a growing interest in the use of restored wetlands as biological carbon sequestration projects for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction programs. However, using wetlands to offset emissions requires accurate accounting of both carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) exchange since wetlands are also sources of CH4. To date few studies have quantified CO2 and CH4 exchange from restored wetlands or assessed how these fluxes vary during ecosystem development. In this study, we report on multiple years of eddy covariance measurements of CO2 and CH4 fluxes from two restored freshwater marshes of differing ages (one restored in 1997 and the other in 2010) in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA. Measurements at the younger restored wetland started in October 2010 and began in April 2011 at the older site. The younger restored wetland showed considerable year-to-year variability in the first 4 years following restoration, with CO2 uptake ranging from 12 to 420 g C-CO2 m-2 yr-1. Net CO2 uptake at the older wetland was overall greater than at the younger site, ranging from 292 to 585 g C-CO2 m-2 yr-1. Methane emissions were on average higher at the younger wetland (46 g C-CH4 m-2 yr-1) relative to the older one (33 g C-CH4 m-2 yr-1). In terms of the GHG budgets (assuming a global warming potential of 34), the younger wetland was consistently a GHG source, emitting on average 1439 g CO2 eq m-2 yr-1, while the older wetland was a GHG sink in two of the years of measurement (sequestering 651 and 780 g CO2 eq m-2 yr-1 in 2012 and 2013, respectively) and a source of 750 g CO2 eq m-2 yr-1 in 2014. This study highlights how dynamic CO2 and CH4 fluxes are in the first years following wetland restoration and suggests that restored wetlands have the potential to act as GHG sinks but this may depend on time since restoration.

  10. Is it restoration or reconciliation? California's experience restoring the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta provides lessons learned and pathways forward to sustain critical ecosystem functions and services in a highly managed riverine delta.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viers, J. H.; Kelsey, R.

    2014-12-01

    Reconciling the needs of nature and people in California's Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta represents one of the most critical ecosystem management imperatives in western North America. Over 150 years the Delta has been managed for near-term human benefits and in the process 95% of riverine and deltaic wetlands have been lost throughout the region. Despite extensive land conversion and alteration of hydrological and physical processes, the Delta remains important habitat for migratory birds and is home to over 60% of California's native fish species. It is also the waterwheel for the state's vast water distribution network and is maintained by a system of constructed levees that are at risk from catastrophic failure due to sea level rise, floods, and/or seismic activity. Such a collapse would have dire consequences for > 25M humans and world's 10th largest economy that depend on its freshwater. Thus, the ultimate cost of this ecosystem alteration and simplification is a riverscape that is no longer reliable for nature or people. For 30 years, attempts to 'restore' Delta ecosystems and improve reliability have met with mixed results. For example, reconnection of floodplains to floodwaters has resulted in improved ecological health for native fishes and recharge to localized aquifers. Uncoordinated releases of discharges below dams, however, have resulted in diminished water quality and populations of indicator species. Attempts to create wildlife friendly farms have been countered by an increase in perennial agriculture and commensurate increases in irrigation water demand. From these lessons learned, we demonstrate three key components of a reconciled Delta that will be necessary in the future: 1) full restoration of critical habitats, reconnecting land and water to rebuild ecosystem function; 2) landscape redesign, incorporating natural and engineered infrastructure to create a biologically diverse, resilient landscape to support both agriculture and natural

  11. California Data Exchange Center

    Science.gov Websites

    Historical Strong El Nino Years (PDF): 8-Station | 5-Station | 6-Station River Forecast Delta Tide Forecast year has been monitoring water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and upper San Francisco Delta and San Francisco Bay. http://www.water.ca.gov/news/newsreleases/2016/121916.pdf 12/12/2016

  12. 75 FR 20598 - Public Buildings Service; Prospect Island, Sacramento Delta, Solano County, CA; Transfer of Property

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-20

    ... GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION [Wildlife Order 188; 9-I-CA-1674] Public Buildings Service; Prospect Island, Sacramento Delta, Solano County, CA; Transfer of Property Pursuant to section 2 of Public Law 537, 80th Congress, approved May 19, 1948 (16 U.S.C. 667c), notice is hereby given that: 1. The...

  13. Phytoplankton fuels Delta food web

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jassby, Alan D.; Cloern, James E.; Muller-Solger, A. B.

    2003-01-01

    Populations of certain fishes and invertebrates in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have declined in abundance in recent decades and there is evidence that food supply is partly responsible. While many sources of organic matter in the Delta could be supporting fish populations indirectly through the food web (including aquatic vegetation and decaying organic matter from agricultural drainage), a careful accounting shows that phytoplankton is the dominant food source. Phytoplankton, communities of microscopic free-floating algae, are the most important food source on a Delta-wide scale when both food quantity and quality are taken into account. These microscopic algae have declined since the late 1960s. Fertilizer and pesticide runoff do not appear to be playing a direct role in long-term phytoplankton changes; rather, species invasions, increasing water transparency and fluctuations in water transport are responsible. Although the potential toxicity of herbicides and pesticides to plank- ton in the Delta is well documented, the ecological significance remains speculative. Nutrient inputs from agricultural runoff at current levels, in combination with increasing transparency, could result in harmful al- gal blooms. 

  14. A Millennial-Scale Record of Mercury and Lead Contamination in Peatlands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drexler, J. Z.; Alpers, C. N.; Neymark, L. A.; Paces, J. B.; Fuller, C.

    2015-12-01

    Peat cores from two micro-tidal marshes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California (the landward end of the San Francisco Estuary) were used to track the onset of anthropogenic pollution on the west coast of the United States. Cores were sectioned into 2-cm depth intervals and analyzed for lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and titanium (Ti) concentrations and Pb isotope compositions. Peat profiles were dated using radiocarbon, 210Pb, and 137Cs. Pre-anthropogenic concentrations of Pb and Hg in peat ranged from 0.60 to 13.0 μg g-1and from 6.9 to 71 ng g-1, respectively. For much of the past 6,000+ years, the Delta was free from anthropogenic pollution; however, beginning in ~1425 CE, Hg and Pb concentrations, Pb/Ti ratios, Pb enrichment factors (EFs), and HgEFs all increased. Pb isotope compositions of the peat suggest that this uptick was likely caused by mining and smelting activities originating in Asia. The next increases in Pb and Hg contamination occurred during the California Gold Rush (beginning ~1850 CE), when concentrations reached their highest levels (74 μg g-1 Pb, 990 ng g-1 Hg; PbEF = 12 and HgEF = 28). Pb concentrations increased again beginning in the ~1920s with the incorporation of Pb additives in gasoline. The phase-out of lead additives in the late 1980s was reflected in Pb isotope ratios and reductions in Pb concentrations in the surface layers of the peat. The rise and fall of Hg contamination was also tracked by the peat archive, with the highest Hg concentrations occurring just before 1963 CE and then decreasing during the post-1963 period. Overall the results show that the Delta was a pristine region for most of its ~6,700-year existence; however, since ~1425 CE, it has received Pb and Hg contamination from both global and regional sources. This study demonstrates that micro-tidal peatlands can be a highly useful archive for establishing the onset of anthropogenic contamination and chronicling the transition from a pristine to a polluted

  15. Implications for sustainability of a changing agricultural mosaic in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lucero, C. E.; Deverel, S. J.; Jacobs, P.; Kelsey, R.

    2015-12-01

    Transformed from the largest wetland system on the west coast of the United States to agriculture, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is an extreme teaching example of anthropogenic threats to sustainability. For over 6,000 years, over 280,000 ha of intertidal freshwater marsh accreted due to seal level rise and sediment deposition. Farming of organic soils since 1850 resulted in land subsidence caused primarily by oxidation. Over 2 billion cubic meters of soil were lost resulting in elevations on Delta islands ranging from -1 to -8 m and increased risk of levee failures and water supply disruption. Alteration of water flows and habitat caused dramatic declines in aquatic species. A cycle in which oxidation of organic soils leads to deepening of drainage ditches to maintain an aerated root zone which in turn results in sustained oxidation and subsidence is perpetuated by the momentum of the status quo despite evidence that agricultural practices are increasingly unsustainable. Flooding of the soils breaks the oxidation/subsidence cycle. We assessed alternate land uses and the carbon market as a potential impetus for change. Using the peer-reviewed and locally calibrated SUBCALC model, we estimated net global warming potential for a range of scenarios for a representative island, from status quo to incorporating significant proportions of subsidence-mitigating land use. We analyzed economic implications by determining profit losses or gains when a simulated GHG offset market is available for wetlands using a regional agricultural production and economic optimization model, We estimated baseline GHG emissions at about 60,000 tons CO2-e per year. In contrast, modeled implementation of rice and wetlands resulted in substantial emissions reductions to the island being a net GHG sink. Subsidence would be arrested or reversed where these land uses are implemented. Results of economic modeling reveal that conversion to wetlands can have significant negative farm financial

  16. Ligand activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-beta/delta inhibits cell proliferation in human HaCaT keratinocytes.

    PubMed

    Borland, Michael G; Foreman, Jennifer E; Girroir, Elizabeth E; Zolfaghari, Reza; Sharma, Arun K; Amin, Shantu; Gonzalez, Frank J; Ross, A Catharine; Peters, Jeffrey M

    2008-11-01

    Although there is strong evidence that ligand activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-beta/delta induces terminal differentiation and attenuates cell growth, some studies suggest that PPARbeta/delta actually enhances cell proliferation. For example, it was suggested recently that retinoic acid (RA) is a ligand for PPARbeta/delta and potentiates cell proliferation by activating PPARbeta/delta. The present study examined the effect of ligand activation of PPARbeta/delta on cell proliferation, cell cycle kinetics, and target gene expression in human HaCaT keratinocytes using two highly specific PPARbeta/delta ligands [4-[[[2-[3-fluoro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-methyl-5-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]-2-methylphenoxy acetic acid (GW0742) and 2-methyl-4-((4-methyl-2-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1,3-thiazol-5-yl)-methylsulfanyl)phenoxy-acetic acid (GW501516)] and RA. Both PPARbeta/delta ligands and RA inhibited cell proliferation of HaCaT keratinocytes. GW0742 and GW501516 increased expression of known PPARbeta/delta target genes, whereas RA did not; RA increased the expression of known retinoic acid receptor/retinoid X receptor target genes, whereas GW0742 did not affect these genes. GW0742, GW501516, and RA did not modulate the expression of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase or alter protein kinase B phosphorylation. GW0742 and RA increased annexin V staining as quantitatively determined by flow cytometry. The effects of GW0742 and RA were also examined in wild-type and PPARbeta/delta-null primary mouse keratinocytes to determine the specific role of PPARbeta/delta in modulating cell growth. Although inhibition of keratinocyte proliferation by GW0742 was PPARbeta/delta-dependent, inhibition of cell proliferation by RA occurred in both genotypes. Results from these studies demonstrate that ligand activation of PPARbeta/delta inhibits keratinocyte proliferation through PPARbeta/delta-dependent mechanisms. In contrast, the observed inhibition of

  17. Effect of Climate Extremes, Seasonal Change, and Agronomic Practices on Measured Evapotranspiration and CO2 Exchange in Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Alfalfa Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clay, J.; Kent, E. R.; Leinfelder-Miles, M.; Paw U, K. T.; Little, C.; Lambert, J. J.

    2017-12-01

    Evapotranspiration and CO2 exchange was measured in five alfalfa fields in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region from 2016 to 2017 using eddy covariance and surface renewal methods. Seasonal changes of evapotranspiration and CO2 fluxes were compared between 2016, a drought year, and 2017, a high rainfall year. Additionally, changes in evapotranspiration and CO2 flux were investigated across various agronomic considerations, such as irrigation methods (border-check flood and sub-surface), stand life, and herbicide programs. Components of the energy balance, including net radiation, latent heat, ground heat flux, and sensible heat, were evaluated considering correlations to wind speed measured by three sonic anemometers, irrigation frequency, and crop cutting cycle. Comparisons between two different types of radiometers were also carried out. Under drought conditions, we observed higher amounts of evapotranspiration in a field having a stand life of less than two years of age compared to older stands, and in a sub-surface irrigated field compared to flood irrigated fields.

  18. Resource intensification and osteoarthritis patterns: changes in activity in the prehistoric Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region.

    PubMed

    Cheverko, Colleen M; Bartelink, Eric J

    2017-10-01

    Ethnohistoric accounts and archaeological research from Central California document a shift from the use of lower-cost, high-ranked resources (e.g., large game) toward the greater use of higher-cost, low-ranked resources (e.g., acorns and small seeds) during the Late Holocene (4500-200 BP). The subsistence transition from higher consumption of large game toward an increased reliance on acorns was likely associated with increases in levels of logistical mobility and physical activity. This study predicts that mobility and overall workload patterns changed during this transition to accommodate new food procurement strategies and incorporate new dietary resources during the Late Holocene in Central California. Osteoarthritis prevalence was scored in the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee of adult individuals (n = 256) from seven archaeological sites in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region. Comparisons were made between osteoarthritis prevalence, sex, age-at-death, and time period using ANCOVAs. The results of this study indicate significant increases in osteoarthritis prevalence in the hip of adult males and females during the Late Period (1200-200 BP), even after correcting for the cumulative effects of age. No differences were observed between the sexes or between time periods for the shoulder, elbow, and knee joints. The temporal increase in hip osteoarthritis supports the hypothesis that there was an increasing need for greater logistical mobility over time to procure key resources away from the village sites. Additionally, the lack of sex differences in osteoarthritis prevalence may suggest that females and males likely performed similar levels of activity during these periods. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Escape from the Delta: Preparation and Evacuation for Catastrophic Flooding in California Emergency Management Agency Region 4

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-29

    Baldwin, R. (2010). Conversation with San Joaquin County OES. (Personal communication 09 November 2010) Bass, D . J. (2011). Delta Watershed ...4 Analysis 25 4.1 Establishing the Base Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4.2 SCENARIO: Sacramento County...Tables 53 Initial Distribution List 63 viii List of Figures Figure 1.1 The watershed which feeds the delta drains the majority of California’s rainfall

  20. Computer modeling of siRNA knockdown effects indicates an essential role of the Ca2+ channel alpha2delta-1 subunit in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling.

    PubMed

    Tuluc, Petronel; Kern, Georg; Obermair, Gerald J; Flucher, Bernhard E

    2007-06-26

    L-type Ca(2+) currents determine the shape of cardiac action potentials (AP) and the magnitude of the myoplasmic Ca(2+) signal, which regulates the contraction force. The auxiliary Ca(2+) channel subunits alpha(2)delta-1 and beta(2) are important regulators of membrane expression and current properties of the cardiac Ca(2+) channel (Ca(V)1.2). However, their role in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling is still elusive. Here we addressed this question by combining siRNA knockdown of the alpha(2)delta-1 subunit in a muscle expression system with simulation of APs and Ca(2+) transients by using a quantitative computer model of ventricular myocytes. Reconstitution of dysgenic muscle cells with Ca(V)1.2 (GFP-alpha(1C)) recapitulates key properties of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. Concomitant depletion of the alpha(2)delta-1 subunit did not perturb membrane expression or targeting of the pore-forming GFP-alpha(1C) subunit into junctions between the outer membrane and the sarcoplasmic reticulum. However, alpha(2)delta-1 depletion shifted the voltage dependence of Ca(2+) current activation by 9 mV to more positive potentials, and it slowed down activation and inactivation kinetics approximately 2-fold. Computer modeling revealed that the altered voltage dependence and current kinetics exert opposing effects on the function of ventricular myocytes that in total cause a 60% prolongation of the AP and a 2-fold increase of the myoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration during each contraction. Thus, the Ca(2+) channel alpha(2)delta-1 subunit is not essential for normal Ca(2+) channel targeting in muscle but is a key determinant of normal excitation and contraction of cardiac muscle cells, and a reduction of alpha(2)delta-1 function is predicted to severely perturb normal heart function.

  1. Astrocytes express specific variants of CaM KII delta and gamma, but not alpha and beta, that determine their cellular localizations.

    PubMed

    Vallano, M L; Beaman-Hall, C M; Mathur, A; Chen, Q

    2000-04-01

    Multiple isoforms of type II Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaM KII) are composed of two major neuron-specific subunits, designated alpha and beta, and two less well-characterized subunits that are also expressed in non-neuronal tissues, designated delta and gamma. Regulated expression of these 4 gene products, and several variants produced by alternative splicing, shows temporal and regional specificity and influences intracellular targeting. We used immunoblotting and RT-PCR to analyze subunit and variant expression and distribution in cultured cerebellar astrocytes and neurons, and whole cerebellar cortex from rodent brain. The data indicate that: (i) astrocytes express a single splice variant of delta, namely delta(2); (ii) like neurons, astrocytes express two forms of CaM KII gamma; gamma(B) and gamma(A); (iii) these CaM KII variants are enriched in the supernate fraction in astrocytes, and the particulate fraction in neurons; (iv) unlike neurons, astrocytes do not express detectable levels of alpha or beta subunits or their respective splice variants. The results indicate that neurons and astrocytes express distinct CaM KII subunits and variants that localize to distinct subcellular compartments and, by inference, exert distinct cellular functions. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  2. Seismic Tomography of the Sacramento -- San Joaquin River Delta: Joint P-wave/Gravity and Ambient Noise Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teel, Alexander C.

    The Sacramento -- San Joaquin River Delta (SSJRD) is an area that has been identified as having high seismic hazard but has resolution gaps in the seismic velocity models of the area due to a scarcity of local seismic stations and earthquakes. I present new three-dimensional (3D) P-wave velocity (Vp) and S-wave velocity (Vs) models for the SSJRD which fill in the sampling gaps of previous studies. I have created a new 3D seismic velocity model for the SSJRD, addressing an identified need for higher resolution velocity models in the region, using a new joint gravity/body-wave tomography algorithm. I am able to fit gravity and arrival-time residuals jointly using an empirical density-velocity relationship to take advantage of existing gravity data in the region to help fill in the resolution gaps of previous velocity models in the area. I find that the method enhances the ability to resolve the relief of basin structure relative to seismic-only tomography at this location. I find the depth to the basement to be the greatest in the northwest portion of the SSJRD and that there is a plateau in the basement structure beneath the southeast portion of the SSJRD. From my findings I infer that the SSJRD may be prone to focusing effects and basin amplification of ground motion. A 3D, Vs model for the SSJRD and surrounding area was created using ambient noise tomography. The empirical Green's functions are in good agreement with published cross-correlations and match earthquake waveforms sharing similar paths. The group velocity and shear velocity maps are in good agreement with published regional scale models. The new model maps velocity values on a local scale and successfully recovers the basin structure beneath the Delta. From this Vs model I find the maximum depth of the basin to reach approximately 15 km with the Great Valley Ophiolite body rising to a depth of 10 km east of the SSJRD. We consider our basement-depth estimates from the Vp model to be more robust than

  3. Shear-wave velocity model from Rayleigh wave group velocities centered on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fletcher, Jon Peter B.; Erdem, Jemile

    2017-01-01

    Rayleigh wave group velocities obtained from ambient noise tomography are inverted for an upper crustal model of the Central Valley, California, centered on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. Two methods were tried; the first uses SURF96, a least-squares routine. It provides a good fit to the data, but convergence is dependent on the starting model. The second uses a genetic algorithm, whose starting model is random. This method was tried at several nodes in the model and compared to the output from SURF96. The genetic code is run five times and the variance of the output of all five models can be used to obtain an estimate of error. SURF96 produces a more regular solution mostly because it is typically run with a smoothing constraint. Models from the genetic code are generally consistent with the SURF96 code sometimes producing lower velocities at depth. The full model, calculated using SURF96, employed a 2-pass strategy, which used a variable damping scheme in the first pass. The resulting model shows low velocities near the surface in the Central Valley with a broad asymmetrical sedimentary basin located close to the western edge of the Central Valley near 122°W longitude. At shallow depths the Rio Vista Basin is found nestled between the Pittsburgh/Kirby Hills and Midland faults, but a significant basin also seems to exist to the west of the Kirby Hills fault. There are other possible correlations between fast and slow velocities in the Central Valley and geologic features such as the Stockton Arch, oil or gas producing regions and the fault-controlled western boundary of the Central Valley.

  4. Shear-wave Velocity Model from Rayleigh Wave Group Velocities Centered on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fletcher, Jon B.; Erdem, Jemile

    2017-10-01

    Rayleigh wave group velocities obtained from ambient noise tomography are inverted for an upper crustal model of the Central Valley, California, centered on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. Two methods were tried; the first uses SURF96, a least squares routine. It provides a good fit to the data, but convergence is dependent on the starting model. The second uses a genetic algorithm, whose starting model is random. This method was tried at several nodes in the model and compared to the output from SURF96. The genetic code is run five times and the variance of the output of all five models can be used to obtain an estimate of error. SURF96 produces a more regular solution mostly because it is typically run with a smoothing constraint. Models from the genetic code are generally consistent with the SURF96 code sometimes producing lower velocities at depth. The full model, calculated using SURF96, employed a 2-pass strategy, which used a variable damping scheme in the first pass. The resulting model shows low velocities near the surface in the Central Valley with a broad asymmetrical sedimentary basin located close to the western edge of the Central Valley near 122°W longitude. At shallow depths, the Rio Vista Basin is found nestled between the Pittsburgh/Kirby Hills and Midland faults, but a significant basin also seems to exist to the west of the Kirby Hills fault. There are other possible correlations between fast and slow velocities in the Central Valley and geologic features such as the Stockton Arch, oil or gas producing regions and the fault-controlled western boundary of the Central Valley.

  5. Extensometer, water-level, and lithologic data from Bacon and Bethel Islands in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, September 1987 to August 1993

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kerr, Barry D.; Leighton, David A.

    1999-01-01

    Compaction, water-level, and lithologic data were collected at extensometer sites on Bacon and Bethel Islands, anchored at 436 and 536 feet below land surface, respectively. The data reported here are part of a study of the processes causing subsidence in the Sacramento?San Joaquin Delta. The depths were selected to ensure that they were well below the peat layer and the primary aquifer, which minimized the effects of peat loss and shallow ground-water withdrawal. Compaction and depth to ground water were measured monthly at Bacon Island from September 1987 through August 1993 and at Bethel Island from August 1988 through August 1993. After automatic digital data loggers were installed at Bacon Island in December 1988 and at Bethel Island in September 1989, hourly readings also were made. Calculated rates of compaction were 0.0015 and 0.0016 feet per year at Bacon and Bethel Islands, respectively. Cumulative compaction at the Bacon Island site from September 1987 to August 1993 was about 0.009 feet. Cumulative compaction at the Bethel Island site from August 1988 to August 1993 was about 0.008 feet.

  6. High Frequency Monitoring of Isotopic Signatures Elucidates Potential Effects of Restoring Floodplain Habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakamoto, B. J.; Fogel, M. L.; Jeffres, C.; Viers, J. H.

    2017-12-01

    Increasing the quality and quantity of habitat for native species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a high priority for California water managers. The McCormack-Williamson Tract (MWT) is a subsided island (38.253° N -121.284° W) situated at the confluence of the Cosumnes and Mokelumne rivers, near the inland extent of tidal influence. MWT experienced unexpected levee failure on February 11, 2017, during the wettest year of record for the Mokelumne-Cosumnes river system, which provided a unique opportunity to examine the potential trajectory of future restoration actions within the Delta. We carried out high frequency sampling (n=32, 13% of days) of suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) and waters in the Mokelumne and Cosumnes river systems, including nearby sloughs, and the post-failure, flooded interior of MWT. Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes in SPOM and δ2H and δ18O of waters were analyzed and in situ water quality data were collected in tandem, thus contextualizing isotopic data. Sampling was confined to an 8 km2 region surrounding MWT (6.7 km2 interior). This unintentional flooding provided a natural before-after-control-impact experiment to study the effect that sudden inundation of a Delta island can have on food web development and ecosystem function. Source waters were isotopically distinct (p<.01), and co-varied along the Global Meteoric Water Line (R2>0.9), providing a semi-conservative tracer of mixing. The δ13C values of SPOM varied between -37.3 and -23.9‰ and were significantly more negative on the flooded island by 1.2‰ (p<.01), possibly due to increased recycling of organic carbon concomitant with accelerated ecosystem metabolism. Concurrently, δ15N values varied between 1.0 and 12.4‰ and were not significantly different between riverine and flooded island sites. Our data indicate that this river system is highly dynamic over short periods of flood inundation (13 weeks) with new freshwater habitats exhibiting

  7. Agricultural peatland restoration: effects of land-use change on greenhouse gas (CO2 and CH4) fluxes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

    PubMed

    Knox, Sara Helen; Sturtevant, Cove; Matthes, Jaclyn Hatala; Koteen, Laurie; Verfaillie, Joseph; Baldocchi, Dennis

    2015-02-01

    Agricultural drainage of organic soils has resulted in vast soil subsidence and contributed to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California was drained over a century ago for agriculture and human settlement and has since experienced subsidence rates that are among the highest in the world. It is recognized that drained agriculture in the Delta is unsustainable in the long-term, and to help reverse subsidence and capture carbon (C) there is an interest in restoring drained agricultural land-use types to flooded conditions. However, flooding may increase methane (CH4) emissions. We conducted a full year of simultaneous eddy covariance measurements at two conventional drained agricultural peatlands (a pasture and a corn field) and three flooded land-use types (a rice paddy and two restored wetlands) to assess the impact of drained to flooded land-use change on CO2 and CH4 fluxes in the Delta. We found that the drained sites were net C and greenhouse gas (GHG) sources, releasing up to 341 g C m(-2) yr(-1) as CO2 and 11.4 g C m(-2) yr(-1) as CH4. Conversely, the restored wetlands were net sinks of atmospheric CO2, sequestering up to 397 g C m(-2) yr(-1). However, they were large sources of CH4, with emissions ranging from 39 to 53 g C m(-2) yr(-1). In terms of the full GHG budget, the restored wetlands could be either GHG sources or sinks. Although the rice paddy was a small atmospheric CO2 sink, when considering harvest and CH4 emissions, it acted as both a C and GHG source. Annual photosynthesis was similar between sites, but flooding at the restored sites inhibited ecosystem respiration, making them net CO2 sinks. This study suggests that converting drained agricultural peat soils to flooded land-use types can help reduce or reverse soil subsidence and reduce GHG emissions. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Estimation of the Role of Natural Climatic Trends and Local Depositional Conditions on Peat Formation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Based on Palynological and Paleomagnetic Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delusina, I.; Verosub, K. L.

    2014-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California is a critical ecosystem for reconstructing natural and anthropogenic impacts on environmental conditions, understanding stream development, and assessing the fate of artificial levees. Peat formation is influenced by all these processes and represents the combined effects of climatic and hydrographic evolution. In the framework of Project REPEAT, we studied three peat cores using palynological and paleomagnetic methods, focusing on the influence of the general climatic setting and postglacial sea-level changes during the last 6500 years on the process of peat formation and the interplay of local environmental and hydrological conditions. In this report we consider the hypothesis that peat accretion was closely related to general climatic trends, as reflected in atmospheric carbon storage in the Delta sediments, and to general sea-level fluctuation. Based on the fact that the bulk density of the peat is closely correlated with organic carbon content, we examine: 1) whether the pollen concentration is highest when the organic carbon content in the cores is a maximum and corresponds to the warmest episodes; 2) whether organic content is inversely related to the lithic content as determined by paleomagnetic measurements; 3) whether a salinity index based on pollen criteria is highest during the highest stands of sea level; 4) and whether the C3/C4 plant index is a good measure of the carbon content of the peat.

  9. Mapping Evapotranspiration in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta using simulated ECOSTRESS Thermal Data: Validation and Inter-comparison

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wong, A.; Jin, Y.; He, R.; Hulley, G.; Fisher, J.; Lee, C. M.; Rivera, G.; Hook, S. J.; Medellin-Azuara, J.; Kent, E. R.; Paw U, K. T.; Gao, F.; Lund, J. R.

    2017-12-01

    Irrigation accounts for 80% of human freshwater consumption, and most of it return to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration (ET). In California, where our water resources are limited and heavily utilized, the need for a cost-effective, timely, and consistent spatial estimate of crop ET, from the farm to watershed level, is becoming increasingly important. The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), to be launched in mid-2018, will provide the most detailed and accurate temperature measurements ever acquired from space and thus unique opportunities for estimating ET at the farm scale. We simulated the ECOSTRESS thermal data at a 70 m resolution using VIIRS thermal observations and ASTER emissivity data in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region for the 2016 water year. Three remote sensing based ET methods were then applied to estimate ET using simulated ECOSTRESS data and optical data from Landsat and VIIRS, including Priestley-Taylor approaches developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PT-JPL) and by UC Davis (PT-UCD), and the Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model. We compared these three sets of ET estimates with field measurements at sixteen sites over five crop types (Alfalfa, Corn, Pasture, Tomato, and Beardless Wheat). Good agreement was found between satellite-based estimates and field measurements. Our results demonstrate that thermal data from the upcoming ECOSTRESS mission will reduce the uncertainty in ET estimates. A continuous monitoring of the dynamics and spatial heterogeneity of consumptive water use at a field scale will help prepare and inform to adaptively manage water, canopy, and planting density to maximize yield with least amount of water.

  10. Latest View of Hurricane Joaquin

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Hurricane Joaquin continued to intensify in the Bahamas on October 1 and NASA and NOAA satellites have been providing valuable data on the storm. NASA's GPM and Terra satellites and NOAA's GOES-East satellite provided rainfall, cloud extent, cloud height and other data to forecasters. Joaquin became a major hurricane today, October 1, reaching Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. On October 1 at 1330 UTC (9:30 a.m. EDT) NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Joaquin covering the southern Bahamas and extending over southeastern Cuba, and the island of Hispaniola (which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Joaquin's eye had become completely visible now that the storm had reached Category 3 status. On October 1, a Hurricane Warning was in effect for the Central Bahamas, Northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, The Acklins, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana in the southeastern Bahamas. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for Bimini and Andros Island, and a Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the remainder of the southeastern Bahamas excluding the Turks and Caicos Islands and Andros Island. According to NHC, at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 23.2 North, longitude 73.7 West. That's just 10 miles (15 km) north of Samana Cays, Bahamas and about 75 miles (120 km) southeast of San Salvador, Bahamas. Joaquin was moving toward the west-southwest near 5 mph (7 kph), and this motion is expected to continue today. NHC noted that a turn toward the west- northwest is forecast tonight (Oct. 1), followed by a turn toward the north and an increase in forward speed on Friday, Oct. 2. On the forecast track, the center of Joaquin will move near or over portions of the central Bahamas today and tonight and pass near or over portions of the northwestern Bahamas on Friday. Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 km

  11. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations and compositions, and trihalomethane formation potentials in waters from agricultural peat soils, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California; implications for drinking-water quality

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fujii, Roger; Ranalli, Anthony J.; Aiken, George R.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.

    1998-01-01

    Water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta (Delta) is an important drinking-water source for more than 20 million people in California. At times, this water contains elevated concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and bromide, and exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for trihalomethanes of 0.100 milligrams per liter if chlorinated for drinking water. About 20 to 50 percent of the trihalomethane precursors to Delta waters originates from drainage water from peat soils on Delta islands. This report elucidates some of the factors and processes controlling and affecting the concentration and quality of dissolved organic carbon released from peat soils and relates the propensity of dissolved organic carbon to form trihalomethanes to its chemical composition.Soil water was sampled from near-surface, oxidized, well-decomposed peat soil (upper soil zone) and deeper, reduced, fibrous peat soil (lower soil zone) from one agricultural field in the west central Delta over 1 year. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in the upper soil zone were highly variable, with median concentrations ranging from 46.4 to 83.2 milligrams per liter. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in samples from the lower soil zone were much less variable and generally slightly higher than samples from the upper soil zone, with median concentrations ranging from 49.3 to 82.3 milligrams per liter. The dissolved organic carbon from the lower soil zone had significantly higher aromaticity (as measured by specific ultraviolet absorbance) and contained significantly greater amounts of aromatic humic substances (as measured by XAD resin fractionation and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of XAD isolates) than the dissolved organic carbon from the upper soil zone. These results support the conclusion that more aromatic forms of dissolved organic carbon are produced under anaerobic conditions compared to aerobic conditions

  12. Plant community, primary productivity, and environmental conditions following wetland re-establishment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, R.L.; Fujii, R.

    2010-01-01

    Wetland restoration can mitigate aerobic decomposition of subsided organic soils, as well as re-establish conditions favorable for carbon storage. Rates of carbon storage result from the balance of inputs and losses, both of which are affected by wetland hydrology. We followed the effect of water depth (25 and 55 cm) on the plant community, primary production, and changes in two re-established wetlands in the Sacramento San-Joaquin River Delta, California for 9 years after flooding to determine how relatively small differences in water depth affect carbon storage rates over time. To estimate annual carbon inputs, plant species cover, standing above- and below-ground plant biomass, and annual biomass turnover rates were measured, and allometric biomass models for Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) acutus and Typha spp., the emergent marsh dominants, were developed. As the wetlands developed, environmental factors, including water temperature, depth, and pH were measured. Emergent marsh vegetation colonized the shallow wetland more rapidly than the deeper wetland. This is important to potential carbon storage because emergent marsh vegetation is more productive, and less labile, than submerged and floating vegetation. Primary production of emergent marsh vegetation ranged from 1.3 to 3.2 kg of carbon per square meter annually; and, mid-season standing live biomass represented about half of the annual primary production. Changes in species composition occurred in both submerged and emergent plant communities as the wetlands matured. Water depth, temperature, and pH were lower in areas with emergent marsh vegetation compared to submerged vegetation, all of which, in turn, can affect carbon cycling and storage rates. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.

  13. Hurricane Joaquin 9/30/15

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Joaquin east of the Bahamas on Sept. 30 at 1745 UTC (1:45 p.m. EDT). Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 24.7 North, longitude 72.6 West. That puts the center of Joaquin about 215 miles (345 km) east-northeast of the Central Bahamas. Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT), September 29 when it was midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda. By 8 a.m. EDT on September 30, it strengthened into a hurricane and has become the third hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane season. On September 30, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning for the central Bahamas including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, but excluding Andros Island. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  14. Covariance of bacterioplankton composition and environmental variables in a temperate delta system

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stepanauskas, R.; Moran, M.A.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Hollibaugh, J.T.

    2003-01-01

    We examined seasonal and spatial variation in bacterioplankton composition in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (CA) using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. Cloned 16S rRNA genes from this system were used for putative identification of taxa dominating the T-RFLP profiles. Both cloning and T-RFLP analysis indicated that Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Cytophaga-Flavobacterium and Proteobacteria were the most abundant bacterioplankton groups in the Delta. Despite the broad variety of sampled habitats (deep water channels, lakes, marshes, agricultural drains, freshwater and brackish areas), and the spatial and temporal differences in hydrology, temperature and water chemistry among the sampling campaigns, T-RFLP electropherograms from all samples were similar, indicating that the same bacterioplankton phylotypes dominated in the various habitats of the Delta throughout the year. However, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares regression (PLS) of T-RFLP profiles revealed consistent grouping of samples on a seasonal, but not a spatial, basis. ??-Proteobacteria related to Ralstonia, Actinobacteria related to Microthrix, and ??-Proteobacteria identical to the environmental Clone LD12 had the highest relative abundance in summer/fall T-RFLP profiles and were associated with low river flow, high pH, and a number of optical and chemical characteristics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) indicative of an increased proportion of phytoplankton-produced organic material as opposed to allochthonous, terrestrially derived organic material. On the other hand, Geobacter-related ??-Proteobacteria showed a relative increase in abundance in T-RFLP analysis during winter/spring, and probably were washed out from watershed soils or sediment. Various phylotypes associated with the same phylogenetic division, based on tentative identification of T-RFLP fragments, exhibited diverse seasonal patterns, suggesting that ecological

  15. Distribution of flux-pinning energies in YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) from flux noise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrari, M. J.; Johnson, Mark; Wellstood, Frederick C.; Clarke, John; Mitzi, D.

    1990-01-01

    The spectral density of the magnetic flux noise measured in high-temperature superconductors in low magnetic fields scales approximately as the inverse of the frequency and increases with temperature. The temperature and frequency dependence of the noise are used to determine the pinning energies of individual flux vortices in thermal equilibrium. The distribution of pinning energies below 0.1 eV in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) and near 0.2 eV in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta). The noise power is proportional to the ambient magnetic field, indicating that the vortex motion is uncorrelated.

  16. 78 FR 35758 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Bishop Cut, Near Stockton, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-14

    ... Operation Regulation; Bishop Cut, Near Stockton, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of deviation... operating regulation that governs the San Joaquin County Highway Bridge across Bishop Cut, mile 1.0, near... Highway Bridge, mile 1.0, over Bishop Cut, near Stockton, CA. The drawbridge navigation span provides a...

  17. Welcome to CALFED Bay-Delta Program

    Science.gov Websites

    Skip to: Content | Footer | Accessibility Search: Search CALFED Search CA.GOV | CALFED Bay-Delta California Delta Delta Home About the Delta CALFED Science About the Program Independent Science Board , CALFED Director photo of blue heron Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee CALFED Agencies Calendar

  18. Hurricane Joaquin 9/30/15

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    The MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured Hurricane Joaquin off the Bahamas at 15:45 UTC (11:45 a.m. EDT) on September 30, 2015. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 24.7 North, longitude 72.6 West. That puts the center of Joaquin about 215 miles (345 km) east-northeast of the Central Bahamas. Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT), September 29 when it was midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda. By 8 a.m. EDT on September 30, it strengthened into a hurricane and has become the third hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane season. On September 30, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning for the central Bahamas including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, but excluding Andros Island. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  19. Transport of diazinon in the San Joaquin River Basin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, C.R.

    1999-01-01

    Most of the application of the organophosphate insecticide diazinon in the San Joaquin River Basin occurs in winter to control wood-boring insects in dormant almond orchards. A federal-state collaborative study found that diazinon accounted for most of the observed toxicity of San Joaquin River water in February 1993. Previous studies focused mainly on west-side inputs to the San Joaquin River. In this 1994 study, the three major east-side tributaries to the San Joaquin River - the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus rivers - and a downstream site on the San Joaquin River were sampled throughout the hydrographs of a late January and an early February storm. In both storms, the Tuolumne River had the highest concentrations of diazinon and transported the largest load of the three tributaries. The Stanislaus River was a small source in both storms. On the basis of previous storm sampling and estimated travel times, ephemeral west-side creeks probably were the main diazinon source early in the storms, whereas the Tuolumne and Merced rivers and east-side drainages directly to the San Joaquin River were the main sources later. Although 74 percent of diazinon transport in the San Joaquin River during 1991-1993 occurred in January and February, transport during each of the two 1994 storms was only 0.05 percent of the amount applied during preceding dry periods. Nevertheless, some of the diazinon concentrations in the San Joaquin River during the January storm exceeded 0.35 ??g/L, a concentration shown to be acutely toxic to water fleas. On the basis of this study and previous studies, diazinon concentrations and streamflow are highly variable during January and February storms, and frequent sampling is required to evaluate transport in the San Joaquin River Basin.

  20. Sediment budgets, transport, and depositional trends in a large tidal delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Morgan, Tara; Wright, Scott A.

    2016-01-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the largest delta on the west coast of the United States. It is formed where the confluence of California’s two largest rivers (the Sacramento and San Joaquin) meet the ocean tides and has a significant physical gradient from fluvial to tidal. It is a semidiurnal system (two high and two low tides per day). Today, the Delta is one of the most manipulated in the United States. Once composed of many shallow, meandering and braided dendritic channels and dead-end sloughs and wetlands, it is now a network of leveed canals moving clear water around subsided islands. It historically has supported a biologically diverse tidal wetland complex, of which only 3% remains today (Whipple et al., 2012). It has also witnessed a collapse in the native fish populations. The Delta provides critical habitat for native species, however the hydrology and water quality are complicated by manipulations and diversions to satisfy multiple statewide objectives. Today water managers face co-equal goals of water supply to Californians and maintenance of ecosystem health and function. The Delta is a hub for both a multi-hundred-million dollar agricultural industry and a massive north-to-south water delivery system, supplying the primary source of freshwater to Central Valley farmers and drinking water for two-thirds of California’s population. Large pump facilities support the water demand and draw water from the Delta, further altering circulation patterns and redirecting the net flow toward the export facilities (Monsen et al., 2007). Fluvial sedimentation, along with organic accumulation, creates and sustains the Delta landscape. Hydraulic mining for gold in the watershed during the late 1800s delivered an especially large sediment pulse to the Delta. More recently, from 1955 to the present, a significant sediment decline has been observed that is thought to have been caused mostly by the construction of water storage reservoirs that trap the upstream

  1. Ground water in the San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kunkel, Fred; Hofman, Walter

    1966-01-01

    Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be invited to attend this Irrigation Institute conference and to describe the Geological Survey's program of ground-water studies in the San Joaquin Valley. The U.S. Geological Survey has been making water-resources studies in cooperation with the State of California and other agencies in California for more than 70 years. Three of the earliest Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers--numbers 17, 18, and 19--published in 1898 and 1899, describe "Irrigation near Bakersfield," "Irrigation near Fresno," and "Irrigation near Merced." However, the first Survey report on ground-water occurrence in the San Joaquin Valley was "Ground Water in the San Joaquin Valley," by Mendenhall and others. The fieldwork was done from 1905 to 1910, and the report was published in 1916 as U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 398.The current series of ground-water studies in the San Joaquin Valley was begun in 1952 as part of the California Department of Water Resources-U.S. Geological Survey cooperative water-resources program. The first report of this series is Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1469, "Ground-Water Conditions and Storage Capacity in the San Joaquin Valley." Other reports are Water-Supply Paper 1618, "Use of Ground-Water Reservoirs for Storage of Surface Water in the San Joaquin Valley;" Water-Supply Paper 1656, "Geology and Ground-Water Features of the Edison-Maricopa Area;" Water-Supply Paper 1360-G, "Ground- Water Conditions in the Mendota-Huron Area;" Water-Supply Paper 1457, "Ground-Water Conditions in the Avenal-McKittrick Area;" and an open-file report, "Geology, Hydrology, and Quality of Water in the Terra Bella-Lost Hills Area."In addition to the preceding published reports, ground-water studies currently are being made of the Kern Fan area, the Hanford- Visalia area, the Fresno area, the Merced area, and of the clays of Tulare Lake. Also, detailed studies of both shallow and deep subsidence in the southern part of

  2. Environmental factors associated with long-term changes in chlorophyll concentration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta and Suisun Bay, California

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

    Lehman, P.W.

    Long-term changes in chlorophyll concentration were predicted from environmental variables using Box-Jenkins transfer function models for the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and Suisun Bay. The indication that oceanic phytoplankton biomass for the California regions is associated with climatic phenomena produced by El Nino and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was one of several factors used to standardize the dataset. Data used for the analyses were collected continuously on a semimonthly or monthly basis over the 17-yr period between 1971 and 1987. Groups of highly correlated environmental variables were summarized along three environmental axes using principal component analysis. The first environmentalmore » axis summarized river flow and specific conductance. The second environmental axis summarized water transparency and the third environmental axis summarized air and water temperature. Chlorophyll concentration was significantly cross-correlated with environmental axes and individual environmental variables. Transfer function models developed to describe changes in chlorophyll concentration over time were characterized by lag responses and described between 41% and 51% of the data variation. Significant cross-correlations between environmental axes and the California climate index (CA SLP) were used to develop a conceptual model of the link between regional climate and estuarine production. 50 refs., 5 figs.« less

  3. Effects of the proposed California WaterFix North Delta Diversion on survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, northern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, Russell W.; Pope, Adam C.

    2018-05-11

    The California Department of Water Resources and Bureau of Reclamation propose new water intake facilities on the Sacramento River in northern California that would convey some of the water for export to areas south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (hereinafter referred to as the Delta) through tunnels rather than through the Delta. The collection of water intakes, tunnels, pumping facilities, associated structures, and proposed operations are collectively referred to as California WaterFix. The water intake facilities, hereinafter referred to as the North Delta Diversion (NDD), are proposed to be located on the Sacramento River downstream of the city of Sacramento and upstream of the first major river junction where Sutter Slough branches from the Sacramento River. The NDD can divert a maximum discharge of 9,000 cubic feet per second (ft3 /s) from the Sacramento River, which reduces the amount of Sacramento River inflow into the Delta. In this report, we conduct four analyses to investigate the effect of the NDD and its proposed operation on survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). All analyses used the results of a Bayesian survival model that allowed us to simulate travel time, migration routing, and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon migrating through the Delta in response to NDD operations, which affected both inflows to the Delta and operation of the Delta Cross Channel (DCC). For the first analysis, we evaluated the effect of the NDD bypass rules on salmon survival. The NDD bypass rules are a set of operational rule curves designed to provide adaptive levels of fish protection by defining allowable diversion rates as a function of (1) Sacramento River discharge as measured at Freeport, and (2) time of year when endangered runs requiring the most protection are present. We determined that all bypass rule curves except constant low-level pumping (maximum diversion of 900 ft3 /s) could cause a sizeable decrease in survival by as

  4. Transport of diazinon in the San Joaquin River basin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, Charles R.

    1997-01-01

    Most of the application of the organophosphate insecticide diazinon in the San Joaquin River Basin occurs in winter to control wood boring insects in dormant almond orchards. A federal-state collaborative study found that diazinon accounted for most of the observed toxicity of San Joaquin River water to water fleas in February 1993. Previous studies focussed mainly on west-side inputs to the San Joaquin River. In this 1994 study, the three major east-side tributaries to the San Joaquin River, the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus Rivers, and a downstream site on the San Joaquin River were sampled throughout the hydrographs of a late January and an early February storm. In both storms, the Tuolumne River had the highest concentrations of diazinon and transported the largest load of the three tributaries. The Stanislaus River was a small source in both storms. On the basis of previous storm sampling and estimated traveltimes, ephemeral west-side creeks were probably the main diazinon source early in the storms, while the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers and east-side drainage directly to the San Joaquin River were the main sources later. Although 74 percent of diazinon transport in the San Joaquin River during 199193 occurred in January and February, transport during each of the two 1994 storms was only 0.05 percent of the amount applied during preceeding dry periods. Nevertheless, some of the diazinon concentrations in the San Joaquin River during the January storm exceeded 0.35 micrograms per liter, a concentration shown to be acutely toxic to water fleas. Diazinon concentrations were highly variable during the storms and frequent sampling was required to adequately describe the concentration curves and to estimate loads.

  5. Joaquin moves away from East Coast

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Joaquin east of the Bahamas on Oct. 3 at 1615 UTC (12:15 p.m. EDT). The national weather forecast for October 3, 2015: Joaquin is no threat for now, but the nor'easter on the East Coast is causing massive flooding. Heavy rain hit Charleston, South Carolina., and much of the Southeast on Saturday, giving the region little relief from the threat of Hurricane Joaquin as it moved to the northeast away from the East Coast. Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  6. Hurricane Joaquin on 9/29/15

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of Joaquin near the Bahamas on Sept. 29 at 18:10 UTC (2:10 p.m. EDT). Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 24.7 North, longitude 72.6 West. That puts the center of Joaquin about 215 miles (345 km) east-northeast of the Central Bahamas. Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT), September 29 when it was midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda. By 8 a.m. EDT on September 30, it strengthened into a hurricane and has become the third hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane season. On September 30, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning for the central Bahamas including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, but excluding Andros Island. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  7. Riders on the storm: selective tidal movements facilitate the spawning migration of threatened delta smelt in the San Francisco Estuary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bennett, W.A.; Burau, Jon R.

    2015-01-01

    Migration strategies in estuarine fishes typically include behavioral adaptations for reducing energetic costs and mortality during travel to optimize reproductive success. The influence of tidal currents and water turbidity on individual movement behavior were investigated during the spawning migration of the threatened delta smelt, Hypomesus transpacificus, in the northern San Francisco Estuary, California, USA. Water current velocities and turbidity levels were measured concurrently with delta smelt occurrence at sites in the lower Sacramento River and San Joaquin River as turbidity increased due to first-flush winter rainstorms in January and December 2010. The presence/absence of fish at the shoal-channel interface and near the shoreline was quantified hourly over complete tidal cycles. Delta smelt were caught consistently at the shoal-channel interface during flood tides and near the shoreline during ebb tides in the turbid Sacramento River, but were rare in the clearer San Joaquin River. The apparent selective tidal movements by delta smelt would facilitate either maintaining position or moving upriver on flood tides, and minimizing advection down-estuary on ebb tides. These movements also may reflect responses to lateral gradients in water turbidity created by temporal lags in tidal velocities between the near-shore and mid-channel habitats. This migration strategy can minimize the energy spent swimming against strong river and tidal currents, as well as predation risks by remaining in turbid water. Selection pressure on individuals to remain in turbid water may underlie population-level observations suggesting that turbidity is a key habitat feature and cue initiating the delta smelt spawning migration.

  8. Paleohydrogeology of the San Joaquin basin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilson, A.M.; Garven, G.; Boles, J.R.

    1999-01-01

    Mass transport can have a significant effect on chemical diagenetic processes in sedimentary basins. This paper presents results from the first part of a study that was designed to explore the role of an evolving hydrodynamic system in driving mass transport and chemical diagenesis, using the San Joaquin basin of California as a field area. We use coupled hydrogeologic models to establish the paleohydrogeology, thermal history, and behavior of nonreactive solutes in the basin. These models rely on extensive geological information and account for variable-density fluid flow, heat transport, solute transport, tectonic uplift, sediment compaction, and clay dehydration. In our numerical simulations, tectonic uplift and ocean regression led to large-scale changes in fluid flow and composition by strengthening topography-driven fluid flow and allowing deep influx of fresh ground water in the San Joaquin basin. Sediment compaction due to rapid deposition created moderate overpressures, leading to upward flow from depth. The unusual distribution of salinity in the basin reflects influx of fresh ground water to depths of as much as 2 km and dilution of saline fluids by dehydration reactions at depths greater than ???2.5 km. Simulations projecting the future salinity of the basin show marine salinities persisting for more than 10 m.y. after ocean regression. Results also show a change from topography-to compaction-driven flow in the Stevens Sandstone at ca. 5 Ma that coincides with an observed change in the diagenetic sequence. Results of this investigation provide a framework for future hydrologic research exploring the link between fluid flow and diagenesis.

  9. Using a non-physical behavioural barrier to alter migration routing of juvenile Chinook salmon in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, R.W.; Romine, J.G.; Adams, N.S.; Blake, A.R.; Burau, J.R.; Johnston, S.V.; Liedtke, T.L.

    2012-01-01

    Anthropogenic alterations to river systems, such as irrigation and hydroelectric development, can negatively affect fish populations by reducing survival when fish are routed through potentially dangerous locations. Non-physical barriers using behavioural stimuli are one means of guiding fish away from such locations without obstructing water flow. In the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, we evaluated a bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) composed of strobe lights, sound and a bubble curtain, which was intended to divert juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) away from Georgiana Slough, a low-survival migration route that branches off the Sacramento River. To quantify fish response to the BAFF, we estimated individual entrainment probabilities from two-dimensional movement paths of juvenile salmon implanted with acoustic transmitters. Overall, 7.7% of the fish were entrained into Georgiana Slough when the BAFF was on, and 22.3% were entrained when the BAFF was off, but a number of other factors influenced the performance of the BAFF. The effectiveness of the BAFF declined with increasing river discharge, likely because increased water velocities reduced the ability of fish to avoid being swept across the BAFF into Georgiana Slough. The BAFF reduced entrainment probability by up to 40 percentage points near the critical streakline, which defined the streamwise division of flow vectors entering each channel. However, the effect of the BAFF declined moving in either direction away from the critical streakline. Our study shows how fish behaviour and the environment interacted to influence the performance of a non-physical behavioural barrier in an applied setting.

  10. A pilot study on the use of natural calcium isotope (44Ca/40Ca) fractionation in urine as a proxy for the human body calcium balance.

