Kirk Maasch - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Kirk Maasch
Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1990
ABSTRACTThe theory of the Quaternary climate will be incomplete unless it is embedded in a more g... more ABSTRACTThe theory of the Quaternary climate will be incomplete unless it is embedded in a more general theory for the fuller Cenozoic that can accommodate the onset of the ice-age fluctuations. Here we construct a simple mathematical model for the late Cenozoic climatic changes based on the hypothesis that forced and free variations of the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases (notably CO2) coupled with changes in the global ocean state and ice mass, under the additional influence or earth-orbital forcing, are primary determinants of the climatic state over this long period. Our goal is to illustrate how a single model governing both very long-term variations and higher frequency oscillatory variations in the Pleistocene can be formulated with relatively few adjustable parameters. Although the details of this model are speculative, and other factors neglected here are undoubtedly of importance, it is hoped that the formalism described can provide a basis for developing a comprehensive theory and systematically extending and improving it. According to our model the major near-100 ka period ice-age oscillations of the Pleistocene were caused by the downdraw of atmospheric CO2 (possibly a result of weathering of rapidly uplifted topography) to low enough levels for the ‘slow climatic system’, including glacial ice and the deep ocean state, to become unstable.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Researches in Piscataquis Valley—Glaciation in the region of Bangor—Scratches in front of the Dwi... more Researches in Piscataquis Valley—Glaciation in the region of Bangor—Scratches in front of the Dwinal House—Mount Hope—Glacier came down the Penobscot Valley from the north—It crossed the river where it runs towards the southwest—Levant and Corinth “horse back”—Rounded features of the hills in Charleston—Glacial groovings there—The same thing in Sebec, south and north of the Corner—A hill in Bowerbank—Ebeemee Hills north of the Piscataquis River 1500 or 2000 ft high—Elliotsville Mountain—Its steepness—Pond on the top of it—Buker mountain in Guilford—Lunoid furrows there—Evidence that the glacier came over the Ebeemee Hills—The town of Abbot; glacial scratchings there on a wall referred to by Mr. Charles H. Hitchcock—No local glacier there.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Researches continued—Evidence of glacial action—Galileo’s assertion at the conclusion of his reca... more Researches continued—Evidence of glacial action—Galileo’s assertion at the conclusion of his recantation before the Inquisition—Supporting our opponents side of the question in dispute—Deep water to the south of Vinalhaven—Examination of Camden Hills—Glacial striation about the village and its nearest mountains—Scratched quartz vein on the summit of Magunticook, 1300 ft high—The mountain broken down upon its south side—Boulders between this mountain and Battie—Denuded condition of Mount Battie—Its bold southern front—Glacial scratches at this side—Great boulders around its base—Battie the oldest mountain of the group, and probably the oldest in the state—Visit to Mount Desert -Ð Reflections— Picturesque effects of the mountains—Glacial phenomena abundant – Splendid passage of Somes Sound between two high mountains—Sometimes a dangerous passage—View from mountain top—Denuded summits of the mountains—No local glaciers ever existing there —Degraded summits afford us some data for estimation of thickness of the great glacier.
Springer eBooks, 2015
No marine polar currents flow south in the northern hemisphere, unless enclosed in deep valleys t... more No marine polar currents flow south in the northern hemisphere, unless enclosed in deep valleys trending in that direction—Description of an iceberg—Hugh Miller’s description of the battered brow of a hill near the town of Wick, Scotland—His opinion of the cause of the abruptness, an erroneous one—Reasons for so thinking—All the hills of Maine abrupt on the south—The manner in which this result occurred—The ledges of Maine show no evidence of drift ice—Floe ice inadequate to score them—The diluvial theory—Objection to it—Its influence in keeping the attention of geologists to the great facts of superficial geology.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Route from Mount Desert to Ellsworth—Slate formation—Few boulders along this route—The glacier di... more Route from Mount Desert to Ellsworth—Slate formation—Few boulders along this route—The glacier did not generally transport the broken rocks to a considerable distance—Granite boulders in west Ellsworth—These should be preserved as memorials of an ancient revolution of the earth—Remarks —Dedham boulders white in the distance like arab tents—Farrington Hill in Holden—Denuded state of the Rider Hill which caps the former—The ancient story of the battle of the giants against the celestial deities—Milton’s description of the battle between the good and rebellious angels—Passage of the glacier down the Penobscot Valley—Morning scene—Mount Katahdin—Prospect from Farrington Hill—No Penobscot Valley glacier, as an independent ice stream—Passage of the glacier over Farrington Hill—Its decrease and disappearance, in a vision of the past.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Ichthyosaurus & ammonites from the Liassic beds upon the upper border of the continent—Ancien... more Ichthyosaurus & ammonites from the Liassic beds upon the upper border of the continent—Ancient drift referred to the agency of ice floes—Mr. Evans of England on a change of axis—Objections to it—Prof. Pierce’s “discovery” on the outlines of continents—The direction of continents and mountains were molded by current deposits—Granite and syenites of the Atlantic coast indigenous rocks—Newton & Laplace on the stability of the earth’s axis—Ichthyosaurus and ammonites inhabited the high arctic waters—Rocks transported by earthquake waves, and land floods—Mount Battie conglomerate – Vegetation in the arctic in ancient times—How it might flourish.
