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Sigma Gamma Epsilon – Call To Convention: First Notice

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The National Council has accepted an invitation from the Delta Psi Chapter (Western Illinois University) to host the Society’s 47th Biennial Convention on WIU’s Quad Cities Campus – located in Moline, Illinois, on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The convention is scheduled for April 11–13, 2025, and planning is underway. The Friday afternoon through Sunday noon schedule is designed to minimize the number of class days that delegates would need to miss. The Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) serves the area. At this time, we encourage chapters to “save the date” and to start making plans for a …

A History Of The Geology Program At The University Of Tennessee At Martin, Michael A. Gibson

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The teaching of geology has as long a history as The University of Tennessee at Martin has itself, extending back to 1901 when the first geology class was offered at the campus’s original institution, Hall-Moody Institute, a small Baptist college. Geology, usually with geography, was offered as a service course to the primary programs of agriculture, education and, later, engineering. Faculty turnover during these formative years was frequent. When the school was acquired by the University of Tennessee in 1927 and became UT Junior College, geology remained a service course. Geology offerings had been expanding since 1947 and, in 1951, …

Geoscience Student Organizations At The University Of Tennessee At Martin, Michael A. Gibson, Natalie Hudson

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

In celebration of 2022 Sigma Gamma Epsilon 46th National Convention being hosted by the University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin), Eta Alpha Chapter, this paper serves a synopsis that celebrates the history of student clubs and professional organizations in the geosciences program at UT Martin. The first geoscience student organization officially recognized by the University was devoted to geology, the GeoClub, and established in 1970 and still serves as the primary student organization for all of the geosciences. UT Martin established the Eta Alpha Chapter of Sigma Gamma Epsilon honor society in 1997. A Travel and Tourism club was …

Isolating Microbes From The Surface Of An Introductory Laboratory Halite Hand Sample, Kesley G. Banks, Michael A. Gibson, Matthew A. Pritchett

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Introductory geology labs stress simple physical testing (luster, hardness, etc.) to identify common minerals, using mineral charts to eliminate minerals not exhibiting a particular property. Special properties (magnetism, specific gravity, taste, etc.) for specific minerals narrows mineral identity. Students often express safety concerns about licking minerals, especially when they realize others have previously licked the specimen. As an exercise in medical geology, we cultured microbes from a halite sample used for nearly 25 years and licked by numerous students over that time span (Sample 1), a commercially purchased unused and freshly exposed surface of halite licked by one person (Sample …

The History Of The Tennessee Earth Science Teachers (Test), Michael A. Gibson

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Tennessee Earth Science Teachers (TEST) was founded in 1990 to promote awareness of the need to integrate Earth science and geology education into the secondary school curricula of Tennessee and to ensure that Tennessee students received the curricular and instructional benefits of Earth Systems education. That mission expanded to include all K-12 grades and to infusing Earth science into other disciplines. A legacy of the participants from a 1991 Tittle II geology workshop for Tennessee teachers, TEST was instrumental in designing and providing academic and pedagogical training, disseminating educational materials, and with networking K-12 teachers with higher education geoscience educators …

The Journey Into Inquiry Land In Tennessee: How To Get There From Anywhere? Lessons Learned Over 25 Years, Michael A. Gibson, Don W. Byerly Jr

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Driven by changes in the National Standards during the 1990s, inquiry became the pedagogical methodology of choice for K-12 sciences as a major paradigm shift. Inquiry was chosen because it realistically and accurately modeled how scientists conduct scientific studies. Scientific inquiry is itself a learning process, and early educational research suggested that students learned more efficiently through inquiry. However, inquiry was a difficult pedagogy for teachers to learn and for students to experience, as it appears chaotic and decentralized. K-12 Earth science in Tennessee was in need of revitalization, in terms of shifting to the new Earth systems curriculum and …

Sigma Gamma Epsilon Chapter And Student Awards For Academic Year 2023-2024, Lee Potter