    PubMed

    Heuser, Alexander; Eisenhauer, Anton

    2010-04-01

    We explored the possibility of using natural calcium (Ca) isotope variations in the urine (delta(44/40)Ca(urine)) as a proxy for the Ca balance in the human body. We chose two test persons extremely different in their health status, gender and age (4-year-old healthy boy and a 60-year-old woman known to suffer from osteoporosis). During a 5 day interval the Ca isotope composition of the individual diet (delta(44/40)Ca(diet)) was monitored for both test persons to be in general agreement to the Ca isotope composition of the normal western European diet ( approximately -1.02+/-0.1 per thousand). However, measurements showed that (1) delta(44/40)Ca(urine) of both test persons are approximately 1.37 and approximately 2.49 per thousand, respectively, heavier than delta(44/40)Ca(diet) and that (2) the delta(44/40)Ca(urine-boy) is approximately 1.1 per thousand heavier when compared to the value of the woman. The individual offset between diet and test persons is interpreted to reflect individual Ca reabsorption rates in the kidneys being the result of Rayleigh type Ca isotope fractionation related to the partitioning of Ca between the glomerular filtrate and filtered residue. The relative difference between delta(44/40)Ca(urine-boy) and delta(44/40)Ca(urine-woman) of approximately 1.1 per thousand may reflect individual differences in the balance of bone mineralization and demineralization processes related to age, gender and health status. By arbitrarily defining an equilibrium value for Delta(44/40)Ca(diet-urine) of -1.93 per thousand being the arithmetic mean of delta(44/40)Ca(urine) for both test persons the measured delta(44/40)Ca(urine) values may be applied to model the individual bone mineralization and demineralization processes in a qualitative way. Note, second order influences of intestinal Ca absorption during sequestration of Ca between intestine and blood have to be subject of further studies. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Nitrification and Microbial Activity in Response to Wastewater Effluent in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Challenor, T.; Damashek, J.; Tolar, B. B.; Francis, C.; Casciotti, K. L.

    2016-12-01

    Nitrification, the oxidation of ammonium (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3-) by a coterie of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), is a crucial step in removing nitrogen from marine ecosystems. The Sacramento/San Joaquin River delta receives ammonium-laden effluent from the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (SRWTP) and nitrate from agriculture runoff. The system provides freshwater to irrigate the Central Valley and drinking water for many millions of people. In recent years, however, this environment has experienced ecological turmoil - the Pelagic Organism Decline (POD) refers to a die-out of fish and other species over the course of three decades. One explanation implicated excessive ammonium input, claiming it limited primary productivity and hurt pelagic fish down the line. A new hypothesis, however, posits that the ecosystem may soon face the opposite problem: over-productivity and hypoxia due to increased light availability and reduced turbidity. Studying the rate of nitrification and the makeup of the microbial community will further elucidate how nutrient loading has impacted this ecosystem. Nitrification rates were calculated from water samples collected in the Sacramento River starting at the SRWTP and moving downstream. Samples were spiked with 15N-labeled ammonium and incubated for 24 hours in triplicate. Four time-points were extracted and the "denitrifier" method was used to measure the isotopic ratio of N over time. DNA and RNA were extracted from filtered water at each site and PCR and qPCR assays were used targeting the amoA gene, which encodes the α-subunit of ammonia monooxygenase, responsible for oxidizing ammonium to nitrite (NO2-). Consistent with previous nitrification data, rates were highest in the lower river downstream of the SRWTP, where nitrate concentrations were correspondingly elevated. AOB predominated in the ammonia oxidizing community, and some clades were unique to this ecosystem. Nitrifying microbes provide an

  12. Comparing Multiple Evapotranspiration-calculating Methods, Including Eddy Covariance and Surface Renewal, Using Empirical Measurements from Alfalfa Fields in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clay, J.; Kent, E. R.; Leinfelder-Miles, M.; Lambert, J. J.; Little, C.; Paw U, K. T.; Snyder, R. L.

    2016-12-01

    Eddy covariance and surface renewal measurements were used to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) over a variety of crop fields in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta during the 2016 growing season. However, comparing and evaluating multiple measurement systems and methods for determining ET was focused upon at a single alfalfa site. The eddy covariance systems included two systems for direct measurement of latent heat flux: one using a separate sonic anemometer and an open path infrared gas analyzer and another using a combined system (Campbell Scientific IRGASON). For these methods, eddy covariance was used with measurements from the Campbell Scientific CSAT3, the LI-COR 7500a, the Campbell Scientific IRGASON, and an additional R.M. Young sonic anemometer. In addition to those direct measures, the surface renewal approach included several energy balance residual methods in which net radiation, ground heat flux, and sensible heat flux (H) were measured. H was measured using several systems and different methods, including using multiple fast-response thermocouple measurements and using the temperatures measured by the sonic anemometers. The energy available for ET was then calculated as the residual of the surface energy balance equation. Differences in ET values were analyzed between the eddy covariance and surface renewal methods, using the IRGASON-derived values of ET as the standard for accuracy.

  13. Stable isotopes, Sr/Ca, and Mg/Ca in biogenic carbonates from Petaluma Marsh, northern California, USA

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

    Ingram, B.L.; De Deckker, P.; Chivas, A.R.

    2004-10-19

    Stable isotope ({sup 18}O/{sup 16}O and {sup 13}C/{sup 12}C) and minor-element compositions (Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios) of ostracodes and gastropods separated from marsh sediments from San Francisco Bay, Northern California, were used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental changes in Petaluma Marsh over the past 700 yr. The value of {delta}{sup 18}O in the marsh carbonates reflects changes in freshwater inflow, evaporation, and temperature. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca in ostracode calcite reflect changes in both freshwater inflow and temperature, although primarily reflect temperature changes in the salinity range of about 10-35 {per_thousand}. Ostracode {delta}{sup 18}O values show a gradual increase by 5 {per_thousand} betweenmore » 500 yr BR and the present, probably reflecting rising sea level and increased evaporation in the marsh. Superimposed on this trend are higher frequency Mg/Ca and {delta}{sup 18}O variations (3-4 {per_thousand}), probably reflecting changes in freshwater inflow and evaporation. A period of low Mg/Ca occurred between about 100-300 cal yr BP, suggesting wetter and cooler conditions during the Little Ice Age. Higher Mg/Ca ratios occurred 600-700 cal yr BP, indicating drier and warmer conditions during the end of the Medieval Warm Period. Both ostracode and gastropod {delta}{sup 13}C values decrease up-core, reflecting decomposition of marsh vegetation, which changes from C{sub 4} ({delta}{sup 13}C {approx} -12{per_thousand}) to CAM ({delta}{sup 13}C = -26 {per_thousand})-type vegetation over time.« less

  14. Stable isotopes, Sr/Ca, and Mg/Ca in biogenic carbonates from Petaluma Marsh, northern California, USA

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

    Ingram, B.L.; Deckker, P. de; Chivas, A.R.

    1998-10-01

    Stable isotope ({sup 18}O/{sup 16}O and {sup 13}C/{sup 12}C) and minor-element compositions (Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios) of ostracodes and gastropods separated from marsh sediments from San Francisco Bay, Northern California, were used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental changes in Petaluma March over the past 700 yr. The value of {delta}{sup 18}O in the marsh carbonates reflects changes in freshwater inflow, evaporation, and temperature. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca in ostracode calcite reflect changes in both freshwater inflow and temperature, although primarily reflect temperature changes in the salinity range of about 10--35{per_thousand}. Ostracode {delta}{sup 18}O values show a gradual increase by 5{per_thousand} between 500 yrmore » BP and the present, probably reflecting rising sea level and increased evaporation in the marsh. Superimposed on this trend are higher frequency Mg/Ca and {delta}{sup 18}O variations (3--4{per_thousand}), probably reflecting changes in freshwater inflow and evaporation. A period of low Mg/Ca occurred between about 100--300 cal yr BP, suggesting wetter and cooler conditions during the Little Ice Age. Higher Mg/Ca ratios occurred 600--700 cal yr BP, indicating drier and warmer conditions during the end of the Medieval Warm Period. Both ostracode and gastropod {delta}{sup 13}C values decrease up-core, reflecting decomposition of marsh vegetation, which changes from C{sub 4} ({delta}{sup 13}C {approximately} {minus}12{per_thousand}) to CAM ({delta}{sup 13}C = {minus}26{per_thousand})-type vegetation over time.« less

  15. Re-establishing marshes can return carbon sink functions to a current carbon source in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, Robin L.; Fujii, Roger; Schmidt, Paul E.

    2011-01-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California was an historic, vast inland freshwater wetland, where organic soils almost 20 meters deep formed over the last several millennia as the land surface elevation of marshes kept pace with sea level rise. A system of levees and pumps were installed in the late 1800s and early 1900s to drain the land for agricultural use. Since then, land surface has subsided more than 7 meters below sea level in some areas as organic soils have been lost to aerobic decomposition. As land surface elevations decrease, costs for levee maintenance and repair increase, as do the risks of flooding. Wetland restoration can be a way to mitigate subsidence by re-creating the environment in which the organic soils developed. A preliminary study of the effect of hydrologic regime on carbon cycling conducted on Twitchell Island during the mid-1990s showed that continuous, shallow flooding allowing for the growth of emergent marsh vegetation re-created a wetland environment where carbon preservation occurred. Under these conditions annual plant biomass carbon inputs were high, and microbial decomposition was reduced. Based on this preliminary study, the U.S. Geological Survey re-established permanently flooded wetlands in fall 1997, with shallow water depths of 25 and 55 centimeters, to investigate the potential to reverse subsidence of delta islands by preserving and accumulating organic substrates over time. Ten years after flooding, elevation gains from organic matter accumulation in areas of emergent marsh vegetation ranged from almost 30 to 60 centimeters, with average annual carbon storage rates approximating 1 kg/m2, while areas without emergent vegetation cover showed no significant change in elevation. Differences in accretion rates within areas of emergent marsh vegetation appeared to result from temporal and spatial variability in hydrologic factors and decomposition rates in the wetlands rather than variability in primary production

  16. Factors affecting marsh vegetation at the Liberty Island Conservation Bank in the Cache Slough region of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Orlando, James L.; Drexler, Judith Z.

    2017-07-07

    The Liberty Island Conservation Bank (LICB) is a tidal freshwater marsh restored for the purpose of mitigating adverse effects on sensitive fish populations elsewhere in the region. The LICB was completed in 2012 and is in the northern Cache Slough region of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The wetland vegetation at the LICB is stunted and yellow-green in color (chlorotic) compared to nearby wetlands. A study was done to investigate three potential causes of the stunted and chlorotic vegetation: (1) improper grading of the marsh plain, (2) pesticide contamination from agricultural and urban inputs upstream from the site, (3) nitrogen-deficient soil, or some combination of these. Water samples were collected from channels at five sites, and soil samples were collected from four wetlands, including the LICB, during the summer of 2015. Real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTK-GPS) elevation surveys were completed at the LICB and north Little Holland Tract, a closely situated natural marsh that has similar hydrodynamics as the LICB, but contains healthy marsh vegetation.The results showed no significant differences in carbon or nitrogen content in the surface soils or in pesticides in water among the sites. The elevation survey indicated that the mean elevation of the LICB was about 26 centimeters higher than that of the north Little Holland Tract marsh. Because marsh plain elevation largely determines the hydroperiod of a marsh, these results indicated that the LICB has a hydroperiod that differs from that of neighboring north Little Holland Tract marsh. This difference in hydroperiod contributed to the lower stature and decreased vigor of wetland vegetation at the LICB. Although the LICB cannot be regraded without great expense, it could be possible to reduce the sharp angle of the marsh edge to facilitate deeper and more frequent tidal flooding along the marsh periphery. Establishing optimal elevations for restored wetlands is necessary for obtaining

  17. Identifying sources of dissolved organic carbon in agriculturally dominated rivers using radiocarbon age dating: Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sickman, James O.; DiGiorgio, Carol L.; Davisson, M. Lee; Lucero, Delores M.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.

    2010-01-01

    We used radiocarbon measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to resolve sources of riverine carbon within agriculturally dominated landscapes in California. During 2003 and 2004, average Δ14C for DOC was −254‰ in agricultural drains in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, −218‰ in the San Joaquin River, −175‰ in the California State Water Project and −152‰ in the Sacramento River. The age of bulk DOC transiting the rivers of California’s Central Valley is the oldest reported for large rivers and suggests wide-spread loss of soil organic matter caused by agriculture and urbanization. Using DAX 8 adsorbent, we isolated and measured 14C concentrations in hydrophobic acid fractions (HPOA); river samples showed evidence of bomb-pulse carbon with average Δ14C of 91 and 76‰ for the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, respectively, with older HPOA, −204‰, observed in agricultural drains. An operationally defined non-HPOA fraction of DOC was observed in the San Joaquin River with seasonally computed Δ14C values of between −275 and −687‰; the source of this aged material was hypothesized to be physically protected organic-matter in high clay-content soils and agrochemicals (i.e., radiocarbon-dead material) applied to farmlands. Mixing models suggest that the Sacramento River contributes about 50% of the DOC load in the California State Water Project, and agricultural drains contribute approximately one-third of the load. In contrast to studies showing stabilization of soil carbon pools within one or two decades following land conversion, sustained loss of soil organic matter, occurring many decades after the initial agricultural-land conversion, was observed in California’s Central Valley.

  18. I am Joaquin. Yo Soy Joaquin. An Epic Poem with a Chronology of People and Events in Mexican and Mexican American History.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gonzales, Rodolfo

    Both Spanish and English versions of the epic poem "I Am Joaquin" are given in this book. "I Am Joaquin" is the first work of poetry to be published by Chicanos for Chicanos. It is a historical essay of the greatness and weakness of the Chicano people. Their psychological wounds, cultural genocide, social castration, nobility, courage,…

  19. A note on the effect of wind waves on vertical mixing in Franks Tract, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thompson, Janet K.; Jones, Nicole L.; Stephen G. Monismith,

    2008-01-01

    A one-dimensional numerical model that simulates the effects of whitecapping waves was used to investigate the importance of whitecapping waves to vertical mixing at a 3-meter-deep site in Franks Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta over an 11-day period. Locally-generated waves of mean period approximately 2 s were generated under strong wind conditions; significant wave heights ranged from 0 to 0.3 m. A surface turbulent kinetic energy flux was used to model whitecapping waves during periods when wind speeds > 5 m s-1 (62% of observations). The surface was modeled as a wind stress log-layer for the remaining 38% of the observations. The model results demonstrated that under moderate wind conditions (5–8 m s-1 at 10 m above water level), and hence moderate wave heights, whitecapping waves provided the dominant source of turbulent kinetic energy to only the top 10% of the water column. Under stronger wind (> 8 m s-1), and hence larger wave conditions, whitecapping waves provided the dominant source of turbulent kinetic energy over a larger portion of the water column; however, this region extended to the bottom half of the water column for only 7% of the observation period. The model results indicated that phytoplankton concentrations close to the bed were unlikely to be affected by the whitecapping of waves, and that the formation of concentration boundary layers due to benthic grazing was unlikely to be disrupted by whitecapping waves. Furthermore, vertical mixing of suspended sediment was unlikely to be affected by whitecapping waves under the conditions experienced during the 11-day experiment. Instead, the bed stress provided by tidal currents was the dominant source of turbulent kinetic energy over the bottom half of the water column for the majority of the 11-day period.

  20. Hydrogeologic Heterogeneity Enhances the Transfer of Salt Toward the High-Quality Deep Aquifers of the Western San Joaquin Valley (CA, USA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henri, C. V.; Harter, T.; Zhang, H.

    2016-12-01

    Increasing anthropogenic and drought stresses lead salinity to be of serious concern within regard to with the sustainability of regional groundwater quality. Agricultural basins of the Central Valley, CA (USA) are, and will continue to be, impacted by salinity issues in the coming future decades and or centuries. The aquifer system below the Western San Joaquin Valley is characterized by a shallow unconfined aquifer with high salinity overlying high quality semi-confined and deeper confined aquifers. A key challenge in the area is to predict if, when and how water traveling from the the low-quality shallow groundwater will reach and degrade the deeper semi-confined and confined aquifers. Previous studies, accounting for a simplified description of the aquifer hydraulic properties in their flow model, concluded that saline shallow groundwater would need 200-400 years to reach the semi-confined aquifer and 250-600 years to impact the deeper confined aquifer. However, well known heterogeneities in aquifer hydraulic properties significantly impact contaminant transport due to preferential flow paths and increased dispersion. Our study aims to (1) better understand the impact of heterogeneous hydraulic properties on the distribution of travel times from non-point source contamination, and (2) reassess the temporal scale of salt transfer into the deeper aquifers of the Western San Joaquin Valley. A detailed non-stationary geostatistical model was developed to describe the spatial variability of hydrofacies in great detail at the basin scale. The hydraulic properties corresponding to each hydrofacies are then calibrated in order to reproduce water fluxes previously modeled and calibrated. Subsequently, we use the random-walk particle tracking method to simulate the advective-dispersive transport of salt throughout the study area from a non-point source zone represented by the entire top layer of the model. The flux concentrations of solute crossing a series of monitoring

  1. Transport of sediment-bound organochlorine pesticides to the San Joaquin River, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, Charles R.

    1998-01-01

    Most of the application of the organophosphate insecticide diazinon in the San Joaquin River Basin occurs in winter to control wood boring insects in dormant almond orchards. A federal-state collaborative study found that diazinon accounted for most of the observed toxicity of San Joaquin River water to water fleas in February 1993. Previous studies focused mainly on west-side inputs to the San Joaquin River. In this 1994 study, the three major east-side tributaries to the San Joaquin River, the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus Rivers, and a downstream site on the San Joaquin River were sampled throughout the hydrographs of a late January and an early February storm. In both storms, the Tuolumne River had the highest concentrations of diazinon and transported the largest load of the three tributaries. The Stanislaus River was a small source in both storms. On the basis of previous storm sampling and estimated traveltimes, ephemeral west-side creeks probably were the main diazinon source early in the storms, whereas the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers and east-side drainages directly to the San Joaquin River were the main sources later. Although 74 percent of diazinon transport in the San Joaquin River during 1991-1993 occurred in January and February, transport during each of the two 1994 storms was only 0.05 percent of the amount applied during preceding dry periods. Nevertheless, some of the diazinon concentrations in the San Joaquin River during the January storm exceeded 0.35 micrograms per liter, a concentration shown to be acutely toxic to water fleas. Diazinon concentrations were highly variable during the storms and frequent sampling was required to adequately describe the concentration curves and to estimate loads.

  2. Pilot-Scale Selenium Bioremediation of San Joaquin Drainage Water with Thauera selenatis

    PubMed Central

    Cantafio, A. W.; Hagen, K. D.; Lewis, G. E.; Bledsoe, T. L.; Nunan, K. M.; Macy, J. M.

    1996-01-01

    This report describes a simple method for the bioremediation of selenium from agricultural drainage water. A medium-packed pilot-scale biological reactor system, inoculated with the selenate-respiring bacterium Thauera selenatis, was constructed at the Panoche Water District, San Joaquin Valley, Calif. The reactor was used to treat drainage water (7.6 liters/min) containing both selenium and nitrate. Acetate (5 mM) was the carbon source-electron donor reactor feed. Selenium oxyanion concentrations (selenate plus selenite) in the drainage water were reduced by 98%, to an average of 12 (plusmn) 9 (mu)g/liter. Frequently (47% of the sampling days), reactor effluent concentrations of less than 5 (mu)g/liter were achieved. Denitrification was also observed in this system; nitrate and nitrite concentrations in the drainage water were reduced to 0.1 and 0.01 mM, respectively (98% reduction). Analysis of the reactor effluent showed that 91 to 96% of the total selenium recovered was elemental selenium; 97.9% of this elemental selenium could be removed with Nalmet 8072, a new, commercially available precipitant-coagulant. Widespread use of this system (in the Grasslands Water District) could reduce the amount of selenium deposited in the San Joaquin River from 7,000 to 140 lb (ca. 3,000 to 60 kg)/year. PMID:16535401

  3. SRTM Perspective View with Landsat Overlay: San Joaquin Valley, California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    San Joaquin, the name given to the southern portion of California's vast Central Valley, has been called the world's richest agricultural valley. In this perspective view generated using data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and an enhanced Landsat image, we are looking toward the southwest over a checkerboard pattern of agricultural fields. Mt. Pinos, a popular location for stargazing at 2,692 meters (8,831 feet) looms above the valley floor and is visible on the left side of the image. The productive southern San Joaquin is in reality a desert, averaging less than 12.7 cm (5 inches) of rain per year. Through canals and irrigation, the region nurtures some two hundred crops including grapes, figs, apricots, oranges, and more than 4,047 square-km (1,000,000 acres) of cotton. The California Aqueduct, transporting water from the Sacramento River Delta through the San Joaquin, runs along the base of the low-lying Wheeler Ridge on the left side of the image. The valley is not all agriculture though. Kern County, near the valley's southern end, is the United States' number one oil producing county, and actually produces more crude oil than Oklahoma. For visualization purposes, topographic heights displayed in this image are exaggerated two times. Colors, from Landsat data, approximate natural color.

    The elevation data used in this image was acquired by SRTM aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of Earth's land surface. To collect the 3-D SRTM data, engineers added a mast 60 meters (about 200 feet)long, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between the NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U

  4. Modeling tidal freshwater marsh sustainability in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta under a broad suite of potential future scenarios

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Swanson, Kathleen M.; Drexler, Judith Z.; Fuller, Christopher C.; Schoellhamer, David H.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we report on the adaptation and application of a one-dimensional marsh surface elevation model, the Wetland Accretion Rate Model of Ecosystem Resilience (WARMER), to explore the conditions that lead to sustainable tidal freshwater marshes in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. We defined marsh accretion parameters to encapsulate the range of observed values over historic and modern time-scales based on measurements from four marshes in high and low energy fluvial environments as well as possible future trends in sediment supply and mean sea level. A sensitivity analysis of 450 simulations was conducted encompassing a range of eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide. porosity values, initial elevations, organic and inorganic matter accumulation rates, and sea-level rise rates. For the range of inputs considered, the magnitude of SLR over the next century was the primary driver of marsh surface elevation change. Sediment supply was the secondary control. More than 84% of the scenarios resulted in sustainable marshes with 88 cm of SLR by 2100, but only 32% and 11% of the scenarios resulted in surviving marshes when SLR was increased to 133 cm and 179 cm, respectively. Marshes situated in high-energy zones were marginally more resilient than those in low-energy zones because of their higher inorganic sediment supply. Overall, the results from this modeling exercise suggest that marshes at the upstream reaches of the Delta—where SLR may be attenuated—and high energy marshes along major channels with high inorganic sediment accumulation rates will be more resilient to global SLR in excess of 88 cm over the next century than their downstream and low-energy counterparts. However, considerable uncertainties exist in the projected rates of sea-level rise and sediment avail-ability. In addition, more research is needed to constrain future

  5. Geological literature on the San Joaquin Valley of California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Maher, J.C.; Trollman, W.M.; Denman, J.M.

    1973-01-01

    The following list of references includes most of the geological literature on the San Joaquin Valley and vicinity in central California (see figure 1) published prior to January 1, 1973. The San Joaquin Valley comprises all or parts of 11 counties -- Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare (figure 2). As a matter of convenient geographical classification the boundaries of the report area have been drawn along county lines, and to include San Benito and Santa Clara Counties on the west and Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties on the east. Therefore, this list of geological literature includes some publications on the Diablo and Temblor Ranges on the west, the Tehachapi Mountains and Mojave Desert on the south, and the Sierra Nevada Foothills and Mountains on the east.

  6. 78 FR 34892 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Middle River, Near Stockton, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-11

    ..., CA. The deviation is to allow San Joaquin County Public Works Department to perform structural maintenance work to the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation... West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday...

  7. How Will the San Francisco Bay-Delta Ecosystem Respond to Climate Change and Continued Population Growth?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cloern, J.

    2008-12-01

    Programs to ensure sustainability of coastal ecosystems and the biological diversity they harbor require ecological forecasting to assess habitat transformations from the coupled effects of climate change and human population growth. A multidisciplinary modeling project (CASCaDE) was launched in 2007 to develop 21st-century visions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay under four scenarios of climate change and increasing demand for California's water resource. The process begins with downscaled projections of daily weather from GCM's and routes these to a watershed model that computes runoff and an operations model that computes inflows to the Bay-Delta. Hydrologic and climatic outputs, including sea level rise, drive models of tidal hydrodynamics-salinity-temperature in the Delta, sediment inputs and evolving geomorphology of San Francisco Bay. These projected habitat changes are being used to address priority questions asked by resource managers: How will changes in seasonal streamflow, salinity and water temperature, frequency of extreme weather and hydrologic events, and geomorphology influence the sustainability of native species that depend upon the Bay-Delta and the ecosystem services it provides?

  8. Determination of bench-mark elevations at Bethel Island and vicinity, Contra Costa and San Joaquin counties, California, 1987

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blodgett, J.C.; Ikehara, M.E.; McCaffrey, William F.

    1988-01-01

    Elevations of 49 bench marks in the southwestern part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta were determined during October and November 1987. A total of 58 miles of level lines were run in the vicinity of Bethel Island and the community of Discovery Bay. The datum of these surveys is based on a National Geodetic Survey bench mark T934 situated on bedrock 10.5 mi east of Mount Diablo and near Marsh Creek Reservoir. The accuracy of these levels, based on National Geodetic Survey standards, was of first, second, and third order, depending on the various segments surveyed. Several bench marks were noted as possibly being stable, but most show evidence of instability. (USGS)

  9. Occurrence and accumulation of pesticides and organic contaminants in river sediment, water and clam tissues from the San Joaquin River and tributaries, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pereira, W.E.; Domagalski, Joseph L.; Hostettler, F.D.; Brown, L.R.; Rapp, J.B.

    1996-01-01

    A study was conducted in 1992 to assess the effects of anthropogenic activities and land use on the water quality of the San Joaquin River and its major tributaries. This study focused on pesticides and organic contaminants, looking at distributions of contaminants in water, bed and suspended sediment, and the bivalve Corbicula fluminea. Results indicated that this river system is affected by agricultural practices and urban runoff. Sediments from Dry Creek contained elevated concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), possibly derived from urban runoff from the city of Modesto; suspended sediments contained elevated amounts of chlordane. Trace levels of triazine herbicides atrazine and simazine were present in water at most sites. Sediments, water, and bivalves from Orestimba Creek, a westside tributary draining agricultural areas, contained the greatest levels of DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2-2-bis[p-chlorophenyl]ethane), and its degradates DDD (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis[p-chlorophenyl]ethane), and DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2- bis[p-chlorophenyl]ethylene). Sediment adsorption co efficients (K(oc)), and bioconcentration factors (BCF) in Corbicula of DDT, DDD, and DDE at Orestimba Creek were greater than predicted values. Streams of the western San Joaquin Valley can potentially transport significant amounts of chlorinated pesticides to the San Joaquin River, the delta, and San Francisco Bay. Organochlorine compounds accumulate in bivalves and sediment and may pose a problem to other biotic species in this watershed.

  10. 76 FR 68103 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-03

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District Rule 4692...

  11. Diazinon and chlorpyrifos loads in the San Joaquin River basin, California, January and February 2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, Charles R.; Zamora, Celia; Knifong, Donna L.

    2002-01-01

    The application of diazinon and chlorpyrifos on dormant orchards in 2000 in the San Joaquin River Basin was less than 21 percent of application in 1993 and 1994. A total of 13 sites were sampled weekly during nonstorm periods and more frequently during two storm periods. The sites included five major river and eight minor tributary sites. The highest concentrations of diazinon and chlorpyrifos occurred during the storm periods. Four samples from major river sites (Tuolumne River and two San Joaquin River sites) had diazinon concentrations greater than 0.08 microgram per liter, the concentration being considered by the state of California as its criterion maximum concentration for the protection of aquatic habitat. One sample from a major river site (San Joaquin River) exceeded the equivalent State guideline of 0.02 microgram per liter for chlorpyrifos. At the eight minor tributary sites, 24 samples exceeded the diazinon guideline and four samples exceeded the chlorpyrifos guideline. The total diazinon load in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis during January and February 2000 was 19.6 pounds active ingredient; of this, 8.17 pounds active ingredient was transported during two storms. In 1994, 27.4 pounds active ingredient was transported during two storms. The total chlorpyrifos load in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis during January and February 2000 was 5.68 pounds active ingredient; of this, 2.17 pounds active ingredient was transported during the two storms. During the frequently sampled February 2000 storm, the main sources of diazinon in the San Joaquin River Basin were the San Joaquin River near Stevinson Basin (25 percent), Tuolumne River Basin (14 percent), and the Stanislaus River Basin (10 percent). The main sources of chlorpyrifos in the San Joaquin River Basin were the San Joaquin River near Stevinson Basin (17 percent), Tuolumne River Basin (13 percent), and the Merced River Basin (11 percent). The total January and February diazinon load in the

  12. Anadromous salmonids in the Delta: New science 2006–2016

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, Russell W.; Buchanan, Rebecca A.; Brandes, Patricia L.; Burau, Jon R.; Israel, Joshua A

    2016-01-01

    As juvenile salmon enter the Sacramento–SanJoaquin River Delta (“the Delta”) they disperse among its complex channel network where they are subject to channel-specific processes that affect their rate of migration, vulnerability to predation, feeding success, growth rates, and ultimately, survival. In the decades before 2006, tools available to quantify growth, dispersal, and survival of juvenile salmon in this complex channel network were limited.Fortunately, thanks to technological advances such as acoustic telemetry and chemical and structural otolith analysis, much has been learned over the past decade about the role of the Delta in the life cycle of juvenile salmon. Here, we review new science between 2006and 2016 that sheds light on how different life stages and runs of juvenile salmon grow, move, and survive in the complex channel network of the Delta. One of the most important advances during the past decade has been the widespread adoption of acoustic telemetry techniques. Use of telemetry has shed light on how survival varies among alternative migration routes and the proportion of fish that use each migration route. Chemical and structural analysis of otoliths has provided insights about when juveniles left their natal river and provided evidence of extended rearing in the brackish or saltwater regions of the Delta. New advancements in genetics now allow individuals captured by trawls to be assigned to specific runs. Detailed information about movement and survival in the Delta has spurred development of agent-based models of juvenile salmon that are coupled to hydrodynamic models. Although much has been learned, knowledge gaps remain about how very small juvenile salmon (fry and parr) use the Delta. Understanding how all life stages of juvenile salmon grow, rear, and survive in the Delta is critical for devising management strategies that support a diversity of life history strategies.

  13. The Dissolved Ca Isotope Composition of Himalayan-Tibetan Waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tipper, E. T.; Galy, A.; Bickle, M. J.

    2004-12-01

    Determining the relative proportions of carbonate versus silicate weathering in the Himalaya is important for understanding the long-term atmospheric CO2 budget and the marine Sr isotope record. 87Sr/86Sr is not a straightforward proxy of carbonate to silicate weathering in the Himalaya and up to 50% of the dissolved Ca may be removed by the precipitation of secondary calcite. Ca isotopes have the potential to constrain the relative inputs of carbonates to silicates and incongruent dissolution processes in the weathering environment. Ca is the major cation carried by rivers. Thirty four Himalayan rock and water samples from the Nepal Himalaya and Tibet have been analysed for 44/42Ca and 43/42Ca on a Nu-Instruments Multiple Collector -ICP-MS. Unlike the 44/40Ca ratio the 44/42Ca is not susceptible to excess 40Ca production from the decay of K. All samples lie on a single mass fractionation line. There is a total range of 0.4 \\permil variation in \\delta44Ca with values from 0.63 \\permil - 0.21 \\permil relative to the SRM915a standard. This is comparable to that already reported with \\delta44/40Ca for small catchments and global rivers. Small first order catchments from each of the main lithotectonic units of the Himalaya have been analysed to examine the effect of lithology on dissolved Ca isotopic composition. In agreement with previous studies elsewhere there is little correlation between source rock and dissolved composition for small rivers spanning a range of source rock from limestone to various silicates and covering a vegetation range from temperate semi-desert to jungle. \\delta44Ca is not correlated with 87Sr/86Sr or Na/Ca ratios confirming that source rock composition is not the dominant control on the observed range in \\delta44Ca. A time-series has been examined for the Marsyandi River, central Nepal. In spite of significant systematic variations in major element chemistry including Ca concentration and 87Sr/86Sr the variations in \\delta44Ca are

  14. 75 FR 4759 - Withdrawal of Proposed Rule Revising the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-29

    ... Proposed Rule Revising the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution... approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District portion of the... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (``District'') portion of the...

  15. 75 FR 28509 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-21

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, No. 08-17309 (9th Circuit)). In that case, NAHB...

  16. Attitudes on Staff Participation and the Acceptance of Women and Minorities at Delta College: Results of a Staff Opinion Survey Made in Response to an Accreditation Report Recommendation. Research Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Debow-Makino, Ginger; And Others

    In response to an accreditation team's concern over the status of affirmative action, the campus atmosphere toward women and ethnic minorities, and involvement of staff in decision-making at San Joaquin Delta College (SJDC), in California, the college conducted a survey of staff attitudes. A questionnaire was distributed to all 942 full- and…

  17. Fog and Haze in California's San Joaquin Valley

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    topographically complex terrain, no results are obtained over the Sierra Nevada and Coastal mountains and these areas are shown in black. However, the enhanced haziness of the San Joaquin Valley is evident in this derived product. Within the yellow pixels, the Sun would look about 40% dimmer to an observer on the ground in comparison to its brightness on a much clearer day.

    MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

  18. Nile Delta vegetation response to Holocene climate variability

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bernhardt, Christopher E.; Horton, Benjamin P.; Stanley, Jean-Daniel

    2012-01-01

    A 7000 yr palynologic record from Burullus Lagoon, Nile Delta, Egypt, is assessed to investigate changes in terrestrial vegetation in response to Nile flow. Previous studies in this region have shown that sea-level rise in the early to mid-Holocene, and markedly increased human land use during the past several centuries, altered vegetation in and around the lagoon. The pollen record from this study documents changes in delta vegetation that likely reflect variations in Nile flow. We suggest that Cyperaceae pollen is a sensitive marker of precipitation over the Nile headwaters and the resultant Nile flow. Decreases in Cyperaceae pollen, interpreted as a marker for diminished Nile flow, as well as the increase in relative abundance of microscopic charcoal, occurred at ca. 6000–5500, ca. 5000, ca. 4200, and ca. 3000 cal. yr B.P. (calibrated years before present). These correspond to extreme regional and global aridity events associated with a more southerly mean position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. These changes, also recorded by other proxy studies, indicate that several marked regional drought events affected the Nile Delta region and impacted ancient Egyptian and Middle Eastern civilizations.

  19. Late Holocene forest dynamics, volcanism, and climate change at Whitewing Mountain and San Joaquin Ridge, Mono County, Sierra Nevada, CA, USA

    Treesearch

    Constance I. Millar; John C. King; Robert D. Westfall; Harry A. Alden; Diane L. Delany

    2006-01-01

    Deadwood tree stems scattered above treeline on tephra-covered slopes of Whitewing Mtn (3051 m) and San Joaquin Ridge (3122 m) show evidence of being killed in an eruption from adjacent Glass Creek Vent, Inyo Craters. Using tree-ring methods, we dated deadwood to AD 815-1350 and infer from death dates that the eruption occurred in late summer AD 1350. Based on wood...

  20. SAN JOAQUIN ROADLESS AREA, CALIFORNIA.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McKee, Edwin H.; Capstick, Donald O.

    1984-01-01

    The San Joaquin Roadless Area is composed of three noncontiguous areas on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in Madera County, California. The results of geologic, geochemical, and mining-activity and production surveys in the central part of the area indicate little promise for the occurrence of metallic-mineral or energy resources in the area. Sand, gravel, and pumice exist in the area but occurrences are small and isolated and farther from major markets than similar deposits outside the roadless area. Rocks in the area are exhibited in exposures of unaltered and nonmineralized granitic and metavolcanic rock along the steep western wall of the glacially carved valley of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River. Drainage in the area consists of seeps along fractures in the cliff or small cascading streams, a hydraulic setting not favorable for the development of placer deposits. No mines or prospect workings were found in the roadless area. Alteration zones within the granitic and metamorphic rock that crop out within the area are small, isolated, and consist only of limonitic staining and bleached quartzose rock.

  1. Climate change and the Delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dettinger, Michael; Anderson, Jamie; Anderson, Michael L.; Brown, Larry R.; Cayan, Daniel; Maurer, Edwin P.

    2016-01-01

    Anthropogenic climate change amounts to a rapidly approaching, “new” stressor in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta system. In response to California’s extreme natural hydroclimatic variability, complex water-management systems have been developed, even as the Delta’s natural ecosystems have been largely devastated. Climate change is projected to challenge these management and ecological systems in different ways that are characterized by different levels of uncertainty. For example, there is high certainty that climate will warm by about 2°C more (than late-20th-century averages) by mid-century and about 4°C by end of century, if greenhouse-gas emissions continue their current rates of acceleration. Future precipitation changes are much less certain, with as many climate models projecting wetter conditions as drier. However, the same projections agree that precipitation will be more intense when storms do arrive, even as more dry days will separate storms. Warmer temperatures will likely enhance evaporative demands and raise water temperatures. Consequently, climate change is projected to yield both more extreme flood risks and greater drought risks. Sea level rise (SLR) during the 20th century was about 22cm, and is projected to increase by at least 3-fold this century. SLR together with land subsidence threatens the Delta with greater vulnerabilities to inundation and salinity intrusion. Effects on the Delta ecosystem that are traceable to warming include SLR, reduced snowpack, earlier snowmelt and larger storm-driven streamflows, warmer and longer summers, warmer summer water temperatures, and water-quality changes. These changes and their uncertainties will challenge the operations of water projects and uses throughout the Delta’s watershed and delivery areas. Although the effects of climate change on Delta ecosystems may be profound, the end results are difficult to predict, except that native species will fare worse than invaders. Successful

  2. Estimating juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) abundance from beach seine data collected in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, Russell W.; Kirsch, Joseph E.; Hendrix, A. Noble

    2016-06-17

    Resource managers rely on abundance or density metrics derived from beach seine surveys to make vital decisions that affect fish population dynamics and assemblage structure. However, abundance and density metrics may be biased by imperfect capture and lack of geographic closure during sampling. Currently, there is considerable uncertainty about the capture efficiency of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) by beach seines. Heterogeneity in capture can occur through unrealistic assumptions of closure and from variation in the probability of capture caused by environmental conditions. We evaluated the assumptions of closure and the influence of environmental conditions on capture efficiency and abundance estimates of Chinook salmon from beach seining within the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and the San Francisco Bay. Beach seine capture efficiency was measured using a stratified random sampling design combined with open and closed replicate depletion sampling. A total of 56 samples were collected during the spring of 2014. To assess variability in capture probability and the absolute abundance of juvenile Chinook salmon, beach seine capture efficiency data were fitted to the paired depletion design using modified N-mixture models. These models allowed us to explicitly test the closure assumption and estimate environmental effects on the probability of capture. We determined that our updated method allowing for lack of closure between depletion samples drastically outperformed traditional data analysis that assumes closure among replicate samples. The best-fit model (lowest-valued Akaike Information Criterion model) included the probability of fish being available for capture (relaxed closure assumption), capture probability modeled as a function of water velocity and percent coverage of fine sediment, and abundance modeled as a function of sample area, temperature, and water velocity. Given that beach seining is a ubiquitous sampling technique for

  3. Assessing the Impacts of Land-Use Change and Ecological Restoration on CH4 and CO2 Fluxes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California: Findings from a Regional Network of Eddy Covariance Towers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knox, S. H.; Sturtevant, C. S.; Oikawa, P. Y.; Matthes, J. H.; Koteen, L. E.; Anderson, F. E.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Baldocchi, D. D.

    2014-12-01

    The new generation of open-path, low power, laser spectrometers has allowed us to measure methane (CH4) fluxes continuously in remote regions and answer new and exciting questions on the spatial and temporal variability of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes using networks of eddy covariance (EC) towers. Our research is focused in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta where we have installed a regional network of flux towers to assess the impacts of land-use change and ecological restoration on CH4 and CO2 fluxes. The Delta was drained for agriculture over a century ago and has since has experienced high rates of subsidence. It is recognized that agriculture on drained peat soils in the Delta is unsustainable in the long-term, and to help reverse subsidence and capture carbon (C) there is an interest in restoring drained land-use types to flooded conditions. However, flooding increases CH4 emissions. We conducted multiple years of simultaneous EC measurements at drained agricultural peatlands (a pasture, a corn field and an alfalfa field) and flooded land-use types (a rice paddy and 3 restored wetlands) to assess the impact of drained to flooded land-use change on CO2 and CH4 fluxes. Since these sites are all within 20 km of each other, they share the same basic meteorology, enabling a direct comparison of differences in the C and GHG budgets between sites. Using a multi-tower approach we found that converting drained agricultural peatlands to flooded land-use types can help reverse soil subsidence and reduce GHG emissions from the Delta. Furthermore, there is a growing interest in wetland restoration in California to generate C credits for both the voluntary C market and the state's cap-and-trade program. However, information on GHG fluxes from restored wetlands is lacking. Using multi-year measurements of GHG fluxes from restored wetlands of varying ages, our research also aims to understand how CO2 and CH4 fluxes from restored wetlands vary during ecosystem development

  4. Linking mechanistic and behavioral responses to sublethal esfenvalerate exposure in the endangered delta smelt; Hypomesus transpacificus (Fam. Osmeridae)

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background The delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is a pelagic fish species listed as endangered under both the USA Federal and Californian State Endangered Species Acts and considered an indicator of ecosystem health in its habitat range, which is limited to the Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary in California, USA. Anthropogenic contaminants are one of multiple stressors affecting this system, and among them, current-use insecticides are of major concern. Interrogative tools are required to successfully monitor effects of contaminants on the delta smelt, and to research potential causes of population decline in this species. We have created a microarray to investigate genome-wide effects of potentially causative stressors, and applied this tool to assess effects of the pyrethroid insecticide esfenvalerate on larval delta smelt. Selected genes were further investigated as molecular biomarkers using quantitative PCR analyses. Results Exposure to esfenvalerate affected swimming behavior of larval delta smelt at concentrations as low as 0.0625 μg.L-1, and significant differences in expression were measured in genes involved in neuromuscular activity. Alterations in the expression of genes associated with immune responses, along with apoptosis, redox, osmotic stress, detoxification, and growth and development appear to have been invoked by esfenvalerate exposure. Swimming impairment correlated significantly with expression of aspartoacylase (ASPA), an enzyme involved in brain cell function and associated with numerous human diseases. Selected genes were investigated for their use as molecular biomarkers, and strong links were determined between measured downregulation in ASPA and observed behavioral responses in fish exposed to environmentally relevant pyrethroid concentrations. Conclusions The results of this study show that microarray technology is a useful approach in screening for, and generation of molecular biomarkers in endangered, non-model organisms

  5. Detritus fuels ecosystem metabolism but not metazoan food webs in San Francisco estuary's freshwater delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sobczak, W.V.; Cloern, J.E.; Jassby, A.D.; Cole, B.E.; Schraga, T.S.; Arnsberg, A.

    2005-01-01

    Detritus from terrestrial ecosystems is the major source of organic matter in many streams, rivers, and estuaries, yet the role of detritus in supporting pelagic food webs is debated. We examined the importance of detritus to secondary productivity in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Delta (California, United States), a large complex of tidal freshwater habitats. The Delta ecosystem has low primary productivity but large detrital inputs, so we hypothesized that detritus is the primary energy source fueling production in pelagic food webs. We assessed the sources, quantity, composition, and bioavailability of organic matter among a diversity of habitats (e.g., marsh sloughs, floodplains, tidal lakes, and deep river channels) over two years to test this hypothesis. Our results support the emerging principle that detritus dominates riverine and estuarine organic matter supply and supports the majority of ecosystem metabolism. Yet in contrast to prevailing ideas, we found that detritus was weakly coupled to the Delta's pelagic food web. Results from independent approaches showed that phytoplankton production was the dominant source of organic matter for the Delta's pelagic food web, even though primary production accounts for a small fraction of the Delta's organic matter supply. If these results are general, they suggest that the value of organic matter to higher trophic levels, including species targeted by programs of ecosystem restoration, is a function of phytoplankton production. ?? 2005 Estuarine Research Federation.

  6. Master Contract, July 1977-June 1980.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mississippi Univ., University. Inst. of Urban Research.

    The master contract between the San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association/CTA/NEA and the Board of Trustees of the San Joaquin Delta Community College District for July 1977 to June 1980 is presented in full. Thirty articles include: Agreement, Recognition, Definitions, Negotiation Procedures, Non-Discrimination, Association Rights,…

  7. Patterns of Avian Migration in California: An Analysis and Comparison of Results from NEXRAD Doppler Weather Radar and Multiple Mist-net Stations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-02-01

    Los Banos, CA 6 8 6 0 3 0 4 5 2 0 LOLI San Joaquin Valley Friant, CA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 3 23 WUNI San Joaquin Valley Friant, CA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 4 24...39.38547 KBBX 29 LOLI San Joaquin Valley Friant, CA -119.73 37.02967 KHNX 82 WUNI San Joaquin Valley Friant, CA -119.753 36.93384 KHNX 72 LBWA San

  8. Magnetization and transport properties of silver-sheathed (Hg, Re)Ba2Ca2Cu3O8+delta tapes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, J. H.; Sastry, P. V. P. S. S.; Schwartz, J.

    2003-10-01

    (Hg, Re)Ba2Ca2Cu3O8+delta ((Hg, Re)-1223) samples have been fabricated by wrapping Re0.2Ba2Ca2Cu3Oy precursor powder within Ag foil and pressing or rolling. The Ag/precursor composite is then reacted with CaHgO2 in sealed reaction tubes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed only one superconducting phase, (Hg, Re)-1223, in agreement with magnetization measurements showing an onset critical temperature (Tc) of 132 K. The magnetization properties were studied by dc magnetic measurements. The irreversibility line (Hirr), deduced from magnetization hysteresis loops, is approximated by a power law, Hirr ~ (1 - T/Tc)n, with n ~ 2.5, indicating moderate coupling between CuO2 layers compared to YBa2Cu3O7 (n ~ 1.5) and Bi/Tl-based superconductors (n ~ 5.5). The temperature dependence of the magnetization hysteresis loop width DeltaM showed three regimes, dominated by weak links at low temperature (regime I), thermally activated depinning of vortices at intermediate temperature (regime II) and giant flux creep at high temperature (regime III), respectively. Two field dependences were found in the intragrain critical current density (Jmagc) versus applied field at various temperatures: a weak one at lower temperature (leq50 K) and a stronger one at high temperature (geq65 K), indicating a transition from vortex lattice to vortex liquid in the tapes. The transport critical current density (Jtranc) of ~3 × 103 A cm-2 at 4.2 K and self-field was comparable to those for bulk Hg-based superconductors, indicating granular nature of the samples, which was confirmed further by XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and magneto-optical imaging (MOI).

  9. Isotopic Evidence of Nitrate Sources and its Relationship to Algae in the San Joaquin River, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, S. R.; Kendall, C.; Young, M. B.; Stringfellow, W. T.; Borglin, S. E.; Kratzer, C. R.; Dahlgren, R. A.; Schmidt, C.; Rollog, M. E.

    2007-12-01

    Many competing demands have been placed on the San Joaquin River including deep water shipping, use as agricultural and drinking water, transport of agricultural and urban runoff, and recreation. These long-established demands limit the management options and increase the importance of understanding the river dynamics. The relationships among sources of water, nitrate, and algae in the San Joaquin River must be understood before management decisions can be made to optimize aquatic health. Isotopic analyses of water samples collected along the San Joaquin River in 2005-2007 have proven useful in assessing these relationships: sources of nitrate, the productivity of the San Joaquin River, and the relationship between nitrate and algae in the river. The San Joaquin River receives water locally from wetlands and agricultural return flow, and from three relatively large tributaries whose headwaters are in the Sierra Nevada. The lowest nitrate concentrations occur during periods of high flow when the proportion of water from the Sierra Nevada is relatively large, reflecting the effect of dilution from the big tributaries and indicating that a large fraction of the nitrate is of local origin. Nitrogen isotopes of nitrate in the San Joaquin River are relatively high (averaging about 12 per mil), suggesting a significant source from animal waste or sewage and/or the effects of denitrification. The d15N of nitrate varies inversely with concentration, indicating that these high isotopic values are also a local product. The d15N values of nitrate from most of the local tributaries is lower than that in the San Joaquin suggesting that nitrate from these tributaries does not account for a significant fraction of nitrate in the river. The source of the non-tributary nitrate must be either small unmeasured surface inputs or groundwater. To investigate whether groundwater might be a significant source of nitrate to the San Joaquin River, groundwater samples are being collected

  10. Timber resource statistics for the San Joaquin and southern resource areas of California.

    Treesearch

    Karen L. Waddell; Patricia M. Bassett

    1997-01-01

    This report is a summary of timber resource statistics for the San Joaquin and Southern Resource Areas of California, which include Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne Counties. Data were collected as part...

  11. A brief history of oil and gas exploration in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California: Chapter 3 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Takahashi, Kenneth I.; Gautier, Donald L.

    2007-01-01

    The Golden State got its nickname from the Sierra Nevada gold that lured so many miners and settlers to the West, but California has earned much more wealth from so-called “black gold” than from metallic gold. The San Joaquin Valley has been the principal source for most of the petroleum produced in the State during the past 145 years. In attempting to assess future additions to petroleum reserves in a mature province such as the San Joaquin Basin, it helps to be mindful of the history of resource development. In this chapter we present a brief overview of the long and colorful history of petroleum exploration and development in the San Joaquin Valley. This chapter relies heavily upon the work of William Rintoul, who wrote extensively on the history of oil and gas exploration in California and especially in the San Joaquin Valley. No report on the history of oil and gas exploration in the San Joaquin Valley would be possible without heavily referencing his publications. We also made use of publications by Susan Hodgson and a U.S. Geological Survey Web site, Natural Oil and Gas Seeps in California (http://seeps.wr.usgs.gov/seeps/index.html), for much of the material describing the use of petroleum by Native Americans in the San Joaquin Valley. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the contribution of Don Arnot, who manages the photograph collection at the West Kern Oil Museum in Taft, California. The collection consists of more than 10,000 photographs that have been scanned and preserved in digital form on CD-ROM. Many of the historical photographs used in this paper are from that collection. Finally, to clarify our terminology, we use the term “San Joaquin Valley” when we refer to the geographical or topographical feature and the term “San Joaquin Basin” when we refer to geological province and the rocks therein.

  12. CSUB CREST Research on Climate Change and the San Joaquin Valley, CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krugh, W. C.; Negrini, R. M.; Baron, D.; Gillespie, J.; Horton, R. A.; Montoya, E.; Cruz-Boone, C.; Andrews, G. D.; Guo, J.

    2015-12-01

    As part of the NSF-supported Centers for Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST), student and faculty researchers at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) have been investigating the regional impacts of climate change as well as evaluating the potential of local contributions to its abatement. Highlights of this research include; 1) the development of a high-resolution climate record from Tulare Lake sediments that spans the past 20,000 years, 2) the quantitative analysis and prediction of climate change impacts on Sierra Nevada snowpack, 3) the detailed subsurface characterization of San Joaquin Valley oilfields targeted for CO2 sequestration, and 4) the evaluation of proposed host rock suitability under simulated CO2 injection conditions. To date, CSUB CREST supported research has resulted in 26 contributions to peer-reviewed journals (currently published or in-review). A primary goal of CSUB CREST is to improve the recruitment, retention, and success of students from the local community, the majority of whom are from backgrounds under-represented in STEM disciplines. More than 28 students have been directly involved in the basic and applied research projects supported by this program. The majority of these students have received, or are on track to receive, an M.S. degree and have ultimately gained employment in a STEM field or been accepted into a Ph.D. program. This presentation, and others in this session, will focus on the accomplishments, challenges, and strategies for success gleaned from CSUB CREST Phase 1.

