Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Planet, 2012, Winter, Becky Tachihara, Huxley College Of The Environment, Western Washington University

The Planet

No abstract provided.

Magmatic Origins Of Plutonic Rocks Of The Cooke City Area, Montana, Skyler Mavor

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Archean bedrock outcrops exposed in the Cooke City area of southern Montana are part of the crystalline basement of the Wyoming Craton. These rocks are plutonic intermediate to felsic, and modal petrographic analyses characterize them as tonalite, trondhjemite, and granodiorite (TTG) as well as granite. Field relations indicate that magmatic bodies are small, and several generations of magma appear coeval. The presence of epidote, interpreted as a primary magmatic phase, indicates a mid- to lower crustal emplacement depth. Chemically, these rocks are similar to other Archean TTG, they are metaluminous with high AI2O3 (>15%), low Ti02 (1.5 GPa) melting …

Thiostrepton Inhibits Stable 70s Ribosome Binding And Ribosome-Dependent Gtpase Activation Of Elongation Factor G And Elongation Factor 4, P. Clint Spiegel, Justin D. Walter, Margaret Hunter, Melanie Cobb, Geoff Traeger

Chemistry Faculty and Staff Publications

Thiostrepton, a macrocyclic thiopeptide antibiotic, inhibits prokaryotic translation by interfering with the function of elongation factor G (EF-G). Here, we have used 70S ribosome binding and GTP hydrolysis assays to study the effects of thiostrepton on EF-G and a newly described translation factor, elongation factor 4 (EF4). In the presence of thiostrepton, ribosome-dependent GTP hydrolysis is inhibited for both EF-G and EF4, with IC(50) values equivalent tothe 70S ribosome concentration (0.15 μM). Further studies indicate the mode of thiostrepton inhibition is to abrogate the stable bind- ing of EF-G and EF4 to the 70S ribosome. In support of this model, …

Traditional And Alternative Delivery Methods Of General Chemistry Labs: Environmental, Monetary, And Pedagogical Comparisons, Sarah Steely

WWU Graduate School Collection

The main objective of my study was to investigate and compare a traditional and alternative mode of general chemistry laboratory delivery using environmental, monetary, and curriculum comparisons. I conducted an environmental carbon footprint analysis of traditional laboratory experiments versus laboratory kit counterparts. A dollar cost assessment of the delivery modes was also calculated. Both the environmental and dollar costs were determined on a per student basis for each experiment evaluated. The results demonstrate that traditional experiments had higher carbon emissions than the kit experiments, and the kit experiments were more expensive per student than the traditional experiments when I accounted …

Five Seasons In Ecotopia: Rainforest Immersion And Conservation Action In Costa Rica, Troy D. Abel

A Collection of Open Access Books and Monographs

This book, Five Seasons in Ecotopia: Rainforest Immersion and Conservation Action in Costa Rica, is an effort to share our perspectives from five years of experience studying and teaching in Costa Rica through the intersections of geography, ecology, and political science. These reflect the dominant pedigrees of more than one-hundred students who annually spent five weeks in Huxley College of the Environment’s RICA program in Costa Rica. The RICA program was designed to foster global ecological citizenship through practices of democratic ecology that activate learner awareness and efficacy among undergraduate participants, Costa Rican students from local schools, and community …

Integrating Ensemble Species Distribution Modeling And Statistical Phylogeography To Inform Projections Of Climate Change Impacts On Species Distributions, Brenna R. Forester

WWU Graduate School Collection

Species distribution models (SDMs) are commonly used to forecast climate change impacts on species and ecosystems. These models, however, are subject to important assumptions and limitations. By integrating two independent but complementary methods, ensemble SDMs and statistical phylogeography, I was able to address key assumptions and create robust assessments of climate change impacts on species' distributions while improving the conservation value of these projections. This approach was demonstrated using Rhodiola integrifolia, an alpine-arctic plant distributed at high elevations and latitudes throughout the North American cordillera. SDMs for R. integrifolia were fit to current and past climates using eight model algorithms, …

The Use Of A Bayesian Network To Calculate The Risks Of Mercury Contamination To Fish And Birds Of The South River, Virginia, Heather M. Summers

WWU Graduate School Collection

The South River watershed in western Virginia has a history of mercury contamination from past industrial practices. My study demonstrates how Bayesian networks can be used to conduct an environmental risk assessment of aquatic and riparian environments to assess the overall effects of mercury contamination to target species in the South River. The risk assessment focused on two species of fish, one game-fish, smallmouth bass and one non-game fish, white sucker and two species of birds, one piscivorous, Belted Kingfisher and one insectivorous, Carolina Wren. By examining the exposure pathways through various habitats in the study area, I created a …

