“Whither Geography?” Concluded: Is Geography Graduate Education Missing One of Its Targets?*

As geographers working in a professional capacity, many of us engage in scholarly research. Unless it is self‐supporting and the results are kept confidential, this activity requires that we strike relationships with various “third parties,” constituencies who lie outside of the usual two‐party, researcher–subject relationship but are unavoidably drawn in because they help support our work, use our findings, or bear their practical consequences, good or bad. How (and why) should we relate to them? One option is to maximize all (positive) types of third‐party impacts by intentionally pursuing scholarship that benefits the greatest range of constituencies. If this approach is desirable from the perspective of the discipline, science, and society, we have good reason to promote it, but how? Doing so with artificial (extrinsic) incentives or imposed mandates raises questions about academic freedom. Alternatively, recasting questions about which scholarly line to investigate into ethical terms that emphasize such third‐party issues might, in and of itself, promote greater prior reflection and perhaps broader outcomes. Such outcomes seem even more likely when reflection on the objective question of third‐party interests is accompanied by a nurtured compassion for parties who are less well off. The pedagogical implications of these conclusions will be explored.     

Stable isotope variations in modern tropical speleothems: Evaluating equilibrium vs. kinetic isotope effects

Applications of speleothem calcite geochemistry in climate change studies require the evaluation of the accuracy and sensitivity of speleothem proxies to correctly infer paleoclimatic information. The present study of Harrison’s Cave, Barbados, uses the analysis of the modern climatology and groundwater system to evaluate controls on the C and O isotopic composition of modern speleothems. This new approach directly compares the δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values of modern speleothems with the values for their corresponding drip waters in order to assess the degree to which isotopic equilibrium is achieved during calcite precipitation. If modern speleothems can be demonstrated to precipitate in isotopic equilibrium, then ancient speleothems, suitable for paleoclimatic studies, from the same cave environment may also have been precipitated in isotopic equilibrium. If modern speleothems are precipitated out of isotopic equilibrium, then the magnitude and direction of the C and O isotopic offsets may allow specific kinetic and/or equilibrium isotopic fractionation mechanisms to be identified.Carbon isotope values for the majority of modern speleothem samples from Harrison’s Cave fall within the range of equilibrium values predicted from the combined use of (1) calcite-water fractionation factors from the literature, (2) measured temperatures, and (3) measured δ¹³C values of the dissolved inorganic carbon of drip waters. Calcite samples range from ∼0.8‰ higher to ∼1.1‰ lower than predicted values. The ¹³C depletions are likely caused by kinetically driven departures in the fractionation between HCO₃⁻ (aq) and CaCO₃ from equilibrium conditions, caused by rapid calcite growth. ¹³C enrichments can be accounted for by Rayleigh distillation of the HCO₃⁻ (aq) reservoir during degassing of ¹³C-depleted CO₂.Modern speleothems from Harrison’s Cave are not in O isotopic equilibrium with their corresponding drip waters and are 0.2‰ to 2.3‰ enriched in ¹⁸O relative to equilibrium values. δ¹⁸O variations in modern calcite are likely controlled by kinetically driven changes in the fractionation between HCO₃⁻ (aq) and CaCO₃ from equilibrium conditions to nonequilibrium conditions, consistent with rapid calcite growth. In contrast to δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O values of modern calcite may not be affected by Rayleigh distillation during degassing because CO₂ hydration and hydroxylation reactions will buffer the O isotopic composition of the HCO₃⁻ (aq) reservoir. If the effects of Rayleigh distillation manifest themselves in the O isotopic system, they will result in ¹⁸O enrichment in the HCO₃⁻ (aq) reservoir and ultimately in the precipitated CaCO₃.     

A decade of sedimentation in ice-contact, proglacial lakes, Bering Glacier, AK

Bathymetric surveys during the 1991–2000 decade in two ice-contact, proglacial lakes on the eastern sector of Bering piedmont lobe captured the buildup effects of the 1993–1995 surge. Following ice-front advance of 1.0–1.5 km into Tsivat and Tsiu Lakes, the basins were significantly altered by surge-related sedimentation including the impact of a subglacial outburst into Tsivat Lake. The subsequent changes in basin shape, size, and morphology were monitored by six bathymetric surveys. Measured changes in water depth serve as a proxy for determining increments of sediment accumulation.