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon (SGE) encourages efforts to broaden the education and impact of its members through community outreach. In academic year 2023–2024, four awards were given at the chapter level: The Chapter Service Award to Gamma Sigma and Gamma Chi; and The James C. Walters Quality Chapter Award to Gamma Sigma and Gamma Chi. Individual merit was recognized through the W. A. Tarr awards given to twenty-nine members by their respective chapters. Two awards, the Austin A. Sartin and Charles J. Mankin Outstanding Poster Awards, were given to three students for merit in scientific communication at the …

Introduction To The Issue: University Of Tennessee At Martin Eta Alpha Chapter Volume, Michael A. Gibson

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Welcome to the Eta Alpha Chapter volume of The Compass. The geosciences degree program at The University of Tennessee at Martin celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, just in time for the 46th Biennial Convention of Sigma Gamma Epsilon. The cover photo for this volume depicts the Joseph E. Johnson EPS (Engineering and Physical Sciences) Building that has been the home of the geosciences program since its construction in 1960. This volume is a series of papers that were initially compiled to be part of the 46th biennial convention volume that was to occur in 2019; however, the COVID-19 pandemic, …

Examining The Relationship Between Land-Use Cover Change And Sociodemographic Characteristics: A Case Study Of Madison County, Tennessee, Thomas A. Depriest Jr., Anzhelia Antipova, Hsiang-Te Kung, Esra Ozdenerol

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

This study sought to holistically examine urbanization in Jackson, Madison County, TN. In order to accomplish this objective, a study of land-use and land cover (LULC) change in Madison County, TN from 1992–2011 was conducted. Once completed, noted changes in LULC were then compared to certain socio-demographic factors; these included, population, population density, point distance, central business district, and distance to roads. To determine if any significant relationships existed between socio-demographic factors and quantified LULC changes Spearman’s Correlations were utilized. Relationships between socio-demographic factors and land-use indicators were established as urban areas grew, agricultural and forested areas declined, and population …

Impact Of Urbanization On Estimated Surface Runoff And Resulting Issuance Of Flash Flood Warnings In Jackson, Tennessee, Thomas A. Depriest Jr., Dorian J. Burnette, Ryan Parish, Hsiang-Te Kung

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Land-use and land cover (LULC) changes for the Jackson, TN area from 1992–2011 were evaluated based on data from the National Landcover Database. During the time of study, this area underwent noted changes in LULC with an increase in the area defined as urban and decreases in forested and agricultural areas. This study also makes note of the increase in the number of days flash flood warnings were issued during the 1990’s as compared to the 2000’s. During the same time period, high intensity rainfall events during 1990’s (n=198) did not appreciably increase when compared to the 2000’s (n=208); therefore, …

The Compass - Volume 93 Issue 2 - Complete Issue, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

Sigma Gamma Epsilon Student Research Poster Session, Geological Society Of America Annual Meeting 2023, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Usa, Scott Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon sponsors an annual poster session at every Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America. The 35th Sigma Gamma Epsilon undergraduate research poster session took place during the 2023 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, on Monday, October 16, 2022. Sixty-three (63) posters were presented in Exhibit Hall B at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM at the poster session. Titles, authors (italics for the presenting author), affiliations, and abstracts for each poster are listed in this report.

An Archaeological And Archaeoseismological Perspective On Earthquakes In The Coastal Cities Of Western Anatolia In The 3rd Millennium Bce: Settlement Abandonment And Changes In Social Structures, Ümi̇t Gündoğan

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

This study investigates the impact of the earthquakes that occurred in the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE on Western Anatolian settlements, aiming to determine the dates of the earthquakes that happened during the prehistoric period using the earthquake layers of the settlements and associated C14 data. The focus of the paper is the investigation of the effects of two earthquakes that occurred in the region during the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE on the settlements of the region. The first earthquake occurred around 2800 BCE and damaged settlements in the area of İzmir. Evidence of this …

Sequence Stratigraphy And Hydrocarbon Potential Of The Paleozoic Successions On The Arabian Platform And Southeast Türkiye, Muhi̇tti̇n Şenalp, Sema Teti̇ker

