Field-based Observation Research Articles

The influence of changes in wind patterns on the areal extension of surface cyanobacterial blooms in a large shallow lake in China

It has been hypothesized that climate change will induce the areal extension of cyanobacterial blooms. However, this hypothesis lacks field-based observation. In the present study both long-term historical data and short-term field measurement were used to identify the importance of changes in wind patterns on the cyanobacterial bloom in Lake Taihu (China), a large, shallow, eutrophic lake located in a subtropical zone. The cyanobacterial bloom mainly composed of Microcystis spp. recurred frequently throughout the year. The regression analysis of multi-year satellite image data extracted by the Floating Algae Index revealed that both the annual mean monthly maximum cyanobacterial bloom area (MMCBA) increased year by year from 2000 to 2011, while the contemporaneous cyanobacterial biomass showed no significant change. However, the correlation analysis shows that MMCBA was negatively correlated with wind speed. Our short-term field measurements indicated that the influence of wind on surface cyanobacterial blooms is that the Chlorophyll-a (Chla) concentration is fully mixing throughout the water column when the wind speed exceed 7ms−1. At lower wind speeds, there was vertical stratification of Chla with high surface concentrations and an increase in bloom area. The regression analysis of wind speed indicates that the climate has changed over the last decade. Lake Taihu has become increasingly calm, with the decrease of strong wind frequency between 2000 and 2011, corresponding to the increase in the MMCBA over time. Therefore, we conclude that changes in wind patterns related to climate change have favored the increase of cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Taihu.

The journey from elite society to government geologist: Henry de la Beche's (1796-1855) powerful impact on the importance of observation within an emerging professional science

Henry De la Beche (1796-1855) entered the scientific realm within an elite group of gentleman geologists. As a firm advocate of observation, De la Beche's philosophy of science involved the collection of fects, from which satisfactory theories or solutions to geological problems could only arise after accumulated observations were compiled. He authored many texts, but insisted that he recorded only fects and did not support particular theories, which often relied on scant observation. When De la Beche's finances floundered, his persistence at procuring government support for his mapping projects resulted in his eventual appointment (1835) as director of what would become the British Geological Survey. As a government scientist, De la Beche maintained a staunch advocacy of observation. He used his position to promote field work, and ensured quality in the deliberate recording of accurate information. He provided clear instructions to local survey directors, and advocated a "general mode of observing and recording fects" for "systematic investigations and uniformity of results" (1845). His methods guaranteed that facts, and not selective interpretations, would be available for those who needed them. He insisted that utilitarian geological products, such as survey maps and mining records, were consistent and of high quality. He also promoted the importance of these products—and the field work that produced them—within the elite societies of which he remained a member. Through his government position, De la Beche successfully advocated for public displays of facts and collections, and largely through his efforts the Museum of Practical Geology, the School of Mines, and the Mining Record Office were established. Therefore, De la Beche's emphasis of observation over theory had far-reaching impact in the emerging Victorian professionalization of science. Although he lost personal funding and could not sustain only an elite participation in the emerging geological discipline, his government position provided a powerful platform from which he was able to teach, systematize, and institutionalize field-based geological observation. De la Beche's success is measured through the establishment of feet repositories in Great Britain, and also through the impact that surveyors who studied his field methods brought to other countries.

Situational familiarity and its relation to decision quality in ice-hockey

Field-based observation, including helmet-mounted cameras, was employed to study pattern-matching aspects of decision making in ice-hockey. We were interested in the role of situational familiarity in decision making and decision quality. Expert and non-expert players were videotaped during competition. In retrospective interviews, prompted by the game videos, players were asked about the role that familiarity (both event and rule-based), played in their decision-process. Decision quality and decision outcome were assessed retrospectively by two expert coaches. Experts described decision-making situations as ‘familiar’ twice as often as non-experts. Although rule-based decisions were more common, only for decisions based on recognition of the event, were familiar decisions rated as better quality. This pattern-matching aspect of the decision-making process and its relationship to decision quality has implications for theories of decision making in dynamic sports.

