Lancaster and team reveal new information on sand dune study in Geology article

Linear sand dunes, like those found in the Namib Desert in southwestern Africa, are the most widespread type of desert sand dune around the world.  Until recently, insufficient data led to challenges with determining the age of these sand dunes, as well as how they were formed.  DRI's Dr. Nick Lancaster, with colleagues Dr. Geoff Duller of the University of Aberystwyth and Dr. Charlie Bristow of the University of London, used ground penetrating radar and optically stimulated luminescence dating to dig deep inside the dunes to reconstruct the sedimentary layers and to solve the mystery of their age.  The results, which appear in an article in the new issue of the journal "Geology," are monumental: the dunes were younger than expected; there was firm evidence of lateral migration—or shifting sideways—of linear dunes; and they were constructed by winds from different directions than previously thought.

Nevada System of Higher Education and Nevada Test Site contractor sign cooperative agreement

Chancellor Jim Rogers of the Nevada System of Higher Education signed the first-ever agreement between the System—including DRI—and National Security Technologies LLC, the primary contractor at the Nevada Test Site on Wednesday, June 6th. The authoring organizations, and parties to the agreement, are Technology Ventures Corporation and the Nevada Alliance for Defense, Energy and Business, both non-profit corporations with Las Vegas offices.  All parties to the non-contractual agreement have a common and abiding interest in science and technology research and commercialization and mutually agree to establish more effective communication and coordination to enhance these efforts.  The agreement is meant to help promote research, support the acceleration of new technology business formations and expand existing technology-based companies that will benefit Nevada research institutions, entrepreneurs, industry, investors and the citizens of the State of Nevada in creating upper level jobs.

Georgia Institute of Technology graduate student wins Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award

A Georgia Institute of Technology graduate student, Paula Agudelo, has won the Desert Research Institute's Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award for Women in Atmospheric Sciences for her study of tropical climate and dynamics and the role of ocean-atmosphere coupling in the development of deep convection and cyclones.  Agudelo received the Wagner Award's $1,500 prize following a presentation of her winning paper, entitled "Transition between suppressed and active phases of intraseasonal oscillations in the Indo-Pacific warm pool."  The Peter B. Wagner Award, given annually, was established in 1998 by Nevada Gaming Commission member and former Nevada Lt. Gov. Sue Wagner in memory of her late husband, Peter, a DRI scientist who died in the 1980 crash of a DRI research aircraft.  This national award is intended to encourage women graduate students in the atmospheric sciences.l

Solving Problems—DRI Studies Agricultural Water-Conservation Technique

Water resources in the western United States are struggling to satisfy ever-increasing demand. One area of conservation would be to reduce the loss of water from unlined water-delivery canals that transport water from rivers and reservoirs to agricultural fields. By some estimates, there are more than 12,000 miles of unlined water-delivery canals in the western United States. Researchers from DRI are leading a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional team to study the benefits and risks of using linear, anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) to reduce seepage from unlined canals.  PAM is a synthetic chemical belonging to a class of polymers used in applications as diverse as wastewater treatment to soil amendment.  Experiments have been conducted on several scales, from lab-scale experiments completed at DRI, to full-scale experiments conducted in water delivery canals in Colorado and Montana, and the results are encouraging.  However, PAM contains acrylamide, a suspected human carcinogen, which is released into the canal water at low concentrations. To understand the potential risks associated with PAM use in canals, the research consortium also examined possible human health and environmental impacts, and has just released their risk characterization.

Dr. Chow receives new Nazir and Mary Ansari Chair award

Dr. Judy Chow has received the inaugural Nazir and Mary Ansari Chair in Entrepreneurialism and Science, a $75,000 award spread over three years funded by the Nazir & Mary Ansari Foundation.  Nazir Ansari is a trustee on DRI’s Research Foundation Board.  Dr. Chow will use the award to fund her research in “Atmospheric Degradation of Cultural Heritage,” which is a challenge in some countries where different types of air pollution are affecting the preservation of precious cultural artifacts.  The objectives are to formulate hypotheses for atmospheric degradation of cultural artifacts in different environments; develop assessment methods and training programs for museum curators; and organize and assist in research programs in developed and developing countries.  The project expands on her already impressive collaborative work on the preservation of the Terra-cotta Warriors in Xi’an, China and will allow her to collaborate with colleagues elsewhere, such as Italy, Cyprus, Chile and India.

