Remote perceiving: A step toward a unified science of remote sensing

In a previous article (Hoffman & Conway, 1989), we reviewed some of the available psychological research that pertains to remote sensing. We focused on two major problem areas: Research on the knowledge of expert interpreters of remotely‐sensed imagery, and research on the use of color in graphic displays. Here, we pursue one of the broad implications of the research ‐ that the field of remote sensing can benefit by incorporating research methods and ideas from experimental psychology. From the experimental psychology viewpoint, “remote sensing”; is actually a misnomer when used to denote a field or area of scientific inquiry. Remote perceiving, as a total process, depends not only on the technology of remote sensing, but also depends critically on the ability of humans to interpret remote sensing displays. This perspective is contrasted with traditional approaches to remote sensing. The discussion involves some ideas about the theoretical and methodological foundations of remote sensing as a unified science.     

Role of aeolian sediment accretion in the formation of heuweltjie earth mounds,western South Africa

The action of organisms in shaping landforms is increasingly recognized; the field of biogeomorphology and the conceptual framework of ecosystem engineering have arisen in response to the need for integrated studies of the interactions between biotic and abiotic components of landscapes. Pathways by which organisms influence landscape development may be complex. For example, primary change initiated by one biotic element may initiate a cascade of other changes that eventually produce a significant landscape modification. Mound‐like landforms in North America and southern Africa are widely cited examples of biogenic structures, yet there is considerable controversy regarding the processes responsible for their formation. Heuweltjies (Afrikaans for little hills) are circular mounds ranging from 10–30 m diameter and 0.5–2 m height and are widespread in western South Africa. Colonies of the termite (Microhodotermes viator) are typically associated with heuweltjies and some investigators have attributed heuweltjie formation to the direct action of termites in redistributing earthen materials. However, rather than being directly responsible in this way, termites simply create nutrient‐rich islands, which support denser vegetation, thereby inducing the localized accretion of aeolian sediments and upward growth of mounds. Contrasting soil features in heuweltjies in one locale indicate these processes have occurred throughout the late Quaternary. Geographic variation in sizes of mounds is explained in part by the local availability of sediments that can be mobilized and redistributed by the wind. Recognition of the operation of aeolian processes in the formation of heuweltjies has important implications for conservation. Any land use that diminishes the sediment‐trapping effect of vegetation on heuweltjies truncates the very process by which new aeolian materials can accrue and may promote irreversible erosion and landscape degradation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Groundwater flow and capture zone analysis of the Central Passaic River Basin, New Jersey

Delineating capture zones of pumping wells is an important part of safe drinking water and well protection programs. Capture zones or contributing areas of a groundwater extraction well are the parts of the aquifer recharge areas from which the wells draw their water. Their extent and location depend on the hydrogeologic conditions such as groundwater recharge, pumping scenario and the aquifer properties such as hydraulic conductivity, porosity, heterogeneity of the medium and hydraulic gradient. Different methods of delineation can be used depending on the complexity of the hydrogeologic conditions. In this study, a 3-dimensional transient numerical MODFLOW model was developed for the Central Passaic River Basin (CPRB), and used with a MODPATH particle tracking code to determine 3-dimensional transient capture zones. Analytically calculated capture zones from previous studies at the site were compared with the new numerically simulated capture zones. The study results revealed that the analytical solution was more conservative, estimating larger capture zones than the numerical models. Of all the parameters that can impact the size, shape and location of a capture zone, the hydraulic conductivity is one of the most critical. Capture zones tend to be smaller in lower hydraulic conductivity areas.     

Characteristics and Influence of Phosphorus Accumulated in the Bed Sediments of a Stream Located in an Agricultural Watershed

We investigated the accumulation and influence of bioavailable P (BAP) in sediments of a stream located in an agricultural area of the Lake Mendota watershed in Wisconsin, USA. During hydrologic events, the stream carried high concentrations of suspended sediment (up to 250 mg/l) and BAP (up to 2.5 mg/l). Bed sediments were highly enriched in BAP, as inventories of BAP in the top 10 cm of sediment ranged from 143 to 14,500 μg P/cm². Space variations in BAP inventories were related to site-specific hydrodynamics and geochemical factors, including iron (Fe; r ² = 0.71) and aluminum (Al; r ² = 0.54) concentrations. Most sites behaved as potential sinks for dissolved reactive phosphate during hydrologic events and potential sources during base-flow periods. Through the combination of site-specific factors and geochemical controls, Dorn Creek modifies the amount, timing, and composition of P delivered from the watershed to downstream sites and water bodies.     

