Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating has many potential applications in the fields of archaeology and Quaternary geomorphology. In particular, it offers a useful addition to more established techniques for dating speleothems, which not only have relevance to Quaternary geomorphology but may also carry palaeomagnetic and palaeoclimatic data. This work consolidates the method of ESR dating, with special reference to calcite speleothems, and contributes to several important aspects of the methodology. Using a low energy nuclear accelerator as a source of alpha particles of various energies, it is shown that the effectiveness of alpha radiation in producing paramagnetic defects is energy dependent, and approximately linearly related to the range of the incident alpha; the implications for dose rate calculations are discussed, and ranges are calculated for alpha particles of different energies for various dating materials for use in applying the above finding. The alpha/gamma effectiveness ratio, k, is experimentally determined for 18 calcite speleothems as k$/sb[/rm av]$ = 0.052 $/pm$ 0.006, which is significantly less than most previous estimates. The k-value for a coral sample is 0.055. By examining the Th-230/Po-210 ratios of 19 speleothem samples it is shown that for almost all speleothems, radon is retained within the sample until its decay; thus the full radionuclide decay chains should be used in dose rate calculations. Analysis of 'typical' calcite spectra confirms that interference between peaks of different origins and stability affects the estimate of accumulated dose (AD), and provides a rational basis for decisions on different sample preparation methods and analytical procedures. The effect of these on age estimates is examined and routine experimental methods recommended. The effect of different ESR spectrometer operating parameters is also evaluated and it is shown that the use of high microwave power avoids potentially serious underestimation of the accumulated dose (AD). A straight-forward statistical method is developed; this enables confidence limits to be derived for AD and provides a test for equivalence of AD estimates, using standard linear hypothesis techniques. A robust Geiger Muller instrument sufficiently sensitive to give estimates of relative gamma dose rates in a few minutes is developed specifically for cave dosimetry. It has the potential, with further development and cross-calibration, to become a viable method for measuring absolute environmental gamma dose rates. Serious discrepancies between two 'absolute' dosimetry methods are revealed; this and other problems of environmental gamma dosimetry are discussed. The evaluation of gamma dose rates in calcite (with respect to both laboratory and field dosimetry) and the form of the dose response curve (including the possibility of supra-linearity and non-thermal instability) are identified as areas requiring further research.

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating has many potential applications in the fields of archaeology and Quaternary geomorphology. In particular, it offers a useful addition to more established techniques for dating speleothems, which not only have relevance to Quaternary geomorphology but may also carry palaeomagnetic and palaeoclimatic data. This work consolidates the method of ESR dating, with special reference to calcite speleothems, and contributes to several important aspects of the methodology. Using a low energy nuclear accelerator as a source of alpha particles of various energies, it is shown that the effectiveness of alpha radiation in producing paramagnetic defects is energy dependent, and approximately linearly related to the range of the incident alpha; the implications for dose rate calculations are discussed, and ranges are calculated for alpha particles of different energies for various dating materials for use in applying the above finding. The alpha/gamma effectiveness ratio, k, is experimentally determined for 18 calcite speleothems as k$/sb[/rm av]$ = 0.052 $/pm$ 0.006, which is significantly less than most previous estimates. The k-value for a coral sample is 0.055. By examining the Th-230/Po-210 ratios of 19 speleothem samples it is shown that for almost all speleothems, radon is retained within the sample until its decay; thus the full radionuclide decay chains should be used in dose rate calculations. Analysis of 'typical' calcite spectra confirms that interference between peaks of different origins and stability affects the estimate of accumulated dose (AD), and provides a rational basis for decisions on different sample preparation methods and analytical procedures. The effect of these on age estimates is examined and routine experimental methods recommended. The effect of different ESR spectrometer operating parameters is also evaluated and it is shown that the use of high microwave power avoids potentially serious underestimation of the accumulated dose (AD). A straight-forward statistical method is developed; this enables confidence limits to be derived for AD and provides a test for equivalence of AD estimates, using standard linear hypothesis techniques. A robust Geiger Muller instrument sufficiently sensitive to give estimates of relative gamma dose rates in a few minutes is developed specifically for cave dosimetry. It has the potential, with further development and cross-calibration, to become a viable method for measuring absolute environmental gamma dose rates. Serious discrepancies between two 'absolute' dosimetry methods are revealed; this and other problems of environmental gamma dosimetry are discussed. The evaluation of gamma dose rates in calcite (with respect to both laboratory and field dosimetry) and the form of the dose response curve (including the possibility of supra-linearity and non-thermal instability) are identified as areas requiring further research.

