North-central West Virginia Research Articles

An academic health center-community partnership: the Morgantown Health Right free clinic.

This article reports the main findings of a descriptive study of the origin, structure, and evolution of the Morgantown Health Right (MHR) free clinic in Morgantown, West Virginia. The study was conducted between 1984 and 1995 to examine the organizational and operational features of this rural academic health center-community partnership. The MHR's longevity and provision of primary care without charge to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents of north central West Virginia are a function of its intimate relationship with the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center of West Virginia University. Essential elements of this rural academic health center-community partnership include social commitment and voluntarism, shared community and faculty leadership, joint problem-oriented long-term planning, and interdisciplinary practice and training opportunities for faculty, residents, and students. Financial support for the MHR comes from a variety of public and private sources, and the clinic serves as a prototypic rural free health care provider by virtue of its social and fiscal sustainability. The MHR experience shows that, like inner-city counterparts, academic health center-community partnerships can enhance access to health care for rural underserved populations.

Subsurface Structure of the North Summit Gas Field, Chestnut Ridge Anticline of the Appalachian Basin: ABSTRACT

The Chestnut Ridge anticline is the westernmost of the High Plateau folds in southwestern Pennsylvania and north-central West Virginia that are detached primarily in the Marcellus Shale, and the Martinsburg, Salina, and Rome Formations. The primary, basal detachment at the Summit field occurs in the Salina salt. Production from fracture porosity in the Devonian Oriskany Sandstone commenced in 1936. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, 14 wells were drilled preparatory to conversion of the reservoir to gas storage. Schlumberger`s Formation MicroScanner (FMS) logs were run in each of these wells to provide information on the structural configuration and fracture patterns of the reservoir. These data indicate that two inward-facing, tight folds at the Oriskany level form the upper flanks and core of the anticline at the northern end of the field, whereas the main part of the field to the south is a comparatively simple, broad closure at the Oriskany level. The structure is a broad, slightly asymmetric open fold in the Mississippian Greenbrier Formation at the surface. Fracture patterns mapped using FMS logs indicate a complex fracture system which varies slightly along the trend of the fold and among the units analyzed, including the Helderberg Formation, Huntersville Chert,more » Oriskany Sandstone, and Onondaga Formation. An orthogonal joint system strikes toward the northwest and northeast slightly askew to the trend of the fold`s crestal trace. A similar, but more complex fracture pattern is found in an oriented core of these units.« less

The Characterization of Ozone Exposures in Rural West Virginia and Virginia

Ozone (O3) is suspected of being the most significant air pollutant affecting vegetation in the United States. Ozone concentrations measured at Bearden Knob and Parsons, located in a remote forested region of northcentral West Virginia, were characterized and compared with exposures experienced at other sites in the region. From 1988 to 1992, 1988 was one of the highest O3 exposure years in the region, while 1992 was the lowest. At almost all sites in 1992, few hourly average concentrations were > or = 0.10 ppm, while in 1988 several sites had more than 100 hourly average concentrations > or = 0.10 ppm. These instances occurred at both high- and low-elevation sites. In 1992, the high-elevation Bearden Knob site experienced a flat-type diurnal pattern, while the nearby low-elevation Parsons site experienced a changing diurnal pattern, indicative of scavenging. Using several indices, O3 exposures at Parsons were less than those at Bearden Knob. Evaluation of hourly averaged data for all sites in the region from 1988 to 1992 showed that Horton Station experienced the highest W126 O3 exposures. Horton Station is a high-elevation site in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. Square-wave exposures have been used under artificial conditions in vegetation experiments. If square-wave exposures are observed under ambient conditions, then the vegetation data collected under artificial conditions may be relevant for predictive purposes. Square-wave exposures were characterized for two high-elevation sites. In 1992, Horton Station experienced 25 episodes for which the hourly average concentrations remained near 0.05 ppm for eight hours or longer; there were 18 episodes for which the hourly average concentrations remained near 0.06 ppm, and three episodes for which the concentrations remained near 0.07 ppm. Bearden Knob experienced 31 episodes of eight hours or longer for hourly average concentrations near 0.05 ppm, 13 episodes at or near 0.06 ppm, and three episodes at or near 0.07 ppm. Until experiments are performed to determine the relative importance of hourly average concentrations above 0.03 ppm for assessing vegetation effects, using single-parameter exposure indices to predict effects may produce inconsistent results.

