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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS2004

Interpretation of the Miyakejima 2000 eruption and dike emplacement using time animations of earthquakes

The seismic sequence of over 12,000 earthquakes accompanying the 2000 eruption of Miyakejima volcano has been studied by viewing time animations of the earthquakes beneath transparent topography. Seismic activity began on the evening of June 26 extending southwest from Miyakejima’s summit. A few hours later the seismicity abruptly shifted to the WNW and a submarine eruption occurred off the West Coast of Miyakejima on the morning of June 27. Phreatic eruptions at Miyakejima’s summit in July were accompanied by the formation of a new caldera. Following caldera formation explosive eruptions occurred in August. The eruption ended with minor explosions in September. The seismic activity that began with a low-magnitude swarm beneath Miyakejima grew to a major swarm with hundreds of events of M＞4 extending more than 40km WNW from Miyakejima. Lesser numbers of earthquakes occurred on two N-S trending lines extending south and north of the main seismic trend. The seismicity has been interpreted as evidence for emplacement of a massive dike on the main trend that triggered additional earthquakes on the two cross trends. Our interpretation involves more restricted dike emplacement west of Miyakejima, including the possibility of additional submarine eruption, following cracking of the Philippine Sea plate. The seismic activity associated with explosive eruptions in August helps to define Miyakejima’s magma plumbing. A shallow reservoir beneath the southwest slope is defined by concentrations of earthquakes at 4-6km depth, and a deeper source is suggested by a smaller number of earthquakes extending to 10km vertically beneath the shallow source. Seismic activity preceding and accompanying eruptions at Miyakejima’s summit are defined by seismic swarms extending from 4km depth to the surface along a path connecting the summit with the shallow reservoir. Away from Miyakejima shallow (＜1 km) earthquake swarms at minimum rates of 1 event per hour extending over several hours occur within restricted areas of diameter less than 3km and define possible additional sites of undersea eruption or intrusion. Beneath sites west of Miyakejima the seismicity at depths of less than 4km occurs earlier and toward Miyakejima, consistent with magma transport from Miyakejima’s shallow reservoir. Shallow swarms extending 15km to the WNW strongly suggest that additional intrusion and possibly eruption may have occurred on June 27-28. Between June 27 and July 12 along the main seismic trend, and beneath the shallow sites, progressively deeper earthquake swarms occur at progressively later times, a pattern inconsistent with magma transport and interpreted here as the Philippine Sea plate cracking downward. The initial shallow cracking guided magma to the June 27 undersea eruption site. Subsequent cracking to the west allowed very rapid lateral withdrawal of magma from the Miyakejima reservoir allowing a new caldera to form. The deep cracking of the plate may have triggered additional magma sources, including a deep source suggested by the modeling of regional ground deformation data.

Miyakejima↗
USGS1985

On the interpretation of satellite-derived gravity and magnetic data for studies of crustal geology and metallogenesis

Satellite-derived global gravity and magnetic maps have been shown to be useful in large-scale studies of the Earth's crust, despite the relative infancy of such studies. Numerous authors have made spatial associations of gravity or magnetic anomalies with geological provinces. Gravimetric interpretations are often made in terms of isostasy, regional variations of density, or of geodesy in general. Interpretations of satellite magnetic anomalies often base assumptions of overall crustal magnetism on concepts of the vertical and horizontal distribution of magnetic susceptibility, then make models of these assumed distributions. The opportunity of improving our satellite gravity and magnetic data through the proposed Geopotential Research Mission should considerably improve the scientific community's ability to analyze and interpret global magnetic and gravity data. As data processing techniques improve, we may expect to see even more useful results of the data.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2016

Vegetation as a tool in the interpretation of fluvial geomorphic processes and landforms

This chapter exemplifies that vegetation can be used as a tool for geomorphic interpretation in several major ways. It presents a general overview: through dendrogeomorphic analysis (tree rings) to estimate the timing of important geomorphic events including floods and mass wasting and to estimate rates of erosion and sedimentation; through the documentation and interpretation of species distributional patterns that are established in response to prevailing hydrogeomorphic conditions; and through the role that it plays, depending on size, shape and growth form, in flow rates and subsequent erosion and deposition processes. Floods, from prolonged inundation characteristic of relatively large, low-gradient basins to high-gradient and short-period destructive events, are the most important extrinsic factor in bottomland systems. Vegetation organization, composition and plant community dynamics on river floodplains are controlled by disturbance type and scale, and biological characteristics of plants linked to resistance to disturbance, resilience and competitive ability.

