Effects of Acidic Deposition and Soil Acidification on Sugar Maple Trees in the Adirondack Mountains, New York

Science.gov (United States)

T. J. Sullivan; G. B. Lawrence; S. W. Bailey; T. C. McDonnell; C. M. Beier; K. C. Weathers; G. T. McPherson; D. A. Bishop

2013-01-01

We documented the effects of acidic atmospheric deposition and soil acidification on the canopy health, basal area increment, and regeneration of sugar maple (SM) trees across the Adirondack region of New York State, in the northeastern United States, where SM are plentiful but not well studied and where widespread depletion of soil calcium (Ca) has been...

Wet deposition flux of trace elements to the Adirondack region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, X.; Keskin, S.S.; Gullu, G.; Olmez, I.

2001-01-01

Wet deposition samples from two locations in the Adirondack region of New York were analyzed for trace elemental composition by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Annual fluxes of the measured species were determined by precipitation-weighted and linear-regression methods. Despite several episodes of high deposition fluxes, the cumulative areal wet deposition of trace elements increased fairly linearly (r 2 > 0.9) over the two year sampling period at both sites. This implies that short duration sampling programs may be used to estimate long-term fluxes and cumulative wet deposition impacts. Based on the magnitude of their fluxes, the measured species have been divided into four groups: acidic anions, electroneutral balancing cations, and minor and trace elements of anthropogenic origin. (author)

Preliminary investigation of two areas in New York State in terms of possible potential for hot dry rock geothermal energy. [Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isachsen, Y.W.

1978-09-27

Two areas in New York State were studied in terms of possible long range potential for geothermal energy: the Adirondack Mountains which are undergoing contemporary doming, and an anomalous circular feature centered on Panther Mountain in the Catskill Mountains. The Adirondack Mountains constitute an anomalously large, domical uplift on the Appalachian foreland. The domical configuration of the area undergoing uplift, combined with subsidence at the northeastern perimeter of the dome, argues for a geothermal rather than glacioisostatic origin. A contemporary hot spot near the crust-mantle boundary is proposed as the mechanism of doming, based on analogy with uplifts of similar dimensions elsewhere in the world, some of which have associated Tertiary volcanics. The lack of thermal springs in the area, or high heat flow in drill holes up to 370 m deep, indicates that the front of the inferred thermal pulse must be at some depth greater than 1 km. From isopach maps by Rickard (1969, 1973), it is clear that the present Adirondack dome did not come into existence until sometime after Late Devonian time. Strata younger than this are not present to provide further time stratigraphic refinement of this lower limit. However, the consequent radial drainage pattern in the Adirondacks suggests that the dome is a relatively young tectonic feature. Using arguments based on fixed hot spots in central Africa, and the movement of North American plate, Kevin Burke (Appendix I) suggests that the uplift may be less than 4 m.y. old.The other area of interest, the Panther Mountain circular feature in the Catskill Mountains, was studied using photogeology, gravity and magnetic profiling, gravity modeling, conventional field methods, and local shallow seismic refraction profiling.

Roadside camping on forest preserve lands in the Adirondack Park: A qualitative exploration of place attachment and resource substitutability

Science.gov (United States)

David A. Graefe; Chad Dawson; Rudolph M. Schuster

2012-01-01

Roadside camping is a popular and widespread public outdoor recreation activity on New York State Forest Preserve (FP) lands within the Adirondack Park (AP). While several roadside camping areas exist on FP lands throughout the Park, little is known about these camping areas or the visitors who use them. Recently, debate has developed over how to define and manage...

Sustainability and economics: The Adirondack Park experience, a forest economic-ecological model, and solar energy policy

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Jon David

The long-term sustainability of human communities will depend on our relationship with regional environments, our maintenance of renewable resources, and our successful disengagement from nonrenewable energy dependence. This dissertation investigates sustainability at these three levels, following a critical analysis of sustainability and economics. At the regional environment level, the Adirondack Park of New York State is analyzed as a potential model of sustainable development. A set of initial and ongoing conditions are presented that both emerge from and support a model of sustainability in the Adirondacks. From these conditions, a clearer picture emerges of the definition of regional sustainability, consequences of its adoption, and lessons from its application. Next, an economic-ecological model of the northern hardwood forest ecosystem is developed. The model integrates economic theory and intertemporal ecological concepts, linking current harvest decisions with future forest growth, financial value, and ecosystem stability. The results indicate very different economic and ecological outcomes by varying opportunity cost and ecosystem recovery assumptions, and suggest a positive benefit to ecological recovery in the forest rotation decision of the profit maximizing manager. The last section investigates the motives, economics, and international development implications of renewable energy (specifically photovoltaic technology) in rural electrification and technology transfer, drawing on research in the Dominican Republic. The implications of subsidizing a photovoltaic market versus investing in basic research are explored.

Comparison of MAGIC and Diatom paleolimnological model hindcasts of lakewater acidification in the Adirondack region of New York

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, T.J.; Bernert, J.A.; Eliers, J.M. (E and S Environmental Chemistry, Corvallis, OR (USA)); Jenne, E.A. (Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)); Cosby, B.J. (Duke Univ., Durham, NC (USA). School of Forestry and Environmental Studies); Charles, D.F.; Selle, A.R. (Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR (USA). Environmental Research Lab.)

1991-03-01

Thirty-three lakes that had been statistically selected as part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Eastern Lake Survey and Direct Delayed Response Project (DDRP) were used to compare the MAGIC (watershed) and Diatom (paleolimnological) models. The study lakes represented a well-defined group of Adirondack lakes, each larger than 4 ha in area and having acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) <400 {mu}eq L{sup {minus}1}. The study first compared current and pre-industrial (before 1850) pH and ANC estimates from Diatom and MAGIC as they were calibrated in the preceding Paleocological Investigation of Recent Lake Acidification (PIRLA) and DDRP studies, respectively. Initially, the comparison of hindcasts of pre-industrial chemistry was confounded by seasonal and methodological differences in lake chemistry data used in calibration of the model. Although certain differences proved to be of little significance for comparison, MAGIC did predict significantly higher pre-industrial ANC and pH values than did Diatom, using calibrations in the preceding studies. Both models suggest acidification of low ANC Adirondack region lakes since preindustrial times, but differ primarily in that MAGIC inferred greater acidification and that acidification has occurred in all lakes in the comparison, whereas Diatom inferred that acidification has been restricted to low ANC lakes (

Characterization of atmospheric aerosols in the Adirondack Mountains using PIXE, SEM/EDX, and Micro-Raman spectroscopies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vineyard, M.F., E-mail: vineyarm@union.edu; LaBrake, S.M.; Ali, S.F.; Nadareski, B.J.; Safiq, A.D.; Smith, J.W.; Yoskowitz, J.T.

2015-05-01

We are making detailed measurements of the composition of atmospheric aerosols collected in the Adirondack Mountains as a function of particle size using proton-induced X-ray emission, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Micro-Raman spectroscopy. These measurements provide valuable data to help identify the sources and understand the transport, transformation, and effects of airborne pollutants in upstate New York. Preliminary results indicate significant concentrations of sulfur in small particles that can travel great distances, and that this sulfur may be in the form of oxides that can contribute to acid rain.

The importance of visitors' knowledge of the cultural and natural history of the Adirondacks in influencing sense of place in the high peaks region

Science.gov (United States)

Laura Fredrickson

2002-01-01

This study examined various dimensions of the sense of place experience felt by visitors to the High Peaks of the Adirondack Park. More specifically, a 6-page questionnaire (mail-back postage-paid) was distributed to 803 people over a three-month period (June, July & August, 1999). The two primary objectives of this study were to: 1) explore the various...

U-Pb zircon geochronology and evolution of some Adirondack meta-igneous rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Mclelland, J. M.

1988-01-01

An update was presented of the recent U-Pb isotope geochronology and models for evolution of some of the meta-igneous rocks of the Adirondacks, New York. Uranium-lead zircon data from charnockites and mangerites and on baddeleyite from anorthosite suggest that the emplacement of these rocks into a stable crust took place in the range 1160 to 1130 Ma. Granulite facies metamorphism was approximately 1050 Ma as indicated by metamorphic zircon and sphene ages of the anorthosite and by development of magmatitic alaskitic gneiss. The concentric isotherms that are observed in this area are due to later doming. However, an older contact metamorphic aureole associated with anorthosite intrusion is observed where wollastonite develops in metacarbonates. Zenoliths found in the anorthosite indicate a metamorphic event prior to anorthosite emplacement. The most probable mechanism for anorthosite genesis is thought to be ponding of gabbroic magmas at the Moho. The emplacement of the anorogenic anorthosite-mangerite-charnockite suite was apparently bracketed by compressional orogenies.

Potential yields of wells in unconsolidated aquifers in upstate New York-- Adirondack sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Bugliosi, Edward F.; Trudell, Ruth A.; Casey, George D.

1988-01-01

This map shows the location and potential well yield from unconsolidated aquifers in the Adirondack region at a 1:250,000 scale. It also delineates segments of aquifers that are heavily used by community water systems and designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as ' Primary Water Supply ' aquifers and cites published reports that give detailed information on each area. Most aquifers were deposited in low-lying areas such as valleys or plains during deglaciation of the region. Thick, permeable, well-sorted sand and gravel deposits generally yield large quantities of water, greater than 100 gal/min. Thin sand, sand and gravel deposits, or thicker gravel units have a large content of silt and fine sand, yield moderate amounts of water, 10 to 100 gal/min. Wells dug in till and those drilled in bedrock commonly yield less than 10 gal/min. (USGS)

Loss of ecosystem services due to chronic pollution of forests and surface waters in the Adirondack region (USA)

Science.gov (United States)

Beier, Colin M.; Caputo, Jesse; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Sullivan, Timothy J.

2017-01-01

Sustaining recent progress in mitigating acid pollution could require lower emissions caps that will give rise to real or perceived tradeoffs between healthy ecosystems and inexpensive energy. Because most impacts of acid rain affect ecosystem functions that are poorly understood by policy-makers and the public, an ecosystem services (ES) framework can help to measure how pollution affects human well-being. Focused on the Adirondack region (USA), a global ‘hot-spot’ of acid pollution, we measured how the chronic acidification of the region's forests, lakes, and streams has affected the potential economic and cultural benefits they provide to society. We estimated that acid-impaired hardwood forests provide roughly half of the potential benefits of forests on moderate to well-buffered soils – an estimated loss of ∼ $10,000 ha−1 in net present value of wood products, maple syrup, carbon sequestration, and visual quality. Acidic deposition has had only nominal impact – relative to the effects of surficial geology and till depth – on the capacity of Adirondack lakes and streams to provide water suitable for drinking. However, as pH declines in lakes, the estimated value of recreational fishing decreases significantly due to loss of desirable fish such as trout. Hatchery stocking programs have partially offset the pollution-mediated losses of fishery value, most effectively in the pH range 4.8–5.5, but are costly and limited in scope. Although any estimates of the monetary ‘damages’ of acid rain have significant uncertainties, our findings highlight some of the more tangible economic and cultural benefits of pollution mitigation efforts, which continue to face litigation and political opposition.

Response of mercury in an Adirondack (NY, USA) forest stream to watershed lime application

Science.gov (United States)

Millard, Geoffrey D.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Burns, Douglas; Montesdeoca, Mario R.; Murray, Karen

2018-01-01

Surface waters in Europe and North America previously impacted by acid deposition are recovering in conjunction with declining precursor emissions since the 1980s. Lime has been applied to some impacted watersheds to accelerate recovery. The response to liming can be considered a proxy for future recovery from acid deposition. Increases in dissolved organic carbon concentrations have been observed in surface waters in response to increased pH associated with recovery from acid deposition. Although not previously described, recovery-related increases in dissolved organic carbon could drive increases in mercury concentrations and loads because of the affinity of mercury for dissolved organic matter. We used a before–after impact-response approach to describe the response of stream mercury cycling to the application of lime to the watershed of a small stream in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, USA. Dissolved organic carbon, total mercury and methylmercury concentrations increased

Loss of ecosystem services due to chronic pollution of forests and surface waters in the Adirondack region (USA).

Science.gov (United States)

Beier, Colin M; Caputo, Jesse; Lawrence, Gregory B; Sullivan, Timothy J

2017-04-15

Sustaining recent progress in mitigating acid pollution could require lower emissions caps that will give rise to real or perceived tradeoffs between healthy ecosystems and inexpensive energy. Because most impacts of acid rain affect ecosystem functions that are poorly understood by policy-makers and the public, an ecosystem services (ES) framework can help to measure how pollution affects human well-being. Focused on the Adirondack region (USA), a global 'hot-spot' of acid pollution, we measured how the chronic acidification of the region's forests, lakes, and streams has affected the potential economic and cultural benefits they provide to society. We estimated that acid-impaired hardwood forests provide roughly half of the potential benefits of forests on moderate to well-buffered soils - an estimated loss of ∼ $10,000 ha -1 in net present value of wood products, maple syrup, carbon sequestration, and visual quality. Acidic deposition has had only nominal impact - relative to the effects of surficial geology and till depth - on the capacity of Adirondack lakes and streams to provide water suitable for drinking. However, as pH declines in lakes, the estimated value of recreational fishing decreases significantly due to loss of desirable fish such as trout. Hatchery stocking programs have partially offset the pollution-mediated losses of fishery value, most effectively in the pH range 4.8-5.5, but are costly and limited in scope. Although any estimates of the monetary 'damages' of acid rain have significant uncertainties, our findings highlight some of the more tangible economic and cultural benefits of pollution mitigation efforts, which continue to face litigation and political opposition. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Variation in fish mercury concentrations in streams of the Adirondack region, New York: A simplified screening approach using chemical metrics

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Douglas A.; Riva-Murray, Karen

2018-01-01

Simple screening approaches for the neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg) in aquatic ecosystems may be helpful in risk assessments of natural resources. We explored the development of such an approach in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, USA, a region with high levels of MeHg bioaccumulation. Thirty-six perennial streams broadly representative of 1st and 2nd order streams in the region were sampled during summer low flow and analyzed for several solutes and for Hg concentrations in fish. Several landscape and chemical metrics that are typically strongly related to MeHg concentrations in aquatic biota were explored for strength of association with fish Hg concentrations. Data analyses were based on site mean length-normalized and standardized Hg concentrations (assumed to be dominantly MeHg) in whole juvenile and adult Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis, Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus, Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys atratulus, and Central Mudminnow Umbra limi, as well as on multi-species z-scores. Surprisingly, none of the landscape metrics was related significantly to regional variation in fish Hg concentrations or to z-scores across the study streams. In contrast, several chemical metrics including dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, sulfate concentrations (SO42−), pH, ultra-violet absorbance (UV254), and specific ultra-violet absorbance were significantly related to regional variation in fish Hg concentrations. A cluster analysis based on DOC, SO42−, and pH identified three distinct groups of streams: (1) high DOC, acidic streams, (2) moderate DOC, slightly acidic streams, and (3) low DOC circum-neutral streams with relatively high SO42−. Preliminary analysis indicated no significant difference in fish Hg z-scores between the moderate and high DOC groups, so these were combined for further analysis. The resulting two groups showed strong differences (p 6.9 mg/L, SO42− 0.31 cm−1 were tested as thresholds to identify Adirondack

Wetland vegetation responses to liming an Adirondack watershed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mackun, I.R.

1993-01-01

Watershed liming as a long-term mitigation strategy to neutralize lake acidity, from increasing acid deposition, was initiated in North America at Woods Lake in the west central Adirondack region of New York. In October 1989, a dose of 10 MT lime (83.5% CaCO[sub 3]) ha[sup [minus]1] was aerially applied to 48% of the watershed. The wetlands adjacent to Woods Lake showed two distinct community types: one dominated by Chamaedaphne calyculata, and one dominated by graminoids and other herbaceous species. Within two years, liming did not alter the structure of either community type, and changed the cover or frequency of only 6 of 64 individual taxa. Most of these changes occurred in the herbaceous community type. The only strong positive response to liming was a nearly threefold increase in cover of the rhizomatous sedge Cladium mariscoides. The cover of Carex interior and Sphagnum spp. benefited from lime addition, while cover of Drosera intermedia and Muhlenbergia uniflora, and frequency of Hypericum canadense responded negatively to lime. Liming influenced the competitive release of only three taxa, all forbs with small growth forms. The tissue chemistry of foliage and twigs of Myrica gale, Chamaedaphne calyculata, and Carex stricta in the Chamaedaphne calyculata community type clearly illustrated species-specific patterns of nutrient accumulation and allocation both before and after liming. Concentrations of 17 of 20 elements responded to liming, although the responses varied among species and plant parts. Carex foliage was least responsive to liming, and Chamaedaphne twigs were most responsive. Elemental changes in plant tissues will be reflected in litter and many influence long-term nutrient dynamics in the wetland community.

Compositional controls on spinel clouding and garnet formation in plagioclase of olivine metagabbros, Adirondack Mountains, New York

Science.gov (United States)

McLelland, J.M.; Whitney, P.R.

1980-01-01

Olivine metagabbros from the Adirondacks usually contain both clear and spinel-clouded plagioclase, as well as garnet. The latter occurs primarily as the outer rim of coronas surrounding olivine and pyroxene, and less commonly as lamellae or isolated grains within plagioclase. The formation of garnet and metamorphic spinel is dependent upon the anorthite content of the plagioclase. Plagioclase more sodic than An38??2 does not exhibit spinel clouding, and garnet rarely occurs in contact with plagioclase more albitic than An36??4. As a result of these compositional controls, the distribution of spinel and garnet mimics and visually enhances original igneous zoning in plagioclase. Most features of the arrangement of clear (unclouded) plagioclase, including the shells or moats of clear plagioclase which frequently occur inside the garnet rims of coronas, can be explained on the basis of igneous zoning. The form and distribution of the clear zones may also be affected by the metamorphic reactions which have produced the coronas, and by redistribution of plagioclase in response to local volume changes during metamorphism. ?? 1980 Springer-Verlag.

Short-term responses of wetland vegetation after liming of an Adirondack watershed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mackun, I.R.; Leopold, D.J.; Raynal, D.J. (State Univ. of New York, Syracuse, NY (United States))

1994-08-01

Watershed liming has been suggested as a long-term mitigation strategy for lake acidity, particularly in areas subject to high levels of acidic deposition. However, virtually no information has been available on the impacts of liming on wetland vegetation. In 1989, 1100 Mg of limestone (83.5% CaCO[sub 3]) were aerially applied to 48% (100 ha) of the Woods Lake watershed in the west-central Adirondack region of New York as part of the first comprehensive watershed liming study in North America. We inventoried wetland vegetation in 1.0-m[sup 2] plots before liming and during the subsequent 2 yr. Within this period liming influenced the cover, frequency, or importance values of only 6 of 64 wetland taxa. The cover of Sphagnum spp. and of the cespitose sedge Carex interior decreased in control relative to limed plots, and cover of the rhizomatous sedge Cladium mariscoides increased nearly threefold in limed areas. These two sedges, which are relatively tall, are characteristic of more calcareous habitats. Cover of the grass Muhlenbergia uniflora, cover and importance were adversely affected or inhibited by lime. It is unclear whether liming directly inhibited the growth of these three small-statured species, or whether the adverse effects of lime were mediated through shifts in competitive interactions with other species. The limited responses that we observed to liming, along with changes that occurred in control plots over the study period, may indicate that in the short term watershed liming was no more of a perturbation than the environmental factors responsible for natural annual variation in wetland communities.

Modeling the acid-base chemistry of organic solutes in Adirondack, New York, lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Driscoll, Charles T.; Lehtinen, Michael D.; Sullivan, Timothy J.

1994-02-01

Data from the large and diverse Adirondack Lake Survey were used to calibrate four simple organic acid analog models in an effort to quantify the influence of naturally occurring organic acids on lake water pH and acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC). The organic acid analog models were calibrated to observations of pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and organic anion (An-) concentrations from a reduced data set representing 1128 individual lake samples, expressed as 41 observations of mean pH, in intervals of 0.1 pH units from pH 3.9 to 7.0. Of the four organic analog approaches examined, including the Oliver et al. (1983) model, as well as monoprotic, diprotic, and triprotic representations, the triprotic analog model yielded the best fit (r2 = 0.92) to the observed data. Moreover, the triprotic model was qualitatively consistent with observed patterns of change in organic solute charge density as a function of pH. A low calibrated value for the first H+ dissociation constant (pKal = 2.62) and the observation that organic anion concentrations were significant even at very low pH (acidic functional groups. Inclusion of organic acidity in model calculations resulted in good agreement between measured and predicted values of lake water pH and ANC. Assessments to project the response of surface waters to future changes in atmospheric deposition, through the use of acidification models, will need to include representations of organic acids in model structure to make accurate predictions of pH and ANC.

Atmospheric Science Research at the Whiteface Mountain Adirondack High Peaks Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, J. J.; Brandt, R. E.; Casson, P.; Demerjian, K. L.; Crandall, B. A.

