Publications
These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.
Filter Total Items: 16904
Salt tectonics and shallow subseafloor fluid convection: Models of coupled fluid-heat-salt transport Salt tectonics and shallow subseafloor fluid convection: Models of coupled fluid-heat-salt transport
Thermohaline convection associated with salt domes has the potential to drive significant fluid flow and mass and heat transport in continental margins, but previous studies of fluid flow associated with salt structures have focused on continental settings or deep flow systems of importance to petroleum exploration. Motivated by recent geophysical and geochemical observations that...
Authors
A. Wilson, C. Ruppel
An age-structured population model for horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay area to assess harvest and egg availability for shorebirds An age-structured population model for horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay area to assess harvest and egg availability for shorebirds
The objective of this simulation study was to create an age-structured population model for horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphenols) in the Delaware Bay region using best available estimates of age-specific mortality and recent harvest levels. Density dependence was incorporated using a spatial model relating egg mortality with abundance of spawning females. Combinations of annual female...
Authors
J. A. Sweka, D. R. Smith, M. J. Millard
Mechanical properties of sand, silt, and clay containing tetrahydrofuran hydrate Mechanical properties of sand, silt, and clay containing tetrahydrofuran hydrate
The mechanical behavior of hydrate-bearing sediments subjected to large strains has relevance for the stability of the seafloor and submarine slopes, drilling and coring operations, and the analysis of certain small-strain properties of these sediments (for example, seismic velocities). This study reports on the results of comprehensive axial compression triaxial tests conducted at up to...
Authors
T.S. Yun, J.C. Santamarina, C. Ruppel
Assessment of contamination from arsenical pesticide use on orchards in the great valley region, Virginia and West Virginia, USA Assessment of contamination from arsenical pesticide use on orchards in the great valley region, Virginia and West Virginia, USA
Lead arsenate pesticides were widely used in apple orchards from 1925 to 1955. Soils from historic orchards in four counties in Virginia and West Virginia contained elevated concentrations of As and Pb, consistent with an arsenical pesticide source. Arsenic concentrations in approximately 50% of the orchard site soils and approximately 1% of reference site soils exceed the USEPA...
Authors
Gilpin R. Robinson, Peter Larkins, Carol J. Boughton, Bradley W. Reed, Philip L. Sibrell
Mineral resource of the month: niobium (columbium) Mineral resource of the month: niobium (columbium)
It’s not just diamonds associated with conflict in Africa. Coltan, short for columbite-tantalite (a blend of niobium — also called columbium — and tantalum minerals), is linked with the recent conflicts in the Congo that involved several African countries. The metallic ore, which is processed to separate out niobium and the very valuable tantalum (see Geotimes, August 2004), is believed...
Authors
John F. Papp
Estimated water use and availability in the East Narragansett Bay study area, Rhode Island, 1995-99 Estimated water use and availability in the East Narragansett Bay study area, Rhode Island, 1995-99
Water availability became a concern in Rhode Island during a drought in 1999, and further investigation was needed to assess the current demands on the hydrologic system from withdrawals during periods of little to no precipitation. The low ground-water levels and streamflows measured in Rhode Island prompted initiation of a series of studies on water use and availability in each major...
Authors
Emily C. Wild
Ball clay Ball clay
The article offers information on ball clay. Among the companies that mine ball clay in the U.S. are H.C. Spinks Clay, Kentucky-Tennessee Clay and Old Hickory Clay. In 2006, an estimated 1.2 million tons of the mineral was sold or used domestically and exported. Forty-percent of the total sales is accounted for ceramic floor and wall tile followed by sanitaryware and miscellaneous...
Authors
R.L. Virta
Fluorspar Fluorspar
Apart from some fluorspar by-product, there was no U.S. production of fluorspar in 2006. Imports were 553 kt, nearly 14 percent less than in 2005, and China was by far the largest supplier. China's changing export policy and high ocean freight rates indicate that delivered prices for fluorspar may increase in 2007 and countries such as Mexico, Mongolia, and South Africa are gaining...
Authors
M. Miller
Workshop: Western hemisphere network of bird banding programs Workshop: Western hemisphere network of bird banding programs
Purpose: To promote collaboration among banding programs in the Americas. Introduction: Bird banding and marking provide indispensable tools for ornithological research, management, and conservation of migratory birds on migratory routes, breeding and non-breeding grounds. Many countries and organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean are in the process of developing or have...
Authors
A. Celis-Murillo
Mammals of South America, Volume 1, Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats Mammals of South America, Volume 1, Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats
The vast terrain between Panama and Tierra del Fuego contains some of the world?s richest mammalian fauna, but until now it has lacked a comprehensive systematic reference to the identification, distribution, and taxonomy of its mammals. The first such book of its kind and the inaugural volume in a three-part series, Mammals of South America both summarizes existing information and...
Using topographic lidar data to delineate the North Carolina Shoreline Using topographic lidar data to delineate the North Carolina Shoreline
In North Carolina, shoreline change rates are an important component of the state's coastal management program. To enhance methods of measuring shoreline change, the NC Division of Coastal Management (DCM) is considering using mean high water (MHW) shorelines extracted from lidar data together with traditional wet/dry shorelines digitized from aerial photography. To test their...
Authors
Patrick W. Limber, Jeffrey H. List, Jeffrey D. Warren, Amy S. Farris, Kathryn M. Weber