Book chapter↗
USGS2026

Bioclimatic reorganization of carbon–water–energy coupling revealed by eddy covariance and interpretable machine learning

Ecosystem exchanges of carbon, water, and energy are central to Earth system functioning, yet their sensitivities to environmental variability remain poorly constrained across biomes and climates. Here, we analyzed ≥5 years of eddy covariance data from 87 AmeriFlux sites (964 site-years) spanning six vegetation types and a broad range of climatic conditions to examine the controls and multi-year trends of gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET), water-use efficiency (WUE), and the Bowen ratio. We trained boosted regression tree ensembles with environmental (air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, soil water content, atmospheric CO₂, radiation, wind speed) and temporal (month, year) variables, and used interpretable machine learning—SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Accumulated Local Effects (ALE)—to quantify driver importance and nonlinear responses. Across biomes and along climatic gradients, environmental controls reorganized predictably: radiation dominated under warm and humid conditions, whereas soil moisture exerted stronger influence in drier or warmer systems. GPP and ET were shaped by similar dominant drivers, with radiation and temperature generally strongest but soil moisture exerting comparable influence in some biomes. WUE was consistently constrained by vapor pressure deficit, reflecting stomatal regulation under rising atmospheric dryness. In contrast, controls on the Bowen ratio diverged more across biomes, reflecting heterogeneity in how ecosystems partition energy between latent and sensible heat. Multi-year trend analysis revealed negative associations of GPP and ET with rising atmospheric demand, and positive associations of the Bowen ratio with drying, indicating reduced evaporative cooling and stronger land–atmosphere coupling. Together, these findings show that while carbon and water fluxes remain tightly coupled across timescales, their balances reorganize predictably along bioclimatic gradients. This framework underscores the value of long-term flux networks and interpretable machine learning for benchmarking Earth system models and constraining projections of terrestrial carbon–water–energy dynamics under climate change.

Global Change Biology Communications↗
USGS2002

Diffusion model validation and interpretation of stable isotopes in river and lake ice

The stable isotope stratigraphy of river- and lake-ice archives winter hydroclimatic conditions, and can potentially be used to identify changing water sources or to provide important insights into ice formation processes and growth rates. However, accurate interpretations rely on known isotopic fractionation during ice growth. A one-dimensional diffusion model of the liquid boundary layer adjacent to an advancing solid interface, originally developed to simulate solute rejection by growing crystals, has been used without verification to describe non-equilibrium fractionation during congelation ice growth. Results are not in agreement, suggesting the presence of important uncertainties. In this paper we seek validation of the diffusion model for this application using large-scale laboratory experiments with controlled freezing rates and frequent sampling. We obtained consistent, almost constant, isotopic boundary layer thicknesses over a representative range of ice growth rates on both quiescent and well-mixed water. With the 18O boundary layer thickness from the laboratory, the model successfully quantified reduced river-ice growth rates relative to those of a nearby lake. These results were more representative and easier to obtain than those of a conventional thermal ice-growth model. This diffusion model validation and boundary layer thickness determination provide a powerful tool for interpreting the stable isotope stratigraphy of floating ice. The laboratory experiment also replicated successive fractionation events in response to a freeze-thaw-refreeze cycle, providing a mechanism for apparent ice fractionation that exceeds equilibrium. Analysis of the composition of snow ice and frazil ice in river and lake cores indicated surprising similarities between these ice forms. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hydrological Processes↗
USGS2017

Crustal structure interpreted from magnetic anomalies

In this review, we discuss publications during the last quadrennium (1987–1990) that used aeromagnetic data, marine magnetic data, satellite magnetic data, and rock magnetic and petrologic data to provide information on the sources of magnetic anomalies. Abstracts and papers by non‐U.S. authors are not described. The publications reviewed reflect increased integration of rock magnetic property and petrologic studies with magnetic anomaly interpretation studies, particularly in deep crustal magnetization, exploration for hydrocarbons, and inversion of marine magnetic anomalies. Interpretations of aeromagnetic data featuring image display techniques and using the horizontal gradient method for locating magnetization boundaries became standard. The magnetic anomaly map of North America appeared, the first such map of an entire continent. MAGSAT data contributed to the development of a new model for the magnetization of the oceanic crust. Forward modeling of sources of magnetic anomalies contributed to a wide range of geologic investigations on land, and inverse magnetic modeling techniques became popular for marine geologic investigations.