Springer eBooks, 2015
New England elevated 10,000 or 12,000 ft above the sea—Her mountains covered with perennial snow—... more New England elevated 10,000 or 12,000 ft above the sea—Her mountains covered with perennial snow—Scenery of the times—Flora and fauna of the age—First appearance of glaciers in the country—The peculiar phenomena connected with them—Scenery of the times—New England covered with a glacial cap—The glacier and the climate described—Aurora borealis—Separation of icebergs from the glacier – Their general appearance when first detached—A storm, and breaking up of floe ice—Boulder materials deposited by the glacier on dry land—Much of this debris washed away by floods and rivers towards the south.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Highest granite hill in Penobscot Bay—North and south terraces on west side of a valley—A singula... more Highest granite hill in Penobscot Bay—North and south terraces on west side of a valley—A singular ridge forming the east side of a dell, 475 yards long, cut out of the solid granite—Evidence that 10,000 t of rock have been removed from the western rim of the dell, towards its northern point—A perpendicular wall of granite facing the south, 24 ft east and west and 20 ft above the rubbish—Tremendous force necessary to disrupt this wall—Largest boulder in town—A large wedge shaped boulder—Polishing and scratching of south side of hills—View from the top of a high hill—Evident enormous denudation within sight—Surface of granite broken up into sheets or “platforms”; how it was probably done—Lunoid furrows, their utility and how made—Some granite boulders foreign to the place or time, where they rest.
Sir Charles Lyell’s hypothesis—Supposed action of drift ice on the sandstones of the shore at Cap... more Sir Charles Lyell’s hypothesis—Supposed action of drift ice on the sandstones of the shore at Cape Blomidon, Nova Scotia—Miller’s elucidation of the iceberg theory—The polished and scratched rocks of Maine, not referable to the action of icebergs—The bergs carried forward by the polar current flowing beneath the Gulf Stream—They are not deflected from their common course by counter currents—Icebergs could not scratch the east and west sides of hills, and by no means the base at the south sides—They could not scratch an uphill sea bottom—Example on the Gloucester and Salem Turnpike, Massachusetts—A similar one at “Castle Rock”, Nahant—Iceberg theory inadequate to explain the denudation of the floor rock of New England—The supposition that the boulder country was a submerged region, implies a northern ocean free of icebergs—The boulder drift of the western states without marine fossils—The boulder country a dry land region, and greatly more elevated than at present, during the glacial age.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Shells are found from a few feet above high water underlying the boulder drift, to several hundre... more Shells are found from a few feet above high water underlying the boulder drift, to several hundred feet above the sea. I found ten species named below 350 ft high. It is possible that recent fossil. shells may be found still higher in Maine. In addition to these shells, the remains of whales, large and small fish, teeth of sharks, the walrus and buffalo; and of crustaceans and radiates. Mr. Charles B. Fuller conchologist and cabinet keeper of the Portland Society of Natural History has been indefatigable in his researches for post-glacial shells embedded in the drift. Dr. Packard and True have also done a great deal in the same direction, the former of whom has made two visits I believe, to Labrador for Scientific observation in connection with the phenomena of the drift. For necessary information, I have consulted Dr. Packard’s work on the “Glacial Phenomena of Labrador and Maine” and the Geological Reports of New England and the British Provinces.
