New Collaborations & Opportunities
Landscapes
Eolian history of North America (Earth Surface Dynamics)
- The objectives of this study are to:
(1) Test hypotheses about the role of dust in climate change (2) Investigate records of natural climate variability in loess (dust) deposits (3) Understand the processes responsible for sand dune activity in the
U.S. (4) Assess the potential for reactivation of stabilized sand dunes in the U.S. under changing conditions of climate and land
use. USGS scientists have just begun to study the origin and age of
stabilized sand dunes that occupy the northernmost part of the Tetlin
National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Alaska. Many of the wetlands in
this wildlife refuge are the result of interdune depressions or creation
of small lakes as a result of dune dams. This study has important
implications for management of the refuge, because reactivation of
the dunes could alter the existing wetlands, which are critical for
wildlife. USFWS benefits directly without payment.
Daniel Muhs, dmuhs@usgs.gov, Denver, CO
Alaska Quaternary climate history (Earth Surface Dynamics)
- Project is aimed at improving understanding of
the links between climate change and ecosystem changes in Alaska,
using geological evidence from the late Quaternary as a means of examining
past climate changes and ecosystem responses to those changes. One
objective of the project is to apply new knowledge of ecosystem history
and ecosystem responses to climate change to problems of land-use
management, archeology, vertebrate paleontology and climate modeling. USFWS (Kenai National Wildlife Refuge) provides in-kind services.
Thomas Ager, tager@usgs.gov, Denver, CO
Coastal habitats in Puget Sound (Coastal and Marine Geology)
- This new project will provide the science needed
for restoration planning for the Puget Sound estuary. The project
will support the work of the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration
(PSNER) partnership (which consists of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
State natural resource agencies; Federal agencies, including USFWS;
tribes; the commercial sector; NGOs; universities; and local governments).
PSNER was formed to restore and preserve the nearshore habitat, rehabilitate
the health of the Puget Sound ecosystem, and prevent additional damage
resulting from increased human population in the region.
Guy Gelfenbaum, ggelfenbaum@usgs.gov, Menlo Park, CA
Atlantic coastal ground water systems (Coastal and Marine Geology)
-
Project goals are to improve understanding of the geological framework, pathways, and role of ground-water discharge in coastal bays along the Atlantic continental margin. This information is needed for issues related to water supply, wastewater disposal, and ecosystem health. In particular, information is needed to resolve mode of entry of nitrogen nutrients into estuaries (diffuse vs. focused) and to provide data needed for improved hydrologic models. Investigations are designed to quantify the relative role of ground water in the water and nutrient budgets of several coastal areas.
In fy04 the project will expand efforts from the Delmarva Peninsula to new study sites in Pamlico Sound, NC. Special emphasis will be placed on management needs of Federal DOI partners including NPS and USFWS.
John Bratton, jbratton@usgs.gov, Woods Hole, MA
Advanced methods for coastal science applications of temporal waveform-resolving airborne lidar (Coastal and Marine Geology)
- Temporal waveform-resolving lidar has the potential
to provide fundamental information for studies of coastal erosion
and change, modeling or assessment of extreme storm and tsunami impacts,
and the fine scale, vertically resolved discrimination of subaerial
and shallow submarine benthic habitats. The objectives of the project
are to develop and test methods to incorporate NASA
Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) into subaerial
and shallow submarine studies. Application of EAARL
data to rugosity measurements may prove to be extremely useful in
quantitatively describing reef viability. There is no current method
to estimate rugosity on an appropriate scale. Application of remote
sensing techniques to this long-standing problem will help ecologists
and resource mangers. Federal agencies (USFWS, NPS, State and Territory
governments are very concerned about habitat degradation, specifically
coral reef decline. A model resulting from linking lidar data with
data comprehensively describing the benthos will be a huge step toward
the meaningful application of the new lidar technology to tracking
habitat condition. Project welcomes more interaction with USFWS.
John Brock, jbrock@usgs.gov, St. Petersburg, FL
Resources
Geochemical landscapes (Mineral Resources)
- This project is beginning a pilot study to determine
methodology. The long-term objective of the project is to design and
carry out a new national-scale soil geochemical survey in collaboration
with NRCS and other Federal and State agencies as well as the academic
community. This survey will include: a complete suite of inorganic
analyses by total extraction of the sample, determination of "geoavailable"
and "bioavailable" fractions of the soil by partial extraction
methods, measurement of selected organic contaminants, characterization
of the soil microbial communities, and determination of specific pathogens
in the soil. The national effort will require working closely with
others, including USFWS, to complete the survey.
David Smith, dsmith@usgs.gov, Denver, CO
Pathways of metal transfer from mineralized sources to bioreceptors (Mineral Resources)
- Project scientists are synthesizing vast amounts
of information into dynamic models to assist the USFWS and EPA in
further defining links between physical and biogeochemical processes
and health impacts in the Coeur d'Alene River basin. The models will
result in a deeper understanding of the processes that affect how
zinc and lead move and are transformed between dissolved and particulate
phases. The models will identify dominant processes and, thereby,
assist in targeting remediation and management activities in this
complex system.
Laurie Balistrieri, balistri@usgs.gov, Seattle, WA
