John Milliman

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John D. Milliman (born 5 May 1938) is a retired [1] American Emeritus Professor of marine geology. He is a professor emeritus in the department of physical sciences and in the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary.

Contents

Education

Milliman earned Bachelor of Science from the University of Rochester, a Master of Science from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a PhD from the University of Miami. [1]

Research

In 1968, Milliman and K.O. Emery published an article in Science suggesting that the Holocene transgression began 14,000 years ago and was over by 7,000 years ago. [2] In 2003 he and Jonathan A. Warrick found that rivers of Southern California, such as Santa Clara River and Transverse Ranges, discharge a huge amount of sediment especially during El Niño–Southern Oscillation. [3] In 2005 Milliman studied seven rivers in Taiwan after typhoon Herb swept through the region. [4] [5] He and his colleagues also studied the following river and shelf systems: Yangtze, [6] Yellow, [7] Fly, etc.

Milliman was named one of Virginia's "outstanding scientists" by Governor Bob McDonnell in 2012. [8]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holocene</span> Current geological epoch, covering the last 11,700 years

The Holocene is the current geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene together form the Quaternary period. The Holocene is an interglacial period within the ongoing glacial cycles of the Quaternary, and is equivalent to Marine Isotope Stage 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estuary</span> Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water

An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments and are an example of an ecotone. Estuaries are subject both to marine influences such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water, and to fluvial influences such as flows of freshwater and sediment. The mixing of seawater and freshwater provides high levels of nutrients both in the water column and in sediment, making estuaries among the most productive natural habitats in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geomorphology</span> Scientific study of landforms

Geomorphology is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface. Geomorphologists seek to understand why landscapes look the way they do, to understand landform and terrain history and dynamics and to predict changes through a combination of field observations, physical experiments and numerical modeling. Geomorphologists work within disciplines such as physical geography, geology, geodesy, engineering geology, archaeology, climatology, and geotechnical engineering. This broad base of interests contributes to many research styles and interests within the field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River delta</span> Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river

A river delta is a triangular landform created by the deposition of the sediments that are carried by the waters of a river, where the river merges with a body of slow-moving water or with a body of stagnant water. The creation of a river delta occurs at the river mouth, where the river merges into an ocean, a sea, or an estuary, into a lake, a reservoir, or into another river that cannot carry away the sediment supplied by the feeding river. Etymologically, the term river delta derives from the triangular shape (Δ) of the uppercase Greek letter delta. In hydrology, the dimensions of a river delta are determined by the balance between the watershed processes that supply sediment and the watershed processes that redistribute, sequester, and export the supplied sediment into the receiving basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental shelf</span> Coastal and oceanic landform

A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island is known as an insular shelf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raised beach</span> Emergent coastal landform

A raised beach, coastal terrace, or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin, mostly an old abrasion platform which has been lifted out of the sphere of wave activity. Thus, it lies above or under the current sea level, depending on the time of its formation. It is bounded by a steeper ascending slope on the landward side and a steeper descending slope on the seaward side. Due to its generally flat shape, it is often used for anthropogenic structures such as settlements and infrastructure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuroshio Current</span> North flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean

The Kuroshio Current, also known as the Black Current or Japan Current is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Kuroshio is a powerful western boundary current that transports warm equatorial water poleward and forms the western limb of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Off the East Coast of Japan, it merges with the Oyashio Current to form the North Pacific Current.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yangtze Delta</span> Megalopolis in East China

The Yangtze Delta or Yangtze River Delta, once known as the Shanghai Economic Zone, is a megalopolis generally comprising the Wu-speaking areas of Shanghai, southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang, southern Anhui. The area lies in the heart of the Jiangnan region, where the Yangtze drains into the East China Sea. Historically the fertile delta fed much of China’s population, and cities and commerce flourished. Today, it is one of China’s most important metropolitan area and is home to China’s financial center, tourist destination and hub for manufacture ranging from textile to car-making. In 2021, the Yangtze Delta had a GDP of approximately US$4.3 trillion, about the same size as Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turbidity current</span> An underwater current of usually rapidly moving, sediment-laden water moving down a slope

A turbidity current is most typically an underwater current of usually rapidly moving, sediment-laden water moving down a slope; although current research (2018) indicates that water-saturated sediment may be the primary actor in the process. Turbidity currents can also occur in other fluids besides water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental impact of reservoirs</span>

The environmental impact of reservoirs comes under ever-increasing scrutiny as the global demand for water and energy increases and the number and size of reservoirs increases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastline of China</span>

China’s coastline covers approximately 14,500 km from the Bohai gulf in the north to the Gulf of Tonkin in the south. Most of the northern half is low lying, although some of the mountains and hills of Northeast China and the Shandong Peninsula extend to the coast. The southern half is more irregular. In Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, for example, much of the coast is rocky and steep. South of this area the coast becomes less rugged: Low mountains and hills extend more gradually to the coast, and small river deltas are common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Submarine landslide</span> Landslides that transport sediment across the continental shelf and into the deep ocean

Submarine landslides are marine landslides that transport sediment across the continental shelf and into the deep ocean. A submarine landslide is initiated when the downwards driving stress exceeds the resisting stress of the seafloor slope material, causing movements along one or more concave to planar rupture surfaces. Submarine landslides take place in a variety of different settings, including planes as low as 1°, and can cause significant damage to both life and property. Recent advances have been made in understanding the nature and processes of submarine landslides through the use of sidescan sonar and other seafloor mapping technology.