Reviews of Geophysics↗
USGS1986

Determination of total, commonality, and uniqueness of interpreted structural elements from remotely sensed data in Alaska

Statistical analysis is conducted to determine the unique value of real- and synthetic-aperture side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) to detect interpreted structural elements. SLAR images were compared to standard and digitally enhanced Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) images and to aerial photographs. After interpretation of the imagery, data were cumulated by total length in miles and by frequency of counts. Maximum uniqueness is obtained first from real-aperture SLAR, 58.3% of total, and, second, from digitally enhanced Landsat MSS images, 54.1% of total. ?? 1986 Plenum Publishing Corporation.

Mathematical Geology↗
USGS2001

Difficulties with estimating and interpreting species pools and the implications for understanding patterns of diversity

Evidence has been accumulating that species pools play a major role in regulating variations in small-scale diversity. However, our ability to unambiguously estimate and interpret species pools remains a major impediment to understanding the processes that control patterns of diversity. Two main approaches have been employed to evaluate the relationships between species pools and species diversity. The direct approach has been to estimate the actual sizes of species pools by sampling discrete areas at larger spatial scales and then relating these estimates to samples taken at smaller scales. The indirect approach has been to search for correlations between abiotic environmental factors and patterns of diversity that are indicative of gradients in species pools. Both of these approaches have substantial predictive capability but also have limitations that impair our ability to draw unambiguous interpretations about causal factors. A primary difficulty for the direct approach is in deciding which species in the larger pool of potential species are actually capable of living in a sample. In this regard, the indirect approach requires fewer assumptions and has the ability to detect previously unsuspected gradients in species pools. As with the direct approach, assessing the causes for observed gradients in species pools remains a limitation for the indirect approach. Consideration of experimental studies of potential niches suggests that it may be valuable to distinguish between potential and observed species pools if the role of competitive exclusion is to be fully assessed. This paper concludes by arguing for (1) an increased use of multivariate studies that examine the effects of species pools indirectly and (2) further experimental studies designed to determine potential species pools.

Folia Geobotanica↗
USGS2010

The role of sample preparation in interpretation of trace element concentration variability in moss bioindication studies

Trace element concentrations in plant bioindicators are often determined to assess the quality of the environment. Instrumental methods used for trace element determination require digestion of samples. There are different methods of sample preparation for trace element analysis, and the selection of the best method should be fitted for the purpose of a study. Our hypothesis is that the method of sample preparation is important for interpretation of the results. Here we compare the results of 36 element determinations performed by ICP-MS on ashed and on acid-digested (HNO 3 , H 2 O 2 ) samples of two moss species ( Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi ) collected in Alaska and in south-central Poland. We found that dry ashing of the moss samples prior to analysis resulted in considerably lower detection limits of all the elements examined. We also show that this sample preparation technique facilitated the determination of interregional and interspecies differences in the chemistry of trace elements. Compared to the Polish mosses, the Alaskan mosses displayed more positive correlations of the major rock-forming elements with ash content, reflecting those elements’ geogenic origin. Of the two moss species, P. schreberi from both Alaska and Poland was also highlighted by a larger number of positive element pair correlations. The cluster analysis suggests that the more uniform element distribution pattern of the Polish mosses primarily reflects regional air pollution sources. Our study has shown that the method of sample preparation is an important factor in statistical interpretation of the results of trace element determinations.

Environmental Chemistry Letters↗
USGS2019

Conducting and interpreting fish telemetry studies: Considerations for researchers and resource managers

Telemetry is an increasingly common tool for studying the ecology of wild fish, with great potential to provide valuable information for management and conservation. For researchers to conduct a robust telemetry study, many essential considerations exist related to selecting the appropriate tag type, fish capture and tagging methods, tracking protocol, data processing and analyses, and interpretation of findings. For telemetry-derived knowledge to be relevant to managers and policy makers, the research approach must consider management information needs for decision-making, while end users require an understanding of telemetry technology (capabilities and limitations), its application to fisheries research and monitoring (study design), and proper interpretation of results and conclusions (considering the potential for biases and proper recognition of associated uncertainties). To help bridge this gap, we provide a set of considerations and a checklist for researchers to guide them in conducting reliable and management-relevant telemetry studies, and for managers to evaluate the reliability and relevance of telemetry studies so as to better integrate findings into management plans. These considerations include implicit assumptions, technical limitations, ethical and biological realities, analytical merits, and the relevance of study findings to decision-making processes.

