Some aspects of the ecology of the leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea at Laguna Jalova, Costa Rica

The ecology and reproductive biology of the leatherback turtle (Dennochelys coriacea) was studied on a high-energy nesting beach near Laguna Jalova, Costa Rica, between 28 March and 8 June 1985. The peak of nesting was between 15 April and 21 May. Leatherbacks here measured an average 146.6 cm straightline standard carapace length and laid an average 81.57 eggs. The eggs measured a mean 52.12 mm diameter and weighed an average of 85.01 g. Significant positive relationships were found between the carapace lengths of nesters and their clutch sizes and average diameter and weight of eggs. The total clutch weighed between 4.02 and 13.39 kg, and yolkless eggs accounted for an average 12.4% of this weight. The majority of nesters dug shallow (<24 cm) body pits and spent an average 81 minutes at the nest site. A significant number of c1utcbes were laid below the berm crest. In a hatchery 42.2% of the eggs hatched, while in natural nests 70.2% hatched. The average hatchling carapace length was 59.8 mm and weight was 44.6 g. The longevity of leatherback tracks and nests on the beach was affected by weather. One nester was recaptured about one year later off the coast of Mississippi, U.S.A. Egg poaching was intense on some sections of the Costa Rican coast. Four aerial surveys in four different months provided the basis for comparing density of nesting on seven sectors of the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The beach at Jalova is heavily used by green turtles (Chelonia mydJJs) after the leatherback nesting season. The role of the Parque Nacional Tortuguero in conserving the leatherback and green turtle is discussed.(PDF file contains 20 pages.

Septage Management In Ohio

PDF pages: 2

Advanced SBAS-DInSAR technique for controlling large civil infrastructures: an application to the Genzano di Lucania dam

Monitoring surface deformation on dams is commonly carried out by in situ geodetic surveying, which is time consuming and characterized by some limitations in space coverage and frequency. More recently microwave satellite-based technologies, such as advanced-DInSAR (Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry), have allowed the integration and improvement of the observation capabilities of ground-based methods thanks to their effectiveness in collecting displacement measurements on many non-destructive control points, corresponding to radar reflecting targets. The availability of such a large number of points of measurement, which are distributed along the whole structure and are characterized by millimetric accuracy on displacement rates, can be profitably adopted for the calibration of numerical models. These models are implemented to simulate the structural behaviour of a dam under conditions of stress thus improving the ability to maintain safety standards. In this work, after having analysed how advanced DInSAR can effectively enhance the results from traditional monitoring systems that provide comparable accuracy measurements on a limited number of points, an FEM model of the Genzano di Lucania earth dam is developed and calibrated. This work is concentrated on the advanced DInSAR technique referred to as Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) approach, benefiting from its capability to generate deformation time series at full spatial resolution and from multi-sensor SAR data, to measure the vertical consolidation displacement of the Genzano di Lucania earth dam

Evaluation of MEMS-based In-place Inclinometers in Cold Regions

INE/AUTC 12.3

Search for a 33.9 MeV/c^2 Neutral Particle in Pion Decay

The E815 (NuTeV) neutrino experiment has performed a search for a 33.9 MeV/c^2 weakly-interacting neutral particle produced in pion decay. Such a particle may be responsible for an anomaly in the timing distribution of neutrino interactions in the KARMEN experiment. E815 has searched for this particle's decays in an instrumented decay region; no evidence for this particle was found. The search is sensitive to pion branching ratios as low as 10^-13.Comment: 4 pages; 5 figure

Revisiting Hele-Shaw dynamics to better understand beach evolution

Wave action, particularly during storms, drives the evo lution of beaches. Beach evolution by non-linear break ing waves is poorly understood due to its three-dimensional character, the range of scales involved, and our limited understanding of particle-wave interactions. We show how a novel, three-phase extension to the classic “Hele-Shaw” laboratory experiment can be designed that creates beach morphologies with breaking waves in a quasi-two-dimensional setting. Our thin Hele-Shaw cell simplifies the inherent complexity of three-phase dynamics: all dynamics become clearly visible and measurable. We show that beaches can be created in tens of minutes by several types of breaking waves, with about one-second periods. Quasi-steady beach morphologies emerge as function of initial water depth, at-rest bed level and wave-maker frequency. These are classified mathematically and lead to beaches, berms and sand bars

Life without the Beach: Projected Sea Level Rise and its Impact on Barrier Islands Along the East Coast, USA

As climate change is becoming a global issue, the impact of sea level rise is increasingly becoming a threat to humans, wildlife, infrastructure, and ecosystems. To evaluate the effects of sea level rise on barrier islands and coastal regions, we studied future projections of sea level rise at Ocean City and Assateague Island, Maryland. We hypothesize that the sea levels at Assateague and Ocean City will have different beach profiles, and will show different levels of flooding through the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) simulations. We measured beach profiles at four locations, two at Ocean City and two at Assateague Island, to view the current beach profiles and found that Ocean City reveals a smaller average change in elevation compared to Assateague. We also used a LiDAR Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of Ocean City and Assateague Island to run RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5 simulations using GIS to represent the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected sea level rise for the year 2100. We found that Ocean City has higher predicted percentages of flooded land but smaller areas of flooded land compared to Assateague. These results indicate that significant areas of both Ocean City and Assateague Island will be flooded by 2100 regardless of which RCP simulation might be true. However, it is projected that the RCP 2.6 simulation is an underestimation of potential flooding and the future will more closely resemble the RCP 8.5 simulation if drastic precautions are not taken now. This will severely impact ecosystems, economies, and human life

The Capital Improvement Plan Environmental Assessment Process

This report contains one explicit mention of Waller Creek and how a Convention Center 66" Water Transmission Line Relocation resulted in a recommendation for the restoration of Waller Creek banks.This report outlines the current requirements for Environmental Assessments (EAs) performed for compliance with the City of Austin Land Development Code (LDC) as they are applied in City Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects. Much of this information is not currently documented in either the Environmental Criteria Manual (ECM) or other material readily available to Public Works Project Managers. An overview of the Environmental Assessment process is provided along with the goals for CIP assessments, methods for review and completion of assessments, and recommendations for improving the City processes. Attachments to this report include pertinent LDC citations, the form in use for project identification, a suggested process for conducting and reviewing assessments a scope of work for staff or consultants performing assessments, and photographic summaries of critical environmental features to be protected in accordance with the LDC in City as well as private projects. Also, a flowchart of the EA review process and a brief summary of assessments of past projects are included in the attachments. The information is provided as a precursor to the expansion of the current ECM section on Environmental Assessments in Section 1.3.0 and for consideration by the Public Works Department and other Project Managers for early review of environmental impacts, leading to better CIP projects..Waller Creek Working Grou