Owens Dry Lake in eastern California kicks up more dust than any other single place in North America. Sometimes, it gets so bad that dust fills the sky from one end of the 120- mile-long Owens Valley to the other. It's estimated the lake bed lofts four million tons of dust particles into the air each year. Dust from the lake has reduced visibility as far away as San Bernardino, California. The lake went dry after years of its water being diverted to Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Aqueduct, built in 1913 to bring water to the young community, was considered the engineering marvel of its time. While it helped turn a small town into a major metropolis, the aqueduct had another unforeseen consequence -- a lake bed that's a hot bed of dust storms.
Many of us don't think of dust as air pollution, but that's what it becomes when it leaves the ground. And there are microscopic particles called PM10 that are easily inhaled and can damage the human respiratory tract. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found the dust in southern Owens Valley in serious violation of PM10 air quality standards, which means that it poses hazards to public health.
The Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District is the California agency responsible for air quality in the region. The EPA has ruled that by February, 1997, the district must develop a plan that will reduce Owens Lake dust emissions to acceptable levels by December, 2001.
Researchers from all over the world have studied Owens Lake, and have suggested solutions ranging from sprinkling groundwater on the lake bed, to paving it over, to building sand dunes.
Complicating any solution is the intricate and unpredictable environment of the Owens Lake bed itself. It is in a constant state of flux, shifting and changing with the interplay of supply, sediment types, salts, wind, and temperature. The amount of water draining into the basin fluctuates, springs and seeps come and go, patches of saltgrass wax and wane.
Also, as an endpoint for the Owens River for at least 10,000 years, the lake bed is very salty-almost 35 percent of its surface sediments are salts. Every year, between two and four million tons of salt are brought to the surface by groundwater evaporation. The salt forms a crust on the surface, which is easily picked up by the area's frequent strong winds.
Since the problem is complex and involves many different scientific fields, it is uniquely suited to DRI's multidisciplinary approach to environmental research. That's why the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District asked DRI to help find answers.
"The district is looking at possibly flooding parts of the lake bed with the region's own groundwater and covering other parts with native saltgrass," explains Dr. Gil Cochran, the DRI project manager. "But a lot of questions need to be answered first. They want to make sure that by solving one problem, they're not creating other unanticipated problems elsewhere."
Helping to answer those questions are ecologist Brad Schultz and remote sensing technician Jody Hatzell, who are studying the area's vegetation to make sure a dust solution doesn't dry up nearby wetlands. Looking at the feasibility of using saltgrass to stop sand movement and dust emissions is geomorphologist Dr. Nick Lancaster.
DRI hydrologists are researching the site's very complicated groundwater system to determine how much water would be available to keep the dust down, long term. Cochran, together with Chris Conway, a graduate research assistant, is estimating how much water comes into the area from the mountains to the east of the lake.
Another graduate research assistant, Mary Feeney Hall, is studying how much water is lost through springs and seeps, while hydrogeologist Todd Mihevc is determining how much water comes into the area from streams that start in the Sierra Nevada. Hydrogeologist Brad Lyles is conducting tests on existing wells to collect data on the hydraulic properties of the groundwater flow system, and graduate research assistant Karen Font is studying the chemistry of the flow system. Hydrologist Dr. Scott Tyler and Scott Kranz, a graduate research assistant, are measuring the amount of groundwater that evaporates from the dust-producing portion of the lake bed (up to 30,000 acre feet a year), and the tons of salt it leaves behind.
Hydrologist Dr. Elizabeth Jacobson will use this research to develop a numerical model of the Owens Lake basin groundwater system. The model will mimic the behavior of the real system: "When the model is complete," Jacobson explains, "we'll be able to determine the impact on the entire system of removing a specific amount of water from a certain area."
The Great Basin Unified Air Pollution District will use the results of DRI's research in developing its plan to keep the dust down. And if the plan works, by the year 2001, the biggest dust problem Owens Valley residents will have to deal with is dust on the furniture, just like everybody else in the desert. -C. Kimball
What our future will hold for us, and how we may be changing that future, are the questions at the heart of DRI's research into past environments. DRI scientists are finding answers in our past by studying remnants of extinct mammoths . . . the bones of an ancient mountain traveler who died in a dark, damp cave 8,000 years ago . . . fossilized pollen found on the ocean floor . . . the shells of water-loving snails discovered in the middle of the desert . . . urine soaked debris from 40,000-year-old packrat nests . . . buried prehistoric river channels . . . and ancient stumps of once thriving trees that remain rooted at the bottom of Lake Tahoe. These and many other discoveries are giving DRI researchers clues to a past that none of us has witnessed. Here are some road signs on DRI's journey "Back to the Future" . . .