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries↗
USGS1989

The potential of paleozoic nonmarine trace fossils for paleoecological interpretations

Many Late Paleozoic environments have been interpreted as marine because of the co-occurrence of supposedly exclusively marine trace fossils. Beginning in the Late Ordovician, however, nonmarine trace-fossil diversity increased throughout the Paleozoic. This diversification of nonmarine organisms and nonmarine trace fossils was especially prevalent in Devonian and later times. Diversification of freshwater organisms is indicated by the large number of freshwater fish, arthropods, annelids and molluscs that had developed by the Carboniferous. In addition to diverse freshwater assemblages, entirely terrestrial vertebrate and invertebrate ecosystems had developed by the Devonian. This rapid diversification of freshwater and terrestrial organisms is inherently linked to development and diversification of land plants and subsequent shedding of large quantities of organic detritus in nonmarine and marginal-marine areas. Nearshore marine organisms and their larvae that are able to tolerate relatively short periods of lowered salinities will follow salt-water wedges inland during times of reduced freshwater discharge. Similarly, amphidromous marine organisms will migrate periodically inland into nonmarine environments. Undoubtedly, both of these processes were active in the Paleozoic. However, both processes are restricted to stream/distributary channels, interdistributary bays, or estuaries. Therefore, the presence of diverse trace-fossil assemblages in association with floodplain deposits is interpreted to reflect true nonmarine adaptation and diversity. Conversely, diverse trace-fossil assemblages in association with stream/distributary channel deposits, interdistributary-bay deposits, or estuarine deposits may reflect migration of salt-water wedges inland, or migration of marine organisms into freshwater environments (amphidromy), or both.

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology↗
USGS1985

Saudi Arabian seismic-refraction profile: A traveltime interpretation of crustal and upper mantle structure

The crustal and upper mantle compressional-wave velocity structure across the southwestern Arabian Shield has been investigated by a 1000-km-long seismic refraction profile. The profile begins in Mesozoic cover rocks near Riyadh on the Arabian Platform, trends southwesterly across three major Precambrian tectonic provinces, traverses Cenozoic rocks of the coastal plain near Jizan, and terminates at the outer edge of the Farasan Bank in the southern Red Sea. More than 500 surveyed recording sites were occupied, and six shot points were used, including one in the Red Sea. Two-dimensional ray-tracing techniques, used to analyze amplitude-normalized record sections indicate that the Arabian Shield is composed, to first order, of two layers, each about 20 km thick, with average velocities of about 6.3 km/s and 7.0 km/s, respectively. West of the Shield-Red Sea margin, the crust thins to a total thickness of less than 20 km, beyond which the Red Sea shelf and coastal plain are interpreted to be underlain by oceanic crust. A major crustal inhomogeneity at the northeast end of the profile probably represents the suture zone between two crustal blocks of different composition. Elsewhere along the profile, several high-velocity anomalies in the upper crust correlate with mapped gneiss domes, the most prominent of which is the Khamis Mushayt gneiss. Based on their velocities, these domes may constitute areas where lower crustal rocks have been raised some 20 km. Two intracrustal reflectors in the center of the Shield at 13 km depth probably represent the tops of mafic intrusives. The Mohorovičić discontinuity beneath the Shield varies from a depth of 43 km and mantle velocity of 8.2 km/s in the northeast to a depth of 38 km and mantle velocity of 8.0 km/s depth in the southwest near the Shield-Red Sea transition. Two velocity discontinuities occur in the upper mantle, at 59 and 70 km depth. The crustal and upper mantle velocity structure of the Arabian Shield is interpreted as revealing a complex crust derived from the suturing of island arcs in the Precarnbrian. The Shield is currently flanked by the active spreading boundary in the Red Sea.