Seasonal And Age-Based Aspects Of Diet Of The Introduced Redside Shiner (Richardsonius Balteatus) In Ross Lake, Washington, Carmen A. (Carmen Ann) Welch

WWU Graduate School Collection

This study investigates the introduced population of the Redside Shiner (Richardsonius balteatus) in Ross Lake, Washington. The Redside Shiner was introduced to Ross Lake around 2000 and in the summer months, can be found in densities of hundreds per cubic meter in the shallow areas of Ross Lake. Ross Lake is a protected thirty-five and a half kilometer long reservoir in North Cascades National Park with cold, clear water of exceptional quality. Fish native to Ross Lake include: Bull Trout, Dolly Varden and Rainbow Trout. It is a commonly held belief that the introduced Redside Shiner have no negative effect …

Relocation And Analysis Of The 2007 Nechako, B.C., Seismic Swarm: Evidence For Magmatic Intrusion In The Lower Crust, Jesse A. Hutchinson

WWU Graduate School Collection

On October 9th, 2007, a seismic swarm, known as the Nechako swarm, began in south-central British Columbia, approximately 20 kilometers west of the Nazko polygenetic cinder cone. After lasting for well over a month, seismic activity tapered off by November 21st, 2007. This study analyzes data from several temporary broadband seismometers deployed by the Geological Survey of Canada near the epicentral locations of initial events from the swarm. Over 4400 events were observed during this period, from which 1048 absolute locations were calculated, with depths ranging from 26-35 kilometers. All of the events recorded by the temporary seismometers were high …

Performance Of Oriented Fluorophore Luminescent Solar Concentrators, Tristan Butler

WWU Graduate School Collection

Solar power is likely to play a significant role in the future of fossil fuel alternatives. In order to maximize its impact, the cost of solar power must be competitive with fossil fuels on the global energy market. Luminescent Solar Concentrators are an attractive technology that can potentially reduce the cost of solar power. LSCs utilize cheap materials and no moving parts to concentrate light, however the amount of solar concentration is limited by loss mechanisms inherent in LSCs. One potential method to improve the efficiency of LSCs is through the use of oriented fluorophores. Based on theory presented in …

Structural Studies Of Blood Coagulation Factor Viii In Complexes With Inhibitory Antibodies, Rachel Werther

WWU Graduate School Collection

Normal blood clotting is regulated by blood plasma protein factors in a blood coagulation cascade. Deficiency in one of these proteins, Factor VIII (FVIII), causes the disease hemophilia A, in which the patient is unable to form blood clots. Treatment of hemophilia A involves the infusion of FVIII, and the most common complication in this treatment is the development of antibodies against the therapeutic infusions. Two mouse monoclonal anti-human antibodies, 3E6 and G99, were used as models of inhibitory action against FVIII by binding to the C-terminal C2 domain. A classical antibody, 3E6, blocks the ability of FVIII to bind …

Thermal Conditions And Movement Of Rock Glaciers In The North Cascades, Washington, Joseph Goshorn-Maroney