  13. The Cenozoic evolution of the San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bartow, J. Alan

    1991-01-01

    The San Joaquin Valley, which is the southern part of the 700-km-long Great Valley of California, is an asymmetric structural trough that is filled with a prism of upper Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments up to 9 km thick; these sediments rest on crystalline basement rocks of the southwestward-tilted Sierran block. The San Joaquin sedimentary basin is separated from the Sacramento basin to the north by the buried Stockton arch and associated Stockton fault. The buried Bakersfield arch near the south end of the valley separates the small Maricopa-Tejon subbasin at the south end of the San Joaquin basin from the remainder of the basin. Cenozoic strata in the San Joaquin basin thicken southeastward from about 800 m in the north to over 9,000 m in the south. The San Joaquin Valley can be subdivided into five regions on the basis of differing structural style. They are the northern Sierran block, the southern Sierran block, the northern Diablo homocline, the westside fold belt, and the combined Maricopa-Tejon subbasin and southmargin deformed belt. Considerable facies variation existed within the sedimentary basin, particularly in the Neogene when a thick section of marine sediment accumulated in the southern part of the basin, while a relatively thin and entirely nonmarine section was deposited in the northern part. The northern Sierran block, the stable east limb of the valley syncline between the Stockton fault and the San Joaquin River, is the least deformed region of the valley. Deformation consists mostly of a southwest tilt and only minor late Cenozoic normal faulting. The southern Sierran block, the stable east limb of the valley syncline between the San Joaquin River and the Bakersfield arch, is similar in style to the northern part of the block, but it has a higher degree of deformation. Miocene or older normal faults trend mostly north to northwest and have a net down-to-the-west displacement with individual offsets of as much as 600 m. The northern Diablo

  14. Multi-scale Sensitivity and Predictability of Hurricane Joaquin (2015) Illuminated Through Adjoint Studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doyle, J. D.; Holdaway, D.; Amerault, C. M.

    2017-12-01

    Hurricane Joaquin (2015) was a strong category 4 hurricane (maximum winds of 135 kts) that developed from an upper-level low over the western Atlantic and was noteworthy because of its large impact in the Bahamas, as well as the sinking of the cargo ship El Farroand loss of her 33 crew members. Joaquin initially moved southwest towards the Bahamas and rapidly intensified before sharply turning northeastward. Nearly all operational model forecasts failed to provide an accurate prediction of the rapid intensification and track, even at short lead times. As a result, the National Hurricane Center forecasted landfall in the mid-Atlantic, while in reality the storm moved well offshore. In this study, we utilize two adjoint modeling systems, the Navy COAMPS and the NASA GEOS-5, to investigate the role of initial condition errors that may have led to the relatively poor track and intensity predictions of Hurricane Joaquin. Adjoint models can provide valuable insight into the practical limitations of our ability to predict the path of tropical cyclones and their strength. An adjoint model can be used for the efficient and rigorous computation of numerical weather forecast sensitivity to changes in the initial state. The adjoint sensitivity diagnostics illustrate complex influences on the evolution of Joaquin that occur over a wide range of spatial scales. The sensitivity results highlight the importance of an upper-level trough to the northeast that provided the steering flow for the poorly-predicted southwesterly movement of the hurricane in its early phase. The steering flow and hurricane track are found to be very sensitive to relatively small changes in the initial state to the east-northeast of the hurricane. Additionally, the intensity prediction of Hurricane Joaquin is found to be very sensitive to the initial state moisture including highly structured regions around the storm and in remote regions as well. Hurricane Joaquin was observed in four NASA WB-57 research

  15. San Joaquin, California, High-Speed Rail Grade Crossing Data Acquisition Characteristics, Methodology, and Risk Assessment

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-11-01

    This report discusses data acquisition and analysis for grade crossing risk analysis at the proposed San Joaquin High-Speed Rail Corridor in San Joaquin, California, and documents the data acquisition and analysis methodologies used to collect and an...

  16. Thermoelectric power of high-pressure synthesized CuBa{sub 2}Ca{sub 3}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 11{minus}{delta}}

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

    Liu, C.; Jin, C.; Yamauchi, H.

    We report measurements of thermoelectric power (TEP) for high-pressure synthesized CuBa{sub 2}Ca{sub 3}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 11{minus}{delta}} superconductors. The magnitude of TEP for the sample with {ital T}{sub {ital c},zero}=115.9 K is very small and shows a sign crossover at {approximately}160 K. The TEP shows a peak behavior and displays an approximately linear temperature dependence with a negative slope {minus}0.033 {mu}V/K{sup 2} for 120{le}{ital T}{le}240 K. These features resemble those for other known high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} cuprate superconductors, in particular {ital S}{sub {ital a}} in the {ital a} direction for an untwinned YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} single crystal and polycrystalline Tl-2201more » samples. A brief discussion is given on the TEP behavior in comparison with CuBa{sub 2}YCu{sub 2}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} cuprate superconductors by considering their similar structure of building blocks and type of charge reservoir. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}« less

  17. Understanding Public Views about Air Quality and Air Pollution Sources in the San Joaquin Valley, California.

    PubMed

    Cisneros, Ricardo; Brown, Paul; Cameron, Linda; Gaab, Erin; Gonzalez, Mariaelena; Ramondt, Steven; Veloz, David; Song, Anna; Schweizer, Don

    2017-01-01

    The San Joaquin Valley of California has poor air quality and high rates of asthma. Surveys were collected from 744 residents of the San Joaquin Valley from November 2014 to January 2015 to examine the public's views about air quality. The results of this study suggest that participants exposed to high PM 2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size) concentrations perceived air pollution to be of the worst quality. Air quality in the San Joaquin Valley was primarily perceived as either moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups. Females perceived air pollution to be of worse quality compared to males. Participants perceived unemployment, crime, and obesity to be the top three most serious community problems in the San Joaquin Valley. Participants viewed cars and trucks, windblown dust, and factories as the principle contributors to air pollution in the area. There is a need to continue studying public perceptions of air quality in the San Joaquin Valley with a more robust survey with more participants over several years and seasons.

  18. Understanding Public Views about Air Quality and Air Pollution Sources in the San Joaquin Valley, California

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Paul; Cameron, Linda; Gaab, Erin; Gonzalez, Mariaelena; Ramondt, Steven; Veloz, David; Song, Anna; Schweizer, Don

    2017-01-01

    The San Joaquin Valley of California has poor air quality and high rates of asthma. Surveys were collected from 744 residents of the San Joaquin Valley from November 2014 to January 2015 to examine the public's views about air quality. The results of this study suggest that participants exposed to high PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size) concentrations perceived air pollution to be of the worst quality. Air quality in the San Joaquin Valley was primarily perceived as either moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups. Females perceived air pollution to be of worse quality compared to males. Participants perceived unemployment, crime, and obesity to be the top three most serious community problems in the San Joaquin Valley. Participants viewed cars and trucks, windblown dust, and factories as the principle contributors to air pollution in the area. There is a need to continue studying public perceptions of air quality in the San Joaquin Valley with a more robust survey with more participants over several years and seasons. PMID:28469673

  19. Results of a prototype surface water network design for pesticides developed for the San Joaquin River Basin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Domagalski, Joseph L.

    1997-01-01

    A nested surface water monitoring network was designed and tested to measure variability in pesticide concentrations in the San Joaquin River and selected tributaries during the irrigation season. The network design an d sampling frequency necessary for determining the variability and distribution in pesticide concentrations were tested in a prototype study. The San Joaquin River Basin, California, was sampled from April to August 1992, a period during the irrigation season where there was no rainfall. Orestimba Creek, which drains a part of the western San Joaquin Valley, was sampled three times per week for 6 weeks, followed by a once per week sampling for 6 weeks, and the three times per week sampling for 6 weeks. A site on the San Joaquin River near the mouth of the basin, and an irrigation drain of the eastern San Joaquin Valley, were sampled weekly during the entire sampling period. Pesticides were most often detected in samples collected from Orestimba Creek. This suggests that the western valley was the principal source of pesticides to the San Joaquin River during the irrigation season. Irrigation drainage water was the source of pesticides to Orestimba Creek. Pesticide concentrations of Orestimba Creek showed greater temporal variability when sampled three times per week than when sampled once a week, due to variations in field management and irrigation. The implication for the San Joaquin River basin (an irrigation-dominated agricultural setting) is that frequent sampling of tributary sites is necessary to describe the variability in pesticides transported to the San Joaquin River.

  20. 76 FR 67369 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-01

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District and Imperial County Air Pollution Control District AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is finalizing approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

  1. Transmembrane Na+ and Ca2+ electrochemical gradients in cardiac muscle and their relationship to force development

    PubMed Central

    1982-01-01

    Na+- and CA2+-sensitive microelectrodes were used to measure intracellular Na+ and Ca2+ activities (alpha iCa) of sheep ventricular muscle and Purkinje strands to study the interrelationship between Na+ and Ca2+ electrochemical gradients (delta muNa and delta muCa) under various conditions. In ventricular muscle, alpha iNa was 6.4 +/- 1.2 mM and alpha iCa was 87 +/- 20 nM ([Ca/+] = 272 nM). A graded decrease of external Na+ activity (alpha oNa) resulted in decrease of alpha iNa, and increase of alpha iCa. There was increase of twitch tension in low- alpha oNa solutions, and occasional increase of resting tension in 40% alpha oNa. Increase of external Ca2+ (alpha oCa) resulted in increase of alpha iCa and decrease of alpha iNa. Decrease of alpha oCa resulted in decrease of alpha iCa and increase of alpha iNa. The apparent resting Na-Ca energy ratio (delta muCa/delta muNa) was between 2.43 and 2.63. When the membrane potential (Vm) was depolarized by 50 mM K+ in ventricular muscle, Vm depolarized by 50 mV, alpha iNa decreased, and alpha iCa increased, with the development of a contracture. The apparent energy coupling ratio did not change with depolarization. 5 x 10(-6) M ouabain induced a large increase in alpha iNa ad alpha iCa, accompanied by an increase in twitch and resting tension. Under the conditions we have studied, delta muNa and delta muCa appeared to be coupled and n was nearly constant at 2.5, as would be expected if the Na-Ca exchange system was able to set the steady level of alpha iCa. Tension threshold was about 230 nM alpha iCa. The magnitude of twitch tension was directly related to alpha iCa. PMID:6292328

  2. 77 FR 7536 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-13

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portions of the California... U.S.C. 804(2). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  3. Environmental Factors and Internal Processes Contributing to Interrupted Rapid Decay of Hurricane Joaquin (2015)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hendricks, E. A.; Elsberry, R. L.; Velden, C.; Creasey, R.; Jorgensen, A.; Jordan, M.

    2017-12-01

    Hurricane Joaquin (2015) was the most intense Atlantic hurricane with a non-tropical origin during the satellite era. In addition to its rapid intensification, Joaquin was noteworthy for the difficulty in forecasting its post-recurvature track to the northeast after having struck the Bahama Islands. Such a track typically leads to a decay as the hurricane moves poleward over colder water, and Joaquin had an extreme decay rate from 135 kt to 65 kt in only 30 h. The focus of this study is on the environmental and internal factors that interrupted this extreme decay at 1800 UTC 4 October, and then how Joaquin re-intensified to 75 kt and maintained that intensity for 30 hours. The real-time Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction System (SHIPS) database is used to calculate each six hours six environmental variables that Hendricks et al. (2010) had found contributed to intensity change. Only the deep-layer vertical wind shear (VWS) from SHIPS, and also from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), had a well-defined relationship with both the interrupted rapid decay and the subsequent constant intensity period. A special dataset of Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMVs) at 15-minute intervals prepared by CIMSS is then utilized to create a continuous VWS record that documents the large ( 15 m s-1) VWS throughout most of the rapid decay period, and then a rapid decrease in VWS to moderate ( 8 m s-1) values at and following the rapid decay period. Horizontal distributions of these CIMSS VWSs demonstrate that during this period Joaquin was located in a large gradient region between large VWSs to the north and near-zero VWSs to the south, which was favorable for sustaining Joaquin at hurricane intensity.

  4. 77 FR 5709 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-06

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone...

  5. 76 FR 70886 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-16

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference...

  6. 76 FR 33181 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-08

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve a revision to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of..., Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements...

  7. 76 FR 5276 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-31

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide...

  8. Modeling Investigation of Spring Chinook Salmon Habitat in San Joaquin River Restoration Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, L.; Ramires, J.

    2013-12-01

    As the second longest river in California, the San Joaquin River (SJR) is a vital natural resource to numerous residents and industries and provides an array of activities within Central Valley, home to some of California's most productive agricultural areas. Originating in the high Sierra Nevada, mainly from snowmelt and runoff, and passing through the middle sections including Fresno and Madera counties, eventually the SJR conjoins with the Sacramento River, constructing the largest river delta on the west coast of North America. Along with human necessities, the river used to be crucial for the propagation and survivability of Chinook salmon and other aquatic and wildlife. However, the SJR has experienced hydraulic disconnection throughout certain reaches due to extensive water diversion. Indigenous salmon populations have been degraded over the years due to insufficient flows and anthropogenic activities. In 2006, to maintain salmon and other fish populations to a point of self-sustainment, the San Joaquin River Restoration Project (SJRRP) was established to restore flows along the SJR from Friant Dam to the confluence of the Merced River by routing the original SJR in different pathways. One of the major tasks of the SJRRP, so called 'Reach 4B Project', was to modify and improve channel capacity of reach 4B, east side bypass and Mariposa bypass of the SJR. Multiple scenarios for the alteration and modification of the SJR water pathway were designed to ensure fish passage by retrofitting existing channels and to provide adequate flow throughout the study area. The goal of the SJRRP project 4B was to provide an efficient passage for adult Chinook salmon to spawning beds further upstream and a safe route for yearling to the delta. The objective of this research project is to characterize the stream properties (current velocities, depth, etc.) of each proposed alternative in Project 4B2 under the same upstream conditions using a modeling method. A depth

  9. 76 FR 15047 - Port of Ivory, LLC-Operation Exemption-Line of Railroad in Tulare County, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-18

    ...--Operation Exemption--Line of Railroad in Tulare County, CA Port of Ivory, LLC (Port), a limited liability company and noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to operate about 1... a rail line operated by the San Joaquin Valley Railroad Company (SJVR) at a point known as Ivory...

  10. 75 FR 10690 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-09

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) portion of the California State...)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  11. 76 FR 37044 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-24

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... Glass Manufacturing'', US EPA, June 1994. 7. ``Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC...

  12. 77 FR 66429 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-05

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... 1994. 11. ``Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Reference Document on Best Available...

  13. 76 FR 40660 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-11

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the....0 for the following terms: Air Pollution Control Officer, Board, Environmental Protection Agency...

  14. 77 FR 24883 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-26

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental...

  15. 76 FR 52623 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-23

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations...

  16. 76 FR 41745 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-15

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approval and limited disapproval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control... Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) Rule 4682, Polystyrene, Polyethylene, and...

  17. 76 FR 56706 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-14

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental...

  18. 77 FR 35329 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-13

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental...

  19. 76 FR 69135 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-08

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by...

  20. 76 FR 76046 - Interim Final Determination To Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-06

    ... Determination To Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD or District) portion of the California State...), we finalized a limited approval and limited disapproval of San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

  1. 77 FR 64427 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-22

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the..., Gas, and Geothermal Resources confirmed that in the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District...

  2. 76 FR 16696 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-25

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) portion of the...)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  3. 75 FR 24408 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-05

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) portion of the...)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  4. 75 FR 1715 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-13

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) portion of the...)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  5. 76 FR 68106 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-03

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the...)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  6. 76 FR 45212 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-28

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... proposing to approve San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) Rule 3170... (CAA or Act). EPA is also proposing to approve SJVUAPCD's fee-equivalent program, which includes Rule...

  7. Examining Dimethyl Sulfide Emissions in California's San Joaquin Valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huber, D.; Hughes, S.; Blake, D. R.

    2017-12-01

    Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) is a sulfur-containing compound that leads to the formation of aerosols which can lead to the formation of haze and fog. Whole air samples were collected on board the NASA C-23 Sherpa aircraft during the 2017 Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) over dairies and agricultural fields in the San Joaquin Valley. Analysis of the samples indicate average DMS concentrations of 23 ± 9 pptv, with a maximum concentration of 49 pptv. When compared with DMS concentrations from previous SARP missions (2009-2016), 2017 by far had the highest frequency of elevated DMS in this region. For this study, agricultural productivity of this region was analyzed to determine whether land use could be contributing to the elevated DMS. Top down and bottom up analysis of agriculture and dairies were used to determine emission rates of DMS in the San Joaquin Valley. Correlations to methane and ethanol were used to determine that DMS emissions were strongly linked to dairies, and resulted in R2 values of 0.61 and 0.43, respectively. These values indicate a strong correlation between dairies and DMS emissions. Combined with NOAA HySPLIT back trajectory data and analysis of ground air samples, results suggest that the contribution of dairies to annual DMS emissions in the San Joaquin Valley exceeds those from corn and alfalfa production.

  8. Quaternary geology of Alameda County, and parts of Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties, California: a digital database

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Helley, E.J.; Graymer, R.W.

    1997-01-01

    Alameda County is located at the northern end of the Diablo Range of Central California. It is bounded on the north by the south flank of Mount Diablo, one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area, reaching an elevation of 1173 meters (3,849 ft). San Francisco Bay forms the western boundary, the San Joaquin Valley borders it on the east and an arbitrary line from the Bay into the Diablo Range forms the southern boundary. Alameda is one of the nine Bay Area counties tributary to San Francisco Bay. Most of the country is mountainous with steep rugged topography. Alameda County is covered by twenty-eight 7.5' topographic Quadrangles which are shown on the index map. The Quaternary deposits in Alameda County comprise three distinct depositional environments. One, forming a transgressive sequence of alluvial fan and fan-delta facies, is mapped in the western one-third of the county. The second, forming only alluvial fan facies, is mapped in the Livermore Valley and San Joaquin Valley in the eastern part of the county. The third, forming a combination of Eolian dune and estuarine facies, is restricted to the Alameda Island area in the northwestern corner of the county.

  9. 76 FR 56134 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-12

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... preempt Tribal law. List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  10. 76 FR 53640 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-29

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... section 307(b)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  11. 76 FR 56132 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-12

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... preempt Tribal law. List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  12. 77 FR 214 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-04

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... used by the California Air Resources Board and air districts for evaluating air pollution control...

  13. 75 FR 57862 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-23

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... section 307(b)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  14. 77 FR 58312 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-20

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control... section 307(b)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  15. 75 FR 3996 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-26

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... limited disapproval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD or... Valley Air Pollution Control District; letter dated and received August 17, 2009. After the close of the...

  16. A non-equilibrium thermodynamics model of reconstituted Ca(2+)-ATPase.

    PubMed

    Waldeck, A R; van Dam, K; Berden, J; Kuchel, P W

    1998-01-01

    A non-equilibrium thermodynamics (NET) model describing the action of completely coupled or 'slipping' reconstituted Ca(2+)-ATPase is presented. Variation of the coupling stoichiometries with the magnitude of the electrochemical gradients, as the ATPase hydrolyzes ATP, is an indication of molecular slip. However, the Ca2+ and H+ membrane-leak conductances may also be a function of their respective gradients. Such non-ohmic leak typically yields 'flow-force' relationships that are similar to those that are obtained when the pump slips; hence, caution needs to be exercised when interpreting data of Ca(2+)-ATPase-mediated fluxes that display a non-linear dependence on the electrochemical proton (delta mu H) and/or calcium gradients (delta mu Ca). To address this issue, three experimentally verifiable relationships differentiating between membrane leak and enzymic slip were derived. First, by measuring delta mu H as a function of the rate of ATP hydrolysis by the enzyme. Second, by measuring the overall 'efficiency' of the pump as a function of delta mu H. Third, by measuring the proton ejection rate by the pump as a function of its ATP hydrolysis rate.

  17. Integrating scientific knowledge into large-scale restoration programs: the CALFED Bay-Delta Program experience

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Taylor, Kimberly A.; Short, A.

    2009-01-01

    Integrating science into resource management activities is a goal of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, a multi-agency effort to address water supply reliability, ecological condition, drinking water quality, and levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of northern California. Under CALFED, many different strategies were used to integrate science, including interaction between the research and management communities, public dialogues about scientific work, and peer review. This paper explores ways science was (and was not) integrated into CALFED's management actions and decision systems through three narratives describing different patterns of scientific integration and application in CALFED. Though a collaborative process and certain organizational conditions may be necessary for developing new understandings of the system of interest, we find that those factors are not sufficient for translating that knowledge into management actions and decision systems. We suggest that the application of knowledge may be facilitated or hindered by (1) differences in the objectives, approaches, and cultures of scientists operating in the research community and those operating in the management community and (2) other factors external to the collaborative process and organization.

  18. Bottom-up, decision support system development : a wetlandsalinity management application in California's San Joaquin Valley

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

    Quinn, Nigel W.T.

    Seasonally managed wetlands in the Grasslands Basin ofCalifornia's San Joaquin Valley provide food and shelter for migratorywildfowl during winter months and sport for waterfowl hunters during theannual duck season. Surface water supply to these wetland contain saltwhich, when drained to the San Joaquin River during the annual drawdownperiod, negatively impacts downstream agricultural riparian waterdiverters. Recent environmental regulation, limiting discharges salinityto the San Joaquin River and primarily targeting agricultural non-pointsources, now addresses return flows from seasonally managed wetlands.Real-time water quality management has been advocated as a means ofmatching wetland return flows to the assimilative capacity of the SanJoaquin River. Past attemptsmore » to build environmental monitoring anddecision support systems to implement this concept have failed forreasons that are discussed in this paper. These reasons are discussed inthe context of more general challenges facing the successfulimplementation of environmental monitoring, modelling and decisionsupport systems. The paper then provides details of a current researchand development project which will ultimately provide wetland managerswith the means of matching salt exports with the available assimilativecapacity of the San Joaquin River, when fully implemented. Manipulationof the traditional wetland drawdown comes at a potential cost to thesustainability of optimal wetland moist soil plant habitat in thesewetlands - hence the project provides appropriate data and a feedback andresponse mechanism for wetland managers to balance improvements to SanJoaquin River quality with internally-generated information on the healthof the wetland resource. The author concludes the paper by arguing thatthe architecture of the current project decision support system, whencoupled with recent advances in environmental data acquisition, dataprocessing and information dissemination technology, holds

  19. Organochlorine pesticide residues in bed sediments of the San Joaquin River, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gilliom, Robert J.; Clifton, Daphne G.

    1990-01-01

    Bed sediments of the San Joaquin River and its tributaries were sampled during October 7–11, 1985, and analyzed for organochiorine pesticide residues in order to determine their areal distribution and to evaluate and prioritize needs for further study. Residues of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin are widespread in the fine-grained bed sediments of the San Joaquin River and its tributaries despite little or no use of these pesticides for more than 15 years. The San Joaquin River has among the highest bed-sediment concentrations of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin residues of major rivers in the United States. Concentrations of all four pesticides were correlated with each other and with the amount of organic carbon and fine-grained particles in the bed sediments. The highest concentrations occurred in bed sediments of westside tributary streams. Potential tributary loads of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin to the San Joaquin River were computed from bed-sediment concentrations and data on streamfiow and suspended-sediment concentration in order to identify the general magnitude of differences between streams and to determine study priorities. The estimated loads indicate that the most important sources of residues during the study period were Salt Slough because of a high load of fine sediment, and Newman Wasteway, Orestimba Creek, and Hospital Creek because of high bed-sediment concentrations. Generally, the highest estimated loads of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin were in Orestimba and Hospital Creeks.

  20. Analysis of High Temporal and Spatial Observations of Hurricane Joaquin During TCI-15

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Creasey, Robert; Elsberry, Russell L.; Velden, Chris; Cecil, Daniel J.; Bell, Michael; Hendricks, Eric A.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: Provide an example of why analysis of high density soundings across Hurricane Joaquin also require highly accurate center positions; Describe technique for calculating 3-D zero-wind center positions from the highly accurate GPS positions of sequences of High-Density Sounding System (HDSS) soundings as they fall from 10 km to the ocean surface; Illustrate the vertical tilt of the vortex above 4-5 km during two center passes through Hurricane Joaquin on 4 October 2015.

  1. Chemical analyses for selected wells in San Joaquin County and part of Contra Costa County, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Keeter, Gail L.

    1980-01-01

    The study area of this report includes the eastern valley area of Contra Costa County and all of San Joaquin County, an area of approximately 1,600 square miles in the northern part of the San Joaquin Valley, Calif. Between December 1977 and December 1978, 1,489 wells were selectively canvassed. During May and June in 1978 and 1979, water samples were collected for chemical analysis from 321 of these wells. Field determinations of alkalinity, conductance, pH, and temperature were made, and individual constituents were analyzed. This report is the fourth in a series of baseline data reports on wells in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. (USGS)

  2. Climate change and other stressors change modeled population size and hybridization potential for San Joaquin kit fox

    EPA Science Inventory

    The San Joaquin kit fox was once widely distributed across the southern San Joaquin Valley, but agriculture and development have replaced much of the endangered subspecies’ habitat. We modeled impacts of climate change, land-use change, and rodenticide exposure on kit fox p...

  3. 76 FR 56116 - Interim Final Determination To Stay and Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-12

    ... Determination To Stay and Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... on a proposed approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental...

  4. 76 FR 56114 - Interim Final Determination to Stay and Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-12

    ... Determination to Stay and Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... on a proposed approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental...

  5. Temporally intensive study of trace metals in sediments and bivalves from a large river-estuarine system: Suisun Bay/delta in San Francisco Bay

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Luoma, S.N.; Dagovitz, R.; Axtmann, E.

    1990-01-01

    Distributions in time and space of Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were determined in fine-grained sediments and in the filter-feeding bivalve Corbicula sp. of Suisun Bay/delta at the mouth of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in North San Francisco Bay. Samples were collected from seven stations at near-monthly intervals for 3 years. Aggregated data showed little chronic contamination with Ag, Zn and Pb in the river and estuary. Substantial chronic contamination with Cd, Cu and Cr in Suisun Bay/delta occurred, especially in Corbicula, compared with the lower San Joaquin River. Salinity appeared to have secondary effects, if any, on metal concentrations in sediments and metal bioavailability to bivalves. Space/time distributions of Cr were controlled by releases from a local industry. Analyses of time series suggested substantial inputs of Cu might originate from the Sacramento River during high inflows to the Bay, and Cd contamination had both riverine and local sources. Concentrations of metals in sediments correlated with concentrations in Corbicula only in annually or 3-year aggregated data. Condition index for Corbicula was reduced where metal contamination was most severe. The biological availability of Cu and Cd to benthos was greater in Suisun Bay than in many other estuaries. Thus small inputs into this system could have greater impacts than might occur elsewhere; and organisms were generally more sensitive indicators of enrichment than sediments in this system.

  6. 77 FR 74355 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; California; San Joaquin Valley; Attainment Plan for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-14

    ... update the air quality modeling in the San Joaquin Valley 8-Hour Ozone SIP by December 31, 2014. DATES... modeling in the San Joaquin Valley 8-Hour Ozone SIP to reflect emissions inventory improvements and any...) * * * (396) * * * (ii) * * * (A) * * * (2) * * * (ii) Commitment to update the air quality modeling in the...

  7. Social Disparities in Drinking Water Quality in California's San Joaquin Valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ray, I.; Balazs, C.; Hubbard, A.; Morello-Frosch, R.

    2011-12-01

    human costs of nitrate-contaminated drinking water in the San Joaquin Valley. Oakland, CA: Pacific Institute. Morello-Frosch R, Pastor M, Sadd J. 2001. Environmental justice and southern california's 'riskscape': The distribution of air toxics exposures and health risks among diverse communities. Urban Affairs Review 36(4): 551-578. National Research Council. 2001. Arsenic in drinking water 2001 update. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. U.S. Census Bureau. 2000. Census of population and housing, 2000 [united states]: Summary tape file 3. Washington D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2011a. Arsenic rule. Available: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/arsenic/regulations.cfm [accessed June 23 2011].

  8. Animation of Tropical Storm Joaquin right before it intensified into a hurricane on September 29, 2015

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    -- Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT) midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda and has now formed into a hurricane, the 3rd of the season--the difference is Joaquin could impact the US East Coast. GPM captured Joaquin Tuesday, September 29th at 21:39 UTC (5:39 pm EDT) as the hurricane moved slowly towards the west-southwest about 400 miles east of the northwestern Bahamas. At the time, Joaquin had been battling northerly wind shear, which was impeding the storm's ability to strengthen. However, compared to earlier in the day, the system was beginning to gain the upper hand as the shear began to relax its grip. At the time of this data visualization, Joaquin's low-level center of circulation was located further within the cloud shield, and the rain area was beginning to wrap farther around the center on the eastern side of the storm while showing signs of increased banding and curvature, a sure sign that Joaquin's circulation was intensifying. GPM shows a large area of very intense rain with rain rates ranging from around 50 to 132 mm/hr (~2 to 5 inches, shown in red and magenta) just to the right of the center. This is a strong indication that large amounts of heat are being released into the storm's center, fueling its circulation and providing the means for its intensification. Associated with the area of intense rain is an area of tall convective towers, known as a convective burst, with tops reaching up to 16.3 km (shown in orange). These towers when located near the storm's core are a strong indication that the storm is poised to strengthen as they too reveal the release of heat into the storm. At the time this data was taken, the National Hurricane Center reported that Joaquin's maximum sustained winds had increased to 65 mph from 40 mph earlier in the day, making Joaquin a strong tropical storm but poised to become a hurricane, which occurred this morning at 8:00 am EDT. With the inhibiting wind shear expected to continue to diminish and the

  9. 76 FR 59254 - Interim Final Determination To Stay and Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-26

    ... Determination To Stay and Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... on a proposed approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District...)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

  10. 77 FR 24857 - Interim Final Determination To Stay and Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-26

    ... Determination To Stay and Defer Sanctions, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... on a proposed approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental regulations...

  11. Water Cycle Implications of Agriculture and Flood Control Infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay-Delta System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacVean, L. J.; Thompson, S. E.; Sivapalan, M.; Hutton, P.

    2016-12-01

    California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta sits at the intersection of vast agricultural and population centers, and supplies fresh water for the diverse and often competing needs of ecosystems, farmers, and millions of Californians. In this study, we address the question of how flows into and out of the Delta have evolved in response to human intervention since 1850 in order to augment the scientific foundation of management decisions. In particular, we have developed a numerical model to quantify Delta outflows over the last 165 years, through which we explore the implications of the conversion of native vegetation to agricultural crops and the construction of flood control infrastructure. Our model domain encompasses the watersheds tributary to the San Francisco Bay-Delta system, and simulates the dynamic components of water usage through vegetative uptake and evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, flood conveyance, and water exports at incremental levels of development from 1850 to the present. The model is run using historical climatological forcing; the climate and the effects of development on the Delta's watersheds are allowed to co-evolve. After verification that the dominant processes are captured in the numerics, the results illustrate the interactions between soil water storage, flood water stored behind levees, and consumption of water through ET and groundwater recharge, and their effects on the inflows to the San Francisco Bay estuary. Our study provides a picture of the changes in magnitude and temporal distribution of freshwater flows brought about by both intentional and unintentional consequences of the development of California's Central Valley.

  12. 75 FR 39207 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-08

    ... Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook Salmon Scoping... Chinook salmon to the mainstem of the San Joaquin River. The document contained incorrect contact... second column, correct the e-mail address that was listed as SJRSpringSalmon@noaa.gov to read SJRSpring...

  13. Hurricane Joaquin North of Bermuda

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Hurricane Joaquin is seen in the Atlantic Ocean north of Bermuda in this image taken by GOES East at 1315 UTC (9:15 a.m. EDT) on October 5, 2015. Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  14. Distribution and movements of female northern pintails radiotagged in San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fleskes, Joseph P.; Jarvis, Robert L.; Gilmer, David S.

    2002-01-01

    To improve understanding of northern pintail (Anas acuta) distribution in central California (CCA), we radiotagged 191 Hatch-Year (HY) and 228 After-Hatch-Year (AHY) female northern pintails during late August-early October, 1991-1993, in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) and studied their movements through March each year. Nearly all (94.3%) wintered in CCA, but 5.7% went to southern California, Mexico, or unknown areas; all that went south left before hunting season. Of the 395 radiotagged pintails that wintered in CCA, 83% flew from the SJV north to other CCA areas (i.e., Sacramento Valley [SACV], Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta [Delta], Suisun Marsh, San Francisco Bay) during September-January; most went during December. Movements coincid- ed with start of hunting seasons and were related to pintail age, mass, capture location, study year, and weather. Among pintails with less than average mass, AHY individuals tended to leave the SJV earlier than HY individuals. Weekly distribution was similar among capture locations and years but a greater percentage of pintails radiotagged in Tulare Basin (south part of SJV) were known to have (10.3% vs. 0.9%) or probably (13.8% vs. 4.6%) wintered south of CCA than pintails radiotagged in northern SJV areas (i.e., Grassland Ecological Area [EA] and Mendota Wildlife Area [WA]). Also, a greater percentage of SJV pintails went to other CCA areas before hunting season in the drought year of 1991-1992 than later years (10% vs. 3-5%). The percent of radiotagged pintails from Grass- land EA known to have gone south of CCA also was greater during 1991-1992 than later years (2% vs. 0%), but both the known (19% vs. 4%) and probable (23% vs. 12%) percent from Tulare Basin that went south was greatest during 1993-1994, when availability of flooded fields there was lowest. The probability of pintails leaving the SJV was 57% (95% CI = 8-127%) greater on days with than without rain, and more movements per bird out of SJV occurred in years

  15. Turbidity and salinity affect feeding performance and physiological stress in the endangered delta smelt.

    PubMed

    Hasenbein, Matthias; Komoroske, Lisa M; Connon, Richard E; Geist, Juergen; Fangue, Nann A

    2013-10-01

    Coastal estuaries are among the most heavily impacted ecosystems worldwide with many keystone fauna critically endangered. The delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is an endangered pelagic fish species endemic to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary in northern California, and is considered as an indicator species for ecosystem health. This ecosystem is characterized by tidal and seasonal gradients in water parameters (e.g., salinity, temperature, and turbidity), but is also subject to altered water-flow regimes due to water extraction. In this study, we evaluated the effects of turbidity and salinity on feeding performance and the stress response of delta smelt because both of these parameters are influenced by water flows through the San Francisco Bay Delta (SFBD) and are known to be of critical importance to the completion of the delta smelt's life cycle. Juvenile delta smelt were exposed to a matrix of turbidities and salinities ranging from 5 to 250 nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs) and 0.2 to 15 parts per thousand (ppt), respectively, for 2 h. Best statistical models using Akaike's Information Criterion supported that increasing turbidities resulted in reduced feeding rates, especially at 250 NTU. In contrast, best explanatory models for gene transcription of sodium-potassium-ATPase (Na/K-ATPase)-an indicator of osmoregulatory stress, hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin-a precursor protein to adrenocorticotropic hormone (expressed in response to biological stress), and whole-body cortisol were affected by salinity alone. Only transcription of glutathione-S-transferase, a phase II detoxification enzyme that protects cells against reactive oxygen species, was affected by both salinity and turbidity. Taken together, these data suggest that turbidity is an important determinant of feeding, whereas salinity is an important abiotic factor influencing the cellular stress response in delta smelt. Our data support habitat association studies that have shown greater

  16. Coupled extremely light Ca and Fe isotopes in peridotites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Xinmiao; Zhang, Zhaofeng; Huang, Shichun; Liu, Yufei; Li, Xin; Zhang, Hongfu

    2017-07-01

    Large metal stable isotopic variations have been observed in both extraterrestrial and terrestrial samples. For example, Ca exhibits large mass-dependent isotopic variation in terrestrial igneous rocks and mantle minerals (on the order of ∼2‰ variation in 44Ca/40Ca). A thorough assessment and understanding of such isotopic variations in peridotites provides important constraints on the evolution and compositon of the Earth's mantle. In order to better understand the Ca and Fe isotopic variations in terrestrial silicate rocks, we report Ca isotopic compositions in a set of peridotitic xenoliths from North China Craton (NCC), which have been studied for Fe isotopes. These NCC peridotites have large Ca and Fe isotopic variations, with δ44/40Ca ranging from -0.08 to 0.92 (delta value relative to SRM915a) and δ57/54Fe (delta value relative to IRMM-014) ranging from -0.61 to 0.16, and these isotopic variations are correlated with large Mg# (100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe) molar ratio) variation, ranging from 80 to 90. Importantly, NCC Fe-rich peridotites have the lowest 44Ca/40Ca and 57Fe/54Fe ratios in all terrestrial silicate rocks. In contrast, although ureilites, mantle rocks from a now broken differentiated asteroid(s), have large Mg# variation, from 70 to 92, they have very limited δ57Fe/54Fe variation (0.03-0.21, delta value relative to IRMM-014). Our model calculations show that the coupled extremely light Ca-Fe isotopic signatures in NCC Fe-rich peridotites most likely reflect kinetic isotopic fractionation during melt-peridotite reaction on a timescale of several to 104 years. In addition, our new data and compiled literature data show a possible compositional effect on the inter-mineral Ca isotopic fractionation between co-existing clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene pairs.

  17. Impact of Elevated CO2 on Trace Element Release from Aquifer Sediments of the San Joaquin Valley, CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fox, P. M.; Nico, P. S.; Davis, J. A.; Spycher, N.

    2014-12-01

    Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a promising technique for mitigating climate change by storing large volumes of carbon dioxide in deep saline aquifers. In California, the thick marine sediments of the Central and Salinas Valleys have been identified as prime targets for future CO2 storage. However, the potential impacts on water quality of overlying drinking-water aquifers must be studied before CCS can be implemented. In this study, we compare trace element release from San Joaquin Valley aquifer sediments with a wide range of textural and redox properties. Kinetic batch experiments were performed with artificial groundwater continuously equilibrated under CO2-saturated (at 1 atm) and background CO2 (0.002-0.006 atm) conditions, resulting in a shift of nearly 3 pH units. In addition, the reversibility of trace element release was studied by sequentially lowering the CO2 from 1.0 atm to 0.5 atm to background concentrations (0.002-0.006 atm) for CO2-saturated systems in order to mimic the dissipation of a CO2 plume in the aquifer. During exposure to high CO2, a number of elements displayed enhanced release compared to background CO2 experiments (Ca, Mg, Li, Si, B, As, Sr, Ni, Fe, Mn, V, Ti, and Co) with concentrations of As, Fe, and Mn exceeding EPA maximum contaminant levels in some cases. On the other hand, Mo and U showed suppressed release. Most intriguing, many of the elements showing enhanced release displayed at least some degree of irreversibility when CO2 concentrations were decreased to background levels. In fact, in some cases (i.e., for V), an element showed further release when CO2 concentrations were decreased. These results suggest that there may be longer-term effects on groundwater quality that persist even after the CO2 plume has dissipated. Several different mechanisms of trace element release including ion exchange, desorption, and carbonate mineral dissolution are explored. Preliminary modeling results suggest that carbonate mineral

  18. Offshore Deterioration in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stattegger, K.; Unverricht, D.; Heinrich, C.

    2016-02-01

    The interplay of river, tide and wave forcing controls shape and sedimentation at the front of the Mekong Delta. Specific hydro- and morphodynamic conditions in the western subaqueous part of the asymmetric Mekong Delta generate a sand ridge - channel system (SRCS) which is unique in subaqueous delta formation. This large-scale morphological element extends 130 km along the delta front consisting of two sand ridges and two erosional channels. Three different zones within SRCS can be distinguished. The eastern initial zone stretches along delta slope and inner shelf platform southwest of the Bassac river mouth, the largest and westernmost distributary of the Mekong Delta. In the central zone SRCS covers the outer part of the subaqueous delta platform with a pronounced sand-ridge and erosional channel morphology. Cross-sections of the SRCS reveal an asymmetric shape including steeper ridge flanks facing into offshore direction. Channels incise down to 18.2 m water depth (wd) and 10.5 down the ridge top at the outer subaqueous delta platform, respectively. Towards the west the sand ridges pinch out while the two channels merge into one and form a giant erosional scour of up to 33 m wd within the subaqueous delta platform. In the western zone, the channel gets shallower and vanishes along the south-western edge of the subaqueous delta platform around Ca Mau Cape. Sediment transport from the Mekong River nourishes the sand ridges. In contrast, tide and wind-driven currents cut the erosional channels, which act also as fine-sediment conveyor from eroding headlands to the distal part of the delta front that is 200 km apart of the Bassac river mouth. SRCS in the subaqueous Mekong Delta is a relevant indicator of delta-front instability and erosion.

  19. Petroleum systems of the San Joaquin Basin Province -- geochemical characteristics of gas types: Chapter 10 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lillis, Paul G.; Warden, Augusta; Claypool, George E.; Magoon, Leslie B.

    2008-01-01

    The San Joaquin Basin Province is a petroliferous basin filled with predominantly Late Cretaceous to Pliocene-aged sediments, with organic-rich marine rocks of Late Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene age providing the source of most of the oil and gas. Previous geochemical studies have focused on the origin of the oil in the province, but the origin of the natural gas has received little attention. To identify and characterize natural gas types in the San Joaquin Basin, 66 gas samples were analyzed and combined with analyses of 15 gas samples from previous studies. For the purpose of this resource assessment, each gas type was assigned to the most likely petroleum system. Three general gas types are identified on the basis of bulk and stable carbon isotopic composition—thermogenic dry (TD), thermogenic wet (TW) and biogenic (B). The thermogenic gas types are further subdivided on the basis of the δ13C values of methane and ethane and nitrogen content into TD-1, TD-2, TD-Mixed, TW-1, TW-2, and TW-Mixed. Gas types TD-1 and TD-Mixed, a mixture of biogenic and TD-1 gases, are produced from gas fields in the northern San Joaquin Basin. Type TD-1 gas most likely originated from the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene Moreno Formation, a gas-prone source rock. The biogenic component of the TD-Mixed gas existed in the trap prior to the influx of thermogenic gas. For the assessment, these gas types were assigned to the Winters- Domengine Total Petroleum System, but subsequent to the assessment were reclassified as part of the Moreno-Nortonville gas system. Dry thermogenic gas produced from oil fields in the southern San Joaquin Basin (TD-2 gas) most likely originated from the oil-prone source rock of Miocene age. These samples have low wetness values due to migration fractionation or biodegradation. The thermogenic wet gas types (TW-1, TW-2, TW-Mixed) are predominantly associated gas produced from oil fields in the southern and central San Joaquin Basin. Type TW-1 gas most likely

  20. Pesticide transport in the San Joaquin River Basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dubrovsky, N.M.; Kratzer, C.R.; Panshin, S.Y.; Gronberg, J.A.M.; Kuivila, K.M.

    2000-01-01

    Pesticide occurrence and concentrations were evaluated in the San Joaquin River Basin to determine potential sources and mode of transport. Land use in the basin is mainly agricultural. Spatial variations in pesticide occurrence were evaluated in relation to pesticide application and cropping patterns in three contrasting subbasins and at the mouth of the basin. Temporal variability in pesticide occurrence was evaluated by fixed interval sampling and by sampling across the Hydrograph during winter storms. Four herbicides (simazine, metolachlor, dacthal, and EPTC) and two insecticides (diazinon and chlorpyrifos) were detected in more than 50 percent of the samples. Temporal, and to a lesser extent spatial, variation in pesticide occurrence is usually consistent with pesticide application and cropping patterns. Diazinon concentrations changed rapidly during winter storms, and both eastern and western tributaries contributed diazinon to the San Joaquin River at concentrations toxic to the water flea Ceriodaphnia dubia at different times during the hydrograph. During these storms, toxic concentrations resulted from the transport of only a very small portion of the applied diazinon.

  1. Surface-sediment grain-size distribution and sediment transport in the subaqueous Mekong Delta, Vietnam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, T. T.; Stattegger, K.; Nittrouer, C.; Phung, P. V.; Liu, P.; DeMaster, D. J.; Bui, D. V.; Le, A. D.; Nguyen, T. N.

    2016-02-01

    Collected surface-sediment samples in coastal water around Mekong Delta (from distributary channels to Ca Mau Peninsula) were analyzed to determine surface-sediment grain-size distribution and sediment-transport trend in the subaqueous Mekong Delta. The grain-size data set of 238 samples was obtained by using the laser instrument Mastersizer 2000 and LS Particle Size Analyzer. Fourteen samples were selected for geochemical analysis (total-organic and carbonate content). These geochemical results were used to assist in interpreting variations of granulometricparamenters along the cross-shore transects. Nine transects were examined from CungHau river mouth to Ca Mau Peninsula and six thematic maps on the whole study area were made. The research results indicate that: (1) generally, the sediment becomes finer from the delta front downwards to prodelta and becomes coarser again and poorer sorted on the adjacent inner shelf due to different sources of sediment; (2) sediment-granulometry parameters vary among sedimentary sub-environments of the underwater part of Mekong Delta, the distance from sediment source and hydrodynamic regime controlling each region; (3) the net sediment transport is southwest toward the Ca Mau Peninsula.

  2. Source, Distribution, and Management of Arsenic in Water from Wells, Eastern San Joaquin Ground-Water Subbasin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Izbicki, John A.; Stamos, Christina L.; Metzger, Loren F.; Halford, Keith J.; Kulp, Thomas R.; Bennett, George L.

    2008-01-01

    Between 1974 and 2001 water from as many as one-third of wells in the Eastern San Joaquin Ground Water Subbasin, about 80 miles east of San Francisco, had arsenic concentrations greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for arsenic of 10 micrograms per liter (ug/L). Water from some wells had arsenic concentrations greater than 60 ug/L. The sources of arsenic in the study area include (1) weathering of arsenic bearing minerals, (2) desorption of arsenic associated with iron and manganese oxide coatings on the surfaces of mineral grains at pH's greater than 7.6, and (3) release of arsenic through reductive dissolution of iron and manganese oxide coatings in the absence of oxygen. Reductive dissolution is responsible for arsenic concentrations greater than the MCL. The distribution of arsenic varied areally and with depth. Concentrations were lower near ground-water recharge areas along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada; whereas, concentrations were higher in deeper wells at the downgradient end of long flow paths near the margin of the San Joaquin Delta (fig. 1). Management opportunities to control high arsenic concentrations are present because water from the surface discharge of wells is a mixture of water from the different depths penetrated by wells. On the basis of well-bore flow and depth-dependent water-quality data collected as part of this study, the screened interval of a public-supply well having arsenic concentrations that occasionally exceed the MCL was modified to reduce arsenic concentrations in the surface discharge of the well. Arsenic concentrations from the modified well were about 7 ug/L. Simulations of ground-water flow to the well showed that although upward movement of high-arsenic water from depth within the aquifer occurred, arsenic concentrations from the well are expected to remain below the MCL.

  3. Calmodulin-dependent gating of Ca(v)1.2 calcium channels in the absence of Ca(v)beta subunits.

    PubMed

    Ravindran, Arippa; Lao, Qi Zong; Harry, Jo Beth; Abrahimi, Parwiz; Kobrinsky, Evgeny; Soldatov, Nikolai M

    2008-06-10

    It is generally accepted that to generate calcium currents in response to depolarization, Ca(v)1.2 calcium channels require association of the pore-forming alpha(1C) subunit with accessory Ca(v)beta and alpha(2)delta subunits. A single calmodulin (CaM) molecule is tethered to the C-terminal alpha(1C)-LA/IQ region and mediates Ca2+-dependent inactivation of the channel. Ca(v)beta subunits are stably associated with the alpha(1C)-interaction domain site of the cytoplasmic linker between internal repeats I and II and also interact dynamically, in a Ca2+-dependent manner, with the alpha(1C)-IQ region. Here, we describe a surprising discovery that coexpression of exogenous CaM (CaM(ex)) with alpha(1C)/alpha(2)delta in COS1 cells in the absence of Ca(v)beta subunits stimulates the plasma membrane targeting of alpha(1C), facilitates calcium channel gating, and supports Ca2+-dependent inactivation. Neither real-time PCR with primers complementary to monkey Ca(v)beta subunits nor coimmunoprecipitation analysis with exogenous alpha(1C) revealed an induction of endogenous Ca(v)beta subunits that could be linked to the effect of CaM(ex). Coexpression of a calcium-insensitive CaM mutant CaM(1234) also facilitated gating of Ca(v)beta-free Ca(v)1.2 channels but did not support Ca2+-dependent inactivation. Our results show there is a functional matchup between CaM(ex) and Ca(v)beta subunits that, in the absence of Ca(v)beta, renders Ca2+ channel gating facilitated by CaM molecules other than the one tethered to LA/IQ to support Ca2+-dependent inactivation. Thus, coexpression of CaM(ex) creates conditions when the channel gating, voltage- and Ca2+-dependent inactivation, and plasma-membrane targeting occur in the absence of Ca(v)beta. We suggest that CaM(ex) affects specific Ca(v)beta-free conformations of the channel that are not available to endogenous CaM.

  4. Hurricane Joaquin North of Bermuda

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Hurricane Joaquin is seen in the Atlantic Ocean north of Bermuda in this image taken by GOES East at 1315 UTC (9:15 a.m. EDT) on October 5, 2015. Credit: NASA/NOAA via NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  5. Determination of traveltimes in the lower San Joaquin River basin, California, from dye-tracer studies during 1994-1995

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, Charles R.; Biagtan, Rhoda N.

    1997-01-01

    Dye-tracer studies were done in the lower San Joaquin River Basin in February 1994, June 1994, and February 1995. Dye releases were made in the Merced River (February 1994), Salt Slough (June 1994), Tuolumne River (February 1995), and Dry Creek (February 1995). The traveltimes determined in the studies aided the interpretation of pesticide data collected during storm sampling and guided sample collection during a Lagrangian pesticide study. All three studies used rhodamine WT 20-percent dye solution, which was released as a slug in midstream. The mean traveltime determined in the dye studies were compared to estimates based on regression equations of mean stream velocity as a function of streamflow. Dye recovery, the ratio of the calculated dye load at downstream sites to the initial amount of dye released, was determined for the 1994 studies and a dye-dosage formula was evaluated for all studies. In the February 1994 study, mean traveltime from the Merced River at River Road to the San Joaquin River near Vernalis (46.8 river miles) was 38.5 hours, and to the Delta-Mendota Canal at Tracy pumps (84.3 river miles) was 90.4 hours. In the June 1994 study, mean traveltime from Salt Slough at Highway 165 to Vernalis (64.0 river miles) was 80.1 hours. In the February 1995 study, the mean traveltime from the Tuolumne River at Roberts Ferry to Vernalis (51.5 river miles) was 35.8 hours. For the 1994 studies, the regression equations provided suitable estimates of travel-time, with ratios of estimated traveltime to mean dye traveltime of 0.94 to 1.08. However, for the 1995 dye studies, the equations considerably underestimated traveltime, with ratios of 0.49 to 0.73.In the February 1994 study, 70 percent of the dye released was recovered at Vernalis and 35percent was recovered at the Delta-Mendota Canal at Tracy pumps. In the June 1994 study, recovery was 61 percent at Patterson, 43 percent just upstream of the Tuolumne River confluence, and 37 percent at Vernalis. The dye

  6. Allometric constraints on Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca partitioning in terrestrial mammalian trophic chains.

    PubMed

    Balter, Vincent

    2004-03-01

    utilization of Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca in addition to stable isotope ratios (delta13C and delta15N) for the determination of the relative contribution of different food sources to an animal's diet.

