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Nature Among The Mormons: An Ecocritical Approach To Mormon Literature, Gail D. Ballard Jan 1996

Nature Among The Mormons: An Ecocritical Approach To Mormon Literature, Gail D. Ballard

Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly, environmentalists have focused on Judeo-Christian tradition as the cause of Western culture's ecological crisis. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the charges against Judeo-Christian tradition and to show how the revealed doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide possible solutions to environmental challenges. The resulting Latter-day Saint environmental paradigm will be superimposed on selected Mormon literature to determine how effectively the doctrines taught by Church authorities filtered into popular Mormon culture.

Despite the inspired teachings of Latter-day Saint prophets, Mormons remain unimpressive in their environmental practices. My research will show that while …


The Relationship Between Environmental Attitudes And Environmental Behaviors Among Air Force Members, Daniel T. Holt Dec 1995

The Relationship Between Environmental Attitudes And Environmental Behaviors Among Air Force Members, Daniel T. Holt

Theses and Dissertations

A questionnaire was distributed to nearly 2,000 randomly selected active duty Air Force members assigned to locations throughout the continental United States. The survey was designed to determine the extent to which Air Force members expressed support for environmental issues. In addition, the survey measured how frequently Air Force members engaged in specific behaviors that were deemed environmentally protective. Although the Air Force members expressed relatively strong support for environmental issues, they only occasionally engaged in activities that contribute to the preservation or protection of the environment. Correlation analysis revealed that the pro-environmental attitudes were positively linked to the environmentally …


A Comparison Of Remediation Priorities Developed By The Defense Priority Model, The Relative Risk Evaluation Method, And A Quantitative Risk Assessment Approach, David M. Hunter Dec 1995

A Comparison Of Remediation Priorities Developed By The Defense Priority Model, The Relative Risk Evaluation Method, And A Quantitative Risk Assessment Approach, David M. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

The Superfund, established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, seriously underestimated both the number of severely contaminated sites and the associated cleanup cost. The magnitude of projected cleanup costs, coupled with shrinking federal budgets, necessitated the development and use of risk-based prioritization models among some federal agencies. Among these tools, the DOD prioritization models are meant to give priority to sites posing the greatest threat to human health. Their failure to properly rank sites could incorrectly shift the focus from those that pose substantial risk to sites of lesser risk. The DOD site ranking …


A Point Model Of Aquifer Cleanup With A Distribution Of First-Order Rate Parameters, Jon E. Hodge Dec 1995

A Point Model Of Aquifer Cleanup With A Distribution Of First-Order Rate Parameters, Jon E. Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

Many try modeling groundwater contaminant transport to predict it. Is this possible with rate-limited processes, and under what conditions? On occasion, cleanups go slower than predicted (tailing) and hazardous concentrations reappear after cleanup is thought complete (rebound). Rate-limited transport is blamed by many. When immobile water is present, diffusion from varied sizes and shapes of immobile regions can cause varied rate limitations (due to varied diffusion path lengths). Although known, most modelers represent these varied rate-limiting processes with a single 'representative' rate-parameter. This can yield poor predictions for long-term experiments, and the parameter is generally time and pump-rate dependent. This …


Geostatistical Analysis Of Hydraulic Conductivity In Heterogeneous Aquifers, Craig S. Biondo Dec 1995

Geostatistical Analysis Of Hydraulic Conductivity In Heterogeneous Aquifers, Craig S. Biondo

Theses and Dissertations

Observations of the spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity of the heterogeneous alluvial aquifer at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi are analyzed using parametric geostatistical approaches. Field studies have revealed that the heterogeneity of the aquifer hydraulic conductivity field controls the movement and dispersion of groundwater solutes. Therefore, a means of quantifying spatial variability is essential for the application of flow and solute transport models to practical problems. Application of these models requires a large number of hydraulic conductivity measurements. Geostatistical analysis and kriging estimation procedures assist in providing these large numbers of values when sampling designs have provided sparse …


Evaluating The Feasibility Of Sequential Indicator Simulation In Reproducing Spatial Connectivity In A Heterogeneous Transmissivity Field, D. Duane Kenyon Dec 1995

Evaluating The Feasibility Of Sequential Indicator Simulation In Reproducing Spatial Connectivity In A Heterogeneous Transmissivity Field, D. Duane Kenyon

