Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Did Combine Traffic On Wet Soils Damage Fields Last Fall?, Lloyd W. Murdock

Soil Science News and Views

Fields rutted by wheel tracks during harvest last fall are a common sight in the grain producing areas of Kentucky. And, foremost on many producer's minds now, is whether this damage will lower productivity from those fields during 1985 and beyond. This concern also exists among some leading agronomists in the United States who think that the amount of soil compaction due to machinery traffic is increasing. One of the reasons cited for this is the use of larger and heavier equipment. One such piece of equipment which has increased in size and weight is the combine. A combine with …

Mineralogy Of Kentucky Soils, Anastasios D. Karathanasis

Soil Science News and Views

Very few mineralogical data have been published for soils in Kentucky. As an initial attempt to classify mineralogy of the subsoil, a general mineralogy map of the state was constructed based on currently available information (Fig. 1). The map suggests that quartz, mica, and feldspars are the dominant minerals of the sqnd and silt size fractions and that illite, smectite, kaolinite and hydroxyinterlayered vermiculite or smectite dominate the clay size soil fraction. Soils of the Western Coalfields, Eastern Coalfields, and Eastern Pennyrile regions generally contain more quartz in the sand and silt fraction than soils of the Purchase, Western Pennyrile, …

Depositional Environments And Petrology Of The Felix Coal Interval (Eocene), Powder River Basin, Wyoming, Peter D. Warwick

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

A study of a 250 ft. (76.2 m) stratigraphic interval that includes the Eocene-age Felix coal of the Wasatch Formation was undertaken in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming to establish a depositional model based on the interrelations of coal-seam geometry, coal maceral composition, and spatial distribution of adjoining rocks. Regional cross sections and maps of major rock bodies were prepared from 147 measured stratigraphic sections and 56 geophysical logs. Trends in maceral and chemical properties within the Felix coal were identified from petrographic and geochemical analyses of 72 coal channel samples. The combined data sets indicate that the thickest …

Using Urea Nitrogen As A Fertilizer, Kenneth L. Wells

Soil Science News and Views

Solid granular or prilled urea (45-46% N) has become widely available in Kentucky, as has 28% nitrogen solution (UAN solution) which is half urea and half ammonium nitrate. When applied to a field, urea is transformed to ammonium N soon after application. The rate of transformation is greatly increased by urease, the enzyme found to varying degrees in soil and on plants and plant residues. Due to the chemical reactions involved as urea nitrogen undergoes transformation, there is some degree of likelihood for volatilization loss of some N. Whether such a loss will occur, and how much N will be …

Effectiveness Of Liming Materials, Monroe Rasnake

Soil Science News and Views

A number of different sources of liming materials are available to Kentucky farmers and homeowners. The best one for any particular use depends on several factors:

1. Size of area being treated
2. How quickly the reaction is needed
3. Method of application
4. Cost of the material
5. Quality (neutralizing value) of the material

Following is an evaluation of some liming materials based on those factors.

Cosmic Rays And The Emission-Line Regions Of Active Galactic Nuclei, Gary J. Ferland, R. F. Mushotzky

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We discuss the effects that the synchrotron emitting relativistic electrons, which are known to exist throughout many distance scales in active nuclei, could have on the emission-line regions that characterize these objects. Detailed models of both the inner, dense, broad-line region and the outer, lower density, narrow-line region are presented, together with the first models of the optically emitting gas often found within extended radio lobes. We show that, in all cases, if the relativistic gas that produces the synchrotron radio emission is mixed with the gas in the emission-line region, then significant changes in the emission-line spectrum will result. …

Radiation Pressure And The Stability Of Broad-Line Region Clouds, Gary J. Ferland, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We discuss two constraints on the existence and stability of quasar emission-line gas. The case of a constant pressure photoionized cloud in pressure equilibrium with a surrounding hot gas is considered. We show that the radiation pressure of the internally generated line emission makes a significant contribution to the total pressure in standard broad-line region models, and that models with either a higher ionization parameter or lower gas density are dominated by radiation pressure and hence unstable. Further, clouds with ionization parameters lower than the standard value cannot be supported by any hot gas which is heated only by the …

Fertilizing Alfalfa For Optimum Yields, William O. Thom

Soil Science News and Views

Alfalfa is one of the most important forage crops in Kentucky. It is grown on a wide range of soil types, has the ability to produce high yields, and will respond to good management including a sound soil fertility program.