WWU Graduate School Collection

Rock glaciers are a largely unrecognized phenomenon in the North Cascades. In part this reflects their scarcity there. Additionally, because rock glaciers are widely held to be the product of permafrost conditions, the dearth of literature regarding North Cascade rock glaciers also reflects the notion that active rock glaciers should not exist at all in such temperate mountain ranges. Rock glaciers have been linked to specific air temperature conditions ( < -2°C), and, based on that link, are often used as visual indications of mountain permafrost. The North Cascades, a maritime mountain range with high snowfall and relatively warm climate, are a good location to test the permafrost-rock glacier link. Review of aerial photography and satellite imagery, however, reveals at least ten morphologically active rock glaciers and even more that appear inactive. To test the activity and possible link to permafrost conditions, I selected two of the active-looking rock glaciers for movement monitoring and thermal investigation. Movement monitoring was accomplished by conducting repeat scans with a terrestrial laser scanner; this investigation represents the first attempt to use this technique on rock glaciers in North America. The Craggy Peak rock glacier was shown to be moving downslope at a rate of 5 to 10 cm per year. Movement vectors toward the top of the rock glacier suggested deflation, while vectors toward the toe indicated a slight inflation. Flow toward the top and center of the rock glacier also was faster reflecting the steeper slope while flow toward the toe slowed and vectors radiated out. Movement was not detectable on second rock glacier, Star Peak, due mainly to lack of control points located on and around the scan target. Moreover, lack of a good vantage point at the site limited the scan coverage, inhibiting data processing. Because the North Cascades are a maritime mountain range with climate conditions thought to be too warm and wet to support rock glaciers, I also deployed miniature temperature data loggers in both rock glaciers to record air temperature at the surface and within the rubble. Three logger strings were deployed with three loggers. Each string contained one surface logger, one logger of intermediate depth and one logger that was between 1.5-2.3 meters deep in the rubble (depending on the string). One year of data has revealed that average ground temperature on the rock glaciers is probably near -1 ± 1° C and modeled near-surface air temperature above them is 0.0 ± 1.6° C. Air temperature is marginally to warm to support permafrost, though a more lengthy study period is needed. Thermal exchange during the summer appears to be governed by conductive processes in the form of rain water and solar heating. Moreover, forced convection occurs when wind pumps air into the regolith. During the fall, I document at least one instance where the data loggers capture natural convection when relatively warm air evacuated the regolith. Natural convection occurs when cold air overlays warm air and the subsequent density driven inversion results in warm air escaping into the air and cold air settling into the regolith.

Sedimentologic, Stable Isotopic, And Paleomagnetic Analysis Of Laramide Synorogenic Strata: Unroofing Of The Beartooth Range, Montana And Wyoming, Austin S. Hart

WWU Graduate School Collection

The timing and sequence of Paleogene proximal sediments derived from the rising Beartooth Range of Montana and Wyoming and shed eastward into the western Bighorn Basin have been interpreted differently by earlier workers. Improving our knowledge of the relationships between proximal and distal strata in the western Bighorn Basin will lead to a better understanding of basin development in the northern Laramide Province. The objective of this study is to use petrographic, stable isotopic and paleomagnetic datasets from Beartooth synorogenic deposits in order to address different hypotheses concerning the timing and sequence of sedimentation off the Beartooth uplift. The synorogenic …

The Isolated Sixth Gelsolin Repeat Of Villin Has A Calcium-Regulated Structure And Lacks Capacity To Bind F-Actin, Jacob A. Brockerman

WWU Graduate School Collection

Villin is a modular, epithelial, actin binding protein responsible for the regulation of microvilli in the brush border region of the small intestine and kidney. Villin is regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation, Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and calcium concentration. These signal molecules control villin's multifunctionality and allow it to switch among its several opposing functional roles. Villin can cleave, nucleate, cap and bundle F-actin. This is achieved through villin's six gelsolin-like domains which are connected by a 40 residue linker sequence to a novel C-terminal headpiece domain (HP). It is known that the HP forms a calcium insensitive F-actin binding site that is …

Salmon In The Trees: An Assessment Of A Dendrochemical Technique For Detecting Marine-Derived Nitrogen In Riparian Tree Rings, Jody Gerdts

WWU Graduate School Collection

Quantifying the relationship between salmon escapement and riparian tree-ring δ15N could contribute greatly to understanding trends in historic salmon abundance. Such an understanding could have far-reaching consequences for understanding historic carrying capacities of river systems and help guide future restoration efforts. This study investigates the reliability of using naturally occurring isotopic variations in annual tree rings to produce quantifiable estimates of historic salmon runs. Three study areas with temporal and spatial changes in salmon spawning abundance were examined. I found that currently available techniques for removing mobile nitrogen are not sufficient to overcome problems associated with radial mobility, as indicated …

Block Rotation And Magnetostratigraphy Of The Fish Creek-Vallecito Basin, Salton Trough, Ca, Christopher J. Deboer

WWU Graduate School Collection

The Fish Creek-Vallecito basin (FCVB) is a large Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary basin in the western Salton Trough, CA. The FCVB formed during subsidence along the West Salton Detachment fault and was uplifted and tilted when slip along the West Salton Detachment fault ended and the region became dominated by strike-slip faulting. This study uses paleomagnetism and magnetostratigraphy to determine the timing and rate of rotation of the FCVB. Two hundred and one sites were sampled in the Palm Spring Group of the FCVB. Magnetite and hematite are identified as carriers of remanence, and rock magnetic measurements are consistent with a magnetite …

Gis Investigation Of Scarps On Slide Mountain, Western Whatcom County, Washington, Orion George