Upwelling, ice-front vents fed by subglacial tunnels transported suspended fine sediment directly into the lake system. The rate of suspension settling within both lakes varied from 0.6 to 1.2 m year⁻¹ prior to the surge. Suspended load during surge years increased sixfold from 1.7 to 13.9 g l⁻¹, accompanied by increased sediment accumulation of 2.2–3.1 m year⁻¹. Vent-related aggradation and subsequent filling of Tsivat Lake caused sediment bypassing to Tsiu Lake, where encroachment by delta growth contributed to a postsurge rate of bottomset accumulation of 3.0 m year⁻¹.

The total sediment influx from subglacial sources is represented by the sum of bathymetrically determined accumulation, plus an estimated volume of sediment that remained suspended, thus passing through the lake system. Total sediment flux along the eastern Bering piedmont lobe from 1991 to 2000 is approximately 227 million cubic meters.     

Mechanism and regulation of land degradation in Yulin district

Yulin district is located in the transitional zone between Mu Us Desert and Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi Province, thus it is particularly vulnerable to degradation due to its fragile ecosystem and intense human activities there. The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanism, process and driving force of land degradation in area with vulnerable eco-environment within the context of increasing population and intensifying human economic activities, and then find out the patterns and countermeasures of how to control them using the economic and technological ways. In detail, this study includes three main sections: the first section analyzes the mechanism, causes and characteristics of land degradation, which can be achieved by the typical field investigations and systematical analysis within the regional natural, social and economic context. Based on the technologies of remote sensing and GIS, and combined with the modeling methods, the second section reveals the change characteristics of land use and its driving force from 1990 to 2000; As to the third section, feasible countermeasures of how to prevent the degradation and rehabilitate the regional ecology are proposed, which are studied from the perspective of harmony between nature and economy, and the conception of regional sustainable development.     

Seismic anisotropy in the core–mantle transition zone

Split S waves observed at Hockley, Texas from events in the Tonga–Fiji region of the southwest Pacific show predominantly vertically polarized shear-wave ( SV  ) energy arriving earlier than horizontally polarized ( SH ) energy for rays propagating horizontally through D" . After corrections are made for the effects of upper-mantle anisotropy beneath Hockley, a time lag of 1.5 to 2.0  s remains for the furthest events (93.9°–100.6° ), while the time lags of the nearer observations (90.5°–92.9° ) nearly disappear. At closer distances, the S waves from these same events do not penetrate as deeply into the lower mantle, and are not split. These observations suggest that a patch of D" beneath the central Pacific is anisotropic, while the mantle immediately above the patch is isotropic. The thickness of the anisotropic zone appears to be of the order of 100–200  km.
  Observations of shear-wave splitting have previously been made for paths that traverse D" under the Caribbean and under Alaska. SH leads SV , the reverse of the Hockley observations, but in these areas the fact that SV  leads SH in the HKT data shown here suggests a different sort of anisotropy under the central Pacific from that under Alaska and the Caribbean. The case of SH travelling faster than SV  is consistent with transverse isotropy with a vertical axis of symmetry (VTI) and does not require variations with azimuth. The case of SV  leading SH is consistent with transverse isotropy with a horizontal axis of symmetry (HTI), an azimuthally anisotropic medium, and with a VTI medium formed by a hexagonal crystal. Given that (Mg,Fe)SiO₃ perovskite appears unlikely to form anisotropic fabrics on a large scale, the presence of anisotropy may point to chemical heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle, possibly due to mantle–core interactions.     

Estimation of Columbia River virgin flow: 1879 to 1928

The Columbia River is a major source of and conduit for Pacific Northwest economic activity, and is one of the more heavily modified rivers in North America. Understanding human and climate‐induced changes in its hydrologic properties is, therefore, vital. Long streamflow records are essential to determining how runoff has changed over time, and Columbia River daily streamflow record at The Dalles began in 1878. To understand and separate anthropogenic and climate effects, however, it is also necessary to have a basin‐scale estimate of virgin or naturalized flow. The United States Geological Survey has calculated a monthly averaged adjusted river flow at The Dalles for 1879–1999 that accounts for the effects of flow regulation. The Bonneville Power Administration has estimated the monthly averaged virgin flow at The Dalles, i.e. the flow in the absence of both flow regulation and irrigation depletion for 1929–89. We have estimated the monthly virgin flow of the Columbia River at The Dalles from records of irrigated area for the missing early years, i.e. for the period 1879–1928. In addition, to allow hindcasting of a virgin flow sediment transport for the system, a daily virgin flow index with realistic higher moments and spectral properties has been calculated. Examination of the virgin flow record shows that climate change since the late 19th century has decreased annual average flow volume by > 7%; irrigation depletion has reduced the flow by another ∼7%. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimizing spectral wave estimates with adjoint-based sensitivity maps

