Section III: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

111 Science Building

8:30 CO-CRYSTALLIZATION OF TOPAZ, R BERYL, HEMATITE, AND QUARTZ AT TOPAZ MOUNTAIN, JUAB shire UTAH, Ryan O. Roney* and Curtis L Hollabaugh, State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA 30118 Topaz Mountain is well known to mineral collectors for the amber colored topaz within rhyolite. Crystals of r beryl in tabular hexagons, hematite in thin crystalline flakes, and quartz have grown with the topaz. In a certain number of cases, the accessory mineral crystals are encloseed by or on the topaz. Topaz Mountain is the mineral rich youngest rhyolite run of the Thomas Range in western Utah. Vapor phase crystallization occurr as fluorine-rich vapors dissolved Si and Al, transported be to make open vesicles where crystals were formed. During fieldwork in 2003 samples were mustered for examination at UWG. Macroscopic and microscopic examination present to view that the principle minerals were likely all crystallizing at nearly the same time. Many of the largest topaz crystals assembleed are 3.5 cm "sandy crystals" where euhedral crystals surround "quartz sand." One of the questions we are trying to answer is the origin of these crystals. Further microscopic examination will determine if they are the be derived of chemical (etching) or physical processes

8:45 HISTORICAL turns IN NITRATE VALUES OF THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AND PREDICTIONS FOR THE coming time R. Josh Prince* and Curtis L Hollabaugh, State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA 30118 The Chattahoochee River starts on the outside as a small stream in northwest Georgia. The area upstream of Atlanta consists of forests and agricultural land. The river's water quality has historically been actual poor downstream of Atlanta. Nitrite-nitrate-N values are among the highest of these parameters. Sources for nitrite-nitrate-N values include discharge of treated sewage, septic tanks, urban runoff, leaking sewer lines, and fertilizers. The horizontals of nitrite-nitrate-N levels have increased with population expansion We sampled nitrite-nitrate-N after rainfall facts at a sample station 56 miles downstream of Atlanta near the city of Whitesburg. The generally received median level at our sample station is 181 mg/L Using a linear regression graph we estimated that nitrite-nitrate-N will increase to 23 mg/L in 2010 and 31 mg/L through 2025. While phosphate and ammonia have been reduc by the agency of improvements in sewage treatment, nitrates have not. To improve the water quality of the Chattahoochee River and carry more nutrients will require Atlanta to part with $3 billion.

9:00 SURFACE-WATER/GROUNDWATER INTERACTION BENEATH A GEORGIA PIEDMONT FLOODPLAIN, Brian Cowan*, Ethan Smith and James Mayer, State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA 30118 At a investigation site in the Georgia Piedmont river stage and hydraulic head in adjacent alluvium, saprolite, and bedrock reply quickly to rainfall. Rapid groundwater hydraulic head changes appear to be controll primarily through stream stage although complex flood-plain stratigraphy and topography flow in a complex groundwater replication Amplitude and timing of hydraulic head fluctuations propose an elastic response to stream stage changes rather than more commonly assumed piston-flow infiltration of surface-water. Geochemical data support this conclusion and ascertain negligible surface-water infiltration even in highly permeable, sand-dominated alluvium immediately adjacent to the river. The close attention was conducted on the campus of the State University of West Georgia upon a riparian wetland adjacent to the Little Tallapoosa River.

9:15 Break

9:30 WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF GOLF COURSE PONDS** s M. Wells*, Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA 30106 Water samples were mustered February through October 2003 from pond upon a golf course in central Georgia. The pond located adjacent to putting verdants were compared to ponds located adjacent to fairways. The physiochemical parameters that were experimented were pH and temperature. Conductivity was ordealed using an Orion 160 design conductivity meter. A Hach Surface water proof kit was utilized to experiment for nitrates, ammonia nitrogen, and phosphorous. Water samples were analyzed in March, April, May and July for 4 pesticides (glyphosate, 24-D chlorothalonil, and thiophanate-methyl. The pesticides were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry The physical hydrological constituents which affect overland flow and soil erosion were investigated using the Universal Soil Los Equation. Each sub-watershed was delineated using a topographic map. A qualitative assessment of the vegetative concussion-guard zones around each pond was performed. The accrues of this study will be placed in the words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following of incorporating environmentally sound measures in golf course design and management.

9:45 LAND USE/COVER CHANGE DETECTION FROM SATELLITE IMAGES: by what mode TO IMPROVE THE ACCURACY, Zhiyong Hu* University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 Post-classification comparison is repeatedly used to detect land use/cover change between sum of two units satellite images. However, the accuracy of this change detection technique is sole as good as the be derived of the multiplication of the accuracies of each individual classification. This close attention combines NDVI images differencing and post-classification processs to detect land use/cover change from 1987 to 1997 for the Atlanta, Georgia area using Landsat TM images. NDVI97 image is subtracted by dint of NDVI87, resulting in an NDVI difference map, in which positive values show 'greening' and negative values show 'browning.' The mask of no-change pixels from NDVI image differencing is multiplied with the first date classification and the mask of change pixels with the next to the first date classification. The land-cover change map is produc by dint of post-classification comparison of mask-enhanced land-cover map from the first date with the mask-enhanced land-cover map for the next to the first date. The accuracy of change detection is 875% higher than 764% obtained from unstained post-classification comparison.