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating has many potential applications in the fields of archaeology and Quaternary geomorphology. In particular, it offers a useful addition to more established techniques for dating speleothems, which not only have relevance to Quaternary geomorphology but may also carry palaeomagnetic and palaeoclimatic data. This work consolidates the method of ESR dating, with special reference to calcite speleothems, and contributes to several important aspects of the methodology. Using a low energy nuclear accelerator as a source of alpha particles of various energies, it is shown that the effectiveness of alpha radiation in producing paramagnetic defects is energy dependent, and approximately linearly related to the range of the incident alpha; the implications for dose rate calculations are discussed, and ranges are calculated for alpha particles of different energies for various dating materials for use in applying the above finding. The alpha/gamma effectiveness ratio, k, is experimentally determined for 18 calcite speleothems as k$/sb[/rm av]$ = 0.052 $/pm$ 0.006, which is significantly less than most previous estimates. The k-value for a coral sample is 0.055. By examining the Th-230/Po-210 ratios of 19 speleothem samples it is shown that for almost all speleothems, radon is retained within the sample until its decay; thus the full radionuclide decay chains should be used in dose rate calculations. Analysis of 'typical' calcite spectra confirms that interference between peaks of different origins and stability affects the estimate of accumulated dose (AD), and provides a rational basis for decisions on different sample preparation methods and analytical procedures. The effect of these on age estimates is examined and routine experimental methods recommended. The effect of different ESR spectrometer operating parameters is also evaluated and it is shown that the use of high microwave power avoids potentially serious underestimation of the accumulated dose (AD). A straight-forward statistical method is developed; this enables confidence limits to be derived for AD and provides a test for equivalence of AD estimates, using standard linear hypothesis techniques. A robust Geiger Muller instrument sufficiently sensitive to give estimates of relative gamma dose rates in a few minutes is developed specifically for cave dosimetry. It has the potential, with further development and cross-calibration, to become a viable method for measuring absolute environmental gamma dose rates. Serious discrepancies between two 'absolute' dosimetry methods are revealed; this and other problems of environmental gamma dosimetry are discussed. The evaluation of gamma dose rates in calcite (with respect to both laboratory and field dosimetry) and the form of the dose response curve (including the possibility of supra-linearity and non-thermal instability) are identified as areas requiring further research.

