Fine-scale resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) created from data collected using high precision instruments have become ubiquitous in fluvial geomorphology. They permit a diverse range of spatially explicit analyses including hydraulic modeling, habitat modeling and geomorphic change detection. Yet, the intercomparison of survey technologies across a diverse range of wadeable stream habitats has not yet been examined. Additionally, we lack an understanding regarding the precision of DEMs derived from ground-based surveys conducted by different, and inherently subjective, observers. This thesis addresses current knowledge gaps with the objectives i) to intercompare survey techniques for characterizing instream topography, and ii) to characterize observer variability in instream topographic surveys. To address objective i, we used total station (TS), real-time kinematic (rtk) GPS, terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), and infrared airborne laser scanning (ALS) topographic data from six sites of varying complexity in the Lemhi River Basin, Idaho. The accuracy of derived bare earth DEMs was evaluated relative to higher precision TS point data. Significant DEM discrepancies between pairwise techniques were calculated using propagated DEM errors thresholded at a 95% confidence interval. Mean discrepancies between TS and rtkGPS DEMs were relatively low (≤ 0.05 m), yet TS data collection time was up to 2.4 times longer than rtkGPS. ALS DEMs had lower accuracy than TS or rtkGPS DEMs, but ALS aerial coverage and floodplain topographic representation was superior to all other techniques. The TLS bare earth DEM accuracy and precision were lower than other techniques as a result of vegetation returns misinterpreted as ground returns. To address objective ii, we used a case study where seven field crews surveyed the same six sites to quantify the magnitude and effect of observer variability on DEMs interpolated from the survey data. We modeled two geomorphic change scenarios and calculated net erosion and deposition volumes at a 95% confidence interval. We observed several large magnitude elevation discrepancies across crews, however many of these i) tended to be highly localized, ii) were due to systematic errors, iii) did not significantly affect DEM-derived metric precision, and iv) can be corrected post-hoc.

The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 severely impacted the woody vegetation within the geomorphic floodplain as well as the morphology of the Upper South Fork Toutle River. Historic aerial imagery and LiDAR data were used in combination to create snapshots of the channel and vegetation in 1980, 1983, 1996, 2003, and 2014. This data was mapped and analyzed using GIS, with the primary focus on 2D channel change, vegetation change, and channel-vegetation interactions from 1980 to 2014. No vegetation was discernable in 1980-83 but the vegetation present in 1996 increased in area and in density from 1996 to 2014. The number of channels locations were dependent on vegetation density and presence while vegetation growth occurred predominately in areas previously occupied by the channel.

In 2010, Simon Estok observed that, "the most immediate question ecocriticism can ask is about how our assumptions about animals affect the natural environment". In this thesis, I respond to this challenge by generating a sustained conversation between the hitherto surprisingly distinct fields of animal studies and ecocriticism. I do this by formulating a new critical concept, that of the geomorphic animal, which I use to show how literary representations of animals often expose the many complex ways in which they constitute space rather than simply inhabiting it. This, in turn, should make them central to future ecocritical readings. I focus on two periods, medieval and modern; the broad historical and generic scope of this thesis is intended to demonstrate the conceptual validity and robustness of geomorphic readings. Chapter One shows how concerns with death and symbiosis are expressed through the earth-bound activities of the geomorphic animals of the Exeter Book riddles. Chapter Two examines geomorphic whales in texts deriving from two related traditions: the Book of Jonah and the Physiologus. Chapters Three and Four focus on modern theatre, which affords distinctive ways of articulating the spatial implications of geomorphism. Chapter Three discusses the literary representation of museums and zoos in terms of the interpretative complexities generated by staging and spectacle. Chapter Four, focusing on mediation, discusses the interplay between animals, viewpoints and place in theatre, also taking into account particular issues arising from the adaptation of plays into films. This argument paves the way to addressing the geomorphic depiction of marginalised humans and human groups, suggesting the critical potential of geomorphism as a means of furthering feminist and post-colonialist aims.