  7. Concentrations of organic contaminants detected during managed flow conditions, San Joaquin River and Old River, California, 2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Orlando, James L.; Kuivila, Kathryn

    2005-01-01

    Concentrations of organic contaminants were determined in water samples collected at six surface-water sites located along the San Joaquin and Old Rivers during April through June 2001. Water samples were collected, coincident with salmon smolt caging studies conducted by researchers from the Bodega Marine Laboratory at the University of California at Davis to characterize exposure of the salmon smolt to organic contaminants. Sampling occurred prior to, during, and following the implementation of managed streamflow conditions on the San Joaquin and Old Rivers as part of the Vernalis Adaptive Management Plan. Thirteen pesticides were detected in water samples collected during this study, and at least five pesticides were detected in each sample. The total number of pesticide detections varied little between river systems and between sites, but the maximum concentrations of most pesticides occurred in San Joaquin River samples. The total number of pesticides detected varied little over the three time periods. However, during the period of managed streamflow, the fewest number of pesticides were detected at their absolute maximum concentration. Nine wastewater compounds were detected during this study. Suspended-sediment concentrations were similar for the San Joaquin and Old Rivers except during the period of managed streamflow conditions, when suspended-sediment concentration was higher at sites on the San Joaquin River than at sites on the Old River. Values for water parameters (pH, specific conductance, and hardness) were lowest during the period of managed flows.

  8. Organochlorine pesticide residues in bed sediments of the San Joaquin River and its tributary streams, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gilliom, R.J.; Clifton, D.G.

    1987-01-01

    The distribution and concentrations of organochlorine pesticide residues in bed sediments were assessed from samples collected at 24 sites in the San Joaquin River and its tributaries in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Sampling was designed to collect the finest grained bed sediments present in the vicinity of each site. One or more of the 14 pesticides analyzed were detected at every site. Pesticides detected at one or more sites were chlordane, DDD, DDE, DDT, dieldrin, endosulfan, mirex, and toxaphene. Pesticides not detected were endrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, lindane, methoxychlor, and perthane. The most frequently detected pesticides were DDD (83% of sites), DDE (all sites), DDT (33% of sites), and dieldrin (58% of sites). Maximum concentrations of these pesticides, which were correlated with each other and with the amount of organic carbon in the sample, were DDD, 260 micrograms/kg; DDE, 430 micrograms/kg; DDT, 420 micrograms/kg; and dieldrin, 8.9 micrograms/kg. Six small tributary streams that drain agricultural areas west of the San Joaquin River had the highest concentrations. Water concentrations and loads were estimated for each pesticide from its concentration in bed sediments, the concentration of suspended sediment, and streamflow. Estimated loadings of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin from tributaries to the San Joaquin River indicate that most of the loading to the river at the time of the study was probably from the westside tributaries. Estimated water concentrations exceeded the aquatic life criterion for the sum of DDD, DDE, and DDt of 0.001 microgram/L at nine of the 24 sites sampled. Five of the nine sites are westside tributaries and one is the San Joaquin River near Vernalis. (Author 's abstract)

  9. Ca2+ signalling, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and praziquantel in flatworm neuromusculature.

    PubMed

    Greenberg, R M

    2005-01-01

    Transient changes in calcium (Ca2+) levels regulate a wide variety of cellular processes, and cells employ both intracellular and extracellular sources of Ca2+ for signalling. Praziquantel, the drug of choice against schistosomiasis, disrupts Ca2+ homeostasis in adult worms. This review will focus on voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, which regulate levels of intracellular Ca2+ by coupling membrane depolarization to entry of extracellular Ca2+. Ca2+ channels are members of the ion channel superfamily and represent essential components of neurons, muscles and other excitable cells. Ca2+ channels are membrane protein complexes in which the pore-forming alpha1 subunit is modulated by auxiliary subunits such as beta and alpha2delta. Schistosomes express two Ca2+ channel beta subunit subtypes: a conventional subtype similar to beta subunits found in other vertebrates and invertebrates and a novel variant subtype with unusual structural and functional properties. The variant schistosome beta subunit confers praziquantel sensitivity to an otherwise praziquantel-insensitive mammalian Ca2+ channel, implicating it as a mediator of praziquantel action.

  10. Monitoring bacterial indicators of water quality in a tidally influenced delta: A Sisyphean pursuit.

    PubMed

    Partyka, Melissa L; Bond, Ronald F; Chase, Jennifer A; Atwill, Edward R

    2017-02-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Delta) is the confluence of two major watersheds draining the Western Sierra Nevada mountains into the Central Valley of California, ultimately terminating into San Francisco Bay. We sampled 88 sites once a month for two years (2006-2008) over 87 separate sampling events for a total of 1740 samples. Water samples were analyzed for fecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli, enterococci and fecal coliforms), and 53 other physiochemical, land use, and environmental characteristics. The purpose of the study was to create a baseline of microbial water quality in the Delta and to identify various factors (climatic, land use, tidal, etc.) that were associated with elevated concentrations of indicator bacteria. Fecal indicator bacteria generally had weak to modest relationships to environmental conditions; the strength and direction of which varied for each microbial indicator, drainage region, and across seasons. Measured and unmeasured, site-specific effects accounted for large portions of variance in model predictions (ρ=0.086 to 0.255), indicating that spatial autocorrelation was a major component of water quality outcomes. The effects of tidal cycling and lack of connectivity between waterways and surrounding landscapes likely contributed to the lack of association between local land uses and microbial outcomes, though weak associations may also be indicative of mismatched spatiotemporal scales. The complex nature of this system necessitates continued monitoring and regular updates to statistical models designed to predict microbial water quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The Dinner Menu: Spatial Distribution of Organic Carbon Composition Across the San Francisco Bay-Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harfmann, J.; Hernes, P.; Bergamaschi, B. A.

    2016-12-01

    The San Francisco Bay-Delta is a dynamic tidal system with multiple sources of carbon, both autochthonous (e.g. phytoplankton, submersed or floating aquatic vegetation, or non-phytoplankton microalgae) and allochthonous (e.g. riverine detritus, agricultural drainage, and urban runoff). Spatial variability in organic carbon (OC) sources translates into varying degrees of food quantity and quality for the aquatic food web, and yet surprisingly little is known about the implications of carbon source variability on the health of zooplankton populations, which form the base of the lower food chain. Particulate organic carbon (POC) is a critical component of zooplankton diet, and with the assistance of the microbial loop, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may supplement their food. As part of a larger study linking OC sources with zooplankton growth, we collected water samples along a transect from San Pablo Bay to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Samples were analyzed for bulk POC and DOC, lignin, chlorophyll a, δ13C, and δ15N. Feeding experiments with the calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis will be conducted in order to assess the relative bioavailability of collected OC across the transect.

  12. Measurement of Subsidence Across the Sacramento Delta: Applying InSAR to a Coherence-challenged Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, C. E.; Sharma, P.

    2014-12-01

    InSAR-based measurement of ground subsidence rates are notoriously challenging in agricultural areas because of rapid temporal decorrelation introduced by physical disturbance of the ground and water content changes. This can be mitigated by the use of longer wavelength instruments and time series techniques, but measurement remains a challenge particularly in areas where the deformation rates are low. Here we discuss techniques developed to work with low coherence data in a project to measure sub-island scale subsidence rates across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta using SBAS processing of L-band UAVSAR data collected between July 2009 and February 2014. Determination of rates in this area is particularly valuable because of the Delta's critical importance as a water resource for the State of California and as an enormously productive estuarine ecosystem. Subsidence across the region has left most of the man-made islands below mean sea level and the levees maintaining their integrity are subject to a wide range of threats, including failure during earthquakes on the nearby Hayward and San Andreas fault. This research was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  13. Delta Evolution at Røde Elv, Disko Island, Greenland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kroon, A.; Arngrimson, J.; Bendixen, M.; Sigsgaard, C.

    2017-12-01

    Ice, snow and freezing temperatures have a large impact on coastal morphodynamics in Arctic polar environments. A recent warming of the Arctic climate induces many changes along the arctic shorelines. Sea-levels are rising due to thermal expansion and due to an increased fresh water flux from the glaciers and land ice masses. At the same time, the ice coverage of the coastal waters reduces and the open water periods in summer extend. There is a strong seasonal variation with open waters and active rivers in summer and ice-covered coastal waters and inactive rivers in winter. Coastal processes by waves and tides are thus limited to the summer and early fall. Besides, there is also a strong daily variation in fluvial discharges due to the daily variations in glacier melt with maximum melt in the afternoon and minimum values at night. At the same time, the actual flux of the river to the coastal bay is influenced by the tidal phase. Low tides will enhance the transport to the delta front, while high tides will create stagnant waters over the delta plain. The delta of the Røde Elv is located in southwestern Disko Island in west Greenland. It has a relatively small (ca. 101 km2) and partly glaciated drainage basin (ca. 20%) and its sediments consist of a mixture of basaltic sands and gravels. The Røde Elv delta is located at the end of a pro-glacial and fluvial valley at about 20 km from the glacier. The shores of the delta are reworked by waves, predominantly from southwestern, southern (largest fetch, over 50 km), and southeastern directions. The environment has a micro- to meso- tidal range with a spring tidal range of 2.7 m. The morphologic changes on the delta over the last decades clearly showed a seaward extension of the delta and a periodic shift in the location of the main delta channel. In this presentation, we focus on quantification of water discharges and suspended sediment fluxes to the Røde Elv delta in western Greenland, and on the morphological

  14. Arachidonic acid enhances intracellular [Ca2+]i increase and mitochondrial depolarization induced by glutamate in cerebellar granule cells.

    PubMed

    Surin, A M; Bolshakov, A P; Mikhailova, M M; Sorokina, E G; Senilova, Ya E; Pinelis, V G; Khodorov, B I

    2006-08-01

    Maturation of primary neuronal cultures is accompanied by an increase in the proportion of cells that exhibit biphasic increase in free cytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) followed by synchronic decrease in electrical potential difference across the inner mitochondrial membrane (DeltaPsim) in response to stimulation of glutamate receptors. In the present study we have examined whether the appearance of the second phase of [Ca2+]i change can be attributed to arachidonic acid (AA) release in response to the effect of glutamate (Glu) on neurons. Using primary culture of rat cerebellar granule cells we have investigated the effect of AA (1-20 microM) on [Ca2+]i, DeltaPsim, and [ATP] and changes in these parameters induced by neurotoxic concentrations of Glu (100 microM, 10-40 min). At =10 microM, AA caused insignificant decrease in DeltaPsim without any influence on [Ca2+]i. The mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor oligomycin enhanced AA-induced decrease in DeltaPsim; this suggests that AA may inhibit mitochondrial respiration. Addition of AA during the treatment with Glu resulted in more pronounced augmentation of [Ca2+]i and the decrease in DeltaPsim than the changes in these parameters observed during independent action of AA; removal of Glu did not abolish these changes. An inhibitor of the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of AA metabolism, 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid, increased the proportion of neurons characterized by Glu-induced biphasic increase in [Ca2+]i and the decrease in DeltaPsim. Palmitic acid (30 microM) did not increase the percentage of neurons exhibiting biphasic response to Glu. Co-administration of AA and Glu caused 2-3 times more pronounced decrease in ATP concentrations than that observed during the independent effect of AA and Glu. The data suggest that AA may influence the functional state of mitochondria, and these changes may promote biphasic [Ca2+]i and DeltaPsim responses of neurons to the neurotoxic effect of Glu.

  15. Hurricane Joaquin Seen From GOES West

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Major Hurricane Joaquin is shown at the far eastern periphery of the GOES West satellite's full disk extent, taken at 1200Z on October 1, 2015. Credit: NASA/NOAA via NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  16. California GAMA Program: Ground-Water Quality Data in the Northern San Joaquin Basin Study Unit, 2005

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bennett, George L.; Belitz, Kenneth; Milby Dawson, Barbara J.

    2006-01-01

    Growing concern over the closure of public-supply wells because of ground-water contamination has led the State Water Board to establish the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. With the aid of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the program goals are to enhance understanding and provide a current assessment of ground-water quality in areas where ground water is an important source of drinking water. The Northern San Joaquin Basin GAMA study unit covers an area of approximately 2,079 square miles (mi2) across four hydrologic study areas in the San Joaquin Valley. The four study areas are the California Department of Water Resources (CADWR) defined Tracy subbasin, the CADWR-defined Eastern San Joaquin subbasin, the CADWR-defined Cosumnes subbasin, and the sedimentologically distinct USGS-defined Uplands study area, which includes portions of both the Cosumnes and Eastern San Joaquin subbasins. Seventy ground-water samples were collected from 64 public-supply, irrigation, domestic, and monitoring wells within the Northern San Joaquin Basin GAMA study unit. Thirty-two of these samples were collected in the Eastern San Joaquin Basin study area, 17 in the Tracy Basin study area, 10 in the Cosumnes Basin study area, and 11 in the Uplands Basin study area. Of the 32 samples collected in the Eastern San Joaquin Basin, 6 were collected using a depth-dependent sampling pump. This pump allows for the collection of samples from discrete depths within the pumping well. Two wells were chosen for depth-dependent sampling and three samples were collected at varying depths within each well. Over 350 water-quality field parameters, chemical constituents, and microbial constituents were analyzed and are reported as concentrations and as detection frequencies, by compound classification as well as for individual constituents, for the Northern San Joaquin Basin study unit as a whole and for each individual study area

  17. Tracing seasonal nitrate sources and loads in the San Joaquin River using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, M. B.; Kendall, C.; Silva, S.; Stringfellow, W. T.; Dahlgren, R. A.

    2007-12-01

    The San Joaquin River (SJR) is a heavily impacted river draining a major agricultural basin in central California. This river receives nitrate inputs from multiple point and non-point sources including agriculture, livestock, waste water treatment plants, septic systems, urban run-off, and natural soil leaching. Nitrate inputs to the SJR may play a significant role in driving algal blooms and reducing overall water quality. The San Joaquin River discharges into the San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem, and reduced water quality and large algal blooms in the SJR may play a significant role in driving critically low oxygen levels in the Stockton Deep Water Shipping Channel. Correct identification of the major nitrate sources to the SJR is important for coordinating mitigation efforts throughout the SJR-Delta-San Francisco Bay region. Measurements of the nitrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of nitrate were made monthly to bimonthly from 2005 through 2007 within the Lower SJR, major tributaries, and various other water input sources in order to assess spatial and temporal variations in nitrate inputs and cycling in this heavily impacted watershed. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of water was also measured to better distinguish water sources and identify changes in water inputs. A very wide range of δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 values were observed in the main stem SJR and tributaries. The δ15N values ranged from +2 to +17 ‰, and the δ18O values ranged from -1 to +18 ‰. Except for a major agricultural drain site (San Luis Drain), all the sites showed temporal changes in both δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 much greater than the differences seen between individual sites. In general, the δ15N values of nitrate in the larger tributary rivers (Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus) were much lower than those of the main stem SJR from April to May; however, after June the tributary values began to rise toward the values in the main stem river. Some of the highest δ15N-NO3

  18. Age, distribution, and stratigraphic relationship of rock units in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California: Chapter 5 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hosford Scheirer, Allegra; Magoon, Leslie B.

    2008-01-01

    The San Joaquin Basin is a major petroleum province that forms the southern half of California’s Great Valley, a 700-km-long, asymmetrical basin that originated between a subduction zone to the west and the Sierra Nevada to the east. Sedimentary fill and tectonic structures of the San Joaquin Basin record the Mesozoic through Cenozoic geologic history of North America’s western margin. More than 25,000 feet (>7,500 meters) of sedimentary rocks overlie the basement surface and provide a nearly continuous record of sedimentation over the past ~100 m.y. Further, depositional geometries and fault structures document the tectonic evolution of the region from forearc setting to strike-slip basin to transpressional margin. Sedimentary architecture in the San Joaquin Basin is complicated because of these tectonic regimes and because of lateral changes in depositional environment and temporal changes in relative sea level. Few formations are widespread across the basin. Consequently, a careful analysis of sedimentary facies is required to unravel the basin’s depositional history on a regional scale. At least three high-quality organic source rocks formed in the San Joaquin Basin during periods of sea level transgression and anoxia. Generated on the basin’s west side, hydrocarbons migrated into nearly every facies type in the basin, from shelf and submarine fan sands to diatomite and shale to nonmarine coarse-grained rocks to schist. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a geologic assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources and future additions to reserves in the San Joaquin Valley of California (USGS San Joaquin Basin Province Assessment Team, this volume, chapter 1). Several research aims supported this assessment: identifying and mapping the petroleum systems, modeling the generation, migration, and accumulation of hydrocarbons, and defining the volumes of rock to be analyzed for additional resources. To better understand the three dimensional

  19. Altered thalamocortical rhythmicity and connectivity in mice lacking CaV3.1 T-type Ca2+ channels in unconsciousness

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Soonwook; Yu, Eunah; Lee, Seongwon; Llinás, Rodolfo R.

    2015-01-01

    In unconscious status (e.g., deep sleep and anesthetic unconsciousness) where cognitive functions are not generated there is still a significant level of brain activity present. Indeed, the electrophysiology of the unconscious brain is characterized by well-defined thalamocortical rhythmicity. Here we address the ionic basis for such thalamocortical rhythms during unconsciousness. In particular, we address the role of CaV3.1 T-type Ca2+ channels, which are richly expressed in thalamic neurons. Toward this aim, we examined the electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes of mice lacking CaV3.1 channels (CaV3.1 knockout) during unconsciousness induced by ketamine or ethanol administration. Our findings indicate that CaV3.1 KO mice displayed attenuated low-frequency oscillations in thalamocortical loops, especially in the 1- to 4-Hz delta band, compared with control mice (CaV3.1 WT). Intriguingly, we also found that CaV3.1 KO mice exhibited augmented high-frequency oscillations during unconsciousness. In a behavioral measure of unconsciousness dynamics, CaV3.1 KO mice took longer to fall into the unconscious state than controls. In addition, such unconscious events had a shorter duration than those of control mice. The thalamocortical interaction level between mediodorsal thalamus and frontal cortex in CaV3.1 KO mice was significantly lower, especially for delta band oscillations, compared with that of CaV3.1 WT mice, during unconsciousness. These results suggest that the CaV3.1 channel is required for the generation of a given set of thalamocortical rhythms during unconsciousness. Further, that thalamocortical resonant neuronal activity supported by this channel is important for the control of vigilance states. PMID:26056284

  20. Altered thalamocortical rhythmicity and connectivity in mice lacking CaV3.1 T-type Ca2+ channels in unconsciousness.

    PubMed

    Choi, Soonwook; Yu, Eunah; Lee, Seongwon; Llinás, Rodolfo R

    2015-06-23

    In unconscious status (e.g., deep sleep and anesthetic unconsciousness) where cognitive functions are not generated there is still a significant level of brain activity present. Indeed, the electrophysiology of the unconscious brain is characterized by well-defined thalamocortical rhythmicity. Here we address the ionic basis for such thalamocortical rhythms during unconsciousness. In particular, we address the role of CaV3.1 T-type Ca(2+) channels, which are richly expressed in thalamic neurons. Toward this aim, we examined the electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes of mice lacking CaV3.1 channels (CaV3.1 knockout) during unconsciousness induced by ketamine or ethanol administration. Our findings indicate that CaV3.1 KO mice displayed attenuated low-frequency oscillations in thalamocortical loops, especially in the 1- to 4-Hz delta band, compared with control mice (CaV3.1 WT). Intriguingly, we also found that CaV3.1 KO mice exhibited augmented high-frequency oscillations during unconsciousness. In a behavioral measure of unconsciousness dynamics, CaV3.1 KO mice took longer to fall into the unconscious state than controls. In addition, such unconscious events had a shorter duration than those of control mice. The thalamocortical interaction level between mediodorsal thalamus and frontal cortex in CaV3.1 KO mice was significantly lower, especially for delta band oscillations, compared with that of CaV3.1 WT mice, during unconsciousness. These results suggest that the CaV3.1 channel is required for the generation of a given set of thalamocortical rhythms during unconsciousness. Further, that thalamocortical resonant neuronal activity supported by this channel is important for the control of vigilance states.

  1. Forest area and timber resources of the San Joaquin area, California.

    Treesearch

    Charles L. Bolsinger

    1978-01-01

    This report presents statistics on forest area and timber volume and a description of the recent and future timber situations in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne Counties, California.

  2. Crystal structure, chemical composition, and extended defects of the high-Tc (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca(n)-1CunO4 + 2n + delta compounds.

    PubMed

    Eibl, O

    1995-02-15

    This paper summarizes results obtained by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy on the crystal structure and microstructure of the (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca(n)-1CunO4 + 2n + delta high-Tc superconducting oxides. The experimental basis for the work presented here are high-resolution structure images obtained at ultra-thin (3 nm) areas of carefully prepared transmission electron microscope (TEM) samples. The analysis was carried out on a 400 kV TEM equipped with a pole piece yielding 0.17 nm point-to-point resolution. From the images obtained the projected crystal potential of the cations can be extracted directly, as confirmed by detailed image simulation. Structural analysis of the oxygen sublattice remains an unsolved problem by high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), mainly because of the small scattering factors, and thus the contribution of the oxygen sublattice to the image contrast is small. The (BiPb)2Sr2Ca(n)-1CunO4 + 2n + delta phases are modulated structures that can be understood as an average structure plus a superimposed displacement field. The crystal structure consists of BiO double layers and perovskite-type cuboids (containing Sr, Ca, Cu, and O), which are sandwiched between the BiO double layers. The displacement field can be directly analyzed by HRTEM, and the largest displacement amplitudes of 70 pm were determined for the Bi atoms in the n = 1 compound. The chemical composition of the n = 2 and n = 3 compounds was determined by EDX in the TEM for the cation sublattice. A significant (Ca + Sr) deficiency (approximately 10%) with respect to Cu was found. The (Sr + Ca)/Cu mole fraction ratio was 1.31 for the Bi-2212 phase and 1.14 for the Bi(Pb)-2223 phase. The oxygen content cannot be determined by EDX in the TEM with the accuracy necessary for a correlation with electrical and superconducting properties. The defect structure present in these materials, that is, intergrown lamellae with different crystal structures and equal or different chemical

  3. Connecting Past to Present and Watersheds to Ocean: Modeling 165 Years of Incremental Changes to Flows into the San Francisco Bay Delta System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacVean, L. J.; Thompson, S. E.; Huttom, P. H.; Sivapalan, M.

    2016-02-01

    California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta sits at the intersection of vast agricultural and population centers, and supplies fresh water for the diverse and often competing needs of ecosystems, farmers, and millions of Californians. Managing and allocating this resource is a complex feat of economics, politics, and engineering, made increasingly contentious by the ongoing drought. The objective of this research is to augment the scientific foundation of management decisions by addressing the question of how flows into the Delta have evolved in response to human intervention since 1850. In particular, quantifying the dynamic components of water usage through vegetative uptake and evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, flood conveyance, and water exports at incremental levels of development is a key ambition. This approach emphasizes the built environment, which is subject to the local regulatory framework, rather than climate change, which is generally considered immovable without united global effort. This work encompasses the creation of a hydrologic model representing the watersheds of the San Francisco Bay-Delta system, and quantifies the impacts of changes in land use and the gradual construction of levees, reservoirs, and diversion infrastructure. The model is run using the same climatological forcing at each level of development, thus elucidating the effects of local anthropogenic activity on the Delta and the inflows to the San Francisco Bay estuary. Our results provide a timeline of change, giving decision-makers a scientifically established baseline to aid in the sustainable management of the Bay-Delta system.

  4. Assessment of interim flow water-quality data of the San Joaquin River restoration program and implications for fishes, California, 2009-11

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wulff, Marissa L.; Brown, Larry R.

    2015-01-01

    After more than 50 years of extensive water diversion for urban and agriculture use, a major settlement was reached among the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Friant Water Users Authority in an effort to restore the San Joaquin River. The settlement received Federal court approval in October 2006 and established the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, a multi-agency collaboration between State and Federal agencies to restore and maintain fish populations, including Chinook salmon, in the main stem of the river between Friant Dam and the confluence with the Merced River. This is to be done while avoiding or minimizing adverse water supply effects to all of the Friant Division contractors that could result from restoration flows required by the settlement. The settlement stipulates that water- and sediment-quality data be collected to help assess the restoration goals. This report summarizes and evaluates water-quality data collected in the main stem of the San Joaquin River between Friant Dam and the Merced River by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program during 2009-11. This summary and assessment consider sampling frequency for adequate characterization of variability, sampling locations for sufficient characterization of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program restoration reach, sampling methods for appropriate media (water and sediment), and constituent reporting limits. After reviewing the water- and sediment-quality results for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, several suggestions were made to the Fisheries Management Work Group, a division of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program that focuses solely on the reintroduction strategies and health of salmon and other native fishes in the river. Water-quality results for lead and total organic carbon exceeded the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program Basin Plan Objectives for the San Joaquin Basin

  5. Pyrethroid insecticide concentrations and toxicity in streambed sediments and loads in surface waters of the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Domagalski, Joseph L.; Weston, Donald P.; Zhang, Minghua; Hladik, Michelle L.

    2010-01-01

    Pyrethroid insecticide use in California, USA, is growing, and there is a need to understand the fate of these compounds in the environment. Concentrations and toxicity were assessed in streambed sediment of the San Joaquin Valley of California, one of the most productive agricultural regions of the United States. Concentrations were also measured in the suspended sediment associated with irrigation or storm‐water runoff, and mass loads during storms were calculated. Western valley streambed sediments were frequently toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, with most of the toxicity attributable to bifenthrin and cyhalothrin. Up to 100% mortality was observed in some locations with concentrations of some pyrethroids up to 20 ng/g. The western San Joaquin Valley streams are mostly small watersheds with clay soils, and sediment‐laden irrigation runoff transports pyrethroid insecticides throughout the growing season. In contrast, eastern tributaries and the San Joaquin River had low bed sediment concentrations (<1 ng/g) and little or no toxicity because of the preponderance of sandy soils and sediments. Bifenthrin, cyhalothrin, and permethrin were the most frequently detected pyrethroids in irrigation and storm water runoff. Esfenvalerate, fenpropathrin, and resmethrin were also detected. All sampled streams contributed to the insecticide load of the San Joaquin River during storms, but some compounds detected in the smaller creeks were not detected in the San Joaquin River. The two smallest streams, Ingram and Hospital Creeks, which had high sediment toxicity during the irrigation season, accounted for less than 5% of the total discharge of the San Joaquin River during storm conditions, and as a result their contribution to the pyrethroid mass load of the larger river was minimal. 

  6. Managing Restored Wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Reduce Methane Emissions and Increase Carbon Uptake Laurie Koteen, Sara Knox, Cove Sturtevant, Joseph Verfaillie, Jaclyn Hatala, Dennis Baldocchi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koteen, L. E.; Knox, S. H.; Sturtevant, C. S.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Matthes, J. H.; Baldocchi, D. D.

    2013-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California is a region transformed by more than a century of agricultural practices. Beginning in the 19th century, substantial regions were first drained of water and then converted to cropland in order to take advantage of the area's rich peatland soils. In the intervening time period, soil oxidation and subsidence have led to huge peat losses of up to 10 m in some places, and river water now threatens to topple the levees that were erected to keep fields from flooding. Within this region, we have been monitoring greenhouse gas exchange of several agricultural sites, a degraded pasture, and two restored wetlands. Of these land use types, restoration of wetlands is of particular interest to Delta managers as these sites attain many of the region's most pressing ecological goals, including improved water quality, increased wildlife habitat, and soil accretion. In our current investigation, we hope to assess if wetland management activities can be implemented to achieve greenhouse gas management goals as well. While we find that the restored wetlands are able to take up and store a substantial amount of carbon via rapid growth rates, they also emit methane; a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO¬2. We are currently in the process of implementing two management activities with the goals of reducing methane emissions and increasing carbon uptake. Evidence from the wetland literature indicates that periodic lowering of the water table below the soil surface can reduce wetland methane emissions by: 1. Reintroducing oxygen into the soil column. This both supports growth of the methanotrophic bacteria that consume methane produced in the anaerobic zones of the soil column, and suppresses the methanogens that produce it. 2. Re-oxidization of formerly reduced compounds in the soil, (i.e. NO3-, SO42-) which can serve as alternative terminal electron acceptors of the decomposition byproducts (i.e. H2 and acetate) that lead to

  7. Combined use of stable isotopes and hydrologic modeling to better understand nutrient sources and cycling in highly altered systems (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, M. B.; Kendall, C.; Guerin, M.; Stringfellow, W. T.; Silva, S. R.; Harter, T.; Parker, A.

    2013-12-01

    The Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers provide the majority of freshwater for the San Francisco Bay Delta. Both rivers are important sources of drinking and irrigation water for California, and play critical roles in the health of California fisheries. Understanding the factors controlling water quality and primary productivity in these rivers and the Delta is essential for making sound economic and environmental water management decisions. However, these highly altered surface water systems present many challenges for water quality monitoring studies due to factors such as multiple potential nutrient and contaminant inputs, dynamic source water inputs, and changing flow regimes controlled by both natural and engineered conditions. The watersheds for both rivers contain areas of intensive agriculture along with many other land uses, and the Sacramento River receives significant amounts of treated wastewater from the large population around the City of Sacramento. We have used a multi-isotope approach combined with mass balance and hydrodynamic modeling in order to better understand the dominant nutrient sources for each of these rivers, and to track nutrient sources and cycling within the complex Delta region around the confluence of the rivers. High nitrate concentrations within the San Joaquin River fuel summer algal blooms, contributing to low dissolved oxygen conditions. High δ15N-NO3 values combined with the high nitrate concentrations suggest that animal manure is a significant source of nitrate to the San Joaquin River. In contrast, the Sacramento River has lower nitrate concentrations but elevated ammonium concentrations from wastewater discharge. Downstream nitrification of the ammonium can be clearly traced using δ15N-NH4. Flow conditions for these rivers and the Delta have strong seasonal and inter-annual variations, resulting in significant changes in nutrient delivery and cycling. Isotopic measurements and estimates of source water contributions

  8. 75 FR 26749 - Adequacy Status of Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets In Submitted San Joaquin Valley PM2.5

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-12

    ... Madera 0.6 14.1 0.5 11.4 Merced 1.5 33.6 1.2 26.7 San Joaquin 1.6 39.1 1.4 32.8 Stanislaus 1.0 25.8 0.9...) 1.4 41.6 Kings 0.3 8.1 Madera 0.3 6.7 Merced 0.6 14.8 San Joaquin 0.9 20.3 Stanislaus 0.5 12.4...

  9. Water quality assessment of the San Joaquin--Tulare basins, California; analysis of available data on nutrients and suspended sediment in surface water, 1972-1990

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, Charles R.; Shelton, Jennifer L.

    1998-01-01

    Nutrients and suspended sediment in surface water of the San Joaquin-Tulare basins in California were assessed using 1972-1990 data from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STOrage and RETrieval database. Loads of nutrients and suspended sediment were calculated at several sites and the contributions from point and nonpoint sources were estimated. Trends in nutrient and suspended-sediment concentrations were evaluated at several sites, especially at the basin outlet on the San Joaquin River. Comparisons of nutrient and suspended sediment concentrations were made among three environmental settings: the San Joaquin Valley--west side, the San Joaquin Valley--east side, and the Sierra Nevada.

  10. Selenium and other elements in freshwater fishes from the irrigated San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saiki, M.K.; Jennings, M.R.; May, T.W.

    1992-01-01

    Arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) were measured in composite whole-body samples of five fishes — bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and Sacramento blackfish (Orthodon microlepidotus) — from the San Joaquin River system to determine if concentrations were elevated from exposure to agricultural subsurface (tile) drainage. Except for Cr, the concentrations of these elements in fishes from one or more sites were elevated; however, only Se approached concentrations that may adversely affect survival, growth, or reproduction in warm water fishes. Moreover, only Se among the four measured elements exhibited a geographic (spatial) pattern that coincided with known inflows of tile drainage to the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. Historical data from the Grassland Water District (Grasslands; a region exposed to concentrated tile drainage) suggested that concentrations of Se in fishes were at maximum during or shortly after 1984 and have been slightly lower since then. The recent decline of Se concentrations in fishes from the Grasslands could be temporary if additional acreages of irrigated lands in this portion of the San Joaquin Valley must be tile-drained to protect agricultural crops from rising groundwater tables.

  11. Pair momentum distribution in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) measured by positron annihilation - Existence and nature of the Fermi surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, L. P.; Lynn, K. G.; Harshman, D. R.; Massidda, S.; Mitzi, D. B.

    1991-09-01

    The first measurement is reported of the position-electron momentum density in superconducting single-crystal Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta)(Tc roughly 90 K). The observed anisotropy exhibits a twofold (rather than fourfold) symmetry, which is attributed to the superlattice modulation along the b axis of the BiO2 layers. Subtraction of the superlattice contribution also reveals a pair momentum distribution consistent with the CuO2 and BiO2 Fermi surfaces, and in reasonable agreement with the theoretical pair momentum density derived from band theory.

  12. Winters-Domengine Total Petroleum System—Northern Nonassociated Gas Assessment Unit of the San Joaquin Basin Province: Chapter 21 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hosford Scheirer, Allegra; Magoon, Leslie B.

    2008-01-01

    The Northern Nonassociated Gas Assessment Unit (AU) of the Winters-Domengine Total Petroleum System of the San Joaquin Basin Province consists of all nonassociated gas accumulations in Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene sandstones located north of township 15 South in the San Joaquin Valley. The northern San Joaquin Valley forms a northwest-southeast trending asymmetrical trough. It is filled with an alternating sequence of Cretaceous-aged sands and shales deposited on Franciscan Complex, ophiolitic, and Sierran basement. Eocene-aged strata unconformably overlie the thick Cretaceous section, and in turn are overlain unconformably by nonmarine Pliocene-Miocene sediments. Nonassociated gas accumulations have been discovered in the sands of the Panoche, Moreno, Kreyenhagen, andDomengine Formations and in the nonmarine Zilch formation of Loken (1959) (hereafter referred to as Zilch formation). Most hydrocarbon accumulations occur in low-relief, northwest-southeast trending anticlines formed chiefly by differential compaction of sediment and by northeast southwest directed compression during the Paleogene (Bartow, 1991) and in stratigraphic traps formed by pinch out of submarine fan sands against slope shales. To date, 176 billion cubic feet (BCF) of nonassociated recoverable gas has been found in fields within the assessment unit (table 21.1). A small amount of biogenic gas forms near the surface of the AU. Map boundaries of the assessment unit are shown in figures 21.1 and 21.2; in plan view, this assessment unit is identical to the Northern Area Nonassociated Gas play 1007 considered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in its 1995 National Assessment (Beyer, 1996). The AU is bounded on the east by the mapped limits of Cretaceous sandstone reservoir rocks and on the west by the east flank of the Diablo Range. The southern limit of the AU is the southernmost occurrence of nonassociated thermogenic-gas accumulations. The northern limit of the AU corresponds to the

  13. Oxygen desorption from YBa2Cu3O(7-x) and Bi2CaSr2Cu2O(8 + delta) superconductors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mesarwi, A.; Levenson, L. L.; Ignatiev, A.

    1991-01-01

    Oxygen desorption experiments from YBa2Cu3O(7-x) (YBCO) and Bi2CaSr2Cu2O(8 + delta) (BSCCO) superconductors were carried out using a quadrupole mass spectrometer for monitoring the desorbing species and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy for surface characterization. Molecular oxygen was found to desorb from both superconductors following photoirradiation with ultraviolet/optical radiation and subsequent heating at over 150 C. Both YBCO and BSCCO were found to have similar oxygen desorption rates and similar activation energies. The desorption data as well as the X-ray photoemission data indicate that the oxygen desorption is not intrinsic to the superconductors but rather due to molecular oxygen entrapped in the material.

  14. Regional and interspecific variation in Sr, Ca, and Sr/Ca ratios in avian eggshells from the USA.

    PubMed

    Mora, Miguel A; Brattin, Bryan; Baxter, Catherine; Rivers, James W

    2011-08-01

    To examine regional variation in strontium (Sr), which at high concentrations may reduce eggshell quality, increase egg breakage and reproductive failure, we analyzed Sr, and calcium (Ca) concentrations and Sr/Ca ratios in eggshells from 20 avian species from California, Texas, Idaho, Kansas, and Michigan. In addition, we included data previously reported from Arizona to expand the regional comparisons and to better establish patterns of Sr, and Sr/Ca ratios in bird species across the United States. We found Sr concentrations varied significantly among regions, among species, and among foraging guilds; this variability is strongly influenced by the Sr/Ca ratios in surface water from locations close to the region where the eggshells were collected. Sr concentrations and Sr/Ca ratios were significantly higher in bird eggshells from the Volta wildlife region in the San Joaquin Valley, California and in various locales from Arizona. Sr concentrations and Sr/Ca ratios in bird eggshells from other locations in the USA were lower than those detected in these two regions. Among foraging guilds, invertivores had the highest Sr concentrations and Sr/Ca ratios and carnivores had the lowest. In general, the Sr/Ca ratio increased strongly with increasing Sr concentrations (R(2) = 0.99, P < 0.0001). There was a significant correlation (R(2) = 0.58, P < 0.0001) between Sr/Ca ratios in water and the average Sr/Ca ratios in eggshells suggesting that these values could be determined from Sr/Ca ratios in water. Eggshell thickness was poorly correlated with Sr (R(2) = 0.03) but had a significant and positive correlation with Ca and was more properly correlated by a quadratic equation (R(2) = 0.50, Thickness = 2.13 - 0.02Ca - 3.07 * 10(-5)Ca(2)). Our study provides further evidence that Sr accumulates significantly in the avian eggshell, in some regions at concentrations which could be of concern for potential negative effects on reproduction. We suggest that when assessing the effects

  15. Remote Sensing and Modeling for Improving Operational Aquatic Plant Management

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bubenheim, Dave

    2016-01-01

    The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub for California’s water supply, conveying water from Northern to Southern California agriculture and communities while supporting important ecosystem services, agriculture, and communities in the Delta. Changes in climate, long-term drought, water quality changes, and expansion of invasive aquatic plants threatens ecosystems, impedes ecosystem restoration, and is economically, environmentally, and sociologically detrimental to the San Francisco Bay/California Delta complex. NASA Ames Research Center and the USDA-ARS partnered with the State of California and local governments to develop science-based, adaptive-management strategies for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The project combines science, operations, and economics related to integrated management scenarios for aquatic weeds to help land and waterway managers make science-informed decisions regarding management and outcomes. The team provides a comprehensive understanding of agricultural and urban land use in the Delta and the major water sheds (San Joaquin/Sacramento) supplying the Delta and interaction with drought and climate impacts on the environment, water quality, and weed growth. The team recommends conservation and modified land-use practices and aids local Delta stakeholders in developing management strategies. New remote sensing tools have been developed to enhance ability to assess conditions, inform decision support tools, and monitor management practices. Science gaps in understanding how native and invasive plants respond to altered environmental conditions are being filled and provide critical biological response parameters for Delta-SWAT simulation modeling. Operational agencies such as the California Department of Boating and Waterways provide testing and act as initial adopter of decision support tools. Methods developed by the project can become routine land and water management tools in complex river delta systems.

  16. Proposed Strategy for San Joaquin River Basin Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    A Proposed Strategy for San Joaquin River Basin Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment was published in 2010, and a Strawman Proposal was developed in 2012 by the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship, California Water Resources Board, EPA.

  17. Streamflow, dissolved solids, suspended sediment, and trace elements, San Joaquin River, California, June 1985-September 1988

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hill, B.R.; Gilliom, R.J.

    1993-01-01

    The 1985-88 study period included hydrologic extremes throughout most of central California. Except for an 11-month period during and after the 1986 flood, San Joaquin River streamflows during 1985-88 were generally less than median for 1975-88. The Merced Tuolumne, and Stanislaus Rivers together comprised 56 to 69 percent of the annual San Joaquin River flow, Salt and Mud Sloughs together comprised 6 to 19 percent, the upper San Joaquin River comprised 2 to 25 percent, and unmeasured sources from agricultural discharges and ground water accounted for 13 to 20 percent. Salt and Mud Sloughs and the unmeasured sources contribute most of the dissolved-solids load. The Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus Rivers greatly dilute dissolved-solids concentrations. Suspended-sediment concentration peaked sharply at more than 600 milligrams per liter during the flood of February 1986. Concentrations and loads varied seasonally during low-flow conditions, with concentrations highest during the early summer irrigation season. Trace elements present primarily in dissolved phases are arsenic, boron, lithium, molybdenum, and selenium. Boron concentrations exceeded the irrigation water-quality criterion of 750 micrograms per liter more than 75 percent of the time in Salt and Mud Sloughs and more than 50 percent of the time at three sites on the San Joaquin River. Selenium concentrations exceeded the aquatic-life criterion of 5 micrograms per liter more than 75 percent of the time in Salt Slough and more than 50 percent of the time in Mud Slough and in the San Joaquin River from Salt Slough to the Merced River confluence. Concentrations of dissolved solids, boron, and selenium usually are highest during late winter to early spring, lower in early summer, higher again in mid-to-late summer, and the lowest in autumn, and generally correspond to seasonal inflows of subsurface tile-drain water to Salt and Mud Sloughs. Trace elements present primarily in particulate phases are aluminum

  18. Biostratigraphy of the San Joaquin Formation in borrow-source area B-17, Kettleman Hills landfill, North Dome, Kettleman Hills, Kings County, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Powell, Charles L.; Fisk, Lanny H.; Maloney, David F.; Haasl, David M.

    2010-01-01

    The stratigraphic occurrences and interpreted biostratigraphy of invertebrate fossil taxa in the upper San Joaquin Formation and lower-most Tulare Formation encountered at the Chemical Waste Management Kettleman Hills waste disposal facility on the North Dome of the Kettleman Hills, Kings County, California are documented. Significant new findings include (1) a detailed biostratigraphy of the upper San Joaquin Formation; (2) the first fossil occurrence of Modiolus neglectus; (3) distinguishing Ostrea sequens from Myrakeena veatchii (Ostrea vespertina of authors) in the Central Valley of California; (4) differentiating two taxa previously attributed to Pteropurpura festivus; (5) finding a stratigraphic succession between Caesia coalingensis (lower in the section) and Catilon iniquus (higher in the section); and (6) recognizing Pliocene-age fossils from around Santa Barbara. In addition, the presence of the bivalves Anodonta and Gonidea in the San Joaquin Formation, both restricted to fresh water and common in the Tulare Formation, confirm periods of fresh water or very close fresh-water environments during deposition of the San Joaquin Formation.

  19. Inputs of the Dormant-Spray Pesticide, Diazinon, to the San Joaquin River, California, February 1993

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Domagalski, Joseph L.; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Kratzer, Charles R.

    1995-01-01

    INTRODUCTION The objective of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey is to describe the status and trends of the Nation's water quality with respect to natural features of the environment and human activities or land-use. Pesticides are a major water-quality issue in the San Joaquin Valley of California (fig. 1), and pesticide residues may be transported to rivers and streams in agricultural runoff following winter storms. Three sites in the western San Joaquin Valley were monitored during and after two February 1993 storms. The storms occurred after extensive spraying of organophosphate insecticides, mostly diazinon, on almond and other stone-fruit orchards.

  20. Groundwater quality in the western San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fram, Miranda S.

    2017-06-09

    Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Western San Joaquin Valley is one of the study units being evaluated. 

  1. DELTAS: A new Global Delta Sustainability Initiative (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foufoula-Georgiou, E.

    2013-12-01

    Deltas are economic and environmental hotspots, food baskets for many nations, home to a large part of the world population, and hosts of exceptional biodiversity and rich ecosystems. Deltas, being at the land-water interface, are international, regional, and local transport hubs, thus providing the basis for intense economic activities. Yet, deltas are deteriorating at an alarming rate as 'victims' of human actions (e.g. water and sediment reduction due to upstream basin development), climatic impacts (e.g. sea level rise and flooding from rivers and intense tropical storms), and local exploration (e.g. sand or aggregates, groundwater and hydrocarbon extraction). Although many efforts exist on individual deltas around the world, a comprehensive global delta sustainability initiative that promotes awareness, science integration, data and knowledge sharing, and development of decision support tools for an effective dialogue between scientists, managers and policy makers is lacking. Recently, the international scientific community proposed to establish the International Year of Deltas (IYD) to serve as the beginning of such a Global Delta Sustainability Initiative. The IYD was proposed as a year to: (1) increase awareness and attention to the value and vulnerability of deltas worldwide; (2) promote and enhance international and regional cooperation at the scientific, policy, and stakeholder level; and (3) serve as a launching pad for a 10-year committed effort to understand deltas as complex socio-ecological systems and ensure preparedness in protecting and restoring them in a rapidly changing environment. In this talk, the vision for such an international coordinated effort on delta sustainability will be presented as developed by a large number of international experts and recently funded through the Belmont Forum International Opportunities Fund. Participating countries include: U.S., France, Germany, U.K., India, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Brazil, Bangladesh

  2. San Joaquin River Riparian Habitat Below Friant Dam: Preservation and Restoration

    Treesearch

    Donn Furman

    1989-01-01

    Riparian habitat along California's San Joaquin River in the 25 miles between Friant Darn and Freeway 99 occurs on approximately 6 percent of its historic range. It is threatened directly and indirectly by increased urban encroachment such as residential housing, certain recreational uses, sand and gravel extraction, aquiculture, and road construction. The San...

  3. Delta13C and delta18O isotopic composition of CaCO3 measured by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry: statistical evaluation and verification by application to Devils Hole core DH-11 calcite.

    PubMed

    Révész, Kinga M; Landwehr, Jurate M

    2002-01-01

    A new method was developed to analyze the stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of small samples (400 +/- 20 micro g) of calcium carbonate. This new method streamlines the classical phosphoric acid/calcium carbonate (H(3)PO(4)/CaCO(3)) reaction method by making use of a recently available Thermoquest-Finnigan GasBench II preparation device and a Delta Plus XL continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Conditions for which the H(3)PO(4)/CaCO(3) reaction produced reproducible and accurate results with minimal error had to be determined. When the acid/carbonate reaction temperature was kept at 26 degrees C and the reaction time was between 24 and 54 h, the precision of the carbon and oxygen isotope ratios for pooled samples from three reference standard materials was delta(18)O to achieve this level of precision. Aliquot screening methods were shown to further minimize the total error. The accuracy and precision of the new method were analyzed and confirmed by statistical analysis. The utility of the method was verified by analyzing calcite from Devils Hole, Nevada, for which isotope-ratio values had previously been obtained by the classical method. Devils Hole core DH-11 recently had been re-cut and re-sampled, and isotope-ratio values were obtained using the new method. The results were comparable with those obtained by the classical method with correlation = +0.96 for both isotope ratios. The consistency of the isotopic results is such that an alignment offset could be identified in the re-sampled core material, and two cutting errors that occurred during re-sampling then were confirmed independently. This result indicates that the new method is a viable alternative to the classical reaction method. In particular, the new method requires less sample material permitting finer

  4. Differential epileptogenic potentials of selective mu and delta opiate receptor agonists.

    PubMed

    Haffmans, J; Dzoljic, M R

    1983-01-01

    By using electroencephalographic (EEG) and electromyographic recordings in anaesthetized and free-moving rats, two opioid peptides, known as selective agonists for mu and delta opiate receptors, respectively, were examined for their epileptogenic properties. The delta receptor peptide (DSTLE, 4.6-18.6 nmol, intraventricularly, ivt), a putative delta opiate agonist, produced a dose-related increase of myoclonic contractions (MC) with epileptic discharges in anaesthetized rats and severe wet dog shakes, with occasionally falling down, in free-moving animals. Morphiceptin, a specific mu opiate agonist, used in equimolar doses and under the same experimental conditions, had a significantly less pronounced effect on the number of MC and epileptiform EEG phenomena. Similarly, DSTLE (18.6 nmol) injected in the CA2 area of the hippocampus, a region with a nearly equal distribution of mu and delta opiate receptors, induced epileptic discharges in anaesthetized and free-moving rats, while an equimolar dose of morphiceptin had no significant effect. It is suggested that the epileptiform activity of opioid peptides is mainly due to an activation of delta opiate receptors in the central nervous system.

  5. Vertebrate fauna of the San Joaquin Experimental Range, California: a checklist

    Treesearch

    Thomas F. Newman; Don A. Duncan

    1973-01-01

    This report updates an earlier checklist, published in 1955, of vertebrate fauna found on the San Joaquin Experimental Range, in Madera County, California. Nineteen new species have been recorded since 1955. This report records the occurrences of seven fish, eight amphibians, 19 reptiles, 38 mammals, and 149 buds. References to research on individual species are...

  6. Trends in nutrient concentrations, loads, and yields in streams in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins, California, 1975-2004

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, Charles R.; Kent, Robert; Seleh, Dina K.; Knifong, Donna L.; Dileanis, Peter D.; Orlando, James L.

    2011-01-01

    A comprehensive database was assembled for the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins in California on nutrient concentrations, flows, and point and nonpoint sources of nutrients for 1975-2004. Most of the data on nutrient concentrations (nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus) were from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System database (35.2 percent), the California Department of Water Resources (21.9 percent), the University of California at Davis (21.6 percent), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STOrage and RETrieval database (20.0 percent). Point-source discharges accounted for less than 1 percent of river flows in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, but accounted for close to 80 percent of the nonstorm flow in the Santa Ana River. Point sources accounted for 4 and 7 percent of the total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads, respectively, in the Sacramento River at Freeport for 1985-2004. Point sources accounted for 8 and 17 percent of the total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads, respectively, in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis for 1985-2004. The volume of wastewater discharged into the Santa Ana River increased almost three-fold over the study period. However, due to improvements in wastewater treatment, the total nitrogen load to the Santa Ana River from point sources in 2004 was approximately the same as in 1975 and the total phosphorus load in 2004 was less than in 1975. Nonpoint sources of nutrients estimated in this study included atmospheric deposition, fertilizer application, manure production, and tile drainage. The estimated dry deposition of nitrogen exceeded wet deposition in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys and in the basin area of the Santa Ana Basin, with ratios of dry to wet deposition of 1.7, 2.8, and 9.8, respectively. Fertilizer application increased appreciably from 1987 to 2004 in all three California basins, although manure production increased in the

  7. Using high-resolution topography and hyperspectral data to classify tree species at the San Joaquin Experimental Range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dibb, S. D.; Ustin, S.; Grigsby, S.

    2015-12-01

    Air- and space-borne remote sensing instruments allow for rapid and precise study of the diversity of the Earth's ecosystems. After atmospheric correction and ground validation are performed, the gathered hyperspectral and topographic data can be assembled into a stack of layers for land cover classification. Data for this project were collected in multiple field campaigns, including the 2013 NSF NEON California campaign and 2015 NASA SARP campaign. Using hyperspectral and high resolution topography data, 25 discriminatory attributes were processed in Exelis' ENVI software and collected for use in a decision forest to classify the four major tree species (Blue Oak, Live Oak, California Buckeye, and Foothill Pine) at the San Joaquin Experimental Range near Fresno, CA. These attributes include 21 classic vegetation indices and a number of other spectral characteristics, such as color and albedo, and four topographic layers, including slope, aspect, elevation, and tree height. Additionally, a number of nearby terrain classes, including bare earth, asphalt, water, rock, shadow, structures, and grass were created. Fifty training pixels were used for each class. The training pixels for each tree species came from collected GPS points in the field. Ensemble bootstrap aggregation of decision trees was performed in MATLAB, and an arbitrary number of 500 trees were selected to be grown. The tree that produced the minimum out-of-bag classification error (4.65%) was selected to classify the entire scene. Classification results accurately distinguished between oak species, but was suboptimal in dense areas. The entire San Joaquin Experimental Range was mapped with an overall accuracy of 94.7% and a Kappa coefficient 0.94. Finally, the Commission and Omission percentage averages were 5.3% each. A highly accurate map of tree species at this scale supports studies on drought effects, disease, and species-specific growth traits.

