Evaporite karst geohazards in the Delaware Basin, Texas: review of traditional karst studies coupled with geophysical and remote sensing characterization

Evaporite karst throughout the Gypsum Plain of west Texas is complex and extensive, including manifestations ranging from intrastratal brecciation and hypogene caves to epigene features and suffosion caves. Recent advances in hydrocarbon exploration and extraction has resulted in increased infrastructure development and utilization in the area; as a result, delineation and characterization of potential karst geohazards throughout the region have become a greater concern. While traditional karst surveys are essential for delineating the subsurface extent and morphology of individual caves for speleogenetic interpretation, these methods tend to underestimate the total extent of karst development and require surficial manifestation of karst phenomena. Therefore, this study utilizes a composite suite of remote sensing and traditional field studies for improved karst delineation and detection of potential karst geohazards within gypsum karst. Color InfraRed (CIR) imagery were utilized for delineation of lineaments associated with fractures, while Normalized Density Vegetation Index (NDVI) analyses were used to delineate regions of increased moisture flux and probable zones of shallow karst development. Digital Elevation Models (DEM) constructed from high-resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data were used to spatially interpret sinkholes, while analyses of LiDAR intensity data were used in a novel way to categorize local variations in surface geology. Resistivity data, including both direct current (DC) and capacitively coupled (CC) resistivity analyses, were acquired and interpreted throughout the study area to delineate potential shallow karst geohazards specifically associated with roadways of geohazard concern; however, detailed knowledge of the surrounding geology and local karst development proved essential for proper interpretation of resistivity inversions. The composite suite of traditional field investigations and remotely sensed karst delineations used in this study illustrate how complex gypsum karst terrains can be characterized with greater detail through the utilization of rapidly advancing technologies, especially in arid environments with low vegetation densities

Stratigraphy of Lower Cretaceous Trinity Deposits of Central Texas

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Risky Business: The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States

The American economy could face significant and widespread disruptions from climate change unless U.S. businesses and policymakers take immediate action to reduce climate risk. This report summarizes findings of an independent assessment of the impact of climate change at the county, state, and regional level, and shows that communities, industries, and properties across the U.S. face profound risks from climate change. The findings also show that the most severe risks can still be avoided through early investments in resilience, and through immediate action to reduce the pollution that causes global warming. The Risky Business report shows that two of the primary impacts of climate change -- extreme heat and sea level rise -- will disproportionately affect certain regions of the U.S., and pose highly variable risks across the nation. In the U.S. Gulf Coast, Northeast, and Southeast, for example, sea level rise and increased damage from storm surge are likely to lead to an additional $2 to$3.5 billion in property losses each year by 2030, with escalating costs in future decades. In interior states in the Midwest and Southwest, extreme heat will threaten human health, reduce labor productivity and strain electricity grids. Conversely in northern latitudes such as North Dakota and Montana, winter temperatures will likely rise, reducing frost events and cold-related deaths, and lengthening the growing season for some crops. The report is a product of The Risky Business Project a joint, non-partisan initiative of former Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Mayor of New York City from 2002-2013 Michael R. Bloomberg, and Thomas P. Steyer, former Senior Managing Member of Farallon Capital Management. They were joined by members of a high-level "Risk Committee" who helped scope the research and reviewed the research findings

Onion culture

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Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene Vertebrates and Paleoenvironments on the Southern High Plains, U.S.A.