Levy receives prestigious undergraduate research scholarship

UNLV biology student and DRI undergraduate researcher Karen Levy was selected from a pool of more than 700 undergraduates nationwide to participate in the 2007 Amgen Scholars Program, a highly competitive summer research program that pairs promising young researchers with top scientists at some of the nation’s leading academic institutions.  Under the direction of Dr. Howard Shuman, professor of microbiology at Columbia University’s renowned College of Physicians and Surgeons, Levy will spend 10 weeks this summer studying Legionella pneumophila, the microorganism that causes the lung infection known as Legionnaires disease.  She then will present her research to her peers in New York and at the national Amgen Biomedical Conference at Lake Tahoe in July.  A sophomore in UNLV’s School of Life Sciences, Levy is no stranger to laboratory work, having obtained an NSF Undergraduate Research Fellowship for the current academic year to work with DRI microbiologist Dr. Duane Moser in Las Vegas.  At DRI, Levy is involved with a joint USGS/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services/DRI study focused on endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as synthetic hormones, in the Lake Mead ecosystem.  After graduating from UNLV, she plans to pursue a combined M.D./Ph.D. and explore a career as a medical researcher. 

Dr. Nick Lancaster: 2007 Regents’ Researcher of the Year Award

Dr. Nick Lancaster received the Nevada System of Higher Education's Regents' Researcher of the Year Award for 2007—marking the third year in a row that a DRI faculty member has received this honor. Dr. Lancaster, research professor and senior director of DRI's Center for Arid Lands Environmental Management (CALEM), received B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in geography from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Since then, he has established himself as one of the world's foremost experts on sand-dune systems and eolian, or wind-driven processes. His research has included studies of the deserts of Namibia, Botswana, and parts of South Africa, as well as the Gran Desierto in northwestern Mexico and the Mojave Desert of California and Nevada. The Board of Regents established the Researcher of the Year Award in 1992. It is awarded yearly to a faculty member in the Nevada System of Higher Education with a substantial record of accomplishments, including a significant amount of research and scholarly work with recognition, clear evidence of the national and/or international stature of the research, and achievement in competitively won national and international grants and contracts. The honoree receives a $5,000 stipend and a medal.

Dust in Antarctic ice reveals important climate clues, new DRI study in PNAS reports

Recent climate warming and land-use changes may be altering atmospheric dustiness over the Antarctic Peninsula and the nearby oceans, according to a new study released in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). In a landmark study funded primarily by the Fulbright Program, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Instituto Antárctico Argentino, DRI's Dr. Joseph McConnell and colleagues measured total aluminumin a 120-meter-long glacial ice core obtained from James Ross Island at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The source of the aluminum is dust which is derived from soils and ultimately deposited and preserved in the glacial ice. The highly detailed record of soil dust spans the period 1832 to 1991 and shows that dust deposited from the air onto James Ross Island more than doubled during the 20th century.

Watch Our Mission to the Mojave: DRI teams with NASA on expedition

DRI’s Dr. Henry Sun is a collaborator on the Spaceward Bound program, an educational program organized at NASA Ames in partnership with The Mars Society, and funded by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) at NASA Headquarters.  The focus of Spaceward Bound is to train the next generation of space explorers by having students and teachers participate in the exploration of scientifically interesting but remote and extreme environments on Earth as analogs for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. From March 25-30, a team of teachers will be studying side-by-side with NASA scientists, including Dr. Sun, who search for life in extreme environments.  Teachers and scientists will perform scientific fieldwork in lunar geology, Mars astrobiology, Mars geology, and issues of temperature and solar inundation and radiation. Watch the action yourself on webcasts on Wednesday, March 28, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time in English and 11 a.m. Pacific Time in Spanish (watch this story for the links to come the last week of March).