Two years ago, after five summers and nearly two miles of ice, a drill hit bedrock in Greenland as part of the National Science Foundation's Greenland Ice Sheet Project Two (GISP2). DRI geophysicist Dr. Ken Taylor's study of the Greenland ice core has helped give unprecedented insights into the last 200,000 years of the Earth's climate. He and his fellow researchers have found that climate can be relatively unstable, with dramatic shifts taking place in a few years, instead of centuries, as previously thought. Likening these changes to a "flickering switch," the Greenland researchers wonder if human activity may some day flip the switch on our present climate conditions.
In the Great Basin, DRI anthropologists examine faint traces of human habitation for clues to how Nevada's earliest residents adapted to environmental change. These mobile prehistoric people left a variety of telling artifacts. DRI researchers have discovered and studied ten-thousand-year-old stone tools for hunting and scraping (projectile points, awls, axes) and primitive stone tools used for grinding seeds and grains. They've also found brush shelters, rock art, and burial sites-all of which help weave an ancient tale of how humans changed with their environment.
Picture a place that hasn't had any significant rainfall since 1977. The sun's heat scorches the desert sand and a canteen is the only sign of welcome relief. Now imagine this same place, less than a million years ago, with flowing rivers and lakes. This is the Namib, a harsh desert in southern Africa that was once a lush savannah. DRI geomorphologist Dr. Nick Lancaster is using radar images from the space shuttle Endeavour's recent flights, hoping to uncover ancient buried river channels.
Snails come in all shapes and sizes, from African snails bigger than your fist to shells smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. These shells are helping paleoecologists like DRI's Saxon Sharpe determine environments of thousands of years ago. Because certain snails need specific ecological niches, ancient snail communities can record what an area was like in the past. For example, finding snail shells in the middle of a dry desert valley can indicate springs, marshes and lakes once existed in that location.
Deep beneath the still blue waters of high mountain lakes and desert springs lie clues that are helping DRI scientists like paleoecologist Martha Hemphill piece together pictures of the past. Cores of sediment containing ancient pollen are being removed from Great Basin lakebeds and they're revealing some startling facts. For example, at some point in history, the Great Basin looked as old and dry as Tibet. At another point, it resembled the wilderness of southwestern Montana.
DRI atmospheric scientists work in the Storm Peak laboratory on a 10,500-foot-high mountaintop. This enables them to actually work inside of a cloud during winter, the stormiest season of the year. Their research involves the microphysics of precipitation processes, snow deposition, how precipitation removes pollutants from the air, and the amount of solar energy storm clouds reflect back into space.
Working at this elevation gives scientists even more capabilities than they would get from working out of an aircraft. They can work for a period of days at a time, instead of hours; they don't have to pay $2,000 per hour for aircraft time; and they have more space and power.
According to one of the Storm Peak laboratory founders, Dr. Randy Borys, "It's like being able to take your laboratory from DRI, and plunk it down in the middle of a cloud or storm." Borys explains this allows them to conduct their research more effectively, and it gives investigators time to think while in the field. "We actually have the opportunity to test ideas, make modifications to equipment, and analyze data before going back to our home institutions," he explains. "It's a conducive environment for developing new ideas."
Many ski resorts boast of pristine packed powder, breathtaking views, and exhilarating descents down smooth mountainsides. Some brochures will even mention cozy, warm lodges or well-made hot apple ciders. But how many ski resorts can lay claim to a nationally recognized laboratory dedicated to scientific advancement? Exactly one.
The Desert Research Institute's Storm Peak laboratory is located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, at the top of one of the best ski areas in the West. It's also one of the best areas to study snow and cloud physics. At an elevation of 10,500 feet, the laboratory is shrouded in cloud cover most of the winter. This gives scientists an excellent opportunity to study the inner workings of clouds-how they remove pollutants from the atmosphere, and how the pollutants may change the way cloud droplets form.
The Storm Peak lab now consists of two small 1960 vintage trailers, connected by an unheated passageway. The trailers, surplus property from Colorado State University, were originally picked up for $100. Until recently, the lab existed with little financial support and was on the verge of losing its Forest Service special use permit unless strict building codes were met. Its only hope for survival was a new building.
That's when the E.L. Cord Foundation stepped in with a $75,000 donation toward the construction of a safer and sturdier laboratory. DRI took out a loan of $135,000 to cover the remaining construction costs. The new building will provide two-and-a-half times more living and working space, as well as a real treat for the researchers. . . electric toilets.
Dr. Randy Borys, one of the founders of the Storm Peak laboratory, said the building had deteriorated to such an extent that it was time to shape up or ship out. "The loss of the Storm Peak laboratory would have been criminal. The ski area is our logistical lifeline," he explains. "The mountaintop location really gets us up where we need to be to conduct our studies. It also provides safety and security. We aren't far from ski patrols in winter, security patrols during the summer, and nearby town services all year. The groomed ski trails also allow us to haul personnel and much of our equipment by snowmobile, where it would otherwise be next to impossible in the deep, champagne powder snow."
Due to an unusually wet winter, construction on the new and improved laboratory won't begin until after July 4th, which leaves a pretty tight window. In late May, 132 inches of snow still blanketed the laboratory site.