WWU Graduate School Collection

Scarps can form from active faulting and landsliding. Such scarps can be difficult to differentiate in mountainous regions before expensive field work is done. Remote techniques to differentiate between scarps can help focus research time and money on active tectonic scarps. This study utilizes high resolution topographic data derived from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and a geographic information system (GIS) to analyze geomorphometric differences between landslide headscarps and active tectonic scarps in western Washington. The study is separated into two distinct phases, a GIS mapping phase and a GIS geomorphic analysis phase. The GIS mapping phase focused on mapping …

Magnetic Fabric Analyses Of Ocean Floor Sediments: Characterizing Depositional Processes In The Nankai Trough And Shikoku Basin, Beth Novak

WWU Graduate School Collection

Magnetic fabric analysis was conducted on accretionary prism sediments and on sediments taken from the Shikoku Basin during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition (Exp) 333 in order to characterize the sedimentary processes and depositional mechanisms active along the Nankai Trough. Sedimentary ages, in the form of a magnetostratigraphy, were also determined for these sediments during the course of this study. IODP Exp 333 focused coring efforts off the coast of the Kii Peninsula in Japan on three sites, one site within the Nankai Trough accretionary prism (Site C0018) and two sites seaward of the Nankai Trough in the Shikoku …

Felsic Magmas From Mt. Baker In The Northern Cascade Arc: Origin And Role In Andesite Production, Julie A. (Julie Angela) Gross

WWU Graduate School Collection

Dacitic magmas in volcanic arcs play a critical role in the growth and development of felsic continental crust through mixing to form andesite, or to a lesser extent, by directly adding new crustal material through fractionation of mantle derived basalts. Though dacitic erupted lavas are scarce on Mt. Baker, this study discusses their importance in subsurface processes such as mixing with more mafic magmas, and their potential to add directly to the volume of continental crust. A comprehensive data set (including major, trace, and rare earth element abundances, as well as petrography and mineral chemistry) reveals that the most Sirich, …

An Analysis Of Agricultural Land-Use Effects On Surface Water Quality In Skagit County Streams, Marysutton Carruthers

WWU Graduate School Collection

Nonpoint source pollution is a concern in many streams nationwide. Puget Sound cleanup efforts have increasingly focused on targeting nonpoint sources of pollution, including nutrient and bacterial sources resulting from agricultural activities. Skagit County, Washington hosts a robust compilation of agricultural activities from large scale row crops and dairy operations to small hobby farms. It is also home to the Skagit River, the most important river system for Puget Sound salmon, and Samish Bay, the largest shellfish growing area in the north Puget Sound. Enormous efforts have been made to assess the health of Washington's waterways and to find an …

Rock Magnetism Of Hematitic "Bombs" From The Araguainha Impact Structure, Brazil, Luigi Jovane, Elder Yokoyama, Takele Seda, Russ F. Burmester, Ricardo I.F. Trindade, Bernard A. Housen

Geology Faculty Publications

Hematite impact “bombs” are one of the most striking (and enigmatic) features of the large Araguainha impact structure in central Brazil. They have both porous or massive textures, elongated shapes from 5 to 50 cm in diameter, and botryoidal textures that suggest hydrothermal origin. Some authors have considered these objects as a possible analog of hematite nodules found in Mars, and consequently related to a hydrothermal system. Here we report rock magnetic measurements, X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectra for both massive and porous samples for a detailed description of the hematite. Room temperature magnetic measurements, including hysteresis loops, back-field and …

Judy Reservoir Monitoring Project 2011 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Judy Reservoir

The purpose of this study was to identify and count the phytoplankton and measure chlorophyll, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus levels in water samples collected from Judy Reservoir. Water quality and algal data have been collected on a weekly basis since October 2006; annual reports have been sent to the Skagit Public Utility District No. 1 in 2007, 2008, and 2010 (January and December).

Lake Samish Water Monitoring Project 2011b Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Lake Samish

Lake Samish is a valuable aquatic resource, providing public access for boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, and other water and lakeshore activities. Residents around the lake enjoy outstanding views of both the lake and its surrounding watershed, and the lake serves as a water supply for many of the lakeshore residents. Lake Samish is located in the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Water Resource Inventory Area #3 (WRIA 3), and discharges into Friday Creek, a salmon spawning tributary of the Samish River.