2014-12-01

The Atmospheric Sciences Research Center established an atmospheric observatory at Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks in 1961. The current mountain top observatory building was built by the University at Albany in 1969-70 and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) began ozone measurements at this summit location in 1973. Those measurements continue to this day and constitute a valuable long term data record for tropospheric ozone in the northeastern U.S. The elevation of the summit is 1483 m above sea level, and is roughly 90 m above the tree line in this location. With a mean cloud base height of less than 1100 m at the summit, it is a prime location for cloud research. The research station headquarters, laboratories, offices, and a second measurement site are located at the Marble Mountain Lodge, perched on a shoulder northeast of the massif at an elevation of 604 m above sea level. Parameters measured at the site include meteorological variables, trace gases, precipitation chemistry, aerosol mass and components, and more. Precipitation and cloud chemistry has a long history at the lodge and summit locations, respectively, and continues to this day. Some data from the 40-year record will be shown in the presentation. In the late 1980's the summit site was outfitted with instrumentation to measure oxides of nitrogen and other ozone precursors. Measurements of many of these same parameters were added at the lodge site and continue to this day. In this poster we will give an overview of the Whiteface Mountain Observatory and its two measurement locations. We will highlight the parameters currently being measured at our sites, and indicate those measured by ASRC, as well as those measured by other organizations. We will also recap some of the historical activities and measurement programs that have taken place at the site, as alluded to above. Also included will be examples of the rich archive of trends data for gas phase species

Landowner perceptions of three types of boating in the Saranac Lakes area of New York State׳s Adirondack Park

Science.gov (United States)

Kuehn, Diane; Schuster, Rudy; Nordman, Erik

2015-01-01

In order for natural resource managers to better understand conflicting landowner perspectives related to non-motorized, motorized, and personal watercraft use, this study examines the demographic and experiential characteristics, values, attitudes, and beliefs of landowners in the Saranac Lakes area of the Adirondack Park in New York State. A mixed-methods approach, composed of 20 in-depth interviews with land managers and a mail survey of 1000 landowners, was used. Three path analyses were completed, one for each type of boat use. Results indicate that resource-related values influence beliefs and attitudes related to boat use, supporting the cognitive hierarchy model of human behavior (Fulton, D. C., Manfredo, M. J., & Lipscomb, J. (1996). Wildlife value orientations: a conceptual and measurement approach. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 1, 24–47). In addition, length of residence in the area, past participation in non-motorized and motorized boating, age, and education were found to influence attitudes towards certain types of boating. The results of this study can be used by natural resource managers to identify management strategies that better address the values and recreational interests of landowners.

Chemistry and transport of soluble humic substances in forested watersheds of the Adirondack Park, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Cronan, C.S.; Aiken, G.R.

1985-01-01

Studies were conducted in conjunction with the Integrated Lake-Watershed Acidification Study (ILWAS) to examine the chemistry and leaching patterns of soluble humic substances in forested watersheds of the Adirondack region. During the summer growing season, mean dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in the ILWAS watersheds ranged from 21-32 mg C l-1 in O/A horizon leachates, from 5-7 mg C l-1 in B horizon leachates, from 2-4 mg C l-1 in groundwater solutions, from 6-8 mg C l-1 in first order streams, from 3-8 mg C l-1 in lake inlets, and from 2-7 mg C l-1 in lake outlets. During the winter, mean DOC concentrations dropped significantly in the upper soil profile. Soil solutions from mixed and coniferous stands contained as much as twice the DOC concentration of lysimeter samples from hardwood stands. Results of DOC fractionation analysis showed that hydrophobia and hydrophilic acids dominate the organic solute composition of natural waters in these watersheds. Charge balance and titration results indicated that the general acid-base characteristics of the dissolved humic mixture in these natural waters can be accounted for by a model organic acid having an averagepKa of 3.85, an average charge density of 4-5 ??eq mg-1 C at ambient pH, and a total of 6-7 meq COOH per gram carbon. ?? 1985.

Charnockites and granites of the western Adirondacks, New York, USA: a differentiated A-type suite

Science.gov (United States)

Whitney, P.R.

1992-01-01

Granitic rocks in the west-central Adirondack Highlands of New York State include both relatively homogeneous charnockitic and hornblende granitic gneisses (CG), that occur in thick stratiform bodies and elliptical domes, and heterogeneous leucogneisses (LG), that commonly are interlayered with metasedimentary rocks. Major- and trace-element geochemical analyses were obtained for 115 samples, including both types of granitoids. Data for CG fail to show the presence of more than one distinct group based on composition. Most of the variance within the CG sample population is consistent with magmatic differentiation combined with incomplete separation of early crystals of alkali feldspar, plagioclase, and pyroxenes or amphibole from the residual liquid. Ti, Fe, Mg, Ca, P, Sr, Ba, and Zr decrease with increasing silica, while Rb and K increase. Within CG, the distinction between charnockitic (orthopyroxene-bearing) and granitic gneisses is correlated with bulk chemistry. The charnockites are consistently more mafic than the hornblende granitic gneisses, although forming a continuum with them. The leucogneisses, while generally more felsic than the charnockites and granitic gneisses, are otherwise geochemically similar to them. The data are consistent with the LG suite being an evolved extrusive equivalent of the intrusive CG suite. Both CG and LG suites are metaluminous to mildly peraluminous and display an A-type geochemical signature, enriched in Fe, K, Ce, Y, Nb, Zr, and Ga and depleted in Ca, Mg, and Sr relative to I- and S-type granites. Rare earth element patterns show moderate LREE enrichment and a negative Eu anomaly throughout the suite. The geochemical data suggest an origin by partial melting of biotite- and plagioclase-rich crustal rocks. Emplacement occurred in an anorogenic or post-collisional tectonic setting, probably at relatively shallow depths. Deformation and granulite-facies metamorphism with some partial melting followed during the Ottawan phase

Mercury methylation in Sphagnum moss mats and its association with sulfate-reducing bacteria in an acidic Adirondack forest lake wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ri-Qing; Adatto, Isaac; Montesdeoca, Mario R; Driscoll, Charles T; Hines, Mark E; Barkay, Tamar

2010-12-01

Processes leading to the bioaccumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) in northern wetlands are largely unknown. We have studied various ecological niches within a remote, acidic forested lake ecosystem in the southwestern Adirondacks, NY, to discover that mats comprised of Sphagnum moss were a hot spot for mercury (Hg) and MeHg accumulation (190.5 and 18.6 ng g⁻¹ dw, respectively). Furthermore, significantly higher potential methylation rates were measured in Sphagnum mats as compared with other sites within Sunday Lake's ecosystem. Although MPN estimates showed a low biomass of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), 2.8 × 10⁴ cells mL⁻¹ in mat samples, evidence consisting of (1) a twofold stimulation of potential methylation by the addition of sulfate, (2) a significant decrease in Hg methylation in the presence of the sulfate reduction inhibitor molybdate, and (3) presence of dsrAB-like genes in mat DNA extracts, suggested that SRB were involved in Hg methylation. Sequencing of dsrB genes indicated that novel SRB, incomplete oxidizers including Desulfobulbus spp. and Desulfovibrio spp., and syntrophs dominated the sulfate-reducing guild in the Sphagnum moss mat. Sphagnum, a bryophyte dominating boreal peatlands, and its associated microbial communities appear to play an important role in the production and accumulation of MeHg in high-latitude ecosystems. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

At Home in the Great Northern Wilderness: African Americans and Freedom’s Ecology in the Adirondacks, 1846-1859

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daegan Miller

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In the fall of 1846, the first of 3,000 African American settlers set foot on their 40-acre plots in the Great Northern Wilderness of New York State, a place we now call the “forever wild” wilderness of the Adirondack State Park. These black settlers were the initial wave of a social experiment meant to destroy both slavery and, more generally, racism throughout the entire United States through the redemptive practice of a utopian agrarianism. The settlers understood that nature and culture, wilderness and society, were thickly, dialectically intertwined. And they weren’t alone: their efforts were seeded by the white abolitionist, Gerrit Smith; fertilized by the utopian socialist communes that covered the Northeast in the 1840s; and nurtured by abolitionists, both black and white. To United States environmental history, I add two threads less frequently seen: African American history and an intellectual history of radical politics. Following these threads has led me beyond the disciplinary confines of history and into larger debates about the cultural politics of wilderness. In this article I argue that the critical wilderness paradigm currently reigning both in and beyond historical scholarship has obscured nuanced, sometimes radical visions of the natural world. Instead of an ironic, deconstructed notion of a troubling wilderness, I suggest another heuristic, the ecology of freedom, which highlights past contingency and hope, and can furthermore help guide our present efforts, both scholastic and activist, to find an honorable, just way of living on the earth.

Appendix C: A comparative study of small scale remotely sensed data for monitoring clearcutting in hardwood forests. M.S. Thesis; [Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania and the Adirondacks, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Hafker, W. R.

1980-01-01

Manual photointerpretation techniques were used to analyze images acquired by high altitude aircraft, the Skylab multispectral and Earth terrain camera (ETC), the LANDSAT multispectral scanner, and the LANDSAT-3 return beam vidicon camera. A color-additive viewer, and digital image analysis were also used on the LANDSAT MSS imagery. The value of each type of remotely sensed data was judged by the ease and accuracy of clearcut identification, and by the amount of detail discernible, especially regarding revegetation. Results of a site study in the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania indicate that high altitude aerial photography, especially color infrared photography acquired during the growing season, is well suited for identifying clearcuts and assessing revegetation. Although photographs acquired with Skylab's ETC also yielded good results, only incomplete inventories of clearcuts could be made using LANDSAT imagery. Results for the Adirondack region of New York State were similar for the aircraft and satellite photography, but even less satisfactory for the LANDSAT imagery.

Modeled effects of soil acidification on long-term ecological and economic outcomes for managed forests in the Adirondack region (USA)

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Caputo, Jesse PhD.; Beier, Colin M.; Sullivan, Timothy J.; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2016-01-01

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is among the most ecologically and economically important tree species in North America, and its growth and regeneration is often the focus of silvicultural practices in northern hardwood forests. A key stressor for sugar maple (SM) is acid rain, which depletes base cations from poorly-buffered forest soils and has been associated with much lower SM vigor, growth, and recruitment. However, the potential interactions between forest management and soil acidification – and their implications for the sustainability of SM and its economic and cultural benefits – have not been investigated. In this study, we simulated the development of 50 extant SM stands in the western Adirondack region of NY (USA) for 100 years under different soil chemical conditions and silvicultural prescriptions. We found that interactions between management prescription and soil base saturation will strongly shape the ability to maintain SM in managed forests. Below 12% base saturation, SM did not regenerate sufficiently after harvest and was replaced mainly by red maple (Acer rubrum) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia). Loss of SM on acid-impaired sites was predicted regardless of whether the shelterwood or diameter-limit prescriptions were used. On soils with sufficient base saturation, models predicted that SM will regenerate after harvest and be sustained for future rotations. We then estimated how these different post-harvest outcomes, mediated by acid impairment of forest soils, would affect the potential monetary value of ecosystem services provided by SM forests. Model simulations indicated that a management strategy focused on syrup production – although not feasible across the vast areas where acid impairment has occurred – may generate the greatest economic return. Although pollution from acid rain is declining, its long-term legacy in forest soils will shape future options for sustainable forestry and ecosystem stewardship in the northern

Mercury in the soil of two contrasting watersheds in the eastern United States

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Burns, Douglas A.; Woodruff, Laurel G.; Bradley, Paul M.; Cannon, William F.

2014-01-01

Soil represents the largest store of mercury (Hg) in terrestrial ecosystems, and further study of the factors associated with soil Hg storage is needed to address concerns about the magnitude and persistence of global environmental Hg bioaccumulation. To address this need, we compared total Hg and methyl Hg concentrations and stores in the soil of different landscapes in two watersheds in different geographic settings with similar and relatively high methyl Hg concentrations in surface waters and biota, Fishing Brook, Adirondack Mountains, New York, and McTier Creek, Coastal Plain, South Carolina. Median total Hg concentrations and stores in organic and mineral soil samples were three-fold greater at Fishing Brook than at McTier Creek. Similarly, median methyl Hg concentrations were about two-fold greater in Fishing Brook soil than in McTier Creek soil, but this difference was significant only for mineral soil samples, and methyl Hg stores were not significantly different among these watersheds. In contrast, the methyl Hg/total Hg ratio was significantly greater at McTier Creek suggesting greater climate-driven methylation efficiency in the Coastal Plain soil than that of the Adirondack Mountains. The Adirondack soil had eight-fold greater soil organic matter than that of the Coastal Plain, consistent with greater total Hg stores in the northern soil, but soil organic matter – total Hg relations differed among the sites. A strong linear relation was evident at McTier Creek (r2 = 0.68; p2 = 0.13; phighly variable across the soil organic matter content range, suggesting excess Hg binding capacity in the Adirondack soil. These results suggest greater total Hg turnover time in Adirondack soil than that of the Coastal Plain, and that future declines in stream water Hg concentrations driven by declines in atmospheric Hg deposition will be more gradual and prolonged in the Adirondacks.

Formation of Fe/mg Smectite Under Acidic Conditions from Synthetic Adirondack Basaltic Glass: an Analog to Fe/mg Smectite Formation on Mars

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Sutter, B.; Peretyazhko, T.; Morris, R. V.; Ming, D. W.

2014-01-01

Smectite has been detected as layered material hundreds of meters thick, in intracrater depositional fans, in plains sediments, and deposits at depth on Mars. If early Mars hosted a dense CO2 atmosphere, then extensive carbonate should have formed in the neutral/alkaline conditions expected for smectite formation. However, large carbonate deposits on Mars have not been discovered. Instead of neutral to moderately alkaline conditions, early Mars may have experienced mildly acidic conditions that allowed for Fe/Mg smectite formation but prevented widespread carbonate formation. The objective of this work is to demonstrate that Fe(II)/Mg saponite and nontronite can form in mildly acidic solutions (e.g., pH 4). Synthetic basaltic glass (Smectite was confirmed as the phyllosilicate after treatments with glycerol and KCl and heating to 550 C. Trioctahedral saponite was confirmed by the presence of a 4.58 to 4.63 Angstroms (02l) and 1.54Angstroms (060) peaks. Saponite concentration was highest, as indicated by XRD peak intensity, in the 10 mM Mg treatment followed by the 0 mM and then 10 mM Fe(II) treatments. This order of sapontite concentration suggests that Fe(II) additions may have a role in slowing the kinetics of saponite formation relative to the other treatments. Nontronite synthesis was attempted by exposing Adirondack basaltic glass to pH 4 oxic solutions (without N2 purge) at 200 C for 14 days. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that mixtures of trioctahedral (saponite) and dioctahedral (nontronite) may have formed in these experiments based on the 02l and 060 peaks. Moessbauer analysis coupled with future experiments are planned to verify if nontronite can be formed under mildly acidic and oxic conditions. Results of this work demonstrate that acidic conditions could have occurred on an early Mars, which allowed for smectite formation but inhibited carbonate formation.

Effects of acid deposition on dissolution of carbonate stone during summer storms in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, 1987-89

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Schuster, Paul F.; Reddy, Michael M.; Sherwood, S.I.

1994-01-01

This study is part of a long-term research program designed to identify and quantify acid rain damage to carbonate stone. Acidic deposition accelerates the dissolution of carbonate-stone monuments and building materials. Sequential sampling of runoff from carbonate-stone (marble) and glass (reference) microcatchments in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State provided a detailed record of the episodic fluctuations in rain rate and runoff chemistry during individual summer storms. Rain rate and chemical concentrations from carbonate-stone and glass runoff fluctuated three to tenfold during storms. Net calcium-ion concentrations from the carbonatestone runoff, a measure of stone dissolution, typically fluctuated twofold during these storms. High net sulfate and net calcium concentrations in the first effective runoff at the start of a storm indicated that atmospheric pollutants deposited on the stone surface during dry periods formed calcium sulfate minerals, an important process in carbonate stone dissolution. Dissolution of the carbonate stone generally increased up to twofold during coincident episodes of low rain rate (less than 5 millimeters per hour) and decreased rainfall (glass runoff) pH (less than 4.0); episodes of high rain rate (cloudbursts) were coincident with a rapid increase in rainfall pH and also a rapid decrease in the dissolution of carbonate-stone. During a storm, it seems the most important factors causing increased dissolution of carbonate stone are coincident periods of low rain rate and decreased rainfall pH. Dissolution of the carbonate stone decreased slightly as the rain rate exceeded about 5 millimeters per hour, probably in response to rapidly increasing rainfall pH during episodes of high rain rate and shorter contact time between the runoff and the stone surface. High runoff rates resulting from cloudbursts remove calcium sulfate minerals formed during dry periods prior to storms and also remove dissolution products formed in large

Effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to an Adirondack lake

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George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Fuller, Randall L.

2018-01-01

Liming techniques are being explored as a means to accelerate the recovery of aquatic biota from decades of acid deposition in many regions. The preservation or restoration of native sportfish populations has typically been the impetus for liming programs, and as such, less attention has been given to its effects on other biological assemblages such as macroinvertebrates. Furthermore, the differing effects of various lime application strategies such as in-stream and watershed applications are not well understood. In 2012, a program was initiated using in-stream and aerial (whole-watershed) liming to improve water quality and Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) recruitment in three acidified tributaries of a high-elevation Adirondack lake in New York State. Concurrently, macroinvertebrates were sampled annually between 2013 and 2016 at 3 treated sites and 3 untreated reference sites to assess the effects of each liming technique on this community. Despite improvements in water chemistry in all three limed streams, our results generally suggest that neither liming technique succeeded in improving the condition of macroinvertebrate communities. The watershed application caused an immediate and unsustained decrease in the density of macroinvertebrates and increase in the proportion of sensitive taxa. These changes were driven primarily by a one-year 71 percent reduction of the acid-tolerant Leuctra stoneflies and likely represent an initial chemistry shock from the lime application rather than a recovery response. The in-stream applications appeared to reduce the density of macroinvertebrates, particularly in one stream where undissolved lime covered the natural substrate. The close proximity of our study sites to the in-stream application points (50 and 1230 m) may partly explain these negative effects. Our results are consistent with prior studies of in-stream liming which indicate that this technique often fails to restore macroinvertebrate communities to a pre

Long-Term Patterns in C-Q Relations in an Adirondack Stream Reveal Decreasing Severity of Episodic Acidification

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Burns, D. A.; Lawrence, G. B.; Driscoll, C. T.; Sullivan, T. J.; Shao, S.; McDonnell, T. C.

2017-12-01

Episodic acidification occurs when surface water pH and ANC decrease temporarily during rain events and snowmelt. The principal drivers of episodic acidification are increases in sulfuric acid, nitric acid, organic acids, and dilution of base cations. In regions where surface waters are sensitive to acid deposition, ANC values may approach or decline below 0 µeq/L during high flows, which may result in deleterious effects to sensitive aquatic biota. The Adirondack Mountains of New York have abundant streams and lakes, many of which are highly sensitive to the effects of acid deposition. Long-term monitoring data indicate that pH and ANC in regional surface waters are increasing in response to decreases in the acidity of atmospheric deposition that result from decreasing SO2 and NOx emissions as the Clean Air Act and its ancillary rules and amendments have been implemented. Most surface-water monitoring focuses on low-flow and broad seasonal patterns, and less is known about how episodic acidification has responded to emissions decreases. Here, we report on spatial and temporal patterns in episodic acidification through analysis of C-Q relations from surveys that target varying flow conditions as well as data from a few long-term intensively sampled stream monitoring sites. Each stream sample was assigned a Q percentile value based on a resident or nearby gage, and a statistical relation between ANC values and Q percentile was developed. The magnitude of episodic decreases in ANC increases as low-flow ANC increases, a pattern that likely results from an increasing influence of dilution, especially evident when low-flow ANC values exceed 100 µeq/L. Chronically acidic streams with low-flow ANC near 0 µeq/L show little episodic acidification, whereas streams with low-flow ANC values of about 50 µeq/L generally show ANC decreases to less than 0 µeq/L at high flow. Preliminary analysis of a 24-yr data set (1991-2014) at Buck Creek indicates that increases in high

Influence of dietary carbon on mercury bioaccumulation in streams of the Adirondack Mountains of New York and the Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA

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Riva-Murray, Karen; Bradley, Paul M.; Chasar, Lia C.; Button, Daniel T.; Brigham, Mark E.; Eikenberry, Barbara C. Scudder; Journey, Celeste A.; Lutz, Michelle A.