Only a few vertebrate faunas are known for the Southern High Plains from the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. This review focuses on vertebrate local faunas from two major localities on opposite sides of the region but in the same drainage system that provide proxy data for paleoenvironmental reconstructions from ca. 11,600 to 8600 yr BP. Both localities are archaeological sites within deeply stratified, radiocarbon-dated deposits. Four distinct, successive vertebrate local faunas are known for Lubbock Lake covering the period 11,100 to 8600 yr BP. Two distinct, successive vertebrate local faunas come from Blackwater Draw Locality # 1 for the period 11,600 to 10,500 yr BP. All of the local faunas are disharmonious but the extent of disharmony and diversity varies. Faunal elements from the Northern Plains and Southeast are the most notable. The late Pleistocene local faunas indicate mild winters which did not maintain freezing conditions and cool summers with a more effective moisture regime, reduced annual temperature fluctuation, and less seasonality. The beginnings of a warming trend, greater seasonality, and increased annual temperature fluctuation denote the early Holocene. The latest local fauna marks the last of the pluvial-related ones and heralds the end of pluvial conditions beginning around 8500 yr BP. The successive local faunas illustrate the complexity of disharmony occurring in unglaciated regimes during déglaciation of North America.On ne connaît que quelques faunes de vertébrés datant du Pléistocène supérieur et de l'Holocène inférieur dans les plaines du Sud. Le présent article étudie les faunes locales de vertébrés relevées dans deux sites importants, Lubbock Lake et Blackwater Draw Locality # 1, se trouvant aux deux extrémités de la région. Ils font néanmoins partie du même bassin hydrographique et fournissent des données indirectes permettant de reconstituer les paléoenvironnements de 11 600 à 8600 BP environ. Les deux sites se trouvent dans des dépôts fortement stratifiés et datés au radiocarbone. À Lubbock Lake, quatre faunes locales distinctes se sont succédé de 11 100 à 8600 BP; au Blackwater Draw Locality # 1, deux faunes locales se sont succédé de 11600 à 10 500 BP. Les faunes locales comptent toutes des éléments étrangers au milieu, mais dont l'importance varie. Les éléments fauniques des plaines du nord et du sud-est sont les plus remarquables. La nature des faunes locales du Pléistocène supérieur révèle l'existence d'hivers doux sans gel soutenu et d'étés frais et humides, de faibles fluctuations des températures annuelles et des changements saisonniers peu marqués. Celle de l'Holocène inférieur révèle un début de réchauffement, des changements saisonniers plus marqués et une plus grande fluctuation des températures annuelles. Les faunes locales les plus récentes vivaient à une époque pluviale et annoncent, vers 8500 BP, la fin de cette époque. Les faunes locales successives reflètent la complexité du milieu, caractéristique des régimes non glaciaires en Amérique du Nord au cours de la déglaciation.Nur wenige Wirbeltier-Faunas sind in den Hochebenen des Südens aus dem spàten Pleistozàn und dem frùhen Holozàn bekannt. Dieser Artikel studiert die lokalen Wirbeltier-Faunas von zwei Haupt-Fundstel-len, die sich an entgegengesetzten Seiten der Gegend befinden, jedoch zum selben Drainage-System gehôren und indirekte Daten fur die Rekonstruktion der Paleo-Umgebungen fur die Zeit von ungefâhr 11 600 bis 8600 v.u.Z. vermitteln. Beide Fundstellen sind ar-châologische Plàtze, die sich in tief geschichteten, Radiokarbon-datierten AbIa-gerungen befinden. Fur Lubbok-Lake sind vier verschiedene, aufeinander folgende lokale Wirbeltier-Faunas bekannt, in der Zeitspanne von 11 100 bis 8600 Jahren v.u.Z. Zwei verschiedene lokale Wirbeltier-Faunas sind in der Zeit von 11 600 bis 10 500 Jahren v.u.Z. in Blackwater Draw Locality #1 aufeinander-gefolgt. All dièse lokalen Faunas sind dishar-monisch, aber das AusmaB der Disharmonie und Diversitât variiert. Die Fauna-Elemente von den Ebenen des Nordens und Sùdostens sind am bemerkenswertesten. Die lokalen Faunas des spàten Pleistozàn weisen auf milde Winter ohne anhaltenden Frost und kùhle Sommer mit effektiveren Feuchtig-keitsverhàltnissen, reduzierter Jâhrlicher Temperaturschwankung und geringeren Unterschieden zwischen den Jahreszeiten. Das frùhe Holozàn weist eine Tendenz zur Erwârmung, grôssere Jahreszeiten-unterschiede und grôBere Jàhrliche Temper-aturschwankungen auf. Die jùngste lokale Fauna ist die letzte vom Pluvial bestimmte und kùndigt das Ende der Pluvial Zeit an, das ungefâhr 8,500 Jahre v.u.Z. beginnt. Die aufeinander folgenden lokalen Faunas illustrieren die Komplexitât der Disharmonie, die wâhrend der nichtgléizialen Zeiten auftritt, in der Zeit der Enteisung von Nordamerika

Households’ perceptions on impact of drought on water resources in Makindu sub-county, Kenya

