Read about glaciers, plantation irrigation systems, insecticides, eDNA tools in fish management, and fluorescent water sensors in this Bulletin.
by Rica Perez
April 13, 2023
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UPP Symposium
Monday, May 22, 2023, 2-5pm
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UPP Publications
Andrew Fountain (PSU) recently published “Application of Aerial InSAR to Measure Glacier Elevations” with other researchers. Fountain and his colleagues mapped the surface topography of glaciers and perennial snowfields across the western USA and employed NASA’s Airborne Glacier and Ice Surface Topography Interferometer (GLISTIN) to measure their elevation changes. Unlike other remote sensing methods, GLISTIN is capable of collecting two radar images simultaneously in a single flight pass, allowing surface elevations to be measured in a short amount of time. After comparing these new elevations to the National Elevation Data, Fountain’s team discovered that glaciers experienced significant thinning and volume loss over the last 60 years.
Alida Cantor (PSU) and her colleagues recently published “Plantation pasts, plantation futures: resisting zombie water infrastructure in Maui, Hawai’i” in the Journal of Peasant Studies. Cantor’s research team studied Maui’s water conveyance ditch system to better understand how irrigation infrastructure has continued to advance sugar plantations in Maui, as well as water extraction laws and policies. They also highlight ongoing efforts of communities fighting for water justice through the control of water infrastructure.
In a recent publication, “Field Assessment of Naled and Its Primary Degradation Product (Dichlorvos) in Aquatic Ecosystems Following Aerial Ultra-low Volume Application for Mosquito Control,” Ian Waite (USGS) and his research team examine the effects of Naled, an organophosphate insecticide used in aquatic ecosystems for mosquito control. In Sacramento, California, White’s team sampled from rice fields and a flowing canal, and measured Naled and Dichlorvos (another insecticide) in the water, along with biofilm, grazer macroinvertebrates, and omnivore/predator macroinvertebrates (predominantly crayfish). One day after applying the insecticide, the water samples indicated maximum concentrations of Naled and Dichlorvos that were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s aquatic life standards for invertebrates. The research team also detected Naled and Dichlorvos in the canal water downstream from the application site.
USGS scientists Alexandra Etheridge and Kurt Carpenter discuss the use of field fluorescent sensors on surface water and groundwater in their recent publication, Field Techniques for Fluorescence Measurements Targeting Dissolved Organic Matter, Hydrocarbons, and Wastewater in Environmental Waters: Principles and Guidelines for Instrument Selection, Operation and Maintenance, Quality Assurance, and Data Reporting. This report examines the fluorescent response of different substances in water when exposed to the sensor, as well as describes the basic principles of fluorescent field measurements and technical aspects of the sensor.