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating has many potential applications in the fields of archaeology and Quaternary geomorphology. In particular, it offers a useful addition to more established techniques for dating speleothems, which not only have relevance to Quaternary geomorphology but may also carry palaeomagnetic and palaeoclimatic data. This work consolidates the method of ESR dating, with special reference to calcite speleothems, and contributes to several important aspects of the methodology. Using a low energy nuclear accelerator as a source of alpha particles of various energies, it is shown that the effectiveness of alpha radiation in producing paramagnetic defects is energy dependent, and approximately linearly related to the range of the incident alpha; the implications for dose rate calculations are discussed, and ranges are calculated for alpha particles of different energies for various dating materials for use in applying the above finding. The alpha/gamma effectiveness ratio, k, is experimentally determined for 18 calcite speleothems as k$/sb[/rm av]$ = 0.052 $/pm$ 0.006, which is significantly less than most previous estimates. The k-value for a coral sample is 0.055. By examining the Th-230/Po-210 ratios of 19 speleothem samples it is shown that for almost all speleothems, radon is retained within the sample until its decay; thus the full radionuclide decay chains should be used in dose rate calculations. Analysis of 'typical' calcite spectra confirms that interference between peaks of different origins and stability affects the estimate of accumulated dose (AD), and provides a rational basis for decisions on different sample preparation methods and analytical procedures. The effect of these on age estimates is examined and routine experimental methods recommended. The effect of different ESR spectrometer operating parameters is also evaluated and it is shown that the use of high microwave power avoids potentially serious underestimation of the accumulated dose (AD). A straight-forward statistical method is developed; this enables confidence limits to be derived for AD and provides a test for equivalence of AD estimates, using standard linear hypothesis techniques. A robust Geiger Muller instrument sufficiently sensitive to give estimates of relative gamma dose rates in a few minutes is developed specifically for cave dosimetry. It has the potential, with further development and cross-calibration, to become a viable method for measuring absolute environmental gamma dose rates. Serious discrepancies between two 'absolute' dosimetry methods are revealed; this and other problems of environmental gamma dosimetry are discussed. The evaluation of gamma dose rates in calcite (with respect to both laboratory and field dosimetry) and the form of the dose response curve (including the possibility of supra-linearity and non-thermal instability) are identified as areas requiring further research.

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating has many potential applications in the fields of archaeology and Quaternary geomorphology. In particular, it offers a useful addition to more established techniques for dating speleothems, which not only have relevance to Quaternary geomorphology but may also carry palaeomagnetic and palaeoclimatic data. This work consolidates the method of ESR dating, with special reference to calcite speleothems, and contributes to several important aspects of the methodology. Using a low energy nuclear accelerator as a source of alpha particles of various energies, it is shown that the effectiveness of alpha radiation in producing paramagnetic defects is energy dependent, and approximately linearly related to the range of the incident alpha; the implications for dose rate calculations are discussed, and ranges are calculated for alpha particles of different energies for various dating materials for use in applying the above finding. The alpha/gamma effectiveness ratio, k, is experimentally determined for 18 calcite speleothems as k$/sb[/rm av]$ = 0.052 $/pm$ 0.006, which is significantly less than most previous estimates. The k-value for a coral sample is 0.055. By examining the Th-230/Po-210 ratios of 19 speleothem samples it is shown that for almost all speleothems, radon is retained within the sample until its decay; thus the full radionuclide decay chains should be used in dose rate calculations. Analysis of 'typical' calcite spectra confirms that interference between peaks of different origins and stability affects the estimate of accumulated dose (AD), and provides a rational basis for decisions on different sample preparation methods and analytical procedures. The effect of these on age estimates is examined and routine experimental methods recommended. The effect of different ESR spectrometer operating parameters is also evaluated and it is shown that the use of high microwave power avoids potentially serious underestimation of the accumulated dose (AD). A straight-forward statistical method is developed; this enables confidence limits to be derived for AD and provides a test for equivalence of AD estimates, using standard linear hypothesis techniques. A robust Geiger Muller instrument sufficiently sensitive to give estimates of relative gamma dose rates in a few minutes is developed specifically for cave dosimetry. It has the potential, with further development and cross-calibration, to become a viable method for measuring absolute environmental gamma dose rates. Serious discrepancies between two 'absolute' dosimetry methods are revealed; this and other problems of environmental gamma dosimetry are discussed. The evaluation of gamma dose rates in calcite (with respect to both laboratory and field dosimetry) and the form of the dose response curve (including the possibility of supra-linearity and non-thermal instability) are identified as areas requiring further research.