2013-01-01

We studied lower food webs in streams of two mercury-sensitive regions to determine whether variations in consumer foraging strategy and resultant dietary carbon signatures accounted for observed within-site and among-site variations in consumer mercury concentration. We collected macroinvertebrates (primary consumers and predators) and selected forage fishes from three sites in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, and three sites in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina, for analysis of mercury (Hg) and stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). Among primary consumers, scrapers and filterers had higher MeHg and more depleted δ13C than shredders from the same site. Variation in δ13C accounted for up to 34 % of within-site variation in MeHg among primary consumers, beyond that explained by δ15N, an indicator of trophic position. Consumer δ13C accounted for 10 % of the variation in Hg among predatory macroinvertebrates and forage fishes across these six sites, after accounting for environmental aqueous methylmercury (MeHg, 5 % of variation) and base-N adjusted consumer trophic position (Δδ15N, 22 % of variation). The δ13C spatial pattern within consumer taxa groups corresponded to differences in benthic habitat shading among sites. Consumers from relatively more-shaded sites had more enriched δ13C that was more similar to typical detrital δ13C, while those from the relatively more-open sites had more depleted δ13C. Although we could not clearly attribute these differences strictly to differences in assimilation of carbon from terrestrial or in-channel sources, greater potential for benthic primary production at more open sites might play a role. We found significant variation among consumers within and among sites in carbon source; this may be related to within-site differences in diet and foraging habitat, and to among-site differences in environmental conditions that influence primary production. These observations suggest that different

Assessing trends in fishery resources and lake-water aluminum from paleolimnological analyses of siliceous algae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kingston, J.C.; Birks, H.J.B.; Uutala, A.J.; Cummings, B.F.; Smol, J.P.

1992-01-01

Lake water aluminum concentrations have a significant influence on the composition of microfossil assemblages of diatoms and chrysophytes deposited in lake sediments. With the paleolimnological approach of multilake datasets in the Adirondack region of New York, USA, the authors use canonical correspondence analysis to describe past trends in lake water Al. Four lakes, previously investigated regarding acidification and fishery trends, are used to demonstrate that paleolimnological assessment can also provide direction, timing, and magnitude of trends for both toxic metals and fish resources. Additionally, the authors use weighted average regression and calibration to obtain quantitative reconstructions of past lake water Al concentrations. Such reconstructions provide further insight into fishery resource damage and can be compared with modelling results. According to paleolimnological reconstructions, some of the naturally most acidic lakes in the Adirondack region had preindustrial lake water concentrations of inorganic monomeric Al near 4/micromol times L. Although these high concentrations are surprising from a geochemical point of view, they may partially explain the preindustrial absence of fish, as has been independently determined by paleolimnological analysis of phantom midges (Chaoborus). Fishery resource deterioration in acidified Adirondack lakes was coincident with major increases in lake water Al concentrations

75 FR 54094 - Notice of Petitions by Firms for Determination of Eligibility To Apply for Trade Adjustment...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-03

... designed, although there are four basic types: Flexures, couplers, roll blocks and flex wheels. Manchester... for the retailing industry including TV tray tables, kitchen gourmet carts and Adirondack style...

American Fisheries Society 136th Annual Meeting Lake Placid, NY 10-14 September, 2006

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Einhouse, D.; Walsh, M.G.; Keeler, S.; Long, J.M.

2005-01-01

The New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation invite you to experience the beauty of New York's famous Adirondack Park as the American Fisheries Society (AFS) convenes its 136th Annual Meeting in the legendary Olympic Village of Lake Placid, NY, 10-14 September 2006. Our meeting theme "Fish in the Balance" will explore the interrelation between fish, aquatic habitats, and man, highlighting the challenges facing aquatic resource professionals and the methods that have been employed to resolve conflicts between those that use or have an interest in our aquatic resources. As fragile as it is beautiful, the Adirondack Region is the perfect location to explore this theme. Bordered by Mirror Lake and its namesake, Lake Placid, the Village of Lake Placid has small town charm, but all of the conveniences that a big city would provide. Whether its reliving the magic of the 1980 hockey team's "Miracle on Ice" at the Lake Placid Olympic Center, getting a panoramic view of the Adirondack high peaks from the top of the 90 meter ski jumps, fishing or kayaking in adjacent Mirror Lake, hiking a mountain trail, or enjoying a quiet dinner or shopping excursion in the various shops and restaurants that line Main Street, Lake Placid has something for everyone.

Contrasting stream water NO3- and Ca2+ in two nearly adjacent catchments: the role of soil Ca and forest vegetation

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Sheila F. Christopher; Blair D. Page; John L. Campbell; Myron J. Mitchell

2006-01-01

Two nearly adjacent subcatchments, located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, US, with similar atmospheric inputs of N (0.6 kmol ha-1 yr-1), but markedly different stream water solute concentrations, provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the mechanisms causing this variation.

Linking Foreign Language to Occupational Education in a Rural High School: Foreign Language with Criminal Justice and Travel & Tourism.

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Connors, William R.

Ticonderoga High School (New York) has succeeded in increasing enrollments in foreign language courses beyond the college bound, Regents-level students who usually choose such courses. The school is located in the Adirondack Mountains, a region that, in the past decade, has seen increases both in prison construction and in tourism by…

North Country Successes: Case Studies of Successful Entrepreneurs in the ANCA Region.

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Chugh, Ram L.; Gandhi, Prem P.

This study identifies the characteristics of both successful small businesses and their entrepreneurial owners in a 14-county area of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA). Of the 100 survey respondents representing successful small businesses, 50% had been in business for less than 14 years; 38% were in manufacturing; 48% employed more…

Response of surface water chemistry to reduced levels of acid precipitation: Comparison of trends in two regions of New York, USA

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Burns, Douglas A.; McHale, M.R.; Driscoll, C.T.; Roy, K.M.

2006-01-01

In light of recent reductions in sulphur (S) and nitrogen (N) emissions mandated by Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, temporal trends and trend coherence in precipitation (1984-2001 and 1992-2001) and surface water chemistry (1992-2001) were determined in two of the most acid-sensitive regions of North America, i.e. the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains of New York. Precipitation chemistry data from six sites located near these regions showed decreasing sulphate (SO42-), nitrate (NO3-), and base cation (CB) concentrations and increasing pH during 1984-2001, but few significant trends during 1992-2001. Data from five Catskill streams and 12 Adirondack lakes showed decreasing trends in SO42- concentrations at all sites, and decreasing trends in NO3-, CB, and H+ concentrations and increasing trends in dissolved organic carbon at most sites. In contrast, acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC increased significantly at only about half the Adirondack lakes and in one of the Catskill streams. Flow correction prior to trend analysis did not change any trend directions and had little effect on SO42- trends, but it caused several significant non-flow-corrected trends in NO3- and ANC to become non-significant, suggesting that trend results for flow-sensitive constituents are affected by flow-related climate variation. SO42- concentrations showed high temporal coherence in precipitation, surface waters, and in precipitation-surface water comparisons, reflecting a strong link between S emissions, precipitation SO42- concentrations, and the processes that affect S cycling within these regions. NO3- and H+ concentrations and ANC generally showed weak coherence, especially in surface waters and in precipitation-surface water comparisons, indicating that variation in local-scale processes driven by factors such as climate are affecting trends in acid-base chemistry in these two regions. Copyright ?? 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Incorporation of an organic MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments) and testing of the revised model using independent data sources]. [MAGIC Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, T.J.

1992-09-01

A project was initiated in March, 1992 to (1) incorporate a rigorous organic acid representation, based on empirical data and geochemical considerations, into the MAGIC model of acidification response, and (2) test the revised model using three sets of independent data. After six months of performance, the project is on schedule and the majority of the tasks outlined for Year 1 have been successfully completed. Major accomplishments to data include development of the organic acid modeling approach, using data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation (ALSC), and coupling the organic acid model with MAGIC for chemical hindcast comparisons. The incorporation of an organic acid representation into MAGIC can account for much of the discrepancy earlier observed between MAGIC hindcasts and paleolimnological reconstructions of preindustrial pH and alkalinity for 33 statistically-selected Adirondack lakes. Additional work is on-going for model calibration and testing with data from two whole-catchment artificial acidification projects. Results obtained thus far are being prepared as manuscripts for submission to the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

[Incorporation of an organic MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments) and testing of the revised model using independent data sources]. Progress report, March 16, 1992--September 15, 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, T.J.

1992-09-01

A project was initiated in March, 1992 to (1) incorporate a rigorous organic acid representation, based on empirical data and geochemical considerations, into the MAGIC model of acidification response, and (2) test the revised model using three sets of independent data. After six months of performance, the project is on schedule and the majority of the tasks outlined for Year 1 have been successfully completed. Major accomplishments to data include development of the organic acid modeling approach, using data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation (ALSC), and coupling the organic acid model with MAGIC for chemical hindcast comparisons. The incorporation of an organic acid representation into MAGIC can account for much of the discrepancy earlier observed between MAGIC hindcasts and paleolimnological reconstructions of preindustrial pH and alkalinity for 33 statistically-selected Adirondack lakes. Additional work is on-going for model calibration and testing with data from two whole-catchment artificial acidification projects. Results obtained thus far are being prepared as manuscripts for submission to the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Scat-detection dogs survey low density moose in New York

Science.gov (United States)

Heidi Kretser; Michale Glennon; Alice Whitelaw; Aimee Hurt; Kristine Pilgrim; Michael Schwartz

2016-01-01

The difficulty of collecting occurrence and population dynamics data in mammalian populations of low density poses challenges for making informed management decisions. We assessed the use of scat-detection dogs to search for fecal pellets in a low density moose (Alces alces) population in the Adirondack Park in New York State, and the success rate of DNA...

Fine Root Growth Phenology, Production, and Turnover in a Northern Hardwood Forest Ecosystem

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Dudley J. Raynal

1994-01-01

A large part of the nutrient flux in deciduous forests is through fine root turnover, yet this process is seldom measured. As part of a nutrient cycling study, fine root dynamics were studied for two years at Huntington Forest in the Adirondack Mountain region of New York, USA. Root growth phenology was characterized using field rhizotrons, three methods were used to...

Smectite Formation from Basaltic Glass Under Acidic Conditions on Mars

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Peretyazhko, T. S.; Sutter, B.; Morris, R. V.; Agresti, D. G.; Le, L.; Ming, D. W.

2015-01-01

Massive deposits of phyllosilicates of the smectite group, including Mg/Fe-smectite, have been identified in Mars's ancient Noachian terrain. The observed smectite is hypothesized to form through aqueous alteration of basaltic crust under neutral to alkaline pH conditions. These pH conditions and the presence of a CO2-rich atmosphere suggested for ancient Mars were favorable for the formation of large carbonate deposits. However, the detection of large-scale carbonate deposits is limited on Mars. We hypothesized that smectite deposits may have formed under acidic conditions that prevented carbonate precipitation. In this work we investigated formation of saponite at a pH of approximately 4 from Mars-analogue synthetic Adirondack basaltic glass of composition similar to Adirondack class rocks located at Gusev crater. Hydrothermal (200º Centigrade) 14 day experiments were performed with and without 10 millimoles Fe(II) or Mg under anoxic condition [hereafter denoted as anoxic_Fe, anoxic_Mg and anoxic (no addition of Fe(II) or Mg)] and under oxic condition [hereafter denoted as oxic (no addition of Fe(II) or Mg)]. Characterization and formation conditions of the synthesized saponite provided insight into the possible geochemical conditions required for saponite formation on Mars.

Regional growth decline of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and its potential causes

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Daniel A.; Beier, Colin M.; Pederson, Neil; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Stella, John C; Sullivan, Timothy J.

2015-01-01

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) has experienced poor vigor, regeneration failure, and elevated mortality across much of its range, but there has been relatively little attention to its growth rates. Based on a well-replicated dendrochronological network of range-centered populations in the Adirondack Mountains (USA), which encompassed a wide gradient of soil fertility, we observed that the majority of sugar maple trees exhibited negative growth trends in the last several decades, regardless of age, diameter, or soil fertility. Such growth patterns were unexpected, given recent warming and increased moisture availability, as well as reduced acidic deposition, which should have favored growth. Mean basal area increment was greater on base-rich soils, but these stands also experienced sharp reductions in growth. Growth sensitivity of sugar maple to temperature and precipitation was non-stationary during the last century, with overall weaker relationships than expected. Given the favorable competitive status and age structure of the Adirondack sugar maple populations sampled, evidence of widespread growth reductions raises concern over this ecologically and economically important tree. Further study will be needed to establish whether growth declines of sugar maple are occurring more widely across its range.

Increasing soil temperature in a northern hardwood forest: effects on elemental dynamics and primary productivity

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Patrick J. McHale; Myron J. Mitchell; Dudley J. Raynal; Francis P. Bowles

1996-01-01

To investigate the effects of elevated soil temperatures on a forest ecosystem, heating cables were buried at a depth of 5 cm within the forest floor of a northern hardwood forest at the Huntington Wildlife Forest (Adirondack Mountains, New York). Temperature was elevated 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5?C above ambient, during May - September in both 1993 and 1994. Various aspects of...

Deer tick masquerading as pigmented conjunctival lesion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin K. Kuriakose

2017-04-01

Conclusions and importance: Despite the low risk for Lyme disease, which is endemic to the Adirondack region where the patient was affected, doxycycline was prescribed for prophylaxis. In any case of suspected tick penetration to the ocular surface, immediate ophthalmologic consultation and prompt removal via the method mentioned above is recommended, as well as attention paid to the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines regarding prophylaxis.

Laurentide ice sheet meltwater routing along the Iro-Mohawk River, eastern New York, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Porreca, Charles; Briner, Jason P.; Kozlowski, Andrew

2018-02-01

The rerouting of meltwater as the configuration of ice sheets evolved during the last deglaciation is thought to have led to some of the most significant perturbations to the climate system in the late Quaternary. However, the complex pattern of ice sheet meltwater drainage off the continents, and the timing of rerouting events, remains to be fully resolved. As the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) retreated north of the Adirondack Uplands of northeastern New York State during the last deglaciation, a large proglacial lake, Lake Iroquois, found a lower outlet that resulted in a significant flood event. This meltwater rerouting event, from outflow via the Iro-Mohawk River valley (southern Adirondack Mountains) to the spillway at Covey Hill (northeastern Adirondack Mountains), is hypothesized to have taken place 13.2 ka and disturbed meridional circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean. However, the timing of the rerouting event is not certain because the event has not been directly dated. With improving the history of Lake Iroquois drainage in mind, we obtained cosmogenic 10Be exposure ages on a strath terrace on Moss Island, along the Iro-Mohawk River spillway. We hypothesize that Moss Island's strath terrace became abandoned during the rerouting event. Six 10Be ages from the strath surface average 14.8 ± 1.3 ka, which predates the previously published bracketing radiocarbon ages of 13.2 ka. Several possibilities for the discrepancy exist: (1) the 10Be age accurately represents the timing of a decrease in discharge through the Iro-Mohawk River spillway; (2) the age is influenced by inheritance. The 10Be ages from glacially sculpted surfaces on Moss Island above the strath terrace predate the deglaciation of the site by 5 to 35 ky; and (3) the abandonment of the Moss Island strath terrace relates to knickpoint migration and not the final abandonment of the Iro-Mohawk River as the Lake Iroquois spillway. Further study and application of cosmogenic 10Be exposure dating in the

Convening Young Leaders for Climate Resilience in New York State

Science.gov (United States)

Kretser, J.

2017-12-01

This project, led by The Wild Center, will partner with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, the Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School in Brooklyn, and the Alliance for Climate Education to do the following over three years: 1) increase climate literacy and preparedness planning in high school students through place-based Youth Climate Summits in the Adirondacks, Catskills, and New York City; 2) enhance young people's capacity to lead on climate issues through a Youth Climate Leadership Practicum 3) increase teacher comprehension and understanding of climate change through a Teacher Climate Institute and 4) communicate climate change impacts and resilience through student-driven Community Climate Outreach activities. The project will align with New York State's climate resiliency planning by collaborating with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Office of Climate (OCC), NYS Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA), and NOAA's Climate Program Office to provide accurate scientific information, resources, and tools. This collaboration will result in an increase in understanding of the impacts of climate change in rural (Adirondacks, Catskills) and urban (New York City) regions of New York State; a wider awareness of the threats and vulnerabilities that are associated with a community's location; and a stronger connection between current community resilience initiatives, educators, and youth. All three of the project sites are critically underserved in both climate literacy and action, making addressing the need of these sites to be resilient and proactive in the face of climate change critical. Our model will provide pilot lessons for how youth in both rural and urban areas can draw on local assets to address resiliency in ways appropriate for their own areas, and these lessons may be able to be applied across the United States.The proposed project is informed by best practices and specifically strengthens and replicates The Wild

Forest blowdown and lake acidification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobson, J.E.; Rush, R.M.; Peplies, R.W.

1990-01-01

The authors examine the role of forest blowdown in lake acidification. The approach combines geographic information systems (GIS) and digital remote sensing with traditional field methods. The methods of analysis consist of direct observation, interpretation of satellite imagery and aerial photographs, and statistical comparison of two geographical distributions-one representing forest blow-down and another representing lake chemistry. Spatial and temporal associations between surface water pH and landscape disturbance are strong and consistent in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In 43 Adirondack Mountain watersheds, lake pH is associated with the percentage of the watershed area blown down and with hydrogen ion deposition (Spearman rank correlation coefficients of -0.67 and -0.73, respectively). Evidence of a temporal association is found at Big Moose Lake and Jerseyfield Lake in New York and the Lygners Vider Plateau of Sweden. They conclude that forest blowdown facilities the acidification of some lakes by altering hydrologic pathways so that waters (previously acidified by acid deposition and/or other sources) do not experience the neutralization normally available through contact with subsurface soils and bedrock. Increased pipeflow is suggested as a mechanism that may link the biogeochemical impacts of forest blowdown to lake chemistry

Role of sulfate reduction in long term accumulation of organic and inorganic sulfur in lake sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudd, J.W.M.; Kelly, C.A.; Furutani, A.

1986-01-01

Sulfate reduction and the accumulation of reduced sulfur in epilimnetic sediments were studied in lakes in southern Norway, the Adirondack Mountains, and at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) of northwestern Ontario. In all of the lakes, sulfate reduction produced substantial quantities of pyrite and organic sulfur compounds. In 9-month in situ experiments at ELA using 35 S, there was a large loss (55%) with time of the S initially reduced and deposited in the sediments and a preferential loss of inorganic S compounds which led to a predominance of organic 35 S accumulation in the sediments. An intensive study of long term accumulation of sulfur in the epilimnetic sediments of four Adirondack lakes also showed that the most important long term end product of sulfate reduction was organic S and that sulfate reduction was the major source of S to the sediments. Because of high concentrations of iron in all of the sediments samples and because of the long term storage of sulfur in sediments, mostly as organic S, iron did not limit iron sulfide accumulation in these sediments. Iron limitation is unlikely to occur except in unusual circumstances. This study indicates that formation of organic S in epilimnetic sediments is primarily responsible for H + consumption via sulfate reduction in acidified lakes

Alteration of Basaltic Glass to Mg/Fe-Smectite under Acidic Conditions: A Potential Smectite Formation Mechanism on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Peretyazhko, Tanya; Sutter, Brad; Ming, Douglas W.

2014-01-01

Phyllosilicates of the smectite group including Mg- and Fe-saponite and Fe(III)-rich nontronite have been identified on Mars. Smectites are believed to be formed under neutral to alkaline conditions that prevailed on early Mars. This hypothesis is supported by the observation of smectite and carbonate deposits in Noachian terrain on Mars. However, smectite may have formed under mildly acidic conditions. Abundant smectite formations have been detected as layered deposits hundreds of meters thick in intracrater depositional fans and plains sediments, while no large deposits of carbonates are found. Development of mildly acidic conditions at early Mars might allow formation of smectite but inhibit widespread carbonate precipitation. Little is known regarding the mechanisms of smectite formation from basaltic glass under acidic conditions. The objective of this study was to test a hypothesis that Mars-analogue basaltic glass alters to smectite minerals under acidic conditions (pH 4). The effects of Mg and Fe concentrations and temperature on smectite formation from basaltic glass were evaluated. Phyllosilicate synthesis was performed in batch reactors (Parr acid digestion vessel) under reducing hydrothermal conditions at 200 C and 100 C. Synthetic basaltic glass with a composition similar to that of the Gusev crater rock Adirondack (Ground surface APXS measurement) was used in these experiments. Basaltic glass was prepared by melting and quenching procedures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the synthesized glass was composed of olivine, magnetite and X-ray amorphous phase. Samples were prepared by mixing 250 mg Adirondack with 0.1 M acetic acid (final pH 4). In order to study influence of Mg concentration on smectite formation, experiments were performed with addition of 0, 1 and 10 mM MgCl2. After 1, 7 and 14 day incubations the solution composition was analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the altered glass and formed

The alkaline volcanic rocks of Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho and the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater, Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Neakrase, L. D.; Lim, D. S. S.; Haberle, C. W.; Hughes, S. S.; Kobs-Nawotniak, S. E.; Christensen, P. R.

