Streamflow and Tidal Dynamics in the Lower Pee Dee Basin: Hurricane Impacts

Over past years, extreme tropical storm events along the North and South Carolina coasts—and subsequent river flooding—have warranted the need for a better understanding of the hydrologic response to these events to protect life, property, businesses, and natural and cultural resources. Our focus in this study is the Pee Dee and Waccamaw River systems, which ultimately flow into Winyah Bay near Georgetown, South Carolina. River flows, coupled with the tidal nature of these freshwater systems, are complex and difficult to predict. The objective of the work is to analyze publicly available data from gauging stations along those river system as measured during Hurricanes Matthew and Florence and Tropical Storm Bertha—three uniquely different storm systems that produced varying rainfall depth, duration, and intensity across the Pee Dee Basin. The most important factor in tidal river analysis is the location of the stagnation point , where downstream river flow exactly balances upstream tidal flow. River flow only controls water level upstream of a tidal stagnation point, while ocean tide controls the water level downstream of a tidal stagnation point. An analysis of major flooding following Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, and Tropical Storm Bertha was used to determine the river flows associated with tidal stagnation at each stream gauge active during these storms. A major limitation of the analysis was a lack of flow data for the tidal channels in Georgetown County, which resulted in uncertainty in the flow associated with stagnation and uncertainty in the role played by each of the creeks that connect the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers. Ignorance of the roles of these creeks most limited understanding of the relative importance of Pee Dee and Waccamaw flow to cause stagnation near Pawleys Island and Hagley gauges on the Waccamaw River and the Socastee gauge on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

Floodplain Geomorphology and Response to Hurricanes: Lower Pee Dee Basin, South Carolina

Undeveloped forested wetlands in the valleys of coastal plain rivers can play a large role in storing floodwater and attenuating river flooding. In the lower Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, and Lynches Rivers, these wetlands played a large role in mitigating downstream flooding following Hurricane Florence. Wetland forest flood mitigation was most effective for large flows in the Great Pee Dee River, where flooding on former river terraces determined the course of overbank flow and the potential storage of floodwaters. Floodwater storage and attenuation of water level were less effective if larger flows were limited to the Little Pee Dee River. Large rains prior to Hurricane Matthew, and to a lesser extent Tropical Storm Bertha, caused the forested wetland to be a source of additional flow, although with little increase in peak stage.

POPULATION STRUCTURE AND GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE PEE DEE COTTON BREEDING PROGRAM

Accelerated marker-assisted selection and genomic selection breeding systems require genotyping data to select the best parents for combining beneficial traits. Since 1935, the Pee Dee cotton germplasm enhancement program has developed an important genetic resource for upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), contributing alleles for improved fiber quality, agronomic performance, and genetic diversity. To date, a detailed genetic survey of the program’s eight historical breeding cycles has yet to be undertaken. The objectives of this study were to evaluate genetic diversity across and within breeding groups, examine population structure, and contextualize these findings relative to the global upland cotton gene pool. The CottonSNP63K array was used to identify 17,441 polymorphic markers in a panel of 114 diverse Pee Dee genotypes. A subset of 4,597 markers was selected to decrease marker density bias. Identity by state (IBS) pairwise distance varied substantially, ranging from 0.55 to 0.97. Pedigree-based estimates of relatedness were not very predictive of observed genetic similarities. Few rare alleles were present, with 99.1% of SNP alleles appearing within the first four breeding cycles. Population structure analysis with principal component analysis, discriminant analysis of principal components, fastSTRUCTURE, and a phylogenetic approach revealed an admixed population with moderate substructure. A small core collection (n < 20) captured 99% of the program’s allelic diversity. Allele frequency analysis indicated potential selection signatures associated with stress resistance and fiber cell growth. The results of this study will steer future utilization of the program’s germplasm resources and aid in combining program-specific beneficial alleles and maintaining genetic diversity.