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

In 1989, the first prolific hydrocarbon reservoirs were discovered by Saudi Aramco in the highly porous and permeable friable continental sandstones (Unayzah reservoirs) and shallow marine carbonates (Khuff reservoirs) of the Paleozoic successions in south of Riyadh, Central Arabia. These successions were strongly affected by tectonic movements (Caledonian and Hercynian orogenesis) and Early and Late Paleozoic Gondwana glaciations. Therefore, some sections were fully eroded or significantly reduced in their thickness. The sequence stratigraphic interpretation of the Paleozoic successions helped to understand the depositional environments and regional distribution of the source, reservoir and cap rock facies in an improved palynologic studies. …

Detecting Edges Of Geologic Sources From Gravity Or Magnetic Anomalies Through A Novel Algorithm Based On Hyperbolic Tangent Function, Hanbing Ai, Yunus Levent Eki̇nci̇, Ahmad Alvandi, Hazel Deni̇z Toktay, Çağlayan Balkaya, Arka Roy

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Directional derivative-based edge detectors are commonly used to outline the abrupt lateral variations in densities or magnetizations of geologic sources from potential-field datasets. Some subtle traces of faults, lithological contacts, and lineaments can be made more visible on anomaly maps using these algorithms. However, these algorithms generally suffer from common limitations such as blurry edges with low-resolution or faulty boundaries. To minimize these challenges, we proposed a new efficient edge detector that benefits from the hyperbolic tangent function. The performance of this detector was tested on the responses of a synthetic gravity model and Bishop's complex magnetic model. A Gaussian …

Corrigendum To “A Two-Stage Deformation Of The Anatolian Plate Deduced Frompaleomagnetic Signals: The Initial Age Of The Anatolian’S Escape” [Turkish Journal Ofearth Sciences 33 (3) 2024 243-259 ], Mualla Cengi̇z, Savaş Karabulut

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

This corrigendum is to address an issue regarding the manuscript's previous title. The authors have regrettably noticed that the title is incorrect in the original published version of this paper. To rectify this oversight and ensure the accuracy of the published work, the title has been corrected for your reference below: A two-stage deformation of the Anatolian plate deduced from paleomagnetic signals: the initial age of the Anatolian escape.

Link to the original submission: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/earth/vol33/iss3/2/

Assessment Of Water Pollution In A Waste Storage Drainage Area (A Case Study In Eskişehir, Türkiye), Ali̇ Kayabaşi, Özlem Toygar Sağin, Candan Gökçeoğlu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Before 2016, the Eskişehir city landfill was an irregular landfill. Since then, it has been transformed into a regulated landfill. This study aimed to investigate the presence of pollution in the landfill drainage area. For this purpose, water samples were collected from the landfill drainage area and the Kadirbey Farm Spring, upstream of the landfill area, during the rainy and dry seasons of 2021. Analyses of the heavy metal content, total dissolved soil (TDS), chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, pH, phenol material content, ammonia nitrogen content, and conductivity were conducted on the samples. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) measurements were …

Top To Bottom Interactive Velocity Analysis Using Travel-Time Ellipses And First Break Times From Walkaway Vertical Seismic Profiling Data: A Synthetic Study, Cemal Erdemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

An interactive velocity analysis method is introduced in this paper and its efficacy is tested on various walkaway vertical seismic profile (WVSP) modeled data sets. In WVSP surveys, interval velocity profiles are determined fairly accurately along the VSP borehole using first break travel time picks from the zero-offset VSP (ZVSP) data. However the accuracy of these vertical velocities fade away quickly as the source distance (offset) from the VSP borehole increases due to possible horizontal changes in the geology or dips of the horizons. If the layer boundaries are not known, a simple approach type of ray tracing using horizontally …

Information-Theoretic Modeling Of Categorical Spatiotemporal Gis Data, David Percy, Martin Zwick

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

An information-theoretic data mining method is employed to analyze categorical spatiotemporal Geographic Information System land use data. Reconstructability Analysis (RA) is a maximum-entropy-based data modeling methodology that works exclusively with discrete data such as those in the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The NLCD is organized into a spatial (raster) grid and data are available in a consistent format for every five years from 2001 to 2021. An NLCD tool reports how much change occurred for each category of land use; for the study area examined, the most dynamic class is Evergreen Forest (EFO), so the presence or absence of …

Development Of Intensive Grassland Systems: From Science To Practice, D G. Mccall, G W. Sheath

