Digital Commons Network^™

Permaculture, Roslynn Brain, Blake Thomas

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Extreme Precipitation Threat Across Midlatitude Regions Based On Short-Wave Circulations, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, Robert E. Davies, Robert R. Gillies

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The most severe thunderstorms, producing extreme precipitation, occur over subtropical and midlatitude regions. Atmospheric conditions conducive to organized, intense thunderstorms commonly involve the coupling of a low-level jet (LLJ) with a synoptic short wave. The midlatitude synoptic activity is frequently modulated by the circumglobal teleconnection (CGT), in which meridional gradients of the jet stream act as a guide for short Rossby waves. Previous research has linked extreme precipitation events with either the CGT or the LLJ but has not linked the two circulation features together. In this study, a circulation-based index was developed by combining (a) the degree of the …

Rapid River Incision Across An Inactive Fault - Implications For Patterns Of Erosion And Deformation In The Central Colorado Plateau, Joel L. Pederson, Neil Burnside, Zoe Shipton, Tammy M. Rittenour

Geosciences Faculty Publications

The Colorado Plateau presents a contrast between deep and seemingly recent erosion and apparently only mild late Cenozoic tectonic activity. Researchers have recently proposed multiple sources of epeirogenic uplift and intriguing patterns of differential incision, yet little or no quantitative constraints exist in the heart of the plateau to test these ideas. Here, we use both optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and uranium-series dating to delimit the record of fluvial strath terraces at Crystal Geyser in southeastern Utah, where the Little Grand Wash fault crosses the Green River in the broad Mancos Shale badlands of the central plateau. Results indicate there …

Phanerozoic Surface History Of The Slavecraton, Alexis K. Ault, Rebecca M. Flowers, Samuel A. Bowring

Geosciences Faculty Publications

New apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) thermochronometry data and key geologic constraints from Slave craton kimberlites are used to develop a model for the Phanerozoic burial, unroofing, and hypsometric history of the northwestern Canadian shield. AHe dates range from 210 ± 13 to 382 ± 79 Ma, are older in the eastern Slave craton and decrease westward, and resolve the spatial extent, thickness, and history of now-denuded sedimentary units. Results indicate Paleozoic heating to temperatures ≥85–90°C, suggesting regional burial beneath ≥2.8 km of strata while the region was at sea level, followed by the westward migration of unroofing across the craton. This …

Paleoseismology Of The Southern Panamint Valley Fault: Implications For Regional Earthquake Occurrence And Seismic Hazard In Southern California, Lee J. Mcauliffe, James F. Dolan, Eric Kirby, Chris Rollins, Ben Haravitch, Steve Alm, Tammy M. Rittenour

Geosciences Faculty Publications

[1] Paleoseismologic data from the southern Panamint Valley fault (PVF) reveal evidence of at least four surface ruptures during late Holocene time (0.33–0.48 ka, 0.9–3.0 ka, 3.3–3.6 ka, and >4.1 ka). These paleo‐earthquake ages indicate that the southern PVF has ruptured at least once and possibly twice during the ongoing (≤1.5 ka) seismic cluster in the Mojave section of the eastern California shear zone (ECSZ). The most recent event (MRE) on the PVF is also similar in age to the 1872 Owens Valley earthquake and the geomorphically youthful MRE on the Death Valley fault. The timing of the three oldest …

Membrane Lipid-Modulated Mechanism Of Action And Non-Cytotoxicity Of Novel Fungicide Aminoglycoside Fg08, Sanjib Shrestha, Michelle Grilley, Marina Y. Fosso, Cheng-Wei Tom Chang, Jon Y. Takemoto

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

A novel aminoglycoside, FG08, that differs from kanamycin B only by a C8 alkyl chain at the 4″-O position, was previously reported. Unlike kanamycin B, FG08 shows broad-spectrum fungicidal but not anti-bacterial activities. To understand its specificity for fungi, the mechanism of action of FG08 was studied using intact cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and small unilamellar membrane vesicles. With exposure to FG08 (30 µg mL−1), 8-fold more cells were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate, cells had 4 to 6-fold higher K+ efflux rates, and 18-fold more cells were stained with SYTOX Green in comparison to exposure to kanamycin B …

Modeling The Ionospheric E And F1 Regions: Using Sdo-Eve Observations As The Solar Irradiance Driver, Jan Josef Sojka, Joseph B. Jensen, Michael David, Robert W. Schunk, Tom Woods, Frank Eparvier