Lake Samish experiences periodic algal blooms, including blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. The major goal of the monitoring project …

Seasonal Stability Of A Flexible Algal-Cnidarian Symbiosis In A Highly Variable Temperate Environment, James L. Dimond, Brian L. Bingham, GisèLe Muller-Parker, Kaela Wuesthoff, Lisbeth Francis

Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

We evaluated the seasonal stability of two algal symbiont populations in the temperate intertidal sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima on San Juan Island, Washington, where the relatively thermally tolerant dinoflagellate Symbiodinium muscatinei coexists with the less thermally tolerant chlorophyte Elliptochloris marina. Random collection of anemones along repeatedly sampled transects over four seasons and three shore heights revealed S. muscatinei to be the dominant symbiont, with E. marina mostly limited to anemones in the lower intertidal zone. At the lowest shore height sampled (+0.2 m), the proportion of E. marina was between 40% and 50% of the total symbiont population throughout …

Causes And Implications Of The Correlation Between Forest Productivity And Tree Mortality Rates, Nathan L. Stephenson, Phillip J. Van Mantgem, Andrew Godard Bunn, Howard Bruner, Mark E. Harmon, Kari B. O'Connell, Dean L. Urban, Jerry F. Franklin

Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

At global and regional scales, tree mortality rates are positively correlated with forest net primary productivity (NPP). Yet causes of the correlation are unknown, in spite of potentially profound implications for our understanding of environmental controls of forest structure and dynamics and, more generally, our understanding of broad-scale environmental controls of population dynamics and ecosystem processes. Here we seek to shed light on the causes of geographic patterns in tree mortality rates, and we consider some implications of the positive correlation between mortality rates and NPP. To reach these ends, we present seven hypotheses potentially explaining the correlation, develop an …

Borders, Barriers, And Breakthroughs In The Cascadia Corridor, Troy D. Abel, Jenni Pelc, Lauren F. Miller, Jacqueline Quarre, Kathryn Mork

College of the Environment on the Peninsulas Publications

This project focused on dilemmas of political biogeography through a case study of wildlife conservation and management efforts in the transboundary Cascadia region. Our team examined the interface of political science and biogeography, or “political biogeography,” through its manifestations in the evolving opportunities and barriers to regional wildlife conservation in the shared terrestrial ecosystems of British Columbia and Washington. Our research combined content analysis of policy documents and semi-structured stakeholder interviews and questionnaires. We also produced a series of maps and GIS data layers that provide useful spatial information about the wildlife commons in the Cascadia region. The results of …

The Planet, 2011, Fall, Becky Tachihara, Huxley College Of The Environment, Western Washington University

The Planet

No abstract provided.

The 2007 Nazko, British Columbia, Earthquake Sequence: Injection Of Magma Deep In The Crust Beneath The Anahim Volcanic Belt, J. F. Cassidy, N. Balfour, C. Hickson, H. Kao, R. White, Jacqueline Caplan-Auerbach, S. Mazzotti, G. C. Rogers, I. Al-Khoubbi, A. L. Bird, L. Esteban, M. Kelman, J. Hutchinson, D. Mccormack

Geology Faculty Publications

On 9 October 2007, an unusual sequence of earthquakes began in central British Columbia about 20 km west of the Nazko cone, the most recent (circa 7200 yr) volcanic center in the Anahim volcanic belt. Within 25 hr, eight earthquakes of magnitude 2.3–2.9 occurred in a region where no earthquakes had previously been recorded. During the next three weeks, more than 800 microearthquakes were located (and many more detected), most at a depth of 25–31 km and within a radius of about 5 km. After about two months, almost all activity ceased. The clear P- and S-wave arrivals …

Reed Lake Water Quality Monitoring Project January - June 2011 Final Report, Maggie Taylor

Reed Lake

Reed Lake is located east of Highway 20 near Alger (WA) on the border of What- com and Skagit Counties. At the western tip of Reed Lake a concrete dam con- trols water flow into Cain Lake. Both lakes are surrounded by communities that have grown rapidly in the last few decades. Development extends to the shoreline around the entire perimeter of Reed Lake, with several boat launches and private docks. Residents around both lakes rely on individual septic systems for waste- water treatment. Recreation on the lake includes boating, swimming, and fishing for annually stocked rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). …

Birch Bay Village Lakes 2011 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Birch Bay/Village Lakes

The Institute for Watershed Studies was contracted by the Birch Bay Village Lakes Committee to continue water testing at two sites in Kwann Lake and two sites in Thunderbird Lake (Figure 1, page 4). The sampling effort began in August 2007, and samples have been collected approximately 3–4 times each year through spring 2011. This report provides an update to the 2008 and 2009 data reports submitted to the Birch Bay Village Lakes Committee.