Determination of the mixing extent of sugar from C4 plants in juice using the isotopic signature of carbon (δ13C) in sugar

The objective of this study was to apply a method for estimating the mixing extent of C4 sugar in juice (apple) based on the fingerprinting of carbon stable isotope (δ13C). The values of δ13C in sugar separated from fresh apples, pure apple juices as well as sugar produced from C4 plants (plants conduct C4 cycle photo-synthesis, in this case, it was sugar canes) were analysed on an isotope ratio mass spectrometer equipped with an elemental analyzer (EA IRMS). The results showed that the δ13C in sugar separated from fresh apples was in the range of -27.00 to -24.00‰ with an average of -25.47‰ (n=6) vs. VPDB standard (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite). Meanwhile, the δ13C in sugar cane products ranged from -13.00 to -11.00‰, with an average of -12,47‰ vs. VPDB. Based on the isotope signature of carbon (δ13C) and the two end-members mixing model, the extent of mixing C4 sugar in apple juice available on the market could be estimated precisely. It was found one out of 9 apple juice samples available in the Hanoi markets to have a high content of C4 sugar mixed in the product, it was up to 96% instead of 5% as proclaimed on the label. The developed method seems to be of high accuracy so it was advisable to wider its application in the evaluation of the quality of juices available at the markets in Vietnam to ensure the right of the consumers.

Soil Carbon Regulating Ecosystem Services in the State of South Carolina, USA

Sustainable management of soil carbon (C) at the state level requires valuation of soil C regulating ecosystem services (ES) and disservices (ED). The objective of this study was to assess the value of regulating ES from soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and total soil carbon (TSC) stocks, based on the concept of the avoided social cost of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for the state of South Carolina (SC) in the United States of America (U.S.A.) by soil order, soil depth (0–200 cm), region and county using information from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) database. The total estimated monetary mid-point value for TSC in the state of South Carolina was $124.36B (i.e., $124.36 billion U.S. dollars, where B = billion = 109), $107.14B for SOC, and $17.22B for SIC. Soil orders with the highest midpoint value for SOC were: Ultisols ($64.35B), Histosols ($11.22B), and Inceptisols ($10.31B). Soil orders with the highest midpoint value for SIC were: Inceptisols ($5.91B), Entisols ($5.53B), and Alfisols ($5.0B). Soil orders with the highest midpoint value for TSC were: Ultisols ($64.35B), Inceptisols ($16.22B), and Entisols ($14.65B). The regions with the highest midpoint SOC values were: Pee Dee ($34.24B), Low Country ($32.17B), and Midlands ($29.24B). The regions with the highest midpoint SIC values were: Low Country ($5.69B), Midlands ($5.55B), and Pee Dee ($4.67B). The regions with the highest midpoint TSC values were: Low Country ($37.86B), Pee Dee ($36.91B), and Midlands ($34.79B). The counties with the highest midpoint SOC values were Colleton ($5.44B), Horry ($5.37B), and Berkeley ($4.12B). The counties with the highest midpoint SIC values were Charleston ($1.46B), Georgetown ($852.81M, where M = million = 106), and Horry ($843.18M). The counties with the highest midpoint TSC values were Horry ($6.22B), Colleton ($6.02B), and Georgetown ($4.87B). Administrative areas (e.g., counties, regions) combined with pedodiversity concepts can provide useful information to design cost-efficient policies to manage soil carbon regulating ES at the state level.

Early Cretaceous glendonites of Arctic realm: distributions and their paleoclimate implication

<p>In the middle of 20<sup>th</sup> century glendonites were purposed as an indicator of cold climate. There is no doubt that unique morphology and sizes of pseudomorphs occurring through Precambrian to Quaternary succession indicate uncommon geochemical environment. Here, we present an overview of Early Cretaceous glendonites distribution across Arctic which widely distributed here despite generally greenhouse climate conditions in Early Cretaceous.</p><p>Late Berriasian pseudomorphs are known on northeastern Siberia and Arctic Canada. Valanginian glendonites are the widest ones are described from the Northern and Western Siberia, Spitsbergen and the Arctic Canada. Late Hauterivian concretions were studied on Svalbard. Barremian and lower Aptian glendonites are unknown in this area due to wide distributed continental succession, but late Barremian glendonites were reported from the wells drilled on the Barents Sea shelf. Middle and Upper Aptian glendonites are found on Svalbard,  North Greenland, the Arctic Canada and North-East Russia. Lower Albian glendonites are found on Svalbard, islands of Arctic Canada and the Koryak Uplands.</p><p>Nowadays it is reliable known that the precursor of glendonites is an ikaite - metastable calcium carbonate hexahydrate, forming in a narrow temperature range from 0-4<sup>o</sup>C, mainly in near-bottom conditions. Besides low temperature, high phosphate concentrations that occurs due to anaerobic oxidation of methane and/or organic matter; dissolved organic carbon, sulfates and amino acid may favor to ikaite formation as well. However, glendonites associated with terrigenious rocks, often including glacial deposits, that allow to use them as a paleoclimate indicator.</p><p>Glendonites show a wide variability in form and size: from single crystal blades to stellate aggregates and rosettes, usually ranged from a few mm to dozens of cm. Mineralogical composition of pseudomorph is represented mainly by three calcite phases determining by CL-light. Both δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>13</sup>C of glendonites are characterized by a broad range of values. Oxygen isotope composition ranges from -14 to -0 ‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB), whilst  carbon isotope composition ranges from -52.4 to – 14 ‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB).</p><p>Based on received data we suggest that δ<sup>18</sup>O reflects the complex processes involved in ikaite-glendonite transformation, supposing mixing depleted fluids with seawater. Nevertheless, received data coincide with δ<sup>18</sup>O values reported from Paleozoic-Quaternary glendonites formed in near-freezing environments. Values of δ<sup>13</sup>C of glendonites is the result of both mixing seawater inorganic carbon and sedimentary organic diagenesis and close to bacterial sulfate reduction and/or anaerobic oxidation of methane or organic matter.</p><p>To conclude,  Early Cretaceous climate was warm generally, however studied pseudomorphs point to cold episodes in Late Berriasian, Valanginian, Late Hauterivian, Middle-Late Aptian and Early Albian.</p><p>The study was supported by RFBR, project number 20-35-70012.</p>