Theses and Dissertations

A Non-Parametric estimation technique was used to simulate realizations of a heterogeneous transmissivity field based upon sampled values from three different sampling scenarios. These realizations were compared to output from a parametric estimation technique with respect to truth as defined by an exhaustive data set of 6,000 transmissivity values. Estimated transmissivity fields were then used as input into a flow model from which fields of heads and specific discharges were obtained and compared. Given the financial limitations imposed upon the number and quality of samples reasonably available, Sequential Indicator Simulation, a non-parametric technique, was shown to be of considerable value …


The Effects Of Vegetative Canopies On Atmospheric Dispersion, John R. Lindell Dec 1995

The Effects Of Vegetative Canopies On Atmospheric Dispersion, John R. Lindell

Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted to improve our understanding of the effects of vegetative canopy-induced turbulence on the dispersion of air pollution. The computer model most often used to calculate atmospheric dispersion is the Gaussian plume model, which requires some method to compute the downwind dispersions coefficients. These coefficients are a parameterization of the atmospheric stability or the level of turbulence in the atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency's recommended parameterization scheme is the Pasquill-Gifford method. By comparing the Pasquill-Gifford method to the Modified Mitchell method using sigma theta, the standard deviation of the horizontal wind fluctuations, the relative precision of each …


Decision Support Model To Optimize Site Characterization Activities Taken In Compliance With The Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation And Liability Act, Daniel J. Clairmont Dec 1995

Decision Support Model To Optimize Site Characterization Activities Taken In Compliance With The Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation And Liability Act, Daniel J. Clairmont

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most frequently cited reasons for the slow and costly progress of Superfund cleanups is the remedial investigation and feasibility study process (RI/FS). After each phase of the RI/FS process there are several possible alternatives that may be chosen. This research developed decision support models to help decision makers choose between the feasible alternatives at five different decision points during site characterization activities. The models make recommendations on how to deal with any particular chemical based on the risk posed by that chemical. The models assume that the value of characterizing the site further is a reduction in …


Comparison Of Gravel Substrate Vs Soil Substrate For The Construction Of An Experimental Fen, Carolyn S. Langley Dec 1995

Comparison Of Gravel Substrate Vs Soil Substrate For The Construction Of An Experimental Fen, Carolyn S. Langley

Theses and Dissertations

Under the Clean Water Act Section 404 of 1972 and 33 CFR 320-330 and 40 CFR 230 moderate the destruction of wetlands by the Air Force to make way for other uses. To obtain a permit for a design or construction project which affects a wetland, the Air Force must agree to create new wetlands, or replace lost wetland acreage through wetland creation or restoration. The Air Force is interested in building 'successful' wetlands as inexpensively as possible. It has been common practice to use hydric soil, which often had to be hauled in, as the substrate at the restored …


A System Dynamics Approach To Modelling The Degradation Of Biochemical Oxygen Demand In A Constructed Wetland Receiving Stormwater Runoff, Leslie A. Mudgett Dec 1995

A System Dynamics Approach To Modelling The Degradation Of Biochemical Oxygen Demand In A Constructed Wetland Receiving Stormwater Runoff, Leslie A. Mudgett

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to develop a tool to aid the Air Force Environmental Manager in the identification of the design parameters of a constructed wetland system that may be optimized to provide a desired biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal efficiency during the treatment of Air Force stormwater runoff. The objective is achieved through the development and use of a system dynamics model which simulates the hydrological functions of a constructed wetland as well as the processes within the wetland responsible for degradation of BOD. Based on literature review, the primary mechanism responsible for the degradation of BOD …


A Comparison Of Response Surface Methodology And A One-Factor-At-A-Time Approach As Calibration Techniques For The Bioplume-Ii Simulation Model Of Contaminant Biodegradation, Benjamin Shuman Dec 1995

A Comparison Of Response Surface Methodology And A One-Factor-At-A-Time Approach As Calibration Techniques For The Bioplume-Ii Simulation Model Of Contaminant Biodegradation, Benjamin Shuman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis compared Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to the one-factor-at-a-time approach for calibrating the Bioplume-II simulation model of contaminant biodegradation. The MADE-2 data set from Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi was used. The one-factor-at-a-time approach reduced the root-mean-squared (RMS) error for the flow to 0.921225 feet in a total of 36 runs of Bioplume-II. The RSM approach reduced the error criterion to 0.918875 in a total of 47 runs. The one-factor-at-a-time approach was unable to reduce the error below 67.1831 parts per billion (ppb) after 21 runs. The RSM approach reduced the RMS error to 67.0327 ppb after 47 runs. …


A Decision Model For Environmental Assessment Of Process Waste Products, Kyle F. Byard Mar 1995