A continuous deposit of rocks assumed for Maine between the Devonian age and the commencement of ... more A continuous deposit of rocks assumed for Maine between the Devonian age and the commencement of the glacial epoch—Remarks of Prof. Charles H. Hitchcock upon the subject—Great thickness of glacial denudation of the surface of New England assumed—Carboniferous, Triassic,and Cretaceous times—Tertiary Period, and its times described—Its animal life and vegetation.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Suppression of sun heat—The theory implies glacial action to account for the denudation of the co... more Suppression of sun heat—The theory implies glacial action to account for the denudation of the country—The views of Mr. Jennings—Laplace’s hypothesis of creation—The moon convulsed with volcanic action—Metallic state of meteors—shriver of gold—Condition of the planets—One system of law has controlled the development of the solar system—Von Mayer’s meteoric theory—Variable stars Sun spots, and their periodical character; and are due to the influence of the large planets—They are coexistent with magnetic storms.
Springer eBooks, 2015
The changeable relations of land and water not a new discovery—Views of the ancients upon the sub... more The changeable relations of land and water not a new discovery—Views of the ancients upon the subject—The researches of Mr. Charles Darwin and Prof. James D. Dana in the Pacific ocean—A Continent here of great extent submerged 6000 ft—The West and East India Islands rising—The upheaving and subsiding processes of New Jersey—The submerged old river bed of the Hudson—Coast of Maine evidently rising—Rising of land in Newfoundland—Causes of supposed local subsidence in Maine—How they may be accounted for.
Seawater 187Os/188Os ratios for the Middle Miocene were reconstructed by measuring the 187Os/188O... more Seawater 187Os/188Os ratios for the Middle Miocene were reconstructed by measuring the 187Os/188Os ratios of metalliferous carbonates from the Pacific (DSDP 598) and Atlantic (DSDP 521) oceans. Atlantic and Pacific 187Os/188Os measurements are nearly indistinguishable and are consistent with previously published Os isotope records from Pacific cores. The Atlantic data reported here provide the first direct evidence that the long-term sedimentary 187Os/188Os record reflects whole-ocean changes in the Os isotopic composition of seawater. The Pacific and the Atlantic Os measurements confirm a long-term 0.01/Myr increase in marine 187Os/188Os ratios that began no later than 16 Ma. The beginning of the Os isotopic increase coincided with a decrease in the rate of increase of marine 87Sr/86Sr ratios at 16 Ma. A large increase of 1 per mil in benthic foraminiferal delta18O values, interpreted to reflect global cooling and ice sheet growth, began approximately 1 million years later at 14.8 Ma, and the long-term shift toward lower bulk carbonate delta13C values began more than 2 Myr later around 13.6 Ma. The post-16 Ma increase in marine 187Os/188Os ratios was most likely forced by weathering of radiogenic materials, either old sediments or sialic crust with a sedimentary protolith. We consider two possible Miocene-specific geologic events that can account for both this increase in marine 187Os/188Os ratios and also nearly constant 87Sr/86Sr ratios: (1) the first glacial erosion of sediment-covered cratons in the Northern Hemisphere; (2) the exhumation of the Australian passive margin-New Guinea arc system. The latter event offers a mechanism, via enhanced availability of soluble Ca and Mg silicates in the arc terrane, for the maintenance of assumed low CO2 levels after 15 Ma. The temporal resolution (three samples/Myr) of the 187Os/188Os record from Site 598, for which a stable isotope stratigraphy was also constructed, is significantly higher than that of previously published records. These high resolution data suggest [...]
