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Conference Papers

Browse almost 5,000 conference papers authored by our scientists and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.

Filter Total Items: 5321

Fishery research in the Great Lakes using a low-cost remotely operated vehicle

We used a MiniROVER MK II remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to collect ground-truth information on fish and their habitat in the Great Lakes that have traditionally been collected by divers, or with static cameras, or submersibles. The ROV, powered by 4 thrusters and controlled by the pilot at the surface, was portable and efficient to operate throughout the Great Lakes in 1987, and collected a tota
Authors
Gregory W. Kennedy, Charles L. Brown, Ray L. Argyle

Fractional-step method for two-dimensional estuarine transport

The fractional-step method was used in this study to split the longitudinal advective transport term from the other terms in the two-dimensional, laterally-averaged equation for estuarine mass transport. The method of characteristics with spline interpolations was used to approximate the longitudinal advective transport. A general discussion of the fractional-step method, the specific algorithm de
Authors
Jerad D. Bales, Edward R. Holley

Geohydrologic aspects of water-quality problems of the San Joaquin Valley, California

Salinity and selenium concentrations in shallow ground water of the western San Joaquin Valley, California, are related to the geomorphology and hydrology of the alluvial fans. High salinity and selenium concentrations are associated with ephemeral-stream deposits. Low salinity and selenium concentrations are associated with intermittent-stream deposits, which represent the major alluvial fans of
Authors
S. J. Deverel

Geologic characterization of seismic sources: Moving into the 1990s

The objective of this paper is to discuss leading-edge directions in paleoseismology and seismic geology, particularly as they relate to characterizing seismic sources. The paper builds on earlier articles that discuss some of these trends (Schwartz and Coppersmith, 1986; Schwartz, 1987). There are several areas that appear to be especially important. These are: fault segmentation, which provides
Authors
David P. Schwartz

HELIOTHERMAL LAKE MODEL OF BORATE DEPOSITION IN THE MIOCENE FURNACE CREEK FORMATION, DEATH VALLEY REGION, CALIFORNIA.

Heliothermal lakes are density-stratified with shallow submerged margins surrounding areally restricted deep pool(s) containing a dense brine overlain by a much less dense brine. The reflective brine interface allows solar energy to be trapped in the dense brine which may warm to over 90 degree C. Carbonate precipitated from the dense brine is the typical sediment produced in warm deep pool. Mioce
Authors
Charles E. Barker, James M. Barker

Hydrothermal alteration patterns in the Breitenbush Hot Springs area, Cascade Range, Oregon

Rocks of early Miocene age in the Breitenbush Hot Springs area have been affected by at least two major episodes of hydrothermal alteration, one of which had temperatures in excess of 200??C. Alteration minerals in younger Tertiary rocks are characteristic of temperatures below 100??C. The most important factor in controlling alteration is fracture permeability. The best guide to interpreting alte
Authors
Terry E.C. Keith

Instrumentation for a dry-pond detention study

A 12.3-acre, fully urbanized, residential land-use catchment was instrumented by the U. S. Geological Survey in Topeka, Kansas. Hydraulic instrumentation for flow measurement includes two types of flumes, a pipe-insert flume and a culvert-inlet (manhole) flume. Samples of rainfall and runoff for water-quality analyses were collected by automatic, 3-liter, 24-sample capacity water samples controlle
Authors
L. M. Pope, M.E. Jennings, K.G. Thibodeaux

Irrigation drainage: Green River basin, Utah

A reconnaissance of wildlife areas in the middle Green River basin of Utah during 1986-87 determined that concentrations of selenium in water and biological tissues were potentially harmful to wildlife at the Stewart Lake Waterfowl Management Area and in the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge. Concentations of selenium in irrigation drainage entering Stewart Lake ranged from 14 to 140 micrograms per l
Authors
Doyle W. Stephens, Bruce Waddell, Jerry B. Miller

Measurement, characterization, and prediction of strong ground motion

A number of predictive relationships derived from regression analysis of strong-motion data are available for horizontal peak acceleration, velocity, and response spectral values. Theoretical prediction of ground motion calls for stochastic source models because source heterogeneities control the amplitude of ground motion at most, if not all, frequencies of engineering interest. Theoretical metho
Authors
William Joyner, David M. Boore

Molecular conductivity indices for modelling toxicities of Great Lakes contaminants to Daphnia pulex

Hazard assessment of hundreds of observed and potential contaminants in fish, sediment, and water of the Great Lakes is necessary to determine impact on fishery sources and other aquatic biota. The hundreds of new compunds introduced each year have few measured properties. Mathematical models based on quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) provide rapid, inexpensive estimates of phy
Authors
James P. Hickey, Dora R. M. Passino, Anthony M. Frank

On seismically induced pore pressure and settlement

Two different approaches are used to estimate pore pressures and settlement in a 50-ft (15.2-m) sand deposit subjected to a variety of earthquake loadings. Although the two approaches seem consistent in predicting the occurrence of liquefaction, the results show that they are quite divergent in estimating pore-pressure build-ups and magnitude of ground settlement.
Authors
Albert T.F. Chen

Power formula for open-channel flow resistance

This paper evaluates various power formulas for flow resistance in open channels. Unlike the logarithmic resistance equation that can be theoretically derived either from Prandtl's mixing-length hypothesis or von Karman's similarity hypothesis, the power formula has long had an appearance of empiricism. Nevertheless, the simplicity in the form of the power formula has made it popular among the man
Authors
Cheng-lung Chen