1200 Skiers Learn About Storm Peak Lab at Successful Open House

The champagne powder was perfect at Steamboat Springs, Colo., during the weekend of March 3-4 when Dr. Gannet Hallar, Ian McCubbin, Dr. Randy Borys and Dr. Melanie Wetzel opened the doors to DRI’s Storm Peak Lab to the public. Streams of skiers were taken on guided tours through the labs, bunk rooms, kitchen, garage and even the restroom of the lab so visitors could see how researchers live, eat and work 10,500 feet atop Mt. Werner.  Many locals commented they had always wondered what went on in the “mysterious lab” they skied past each season, while the youngsters learned about the many shapes of snowflakes.  Learn more about Storm Peak Lab at: http://www.stormpeak.dri.edu/

Japan’s Arid Land Research Center looks to DRI for collaboration

The director of Japan’s Arid Land Research Center, Professor Atsushi Tsunekawa, and Professor of Climatology Masato Shinoda visited DRI in December to meet with interested faculty, staff and students to discuss collaborative research and exchange of faculty and students.  The center, located at Tottori University in Japan, conducts research on desertification and assists people in arid areas to develop sustainable agricultural practices.  As part of the graduate school of Tottori University, the center teaches and supervises MSc and Ph.D. students and accommodates research students, foreign researchers and trainees.  "We have paved the way for great partnerships, and we are currently collaborating on a proposal for an international center of excellence for arid lands research and education," Nick Lancaster, director for DRI’s Center for Arid Lands Environmental Management, said.

McConnell chosen as DRI’s first Maki Chair of Hydrologic Sciences

Dr. Joseph McConnell has been awarded the first Maki Chair of Hydrologic Sciences, an honor that carries a $50,000 annual budget for a duration of up to three years and is given based on a proposal submission demonstrating (1) previous DRI accomplishments; (2) creativity and relevance of newly proposed activities; and (3) potential positive impacts and the likelihood of achieving a successful outcome. McConnell will use the award to extend his well-known ice-core work beyond polar ice cores to include alpine ice cores, which involves very different analytical methods. McConnell is proposing to analyze three ice cores in collaboration with national and international partners: one from the Andes, one from British Columbia and one from the South Cascades in Washington. Ice cores preserve many different man-made and natural impurities, typically on an annual basis.  These impurities can be used to better understand the drivers of climate change and industrial pollution over time. For more information about Joe McConnell’s work and lab, see: http://www.newsletter.dri.edu/2005/Spring/TraceChemistry.html

Governor-Elect Gibbons Names DRI President Wells to Transition Team

Governor-elect Jim Gibbons announced that DRI President Stephen Wells will head one of two transition team working groups looking into Nevada’s natural resources, the water group.  “Water and energy are both needed to fuel Nevada's economic growth," said Governor-elect Gibbons.  “Nevada’s future depends on carefully managing water resources and on developing our abundant energy sources.  Steve Wells has already brought us a step closer to achieving my vision of a technologically advanced, scientifically sound inventory of our state’s water resources.” 

DRI scientists and their collaborators tap climate warming for a new phenomenon: premature flowering and fruiting in tallgrass prairie

Phenology is the study of the times of recurring natural phenomena. Derived from the Greek Phainomai—to appear or come into view—it is concerned with the dates of first occurrence of natural events in their annual cycle, such as the date of emergence of leaves and flowers, the first flight of butterflies or the first appearance of migratory birds. Because many such phenomena are very sensitive to small variations in climate, especially to temperature, phenological records can be a useful proxy for temperature trends in the study of climate change.  In a paper published the week of December 18 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DRI scientists Jay Arnone and Paul Verburg and their collaborators discovered that because the flowering and fruiting phenology of plants is sensitive to environmental cues such as temperature and moisture, climate change is likely to alter community-level patterns of reproductive phenology.