NA4000 Kirk Maasch, interviewed by Adam Lee Cilli, January 15, 2014, in his office in Sawyer Hall... more NA4000 Kirk Maasch, interviewed by Adam Lee Cilli, January 15, 2014, in his office in Sawyer Hall at the University of Maine, Orono. Maasch talks about the beginnings of his career in climate modeling; the research of and his relationship with his advisor Barry Saltzman; his beginnings at the Climate Change Institute; the contributions of the CCI: the influence of CCI scientists on his career, particularly George Denton and Terry Hughes; changes in the CCI over the years; and the CCI’s interdisciplinary character. Text: 10 pp. transcript Recording: mfc_na4000_audio001 55 minutes Photo courtesy of the Climate Change Institute.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mf192/1022/thumbnail.jp
Compound motions of the earth as a planet—Form of the earth’s orbit—Great periods—No perpetual su... more Compound motions of the earth as a planet—Form of the earth’s orbit—Great periods—No perpetual summer—Precession of the equinoxes—The polar star to pass away from its present place and other stars Vega, or Alpha of the Lyre to become pole star—Precession explained—Advance of the line of apsides—Extract from the work of Figuier—The same views as therein given advocated by Sir Richard Phillips over 30 years before—The effects of precession not sufficient to account for the evident duration of the cold period of North America—The cause to be hunted out by astronomers hereafter.
Journal of Medical Entomology, Sep 9, 2020
Geographical range expansions of blacklegged tick [Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae)] popul... more Geographical range expansions of blacklegged tick [Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae)] populations over time in the United States have been attributed to a mosaic of factors including 20th century reforestation followed by suburbanization, burgeoning populations of the white-tailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman (Artiodactyla: Cervidae)], and, at the northern edge of I. scapularis' range, climate change. Maine, a high Lyme disease incidence state, has been experiencing warmer and shorter winter seasons, and relatively more so in its northern tier. Maine served as a case study to investigate the interacting impacts of deer and seasonal climatology on the spatial and temporal distribution of I. scapularis. A passive tick surveillance dataset indexed abundance of I. scapularis nymphs for the state, 1990-2013. With Maine's wildlife management districts as the spatial unit, we used a generalized additive model to assess linear and nonlinear relationships between I. scapularis nymph abundance and predictors. Nymph submission rate increased with increasing deer densities up to ~5 deer/km 2 (13 deer/mi 2), but beyond this threshold did not vary with deer density. This corroborated the idea of a saturating relationship between I. scapularis and deer density. Nymphs also were associated with warmer minimum winter temperatures, earlier degree-day accumulation, and higher relative humidity. However, nymph abundance only increased with warmer winters and degree-day accumulation where deer density exceeded ~2 deer/km 2 (~6/mi 2). Anticipated increases in I. scapularis in the northern tier could be partially mitigated through deer herd management.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Attention first called to the phenomena of the boulder drift—The iceberg theory preferred up to t... more Attention first called to the phenomena of the boulder drift—The iceberg theory preferred up to the year 1860—Objection to the opinions that the drift owes its origin to Noah’s flood—Hugh Miller’s views of the drift in his work on popular geology – Nature of the scratched rocks—Their abundance in Maine—the locality of some scratches irreconcilable with the theory of iceberg action—Decision that the drift phenomena were wholly due to glacial action—Original communications to the “Rockland Gazette” on the “Ancient Great Glacier of Penobscot Bay”—Original paper for the Second Scientific Report of Maine—Geological explorations in the interior of the state—Boulder phenomena as exhibited on Vinalhaven—Fascinating interest which they inspired. The history of the past not voluminously written, but rather fragmentary and in a strange stenography—“Sermons in Stones” - Reflections on this stone writing - Impressions made upon the minds of children often indelible, and sometimes matures into great practical results.