2016-12-01

Idaho's Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) is host to extensive expressions of basaltic volcanism dominated by non evolved olivine tholeiites (NEOT) with localized occurrences of evolved lavas. Craters of the Moon National Monument (COTM) is a polygenetic lava field comprised of more than 60 lava flows emplaced during 8 eruptive periods spanning the last 15 kyrs. The most recent eruptive period (period A; 2500-2000 yr B.P.) produced flows with total alkali vs. silica classifications spanning basalt to trachyte. Coeval with the emplacement of the COTM period A volcanic pile was the emplacement of the Wapi and King's Bowl NEOT 70 km SSE of COTM along the Great Rift. Previous investigations have determined a genetic link between these two compositionally distinct volcanic centers where COTM compositions can be generated from NEOT melts through complex ascent paths and variable degrees of fractionation and assimilation of lower-middle crustal materials. The Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, conducted a robotic investigation of Gusev crater from 2004-2010. Spirit was equipped with the Athena science payload enabling the determination of mineralogy (mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer, Pancam multispectral camera, and Mössbauer spectrometer), bulk chemistry (Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer) and context (Pancam and Microscopic Imager). During sol 32 Spirit investigated an olivine basalt named Adirondack, the type specimen for a class of rock that composes much of the plains material within Gusev Crater and embays the Columbia Hills. Following the characterization of the plains material, Spirit departed the plains targeting the Columbia Hills and ascending at Husband Hill. During Spirit's ascent of Husband Hill three additional classes of volcanic rock were identified as distinct by their mini-TES spectra; Wishstone, Backstay and Irvine. These rocks are classified as tephrite, trachy-basalt and basalt, respectively, and are the first alkaline rocks observed on Mars. These

Calcite twinning strain variations across the Proterozoic Grenville orogen and Keweenaw-Kapuskasing inverted foreland, USA and Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John P. Craddock

2017-11-01

Full Text Available We report the calcite twinning strain results of a traverse across the Grenville orogen from Parry Sound, Ontario (NW to Ft. Ann, New York (SE, including the younger, adjacent Ordovician Taconic allochthon. Fifty four carbonates (marbles, calcite veins, Ordovician limestone were collected resulting in 68 strain analyses on mechanically twinned calcite (n = 2337 grains across the Central Gneiss Belt (CGB; 3 samples, the Central Metasedimentary Belt (CMB; 27 samples, the Central Granulite Terrane (CGT; Adirondack's; 13 samples and the Ottawan Orogenic Lid (OOL; 11 samples. Twinning strains in the greenschist-grade OOL marbles preserve N–S shortening and U-Pb titanite ages (∼1150 Ma; n = 4 document these marbles formed during the Shawinigan (1190–1140 Ma part of the Grenville orogen. From northwest to southeast, the Ottawan (1095–1020 Ma twinning strain is dominantly a layer-parallel shortening fabric oriented N–S (Parry Sound, then becomes parallel to the Grenville thrust direction (NW–SE across the CMB to the Adirondack Highlands where the sub-horizontal shortening strain becomes margin-parallel (SW–NE. Within the regional sample suite there are two areas studied in detail, the Bancroft shear zone (n = 11 and a roadcut on the southeast side of the Adirondack Mountains (Ft. Ann, NY; n = 8. Marbles from the Bancroft shear zone contain calcite grains with 2 sets of twin lamellae (e1 and e2. The better-developed e1 sets (n = 406 record a horizontal fabric oriented NW–SE whereas the younger e2 lamellae (n = 146 preserve a margin-parallel (SW–NE horizontal fabric. Both the e1 and e2 strains record an overprint vertical shortening strain (NEV, perhaps related to extensional orogenic collapse. We also report an Ottawan orogen-aged granoblastic mylonite (1093 Ma, U-Pb zircon; 1102 Ma Ar-Ar biotite in the Keweenaw thrust hanging wall 500 km inboard of the Grenville front and interpret the relations of Grenville

The influence of naturally-occurring organic acids on model estimates of lakewater acidification using the model of acidification of groundwater in catchments (MAGIC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, T.J.; Eilers, J.M.; Cosby, B.J.; Driscoll, C.T.; Hemond, H.F.; Charles, D.F.; Norton, S.A.

1993-01-01

A project for the US Department of Energy, entitled ''Incorporation of an organic acid representation into MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments) and Testing of the Revised Model UsingIndependent Data Sources'' was initiated by E ampersand S Environmental Chemistry, Inc. in March, 1992. Major components of the project include: improving the MAGIC model by incorporating a rigorous organic acid representation, based on empirical data and geochemical considerations, and testing the revised model using data from paleolimnological hindcasts of preindustrial chemistry for 33 Adirondack Mountain lakes, and the results of whole-catchment artificial acidification projects in Maine and Norway. The ongoing research in this project involves development of an organic acid representation to be incorporated into the MAGIC modeland testing of the improved model using three independent data sources. The research during Year 1 has included conducting two workshops to agree on an approach for the organic acid modeling, developing the organic subroutine and incorporating it into MAGIC (Task 1), conducing MAGIC hindcasts for Adirondack lakes and comparing the results with paleolimnological reconstructions (Task 2), and conducting site visits to the manipulation project sites in Maine and Norway. The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of the work that has been conducted on this project during Year 1. Tasks 1 and 2 have now been completed

The influence of naturally-occurring organic acids on model estimates of lakewater acidification using the model of acidification of groundwater in catchments (MAGIC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, T.J.; Eilers, J.M. (E and S Environmental Chemistry, Inc., Corvallis, OR (United States)); Cosby, B.J. (Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA (United States). Dept. of Environmental Sciences); Driscoll, C.T. (Syracuse Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering); Hemond, H.F. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering); Charles, D.F.

1993-03-05

A project for the US Department of Energy, entitled Incorporation of an organic acid representation into MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments) and Testing of the Revised Model UsingIndependent Data Sources'' was initiated by E S Environmental Chemistry, Inc. in March, 1992. Major components of the project include: improving the MAGIC model by incorporating a rigorous organic acid representation, based on empirical data and geochemical considerations, and testing the revised model using data from paleolimnological hindcasts of preindustrial chemistry for 33 Adirondack Mountain lakes, and the results of whole-catchment artificial acidification projects in Maine and Norway. The ongoing research in this project involves development of an organic acid representation to be incorporated into the MAGIC modeland testing of the improved model using three independent data sources. The research during Year 1 has included conducting two workshops to agree on an approach for the organic acid modeling, developing the organic subroutine and incorporating it into MAGIC (Task 1), conducing MAGIC hindcasts for Adirondack lakes and comparing the results with paleolimnological reconstructions (Task 2), and conducting site visits to the manipulation project sites in Maine and Norway. The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of the work that has been conducted on this project during Year 1. Tasks 1 and 2 have now been completed.

The influence of naturally-occurring organic acids on model estimates of lakewater acidification using the model of acidification of groundwater in catchments (MAGIC). Summary of research conducted during year 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, T.J.; Eilers, J.M. [E and S Environmental Chemistry, Inc., Corvallis, OR (United States); Cosby, B.J. [Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA (United States). Dept. of Environmental Sciences; Driscoll, C.T. [Syracuse Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering; Hemond, H.F. [Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering; Charles, D.F. [Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, PA (United States). Patrick Center for Environmental Research; Norton, S.A. [Maine Univ., Orono, ME (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences

1993-03-05

A project for the US Department of Energy, entitled ``Incorporation of an organic acid representation into MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments) and Testing of the Revised Model UsingIndependent Data Sources`` was initiated by E&S Environmental Chemistry, Inc. in March, 1992. Major components of the project include: improving the MAGIC model by incorporating a rigorous organic acid representation, based on empirical data and geochemical considerations, and testing the revised model using data from paleolimnological hindcasts of preindustrial chemistry for 33 Adirondack Mountain lakes, and the results of whole-catchment artificial acidification projects in Maine and Norway. The ongoing research in this project involves development of an organic acid representation to be incorporated into the MAGIC modeland testing of the improved model using three independent data sources. The research during Year 1 has included conducting two workshops to agree on an approach for the organic acid modeling, developing the organic subroutine and incorporating it into MAGIC (Task 1), conducing MAGIC hindcasts for Adirondack lakes and comparing the results with paleolimnological reconstructions (Task 2), and conducting site visits to the manipulation project sites in Maine and Norway. The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of the work that has been conducted on this project during Year 1. Tasks 1 and 2 have now been completed.

Application of lime (CaCO3) to promote forest recovery from severe acidification increases potential for earthworm invasion

Science.gov (United States)

Homan, Caitlin; Beirer, Colin M; McCay, Timothy S; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2016-01-01

The application of lime (calcium carbonate) may be a cost-effective strategy to promote forest ecosystem recovery from acid impairment, under contemporary low levels of acidic deposition. However, liming acidified soils may create more suitable habitat for invasive earthworms that cause significant damage to forest floor communities and may disrupt ecosystem processes. We investigated the potential effects of liming in acidified soils where earthworms are rare in conjunction with a whole-ecosystem liming experiment in the chronically acidified forests of the western Adirondacks (USA). Using a microcosm experiment that replicated the whole-ecosystem treatment, we evaluated effects of soil liming on Lumbricus terrestris survivorship and biomass growth. We found that a moderate lime application (raising pH from 3.1 to 3.7) dramatically increased survival and biomass of L. terrestris, likely via increases in soil pH and associated reductions in inorganic aluminum, a known toxin. Very few L. terrestris individuals survived in unlimed soils, whereas earthworms in limed soils survived, grew, and rapidly consumed leaf litter. We supplemented this experiment with field surveys of extant earthworm communities along a gradient of soil pH in Adirondack hardwood forests, ranging from severely acidified (pH 5). In the field, no earthworms were observed where soil pH 4.4 and human dispersal vectors, including proximity to roads and public fishing access, were most prevalent. Overall our results suggest that moderate lime additions can be sufficient to increase earthworm invasion risk where dispersal vectors are present.

U-Pb age of the Diana Complex and Adirondack granulite ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

For the most concordant analyses, the 207Pb/206Pb ages range between 1115 and 1150 Ma. Detailed petrographic studies revealed that most grains contained at least two phases of zircon growth, either primary magmatic cores enclosed by variable thickness of metamorphic overgrowths or magmatic portions enclosing ...

U-Pb age of the Diana Complex and Adirondack granulite ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

with two of the multi-grain analyses yielded an upper-intercept age of 1118 ± 2.8 Ma and a lower .... Color. Features. Inheritance? 1. 0.040. Euhedral. Clear, slight. Not whole xtal .... visible in this view) without inclusions and metamorphic cores.

Effects of silicate weathering on water chemistry in forested, upland, felsic terrane of the USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stauffer, R.E.; Wittchen, B.D.

1991-01-01

The authors use data from the US EPA National Surface Water Survey (NSWS), the USGS Bench-Mark Station monitoring program, and the National Acid Deposition Program (NADP) to evaluate the role of weathering in supplying base cations to surface waters in forested, upland, felsic terrane of the northeastern, northcentral, and northwestern (Idaho batholith) US. Multivariate regression reveals differential effects of discharge on individual base cations and silica, but no secular trend in the Ca/Na denudation rate over 24 yr (1965-1988) for the Wild River catchment in the White Mountains. Because the turn-over time for Na in the soil-exchange complex is only ca. 1.5 yr, the long-term behavior of the ratios Ca/Na and Si/Na in waters leaving this catchment indicates that weathering is compensating for base cation export. In every subregion, Ca and Mg concentrations in lakes are statistically linked to nonmarine Na, but the median Ca/Na ratio is greater than the ratio in local plagioclase. The authors attribute this inequality to nonstoichiometric weathering of calcium in juvenile (formerly glaciated) terrane, not to leaching of exchangeable cations by So 4 because intraregional and cross-regional statistical analysis reveals no effect of atmospherically derived sulfate ion. The median base cation denudation rates (meq m -2 yr -1 ) for these American lake regions are: Maine granites (108); western Adirondack felsic gneiss (85); Vermilion batholith (42); Idaho batholith (52). The regional rates are high enough to compensate for present wet deposition of acidifying anions except in some vulnerable lake watersheds in the western Adirondacks

Engineering Condition Survey and Evaluation of Troy Lock and Dam, Hudson River, New York Report 2. Evaluation and Rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

boats in both the spring and fall make seasonal trips from the sunny south to the more mountainous , wooded north, as well as completing many short...back- ground of Troy Lock and Dam 8. The Hudson River originates in the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York State among the highest peaks of the...0.00 0.00 0.00 ___ ___ __ ___ ___ __ __is_ B C BC 25.24 34.14 0.00 0.00 C 25.24 36.00 0. 00 0.06 &M~E ALEA D 3.45 36.00 0.00 6.10 E 3.45 17.00 0.00

Initial Results on the Mineralogy and Geochemistry of the Mar Exploration Rover Gusev Landing Site

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, P. R.

2004-05-01

The Spirit rover has investigated the geochemistry and mineralogy of the Gusev crater site using in situ Alpha Proton X-Ray, Mossbauer, visible, and infrared spectroscopy. The Gusev site is covered with angular to sub-rounded rocks that are typically less than 1 m in maximum dimension. More than 90 percent of these rocks are dark-toned, with the remainder being lighter-toned rocks that may predominantly be dark rocks with a thin (10's of microns) coating of easily removed fines. APXS analysis has been obtained of a rock (Adirondack) following the removal by grinding of the surface dust and the upper few mm of the rock surface. These data give a modal mineralogy corresponding to olivine basalt. High quality Mini-TES data have not been obtained of a completely dust-free rock surface. The Mini-TES data of Adirondack do show long wavelength (15-25 microns) absorptions due to olivine of composition ~Fo60. All of the rocks observed are very compositionally homogeneous in the Mini-TES spectra. These findings are consistent with the detection of olivine-bearing basalt at this site from orbital TES infrared spectroscopy. Mossbauer spectra of Adirondack show the presence of forsteritic olivine and magnetite, with possible pyroxene. The soils at Gusev are a mixture of reddish fine-grained to sandy materials, granular-sized particles that occur in ripple forms, and minor pebbles. Mini-TES spectra of the soil show an excellent match to the TES spectra of high-albedo, fine-grained material found in regional bright regions that is interpreted to be windblown dust. This agreement suggests at least the uppermost layer of the soil at Gusev has been accumulated from airfall dust. By analogy with prior analysis of TES data these materials contain several percent carbonate, minor bound water, and a framework silicate interpreted to be either feldspar or zeolite. APXS spectra show similar oxide abundances to those determined for the Pathfinder site, except for higher MgO, and lower

Multi-Element Analysis and Geochemical Spatial Trends of Groundwater in Rural Northern New York

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael O’Connor

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Samples from private wells (n = 169 throughout St. Lawrence County, NY were analyzed by ICP-MS multi-element techniques. St. Lawrence County spans three diverse bedrock terranes including Precambrian crystalline rocks of the Adirondack Lowlands (mostly paragneisses and Highlands (mostly orthogneisses, as well as Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of the St. Lawrence Valley. An ArcGIS database was constructed and used to generate contour plots for elements across the county. Strontium isotopes and unique geochemical signatures were used to distinguish water from various geologic units. The results were consistent with a large (7,309 km2, sparsely populated (~110,000, rural region with diverse bedrock and glacial cover.

Nutrient cycling in Huntington Forest and Turkey Lakes deciduous stands: Nitrogen and sulfur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell, M J [State Univ. of New York, Syracuse, NY (USA); Foster, N W; Morrison, I K [Forestry Canada, Sault Ste. Marie, ON (Canada); Shepard, J P [National Council of the Paper Industry for Air and Stream Improvement, Gainsville, FL (USA)

1992-01-01

A study was conducted to analyze two tolerant hardwood forests that are exhibiting different levels of nitrate and sulfate leaching. Fluxes of N and S at the two sites were compared, and the fluxes of nitrate and sulfate through the forest canopy, forest floor, and mineral soil were determined in order to ascertain whether differences in these fluxes could be explained using information on the N, S, and C biogeochemistry of each site. One site is in the Adirondack region, where the impacts of acidic deposition have been noted; the other site is in central Ontario, and has geological, pedological, and hydrological characteristics that make it potentially sensitive to acidic deposition. An increase in concentration of sulfate and nitrate was noted after passage through the canopy at both sites. The Ontario site showed much greater leaching of nitrate. At the Adirondack site only, there was a marked increase in sulfate flux when water leached from the forest floor through the soil. The mineral soil was the largest pool of N and S for both sites. The Ontario soil had a C/N ratio of 16:1, narrower than the 34:1 ratio of the soil at the other site. The former ratio should favor accumulation of ammonium and nitrate ions, and subsequent nitrate leaching. Laboratory measurements suggest that the forest floor at the Ontario site may have higher N mineralization rates. Fluxes of N and S within the vegetation were generally similar at both sites. The higher nitrate leaching at the Ontario site may be attributed mostly to stand maturity coupled with tree mortality, but the absence of slow decomposing beech leaf litter and lower C/N ratio in the soil may also be contributing factors. 50 refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs.

The PIRLA project: paleoecological investigations of recent lake acidification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Charles, D F; Whitehead, D R

1986-12-19

The PIRLA project is a broadly interdisciplinary paleolimnological investigation of five to fifteen comparable watershed lake systems from each of four low-alkalinity regions in North America that are currently receiving acid deposition. The areas are the Adirondack Mountains (N.Y.), northern New England, northern Great Lakes states, and northern Florida. The primary objective of the study is to provide a detailed reconstruction of the recent acidification histories of a representative suite of lakes from each of the regions. The study will increase our understanding of the timing, rates, and magnitude of acidification (and other chemical changes), and the regional and inter-regional patterns of lake acidification. 3 figs., 2 tabs., 41 refs.

First Grinding of a Rock on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

2004-01-01

The round, shallow depression in this image resulted from history's first grinding of a rock on Mars. The rock abrasion tool on NASA's Spirit rover ground off the surface of a patch 45.5 millimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter on a rock called Adirondack during Spirit's 34th sol on Mars, Feb. 6, 2004. The hole is 2.65 millimeters (0.1 inch) deep, exposing fresh interior material of the rock for close inspection with the rover's microscopic imager and two spectrometers on the robotic arm. This image was taken by Spirit's panoramic camera, providing a quick visual check of the success of the grinding. The rock abrasion tools on both Mars Exploration Rovers were supplied by Honeybee Robotics, New York, N.Y.

Acid lake in N.Y. gets relief

Science.gov (United States)

A pond in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State has received a second soothing dose of baking soda. The 21 tons of sodium bicarbonate should moderate the pond's acidic conditions, lethal to fish and other forms of life.Wolf Pond, 25 miles (40 km) north of Saranac Lake, has developed an extremely low pH (4.5) because of acid rain and the runoff of acidic surface water, combined with very little outflow. The pond was first treated with sodium bicarbonate by t h e New York Department of Environmental Conservation in 1984; afterward the pH rose to about 6.2. Fish stocked by local residents have continued to live in the pond, despite the eventual rebound in its acidity.

Ten-year study on acid precipitation nears conclusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olem, H.

1990-01-01

Results from the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP) are discussed. Final results are contained in 26 state of the science reports. Seven of the reports provide information on acid rain and aquatic ecosystems. They describe the current state of acidic surface waters, watershed processes affecting surface water chemistry, historical evidence for surface water acidification, methods for forecasting future changes, and the response of acidic surface water to liming. Six areas of the country were found to be of special interest: southwest Adirondacks, New England, forested areas of the mid-Atlantic highlands, the Atlantic coastal plain, the northern Florida highlands, parts of northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Environmental effects, mitigation efforts and possible legislation are briefly discussed

Of paleo-genes and Perch: what if an "alien" is actually a native?

Science.gov (United States)

Stager, J Curt; Sporn, Lee Ann; Johnson, Melanie; Regalado, Sean

2015-01-01

Documenting whether a biotic taxon is native or alien to an ecosystem has theoretical value for ecological and evolutionary studies, and has practical value because it can potentially identify a taxon as a desirable component of an ecosystem or target it for removal. In some cases, however, such background information is inadequate or unavailable. Here we use paleo-DNA to re-evaluate the historical status of yellow perch in the 6 million acre Adirondack State Park of northern New York. Yellow perch DNA in a 2200-year sediment record reveals a long-term native status for these supposedly alien fish and challenges assumptions that they necessarily exclude native trout from upland lakes. Similar approaches could be applied to other species with uncertain historical distributions and could help to identify unrecognized pockets of biodiversity.

Investigation of landscape and lake acidification relationships

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rush, R.M.; Honea, R.B.; Krug, E.C.; Peplies, R.W.; Dobson, J.E.; Baxter, F.P.