  8. Sources and Transport of Nutrients, Organic Carbon, and Chlorophyll-a in the San Joaquin River Upstream of Vernalis, California, during Summer and Fall, 2000 and 2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, Charles R.; Dileanis, Peter D.; Zamora, Celia; Silva, Steven R.; Kendall, Carol; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Dahlgren, Randy A.

    2004-01-01

    Oxidizable materials from the San Joaquin River upstream of Vernalis can contribute to low dissolved oxygen episodes in the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel that can inhibit salmon migration in the fall. The U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed samples at four San Joaquin River sites in July through October 2000 and June through November 2001, and at eight tributary sites in 2001. The data from these sites were supplemented with data from samples collected and analyzed by the University of California at Davis at three San Joaquin River sites and eight tributary sites as part of a separate study. Streamflows in the San Joaquin River were slightly above the long-term average in 2000 and slightly below average in 2001. Nitrate loads at Vernalis in 2000 were above the long-term average, whereas loads in 2001 were close to average. Total nitrogen loads in 2000 were slightly above average, whereas loads in 2001 were slightly below average. Total phosphorus loads in 2000 and 2001 were well below average. These nutrient loads correspond with the flow-adjusted concentration trends--nitrate concentrations significantly increased since 1972 (p 0.05). Loading rates of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon increased in the San Joaquin River in the fall with the release of wetland drainage into Mud Slough and with increased reservoir releases on the Merced River. During August 2000 and September 2001, the chlorophyll-a loading rates and concentrations in the San Joaquin River declined and remained low during the rest of the sampling period. The most significant tributary sources of nutrients were the Tuolumne River, Harding Drain, and Mud Slough. The most significant tributary sources of dissolved organic carbon were Salt Slough, Mud Slough, and the Tuolumne and Stanislaus Rivers. Compared with nutrients and dissolved organic carbon, the tributaries were minor sources of chlorophyll-a, suggesting that most of the chlorophyll-a was produced in the San Joaquin River

  9. Studying the Processes Contributed to the Hairpin Turn of Hurricane Joaquin with WRF numerical simulations and TCI-2015 observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pu, Z.; Yu, Y.

    2016-12-01

    The prediction of Hurricane Joaquin's hairpin clockwise during 1 and 2 October 2015 presents a forecasting challenge during real-time numerical weather prediction, as tracks of several major numerical weather prediction models differ from each other. To investigate the large-scale environment and hurricane inner-core structures related to the hairpin turn of Joaquin, a series of high-resolution mesoscale numerical simulations of Hurricane Joaquin had been performed with an advanced research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The outcomes were compared with the observations obtained from the US Office of Naval Research's Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) Experiment during 2015 hurricane season. Specifically, five groups of sensitivity experiments with different cumulus, boundary layer, and microphysical schemes as well as different initial and boundary conditions and initial times in WRF simulations had been performed. It is found that the choice of the cumulus parameterization scheme plays a significant role in reproducing reasonable track forecast during Joaquin's hairpin turn. The mid-level environmental steering flows can be the reason that leads to different tracks in the simulations with different cumulus schemes. In addition, differences in the distribution and amounts of the latent heating over the inner-core region are associated with discrepancies in the simulated intensity among different experiments. Detailed simulation results, comparison with TCI-2015 observations, and comprehensive diagnoses will be presented.

  10. The origin of the superstructure in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) as revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirk, M. D.; Nogami, J.; Baski, A. A.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.

    1988-12-01

    Real-space images with atomic resolution of the BiO plane of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) were obtained with a scanning tunneling microscope. Single-crystal samples were cleaved and imaged under ultrahigh vacuum conditions at room temperature. The images clearly show the one-dimensional incommensurate superstructure along the b-axis that is common to this phase. High-resolution images show the position of the Bi atoms, revelaing the structural nature of the superlattice. A missing row of Bi atoms occurs either every nine or ten atomic sites in both 110-line directions, accounting for the measured incommensurate periodicity of the superstructure. A model is proposed that includes missing rows of atoms, as well as displacements of the atomic positions along both the a- and c-axis directions.

  11. delta-Hexachlorocyclohexane (delta-HCH)

    Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

    delta - Hexachlorocyclohexane ( delta - HCH ) ; CASRN 319 - 86 - 8 Human health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in the IRIS database only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data , as outlined in the IRIS assessment development process . Sections I ( Health Hazard Ass

  12. Landslide oil field, San Joaquin Valley, California

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

    Collins, B.P.; March, K.A.; Caballero, J.S.

    1988-03-01

    The Landslide field, located at the southern margin of the San Joaquin basin, was discovered in 1985 by a partnership headed by Channel Exploration Company, on a farm out from Tenneco Oil Company. Initial production from the Tenneco San Emidio 63X-30 was 2064 BOPD, making landslide one of the largest onshore discoveries in California during the past decade. Current production is 7100 BOPD from a sandstone reservoir at 12,500 ft. Fifteen wells have been drilled in the field, six of which are water injectors. Production from the Landslide field occurs from a series of upper Miocene Stevens turbidite sandstones thatmore » lie obliquely across an east-plunging structural nose. These turbidite sandstones were deposited as channel-fill sequences within a narrowly bounded levied channel complex. Both the Landslide field and the larger Yowlumne field, located 3 mi to the northwest, comprise a single channel-fan depositional system that developed in the restricted deep-water portion of the San Joaquin basin. Information from the open-hole logs, three-dimensional surveys, vertical seismic profiles, repeat formation tester data, cores, and pressure buildup tests allowed continuous drilling from the initial discovery to the final waterflood injector, without a single dry hole. In addition, the successful application of three-dimensional seismic data in the Landslide development program has helped correctly image channel-fan anomalies in the southern Maricopa basin, where data quality and severe velocity problems have hampered previous efforts. New exploration targets are currently being evaluated on the acreage surrounding the Landslide discovery and should lead to an interesting new round of drilling activity in the Maricopa basin.« less

  13. Water temperature differences by plant community and location in re-established wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, July 2005 to February 2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Crepeau, Kathryn L.; Miller, Robin L.

    2014-01-01

    Rates of carbon storage in wetlands are determined by the balance of its inputs and losses, both of which are affected by environmental factors such as water temperature and depth. In the autumn of 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey re-established two wetlands with different shallow water depths—about 25 and 55 centimeters deep—to investigate the potential to reverse subsidence of delta islands by preserving and accumulating organic substrates derived from plant biomass inputs over time. Because cooler water temperatures can slow decomposition rates and increase accretion of plant biomass, water temperature was recorded from July 2005 to February 2008 in the deeper of the two wetlands, where areas of emergent and submerged vegetation persisted throughout the study, to assess differences in water temperature between the two vegetation types. Water temperature was compared at three depths in the water column between areas of emergent and submerged vegetation and between areas near the water inflow and in the wetland interior in both vegetation types. The latter comparison was a way of evaluating the effect of the length of time water had resided in the wetland on water temperatures. There were statistically significant differences in water temperature at all depths between the two vegetation types. Overall, in areas of emergent marsh vegetation, the mean water temperature at the surface was 1.4 degrees Celsius (°C) less than it was in areas of submerged vegetation; however, when analyses accounted for the changes in temperature due to seasonal and diurnal cycles, differences in the mean water temperature between the vegetation types were even greater than this. For example, in the spring, the mean temperatures in areas of emergent marsh vegetation at the surface, mid-point, and near the sediment in the water column were 2.0, 2.3, and 2.1 °C less, respectively, than water temperatures in areas of submerged vegetation. When diurnal changes in temperature were

  14. Synthesis of isosteric selenium analog of the PPARbeta/delta agonist GW501516 and comparison of biological activity.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Arun K; Sk, Ugir Hossain; He, Pengfei; Peters, Jeffrey M; Amin, Shantu

    2010-07-15

    Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors and members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. Herein, we describe an efficient synthesis of a novel isosteric selenium analog of the highly specific PPARbeta/delta ligand 2-methyl-4-((4-methyl-2-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1,3-thiazol-5-yl)-methylsulfanyl)phenoxy-acetic acid (GW501516; 1). The study examined the efficiency of the novel selenium analog 2-methyl-4-((4-methyl-2-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1,3-selenazol-5-yl)-methylsulfanyl)phenoxy-acetic acid (2) to activate PPARbeta/delta and the effect of ligand activation of PPARbeta/delta on cell proliferation and target gene expression in human HaCaT keratinocytes. The results showed that similar to GW501516, the Se-analog 2 increased expression of the known PPARbeta/delta target gene angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4); the compound 2 was comparable in efficacy as compared to GW501516. Consistent with a large body of evidence, the Se-analog inhibited cell proliferation in HaCaT keratinocytes similar to that observed with GW501516. In summary, the novel Se-analog 2 has been developed as a potent PPARbeta/delta ligand that may possess additional anti-cancer properties of selenium. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Delta Vision, Delta Voices: The Mississippi Delta Beyond 2000

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-05-10

    This Report has taken its guidance from a single overriding goal: To recognize the enormous natural, capital, and cultural resources of the Delta, and to enable all of the Delta's citizens to participate as full and successful partners in America's s...

  16. Landscape scale controls on the vascular plant component of dissolved organic carbon across a freshwater delta

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eckard, Robert S.; Hernes, Peter J.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Stepanauskas, Ramunas; Kendall, Carol

    2007-01-01

    Lignin phenol concentrations and compositions were determined on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) extracts (XAD resins) within the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (the Delta), the tidal freshwater portion of the San Francisco Bay Estuary, located in central California, USA. Fourteen stations were sampled, including the following habitats and land-use types: wetland, riverine, channelized waterway, open water, and island drains. Stations were sampled approximately seasonally from December, 1999 through May, 2001. DOC concentrations ranged from 1.3 mg L-1 within the Sacramento River to 39.9 mg L-1 at the outfall from an island drain (median 3.0 mg L-1), while lignin concentrations ranged from 3.0 μL-1 within the Sacramento River to 111 μL-1 at the outfall from an island drain (median 11.6 μL-1). Both DOC and lignin concentrations varied significantly among habitat/land-use types and among sampling stations. Carbon-normalized lignin yields ranged from 0.07 mg (100 mg OC)-1 at an island drain to 0.84 mg (100 mg OC)-1 for a wetland (median 0.36 mg (100 mg OC)-1), and also varied significantly among habitat/land-use types. A simple mass balance model indicated that the Delta acted as a source of lignin during late autumn through spring (10-83% increase) and a sink for lignin during summer and autumn (13-39% decrease). Endmember mixing models using S:V and C:V signatures of landscape scale features indicated strong temporal variation in sources of DOC export from the Delta, with riverine source signatures responsible for 50% of DOC in summer and winter, wetland signatures responsible for 40% of DOC in summer, winter, and late autumn, and island drains responsible for 40% of exported DOC in late autumn. A significant negative correlation was observed between carbon-normalized lignin yields and DOC bioavailability in two of the 14 sampling stations. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to describe organic vascular plant DOC sources at the level of localized

  17. In-plane dissipation maxima and vortex-line distortions in the resistive transitions of oxygen-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) single crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsu, J. W. P.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.; Lee, Mark

    1991-10-01

    Measurements of the in-plane resistive transition of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) single crystals in perpendicular magnetic fields reveal that in oxygen-reduced samples a giant resistance maximum evolves with field. This is not seen in oxygenated samples with similar metallic normal resistivities. As the peak resistivity may exceed the normal resistivity, it cannot arise from ordinary vortex-motion dissipation. A model is proposed where the excess resistance results from nonrigid vortex motion coupling the out-of-plane dissipation to the in-plane resistance at temperatures where pinning effects are negligible.

  18. San Joaquin kit fox Vulpes macrotis mutica program, Camp Roberts, California

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

    Not Available

    Camp Roberts is a California Army National Guard Training Site located in central California. The San Joaquin kit fox, an endangered subspecies of kit fox, has been known to occur at Camp Roberts since 1960. The population of foxes began to increase in the early 1970's when use of rodenticides decreased. In 1987 the California Army National Guard contracted EG G Energy Measurements to conduct a 3-year study to assess the effects of Camp Roberts activities on the kit fox population. The major objective of the Camp Roberts Environmental Studies Program is to prepare a comprehensive Biological Assessment of themore » effects of all NGB-authorized activities (includes military training, anticipated construction projects, repair and maintenance activities, and all NGB-authorized non-military activities such as hunting and fishing programs, grazing leases, etc.) on San Joaquin kit fox. The program also provides NGB with the scientific expertise necessary to insure compliance with the Endangered Species Act. The specific objective of this report is to summarize progress and results of the Environmental Studies Program made during Fiscal Years 1989 and 1990 (FY89/90). 32 refs., 9 figs., 14 tabs.« less

  19. Land subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley, California, as of 1980

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ireland, R.L.; Poland, J.F.; Riley, F.S.

    1982-01-01

    Land subsidence due to ground-water overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley began in the mid-1920 's and continued at alarming rates until surface was imported through major canals and aqueducts in the 1950 's and late 1960's. In areas where surface water replaced withdrawal of ground-water, water levels in the confined system rose sharply and subsidence slowed. In the late 1960 's and early 1970 's water levels in wells recovered to levels of the 1940 's and 1950 's throughout most of the western and southern parts of the Valley, in response to the importation of surface water through the California aqueduct. During the 1976-77 drought data collected at water-level and extensometer sites showed the effect of heavy demand on the ground-water resevoir. With the ' water of compaction ' gone, artesian head declined 10 to 20 times as fast as during the first cycle of long-term drawdown that ended in the late 1960's. In the 1978-79 water levels recovered to or above the 1976 pre-drought levels. The report suggests continued monitoring of land subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley. (USGS)

  20. Physical characteristics of the lower San Joaquin River, California, in relation to white sturgeon spawning habitat, 2011–14

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marineau, Mathieu D.; Wright, Scott A.; Whealdon-Haught, Daniel R.; Kinzel, Paul J.

    2017-07-19

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) recently spawned in the lower San Joaquin River, California. Decreases in the San Francisco Bay estuary white sturgeon population have led to an increased effort to understand their migration behavior and habitat preferences. The preferred spawning habitat of other white sturgeon (for example, those in the Columbia and Klamath Rivers) is thought to be areas that have high water velocity, deep pools, and coarse bed material. Coarse bed material (pebbles and cobbles), in particular, is important for the survival of white sturgeon eggs and larvae. Knowledge of the physical characteristics of the lower San Joaquin River can be used to preserve sturgeon spawning habitat and lead to management decisions that could help increase the San Francisco Bay estuary white sturgeon population.Between 2011 and 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assessed selected reaches and tributaries of the lower river in relation to sturgeon spawning habitat by (1) describing selected spawning reaches in terms of habitat-related physical characteristics (such as water depth and velocity, channel slope, and bed material) of the lower San Joaquin River between its confluences with the Stanislaus and Merced Rivers, (2) describing variations in these physical characteristics during wet and dry years, and (3) identifying potential reasons for these variations.The lower San Joaquin River was divided into five study reaches. Although data were collected from all study reaches, three subreaches where the USFWS collected viable eggs at multiple sites in 2011–12 from Orestimba Creek to Sturgeon Bend were of special interest. Water depth and velocity were measured using two different approaches—channel cross sections and longitudinal profiles—and data were collected using an acoustic Doppler current profiler.During the first year of data collection (water

  1. Characterization of VOC Emissions from Various Components of Dairy Farming and their effect on San Joaquin Valley Air Quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, M. M.; Meinardi, S.; Krauter, C.; Blake, D.

    2008-12-01

    The San Joaquin Valley Air Basin in Central California is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a serious non-attainment area for health-based eight-hour federal ozone (smog) standard (1). In August 2005, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued a report identifying dairies as a main source of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and fine particulate matter in the valley (2). Among these compounds, we have found that ethanol, methanol, acetone and acetaldehyde are produced in major quantities throughout the San Joaquin valley as by-products of yeast fermentation of silage and photochemical oxidation. These oxygenates, especially ethanol, play an important role in ozone (O3) formation within the valley. Three different types of sampling protocols were employed in order to determine the degree of enhancement of the four oxygenates in the valley air shed, as well as to determine their sources, emission profiles and emission rates. An assessment of the emissions of these oxygenates in the valley was achieved using data obtained on low altitude flights through the valley and from ground level samples collected thoughout the valley. The photochemical production of ozone was calculated for each of the four oxygenates and approximately one hundred other quantified VOCs. Based on the Maximum Incremental Reactivity (MIR) scale and concentrations of each oxygenate in the atmosphere, as much as 20% of O3 production in the valley is from ethanol and its photochemical by-product acetaldehyde. Our findings suggest that improvement to the valley air quality may be obtained by focusing on instituting new silage containment practices and regulations. 1. Lindberg, J. "Analysis of the San Joaquin Valley 2007 Ozone Plan." State of California Air Resources Board. Final Draft Staff Report. 5/30/2007. 2. Crow, D., executive director/APCO. "Air Pollution Control Officer's Determination of VOC Emisison Factors for Dairies." San Joaquin Valley Air

  2. Manage postharvest deficit irrigation of peach trees using canopy to air temperature

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A field study was conducted to use mid-day canopy to air temperature difference (delta T) to manage postharvest deficit irrigation of peach trees in San Joaquin Valley of California and its performance was evaluated. Delta T thresholds were selected, based on previous years’ stem water potential and...

  3. Modulation of voltage- and Ca2+-dependent gating of CaV1.3 L-type calcium channels by alternative splicing of a C-terminal regulatory domain.

    PubMed

    Singh, Anamika; Gebhart, Mathias; Fritsch, Reinhard; Sinnegger-Brauns, Martina J; Poggiani, Chiara; Hoda, Jean-Charles; Engel, Jutta; Romanin, Christoph; Striessnig, Jörg; Koschak, Alexandra

    2008-07-25

    Low voltage activation of Ca(V)1.3 L-type Ca(2+) channels controls excitability in sensory cells and central neurons as well as sinoatrial node pacemaking. Ca(V)1.3-mediated pacemaking determines neuronal vulnerability of dopaminergic striatal neurons affected in Parkinson disease. We have previously found that in Ca(V)1.4 L-type Ca(2+) channels, activation, voltage, and calcium-dependent inactivation are controlled by an intrinsic distal C-terminal modulator. Because alternative splicing in the Ca(V)1.3 alpha1 subunit C terminus gives rise to a long (Ca(V)1.3(42)) and a short form (Ca(V)1.3(42A)), we investigated if a C-terminal modulatory mechanism also controls Ca(V)1.3 gating. The biophysical properties of both splice variants were compared after heterologous expression together with beta3 and alpha2delta1 subunits in HEK-293 cells. Activation of calcium current through Ca(V)1.3(42A) channels was more pronounced at negative voltages, and inactivation was faster because of enhanced calcium-dependent inactivation. By investigating several Ca(V)1.3 channel truncations, we restricted the modulator activity to the last 116 amino acids of the C terminus. The resulting Ca(V)1.3(DeltaC116) channels showed gating properties similar to Ca(V)1.3(42A) that were reverted by co-expression of the corresponding C-terminal peptide C(116). Fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments confirmed an intramolecular protein interaction in the C terminus of Ca(V)1.3 channels that also modulates calmodulin binding. These experiments revealed a novel mechanism of channel modulation enabling cells to tightly control Ca(V)1.3 channel activity by alternative splicing. The absence of the C-terminal modulator in short splice forms facilitates Ca(V)1.3 channel activation at lower voltages expected to favor Ca(V)1.3 activity at threshold voltages as required for modulation of neuronal firing behavior and sinoatrial node pacemaking.

  4. Distribution and mobility of selenium and other trace elements in shallow groundwater of the western San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Deverel, S.J.; Milliard, S.P.

    1988-01-01

    Samples of shallow groundwater that underlies much of the irrigated area in the western San Joaquin Valley, CA, were analyzed for various major ions and trace elements, including selenium. Concentrations of the major ions generally were similar for groundwater collected in the two primary geologic zones - the alluvial fan and basin trough. Selenium concentrations are significantly (α = 0.05) higher in the groundwater of the alluvial-fan zone than in that of the basin-trough zone. The concentrations of oxyanion trace elements were significantly correlated (α = 0.05) with groundwater salinity, but the correlations between selenium and salinity and between molybdenum and salinity were significantly different (α = 0.05) in the alluvial-fan geologic zone compared with those in the basin-trough geologic zone. The evidence suggests that the main factors affecting selenium concentrations in the shallow groundwater are the degree of groundwater salinity and the geologic source of the alluvial soil material.

  5. Neogene evolution of northern Mahakam Delta, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

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

    Armin, R.A.; Abdoerrias, R.; Boer, W.D. de

    1996-01-01

    A regional sequence-stratigraphic study of the lower Kutei basin, embracing present coastal and offshore East Kalimantan, was undertaken to decipher the Neogene history of an important oil-producing province. The chronostratigraphic framework developed during this study was applied to facies analyses, organic geochemistry, and 2-D basin modeling. Integration of these disciplines powerfully illuminated the relationships between structuring, sedimentation, and hydrocarbon migration, Sedimentation in the lower Kutei basin since the late Middle Miocene has been dominated by the tidal-fluvial Mahakam delta system. During this time the principal river transport system has remained in about the same location as the present-day Mahakam River.more » Thick successions of monotonously similar deltaic facies were stacked vertically, punctuated by progradational or backstepping (flooding) units. Middle to Upper Miocene shelf edges of the delta platform, which are commonly sites of carbonate buildups, offlap from west to east towards the present-day shelf edge. Growth faults active during ca. 12-9 Ma are clustered just basinward of a prominent aggradational Middle Miocene shelf margin, and they exerted profound control on facies distribution. Tectonic quiescence prevailed during ca. 9-4 Ma, and in this period widespread regressive deltaic deposition over a broad, stable delta platform created the most important reservoirs. Subsequently, during Late Pliocene and younger time, many early growth faults were reactivated, and new faults also formed eastward toward the present shelf margin. Here, economically significant intervals consist mainly of lowstand deposits that accumulated in shelf-margin half-grabens created by these Plio-Pleistocene faults.« less

  6. Neogene evolution of northern Mahakam Delta, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

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

    Armin, R.A.; Abdoerrias, R.; Boer, W.D. de

    1996-12-31

    A regional sequence-stratigraphic study of the lower Kutei basin, embracing present coastal and offshore East Kalimantan, was undertaken to decipher the Neogene history of an important oil-producing province. The chronostratigraphic framework developed during this study was applied to facies analyses, organic geochemistry, and 2-D basin modeling. Integration of these disciplines powerfully illuminated the relationships between structuring, sedimentation, and hydrocarbon migration, Sedimentation in the lower Kutei basin since the late Middle Miocene has been dominated by the tidal-fluvial Mahakam delta system. During this time the principal river transport system has remained in about the same location as the present-day Mahakam River.more » Thick successions of monotonously similar deltaic facies were stacked vertically, punctuated by progradational or backstepping (flooding) units. Middle to Upper Miocene shelf edges of the delta platform, which are commonly sites of carbonate buildups, offlap from west to east towards the present-day shelf edge. Growth faults active during ca. 12-9 Ma are clustered just basinward of a prominent aggradational Middle Miocene shelf margin, and they exerted profound control on facies distribution. Tectonic quiescence prevailed during ca. 9-4 Ma, and in this period widespread regressive deltaic deposition over a broad, stable delta platform created the most important reservoirs. Subsequently, during Late Pliocene and younger time, many early growth faults were reactivated, and new faults also formed eastward toward the present shelf margin. Here, economically significant intervals consist mainly of lowstand deposits that accumulated in shelf-margin half-grabens created by these Plio-Pleistocene faults.« less

  7. Suspended sediment transport trough a large fluvial-tidal channel network

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wright, Scott A.; Morgan-King, Tara L.

    2015-01-01

    The confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, CA, forms a large network of interconnected channels, referred to as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta). The Delta comprises the transition zone from the fluvial influences of the upstream rivers and tidal influences of San Francisco Bay downstream. Formerly an extensive tidal marsh, the hydrodynamics and geomorphology of Delta have been substantially modified by humans to support agriculture, navigation, and water supply. These modifications, including construction of new channels, diking and draining of tidal wetlands, dredging of navigation channels, and the operation of large pumping facilities for distribution of freshwater from the Delta to other parts of the state, have had a dramatic impact on the physical and ecological processes within the Delta. To better understand the current physical processes, and their linkages to ecological processes, the USGS maintains an extensive network of flow, sediment, and water quality gages in the Delta. Flow gaging is accomplished through use of the index-velocity method, and sediment monitoring uses turbidity as a surrogate for suspended-sediment concentration. Herein, we present analyses of the transport and dispersal of suspended sediment through the complex network of channels in the Delta. The primary source of sediment to the Delta is the Sacramento River, which delivers pulses of sediment primarily during winter and spring runoff events. Upon reaching the Delta, the sediment pulses move through the fluvial-tidal transition while also encountering numerous channel junctions as the Sacramento River branches into several distributary channels. The monitoring network allows us to track these pulses through the network and document the dominant transport pathways for suspended sediment. Further, the flow gaging allows for an assessment of the relative effects of advection (the fluvial signal) and dispersion (from the tides) on the sediment pulses as they

  8. Napa Earthquake impact on water systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, J.

    2014-12-01

    South Napa earthquake occurred in Napa, California on August 24 at 3am, local time, and the magnitude is 6.0. The earthquake was the largest in SF Bay Area since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Economic loss topped $ 1 billion. Wine makers cleaning up and estimated the damage on tourism. Around 15,000 cases of lovely cabernet were pouring into the garden at the Hess Collection. Earthquake potentially raise water pollution risks, could cause water crisis. CA suffered water shortage recent years, and it could be helpful on how to prevent underground/surface water pollution from earthquake. This research gives a clear view on drinking water system in CA, pollution on river systems, as well as estimation on earthquake impact on water supply. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta (close to Napa), is the center of the state's water distribution system, delivering fresh water to more than 25 million residents and 3 million acres of farmland. Delta water conveyed through a network of levees is crucial to Southern California. The drought has significantly curtailed water export, and salt water intrusion reduced fresh water outflows. Strong shaking from a nearby earthquake can cause saturated, loose, sandy soils liquefaction, and could potentially damage major delta levee systems near Napa. Napa earthquake is a wake-up call for Southern California. It could potentially damage freshwater supply system.

  9. Cohesive Sedimentary Processes on River-Dominated Deltas: New Perspectives from the Mississippi River Delta Front, Gulf of Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bentley, S. J.; Keller, G. P.; Obelcz, J.; Maloney, J. M.; Xu, K.; Georgiou, I. Y.; Miner, M. D.

    2016-12-01

    On river deltas dominated by proximal sediment accumulation (Mississippi, Huang He, others), the delta front region is commonly dominated by rapid accumulation of cohesive fluvial sediments, and mass-wasting processes that remobilize recently deposited sediments. Mass transport is preconditioned in sediments by high water content, biogenic gas production, over steepening, and is commonly triggered by strong wave loading and other processes. This understanding is based on extensive field studies in the 1970's and 80's. Recent studies of the Mississippi River Delta Front are yielding new perspectives on these processes, in a time of anthropogenically reduced sediment loads, rising sea level, and catastrophic deltaic land loss. We have synthesized many industry data sets collected since ca. 1980, and conducted new pilot field and modeling studies of sedimentary and morphodynamic processes. These efforts have yielded several key findings that diverge from historical understanding of this dynamic setting. First, delta distributary mouths have ceased seaward progradation, ending patterns that have been documented since the 18th century. Second, despite reduced sediment supply, offshore mass transport continues, yielding vertical displacements at rates of 1 m/y. This displacement is apparently forced by wave loading from storm events of near-annual return period, rather than major hurricanes that have been the focus of most previous studies. Third, core analysis indicates that this vertical displacement is occurring along failure planes >3 m in the seabed, rather than in more recently deposited sediments closer to the sediment-water interface. These seabed morphodynamics have the potential to destabilize both nearshore navigation infrastructure, and seabed hydrocarbon infrastructure offshore. As well, these findings raise more questions regarding the future seabed evolution offshore of major river deltas, in response to anthropogenic and climatic forcing.

  10. Multimode delta Scuti stars in the open cluster NGC 7062

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Freyhammer, L. M.; Arentoft, T.; Sterken, C.

    2001-03-01

    The central field of NGC 7062 was observed intensively with the main goal of finding delta Scuti stars suitable for use in asteroseismological tests of stellar structure and evolution theory. BV time series photometry was obtained for this northern open cluster, which has a large population of stars inside the delta Scuti instability strip, making it a probable host of several such variables. We report findings of 15 pulsating stars, including at least 13 delta Scuti stars. Ten variables oscillate in two or more frequencies. Only one of these variables was known before, for which we detected 9 frequencies. Five probable variables are mentioned, and period analysis is given for all 20 stars. Based on observations obtained at the Nordic Optical Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma jointly by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisíca de Canarias.

  11. 78 FR 6833 - Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the San Joaquin River...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-31

    ...The Bureau of Reclamation and the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority have prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for a 25-Year Water Transfer Program, 2014-2038. The proposed new program would provide for the transfer and/or exchange of up to 150,000 acre-feet of substitute water from the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority to several potential users over a 25-year timeframe (water service years 2014-2038). A Notice of Availability of the joint Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on Friday, May 4, 2012 (77 FR 26578). The written comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended Tuesday, July 3, 2012. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all comments received and reflects comments and additional information received during the review period.

  12. Surface structure of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) high-temperature superconductors studied using low-energy electron diffraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lindberg, P. A. P.; Shen, Z.-X.; Wells, B. O.; Mitzi, D. B.; Lindau, I.

    1988-12-01

    The surface structure of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) has been studied using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). Sharp diffraction spots indicative of a well-ordered surface are observed. The LEED patterns unequivocally show that this type of material preferentially cleaves along the a-b planes of the nearly tetragonal unit cell. A superstructure extending along one of the axes in the a-b plane (b) is found to have a periodicity of 27 + or - 0.5 A, in good agreement with earlier studies of the three-dimensional crystal structure. The superstructure at the surface is nonlocal in character and reflects the long-range superlattice of the bulk along the b axis. Intensity modulations of the diffraction spots oriented along the b axis are also reported and discussed in terms of the cell dimension of the unit cell along the b axis.

  13. Resolving the interactions between population density and air pollution emissions controls in the San Joaquin Valley, USA.

    PubMed

    Hixson, Mark; Mahmud, Abdullah; Hu, Jianlin; Kleeman, Michael J

    2012-05-01

    The effectiveness of emissions control programs designed to reduce concentrations of airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 microm (PM2.5) in California's San Joaquin Valley was studied in the year 2030 under three growth scenarios: low, medium, and high population density. Base-case inventories for each choice of population density were created using a coupled emissions modeling system that simultaneously considered interactions between land use and transportation, area source, and point source emissions. The ambient PM2.5 response to each combination of population density and emissions control was evaluated using a regional chemical transport model over a 3-week winter stagnation episode. Comparisons between scenarios were based on regional average and population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations. In the absence of any emissions control program, population-weighted concentrations of PM2.5 in the future San Joaquin Valley are lowest undergrowth scenarios that emphasize low population density. A complete ban on wood burning and a 90% reduction in emissions from food cooking operations and diesel engines must occur before medium- to high-density growth scenarios result in lower population-weighted concentrations of PM2.5. These trends partly reflect the fact that existing downtown urban cores that naturally act as anchor points for new high-density growth in the San Joaquin Valley are located close to major transportation corridors for goods movement. Adding growth buffers around transportation corridors had little impact in the current analysis, since the 8-km resolution of the chemical transport model already provided an artificial buffer around major emissions sources. Assuming that future emissions controls will greatly reduce or eliminate emissions from residential wood burning, food cooking, and diesel engines, the 2030 growth scenario using "as-planned" (medium) population density achieves the lowest population-weighted average PM2

  14. Ca(2+) and frequency dependence of exocytosis in isolated somata of magnocellular supraoptic neurones of the rat hypothalamus.

    PubMed

    Soldo, Brandi L; Giovannucci, David R; Stuenkel, Edward L; Moises, Hylan C

    2004-03-16

    In addition to action potential-evoked exocytotic release at neurohypophysial nerve terminals, the neurohormones arginine vasopressin (aVP) and oxytocin (OT) undergo Ca(2+)-dependent somatodendritic release within the supraoptic and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie this release have not been elucidated. In the present study, the whole-cell patch-clamp technique was utilized in combination with high-time-resolved measurements of membrane capacitance (C(m)) and microfluorometric measurements of cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) to examine the Ca(2+) and stimulus dependence of exocytosis in the somata of magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) isolated from rat supraoptic nucleus (SON). Single depolarizing steps (> or =20 ms) that evoked high-voltage-activated (HVA) Ca(2+) currents (I(Ca)) and elevations in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration were accompanied by an increase in C(m) in a majority (40/47) of SON neurones. The C(m) responses were composed of an initial Ca(2+)-independent, transient component and a subsequent, sustained phase of increased C(m) (termed DeltaC(m)) mediated by an influx of Ca(2+), and increased with corresponding prolongation of depolarizing step durations (20-200 ms). From this relationship we estimated the rate of vesicular release to be 1533 vesicles s(-1). Delivery of neurone-derived action potential waveforms (APWs) as stimulus templates elicited I(Ca) and also induced a DeltaC(m), provided APWs were applied in trains of greater than 13 Hz. A train of APWs modelled after the bursting pattern recorded from an OT-containing neurone during the milk ejection reflex was effective in supporting an exocytotic DeltaC(m) in isolated MNCs, indicating that the somata of SON neurones respond to physiological patterns of neuronal activity with Ca(2+)-dependent exocytotic activity.

  15. Emissions of organic carbon and methane from petroleum and dairy operations in California's San Joaquin Valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gentner, D. R.; Ford, T. B.; Guha, A.; Boulanger, K.; Brioude, J.; Angevine, W. M.; de Gouw, J. A.; Warneke, C.; Gilman, J. B.; Ryerson, T. B.; Peischl, J.; Meinardi, S.; Blake, D. R.; Atlas, E.; Lonneman, W. A.; Kleindienst, T. E.; Beaver, M. R.; St. Clair, J. M.; Wennberg, P. O.; VandenBoer, T. C.; Markovic, M. Z.; Murphy, J. G.; Harley, R. A.; Goldstein, A. H.

    2014-05-01

    Petroleum and dairy operations are prominent sources of gas-phase organic compounds in California's San Joaquin Valley. It is essential to understand the emissions and air quality impacts of these relatively understudied sources, especially for oil/gas operations in light of increasing US production. Ground site measurements in Bakersfield and regional aircraft measurements of reactive gas-phase organic compounds and methane were part of the CalNex (California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change) project to determine the sources contributing to regional gas-phase organic carbon emissions. Using a combination of near-source and downwind data, we assess the composition and magnitude of emissions, and provide average source profiles. To examine the spatial distribution of emissions in the San Joaquin Valley, we developed a statistical modeling method using ground-based data and the FLEXPART-WRF transport and meteorological model. We present evidence for large sources of paraffinic hydrocarbons from petroleum operations and oxygenated compounds from dairy (and other cattle) operations. In addition to the small straight-chain alkanes typically associated with petroleum operations, we observed a wide range of branched and cyclic alkanes, most of which have limited previous in situ measurements or characterization in petroleum operation emissions. Observed dairy emissions were dominated by ethanol, methanol, acetic acid, and methane. Dairy operations were responsible for the vast majority of methane emissions in the San Joaquin Valley; observations of methane were well correlated with non-vehicular ethanol, and multiple assessments of the spatial distribution of emissions in the San Joaquin Valley highlight the dominance of dairy operations for methane emissions. The petroleum operations source profile was developed using the composition of non-methane hydrocarbons in unrefined natural gas associated with crude oil. The observed source profile is

  16. Partnership for Excellence Goals. A Review by the Office of Planning, Research, and Grants Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    San Joaquin Delta Coll., Stockton, CA.

    This document displays information that tracks the success at San Joaquin Delta College (California) in assisting the California Community Colleges to meet established Partnership for Excellence goals. Each of the goals is displayed along with a chart that compares the performance of Delta College with the average of a comparison group of colleges…

  17. Cryostratigraphy, sedimentology, and the late Quaternary evolution of the Zackenberg River delta, northeast Greenland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilbert, Graham L.; Cable, Stefanie; Thiel, Christine; Christiansen, Hanne H.; Elberling, Bo

    2017-05-01

    The Zackenberg River delta is located in northeast Greenland (74°30' N, 20°30' E) at the outlet of the Zackenberg fjord valley. The fjord-valley fill consists of a series of terraced deltaic deposits (ca. 2 km2) formed during relative sea-level (RSL) fall. We investigated the deposits using sedimentological and cryostratigraphic techniques together with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. We identify four facies associations in sections (4 to 22 m in height) exposed along the modern Zackenberg River and coast. Facies associations relate to (I) overriding glaciers, (II) retreating glaciers and quiescent glaciomarine conditions, (III) delta progradation in a fjord valley, and (IV) fluvial activity and niveo-aeolian processes. Pore, layered, and suspended cryofacies are identified in two 20 m deep ice-bonded sediment cores. The cryofacies distribution, together with low overall ground-ice content, indicates that permafrost is predominately epigenetic in these deposits. Fourteen OSL ages constrain the deposition of the cored deposits to between approximately 13 and 11 ka, immediately following deglaciation. The timing of permafrost aggradation was closely related to delta progradation and began following the subaerial exposure of the delta plain (ca. 11 ka). Our results reveal information concerning the interplay between deglaciation, RSL change, sedimentation, permafrost aggradation, and the timing of these events. These findings have implications for the timing and mode of permafrost aggradation in other fjord valleys in northeast Greenland.

  18. Executive Summary -- assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the San Joaquin Basin Province of California, 2003: Chapter 1 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gautier, Donald L.; Scheirer, Allegra Hosford; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Peters, Kenneth E.; Magoon, Leslie B.; Lillis, Paul G.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Cook, Troy A.; French, Christopher D.; Klett, Timothy R.; Pollastro, Richard M.; Schenk, Christopher J.

    2007-01-01

    In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment of the oil and gas resource potential of the San Joaquin Basin Province of California (fig. 1.1). The assessment is based on the geologic elements of each Total Petroleum System defined in the province, including hydrocarbon source rocks (source-rock type and maturation and hydrocarbon generation and migration), reservoir rocks (sequence stratigraphy and petrophysical properties), and hydrocarbon traps (trap formation and timing). Using this geologic framework, the USGS defined five total petroleum systems and ten assessment units within these systems. Undiscovered oil and gas resources were quantitatively estimated for the ten assessment units (table 1.1). In addition, the potential was estimated for further growth of reserves in existing oil fields of the San Joaquin Basin.

  19. Characterizing Drought Impacted Soils in the San Joaquin Valley of California Using Remote Sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wahab, L. M.; Miller, D.; Roberts, D. A.

    2017-12-01

    California's San Joaquin Valley is an extremely agriculturally productive region of the country, and understanding the state of soils in this region is an important factor in maintaining this high productivity. In this study, we quantified changing soil cover during the drought and analyzed spatial changes in salinity, organic matter, and moisture using unique soil spectral characteristics. We used data from the Airborne Visible / Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) from Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) campaign flights in 2013 and 2014 over the San Joaquin Valley. A mixture model was applied to both images that identified non- photosynthetic vegetation, green vegetation, and soil cover fractions through image endmembers of each of these three classes. We optimized the spectral library used to identify these classes with Iterative Endmember Selection (IES), and the images were unmixed using Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA). Maps of soil electrical conductivity, organic matter, soil saturated moisture, and field moisture were generated for the San Joaquin Valley based on indices developed by Ben-Dor et al. [2002]. Representative polygons were chosen to quantify changes between years. Maps of spectrally distinct soils were also generated for 2013 and 2014, in order to determine the spatial distribution of these soil types as well as their temporal dynamics between years. We estimated that soil cover increased by 16% from 2013-2014. Six spectrally distinct soil types were identified for the region, and it was determined that the distribution of these soil types was not constant for most areas between 2013 and 2014. Changes in soil pH, electrical conductivity, and soil moisture were strongly tied in the region between 2013 and 2014.

  20. Influence of different organic fertilizers on quality parameters and the delta(15)N, delta(13)C, delta(2)H, delta(34)S, and delta(18)O values of orange fruit (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck).

    PubMed

    Rapisarda, Paolo; Camin, Federica; Fabroni, Simona; Perini, Matteo; Torrisi, Biagio; Intrigliolo, Francesco

    2010-03-24

    To investigate the influence of different types of fertilizers on quality parameters, N-containing compounds, and the delta(15)N, delta(13)C, delta(2)H, delta (34)S, and delta(18)O values of citrus fruit, a study was performed on the orange fruit cv. 'Valencia late' (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck), which was harvested in four plots (three organic and one conventional) located on the same farm. The results demonstrated that different types of organic fertilizers containing the same amount of nitrogen did not effect important changes in orange fruit quality parameters. The levels of total N and N-containing compounds such as synephrine in fruit juice were not statistically different among the different treatments. The delta(15)N values of orange fruit grown under fertilizer derived from animal origin as well as from vegetable compost were statistically higher than those grown with mineral fertilizer. Therefore, delta(15)N values can be used as an indicator of citrus fertilization management (organic or conventional), because even when applied organic fertilizers are of different origins, the natural abundance of (15)N in organic citrus fruit remains higher than in conventional ones. These treatments also did not effect differences in the delta(13)C, delta(2)H, delta(34)S, and delta(18)O values of fruit.

  1. 13. Photocopy of a photographca. 1896showing wooden arch bridge over ...

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

    13. Photocopy of a photograph--ca. 1896--showing wooden arch bridge over the North Fork of the San Joaquin River northeast of Fresno, CA. This structure was designed by Eastwood as part of the San Joaquin Electric Company's hydro-electric plant; it is a design that indicates his interest in the structural capabilities of the arch before he began building multiple arch dams. Courtesy Mr. Charles Allan Whitney. - Little Rock Creek Dam, Little Rock Creek, Littlerock, Los Angeles County, CA

  2. Study of pinning effects for vortices in Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}} single crystals using a Bitter decoration technique

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

    Kamimura, A.; Hirata, K.; Mochiku, T.

    1999-12-01

    Distribution of vortices has been analyzed to study on the pinning effects of the vortices in Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}} single crystals, observed with a Bitter decoration technique. On the cleaved surfaces of the samples, vortices are pinned in the disordered configurations at lower magnetic fields, which change to a hexagonal lattice structure with increasing a magnetic field. Furthermore, a dense concentration of vortices has been observed in the voids and on the lower terrace of the steps. These distributions of the vortices are found to be very stable from the estimation of the pinning energy.

  3. Groundwater-quality data in the Western San Joaquin Valley study unit, 2010 - Results from the California GAMA Program

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mathany, Timothy M.; Landon, Matthew K.; Shelton, Jennifer L.; Belitz, Kenneth

    2013-01-01

    Groundwater quality in the approximately 2,170-square-mile Western San Joaquin Valley (WSJV) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from March to July 2010, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program's Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA-PBP was developed in response to the California Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted in collaboration with the SWRCB and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The WSJV study unit was the twenty-ninth study unit to be sampled as part of the GAMA-PBP. The GAMA Western San Joaquin Valley study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of untreated-groundwater quality in the primary aquifer system, and to facilitate statistically consistent comparisons of untreated groundwater quality throughout California. The primary aquifer system is defined as parts of aquifers corresponding to the perforation intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database for the WSJV study unit. Groundwater quality in the primary aquifer system may differ from the quality in the shallower or deeper water-bearing zones; shallow groundwater may be more vulnerable to surficial contamination. In the WSJV study unit, groundwater samples were collected from 58 wells in 2 study areas (Delta-Mendota subbasin and Westside subbasin) in Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, and Kings Counties. Thirty-nine of the wells were selected by using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells), and 19 wells were selected to aid in the understanding of aquifer-system flow and related groundwater-quality issues (understanding wells). The groundwater samples were analyzed for organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], low-level fumigants, and pesticides and pesticide degradates

  4. Shear fluid-induced Ca2+ release and the role of mitochondria in rat cardiac myocytes.

    PubMed

    Belmonte, Steve; Morad, Martin

    2008-03-01

    Cardiac myocyte contraction occurs when Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels causes Ca2+ release from ryanodine receptors of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Although mitochondria occupy about 35% of the cell volume in rat cardiac myocytes, and are thought to be located <300 nm from the junctional SR, their role in the beat-to-beat regulation of cardiac Ca2+ signaling remains unclear. We have recently shown that rapid ( approximately 20 ms) application of shear fluid forces ( approximately 25 dynes/cm2) to rat cardiac myocytes triggers slowly ( approximately 300 ms) developing Cai transients that were independent of activation of all transmembrane Ca2+ transporting pathways, but were suppressed by FCCP, CCCP, and Ru360, all of which are known to disrupt mitochondrial function. We have here used rapid 2-D confocal microscopy to monitor fluctuations in mitochondrial Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]m) and mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psi m) in rat cardiac myocytes loaded either with rhod-2 AM or tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM), respectively. Freshly isolated intact rat cardiac myocytes were plated on glass coverslips and incubated in 5 mM Ca2+ containing Tyrode's solution and 40 mM 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) to inhibit cell contraction. Alternatively, myocytes were permeabilized with 10 microM digitonin and perfused with an "intracellular" solution containing 10 microM free [Ca2+], 5 mM EGTA, and 15 mM BDM. Direct [Ca2+]m measurements showed transient mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation after exposure to 10 mM caffeine, as revealed by a 66% increase in the rhod-2 fluorescence intensity. Shear fluid forces, however, produced a 12% decrease in signal, suggesting that application of a mechanical force releases Ca2+ from the mitochondria. In addition, caffeine and CCCP or FCCP strongly reduced Delta Psi m, while application of a pressurized solution produced a transient Delta Psi m hyperpolarization in intact ventricular myocytes loaded with TMRM

  5. Distribution of algae in the San Joaquin River, California, in relation to nutrient supply, salinity and other environmental factors

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leland, H.V.; Brown, L.R.; Mueller, D.K.

    2001-01-01

    1. The taxonomic composition and biomass of the phytoplankton and the taxonomic composition of the phytobenthos of the San Joaquin River and its major tributaries were examined in relation to water chemistry, habitat and flow regime. Agricultural drainage and subsurface flow contribute to a complex gradient of salinity and nutrients in this eutrophic, 'lowland type' river.2. Because of light-limiting conditions for growth, maintenance demands of the algae exceed production during summer and autumn in the San Joaquin River where there is no inflow from tributaries. In contrast to substantial gains in concentration of inorganic nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus during the summer of normal-flow years, net losses of algal biomass (2-4 ??g L-1 day-1 chlorophyll a) occurred in a mid-river segment with no significant tributary inflow. However, downstream of a large tributary draining the Sierra Nevada, a substantial net gain in algal biomass (6-11 μg L-1 day-1) occurred in the summer, but not in the spring (loss of 1-6 μg L-1 day-1) or autumn (loss of 2-5 ??g L-1 day-1).3. The phytoplankton was dominated in summer by 'r-selected' centric diatoms (Thalassiosirales), species both tolerant of variable salinity and widely distributed in the San Joaquin River. Pennate diatoms were proportionally more abundant (in biomass) in the winter, spring and autumn. Abundant taxa included the diatoms Cyclotella meneghiniana, Skeletonema cf. potamos, Cyclostephanos invisitatus, Thalassiosira weissflogii, Nitzschia acicularis, N. palea and N. reversa, and the chlorophytes Chlamydomonas sp. and Scenesdesmus quadricauda. Patterns in the abundance of species indicated that assembly of the phytoplankton is limited more by light and flow regime than by nutrient supply.4. The phytobenthos was dominated by larger, more slowly reproducing pennate diatoms. Few of the abundant species are euryhaline. The diatoms Navicula recens and Nitzschia inconspicua and cyanophytes, Oscillatoria spp

  6. Mapping the Distribution and Biomass of Emergent Aquatic Plants in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta of California Using Landsat Imagery Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Potter, Christopher

    2015-01-01

    This study evaluated the cost-effective and timely use of Landsat imagery to map and monitor emergent aquatic plant biomass and to filter satellite image products for the most probable locations of water hyacinth coverage in the Delta based on field observations collected immediately after satellite image acquisition.

  7. Growth laws for sub-delta crevasses in the Mississippi River Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yocum, T. A.; Georgiou, I. Y.; Straub, K. M.

    2017-12-01

    River deltas are threatened by environmental change, including subsidence, global sea level rise, reduced sediment inputs and other local factors. In the Mississippi River Delta (MRD) these impacts are exemplified, and have led to proposed solutions to build land that include sediment diversions to reinitiate the delta cycle. Deltas were studied extensively using numerical models, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, empirical scaling relationships, laboratory models and field observations. But predicting the future of deltas relies on field observations where for most deltas data are still lacking. Moreover, empirical and theoretical scaling laws may be influenced by the data used to develop them, while laboratory deltas may be influenced by scaling issues. Anthropogenic crevasses in the MRD are large enough to overcome limitations of laboratory deltas, and small enough to allow for rapid channel and wetland development, providing an ideal setting to investigate delta development mechanics. Here we assessed growth laws of sub-delta crevasses (SDC) in the MRD, in two experimental laboratory deltas (LD - weakly and strongly cohesive) and compared them to river dominated deltas worldwide. Channel and delta geometry metrics for each system were obtained using geospatial tools, bathymetric datasets, sediment size, and hydrodynamic observations. Results show that SDC follow growth laws similar to large river dominated deltas, with the exception of some that exhibit anomalous behavior with respect to the frequency and distance to a bifurcation and the fraction of wetted delta shoreline (allometry metrics). Most SDC exhibit a systematic decrease of non-dimensional channel geometries with increased bifurcation order, indicating that channels are adjusting to decreased flow after bifurcations occur, and exhibit linear trends for land allometry and width-depth ratio, although geometries decrease more rapidly per bifurcation order. Measured distance to bifurcations in SDC

  8. Developing a Truly Global Delta Database to Assess Delta Morphology and Morphodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caldwell, R. L.; Edmonds, D. A.; Baumgardner, S. E.; Whaling, A.

    2015-12-01

    Delta morphology reflects the interplay of various environmental parameters, though these relationships have only been tested on small datasets with 30-50 deltas. These datasets are biased toward the largest deltas, which typically have compound morphologies, form on passive margins, and may not be representative of the full breadth in delta morphology. With the goal of building more robust predictions of delta morphology to enhance hazard mitigation and resiliency planning, we have developed a truly global delta database including every delta on the world's marine coastlines. Using Google Earth imagery, we first identified all fluvial river mouths (≥ 50 m wide) connected to an upstream catchment. Deltas are defined geomorphically as river mouths that split into two or more active or relict distributary channels, end in a depositional protrusion from the shoreline, or do both. In our database we identified 5,801 river mouths, and 1,426 of those coastal rivers (~25%) have a geomorphic delta. ~75% of deltas exhibit an active or relict distributary network, while the remaining ~25% are single channel deltas with a basinward protrusion. Preliminary morphometric analysis (ratio of shore-parallel width, W, to shore-perpendicular length, L) on a subset of 159 deltas suggests W:L values range from 0.52 (elongate) to 23.6 (broad/cuspate). The median W:L value is 2.68, suggesting the majority of deltas are roughly semi-circular (W:L = 2), and the distribution is heavily skewed to the broad/cuspate deltas (~28% are >4 times wider than they are long). Preliminary comparison to downstream significant wave height data shows that the 'wider' deltas relate to higher wave heights (R2 = 0.42), though the data are scattered. Ultimately, the database will include additional measured morphometrics, including number of channel mouths and delta area, and morphodynamic data derived from serial Landsat imagery.

  9. Thermal history of rocks in southern San Joaquin Valley, California: evidence from fission-track analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Naeser, N.D.; Naeser, C.W.; McCulloh, T.H.