Journal of Medical Entomology, Dec 6, 2019
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, St... more Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt, and Brenner (Spirocheatales: Spirochaetaceae) which is transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis Say (Ixodida: Ixodidae). Maine, USA, is a high Lyme disease incidence state, with rising incidence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses associated with increasing I. scapularis abundance and northward range expansion. Members of the public submitted ticks to a tick identification program (1990-2013). From these passive surveillance data, we characterized temporal trends in I. scapularis submission rate (an index of abundance), comparing Maine's northern tier (seven counties) versus southern tier (nine counties). In the northern tier, the I. scapularis submission rate increased throughout the duration of the time series, suggesting I. scapularis was emergent but not established. By contrast, in the southern tier, submission rate increased initially but leveled off after 10-14 yr, suggesting I. scapularis was established by the mid-2000s. Active (field) surveillance data from a site in the southern tier-bird tick burdens and questing adult tick collections-corroborated this leveling pattern. Lyme disease incidence and I. scapularis submission rate were temporally correlated in the northern but not southern tier. This suggested a decoupling of reported disease incidence and entomological risk.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1990
ABSTRACTThe theory of the Quaternary climate will be incomplete unless it is embedded in a more g... more ABSTRACTThe theory of the Quaternary climate will be incomplete unless it is embedded in a more general theory for the fuller Cenozoic that can accommodate the onset of the ice-age fluctuations. Here we construct a simple mathematical model for the late Cenozoic climatic changes based on the hypothesis that forced and free variations of the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases (notably CO2) coupled with changes in the global ocean state and ice mass, under the additional influence or earth-orbital forcing, are primary determinants of the climatic state over this long period. Our goal is to illustrate how a single model governing both very long-term variations and higher frequency oscillatory variations in the Pleistocene can be formulated with relatively few adjustable parameters. Although the details of this model are speculative, and other factors neglected here are undoubtedly of importance, it is hoped that the formalism described can provide a basis for developing a comprehensive theory and systematically extending and improving it. According to our model the major near-100 ka period ice-age oscillations of the Pleistocene were caused by the downdraw of atmospheric CO2 (possibly a result of weathering of rapidly uplifted topography) to low enough levels for the ‘slow climatic system’, including glacial ice and the deep ocean state, to become unstable.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Researches in Piscataquis Valley—Glaciation in the region of Bangor—Scratches in front of the Dwi... more Researches in Piscataquis Valley—Glaciation in the region of Bangor—Scratches in front of the Dwinal House—Mount Hope—Glacier came down the Penobscot Valley from the north—It crossed the river where it runs towards the southwest—Levant and Corinth “horse back”—Rounded features of the hills in Charleston—Glacial groovings there—The same thing in Sebec, south and north of the Corner—A hill in Bowerbank—Ebeemee Hills north of the Piscataquis River 1500 or 2000 ft high—Elliotsville Mountain—Its steepness—Pond on the top of it—Buker mountain in Guilford—Lunoid furrows there—Evidence that the glacier came over the Ebeemee Hills—The town of Abbot; glacial scratchings there on a wall referred to by Mr. Charles H. Hitchcock—No local glacier there.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Researches continued—Evidence of glacial action—Galileo’s assertion at the conclusion of his reca... more Researches continued—Evidence of glacial action—Galileo’s assertion at the conclusion of his recantation before the Inquisition—Supporting our opponents side of the question in dispute—Deep water to the south of Vinalhaven—Examination of Camden Hills—Glacial striation about the village and its nearest mountains—Scratched quartz vein on the summit of Magunticook, 1300 ft high—The mountain broken down upon its south side—Boulders between this mountain and Battie—Denuded condition of Mount Battie—Its bold southern front—Glacial scratches at this side—Great boulders around its base—Battie the oldest mountain of the group, and probably the oldest in the state—Visit to Mount Desert -Ð Reflections— Picturesque effects of the mountains—Glacial phenomena abundant – Splendid passage of Somes Sound between two high mountains—Sometimes a dangerous passage—View from mountain top—Denuded summits of the mountains—No local glaciers ever existing there —Degraded summits afford us some data for estimation of thickness of the great glacier.
Springer eBooks, 2015
No marine polar currents flow south in the northern hemisphere, unless enclosed in deep valleys t... more No marine polar currents flow south in the northern hemisphere, unless enclosed in deep valleys trending in that direction—Description of an iceberg—Hugh Miller’s description of the battered brow of a hill near the town of Wick, Scotland—His opinion of the cause of the abruptness, an erroneous one—Reasons for so thinking—All the hills of Maine abrupt on the south—The manner in which this result occurred—The ledges of Maine show no evidence of drift ice—Floe ice inadequate to score them—The diluvial theory—Objection to it—Its influence in keeping the attention of geologists to the great facts of superficial geology.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Route from Mount Desert to Ellsworth—Slate formation—Few boulders along this route—The glacier di... more Route from Mount Desert to Ellsworth—Slate formation—Few boulders along this route—The glacier did not generally transport the broken rocks to a considerable distance—Granite boulders in west Ellsworth—These should be preserved as memorials of an ancient revolution of the earth—Remarks —Dedham boulders white in the distance like arab tents—Farrington Hill in Holden—Denuded state of the Rider Hill which caps the former—The ancient story of the battle of the giants against the celestial deities—Milton’s description of the battle between the good and rebellious angels—Passage of the glacier down the Penobscot Valley—Morning scene—Mount Katahdin—Prospect from Farrington Hill—No Penobscot Valley glacier, as an independent ice stream—Passage of the glacier over Farrington Hill—Its decrease and disappearance, in a vision of the past.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Ichthyosaurus & ammonites from the Liassic beds upon the upper border of the continent—Ancien... more Ichthyosaurus & ammonites from the Liassic beds upon the upper border of the continent—Ancient drift referred to the agency of ice floes—Mr. Evans of England on a change of axis—Objections to it—Prof. Pierce’s “discovery” on the outlines of continents—The direction of continents and mountains were molded by current deposits—Granite and syenites of the Atlantic coast indigenous rocks—Newton & Laplace on the stability of the earth’s axis—Ichthyosaurus and ammonites inhabited the high arctic waters—Rocks transported by earthquake waves, and land floods—Mount Battie conglomerate – Vegetation in the arctic in ancient times—How it might flourish.