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Level of nnimal production from grassland is determined by the amount of pasture grown, pasture utilisation and animal conversion efficiency. The key components affecting production are pasture growth and animal conversion efficiency. These arc mainly influenced by environment, genetics and through inputs to maintain soil fertility or animal health. Systems development aims to link pasture growth and animal conversion through efficient strategies for pasture utilisation. The means of influencing pasture utilisation is through adjustments to animal feed demand, feed supply or grazing management. Stock policies that adjust the pattern and level of feed demand are of greatest significance in developing …

The Ecology Of Grazing Management, R K. Heitschmidt

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The broad objective of this paper is to review the fundamental principles of grazing management as a means of assessing the inherent value of intensive and extensive grazing systems. Conceptual analyses of intensive and extensive grazing systems reveal that the fundamental differences between intensive and extensive grazing systems are related to differences in non-grazing rather than grazing tactics. Intensive grazing systems employ a wide array of non-grazing tactics in an attempt to overcome the inherent ecological constraints that limit secondary (i.e., livestock) productivity in extensively grazed systems. Moreover, analyses of the ecological or true efficiency of various agricultural production systems …

An Analysis Of The Dry Matter Intake And Rate Of Live-Weight Gain Of Growing Cattle Fed Forage Diets, J G. Buchanan-Smith

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The intake and rate of live-weight gain of 500 growing steer calves fed experimental forage diets in 7 trials were compared with corresponding values predicted using the Na1ional Research Council (NRC) model (1984). The cattle were predominantly weaned calves and most of the experimental diets were alfalfa-grass silage, either unsupplemented or supplemented with various protein sources, but some diets were based on maize silage or maize grain. The feeding period evaluated in this study ranged between the first 84 and 147 days when protein accretion rate in the cattle would be relatively high. Dry matter intakes were overpredicted by the …

Management Of Extensive Pastures For Dairy Youngstock, G.E J. Fisher, D J. Roberts

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The effects of low input systems on the ground cover of species and yield and chemical composition of herbage cul from extensive lowland swards was studied over 3 years. The live-weight gain of dairy heifer replacements offered grazed or conserved forage from these pastures was also assessed, The swards were sown with a mixture of grasses, wildflowers and herbs and received no inorganic fertilizers, Applications of slurry in January and February increased herbage yield by 43%, but reduced the cover of flowers and herbs. Using a 2- cut conservation system improved yield of metabolisable energy/ha in herbage by 33%, and …

Intensive Grazing Of Alfalfa By Beef Steers, M Rasnake, W R. Burris, G D. Lacefield, J Randolph, N Gay, L Davis

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

In the temperate region of North America, high temperature and moisture deficit cause low forage growth during the summer of most years, making it difficult to grow beef (Bos taurus), calves through summer grazing. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), offers some potential to provide high dry matter production during summer if an effective system of grazing can be developed. The objective of this study was to test a system of intensive grazing of beef steers on alfalfa to maximise live-weight gains/ha and maintain plant population. Alfalfa was no-till seeded into a 6.5 ha field in autumn 1988 after …

Variance Across Years In Growth Of Cattle On Annual Pastures In A Mediterranean Climate, K D. Greathead, J Zorrilla Rios

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Annual pastures were continuously grazed by new drafts of yearling cattle each year for 4 years at 2 sites. The variability of weight gained across years at any date was not different between sites. The level of rainfall in April, but strongly influenced weight gained by the cattle in any year. Variances in weight change were small up to April, they increased rapidly from April to late July and were not different after July (P<0.05).

Modification Of The Botanical Composition Of Perennial And Annual Temperate Pastures By Strategic Grazing Practices, D R. Kemp, P M. Dowling

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Where livestock production depends upon pastures, management is more difficult in environments where rainfall varies considerably from season to season and year to year. Flexible grazing practices are needed to optimise species composition and pasture productivity. Results presented in this paper show that pasture composition can be improved within climatic constraints, by grazing practices within seasons, In temperate annual pastures, long rests in winter (similar to a long rotation during that season) increased annual legume content in early spring from 20 to 50%. Annual grass content was unchanged. In perennial (phalaris) pastures, the dominant legume can change over years from …