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Geography / Douglas G. Goodin / Hantaviruses are zoonotic, RNA viruses that are harbored by muroid rodents of the families Muridae and Cricetidae. While the virus is endemic, and mostly non-symptomatic in its rodent reservoirs, when humans contact the virus it can result in serious disease. My purpose in this dissertation is to investigate the effect that landscape patterns and land cover condition can have on pathogen prevalence in a hantavirus reservoir species (Akodon montensis) within the Atlantic Forest region of Eastern Paraguay and to investigate ways to analyze those patterns using remotely sensed data. The first component to this research is to test potential improvements to image classifications on land use/land cover classifications useful for the study of small mammal communities. An object-based classification produced the best results with seven classes: Forest, Wet Cerrado, Dry Cerrado, Latifundia, Minifundia, Dry Pasture, and Wet Pasture. The classified imagery was then used to assess landscape effects on the presence of hantaviral antibodies (a 'marker' for exposure to the virus) in populations of A. montensis. In the overall landscape, proximity of similar habitat patches was related to seroprevalence in Akodon. When considering only the forest class, high amount of forest, high number of forest patches, and high diversity in forest patch sizes were all associated with seroprevalence. Next, was an analysis of ways to distinguish understory density variables through the use of satellite imagery. Horizontal and vertical density in the understory has been associated with the presence of hantavirus in A. montensis. Vertical and horizontal density measurements were correlated with NDVI and the Fourth band in the Tasseled Cap transformation. Finally, I consider the relationship between small mammal community diversity and seroprevalence, and their association with NDVI. Diverse small mammal communities are associated with low hantavirus seroprevalence. Low diversity metrics and high hantavirus seroprevalence were associated with high mean NDVI values. Many aspects of landscape patterns are important to hantavirus seroprevalence in small mammal communities in Eastern Paraguay. Several of the landscape patterns important to hantavirus seroprevalence can be studied using satellite-derived data.

Master of Arts / Department of Geography / Douglas G. Goodin / My thesis characterizes the temporal and spatial behavior of ozone and fine particulate matter in the Kansas City metropolitan area. I also investigate the capability of a synoptic weather typing scheme, the Spatial Synoptic Classification, to characterize and explain the behavior of ozone and fine particulate matter in the Kansas City area. Daily maximum ozone concentrations from nine active ozone monitoring stations and daily average particulate concentrations six active PM2.5 monitoring stations were compared to daily SSC weather type records from 2004-2010. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were conducted on the ozone and PM2.5 data to analyze temporal and spatial behavior. A non-parametric recursive partitioning technique was used to create a conditional inference tree-based regression model to analyze the association between the different SSC weather types and the selected pollutants. The ANOVA results showed significant seasonal trends with both pollutants. In general, ozone concentrations are typically lower in the spring and autumn months and higher during the summer months. PM2.5 concentrations were not as dependent on the season, however, they did tend to be higher in the late summer months and lower in the autumn months. The results also showed significant differences for both pollutants in average concentration depending on location. The ozone concentrations generally tended to be higher in the areas that are located downwind of Kansas City and lowest at the station located in the middle of the urban area. Fine particulates also seemed to be highest in the downwind portion of the urban area and lowest in the region upwind of the city. The conditional inference tree showed that higher concentrations of both pollutants are associated with tropical air masses and lower concentrations are associated with polar air masses.

Master of Arts / Department of Geography / John A. Harrington Jr / Environmental degradation is a major concern in agricultural landscapes. Innovative tools and methods will be necessary to identify and deal with the ongoing environmental impacts of past and present agricultural practices. The use of scenarios in environmental modeling is one way to address these concerns. Recently a group of researchers devised a framework for creating future land cover scenarios for two physiographic regions in Iowa. Based on that work, a suite of scenarios were created for Antelope Creek watershed in the Northern Flint Hills of Kansas. The Antelope Creek scenarios represent conditions pre Euro-American settlement, present day, increased intensification of agricultural production, enhancement of water quality, and enhancement of biodiversity. These scenarios were then modeled using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Additional model runs were completed to compare SSURGO and STATSGO soil datasets. Results indicated that reductions in discharge, total suspended sediment and various nitrogen and phosphorus loads could be achieved by implementing modest changes to agricultural management practices. Results also indicated that a higher detail soil dataset such as SSURGO lead to slightly higher loads than with STATSGO data.