Springer eBooks, 2015
New England elevated 10,000 or 12,000 ft above the sea—Her mountains covered with perennial snow—... more New England elevated 10,000 or 12,000 ft above the sea—Her mountains covered with perennial snow—Scenery of the times—Flora and fauna of the age—First appearance of glaciers in the country—The peculiar phenomena connected with them—Scenery of the times—New England covered with a glacial cap—The glacier and the climate described—Aurora borealis—Separation of icebergs from the glacier – Their general appearance when first detached—A storm, and breaking up of floe ice—Boulder materials deposited by the glacier on dry land—Much of this debris washed away by floods and rivers towards the south.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Highest granite hill in Penobscot Bay—North and south terraces on west side of a valley—A singula... more Highest granite hill in Penobscot Bay—North and south terraces on west side of a valley—A singular ridge forming the east side of a dell, 475 yards long, cut out of the solid granite—Evidence that 10,000 t of rock have been removed from the western rim of the dell, towards its northern point—A perpendicular wall of granite facing the south, 24 ft east and west and 20 ft above the rubbish—Tremendous force necessary to disrupt this wall—Largest boulder in town—A large wedge shaped boulder—Polishing and scratching of south side of hills—View from the top of a high hill—Evident enormous denudation within sight—Surface of granite broken up into sheets or “platforms”; how it was probably done—Lunoid furrows, their utility and how made—Some granite boulders foreign to the place or time, where they rest.
Sir Charles Lyell’s hypothesis—Supposed action of drift ice on the sandstones of the shore at Cap... more Sir Charles Lyell’s hypothesis—Supposed action of drift ice on the sandstones of the shore at Cape Blomidon, Nova Scotia—Miller’s elucidation of the iceberg theory—The polished and scratched rocks of Maine, not referable to the action of icebergs—The bergs carried forward by the polar current flowing beneath the Gulf Stream—They are not deflected from their common course by counter currents—Icebergs could not scratch the east and west sides of hills, and by no means the base at the south sides—They could not scratch an uphill sea bottom—Example on the Gloucester and Salem Turnpike, Massachusetts—A similar one at “Castle Rock”, Nahant—Iceberg theory inadequate to explain the denudation of the floor rock of New England—The supposition that the boulder country was a submerged region, implies a northern ocean free of icebergs—The boulder drift of the western states without marine fossils—The boulder country a dry land region, and greatly more elevated than at present, during the glacial age.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Shells are found from a few feet above high water underlying the boulder drift, to several hundre... more Shells are found from a few feet above high water underlying the boulder drift, to several hundred feet above the sea. I found ten species named below 350 ft high. It is possible that recent fossil. shells may be found still higher in Maine. In addition to these shells, the remains of whales, large and small fish, teeth of sharks, the walrus and buffalo; and of crustaceans and radiates. Mr. Charles B. Fuller conchologist and cabinet keeper of the Portland Society of Natural History has been indefatigable in his researches for post-glacial shells embedded in the drift. Dr. Packard and True have also done a great deal in the same direction, the former of whom has made two visits I believe, to Labrador for Scientific observation in connection with the phenomena of the drift. For necessary information, I have consulted Dr. Packard’s work on the “Glacial Phenomena of Labrador and Maine” and the Geological Reports of New England and the British Provinces.