Plant Available Water And Plant Water Stress, Ronald E. Phillips

Soil Science News and Views

The 1983 growing season in Kentucky was a vivid reminder that water is essential for good plant growth. And the water used by plants is taken from the reserve or water stored in soil.

Wetlands And Coal Surface Mining: A Management Handbook, Milady A. Cardamone, Jan R. Taylor, William J. Mitsch

KWRRI Research Reports

As the third phase of a three-year project, this report outlines management options for protecting wetlands during the surface mining of coal, particularly for the portion of the Eastern Interior Coal Region that is found in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. It is presented in manual form for use by coal mine operators, regulatory agencies and research institutions.

The previous phases of the project produced an atlas of the most heavily-mined areas of the western Kentucky coal field, which classified and identified wetlands in these areas, and discussed some specific impacts of mining on these wetlands. The need to present information …

Developing A Fertilizer Program For Tobacco, J. L. Sims

Soil Science News and Views

Use of adequate amounts of required fertilizer nutrients are necessary to increase both yield and quality of tobacco if they are lacking in a soil. However, to insure maximum profits from the tobacco crop, careful consideration must be given to fertilizer management (kinds, rates, and methods and times of fertilizer application), the chemical and physical characteristics of the soil, and the crops grown in rotation with tobacco. To develop a profitable fertilization program for tobacco requires thoughtful planning on the part of the grower. Late summer and early fall is a good time to make these plans for the future.

Finite Element Simulation Of Saturated-Unsaturated Subsurface Flow, George E. Blandford

KWRRI Research Reports

A two-dimensional transient model for flow through saturated-unsaturated porous media is developed, The model numerically solves the pressure head dependent or moisture content dependent form of Richard's equation. The model code uses isoparametric quadratic triangular and/or quadrilateral finite elements for the geometric representation and for the weak Galerkin spacial integrations. An implicit, unconditionally stable single-step numerical time integration scheme with an oscilliatory noise reduction option is utilized for the temporal discretization. The highly efficient symmetric skyline (profile) solution scheme is used to solve the resulting simultaneous equations. The nonlinear subsurface flow parameters are approximated using cubic spline interpolation. The element …

Impact Assessment Of Coal Slurry Pipelines On Water Resources Utilization And Allocation, Muhammad Najmus Saquib, M. Levent Kavvas, David T. Kao, Lindell E. Ormsbee

KWRRI Research Reports

Pike county, the largest coal producing and exporting county from the state of Kentucky was studied to assess the impact of a possible coal slurry pipeline project on the water resources allocation and utilization in the region. Potential coal slurry pipelines from the region were identified and water requirement for operating several hypothetical pipelines were computed by using a recently developed computer program. Climatological data for the county were collected and analyzed for a 29-year period of record with a view to determining the monthly net consumptive use in the region. Available groundwater data for the region was also collected …

Toxicological Studies On Aquatic Contaminants Originating From Coal Production And Utilization: The Induction Of Tolerance To Silver In Laboratory Populations Of Fish And The Chronic Toxicity Of Nickel To Fish Early Life Stages, Wesley J. Birge, Jeffrey A. Black, James F. Hobson, Albert G. Westerman

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity studies were performed on two important coal-derived contaminants, silver and nickel. Silver was investigated with regard to metal-induced tolerance in laboratory populations of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Fish were exposed to acute silver concentrations following acclimation to sublethal exposures of this metal. Based on median lethal times (LT50), animals which had received 14 days prior exposure to 1.5 and 15 μg Ag/L were three to four times more resistant to silver than were previously unexposed organisms. This metal-induced resistance was not a sustained response. After organisms which had been acclimated to 15 μg/L had been transferred to …

Discharge And Travel Time Determinations In The Royal Spring Groundwater Basin, Kentucky, John Thrailkill, Douglas R. Gouzie

KWRRI Research Reports

Groundwater flow in many karst regions, including the Inner Bluegrass Karst Region of central Kentucky in which the study area was located, is unlike groundwater flow in granular aquifers. At least the major flows are turbulent and often with a free surface in large conduits, and applying concepts based on Darcy's Law to describe and model these flows is inappropriate. Parameters such as linear velocity, channel geometry, and conveyance used to describe surface streamflows are more applicable, and the primary objective of the project was to estimate these in a groundwater basin using the travel time of dye slugs and …

Soil Testing: Improving Reliability, John H. Grove

Soil Science News and Views

Late summer is a good time to check forage and row crop fields for possible nutritional problems and to make plans for fall soil sampling. "Problem" areas can be identified for selective sampling and the test results can be used to plan fertilizer and lime expenses for the next crop production season. Fields scheduled for tobacco, small grain and/or double cropping need to be sampled first in order to determine lime, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) needs before fall application.