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-04-16Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:45:38Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 matias_ssr_dr_jabo.pdf: 1718556 bytes, checksum: 6aa4f59f2f833b454b295ffe2e36da7b (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar a suscetibilidade magnética e sua associação com os atributos do solo e do relevo em uma topossequência de Latossolos. Os solos foram coletados numa transeção de 2.700 km com intervalos regulares de 25 m, e aleatoriamente nas áreas laterais de três superfícies geomórficas mapeadas, em duas profundidades (0,00–0,20 m e 0,60–0,80 m), totalizando 514 amostras. Sete trincheiras foram analisadas contemplando os segmentos de vertente inseridos nas superfícies geomórficas. As amostras coletadas foram submetidas às análises de densidade do solo, porosidade, grau de floculação, textura, pH (água, CaCl2 e KCl), matéria orgânica, P, Ca, K, Mg, H + Al, Al. É calculado SB, CTC e V%. Também foram determinados o SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 (H2SO4), óxidos de Fe livres (Fed), o ferro de baixa cristalinidade (Feo) e a suscetibilidade magnética. Os dados foram analisados pela estatística univariada, descritiva, multivariada, Split Moving Windows e geoestatística. Os resultados mostraram que a divisão de áreas por meio das superfícies geomórficas ocasionou melhor entendimento da variabilidade dos atributos do solo na vertente. O método geoestatístico SMWDA (“Split Moving Windows Dissimilarity Analysis”), confirmou a divisão númericamente das três superfícies geomórficas por meio da granulometria e suscetibilidade magnética. A suscetibilidade magnética foi o atributo que melhor identificou os limites entre os corpos mapeados no campo, o que indica seu potencial de uso para mapear áreas homogêneas / The objective of this work was to study the magnetic susceptibility and its association with the soil characteristics and topography in an Oxisol toposequence. Soil samples were collected in a transect of 2.700 km at intervals of 25 m, and randomly in lateral areas of three geomorphic surfaces mapped in two depths (0.00-0.20 m and 0.60-0.80 m), totaling 514 samples. Seven trenches were opened in the slope segments of geomorphic surfaces. The samples were analyzed for bulk density, porosity, degree of flocculation, texture, pH (water, CaCl2 and KCl), organic matter, P, Ca, K, Mg, H + Al, and Al. Calculating exchangeable bases (EB), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and base saturation (V%). In addition it was determined SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 (attack by H2SO4), free iron oxides (Fed), poorly crystallized iron (Feo) and magnetic susceptibility, in all studied points. Data were analyzed by univariate statistical, descriptive, multivariate, split moving windows and geostatistics. Results showed that the division of areas by means of geomorphic surfaces resulted in better understanding of soil properties variability in the studied slope. The geostatistical method SMWDA (Split Moving Windows Dissimilarity Analysis), confirmed the numerical division of the three geomorphic surfaces by means of particle size and magnetic susceptibility. The magnetic susceptibility was the best attribute to identify the boundaries between bodies mapped in the field, which indicates its potential use for mapping homogeneous areas

Resumo: O presente trabalho teve por objetivo relacionar as superfícies geomórficas em uma vertente na região de Jaboticabal (SP) com a mineralogia, química e física de latossolos nelas distribuídos, bem como a variabilidade espacial destes atributos, com a finalidade do estabelecimento de áreas mais homogêneas, específicas para manejo, planejamento e transferência de informações, além de subsidiar informações para gênese de solos. Foram identificadas e caracterizadas três superfícies geomórficas, os solos sob estas foram amostrados em detalhe e seus atributos físicos, químicos e mineralógicos foram analisados, bem como sua variabilidade através da estatística descritiva e geoestatística. Os resultados deste estudo evidenciaram que: (1) a razão dos latossolos sob a superfície III, mais jovem de todas, serem mais oxídicos, enquanto que os latossolos da superfície I, mais velha, são mais cauliníticos, é conseqüência da litoestratigrafia regional arenito-basalto; (2) o ambiente sob a superfície I, mais estável, favoreceu a formação de caulinita e hematita com maior grau de cristalinidade, menor largura à meia