Deep-water geomorphology of the glaciated Irish margin from high-resolution marine geophysical data

The continental margin offshore of western Ireland offers an opportunity to study the effects of glacial forcing on the morphology and sediment architecture of a mid-latitude margin. High resolution multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, combined with shallow seismic and TOBI deep-towed side-scan sonar profiles, provide the basis for this study and allow a detailed geomorphological interpretation of the northwest Irish continental margin. Several features, including submarine mass failures, canyon systems and escarpments, are identified in the Rockall Trough for the first time. A new physiographic classification of the Irish margin is proposed and linked to the impact of glaciations along the margin. Correlation of the position and dimensions of moraines on the continental shelf with the level of canyon evolution suggests that the sediment and meltwater delivered by the British–Irish Ice Sheet played a fundamental role in shaping the margin including the upslope development of some of the canyon systems. The glacial influence is also suggested by the variable extent and backscatter signal of sedimentary lobes associated with the canyons. These lobes provide an indirect measurement of the amount of glaciogenic sediment delivered by the ice sheet into the Rockall Trough during the last glacial maximum. None of the sedimentary lobes demonstrates notable relief, indicating that the amount of glaciogenic sediment delivered by the British–Irish Ice Sheet into the Rockall Trough was limited. Their southward disappearance suggests a more restricted BIIS, which did not reach the shelf edge south of 54°23′ N. The various slope styles observed on the Irish margin represent snapshots of the progressive stages of slope development for a glacially-influenced passive margin and may provide a predictive model for the evolution of other such margins.     

Authorship,Collaboration, and Gender: Fifteen Years of Publication Productivity in Selected Geography Journals

In academia, publication productivity, defined as the number of peer-reviewed articles published and the frequency of citations, is a primary factor in the assessment of tenure and promotion. One of the most cited gender differences in academia is the “productivity puzzle,” which suggests that women publish less than men, thereby affecting every aspect of a woman's academic career. Peer-reviewed articles published in the Annals of the Association of American Geographers (Annals) and The Professional Geographer (PG) between 1995 and 2006, and in four subdisciplinary journals between 2005 and 2009, as well as citation reports, were used to explore whether gender differences are present in publication productivity. Gender differences were evident in the proportion of women authors, the frequency of collaboration, and the number of citations across a broad range of prestigious geographic journals. For all journals studied, women were underrepresented, especially in the authorship positions that equate to notions of respect and merit. Although the number of collaborative articles increased during the study period, single-authored papers are the dominant mode of publication for both men and women for most geographic journals. The authorship patterns for frequently cited articles generally mirror those for all articles. Because the frequency of collaborative publication was high for women, the dual trends of a general increase in publication collaboration and increasing participation of women in academic geography bodes well for increased female productivity as it relates to publishing. Nevertheless, it is important to note that, currently, males as lead or single authors represent the predominant voice of geography within the journals examined in this study.     

A loess-paleosol record of climate and glacial history over the past two glacial-interglacial cycles (~ 150 ka), southern Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Loess accumulated on a Bull Lake outwash terrace of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 6 (MIS 6) age in southern Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The 9 m section displays eight intervals of loess deposition (Loess 1 to Loess 8, oldest), each followed by soil development. Our age-depth model is constrained by thermoluminescence, meteoric ¹⁰Be accumulation in soils, and cosmogenic ¹⁰Be surface exposure ages. We use particle size, geochemical, mineral-magnetic, and clay mineralogical data to interpret loess sources and pedogenesis. Deposition of MIS 6 loess was followed by a tripartite soil/thin loess complex (Soils 8, 7, and 6) apparently reflecting the large climatic oscillations of MIS 5. Soil 8 (MIS 5e) shows the strongest development. Loess 5 accumulated during a glacial interval (~ 76-69 ka; MIS 4) followed by soil development under conditions wetter and probably colder than present. Deposition of thick Loess 3 (~ 43-51 ka, MIS 3) was followed by soil development comparable with that observed in Soil 1. Loess 1 (MIS 2) accumulated during the Pinedale glaciation and was followed by development of Soil 1 under a semiarid climate. This record of alternating loess deposition and soil development is compatible with the history of Yellowstone vegetation and the glacial flour record from the Sierra Nevada.     

Simulated eddy induced vertical velocities in a Gulf of Alaska model

Mesoscale eddies can distribute nutrients, heat and fresh water into the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) from the coastal margins. While many studies have investigated the physical characteristics of GOA eddies, their effects on passive-dispersive particles have not been previously simulated to investigate eddy induced upwelling. A climatologically forced Parallel Ocean Program simulation of the north Pacific Ocean with an online particle tracking scheme was used to simulate passive-dispersive particles in the Gulf of Alaska. In-eddy vertical Lagrangian velocities of the particles were calculated both inside and outside the eddies and showed upwelling rates are generally greater inside the eddies where the vertical velocities of the particles ranged from 0.2 to 0.7 m/day.     

The Young Geographers And Their Research: 1936–1943*

The Young Geographers, an informal organization of American geographers, flourished from 1936 to 1943. One of its projects in 1940 and 1941 was the compilation and publication of lists of contemplated research by some 170 Young Geographers. Their listed research interests were relatively narrow in subject and geographical area. The successor of the Young Geographers was the American Society for Professional Geographers which merged with the Association of American Geographers in 1948 under a democratic constitution which assured that young geographers and their research would be recognized.     