Identification Of Soil-Water Chemical Parameters For The Prediction And Treatment Of Suspended Solids In Surface Water Reservoirs Of Coal Mine Lands, V. P. Evangelou, J. H. Grove, R. I. Barnhisel

KWRRI Research Reports

High concentrations of suspended solids in coal mine sedimentation ponds are a factor in lowering water quality. This study focuses on the influence dissolved solids have on concentration and settling of suspended solids. Water samples from sedimentation ponds in Eastern and Western Kentucky were used to evaluate water composition in such ponds. Spoil samples from surface mine sites in both parts of the state were used to evaluate water composition released from the spoils upon introducing water.

The results demonstrate that water quality emanating from coal spoils of Eastern and Western coal mines is dependent on the type of spoil …

Sewage Sludge For Land Application, William O. Thom

Soil Science News and Views

Sewage sludge is a product of waste water treatment plants that function as environmentally acceptable pollution control facilities. In past years most of the sludge had been landfilled, dumped at sea or buried. But environmental and economic considerations have resulted in greater interest in its application on cropland.

Iue Observations Of Dq Herculis And Its Nebula, And The Nature Of The Cold Nova Shells, Gary J. Ferland, R. E. Williams, D. L. Lambert, G. A. Shields, M. Slovak, P. M. Gondhalekar, J. W. Truran

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The nebula ejected in the 1934 outburst of the classical nova DQ Her is remarkable for its unprecedentedly low temperature of T_e 500 K as measured by Williams et al. (1978). In this paper, IUE observations are combined with Steward optical spectra. It is confirmed that the gas is quite cold. It is further shown that the gas is ionized by the radiation field of the central object. X-ray, ultraviolet, optical and infrared observations of the underlying binary are combined with the extreme-ultraviolet continuum deduced from the level of ionization of the nebula to obtain a composite energy …

Does Use Of Gypsum Improve Soil Structure In Kentucky?, V. P. Evangelou, Kenneth L. Wells

Soil Science News and Views

Gypsum is sometimes recommended as a soil amendment in order to improve structure. Although this practice is often used for reclamation of sodic soils (Na⁺ saturated) in the western USA, it's value in improving soil structure in Kentucky is questionable. The following discussion explains way.

Weed And Feed, William W. Witt, Harold B. Rice

Soil Science News and Views

Fertilizer and herbicide combinations are often applied prior to planting, at planting, or after crop emergence, a procedure sometimes called "weed and feed". The opportunities for utilizing this system are numerous with the major advantage being saving an extra trip across the field. In order for the system to work, it must ensure that both fertilizer and herbicide are present when needed. When both the crop plant and weedy plant are at growth stages which allow for compatible applications with a single treatment, this can be highly successful. Conversely, when these two plant systems are not at compatible growth stages, …

Causes Of Soil Compaction And Ways To Minimize Them, Lloyd W. Murdock

Soil Science News and Views

In order for a soil to become compacted, two conditions must be present, pressure and a soil that will compact . Different soils have different compaction characteristics. Sandy loam soils compact most readily; however, most soils with a high percentage of sand compact easily. Silt loam soils are more resistant to compaction, but they too are easily compacted when wet. When silt loam soils are not wet, it requires high pressure to compact them. When the soil is wet, each particle is lubricated and less pressure is required to compact the soil. Clayey soils can be compacted; but, as they …

Use Of Urea For Crop Production In Kentucky, Wilbur W. Frye

Soil Science News and Views

Current trends indicate that urea will become the major source of solid and liquid N fertilizer in the future. Although urea has several advantages over other N fertilizers, especially in manufacturing, transporting, and marketing, there are some potential agronomic problems that farmers should keep in mind when using urea.