    1990-01-01

    Fission-track analysis has been used to study the thermal and depositional history of the subsurface Tertiary sedimentary rocks on both sides of the active White Wolf reverse fault in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The distinctly different thermal histories of the rocks in the two structural blocks are clearly reflected in the apatite fission-track data, which suggest that rocks in the rapidly subsiding basin northwest of the fault have been near their present temperature for only about 1 m.y. compared with about 10 m.y. for rocks southeast of the fault. These estimates of heating time agree with previous estimates for these rocks. Zircon fission-track data indicate that the Tertiary sediments were derived from parent rocks of more than one age. However, from at least the Eocene to late Miocene or Pliocene, the major sediment source was rocks related to the youngest Sierra Nevada Mesozoic intrusive complexes, which are presently exposed east and south of the southern San Joaquin Valley. -from Authors

  10. An investigation of the rapid spectral variability of the AP stars 53 Cam, 41 Tau, and Beta CrB on the basis of the K CA II and H-delta lines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuvshinov, V. M.; Plachinda, S. I.

    The flux is shown to vary with the phase of the period of axial rotation. For 53 Cam and Beta CrB, this variability is smooth and is well correlated with the intensity of the mean surface magnetic field. It is pointed out that in the case of 53 Cam, an analogous dependence between the equivalent width of the K Ca II line and the phase of the period of rotation was obtained by Faraggiana (1973). It is considered significant that the correlations between the flux in the K line and the intensity of the mean surface magnetic field for 53 Cam and Beta CrB have the same sign. With 41 Tau, as with the effective magnetic field, no smooth relationship is found between the fluxes in the K Ca II and H-delta lines and the phase of the period of rotation.

  11. Increasing vertical resolution in US models to improve track forecasts of Hurricane Joaquin with HWRF as an example

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Banglin; Tallapragada, Vijay; Weng, Fuzhong; Liu, Qingfu; Sippel, Jason A.; Ma, Zaizhong; Bender, Morris A.

    2016-01-01

    The atmosphere−ocean coupled Hurricane Weather Research and Forecast model (HWRF) developed at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) is used as an example to illustrate the impact of model vertical resolution on track forecasts of tropical cyclones. A number of HWRF forecasting experiments were carried out at different vertical resolutions for Hurricane Joaquin, which occurred from September 27 to October 8, 2015, in the Atlantic Basin. The results show that the track prediction for Hurricane Joaquin is much more accurate with higher vertical resolution. The positive impacts of higher vertical resolution on hurricane track forecasts suggest that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/NCEP should upgrade both HWRF and the Global Forecast System to have more vertical levels. PMID:27698121

  12. Structure refinements of members in the brownmillerite solid solution series Ca{sub 2}Al{sub x}(Fe{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 0.5}){sub 2-x}O{sub 5+{delta}} with 1/2{<=}x{<=}4/3

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

    Stoeber, Stefan, E-mail: stefan.stoeber@geo.uni-halle.de; Redhammer, Guenther; Schorr, Susan

    2013-01-15

    Four different brownmillerite solid solutions Ca{sub 2}Al{sub x}(Fe{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 0.5}){sub 2-x}O{sub 5+{delta}} with 1/2{<=}x{<=}4/3 were synthesized by a solid oxide ceramic method. The phases crystallize either in a primitive centered orthorhombic cell with space group Pnma or in a body centered cell with space group I2mb dependent on the aluminum concentration present in the solid solution. Mn{sup 3+} ions occupy exclusively site 4a coordinated by six oxygen anions. Increasing Mn{sup 3+} concentrations cause a remarkable distortion of the octahedron and indirectly of the tetrahedron, resulting in twisted and tilted octahedral layers as well as buckled tetrahedral chains. The influences aremore » discussed on the site 4a of trivalent manganese due to its Jahn-Teller activity, with regard to the occupation of octahedron and tetrahedron with different sized iron and aluminum ions. - Graphical Abstract: The coupled substitution Fe{sup 3+}>Mn{sup 3+}+Fe{sup 3+} <=>2 Al{sup 3+} in brownmillerite phases (Ca{sub 2}(Fe{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 0.5}){sub 2-x}Al{sub x}O{sub 5+{delta}}) changes predominantly their structural properties, which is essential for the hydration performance of the calcium aluminate cement, where brownmillerites occur as clinker phases. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We present structural data of four Ca-Al-Fe-Mn-brownmillerites. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mn{sup 3+}-ions occupy exclusively the octahedrally coordinated site 0,0,0. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Bonds and angles of the octahedrally coordinated site are distorted strongly. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mn{sup 3+}-ions influence indirectly the shape of the tetrahedron. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mn{sup 3+}-ions stabilize Pnma instead of I2mb in Ca-Al-Fe-Mn-brownmillerites.« less

  13. SQUID picovoltometry of single crystal Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) - Observation of the crossover from high-temperature Arrhenius to low-temperature vortex-glass behavior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Safar, H.; Gammel, P. L.; Bishop, D. J.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.

    1992-04-01

    A SQUID voltmeter has been used to measure current-voltage curves in untwinned crystals of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The data show a clear crossover from high-temperature Arrhenius behavior to a critical region associated with the low-temperature three-dimensional vortex-glass phase transition. The critical exponents v(z - 1) = 7 +/- 1 in this system are in accord with theoretical models and previous measurements in YBa2Cu3O7. The width of the critical region collapses below 2 T, reflecting the changing role of dimensionality with field.

  14. Petroleum systems of the San Joaquin Basin Province, California -- geochemical characteristics of oil types: Chapter 9 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lillis, Paul G.; Magoon, Leslie B.

    2007-01-01

    New analyses of 120 oil samples combined with 139 previously published oil analyses were used to characterize and map the distribution of oil types in the San Joaquin Basin, California. The results show that there are at least four oil types designated MM, ET, EK, and CM. Most of the oil from the basin has low to moderate sulfur content (less than 1 weight percent sulfur), although a few unaltered MM oils have as much as 1.2 weight percent sulfur. Reevaluation of source rock data from the literature indicate that the EK oil type is derived from the Eocene Kreyenhagen Formation, and the MM oil type is derived, in part, from the Miocene to Pliocene Monterey Formation and its equivalent units. The ET oil type is tentatively correlated to the Eocene Tumey formation of Atwill (1935). Previous studies suggest that the CM oil type is derived from the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene Moreno Formation. Maps of the distribution of the oil types show that the MM oil type is restricted to the southern third of the San Joaquin Basin Province. The composition of MM oils along the southern and eastern margins of the basin reflects the increased contribution of terrigenous organic matter to the marine basin near the Miocene paleoshoreline. EK oils are widely distributed along the western half of the basin, and ET oils are present in the central and west-central areas of the basin. The CM oil type has only been found in the Coalinga area in southwestern Fresno County. The oil type maps provide the basis for petroleum system maps that incorporate source rock distribution and burial history, migration pathways, and geologic relationships between hydrocarbon source and reservoir rocks. These petroleum system maps were used for the 2003 U.S. Geological Survey resource assessment of the San Joaquin Basin Province.

  15. Rapid Weakening of Hurricane Joaquin in Strong Vertical Wind Shear and Cold SSTs: Numerical Simulations with Assimilation of High-Definition Sounding System Dropsondes During Tropical Cyclone Intensity Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pu, Z.; Zhang, S.

    2017-12-01

    Observations from High-Definition Sounding System (HDSS) Dropsondes, collected for Hurricane Joaquin (2005) during the Office of Naval Research Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) Experiment in 2015, are assimilated into the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI)-based hybrid data assimilation systems embedded in the NCEP Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) system. A three-dimensional and a four-dimensional ensemble-variational hybrid (3DEnVAR and 4DEnVar) data assimilation configuration are used. It is found that the experiments with assimilation of the HDSS dropsonde observations capture well the intensity changes during the rapid weakening (RW) of Hurricane Joaquin. Compared with 3DEnVAR, 4DEnVar leads to better assimilation results and subsequent forecasts and thus offers a set of simulations to diagnose the processes associated with the RW of Hurricane Joaquin. A drastic increase in the vertical wind shear (VWS, with a magnitude of 12 m s-1) is found before the RW. This high VWS is persistent during the 0-12 h period of RW, inducing changes in the vortex structure of Hurricane Joaquin through dry air intrusion in the mid-level and the dilution of the upper-level warm core. The transport of low air from above into the boundary layer occurs at the same time, resulting in depressed values in the storm inflow layer and reduced eyewall values through the updraft. As a consequence, downdrafts flush the boundary layer with low air, leading to the weakening of inflow in the boundary layers. When Hurricane Joaquin moves over an area where the SSTs are below 28oC within the hurricane inner core during the 18-30 h period of RW, the cold SSTs significantly inhibit latent and sensible heat release within the hurricane inner core and its vicinity, thus resulting in the continuous weakening of Hurricane Joaquin.

  16. Rapid Weakening of Hurricane Joaquin in Strong Vertical Wind Shear and Cold SSTs: Numerical Simulations with Assimilation of High-Definition Sounding System Dropsondes During Tropical Cyclone Intensity Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pikelnaya, O.; Polidori, A.; Tisopulos, L.; Mellqvist, J.; Samuelsson, J.; Robinson, R. A.; Innocenti, F.; Perry, S.

    2016-12-01

    Observations from High-Definition Sounding System (HDSS) Dropsondes, collected for Hurricane Joaquin (2005) during the Office of Naval Research Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) Experiment in 2015, are assimilated into the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI)-based hybrid data assimilation systems embedded in the NCEP Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) system. A three-dimensional and a four-dimensional ensemble-variational hybrid (3DEnVAR and 4DEnVar) data assimilation configuration are used. It is found that the experiments with assimilation of the HDSS dropsonde observations capture well the intensity changes during the rapid weakening (RW) of Hurricane Joaquin. Compared with 3DEnVAR, 4DEnVar leads to better assimilation results and subsequent forecasts and thus offers a set of simulations to diagnose the processes associated with the RW of Hurricane Joaquin. A drastic increase in the vertical wind shear (VWS, with a magnitude of 12 m s-1) is found before the RW. This high VWS is persistent during the 0-12 h period of RW, inducing changes in the vortex structure of Hurricane Joaquin through dry air intrusion in the mid-level and the dilution of the upper-level warm core. The transport of low air from above into the boundary layer occurs at the same time, resulting in depressed values in the storm inflow layer and reduced eyewall values through the updraft. As a consequence, downdrafts flush the boundary layer with low air, leading to the weakening of inflow in the boundary layers. When Hurricane Joaquin moves over an area where the SSTs are below 28oC within the hurricane inner core during the 18-30 h period of RW, the cold SSTs significantly inhibit latent and sensible heat release within the hurricane inner core and its vicinity, thus resulting in the continuous weakening of Hurricane Joaquin.

  17. Tl sub 1-x Pr sub x Sr sub 2-y Pr sub y CuO sub 5-. delta. : First member of the family TlA sub 2 Ca sub m-1 Cu sub m O sub 2m+3 (A = Ba, Sr)

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

    Bourgault, D.; Martin, C.; Michel, C.

    1989-02-01

    The synthesis, structure, and superconducting properties of the first member obtained during the investigation of the Tl-Sr-Cu-O and Tl-Sr-Pr-Cu-O systems are described. In order to check out the structural model corresponding to the first member of the series, TlSr{sub 2}Ca{sub m-1}Cu{sub m}O{sub 2m+3}, structure calculations were performed from x-ray powder data of the oxide Tl{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 1.6}Pr{sub 0.6}CuO{sub 5}. Magnetic measurements show only traces of diamagnetism for Tl{sub 0.7}Pr{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 2}CuO{sub 5-{delta}} and TlSr{sub 2}CuO{sub 5-{delta}}; however, Tl{sub 0.8}Pr{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 1.6}Cu{sub 5-{delta}} exhibits diamagnetism below 40K. 21 refs., 2 figs.

  18. Middle Tertiary stratigraphic sequences of the San Joaquin Basin, California: Chapter 6 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Cari L.; Graham, Stephan A.

    2007-01-01

    An integrated database of outcrop studies, borehole logs, and seismic-reflection profiles is used to divide Eocene through Miocene strata of the central and southern San Joaquin Basin, California, into a framework of nine stratigraphic sequences. These third- and higher-order sequences (<3 m.y. duration) comprise the principal intervals for petroleum assessment for the basin, including key reservoir and source rock intervals. Important characteristics of each sequence are discussed, including distribution and stratigraphic relationships, sedimentary facies, regional correlation, and age relations. This higher-order stratigraphic packaging represents relatively short-term fluctuations in various forcing factors including climatic effects, changes in sediment supply, local and regional tectonism, and fluctuations in global eustatic sea level. These stratigraphic packages occur within the context of second-order stratigraphic megasequences, which mainly reflect long-term tectonic basin evolution. Despite more than a century of petroleum exploration in the San Joaquin Basin, many uncertainties remain regarding the age, correlation, and origin of the third- and higher-order sequences. Nevertheless, a sequence stratigraphic approach allows definition of key intervals based on genetic affinity rather than purely lithostratigraphic relationships, and thus is useful for reconstructing the multiphase history of this basin, as well as understanding its petroleum systems.

  19. Sedimentary facies and Holocene progradation rates of the Changjiang (Yangtze) delta, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hori, Kazuaki; Saito, Yoshiki; Zhao, Quanhong; Cheng, Xinrong; Wang, Pinxian; Sato, Yoshio; Li, Congxian

    2001-11-01

    The Changjiang (Yangtze) River, one of the largest rivers in the world, has formed a broad tide-dominated delta at its mouth during the Holocene sea-level highstand. Three boreholes (CM97, JS98, and HQ98) were obtained from the Changjiang delta plain in 1997-1998 to clarify the characteristics of tide-dominated delta sediments and architecture. Based on sediment composition and texture, and faunal content, core sediments were divided into six depositional units. In ascending order, they were interpreted as tidal sand ridge, prodelta, delta-front, subtidal to lower intertidal flat, upper intertidal flat, and surface soil deposits. The deltaic sequence from the prodelta deposits to the delta front deposits showed an upward-coarsening succession, overlain by an upward-fining succession from the uppermost part of the delta front deposits to the surface soil. Thinly interlaminated to thinly interbedded sand and mud (sand-mud couplets), and bidirectional cross laminations in these deposits show that tide is the key factor affecting the formation of Changjiang deltaic facies. Sediment facies and their succession combined with AMS 14C dating revealed that isochron lines cross unit boundaries clearly, and delta progradation has occurred since about 6000 to 7000 years BP, when the rising sea level neared or reached its present position. The average progradation rate of the delta front was approximately 50 km/kyear over the last 5000 years. The progradation rate, however, increased abruptly ca. 2000 years BP, going from 38 to 80 km/kyear. The possible causes for this active progradation could have been an increase in sediment production in the drainage basin due to widespread human interference and/or decrease in deposition in the middle reaches related to the channel stability caused by human activity and climatic cooling after the mid-Holocene.

  20. 76 FR 35167 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-16

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R09-OAR-2011-0312; FRL-9319-8] Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations...

  1. Comparison of Oxygenate Mixing Ratios Observed in the San Joaquin Valley, California, as a Consequence of Dairy Farming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, M. M.; Blake, D. R.

    2009-12-01

    The San Joaquin Valley Air Basin in Central California is plagued with air quality problems, and is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a serious non-attainment area for health-based eight-hour federal ozone (smog) standard (1). One of the main sources of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and indirect sources of ozone in the Valley, has been identified as dairy farming (2). Among these compounds, we have found that several OVOCs such as ethanol, methanol, acetone and acetaldehyde are produced in major quantities throughout the San Joaquin valley as by-products of yeast fermentation of silage and photochemical oxidation. These oxygenates, especially ethanol, play an important role in ozone (O3) formation within the valley. Since 2008, several different types of sampling protocols have been employed by our group in order to determine the degree of enhancement of the four oxygenates in the valley air shed, as well as to determine their sources, emission profiles and emission rates (2). In 2008 and 2009, samples were in early summer, allowing us to compare the difference in concentration levels between both years.The photochemical production of ozone was calculated for each of the four oxygenates and approximately one hundred other quantified VOCs. Based on the Maximum Incremental Reactivity (MIR) scale and concentrations of each oxygenate in the atmosphere, for both 2008 and 2009, as much as 15% of O3 production in the valley is from ethanol and its photochemical by-product acetaldehyde. Our findings suggest that the data observed in 2008 is consistent with that observed in 2009, with a slight decrease in concentrations overall for 2009. 1. Lindberg, J. Analysis of the San Joaquin Valley 2007 Ozone Plan. State of California Air Resources Board. Final Draft Staff Report. 5/30/2007. 2. M. Yang, S. Meinardi, C. Krauter, D.R. Blake. Characterization of VOC Emissions from Various Components of Dairy Farming and their effect on San Joaquin

  2. Analysis of Salinity Intrusion in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Using a GA-Optimized Neural Net, and Application of the Model to Prediction in the Elkhorn Slough Habitat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, D. E.; Rajkumar, T.

    2002-12-01

    The San Francisco Bay Delta is a large hydrodynamic complex that incorporates the Sacramento and San Joaquin Estuaries, the Suisan Marsh, and the San Francisco Bay proper. Competition exists for the use of this extensive water system both from the fisheries industry, the agricultural industry, and from the marine and estuarine animal species within the Delta. As tidal fluctuations occur, more saline water pushes upstream allowing fish to migrate beyond the Suisan Marsh for breeding and habitat occupation. However, the agriculture industry does not want extensive salinity intrusion to impact water quality for human and plant consumption. The balance is regulated by pumping stations located along the estuaries and reservoirs whereby flushing of fresh water keeps the saline intrusion at bay. The pumping schedule is driven by data collected at various locations within the Bay Delta and by numerical models that predict the salinity intrusion as part of a larger model of the system. The Interagency Ecological Program (IEP) for the San Francisco Bay / Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary collects, monitors, and archives the data, and the Department of Water Resources provides a numerical model simulation (DSM2) from which predictions are made that drive the pumping schedule. A problem with DSM2 is that the numerical simulation takes roughly 16 hours to complete a prediction. We have created a neural net, optimized with a genetic algorithm, that takes as input the archived data from multiple gauging stations and predicts stage, salinity, and flow at the Carquinez Straits (at the downstream end of the Suisan Marsh). This model seems to be robust in its predictions and operates much faster than the current numerical DSM2 model. Because the Bay-Delta is strongly tidally driven, we used both Principal Component Analysis and Fast Fourier Transforms to discover dominant features within the IEP data. We then filtered out the dominant tidal forcing to discover non-primary tidal effects

  3. Holocene evolution of a wave-dominated fan-delta: Godavari delta, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saito, Y.; Nageswara Rao, K.; Nagakumar, K.; Demudu, G.; Rajawat, A.; Kubo, S.; Li, Z.

    2013-12-01

    The Godavari delta is one of the world's largest wave-dominated deltas. The Godavari River arises in the Western Ghats near the west coast of India and drains an area of about 3.1x10^5 km^2, flowing about 1465 km southeast across the Indian peninsula to the Bay of Bengal. The Godavari delta consists of a gentle seaward slope from its apex (12 m elevation) at Rajahmundry and a coastal beach-ridge plain over a distance of about 75 km and covers ~5200 km^2 as a delta plain. The river splits into two major distributary channels, the Gautami and the Vasishta, at a barrage constructed in the mid-1800s. The coastal environment of the deltaic coast is microtidal (~1 m mean tidal range) and wave-dominated (~1.5 m mean wave height in the June-September SW monsoon season, ~0.8 m in the NE monsoon season). Models of the Holocene evolution of the Godavari delta have changed from a zonal progradation model (e.g. Nageswara Rao & Sadakata, 1993) to a truncated cuspate delta model (Nageswara Rao et al., 2005, 2012). Twelve borehole cores (340 m total length), taken in the coastal delta plain during 2010-2013, yielded more than 100 C-14 dates. Sediment facies and C-14 dates from these and previous cores and remote-sensing data support a new delta evolution model. The Holocene coastal delta plain is divided into two parts by a set of linear beach ridges 12-14 km landward from the present shoreline in the central part of the delta. The location of the main depocenter (lobe) has shifted during the Holocene from 1) the center to 2) the west, 3) east, 4) center, 5) west, and 6) east. The linear beach ridges separate the first three from the last three stages. These lobe shifts are controlled by river channel shifts near the apex. Just as the current linear shoreline of the central part of the delta and the concave-up nearshore topography are the result of coastal erosion of a cuspate delta, the linear beach ridges indicate a former eroded shoreline. An unconformity within the deltaic

  4. Metabolic rate in different rat brain areas during seizures induced by a specific delta opiate receptor agonist.

    PubMed

    Haffmans, J; De Kloet, R; Dzoljic, M R

    1984-06-04

    The glucose utilization during specific delta opiate agonist-induced epileptiform phenomena, determined by the [14C]2-deoxyglucose technique (2-DG), was examined in various rat brain areas at different time intervals. The peak in EEG spiking response and the most intensive 2-DG uptake occurred 5 min after intraventricular (i.v.t.) administration of the delta opiate receptor agonist. The most pronounced 2-DG uptake at this time interval can be observed in the subiculum, including the CA1 hippocampal area, frontal cortex and central amygdala. A general decrease of glucose consumption, compared to control values, is observed after 10 min, in all regions, with exception of the subiculum. Since functional activity and 2-DG uptake are correlated, we suggest that the subiculum and/or CA1 area, are probably the brain regions most involved in the enkephalin-induced epileptic phenomena.

  5. AmeriFlux US-Bi2 Bouldin Island corn

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

    Baldocchi, Dennis

    This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Bi2 Bouldin Island corn. Site Description - corn is growing on an island in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. This site has deep peat that was drained for farming. Over the past 100 years there has been excessive subsidence of the peat in the delta

  6. 34. Photographic copy of photograph (ca. 1962, original print in ...

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

    34. Photographic copy of photograph (ca. 1962, original print in possession of Army Corps of Engineers, Ft. Belvoir, Virginia) Photographer unknown. View of launch control facility under construction, security gate at left - Ellsworth Air Force Base, Delta Flight, 10 mile radius around Exit 127 off Interstate 90, Interior, Jackson County, SD

  7. The Use of Radar to Improve Rainfall Estimation over the Tennessee and San Joaquin River Valleys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Petersen, Walter A.; Gatlin, Patrick N.; Felix, Mariana; Carey, Lawrence D.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation provides an overview of the collaborative radar rainfall project between the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Von Braun Center for Science & Innovation (VCSI), NASA MSFC and UAHuntsville. Two systems were used in this project, Advanced Radar for Meteorological & Operational Research (ARMOR) Rainfall Estimation Processing System (AREPS), a demonstration project of real-time radar rainfall using a research radar and NEXRAD Rainfall Estimation Processing System (NREPS). The objectives, methodology, some results and validation, operational experience and lessons learned are reviewed. The presentation. Another project that is using radar to improve rainfall estimations is in California, specifically the San Joaquin River Valley. This is part of a overall project to develop a integrated tool to assist water management within the San Joaquin River Valley. This involves integrating several components: (1) Radar precipitation estimates, (2) Distributed hydro model, (3) Snowfall measurements and Surface temperature / moisture measurements. NREPS was selected to provide precipitation component.

  8. Anaerobic Transformation of Furfural by Methanococcus deltae (Delta)LH

    PubMed Central

    Belay, N.; Boopathy, R.; Voskuilen, G.

    1997-01-01

    Methanococcus deltae (Delta)LH was grown on H(inf2)-CO(inf2) in the presence of various concentrations of furfural. Furfural at higher concentrations, namely, 20 and 25 mM, inhibited growth of this organism. At concentration of 5 and 10 mM, no inhibition of growth was observed. The other methanogens in this study were not inhibited by 10 mM furfural. Among the methanogens tested, M. deltae was capable of transforming furfural, whereas Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg, Methanosarcina barkeri 227, Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus, and Methanobrevibacter ruminantium lacked this capability. One hundred percent removal of furfural was observed within 48 h of incubation in M. deltae cultures. The end product observed during furfural metabolism was furfuryl alcohol. An almost stoichiometric amount of furfuryl alcohol was produced by M. deltae. This transformation is likely to be of value in the detoxification of furfural and in its ultimate conversion to methane and CO(inf2) by anaerobic digestion. PMID:16535618

  9. Preliminary assessment of sources, distribution, and mobility of selenium in the San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gilliom, R.J.

    1989-01-01

    Selenium in tile drain water from parts of the western San Joaquin Valley, California, has adversely affected fish and waterfowl where drain water was impounded. Soils in these drained areas were derived from Coast Range marine sedimentary formations, were naturally saline and probably contained abundant soluble selenium. Decades of irrigation have redistributed the most soluble forms of selenium from the soil into groundwater and have caused the water table to rise 1 to 4 ft/year. Selenium in shallow groundwater has been further concentrated because of evapotranspiration. The rising water table has caused a large area of farmland to require artificial drainage of groundwater that contains high concentrations of selenium. The present areal distribution of selenium in shallow groundwater reflects the natural distribution of saline soils. The depth distribution of selenium in groundwater reflects the history of irrigation. The highest concentrations of selenium in groundwater (50 to more than 1,000 micrograms/L) are in a zone of variable thickness located between 20 and 150 ft below the water table. The toxic water in this zone was recharged during the first few decades of irrigation. The large volume of high selenium groundwater makes it desirable to leave this water where it is, rather than bring it to the land surface or allow it to move into parts of the aquifer that may be used for water supply. Selenium concentrations in the San Joaquin River depend on the magnitude of the selenium load from drain water and dilution by water with low concentrations of selenium from all other sources of streamflow. The San Joaquin Valley is a regional-scale example of how manipulation of the hydrologic system can cause water quality problems if naturally occurring toxic substances are mobilized. (USGS)

  10. Assessing the solubility controls on vanadium in groundwater, northeastern San Joaquin Valley, CA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wright, Michael T.; Stollenwerk, Kenneth G.; Belitz, Kenneth

    2014-01-01

    The solubility controls on vanadium (V) in groundwater were studied due to concerns over possible harmful health effects of ingesting V in drinking water. Vanadium concentrations in the northeastern San Joaquin Valley ranged from 25 μg/L) and lowest in samples collected from anoxic groundwater (70% 2VO4−. Adsorption/desorption reactions with mineral surfaces and associated oxide coatings were indicated as the primary solubility control of V5+ oxyanions in groundwater. Environmental data showed that V concentrations in oxic groundwater generally increased with increasing groundwater pH. However, data from adsorption isotherm experiments indicated that small variations in pH (7.4–8.2) were not likely as an important a factor as the inherent adsorption capacity of oxide assemblages coating the surface of mineral grains. In suboxic groundwater, accurate SM modeling was difficult since Eh measurements of source water were not measured in this study. Vanadium concentrations in suboxic groundwater decreased with increasing pH indicating that V may exist as an oxycationic species [e.g. V(OH)3+]. Vanadium may complex with dissolved inorganic and organic ligands under suboxic conditions, which could alter the adsorption behavior of V in groundwater. Speciation modeling did not predict the existence of V-inorganic ligand complexes and organic ligands were not collected as part of this study. More work is needed to determine processes governing V solubility under suboxic groundwater conditions. Under anoxic groundwater conditions, SM predicts that aqueous V exists as the uncharged V(OH)3 molecule. However, exceedingly low V concentrations show that V is sparingly soluble in anoxic conditions. Results indicated that V may be precipitating as V3+- or mixed V3+/Fe3+-oxides in anoxic groundwater, which is consistent with results of a previous study. The fact that V appears insoluble in anoxic (Fe reducing) redox conditions indicates that the behavior of V is different than

  11. Emissions of organic carbon and methane from petroleum and dairy operations in California’s San Joaquin Valley

    EPA Science Inventory

    Petroleum and dairy operations are prominent sources of gas-phase organic compounds in California's San Joaquin Valley. It is essential to understand the emissions and air quality impacts of these relatively understudied sources, especially for oil/gas operations in light of incr...

  12. 77 FR 745 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-06

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R09-OAR-2011-0547; FRL-9480-1] Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) Correction In rule document 2011-33660 appearing on pages 214-217 in the issue of Wednesday...

  13. Preliminary assessment of the effects of selenium in agricultural drainage on fish in the San Joaquin Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saiki, M.K.; Jennings, M.R.; Hamilton, S.J.; Dinar, A.; Zilberman, D.

    1991-01-01

    Concentrations of total selenium were measured in whole-body samples of seven fishes from the Sacramento and San Joaquin River systems and the San Francisco Bay complex. Concentrations of selenium (up to 11 µg/g dry weight in whole-body composite samples) were highest in fish from canals and sloughs in the Grassland Water District (Grasslands) that received large inflows of subsurface agricultural drainage water. Slightly lower selenium concentrations occurred in fish from the San Joaquin River immediately downstream from tributaries draining the Grasslands. Although circumstantial evidence suggests that selenium-sensitive species such as bluegills and largemouth bass are being excluded from the Grasslands, conclusive evidence of selenium toxicity is still lacking. In response to earlier reports of high concentrations of selenium in several species collected from the Grasslands, the California Department of Health Services has urged people to limit consumption of fish from this region.

  14. Growth laws for delta crevasses in the Mississippi River Delta: observations and modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yocum, T. A.; Georgiou, I. Y.

    2016-02-01

    River deltas are accumulations of sedimentary deposits delivered by rivers via a network of distributary channels. Worldwide they are threatened by environmental changes, including subsidence, global sea level rise and a suite of other local factors. In the Mississippi River Delta (MRD) these impacts are exemplified, and have led to proposed solutions to build land that include sediment diversions, thereby reinitiating the delta cycle. While economically efficient, there are too few analogs of small deltas aside from laboratory studies, numerical modeling studies, theoretical approaches, and limited field driven observations. Anthropogenic crevasses in the modern delta are large enough to overcome limitations of laboratory deltas, and small enough to allow for "rapid" channel and wetland development, providing an ideal setting to investigate delta development mechanics. Crevasse metrics were obtained using a combination of geospatial tools, extracting key parameters (bifurcation length and width, channel order and depth) that were non-dimensionalized and compared to river-dominated delta networks previously studied. Analysis showed that most crevasses in the MRD appear to obey delta growth laws and delta allometry relationships, suggesting that crevasses do exhibit similar planform metrics to larger Deltas; the distance to mouth bar versus bifurcation order demonstrated to be a very reasonable first order estimate of delta-top footprint. However, some crevasses exhibited different growth metrics. To better understand the hydrodynamic and geomorphic controls governing crevasse evolution in the MRD, we assess delta dynamics via a suite of field observations and numerical modeling in both well-established and newly constructed crevasses. Our analysis suggests that delta development is affected by the relative influence of external (upstream and downstream) and internal controls on the hydrodynamic and sediment transport patterns in these systems.

  15. Targeting mechanisms of high voltage-activated Ca2+ channels.

    PubMed

    Herlitze, Stefan; Xie, Mian; Han, Jing; Hümmer, Alexander; Melnik-Martinez, Katya V; Moreno, Rosa L; Mark, Melanie D

    2003-12-01

    Functional voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel complexes are assembled by three to four subunits: alpha1, beta, alpha2delta subunits (C. Leveque et al., 1994, J. Biol Chem. 269, 6306-6312; M. W. McEnery et al., 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 11095-11099) and at least in muscle cells also y subunits (B. M. Curtis and W. A. Catterall, 1984, Biochemistry 23, 2113-2118). Ca2+ channels mediate the voltage-dependent Ca2+ influx in subcellular compartments, triggering such diverse processes as neurotransmitter release, dendritic action potentials, excitation-contraction, and excitation-transcription coupling. The targeting of biophysically defined Ca2+ channel complexes to the correct subcellular structures is, thus, critical to proper cell and physiological functioning. Despite their importance, surprisingly little is known about the targeting mechanisms by which Ca2+ channel complexes are transported to their site of function. Here we summarize what we know about the targeting of Ca2+ channel complexes through the cell to the plasma membrane and subcellular structures.

  16. Selenium and other elements in juvenile striped bass from the San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Estuary, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saiki, Michael K.; Palawski, Donald U.

    1990-01-01

    Concentrations of selenium and other trace elements were determined in 55 whole body samples of juvenile anadromous striped bass (Morone saxatilis) from the San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Estuary, California. The fish (≤1 yr old—the predominant life stage in the San Joaquin Valley) were collected in September–December 1986 from 19 sites in the Valley and 3 sites in the Estuary, and analyzed for the following elements: aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), boron (B), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), magnesium (Mg), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn). When compared to concentrations in whole freshwater fish measured by surveys from other waters, a few samples contained higher levels, of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Se. The median concentrations of Al, As, Cu, Fe, Mg, Se, and Sr also differed significantly (P⩽0.05) among sites. However, only Se concentrations were highest (up to 7.9 μg/g dry weight) in samples from Valley sites exposed to agricultural subsurface (tile) drainwater; concentrations were lower in samples collected elsewhere. Water quality variables—especially those strongly influenced by tile drainwater (conductivity, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, and total hardness)—were also significantly correlated (P⩽0.05) with Se concentrations in fish. Selenium concentrations in striped bass from the Estuary were only one-fourth to one-half the concentrations measured in the most contaminated fish from the San Joaquin River.

  17. Factors affecting the abundance and distribution of European starlings at the San Joaquin Experimental Range

    Treesearch

    Kathryn L. Purcell; Jared Verner; Sylvia R. Mori

    2002-01-01

    We examined population trends and factors related to the abundance and presence of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) at the San Joaquin Experimental Range in the foothills of the western Sierra Nevada, 31 km east of Madera, California. Starlings first appeared there in low numbers in the late 1960s and are now abundant breeders. Simple models...

  18. Population Structure of Xylella fastidiosa Associated with Almond Leaf Scorch Disease in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

    PubMed

    Lin, Hong; Islam, Md Sajedul; Cabrera-La Rosa, Juan C; Civerolo, Edwin L; Groves, Russell L

    2015-06-01

    Xylella fastidiosa causes disease in many commercial crops, including almond leaf scorch (ALS) disease in susceptible almond (Prunus dulcis). In this study, genetic diversity and population structure of X. fastidiosa associated with ALS disease were evaluated. Isolates obtained from two almond orchards in Fresno and Kern County in the San Joaquin Valley of California were analyzed for two successive years. Multilocus simple-sequence repeat (SSR) analysis revealed two major genetic clusters that were associated with two host cultivars, 'Sonora' and 'Nonpareil', respectively, regardless of the year of study or location of the orchard. These relationships suggest that host cultivar selection and adaptation are major driving forces shaping ALS X. fastidiosa population structure in the San Joaquin Valley. This finding will provide insight into understanding pathogen adaptation and host selection in the context of ALS disease dynamics.

  19. 43. Photographic copy of photograph (ca. 1962, original print in ...

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

    43. Photographic copy of photograph (ca. 1962, original print in possession of Peter Kiewit Sons' Co., Omaha, Nebraska) Photographer unknown. View of launch closure, launch closure apron at left, personnel access hatch open at right - Ellsworth Air Force Base, Delta Flight, 10 mile radius around Exit 127 off Interstate 90, Interior, Jackson County, SD

  20. Geomorphology of the Chippewa River delta of Glacial Lake Saginaw, central Lower Michigan, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Connallon, Christopher B.; Schaetzl, Randall J.

    2017-08-01

    We introduce, characterize, and interpret the geomorphic history of a relict, Pleistocene-aged delta of the Chippewa River in central Lower Michigan. The broad, sandy Chippewa delta developed into various stages of Glacial Lake Saginaw, between ca. ≈ 17 and 15 ka·BP (calibrated ages). Although the delta was first identified in 1955 on a statewide glacial geology map, neither its extent nor its Pleistocene history had been previously determined. The delta is typically forested, owing to its wet, sandy soils, which stand out against the agricultural fields of the surrounding, loamy lake plain sediments. The delta heads near the city of Mt Pleasant and extends eastward onto the Saginaw Lowlands, i.e., the plain of Glacial Lake Saginaw. Data from 3285 water well logs, 180 hand augered sites, and 185 points randomly located in a GIS on two-storied (sand over loam) soils were used to determine the extent, textural properties, and thickness of the delta. The delta is ≈ 18 km wide and ≈ 38 km long and is sandy throughout. Deltaic sediments from neighboring rivers that also drained into Glacial Lake Saginaw merge with the lower Chippewa delta, obscuring its boundary there. The delta is thickest near the delta's head and in the center, but thins to 1-2 m or less on its eastern margins. Mean thicknesses are 2.3-2.9 m, suggestive of a thin sediment body, frequently impacted by the waves and fluctuating waters of the lakes. Although beach ridges are only weakly expressed across the delta because of the sandy sediment, the coarsest parts of the delta are generally coincident with some of these inferred former shorezones and have a broad, incised channel that formed while lake levels were low. The thick upper delta generally lies above the relict shorelines of Glacial Lakes Saginaw and Arkona (≈ 17.1 to ≈ 16 ka·BP), whereas most of the thin, distal delta is associated with Glacial Lake Warren (≈ 15 ka·BP). Together, these data suggest that the Chippewa delta formed

  1. Classification of Martian deltas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dehon, R. A.

    1993-01-01

    Water-borne sediments in streams are deposited, upon eventual cessation of flow, either as deltas or as alluvial fans or plains. Deltas and alluvial fans share a common characteristic; both may be described as deposition Al plains at the mouth of a river or stream. A delta is formed where a stream or river deposits its sedimentary load into a standing body of water such as an ocean or lake. An alluvial fan is produced where a stream loses capacity by a greatly decreased gradient. A delta has subaerial and subaqueous components, but an alluvial fan is entirely subaerial. In terrestrial conditions, deltas and alluvial fans are reasonably distinct landforms. The juxtaposition of concomitant features composition and internal structure are sufficiently explicit as to avoid any confusion regarding their proper identification on Mars, the recognition of deltas and their distinction from alluvial fans is made difficult by low resolution imaging. Further, although it may be demonstrated that standing bodies of water existed on the surface of Mars, many of these bodies may have existed for extremely short periods of time (a few days to months); hence, distinctive shoreline features were not developed. Thus, in an attempt to derive a Martian classification of deltas, the inclusion of wholly subaerial deposits may be unavoidable. A simple, broad, morphological classification of Martian deltas, primarily on planimetric shape, includes digitate deltas, fan-shaped deltas, and re-entrant deltas. A fourth, somewhat problematical class includes featureless plains at the end of many valley systems.

  2. Long-term avian research at the San Joaquin Experimental Range: recommendations for monitoring and managing oak woodlands

    Treesearch

    Kathryn L. Purcell

    2011-01-01

    Experimental forests and ranges are living laboratories that provide opportunities for conducting scientific research and transferring research results to partners and stakeholders. They are invaluable for their long-term data and capacity to foster collaborative, interdisciplinary research. The San Joaquin Experimental Range (SJER) was established to develop...

  3. A Transpacific Voyage: The Representation of Asia in Jose Joaquin Fernandez de Lizardi's "El Periquillo Sarniento"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hagimoto, Koichi

    2012-01-01

    This essay seeks to explore the representation of Asia in Jose Joaquin Fernandez de Lizardi's "El Periquillo Sarniento" (1816), which is often considered the first novel produced in Latin America. Although many scholars have examined the picaresque element as well as the nationalist aspect of the novel, the Asian presence in Fernandez de…

  4. Delta Scuti Variables

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Handler, Gerald

    2009-09-01

    We review recent research on Delta Scuti stars from an observer's viewpoint. First, some signposts helping to find the way through the Delta Scuti jungle are placed. Then, some problems in studying individual pulsators in the framework of asteroseismology are given before a view on how the study of these variables has benefited (or not) from past and present high-precision asteroseismic space missions is presented. Some possible pitfalls in the analysis of data with a large dynamical range in pulsational amplitudes are pointed out, and a strategy to optimize the outcome of asteroseismic studies of Delta Scuti stars is suggested. We continue with some views on ``hybrid'' pulsators and interesting individual High Amplitude Delta Scuti stars, and then take a look on Delta Scuti stars in stellar systems of several different kinds. Recent results on pre-main sequence Delta Scuti stars are discussed as are questions related to the instability strip of these variables. Finally, some remarkable new theoretical results are highlighted before, instead of a set of classical conclusions, questions to be solved in the future, are raised.

  5. 19. Photographic copy of photograph (ca. 1962, original print in ...

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

    19. Photographic copy of photograph (ca. 1962, original print in possession of Peter Kiewit Sons' Co., Omaha, Nebraska) Photographer unknown. Road signs for Alpha Flight Launch Facility sites 8-11 and Bravo Flight Launch Facility sites 2 and 11 - Ellsworth Air Force Base, Delta Flight, 10 mile radius around Exit 127 off Interstate 90, Interior, Jackson County, SD

  6. Contaminated fish consumption in California's Central Valley Delta.

    PubMed

    Shilling, Fraser; White, Aubrey; Lippert, Lucas; Lubell, Mark

    2010-05-01

    Extensive mercury contamination and angler selection of the most contaminated fish species coincide in California's Central Valley. This has led to a policy conundrum: how to balance the economic and cultural impact of advising subsistence anglers to eat less fish with the economic cost of reducing the mercury concentrations in fish? State agencies with regulatory and other jurisdictional authority lack sufficient data and have no consistent approach to this problem. The present study focused on a critical and contentious region in California's Central Valley (the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers Delta) where mercury concentrations in fish and subsistence fishing rates are both high. Anglers and community members were surveyed for their fish preferences, rates of consumption, the ways that they receive health information, and basic demographic information. The rates of fish consumption for certain ethnicities were higher than the rates used by state agencies for planning pollution remediation. A broad range of ethnic groups were involved in catching and eating fish. The majority of anglers reported catching fish in order to feed to their families, including children and women of child-bearing age. There were varied preferences for receiving health information and no correlation between knowledge of fish contamination and rates of consumption. Calculated rates of mercury intake by subsistence anglers were well above the EPA reference dose. The findings here support a comprehensive policy strategy of involvement of the diverse communities in decision-making about education and clean-up and an official recognition of subsistence fishers in the region. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Measurement of delta13C and delta18O Isotopic Ratios of CaCO3 by a Thermoquest Finnigan GasBench II Delta Plus XL Continous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer with Application to Devils Hole Core DH-11 Calcite

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Revesz, Kinga M.; Landwehr, Jurate Maciunas; Keybl, Jaroslav Edward

    2001-01-01

    A new method was developed to analyze the stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of small samples (400?20 ?g) of calcium carbonate. This new method streamlines the classical phosphoric acid - calcium carbonate (H3PO4 - CaCO3) reaction method by making use of a Thermoquest-Finnigan GasBench II preparation device and a Delta Plus XL continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. To obtain reproducible and accurate results, optimal conditions for the H3PO4 - CaCO3 reaction had to be determined. At the acid-carbonate reaction temperature suggested by the equipment manufacturer, the oxygen isotope ratio results were unsatisfactory (standard deviation () greater than 1.5 per mill), probably because of a secondary reaction. When the acid-carbonate reaction temperature was lowered to 26?C and the reaction time was increased to 24 hours, the precision of the carbon and oxygen isotope ratios for duplicate analyses improved to 0.1 and 0.2 per mill, respectively. The method was tested by analyzing calcite from Devils Hole, Nevada, which was formed by precipitation from ground water onto the walls of a sub-aqueous cavern during the last 500,000 years. Isotope-ratio values previously had been obtained by the classical method for Devils Hole core DH-11. The DH-11 core had been recently re-sampled, and isotope-ratio values were obtained using this new method. The results were comparable to those obtained by the classical method. The consistency of the isotopic results is such that an alignment offset could be identified in the re-sampled core material, a cutting error that was then independently confirmed. The reproducibility of the isotopic values is demonstrated by a correlation of approximately 0.96 for both isotopes, after correcting for an alignment offset. This result indicates that the new method is a viable alternative to the classical method. In particular, the new method requires less sample material permitting finer resolution and allows automation of some processes

  8. Assessing effects of seasonality on the epidemiology of Pierce’s disease in the southern San Joaquin Valley

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Introduction of the glassy-winged sharpshooter to California resulted in epidemics of Pierce’s disease in the Temecula Valley and the southern San Joaquin Valley in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, respectively. In response, an area-wide suppression program was initiated that successfully suppresse...

  9. Electronic Structure of Tl2Ba2CuO(6+Delta) Epitaxial Films Measured by X-Ray Photoemission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vasquez, R. P.; Ren, Z. F.; Wang, J. H.

    1996-01-01

    The valence electronic structure and core levels of Tl2Ba2CuO(6 + delta) (Tl-2201) epitaxial films have been measured with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and are compared to those of Tl2Ba2CaCu2O(8 + delta) (Tl-2212). Changes in the Tl-2201 core-level binding energies with oxygen doping are consistent with a change in the chemical potential. Differences between the Tl-2201 and Tl-2212 measured densities of states are consistent with the calculated Cu 3d and Tl 6s partial densities of states.

  10. Subsidence due to Excessive Groundwater Withdrawal in the San Joaquin Valley, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corbett, F.; Harter, T.; Sneed, M.

    2011-12-01

    Francis Corbett1, Thomas Harter1 and Michelle Sneed2 1Department of Land Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis. 2U.S. Geological Survey Western Remote Sensing and Visualization Center, Sacramento. Abstract: Groundwater development within the Central Valley of California began approximately a century ago. Water was needed to supplement limited surface water supplies for the burgeoning population and agricultural industries, especially within the arid but fertile San Joaquin Valley. Groundwater levels have recovered only partially during wet years from drought-induced lows creating long-term groundwater storage overdraft. Surface water deliveries from Federal and State sources led to a partial alleviation of these pressure head declines from the late 1960s. However, in recent decades, surface water deliveries have declined owing to increasing environmental pressures, whilst water demands have remained steady. Today, a large portion of the San Joaquin Valley population, and especially agriculture, rely upon groundwater. Groundwater levels are again rapidly declining except in wet years. There is significant concern that subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal, first observed at a large scale in the middle 20th century, will resume as groundwater resources continue to be depleted. Previous subsidence has led to problems such as infrastructure damage and flooding. To provide a support tool for groundwater management on a naval air station in the southern San Joaquin Valley (Tulare Lake Basin), a one-dimensional MODFLOW subsidence model covering the period 1925 to 2010 was developed incorporating extensive reconstruction of historical subsidence and water level data from various sources. The stratigraphy used for model input was interpreted from geophysical logs and well completion reports. Gaining good quality data proved problematic, and often values needed to be estimated. In part, this was due to the historical lack of awareness/understanding of

  11. Transport of sediment-bound organochlorine pesticides to the San Joaquin River, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kratzer, C.R.

    1999-01-01

    Suspended sediment samples were collected in westside tributaries and the main stem of the San Joaquin River, California, in June 1994 during the irrigation season and in January 1995 during a winter storm. These samples were analyzed for 15 organochlorine pesticides to determine their occurrence and their concentrations on suspended sediment and to compare transport during the irrigation season (April to September) to transport during winter storm runoff (October to March). Ten organochlorine pesticides were detected during the winter storm runoff; seven during the irrigation season. The most frequently detected organochlorine pesticides during both sampling periods were p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, dieldrin, toxaphene, and chlordane. Dissolved samples were analyzed for three organochlorine pesticides during the irrigation season and for 15 during the winter storm. Most calculated total concentrations of p,p'-DDT, chlordane, dieldrin, and toxaphene exceeded chronic criteria for the protection of freshwater aquatic life. At eight sites in common between sampling periods, suspended sediment concentrations and streamflow were greater during the winter storm runoff median concentration of 3,590 mg/L versus 489 mg/and median streamflow of 162 ft3/s versus 11 ft3/s. Median concentrations of total DDT (sum of p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDT), chlordane, dieldrin, and toxaphene on suspended sediment were slightly greater during the irrigation season, but instantaneous loads of organochlorine pesticides at the time of sampling were substantially greater during the winter storm. Estimated loads for the entire irrigation season exceeded estimated loads for the January 1995 storm by about 2 to 4 times for suspended transport and about 3 to 11 times for total transport. However, because the mean annual winter runoff is about 2 to 4 times greater than the runoff during the January 1995 storm, mean winter transport may be similar to irrigation season transport. This conclusion

  12. Connectivity in river deltas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passalacqua, P.; Hiatt, M. R.; Sendrowski, A.

    2016-12-01

    Deltas host approximately half a billion people and are rich in ecosystem diversity and economic resources. However, human-induced activities and climatic shifts are significantly impacting deltas around the world; anthropogenic disturbance, natural subsidence, and eustatic sea-level rise are major causes of threat to deltas and in many cases have compromised their safety and sustainability, putting at risk the people that live on them. In this presentation, I will introduce a framework called Delta Connectome for studying connectivity in river deltas based on different representations of a delta as a network. Here connectivity indicates both physical connectivity (how different portions of the system interact with each other) as well as conceptual (pathways of process coupling). I will explore several network representations and show how quantifying connectivity can advance our understanding of system functioning and can be used to inform coastal management and restoration. From connectivity considerations, the delta emerges as a leaky network that evolves over time and is characterized by continuous exchanges of fluxes of matter, energy, and information. I will discuss the implications of connectivity on delta functioning, land growth, and potential for nutrient removal.

  13. Evaluation of Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos Concentrations and Loads, and other Pesticide Concentrations, at Selected Sites in the San Joaquin Valley, California, April to August, 2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Domagalski, Joseph L.; Munday, Cathy

    2003-01-01

    Twelve sites in the San Joaquin Valley of California were monitored weekly during the growing and irrigation season of 2001 for a total of 51 pesticides and pesticide degradation products, with primary interest on the concentration, load, and basin yield of organophosphorus insecticides, especially diazinon and chlorpyrifos. Diazinon was detected frequently, up to 100 percent of the time, at many of the sampling sites, but with generally low concentrations. For all sites, 75 percent of all measured diazinon concentrations were less than 0.02 mg/L, and 90 percent of all measured diazinon concentrations were less than 0.06 mg/L. The highest diazinon concentrations were measured in samples from two west-side tributaries to the San Joaquin River, Orestimba Creek, and Del Puerto Creek. The median concentration of chlorpyrifos was at or less than the laboratory reporting limit (0.005 mg/L) for most sites with the exceptions of two tributaries to the San Joaquin River: Orestimba Creek and the Tuolumne River. For all sites, 75 percent of all measured chlorpyrifos concentrations were less than 0.03 mg/L and 90 percent of all measured chlorpyrifos concentrations were less than 0.07 mg/L. The total load of diazinon out of the basin was just over 7 kilograms, which accounted for about 0.17 percent of the total agricultural applications. The diazinon load from the monitored upstream tributaries accounted for about 50 percent of the load at the mouth of the San Joaquin River. The streamflow from the selected monitored tributaries accounted for about 83 percent of the streamflow at the mouth of the San Joaquin River. The total load of chlorpyrifos out of the basin was 3.75 kilograms, and this accounted for approximately 0.007 percent of the total amount applied. Other pesticides that were frequently detected during this study included herbicides such as metolachlor, simazine, and trifluralin, and insecticides such as carbaryl, carbofuran, and propargite. At Orestimba Creek, DDE

  14. Observation of a hexatic vortex glass in flux lattices of the High-Tc superconductor Bi(2.1)Sr(1.9)Ca(0.9)Cu2O(8 + delta)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murray, C. A.; Gammel, P. L.; Bishop, D. J.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.

    1990-05-01

    Hexatic order is observed in Abrikosov flux lattices in very clean crystals of the high-Tc superconductor Bi(2.1)Sr(1.9)Ca(0.9)Cu2O(8 + delta) by in situ magnetic decoration of the flux lattice at 4.2 K. Analysis of the decoration images shows that the positional order decays exponentially with a correlation length of a few lattice constants, while the orientational order persists for hundreds of lattice constants and decays algebraically with an exponent eta6 = 0.06 + or - 0.01. These results confirm recent theoretical speculation that the positional order should be far more sensitive to disorder than the orientational order, and that the low-temperature ordered phase of the flux lines in these systems might be a hexatic glass.