altura (LMA) e maior diâmetro médio do cristal (DMC) quando comparados aos mesmos minerais dos solos sob a superfície III, a mais jovem e menos estável; (3) os atributos do solo mais coincidentes com aqueles limites pré-determinados das superfícies geomórficas no campo, foram em ordem decrescente: inclinação do terreno, ferro do ataque sulfúrico (Fes), razões minerais leves/pesados e silte/argila, densidade de partículas e caulinita/(caulinita+gibbsita); (4) os solos sob a superfície III apresentam uma maior variabilidade espacial de seus atributos quando comparados aos solos sob a superfície I, evidenciando que solos muito intemperizados (Latossolos) quando sob superfícies geomórficas mais recentes e erosionais são mineralogicamente menos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The present work had as objective to relate the geomorphic surfaces of a transect at Jaboticabal (SP) region with the mineralogy, chemistry and physics of Latosols (Oxisols) distributed on it and the spatial variability of these attributes. The found results, in this context, supply important data for planning and experimental evaluations, besides subsidising information about the genesis and the evolution of the soils in the landscape. In this work, three geomorphic surfaces were identified and characterised, the soils under them were sampled in detail and analysed, and the spatial variability of them were studied through descriptive statistics and geo-statistics. The results of this study evidenced that: (1) the reason for the Latosols under the youngest geomorphic surface (III) have an oxidic mineralogy, and the soils under the oldest surface (I) have a kaolinitic mineralogy, is consequence of the regional sandstone-basalt lithostratigraphy; (2) the pedogenic environment under the geomorphic surface I, favoured minerals of better degree of crystallisation, confirmed by the larger value of crystallite average diameter and smaller width at half height of XRD peaks, when compared with the same minerals under the geomorphic surface III; (3) the best soil attributes to confirm the limits among geomorphic surfaces were: terrain inclination, iron from sulphuric acid digestion, light/heavy minerals ratio, silt/clay ratio, particle density, and kaolinite/(kaolinite+gibbsite) ratio; (4) the soil (Dusky-Red Latosol) under the more recent, erosional geomorphic surface (III), is less homogeneous (higher spatial variability), with relation to the selected attributes than the soil (Dark-Red Latosol) under the older and flatter geomorphic surface (I); and (5) the differential spatial dependence, represented by the values of the reaches(r) in soils under the three geomorphic surfaces, for the majority... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Orientador: Nilton Curi / Coorientador: José Marques Júnior / Banca: Igo Fernando Lepsch / Banca: Ricardo Marques Coelho / Banca: José Frederico Centurion / Banca: Gener Tadeu Pereira / Doutor

Resumo: O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar a suscetibilidade magnética e sua associação com os atributos do solo e do relevo em uma topossequência de Latossolos. Os solos foram coletados numa transeção de 2.700 km com intervalos regulares de 25 m, e aleatoriamente nas áreas laterais de três superfícies geomórficas mapeadas, em duas profundidades (0,00-0,20 m e 0,60-0,80 m), totalizando 514 amostras. Sete trincheiras foram analisadas contemplando os segmentos de vertente inseridos nas superfícies geomórficas. As amostras coletadas foram submetidas às análises de densidade do solo, porosidade, grau de floculação, textura, pH (água, CaCl2 e KCl), matéria orgânica, P, Ca, K, Mg, H + Al, Al. É calculado SB, CTC e V%. Também foram determinados o SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 (H2SO4), óxidos de Fe livres (Fed), o ferro de baixa cristalinidade (Feo) e a suscetibilidade magnética. Os dados foram analisados pela estatística univariada, descritiva, multivariada, Split Moving Windows e geoestatística. Os resultados mostraram que a divisão de áreas por meio das superfícies geomórficas ocasionou melhor entendimento da variabilidade dos atributos do solo na vertente. O método geoestatístico SMWDA ("Split Moving Windows Dissimilarity Analysis"), confirmou a divisão númericamente das três superfícies geomórficas por meio da granulometria e suscetibilidade magnética. A suscetibilidade magnética foi o atributo que melhor identificou os limites entre os corpos mapeados no campo, o que indica seu potencial de uso para mapear áreas homogêneas / Abstract: The objective of this work was to study the magnetic susceptibility and its association with the soil characteristics and topography in an Oxisol toposequence. Soil samples were collected in a transect of 2.700 