John Whitney
John Whitney is a Scientist Emeritus with the Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 21
Aeolian responses to climate variability during the past century on Mesquite Lake Playa, Mojave Desert Aeolian responses to climate variability during the past century on Mesquite Lake Playa, Mojave Desert
The erosion and deposition of sediments by wind from 1901 to 2013 have created large changes in surface features of Mesquite Lake playa in the Mojave Desert. The decadal scale recurrence of sand-sheet development, migration, and merging with older dunes appears related to decadal climatic changes of drought and wetness as recorded in the precipitation history of the Mojave Desert...
Authors
John W. Whitney, George N. Breit, S.E. Buckingham, Richard L. Reynolds, Rian C. Bogle, Lifeng Luo, Harland L. Goldstein, John M. Vogel
Effects of rapid urbanization on streamflow, erosion, and sedimentation in a desert stream in the American Southwest Effects of rapid urbanization on streamflow, erosion, and sedimentation in a desert stream in the American Southwest
Rapid urbanization has resulted in a series of sequential effects on a desert stream in the American Southwest. Lower Las Vegas Wash was a dry wash characterized by infrequent flood deposition when Las Vegas, Nevada was established in 1905. Wastewater effluent was discharged into the wash in low volumes for over 3 decades. Wastewater volumes increased commensurably with accelerated...
Authors
John W. Whitney, Patrick A. Glancy, Susan E. Buckingham, Arthur C. Ehrenberg
Use of fragile geologic structures as indicators of unexceeded ground motions and direct constraints on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis Use of fragile geologic structures as indicators of unexceeded ground motions and direct constraints on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
We present a quantitative procedure for constraining probabilistic seismic hazard analysis results at a given site, based on the existence of fragile geologic structures at that site. We illustrate this procedure by analyzing precarious rocks and undamaged lithophysae at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The key metric is the probability that the feature would have survived to the present day...
Authors
J. W. Baker, John W. Whitney, Thomas C. Hanks, Norman A. Abramson, Mark P. Board
Extreme ground motions and Yucca Mountain Extreme ground motions and Yucca Mountain
Yucca Mountain is the designated site of the underground repository for the United States' high-level radioactive waste (HLW), consisting of commercial and military spent nuclear fuel, HLW derived from reprocessing of uranium and plutonium, surplus plutonium, and other nuclear-weapons materials. Yucca Mountain straddles the western boundary of the Nevada Test Site, where the United...
Authors
Thomas C. Hanks, Norman A. Abrahamson, Jack W. Baker, David M. Boore, Mark Board, James N. Brune, C. Allin Cornell, John W. Whitney
Compositional Data for Bengal Delta Sediment Collected from a Borehole at Rajoir, Bangladesh Compositional Data for Bengal Delta Sediment Collected from a Borehole at Rajoir, Bangladesh
Processes active within sediment of the Bengal basin have attracted world concern because of the locally high content of arsenic dissolved in ground water drawn from that sediment. Sediment samples were collected from a borehole in the town of Rajoir, Rajoir upazila, Madaripur district, Bangladesh, to investigate the processes contributing to arsenic contamination. The samples were...
Authors
George N. Breit, James C. Yount, Nehal Uddin, Ad. Atual Muneem, Heather Lowers, Cyrus J. Berry, John W. Whitney
Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert, USA Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert, USA
The interactions between playa hydrology and playa-surface sediments are important factors that control the type and amount of dust emitted from playas as a result of wind erosion. The production of evaporite minerals during evaporative loss of near-surface ground water results in both the creation and maintenance of several centimeters or more of loose sediment on and near the surfaces...
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, James C. Yount, Marith C. Reheis, Harland L. Goldstein, Pat F. Chavez, Robert E. Fulton, John W. Whitney, Christopher C. Fuller, Richard M. Forester
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 21
Aeolian responses to climate variability during the past century on Mesquite Lake Playa, Mojave Desert Aeolian responses to climate variability during the past century on Mesquite Lake Playa, Mojave Desert
The erosion and deposition of sediments by wind from 1901 to 2013 have created large changes in surface features of Mesquite Lake playa in the Mojave Desert. The decadal scale recurrence of sand-sheet development, migration, and merging with older dunes appears related to decadal climatic changes of drought and wetness as recorded in the precipitation history of the Mojave Desert...
Authors
John W. Whitney, George N. Breit, S.E. Buckingham, Richard L. Reynolds, Rian C. Bogle, Lifeng Luo, Harland L. Goldstein, John M. Vogel
Effects of rapid urbanization on streamflow, erosion, and sedimentation in a desert stream in the American Southwest Effects of rapid urbanization on streamflow, erosion, and sedimentation in a desert stream in the American Southwest
Rapid urbanization has resulted in a series of sequential effects on a desert stream in the American Southwest. Lower Las Vegas Wash was a dry wash characterized by infrequent flood deposition when Las Vegas, Nevada was established in 1905. Wastewater effluent was discharged into the wash in low volumes for over 3 decades. Wastewater volumes increased commensurably with accelerated...
Authors
John W. Whitney, Patrick A. Glancy, Susan E. Buckingham, Arthur C. Ehrenberg
Use of fragile geologic structures as indicators of unexceeded ground motions and direct constraints on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis Use of fragile geologic structures as indicators of unexceeded ground motions and direct constraints on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
We present a quantitative procedure for constraining probabilistic seismic hazard analysis results at a given site, based on the existence of fragile geologic structures at that site. We illustrate this procedure by analyzing precarious rocks and undamaged lithophysae at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The key metric is the probability that the feature would have survived to the present day...
Authors
J. W. Baker, John W. Whitney, Thomas C. Hanks, Norman A. Abramson, Mark P. Board
Extreme ground motions and Yucca Mountain Extreme ground motions and Yucca Mountain
Yucca Mountain is the designated site of the underground repository for the United States' high-level radioactive waste (HLW), consisting of commercial and military spent nuclear fuel, HLW derived from reprocessing of uranium and plutonium, surplus plutonium, and other nuclear-weapons materials. Yucca Mountain straddles the western boundary of the Nevada Test Site, where the United...
Authors
Thomas C. Hanks, Norman A. Abrahamson, Jack W. Baker, David M. Boore, Mark Board, James N. Brune, C. Allin Cornell, John W. Whitney
Compositional Data for Bengal Delta Sediment Collected from a Borehole at Rajoir, Bangladesh Compositional Data for Bengal Delta Sediment Collected from a Borehole at Rajoir, Bangladesh
Processes active within sediment of the Bengal basin have attracted world concern because of the locally high content of arsenic dissolved in ground water drawn from that sediment. Sediment samples were collected from a borehole in the town of Rajoir, Rajoir upazila, Madaripur district, Bangladesh, to investigate the processes contributing to arsenic contamination. The samples were...
Authors
George N. Breit, James C. Yount, Nehal Uddin, Ad. Atual Muneem, Heather Lowers, Cyrus J. Berry, John W. Whitney
Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert, USA Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert, USA
The interactions between playa hydrology and playa-surface sediments are important factors that control the type and amount of dust emitted from playas as a result of wind erosion. The production of evaporite minerals during evaporative loss of near-surface ground water results in both the creation and maintenance of several centimeters or more of loose sediment on and near the surfaces...
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, James C. Yount, Marith C. Reheis, Harland L. Goldstein, Pat F. Chavez, Robert E. Fulton, John W. Whitney, Christopher C. Fuller, Richard M. Forester