  15. Man made deltas?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maselli, V.; Trincardi, F.

    2014-12-01

    During the last few millennia, southern European fluvio-deltaic systems have evolved in response to changes in the hydrological cycle, mostly driven by high-frequency climate oscillations and increasing anthropic pressure on natural landscapes. The review of geochronological and historical data documents that the bulk of the four largest northern Mediterranean and Black Sea deltas (Ebro, Rhone, Po and Danube) formed during two short and synchronous intervals during which anthropogenic land cover change was the main driver for enhanced sediment production. These two major growth phases occurred under contrasting climatic regimes and were both followed by generalized delta retreat, supporting the hypothesis of human-driven delta progradation. Delta retreat, in particular, was the consequence of reduced soil erosion for renewed afforestation after the fall of the Roman Empire, and of river dams construction that overkilled the still increasing sediment production in catchment basins since the Industrial Era. In this second case, in particular, the effect of a reduced sediment flux to the coasts is amplified by the sinking of modern deltas, due to land subsidence and sea level rise, that hampers delta outbuilding and increases the vulnerability of coastal zone to marine erosion and flooding.

  16. 75 FR 71145 - San Joaquin River Restoration Program: Reach 4B, Eastside Bypass, and Mariposa Bypass Channel and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation San Joaquin River Restoration Program: Reach 4B...: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Revised notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact...., the NRDC, Friant Water Users Authority, and the Departments of the Interior and Commerce (Settling...

  17. Understanding Particulate Matter Dynamics in the San Joaquin Valley during DISCOVER-AQ, 2013

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prabhakar, G.; Zhang, X.; Kim, H.; Parworth, C.; Pusede, S. E.; Wooldridge, P. J.; Cohen, R. C.; Zhang, Q.; Cappa, C. D.

    2015-12-01

    Air quality in the California San Joaquin Valley (SJV) during winter continues to be the worst in the state, failing EPA's 24-hour standard for particulate matter. Despite our improved understanding of the sources of particulate matter (PM) in the valley, air-quality models are unable to predict PM concentrations accurately. We aim to characterize periods of high particulate matter concentrations in the San Joaquin Valley based on ground and airborne measurements of aerosols and gaseous pollutants, during the DISCOVER-AQ campaign, 2013. A highly instrumented aircraft flew across the SJV making three transects in a repeatable pattern, with vertical spirals over select locations. The aircraft measurements were complemented by ground measurements at these locations, with extensive chemically-speciated measurements at a ground "supersite" at Fresno. Hence, the campaign provided a comprehensive three-dimensional view of the particulate and gaseous pollutants around the valley. The vertical profiles over the different sites indicate significant variability in the concentrations and vertical distribution of PM around the valley, which are most likely driven by differences in the combined effects of emissions, chemistry and boundary layer dynamics at each site. The observations suggest that nighttime PM is dominated by surface emissions of PM from residential fuel combustion, while early morning PM is strongly influenced by mixing of low-level, above-surface, nitrate-rich layers formed from dark chemistry overnight to the surface.

  18. Formation of conjugated delta8,delta10-double bonds by delta12-oleic-acid desaturase-related enzymes: biosynthetic origin of calendic acid.

    PubMed

    Cahoon, E B; Ripp, K G; Hall, S E; Kinney, A J

    2001-01-26

    Divergent forms of the plant Delta(12)-oleic-acid desaturase (FAD2) have previously been shown to catalyze the formation of acetylenic bonds, epoxy groups, and conjugated Delta(11),Delta(13)-double bonds by modification of an existing Delta(12)-double bond in C(18) fatty acids. Here, we report a class of FAD2-related enzymes that modifies a Delta(9)-double bond to produce the conjugated trans-Delta(8),trans-Delta(10)-double bonds found in calendic acid (18:3Delta(8trans,10trans,12cis)), the major component of the seed oil of Calendula officinalis. Using an expressed sequence tag approach, cDNAs for two closely related FAD2-like enzymes, designated CoFADX-1 and CoFADX-2, were identified from a C. officinalis developing seed cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequences of these polypeptides share 40-50% identity with those of other FAD2 and FAD2-related enzymes. Expression of either CoFADX-1 or CoFADX-2 in somatic soybean embryos resulted in the production of calendic acid. In embryos expressing CoFADX-2, calendic acid accumulated to as high as 22% (w/w) of the total fatty acids. In addition, expression of CoFADX-1 and CoFADX-2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was accompanied by calendic acid accumulation when induced cells were supplied exogenous linoleic acid (18:2Delta(9cis,12cis)). These results are thus consistent with a route of calendic acid synthesis involving modification of the Delta(9)-double bond of linoleic acid. Regiospecificity for Delta(9)-double bonds is unprecedented among FAD2-related enzymes and further expands the functional diversity found in this family of enzymes.

  19. Forecasting selenium discharges to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary: ecological effects of a proposed San Luis drain extension

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Luoma, Samuel N.; Presser, Theresa S.

    2000-01-01

    During the next few years, federal and state agencies may be required to evaluate proposals and discharge permits that could significantly change selenium (Se) inputs to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta), particularly in the North Bay (i.e., Suisun Bay and San Pablo Bay). These decisions may include discharge requirements for an extension of the San Luis Drain (SLD) to the estuary to convey subsurface agricultural drainage from the western San Joaquin Valley (SJV), a renewal of an agreement to allow the existing portion of the SLD to convey subsurface agricultural drainage to a tributary of the San Joaquin River (SJR) (coincident with changes in flow patterns of the lower SJR), and refinements to promulgated Se criteria for the protection of aquatic life for the estuary. Understanding the biotransfer of Se is essential to evaluating the fate and impact of proposed changes in Se discharges to the Bay-Delta. However, past monitoring programs have not addressed the specific protocols necessary for an element that bioaccumulates. Confusion about Se threats in the past have stemmed from failure to consider the full complexity of the processes that result in Se toxicity. Past studies show that predators are more at risk from Se contamination than their prey, making it difficult to use traditional methods to predict risk from environmental concentrations alone. In this report, we employ a novel procedure to model the fate of Se under different, potentially realistic load scenarios from the SJV. For each potential load, we progressively forecast the resulting environmental concentrations, speciation, transformation to particulate form, bioaccumulation by invertebrates, trophic transfer to predators, and effects in those predators. Enough is known to establish a first order understanding of effects should Se be discharged directly into the North Bay via a conveyance such as the SLD. Our approach uses 1) existing knowledge concerning the biogeochemical

  20. Hydrocarbon traps within a seismic sequence framework, Stevens turbidites, southern San Joaquin Valley, CA

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

    Hewlett, J.S.; Jordan, D.W.; Crebs, T.J.

    1991-02-01

    Interpretation of the seismic sequence framework and log and lithologic character of upper Miocene Stevens turbidites on the Bakersfield arch has led to an improved understanding of the expression of stratigraphic trapping that should reduce exploration risk in the basin, and may aid exploration efforts in similar sand-rich systems globally. These deepwater sandstones are contained within three lowstand turbidite systems (LTS) that were deposited in a narrow deepwater basin adjacent to the ancestral Sierra Nevada. the oldest LTS, the Coulter, was transported through several submarine canyons incised into the Fruitvale Shale. In contrast, numerous smaller scale erosional features located onmore » the high-relief slopes of the highstand Santa Margarita deltas, fed the overlying Gosford and Bellevue LTS. The systems consist of sandy, high-density (primarily) and low-density turbidites that were deposited within channel-lobe complexes. On the arch, 472 MMBO and 1.3 tcf have been produced from four seismically detectable traps with strong stratigraphic components: (1) sandstone permeability changes within turbidite wedges that thin rapidly onto structure (2) confined (channelized) turbidites that lap out on a structure (e.g., F-1 sand, South Coles levee), (3) channelized turbidites that pinch out within slope gullies, and (4) depositional compaction anticlines occurring in conjunction with low-gradient regional structure. Condensed section sediments form regional and reservoir-scale seals. Rapid lateral facies changes and grain size variations provide additional seal facies.« less

  1. Use of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing to Evaluate Efficacy of Aquatic Plant Management

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Invasive aquatic weeds negatively affect biodiversity, fluvial dynamics, water quality, and water storage and conveyance for a variety of human resource demands. In California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta one submersed species - Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa) - and one floating species ...

  2. Reconciliation Ecology, Rewilding and the San Joaquin River Restoration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kraus-Polk, A.

    2014-12-01

    Recent events, perhaps reaching their climactic convergence in the current drought, have exposed the fragility and imbalances of the socioecological system of the San Joaquin river. We see that our triumphant march of progress onfolds on a thin, and unstable crust. What lies below is lava. Our agricultural systems progress only while extracting an ever-untenable social and ecological debt. Our successive regimes of accumulation by appropriation have brought us to the brink of ecological exhaustion. Have we reached our day of reckoning? This is not the first time this question has been asked of this particular system of irrigated agriculture? "Insurmountable" ecological barriers have been eyed down and promptly obliterated through magnificent features of physical and social engineering. But lets us consider for a moment that we have at last reached some sort of edge, a threshold past which we experience a sudden socioecological regime shift. Staring out over this edge can we begin to come to terms with the fallacies of our stories, our ignorance, our foolishness? We need an acknowledgement of the needs of the agriculture systems, it's connections and dependencies. What desperate measures are we willing to take in order to sustain this system? How much further can we go? How far is too far? Is there another way to produce and distribute food? We then turn to the past. We imagine the ecosystem as it once was. The pelagic fish species that formed the biological connection between this river system, the delta, the Ocean, the Mountains. What would it mean to restore this diversity and repair these relationships? What would it take to cede control to the non-human forces that sustain these connections? How do we reconcile restraint and the cessation of control with the human needs of the system? How do we rewild our river in such a way that our needs are met in a way that is more resilient and equitable? We will need systems of agriculture and flood control that serve

  3. Martian deltas: Morphology and distribution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rice, J. W., Jr.; Scott, D. H.

    1993-01-01

    Recent detailed mapping has revealed numerous examples of Martian deltas. The location and morphology of these deltas are described. Factors that contribute to delta morphology are river regime, coastal processes, structural stability, and climate. The largest delta systems on Mars are located near the mouths of Maja, Maumee, Vedra, Ma'adim, Kasei, and Brazos Valles. There are also several smaller-scale deltas emplaced near channel mouths situated in Ismenius Lacus, Memnonia, and Arabia. Delta morphology was used to reconstruct type, quantity, and sediment load size transported by the debouching channel systems. Methods initially developed for terrestrial systems were used to gain information on the relationships between Martian delta morphology, river regime, and coastal processes.

  4. The Delta Connectome: A network-based framework for studying connectivity in river deltas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passalacqua, Paola

    2017-01-01

    Many deltas, including the Mississippi River Delta, have been losing land at fast rates compromising the safety and sustainability of their ecosystems. Knowledge of delta vulnerability has raised global concern and stimulated active interdisciplinary research as deltas are densely populated landscapes, rich in agriculture, fisheries, oil and gas, and important means for navigation. There are many ways of looking at this problem which all contribute to a deeper understanding of the functioning of coastal systems. One aspect that has been overlooked thus far, yet fundamental for advancing delta science is connectivity, both physical (how different portions of the system interact with each other) as well as conceptual (pathways of process coupling). In this paper, I propose a framework called Delta Connectome for studying connectivity in river deltas based on different representations of a delta as a network. After analyzing the classic network representation as a set of nodes (e.g., bifurcations and junctions or regions with distinct physical or statistical behavior) and links (e.g., channels), I show that from connectivity considerations the delta emerges as a leaky network that continuously exchanges fluxes of matter, energy, and information with its surroundings and evolves over time. I explore each network representation and show through several examples how quantifying connectivity can bring to light aspects of deltaic systems so far unexplored and yet fundamental to understanding system functioning and informing coastal management and restoration. This paper serves both as an introduction to the Delta Connectome framework as well as a review of recent applications of the concepts of network and connectivity to deltaic systems within the Connectome framework.

  5. Neogene Gas Total Petroleum System -- Neogene Nonassociated Gas Assessment Unit of the San Joaquin Basin Province: Chapter 22 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hosford Scheirer, Allegra; Magoon, Leslie B.

    2009-01-01

    The Neogene Nonassociated Gas Assessment Unit (AU) of the Neogene Total Petroleum System consists of nonassociated gas accumulations in Pliocene marine and brackish-water sandstone located in the south and central San Joaquin Basin Province (Rudkin, 1968). Traps consist mainly of stratigraphic lenses in low-relief, elongate domes that trend northwest-southeast. Reservoir rocks typically occur as sands that pinch out at shallow depths (1,000 to 7,500 feet) within the Etchegoin and San Joaquin Formations. Map boundaries of the assessment unit are shown in figures 22.1 and 22.2; this assessment unit replaces the Pliocene Nonassociated Gas play 1001 (shown by purple line in fig. 22.1) considered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in its 1995 National Assessment (Beyer, 1996). The AU is drawn to include all existing fields containing nonassociated gas accumulations in the Pliocene to Pleistocene section, as was done in the 1995 assessment, but it was greatly expanded to include adjacent areas believed to contain similar source and reservoir rock relationships. Stratigraphically, the AU extends from the topographic surface to the base of the Etchegoin Formation (figs. 22.3 and 22.4). The boundaries of the AU explicitly exclude gas accumulations in Neogene rocks on the severely deformed west side of the basin and gas accumulations in underlying Miocene rocks; these resources, which primarily consist of a mixture of mostly thermogenic and some biogenic gas, are included in two other assessment units. Lillis and others (this volume, chapter 10) discuss the geochemical characteristics of biogenic gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province. Primary fields in the assessment unit are defined as those containing hydrocarbon resources greater than the USGS minimum threshold for assessment—3 billion cubic feet (BCF) of gas; secondary fields contain smaller volumes of gas but constitute a significant show of hydrocarbons. Although 12 fields meet the 3 BCF criterion for inclusion in

  6. Sedimentological and Micropaleontological Characteristics of the 2015 Hurricane Joaquin Deposit and their Implications for Long-Term Records of Storms and Tsunamis Impacting the Caribbean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosciuch, T. J.; Pilarczyk, J.; Reinhardt, E. G.; Mauviel, A.; Aucoin, C. D.

    2017-12-01

    The uncertainty of extreme wave events in the Caribbean was highlighted in October 2015 when Hurricane Joaquin tracked through, or near, several islands (e.g., Bahamas, Haiti, Turks and Caicos) as a Category 4 storm. The short observational record of landfalling hurricanes is insufficient in preparing many of these islands for such a rare, intense storm. Examining the sediments deposited by recent landfalling hurricanes assists the understanding of the long-term spatial and temporal variations in storm frequency and intensity. However, the interpretation of prehistoric hurricane deposits in the Caribbean is complicated by the possibility of tsunami deposits (e.g., Puerto Rico Trench, 1755 Lisbon Tsunami), which are similar in composition and difficult to differentiate from storm sediments. To circumvent this problem, we describe the microfossil and sedimentary characteristics of a modern storm analogue, the Hurricane Joaquin deposit, from San Salvador Island in the Bahamas and use it as a basis for interpreting a series of 10 anomalous sand deposits found in a coastal pond. San Salvador is a small (160 km2) island in the Bahamas with a history of landfalling hurricanes and tsunamis. On 4 October 2015, Hurricane Joaquin came within 7 km of San Salvador, inundating most of its coastline and depositing two distinct layers: a sand layer and a boulder layer. The sand layer was 12 to 104 cm thick, extended 135 m inland, and consisted of fine to medium sand. The sand layer contained high abundances of foraminifera, including Homotrema rubra, a foraminifer that lives on the reef and is detached by large waves. The presence of well-preserved fragments of Homotrema within the Joaquin deposit suggests transport from the reef and rapid burial. The boulder layer included large clasts (30 to 200 cm in length) that were imbricated perpendicular to the shoreline and extended 135 m inland. The boulder layer was more laterally extensive (1020 m) than the sand layer (110 m). The

  7. Zambezi River Delta

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-08-29

    It drains a watershed that spans eight countries and nearly 1.6 million square kilometers 600,000 square miles. The Zambezi also Zambeze is the fourth largest river in Africa, and the largest east-flowing waterway. The Operational Land Imager on the Landsat 8 satellite acquired this natural-color image of the Zambezi Delta on August 29, 2013. Sandbars and barrier spits stretch across the mouths of the delta, and suspended sediment extends tens of kilometers out into the sea. The sandy outflow turns the coastal waters to a milky blue-green compared to the deep blue of open water in the Indian Ocean. The Zambezi Delta includes 230 kilometers of coastline fronting 18,000 square kilometers (7,00 square miles) of swamps, floodplains, and even savannahs (inland). The area has long been prized by subsistence fishermen and farmers, who find fertile ground for crops like sugar and fertile waters for prawns and fish. Two species of endangered cranes and one of the largest concentration of buffalo in Africa -- among many other species of wildlife -- have found a haven in this internationally recognized wetland. However, the past six decades have brought great changes to the Zambezi Delta, which used to pour more water and sediment off of the continent. Hydropower dams upstream-most prominently, the Kariba and the Cahora Bassa-greatly reduce river flows during the wet season; they also trap sediments that would otherwise flow downstream. The result has been less water reaching the delta and the floodplains, which rely on pulses of nutrients and sediments from annual (and mostly benign) natural flooding. The change in the flow of the river affects freshwater availability and quality in the delta. Strong flows push fresh water further out into the sea and naturally keep most of a delta full of fresh (or mostly fresh) water. When that fresh flow eases, the wetlands become drier and more prone to fire. Salt water from the Indian Ocean also can penetrate further into the marsh

  8. Proposed Approval of California Air Plan Revision; San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District; Reasonably Available Control Technology Demonstration

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA isproposing to approve revisions to the SJVUAPCD portion of the California SIP applying to the San Joaquin Valley of California concerning demonstration regarding RACT requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS)

  9. Isotopic and Chemical Analysis of Nitrate Sources and Cycling in the San Joaquin River Near Stockton, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, S. R.; Kendall, C.; Bemis, B.; Wankel, S.; Bergamaschi, B.; Kratzer, C.; Dileanis, P.; Erickson, D.; Avery, E.; Paxton, K.

    2002-12-01

    Fish migration through the deep-water channel in the San Joaquin River at Stockton, California is inhibited by low oxygen concentrations during the summer months. The cause for this condition appears to be stagnation and decomposition of algae with attendant oxygen consumption. Algae growth in the San Joaquin River is promoted by nutrients entering the river mainly in the form of nitrate. Possible significant sources of nitrate include soil, fertilizer from agriculture, manure from dairy operations, and N derived from municipal sewage. A 2000 CALFED pilot study investigated the sources and cycling of nitrate at four sites along the San Joaquin River upstream of Stockton using the carbon and nitrogen isotopes of total dissolved and particulate organic matter, together with hydrological measurements and various concentration data, including chlorophyll-a. The nitrate source, its relationship to phytoplankton, and the effect of the nitrate source and cycling on the N isotopic composition of dissolved and particulate organic matter were the primary concerns of the study. The d15N values of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were used as a proxy for nitrate d15N because nitrate comprised about 90% of DON. Chlorophyll-a and C:N ratios indicated that the particulate organic matter (POM) consisted largely of plankton and therefore the d15N of POM was used as a proxy for the d15N of plankton. A tentative interpretation of the pilot study was that nitrate was a major nutrient for the plankton and the nitrate was of anthropogenic origin, possibly sewage or animal waste. To test these assumptions and interpretations, we are currently analyzing a set of samples collected in 2001. In addition to the previous sample types, a subset of samples will be measured directly for nitrate d15N to assess the validity of using d15N of DON as a proxy for nitrate.

  10. Carbon dynamics and CO2 and CH4 outgassing in the Mekong delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borges, Alberto V.; Abril, Gwenaël; Bouillon, Steven

    2018-02-01

    -POC variations also indicated intense phytoplankton growth in the side channels, presumably due to nutrient enrichment related to the shrimp farming ponds. A data set in the mangrove creeks of the Ca Mau province (part of the Mekong delta) was also acquired in April and October 2004. These data extended the range of variability in pCO2 and %O2 with more extreme values than in the Mekong delta (Bến Tre), with maxima and minima of 6912 ppm and 37 %, respectively. Similarly, the maximum CH4 concentration (686 nmol L-1) was higher in the Ca Mau province mangrove creeks than in the Mekong delta (Bến Tre, maximum 222 nmol L-1) during the October 2004 cruise (rainy season and high freshwater discharge period). In April 2004 (dry season and low freshwater discharge period), the CH4 values were much lower than in October 2004 (average 19 ± 13 and 210 ± 158 nmol L-1, respectively) in the Ca Mau province mangrove creeks, owing to the higher salinity (average 33.2 ± 0.6 and 14.1 ± 1.2, respectively) that probably led to higher sediment sulfate reduction, leading to inhibition of sediment methanogenesis and higher anaerobic CH4 oxidation. In the inner estuarine region (three branches of the Mekong delta), CO2 emissions to the atmosphere averaged 121 mmol m-2 d-1, and the CH4 emissions averaged 118 µmol m-2 d-1. The CO2 emission to the atmosphere from the Mekong inner estuary was higher than reported in the Yangtze and Pearl river inner estuaries. This was probably due to the lower salinity in the Mekong delta branches, possibly due to different morphology: relatively linear channels in the Mekong delta versus funnel-shaped estuaries for the Yangtze and Pearl river inner estuaries.

  11. Growth and Properties of Oxygen and Ion Doped BISMUTH(2) STRONTIUM(2) Calcium COPPER(2) Oxygen (8+DELTA) Single Crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitzi, David Brian

    1990-01-01

    A directional solidification method for growing large single crystals in the Bi_2Sr _2CaCu_2O _{8+delta} system is reported. Ion substitutions, with replacement of La for Sr and Y for Ca, as well as oxygen doping in these crystals has been explored. Ion doping results in little change of the superconducting transition for substitution levels below 20-25% (as a result of simultaneous oxygen intercalation), while beyond this level, the Meissner signal broadens and the low temperature Meissner signal decreases. Microprobe analysis and x-ray diffraction performed on these more highly substituted single crystals, provides evidence for inhomogeneity and phase segregation into regions of distinct composition. Annealing unsubstituted crystals in increasing partial pressures of oxygen reversibly depresses the superconducting transition temperature from 90K (as made) to 77K (oxygen pressure annealed) while the Hall concentrations increase from n = 3.1(3) times 10 ^{21} cm^{ -3} (0.34 holes/Cu site) to 4.6(3) times 10^{21} cm^{-3} (0.50 holes/Cu site). Further suppression of T_{c} to 72K is possible by annealing in oxygen pressures up to 100atm. No degradation of the Meissner transition or other indications of inhomogeneity or phase segregation with doping are noted, suggesting that oxygen doped Bi_2Sr _2CaCu_2O _{8+delta} is a suitable system for pursuing doping studies. The decrease in T _{c} with concentration for 0.34 <=q n <=q 0.50 indicates that a high carrier concentration regime exists where T_{c} decreases with n and suggests that this decrease does not arise from material inhomogeneity or other materials problems. The physical properties of these Bi _2Sr_2CaCu _2O_{8+delta} crystals, in this high carrier concentration regime, will be discussed.

  12. Hydrochemical zonation of the western part of Göksu Delta aquifer system, Southern Turkey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dokuz, U. E.; Çelik, M.; Arslan, Ş.; Engin, H.

    2012-04-01

    In general, coastal areas are preferred places for human settlement, especially at places where infrastructure routes benefit from rivers, streets, or harbours. As a result, these areas usually suffer from rising population and endure increasingly high demand on natural resources like water. Göksu Delta, located in southern Turkey, is one of the important wetland areas of Turkey at the Mediterranean coast. It is divided into two parts by Göksu River. The western part of the delta, which is the subject matter of this study, hosts fertile agricultural fields, touristic places and a Special Environmental Protection Area. These properties of the region lead to a water-dependent ecosystem where groundwater has widely been used for agricultural and domestic purposes. When the exploitation of groundwater peaked in the middle of 1990s, the groundwater levels dropped and seawater intruded. General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works tried to stop seawater intrusion by building irrigation channels connected to Göksu River and banned drilling of new wells for groundwater exploitation, although it is hard to control the drilling of wells without official permit. Geological studies show that the delta is composed of terrestrial sediments including clay to coarse sand deposited during Quaternary. The heterogeneous sediments of Göksu Delta cause hydrogeological features of the aquifer systems to be heterogeneous and anisotropic. Hydrogeological investigations, therefore, indicate mainly two different aquifers, shallow and deep, separated by an aquitard. The shallow aquifer is under unconfined to confined conditions from north to south while the deep aquifer is under confined conditions. This study focuses on hydrogeochemical zonation in terms of hydrochemical processes that affect the Göksu Delta aquifer systems. For this purpose, hydrogeochemical and isotopic studies are conducted to understand the salinisation and softening processes of groundwater. The physicochemical

  13. Rise and Fall of one of World's largest deltas; the Mekong delta in Vietnam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Minderhoud, P. S. J.; Eslami Arab, S.; Pham, H. V.; Erkens, G.; van der Vegt, M.; Oude Essink, G.; Stouthamer, E.; Hoekstra, P.

    2017-12-01

    The Mekong delta is the third's largest delta in the world. It is home to almost 20 million people and an important region for the food security in South East Asia. As most deltas, the Mekong delta is the dynamic result of a balance of sediment supply, sea level rise and subsidence, hosting a system of fresh and salt water dynamics. Ongoing urbanization, industrialization and intensification of agricultural practices in the delta, during the past decades, resulted in growing domestic, agricultural and industrial demands, and have led to a dramatic increase of fresh water use. Since the year 2000, the amount of fresh groundwater extracted from the subsurface increased by 500%. This accelerated delta subsidence as the groundwater system compacts, with current sinking rates exceeding global sea level rise up to an order of magnitude. These high sinking rates have greatly altered the sediment budget of the delta and, with over 50% of the Mekong delta surface elevated less than 1 meter above sea level, greatly increase vulnerability to flooding and storm surges and ultimately, permanent inundation. Furthermore, as the increasingly larger extractions rapidly reduce the fresh groundwater reserves, groundwater salinization subsequently increases. On top of that, dry season low-flows by the Mekong river cause record salt water intrusion in the delta's estuarine system, creating major problems for rice irrigation. We present the work of three years research by the Dutch-Vietnamese `Rise and Fall' project on land subsidence and salinization in both groundwater and surface water in the Vietnamese Mekong delta.

  14. Delta Niobium or Delta VICE?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hofmann, A. W.

    2006-12-01

    Delta Niobium or Delta VICE? Niobium is one of a few chemical elements that can be used to discriminate between melts derived from upwelling mantle, represented by MORBs and OIBs, and those derived from subduction and continental crust environments. The Nb/U ratio was introduced because these two elements appear to partition nearly identically in upwelling environments, but very differently (from one another) in subduction and continental environments (Hofmann et al., 1986). Fitton et al. (1997, 2003) have taken a radically different approach, using log(Nb/Y)-log(Zr/Y) correlations that appear to discriminate between MORB and OIB (or plume) environments. MORB correlations are parallel to, and at lower Nb/Y ratios than, Iceland basalt correlations. This is expressed by a discrimination parameter defined as Delta Nb = 1.74 + log(Nb/Y) - 1.92 log(Zr/Y). N-MORB have negative Delta-Nb values, whereas Iceland and other OIBs have positive values. Fitton et al. interpret this in terms of a niobium deficiency in MORB that is balanced by a Nb excess in OIBs. This interpretation conflicts with evidence based on Nb/U ratios (Hofmann et al., 1986), that MORB and OIB are parts of a common reservoir, which is different from, and complementary to, the continental crust. Both parts of this MORB-OIB reservoir are characterized by higher-than-primitive Nb/U and Nb/Th ratios, whereas continental crust has dramatically lower Nb/U and Nb/Th ratios. The use of VICE/MICE (very-incompatible- element to moderately-incompatible-element) ratios, such as Nb/Y, obscures this. The significance of the VICE/MICE plot becomes clear if one replaces Nb by other VICEs in the log(Nb/Y)-log(Zr/Y) plot. This shows that any of these VICEs yield similar topologies as Nb/Y. Thus for a given Zr/Y ratio, depleted MORB have consistently lower Ba/Y, Th/Y, and La/Y ratios than do Iceland basalts, even the most incompatible-element- depleted Iceland picrites. This is caused by a less extreme depletion of

  15. Assessment of earthen levee stability for management and response: A NASA-DHS-California Dept. Water Resources collaboration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    An, K.; Jones, C. E.; Bekaert, D. P.; Dudas, J.

    2016-12-01

    Radar remote sensing of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the largest estuary in the western U.S. (over 2500 km2), and its levee system provides an opportunity for NASA Applied Science to aid the CA Department of Water Resources (CA-DWR) in monitoring and emergency response. The delta contains over 1,500 km of earthen levees, supports about 2.5 million acres of agricultural land, and serves as a main water supply for 23 million California residents. Many of the reclaimed islands are 10-25 feet below sea level, sit atop compressible peat and organic clay soils, and are surrounded by levees only 1 foot above the once in a century flood elevation threshold. Land subsidence in the delta can be attributed to a variety of factors, including: aerobic oxidation of soils, soil compaction from drainage, wind erosion, anaerobic decomposition, dissolved carbon fluxes, floods, seismic events, and even rodent burrowing. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is an established technique to measure surface displacements and has been used to map large-scale subsidence. The demonstration of earthen levee monitoring is a recent development that has been greatly furthered by the emergence of new instruments such as NASA's Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR). UAVSAR is an L-band airborne sensor with high signal-to-noise ratio, repeat flight track accuracy, and has a high spatial resolution (7 x 7 m) that is necessary for detailed levee monitoring. The adaptability of radar instruments in their ability to see through smoke, haze, and clouds during the day or night, is especially relevant during disaster events, when cloud cover or lack of solar illumination inhibits traditional visual surveys of damage. We demonstrate the advantages of combining InSAR with geographic information systems (GIS) datasets in locating subsidence features along critical levee infrastructure in the Delta for 2009-2016. The ability to efficiently locate potential areas of

  16. Losing ground in mega-deltas: basin-scale response to existential threats to the Mekong Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arias, M. E.; Kondolf, G. M.; Schmitt, R. J. P.; Carling, P. A.; Darby, S. E.; Bizzi, S.; Castelletti, A.; Cochrane, T. A.; Gibson, S.; Kummu, M.; Oeurng, C.; Rubin, Z.; Wild, T. B.

    2017-12-01

    The Mekong Delta is, in terms of the number of livelihoods it supports, its economic importance, and in its vulnerability to climate change and sinking lands, one of the world's critically threatened mega-deltas. Livelihoods depend on the mere existence of the delta, but also on ecosystem services provided by the delta's drainage basin spanning 795,000 km2 in six abutting countries. These ecosystem services include delivery of sand required to build delta land in the face of rising sea-levels and sediment bound nutrients, provision of spawning habitat for fish that are ultimately harvested in the delta, and hydrologic regulation driving the delta's unique flood-pulse regime. However, while the delta is mainly located in Vietnam, the basin of the Mekong River is shared among China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In the context of the region's dynamic growth, individual countries are pushing their own development agendas, which include extensive dam building, in-channel sand mining, construction of dykes and canals, and groundwater pumping, all of which contribute to subsidence and erosion of the Delta. Our synthesis of recent research indicates that most of the Mekong's delta land will likely fall below sea-level by 2100 as result of these drivers, exacerbating the impacts of global climatic changes. In this context, local infrastructural projects and changes in land- and water-management may temporarily mitigate some negative effects, but do not address the existential threat to the delta as a whole. To prevent, or at least substantially postpone, the drowning of the Mekong Delta requires identification of the key drivers and immediate concerted management actions on the basin-scale to change the trajectory of subsidence and sediment deficit. A specific challenge is to find the institutional arrangements in this transnational context that could support the needed management changes and equitably distribute costs and impacts. The Mekong Delta is

  17. The effect of topography, vegetation, and weather on cattle distribution at the San Joaquin Experimental Range, California

    Treesearch

    Norman R. Harris; Douglas E. Johnson; Melvin R. George; Neil K. McDougald

    2002-01-01

    In this study livestock distribution on the landscape was mapped during two seasons, summer and winter, for two years to determine where livestock congregate and to model factors that influence livestock distribution. Two small herds of cows were observed in separate range units on the San Joaquin Experimental Range for a total of twenty-four 24-hour observation...

  18. Hydraulic and mechanical properties affecting ground-water flow and aquifer-system compaction, San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sneed, Michelle

    2001-01-01

    This report summarizes hydraulic and mechanical properties affecting ground-water flow and aquifer-system compaction in the San Joaquin Valley, a broad alluviated intermontane structural trough that constitutes the southern two-thirds of the Central Valley of California. These values will be used to constrain a coupled ground-water flow and aquifer-system compaction model of the western San Joaquin Valley called WESTSIM. A main objective of the WESTSIM model is to evaluate potential future land subsidence that might occur under conditions in which deliveries of imported surface water for agricultural use are reduced and ground-water pumping is increased. Storage values generally are components of the total aquifer-system storage and include inelastic and elastic skeletal storage values of the aquifers and the aquitards that primarily govern the potential amount of land subsidence. Vertical hydraulic conductivity values generally are for discrete thicknesses of sediments, usually aquitards, that primarily govern the rate of land subsidence. The data were compiled from published sources and include results of aquifer tests, stress-strain analyses of borehole extensometer observations, laboratory consolidation tests, and calibrated models of aquifer-system compaction.

  19. Hydrogeologic reconnaissance of the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam and Cambodia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anderson, Henry R.

    1978-01-01

    The present report describes the results of a hydrogeologic reconnaissance in the Mekong Delta region by the writer, a hydrogeologist of the U.S. Geological Survey, while on assignment as an adviser to the Vietnamese Directorate of Water Supply from October 1968 to April 1970 under the auspices of the U.s. Agency for International Development. The delta of the Mekong River, comprising an area of about 70,000 square kilometres in South Vietnam and Cambodia, is an almost featureless plain rising gradually from sea level to about 5 metres above sea level at its apex 300 kilometres inland. Most of the shallow ground water in the Holocene Alluvium of the delta in Vietnam is brackish or saline down to depths of 50 to 100 metres. Moreover, in the Dong Thap Mu?oi (Plain of Reeds) the shallow ground water is alum-bearing. Locally, however, perched bodies of fresh ground water occur in ancient beach and dune ridges and are tapped by shallow dug wells or pits for village and domestic water supply. The Old Alluvium beneath the lower delta contains freshwater in some areas, notably in the Ca Mau Peninsula and adjacent areas, in the viciniy of Bau Xau near Saigon, and in the Tinh Long An area. Elsewhere in the lower delta both the Holocene and Old Alluvium may contain brackish or saline water from the land surface to depths of as much as 568 metres, as for example in Tinh Vinh Binh. Ground water in the outcrop area of Old Alluvium northwest of Saigon is generally fresh and potable, but high iron and low pH are locally troublesome. Although considerable exploratory drilling for ground water down to depths of as much as 568 metres has already been completed, large areas of the delta remain yet to be explored before full development of the ground-water potential can be realized. With careful development and controlled management to avoid saltwater contamination, however, it is estimated that freshwater aquifers could provide approximately 80 percent of existing needs for village

  20. Delta(13)C, delta(15)N and delta(2)H isotope ratio mass spectrometry of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine: application to methylamphetamine profiling.

    PubMed

    Collins, Michael; Cawley, Adam T; Heagney, Aaron C; Kissane, Luke; Robertson, James; Salouros, Helen

    2009-07-01

    Conventional chemical profiling of methylamphetamine has been used for many years to determine the synthetic route employed and where possible to identify the precursor chemicals used. In this study stable isotope ratio analysis was investigated as a means of determining the origin of the methylamphetamine precursors, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine may be prepared industrially by several routes. Results are presented for the stable isotope ratios of carbon (delta(13)C), nitrogen (delta(15)N) and hydrogen (delta(2)H) measured in methylamphetamine samples synthesized from ephedrine and pseudoephedrine of known provenance. It is clear from the results that measurement of the delta(13)C, delta(15)N and delta(2)H stable isotope ratios by elemental analyzer/thermal conversion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA/TC-IRMS) in high-purity methylamphetamine samples will allow determination of the synthetic source of the ephedrine or pseudoephedrine precursor as being either of a natural, semi-synthetic, or fully synthetic origin. Copyright (c) 2009 Commonwealth of Australia.

  1. Source-rock geochemistry of the San Joaquin Basin Province, California: Chapter 11 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peters, Kenneth E.; Magoon, Leslie B.; Valin, Zenon C.; Lillis, Paul G.

    2007-01-01

    Source-rock thickness and organic richness are important input parameters required for numerical modeling of the geohistory of petroleum systems. Present-day depth and thickness maps for the upper Miocene Monterey Formation, Eocene Tumey formation of Atwill (1935), Eocene Kreyenhagen Formation, and Cretaceous-Paleocene Moreno Formation source rocks in the San Joaquin Basin were determined using formation tops data from 266 wells. Rock-Eval pyrolysis and total organic carbon data (Rock-Eval/TOC) were collected for 1,505 rock samples from these source rocks in 70 wells. Averages of these data for each well penetration were used to construct contour plots of original total organic carbon (TOCo) and original hydrogen index (HIo) in the source rock prior to thermal maturation resulting from burial. Sufficient data were available to construct plots of TOCo and HIo for all source-rock units except the Tumey formation of Atwill (1935). Thick, organic-rich, oil-prone shales of the upper Miocene Monterey Formation occur in the Tejon depocenter in the southern part of the basin with somewhat less favorable occurrence in the Southern Buttonwillow depocenter to the north. Shales of the upper Miocene Monterey Formation generated most of the petroleum in the San Joaquin Basin. Thick, organic-rich, oil-prone Kreyenhagen Formation source rock occurs in the Buttonwillow depocenters, but it is thin or absent in the Tejon depocenter. Moreno Formation source rock is absent from the Tejon and Southern Buttonwillow depocenters, but thick, organic-rich, oil-prone Moreno Formation source rock occurs northwest of the Northern Buttonwillow depocenter adjacent to the southern edge of Coalinga field.

  2. Measuring delta volumetric change and composition using a streakline-based method on the Wax Lake Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hurlbut, K.; Estep, J. D.; Shaw, J.; Edmonds, D. A.

    2016-12-01

    Estimating river delta growth is essential for determining coastal sustainability. We use a new method to quantify the recent accretion and composition of the Wax Lake Delta, a rapidly prograding delta in Louisiana. The method identifies the area of significant (subaqueous) delta aggradation from delta flow patterns, which are visible in aerial imagery through biogenic streaklines that naturally occur on the water surface. Comparison of bathymetric maps and streaklines shows that channel tips and the associated seaward extent of significant delta deposition occur where the divergence of flow direction equals 0 (+/- 400 m). Delta volumes calculated using this method, the 1974 pre-delta shoreline, and a measured average delta thickness of 1.6 m provide an estimate of the delta volume which we found to increase by 2.0*106 m3/yr between 1992 and 2014. We then compared this rate to the total volume of silt and sand discharged to the WLD using USGS measurements. Over the same period, the WLD received 1.4*106 m3/yr of sand and 9.0*106 m3/yr of silt and clay. Assuming all sand supplied to the delta is sequestered, volume comparisons show that the sand fraction of the WLD is between 18-38%, lower than previous estimates. Further, between 44-69% of the total suspended silt and clay bypasses the delta. These composition estimates can be used to predict land growth from engineered diversions, and the method can be used to monitor the resulting delta growth.

  3. Hepatitis delta genotypes in chronic delta infection in the northeast of Spain (Catalonia).

    PubMed

    Cotrina, M; Buti, M; Jardi, R; Quer, J; Rodriguez, F; Pascual, C; Esteban, R; Guardia, J

    1998-06-01

    Based on genetic analysis of variants obtained around the world, three genotypes of the hepatitis delta virus have been defined. Hepatitis delta virus variants have been associated with different disease patterns and geographic distributions. To determine the prevalence of hepatitis delta virus genotypes in the northeast of Spain (Catalonia) and the correlation with transmission routes and clinical disease, we studied the nucleotide divergence of the consensus sequence of HDV RNA obtained from 33 patients with chronic delta hepatitis (24 were intravenous drug users and nine had no risk factors), and four patients with acute self-limited delta infection. Serum HDV RNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction technique and a fragment of 350 nucleotides (nt 910 to 1259) was directly sequenced. Genetic analysis of the nucleotide consensus sequence obtained showed a high degree of conservation among sequences (93% of mean). Comparison of these sequences with those derived from different geographic areas and pertaining to genotypes I, II and III, showed a mean sequence identity of 92% with genotype I, 73% with genotype II and 61% with genotype III. At the amino acid level (aa 115 to 214), the mean identity was 87% with genotype I, 63% with genotype II and 56% with genotype III. Conserved regions included the RNA editing domain, the carboxyl terminal 19 amino acids of the hepatitis delta antigen and the polyadenylation signal of the viral mRNA. Hepatitis delta virus isolates in the northeast of Spain are exclusively genotype I, independently of the transmission route and the type of infection. No hepatitis delta virus subgenotypes were found, suggesting that the origin of hepatitis delta virus infection in our geographical area is homogeneous.

  4. Geophysical surveying in the Sacramento Delta for earthquake hazard assessment and measurement of peat thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Craig, M. S.; Kundariya, N.; Hayashi, K.; Srinivas, A.; Burnham, M.; Oikawa, P.

    2017-12-01

    Near surface geophysical surveys were conducted in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for earthquake hazard assessment and to provide estimates of peat thickness for use in carbon models. Delta islands have experienced 3-8 meters of subsidence during the past century due to oxidation and compaction of peat. Projected sea level rise over the next century will contribute to an ongoing landward shift of the freshwater-saltwater interface, and increase the risk of flooding due to levee failure or overtopping. Seismic shear wave velocity (VS) was measured in the upper 30 meters to determine Uniform Building Code (UBC)/ National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) site class. Both seismic and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods were employed to estimate peat thickness. Seismic surface wave surveys were conducted at eight sites on three islands and GPR surveys were conducted at two of the sites. Combined with sites surveyed in 2015, the new work brings the total number of sites surveyed in the Delta to twenty.Soil boreholes were made at several locations using a hand auger, and peat thickness ranged from 2.1 to 5.5 meters. Seismic surveys were conducted using the multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) method and the microtremor array method (MAM). On Bouldin Island, VS of the surficial peat layer was 32 m/s at a site with pure peat and 63 m/s at a site peat with higher clay and silt content. Velocities at these sites reached a similar value, about 125 m/s, at a depth of 10 m. GPR surveys were performed at two sites on Sherman Island using 100 MHz antennas, and indicated the base of the peat layer at a depth of about 4 meters, consistent with nearby auger holes.The results of this work include VS depth profiles and UBC/NEHRP site classifications. Seismic and GPR methods may be used in a complementary fashion to estimate peat thickness. The seismic surface wave method is a relatively robust method and more effective than GPR in many areas with high clay

  5. Sr/Ca ratios in cold-water corals - a 'low-resolution' temperature archive?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rüggeberg, Andres; Riethdorf, Jan-Rainer; Raddatz, Jacek; López Correa, Matthias; Montagna, Paolo; Dullo, Wolf-Christian; Freiwald, André

    2010-05-01

    One of the basic data to understand global change and past global changes is the measurement and the reconstruction of temperature of marine water masses. E.g. seawater temperature controls the density of seawater and in combination with salinity is the major driving force for the oceans circulation system. Geochemical investigations on cold-water corals Lophelia pertusa and Desmophyllum cristagalli indicated the potential of these organisms as high-resolution archives of environmental parameters from intermediate and deeper water masses (Adkins and Boyle 1997). Some studies tried to use cold-water corals as a high-resolution archive of temperature and salinity (Smith et al. 2000, 2002; Blamart et al. 2005; Lutringer et al. 2005). However, the fractionation of stable isotopes (delta18O and delta13C) and element ratios (Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, U/Ca) are strongly influenced by vital effects (Shirai et al. 2005; Cohen et al. 2006), and difficult to interpret. Nevertheless, ongoing studies indicate the potential of a predominant temperature dependent fractionation of distinct isotopes and elements (e.g. Li/Ca, Montagna et al. 2008; U/Ca, Mg/Ca, delta18O, Lòpez Correa et al. 2008; delta88/86Sr, Rüggeberg et al. 2008). Within the frame of DFG-Project TRISTAN and Paläo-TRISTAN (Du 129/37-2 and 37-3) we investigated live-collected specimens of cold-water coral L. pertusa from all along the European continental margin (Northern and mid Norwegian shelves, Skagerrak, Rockall and Porcupine Bank, Galicia Bank, Gulf of Cadiz, Mediterranean Sea). These coral samples grew in waters characterized by temperatures between 6°C and 14°C. Electron Microprobe investigations along the growth direction of individual coral polyps were applied to determine the relationship between the incorporation of distinct elements (Sr, Ca, Mg, S). Cohen et al. (2006) showed for L. pertusa from the Kosterfjord, Skagerrak, that ~25% of the coral's Sr/Ca ratio is related to temperature, while 75% are influenced

  6. Yield, pollination aspects and kernel qualities of almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) selections trialed in the Southern San Joaquin Valley

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A field trial was established in the Southern San Joaquin Valley to determine yield potential for nine almond selections grown under commercial conditions. Kernel yields were first quantified in 2008, at the end of the third growing season, and continued through the 2010 harvest. Harvested tonnage...

  7. The wave-tide-river delta classification revisited: Introducing the effects of Humans on delta equilibriu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Besset, M.; Anthony, E.; Sabatier, F.

    2016-12-01

    The influence of physical processes on river deltas has long been identified, mainly on the basis of delta morphology. A cuspate delta is considered as wave-dominated, a delta with finger-like extensions is characterized as river-dominated, and a delta with estuarine re-entrants is considered tide-dominated (Galloway, 1975). The need for a more quantitative classification is increasingly recognized, and is achievable through quantified combinations, a good example being Syvitski and Saito (2007) wherein the joint influence of marine power - wave and tides - is compared to that of river influence. This need is further justified as deltas become more and more vulnerable. Going forward from the Syvitski and Saito (2007) approach, we confront, from a large database on 60 river deltas, the maximum potential power of waves and the tidal range (both representing marine power), and the specific stream power and river sediment supply reflecting an increasingly human-impacted river influence. The results show that 45 deltas (75%) have levels of marine power that are significantly higher than those of specific stream power. Five deltas have sufficient stream power to counterbalance marine power but a present sediment supply inadequate for them to be statistically considered as river-dominated. Six others have a sufficient sediment supply but a specific stream power that is not high enough for them to be statistically river-dominated. A major manifestation of the interplay of these parameters is accelerated delta erosion worldwide, shifting the balance towards marine power domination. Deltas currently eroding are mainly influenced by marine power (93%), and small deltas (< 300 km2 of deltaic protuberance) are the most vulnerable (82%). These high levels of erosion domination, compounded by accelerated subsidence, are related to human-induced sediment supply depletion and changes in water discharge in the face of the sediment-dispersive capacity of waves and currents.

  8. Controls on delta formation, area, and topset slope: New predictive relationships developed using a global delta dataset

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caldwell, R. L.; Edmonds, D. A.; Baumgardner, S. E.; Paola, C.; Roy, S.; Nienhuis, J.

    2017-12-01

    River deltas are irreplaceable natural and societal resources, though they are at risk of drowning due to sea-level rise and decreased sediment delivery. To enhance hazard mitigation efforts in the face of global environmental change, we must understand the controls on delta growth. Previous empirical studies of delta growth are based on small datasets and often biased towards large, river-dominated deltas. We are currently lacking relationships that predict delta formation, area, or topset slope across the full breadth of global deltas. To this end, we developed a global dataset of 5,229 rivers (with and without deltas) paired with nine upstream (e.g., sediment discharge) and four downstream (e.g., wave height) environmental variables. Using Google Earth imagery, we identify all coastal river mouths (≥ 50 m wide) connected to an upstream catchment, and define deltas as river mouths that split into two or more distributary channels, end in a depositional protrusion from the shoreline, or do both. Delta area is defined as the area of the polygon connecting the delta node, two lateral shoreline extent points, and the basinward-most extent of the delta. Topset slope is calculated as the average, linear slope from the delta node elevation (extracted from SRTM data) to the main channel mouth, and shoreline and basinward extent points. Of the 5,229 rivers in our dataset, 1,816 (35%) have a delta. Using 495 rivers (those with data available for all variables), we build an empirically-derived relationship that predicts delta formation with 76% success. Delta formation is controlled predominantly by upstream water and sediment discharge, with secondary control by downstream waves and tides that suppress delta formation. For those rivers that do form deltas, we show that delta area is best predicted by sediment discharge, bathymetric slope, and drainage basin area (R2 = 0.95, n = 170), and exhibits a negative power-law relationship with topset slope (R2 = 0.85, n = 1

  9. Tides Stabilize Deltas until Humans Interfere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoitink, T.; Zheng Bing, W.; Vermeulen, B.; Huismans, Y.; Kastner, K.

    2017-12-01

    Despite global concerns about river delta degradation caused by extraction of natural resources, sediment retention by reservoirs and sea-level rise, human activity in the world's largest deltas intensifies. In this review, we argue that tides tend to stabilize deltas until humans interfere. Under natural circumstances, delta channels subject to tides are more stable than their fluvial-dominated counterparts. The oscillatory tidal flow counteracts the processes responsible for bank erosion, which explains why unprotected tidal channels migrate only slowly. Peak river discharges attenuate the tides, which creates storage space to accommodate the extra river discharge during extreme events and as a consequence, reduce flood risk. With stronger tides, the river discharge is being distributed more evenly over the various branches in a delta, preventing silting up of smaller channels. Human interference in deltas is massive. Storm surge barriers are constructed, new land is being reclaimed and large-scale sand excavation takes place, to collect building material. Evidence from deltas around the globe shows that in human-controlled deltas the tidal motion often plays a destabilizing role. In channels of the Rhine-Meuse Delta, some 100 scour holes are identified, which relates to the altered tidal motion after completion of a storm surge barrier. Sand mining has led to widespread river bank failures in the tidally-influenced Mekong Delta. The catastrophic flood event in the Gauges-Brahmaputra Delta by Cyclone Aila, which caused the inundation of an embanked polder area for over two years, was preceded by river bank erosion at the mouths of formal tidal channels that were blocked by the embankment. Efforts to predict the developments of degrading deltas are few. Existing delta models are capable of reproducing expanding deltas, which is essentially a matter of simulating the transport of sediment from source in a catchment to the sink in a delta. Processes of soil

  10. First establishment of the planthopper Megamelus scutellaris Berg 1883 (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) released for biological control of water hyacinth in California

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms-Laubach) is a non-native, invasive floating aquatic weed in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta and associated river watersheds of northern California. Prior efforts to control water hyacinth biologically in this region have not led to sustained cont...

  11. Nile Delta, Egypt

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    The Nile Delta of Egypt (30.0N, 31.0E) irrigated by the Nile River and its many distributaries, is some of the richest farm land in the world and home to some 45 million people, over half of Egypt's population of 57 million. The capital city of Cairo is at the apex of the delta in the middle of the scene. Across the river from Cairo can be seen the three big pyramids and sphinx at Giza and the Suez Canal is just to the right of the delta.

  12. 77 FR 47839 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-10

    ... electronic reporting site-- https://cdx.epa.gov/epa_home.asp EIS No. 20120257, Final EIS, BR, CA, San Joaquin... No. 20120262, Draft EIS, BR, CA, San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area Resource Management Plan...