All Physics Faculty Publications

Over the altitude range of 90–150 km, in dayside nonauroral regions, ionization is controlled almost entirely by solar ultraviolet irradiance; the response time for ionization during solar exposure is almost instantaneous, and likewise, the time scale for recombination into neutral species is very fast when the photoionizing source is removed. Therefore, if high-resolution solar spectral data are available, along with accurate ionization cross sections as a function of wavelength, it should be possible to model this ionospheric region with greater accuracy. The Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) instrument on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite, …

Modeling Habitat Use Of A Fringe Greater Sage-Grouse Population At Multiple Spatial Scales, Anya Cheyenne Burnett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) are a prominent bird species of sagebrush-dominated landscapes across the western United States. Over the past 15 years, sage-grouse have gained international attention due to decreasing population trends despite management efforts. In 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated this species as warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act, but the listing was precluded by other species at higher conservation risk. Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation have been implicated as primary sources of declines in sage-grouse distribution and abundance. The Bald Hills population in southwestern Utah occupies an area with …

Two Scenes From Utah's Stratigraphic Record: Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth, Before And After, Dawn Schmidli Hayes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research is focused on rock units deposited in northern Utah before and after global glacial events of unprecedented magnitude, commonly referred to as
“Snowball Earth” glaciations. The rock units deposited prior to the beginning of these glaciations (~770 to 740 million years ago) include the Uinta Mountain Group in Utah’s Uinta Mountains. Rock units deposited after the glaciations (either ~665 or ~635 million years ago) include parts of the Kelley Canyon Formation on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. These rocks, deposited in shallow ocean environments, record the history of life and ocean chemistry just before and after …

Formation, Deformation, And Incision Of Colorado River Terraces Upstream Of Moab, Utah, Andrew P. Jochems

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The history of rivers is laid down as sediment in all landscapes, typically as a function of climate, geologic structures, and/or changes in sea level. When a river abandons its floodplain, this sediment collectively constitutes a landform called a fluvial terrace. Terraces are used to unlock prior characteristics of a river flowing through a given area at both local and regional scales. Dating terrace sediment allows comparison to known changes in climate and geologic deformation, two significant controls on the hydraulics of rivers and the deposition of their sediment loads.

The importance of terraces lies in their utility as markers …

Climate Change And Plant Demography In The Sagebrush Steppe, Aldo Compagnoni

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of State-Level Economic Impacts From The Development Of Wind Power Plants In Wayne County, Utah, Jeffrey Parker, Edwin R. Stafford, Cathy Hartman

Management Faculty Publications

This report provides an overview of the state of Utah’s development of its wind resources for the generation of electricity and an economic analysis of potential wind development in Wayne County, Utah. This analysis draws on information from local wind developers and utilizes the Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model (version W1.10.03) developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to estimate the total economic impacts (labor, supply chain, and induced) that could result from the development of a wind power plant in Wayne County. Findings detail how a Wayne County wind power plant could …

An Analysis Of State-Level Economic Impacts From The Development Of Wind Power Plants In Cache County, Utah, Austin Coover, Edwin R. Stafford, Cathy Hartman

Management Faculty Publications

This report provides an overview of the state of Utah’s development of its wind resources for the generation of electricity and an economic analysis of potential wind development in Cache County, Utah. This analysis draws on information from local wind developers and utilizes the Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model (version W1.10.03) developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to estimate the total economic impacts (labor, supply chain, and induced) that could result from the development of a wind power plant in Cache County. Findings detail how a Cache County wind power plant could …

Morphodynamic Signatures Of Braiding Mechanisms As Expressed Through Change In Sediment Storage In A Gravel-Bed River, Joseph Michael Wheaton, James Brasington, Stephen Darby, Alan Kasprak, David Sear, Damiá Vericat

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

[1] Previous flume-based research on braided channels has revealed four classic mechanisms that produce braiding: central bar development, chute cutoff, lobe dissection, and transverse bar conversion. The importance of these braiding mechanisms relative to other morphodynamic mechanisms in shaping braided rivers has not yet been investigated in the field. Here we exploit repeat topographic surveys of the braided River Feshie (UK) to explore the morphodynamic signatures of different mechanisms of change in sediment storage. Our results indicate that, when combined, the four classic braiding mechanisms do indeed account for the majority of volumetric change in storage in the study reach …

An Analysis Of State-Level Economic Impacts From The Development Of Wind Power Plants In Box Elder County, Utah, Jeffrey Parker, Cathy Hartman, Edwin R. Stafford