Characterization of Damage in Sandstones along the Mojave Section of the San Andreas Fault: Implications for the Shallow Extent of Damage Generation

Following theoretical calculations that suggest shallow generation of rock damage during an earthquake rupture, we measure the degree of fracture damage in young sedimentary rocks from the Juniper Hills Formation (JHF) that were displaced 21 km along the Mojave section of San Andreas Fault (SAF) and were not exhumed significantly during their displacement. In exposures adjacent to the fault, the JHF typically displays original sedimentary fabrics and little evidence of bulk shear strain at the mesoscopic scale. The formation is, however, pervasively fractured at the microscopic scale over a zone that is about a 100 m wide on the southwest side of the SAF near Little Rock. The abundance of open fractures, the poor consolidation, and the shallow inferred burial depth imply that the damage was generated close to the surface of the Earth. The spatial correlation of this damage with a seismically active trace of the SAF suggests that it was generated by SAF slip events that by assumption were of a seismic nature throughout the displacement history of the JHF. Thus the JHF provides a very shallow upper bound for the generation of brittle damage in a seismic fault zone. The fracture fabric is characterized by preferred orientations of fractures that split grains between contact points and is consistent with overall deformation under directed compression. However, the available results cannot be used to distinguish between proposed off-fault damage mechanisms. Fracture orientations are compatible with a maximum compressive stress oriented at a high angle to the fault at about 10 m, and at a lower, more variable angle farther away from the fault. The fracture distribution and fabric are consistent with observations made of the microscale damage characteristics of the Hungry Valley Formation in the northwestern section of the SAF in the Mojave, and with previous observations of exhumed, ancestral strands of the SAF.     

Effect of an exotic prey on the feeding pattern of a predatory snail

The mussel Brachidontes pharaonis, which invaded the Mediterranean from the Red Sea about 120 years ago, has recently become abundant in many midlittoral and some infralittoral rocky habitats along the Israeli rocky shore. We investigated the influence of B. pharaonis, as a novel prey, on the foraging patterns of the large whelk Stramonita haemastoma in the field, and examined food preferences in the laboratory. S. haemastoma has shifted from indigenous species to feeding on the novel mussel when abundant. The whelk prefers to prey upon the invasive mussel over all indigenous species offered (e.g. barnacles and mussels), probably due to its larger size. In the midlittoral zone, the foraging activity of S. haemastoma is considerably low even where refuges are readily available (incisioned-rocks) and food density is high (mainly B. pharaonis). Higher proportions of whelks are actively foraging in the infralittoral zone but usually on smaller prey, mostly barnacles. We suggest that this differential foraging activity in the two zones is related to the degree of exposure to wave action. The midlittoral is inherently more exposed to wave action than the infralittoral, where sea conditions are more benign and the whelks may enjoy longer activity periods.     

Epimenia arabica spec, nov., a Solenogaster (Mollusca) Feeding on the Alcyonacean Scleronephthya corymbosa (Cnidaria) from Shallow Waters of the Red Sea

Abstract. The body organization and some biological data of Epimenia arabica , a new species of Sotenogastres of the order Cavibelonia , are presented. The species is described based on four large-sized specimens (13–21 cm × 0.7-1 cm) from three different localities off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula (Red Sea). It feeds on Scleronephthya corymbosa V erseveldt & C ohen ( Octocorallia: Alcyonacea ), generally at depths of 2–5 meters.     

Hit or miss: Glacial incisions of snowball Earth

Estimated at ~58 Ma in duration, the Sturtian snowball Earth (ca. 717–659 Ma) is one of the longest‐known glaciations in Earth history. Surprisingly few uncontroversial lines of evidence for glacial incisions associated with such a protracted event exist. We report here multiple lines of geological field evidence for deep but variable glacial erosion during the Sturtian glaciation. One incision, on the scale of several kilometres, represents the deepest incision documented for snowball Earth; another much more modest glacial valley, however, suggests an erosion rate similar to sluggish Quaternary glaciers. The heterogeneity in snowball glacial incisions reported here and elsewhere was likely influenced by actively extending horst‐and‐graben topography associated with the breakup of supercontinent Rodinia.     

Science-based and stakeholder-driven marine protected area network planning: A successful case study from north central California

The planning process for California's Marine Life Protection Act in north central California represents a case study in the design of a regional component of a statewide network of marine protected areas (MPAs) for improved ecosystem protection. We describe enabling factors, such as a legislative mandate, political will, and adequate capacity and funding that fostered a successful planning process. We identify strategic principles that guided the design of a transparent public planning process that delivered regional MPA network proposals, which both met science guidelines and achieved a high level of support among stakeholders. We also describe key decision support elements (spatial data, planning tools, and scientific evaluation) that were essential for designing, evaluating, and refining alternative MPA network proposals and for informing decision-makers.