1985-10-01

This interim report presents the rationale and initial results for a program designed to gather and analyze information essential to a better understanding of lake acidification in the northeastern United States. The literature pertinent to a study of landscape and lake acidification relationships is reviewed and presented as the rationale for a landscape/lake acidification study. The results of a study of Emmons Pond in northwestern Connecticut are described and lead to the conclusion that a landscape change was a contributor to the acidification of this pond. A regional study of sixteen lakes in southern New England using Landsat imagery is described, and preliminary observations from a similar study in the Adirondack Mountains are given. These results indicate that satellite imagery can be useful in identifying types of ground cover important to landscape/lake acidification relationships.

Of paleo-genes and Perch: what if an "alien" is actually a native?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Curt Stager

Full Text Available Documenting whether a biotic taxon is native or alien to an ecosystem has theoretical value for ecological and evolutionary studies, and has practical value because it can potentially identify a taxon as a desirable component of an ecosystem or target it for removal. In some cases, however, such background information is inadequate or unavailable. Here we use paleo-DNA to re-evaluate the historical status of yellow perch in the 6 million acre Adirondack State Park of northern New York. Yellow perch DNA in a 2200-year sediment record reveals a long-term native status for these supposedly alien fish and challenges assumptions that they necessarily exclude native trout from upland lakes. Similar approaches could be applied to other species with uncertain historical distributions and could help to identify unrecognized pockets of biodiversity.

Determination of chemical composition of soils and rocks at the MER landing sites Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum using the APXS

Science.gov (United States)

Brueckner, J.

2004-05-01

The new Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) is a small, light-weight instrument to obtain x-ray spectra from Martian surface samples. The sensor head contains a high-resolution x-ray detector that is surrounded by a circle of radioactive Cm-244 sources. Alpha and x-ray radiation emitted by the sources is used to induce x-ray excitation in the sample. Elements from sodium to zinc (increasing by atomic weight) are detected and their concentrations determined. The APXS is mounted on each Instrument Deployment Device (IDD) of the two Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Spirit and Opportunity. Rover Spirit landed in the large Gusev crater that seems to have been altered by water activities in the past based on evidence of orbital images. Rover Opportunity landed in a very small crater of the Meridiani Planum, where the mineral hematite that points to water-related processes is expected to be found. Inside the little crater, a light-colored outcrop is exposed that shows widespread fine layering. The first APXS high-resolution x-ray spectrum of a Gusev soil indicated many similarities to the composition of the Mars Pathfinder (MPF) and Viking soils. However, differences are also noticeable: Low-Z elements are somewhat higher compared to MPF soils, while high-Z elements are depleted, notably Ti. Potassium in the soils reflects the K concentration of the local rocks at the different landing sites pointing toward a local contribution to the soil's composition. The Rock Abrasion Tool was used to grind the first rock on Mars at Gusev: Adirondack's undisturbed and ground surface was measured by the APXS. The composition of its fresh surface is different from the MPF soilfree rock, noticeably in Mg and Al, and clearly exhibits a basaltic nature related to the composition of basaltic shergottites. The first rock at the Meridiani crater outcrop (dubbed Robert-E) exhibited a very high sulfur concentration, more than a factor of 15 compared to rock Adirondack, indicating it is

Acidic deposition: State of science and technology. Report 11. Historical changes in surface-water acid-base chemistry in response to acidic deposition. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, T.J.; Small, M.J.; Kingston, J.C.; Bernert, J.A.; Thomas, D.R.

1990-09-01

The objectives of the analyses reported in the State of Science report are to: identify the lake and stream populations in the United States that have experienced chronic changes in biologically significant constituents of surface water chemistry (e.g. pH, Al) in response to acidic deposition; quantify biologically meaningful historical changes in chronic surface water chemistry associated with acidic deposition, with emphasis on ANC, pH, and Al; estimate the proportion of lakes nor acidic that were not acidic in pre-industrial times; estimate the proportional response of each of the major chemical constituents that have changed in response to acidic deposition using a subset of statistically selected Adirondack lakes for which paleolimnological reconstructions of pre-industrial surface water chemistry have been performed; evaluate and improve, where appropriate and feasible, empirical models of predicting changes in ANC; and evaluate the response of seepage lakes to acidic deposition

Lake variability: Key factors controlling mercury concentrations in New York State fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonin, Howard A.; Loukmas, Jefferey J.; Skinner, Lawrence C.; Roy, Karen M.

2008-01-01

A 4 year study surveyed 131 lakes across New York State beginning in 2003 to improve our understanding of mercury and gather information from previously untested waters. Our study focused on largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye and yellow perch, common piscivorous fish shown to accumulate high mercury concentrations and species important to local fisheries. Fish from Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve lakes generally had higher mercury concentrations than those from lakes in other areas of the state. Variability between nearby individual lakes was observed, and could be due to differences in water chemistry, lake productivity or the abundance of wetlands in the watershed. We found the following factors impact mercury bioaccumulation: fish length, lake pH, specific conductivity, chlorophyll a, mercury concentration in the water, presence of an outlet dam and amount of contiguous wetlands. - Lake water chemistry variables, dams, and wetlands play major roles in determining fish mercury concentrations

Long-term dataset on aquatic responses to concurrent climate change and recovery from acidification

Science.gov (United States)

Leach, Taylor H.; Winslow, Luke A.; Acker, Frank W.; Bloomfield, Jay A.; Boylen, Charles W.; Bukaveckas, Paul A.; Charles, Donald F.; Daniels, Robert A.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Eichler, Lawrence W.; Farrell, Jeremy L.; Funk, Clara S.; Goodrich, Christine A.; Michelena, Toby M.; Nierzwicki-Bauer, Sandra A.; Roy, Karen M.; Shaw, William H.; Sutherland, James W.; Swinton, Mark W.; Winkler, David A.; Rose, Kevin C.

2018-04-01

Concurrent regional and global environmental changes are affecting freshwater ecosystems. Decadal-scale data on lake ecosystems that can describe processes affected by these changes are important as multiple stressors often interact to alter the trajectory of key ecological phenomena in complex ways. Due to the practical challenges associated with long-term data collections, the majority of existing long-term data sets focus on only a small number of lakes or few response variables. Here we present physical, chemical, and biological data from 28 lakes in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State. These data span the period from 1994-2012 and harmonize multiple open and as-yet unpublished data sources. The dataset creation is reproducible and transparent; R code and all original files used to create the dataset are provided in an appendix. This dataset will be useful for examining ecological change in lakes undergoing multiple stressors.

Elemental cycling response of an Adirondack subalpine spruce-fir forest to atmospheric and environmental change

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew J. Friedland; Eric K. Miller

1996-01-01

Patterns and trends in forest elemental cycling can become more apparent in the presence of atmospheric perturbations. High-elevation forests of the northeastern United States have received large amounts of atmospheric deposition of pollutants, which have altered natural elemental cycling and retention rates in a variety of ways. This study examined atmospheric...

Cognitive dimensions of recreational user experiences in wilderness: an exploratory study in Adirondack wilderness areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Chad P. Dawson; Peter Newman; Alan Watson

1998-01-01

This exploratory study involved identifying the dimensions of a wilderness experience sought by users based on the available literature and on input from wilderness users. Input was collected using focus group interviews with members of four groups that were primarily involved in wilderness use and preservation in recent years. Positive and negative dimensions are...

Epiphytic lichen diversity on dead and dying conifers under different levels of atmospheric pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauck, Markus

2005-01-01

Based on literature data, epiphytic lichen abundance was comparably studied in montane woodlands on healthy versus dead or dying conifers of Europe and North America in areas with different levels of atmospheric pollution. Study sites comprised Picea abies forests in the Harz Mountains and in the northern Alps, Germany, Picea rubens-Abies balsamea forests on Whiteface Mountain, Adirondacks, New York, U.S.A. and Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa forests in the Salish Mountains, Montana, U.S.A. Detrended correspondence analysis showed that epiphytic lichen vegetation differed more between healthy and dead or dying trees at high- versus low-polluted sites. This is attributed to greater differences in chemical habitat conditions between trees of different vitality in highly polluted areas. Based on these results, a hypothetical model of relative importance of site factors for small-scale variation of epiphytic lichen abundance versus atmospheric pollutant load is discussed. - Epiphytic lichen diversity differs increasingly between healthy and dead or dying conifers with increasing atmospheric pollutant load

An evaluation and analysis of three dynamic watershed acidification codes (MAGIC, ETD, and ILWAS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jenne, E.A.; Eary, L.E.; Vail, L.W.; Girvin, D.C.; Liebetrau, A.M.; Hibler, L.F.; Miley, T.B.; Monsour, M.J.

1989-01-01

The US Environmental Protection Agency is currently using the dynamic watershed acidification codes MAGIC, ILWAS, and ETD to assess the potential future impact of the acidic deposition on surface water quality by simulating watershed acid neutralization processes. The reliability of forecasts made with these codes is of considerable concern. The present study evaluates the process formulations (i.e., conceptual and numerical representation of atmospheric, hydrologic geochemical and biogeochemical processes), compares their approaches to calculating acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), and estimates the relative effects (sensitivity) of perturbations in the input data on selected output variables for each code. Input data were drawn from three Adirondack (upstate New York) watersheds: Panther Lake, Clear Pond, and Woods Lake. Code calibration was performed by the developers of the codes. Conclusions focus on summarizing the adequacy of process formulations, differences in ANC simulation among codes and recommendations for further research to increase forecast reliability. 87 refs., 11 figs., 77 tabs.

Ecosystem assessment methods for cumulative effects at the regional scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunsaker, C.T.

1989-01-01

Environmental issues such as nonpoint-source pollution, acid rain, reduced biodiversity, land use change, and climate change have widespread ecological impacts and require an integrated assessment approach. Since 1978, the implementing regulations for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) have required assessment of potential cumulative environmental impacts. Current environmental issues have encouraged ecologists to improve their understanding of ecosystem process and function at several spatial scales. However, management activities usually occur at the local scale, and there is little consideration of the potential impacts to the environmental quality of a region. This paper proposes that regional ecological risk assessment provides a useful approach for assisting scientists in accomplishing the task of assessing cumulative impacts. Critical issues such as spatial heterogeneity, boundary definition, and data aggregation are discussed. Examples from an assessment of acidic deposition effects on fish in Adirondack lakes illustrate the importance of integrated data bases, associated modeling efforts, and boundary definition at the regional scale

Landscape controls on total and methyl mercury in the upper Hudson River basin of New York State

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, D. A.; Murray, K. R.; Bradley, P. M.; Brigham, M. E.; Aiken, G.; Smith, M.

2010-12-01

High levels of mercury (Hg) in aquatic biota have been identified in surface waters of the Adirondack region of New York, and factors such as the prevalence of wetlands, extensive forest cover, and oligotrophic waters promote Hg bioaccumulation in this region. Past research in this region has focused on improved understanding of the Hg cycle in lake ecosystems. In the study described herein, the landscape controls on total Hg and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in riverine ecosystems were explored through synoptic surveys of 27 sites in the upper Hudson River basin of the Adirondack region. Stream samples were collected and analyzed for total Hg, MeHg, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) during spring and summer of 2006-08. Landscape indices including many common land cover, hydrographic, and topographic-based measures were explored as predictors of Hg through multivariate linear regression. Multivariate models that included a wetland or riparian area-based metric, an index for open water area, and in some cases a topographic metric such as the wetness index explained 55 to 65 percent of the variation in MeHg concentrations, and 55 to 80 percent of the variation in total Hg concentrations. An open water index (OWI) was developed that incorporated both the basin area drained by ponded water and the surface area of these ponds. This index was inversely related to concentrations of total Hg and MeHg. This OWI was also inversely related to specific ultra-violet absorbance, consistent with previous studies showing that open water increases the influence of algal-derived carbon on DOC, decreasing aromaticity, which should decrease the ability of the dissolved carbon pool to bind Hg. The OWI was not significant in models for total Hg that also included UV254 as a predictive variable, but the index did remain significant in similar models for MeHg suggesting that biogeochemical factors in addition to decreasing carbon

Surface Water Quality Trends from EPA's LTM Network

Science.gov (United States)

Funk, C.; Lynch, J. A.

2013-12-01

Surface water chemistry provides direct indicators of the potential effects of anthropogenic impacts, such as acid deposition and climate change, on the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. Long-term surface water monitoring networks provide a host of environmental data that can be used, in conjunction with other networks, to assess how water bodies respond to stressors and if they are potentially at risk (e.g., receiving pollutant deposition beyond its critical load). Two EPA-administered monitoring programs provide information on the effects of acidic deposition on headwater aquatic systems: the Long Term Monitoring (LTM) program and the Temporally Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems (TIME) program, designed to track the effectiveness of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) in reducing the acidity of surface waters in acid sensitive ecoregions of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Here we present regional variability of long term trends in surface water quality in response to substantial reductions in atmospheric deposition. Water quality trends at acid sensitive LTM sites exhibit decreasing concentrations of sulfate at 100% of monitored sites in the Adirondack Mountains and New England, 80% of Northern Appalachian Plateau sites, and yet only 15% of sites in the Ridge and Blue Ridge Provinces over the 1990-2011 period of record. Across all regions, most LTM sites exhibited constant or only slightly declining nitrate concentrations over the same time period. Acid Neutralizing Capacity (ANC) levels improved at 68% and 45% of LTM sites in the Adirondacks and Northern Appalachian Plateau, respectively, but few sites showed increases in New England or the Ridge and Blue Ridge Provinces due to lagging improvements in base cation concentration. The ANC of northeastern TIME lakes was also evaluated from 1991 to 1994 and 2008 to 2011. The percentage of lakes with ANC values below 50 μeq/L, lakes of acute or elevated concern, dropped by about 7%, indicating improvement

Effects of acidic deposition on forest and aquatic ecosystems in New York State

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Driscoll, Charles T.; Driscoll, Kimberley M.; Mitchell, Myron J.; Raynal, Dudley J

2003-06-01

Elevated inputs of acidic deposition have deleterious effects on forest and aquatic ecosystems in New York. - Acidic deposition is comprised of sulfuric and nitric acids and ammonium derived from atmospheric emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ammonia, respectively. Acidic deposition has altered soil through depletion of labile pools of nutrient cations (i.e. calcium, magnesium), accumulation of sulfur and nitrogen, and the mobilization of elevated concentrations of inorganic monomeric aluminum to soil solutions in acid-sensitive areas. Acidic deposition leaches essential calcium from needles of red spruce, making this species more susceptible to freezing injury. Mortality among sugar maples appears to result from deficiencies of nutrient cations, coupled with other stresses such as insect defoliation or drought. Acidic deposition has impaired surface water quality in the Adirondack and Catskill regions of New York by lowering pH levels, decreasing acid-neutralizing capacity, and increasing aluminum concentrations. Acidification has reduced the diversity and abundance of aquatic species in lakes and streams. There are also linkages between acidic deposition and fish mercury contamination and eutrophication of estuaries.

Proton and aluminum binding properties of organic acids in surface waters of the northeastern U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Fakhraei, Habibollah; Driscoll, Charles T

2015-03-03

A variety of mathematical estimators have been used to quantify the degree of protonation of naturally occurring organic acids. These estimators range from monoprotic, diprotic, and triprotic analog models to the discrete and continuous (Gaussian) distributions of a single proton binding-dissociation. Natural water samples from two long-term monitoring programs in the northeastern U.S. were used to quantify proton- and aluminum-binding properties of naturally occurring organic matter. Water chemistry observations were clustered into 0.05 pH intervals (over 3.75-7.35 pH range) and fit to a triprotic analog model. The model optimization indicates that about 5% of dissolved organic carbon participates in ion binding, and organic acids are composed of both strong and weak acids (i.e., pKa1 = 2.54, pKa2 = 6.19, and pKa3 = 7.52 for Adirondack samples). Binding between organic acids and aluminum can substantially influence the acid behavior of dissolved organic matter and the availability of the toxic form of aluminum (i.e., inorganic monomeric aluminum).

The role of multispectral scanners as data sources for EPA hydrologic models

Science.gov (United States)

Slack, R.; Hill, D.

1982-01-01

An estimated cost savings of 30% to 50% was realized from using LANDSAT-derived data as input into a program which simulates hydrologic and water quality processes in natural and man-made water systems. Data from the satellite were used in conjunction with EPA's 11-channel multispectral scanner to obtain maps for characterizing the distribution of turbidity plumes in Flathead Lake and to predict the effect of increasing urbanization in Montana's Flathead River Basin on the lake's trophic state. Multispectral data are also being studied as a possible source of the parameters needed to model the buffering capability of lakes in an effort to evaluate the effect of acid rain in the Adirondacks. Water quality in Lake Champlain, Vermont is being classified using data from the LANDSAT and the EPA MSS. Both contact-sensed and MSS data are being used with multivariate statistical analysis to classify the trophic status of 145 lakes in Illinois and to identify water sampling sites in Appalachicola Bay where contaminants threaten Florida's shellfish.

Undergraduate Research and Training in Ion-Beam Analysis of Environmental Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Vineyard, Michael F.; Chalise, Sajju; Clark, Morgan L.; LaBrake, Scott M.; McCalmont, Andrew M.; McGuire, Brendan C.; Mendez, Iseinie I.; Watson, Heather C.; Yoskowitz, Joshua T.

We have an active undergraduate research program at the Union College Ion-Beam Analysis Laboratory (UCIBAL) focused on the study of environmental materials. Accelerator-based ion-beam analysis (IBA) is a powerful tool for the study of environmental pollution because it can provide information on a broad range of elements with high sensitivity and low detection limits, is non-destructive, and requires little or no sample preparation. It also provides excellent training for the next generation of environmental scientists. Beams of protons and alpha particles with energies of a few MeV from the 1.1-MV tandem Pelletron accelerator (NEC Model 3SDH) in the UCIBAL are used to characterize environmental samples using IBA techniques such as proton-induced X-ray emission, Rutherford back-scattering, and proton-induced gamma-ray emission. Recent projects include the characterization of atmospheric aerosols in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, the study of heavy metal pollutants in river sediment, measurements of Pb diffusion in sulfide minerals to help constrain the determination of the age of iron meteorites, and the search for heavy metals and toxins in artificial turf.

Deposition of mercury in forests across a montane elevation gradient: Elevational and seasonal patterns in methylmercury inputs and production

Science.gov (United States)

Gerson, Jacqueline R.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Demers, Jason D.; Sauer, Amy K.; Blackwell, Bradley D.; Montesdeoca, Mario R.; Shanley, James B.; Ross, Donald S.

2017-08-01

Global mercury contamination largely results from direct primary atmospheric and secondary legacy emissions, which can be deposited to ecosystems, converted to methylmercury, and bioaccumulated along food chains. We examined organic horizon soil samples collected across an elevational gradient on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack region of New York State, USA to determine spatial patterns in methylmercury concentrations across a forested montane landscape. We found that soil methylmercury concentrations were highest in the midelevation coniferous zone (0.39 ± 0.07 ng/g) compared to the higher elevation alpine zone (0.28 ± 0.04 ng/g) and particularly the lower elevation deciduous zone (0.17 ± 0.02 ng/g), while the percent of total mercury as methylmercury in soils decreased with elevation. We also found a seasonal pattern in soil methylmercury concentrations, with peak methylmercury values occurring in July. Given elevational patterns in temperature and bioavailable total mercury (derived from mineralization of soil organic matter), soil methylmercury concentrations appear to be driven by soil processing of ionic Hg, as opposed to atmospheric deposition of methylmercury. These methylmercury results are consistent with spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in songbird species observed from other studies, suggesting that future declines in mercury emissions could be important for reducing exposure of mercury to montane avian species.

Changes in faunal and vegetation communities along a soil calcium gradient in northern hardwood forests

Science.gov (United States)

Beier, Colin M.; Woods, Anne M.; Hotopp, Kenneth P.; Gibbs, James P.; Mitchell, Myron J.; Dovciak, Martin; Leopold, Donald J.; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Page, Blair D.

2012-01-01

Depletion of Ca from forest soils due to acidic deposition has had potentially pervasive effects on forest communities, but these impacts remain largely unknown. Because snails, salamanders, and plants play essential roles in the Ca cycle of northern hardwood forests, we hypothesized that their community diversity, abundance, and structure would vary with differences in biotic Ca availability. To test this hypothesis, we sampled 12 upland hardwood forests representing a soil Ca gradient in the Adirondack Mountains, New York (USA), where chronic deposition has resulted in acidified soils but where areas of well-buffered soils remain Ca rich due to parent materials. Along the gradient of increasing soil [Ca2+], we observed increasing trends in snail community richness and abundance, live biomass of redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818)), and canopy tree basal area. Salamander communities were dominated by mountain dusky salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus Cope, 1859) at Ca-poor sites and changed continuously along the Ca gradient to become dominated by redback salamanders at the Ca-rich sites. Several known calciphilic species of snails and plants were found only at the highest-Ca sites. Our results indicated that Ca availability, which is shaped by geology and acidic deposition inputs, influences northern hardwood forest ecosystems at multiple trophic levels, although the underlying mechanisms require further study.