Management Faculty Publications

This report provides an overview of the state of Utah’s development of its wind resources for the generation of electricity and an economic analysis of potential wind development in Box Elder County, Utah. This analysis draws on information from local wind developers and utilizes the Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model (version W1.10.03) developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to estimate the total economic impacts (labor, supply chain, and induced) that could result from the development of a wind power plant in Box Elder County. Findings detail how a Box Elder County wind …

White Papers: Drilling Active Tectonics And Magmatism (Volcanics, Geoprisms, And Fault Zones Post-Safod), John W. Shervais, James P. Evans, Amanda Clark, John C. Eichelberger, James Kirkpatrick, Virginia Toy

Geosciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Increasing Ca2+ Deposition In The Western Us: The Role Of Mineral Aerosols, Janice Brahney, Ashley P. Ballantyne, C. Sievers, Jason C. Neff

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Considerable research has focused on the role of industrial emissions in controlling the acidity of precipitation; however, much less research has focused on the role of mineral aerosols emitted from soils. According to data published by the National Atmospheric Deposition Network (NADP), over the past 17 years Ca2+ deposition has increased over large regions of the US. A trend analysis to determine regions of significant change in Ca2+ deposition revealed statistically significant increases in three broad regions within the western half of the country: the inter-mountain west, the midwest, and the northwest. We evaluated potential changes in sources of calcium …

Effect Of Step Rate On Foot Strike Pattern And Running Economy In Novice Runners, Janae Lynn Richardson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Purpose—The objective was to examine if step rates ±5% or ±10% of a novice runner's preferred step rate (SR) is sufficient enough to shift a novice runner’s foot strike pattern (FSP) (rear-foot, mid-foot, forefoot) and whether these SR changes produce changes in the rate of submaximal oxygen consumption (VO2). Methods—Foot strike angle (FSA) was recorded using sagittal plane video images and VO2 was measured for novice runners while running on a treadmill at a constant speed during increased and decreased (±5% and ±10%) SR conditions. Foot strike angle was used to predict strike index (SI) (predicted strike index = [FSA …

3-Way Test Suite Prioritization And Fault Detection: A Case Study, Arjun Roy Chaudhuri

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

GUI and web based applications are becoming universal. Functional accuracy of those applications is vital. Software defects caused by poor software testing can cost billions of dollars. Further, web application defects can be costly due to the fact that most web applications handle regular user interaction. By improving the time efficiency of software testing, many of the costs associated with defects can be saved. Web application users generate large numbers of possible test-cases and out of all those test-cases only some of them are vital for functional testing. Therefore testing correctness of these applications is expensive and time consuming and …

Probability Estimation In Random Forests, Chunyang Li

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Random Forests is a useful ensemble approach that provides accurate predictions for classification, regression and many different machine learning problems. Classification has been a very useful and popular application for Random Forests. However, it is preferable to have the probability of a membership rather than the simple knowledge that one belongs to whichever group. Votes and the regression method are current probability estimation methods that have been developed in Random Forests. In this thesis, we introduce two new methods, proximity weighting and the out-of-bag method, trying to improve the current methods. Several different simulations are designed to evaluate the new …

A Middle To Late Holocene Record Of Arroyo Cut-Fill Events In Kitchen Corral Wash, Southern Utah, William M. Huff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Arroyos are steeply entrenched channels that form by incision into weakly consolidated valley-fill alluvium. This study attempts to offers clues into the processes behind their formation by dating arroyo sediments using luminescence and radiocarbon techniques. The importance of understanding arroyo formation is due to a possible linkage with decadal to centennial-scale climate fluctuations. In the 1800s and early 1900s, many of the shallow, perennial streams throughout southern Utah that used for a variety of agricultural and domestic uses were incised up to ~30 m into their alluvium by frequent and high-magnitude flood events. The economical and ecological effects of these …

Constraining Ice Advance And Linkages To Paleoclimate Of Two Glacial Systems In The Olympic Mountains, Washington And The Southern Alps, New Zealand, Cianna E. Wyshnytzky

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis investigates glacial sediments in the South Fork Hoh River Valley, Washington and the Lake Hawea Valley, New Zealand that were deposited during the last glacial period. Research objectives were to reconstruct the style and timing of glacier advance and retreat in both areas and to assess the viability of luminescence dating of sediments in glacial environments.