Master of Arts / Department of Geography / Richard A. Marston / The Black Vermillion River (watershed area = 1310 square kilometers) contributes runoff and sediment into Tuttle Creek Reservoir, a large federal reservoir (volume = 327 million cubic meters) northeast of Manhattan, Kansas. Tuttle Creek, completed in 1962, is filling with sediment faster than other federal reservoirs in the region. The Reservoir’s conservation pool is about 40 percent full of sediment and is predicted to fill by 2023. Debate rages over the relative contribution of sediment from upland sources (largely croplands and pasture) versus channel incision. In the Black Vermillion watershed, bedrock is overlain in most of the watershed by pre-Illinoian age easily erodible glacial till and loess. Row crop agriculture is the most common land use in the watershed and stream channels are incised and prone to frequent flooding and channel instability. This research focused on the spatial extent, timing, and causes of channel incision in the Black Vermillion watershed. I conducted a watershed-wide survey of channel cross-sections in 56 locations repeated at sites that had been surveyed 45 years ago by the Soil Conservation Service. Further, I collected channel cross sections in 2008 at a total of 51 more locations for a total of 107 study sites. Channel depths between 1963 and 2008 increased by a mean of 1.6 meters (maximum = 5.2 meters). Most channels throughout the watershed have incised, are actively incising, or incising and widening. Statistical testing between channel depths as measured in 1963 and 2008 showed that the amount of incision was related to land use/land cover, riparian buffer widths, upstream drainage area, and geology. As channels incise, they progress through six stages of channel evolution, which complicates the relationship between channelization and incision. Channel stage, as identified in the field, was statistically related to geology, occurrence and timing of channelization, land use/land cover, and upstream drainage area. Channelization has reduced channel length by a significant portion and was identified as one of the leading causes of incision. This finding suggests that planting buffers and/or expanding existing buffers along streams should be encouraged in the watershed to alleviate flooding and channel instability.

Master of Arts / Department of Geography / Melinda Daniels / Large woody debris, (LWD), defined as pieces measuring ≥ 1 meter in length and ≥ 10 centimeters in diameter (Swanson and Lienkaemper, 1978; Marston, 1982) is an influential stream component. Once stable LWD obstructs streamflow and regulates key processes, causing increases in storage capacity, scouring, and variations to the bed, the extent contingent upon LWD’s average length of residence time within a system. Several North American studies have acknowledged the effects of interactions between wood, sediment, and flow regimes (Bilby, 1981; Keller, E.A., and Swanson, F.J., 1979; Montgomery et al., 1995; Wohl, E., 2008), linking the triad to geomorphic changes, the redistribution of bed materials, and ecological benefits. A consensual baseline reference for LWD’s function over time does not exist however, partly due to previous research being primarily conducted in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest regions where historic actions of humans, particularly riparian logging and stream clearing, have greatly impacted the condition of the watersheds. Researchers having long-overlooked the Great Plains and other regions not commonly associated with woody vegetation has increased the ambiguity regarding the transferability of LWD findings between regions. By shifting the focus to a non-forested region, the goal of this thesis is to measure the dynamics and influence of a prairie stream’s wood load on sediment storage and bed morphology. The Kings Creek network study area is located on the Konza Prairie Biological Station in northeastern Kansas, and drains one of few remaining unaltered North American watersheds. Results document the ongoing forest expansion into the surrounding pristine grassland, and provide a temporal context of the regions changing climate representative of atypical stream conditions caused by drought. In total, 406 individual pieces of wood were measured. The wood load was lower than most forest streams referenced (13.05 m[superscript]³/100 m), though higher than expected resulting from the absence of streamflow. LWD stored 108 m[superscript]³ of sediment within the channel, and the cumulative volume of LWD-formed pools was 169 m[superscript]³. Additionally, statistical analysis showed longitudinal bed variations to be strongly associated to LWD abundance, further indicating that LWD influences prairie stream processes similarly to those in a forest stream.