Provenance of the northern part of the Kahramanmaraş Peripheral Foreland Basin (Miocene, S Turkey)

The Miocene Kahramanmaraş Peripheral Foreland Basin (KPFB) resemble to classic foreland basin model, with small differences. In the classic model, both the accretionary wedge and foredeep extend lengthways parallel to the plate margin. In addition, accretionary wedge includes wedge top basin or piggy back basin that extends parallel to foredeep. However, the accretionary wedge of the KPFB contains small half-graben type basins that obliquely intersect the plate margin between the Arabian Plate and the Anatolide–Taurides Platform (due to the irregular shape of the plate boundary). Tectonic lineaments controlled the shape and orientation of these basins and larger main depocentre of the KFPB, which were predominantly filled with deep-sea sediments. This paper focuses on the provenance of features of the KFPB, predominantly was fed from the northern basin margin, while also aiming to resolve the complex basin evolution that occurred during the Miocene. Clasts of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic limestone and ophiolites are common components of the confined deep-water clastic systems, which evolved as elongated trenches in the north-western sector of the KPFB during the Early-Middle Miocene. During the Middle Miocene, continuous thrusting of the northern basin margin to south caused depocentre migration to south-east, through the basin interior. At that time, the north-east and central depocentres of the KPFB were filled primarily by clasts of ophiolite and metamorphic units. The tectonic control on basin fill architecture can be observed anywhere in the KFPB. The principal tectonic features controlled the geometry and orientation of the canyon, the channel geometry of the deep-water slope on the northern basin margin, the frequency and distribution of slump-slide-debris flows and the overall pattern of sedimentation cycles in the stratigraphy of the slope and the central basin floor. Some basin sectors have continuously reactivated and as a result, different sediment entry points with substantial local accumulation of sediment and deformation have evolved on the slope and basin floor. Three scales of provenance were used to investigate the source rock: (a) field-based observation and analysis of conglomerate clasts, (b) modal analysis of sandstone facies and (c) geochemical analysis, all of which were in agreement.

Formation of Plant Communities of the Newly Created Wetland in Modern Yellow River Delta

To explore the cause of plant vegetation distributed on the newly created wetland in estuary of modern Yellow River Delta, we took field-based observation of the wetland plant diversity of the Yellow River Delta, Shandong, China. Based on the results of field investigation, we studied the effects of salinity on germination characteristics of four dominant species in wetland of Yellow River Delta, i.e. Suaeda salsa, Apocynum venetum, Phragmites australis and Typha orientalis.The germination conditions of the four dominant emerging plants at 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300mM NaCl were studied, the results indicated that all species had a trend of decreased germination percentage and rate of germination with the increase of salinity levels, but the inhibitory effect of salinity on the germination percentage of each was different. S. salsa and A. venetum had higher tolerance of salinity than P. australis and T. orientalis. Germination percentage and germination rate of seeds of the four species were significantly affected by salinity.In conclusion, the results of seeds germination of the four dominant species in the newly created wetland were accorded with the results of field investigation of plant community distribution along the gradients of environmental salinity, and salinity is one of the most pivotal factors limited the distribution of the plant vegetation in the newly created wetland of Yellow River Delta.

Reevaluation of the nutrient mineralization process by infaunal bivalves ( Ruditapes philippinarum) in a shallow lagoon in Hokkaido, Japan

Previous estimations of nutrient mineralization in the water column by infaunal bivalves might have been overestimated because of underestimation of the uptake process by microphytobenthos in the field. We conducted field surveys of environmental conditions and quantitative sampling of Ruditapes philippinarum in a shallow lagoon system (Hichirippu Lagoon, eastern Hokkaido, Japan) in August 2006. We recorded the spatial distribution pattern and the molar ratio of dissolved inorganic nutrients to determine the limiting nutrients for microphytobenthos, to evaluate the input and output of nutrients at the entrance of the lagoon station, and to estimate potential nutrient mineralization by R. philippinarum. Our aim was to reevaluate the nutrient mineralization process by infaunal bivalve species. In this study, the mean standing stock of microphytobenthos inhabiting surface sediment (5 mm thick) on the tidal flats was 100 times higher than that of phytoplankton (1 m depth). Low N/P and high Si/N ratios (mean = 2.6 and 17.6, respectively) near the entrance of the lagoon compared to those of microphytobenthos (N:P:Si = 10.1:1:18) clearly suggest N deficiency. The flux of NH 4–N coming into the lagoon was 3.4 kmolN d − 1 , and the flux out was − 3.7 kmolN d − 1 . Thus, assuming that there would have been no phytoplankton and microphytobenthos uptake during the day, 0.3 kmolN d − 1 of NH 4–N was produced within the lagoon. However, the NH 4–N mineralization rate of the clams has been estimated to be approximately 7.7 ± 6.8 kmolN d − 1 . Thus, 96% (7.4 kmolN d − 1 , i.e., 7.7 kmolN d − 1 minus 0.3 kmolN d − 1 ) of the NH 4–N mineralized by the clam was consumed by microphytobenthos. In contrast, if all the NH 4–N inflow (3.1 kmolN d − 1 ) was consumed by the microalgae before outflow, 52% (4.0 kmolN d − 1 , i.e., 7.7 kmolN d − 1 minus 3.7 kmolN d − 1 ) of the NH 4–N mineralized by the clams should have been consumed by microphytobenthos. Microphytobenthos on the tidal flats (11.3 ± 11.8 kmolN) used all of the surplus nutrients (between 4.0 and 7.4 kmolN d − 1 ), and the temporal division rate [=(NH 4–N uptake)/(standing stock of microphytobenthos)] of microphytobenthos would have to be between 0.35 and 0.65 d − 1 . Residual NH 4–N (0.3 – 3.7 kmolN d − 1 ) was the water-column source and accounted for 12–148% of NH 4–N in the water column near the entrance of the lagoon (2.5 ± 1.4 kmolN) per day. This is the first field-based observation with a quantitative evaluation of nutrient mineralization by infaunal bivalves and nutrient uptake by microphytobenthos.