Tectonophysics↗
USGS1993

Comparison of the petrography, palynology and paleobotany of the Stockton coal bed, West Virginia and implications for paleoenvironmental interpretations

The Stockton coal bed (Middle Pennsylvanian) is a relatively high ash coal composed primarily of moderately thin banded, sparsely thin banded, and nonbanded coal (splint and cannel coal). Comparisons of petrographic, palynologic, and paleobotanic data gathered from the same sample sets from a single column of the Stockton coal bed indicate that compositional correspondences among the sets exist regardless of coal type. Some correspondences are believed to exist because of original plant constituents and others because of the paleoenvironment of peat formation. Using some combination of these data is critical when interpreting paleoenvironmental conditions because (1) a direct correspondence is lacking between many of the data and (2) each of the three data sets provides a unique and important perspective on the paleomire. The Stockton paleomire in the area of this study supported a diverse flora that consisted of both small and arboreous lycopsids, small ferns and tree ferns, calamites, cordaites, and pteridosperms. There appear to have been two successions of Lycospora spore-dominated, vitrinite-rich, liptinite-poor peat formation, which were followed by inertinite-rich peat formation marked by a tree fern-dominant spore assemblage and abundant unidentifiable plant tissues. These are interpreted to be two water-laden or topogenous peat formational stages followed by slightly domed, better drained peat formation.

West Virginia↗
USGS2019

When the earth doesn’t stop shaking: How experiences over time influenced information needs, communication, and interpretation of aftershock information during the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence, New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquake Sequence (CES) began with the Darfield earthquake on 4 September 2010. Continual large and small aftershocks since that time have meant communities have cycled through repeated periods of impact, response and recovery. Scientific communication about aftershocks during such a prolonged sequence has faced distinct challenges. We conducted research to better understand aftershock information needs for agencies and the public, and how people interpreted and responded to such information. We found that a wide range of information was needed from basic facts about aftershocks through to more technical information, and in different formats (e.g. maps, tables, graphs, text, analogies). Information needs also evolved throughout the sequence, and differed depending on people’s roles and experiences, and the phase of impact, response and recovery communities were in. Interpretation of aftershock information was influenced by a variety of factors including how understandable and relevant the information was, whether people had prior knowledge or experience of aftershocks, whether the information was personalised or contextualised, emotions and feelings, credibility and trust, and external influences. Given that such a diversity of evolving information is required, it is imperative that geoscientists strategize how to provide such information before a significant earthquake occurs.

Natural Hazards↗
USGS2022

Explainable machine learning improves interpretability in the predictive modeling of biological stream conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA

Anthropogenic alterations have resulted in widespread degradation of stream conditions. To aid in stream restoration and management, baseline estimates of conditions and improved explanation of factors driving their degradation are needed. We used random forests to model biological conditions using a benthic macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity for small, non-tidal streams (upstream area ≤200 km 2 ) in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW) of the mid-Atlantic coast of North America. We utilized several global and local model interpretation tools to improve average and site-specific model inferences, respectively. The model was used to predict condition for 95,867 individual catchments for eight periods (2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2019). Predicted conditions were classified as Poor, FairGood, or Uncertain to align with management needs and individual reach lengths and catchment areas were summed by condition class for the CBW for each period. Global permutation and local Shapley importance values indicated percent of forest, development, and agriculture in upstream catchments had strong impacts on predictions. Development and agriculture negatively influenced stream condition for model average (partial dependence [PD] and accumulated local effect [ALE] plots) and local (individual condition expectation and Shapley value plots) levels. Friedman's H-statistic indicated large overall interactions for these three land covers, and bivariate global plots (PD and ALE) supported interactions among agriculture and development. Total stream length and catchment area predicted in FairGood conditions decreased then increased over the 19-years (length/area: 66.6/65.4% in 2001, 66.3/65.2% in 2011, and 66.6/65.4% in 2019). Examination of individual catchment predictions between 2001 and 2019 showed those predicted to have the largest decreases in condition had large increases in development; whereas catchments predicted to exhibit the largest increases in condition showed moderate increases in forest cover. Use of global and local interpretative methods together with watershed-wide and individual catchment predictions support conservation practitioners that need to identify widespread and localized patterns, especially acknowledging that management actions typically take place at individual-reach scales.