A discrete numerical adjoint has recently been developed for the stochastic wave model SWAN. In the present study, this adjoint code is used to construct spectral sensitivity maps for two nearshore domains. The maps display the correlations of spectral energy levels throughout the domain with the observed energy levels at a selected location or region of interest (LOI/ROI), providing a full spectrum of values at all locations in the domain. We investigate the effectiveness of sensitivity maps based on significant wave height (H _s ) in determining alternate offshore instrument deployment sites when a chosen nearshore location or region is inaccessible. Wave and bathymetry datasets are employed from one shallower, small-scale domain (Duck, NC) and one deeper, larger-scale domain (San Diego, CA). The effects of seasonal changes in wave climate, errors in bathymetry, and multiple assimilation points on sensitivity map shapes and model performance are investigated. Model accuracy is evaluated by comparing spectral statistics as well as with an RMS skill score, which estimates a mean model–data error across all spectral bins. Results indicate that data assimilation from identified high-sensitivity alternate locations consistently improves model performance at nearshore LOIs, while assimilation from low-sensitivity locations results in lesser or no improvement. Use of sub-sampled or alongshore-averaged bathymetry has a domain-specific effect on model performance when assimilating from a high-sensitivity alternate location. When multiple alternate assimilation locations are used from areas of lower sensitivity, model performance may be worse than with a single, high-sensitivity assimilation point.     

When Can Inverted Water Tables Occur Beneath Streams?

Decline in regional water tables (RWT) can cause losing streams to disconnect from underlying aquifers. When this occurs, an inverted water table (IWT) will develop beneath the stream, and an unsaturated zone will be present between the IWT and the RWT. The IWT marks the base of the saturated zone beneath the stream. Although a few prior studies have suggested the likelihood of an IWT without a clogging layer, most of them have assumed that a low‐permeability streambed is required to reduce infiltration from surface water to groundwater, and that the IWT only occurs at the bottom of the low‐permeability layer. In this study, we use numerical simulations to show that the development of an IWT beneath an unclogged stream is theoretically possible under steady‐state conditions. For a stream width of 1 m above a homogeneous and isotropic sand aquifer with a 47 m deep RWT (measured in an observation point 20 m away from the center of the stream), an IWT will occur provided that the stream depth is less than a critical value of 4.1 m. This critical stream depth is the maximum water depth in the stream to maintain the occurrence of an IWT. The critical stream depth decreases with stream width. For a stream width of 6 m, the critical stream depth is only 1 mm. Thus while theoretically possible, an IWT is unlikely to occur at steady state without a clogging layer, unless a stream is very narrow or shallow and the RWT is very deep.     

Restoration prospects for Heitutan degraded grassland in the Sanjiangyuan

In many ecosystems ungulates have coexisted with grasslands over long periods of time. However, high densities of grazing animals may change the floristic and structural characteristics of vegetation, reduce biodiversity, and increase soil erosion, potentially triggering abrupt and rapid changes in ecosystem condition. Alternate stable state theory provides a framework for understanding this type of dynamic. In the Sanjiangyuan atop the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (QTP), grassland degradation has been accompanied by irruptions of native burrowing animals, which has accentuated the loss of ground cover. Severely degraded areas of alpine meadows are referred to as ’Heitutan’. Here, using the framework of alternate stable state theory, we describe the proximate and ultimate drivers of the formation of Heitutan on the QTP, and we assess prospects for recovery, in relation to the degree of biophysical alteration, of these alpine meadows. Effective rehabilitation measures must address the underlying causes of degradation rather than their symptoms. Heitutan degradation is not uni-causal. Rather it reflects different mechanisms operating at different spatio-temporal scales across this vast region. Underlying causes include overly aggressive exploitation of the grasslands (e.g. overgrazing), amplification of grazing and erosion damage by small mammals when outbreaks occur, and/or climate change. Given marked variability in environmental conditions and stressors, restorative efforts must vary across the region. Restoration efforts are likely toyield greatest success if moderately and severely degraded areas are targeted as the first priority in management programmes, before these areas are transformed into extreme Heitutan.