A Decision Model For Environmental Assessment Of Process Waste Products, Kyle F. Byard

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental managers must compare the potential impacts of waste products when deciding upon courses of action. The estimation and comparison of these impacts is a subjective process, and few methods of comprehensive, quantitative comparison of waste products currently exist. The intent of this study is to develop a decision methodology to evaluate the environmental impacts of waste products and to score them for comparison. The method will follow established system design principles and incorporate significant characteristics of the waste material. Scores derived to represent the environmental impacts of materials will then he analyzed employing statistical and probabilistic methods to assess …


Spatial Time-Series: Pollution Pattern Recognition Under Irregular Interventions, Samuel A. Wright Mar 1995

Spatial Time-Series: Pollution Pattern Recognition Under Irregular Interventions, Samuel A. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation (FERMCO) has noted the introduction of arsenic contamination to groundwater around the area of the groundwater recovery system, which captures uranium contaminated groundwater. The introduction of arsenic occurs during high levels of pumping and is particularly sensitive to the western two of the five pumps. Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) and Spatial-Temporal ARMA (STARMA) empirical analyses are used to model the level of arsenic contamination found through time. The intervention of varied levels of pumping is modeled with a transfer function using analytic techniques to create a causal intervention transfer function input series to give …


Development Of An Analysis Method To Identify The Root Causes Of Finding From The Air Force Environmental Compliance Assessment And Management Program (Ecamp), Frederick B. Cade Sep 1994

Development Of An Analysis Method To Identify The Root Causes Of Finding From The Air Force Environmental Compliance Assessment And Management Program (Ecamp), Frederick B. Cade

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force is committed to being a national leader in achieving environmental compliance. This commitment is exemplified by the Air Force Chief of Staffs goal of no 'notices of violation.' This goal, however, has proven to be elusive. In the early 1990s, the number of Air Force notices of violation (NOVs) increased by 73%, from 103 to 178. One of the reasons may be findings from the Environmental Compliance Assessment and Management Program (ECAMP) are not being utilized effectively. This research developed an analysis method to identify root causes of ECAMP findings. The model emphasized the use of performance …


Coherence And Usability Of An Environmental Impact Statement, Jill A. Easterly Sep 1994

Coherence And Usability Of An Environmental Impact Statement, Jill A. Easterly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research effort was to investigate the application of certain principles of effective communication to improve the comprehension, and ultimately the usability, of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Principles from cohesion theory (an area of research describing effective design) were used to manipulate the design of select sections of two sample EISs. Each sample EIS was altered to manipulate the presence and/or absence of visual and linguistic cohesion. Subjects were required to read select versions from each section of the two sample EISs and answer four short answer questions. The dependent variables were accuracy in answering the …


Experiment Using Infrared Spectroscopy To Study The Effect Of Soil Characteristics Upon The Rate Of Trichloroethylene Desorption, Benjamin T. Kindt Sep 1994

Experiment Using Infrared Spectroscopy To Study The Effect Of Soil Characteristics Upon The Rate Of Trichloroethylene Desorption, Benjamin T. Kindt

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the influence of soil characteristics on the desorption of trichloroethylene (TCE). TCE is one of the most common contaminants at Superfund sites. Unfortunately, extraction of TCE from contaminated soils has been hindered by its slow and poorly understood desorption from soil particles. The rate and progress of desorption of TCE from seven types of soil with varying particle diameters and elemental compositions was measured using optical absorption techniques. Fitting the data to the Langmuir Isotherm functional form predicted in the literature yielded parameters for the desorption rate and total amount desorption each soil type. These parameters were …


Simulation Of Hydrologic Influences On Wetland Ecosystem Succession, Robert A. Pompilio Sep 1994

Simulation Of Hydrologic Influences On Wetland Ecosystem Succession, Robert A. Pompilio

Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on the development of a simulation model to determine the effects of hydrological influences on a wetland ecosystem. The model allows perturbations to the inputs of various wetland data which in turn, influences the successional development of the ecosystem. This research consisted of converting a grassland ecosystem model to one which simulates wetland conditions. The critical factor in determining the success of wetland creation is the hydrology of the system. There are four of the areas of the original model which are affected by the hydrology. The model measures the health or success of the ecosystem through …


How Effective Has The Air Force Been In Eliminating Its Dependence On Ozone Depleting Chemicals?, L. Susan Willard Sep 1994

How Effective Has The Air Force Been In Eliminating Its Dependence On Ozone Depleting Chemicals?, L. Susan Willard