A mouth bar is an element of a deltaic system, which refers to the typically mid-channel deposition of the sediment transported by the river channel at the river mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meltwater pulse 1B</span> Period of either rapid or just accelerated post-glacial sea level rise

Meltwater pulse 1B (MWP1b) is the name used by Quaternary geologists, paleoclimatologists, and oceanographers for a period of either rapid or just accelerated post-glacial sea level rise that some hypothesize to have occurred between 11,500 and 11,200 years ago at the beginning of the Holocene and after the end of the Younger Dryas. Meltwater pulse 1B is also known as catastrophic rise event 2 (CRE2) in the Caribbean Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleotempestology</span> Study of past tropical cyclone activity

Paleotempestology is the study of past tropical cyclone activity by means of geological proxies as well as historical documentary records. The term was coined by American meteorologist Kerry Emanuel.

Jingpu "Paul" Liu is a geologist and professor at North Carolina State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaches in estuaries and bays</span> Type of beaches

Beaches in estuaries and bays (BEBs) refer to beaches that exist inside estuaries or bays and therefore are partially or fully sheltered from ocean wind waves, which are a typical source of energy to build beaches. Beaches located inside harbours and lagoons are also considered BEBs. BEBs can be unvegetated or partially unvegetated and can be made of sand, gravel or shells. As a consequence of the sheltering, the importance of other sources of wave energy, including locally generated wind waves and infragravity waves, may be more important for BEBs than for those beaches on the open coast. Boat wakes, currents driven by tides, and river inflow can also be important for BEBs. When BEBs receive insufficient wave energy, they can become inactive, and stabilised by vegetation; this may occur through both natural processes and human action. BEBs exist in all latitudes from beaches located in fjords and drowned river valleys (rias) in high latitudes to beaches located in the equatorial zone like, for example, the Amazon estuarine beaches.

Cyclic steps are rhythmic bedforms associated with Froude super-critical flow instability. They are a type of sediment wave, and are created when supercritical sediment-laden water travels downslope through sediment beds. Each ‘step’ has a steep drop, and together they tend to migrate upstream. On the ocean floor, this phenomenon was first shown to be possible in 2006, although it was observed in open-channel flows over a decade earlier. Geological features appearing to be submarine cyclic steps have been detected in the northern lowlands of Mars in the Aeolis Mensae region, providing evidence of an ancient Martian ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1867 Keelung earthquake</span> Earthquake and tsunami affecting the northern coast of Taiwan

The 1867 Keelung earthquake occurred off the northern coast of Taiwan on the morning of December 18 with a magnitude of 7.0. It produced strong shaking that seriously damaged the cities of Keelung and Taipei. A tsunami, thought to be the only confirmed destructive of its kind in Taiwan, drowned hundreds and had a run-up exceeding 15 m (49 ft). The total death toll was estimated to be 580 while more than 100 were injured. It was followed by aftershocks that were felt on average ten times a day.

References

  1. 1 2 "John Milliman" . Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  2. John D. Milliman; K. O. Emery (1968). "Sea Levels during the Past 35,000 Years". Science . 162 (3858). AAAS: 1121–1123. Bibcode:1968Sci...162.1121M. doi:10.1126/science.162.3858.1121. PMID   17746818. S2CID   41474857.
  3. Jonathan A. Warrick and John D. Milliman (2003). "Hyperpycnal sediment discharge from semiarid southern California rivers: Implications for coastal sediment budgetsz". Geology . 31 (9): 781–784. Bibcode:2003Geo....31..781W. doi:10.1130/G19671.1.
  4. John Milliman and Shuh‐Ji Kao (September 2005). "Hyperpycnal Discharge of Fluvial Sediment to the Ocean: Impact of Super‐Typhoon Herb (1996) on Taiwanese Rivers". The Journal of Geology . 113 (5). The University of Chicago Press/JSTOR: 503–516. Bibcode:2005JG....113..503M. doi:10.1086/431906. JSTOR   431906. S2CID   225043073.
  5. JP Liu, CS Liu, KH Xu, JD Milliman, JK Chiu, SJ Kao, SW Lin (2008). "Flux and fate of small mountainous rivers derived sediments into the Taiwan Strait". Marine Geology . 256 (1–4): 65–76. Bibcode:2008MGeol.256...65L. doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2008.09.007. Archived from the original on 2022-03-17. Retrieved 2023-01-21.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. JP Liu, KH Xu, AC Li, JD Milliman, DM Velozzi, SB Xiao, ZS Yang (2007). "Flux and fate of Yangtze River sediment delivered to the East China Sea". Geomorphology . 85 (3–4): 208–224. Bibcode:2007Geomo..85..208L. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.03.023.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. J Paul Liu, John D Milliman, Shu Gao, Peng Cheng (2004). "Holocene development of the Yellow River's subaqueous delta, North Yellow Sea". Marine Geology . 209 (1–4): 45–67. Bibcode:2004MGeol.209...45L. doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2004.06.009.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. David Malmquist (January 18, 2012). "W&M professor honored as outstanding scientist". College of William & Mary . Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  9. Owens, Philip N. (2012). "Research resource review: River Discharge to the Coastal Ocean: A Global Synthesis". Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment. 36 (3): 449–450. doi:10.1177/0309133312436888. ISSN   0309-1333. S2CID   131415420.
  10. Paola, Chris (2011). "Review of River Discharge to the Coastal Ocean: A Global Synthesis, by J.D. Milliman and K.L. Farnsworth". Oceanography. 24 (4): 143–144. doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2011.108 .