Streamflow estimation at partially gaged sites using multiple dependence conditions via vine copulas

Reliable estimates of missing streamflow values are relevant for water resources planning and management. This study proposes a multiple dependence condition model via vine copulas for the purpose of estimating streamflow at partially gaged sites. The proposed model is attractive in modeling the high dimensional joint distribution by building a hierarchy of conditional bivariate copulas when provided a complex streamflow gage network. The usefulness of the proposed model is firstly highlighted using a synthetic streamflow scenario. In this analysis, the bivariate copula model and a variant of the vine copulas are also employed to show the ability of the multiple dependence structure adopted in the proposed model. Furthermore, the evaluations are extended to a case study of 54 gages located within the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, the eastern U. S. Both results inform that the proposed model is better suited for infilling missing values. After that, the performance of the vine copula is compared with six other infilling approaches to confirm its applicability. Results demonstrate that the proposed model produces more reliable streamflow estimates than the other approaches. In particular, when applied to partially gaged sites with sufficient available data, the proposed model clearly outperforms the other models. Even though the model is illustrated by a specific case, it can be extended to other regions with diverse hydro-climatological variables for the objective of infilling.

An ethics of pace in digital culture

As Elodie and 35,000 other Congolese children negotiate dangerous working conditions that impair their health, some Western consumers enjoy the fruits of their debilitating labor to fight for their own rights in the ableist infrastructure of the West. Americans and people around the world benefit from the cooling power of an aquifer in South Carolina, water that is in the ground traditionally stewarded by the Catawba, Pee Dee, Chicora, Edisto, Santee, Yamassee, and Chicora-Waccamaw who are all still present in South Carolina, as are many descendants of the Cherokee, despite also being devastated by European-born diseases like smallpox. What role should our studies of the digital play in addressing these problems in the global digital supply chain?

Anthropogenic Releases of Radiocarbon and its Concentration Burden in Environment

: The radiocarbon (14C) concentrations in air and vegetation samples around a nuclear research reactor were studied. Objective: 14C concentrations in the air and vegetation samples around the nuclear research reactor were measured to assess its 14C burden on the environment. Methods: Air samples were collected by converting CO2 into Na2CO3 by using a specified system. Leaf samples were carbonized to convert organic carbon into inorganic carbonates. The samples were converted into carbamate through carbosorb systems with 74% efficiency. The fractionation of 14C for each sample was corrected and normalized to a 13C composition of -25‰ Pee Dee Belemnite. Results: 14C concentrations in the air and vegetation samples around the nuclear research reactor were found to range from 158 to 406 Bq/Kg and 162 to 339 Bq/kgC, respectively. The highest concentrations of 14C were found in the samples close to the reactor and along the prevailing wind direction. The specific activities of the samples decreased with an increase in the distance from the reactor and in the opposite to prevailing wind direction. In addition to the distance from the reactor and wind direction, the local Suess effect was an additional factor affecting the 14C activities in the air and vegetation samples. Conclusion: One can conclude that other than the 14C emissions from the nuclear reactor, local Suess effects and climatic factors (wind directions) dilute and disperse 14C concentrations in the atmosphere and consequently decrease its availability for uptake and accumulation by plants at 4-5 km aerial distance from the point of release in prevailing wind direction.