A continuous deposit of rocks assumed for Maine between the Devonian age and the commencement of ... more A continuous deposit of rocks assumed for Maine between the Devonian age and the commencement of the glacial epoch—Remarks of Prof. Charles H. Hitchcock upon the subject—Great thickness of glacial denudation of the surface of New England assumed—Carboniferous, Triassic,and Cretaceous times—Tertiary Period, and its times described—Its animal life and vegetation.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Suppression of sun heat—The theory implies glacial action to account for the denudation of the co... more Suppression of sun heat—The theory implies glacial action to account for the denudation of the country—The views of Mr. Jennings—Laplace’s hypothesis of creation—The moon convulsed with volcanic action—Metallic state of meteors—shriver of gold—Condition of the planets—One system of law has controlled the development of the solar system—Von Mayer’s meteoric theory—Variable stars Sun spots, and their periodical character; and are due to the influence of the large planets—They are coexistent with magnetic storms.
Springer eBooks, 2015
The changeable relations of land and water not a new discovery—Views of the ancients upon the sub... more The changeable relations of land and water not a new discovery—Views of the ancients upon the subject—The researches of Mr. Charles Darwin and Prof. James D. Dana in the Pacific ocean—A Continent here of great extent submerged 6000 ft—The West and East India Islands rising—The upheaving and subsiding processes of New Jersey—The submerged old river bed of the Hudson—Coast of Maine evidently rising—Rising of land in Newfoundland—Causes of supposed local subsidence in Maine—How they may be accounted for.
Seawater 187Os/188Os ratios for the Middle Miocene were reconstructed by measuring the 187Os/188O... more Seawater 187Os/188Os ratios for the Middle Miocene were reconstructed by measuring the 187Os/188Os ratios of metalliferous carbonates from the Pacific (DSDP 598) and Atlantic (DSDP 521) oceans. Atlantic and Pacific 187Os/188Os measurements are nearly indistinguishable and are consistent with previously published Os isotope records from Pacific cores. The Atlantic data reported here provide the first direct evidence that the long-term sedimentary 187Os/188Os record reflects whole-ocean changes in the Os isotopic composition of seawater. The Pacific and the Atlantic Os measurements confirm a long-term 0.01/Myr increase in marine 187Os/188Os ratios that began no later than 16 Ma. The beginning of the Os isotopic increase coincided with a decrease in the rate of increase of marine 87Sr/86Sr ratios at 16 Ma. A large increase of 1 per mil in benthic foraminiferal delta18O values, interpreted to reflect global cooling and ice sheet growth, began approximately 1 million years later at 14.8 Ma, and the long-term shift toward lower bulk carbonate delta13C values began more than 2 Myr later around 13.6 Ma. The post-16 Ma increase in marine 187Os/188Os ratios was most likely forced by weathering of radiogenic materials, either old sediments or sialic crust with a sedimentary protolith. We consider two possible Miocene-specific geologic events that can account for both this increase in marine 187Os/188Os ratios and also nearly constant 87Sr/86Sr ratios: (1) the first glacial erosion of sediment-covered cratons in the Northern Hemisphere; (2) the exhumation of the Australian passive margin-New Guinea arc system. The latter event offers a mechanism, via enhanced availability of soluble Ca and Mg silicates in the arc terrane, for the maintenance of assumed low CO2 levels after 15 Ma. The temporal resolution (three samples/Myr) of the 187Os/188Os record from Site 598, for which a stable isotope stratigraphy was also constructed, is significantly higher than that of previously published records. These high resolution data suggest [...]