Water Quality Evaluation Yatesville Lake Project: Volume 1, Stephen B. Sullivan, Edward G. Foree, John S. Tapp

KWRRI Research Reports

Point sources of pollution identified in the Blaine Creek watershed area consisted of oil and gas facility sources and mine related sources. A total of 493 point sources of pollution were inventoried which included 167 oil and gas related sources, 321 mine sediment structures, and 5 hollow fill groundwater seeps. The highest concentration of these point sources of pollution occurred in the south to southwest portion of the watershed in the area proximate to the Martha Field.

Adverse impacts to surface and groundwaters resulting from the 326 mine and groundwater point sources of pollution identified did not appear significant as …

A Membrane-Organic Phase Oxidation Process For The Destruction Of Toxic Organics In Hazardous Wastewaters, Charles E. Hamrin Jr., Dibakar Bhattacharyya, William K. Glynn

KWRRI Research Reports

The examination of the extraction/oxidation of organic solutes in a two phase oxidation process was undertaken to discern the important parameters and the process mechanism of this system. Several parameter were adjusted to measure their effect on the disappearance rate of each organic from the water phase. The water to PFD volume ratio proved to be the most sensitive parameter affecting the disappearance rate, although temperature was also significant. Comparison with one phase oxidation systems demonstrated that the water/PFD system improved on the reduction of organics from the water phase. B-napthol oxidation increased over 50% in a 2/6 water/PFD volume …

Effect Of Irrigation On Corn, Soybeans And Alfalfa Yields In Kentucky, Lloyd W. Murdock

Soil Science News and Views

Irrigation is not widely used in Kentucky for two reasons: 1) high average yearly rainfall, and 2) lack of easily accessible and dependable water sources. However, even with the high yearly rainfall, droughts do occur during the growing season. According to past history, they are more likely to occur in West Kentucky than Central Kentucky and least likely to occur in East Kentucky.

Returning Pik Land To Grain Production, Wilbur W. Frye

Soil Science News and Views

With the end of the 1983 PIK program, much of the acreage that was in the program will be returned to grain production. Farmers who planted cover crops on their PIK fields in 1983 and who plan to return them to grain production in 1984 will be faced with deciding whether to use no-tillage or conventional tillage. The cover crops will provide mulch for no-tillage crops which may be an asset but can contribute to problems as well. Also, weed problems may be worse on PIK land and more difficult to control with no-tillage than with conventional tillage. The decision …

Fertilization Management In Double Cropping, John H. Grove

Soil Science News and Views

Double crop systems are being widely adopted by grain and silage producers in Kentucky. The wheat-soybean grain intensive system accounts for nearly 750,000 acres of cropland in the state each year. Alternative silage systems for beef and/or dairy producers involve a fall seeded small grain (wheat, barley, triticale) that is harvested at an immature stage of growth. Immediately afterward a crop for silage (corn, grain sorghum) or grain (soybean, grain sorghum) is planted. When reduced and no-tillage management practices are used the timeliness of planting is improved and losses of surface soil moisture are minimized as the second crop starts …

Stimulated Emission And The Flat Balmer Decrements Of Cataclysmic Variable Stars, Moshe Elitzur, Gary J. Ferland, W. G. Mathews, G. A. Shields

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Balmer emission lines from cataclysmic variables often have nearly equal intensities rather than the rapid decrement predicted by simple nebular theory. Traditionally, this has been interpreted in terms of local thermodynamic equilibrium emission from a dense gas with small volume located just above the accretion disk. In this Letter we show that the intense radiation field within a close binary system can affect excited-state populations and optical emission in ways which allow a relatively low density gas to closely mimic the high-density situation. In at least one case, the old nova V603 Aql, the emitting gas has a low density …

Water Requirement For Coal Slurry Transportation, David T. Kao, Sandra L. Rusher

KWRRI Research Reports

The amount of water required for coal slurry transportation is a function of the coal properties and the magnitude of coal movement. The pipeline system characteristics and the method of slurry preparation also affects the overall water requirement of the system. In the present study methodologies are developed based on reported and modified coal slurry flow correlation equations to determine the quantity of water needed under various coal transport and flow conditions. Auxiliary water requirements including start-up and flushing water storage; related evaporation and seepage losses are also included. A computer program and several monographs are presented to provide a …