Herbaceous Layer and Soil Response to Experimental Acidification in a Central Appalachian Hardwood Forest

AbstractThe herbaceous layer (vascular plants ≤1 in in height) is an important component of forest ecosystems and a potentially sensitive vegetation stratum in response to acid deposition. This study tested several hypotheses concerning soil and herbaceous layer response to experimental acidification at the Fernow Experimental Forest in north‐central West Virginia. Fifteen circular sample plots (0.04 ha) were established in each of three watersheds: WS3 (an ≈ 20‐yr‐old watershed receiving acidification treatment with (NH4)2SO4), WS4 (>80‐yr‐old control), and WS7 (≈ 20‐yr‐old control). The herb layer was sampled intensively in 10 1‐m2 subplots within each sample plot, including determination of species composition, cover, and random biomass harvests. Harvested plant material was separated by species and analyzed for macronutrients, micronutrients, and Al. Soft was sampled from harvest subplots and analyzed for texture, pH, organic matter, and macro‐ and micronutrients. Few differences among watersheds for virtually all measured soil variables indicated minimal response of soil fertility to the acidification treatment. The herbaceous layer was also quite similar among watersheds with respect to cover‐biomass and species diversity; WS7, however, had ≈ 70% higher herb layer cover that both Ws3 and WS4, a result of the predominance of a few high‐cover fern species and attributable to the north‐facing aspect of WS7 vs. south‐facing aspects of WS3/WS4. There was a high degree of species similarity among watersheds, suggesting no shift in species composition in response to acidification. There was also minimal response of element concentrations to acidification, although Fe and Al exhibited evidence of increased uptake in WS3. We conclude that, contrary to our expectations, there has been little substantive response of the soil and herb layer to acidification, but hypothesize that herbaceous layer species may experience toxicity problems with increased mobility of Al and micronutrients in the future.

Herbaceous Layer Cover and Biomass in a Young Versus a Mature Stand of a Central Appalachian Hardwood Forest

GILLIAM, F. S. AND N. L. TURRILL (Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755). Herbaceous layer cover and biomass in a young versus a mature stand of a central Appalachian hardwood forest. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 120: 445-450. 1993.-This study examined herb layer vegetation (all vascular plants c 1 m in height) of two montane watersheds of different stand ages in the Femow Experimental Forest, in north-central West Virginia (WS3, -20 yr; WS4, >80 yr). Mean herb layer cover was 19.3 and 26.4% for WS3 and WS4, respectively. Herb layer biomass was significantly (P < 0.00 1) correlated with herb cover for both watersheds. Mean herb layer biomass was 8.1 and 11.6 g/m2 for WS3 and WS4, respectively. Herb cover responded positively to elevation on both watersheds. Within WS3, herb cover was only weakly correlated with canopy characteristics, but was positively correlated with soil pH, organic matter, sand content, cation exchange capacity, Ca, K, Mg, and N03-N. Within WS4, herb cover was negatively correlated with understory basal area and density, but not significantly correlated with any soil variables except Ca. From these data we suggest a hypothesis that in early forest succession in these ecosystems, early herb layer development is influenced greatly by allogenic factors (such as soil fertility) but that autogenic factors, such as canopy closure, become more important as the stand matures and becomes more stratified.