Glaciers are influenced primarily by temperature and precipitation. Valley glaciers, like those in the Olympics Mountains and Southern Alps, are thought to respond relatively rapidly to climate fluctuations in comparison to continental ice sheets. Understanding how these glacial systems responded to past …

Earthquake Petrology: Linking Fault-Related Deformation To The Earthquake Cycle, Mitchell R. Prante

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Faults have a controlling influence on a variety of geologic processes including fluid flow, the mechanical behavior of the crust, and seismicity. The geologic sciences have long recognized that faults generate earthquakes; however, few indicators of ancient earthquakes exist in fault-zones. This dissertation documents several indicators for the preservation of ancient earthquakes in fault-zones including frictional melt (pseudotachylyte), highly-polished fault slip surfaces, and hydrothermal alteration.

These deformation products result from rapid generation of frictional heat during earthquakes. This dissertation also focuses on the seismic potential of continental low-angle normal faults (LANF). We document the preservation of voluminous pseudotachylyte along a …

Cougar Predation Behavior In North-Central Utah, Dustin L. Mitchell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Today’s ability to apply global positioning systems (GPS) collars to wild animals and track their movements, without inadvertently disrupting their daily routine, is a major benefit to wildlife research. Cougars are carnivorous predators that have been identified as being one of several possible causes for recent mule deer population declines throughout the Western United States. Past cougar predation studies have relied on snow tracking, radio-collar tracking, and modeling techniques to estimate cougar prey use and predation rates. These methods rely heavily on weather conditions, logistical availabilities, and broad assumptions, which have led to a wide range of predation rate estimates. …

Enhanced Structural Support Of Metal Sites As Nodes In Metal-Organic Frameworks Compared To Metal Complexes, Sanjit Das

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Crystalline porous materials have gained long-standing interest for their application in gas storage, separation and catalysis. These materials have been useful for domestic, scientific and industrial purposes for many decades. Zeolites are a well known example of such materials.

Metal-organic frameworks are a new class of crystalline porous materials. They have many advantages over the more widely known zeolites. Though metal-organic frameworks are relatively new, their basic structure, known as the secondary building unit, very closely resembles the structure of metal complexes. Such metal complexes have been characterized in chemistry for more than a century.

Chemical catalysis is a process …

Wind Power In Utah, Whitney May, Roslynn Brain, Edwin R. Stafford

Management Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Processing And Manipulation Of Data Collected From The Educational On-Line Game Refraction, Xiaotian Dai

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A team of students, artists, and researchers at the Center for Game Science at the

University of Washington are trying to create video games that can discover optimal

pathways for learning. They have focused so far on early mathematics education,

including topics such as fractions and algebra, which are some of the main bottlenecks

preventing students from pursuing a career in science. As a result, the educational

on-line game \Refraction" was created, which is aimed at students who start learning

fraction computations. When the students are playing the game online, all the data

and information, such as mouse movements and …

Resolving Ionospheric E-Region Modeling Challenges: The Solar Photon Flux Dependence, Joseph B. Jensen, Jan J. Sojka, Michael David, Kent Tobiska, Robert W. Schunk, Tom Woods, Frank Eparvier

Browse All Undergraduate research

The EVE instrument of the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) provides for the first time EUV and XUV measurements of the solar irradiance that adequately define the major source of ionization of the atmosphere. In our study we modeled the E-region of the ionosphere and analyzed how it is affected by the solar irradiance data obtained by EVE and contrast this with the S2000 Solar Irradiance model, used previously. The ionosphere has two major layers, the E-layer at 100 km, and the F-layer at 300 km. The difference in solar irradiances are small except at some wavelength bands, it is …

Resolving Ionospheric E-Region Modeling Challenges: The Solar Photon Flux Dependence, Joseph B. Jensen, Jan J. Sojka, Michael David, Kent Tobiska, Robert W. Schunk, Tom Woods, Frank Eparvier

Student Showcase

No abstract provided.

Biology And Impacts Of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 9. Capra Hircus, The Feral Goat (Mammalia: Bovidae), Mark William Chynoweth, Creighton M. Litton, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Steven C. Hess, Susan Cordell

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Domestic goats, Capra hircus, were intentionally introduced to numerous oceanic islands beginning in the sixteenth century. The remarkable ability of C. hircus to survive in a variety of conditions has enabled this animal to become feral and impact native ecosystems on islands throughout the world. Direct ecological impacts include consumption and trampling of native plants, leading to plant community modification and transformation of ecosystem structure. Although the negative impacts of feral goats are well known and effective management strategies have been developed to control this invasive species, large populations persist on many islands. This review summarizes impacts of feral goats …