CEMP Poster voted Best in Show

The poster presentation by DRI’s Ted Hartwell and Dave Shafer, with DRI co-authors Greg McCurdy and Jeff Tappen, “Stakeholder involvement in radiological monitoring and risk communication: The community environmental monitoring program” was one of five selected (from at total of 117) as “best posters” at the Society for Risk Analysis annual meeting in Baltimore, MD in December 2006. 

The CEMP program, which was created to allow stakeholders to monitor the airborne environment for manmade radioactivity that could result from NTS activities, installed its 29th station this fall at the Duckwater Indian Reservation.  The Duckwater Reservation is the closest reservation in a down-wind trajectory from the Nevada Test Site.  A community outreach event about this new station will take place at the Duckwater Reservation in January.

DRI’s Moser and team strike gold by discovering life in a South African mine

DRI scientist Duane Moser and his colleagues have discovered an isolated, self-sustaining, microbial community living under extreme conditions almost two miles beneath the Earth’s surface in a South African gold mine. The community of microorganisms may be the first demonstrated to subsist purely on geologically produced substrates (sulfate and hydrogen), and is one of the few ecosystems on Earth that operates independently of the sun. The discovery, which appeared in the October 20 issue of Science, raises the possibility that similar life could exist beneath the surface of other worlds, such as Mars or Jupiter’s moon Europa.

DRI's President Wells receives prestigious Owen Award from Indiana University

DRI President Stephen Wells was honored by his alma mater, Indiana University, with the Richard Owen Alumni Award—the highest honor that the Department of Geological Sciences bestows on an alumnus.  The annual award is for outstanding achievement in the field of geological sciences, be it excellence as a researcher, teacher, explorer or management in academia, industry, or government sectors, or as an independent entrepreneur. (more information)

DRI’s Mouat lends desertification expertise and leadership in Israel

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2006 as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.  To address the pressing issue of global desertification, more than 200 participants from over 30 countries converged on Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel Nov. 6-9, including DRI's Dr. David Mouat who was a keynote speaker and moderator at the event.   The U.N.-sanctioned conference addressed challenges and solutions for desertification. (more information)

Clearing the air: DRI faculty study causes and chemistry of haze

Air pollution—we all know it when we see it, smell it or when it affects our health. Air pollution even may be affecting global climate, with different forms of air pollutants thought to be contributing to raising, or lowering, global temperatures. From the urban areas like Tucson and Phoenix, Ariz., to national parks and wilderness areas across the United States, Dr. Douglas Lowenthal and Dr. Mark Green (pictured from left to right) are examining the particles and chemical components that make up air pollution—specifically, haze. (more information)

New Tahoe Center Provides Home Base for DRI’s Tahoe Research

The new Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences building, with its grand opening on Saturday, October 14, will provide a much-needed place for DRI’s researchers to collaborate with others, store equipment, prepare for research and do on-site measurements and analyses. For a decade, DRI’s Lake Tahoe research has focused on a variety of areas, such as atmospheric sciences, general air quality within the basin, shoreline erosion, stormwater runoff, evaluation of environmental restoration projects, and hydrology. The TCES building is located at the Sierra Nevada College campus in Incline Village, Nev. and will be shared by the college, UC Davis, DRI and the University of Nevada, Reno. (more information)

Healthwatch: DRI’s revolutionary health and risk research is garnering attention

One aspect of DRI’s work that crosses over all three research areas—air, water and land—is health and risk assessment. DRI’s mission statement describes how it excels in environmental research and the application of technologies to /improve people’s lives throughout Nevada and the world/, and our vision statement includes /improving human health and welfare. Many federal and state agencies, businesses and the public worldwide seek DRI’s expertise in their quests to improve human health and the environment because our approaches to risk- and health-related research and the results are unparalleled. (more information)

In this day and age, it is doubtful that anyone would dream of using nuclear explosives to do things such as excavate for a road or harbor, recover gas and oil, create a quarry for dam construction, or fracture rock for water storage. However, the proposed peaceful uses for nuclear explosives in the late 1950s and 1960s were limited only by the imagination of the people working on the Plowshare Program. DRI researchers Dr. Colleen Beck and Susan Edwards, archaeologists and historic preservation specialists with DRI’s Division of Earth and Ecosystems Sciences, started a project in 2002 to investigate the potential for environmental liabilities associated with Plowshare projects conducted at places other than the Nevada Test Site (NTS).