Characterization of Ozone During Consecutive Drought and Wet Years at a Rural West Virginia Site

Ozone concentrations at a rural-remote site in a forested region of north-central West Virginia were monitored during 1988 and 1989, a drought and wet year, respectively. During 1988, the absolute maximum average concentration for a single hour was 156 ppb, while it was only 107 ppb in 1989. Overall, the frequency of high concentrations was greater during 1988; the 120 ppb National Ambient Air Quality Standard was exceeded 17 times. The 7-h period encompassing the highest growing season concentrations for this site over the 2-yr period is 1100- 1759 h EST, rather than the period 0900-1559 h originally used by the National Crop Loss Assessment Network. The 7-h growing season means (0900-1559 h) of 52.6 ppb and 47.1 ppb for 1988 and 1989, respectively, compare well to those reported for the Piedmont/Mountain/Ridge-Valley area, but are higher than those for other surrounding areas. The diurnal ozone patterns, as well as the distribution of concentration ranges and timing of seasonal maxima, suggest that long...

Comparison of pH, sulfate and nitrate in throughfall and stemflow in yellow-poplar and oak stands in north-central West Virginia

Deposition of sulfate and nitrate with gross precipitation, throughfall, and stemflow was observed at yellow-poplar and oak forest sites in the central Appalachians. For 1987, the sums of throughfall plus stemflow deposition of sulfate were 84.9 kg/ha at the yellow-poplar site and 92.1 kg/ha at the oak site; the corresponding values for nitrate deposition were 27.5 kg/ha and 33.8 kg/ha. The stemflow deposition of sulfate at the oak site was substantially greater than that at the yellow-poplar site. Both throughfall and stemflow were more acidic at the oak site than at the yellow-poplar site. The pH of throughfall shows substantial spatial variation. As the species composition varies with topography, the corresponding effect of forest canopy on throughfall pH and on soil is proposed. Errors of measuring atmospheric deposition in forests are discussed. Atmospheric deposition should be studied in combination with other phenomena which affect forest growth.

Coalbed Gas Potential in the Pittsburgh-Huntington Synclinorium, Northern West Virginia

The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) received a subcontract from the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology to conduct a geologic evaluation of critical production parameters for coalbed methane resources in the northern Appalachian coal basin. The study area is a northeast-southwest-trending ellipse that coincides with the axis of the Pittsburgh-Huntington Synclinorium in north central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. Coalbed gas resources there have been estimated to be 61 bcf in previous work funded by the Gas Research institute. Data used in that study were mainly core descriptions and drillers' logs from coal exploration cores. The current research will integrate data from the WVGES' coal, oil and gas, and ground water databases to more carefully determine the number and thicknesses of coals below the Pittsburgh, and their hydrologic setting. Main objectives are to determine: the number of coals present; the geographic and stratigraphic positions of the thickest coals; locations of depocenters with stacked coals; the pressure regime of the area and geologic factors contributing to it; ground-water circulation patterns; and the presence of any potentiometric anomalies. Local and regional stratigraphic and structural cross sections and lithofacies and coal occurrence maps will be made for the coal-bearing interval belowmore » the Pittsburgh coal to show the distribution, structural attitude, and depositional systems. Regional and local control of structural elements, including fractures, on gas producibility from coalbeds will be determined. Gas and water production data will be collected from two small areas of current production and mapped and compared to maps of geologic parameters. The goal is to measure the effect on production of geologic parameters in these coalbed gas fields, and determine the locations of other 'sweet spots' in these coal beds.« less

Relationships among macerals, minerals, miospores and paleoecology in a column of Redstone coal (Upper Pennsylvanian) from north-central West Virginia (U.S.A.)

