Future robotic planetary exploration will need to traverse geographically diverse and challenging terrain. Cliffs, ravines, and fissures are of great scientific interest because they may contain important data regarding past water flow and past life. Highly sloped terrain is difficult and often impossible to safely navigate using a single robot. This paper describes a control system for a team ...

To evaluate mercury (Hg) and other element exposure in cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), eggs were collected from 16 sites within the mining-impacted Cache Creek watershed, Colusa, Lake, and Yolo counties, California, USA, in 1997-1998. Nestlings were collected from seven sites in 1998. Geometric mean total Hg (THg) concentrations ranged from 0.013 to 0.208 microg/g wet weight (ww) in ...

Deciphering aspect-related hillslope asymmetry can enhance our understanding of the influence climate on Earth’s surface morphology and linkage between topographic erosion processes. Although is documented worldwide, role microclimatic factors in evolution dryland cliffs has received little attention. Here, we address this gap by quantifying aspect-dependent bedrock weathering, slope-rill morph...

Cliff environments can provide excellent locations for dendrochronological studies. This is largely due to harsh growing conditions that often result in an enhanced sensitivity to climate variability. The relative inacessability of such locations also reduces the chance of anthropogenic disturbance, such as logging and fire. Therefore, depending on the natural stability of a particular cliff en...

Facies models are used to better capture heterogeneity in mineral deposits and petroleum reservoirs. Facies are often considered as mutually exclusive and exhaustive at the scale of the geological model. These two assumptions are needed for sequential indicator simulation and most other facies modeling techniques; however, the assumption that an entire grid block consists of one facies type bec...