Soil base saturation combines with Beech Bark Disease to influence composition and structure of Sugar Maple-Beech forests in an acid rain-impacted region

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Gregory B.; McDonnell, Todd C.; Sullivan, Timothy J.; Dovciak, Martin; Bailey, Scott W.; Antidormi, Michael; Zarfos, Michael R.

2018-01-01

Sugar maple, an abundant and highly valued tree species in eastern North America, has experienced decline from soil calcium (Ca) depletion by acidic deposition, while beech, which often coexists with sugar maple, has been afflicted with beech bark disease (BBD) over the same period. To investigate how variations in soil base saturation combine with effects of BBD in influencing stand composition and structure, measurements of soils, canopy, subcanopy, and seedlings were taken in 21 watersheds in the Adirondack region of NY (USA), where sugar maple and beech were the predominant canopy species and base saturation of the upper B horizon ranged from 4.4 to 67%. The base saturation value corresponding to the threshold for Al mobilization (16.8%) helped to define the species composition of canopy trees and seedlings. Canopy vigor and diameter at breast height (DBH) were positively correlated (P soils, soil-Ca depletion and BBD may have created opportunities for gap-exploiting species such as red maple and black cherry, whereas in high-base saturation soils, sugar maple dominated the canopy. Where soils were beginning to recover from acidic deposition effects, sugar maple DBH and basal area increased progressively from 2000 to 2015, whereas for beech, average DBH did not change and basal area did not increase after 2010.

Meteorological effects on Hg wet deposition in a forested site in the Adirondack region of New York during 2000-2015

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Huiting; Ye, Zhuyun; Driscoll, Charles

2017-11-01

An analysis of weekly measurement data of mercury (Hg) wet deposition was conducted for Huntington Wildlife Forest (HWF), a forest ecosystem in Upstate New York and a biological Hg hotspot, during 2000-2015. Annual accumulated Hg wet deposition flux was found to decrease at a rate of -0.13 μg m-2 yr-1 (2% yr-1) (p = 0.09), and volume weighted mean (VWM) Hg precipitation concentrations at -0.14 ng L-1 yr-1 (2.5% yr-1) (p = 0.00). In examining data by season, no trends were identified for the two variables. It was found that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) affected Hg wet deposition predominantly in spring, as did the position of the U.S. East Coast trough in summer, which suggests different dominant mechanisms driving Hg wet deposition in different seasons. The impacts of such large scale circulation processes were facilitated via variations in precipitation amounts. This was manifested in spring 2011 with the strongest positive phase of NAO, resulting in the wettest spring with the largest Hg wet deposition flux, and in summer 2007 with the U.S. East Coast trough positioned the farthest out over the Atlantic Ocean, causing the driest summer with the lowest Hg wet deposition flux of the study period. Extreme precipitation amounts in spring could singularly drive the overall long-term trend in Hg wet deposition whereas in summer other factors could just be as important. Similar mechanisms were thought to control the long term variations of Hg wet deposition and precipitation concentrations in all seasons but summer as indicated in their significant correlation in all but summer. Atmospheric concentrations of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and particulate borne mercury (PBM) at HWF over 2009-2015 hardly exhibited correlations with Hg wet deposition or precipitation concentrations. Chemical transport model simulations strongly supported efficient scavenging of oxidized Hg by precipitation resulting in the lowest concentration of GOM in the warm season despite the supposedly largest GOM production. Our findings suggest that over the long run climate change could play an important role in atmospheric deposition of Hg into ecosystems facilitated by precipitation amounts, which is closely linked to variations in large scale circulation.

National survey of crystalline rocks and recommendations of regions to be explored for high-level radioactive waste repository sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smedes, H.W.

1983-04-01

A reconnaissance of the geological literature on large regions of exposed crystalline rocks in the United States provides the basis for evaluating if any of those regions warrant further exploration toward identifying potential sites for development of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The reconnaissance does not serve as a detailed evaluation of regions or of any smaller subunits within the regions. Site performance criteria were selected and applied insofar as a national data base exists, and guidelines were adopted that relate the data to those criteria. The criteria include consideration of size, vertical movements, faulting, earthquakes, seismically induced ground motion, Quaternary volcanic rocks, mineral deposits, high-temperature convective ground-water systems, hydraulic gradients, and erosion. Brief summaries of each major region of exposed crystalline rock, and national maps of relevant data provided the means for applying the guidelines and for recommending regions for further study. It is concluded that there is a reasonable likelihood that geologically suitable repository sites exist in each of the major regions of crystalline rocks. The recommendation is made that further studies first be conducted of the Lake Superior, Northern Appalachian and Adirondack, and the Southern Appalachian Regions. It is believed that those regions could be explored more effectively and suitable sites probably could be found, characterized, verified, and licensed more readily there than in the other regions

Deposition of mercury in forests across a montane elevation gradient: Elevational and seasonal patterns in methylmercury inputs and production

Science.gov (United States)

Gerson, Jacqueline R.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Demers, Jason D.; Sauer, Amy K.; Blackwell, Bradley D.; Montesdeoca, Mario R.; Shanley, James B.; Ross, Donald S.

2017-01-01

Global mercury contamination largely results from direct primary atmospheric and secondary legacy emissions, which can be deposited to ecosystems, converted to methylmercury, and bioaccumulated along food chains. We examined organic horizon soil samples collected across an elevational gradient on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack region of New York State, USA to determine spatial patterns in methylmercury concentrations across a forested montane landscape. We found that soil methylmercury concentrations were highest in the midelevation coniferous zone (0.39 ± 0.07 ng/g) compared to the higher elevation alpine zone (0.28 ± 0.04 ng/g) and particularly the lower elevation deciduous zone (0.17 ± 0.02 ng/g), while the percent of total mercury as methylmercury in soils decreased with elevation. We also found a seasonal pattern in soil methylmercury concentrations, with peak methylmercury values occurring in July. Given elevational patterns in temperature and bioavailable total mercury (derived from mineralization of soil organic matter), soil methylmercury concentrations appear to be driven by soil processing of ionic Hg, as opposed to atmospheric deposition of methylmercury. These methylmercury results are consistent with spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in songbird species observed from other studies, suggesting that future declines in mercury emissions could be important for reducing exposure of mercury to montane avian species.

Transient Liquid Water as a Mechanism for Induration of Soil Crusts on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Landis, G. A.; Blaney, D.; Cabrol, N.; Clark, B. C.; Farmer, J.; Grotzinger, J.; Greeley, R.; McLennan, S. M.; Richter, L.; Yen, A.

2004-01-01

The Viking and the Mars Exploration Rover missions observed that the surface of Mars is encrusted by a thinly cemented layer tagged as "duricrust". A hypothesis to explain the formation of duricrust on Mars should address not only the potential mechanisms by which these materials become cemented, but also the textural and compositional components of cemented Martian soils. Elemental analyzes at five sites on Mars show that these soils have sulfur content of up to 4%, and chlorine content of up to 1%. This is consistent with the presence of sulfates and halides as mineral cements. . For comparison, the rock "Adirondack" at the MER site, after the exterior layer was removed, had nearly five times lower sulfur and chlorine content , and the Martian meteorites have ten times lower sulfur and chlorine content, showing that the soil is highly enriched in the saltforming elements compared with rock.Here we propose two alternative models to account for the origin of these crusts, each requiring the action of transient liquid water films to mediate adhesion and cementation of grains. Two alternative versions of the transient water hypothesis are offered, a top down hypothesis that emphasizes the surface deposition of frost, melting and downward migration of liquid water and a bottom up alternative that proposes the presence of interstitial ice/brine, with the upward capillary migration of liquid water.

National survey of crystalline rocks and recommendations of regions to be explored for high-level radioactive waste repository sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smedes, H.W.

1983-04-01

A reconnaissance of the geological literature on large regions of exposed crystalline rocks in the United States provides the basis for evaluating if any of those regions warrant further exploration toward identifying potential sites for development of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The reconnaissance does not serve as a detailed evaluation of regions or of any smaller subunits within the regions. Site performance criteria were selected and applied insofar as a national data base exists, and guidelines were adopted that relate the data to those criteria. The criteria include consideration of size, vertical movements, faulting, earthquakes, seismically induced ground motion, Quaternary volcanic rocks, mineral deposits, high-temperature convective ground-water systems, hydraulic gradients, and erosion. Brief summaries of each major region of exposed crystalline rock, and national maps of relevant data provided the means for applying the guidelines and for recommending regions for further study. It is concluded that there is a reasonable likelihood that geologically suitable repository sites exist in each of the major regions of crystalline rocks. The recommendation is made that further studies first be conducted of the Lake Superior, Northern Appalachian and Adirondack, and the Southern Appalachian Regions. It is believed that those regions could be explored more effectively and suitable sites probably could be found, characterized, verified, and licensed more readily there than in the other regions.

Local Government Capacity to Respond to Environmental Change: Insights from Towns in New York State.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Lincoln R; Lauber, T Bruce; Kay, David L; Cutts, Bethany B

2017-07-01

Local governments attempting to respond to environmental change face an array of challenges. To better understand policy responses and factors influencing local government capacity to respond to environmental change, we studied three environmental issues affecting rural or peri-urban towns in different regions of New York State: climate change in the Adirondacks (n = 63 towns), loss of open space due to residential/commercial development in the Hudson Valley (n = 50), and natural gas development in the Southern Tier (n = 62). Our analysis focused on towns' progression through three key stages of the environmental policy process (issue awareness and salience, common goals and agenda setting, policy development and implementation) and the factors that affect this progression and overall capacity for environmental governance. We found that-when compared to towns addressing open space development and natural gas development-towns confronted with climate change were at a much earlier stage in the policy process and were generally less likely to display the essential resources, social support, and political legitimacy needed for an effective policy response. Social capital cultivated through collaboration and networking was strongly associated with towns' policy response across all regions and could help municipalities overcome omnipresent resource constraints. By comparing and contrasting municipal responses to each issue, this study highlights the processes and factors influencing local government capacity to address a range of environmental changes across diverse management contexts.

A novel transferable individual tree crown delineation model based on Fishing Net Dragging and boundary classification

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tao; Im, Jungho; Quackenbush, Lindi J.

2015-12-01

This study provides a novel approach to individual tree crown delineation (ITCD) using airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data in dense natural forests using two main steps: crown boundary refinement based on a proposed Fishing Net Dragging (FiND) method, and segment merging based on boundary classification. FiND starts with approximate tree crown boundaries derived using a traditional watershed method with Gaussian filtering and refines these boundaries using an algorithm that mimics how a fisherman drags a fishing net. Random forest machine learning is then used to classify boundary segments into two classes: boundaries between trees and boundaries between branches that belong to a single tree. Three groups of LiDAR-derived features-two from the pseudo waveform generated along with crown boundaries and one from a canopy height model (CHM)-were used in the classification. The proposed ITCD approach was tested using LiDAR data collected over a mountainous region in the Adirondack Park, NY, USA. Overall accuracy of boundary classification was 82.4%. Features derived from the CHM were generally more important in the classification than the features extracted from the pseudo waveform. A comprehensive accuracy assessment scheme for ITCD was also introduced by considering both area of crown overlap and crown centroids. Accuracy assessment using this new scheme shows the proposed ITCD achieved 74% and 78% as overall accuracy, respectively, for deciduous and mixed forest.

LOCAL CLIMATE INFLUENCES ON PRECIPITATION, CLOUD WATER, AND DRY DEPOSITION TO AN ADIRONDACK SUBALPINE FOREST: INSIGHTS FROM OBSERVATIONS 1986-1996. (R826591)

Science.gov (United States)

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Emergence of the North American center of excellence for transportation equipment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Gottschall

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Following the closure of Plattsburgh Air Force Base in 1995, the northeastern region of New York State faced a unique economic development challenge. In addition to the loss of the air base, the rural area suffers from urbanization and automation in manufacturing trends. While the quality of life is highly rated, population and job growth stagnate. Isolated geographically by Lake Champlain to the East, the Adirondack Mountains to the South and West, and long distances to southern economic centers in the state, the region has looked north of the Canadian border and positioned itself as "Montreal's US suburb". Economic developers have crafted bi-national agreements between regional organizations, improved cross-border infrastructure, and enhanced educational institutions for the purpose of attracting Canadian and international manufacturers to the region. In 2015, the North American Center of Excellence in Transportation Equipment was launched and six new companies joined the cluster, doubling its size and perhaps providing a base for further growth. Manufacturing jobs are likely to grow for the first time in more than 20-years. We use cluster theory to argue that this formation of companies may still be insufficient to catalyze cluster emergence and the desired goal of regional competitiveness. Moving forward in the crafting of regional economic development policy, we emphasize the importance of viewing the North American Center of Excellence for Transportation Equipment as a pre-emergent cluster in need of further support to reach its potential.

Evidence for migratory spawning behavior by morphologically distinct Cisco (Coregonus artedi) from a small inland lake

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Ross, Alexander J.; Weidel, Brian C.; Leneker, Mellisa; Solomon, Christopher T.

2017-01-01

Conservation and management of rare fishes relies on managers having the most informed understanding of the underlying ecology of the species under investigation. Cisco (Coregonus artedi), a species of conservation concern, is a cold-water pelagic fish that is notoriously variable in morphometry and life history. Published reports indicate, at spawning time, Cisco in great lakes may migrate into or through large rivers, whereas those in small lakes move inshore. Nonetheless, during a sampling trip to Follensby Pond, a 393 ha lake in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, we observed gravid Cisco swimming over an outlet sill from a narrow shallow stream and into the lake. We opportunistically dip-netted a small subsample of 11 individuals entering the lake from the stream (three female, eight male) and compared them to fish captured between 2013 and 2015 with gillnets in the lake. Stream-captured Cisco were considerably larger than lake-captured individuals at a given age, had significantly larger asymptotic length, and were present only as mature individuals between age of 3 and age 5. These results could suggest either Cisco are migrating from a nearby lake to spawn in Follensby Pond, or that a distinct morphotype of Cisco from Follensby Pond migrates out to the stream and then back in at spawning time. Our results appear to complement a handful of other cases in which Cisco spawning migrations have been documented and to provide the first evidence for such behavior in a small inland lake.

Hot Spots and Hot Times: Wildlife Road Mortality in a Regional Conservation Corridor

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Garrah, Evelyn; Danby, Ryan K.; Eberhardt, Ewen; Cunnington, Glenn M.; Mitchell, Scott

2015-10-01

Strategies to reduce wildlife road mortality have become a significant component of many conservation efforts. However, their success depends on knowledge of the temporal and spatial patterns of mortality. We studied these patterns along the 1000 Islands Parkway in Ontario, Canada, a 37 km road that runs adjacent to the St. Lawrence River and bisects the Algonquin-to-Adirondacks international conservation corridor. Characteristics of all vertebrate road kill were recorded during 209 bicycle surveys conducted from 2008 to 2011. We estimate that over 16,700 vertebrates are killed on the road from April to October each year; most are amphibians, but high numbers of birds, mammals, and reptiles were also found, including six reptiles considered at-risk in Canada. Regression tree analysis was used to assess the importance of seasonality, weather, and traffic on road kill magnitude. All taxa except mammals exhibited distinct temporal peaks corresponding to phases in annual life cycles. Variations in weather and traffic were only important outside these peak times. Getis-Ord analysis was used to identify spatial clusters of mortality. Hot spots were found in all years for all taxa, but locations varied annually. A significant spatial association was found between multiyear hot spots and wetlands. The results underscore the notion that multi-species conservation efforts must account for differences in the seasonality of road mortality among species and that multiple years of data are necessary to identify locations where the greatest conservation good can be achieved. This information can be used to inform mitigation strategies with implications for conservation at regional scales.

Migration patterns and wintering range of common loons breeding in the Northeastern United States

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Kenow, K.P.; Adams, D.; Schoch, N.; Evers, D.C.; Hanson, W.; Yates, D.; Savoy, L.; Fox, T.J.; Major, A.; Kratt, R.; Ozard, J.

2009-01-01

A study, using satellite telemetry, was conducted to determine the precise migration patterns and wintering locations of Common Loons (Gavia immer) breeding in the northeastern United States. Transmitters were implanted in 17 loons (16 adults and one juvenile) that were captured on breeding lakes in New York, New Hampshire, and Maine during the summers of 2003, 2004, and 2005. Transmitters from ten of the birds provided adequate location data to document movement to wintering areas. Most adult loons appeared to travel non-stop from breeding lakes, or neighboring lakes (within 15 km), to the Atlantic coast. Adult loons marked in New Hampshire and Maine wintered 152 to 239 km from breeding lakes, along the Maine coast. Adult loons marked in the Adirondack Park of New York wintered along the coasts of Massachusetts (414 km from breeding lake), Rhode Island (362 km), and southern New Jersey (527 km). Most of the loons remained relatively stationary throughout the winter, but the size of individual wintering areas of adult loons ranged from 43 to 1,159 km 2, based on a 95% fixed kernel utilization distribution probability. A juvenile bird from New York made a number of stops at lakes and reservoirs en route to Long Island Sound (325 km from breeding lake). Maximum functional life of transmitters was about 12 months, providing an opportunity to document spring migration movements as well. This work provides essential information for development and implementation of regional Common Loon conservation strategies in the Northeastern U.S.

Differential Habitat Use or Intraguild Interactions: What Structures a Carnivore Community?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew E Gompper

Full Text Available Differential habitat use and intraguild competition are both thought to be important drivers of animal population sizes and distributions. Habitat associations for individual species are well-established, and interactions between particular pairs of species have been highlighted in many focal studies. However, community-wide assessments of the relative strengths of these two factors have not been conducted. We built multi-scale habitat occupancy models for five carnivore taxa of New York's Adirondack landscape and assessed the relative performance of these models against ones in which co-occurrences of potentially competing carnivore species were also incorporated. Distribution models based on habitat performed well for all species. Black bear (Ursus americanus and fisher (Martes pennanti distribution was similar in that occupancy of both species was negatively associated with paved roads. However, black bears were also associated with larger forest fragments and fishers with smaller forest fragments. No models with habitat features were more supported than the null habitat model for raccoons (Procyon lotor. Martens (Martes americana were most associated with increased terrain ruggedness and elevation. Weasel (Mustela spp. occupancy increased with the cover of deciduous forest. For most species dyads habitat-only models were more supported than those models with potential competitors incorporated. The exception to this finding was for the smallest carnivore taxa (marten and weasel where habitat plus coyote abundance models typically performed better than habitat-only models. Assessing this carnivore community as whole, we conclude that differential habitat use is more important than species interactions in maintaining the distribution and structure of this carnivore guild.

Basalt-trachybasalt samples in Gale Crater, Mars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, Peter H.; Anderson, Ryan B.; Dyar, Darby

2017-01-01

The ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, observed numerous igneous float rocks and conglomerate clasts, reported previously. A new statistical analysis of single-laser-shot spectra of igneous targets observed by ChemCam shows a strong peak at ~55 wt% SiO 2 and 6 wt% total alkalis, with a minor secondary maximum at 47–51 wt% SiO 2 and lower alkali content. The centers of these distributions, together with the rock textures, indicate that many of the ChemCam igneous targets are trachybasalts, Mg# = 27 but with a secondary concentration of basaltic material, with a focus of compositions around Mg# = 54. We suggest that all of these igneous rocks resulted from low-pressure, olivine-dominated fractionation of Adirondack (MER) class-type basalt compositions. This magmatism has subalkaline, tholeiitic affinities. The similarity of the basalt endmember to much of the Gale sediment compositions in the first 1000 sols of the MSL mission suggests that this type of Fe-rich, relatively low-Mg#, olivine tholeiite is the dominant constituent of the Gale catchment that is the source material for the fine-grained sediments in Gale. The similarity to many Gusev igneous compositions suggests that it is a major constituent of ancient Martian magmas, and distinct from the shergottite parental melts thought to be associated with Tharsis and the Northern Lowlands. Finally, the Gale Crater catchment sampled a mixture of this tholeiitic basalt along with alkaline igneous material, together giving some analogies to terrestrial intraplate magmatic provinces.

Similarities and Differences in Barriers and Opportunities Affecting Climate Change Adaptation Action in Four North American Landscapes

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Lonsdale, Whitney R.; Kretser, Heidi E.; Chetkiewicz, Cheryl-Lesley B.; Cross, Molly S.