Two distinct paleoenvironments are represented in vertical succession in a column of Redstone coal in north-central West Virginia as indicated by a study of 37 consecutive 3-cm (0.1 ft) increments analyzed for ash yield, petrographic composition, low-temperature ash mineralogy and palynomorph abundances. Abundance profiles were constructed for ash, 12 petrographic components, 3 minerals and 5 miospore assemblages. The profiles and calculated correlation coefficients show close relationships between several constituents. Components that increased in abundance upward in the coal bed were a collinite type > 50 microns in thickness, cutinite, and miospores affiliated with calamites, herbaceous lycopods, cordaites and herbaceous ferns. Components that decreased in abundance upward were a collinite type < 50 microns in thickness, inertodetrinite, tree fern miospores, quartz, illite and ash yield. Components were correlated with ash yield to infer the swamp geochemical conditions that contributed to the low-ash (7%) upper one-third of the coal bed and the higher-ash (16%) lower two-thirds of the coal bed. Components that correlate positively with increased ash were the collinite type < 50 μm thickness, inertodetrinite, tree fern miospores, illite and quartz. Components that correlate negatively with increased ash were the collinite type > 50 μm in thickness, cutinite, calamite and cordaite miospores and kaolinite. Significant correlations occurred between ash yield and the collinite types > 50 and < 50 μm in thickness but no significant correlation was found between ash yield and total vitrinite-group content. This is interpreted to show that division of vitrinite macerals by size is important in petrographic paleoenvironmental studies. Paleoecologic interpretations based upon these correlations suggest that two distinct, planar, probably topogenous paleoecologic environments are represented in this column of the Redstone coal. The lower two-thirds of the coal bed was interpreted to have accumulated in a planar swamp in which significant introduction of detrital or dissolved mineral matter, and significant anaerobic and moderate oxidative degradation of the peat occurred. The flora of this paleoenvironment was dominated by tree ferns. The paleoenvironment during accumulation of the upper one-third of the coal bed was also interpreted to have been a planar swamp, but one in which moderate to low introduction of detrital or dissolved mineral matter, and minor anaerobic and oxidative degradation of the peat occurred. The dominant flora of this paleoenvironment consisted mainly of calamites with fewer cordaites and herbaceous ferns. This study shows that valuable paleoecologic information may be obtained by sampling closely spaced vertical increments. No mixing of detrital sediments with the peat was observed in coal layers immediately adjacent to the parting or the overlying sandstone unit.

Drowning of an Ooid Shoal: Mississippian Greenbrier Limestone Near West Virginia Dome: ABSTRACT

The depositional setting for the Greenbrier Limestone of the central Appalachian basin included a continually subsiding basin, centered in southeastern West Virginia and adjacent Virginia, separated by a hinge zone from a broad shallow shelf located to the north and northwest. Oolitic limestones are thick and extensive in southern West Virginia; however, most of these units thin drastically and change in lithology to the north. An area of uplift, the West Virginia dome, developed along the hinge zone in north-central West Virginia. During early Greenbrier deposition, this area was exposed as an island. Later, the dome was submerged but remained as a submarine high throughout Greenbrier sedimentation. The northernmost occurrences of Mississippian oolitic limestones in West Virginia surround this feature.

Stratigraphic expression of basement fault zones in northern West Virginia

Stratigraphic relationships of Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian subsurface and outcrop strata in northern West Virginia indicate that two basement structures influenced the deposition of the Catskill and Price-Rockwell delta complexes. These structures are herein named the fault and the fault zone. The Harrison fault zone trends north-south through north-central West Virginia and is recognized by the stacking arrangement of shoreline and marine sandstones and by trends of rapid interval thickening of shelf deposits. The trend and sense of movement indicated by these features is consistent with that expected for Cambrian-age basement normal faults along the eastern margin of the Rome trough. The Barbour fault zone is a cross-strike feature recognized by the vertical stacking of Hampshire Group fluvial sandstones, facies relationships within the Price Formation, and the configuration of the sub-Greenbrier Lime-stone unconformity. The Barbour fault zone marks the northern edge of the West Virginia dome.

Sycamore Grit Siltstone: Informal Member of Upper Devonian in North-Central West Virginia: ABSTRACT

The Upper Devonian Sycamore grit siltstone (an informal member of the Brallier Formation) was studied both in outcrop and subsurface. Outcrops consist of approximately 80 ft of thin to medium-bedded, brownish-gray, argillaceous siltstones and olive-gray shales. The Sycamore was presumably deposited by or associated with turbidity currents, because sedimentary structures include incomplete Bouma sequences and flute casts. Petrographic studies from outcrop sections reveal quartz, plagioclase, feldspar, and micas as the dominant framework grains; the matrix is composed of ductile grains and finer detrital material. Porosity is very low in these outcrop samples due to pore filling and grain coating by chlorite and hematite. The subsurface portion of the study was conducted over a 12-county area of north-central West Virginia, where the Sycamore occupies a stratigraphic position approximately 1,500 ft below the Benson sand and 800 ft above the Tully Limestone. Areally, the Sycamore appears as a series of submarine fans and attains its maximum thickness where two or more of these fans overlap. Near Weston, in central Lewis County, the Sycamore grit siltstone reaches a thickness of 90 ft and is a proven economic producer of natural gas when dually completed with shallower formations.