Drought is a major threat to water sources in the world. It causes variation in volumes of water flow. Once compounded with other factors, water scarcity arises. However, perceptions of households on the impact of drought on water sources vary from region to region. Understanding the perceptions of households is critical in ensuring people cope with water shortages. Thus, this paper sought to examine household’s perception on the impact of drought on water resources in Makindu Sub-County, Kenya. The study employed descriptive survey research design. A total of 370 households were sampled using simple random sampling. Purposive sampling was used to select the key informants. Questionnaires and key informants’ interview schedules were used to collect primary data. Data from questionnaires was coded and analyzed using SPSS Version 20. As perceived by the households’ drought led to drying up of water sources and further its impact varied from one drought intensity to another. The study also established that overuse by households, high rates of evaporation and encroachment of people to water sources were also affecting water sources. It was concluded that households should embrace adaptation and coping strategies to minimize water shortages. It is recommended that sensitization is required to equip individuals with knowledge to conserve water sources. The study provides new knowledge that is beneficial for water resource saving policy making, governance as well as for education at community and institutional levels.Keywords: Perceptions, drought, household

Field trip guidebook on environmental impact of clays along the upper Texas coast

The field trip was prepared to provide an opportunity to see first hand some the environmental hazards associated with clays in the Houston, Texas area. Because of the very high clay content in area soils and underlying Beaumont Formation clay, Houston is a fitting location to host the Clay Mineral Society. Examinations were made of (1) expansive soils, (2) subsidence and surface faulting, and (3) a landfill located southeast of Houston at the Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority where clay is part of the liner material

Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on U.S. Water Resources

The socioeconomic costs of floods, droughts, and water scarcity in the years 2030 and 2095 are examined under three climate scenarios: continuation of the current climate and two climate-change scenarios based on projections from the respective results of the Canadian and Hadley general circulation models. Measures of the adequacy of water supplies to meet both withdrawal and instream uses under current and future conditions are developed for the 18 major water resources regions and 99 assessment subregions in the conterminous United States. Past and likely future changes in the infrastructure available to control and distribute water, the costs of nontraditional sources of supply, water management practices, conservation opportunities, the nature of the economy, slack in the water supply system, and institutions influencing water use are examined and provide the basis for evaluating the impacts of changes in both climate and non-climate factors on U.S. water resources. The impacts of the climate changes are calculated as the changes in the costs of maintaining the projected no-climate change, non-irrigation off-stream water uses with the climate-altered supplies. The costs and benefits are estimated under three alternative management strategies that differ in the protection provided for stream-flows and irrigation. The results support several general conclusions. First, a greenhouse warming could have major impacts on the future costs of floods, droughts, and balancing water demands and supplies. Second, the contrasting hydrologic implications of the Canadian and Hadley climate models indicate that the magnitude as well as the direction of these impacts are uncertain and likely to vary significantly among water resources regions. Third, there are many oppor-tunities to adapt to changing hydrological conditions, and the net costs are particularly sensitive to the institutions that determine how the resource is managed and allocated among users. This report was prepared as part of the Water Assessment Sector Team’s contribution to the U.S. National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change for the Nation being conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The climate-change scenarios used in this report were developed for use in the National Assessment.

Interstate Management of the High Plains Aquifer: A Case Study of Western Texas and Eastern New Mexico

This paper attempts to address this increasingly volatile issue by suggesting a form of interstate groundwater management through focus on one geographical area, the Llano Estacado region of Eastern New Mexico and Western Texas. This region shares a common groundwater source that is quickly being depleted, the High Plains Aquifer (the Aquifer). Up to the present the management of the Aquifer has remained localized under each state\u27s water law. A new management mechanism is needed because often state water laws are inapt for promoting efficient use of groundwater and are also extremely inflexible in allowing for the change of use of a right or change of right holder. This inability to control overdraft of the Aquifer has led to crisis in the southern region where the Aquifer\u27s supply is being depleted at an alarming rate. The paper will first provide background on the Aquifer and its depletion in the region. A background of the region itself will also be provided including population and economic data. Then the paper will move on to the problems that are arising in the region in respect to groundwater and what the future problems will be. Furthermore, it will examine the perceptions of those living in the region toward groundwater and how interested political parties are responding to the issue. Last, recommendations for comprehensive groundwater management of the region will be made through discussion of the formation of an interstate commission with federal backing and representation