Development Of Grass-Clover Pasture Systems For Autumn-Calving Beef Cows. I. Forage Production, G D. Mooso, D G. Morrison, J I. Feazel, D R. Morris

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Four 8-ha areas of bermudagrass-based (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) grazing systems were sodseeded and received annual N fertiliser as follows: I) clover (Trifolium sp.)+81 kg Nnm, 2) annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam)+clover +81 kg N/ha, 3) ryegrass+clover+l39 kg N/ ha, and 4) ryegrass+139 kg N/ha. Monthly forage accumulation was estimated for 3 years by clipping samples from 2 exclosures/pasture. Environmental conditions had a significant effect on total annual forage dry matter (DM) production. Systems 3 and 4 produced more (P<0.05) forage DM than Systems 1 and 2 (11.0 v. 10,3 Mg/ha). System I produced more (P<0.l) forage DM than 2 (10.6 ll, 9.8 Mg/ha). Systems 3 and 4 were similar, producing I 1.0 Mg/ha. Monthly forage accumulation was lowest in winter (December to February) and highest in spring and summer (March to August). The results of this study demonstrate that at a low N level, there was no benefii from including ryegrass in the system and al a moderate N level, there was no benefit from including clover.

Development Of Grass-Clover Grazing Systems For Autumn-Calving Beef Cows. Ii. Cow-Calf Production And Economic Analysis, D G. Morrison, J I. Feazel, G D. Mooso

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Four 8-ha areas of bermudagrass-based (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) grazing systems were sod seeded and received annual N fertiliser as follows: I) clover (Trifolium sp.)+81 kg/ha, 2) annual rye grass (Lolium multiflorum Lsm.)+clover +81 kg/ha, 3) ryegrass+clover+139 kg/ha, and 4) ryegrass+l39 kg/ha. Each system was stocked year-round with 20 (2,5/lla) cows each with crossbred suckling calf. Cow and calf performance data for 3 of 4 years are included. Year affected (P<0.01) cow and calf live weight, Cows in System 2 were 25-50 kg lower in live weight in autumn and winter than cows in other systems. From February to July, cow daily live-weight gains were 0.11 kg higher (P<0.01) for Systems 2 and 3, Cow live weight in July was affected by N level (Systems 1,2<3,4; P<0,01), Year by system interactions (P<0.05) occurred for cow live weight in February, April and July because of live weight increasing over years in Systems 3 and 4 but not in Systems 1 and 2. Calf daily live-weight gain February to weaning (July) was higher (P<0.01) for System 2 v. 1 (0.06 kg), Syuem 3 v. 4 (0.07 kg), and Systems 3, 4 v. 1, 2 (0.07 kg), Estimated net returns favoured Systems 3 and 4 over Systems 1 and 2.

Improved Grazing Systems For Lamb Production On Appalachian Hill Farms, R L. Reid, J R. Puoli, G A. Jung, D P. Belesky

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Improved grazing methods were tested to increase lamb outputs per ha from Appalachian hill farms. Components of a grazing system were cool-season grass [tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), Grasslands Matua prairie grass (Brom us willdenowii Kunth)J or grass­legume [Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.)•red clover (Trifolium pralense L.)] pastures in spring and early autumn, warm-season grass [switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)] in summer, and brassicas in late autumn and early winter. Matua was highly productive in cool weather but was subject to fungal infection and grazing ewes had low Mg status in spring. Rotationally grazed switchgrass maintained high numbers …

Use Of Brassica Forage Crops To Extend The Grazing Season In The North-East Usa, G A. Jung, H W. Harpster, M G. Lambert, K T. Leath, R A. Byers

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Forage turnip (Brassica rapa L,) can be made available for animal utilisation in late summer or In late autumn-early winter, when cool­season grass pastures have a low animal carrying capacity. field trials were conducted to identify and quantify factors that influence turnip yield in December or January and to determine whether these factors affect turnip cultivars similarly. Different levels of production in late autumn-winter were attributed to summer drought, foliar diseases, freezing temperatures and rate of leaf senescence. In all instances, the effects of these factors varied with turnip cultivar. However, cultivar ranking generally was the same whether mean …