The Cascade Volcanic Arc has been the subject of extensive study in the past due to its active volcanism and its proximity to metropolitan areas. The triangle formed by the volcanoes Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, and Mount Adams is of particular interest because of this potential danger and the...
Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) are quasi-DC signals that are induced in the ground during geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) and pose a large threat to power grid infrastructure. The power industry currently attempts to mitigate GIC effects by utilizing 1-D ground electrical conductivity based electric field predictions, though conductivity can vary in...
Magnetotellurics is used in two geologic settings on scales ranging from 1000-km tectonic structures to local features hundreds of meters wide. These areas are the Midcontinent Rift System (MRS) and its related mantle plume in the northern Midwestern United States and Newberry Volcano in central Oregon.
The MRS study uses...
Explosively erupting volcanoes and megathrust earthquakes (Mw 8+ magnitude) occur at subduction zones and adjacent volcanic arcs. Volcanic eruptions are observed occurring close in time to megathrust earthquakes in the historical record from at least the 18th century CE to present in locations globally, including Japan in 1707 CE (Chesley...
The microorganisms present determine to a great extent the quality of cured meat. Some of them may have unfavorable effects on the color and flavor, whereas others are known to have beneficial effects on these quality factors.
Yeasts, bacilli, and streptococci were found to be predominately present in a cover...
Ground level electric fields arising from geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) are used by the electric power industry to calculate geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in the power grid. Current industry practice is limited to electric fields associated with 1‐D ground electrical conductivity structure, yet at any given depth in the crust and...
This thesis uses a series of non-fiction vignettes to explore objects, agencies, and networks, applying theories of rhetoric and composition directly to experience and vise versa. Focusing on agency--as understood through sociology's actor-networks, post- humanism’s Object Orientated Ontology, and Ecocriticism's ecological approach--I look at events, landscapes, and partnerships that have...
The electrical grid is a key component of the Nation's critical infrastructure. Its continuous and reliable operation is of vital importance; any system-wide disruption would have a debilitating impact on crucial services, public health and safety, the economy, and the national security of the United States.
High-impact low-frequency events pose...
Oblique subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath the North American plate characterizes the tectonic setting of the Pacific Northwest. North American plate deformation at the latitude of central Oregon consists of the clockwise-rotation of the Siletzia block in the forearc and the extensional Basin and Range province in...
The southern San Andreas fault (SSAF) is the fault segment with the highest 30-year probability of causing a moderate to large magnitude earthquake in California, yet key structural characteristics of the fault remain unconstrained, particularly in the Coachella Valley where the fault splits into the Banning (BF) and Mission Creek...