Chesapeake Bay Watershed↗
USGS2023

Luminescence ages and new interpretations of the timing and deposition of Quaternary sediments at Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming

Natural Trap Cave, located in the Big Horn Mountains of north-central Wyoming, has a history of trapping and preserving a range of North American fauna that plummeted into the deep vertical entrance. These animal remains were buried and preserved within sediments of the main chamber and, in turn, have helped elucidate the procession of faunal dynamics during the latest glacial cycle. The cave location, south of the Laurentide and Cordilleran Ice Sheets, and proximal to Yellowstone, is at an ideal geographical juncture to provide insights to ecological changes in North America. The sediments that the animals are buried in inform us about transport and deposition both inside and outside of the cave that relate to catchment dynamics. We report on a series of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages derived from samples obtained within the cave during excavation work in 2014 and in 2018. We also examine chronology produced by argon, tephrochronology, fission track, and luminescence techniques that have been used for understanding the infilling of the cave. The cave sediment ages and in situ measured gamma spectroscopy as measured in this study helped resolve an improved chronological age model when combined with previous data. The suite of OSL ages is interpreted through the stratigraphic relationships (and vertebrates contained within) which requires the use of an adequate age model; we use either the central age model or minimum age model where appropriate and with justification. Lowest sediments are dated to ∼150 ka with a hiatus at ∼130 to 52 ka. Above this, sediment deposition and entrainment of paleontological materials are representative of Pleistocene and early Holocene times, between 37 ± 6 ka and 7.6 ± 0.5 ka. The stratigraphic architecture suggests that deposition of materials into the cave is episodic and rapid, followed by quiescent periods where hydrologic scour, heavy overland flow , or possibly a cryo-hydrologic process may have altered unit relationships. Thus, the complementary geochronometers and the characteristics of quartz versus feldspar luminescence signals improve temporal interpretations of these complex deposits. This adapted understanding of mixing also sets the stage for future work with the aim to improve our understanding of ages and sources for ash units within these cave deposits. The three ash units recognized in the cave may represent an in-situ reworking of the same ash or may be representative of previously undocumented eruptions from the Yellowstone Caldera.

Wyoming↗
USGS2016

Water isotope systematics: Improving our palaeoclimate interpretations

The stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, measured in a variety of archives, are widely used proxies in Quaternary Science. Understanding the processes that control δ18O change have long been a focus of research (e.g. Shackleton and Opdyke, 1973; Talbot, 1990 ; Leng, 2006). Both the dynamics of water isotope cycling and the appropriate interpretation of geological water-isotope proxy time series remain subjects of active research and debate. It is clear that achieving a complete understanding of the isotope systematics for any given archive type, and ideally each individual archive, is vital if these palaeo-data are to be used to their full potential, including comparison with climate model experiments of the past. Combining information from modern monitoring and process studies, climate models, and proxy data is crucial for improving our statistical constraints on reconstructions of past climate variability. As climate models increasingly incorporate stable water isotope physics, this common language should aid quantitative comparisons between proxy data and climate model output. Water-isotope palaeoclimate data provide crucial metrics for validating GCMs, whereas GCMs provide a tool for exploring the climate variability dominating signals in the proxy data. Several of the studies in this set of papers highlight how collaborations between palaeoclimate experimentalists and modelers may serve to expand the usefulness of palaeoclimate data for climate prediction in future work. This collection of papers follows the session on Water Isotope Systematics held at the 2013 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Papers in that session, the breadth of which are represented here, discussed such issues as; understanding sub-GNIP scale (Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation, (IAEA/WMO, 2006)) variability in isotopes in precipitation from different regions, detailed examination of the transfer of isotope signals from precipitation to geological archives, and the implications of advances in understanding in these areas for the interpretation of palaeo records and proxy data – climate model comparison. Here, we briefly review these areas of research, and discuss challenges for the water isotope community in improving our ability to partition climate vs. auxiliary signals in palaeoclimate data.

Quaternary Science Reviews↗
USGS2016

Improving the effectiveness of ecological site descriptions: General state-and-transition models and the Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool (EDIT)

State-and-transition models (STMs) are useful tools for management, but they can be difficult to use and have limited content. STMs created for groups of related ecological sites could simplify and improve their utility. The amount of information linked to models can be increased using tables that communicate management interpretations and important within-group variability. We created a new web-based information system (the Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool) to house STMs, associated tabular information, and other ecological site data and descriptors. Fewer, more informative, better organized, and easily accessible STMs should increase the accessibility of science information.

Rangelands↗