2017-12-01

Climate change presents a complex set of challenges for natural resource managers across North America. Despite recognition that climate change poses serious threats to species, ecosystems, and human communities, implementation of adaptation measures is not yet happening on a broad scale. Among different regions, a range of climate change trajectories, varying political contexts, and diverse social and ecological systems generate a myriad of factors that can affect progress on climate change adaptation implementation. In order to understand the general versus site-specific nature of barriers and opportunities influencing implementation, we surveyed and interviewed practitioners, decision-makers, and scientists involved in natural resource management in four different North American regions, northern Ontario (Canada), the Adirondack State Park (US), Arctic Alaska (US), and the Transboundary Rocky Mountains (US and Canada). Common barriers among regions related to a lack of political support and financial resources, as well as challenges related to translating complex and interacting effects of climate change into management actions. Opportunities shared among regions related to collaboration, funding, and the presence of strong leadership. These commonalities indicate the importance of cross-site learning about ways to leverage opportunities and address adaptation barriers; however, regional variations also suggest that adaptation efforts will need to be tailored to fit specific ecological, political, social and economic contexts. Comparative findings on the similarities and differences in barriers and opportunities, as well as rankings of barriers and opportunities by region, offers important contextual insights into how to further refine efforts to advance adaptation actions in those regions.

Energy Efficiency and Air Quality Repairs at Lyonsdale Biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brower, Michael R; Morrison, James A; Spomer, Eric; Thimot, Carol A

2012-07-31

This project enabled Lyonsdale Biomass, LLC to effect analyses, repairs and upgrades for its biomass cogeneration facility located in Lewis County, New York and close by the Adirondack Park to reduce air emissions by improving combustion technique and through the overall reduction of biomass throughput by increasing the system's thermodynamic efficiency for its steam-electrical generating cycle. Project outcomes result in significant local, New York State, Northeast U.S. and national benefits including improved renewable energy operational surety, enhanced renewable energy efficiency and more freedom from foreign fossil fuel source dependence. Specifically, the reliability of the Lyonsdale Biomass 20MWe woody biomass combined-heat and power (CHP) was and is now directly enhanced. The New York State and Lewis County benefits are equally substantial since the facility sustains 26 full-time equivalency (FTE) jobs at the facility and as many as 125 FTE jobs in the biomass logistics supply chain. Additionally, the project sustains essential local and state payment in lieu of taxes revenues. This project helps meet several USDOE milestones and contributes directly to the following sustainability goals:  Climate: Reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with bio-power production, conversion and use, in comparison to fossil fuels. Efficiency and Productivity: Enhances efficient use of renewable resources and maximizes conversion efficiency and productivity. Profitability: Lowers production costs. Rural Development: Enhances economic welfare and rural development through job creation and income generation. Standards: Develop standards and corresponding metrics for ensuring sustainable biopower production. Energy Diversification and Security: Reduces dependence on foreign oil and increases energy supply diversity. Net Energy Balance: Ensures positive net energy balance for all alternatives to fossil fuels.

Impacts of road deicing salt on the demography of vernal pool-breeding amphibians.

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Karraker, Nancy E; Gibbs, James P; Vonesh, James R

2008-04-01

Deicing agents, primarily road salt, are applied to roads in 26 states in the United States and in a number of European countries, yet the scale of impacts of road salt on aquatic organisms remains largely under-studied. The issue is germane to amphibian conservation because both adult and larval amphibians are known to be particularly sensitive to changes in their osmolar environments. In this study, we combined survey, experimental, and demographic modeling approaches to evaluate the possible effects of road salt on two common vernal-pond-breeding amphibian species, the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and the wood frog (Rana sylvatica). We found that in the Adirondack Mountain Region of New York (USA), road salt traveled up to 172 m from the highway into wetlands. Surveys showed that egg mass densities of spotted salamanders (A. maculatum) and wood frogs (R. sylvatica) were two times higher in forest pools than roadside pools, but this pattern was better explained by road proximity than by increased salinity. Experiments demonstrated that embryonic and larval survival were reduced at moderate (500 muS) and high conductivities (3000 muS) in A. maculatum and at high conductivities in R. sylvatica. Demographic models suggest that such egg and larval stage effects of salt may have important impacts on populations near roads, particularly in the case of A. maculatum, for which salt exposure may lead to local extinction. For both species, the effect of road salt was dependent upon the strength of larval density dependence and declined rapidly with distance from the roadside, with the greatest negative effects being limited to within 50 m. Based on this evidence, we argue that efforts to protect local populations of A. maculatum and R. sylvatica in roadside wetlands should, in part, be aimed at reducing application of road salt near wetlands with high conductivity levels.

Spatial patterns of soil nitrification and nitrate export from forested headwaters in the northeastern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, D.S.; Shanley, J.B.; Campbell, J.L.; Lawrence, G.B.; Bailey, S.W.; Likens, G.E.; Wemple, B.C.; Fredriksen, G.; Jamison, A.E.

2012-01-01

Nitrogen export from small forested watersheds is known to be affected by N deposition but with high regional variability. We studied 10 headwater catchments in the northeastern United States across a gradient of N deposition (5.4 - 9.4 kg ha -1 yr -1) to determine if soil nitrification rates could explain differences in stream water NO 3 - export. Average annual export of two years (October 2002 through September 2004) varied from 0.1 kg NO 3 --N ha -1 yr -1 at Cone Pond watershed in New Hampshire to 5.1 kg ha -1 yr -1 at Buck Creek South in the western Adirondack Mountains of New York. Potential net nitrification rates and relative nitrification (fraction of inorganic N as NO 3 -) were measured in Oa or A soil horizons at 21-130 sampling points throughout each watershed. Stream NO 3 - export was positively related to nitrification rates (r 2 = 0.34, p = 0.04) and the relative nitrification (r 2 = 0.37, p = 0.04). These relationships were much improved by restricting consideration to the 6 watersheds with a higher number of rate measurements (59-130) taken in transects parallel to the streams (r 2 of 0.84 and 0.70 for the nitrification rate and relative nitrification, respectively). Potential nitrification rates were also a better predictor of NO 3 - export when data were limited to either the 6 sampling points closest to the watershed outlet (r 2 = 0.75) or sampling points <250 m from the watershed outlet (r 2 = 0.68). The basal area of conifer species at the sampling plots was negatively related to NO 3 - export. These spatial relationships found here suggest a strong influence of near-stream and near-watershed-outlet soils on measured stream NO 3 - export. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.

Disease risk in temperate amphibian populations is higher at closed-canopy sites.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C Guilherme Becker

Full Text Available Habitat loss and chytridiomycosis (a disease caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis - Bd are major drivers of amphibian declines worldwide. Habitat loss regulates host-pathogen interactions by altering biotic and abiotic factors directly linked to both host and pathogen fitness. Therefore, studies investigating the links between natural vegetation and chytridiomycosis require integrative approaches to control for the multitude of possible interactions of biological and environmental variables in spatial epidemiology. In this study, we quantified Bd infection dynamics across a gradient of natural vegetation and microclimates, looking for causal associations between vegetation cover, multiple microclimatic variables, and pathogen prevalence and infection intensity. To minimize the effects of host diversity in our analyses, we sampled amphibian populations in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, a region with relatively high single-host dominance. We sampled permanent ponds for anurans, focusing on populations of the habitat generalist frog Lithobates clamitans, and recorded various biotic and abiotic factors that potentially affect host-pathogen interactions: natural vegetation, canopy density, water temperature, and host population and community attributes. We screened for important explanatory variables of Bd infections and used path analyses to statistically test for the strength of cascading effects linking vegetation cover, microclimate, and Bd parameters. We found that canopy density, natural vegetation, and daily average water temperature were the best predictors of Bd. High canopy density resulted in lower water temperature, which in turn predicted higher Bd prevalence and infection intensity. Our results confirm that microclimatic shifts arising from changes in natural vegetation play an important role in Bd spatial epidemiology, with areas of closed canopy favoring Bd. Given increasing rates of anthropogenic

Episodic response project: Wet deposition at watersheds in three regions of the eastern United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barchet, W.R.

1991-11-01

During the period from August 1988 to June 1990, wet-only sampling of precipitation was carried out at three Episodic Response Project sites and at one supplemental site. The three watershed sites are Moss Lake, Biscuit Brook, and Linn Run. The supplemental site was the MAP3S site at Pennsylvania State University that characterizes the central group of northern Appalachian streams. The site operators adhered by varying degrees to the sample collection protocol based on the daily sampling protocol of the MAP3S Precipitation Chemistry Network. Sulfate and nitrate ion together accounted for more than 80% of total anions (in μEq/L) in the precipitation at all sites. Wet deposition of sulfate at Moss Lake, Biscuit Brook, Penn State, and Linn Run averaged 223, 230, 253, and 402 mg/m 2 /month, respectively, whereas nitrate wet deposition averaged 197, 195, 160, and 233 mg/m 2 /month, respectively. Sulfate deposition was a factor of 2 to 4 higher in summer than in winter. The seasonal pattern for nitrate deposition was weak; the seasonal contrast was less than a factor of 2.5 at all sites. The association between the wet deposition and precipitation chemistry at the MAP3S monitoring site and the average for the study watersheds was dependent on the distance between the site and watershed and the intervening terrain. Precipitation chemistry at the monitoring site is representative of that at the ERP study watersheds in the Adirondack and Catskill regions and in the south-western group of watersheds in the Appalachian region. High spatial variability in precipitation amounts makes this assumption weaker for wet deposition. Chemical input to watersheds from dry deposition has not been determined at any site but could range from a factor of 0.3 to 1.0 of the wet deposition. 7 refs., 38 figs., 12 tabs

Can the eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) persist in an acidified landscape?

Science.gov (United States)

Bondi, Cheryl A; Beier, Colin M.; Ducey, Peter K; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Bailey, Scott W.

2016-01-01

Hardwood forests of eastern North America have experienced decades of acidic deposition, leading to soil acidification where base cation supply was insufficient to neutralize acid inputs. Negative impacts of soil acidity on amphibians include disrupted embryonic development, lower growth rates, and habitat loss. However, some amphibians exhibit intraspecific variation in acid tolerance, suggesting the potential for local adaptation in areas where soils are naturally acidic. The eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a highly abundant top predator of the northern hardwood forest floor. Early research found that P. cinereus was sensitive to acidic soils, avoiding substrates with pH habitats. However, recent studies have documented P. cinereus populations in lower pH conditions than previously observed, suggesting some populations may persist in acidic conditions. Here, we evaluated relationships between organic horizon soil pH and P. cinereus abundance, adult health (body size and condition), and microhabitat selection, based on surveys of 34 hardwood forests in northeastern United States that encompass a regional soil pH gradient. We found no associations between soil pH and P. cinereus abundance or health, and observed that this salamander used substrates with pH similar to that available, suggesting that pH does not mediate their fine-scale distributions. The strongest negative predictor of P. cinereus abundance was the presence of dusky salamanders (Desmognathus spp.), which were most abundant in the western Adirondacks. Our results indicate that P. cinereus occupies a wider range of soil pH than has been previously thought, which has implications for their functional role in forest food webs and nutrient cycles in acid-impaired ecosystems. Tolerance of P. cinereus for more acidic habitats, including anthropogenically acidified forests, may be due to local adaptation in reproductively isolated populations and/or generalist

Earthquake source parameter and focal mechanism estimates for the Western Quebec Seismic Zone in eastern Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez Padilla, A. M.; Onwuemeka, J.; Liu, Y.; Harrington, R. M.

2017-12-01

The Western Quebec Seismic Zone (WQSZ) is a 160-km-wide band of intraplate seismicity extending 500 km from the Adirondack Highlands (United States) to the Laurentian uplands (Canada). Historically, the WQSZ has experienced over fifteen earthquakes above magnitude 5, with the noteworthy MN5.2 Ladysmith event on May 17, 2013. Previous studies have associated seismicity in the area to the reactivation of Early Paleozoic normal faults within a failed Iapetan rift arm, or strength contrasts between mafic intrusions and felsic rocks due to the Mesozoic track of the Great Meteor hotspot. A good understanding of seismicity and its relation to pre-existing structures requires information about event source properties, such as static stress drop and fault plane orientation, which can be constrained via spectral analysis and focal mechanism solutions. Using data recorded by the CNSN and USArray Transportable Array, we first characterize b-value for 709 events between 2012 and 2016 in WQSZ, obtaining a value of 0.75. We then determine corner frequency and seismic moment values by fitting S-wave spectra on transverse components at all stations for 35 events MN 2.7+. We select event pairs with highly similar waveforms, proximal hypocenters, and magnitudes differing by 1-2 units. Our preliminary results using single-station spectra show corner frequencies of 15 to 40 Hz and stress drop values between 7 and 130 MPa, typical of intraplate seismicity. Last, we solve focal mechanism solutions of 35 events with impulsive P-wave arrivals at a minimum of 8 stations using the hybridMT moment tensor inversion algorithm. Our preliminary results suggest predominantly thrust faulting mechanisms, and at times oblique thrust faulting. The P-axis trend of the focal mechanism solutions suggests a principal stress orientation of NE-SW, which is consistent with that derived from focal mechanisms of earthquakes prior to 2013. We plan to fit the event pair spectral ratios to correct for attenuation

Inverse coupling of DOC and nitrate export from soils and streams

Science.gov (United States)

Goodale, Christine

2013-04-01

Over the last two decades, nitrate concentrations in surface waters have decreased across the Northeastern United States and parts of northern Europe. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain this decrease, but the cause remains unclear. One control may be associated with increasing abundance of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which in turn may be a result of soil recovery from acidification. Compared across catchments, surface water NO3- decreases sharply with increasing DOC concentration. Here, we used measurements of soil and solution nitrate, DOC, and their isotopic composition (13C-DOC, 15N- and 18O-NO3) to test several related hypotheses that changing acidification affects the release of DOC and bio-available DOC (bDOC) from soil, and that variation in stocks of soil C and release of bDOC partly control NO3- export from forested catchments in New York State, USA. We examined whether DOC and NO3- are both driven by soil C processes that produce inverse coupling at the scale of soil cores as well as across catchments, through comparison of soil and surface water chemistry across nine catchments selected from long-term monitoring networks in the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains. In addition, we conducted a series of soil core leaching experiments to examine the role of acidification and recovery in driving the net production of DOC and NO3- from soils. Over 8 months, soil cores were leached biweekly with simulated rainfall solutions of varying pH (3.6 to 7.0) from additions of H2SO4, CaCO3 and NaOH. These experiments did not yield a pH-induced change in DOC quantity, but did show a change in DOC quality, in that acidified cores released more bio-available DOC with less depleted 13C-DOC than cores with experimentally increased pH. All cores leached substantial amounts of nitrate. Together, these lab- and field comparisons are being used to identify the role of soil production and consumption processes in driving cross-watershed differences in DOC and NO3

The Relative Influence of Aquatic and Terrestrial Processes on Methylmercury Transport in River Basins

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, D. A.; Bradley, P. M.; Marvin-DiPasquale, M. C.; Aiken, G.; Brigham, M. E.

2012-12-01

Conceptual understanding of the mercury (Hg) cycle in river basins is important for the development of improved Hg models that can inform Hg emissions policies, and, therefore, decrease the health risk that stems from widespread high Hg levels found in fresh water fish throughout the US and globally. Distinguishing the relative roles of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in Hg transport and transformation is fundamental to improved Hg risk management. The principal zones where Hg is transformed to its methyl form (MeHg), the transport of that MeHg to aquatic ecosystems, and subsequent bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs have been the focus of our investigations for more than 10 years in several small river basins across the US. Our data indicate that most MeHg in these rivers originates at the interface of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem in wetlands and riparian areas where anaerobic conditions and abundant organic matter favor methylation. Key factors in addition to methylation potential are those that influence the hydrologic transport of MeHg to adjacent streams and rivers such as hydraulic conductivity in the shallow subsurface and the depth of the water table in riparian areas. The presence and quality of organic matter in wetland soils and in water that moves through wetland areas also plays a pivotal role in MeHg source and transport. We discuss how these factors affect aquatic MeHg concentrations in light of a recently completed investigation of the Hg cycle in river basins in the Adirondack Mountains of New York and Coastal Plain of South Carolina. At each site, MeHg originates primarily in riparian wetland areas and is transported to the streams via shallow groundwater flow. The presence of open water bodies in these basins favors losses of MeHg by any of several processes, though smaller open water bodies may act as net MeHg sources. Ongoing work is building on this conceptualization of the Hg cycle through development of a model based on the

Smectite formation in the presence of sulfuric acid: Implications for acidic smectite formation on early Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Peretyazhko, T. S.; Niles, P. B.; Sutter, B.; Morris, R. V.; Agresti, D. G.; Le, L.; Ming, D. W.

2018-01-01

The excess of orbital detection of smectite deposits compared to carbonate deposits on the martian surface presents an enigma because smectite and carbonate formations are both favored alteration products of basalt under neutral to alkaline conditions. We propose that Mars experienced acidic events caused by sulfuric acid (H2SO4) that permitted phyllosilicate, but inhibited carbonate, formation. To experimentally verify this hypothesis, we report the first synthesis of smectite from Mars-analogue glass-rich basalt simulant (66 wt% glass, 32 wt% olivine, 2 wt% chromite) in the presence of H2SO4 under hydrothermal conditions (∼200 °C). Smectites were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy and electron microprobe to characterize mineralogy and chemical composition. Solution chemistry was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Basalt simulant suspensions in 11-42 mM H2SO4 were acidic with pH ≤ 2 at the beginning of incubation and varied from acidic (pH 1.8) to mildly alkaline (pH 8.4) at the end of incubation. Alteration of glass phase during reaction of the basalt simulant with H2SO4 led to formation of the dioctahedral smectite at final pH ∼3 and trioctahedral smectite saponite at final pH ∼4 and higher. Anhydrite and hematite formed in the final pH range from 1.8 to 8.4 while natroalunite was detected at pH 1.8. Hematite was precipitated as a result of oxidative dissolution of olivine present in Adirondack basalt simulant. Formation of secondary phases, including smectite, resulted in release of variable amounts of Si, Mg, Na and Ca while solubilization of Al and Fe was low. Comparison of mineralogical and solution chemistry data indicated that the type of smectite (i.e., dioctahedral vs trioctahedral) was likely controlled by Mg leaching from altering basalt and substantial Mg loss created favorable conditions for formation of dioctahedral smectite. We present a model

Structurally bound sulfide and sulfate in apatite from the Philips Mine iron oxide - apatite deposit, New York, USA: A tracer of redox changes

Science.gov (United States)

Sadove, G.; Konecke, B.; Fiege, A.; Simon, A. C.

2017-12-01

Multiple competing hypotheses attempt to explain the genesis of iron oxide-apatite (IOA) ore deposits. Many studies have investigated the chemistry of apatite because the abundances of F and Cl can distinguish magmatic vs. hydrothermal processes. Recent experiments demonstrate that apatite incorporates S6+, S4+, and S2-, and that total sulfur (∑S) as well as the S6+/∑S ratio in apatite vary systematically as a function of oxygen fugacity [1], providing information about sulfur budget and redox. Here, we present results from X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the S K-edge, electron microprobe analyses, cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging, and element mapping of apatite from the Philip's Mine IOA deposit, southern Adirondack Mountains, USA. The Philip's Mine apatite contains inclusions of pyrite and pyrrhotite, where the latter includes iron oxide and Ni-rich domains. The apatite also contains inclusions of monazite, and exhibits complex CL zonation coincident with variations in the abundances of REE and S. The presence of monazite fingerprints fluid-mediated dissolution-reprecipitation of originally REE-enriched apatite [2]. The S XANES spectra reveal varying proportions of structurally bound S6+ and S2-, as the S6+/∑S ratio ranges from sulfide-only to sulfate-only. Notably, sulfide-dominated domains contain higher S contents than sulfate-dominated regions. These observations are consistent with co-crystallization of apatite and monosulfide solid solution (MSS) at reducing conditions, followed by decomposition of MSS to pyrrhotite, pyrite and intermediate solid solution (ISS, which is not preserved; [3]). Metasomatism of that assemblage by an oxidized fluid resulted in formation of monazite in apatite and iron oxide domains in pyrrhotite. We conclude that the deposit formed by a H2S-Fe-rich volatile phase, possibly evolved from a rather primitive magmatic source, which is consistent with the low Ti content of magnetite. The deposit was

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic evidence for bacteria-enhanced dissolution of hornblende

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Kalinowski, B. E.; Liermann, L. J.; Brantley, S. L.; Barnes, A.; Pantano, C. G.