km at intervals of 25 m, and randomly in lateral areas of three geomorphic surfaces mapped in two depths (0.00-0.20 m and 0.60-0.80 m), totaling 514 samples. Seven trenches were opened in the slope segments of geomorphic surfaces. The samples were analyzed for bulk density, porosity, degree of flocculation, texture, pH (water, CaCl2 and KCl), organic matter, P, Ca, K, Mg, H + Al, and Al. Calculating exchangeable bases (EB), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and base saturation (V%). In addition it was determined SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 (attack by H2SO4), free iron oxides (Fed), poorly crystallized iron (Feo) and magnetic susceptibility, in all studied points. Data were analyzed by univariate statistical, descriptive, multivariate, split moving windows and geostatistics. Results showed that the division of areas by means of geomorphic surfaces resulted in better understanding of soil properties variability in the studied slope. The geostatistical method SMWDA ("Split Moving Windows Dissimilarity Analysis"), confirmed the numerical division of the three geomorphic surfaces by means of particle size and magnetic susceptibility. The magnetic susceptibility was the best attribute to identify the boundaries between bodies mapped in the field, which indicates its potential use for mapping homogeneous areas / Orientador: José Marques Junior / Coorientador: Gener Tadeu Pereira / Banca: Marcílio Vieira Martins Filho / Banca: Pablo Vidal Torrado / Banca: Dilermando Perecin / Banca: Zigomar Menezes de Souza / Doutor

The geomorphological impact of small fossorial mammals (adapted to digging and living underground), such as rodents can be significant, and both their direct and indirect effects may contribute to landscape formation. This thesis is based on empirical field studies of two burrowing rodent species in sub-polar environments, namely invasive House mice (Mus musculus) on sub-Antarctic Marion Island and Norwegian lemmings (Lemmus lemmus) in sub-Arctic Abisko. The spatial distribution, sediment displacements, impact on vegetation and microclimatic effects of the rodents are documented. Invasive mice and rats, introduced on sub-Antarctic Islands during the 19th century, lack natural enemies and are shown to have a significant direct and indirect geomorphic impact by direct sediment displacement, vegetation removal by burrowing, grazing and trampling and thereby exposing the sediments for rain, wind and frost processes.  The geomorphic impacts of lemmings are comparatively more limited as they rely on natural hollows and snow cover for protection and do not burrow to the same extent as other fossorial rodents in cold regions. Lemmings are thus suggested to have little impact on landform integrity, but can affect vegetation composition. A comparison of the findings from this study with published data on seven other rodent species and other physical mass transfer mechanisms in sub-polar and alpine environments suggests that fossorial rodents are a significant and sometimes dominant geomorphic force in sub-polar and alpine environments. The geomorphic work by ground squirrels, ice rats, plateau pikas and zokors is shown to be in the same order of magnitude as solifluction and rock falls. In alpine and periglacial environments these rodents are considered to act as key-stone species and ecosystem engineers through the creation of landforms by  dislocation and of soil and other impacts on soil properties, vegetation and ecosystem function

It has been estimated that approximately fifty percent of the United States’ population lives behind levees. Because these earth structures are typically long, subjected to seasonal changes and spatial variability, it is logical to analyze them in an uncertainty-based approach. This research is focused on assessing the potential of internal erosion related failure due to underseepage with the general objective of assessing the failure potential of individual geomorphic features while considering length effects. The project team was granted $204,000 from the National Science Foundation and $10,000 from the United States Society on Dams which resulted in research collaboration within graduate students and University of Delaware faculty as well as several presentations in prestigious conferences (in the U.S and Europe) and publication of journal papers. Findings from this research should be easily transferrable to other linear earth structures (such as dams, construction excavations, detention ponds, road embankments, etc.), and should significantly enhance reliability analysis across a wide array of structure types and geologic settings allowing a broad impact on future research, as well as geotechnical engineering practice.