Population Dynamics of Rosebay Rhododendron Thickets in the Southern Appalachians

PLOCHER, A. E. AND K. L. CARVELL (Div. For., West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV 26506-6125). Population dynamics of rosebay rhododendron thickets in the southern Appalachians. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 114:121-126.-Seven north-central West Virginia Rhododendron maximum thickets, ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 ha, were studied to determine: the occurrence of and ecological conditions for rhododendron reproduction and vegetative propagation, the relationship between past logging history and thicket formation and dynamics and the effect of dense rhododendron thickets on overstory reproduction and recruitment. Thickets were relatively even-aged and did not appear to be increasing in area. The overstories were younger than the rhododendrons and tree seedlings and saplings occurred within thickets. Thickets were found to date from the most recent logging operations. Moisture conditions varied from mesic to subxeric. Drier thickets with more open canopies, sparse herb coverage and an abundance of moss produced rosebay seedlings prolifically in adjacent areas. Thickets with wetter conditions, denser canopies and lush herbaceous growth produced very few rosebay seedlings; however, they exhibited profuse layering.

An investigation of landslide problems in spoil piles in a strip coal mining area, West Virginia (U.S.A.)

Spoil piles in coal mine areas in north-central West Virginia suffer from numerous landslide problems. An investigation to determine the causes of these slides showed that the stratigraphic composition, the nature of the foundation soils, the seasonal high water table and the mining technique contributed to the instability. The presence of red shales is identified as a key problem. Several models of failure were investigated based on inclinometer data. These data suggest that multiple failure surfaces may develop in spoil piles. In such cases, the initial failure surface is better defined than other movement surfaces, which either represent subsequent failures that occur in response to placement of additional spoil materials, or are shear zones of readjustment following initial failure. Results show that failures are most likely initiated along the spoil-natural ground interface and propagate slowly into the spoil mass.

Effects of Cold Storage and Planting Date on Red Pine Survival and Growth

Abstract Effects of cold storage and planting date on first-year survival and height growth of red pine seedlings were evaluated in a one-year study in north-central West Virginia. Both survival and height growth were reduced as time in cold storage increased. Good survival was obtained for plantings made as late as 25 June, after 73 days in cold storage. Satisfactory height growth occurred for plantings made as late as 23 July. There was no significant difference in survival before and after fall frost for any planting dates except the 20 August planting. Reduced height growth for the later plantings was probably a consequence of the short growing season remaining. There was no indication that the length of time in cold storage affected the period required for buds to break dormancy. North J. Appl. For. 2:51-53, June 1985.

Detailed Deposystem Analysis of Reservoir Sandstones of Catskill Delta, North-Central West Virginia: ABSTRACT

Upper Devonian Hampshire and Lower Mississippian Pocono sandstones were correlated over a 370-mi2 area in north-central West Virginia using 400 gamma-ray logs. Isolith maps show the geometry, position, trend, and distribution pattern of the sandstones. Sandstone belts occur in north-south (strike) trends particularly in the western part (Lewis County), whereas east-west (dip) trending sandstone belts and dendroids generally occur in the eastern part (Upshur County) of the study area. The north-south-trending sandstone belts are interpreted as barrier islands, and their adjacent eastward facies consisting of some plant-rich black shales and thin sandstones are interpreted as lagoonal. Tidal inlets are associated with barrier islands along the strike trend. Sands probably were supplied to the ancient barrier islands by east-trending distributary channels that were affected by both tidal and fluvial processes. East-west cyclic shifting of the barrier islands and the north-south shifting of the were strongly influenced by the paleotopography of the next lower sandstone unit. The nearly 5-mi (8-km) shoreline shift east-west within sand intervals (Fourth, Thirty-foot, Fifty-foot) of these shoreline sandstones probably resulted from combinations of changes in sea level, sediment supply, and differential compaction. The interpreted feeder systems of tidal and fluvial channels trending east-west indicate a history of distributaries shifting with time also. The Hampshire Formation and Pocono Group of north-central West Virginia are inter reted facies of coastal plain-nearshore environments in which marine-dominant deltas characterize the shoreline. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1443------------