2000-04-01

An Arthrobacter species capable of extracting Fe from hornblende was isolated from a soil from the Adirondacks, NY (USA). This bacteria isolate, used in batch experiments with hornblende, accelerated the release of Fe from hornblende without measurably affecting Al release. The isolate produces both low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOA) and a catecholate siderophore. Polished hornblende (glass and crystal) discs were analyzed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) before and after incubation with growing Arthrobacter sp. to investigate whether the bacteria caused a distinguishable chemical signature on the upper 100 Å of mineral surface. After removal of the arthrobacter grown on hornblende crystal or glass substrates using lysozyme, XPS revealed surface depletion of Fe for samples grown for several days in buffered (crystal) and unbuffered (crystal and glass) media. Fe/Si ratios of hornblende surfaces dissolved under biotic conditions are significantly lower than Fe/Si ratios on surfaces dissolved under abiotic conditions for similar amounts of time. Enhanced Fe release and the formation of Fe-depleted surfaces is inferred to be caused by catechol complexation at the mineral surface. Because natural siderophore was not isolated in sufficient quantities to run bacteria-free leaching experiments, parallel investigations were run with a commercially available siderophore (desferrioxamine B). Desferrioxamine B was observed to enhance release of Fe, Si, and Al from hornblende both with and without added bacteria. Formation of desferrioxamine-Fe surface complexes were probed by studying the multiple splitting and shift in intensities of the N 1s line analyzed by XPS on siderophore ± Fe on gold surfaces and siderophore + hornblende crystal surfaces. Based upon the observed formation of an hydroxamate (desferrioxamine) surface complex on hornblende, we infer that catecholate siderophores, such as those produced by the arthrobacter, also complex on the

A River Summer on the Hudson

Science.gov (United States)

Kenna, T. C.; Pfirman, S.; Selleck, B.; Son, L.; Land, M.; Cronin, J.

2006-12-01

River Summer is a month-long faculty development program extending from the continental shelf off New York City to the headwaters of the Hudson in the Adirondack Mountains. During the program, faculty from the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities teach each other about the Hudson environment, using innovative methods of teaching and learning, with a focus on incorporation of hands-on approaches from the perspective of multiple disciplines. Over four weeks, faculty from research universities, community colleges, liberal arts institutions, and middle and high schools work and live together, on board a research vessel or in a remote tent campsite, for several days at a time. Using the geology, hydrology, and landscape of the River as a foundation, River Summer focuses on understanding development of the Hudson within the context of its natural resources and cultural history. Participants conduct field sampling and analyses and consider issues through approaches that are common to many disciplines: scaling for problem solving; sampling and assessing bias and representation; observing and documenting; representing and depicting; interpretation and assessing relationships and causality; and evaluation. They also get a chance to experience, first-hand, the complexity and often open-ended nature of doing science. By allowing individuals, many of whom come from non-science disciplines, to experience these methods and processes in a safe learning environment, science is made more meaningful and accessible. The program's pedagogy is based on the principles of cognitive psychology and immersive field-, place- and inquiry-based learning. Field programs have been found to provide memorable, transformative experiences for undergraduate students, and our experience with River Summer 2005 and 2006 suggests they are equally effective with faculty. Evaluation shows that River Summer has a significant impact on its participants. Participants develop new

Watershed-scale changes in terrestrial nitrogen cycling during a period of decreased atmospheric nitrate and sulfur deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Sabo, Robert D.; Scanga, Sara E.; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Nelson, David M.; Eshleman, Keith N.; Zabala, Gabriel A.; Alinea, Alexandria A.; Schirmer, Charles D.

2016-01-01

Recent reports suggest that decreases in atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition throughout Europe and North America may have resulted in declining nitrate export in surface waters in recent decades, yet it is unknown if and how terrestrial N cycling was affected. During a period of decreased atmospheric N deposition, we assessed changes in forest N cycling by evaluating trends in tree-ring δ15N values (between 1980 and 2010; n = 20 trees per watershed), stream nitrate yields (between 2000 and 2011), and retention of atmospherically-deposited N (between 2000 and 2011) in the North and South Tributaries (North and South, respectively) of Buck Creek in the Adirondack Mountains, USA. We hypothesized that tree-ring δ15N values would decline following decreases in atmospheric N deposition (after approximately 1995), and that trends in stream nitrate export and retention of atmospherically deposited N would mirror changes in tree-ring δ15N values. Three of the six sampled tree species and the majority of individual trees showed declining linear trends in δ15N for the period 1980–2010; only two individual trees showed increasing trends in δ15N values. From 1980 to 2010, trees in the watersheds of both tributaries displayed long-term declines in tree-ring δ15N values at the watershed scale (R = −0.35 and p = 0.001 in the North and R = −0.37 and p <0.001 in the South). The decreasing δ15N trend in the North was associated with declining stream nitrate concentrations (−0.009 mg N L−1 yr−1, p = 0.02), but no change in the retention of atmospherically deposited N was observed. In contrast, nitrate yields in the South did not exhibit a trend, and the watershed became less retentive of atmospherically deposited N (−7.3% yr−1, p < 0.001). Our δ15N results indicate a change in terrestrial N availability in both watersheds prior to decreases in atmospheric N deposition, suggesting that decreased atmospheric N deposition was not the sole driver of

Geochemistry of the furnace magnetite bed, Franklin, New Jersey, and the relationship between stratiform iron oxide ores and stratiform zinc oxide-silicate ores in the New Jersey highlands

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, C.A.; Skinner, B.J.

2003-01-01

buried sediments is uncertain. The iron deposits formed at interfaces between anoxic and oxygenated waters. The Furnace magnetite bed resulted from seawater oxidation of hydrothermally transported iron near a brine conduit. Iron deposits also formed regionally on the basin floor at the interface betveen anoxic deep waters and oxygenated shallower waters. These deposits include not only manganiferous magnetite + calcite bodies similar to the Furnace magnetite bed but also silicate-facies deposits that formed by iron oxide accumulation where detrital sediment was abundant. A basin margin model can be extended to Grenvillian stratiform deposits in the northwest Adirondacks of New York and the Mont Laurier basin of Quebec. In these areas iron deposits (pyrite or magnetite) are found basinward of marble-hosted sphalerite deposits, such as those in the Balmat-Edwards district. Whether the iron and zinc precipitated as sulfide assemblages or carbonate-oxide-silicate assemblages depended on whether sufficient organic matter or other reductants were available in local sediments or bottom waters to stabilize H2S.

Reconnaissance for radioactive materials in northeastern United States during 1952

Science.gov (United States)

McKeown, Francis A.; Klemic, Harry

1953-01-01

Reconnaissance for radioactive materials was made in parts of Maine, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The primary objective was to examine the iron ore deposits and associated rocks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York and the Highlands of New Jersey. In addition, several deposits known or reported to contain radioactive minerals were examined to delimit their extent. Most of the deposits examined are not significant as possible sources of radioactive elements and the data pertaining to them are summarized in table form. Deposits that do warrant more description than can be given in table form are: Benson Mines, St. Lawrence County, N. Y.; Rutgers mine, Clinton County, N. Y.; Mineville Mines, Essex County, N. Y.l Canfield phosphate mine, Morris County, N. J.; Mullgan quarry, Hunterdon County, N. J.; and the Chestnut Hill-Marble Mountain area, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Old Bed in the Mineville district is the only deposit that may be economically significant. Apatite from Old Bed ore contains as much as 4.9 percent total rare earth. 0.04 percent thorium, and 0.018 percent uranium. Magnetite ore at the Rutgers mine contains radioactive zircon and apatite. Radioactivity measurements of outcrops and dump material show that the ore contains from 0.005 to 0.010 percent equivalent uranium. One sample of lean magnetite ore contains 0.006 percent equivalent uranium. Garnet-rich zones in the Benson Mines magnetite deposit contain as much as 0.017 equivalent uranium. Most of the rock and ore, however, contains about 0.005 percent equivalent uranium. Available data indicate that the garnet-rich zones are enriched in radioactive allanite. A shear zone in the Kittatinny limestone of Cambrian age at the Mulligan quarry contains uraniferous material. Radioactivity anomalies elsewhere in the quarry and in adjacent fields indicate that there may be other uraniferous shear zones. Assays of samples and measurements of outcrop radioactivity indicate that the uranium

Interactive effects of climate change with nutrients, mercury, and freshwater acidification on key taxa in the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative region

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Pinkney, Alfred E.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Evers, David C.; Hooper, Michael J.; Horan, Jeffrey; Jones, Jess W.; Lazarus, Rebecca S.; Marshall, Harold G.; Milliken, Andrew; Rattner, Barnett A.; Schmerfeld, John J.; Sparling, Donald W.

2015-01-01

The North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative LCC (NA LCC) is a public–private partnership that provides information to support conservation decisions that may be affected by global climate change (GCC) and other threats. The NA LCC region extends from southeast Virginia to the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Within this region, the US National Climate Assessment documented increases in air temperature, total precipitation, frequency of heavy precipitation events, and rising sea level, and predicted more drastic changes. Here, we synthesize literature on the effects of GCC interacting with selected contaminant, nutrient, and environmental processes to adversely affect natural resources within this region. Using a case study approach, we focused on 3 stressors with sufficient NA LCC region-specific information for an informed discussion. We describe GCC interactions with a contaminant (Hg) and 2 complex environmental phenomena—freshwater acidification and eutrophication. We also prepared taxa case studies on GCC- and GCC-contaminant/nutrient/process effects on amphibians and freshwater mussels. Several avian species of high conservation concern have blood Hg concentrations that have been associated with reduced nesting success. Freshwater acidification has adversely affected terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Adirondacks and other areas of the region that are slowly recovering due to decreased emissions of N and sulfur oxides. Eutrophication in many estuaries within the region is projected to increase from greater storm runoff and less denitrification in riparian wetlands. Estuarine hypoxia may be exacerbated by increased stratification. Elevated water temperature favors algal species that produce harmful algal blooms (HABs). In several of the region's estuaries, HABs have been associated with bird die-offs. In the NA LCC region, amphibian populations appear to be declining. Some species may be adversely affected by GCC through higher temperatures

Mush!

Science.gov (United States)

Ashwal, L. D.

2012-12-01

Evidence for emplacement as crystal-laden mushes is abundant in mafic magma systems (i.e. products of broadly basaltic magmatism), including anorthosite complexes, layered mafic intrusions and a variety of sills and dikes. Some of the best examples involve the way feldspar becomes concentrated into anorthositic rocks. Proterozoic anorthosite massifs (e.g. Nain, Rogaland, Adirondacks), whose bulk compositions are characteristically hyperfeldspathic, are best interpreted as resulting from emplacement of plagioclase-rich mushes that ascended to shallow crustal emplacement sites from deep (~Moho) staging chambers in which ~An50 crystals floated due to density relations at high pressure. Supporting evidence includes large (up to ~1 m) grain size, compositional homogeneity of plagioclase with variable Mg# (caused by trapped liquid effects), and protoclastic textures. Isotopic disequilibrium between cumulus plagioclase and post-cumulus pyroxene result from progressive contamination with continental components. This is dramatically demonstrated at Nain (Labrador), where the anorthositic crystal mushes (~1.3 Ga) were emplaced into early Archean (~3.8 Ga) country rocks. High-Al, high-pressure orthopyroxene megacrysts are commonly dragged upward in feldspathic mushes to shallow emplacement sites, where they exsolved plagioclase lamellae (Bybee & Ashwal, this meeting). Archean calcic anorthosites (e.g. Fiskenaesset, W Greenland) and related sills, dikes and flows that contain homogeneous megacrysts up to 10s of cm across of ~An80 also must have formed by mush emplacement, although probably from shallower staging chambers in oceanic rather than continental crust. Many layered mafic intrusions (e.g. Bushveld, Stillwater, Dufek, Duluth) contain thick horizons of anorthosite in which plagioclase compositions are uniform, in some cases throughout >1000 m of stratigraphy. This is best interpreted as representing repeated emplacement of plagioclase-rich mushes from one or more deeper

SemantGeo: Powering Ecological and Environment Data Discovery and Search with Standards-Based Geospatial Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Seyed, P.; Ashby, B.; Khan, I.; Patton, E. W.; McGuinness, D. L.

2013-12-01

Recent efforts to create and leverage standards for geospatial data specification and inference include the GeoSPARQL standard, Geospatial OWL ontologies (e.g., GAZ, Geonames), and RDF triple stores that support GeoSPARQL (e.g., AllegroGraph, Parliament) that use RDF instance data for geospatial features of interest. However, there remains a gap on how best to fuse software engineering best practices and GeoSPARQL within semantic web applications to enable flexible search driven by geospatial reasoning. In this abstract we introduce the SemantGeo module for the SemantEco framework that helps fill this gap, enabling scientists find data using geospatial semantics and reasoning. SemantGeo provides multiple types of geospatial reasoning for SemantEco modules. The server side implementation uses the Parliament SPARQL Endpoint accessed via a Tomcat servlet. SemantGeo uses the Google Maps API for user-specified polygon construction and JsTree for providing containment and categorical hierarchies for search. SemantGeo uses GeoSPARQL for spatial reasoning alone and in concert with RDFS/OWL reasoning capabilities to determine, e.g., what geofeatures are within, partially overlap with, or within a certain distance from, a given polygon. We also leverage qualitative relationships defined by the Gazetteer ontology that are composites of spatial relationships as well as administrative designations or geophysical phenomena. We provide multiple mechanisms for exploring data, such as polygon (map-based) and named-feature (hierarchy-based) selection, that enable flexible search constraints using boolean combination of selections. JsTree-based hierarchical search facets present named features and include a 'part of' hierarchy (e.g., measurement-site-01, Lake George, Adirondack Region, NY State) and type hierarchies (e.g., nodes in the hierarchy for WaterBody, Park, MeasurementSite), depending on the ';axis of choice' option selected. Using GeoSPARQL and aforementioned ontology

Geomorphology of New England

Science.gov (United States)

Denny, C.S.

1982-01-01

form lowlands. Alkalic plutonic rocks of Mesozoic age underlie a large area in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and doubtless are a factor in their location and relief. Where the major streams flow across the regional structure of the bedrock, the location of the crossings probably is related to some other characteristic of the bedrock, such as joints or cross faults. The course of the Connecticut River is the result of the adjustment of the drainage to the bedrock geology during a long period of time. There is no ready explanation why many of the large rivers do not cross areas of calcalkalic plutonic rock, but rather take a longer course around such areas, which tend to include segments of the divide between the streams. The presence of coarse clastic materials in Miocene rocks of the emerged Coastal Plain of the Middle Atlantic States suggests uplift of the adjacent Piedmont and of the Adirondack Mountains at that time. The Miocene rocks of the submerged Coastal Plain in the Gulf of Maine and south of New England are fine grained and contain only small amounts of fluvial gravel. Perhaps the coarse clastic materials shed by the New England highlands in late Cenozoic time are buried by or incorporated in the Pleistocene glacial deposits.

Ti-in-zircon thermometry: applications and limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Bin; Page, F. Zeb; Cavosie, Aaron J.; Fournelle, John; Kita, Noriko T.; Lackey, Jade Star; Wilde, Simon A.; Valley, John W.

2008-08-01

content from core to rim, or correlation with zoning, age, U content, Th/U ratio, or concordance in U-Pb age. Thus, it is likely that other variables, in addition to temperature and a_{TiO2}, are important in controlling the Ti content of zircon. The Ti contents of igneous zircons from different rock types worldwide overlap significantly. However, on a more restricted regional scale, apparent Ti-in-zircon temperatures correlate with whole-rock SiO2 and HfO2 for plutonic rocks of the Sierra Nevada batholith, averaging 750°C at 50 wt.% SiO2 and 600°C at 75 wt.%. Among felsic plutons in the Sierra, peraluminous granites average 610 ± 88°C, while metaluminous rocks average 694 ± 94°C. Detrital zircons from the Jack Hills, Western Australia with ages from 4.4 to 4.0 Ga have apparent temperatures of 717 ± 108°C, which are intermediate between values for felsic rocks and those for mafic rocks. Although some mafic zircons have higher Ti content, values for Early Archean detrital zircons from a proposed granitic provenance are similar to zircons from many mafic rocks, including anorthosites from the Adirondack Mts (709 ± 76°C). Furthermore, the Jack Hills zircon apparent Ti-temperatures are significantly higher than measured values for peraluminous granites (610 ± 88°C). Thus the Ti concentration in detrital zircons and apparent Ti-in-zircon temperatures are not sufficient to independently identify parent melt composition.

A new garnet-orthopyroxene thermometer developed: method, results and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Olivotos, Spyros-Christos; Kostopoulos, Dimitrios

2014-05-01

The Fe-Mg exchange reaction between garnet and orthopyroxene is a robust geothermometer that has extensively been used to retrieve metamorphic temperatures from granulitic and peridotitic/pyroxenitic lithologies with important implications on the thermal state of the continental lithosphere. More than 800 experimental mineral pairs from both simple and complex systems were gleaned from the literature covering the P-T range 0.5-15 GPa / 800-1800°C. Grt was treated as a senary (Py, Alm, Grs, Sps, Kno and Uv), whereas Opx as a septenary (En, Fs, Di, Hd, FeTs, MgTs and MgCrTs) solid solution. For Opx, Al in the M1 site was calculated following Carswell (1991) and Fe/Mg equipartitioning between sites was assumed. A mixing on sites model was employed to calculate mole fractions of components for both minerals. With regard to the excess free energy of solution and activity coefficients the formalism of Mukhopadhyay et al. (1993) was adopted treating both minerals as symmetric regular solutions. Calibration was achieved in multiple steps; in each step ΔS was allowed to vary until the standard deviation of the differences between experimental and calculated temperature for all experiments was minimised. The experiment with the largest absolute relative deviation in temperature was then eliminated and the process was repeated. The new thermometer reproduces the experimental data to within 50°C and is independent of P-T-X variations within the bounds of the calibrant data set. Application of our new calibration to metamorphosed crustal and mantle rocks that occur both as massifs and xenoliths in volcanics suggested the following results. Granulite terranes have recorded differences in temperature between peak and re-equilibration conditions in the range 100-340°C, primarily depending on the mechanism and rate of exhumation. Several provinces retain memory of discrete cooling pulses (e.g. Palni Hills, South Harris, Adirondacks, E. Antarctic Belt, Aldan Shield) whereas

Geology and hydrology of the West Milton area, Saratoga County, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Mack, Frederick K.; Pauszek, F.H.; Crippen, John R.

1964-01-01

This report describes the geology, ground-water conditions, streamflow characteristics, and quality of water in the West Milton area, Saratoga County, N.Y. The West Milton area is in the east-central part of New York in the hilly region that forms a transition zone between the Adirondack Mountains and the Hudson-Mohawk valley lowland. Bedrock underlying the area consists of crystalline rocks of Precambrian age and sandstone, dolomite, limestone, and shale formations of Cambrian and Ordovician age. The formations have been moderately folded and have been displaced as much as several hundred feet' along at least three northeast-trending normal faults. The bedrock is overlain in nearly all parts of the area by a layer of unconsolidated deposits which ranges in thickness from a few feet to more than 200 feet. The unconsolidated deposits are of Pleistocene age and consist of unstratified materials (till) laid down by glacial ice at stratified sediments deposited by glacial meltwaters. The topography of the bedrock surface differs greatly from the topography of the land surface. Although not evident in the present topography, at least two channels, cut in bedrock by preglacial streams, pass through the area. Ground-water supplies adequate to satisfy domestic requirements can be obtained from wells in any part of the area. Large ground-water supplies may be taken from coarse-grained stratified deposits comprising two aquifers in the valley of Kayaderosseras Creek. The Atomic Energy Commission has pumped as much as 1 mgd from a horizontal well drawing from the uppermost aquifer which is composed of flood-plain deposits. Part of the water yielded by this well during extended periods of pumping is induced flow from the creek. Three nearby vertical wells drilled by the Commission comprise a separate well field capable of yielding at least 2 mgd and possibly as much as 3 mgd from the deeper stratified deposits underlying the valley. A pumping test showed that at near the

Iron-ore resources of the United States including Alaska and Puerto Rico, 1955

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Martha S.; Dutton, Carl E.

1959-01-01

minerals are associated with other rock-forming minerals, the iron content of marketable ore has a lower range from 30 to 67 percent.Chemical constituents other than iron also are important in determining the marketability of iron ore. Although some iron ores can be used in the blast furnace as mined, others must first be improved either chemically by reduction of undesirable constituents, or physically by aggregation. Phosphorus and sulfur particularly are common deleterious elements; excessive silica is also undesirable but within certain limits can be controlled by additional flux. Lime and magnesia are beneficial in specified amounts because of their fluxing qualities, and a small amount of alumina improves the fluidity of slag. Manganese is especially desirable as a deoxidizing and desulfurizing agent. Titanium, chromium, and nickel must also be considered in the use of ore containing these elements.The principal iron-ore deposits in the United States have been formed by three processes. Hematite-bearing bedded deposits such as those at Birmingham, Ala., are marine sedimentary rocks which, except for weathering along the outcrop, have remained practically unaltered since deposition. Deposits of the Lake Superior region, also in sedimentary strata, originally had a slightly lower iron content than those at-Birmingham, but ore bodies of hematite and limonite were formed by removal of other constituents in solution after deposition of the beds, with a relative increase of iron content in the material remaining. Limestone adjacent to igneous intrusions has been replaced by magnetite deposits at Cornwall, Pa., and by hematite-magnetite deposits near Cedar City, Utah. Magnetite deposits in New Jersey and in the Adirondack Mountains of New York are generally believed to have been formed by replacement of grains of other minerals in metamorphic rocks. Iron-ore resources are made up of reserves of iron ore, material usable under existing economic and technologic conditions