Opening GIScience: A process-based approach

Many scholars have demonstrated growing interest in GIScience in recent years, including use of open data portals, shared code and options for open access publication. These practices have made both research and data more transparent and accessible for a broad audience. This research may be open only in a limited sense for populations without expertise in the technology and methods undergirding these data. Based on two case studies using RStudio’s Shiny web platform, we argue that a process-based approach focusing on how analysis is opened throughout the research process provides a supplementary way to define and reflect upon public facing geographic research. Reflecting upon decisions we made at key points in each case study project, we identify four key tensions inherent to work in open GIScience: standardized vs. flexible tools, expert vs. community-led design, single vs. multiple audiences and established vs. emerging metrics.     

Dielectric constants of crystalline and amorphous spodumene,anorthite and diopside and the oxide additivity rule

The dielectric constants and dissipation factors of LiAlSi₂O₆, CaAl₂Si₂O₈ and CaMgSi₂O₆ in both the crystalline (α-spodumene, anorthite, and diopside) and amorphous forms were determined at 1 MHz using a two-terminal method and empirically determined edge corrections. The results are: spodumene κ′ ₁₁=7.30 tan δ= 0.0007 κ′₂₂=8.463 tan δ= 0.0002 κ′₃₃ =11.12 tan δ= 0.0007 anorthite κ′ _a ^*=5.47 tan δ= 0.0009 κ′_b ^*=8.76 tan δ= 0.0010 κ′_c ^*=7.19 tan δ= 0.0013 diopside κ′₁₁=9.69 tan δ= 0.0016 κ′₂₂ = 7.31 tan δ= 0.0007 κ′₃₃=7.29 tan δ= 0.00019 LiAlSi₂O₆ κ′=8.07 tan δ= 0.047 amorphous CaAl₂Si₂O₈ κ′=7.50 tan δ= 0.0024 amorphous CaMgSi₂O₆ κ′=8.89 tan δ= 0.0021 amorphous The dielectric properties of a spodumene glass, progressively crystallized at different conditions, were also determined. As the crystallization temperature was increased from 720 to 920° C, κ′ increased from 6.22 to 6.44. The dissipation factor, tan δ, remained constant at 0.020. Similarly, as the crystallization time at 750° C increased from 0.5 hr to 6.0 hr, κ′ increased from 6.28 to 6.35. The deviations of the measured dielectric polarizabilities as determined from the Clausius-Mosotti equation from those calculated from the sum of oxide polarizabilities according to α _D(mineral, glass) = σ α _D(oxides) are +7.4% for α-spodumene, +1.2% for diopside, and +28.0, +19.6 and +15.9% for amorphous spodumene, anorthitie and diopside compositions, respectively. Positive deviations in α-spodumene and anorthite are consistent with lower than normal apparent cation bond valence sums and are believed to be evidence for loosely bonded “rattling” Li and Ca ions. Diopside, with Ca and Mg ions having normal bond valence sums, exhibits no abnormal deviation from additivity. Larger positive deviations in amorphous SiO₂, LiAlSi₂O₆, CaAl₂Si₂O₈ and CaMgSi₂O₆ are postulated to arise from a combination of loosely bonded cations and disordered O⁼ ions where the oxygen dielectric polarizability increased from its normal value of 2.0 ų in well-behaved oxides to 2.2–3.0 Å₃ in the amorphous phases.     

Spatial Distribution–Abundance Relationships in Juvenile (Age 0) Red Drum (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sciaenops ocellatus</Emphasis>) and Spotted Seatrout (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cynoscion nebulosus</Emphasis>). I: Influence of Freshwater Inflow

We examined relationships between freshwater inflow and population abundance and distribution of two size classes (15–50 mm Standard Length and 51–100 mm SL) of spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) over our 13-year study covering shallow waters of Tampa Bay and several adjacent rivers. Juveniles of seatrout were relatively abundant most years and broadly distributed primarily in the bay. Freshwater inflow was positively related to spatial distribution and abundance of smaller juveniles of seatrout, yet it was unrelated to the larger size class. Red drum juveniles were less abundant and narrowly distributed primarily within the rivers. Lower portions of the Alafia, Little Manatee, and Manatee Rivers—a combined area comprising only 2 % of the study area—contained 40–96 % of the annual population. Freshwater inflow was positively related to population distribution and abundance of larger red drum suggesting that reductions in inflow can reduce both habitat area and populations. Inflow was related to abundance but not distribution of the smaller red drum suggesting that inflow may increase habitat quality but perhaps not quantity at this earlier growth stage. Comparing spatial and population dynamics of multiple species can help prioritize them for conservation and management issues, such as freshwater inflow regulation. Reductions in inflow reduce populations and spatial distribution of at least one juvenile life stage of these two fishery species. Due to their narrow spatial distribution in the rivers, juveniles of red drum appear to be particularly vulnerable to modification of the riverine environment.     

Coupling bio-logging with nutritional geometry to reveal novel insights into the foraging behaviour of a plunge-diving marine predator

It is widely believed that predators maximise their energy intake while foraging and consume prey that are nutritionally similar. We combined GPS data loggers, miniaturised cameras, dietary sampling and nutritional geometry to examine the nutritional variability in the prey and selected diet, and foraging performance, of the masked booby (Sula dactylatra tasmani), a wild carnivore and marine top predator. Data loggers also revealed no significant differences between sexes in the foraging performance of chick-rearing adults. Females provided more food to their chicks than the males and, regardless of the nutritional variability of prey consumed, both sexes showed similar amounts of protein and lipid in their diets. Miniaturised cameras combined with nutritional analysis of prey provided, for the first time, fine-scale detail of the amounts of macronutrients consumed in each plunge dive and the overall foraging trip. Our methodology could be considered for future studies that aim to contribute to the general understanding of the behavioural and physiological mechanisms and ecological and evolutionary significance of animal foraging (e.g. energy expenditure budgets and prey selection for self- and offspring-feeding that could lead to sex-specific foraging strategies).