Relationship of aspect to soil nutrients, species importance and biomass in a forested watershed in West Virginia

A relationship between importance values of several tree species and aspect was found in a north-central West Virginia catchment. Corresponding differences in soil chemical properties with aspect were also observed. North and east aspects had larger amounts of manganese and potassium in the A horizon than did south and west slopes. The converse was true for iron and hydrogen ion (acidity). It is proposed that greater quantities of certain elements in the topsoil on north and east aspects relates to more complete litter decomposition and more rapid nutrient cycling on these sites.

Stoniness and rockiness of a forested Appalachian catchment

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution of surface and subsurface stoniness and rockiness and to describe and compare this parameter to the distributions of the following parameters: A- and B-horizon thickness, azimuth, inclination, and relative height for a watershed in north central West Virginia. The parameters were evaluated on 724 square 0.39 ha plots encompassing the total area of the catchment. Surface stoniness and rockiness was found to be lowest on thicker soils, northeast aspects, and small relative heights. There was no relationship found between surface and subsurface stones and rocks. To accurately hypothesize on the biophysical relationships between stoniness and rockiness and plant productivity, further research is recommended on different watersheds and in areas of soil moisture and temperature, and microclimatic relationships as related to stones and rocks.

Biomass predicted by soil-site factors: a case study in north central West Virginia

Soil-site characteristics and the biomass of trees larger than 5 cm dbh (diameter at breast height) were measured in a 50-year-old hardwood forest on a 269-ha watershed on the Allegheny Plateau. A weighted stepwise multiple regression model explained 65% of the variation in biomass. The significant variables were, in order of importance: aspect; iron and copper in the B horizon; lime requirement and calcium in the A horizon; calcium in the B horizon; surface stoniness; A horizon manganese, potassium, and iron.

Seismic and Stratigraphic Models in Exploration for Devonian Oriskany Sandstone Structural Targets, Eastern Overthrust Belt: ABSTRACT

Seismic and stratigraphic models resulted from a successful 5-yr seismic and exploration drilling program focusing on the Devonian Oriskany Sandstone in north-central West Virginia. Disciplines applied to the geologic evaluation of the area include analyses of Landsat, synthetic-aperture radar imagery, outcrop, seismic, geophysical well logs, engineering, and reservoir fluid data. Prospectiveness of the Oriskany, a key producer of natural gas in the northern Appalachian basin, is dependent on three basic factors: (1) the stratigraphic delineation of trends of matrix porosity lenses developed within the main body of the sandstone, (2) seismic definition of anticlinal and related fault closures, and (3) drilling of fracture-prone structural positions to achieve fracture-enhanced reservoirs. Stratigraphically, the Oriskany Sandstone (Ulsterian Series) is a tight, regionally extensive, transgressive, marine sandstone. The unit ranges in thickness from zero at its pinchout edges on the north, south, and west, to a maximum thickness of 250 ft (76 m) within the study area. Depths vary structurally from 7,000 to 10,000 ft (2,100 to 3,050 m). Structurally, the area of interest falls between the intraplateau structural front and the Allegheny Front, wherein seismic structural targets are predominantly thrusted cores of concentric folds and imbricately thrusted blocks. Listric faults originate from decollement zones below the Oriskany. Major shear zones are most effectively identified by satellite imagery. Local recoverable gas reserves from the Oriskany range from 1.5 to 5 bcf per well, with an attained average of 2.25 bcf per well. Wells penetrating fracture-enhanced Oriskany exhibit high rates of natural flow. Reservoir engineering data are effective in defining the extent of fracture envelopes. Tighter sections require acidizing and hydraulic fracturing. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1926------------