Borys, a DRI atmospheric sciences researcher, earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in meteorology and oceanography at the University of Michigan. He earned his Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences at Colorado State University in 1983, which was also the year he helped found the Storm Peak lab. Borys sees a great future for Storm Peak-for skiers, scientists, educators, and students. Steamboat Springs is already the first ski area in the country with a home page on the Internet, and he would like to see the Storm Peak laboratory as one of the items on that home page. "It's a great way to advertise," Borys said. "We need to raise enough money to pay back the construction loan. We hope that people who support the ski resort and its pristine environment will also support our efforts, which in the long run, will help keep that environment pristine."
Borys said that in addition to seeking more private support, DRI will be renting out the unique lab to other researchers. Inquiries have already been received from institutions such as the Mayo Clinic. Other organizations which currently make use of the Storm Peak lab include the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado Department of Health. Also, students from Colorado State University and the City College of New York come to Storm Peak to conduct research experiments that give them hands-on experience in atmospheric science. -J. McCooey
The lab's additional monitoring and measurement capabilities will allow researchers to better identify the transport of pollution from one area to another and more accurately measure visibility impairment due to pollution. It is anticipated that its first assignment will focus on the pollution problems of southern California, and transport of pollutants into the Mohave Desert.
Wells has edited five books and guidebooks and published approximately 55 journal articles. He chaired the Quaternary geology and geomorphology division of the Geological Society of America of which he is a fellow, as well as GSA's research grants committee. He is an associate editor for the Geological Society of America Bulletin and is on the editorial board of GSA's Geology magazine and a separate journal, Geomorphology. Wells has been named in Who's Who in Frontiers of Science and Technology as well as American Men and Women in Science.
Wells succeeds Dr. Dale Ritter, a nationally known geomorphologist, who is stepping aside to focus on his research.
Snyder has over 20 years in management experience, primarily in educational and health care organizations. She also has her M.A. in human resource development with a specialty in organizational development.
Snyder replaced Twyla Harrison, who retired from DRI after a 20-year career.
The National Research Council committee found that groundwater contamination at the proposed site appears to be highly unlikely, but recommended that additional measurements, monitoring, and assessment be conducted if state officials move ahead with plans to build the facility.
The Air & Waste Management Association also recognized the scientific accomplishments of Dr. Judy Chow, also of DRI's Energy and Electrical Engineering Center, in selecting her to present the annual meeting's Critical Review Abstract examining the status of measurement methods used for complying with federal air quality standards.
The Geological Society of America elected Dr. Paul Seaber, a research professor with DRI's Water Resources Center, second vice chairman of its history of geology division.
The award of $750 is given in memory of Jonathan Davis, a prominent geologist and geoarchaeologist, and a member of DRI's faculty from 1980 to 1990.
The scholarship is in memory of General Frederick Lander, a hero of the American Civil War and namesake of Lander County, Nevada, through an endowment from the estate of his niece, Anna Lander McDonnell.
Currently, Carter does a lot of atmospheric modeling, but says she misses her first love, which is field work. "Originally, I had never thought of being a modeler," Carter says. "I like to keep a balance. I would eventually like to study the Sierra in a large field project coupling atmospheric and hydrologic models jointly with DRI's Water Resources Center, but that's a long way off."
Carter joined DRI in the fall of 1987. Before that she was at UCLA where she authored several papers, including studies on cumulus clouds as fractals. She is the recipient of the Peter B. Wagner Memorial Scholarship and has made several presentations to national audiences. She received her undergraduate degree in Atmospheric Science from UCLA and her master's and Ph.D. degrees, both in Atmospheric Physics, from the University of Nevada, Reno.
While she says all her work is interesting, Carter describes her most challenging, and exciting, project: "Working at the Storm Peak lab in Colorado was exhilarating," Carter says. "Oftentimes we were in the center of the storm and our living conditions were very challenging. But then again, we only had to work during storm periods . . . so the skiing was great!"
In her free time, Carter, a Lake Tahoe resident, enjoys skiing and running a private snow cat skiing company with her husband. She's also a big fan of skurfing, a type of water skiing in which you ride on a wide board in the wake created by the boat.
This groundwater gumshoe is also involved with the Owens Dry Lake Project. His role is to determine the composition of salt particles that can irritate the lungs. "Breathing those things in can cause all sorts of hate and discontent," Lyles said.
Lyles has been with DRI for 10 years. During that time, he says his most challenging project has had him on his toes for the past four years. He was asked to redesign a piece of equipment that was originally built in England 15 years ago to measure the water flow inside wells. It's called a thermal flow meter and it's only problem was . . . well . . . it didn't work. "I was pulling out my hair for two years trying to get it to give reliable results," Lyles said. "I had to literally pick it apart to get all the bugs out."
With that ordeal behind him, Lyles plans to concentrate on his education. He received his B.A. in geology from California State University in Fresno and his M.S. in hydrogeology from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he recently applied for Ph.D. candidacy.