  13. Texture and depositional history of near-surface alluvial deposits in the central part of the western San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Laudon, Julie; Belitz, Kenneth

    1989-01-01

    Saline conditions and associated high levels of selenium and other soluble trace elements in soil, shallow ground water, and agricultural drain water of the western San Joaquin Valley, California, have prompted a study of the texture of near-surface alluvial deposits in the central part of the western valley. Texture is characterized by the percentage of coarse-grained sediment present within a specified subsurface depth interval and is used as a basis for mapping the upper 50 feet of deposits. Resulting quantitative descriptions of the deposits are used to interpret the late Quaternary history of the area. Three hydrogeologic units--Coast Range alluvium, flood-basin deposits, and Sierran sand--can be recognized in the upper 50 feet of deposits in the central part of the western San Joaquin Valley. The upper 30 feet of Coast Range alluvium and the adjacent 5 to 35 feet of flood-basin deposits are predominantly fine grained. These fine-grained Coast Range deposits are underlain by coarse-grained channel deposits. The fine-grained flood basin deposits are underlain by coarse-grained Sierran sand. The extent and orientation of channel deposits below 20 feet in the Coast Range alluvium indicate that streams draining the Coast Range may have been tributary to the axial stream that deposited the Sierran sand and that streamflow may have been to the southeast. The fining-upward stratigraphic sequence in the upper 50 feet of deposits and the headward retreat of tributary stream channels from the valley trough with time support a recent hypothesis of climatic control of alluviation in the western San Joaquin Valley.

  14. Organic Biomarkers Along the River-Coastal Ocean Continuum: Human Activities and their Influence on Carbon Delivery (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Canuel, E. A.; Pondell, C. R.

    2010-12-01

    Human-induced changes in land-use and water diversion have modified the connectivity between upstream sources of organic carbon (OC) and their delivery to the coastal ocean. This connectivity will likely be further modified by climate variability. Biomarkers provide useful tools for tracing the delivery of terrigeous OC from the watershed to downstream environments. In this study, we used the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta CA and its watershed as a model system for understanding how human activities influenced delivery and composition of organic carbon (OC) over the past 50-60 years. Biomarker records, stable isotopes, and radiocarbon ages of bulk carbon signatures preserved in sediment cores were used to examine human impacts on carbon sources, amounts, and ages. Our presentation will discuss: 1) alterations in the sources of carbon preserved in the historical sedimentary record; and 2) environmental implications of such changes.

  15. Factors Motivating Latino College Students to Pursue STEM Degrees on CSU Campuses in the Southern San Joaquin Valley

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramirez, Gabriel

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine what factors were motivating Latino/a students in the southern San Joaquin Valley to pursue STEM degrees and whether these factors were specific to the Latino/a culture. A 12-question survey was administered to STEM majors at California State University, Bakersfield and California State University, Fresno…

  16. Man made deltas

    PubMed Central

    Maselli, Vittorio; Trincardi, Fabio

    2013-01-01

    The review of geochronological and historical data documents that the largest southern European deltas formed almost synchronously during two short intervals of enhanced anthropic pressure on landscapes, respectively during the Roman Empire and the Little Ice Age. These growth phases, that occurred under contrasting climatic regimes, were both followed by generalized delta retreat, driven by two markedly different reasons: after the Romans, the fall of the population and new afforestation let soil erosion in river catchments return to natural background levels; since the industrial revolution, instead, flow regulation through river dams overkill a still increasing sediment production in catchment basins. In this second case, furthermore, the effect of a reduced sediment flux to the coasts is amplified by the sinking of modern deltas, due to land subsidence and sea level rise, that hampers delta outbuilding and increases the vulnerability of coastal zone to marine erosion and flooding. PMID:23722597

  17. Migration in Deltas: An Integrated Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nicholls, Robert J.; Hutton, Craig W.; Lazar, Attila; Adger, W. Neil; Allan, Andrew; Arto, Inaki; Vincent, Katharine; Rahman, Munsur; Salehin, Mashfiqus; Sugata, Hazra; Ghosh, Tuhin; Codjoe, Sam; Appeaning-Addo, Kwasi

    2017-04-01

    Deltas and low-lying coastal regions have long been perceived as vulnerable to global sea-level rise, with the potential for mass displacement of exposed populations. The assumption of mass displacement of populations in deltas requires a comprehensive reassessment in the light of present and future migration in deltas, including the potential role of adaptation to influence these decisions. At present, deltas are subject to multiple drivers of environmental change and often have high population densities as they are accessible and productive ecosystems. Climate change, catchment management, subsidence and land cover change drive environmental change across all deltas. Populations in deltas are also highly mobile, with significant urbanization trends and the growth of large cities and mega-cities within or adjacent to deltas across Asia and Africa. Such migration is driven primarily by economic opportunity, yet environmental change in general, and climate change in particular, are likely to play an increasing direct and indirect role in future migration trends. The policy challenges centre on the role of migration within regional adaptation strategies to climate change; the protection of vulnerable populations; and the future of urban settlements within deltas. This paper reviews current knowledge on migration and adaptation to environmental change to discern specific issues pertinent to delta regions. It develops a new integrated methodology to assess present and future migration in deltas using the Volta delta in Ghana, Mahanadi delta in India and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta across India and Bangladesh. The integrated method focuses on: biophysical changes and spatial distribution of vulnerability; demographic changes and migration decision-making using multiple methods and data; macro-economic trends and scenarios in the deltas; and the policies and governance structures that constrain and enable adaptation. The analysis is facilitated by a range of

  18. Imaging the effects of individual zinc impurity atoms on superconductivity in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta

    PubMed

    Pan; Hudson; Lang; Eisaki; Uchida; Davis

    2000-02-17

    Although the crystal structures of the copper oxide high-temperature superconductors are complex and diverse, they all contain some crystal planes consisting of only copper and oxygen atoms in a square lattice: superconductivity is believed to originate from strongly interacting electrons in these CuO2 planes. Substituting a single impurity atom for a copper atom strongly perturbs the surrounding electronic environment and can therefore be used to probe high-temperature superconductivity at the atomic scale. This has provided the motivation for several experimental and theoretical studies. Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) is an ideal technique for the study of such effects at the atomic scale, as it has been used very successfully to probe individual impurity atoms in several other systems. Here we use STM to investigate the effects of individual zinc impurity atoms in the high-temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta. We find intense quasiparticle scattering resonances at the Zn sites, coincident with strong suppression of superconductivity within approximately 15 A of the scattering sites. Imaging of the spatial dependence of the quasiparticle density of states in the vicinity of the impurity atoms reveals the long-sought four-fold symmetric quasiparticle 'cloud' aligned with the nodes of the d-wave superconducting gap which is believed to characterize superconductivity in these materials.

  19. Trihalomethanes formed from natural organic matter isolates: Using isotopic and compositional data to help understand sources

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Fram, Miranda S.; Fujii, Roger; Aiken, George R.; Kendall, Carol; Silva, Steven R.

    2000-01-01

    Over 20 million people drink water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta despite problematic levels of natural organic matter (NOM) and bromide in Delta water, which can form trihalomethanes (THMs) during the treatment process. It is widely believed that NOM released from Delta peat islands is a substantial contributor to the pool of THM precursors present in Delta waters. Dissolved NOM was isolated from samples collected at five channel sites within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers and Delta, California, USA, and from a peat island agricultural drain. To help understand the sources of THM precursors, samples were analyzed to determine their chemical and isotopic composition, their propensity to form THMs, and the isotopic composition of the THMs.The chemical composition of the isolates was quite variable, as indicated by significant differences in carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and carbon-to-nitrogen concentration ratios. The lowest propensity to form THMs per unit of dissolved organic carbon was observed in the peat island agricultural drain isolate, even though it possessed the highest fraction of aromatic material and the highest specific ultraviolet absorbance. Changes in the chemical and isotopic composition of the isolates and the isotopic composition of the THMs suggest that the source of the THMs precursors was different between samples and between isolates. The pattern of variability in compositional and isotopic data for these samples was not consistent with simple mixing of river- and peat-derived organic material.

  20. Mississippi River Delta

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2002-06-11

    As the Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico, it loses energy and dumps its load of sediment that it has carried on its journey through the mid continent. This pile of sediment, or mud, accumulates over the years building up the delta front. As one part of the delta becomes clogged with sediment, the delta front will migrate in search of new areas to grow. The area shown on this image is the currently active delta front of the Mississippi. The migratory nature of the delta forms natural traps for oil. Most of the land in the image consists of mud flats and marsh lands. There is little human settlement in this area due to the instability of the sediments. The main shipping channel of the Mississippi River is the broad stripe running northwest to southeast. This image was acquired on May 24, 2001 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER will image Earth for the next 6 years to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03497

  1. 78 FR 53113 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; California; San Joaquin Valley; Contingency...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-28

    ...EPA is proposing to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of California to address Clean Air Act nonattainment area contingency measure requirements for the 1997 annual and 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards in the San Joaquin Valley. Final approval of this SIP revision would terminate the sanctions clocks and a federal implementation plan clock that were triggered by EPA's partial disapproval of a related SIP submission on November 9, 2011 (76 FR 69896).

  2. Chemical quality of ground water in San Joaquin and part of Contra Costa Counties, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sorenson, Stephen K.

    1981-01-01

    Chemical water-quality conditions were investigated in San Joaquin and part of Contra Costa Counties by canvassing available wells and sampling water from 324 representative wells. Chemical water types varied, with 73 percent of the wells sampled containing either calcium-magnesium bicarbonate, or calcium-sodium bicarbonate type water. Substantial areas contain ground water exceeding water-quality standards for boron, manganese, and nitrate. Trace elements, with the exception of boron and manganese, were present in negligible amounts. (USGS)

  3. SAN FRANCISCO ESTUARY PROJECT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Estuary, a significant natural resource, San Francisco Bay and the Delta combine to form the West Coast's largest estuary. The Estuary conveys the waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to the Pacific Ocean. It encompasses roughly 1,600 square miles, drains over 40 p...

  4. 78 FR 39315 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Notice of Public Workshops...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-01

    ... area relocations, and other alternative features; water operations-related effects within the reservoir... Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed system by modifying the existing Shasta Dam and Reservoir to meet... enlarging Shasta Dam and Reservoir. Related legislation includes Title 34 of Public Law 102-575 (the Central...

  5. Agonist-Specific Recruitment of Arrestin Isoforms Differentially Modify Delta Opioid Receptor Function

    PubMed Central

    Perroy, Julie; Walwyn, Wendy M.; Smith, Monique L.; Vicente-Sanchez, Ana; Segura, Laura; Bana, Alia; Kieffer, Brigitte L.; Evans, Christopher J.

    2016-01-01

    Ligand-specific recruitment of arrestins facilitates functional selectivity of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. Here, we describe agonist-selective recruitment of different arrestin isoforms to the delta opioid receptor in mice. A high-internalizing delta opioid receptor agonist (SNC80) preferentially recruited arrestin 2 and, in arrestin 2 knock-outs (KOs), we observed a significant increase in the potency of SNC80 to inhibit mechanical hyperalgesia and decreased acute tolerance. In contrast, the low-internalizing delta agonists (ARM390, JNJ20788560) preferentially recruited arrestin 3 with unaltered behavioral effects in arrestin 2 KOs. Surprisingly, arrestin 3 KO revealed an acute tolerance to these low-internalizing agonists, an effect never observed in wild-type animals. Furthermore, we examined delta opioid receptor–Ca2+ channel coupling in dorsal root ganglia desensitized by ARM390 and the rate of resensitization was correspondingly decreased in arrestin 3 KOs. Live-cell imaging in HEK293 cells revealed that delta opioid receptors are in pre-engaged complexes with arrestin 3 at the cell membrane and that ARM390 strengthens this membrane interaction. The disruption of these complexes in arrestin 3 KOs likely accounts for the altered responses to low-internalizing agonists. Together, our results show agonist-selective recruitment of arrestin isoforms and reveal a novel endogenous role of arrestin 3 as a facilitator of resensitization and an inhibitor of tolerance mechanisms. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Agonists that bind to the same receptor can produce highly distinct signaling events and arrestins are a major mediator of this ligand bias. Here, we demonstrate that delta opioid receptor agonists differentially recruit arrestin isoforms. We found that the high-internalizing agonist SNC80 preferentially recruits arrestin 2 and knock-out (KO) of this protein results in increased efficacy of SNC80. In contrast, low-internalizing agonists (ARM390 and JNJ20788560

  6. Delta FosB regulates wheel running.

    PubMed

    Werme, Martin; Messer, Chad; Olson, Lars; Gilden, Lauren; Thorén, Peter; Nestler, Eric J; Brené, Stefan

    2002-09-15

    DeltaFosB is a transcription factor that accumulates in a region-specific manner in the brain after chronic perturbations. For example, repeated administration of drugs of abuse increases levels of DeltaFosB in the striatum. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of spontaneous wheel running, as a model for a natural rewarding behavior, on levels of DeltaFosB in striatal regions. Moreover, mice that inducibly overexpress DeltaFosB in specific subpopulations of striatal neurons were used to study the possible role of DeltaFosB on running behavior. Lewis rats given ad libitum access to running wheels for 30 d covered what would correspond to approximately 10 km/d and showed increased levels of DeltaFosB in the nucleus accumbens compared with rats exposed to locked running wheels. Mice that overexpress DeltaFosB selectively in striatal dynorphin-containing neurons increased their daily running compared with control littermates, whereas mice that overexpress DeltaFosB predominantly in striatal enkephalin-containing neurons ran considerably less than controls. Data from the present study demonstrate that like drugs of abuse, voluntary running increases levels of DeltaFosB in brain reward pathways. Furthermore, overexpression of DeltaFosB in a distinct striatal output neuronal population increases running behavior. Because previous work has shown that DeltaFosB overexpression within this same neuronal population increases the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse, results of the present study suggest that DeltaFosB may play a key role in controlling both natural and drug-induced reward.

  7. Phospholipase C-{delta}{sub 1} regulates interleukin-1{beta} and tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} mRNA expression

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

    Chung, Eric; Jakinovich, Paul; Bae, Aekyung

    Phospholipase C-{delta}{sub 1} (PLC{delta}{sub 1}) is a widely expressed highly active PLC isoform, modulated by Ca{sup 2+} that appears to operate downstream from receptor signaling and has been linked to regulation of cytokine production. Here we investigated whether PLC{delta}{sub 1} modulated expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1{beta} (IL-1{beta}), tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in rat C6 glioma cells. Expression of PLC{delta}{sub 1} was specifically suppressed by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the effects on cytokine mRNA expression, stimulated by the Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), were examined. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results showed that PLC{delta}{sub 1}more » knockdown enhanced expression IL-1{beta} and tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) mRNA by at least 100 fold after 4 h of LPS stimulation compared to control siRNA treatment. PLC{delta}{sub 1} knock down caused persistently high Nf{kappa}b levels at 4 h of LPS stimulation compared to control siRNA-treated cells. PLC{delta}{sub 1} knockdown was also associated with elevated nuclear levels of c-Jun after 30 min of LPS stimulation, but did not affect LPS-stimulated p38 or p42/44 MAPK phosphorylation, normally associated with TLR activation of cytokine gene expression; rather, enhanced protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation of cellular proteins was observed in the absence of LPS stimulation. An inhibitor of PKC, bisindolylmaleimide II (BIM), reversed phosphorylation, prevented elevation of nuclear c-Jun levels, and inhibited LPS-induced increases of IL-1{beta} and TNF-{alpha} mRNA's induced by PLC{delta}{sub 1} knockdown. Our results show that loss of PLC{delta}{sub 1} enhances PKC/c-Jun signaling and up-modulates pro-inflammatory cytokine gene transcription in concert with the TLR-stimulated p38MAPK/Nf{kappa}b pathway. Our findings are consistent with the idea that PLC{delta}{sub 1} is

  8. Flow patterns and bathymetric signatures on the delta front of a prograding river delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaw, J.; Mohrig, D. C.; Wagner, R. W.

    2016-02-01

    The transition of water between laterally confined channels and the unchannelized delta front controls the growth pattern of river deltas, but is difficult to measure on field-scale deltas. We quantify flow patterns, bathymetry and bathymetric evolution for the subaqueous delta front on the Wax Lake Delta (WLD), a rapidly prograding delta in coastal Louisiana. The flow direction field, mapped using streaklines composed of biogenic slicks on the water surface, shows that a significant portion of flow ( 59%) departs subaqueous channels laterally over the subaqueous margins of the channel seaward of the shoreline. Synoptic datasets of bathymetry and flow direction allow spatial changes in flow velocity to be quantified. Most lateral flow divergence and deceleration occurs within 3-8 channel widths outboard of subaqueous channel margins, rather than downstream of channel tips. In interdistributary bays, deposit elevation decreases with a basinward slope of 2.4 x 10-4 with distance from a channel margin along any flow path. Flow patterns and this slope produce constructional features called interdistributary troughs - topographic lows in the center of interdistributary bays. These data show that flow patterns and bathymetry on the delta front are coupled both at the transition from channelized to unchannelized flow and in the depositional regions outside the distributary network.

  9. Sequence stratigraphy, tectonics and hydrocarbon trap geometries of Middle Tertiary strata in the southern San Joaquin Basin, California

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

    Phillips, S.; Hewlett, J.S.; Bazeley, W.J.M.

    1996-01-01

    Tectonic evolution of the southern San Joaquin basin exerted a fundamental control on Cenozoic sequence boundary development, reservoir, source and seal facies distribution, and hydrocarbon trap development. Spatial and temporal variations in Tertiary sequence architecture across the basin reflect differences in eastside versus westside basin-margin geometries and deformation histories. Deposition of Tertiary sequences initiated in a forearc basin setting, bounded on the east by a ramp-margin adjacent to the eroded Sierran arc complex and on the west by the imbricated accretionary wedge of the Coast Ranges thrust. The major stages of Cenozoic basin evolution are: (1) Episodic compressional folding andmore » thrusting associated with oblique convergence of the Farallon and North American plates (Late Cretaceous to Oligocene), (2) localized folding and onset of basin subsidence related to Pacific Plate reorganization, microplate formation and rotation (Oligocene to Early Miocene), (3) transtensional faulting, folding basin subsidence associated with initiation of the San Andreas transform and continued microplate rotation (Micocene to Pliocene), and (4) compressional folding, extensional and strike- slip faulting related to evolution of the Pacific-North American transform boundary (Plio- Pleistocene). Complex stratigraphic relationships within Eocene to Middle Miocene rocks provide examples of tectonic influences on sequence architecture. These include development of: (1) Tectonically enhanced sequence boundaries (Early Eocene base Domengine unconformity) and local mid-sequence angular unconformities, (2) westside-derived syntectonic [open quotes]lowstand[close quotes] systems (Yokut/Turitella Silt wedge and Leda Sand/Cymric/Salt Creek wedge), (3) regional seals associated with subsidence-related transgressions (Round Mountain Silt), and (4) combination traps formed by structural inversion of distal lowstand delta reservoirs (e.g. Coalinga East Extension field).« less

  10. Sequence stratigraphy, tectonics and hydrocarbon trap geometries of Middle Tertiary strata in the southern San Joaquin Basin, California

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

    Phillips, S.; Hewlett, J.S.; Bazeley, W.J.M.

    1996-12-31

    Tectonic evolution of the southern San Joaquin basin exerted a fundamental control on Cenozoic sequence boundary development, reservoir, source and seal facies distribution, and hydrocarbon trap development. Spatial and temporal variations in Tertiary sequence architecture across the basin reflect differences in eastside versus westside basin-margin geometries and deformation histories. Deposition of Tertiary sequences initiated in a forearc basin setting, bounded on the east by a ramp-margin adjacent to the eroded Sierran arc complex and on the west by the imbricated accretionary wedge of the Coast Ranges thrust. The major stages of Cenozoic basin evolution are: (1) Episodic compressional folding andmore » thrusting associated with oblique convergence of the Farallon and North American plates (Late Cretaceous to Oligocene), (2) localized folding and onset of basin subsidence related to Pacific Plate reorganization, microplate formation and rotation (Oligocene to Early Miocene), (3) transtensional faulting, folding basin subsidence associated with initiation of the San Andreas transform and continued microplate rotation (Micocene to Pliocene), and (4) compressional folding, extensional and strike- slip faulting related to evolution of the Pacific-North American transform boundary (Plio- Pleistocene). Complex stratigraphic relationships within Eocene to Middle Miocene rocks provide examples of tectonic influences on sequence architecture. These include development of: (1) Tectonically enhanced sequence boundaries (Early Eocene base Domengine unconformity) and local mid-sequence angular unconformities, (2) westside-derived syntectonic {open_quotes}lowstand{close_quotes} systems (Yokut/Turitella Silt wedge and Leda Sand/Cymric/Salt Creek wedge), (3) regional seals associated with subsidence-related transgressions (Round Mountain Silt), and (4) combination traps formed by structural inversion of distal lowstand delta reservoirs (e.g. Coalinga East Extension field).« less

  11. Using Science Skills to Understand Ecophysiology and Manage Resources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bubenheim, David

    2015-01-01

    Presentation will be for a general audience and focus on plant science and ecosystem science in NASA. Examples from the projects involving the presenter will be used to illustrate. Specifically, the California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta project. This collaboration supports the goals of the Delta Plan in developing science-based, adaptive-management strategies. The mission is to improve reliability of water supply and restore a healthy Delta ecosystem while enhancing agriculture and recreation. NASA can contribute gap-filling science understanding of overall functions in the Delta ecosystem and assess and help develop management plans for specific issues. Airborne and satellite remote-sensing, ecosystem modeling, and biological studies provide underlying data needed by Delta stakeholders to assess and address water, ecosystem restoration, and environmental and economic impacts of potential actions in the Delta. The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the hub for California's water supply, supports important ecosystem services for fisheries, supplies drinking water for millions, and distributes water from Northern California to agriculture and urban communities to the south; millions of people and businesses depend on Delta water. Decades of competing demands for Delta resources and year-to-year variability in precipitation has resulted in diminished overall health of the Delta. Declines in fish populations, threatened ecosystems, endangered species, invasive plants and animals, cuts in agricultural exports, and increased water conservation is the result. NASA and the USDA, building on previous collaborations, aide local Delta stakeholders in assessing and developing an invasive weed management approach. Aquatic, terrestrial, and riparian invasive weeds threaten aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem restoration efforts. Aquatic weeds are currently detrimental economically, environmentally, and sociologically in the Delta. They negatively impact the

  12. Large old trees influence patterns of delta13C and delta15N in forests.

    PubMed

    Weber, Pascale; Bol, Roland; Dixon, Liz; Bardgett, Richard D

    2008-06-01

    Large old trees are the dominant primary producers of native pine forest, but their influence on spatial patterns of soil properties and potential feedback to tree regeneration in their neighbourhood is poorly understood. We measured stable isotopes of carbon (delta(13)C) and nitrogen (delta(15)N) in soil and litter taken from three zones of influence (inner, middle and outer zone) around the trunk of freestanding old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees, to determine the trees' influence on below-ground properties. We also measured delta(15)N and delta(13)C in wood cores extracted from the old trees and from regenerating trees growing within their three zones of influence. We found a significant and positive gradient in soil delta(15)N from the inner zone, nearest to the tree centre, to the outer zone beyond the tree crown. This was probably caused by the higher input of (15)N-depleted litter below the tree crown. In contrast, the soil delta(13)C did not change along the gradient of tree influence. Distance-related trends, although weak, were visible in the wood delta(15)N and delta(13)C of regenerating trees. Moreover, the wood delta(15)N of small trees showed a weak negative relationship with soil N content in the relevant zone of influence. Our results indicate that large old trees control below-ground conditions in their immediate surroundings, and that stable isotopes might act as markers for the spatial and temporal extent of these below-ground effects. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

  13. Expression profiling of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta (PPAR-delta) in mouse tissues using tissue microarray.

    PubMed

    Higashiyama, Hiroyuki; Billin, Andrew N; Okamoto, Yuji; Kinoshita, Mine; Asano, Satoshi

    2007-05-01

    Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta (PPAR-delta) is known as a transcription factor involved in the regulation of fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis in several tissues, such as skeletal muscle, liver and adipose tissues. In this study, to elucidate systemic physiological functions of PPAR-delta, we examined the tissue distribution and localization of PPAR-delta in adult mouse tissues using tissue microarray (TMA)-based immunohistochemistry. PPAR-delta positive signals were observed on variety of tissues/cells in multiple systems including cardiovascular, urinary, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, nervous, hematopoietic, immune, musculoskeletal, sensory and reproductive organ systems. In these organs, PPAR-delta immunoreactivity was generally localized on the nucleus, although cytoplasmic localization was observed on several cell types including neurons in the nervous system and cells of the islet of Langerhans. These expression profiling data implicate various physiological roles of PPAR-delta in multiple organ systems. TMA-based immunohistochemistry enables to profile comprehensive protein localization and distribution in a high-throughput manner.

  14. A cross-linking study of the Ca2+, Mg2+-activated adenosine triphosphatase of Escherichia coli.

    PubMed

    Bragg, P D; Hou, C

    1980-05-01

    The solubilized Ca2+,Mg2+-activated adenosine triphosphatase of Escherichia coli is composed of five subunits designated alpha, beta, gamma, delta and epsilon in order of decreasing molecular weight. The subunit structure of the enzyme has been investigated by the use of the cleavable cross-linking agents dithiobis(succinimidyl propionate), methyl-4-mercaptobutyrimidate, dimethyl-3,3'-dithiobispropionimidate, disuccinimidyl tartarate, and cupric 1,10-phenanthrolinate. The products of cross-linking were analyzed by two different two-dimensional gel electrophoresis systems. The following cross-linked subunit dimers were observed: alpha 2, beta 2, alpha beta, alpha delta, beta gamma, beta delta, beta epsilon and gamma epsilon. These results, together with other published data, are discussed in relation to a model of the arrangement of the subunits in the ATPase molecule.

  15. Delta progradation and Neoglaciation, Laguna Parón, Cordillera Blanca, Peru

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seltzer, Geoffrey O.; Rodbell, Donald T.

    2005-10-01

    The history of Holocene glaciation serves as an important record of glacier mass balance and, therefore, of climatic change. The moraine record of Holocene glaciation in the tropical Andes, however, is fragmentary and poorly dated. In contrast, increases in the rate of accumulation of inorganic sediment in glacier-fed lakes have been linked to periods of Neoglaciation in many mountain regions. The interpretation of such a record of Neoglaciation from sediment cores in glacier-fed lakes in the tropical Andes can provide the continuity and chronologic control that is lacking in the existing moraine record. Unusual exposures of glacial lacustrine sediment in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru, provide a rare opportunity to assess the link between climatic change, glaciation, and lacustrine sedimentation.Intentional lowering of water levels in Laguna Parón (9°S, 77°44 W, 4200 m a.s.l.) in 1985 resulted in the incision and exposure of at least 20 m of deltaic deposits at the eastern end of the lake. Three deltaic units can be identified: horizontal topset beds, steeply dipping and deformed foreset beds, and horizontally laminated fine-grained sediment. Six radiocarbon ages ranging from 1800 +/- 210 to 465 +/- 95 14C yr BP on wood indicate that the average rate of delta progradation in the late Holocene has been approximately 290 m per 1000 yr. The lake formed during deglaciation at least 10 000 yr ago and if such a rate of progradation of the delta had prevailed over the entire Holocene, then the delta would be at least three times as extensive as it is today. Thus the rate of delta progradation has varied significantly over the Holocene. We suggest that the rate of delta progradation was at least three times greater when glaciers were in advanced positions. These positions are clearly delimited by Neoglacial moraines, which are within 1-2 km of the exposures studied and within 1 km of modern ice limits. The most recent increase in the rate of delta progradation is

  16. Sediment geochemistry of Corte Madera Marsh, San Francisco Bay, California: have local inputs changed, 1830-2010?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Takesue, Renee K.; Jaffe, Bruce E.

    2013-01-01

    Large perturbations since the mid-1800s to the supply and source of sediment entering San Francisco Bay have disturbed natural processes for more than 150 years. Only recently have sediment inputs through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta) decreased to what might be considered pre-disturbance levels. Declining sediment inputs to San Francisco Bay raise concern about continued tidal marsh accretion, particularly if sea level rise accelerates in the future. The aim of this study is to explore whether the relative amount of local-watershed sediment accumulating in a tidal marsh has changed as sediment supply from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers has decreased. To address this question, sediment geochemical indicators, or signatures, in the fine fraction (silt and clay) of Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, San Francisco Bay, and Corte Madera Creek sediment were identified and applied in sediment recovered from Corte Madera Marsh, one of the few remaining natural marshes in San Francisco Bay. Total major, minor, trace, and rare earth element (REE) contents of fine sediment were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass and atomic emission spectroscopy. Fine sediment from potential source areas had the following geochemical signatures: Sacramento River sediment downstream of the confluence of the American River was characterized by enrichments in chromium, zirconium, and heavy REE; San Joaquin River sediment at Vernalis and Lathrop was characterized by enrichments in thorium and total REE content; Corte Madera Creek sediment had elevated nickel contents; and the composition of San Francisco Bay mud proximal to Corte Madera Marsh was intermediate between these sources. Most sediment geochemical signatures were relatively invariant for more than 150 years, suggesting that the composition of fine sediment in Corte Madera Marsh is not very sensitive to changes in the magnitude, timing, or source of sediment entering San Francisco Bay through the Delta. Nor

  17. Hydrochemical water evolution in the Aral Sea Basin. Part I: Unconfined groundwater of the Amu Darya Delta - Interactions with surface waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schettler, Georg; Oberhänsli, Hedi; Stulina, Galina; Mavlonov, Aslon A.; Naumann, Rudolf

    2013-07-01

    The Aral Sea, which has been affected by lake level lowering of approximately 25 m and a salinity increase from 10 to >100 g/l since 1963, represents, along with the Amu Dary Delta a dynamic hydrological system under an arid climate regime. The system receives river water inflow at high seasonal and inter-annual variability from remote alpine source areas. In the Amu Darya Delta, there is a distinct salinity contrast between the low-salinity river water (∼1 g/l) and the salinity of the unconfined GW (GWunconf: 10-95 g/l). The GWunconf levels are predominantly controlled by the seepage of the river water inflow and GW discharge into the shrinking Aral Sea. In June 2009 and August 2009, we sampled water from various sources including surface waters, GWunconf, lake water and soil leachates for chemical analyses. Evaporative enrichment, precipitation/dissolution of gypsum and precipitation of calcite drive the GWunconf to an NaCl(SO4) water type presenting a positive correlation between Na and SO4. We model the hydrochemical evolution of the GWunconf in a box model which considers the capillary rise of near-surface GW, the precipitation of minerals in the unsaturated horizon and the seasonal re-flushing of adhesive residual brines and soluble salts. The model documents a rapid increase in salinity over a few annual cycles. Furthermore, the model simulations demonstrate the importance of the aeolian redistribution of soluble salts on the hydrochemical GW evolution. In a lab experiment, halite, hexahydrite and starkeyite are precipitated during the late stages of evaporative enrichment from a representative local brine. Processes specific to different water compartments plausibly explain the variations of selected element ratios. For example, the precipitation of low-Sr calcite in irrigation canals and natural river branches of the delta lowers Ca/Sr. The dissolution of gypsum in soils (Ca/Sr mole ratio ∼ 150) and the possible precipitation of SrSO4 associated with

  18. Catalyzing action towards the sustainability of deltas: deltas as integrated socio-ecological systems and sentinels of regional and global change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foufoula-Georgiou, E.; Tessler, Z. D.; Brondizio, E.; Overeem, I.; Renaud, F.; Sebesvari, Z.; Nicholls, R. J.; Anthony, E.

    2016-12-01

    Deltas are highly dynamic and productive environments: they are food baskets of the world, home to biodiverse and rich ecosystems, and they play a central role in food and water security. However, they are becoming increasingly vulnerable to risks arising from human activities, land subsidence, regional water management, global sea-level rise, and climate extremes. Our Belmont Forum DELTAS project (BF-DELTAS: Catalyzing actions towards delta sustainability) encompasses an international network of interdisciplinary research collaborators with focal areas in the Mekong, Ganges Brahmaputra, and the Amazon deltas. The project is organized around five main modules: (1) developing an analytical framework for assessing delta vulnerability and scenarios of change (Delta-SRES), (2) developing an open-acess, science-based integrative modeling framework for risk assessment and decision support (Delta-RADS), (3) developing tools to support quantitative mapping of the bio-physical and socio-economic environments of deltas and consolidate bio-physical and social data within shared data repositories (Delta-DAT), (4) developing Global Delta Vulnerability Indices (Delta-GDVI) that capture current and projected scenarios for major deltas around the world , and (5) collaborating with regional stakeholders to put the science, modeling, and data into action (Delta-ACT). In this talk, a research summary will be presented on three research domains around which significant collaborative work was developed: advancing biophysical classification of deltas, understanding deltas as coupled socio-ecological systems, and analyzing and informing social and environmental vulnerabilities in delta regions.

  19. SAN FRANCISCO BAY WETLANDS REGIONAL MONITORING PROGRAM

    EPA Science Inventory

    The geographic area to be monitored is the San Francisco Estuary and its watersheds from the Golden Gate to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta at Broad Slough. The initial focus will be the baylands of the region defined as the lands between the maximum and minimum elevations of t...

  20. 40 CFR 131.37 - California.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... criteria are applicable to waters specified in the Water Quality Control Plan for Salinity for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, adopted by the California State Water Resources Control... experimental value and the stated criteria value (i.e., measured value minus stated value) for each...

  1. 40 CFR 131.37 - California.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... criteria are applicable to waters specified in the Water Quality Control Plan for Salinity for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, adopted by the California State Water Resources Control... experimental value and the stated criteria value (i.e., measured value minus stated value) for each...

  2. 40 CFR 131.37 - California.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... criteria are applicable to waters specified in the Water Quality Control Plan for Salinity for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, adopted by the California State Water Resources Control... experimental value and the stated criteria value (i.e., measured value minus stated value) for each...

  3. 40 CFR 131.37 - California.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... criteria are applicable to waters specified in the Water Quality Control Plan for Salinity for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, adopted by the California State Water Resources Control... experimental value and the stated criteria value (i.e., measured value minus stated value) for each...

  4. 40 CFR 131.37 - California.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... criteria are applicable to waters specified in the Water Quality Control Plan for Salinity for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, adopted by the California State Water Resources Control... experimental value and the stated criteria value (i.e., measured value minus stated value) for each...

  5. Tracing Sources of Organic Matter and Nitrate in the San Francisco Bay-Delta-River Ecosystem Using Isotopic Techniques: Comparison of Insights Gained from Fixed-site, Synoptic, and Diel Sampling Strategies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kendall, C.; Silva, S. R.; Doctor, D. H.; Wankel, S. D.; Chang, C. C.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Kratzer, C. R.; Dahlgren, R. A.; Fleenor, W. E.

    2005-12-01

    Understanding the sources and sinks for organics and nitrate is critical for devising effective strategies to reduce their loads in ecosystems and mitigate local problems of low dissolved oxygen levels and/or production of disinfection byproducts during water treatment. Since isotopic techniques are effective methods for quantifying the sources and sinks of organics and nutrients, we have analyzed particulate organic matter (POM), nitrate, dissolved inorganic and organic carbon (DIC, DOC), and water isotope samples from selected sites since 2000. Our studies indicate that isotope data are a useful adjunct to traditional methods for assessing and monitoring sources of organics and nutrients. The original sampling in 2000-2001 used the classical fixed-site and fixed-time interval sampling approach, where sites on the San Joaquin River and its major tributaries were sampled bimonthly from July to October for chemistry and isotopes (Kratzer et al., 2004: see URL below). Subsequently, samples were collected during 4 transects along the San Joaquin River (10/02, 3/03, 9/03, and 7/04); the first and last of these transects extended through the Delta to the Bay. Several sites were sampled during diel studies in 8/04 and 7/05. Although fixed-site sampling is the norm in watershed studies, we have found that isotope and chemical data collected during longitudinal transects of the river and diel sampling of several sites along short river reaches have been more useful in convincing colleagues that isotope measurements are extremely useful adjuncts to traditional methods for assessing and monitoring sources of organics and nutrients during ecosystem restoration programs. Furthermore, we have concluded that while the obvious value of isotopes for water resources management is to tell us things about water resources that we didn't know before, what convinces the skeptic is when the isotopes tell us things about water resources that contradict what we thought we knew before. This

  6. Effects of the proposed California WaterFix North Delta Diversion on flow reversals and entrainment of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) into Georgiana Slough and the Delta Cross Channel, northern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, Russell W.; Romine, Jason G.; Pope, Adam C.; Evans, Scott D.

    2018-02-27

    The California Department of Water Resources and Bureau of Reclamation propose new water intake facilities on the Sacramento River in northern California that would convey some of the water for export to areas south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (hereinafter referred to as the Delta) through tunnels rather than through the Delta. The collection of water intakes, tunnels, pumping facilities, associated structures, and proposed operations are collectively referred to as California WaterFix. The water intake facilities, hereinafter referred to as the North Delta Diversion (NDD), are proposed to be located on the Sacramento River downstream of the city of Sacramento and upstream of the first major river junction where Sutter Slough branches from the Sacramento River. The NDD can divert a maximum discharge of 9,000 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) from the Sacramento River, which reduces the amount of Sacramento River inflow into the Delta.In this report, we conducted three analyses to investigate the effect of the NDD and its proposed operation on entrainment of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) into Georgiana Slough and the Delta Cross Channel (DCC). Fish that enter the interior Delta (the network of channels to the south of the Sacramento River) through Georgiana Slough and the DCC survive at lower rates than fish that use other migration routes (Sacramento River, Sutter Slough, and Steamboat Slough). Therefore, fisheries managers were concerned about the extent to which operation of the NDD would increase the proportion of the population entering the interior Delta, which, all else being equal, would lower overall survival through the Delta by increasing the fraction of the population subject to lower survival rates. Operation of the NDD would reduce flow in the Sacramento River, which has the potential to increase the magnitude and duration of reverse flows of the Sacramento River downstream of Georgiana Slough.In the first analysis, we

  7. Mercury methylation, export and bioaccumulation in rice agriculture - model results from comparative and experimental studies in 3 regions of the California Delta, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Windham-Myers, L.; Fleck, J.; Eagles-Smith, C.; Ackerman, J.

    2013-12-01

    Seasonally flooded wetland ecosystems are often poised for mercury (Hg) methylation, thus becoming sources of methylmercury (MeHg) to in situ and downstream biota. The seasonal flooding associated with cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa) also generates MeHg, which may be stored in sediment or plants, bioaccumulated into fauna, degraded or exported, depending on hydrologic and seasonal conditions. While many U.S. waters are regulated for total Hg concentrations based on fish targets, California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) will soon implement the first MeHg total maximum daily load (TMDL) control program. Since 2007, a conceptual model (DRERIP-MCM) and several ecosystem-level studies have been advanced to better understand the mechanisms behind Hg methylation, export and bioaccumulation within Delta wetlands, including rice agriculture. Three Delta rice-growing regions (Yolo Bypass, Cosumnes River, Central Delta) of varied soil characteristics, mining influences and hydrology, were monitored over full crop years to evaluate annual MeHg dynamics. In addition to fish tissue Hg accumulation, a broad suite of biogeochemical and hydrologic indices were assessed and compared between wetland types, seasons, and regions. In general, Delta rice fields were found to export MeHg during the post-harvest winter season, and promote MeHg uptake in fish and rice grain during the summer growing season. As described in a companion presentation (Eagles-Smith et al., this session), the experimental Cosumnes River study suggests that rice-derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fuels MeHg production and uptake into aquatic foodwebs. Explicit DRERIP-MCM linkages for the role of rice-DOC in MeHg production, export and bioaccumulation were verified across two summers (2011, 2012): rice biomass and root productivity influenced porewater DOC availability and microbial processes, which drove sediment MeHg production and flux to surface water, promoting MeHg bioaccumulation in fish

  8. Groundwater quality in the Madera and Chowchilla subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shelton, Jennifer L.; Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

    2013-01-01

    Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s untreated groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Madera and Chowchilla subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley constitute one of the study units being evaluated. The Madera-Chowchilla study unit is about 860 square miles and consists of the Madera and Chowchilla groundwater subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley Basin (California Department of Water Resources, 2003; Shelton and others, 2009). The study unit has hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual rainfall ranges from 11 to 15 inches, most of which occurs between November and February. The main surface-water features in the study unit are the San Joaquin, Fresno, and Chowchilla Rivers, and the Madera and Chowchilla canals. Land use in the study unit is about 69 percent (%) agricultural, 28% natural (mainly grasslands), and 3% urban. The primary crops are orchards and vineyards. The largest urban area is the city of Madera. The primary aquifer system is defined as those parts of the aquifer corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database. In the Madera-Chowchilla study unit, these wells typically are drilled to depths between 200 and 800 feet, consist of a solid casing from land surface to a depth of about 140 to 400 feet, and are perforated below the solid casing. Water quality in the primary aquifer system may differ from that in the shallower and deeper parts of the aquifer system. The primary aquifer system in the study unit consists of Quaternary-age alluvial-fan and fluvial deposits that were formed by the rivers draining the Sierra Nevada. Sediments consist of gravels, sands

  9. Development of a global river-coastal coupling model and its application to flood simulation in Asian mega-delta regions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ikeuchi, Hiroaki; Hirabayashi, Yukiko; Yamazaki, Dai; Muis, Sanne; Ward, Philip; Verlaan, Martin; Winsemius, Hessel; Kanae, Shinjiro

    2017-04-01

    The world's mega-delta regions and estuaries are susceptible to various water-related disasters, such as river flooding and storm surge. Moreover, simultaneous occurrence of them would be more devastating than a situation where they occur in isolation. Therefore, it is important to provide information about compound risks of fluvial and coastal floods at a large scale, both their statistical dependency as well as their combined resulting flooding in delta regions. Here we report on a first attempt to address this issue globally by developing a method to couple a global river model (CaMa-Flood) and a global tide and surge reanalysis (GTSR) dataset. A state-of-the-art global river routing model, CaMa-Flood, was modified to represent varying sea levels due to tides and storm surges as downstream boundary condition, and the GTSR dataset was post-processed to serve as inputs to the CaMa-Flood river routing simulation and a long-term simulation was performed to incorporate the temporal dependency between coastal tide and surge on the one hand, and discharge on the other. The coupled model was validated against observations, showing better simulation results of water levels in deltaic regions than simulation without GTSR. For example in the Ganges Delta, correlation coefficients were increased by 0.06, and root mean square errors were reduced by 0.22 m. Global coupling simulations revealed that storm surges affected river water levels in coastal regions worldwide, especially in low-lying flat areas with increases in water level larger than 0.5 m. By employing enhanced storm surge simulation with tropical storm tracks, we also applied the model to examine impacts of past hurricane and cyclone storm events on river flood inundation.

  10. Analysis of Salinity Intrusion in the San Francisco Bay-Delta using a GA- Optimized Neural Net, and Application of the Model to Prediction in the Elkhorn Slough Habitat

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, David E.; Rajkumar, T.; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The San Francisco Bay Delta is a large hydrodynamic complex that incorporates the Sacramento and San Joaquin Estuaries, the Burman Marsh, and the San Francisco Bay proper. Competition exists for the use of this extensive water system both from the fisheries industry, the agricultural industry, and from the marine and estuarine animal species within the Delta. As tidal fluctuations occur, more saline water pushes upstream allowing fish to migrate beyond the Burman Marsh for breeding and habitat occupation. However, the agriculture industry does not want extensive salinity intrusion to impact water quality for human and plant consumption. The balance is regulated by pumping stations located alone the estuaries and reservoirs whereby flushing of fresh water keeps the saline intrusion at bay. The pumping schedule is driven by data collected at various locations within the Bay Delta and by numerical models that predict the salinity intrusion as part of a larger model of the system. The Interagency Ecological Program (IEP) for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary collects, monitors, and archives the data, and the Department of Water Resources provides a numerical model simulation (DSM2) from which predictions are made that drive the pumping schedule. A problem with this procedure is that the numerical simulation takes roughly 16 hours to complete a C: prediction. We have created a neural net, optimized with a genetic algorithm, that takes as input the archived data from multiple stations and predicts stage, salinity, and flow at the Carquinez Straits (at the downstream end of the Burman Marsh). This model seems to be robust in its predictions and operates much faster than the current numerical DSM2 model. Because the system is strongly tidal driven, we used both Principal Component Analysis and Fast Fourier Transforms to discover dominant features within the IEP data. We then filtered out the dominant tidal forcing to discover non-primary tidal effects

  11. The Niger Delta petroleum system; Niger Delta Province, Nigeria, Cameroon, and equatorial Guinea, Africa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tuttle, Michele L.W.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Brownfield, Michael E.

    1999-01-01

    In the Niger Delta province, we have identified one petroleum system--the Tertiary Niger Delta (Akata-Agbada) petroleum system. The delta formed at the site of a rift triple junction related to the opening of the southern Atlantic starting in the Late Jurassic and continuing into the Cretaceous. The delta proper began developing in the Eocene, accumulating sediments that now are over 10 kilometers thick. The primary source rock is the upper Akata Formation, the marine-shale facies of the delta, with possibly contribution from interbedded marine shale of the lowermost Agbada Formation. Oil is produced from sandstone facies within the Agbada Formation, however, turbidite sand in the upper Akata Formation is a potential target in deep water offshore and possibly beneath currently producing intervals onshore. Known oil and gas resources of the Niger Delta rank the province as the twelfth largest in the world. To date, 34.5 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 93.8 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas have been discovered. In 1997, Nigeria was the fifth largest crude oil supplier to the United States, supplying 689,000 barrels/day of crude.

  12. Delta Morphodynamics Matters! Ecosystem Services, Poverty and Morphodynamic Change in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Mega-Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nicholls, R. J.; Adger, N.; Allan, A.; Darby, S. E.; Hutton, C.; Matthews, Z.; Rahman, M.; Whitehead, P. G.; Wolf, J.

    2013-12-01

    The world's deltas are probably the most vulnerable type of coastal environment, and they face multiple stresses in the coming decades. These stresses include, amongst others, local drivers due to land subsidence, population growth and urbanisation within the deltas, regional drivers due to changes in catchment management (e.g. upstream land use and dam construction), as well as global climate change impacts such as sea-level rise. At the same time, the ecosystem services of river deltas support high population densities, with around 14% of the global population inhabiting deltas. A large proportion of these people experience extremes of poverty and they are therefore severely exposed to vulnerability from environmental and ecological stress and degradation. In areas close to or below the poverty boundary, both subsistence and cash elements of the economy tend to rely disproportionately heavily on ecosystem services which underpin livelihoods. Therefore, to sustainably manage delta environments they must be viewed as complex social-environmental systems where change is only partially driven by physical drivers such as sea level rise and climate change, and human-induced development activities are also critical. Here we outline a new conceptual framework for the development of methods to understand and characterise the key drivers of change in ecosystem services that affect the environment and economic status of populous deltas, focusing specifically on the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) mega-delta. The GBM delta is characterised by densely populated coastal lowlands with significant poverty, with livelihoods supported to a large extent by natural ecosystems such as the Sunderbahns (the largest mangrove forest in the world). However, the GBM delta is under severe development pressure due to many growing cities. At present the importance of ecosystems services to poverty and livelihoods is poorly understood. This is due to due to the complexity of interactions

  13. Data on dissolved pesticides and volatile organic compounds in surface and ground waters in the San Joaquin-Tulare basins, California, water years 1992-1995

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kinsey, Willie B.; Johnson, Mark V.; Gronberg, JoAnn M.

    2005-01-01

    This report contains pesticide, volatile organic compound, major ion, nutrient, tritium, stable isotope, organic carbon, and trace-metal data collected from 149 ground-water wells, and pesticide data collected from 39 surface-water stream sites in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Included with the ground-water data are field measurements of pH, specific conductance, alkalinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. This report describes data collection procedures, analytical methods, quality assurance, and quality controls used by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program to ensure data reliability. Data contained in this report were collected during a four year period by the San Joaquin?Tulare Basins Study Unit of the United States Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Surface-water-quality data collection began in April 1992, with sampling done three times a week at three sites as part of a pilot study conducted to provide background information for the surface-water-study design. Monthly samples were collected at 10 sites for major ions and nutrients from January 1993 to March 1995. Additional samples were collected at four of these sites, from January to December 1993, to study spatial and temporal variability in dissolved pesticide concentrations. Samples for several synoptic studies were collected from 1993 to 1995. Ground-water-quality data collection was restricted to the eastern alluvial fans subarea of the San Joaquin Valley. Data collection began in 1993 with the sampling of 21 wells in vineyard land-use settings. In 1994, 29 wells were sampled in almond land-use settings and 9 in vineyard land-use settings; an additional 11 wells were sampled along a flow path in the eastern Fresno County vineyard land-use area. Among the 79 wells sampled in 1995, 30 wells were in the corn, alfalfa, and vegetable land-use setting, and 1 well was in the vineyard land-use setting; an additional 20 were flow-path wells. Also sampled in 1995

  14. Analysis of a delta spot

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Y.; Zhang, H. Q.

    2002-05-01

    delta -groups generally develop in three different ways: eruption of a single complex active region, eruption of large satellite spots near a large older spot, or collision of spots of opposite polarity from different dipoles. In this paper, we present a rare observational result in which a delta -spot forms from rapid coalescence of two opposite magnetic features in a pre-existing delta -configuration. The white-light (WL) observations of this delta -spot in active region NOAA 9077 were performed by TRACE. The time-lapse movie of the co-aligned WL images shows that the whole active region was undergoing rapid disintegration and reconstruction on 11-17 July 2000. The preceding ({p}) and following ({f}) components of the delta -spot continue to grow in size, while the active region is in the decaying phase. Their proper motions are determined as a function of time using SOHO/MDI full-disk magnetograms. A major flare (3B/X5.7) erupted in the active region on 14 July. Initially, a relative shearing motion is visible between the {p} and {f} spots on this day. About two hours before the major flare, the shearing motion suddenly stops and the velocities change significantly. The ribbons of the flare are located just outside of the delta -configuration. An interesting finding is the sign reversal of the helicity of the {f} spot also just 2 hours before the flare. The delta -spot obviously separates after the flare. Our results clearly demonstrate that helicity reversal in magnetic features of a delta -configuration is likely to destabilize the compact structure, as well as to re-organize the magnetic field configuration, and, hence, is important for the rapid disintegration of a delta -spot during major flares. A model is presented to explain why a spot can change its chirality.

  15. 27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

  16. 27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

  17. 27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

  18. 27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

  19. 27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

  20. An evaluation of the regional acid deposition model surface module for ozone uptake at three sites in the San Joaquin Valley of California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Massman, W. J.; Pederson, J.; Delany, A.; Grantz, D.; Hertog, G. Den; Neumann, H. H.; Oncley, S. P.; Pearson, R., Jr.; Shaw, R. H.

    1994-01-01

    Plants and soils act as major sinks for the destruction of tropospheric ozone, especially during daylight hours when plant stomata open and are thought to provide the dominant pathway for the uptake of ozone. The present study, part of the California Ozone Deposition Experiment, compares predictions of the regional acid deposition model ozone surface conductance module with surface conductance data derived from eddy covariance measurements of ozone flux taken at a grape, a cotton, and a grassland site in the San Joaquin Valley of California during the summer of 1991. Results indicate that the model (which was developed to provide long-term large-area estimates for the eastern United States) significantly overpredicts the surface conductance at all times of the day for at least two important types of plant cover of the San Joaquin Valley and that it incorrectly partitions the ozone flux between transpiring and nontranspiring components of the surface at the third site. Consequently, the model either overpredicts or inaccurately represents the observed deposition velocities. Other results indicate that the presence of dew does not reduce the rate of ozone deposition, contradicting to model assumptions, and that model assumptions involving the dependency of stomata upon environmental temperature are unnecessary. The effects of measurement errors and biases, arising from the presence of the roughness sublayer and possible photochemical reactions, are also discussed. A simpler model for ozone surface deposition (at least for the San Joaquin Valley) is proposed and evaluated.