In a special ceremony at the end of April, DRI President Dr. Stephen Wells signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tennessee State University's President Dr. Melvin N. Johnson, continuing DRI's commitment to collaborating with new institutions, both in the U.S. and abroad.. The MOU signing ceremony in Nashville, TN formalized TSU's and DRI's intent to partner in the areas of conducting basic and applied research sponsored by federal and state agencies and private organizations, developing cooperative work programs, and establishing student research internships.

Dr. Chris Maples (DRI), Dr. Melvin Johnson (TSU), Dr. Steve Wells (DRI), and Maria Thompson (TSU)

DRI hosts Nevada Wildland Fire Research and Outreach Conference

On May 25, the Desert Research Institute hosted a one-day symposium addressing the state of wildfire research in Nevada. The conference was part of the inaugural Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week, begun by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and provided a forum where scientists and land managers from the Desert Research Institute, UNR and state and federal agencies could discuss how science findings are currently being applied to land management and where land managers need science to help them make decisions.

Shared Knowledge: DRI makes trip to Sharjah to build collaborative relationships

DRI President Stephen Wells, VP for Academic Affairs Roger Jacobson, and CALEM Senior Director Nick Lancaster had an exceptionally productive trip to the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates in early May. Wells signed a Memorandum of Understanding with His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Sharjah (pictured at right) to conduct collaborative research and provide capacity building and guidance as their university system develops a series of research institutes. The visit included discussions with representatives from the University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah, the Special Advisor to the Ruler of Sharjah for Higher Education and the Director General of the Environmental and Protected Areas Authority. At the Sharjah Research Corporation’s request, DRI already has submitted proposals for joint research and capacity building projects on several key environmental issues including water and air quality, desert rehabilitation, and coastal wetland preservation.

DRI scientist leads $9-million effort to solve meteorological mystery of Sierra waves and rotors

Dr. Vanda Grubišić is leading a group of more than 60 scientists from around the world to gather new data that will help forecasters and pilots better understand the turbulent waves and rotors of the Sierras. The project, called the Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment, or T-REX, involves gathering data using small instruments deployed from three research aircraft (including the new $81-million Gulfstream V HIAPER) to measure temperature, humidity, pressure, and, especially, winds between the flight level and the surface, as well as ground-based infrared lasers.

DRI PARTNERS IN GLOBAL ALLIANCE TO BRING CLEAN WATER TO VILLAGERS IN WEST AFRICA

The Desert Research Institute is part of a far-reaching international effort—the West Africa Water Initiative (WAWI)—to bring potable water to the countries of Ghana, Mali, and Niger. Through WAWI, a public-private partnership envisioned by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, DRI researchers are employing advanced technologies for regional groundwater exploration and improved access to safe drinking water for rural villagers.

Desert springs in U.S. west are coming under scrutiny.

Under sponsorship of the National Park Service, DRI's Don Sada, aquatic ecologist, has developed a series of investigative protocols aimed at surveying and monitoring desert springs scattered throughout the national parks and historic sites comprising the Mojave Network.

New Method Developed To Predict Flood Hazards At Airfields in Arid Environments

The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have sponsored research to investigate flooding on playa lakebeds, commonly used as sites for airfields in arid regions. DRI's research efforts successfully produced a new method for predicting inundation of playas from severe precipitation events.

Collaborative technical management of one of the largest U.S. air-quality studies ever conducted was achieved by DRI and NOAA scientists associated with the Cooperative Institute for Atmospheric Science and Terrestrial Applications (CIASTA). Over 60 researchers participated in this study sponsored by national, state, and private groups.

K-9s trained to search out threatened species.

Wildlife detection dogs are proving to be effective in locating Mojave Desert tortoises through a DRI study sponsored by the Redlands Institute at the University of Redlands.

DRI explores link between air pollution and drought.