Theses and Dissertations

This research was undertaken to determine how effectively the Air Force had eliminated its dependence on Ozone Depleting Chemicals. The research was limited to analyzing the impact of ODCs on major acquisition programs. Results indicated existing variables which may be impeding full implementation. Also identified were lessons learned which could be applied to future environmental legislation with potential impact on acquisition programs. In- depth telephonic interviews were conducted with Program Directors responsible for the development and fielding of major Air Force acquisition programs. Analysis revealed that ODCs substantially impacted the acquisition programs to the extent that many programs had classified …


Use Of Infrared Spectrometry To Determine The Effect Of Temperature On The Description Rates Of Trichloroethylene From Plastic Clay 98b, Abdellatif Fares Aug 1994

Use Of Infrared Spectrometry To Determine The Effect Of Temperature On The Description Rates Of Trichloroethylene From Plastic Clay 98b, Abdellatif Fares

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated the influence of temperature on the desorption rated of trichloroethylene (TCE) from plastic clay. It was expected that an increase in temperature will cause an increase in both the desorption rates of TCE and in the desorbed quantity. Previous studies on other chemicals indicated a faster decrease in the remaining sorbed concentration with an increase in temperature. This research made use of the infrared optical absorption technique. IR spectroscopy was used to measure the concentration of the vapor TCE that desorbed from the soil. The soil was exposed to liquid TCE for 2 days then placed inside …


Estimating Groundwater Flow Parameters Using Response Surface Methodology, Leo C. Adams Apr 1994

Estimating Groundwater Flow Parameters Using Response Surface Methodology, Leo C. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the use of response surface methodology RSM as a parameter estimation technique in the field of groundwater flow modeling. Using RSM, an attempt was made to calibrate three hydraulic parameters porosity, transverse permeability, and rate of recharge of an existing two- dimensional, steady-state flow model. The model simulated groundwater flow for a portion of landfill 10 located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The model had previously been calibrated by graphical matching observed water-levels to predicted water-levels. Using the parameter values from the earlier calibration effort as a starting point, a central composite design was developed and …


Air Pollution Transport Modeling, David M. Paal Dec 1993

Air Pollution Transport Modeling, David M. Paal

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort addresses modeling of the transportation of air pollution in the atmosphere and the numerical analysis of the partial differential equations used in such modeling. Three Gaussian models are examined and compared using example problems. Several finite difference schemes are developed to solve the partial differential equations used in air pollution transport modeling. This study examines three Gaussian models SCREEN, AFTOX, and the program GAUSPLUM. The model GAUSPLUM is developed in this study and uses the Ada programming language and the analytic solution to the advection- diffusion equation. Numerical analysis of the partial differential equations PDE used in …


A Study Of Sensitive Lands In Provo, Doris R. Monson Jan 1983

A Study Of Sensitive Lands In Provo, Doris R. Monson

Theses and Dissertations

Sensitive lands are being developed in great quantity. Because of problems caused by the development of sensitive lands, Provo City has developed land use ordinances. This thesis examines the development of Provo's ordinances along with the development of its sensitive lands. It determines ways that the city can strengthen their land use ordinances and avoid some of the problems found in sensitive land development.


The Historical Development Of Wasatch Trails In Salt Lake County, Clyde Brian Hardy Jan 1975

The Historical Development Of Wasatch Trails In Salt Lake County, Clyde Brian Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

In this study investigation was made concerning the etiology of the foot trails that thread their way through Wasatch Forest lands in Salt Lake county. The time delimitation was 1847 to 1975.

The origin of the majority of these trails dates back to the nineteenth century and is closely tied to the efforts of pioneers who labored to wrest a living from semi-arid land. Early lumbering, livestock operations, mining activities, water collection systems, and pioneer recreation all provided impetus for trail development. In a sense these trails are a kind of anthology of human endeavor.

Passing into the twentieth century …


The Mormon Role In Irrigation Beginnings And Diffusions In The Western States: An Historical Geography, Kelly C. Harper Jan 1974

The Mormon Role In Irrigation Beginnings And Diffusions In The Western States: An Historical Geography, Kelly C. Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Irrigation has played an important part in the development of the Western States. Its beginnings have often been associated with the Mormon settlement in Utah. However, irrigation had its inception in the West long before the Mormons came to the Great Basin in 1847. The spatial extent of irrigation before this date included limited acreage in nearly every Western State.

Before their arrival in the Great Basin the Mormons had become acquainted with irrigation methods. Knowledge of irrigation had diffused to them primarily from the Spanish in the Southwest. Thus, they were well prepared to begin their irrigation enterprises in …