Mapping the liquefaction induced soil moisture changes using remote sensing technique: an attempt to map the earthquake induced liquefaction around Bhuj, Gujarat, India

The Bhuj earthquake (Mw = 7.9) occurred in the western part of India on 26th January 2001 and resulted in the loss of 20,000 lives and caused extensive damage to property. Soil liquefaction related ground failures such as lateral spreading caused significant damage to bridges, dams and other civil engineering structures in entire Kachchh peninsula. The Bhuj area is a part of large sedimentary basin filled with Jurassic, Tertiary and Quaternary deposits. This work pertains to mapping the areas that showed sudden increase in soil moisture after the seismic event, using remote sensing technique. Multi-spectral, spatial and temporal data sets from Indian Remote Sensing Satellite are used to derive the Liquefaction Sensitivity Index (LSeI). The basic concept behind LSeI is that the near infrared and shortwave infrared regions of electromagnetic spectrum are highly absorbed by soil moisture. Thus, the LSeI is herein used to identify the areas with increase in soil moisture after the seismic event. The LSeI map of Bhuj is then correlated with field-based observation on Cyclic Stress Ratio (CSR) and Cyclic Resistance Ratio (CRR), depth to water table, soil density and Liquefaction Severity Index (LSI). The derived LSeI values are in agreement with liquefaction susceptible criteria and observed LSI (R2 = 0.97). The results of the study indicate that the LSeI after calibration with LSI can be used as a quick tool to map the liquefied areas. On the basis of LSeI, LSI, CRR, CSR and saturation, the unconsolidated sediments of the Bhuj area are classified into three susceptibility classes.

Independent Christian Day Schools: The Maturing of a Movement

Independent Christian day schools have always played a prominent role in American education. This article provides a brief historical overview of the origin of independent Christian schools; examines some of the research on their composition, success, and enrollment trends; and draws some preliminary conclusions about the ethos of such schools following a field-based observation. Catholic educators will recognize the primary challenges these schools face: financial stability and spiritual vitality.

Using a Synthetic Continental Array to Study the Earth's Interior.

A major field-based observation program (the Skippy Project) is underway to synthesize an array covering the whole Australian continent, using a series of deployments of around 10 broadband seismometers for periods of 5 months at a time. Such a time period is long enough to exploit the favourable position of Australia relative to world seismicity to assemble a good sampling of global structure. The distance coverage from available events is very good, so that it is possible to build up composite record sections covering propagation from 10 to nearly 180.., with a full coverage of the body and surface wavefields. For deep events at regional ranges, the field arrays also yield good data on mantle reverberation patterns.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Awareness: Implications for Intake Interviewing

The following highlights the importance and utilization of intake counselors in community-based counseling programs, documents reported relationships between alcohol and drug abuse and typically expressed problems for which clients come to community-based counseling centers, and supports the relevance and importance of intake counselors having high level alcohol and drug abuse awareness. Following a report of a clinical, field-based observation, conclusions and implications are offered as well as suggested recommendations for counselor education and research and demonstration projects.