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The NOvA experiment has been collecting data in the NuMI neutrino beam since 2014. In this article we describe the rich physics program of the experiment, including long-baseline oscillation measurements, neutrino cross-section measurements, searches for phenomena beyond the standard three flavor oscillation paradigm, as well as astrophysical searches. Only half way through its expected run plan, NOvA will continue to explore exciting physics topics through 2026 and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been recent interest in the use of surface-deployed geophysical methods to estimate soil moisture profiles. In this study, we applied multi-coil, frequency domain, electromagnetic induction (EMI) geophysical surveys to determine electrical conductivity (σ) profiles of the root zone of four winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes grown in a randomized block experiment with four replicates. Field measurements of apparent electrical conductivity (σa) were obtained at sites with two different soil textures. We used the cumulative sensitivity model to predict EMI conductivity data from the conductivity profile measured with electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) on a subset of the plots we investigated. During the inversion of the EMI data, conductivities were adjusted on all plots so that they were consistent with the ERT data. Changes in electrical conductivity of field soil, with depth computed from inversion of the EMI data, during the growth period were compared with measured changes in soil water content. Laboratory measurements confirmed a positive correlation between electrical conductivity and soil water content. Between crop emergence and maturity, water extraction by the different wheat genotypes reduced the water content by up to 30% Comparing changes in electrical conductivity between reference profiles determined shortly after crop emergence and electrical conductivity profiles at later dates as the crop matured, we were able to use EMI to remotely monitor moisture extraction by the roots of different wheat genotypes with depth and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are a major geologic hazard with estimated tens of deaths and $1-2 billion in economic losses per year in the US alone. The island of Puerto Rico experiences one or two large events per year, often triggered in steeply sloped areas by prolonged and heavy rainfall. Identifying areas susceptible to landslides thus has great potential value for Puerto Rico and would allow better management of its territory. Landslide susceptibility zonation (LSZ) procedures identify areas prone to failure based on the characteristics of past events. LSZs are here developed based on two widely applied methodologies: bivariate frequency ratio (FR method) and logistic regression (LR method). With these methodologies, the correlations among eight possible landslide-inducing factors over the island have been investigated in detail. Both methodologies indicate aspect, slope, elevation, geological discontinuities, and geology as highly significant landslide-inducing factors, together with land-cover for the FR method and distance from road for the LR method. The LR method is grounded in rigorous statistical testing and model building but did not improve results over the simpler FR method. Accordingly, the FR method has been selected to generate a landslide susceptibility map for Puerto Rico. The landslide susceptibility predictions were tested against previous landslide analyses and other landslide inventories. This independent evaluation demonstrated that the two methods are consistent with landslide susceptibility zonation from those earlier studies and showed this analysis to have resulted in a robust and verifiable landslide susceptibility zonation map for the whole island of Puerto Rico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biography of Donald R. F. Halerman, an eminent engineer and scholar, discussed at the forum of the American Society of Civil Engineers is presented. Halerman was born on December 5, 1922 in Palmerton, Pennsylvania and received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He conducted various studies that aim to solve issues that would improve the quality of life and protect the environment. Details related to his career developments are discussed.

The Blackstone River is a relatively small river that drains the area around Worcester, Massachusetts, one of first industrialized cities in the United States. Until the 1970s, the river was highly polluted by industrial and municipal wastewaters--not unlike the current situation in degraded rivers in areas of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Today, the Blackstone enjoys considerably improved water quality as the result of two historical processes: continuing investment and improvement in municipal wastewater treatment in response to increasingly stringent U.S. federal water-quality laws, and the control or elimination of industrial discharges. A key factor in the river's restoration was the early development of and continued adherence to a comprehensive basin water-quality plan. A similar planning process is recommended for CEE countries. Nonetheless, achieving acceptable water quality in the Blackstone was a slow process, requiring decades of intensive improvement in wastewater treatment. A similarly slow process can be anticipated in the CEE countries unless cost-effective interim improvements in wastewater treatment are sought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MINOS experiment aims to conduct precision measurements of neutrino oscillation properties. Commissioning will start in early 2005, with two detectors separated by a baseline of 735km, and a beam of primarily νμ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]