NA4000 Kirk Maasch, interviewed by Adam Lee Cilli, January 15, 2014, in his office in Sawyer Hall... more NA4000 Kirk Maasch, interviewed by Adam Lee Cilli, January 15, 2014, in his office in Sawyer Hall at the University of Maine, Orono. Maasch talks about the beginnings of his career in climate modeling; the research of and his relationship with his advisor Barry Saltzman; his beginnings at the Climate Change Institute; the contributions of the CCI: the influence of CCI scientists on his career, particularly George Denton and Terry Hughes; changes in the CCI over the years; and the CCI’s interdisciplinary character. Text: 10 pp. transcript Recording: mfc_na4000_audio001 55 minutes Photo courtesy of the Climate Change Institute.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mf192/1022/thumbnail.jp
Compound motions of the earth as a planet—Form of the earth’s orbit—Great periods—No perpetual su... more Compound motions of the earth as a planet—Form of the earth’s orbit—Great periods—No perpetual summer—Precession of the equinoxes—The polar star to pass away from its present place and other stars Vega, or Alpha of the Lyre to become pole star—Precession explained—Advance of the line of apsides—Extract from the work of Figuier—The same views as therein given advocated by Sir Richard Phillips over 30 years before—The effects of precession not sufficient to account for the evident duration of the cold period of North America—The cause to be hunted out by astronomers hereafter.
Journal of Medical Entomology, Sep 9, 2020
Geographical range expansions of blacklegged tick [Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae)] popul... more Geographical range expansions of blacklegged tick [Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae)] populations over time in the United States have been attributed to a mosaic of factors including 20th century reforestation followed by suburbanization, burgeoning populations of the white-tailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman (Artiodactyla: Cervidae)], and, at the northern edge of I. scapularis' range, climate change. Maine, a high Lyme disease incidence state, has been experiencing warmer and shorter winter seasons, and relatively more so in its northern tier. Maine served as a case study to investigate the interacting impacts of deer and seasonal climatology on the spatial and temporal distribution of I. scapularis. A passive tick surveillance dataset indexed abundance of I. scapularis nymphs for the state, 1990-2013. With Maine's wildlife management districts as the spatial unit, we used a generalized additive model to assess linear and nonlinear relationships between I. scapularis nymph abundance and predictors. Nymph submission rate increased with increasing deer densities up to ~5 deer/km 2 (13 deer/mi 2), but beyond this threshold did not vary with deer density. This corroborated the idea of a saturating relationship between I. scapularis and deer density. Nymphs also were associated with warmer minimum winter temperatures, earlier degree-day accumulation, and higher relative humidity. However, nymph abundance only increased with warmer winters and degree-day accumulation where deer density exceeded ~2 deer/km 2 (~6/mi 2). Anticipated increases in I. scapularis in the northern tier could be partially mitigated through deer herd management.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Attention first called to the phenomena of the boulder drift—The iceberg theory preferred up to t... more Attention first called to the phenomena of the boulder drift—The iceberg theory preferred up to the year 1860—Objection to the opinions that the drift owes its origin to Noah’s flood—Hugh Miller’s views of the drift in his work on popular geology – Nature of the scratched rocks—Their abundance in Maine—the locality of some scratches irreconcilable with the theory of iceberg action—Decision that the drift phenomena were wholly due to glacial action—Original communications to the “Rockland Gazette” on the “Ancient Great Glacier of Penobscot Bay”—Original paper for the Second Scientific Report of Maine—Geological explorations in the interior of the state—Boulder phenomena as exhibited on Vinalhaven—Fascinating interest which they inspired. The history of the past not voluminously written, but rather fragmentary and in a strange stenography—“Sermons in Stones” - Reflections on this stone writing - Impressions made upon the minds of children often indelible, and sometimes matures into great practical results.
Journal of Medical Entomology, Dec 6, 2019
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, St... more Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt, and Brenner (Spirocheatales: Spirochaetaceae) which is transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis Say (Ixodida: Ixodidae). Maine, USA, is a high Lyme disease incidence state, with rising incidence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses associated with increasing I. scapularis abundance and northward range expansion. Members of the public submitted ticks to a tick identification program (1990-2013). From these passive surveillance data, we characterized temporal trends in I. scapularis submission rate (an index of abundance), comparing Maine's northern tier (seven counties) versus southern tier (nine counties). In the northern tier, the I. scapularis submission rate increased throughout the duration of the time series, suggesting I. scapularis was emergent but not established. By contrast, in the southern tier, submission rate increased initially but leveled off after 10-14 yr, suggesting I. scapularis was established by the mid-2000s. Active (field) surveillance data from a site in the southern tier-bird tick burdens and questing adult tick collections-corroborated this leveling pattern. Lyme disease incidence and I. scapularis submission rate were temporally correlated in the northern but not southern tier. This suggested a decoupling of reported disease incidence and entomological risk.