In 1899, Robert T. Hill led the first scientific exploration of the remote segment of the Rio Grande known as the Big Bend. Hill’s observations from this expedition were published in an article titled “Running the Cañons of the Rio Grande.” At the time of Hill’s expedition, the stream flow of the Rio Grande was largely depleted by water development in the upstream portions of the basin. The continued overallocation of the Rio Grande has led to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems in the Big Bend, one of North America’s largest transboundary protected areas, such that management of natural resources in this region is a high priority. Many of the native species in this region are listed as threatened or endangered due to habitat loss, which is driven by channel narrowing. Thus, excess fine sediment, along with invasive riparian species, has been identified as negatively impacting ecological resources in the Big Bend and studies recommend increased stream flow as the most effective tool for managing excess fine sediment. Aside from historical accounts, there was previously no estimate of the Rio Grande’s natural flow regime nor an adequate understanding of how the role of characteristic floods in the Big Bend shaped the pre-disturbance channel. In the following two studies, we fill in these crucial knowledge gaps by estimating the pre-disturbance flow regime of the Rio Grande, describing how channel narrowing is not spatially uniform in the Big Bend, and analyzing past floods to determine the role of past flood regimes in shaping alluvial deposits that contribute to channel narrowing.

Fine-scale resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) created from data collected using high precision instruments have become ubiquitous in fluvial geomorphology. They permit a diverse range of spatially explicit analyses including hydraulic modeling, habitat modeling and geomorphic change detection. Yet, the intercomparison of survey technologies across a diverse range of wadeable stream habitats has not yet been examined. Additionally, we lack an understanding regarding the precision of DEMs derived from ground-based surveys conducted by different, and inherently subjective, observers. This thesis addresses current knowledge gaps with the objectives i) to intercompare survey techniques for characterizing instream topography, and ii) to characterize observer variability in instream topographic surveys. To address objective i, we used total station (TS), real-time kinematic (rtk) GPS, terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), and infrared airborne laser scanning (ALS) topographic data from six sites of varying complexity in the Lemhi River Basin, Idaho. The accuracy of derived bare earth DEMs was evaluated relative to higher precision TS point data. Significant DEM discrepancies between pairwise techniques were calculated using propagated DEM errors thresholded at a 95% confidence interval. Mean discrepancies between TS and rtkGPS DEMs were relatively low (≤ 0.05 m), yet TS data collection time was up to 2.4 times longer than rtkGPS. ALS DEMs had lower accuracy than TS or rtkGPS DEMs, but ALS aerial coverage and floodplain topographic representation was superior to all other techniques. The TLS bare earth DEM accuracy and precision were lower than other techniques as a result of vegetation returns misinterpreted as ground returns. To address objective ii, we used a case study where seven field crews surveyed the same six sites to quantify the magnitude and effect of observer variability on DEMs interpolated from the survey data. We modeled two geomorphic change scenarios and calculated net erosion and deposition volumes at a 95% confidence interval. We observed several large magnitude elevation discrepancies across crews, however many of these i) tended to be highly localized, ii) were due to systematic errors, iii) did not significantly affect DEM-derived metric precision, and iv) can be corrected post-hoc.