Atop a mountain peak in Colorado, DRI scientists explore the connection between air pollution and drought, in collaboration with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, through work sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

DRI’s groundwater model for underground nuclear test area approved.

Nevada has approved DRI’s three-dimensional, numeric groundwater flow model designed to establish contaminant boundaries for the Shoal underground nuclear test conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy in 1963. This approval marks only the second time that a state has accepted a groundwater model for an underground nuclear test area.

DRI achieves major accomplishment with development of real-time atmospheric forecasting capability.

 DRI has developed an operational version of the Mesoscale Model 5 atmospheric forecasting system. California Department for Boating and Waterways funded this work to develop a real-time, surface-wind forecasting capability in support of West Coast shipping and boating operations.

Real-Time Weather Forecasting Up and Running

Joint research venture leads to patent and production of HotPlate™ precipitation-measuring system.

An exclusive license to manufacture the HotPlate™ system for commercial distribution has been awarded to Yankee Environmental Systems in Turners Falls, Maine. Development of this advanced technology was achieved through a collaborative venture between DRI and the National Center for Atmospheric Research with support from the FAA Aviation Weather Research Program.

Advanced System

Design

Advantages

DRI develops expertise in the science and engineering of alternative landfill covers.

DRI scientists are designing alternative landfill covers for Edwards Air Force Base in California, with involvement from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The design uses advanced numerical techniques coupled with extensive site characterization to evaluate effects of design parameters on deep, long-term percolation of water through earthen materials.

Technical Approach

Background and Problem

Alternative Design Concept

Site Characterization

Numerical Modeling

Future Direction

DRI scientists survey and model physical characteristics and habitat of Walker Lake to understand effects of changing water conditions.

John Tracy, Saxon Sharpe, and Rosemary Carroll are modeling the hydrology of Walker River Basin to evaluate sources and methods of increasing flow into the lake to counter declining water levels. Ken Taylor and Rick Susfalk are using high-performance computing technologies to create virtual tools that may be used in assessing three-dimensional, underwater views of Walker Lake.

John Tracy

Saxon Sharpe

Rosemary Carroll

Ken Taylor

Rick Susfalk

DRI scientist’s extensive archaeological investigation will produce world-class record of prehistoric plant use in North America.

Dr. Dave Rhode will lead a year-long project sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to identify and quantify well-preserved plant remains excavated from archaeological cave sites in the arid Bonneville Basin of Utah and Nevada.

Archaeological investigation of plant remains in the Bonneville Basin of Utah and Nevada

NSF ecosystem studies program awards one of largest grants ever to investigate impacts of elevated carbon dioxide on desert ecosystems.

DRI’s Dr. Jay Arnone is participating in a $1.2M collaborative, multi-institutional project to study responses of Mojave Desert ecosystems to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The research is being conducted at the Nevada Desert Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) Facility and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Response of desert ecosystems to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide

U.S. DoD Army Research Office awards DRI $2.6M to develop new methods for predicting desert terrain conditions.

DRI scientists obtain patent for a remote sensor to detect particulate matter in vehicle exhaust.

Drs. Hans Moosmüller and Robert Keislar patent a vehicle emissions remote sensing system (VERSS) based on ultraviolet lidar and transmissometer instruments to measure particulate matter in vehicle emissions.

Hans Moosmüller

Claudio Mazzoleni

Peter W. Barber

Hampden D. Kuhns

Robert E. Keislar

John G. Watson

Role of carbonates in ecosystem carbon cycling investigated by DRI scientists.

Drs. Verburg, Arnone, Marion, and McDonald are beginning an innovative, NSF-funded investigation of the potential impact of global climate change on inorganic carbon dynamics in Mojave Desert ecosystems.

Paul Verburg

Jay Arnone

Giles Marion

Eric McDonald

John Warwick

Shawn Benner

Doug Boyle

Jennifer Duan

Design Guidance for Streambank Stabilization and Grade-Control Structures/Sediment Transport Mechanisms

Urban Flooding and Channel Restoration Demonstration Program for Arid and Semi-Arid Regions